A part of Danish history has come alive in West Bengal, with the restoration of the Denmark Tavern and Hotel, an over 200-year-old pub along the river Hooghly in Serampore.

The restoration work was completed by the National Museum of Denmark (NMD) and the Cultural Ministry of the Scandinavian nation. The tavern was opened for the public on February 28.

Project head of the restoration drive, 'Serampore Initiative', Bente Wolff said, "When we had visited the place in 2010, the front part had completely given way and a small portion of the first floor remained. It was in a state of total decay."



When the Danish team had first visited the place, no one could recall the original name of the ruined building, but after historians checked the state archive here and flipped through other official documents, they realised it was the Denmark Tavern and Hotel, Simon Rasten of NMD said.

"The Denmark Tavern and Hotel, which came up in 1786, was located at the place in Serampore - along side a river ghat where the Danes kept their articles," Rasten said.

The tavern was restored with traditional materials like lime and molasses, and a conventional roof-thumping method was used to make it waterproof by a group of skilled masons from Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas districts, conservationist Manish Chakraborti, who had overseen the project, said.

A Danish trust 'Realdania', supporting philanthropic projects in the fields of architecture and planning, and Department of Tourism, government of West Bengal, funded the renovation at a cost of Rs five crore.

NMD architect Flemming Aalund assisted Chakraborti in the task, which began in 2016.

The Danish Tavern will now function as a coffee house, with some rooms rented out by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation.

Chakraborti said this was the second Danish-backed conservation project after the nearby St Olav's Church project in Serampore, which was restored in 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A committee of the Delhi Assembly today accused Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash of "lying" before the Delhi High Court with regard to a breach of privilege notice issued to him for allegedly skipping a meeting called by the panel.

Members of the Question and Reference Committee said that they would also initiate "forgery proceedings" against Prakash for misinforming the court.

The panel had on February 21 recommended privilege proceedings against the chief secretary (CS) for contempt of House after he skipped the meeting called by the committee.

"We have learnt that the CS has moved the High Court challenging the breach of privilege notice served to him by accusing us of arm-twisting him in a matter related to alleged attack on him, but he is hiding the fact that the meeting was related to rising NPAs," AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, a member of the committee, said.

"This issue is going on for over a year. An MLA filed a complaint with the Question and Reference Committee when he was not given a satisfactory answer in the Delhi Assembly for a question related to rising NPAs and bank loans based on fraudulent papers in Delhi Nagrik Sarkari Bank," he said, adding that despite summoning the CS, present and former Registrar Cooperative Societies (RCS), they did not turn up for the meeting for three consecutive days.

"Whoever is lying in the affidavit before the Delhi High Court, forgery proceedings should be initiated against him. We shall do the same," Bhardwaj said.

"The committee members challenge the CS to stick to the contents of his affidavit and not alter these contents. The chief secretary is clearly trying to shield those involved in the multi-crore scam, which appears to be on the lines of the Punjab National Bank scam," the committee said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A driver crashed into a police officer and two other people today in northern Israel before being shot and wounded, but authorities said it was not clear if the incident was an attack.

Police said they were looking into the events in the city of Acre, adding that those hit were lightly wounded.

One was hit near a market, while the two others were near a train station, police said.

Palestinians and Arab Israelis have carried out car ramming attacks against Israeli security forces in the past.

No details were immediately available on the driver's identity.

Acre, located along the Mediterranean coast, has a mixed population of Arab and Jewish Israelis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Education and development are key to tackling Islamic radicalisation, Nigeria's former president Olusegun Obasanjo said, citing education disparity in different regions of the strife-torn African country.

Obasanjo, who headed a military government in the 1970s and was Nigeria's first president when civilian rule was restored in 1999, also described disparity in literacy as an "invitation to disaster" for any country grappling with extremism.

"I think the remote cause of what you call Islamic radicalisation is poor development," Obasanjo, on a personal visit to India recently, told PTI when asked for his views on Islamic radicalisation -- an issue faced by both Nigeria as well as India.

He explained that Nigeria has six geopolitical zones -- three in the south and as many in the north, and added that the literacy rate in the southern zones was at least 80 per cent, while that in the northern zones was much lower.

"There is no geopolitical zone in the south where the literacy is less than 80 per cent. Now if you compare it with that in the north and that among female children, it would be much less. And as we have seen, it (illiteracy) is an invitation to disaster for any country which has such disparity in education," he said.

"Of course, the immediate cause, partly, is when you look deeply it is the lack of education, lack of development, lack of infrastructure and lack of employment," he said on the sidelines of an international conference-cum-festival organised by spiritual organisation Brahma Kumaris where he was the chief guest.

Islamic radicalisation and violence in Nigeria, a phenomenon whose latest manifestation through the activities of the Jama'atu Ahlis Sunnah Ladda'awatih wal-Jihad (widely known as Boko Haram), have attracted considerable concern.

More than 20,000 people have been killed and over two million have been forced to flee their homes since 2009 when the group waged an armed campaign in northeastern Nigeria.

United Nations' estimates indicate that at least 8,000 children have been recruited and used by the Boko Haram since 2009 till 2016 end.

"And if you are going to deal with the issue of Boko Haram or any similar issue you have to deal with the issue of development. This applies to Nigeria or any other country," Obasanjo said.

He said he had started schemes for free basic education in Nigeria, just like what India now has in the form of Right to Education Act, during his regime under which states could access federal funds. But when the coverage of free education was expanded to include the higher level, he said, the states moved court against the move and got a stay on the order.

Obasanjo's term as president ended in 2007. In 2009, nearly 1,000 soldiers were killed in clashes between Boko Haram militants and Nigerian soldiers throughout northern Nigeria, beginning the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency in the region.

The 80-year-old influential African leader said India and Nigeria have always had very cordial and harmonious relations.

"India was one of the countries which helped in Nigeria's admission to the United Nations in 1960s. And from then the relations between India and Nigeria have gone from strength to strength," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Ethan Peck has been roped in to star in one of the lead roles of the ABC drama pilot "For Love"



The show is being described as an epic love triangle set against a grounded, secret world of magic in present day New Orleans, reported Variety.

Protagonist of the show, Hope Castille gets shocked when she gets a call from her fiancefive years after he was killed.

Peck will play Gabriel Dumaine, a member of the powerful Dumaine family and also a candidate in the upcoming mayoral race. Respectful of Hope's loss, he's very much in love with her and hoping to start a life with her, even though he realizes that might expose her to the dangerous secret the Dumaine family hides.

John Dahl will direct the pilot written by Michael Cooney. Both Dahl and Cooney will also serve as executive producer on the show.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said that the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the organisational skills of party president Amit Shah led to the BJP's good showing in the polls in three northeast states.

He said that the party would register a win in poll-bound Karnataka as well.

"Our success in the northeast states can be attributed to the vision of PM Narendra Modi and organisational skills of party president Amit Shah. We managed to bring some separatist groups in the region back into the mainstream. BJP's success will end the instability in the region," he said today.

Fadnavis said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee, during his Prime Ministerhsip, had come up with several measures for the development of the region but subsequent non-BJP governments nullified the progress by indulging in corruption.

"After the Modi government came to power, we have been able to reinstate the faith of the poeple from the northeast states. We entered into several pacts to win their confidence, which has now benefitted the party," Fadnavis said.

He said the BJP secured nearly half of the total vote share in Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, which shows that voters were increasingly in favour of the saffron party.

"The BJP has not only won the elections but secured 49 to 50 per cent votes in (the three) north-east states. It shows the mandate is inclined towards the BJP. The poll outcome is also a boost for the forthcoming assembly election in Karnataka," the chief minister told reporters here.

Analysing the poll outcome, Fadnavis said the BJP did not win the elections because of a division of votes, but due to the people's trust in Modi and Shah.

Fadnavis said the BJP was now in power in 21 states, covering 78 per cent of the geographical area of the country, and would win the 2019 general elections as well.

During his interaction with reporters, Fadnavis quoted a social media message to taunt the Congress.

"There is a social media message being circulated, which I also liked. It says the Congress wants bypolls to be held only in those seats where it has improved its performance," he said in an apparent reference to the Congress retaining two seats in the bypolls held in Madhya Pradesh recently.

"I want to thank the voters of Tripura for one more reason. In the last six months, as many as 27 workers of the BJP were killed in violence when the previous government was in power. Despite so much opposition, the BJP clinched victory which is commendable," said Fadnavis.

When asked about a Rajya Sabha seat being offered to former Congress leader Narayan Rane, Fadnavis said, "We are waiting for the party high command to announce the names of the three candidates for the RS seats from Maharashtra. It will be announced soon."



The deadline for submission of nominations for RS polls is March 12 and the election is scheduled for March 23.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A fast track court judge was today killed after his car collided with the road divider on NH-57 and skidded off the road in Darbhanga district today, police said.

The judge's mother and wife, and the driver were seriously injured in the accident, Additional Superintendent of Police Dilnawaz Ahmad said.

The three injured were admitted to Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.

The judge, 61-year-old Arun Kumar Jha, was returning to Patna from his in-laws' place at Garatol village in Madhubani district when the accident occurred near Muriya village under Sadar police station area.

Jha was working as fast track court judge at Khagaria on ad-hoc basis after retiring from Katihar civil court, Ahmad said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A gang of robbers operating across states was busted with the arrest of 11 of its members, including a doctor and three of a family, who had burgled a Union Bank of India branch in Naubasta here two weeks ago, police said today.

Diamond jewellery worth over Rs 35 lakh, gold ornaments weighing 4.155 kg, 18 kg silver and over Rs 4 lakh in cash was recovered from them, Inspector General of Police (Kanpur Range) Alok Singh said.

Mithun Mandal, Pheku Barsad, both residents of Jharkhand, and Ram Kumar Sharma of West-Bengal were arrested from their respective places, the IG said.

Sharma was also involved in looting jewellery worth Rs 2 crore theft from a showroom in the PPN market in 2010, he said.

Two members of the gang, Mamu and Krishn Ravidas, were still at large, the IG said, adding that raids were being conducted in all of their known hideouts.

Senior Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Kumar said the police came across a lead after finding a gas cylinder carrying a slip containing the name and address of mastermind, Bhanu Pratap Singh.

Police found out that Bhanu was running an international auto-lifting gang and later arrested him, the SSP added.

Bhanu Pratap Singh confessed the involvement of his wife, Manju, alias Mannu Devi, and son, Akshay Pratap Singh, aka Prince, who were also arrested, SSP Kumar added.

A doctor, Sanjeev Arya, was arrested in connection with the robbery. Gold ornaments weighing 21.940 gram was recovered from his possession.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Goa is staring at a revenue loss of Rs 3,500 crore annually and downscaling of nearly two lakh jobs following a Supreme Court order over non-renewal of iron ore mining leases in the state, a minister has said.

The state government wants that the Centre should help it in dealing with this impending crisis.

The SC had last month quashed the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 companies in Goa in 2015.

The apex court said it was giving time till March 15 to mining lease holders, who have been granted a second renewal in violation of its previous directions, to manage their affairs.

They are directed to stop all mining operations with effect from March 16, until fresh mining leases (not fresh renewals or other renewals) are granted and fresh environmental clearances are granted, the court said.

Goa transport minister Sudin Dhavalikar said there is a concern about the loss of revenue and jobs because of the court order.

"The estimate is that we will lose Rs 3,500 crore annually and also around two lakh people will be rendered jobless, if the mining industry stops forever," he told PTI.

"The Centre has to provide us a way out of this situation and we have faith that it will do it," said Dhavalikar, whose Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) is an ally of the BJP in Goa.

While the Goa government is busy charting its strategy to minimise the impact of the apex court's verdict on the state's economy and the people, the mining industry stakeholders are also concerned about the uncertainty hovering over their means of livelihood.

The stakeholders include the truck owners, who transport the ore from mining sites to jetties located along the river side.

Nilkant Gawas, the president of All Goa Truck Owners' Association, said there should be a clarity on whether mining will be allowed or it will be shut down completely.

"We can't live in this kind of an uncertain situation for long," he said.

Since 2012, he said, the mining industry has been severely affected and the people depending on it are facing an uncertain future.

"Let the people know once and for all whether mining will stop or will be allowed to continue without any hiccups," Gawas said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had banned mining in Goa in 2012 after the allegations of illegal mining surfaced.

The industry had resumed in 2014, but failed to take off due to various regulations pertaining to the iron ore extraction and its export.

Gawas alleged that the greed of mine owners and politicians in power pushed the mining industry to the brink of a crisis.

North Goa Truck Owners' Association secretary Suresh Desai said the solution for the problem has to be worked out before March 15 or else, he feared, there would be a major economic disaster for the people dependent on the industry.

"We want the mining industry to continue and it is for the government and experts to find a solution," he said.

The barge operators, who ferry the ore from jetties to the trans-shippers, (take carry the consignment abroad), are equally worried.

All Goa Barge Owners Association's spokesman Atul Jadhav said the people dependent on the mining industry are hopeful that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will come up with some solution.

"It is he who has the capability to provide a solution for this problem," said Jadhav.

One of the oldest mine owners in Goa, Haresh Melwani of H L Nathurmal mining company, said the BJP should take up the issue in Parliament and move an amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Regulations and Development) Act so that the industry is not adversely affected by the Supreme Court's order.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Gujjar community of Jammu and Kashmir today launched a national campaign via social media to include their mother tongue 'Gojri' in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

We are looking at a highly innovative campaign whereby social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and other media will be used as a tool to spread our long-pending demand across India, founder of Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, Javaid Rahi said.

Rahi, a noted Gujjar scholar, said initially the focus would be to unite the Gujjar community residing in 12 states of north-western India for a joint struggle to get Gojri recognised at the national level.

Gojri, a tribal language spoken by nearly two million Gujjars in Jammu and Kashmir only, deserves more attention from the government, he said, adding more than twenty million people speak Gojri across the globe.

Rahi also argued that Gojri has a very rich literature.

At present, more than one thousand books are available in Gojri -mainly covering poetry, prose, folklore, novel, flora-fauna and history, he claimed.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has already included Gojri in the Sixth Schedule of the state's constitution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Videos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.The Haryana Assembly's Budget Session is likely to begin on a stormy note tomorrow, with the opposition looking to corner the BJP government over several issues, including that of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal and law and order.

The session will commence with the address of Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki.

The Budget estimates for 2018-2019 are likely to be presented on March 12 and according to a tentative schedule, the session will last till March 16, official sources said.

However, the Business Advisory Committee of the Haryana Assembly will take a final call on duration of the budget session, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told reporters here today.

Leader of the Opposition (INLD) Abhay Singh Chautala said his party would move an adjournment motion for a debate on the SYL issue.

To put pressure on the Centre to complete the canal to enable Haryana's share of river water, the INLD will also hold an 'Adhikar rally' in Delhi on March 7.

Ahead of the Budget Session, the Haryana Congress Legislature Party held a meeting in Delhi at the residence of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

CLP leader Kiran Choudhary said the Khattar government had failed on all fronts including on the farmers' issue, law and order front, in giving jobs and fulfilling the "tall promises" it had made to the public.

Hooda said every section of society was fed up with this government.

"They have done nothing for the past three-and-a-half years except event management. Farmers, employees, traders, youths, you name any section of society, everyone is fed up with their misrule," he alleged, and added that the Congress would raise important issues in the Assembly.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today asked opposition parties in the state not to politicise the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue and refrain from inciting public sentiments.

He said that political parties must move forward on the construction of the canal rather than politicising the issue.

"We have full faith in the judiciary and would get our due share in river waters through the SYL canal," Khattar said at a press conference here.

Opposition parties in the state have always politicised the SYL issue for their petty interests and they are at it again, the chief minister alleged.

"They know very well that a Presidential Reference on the matter had been pending in the Supreme Court for 12-long years and that it was the present state government that strongly pleaded the case in the apex court and ensured its early hearing," he said.

Khattar said as a result of the "efforts made by his government (in the SYL issue), the Supreme Court had given its decision in favour of the state.

"Now, the execution order is to be passed by the apex court," he said, adding "we are hopeful that we will soon get our share of water through the canal..."



"Everyone in Haryana wants that the SYL canal should be constructed. We must move forward on the construction of the canal rather than politicise the issue," the chief minister said.

"There are some who try to incite public sentiments by telling people that had we been in power we would have brought SYL canal waters...

"We are governed by the Constitution, we are living in a federal system and we are governed by some laws. There is a process which has to be followed," he said.

Several INLD leaders, including Abhay Singh Chautala, had in February 2017 tried to march into Punjab to undertake the digging of the SYL canal.

However, they were arrested for breaching prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC and were released later.

Notably, Leader of the Opposition and senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala has said that his party will move an adjournment motion to debate the SYL issue in the Haryana's Assembly's Budget Session, which begins here tomorrow.

To build pressure on the Centre to complete the canal to enable Haryana get its share of river water, the INLD is also holding an 'Adhikar Rally' in Delhi on March 7.

Referring to water management projects, Khattar said 50 to 100 new ponds would be constructed in the vicinity of the Delhi for getting the ground water recharged.

"The government has also ensured adequate water at the tail-ends for irrigation. Water has reached 293 tails out of the total 300 in the state. The present government has also made infrastructural arrangements for irrigation. The existing capacity of 3,451 cusecs of JLN Canal is being revived at a cost of Rs 300 crore," he said.

He said that the construction of upstream dams-- Renuka, Kishau and Lakhwar -- had been being taken up with the Centre for early completion.

The State Pond Management Authority has also been formed for the protection, conservation, development and rejuvenation of about 14,000 ponds in the state, he added.

Touching upon another issue, Khattar said during the last three-and-a-half years, the BJP government in Haryana has not only done well in providing jobs and skilling the youths of the state, but also lived up to its credentials of merit, transparency and no nepotism in matters of recruitment.

He said that employment had been provided to 2.03 lakh persons in the private sector, including 1.24 lakh in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises during last three-and-a-half years.

Giving details about the skilling of youth, the chief minister said that out of the total target of 2.27 lakh, 1.17 lakh youths were trained in different sectors, and, out of these, 37,134 were placed in keeping with their specific areas of skilling.

The chief minister said that appointment letters were given to 17,300 candidates recommended by the state recruiting agencies in a transparent manner.

Result of the recruitment to about 28,000 posts is pending due to litigation in courts, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Another Airbus A320 Neo aircraft with Pratt& Whitney engine was grounded on Sunday at the Pune airport prior to its departure for New Delhi due to the oil chip detection in one of its engines, a source said.

IndiGo, later, operated the flight with another aircraft but in the process it was delayed by more than four hours, according to the source.

When contacted, refused to comment on the incident, which came close on the heels of another incident involving its aircraft last week, in which passengers had a close shave after one of the engines of a A320 Neo plane failed midair.

After the airline operated its Nagpur-Pune flight, was forced to ground the A320 Neo plane due to the oil chip detection in engine-2 of the plane, the source said.

The glitch-hit IndiGo plane was scheduled to fly to Delhi from Pune.

As the aircraft was not airworthy due to the engine failure, the airline arranged another plane later, an A320, to fly the passengers to their destination, the source added.



State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has bid for a stake in Vietnam's Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company as it looks at the South Eastern nation to expand business beyond Indian shores.

IOC is among the at least four companies that have evinced interest in becoming strategic partner in Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company (BSR) by taking 49 per cent stake, official sources said.

Indonesian state-owned oil firm Pertamina, Vietnam's biggest petrol dealer Petrolimex and Thailand's Bangchak Corporation Public Company Ltd are the other firms which have put in an expression of interest (EoI).

Vitol of Switzerland and Spain's Repsol too had initially shown interest in taking a stake in the company but it was not clear if they put in an EoI at expiry of the deadline last month.

Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company owns and operates Vietnam's first oil refinery, Dung Quat Refinery (DQR). It has a capacity of 6.5 million tonnes a year, meeting over 30 per cent of Vietnam's demand for gasoline and oil.

It produces up to 3.2 million tonnes of diesel per annum and up to 2.5 million tonnes of petrol. LPG, jet fuel, polyproylene and propylene are other petroleum products its produces.

The refinery is being expanded to 8.5 million tonnes by 2021.

In January, the Vietnamese government had sold 7.79 per cent stake through an initial public offering of the company to raise USD 245 million. BSR is among dozens of units under the wing of state oil and gas company PetroVietnam (PVN).

After selling a 49 per cent stake to strategic investors, state-ownership in BSR will come down to 43 per cent.

Sources said IOC, India's biggest oil refiner, is looking at Myanmar, Bangladesh and Vietnam to expand its oil refining and fuel retailing business.

With Vietnam short in refinery products, IOC believes it can bring efficiencies and help expand BSR.

IOC is looking to export aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and cooking gas LPG to Myanmar and auto fuel to Bangladesh. It currently has a fuel retailing subsidiary in Sri Lanka and sells products in Mauritius and West Asia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iran said today that claims Bahrain had arrested a 116-member "terrorist cell" trained by Iran were "baseless".

"Pinning the blame on others and repeating outdated scenarios and baseless accusations against others will not help the Bahraini government resolve its problems with its citizens," said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi on the ministry's website.

"We once again advise Bahraini officials to prepare the ground for engagement and dialogue with their own people instead of beefing up security and police arrangements," he added.

Bahrain's authorities announced yesterday that 116 people had been arrested on suspicion of links to Iran's Revolutionary Guards military force.

According to its official BNA agency, the cell was accused of receiving training in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon.

Bahrain, which is governed by a Sunni monarchy, accuses Iran of fomenting trouble and supporting protests among its Shiite citizens, which make up the majority of the population - accusations which are denied by Tehran.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today assured a fair probe into the rape and murder case of a minor girl in Kathua district, saying people involved in such a heinous crime have no religion.

The girl's body was recovered from Rassana forest on January 17, a week after she went missing while grazing horses in the forest area.

On January 23, the government handed over the murder case to the state police's crime branch which arrested a Special Police Officer (SPO) in February for his alleged involvement in abduction and killing of the girl.

Earlier, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had arrested a 15-year-old boy and claimed the accused had strangulated the victim after she resisted his rape attempt.

On behalf of the government, I assure a fair investigation into the alleged rape and murder of the minor girl. All the people are on board seeking justice for the victim, Singh told reporters at the BJP headquarters here.

Linking the incident with religion is not good. A culprit or a criminal has no religion Those who are trying to play politics over the incident are indulging in making mockery of justice with the victim, he said.

His remarks came after two BJP ministers participated in a rally by the Hindu Ekta Manch that is demanding a CBI probe into the incident.

Defending the attendance of the ministers -- Lal Singh and Chandar Prakash Ganga -- he said they were there to assure the protesters that a fair probe would be conducted and no body would be harassed without any reason.

On the demand of CBI probe, Singh said the government is working in accordance with the law of the land.

A minor girl was allegedly raped and killed, and everyone is demanding action against the culprits involved in this heart-wrenching incident, he said, asking people to inform about any evidence of harassment by the investigation agencies. The criminals will not be shielded, he said.

On a question about the Kashmir problem, the deputy chief minister said a 1994 parliament resolution makes it clear that if there is an outstanding issue it is about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

This is the stand of the BJP as well." Kashmir is a part of India, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karti Chidambaram, arrested in the INX Media case, was today brought to the Byculla prison here to be confronted with Indrani Mukerjea as part of the CBI's probe into the matter, a senior official said.

Mukerjea, a former Director of INX Media (P) Ltd, is lodged in the jail in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case.

A six-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) brought Karti Chidambaram, the son of senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram, to the prison in Central Mumbai this morning, he said.

The CBI team, accompanied by a woman police official, will bring him face-to-face with Mukerjea, who is lodged in the Byculla prison, he said.

The doors of the prisons were shut and no other person from outside was allowed to enter the premises, he said.

After confrontation with Indrani Mukerjea, the CBI team is also expected to bring Karti Chidambaram face-to-face with her husband and former media baron Peter Mukerjea, he added.

Karti was arrested by CBI after the confessional statement of Mukerjea in the case on February 28.

He was sent to five-day CBI custody on March 1, official said.

Karti was arrested at Chennai Airport on his return from the United Kingdom, in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds worth about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the union finance minister.

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, who recorded it under section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sri Lanka's office of missing persons has come under fire from the nationalist party backed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, alleging that some of its members have campaigned in favour of the LTTE.

The Office of Missing Persons (OMP) aims to bring in reparations to the victims of the nearly three-decade long armed conflict in the country.

"This is nothing but a mechanism to try war heroes (soldiers who defeated the LTTE)," Udaya Gammanpila, a leading Joint Opposition supporter said today.

He said that President Maithripala Sirisena who pledged not to go ahead with the OMP had buckled under pressure from the West and the UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Raad Al Hussein.

Last week, Sirisena appointed seven members to a special office set up for determining the status of all persons who went "missing" during the decade-long civil war against the LTTE.

Under the Chairmanship of Saliya Peiris, a leading legal luminary, the Commissioners comprise of two members from the Tamil minority and a Muslim.

"Look at their names, they are all characters from the dubious non-governmental organisations who have never raised their voices against the LTTE terrorism," Sarath Weerasekera, a former legislator said.

"Some of them have campaigned for the LTTE against the state," Weerasekera added.

The OMP is expected to bring solace to the tens of thousands of relative of the missing due to armed conflicts both in the south and the north of the country.

The government legislator Ajith Mannapperuma rubbished the accusation that OMP would lead to persecuting the members of the military.

The demand to set up such an office was created by Sri Lanka's human rights record, coming under international focus since the war with the LTTE ended in 2009.

The OMP law which was passed in August 2016 will now become operational with the appointment of commissioners for a three-year term.

The OMP is tasked with determining the status of all missing persons in Sri Lanka and is the first pillar of the transitional justice mechanisms under design, the government said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant and three civilians, termed overground workers for the militant group by the Army, were killed in South Kashmir's Shopian district, officials said here.

According to the Army, two vehicles were asked to stop by a mobile checking squad of the force in this militancy-affected area near Pohan.

However, the squad was fired upon from inside a car. Troops retaliated effectively, resulting in the death of the vehicle's occupants, they said.

Police rushed to the spot and identified one of the deceased as Amir Ahmed Malik, who had joined the LeT militant group in July last year.

The bodies of the others were handed over to their legal heirs, a police spokesman said.

"Weapons have been seized and legal proceedings initiated," he said.

However, Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia said the three were overground workers and accomplices of the slain militant.

The three were residents of Trenz, Pinjoora and Imamsahib areas of Shopian.

In a related development, separatist amalgam under the banner of Joint Resistance Forum has called for a Kashmir bandh tomorrow to protest the killings in Shopian.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)French President Emmanuel Macron called on his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani today to put the "necessary pressure" on the Syrian government to halt "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

During a telephone call between the two leaders, Macron underscored the "particular responsiblity for Iran, because of its ties to the regime, regarding the implementation of the humanitarian truce" sought by the UN, his office said.

Their talks came as a monitoring group said forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had seized control of over a quarter of Eastern Ghouta, on the edge of Damascus, after two weeks of devastating bombardment.

The offensive has reportedly killed more than 640 civilians and sent hundreds more fleeing, prompting growing international calls to end the bloodshed.

"The two presidents expressed their agreement to work together in the coming days along with the UN, in conjunction with the Damascus regime and the main countries involved in Syria, to secure results on the ground, supply necessary aid to civilians and implement an effective ceasefire," Macron's office said.

He and Rouhani are expected to speak again later this week.

The United Nations has called for a 30-day ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta, but so far regime-backer Russia has declared only a five-hour daily "humanitarian pause".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nacogdoches, TX (75965)

Today

A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. A few clouds. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. A few clouds. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable.The Maharashtra government has given an administrative nod to release nearly Rs 313 crore from the state disaster response fund (SDRF) for farmers whose crops were damaged in the recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms.

A government resolution (GR) to this effect was issued recently, a revenue department official said.

According to figures of the revenue department, standing crops on 2,93,289 hectares of land, spread over 19 districts, were affected by the last month's unseasonal rains and hailstorms.

"The government has sent a memorandum to the Centre seeking a financial assistance of Rs 2,400 crore collectively for pink bollworm (a pest) attacks on cotton crops and damage to crops caused by hailstorms and unseasonal rains," Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar told PTI.

The Centre is yet to release any amount.

He said the amount (Rs 313 crore) sanctioned for farmers affected by hailstorms and unseasonal rains will be provided on an urgent basis and as per the SDRF norms.

Once the required funds are sanctioned by the Centre, this amount will be adjusted against the money taken from the SDRF, Fundkar said.

As per the data, Rs 139 crore would be required for affected farmers in Amravati division, Rs 130 crore in Aurangabad, Rs 42 crore in Nagpur and Rs 96.72 lakh in Nashik division.

"The government has told the district collectors it will be mandatory for them to conduct 'panchnama' (site inspection) for agricultural fields that have suffered losses of more than 33 per cent," the revenue department official said.

In such cases, the maximum compensation will be provided for two hectares, he said.

The collectors have also been directed to ensure the relief amount is directly deposited into the accounts of farmers and banks do not undertake any loan recovery exercise, the official said.

Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has said "The BJP government has given the first right on the treasury to farmers."



He said 2.55 crore people in the state are directly or indirectly connected to the agriculture sector.

"When farmers are in trouble, it is the government's responsibility to stand by them. We will leave no stone unturned to help them despite our financial constraints," said Mungantiwar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today promised support to her Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao, a day after he expressed keenness to participate in national politics to bring about a "qualitative change".

A clutch of leaders, including former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and two MPs from Maharashtra, have also welcomed Rao's statement, according to an official release.

In a telephonic conversation with Rao, TMC supremo Banerjee conveyed her complete support and said she agreed with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief's opinion that there is a necessity to bring a qualitative change in the country's politics, it said.

"Ham aap se ekmat hain. Aap ke saath rahange (I am in agreement with you. I will work with you)," she told KCR, as Rao is popularly known, the release said.

At a press conference yesterday after the BJP decimated the Left and the Congress in three northeastern states, Rao hinted at forming a third front-like platform.

The TRS chief said he was keen to participate in the national politics to bring about a "change" and was in talks with others to form a platform of like-minded parties.

"There is need for qualitative change in the national politics....There is a serious need. People are vexed now. No qualitative change is seen by people even after 70 years of democracy....China developed in less than three decades. What both the Congress and the BJP did all these years?



"People are looking for change. Can we expect something new to happen if the Congress comes to power after the BJP? It can be a third front or any front...Are we not part of the country? Discussions are going on. There is no secret about it," he had said when asked if he was in talks with other non-Congress, non-BJP leaders.

At a press meet today, actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan welcomed Rao's statement and said he was extending his support.

Earlier in the day, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisialso welcomed Rao's comments and said regional parties will be the key to government formation after the next parliamentary polls and that the Telangana chief minister will play an important role in the process.

According to the release, at least two MPs from Maharashtra as well as several prominent persons from different walks of life expressed their support to KCR over phone.

However, it did not name either the MPs or their parties.

Meanwhile, a large number of people, besides prominent leaders of the ruling TRS, today reached Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence of the chief minister, apparently to express solidarity with Rao.

Television channels showed a number of Telangana ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and corporation chairmen reaching Pragathi Bhavan.

They raisedslogans such as 'Desh Ka Neta KCR' at the chief minister's residence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 45-year-old man who worked as a night watchman at a school in Seempauri area here was found dead today, police said.

The body of Devi Dayal bore head injuries inflicted by a blunt object, they added.

Dayal's body was found inside a room in the school at around 9 am, an officer said, adding that an empty liquor bottle, two glasses and food were also lying nearby.

There were no signs of forced entry, he said.

Dayal worked in the accounts unit of a transporter, and stayed in the school as a guard at night, the police said.

CCTV footage from around the school was being scanned, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prince Harry's American actress fiancee, Meghan Markle, is to be baptised and confirmed as an Anglican Christian by the Church of England at a ceremony at Kensington Palace in London this month.

The 36-year-old, who was raised as a Protestant Christian in California, will formally embrace the Anglican faith in a private service at the palace's 19th-century chapel by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

According to The Sunday Times, among the family members expected to be present for the ceremony is Markle's father, Thomas Markle, who lives in Mexico and has not yet met his future son-in-law. Her mother, Doria Ragland, is expected to travel from her home in California.

A source close to the couple told the newspaper that the bride-to-be asked the Archbishop to conduct the service "as she has formed a close bond with him. She and Harry have been doing wedding prep with him".

The couple will marry on Saturday, May 19, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Markle was not required to become an Anglican in order to marry Harry in the royal church, but she is understood to have chosen to be baptised and confirmed out of respect for the Queen's role as Head of the Church of England.

Markle's father, a Hollywood lighting director, belonged to the Episcopalian denomination the main US offshoot of the Anglican church and her mother belonged to another Protestant sect. When she was six, her parents divorced and Markle went on to attend the Catholic Immaculate Heart girls-only high school.

Her first husband, Trevor Engelson, was Jewish, but she did not take his faith. The couple married in 2011 and divorced two years later.

Meanwhile, the UK government has approved the late opening of pubs in the UK for celebrations during the royal wedding weekend in May.

At the end of a four-week public consultation, UK home secretary Amber Rudd confirmed this week that licensing hours across England and Wales would be relaxed to mark the royal wedding.

It means pubs, bars and other licensed premises serving alcohol in the country can keep serving until 1 am on the morning of the nuptials, and again after the couple have tied the knot.

"The royal wedding is a chance for communities across the country to join together and celebrate this momentous and happy occasion for our royal family and for our nation," Rudd said.

"As shown by the support for the proposal to extend licensing hours, it's clear that the public back the idea of having more time to raise a glass to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a day of national celebration."



The Home Secretary can make an order relaxing alcohol serving hours for bars, which are usually limited till 11pm every night, for a "celebration period" to mark an occasion of exceptional international, national or local significance.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Navi Mumbai police, investigating the disappearance of a woman police official, today carried out searches at the residence and farm house of prime suspect Police Inspector Abhay Kurundkar in Kolhapur in Western Maharashtra, officials said.

They searched Kurundkar's home and farmhouse in Ajara in Kolhapur, officials said.

"Our team is in Kolhapur but we cannot disclose what we recovered from Kurundkar's farmhouse," a Navi Mumbai police official said.

Four persons, including Kurundkar, have so far been arrested in the case.

Ashwini Bidre-Gore (37), an API with the Navi Mumbai polices human rights cell, went missing on April 11, 2016.

During interrogation, one of the accused told police that the woman API was killed by Kurundkar and her dismembered body stored in a refrigerator before being disposed of in the Vasai Creek near here.

Officials said that a team comprising Navy drivers, besides police personnel, would be searching the creek tomorrow to look for body parts of Bidre-Gore.

Officials said that the search operation would start from Hotel Fountain on National Highway -8, near Versova bridge, in Mira Bhayender.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Terming the BJP's win in the Assembly polls in Tripura as "historical", Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said it had broken a myth that the BJP only captured power in Congress-ruled states.

"When the BJP lost the elections in Delhi and Bihar, a notion gained currency that the BJP can't prevail over other parties, apart from the Congress, in state elections. This myth stands shattered with the outcome of Tripura," he told reporters while commenting on the poll results of the three northeast states.

"BJP has soundly defeated the Left Front government led by Manik Sarkar which has ruled Tripura for the last 25 years. We got a historical mandate in Tripura. We have bagged a majority on out own, and along with our allies, we have won a two-third majority. In Nagaland too, the BJP's performance is good," Chouhan said.

"We did not get victory in Tripura easily. Twenty BJP workers were killed (there) in the past one year. Be it Kerala, Bengal or Tripura, the Communists resort to violence," he claimed.

"Our workers sacrificed their lives but we maintained calm. Now the public with their votes have given a befitting reply," the chief minister added.

Heaping praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah for the victory, he said it was very important for peace, safety and development of the region.

Chouhan claimed that the BJP, along with its allies, was going to come to power in Nagaland, Tripura and Meghalaya.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Minister Jual Oram today said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will suffer the same fate as Tripura's Manik Sarkar after the 2019 Assembly elections in Odisha.

The BJP had yesterday registered a thumping win in Tripura, ending the CPI(M)-led Left Front government's 25-year rule. The state's Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who was at the helm since 1998, resigned today following the heavy defeat.

"With blessings of the people, the BJP will form government in Odisha after ousting Naveen Patnaik," Oram, who is the Tribal Affairs Minister, told reporters here.

Drawing a parallel between Patnaik and Manik Sarkar, Oram said: The organisation that felicitated Manik Sarkar as the best chief minister, has also given the same award to Naveen Patnaik."



The Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Government had given 'Ideal CM' award to both Sarkar and Patnaik.

"We have already defeated one award winner (Manik Sarkar) and BJP hopes that the people of Odisha will give opportunity to thank them in 2019, said Oram.

Reiterating BJP president Amit Shah's statement, Oram said that the BJPs Golden Period will begin after wins in Odisha, Bengal and Kerala.

He said efforts were on to ensure strengthening the partys base in the three "target states".

Replying to a question on the BJP's defeat in the recently concluded Bijepur by-elections, Oram said that the party could not achieve the desired results owing to "fixing" between Congress and BJD.

Oram also alleged that the ruling BJD misused the government machinery during the polls.

Asked on the BJPs chief ministerial candidate for Odisha, Oram said: "Partys central leadership will declare the name at the appropriate time. BJP can even contest elections and get success without CM candidate and the party takes a decision by reviewing it on a case-to-case and place-to-place basis."



Oram said the BJP in Odisha has many eligible leaders who can be named as the chief ministerial candidate.

BJP's Legislature Party leader KV Singhdeo claimed that the saffron party's vote share had been doubled in Bijepur when compared to the 2014 elections.

Our party had got 30,000 votes in Bijepur Assembly constituency in 2014 which was almost doubled in the recent by-election, said Singhdeo.

Senior BJD leader and Odisha Minister Pradeep Maharathy, however, dubbed Oram's claim that the BJP would dethrone Naveen Patnaik after 2019 elections as a "day dream."



Maharathy said: "The BJP will again be frustrated after 2019 elections. Recently, they have been defeated in the Bijepur by-polls."



Ridiculing BJP leaders, Maharathy said: There is no water in Mahanadi, how will lotus bloom in Odisha?



The BJD government has been holding the BJP ruled Chhattishgarh responsible for declining water flow to Hirakud reservoir due to construction of projects on upstream of Mahanadi river.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kicking off a fresh controversy, Conference president Farooq Abdullah today blamed the country's first prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, Maulana Azad and Sardar Patel for "division" of united India.

Speaking at a function here yesterday, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir absolved Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah of partition.

We still have the record of a commission that came in. In the commission, it was decided that we will not divide India, and that we will have a special representation for Muslims and other minorities like Sikhs, but the nation would not be divided," he said.

"Jinnah agreed to this, but Nehru, Azad and Patel did not listen. This led to the foundation of Pakistan by Jinnah, Abdullah alleged.

The comments drew strong reaction from Union minister Jitender Singh, who asked the NC chief to "re-read the history of the sub-continent", whereas state unit of BJP accused Abdullah of using selective quotes from history to rouse communal passions.

Singh said a large majority of Muslim community was not in favour of partition of the country.

Let us not forget that a committee was constituted by some Muslim intellectuals who had vehemently opposed the idea of partition," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Taking serious exception to the NC president's statement, state BJP spokesperson Anil Gupta said through selective quoting from history, Abdullah was not only trying to please his vote bank but also triggering communal passions.

"Abdullah referred to the Cabinet Mission which visited India in 1946, but conveniently ignored to tell his audience that the demand for Pakistan was made by Jinnah much earlier in 1940 at the Lahore Resolution," he said.Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said the excellent performance of the BJP in north-eastern states indicated that it has emerged as an all-India party.

He said that he was confident that the BJP would win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The aim of the party is to make India "Congress free, Communist free", the chief minister said.

Replying to a question, Thakur said there was no question of scrapping Section 118 of Tenancy and Land Reforms Act which barred all non-agriculturists from buying land in Himachal Pradesh.

The government proposes to simplify the rules and is not contemplating any change in the Act, he said.

He said that the matter is open for debate and suggestions are welcome.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Newly-elected members of Nepal's Parliament were sworn-in here today, following historic provincial and parliamentary polls last year in the Himalayan nation.

Senior-most member of the House of Representatives Mahantha Thakur administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new members of the House of Representatives.

Earlier today, President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to Thakur.

There are 275 members in the House of Representatives including 165 members elected under the first-past-the-post category or direct election and 110 under proportional representation basis. The CPN-UML has 121 members, NC has 63, and CPN-MC has 53 while Federal Socialist Forum Nepal has 17 and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal has 16 members.

Likewise, the Naya Shakti Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janamorcha and Nepal Majdoor Kissan Party has one member each and one HoR member is an independent member.

Bhandari, on the recommendation of the government, has summoned the first meeting of federal Parliament tomorrow.

It will be the first joint meeting of both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly (NA).

The members took their oath of office and secrecy in their respective mother tongues including Bhojpuri, Maithali, Awadhi, Tamang, Tharu, Magar and Hindi.

Similarly, 55 members elected to the National Assembly, the upper house of Nepal's bicameral federal parliament, also took oath of office and secrecy.

Senior-most NA member Tara Devi Bhatta administered the oath of office and secrecy to them.

In the 59-member NA, there is representation of eight members including (at least) three women, one Dalit and one person with disability or minority group from each seven provinces.

The CPN-UML has 27 members, the Nepali Congress has 13 and the CPN-Maoist Centre has 12 members in the Upper House.

Two members each from Rastriya Janata Party and Federal Socialist Forum also took oath of office.

However, the swearing-in ceremony of three National Assembly members, nominated by the president, was not held today, as the Supreme Court had earlier issued an order staying their oath of office. This is for the first time that the National Assembly was formed under the new Constitution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The second part of Parliament's Budget Session is likely to begin on a stormy note with the Congress and other opposition parties set to raise the issue of multi-crore financial scams involving public-sector banks in both the Houses.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet tomorrow after a month-long recess in the session.

Opposition parties would seek answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other banking scams took place under his watch and how the government failed to stop them.

The government, on its part, is seeking to counter the opposition's offensive by bringing the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill.

The legislation, once passed, will grant powers to the government to attach assets of persons declared fugitive. This will include benami assets too.

While the opposition has not planned any joint strategy so far, it is likely to meet in a day or two to chalk out a plan for the Parliament session.

Sources said that while the financial sector and banking scams would dominate the proceedings in both Houses, issues related to crime against Dalits and women, farmers, the economy and unemployment would also be raised by the opposition benches.

The Congress will also raise the issue of "vendatta" at the hands of the BJP-led government aimed at targeting its political opponents.

This comes in the wake of the CBI arresting Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Union finance minister and Congress leader, P Chidambaram, in connection with the INX Media case.

He is currently in custody of the probe agency for five days till March 6.

The second part of the session would primarily see discussions on the demand for grants for various ministries.

The opposition would also press for a debate on a number of contentious matters and important issues confronting the country.

The government has listed a few bills for consideration and passage in both Houses.

In the Lok Sabha, it intends to bring The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2017, tomorrow, and The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017, on Tuesday.

In the Rajya Sabha, the government has listed The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017, for the first day of the session.

The government also is likely to press for the passage of a bill to ban instant triple talaq.

Congress leaders said that they would soon be holding a meeting with other opposition parties to chalk out a joint strategy for the session.

The aim is to corner the government unitedly and demand answers from it on various issues which it has evaded in the past, a leader from the party said.

Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, has given a notice for a discussion under Rule 267 of the House on the bank fraud issue.

"We will demand answers from the government on the bank fraud scam. We will also demand answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the scam happened right under his watch," he said.

Sharma said the party is also set to raise the issue of "selective vendatta" at the hands of investigative agencies by the BJP-led government to target key political opponents.

CPI leader D Raja said the issue of PNB fraud will be taken up and the new bills that the government proposes to bring would also be discussed.

"We will demand answers from the government on how the fraud happened. The banking sector is in a deep crisis and its credibility is under stake," he told PTI.

Raja also said that issues pertaining to atrocities and crimes against Dalits and women would also be taken up.

The Left leader claimed that such crimes were on the rise.

He, however, said the financial crimes would be the highlight of the session.

TMC leader Derek O'Brien said his party is for a debate and a discussion in Parliament, and would evolve a joint opposition strategy soon.

"We will coordinate with other opposition parties to expose this BJP government that has not delivered on their promises. I don't want to name any particular issue as there are many. We have issues for every day in Parliament,"he said.

O'Brien also claimed that the BJP had gone "overboard" with its victory in Tripura.

"If you look at the bypoll results of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha, it is very clear that their tally will come down," he said.

The TMC leader claimed that Prime Minister Modi will not deliver his address from the Red Fort in 2019.

"If their target is West Bengal out target is Red Fort. BJP did not win Tripura, the Left surrendered it," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi should tell the nation how many more Nirav Modis will run away from the country, Congress leader R P N Singh said today.

Billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are accused in the nearly Rs 12,700-crore alleged fraud at Punjab National Bank.

According to the bank, Modi's jewellery firms and Choksi's Gitanjali Group used Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) fraudulently issued to them to take loans from overseas branches of Indian banks.

"The prime minister should tell how many Nirav Modis will run away from the country... He should also tell when will a befitting reply be given to Pakistan as the number of soldiers' deaths in his rule has surpassed the number of deaths in Kargil," Singh said at a press conference.

Modi had left the country on January 1 much before the CBI received a complaint from Punjab National Bank on January 29.

Singh claimed he approved the contract for the Gorakhpur fertilizer plant "when I was petroleum minister and the BJP is taking the credit of the Congress's work".

He criticized the Yogi Adityanath government over the deaths of a number of children at a Gorakhpur hospital allegedly due to a disruption in oxygen supply over unpaid bills to the vendor.

"Yogi Adityanath use to speak on the encephalitis issue when he was not the chief minister. Under his rule, a number of children died due to lack of oxygen at the BRD Medical college. The government cannot shirk the responsibility of the incident. The people of Gorakhpur will give answer to the BJP," he said.

On the BJP's impressive showing in the Northeast, Singh said, "Mostly regional parties have won in the region.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday made four arrests in connection with the alleged Rs 127 billion fraud at Punjab National Bank.



The agency has arrested two employees and an auditor of the Nirav Modi group of companies, while a director of the Gitanjali group of companies owned by Mehul Choksi has also been taken into custody, they said.



Manish K Bosamiya, the then AGM (operations) of Firestarter International Ltd owned by Nirav Modi, and then manager Miten Anil Pandya, were arrested for their alleged role in the preparation of applications for fraudulent letters of undertakings (LoUs) submitted to PNB, they said. Auditor Sanjay Rambhia, partner in the chartered accountancy firm Sampat and Mehta, Mumbai, has also been arrested, the officials said.



The CBI has also arrested the then Director of Mehul Choksi's company, Gili India, Aniyath Shiv Raman Nair.



It was alleged beside being one of the directors of the Gitanjali group of companies, he was the authorised signatory for the applications submitted to PNB for issuance of purported LoUs and Foreign Letters of Credit (FLCs), they said.

The accused officials of PNB did not enter the instructions for these LoUs and FLCs in their internal software to avoid scrutiny. These sent through an international messaging system for banking called SWIFT, used to pass instructions among globally to transfer funds.



An LoU is a guarantee given by an issuing bank to Indian having branches abroad, to grant short-term credit to the applicant.



In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit-giving bank with accruing interest.

The PNB officials allegedly sent these messages to Indian  Canara Bank, State Bank of India, Bank of India, Axis Bank, Allahabad bank  located in Antwerp, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Mauritius, Frankfurt, without making entries in the banking software about the LoUs.



Upon receiving the messages from PNB under SWIFT, the banks abroad transferred these amounts into NOSTRO account of PNB with them.Uttar Pradesh Minister for Dairy, Wakf, Minorities Welfare and Culture Laxmi Narain Chaudhary today attributed the BJP's victory in the northeast to the faith of the people on the prime minister's leadership and commitment to the welfare of the nation.

"The election results have put a stamp on the fact that Modi is the symbol of national integration," Chaudhary said reacting to the recent elections in the northeast states.

He said the results denounced the allegation that the BJP only won because of its 'Hindutwa vote bank (Hindu Votes)'.

The results were proof that people living in the northeastern states were rejecting the politics of the Left, Chaudhary said.

Comparing the election victory to India's victory in the 1971 war, he said, in spite of the fact that India had only 70,000 Army personnel against 94,000 of Pakistan, owing to the leadership and commitment of Gen Manekshaw, the Pakistani army had to surrender.

In the same way, success in every election awaits the BJP under the leadership of Modi, owing to his honesty, hard work, character, art of speaking and style of working, the minister said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The issue of government formation in Nagaland took a new turn today with both NDPP leader Neiphiu Rio and outgoing Chief Minister T R Zeliang of the NPF staking claim to form the government with the support of a majority of the MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

State Governor P B Acharya gave both the leaders 48 hours time to submit the signatures of the MLAs supporting them.

Earlier in the day, the governor said the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Rio, who claimed the support of 32 MLAs, had the majority and should form the government.

After meeting Zeliang, Acharya told reporters that Rio and Zeliang have claimed to have majority support, but "I have not invited anyone to form the government as of now. I have given them 48 hours time to submit the signatures of the elected members supporting them".

"As the constitutional head, my duty is to see who has the majority and call him to form the new government. Whoever brings the signatures of more than 30 elected members I will accept," he said as the political situation in the state became fluid.

Acharya had earlier said he asked Rio to submit signatures of all the 32 MLAs supporting him by tomorrow.

Rio, a three-time chief minister and a senior leader of the NDPP, an ally of the BJP, staked claim to form the government in Nagaland saying he has the support of 32 MLAs.

The NDPP and the BJP won 18 and 12 seats respectively while the lone JD(U) MLA G Kaito Aye and Independent legislator Tongpang Ozukum were backing the alliance, NDPP secretary general Abu Metha said.

Rio met the governor along with NDPP president Chingwang Konyak, BJP state president Visasolie Lhoungu, the JD(U) MLA and the Independent legislator, the governor said.

Acharya said Rio submitted a list of 30 NDPP-BJP MLAs and also the letters of support from a JD(U) and an Independent legislator taking the tally to 32.

Rio was declared as the chief ministerial candidate of the NDPP-BJP alliance by the combine.

The Governor said, "Technically and legally the present government can go on till March 13 and if the Chief Minister T R Zeliang does not have majority, he has to resign."



He hoped that a new government will be installed in the state at the earliest.

The Nagaland poll results declared yesterday had given a hung mandate with the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF) winning 26 seats, the BJP 12, the NDPP 18, the People's Party (NPP) two and the JD(U) and and Independent one each.

Acharya said, "I was thinking that Zeliang will come and put in his resignation but he still thinks he can form the government and he has the majority."



He said Zeliang has submitted a list of 26 NPF MLAs and two NPP and one JD(U) legislators.

Acharya said he told Zeliang about JD(U) legislator submitting letter of support to Rio in the morning.

Zeliang has expressed hope of gaining the support of the BJP to form the government, he said.

The governor also said that NPF president Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu informed him that he has written BJP president Amit Shah that the NPF-BJP alliance is still going.

He said the NPF has asked the BJP to clarify whether it has broken the alliance or it is with the NPF but there was no any reply.

Zeliang wants to go to Delhi and meet the BJP leaders, he said.

"Zeliang is also right and let the letter come and let him be convinced whether the BJP is with him or not. Once things are clear, we will have to take a decision", the governor said.

Efforts of reporters to reach Zeliang were unsuccessful.

(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.)Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in south Kashmir's Shopian district this evening after a firing incident near an Army camp,police said.

A firing incident took place near an Army camp in the Pahnoo area of Shopian this evening, a police official said.

He said the forces cordoned off the area and a search operation was launched.

Further details are awaited,the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seven people died in a raid by suspected Ugandan Islamist rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the latest in a string of deadly cross-border attacks, officials said today.

"Six people were shot dead and another was stabbed" in the village of Eringeti in DR Congo's restive North Kivu province, a Congolese military source told AFP.

Eringeti's mayor Leon Baungatho said the assault happened around 5.30 pm (local time) today.

"We are still grieving," said regional official Noela Kavivutwiraki. "The army needs to redouble its efforts to prevent surprise attacks from Ugandan rebels."



Thought to be behind a string of deadly attacks in North Kivu, the Ugandan Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia stands accused of a number of atrocities in DR Congo.

Congolese authorities and the UN mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, accuse the ADF of having killed more than 700 civilians as well as combatants in the Beni region from 2014-16.

The ADF is also accused of killing 14 UN peacekeepers in eastern DR Congo on December 7, in the biggest single loss of peacekeepers in nearly a quarter of a century.

The government in January declared it was waging "war" on the ADF and a Congolese militia, the Yakutumba, which is active in South Kivu province, several hundred kilometres (miles) to the south.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Within days of proposing a "non-Congress, non-BJP front, Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief has received support from several political parties including the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Hyderabad lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi were the other leaders who have extended their support to the TRS chief.

The chief minister, on Saturday, had expressed his wish to join to effect a "qualitative change", while accusing successive governments ruled by the Congress and the BJP at the Centre of having "miserably failed" to ensure development.

"Since morning, I have been receiving many calls from various places in India. Today afternoon, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee called me and said that I have taken the right decision and she will be supporting me," Chief Minister Rao said while addressing a huge crowd at his official residence, Pragati Bhavan in Hyderabad."Farmers, Dalits, most backward classes are neglected. This situation should be changed. How long do they need to face problems. This has to change and this is not possible from these two parties. Hence, a non-Congress, non-BJP front should be formed in the country," Rao said.

I welcome Telangana CM's statement & he rightly stated that people of the country are fed up with BJP governance & Congress is not a viable option, neither it can become one. KCR has given exemplary governance to Telangana in the last 4 years: Asaduddin Owaisi pic.twitter.com/8FSfftZT78  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

JMM leader Hemant Soren and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi have also expressed their solidarity."Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren also called, telling me that he is standing behind me. Soren also told me that he is trying to speak with many other people in India and will meet up soon and speak on the issue," said Rao.He was addressing a gathering of prominent TRS leaders, ministers and elected representatives of the party at Pragathi Bhavan, his official residence in Hyderabad.The TRS chief further said he would talk with all like-minded parties and leaders for creating an agenda for the country's growth."I will soon meet like-minded leaders and we will also hold consultations with economic experts, social scientists and farmers for creating an agenda for the country's growth," Rao said.The Congress failed to get a majority in Meghalaya and did not win a single seat in Tripura or Nagaland, for which elections were held last month.In a press conference on Saturday after the BJP decimated the Left and Congress in the three states, Rao hinted at forming a third front-like platform.The TRS chief said he was keen to participate in to bring about a "change"."There is need for qualitative change in .. There is a serious need. People are vexed now. No qualitative change is seen by people even after 70 years of democracy.... China developed in less than three decades. What both the Congress and the BJP did all these years?" Rao had asked."People are looking for change. Can we expect something new to happen if the Congress comes to power after the BJP? It can be a third front or any front... Are we not part of the country? Discussions are going on. There is no secret about it," he had said.In the gathering today, Rao underlined the need to implement "truthful cooperative federalism" and delegation of powers to states for their development."Such initiative would spread across country from Telangana," he said.Rao alleged that the BJP at the Centre had failed to do anything for developing the country in the last four years."The national parties, the BJP and the Congress, should change their attitude towards states. Federal system is for a namesake (now). Is there federalism in this country?The agriculture system, education, urban development should be handed over to the states. But it is not being handed over but kept at Delhi (with the Centre)," Rao said.He said states should be allowed to frame norms regarding quotas.Batting for decentralisation, the chief minister said that even states can launch and implement schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)."Can't state governments do it (undertaking such measures). Change should start and it starts from Telangana for the development of India. Change has to be brought... You cannot threaten me. You can threaten those who resorted to scams not me," Rao said.He said the Constitution should be amended for the sake of the people."I spoke to some people in Delhi and they say the law and constitution in China is different. I say then you become different. Constitution and the governments, the PM, CMs all are for the public. You bring in changes in law and also amendments in the Constitution. The countrymen will be with you," Rao said.The TRS chief also referred to the "fleeing" of liquor baron Vijay Mallya, wanted in loan default cases, and diamantaire Nirav Modi, an accused in the PNB fraud case, from the country."Is there no one to question. Vijay Mallya fled the country and now Nirav Modi... What is this?" he asked.Rao said farmers were committing suicide because the BJP and the Congress did nothing for them."My countrymen, you know and understand the 'chamatkar' of both the parties who ruled the country for over 60 years. The price of every essential commodity is increasing but not the minimum support price on agriculture produce. GDP growth is not reflecting in the lives of farmers and their income is not increasing," Rao said.What the countries like China, Japan and Singapore have achieved in terms of growth can be achieved by India as well, he said.Revealing his national ambitions, Rao had said people were yearning for change and he would not mind leading the movement for effecting the "change".He said he had recently met CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury and discussed a lot of issues.Yechury's party had officially rejected any tie-up with the Congress for upcoming elections.Rao had also said he had nothing against the prime minister.

(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.)Three suspected drug peddlers were today arrested and 27 kilograms of poppy straw seized from two vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, police said.

A gas tanker was intercepted at Majalta on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 15 kg of poppy straw, a police spokesman said.

He said the driver of the vehicle was arrested and booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Another police party intercepted a truck near Roundomail and 12 kg of poppy straw was seized from it, the spokesman said.

Both the occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, were arrested and a case under the NDPS Act registered against them, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress in Maharashtra is avoiding taking disciplinary action against its two MLAs over their conduct in the Assembly for fear of losing the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lower House.

The main opposition party is caught in a dilemma in dealing with the two MLAs - Nitesh Rane, son of former Congress leader Narayan Rane, and Kalidas Kolambkar, a staunch supporter of the senior Rane.

According to the party, Nitesh Rane and Kolambkar became "inactive" in the Assembly, which is currently having its budget session, after Narayan Rane claimed the BJP offered him a Rajya Sabha berth.

"If the Congress suspends their membership, it will be left with only 40 MLAs, one less than the NCP.

"Any such action will be followed by the NCP claiming the post of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly with 41 MLAs and the Congress will lose all privileges (attached to LoP post)," a senior party leader told PTI today.

The Cabinet minister-level post is currently held by Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, a senior Congress MLA.

There are enough indications Nitesh Rane and Kolambkar are keeping a distance from daily party affairs, including not joining the protests inside the House.

When Congress MLAs protest in the Assembly over issues of public interest, raise their voice or rush to the Well of the House, Nitesh Rane and Kolambkar are seen glued to their seats.

Despite all this, no disciplinary action is being initiated against them just to keep the post of Leader of Opposition with the party, said the Congress leader.

Another Congress leader said Nitesh Rane has not only distanced himself from the party but also taunted it in the past.

Nitesh Rane, during an election for a Legislative Council seat a couple of months ago, had openly said, "Everyone knows who got my vote."



In that election, in which MLAs had cast their votes, BJP candidate Prasad Lad had defeated the Congress-NCP nominee. The council seat fell vacant following the resignation of Narayan Rane.

"The Congress had issued a whip fearing cross-voting. Despite this, (Nitesh) Rane and Kolambkar had not followed the whip.

"It was a clear indication of disobedience, but the state Congress leadership has delayed any action against the two MLAs for sheer number game," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Tripura poll results would have no impact in Karnataka, where assembly elections are expected to be held in April/May, as there was no 'Modi wave' in the state, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said here today.

"Post #Tripura results there is excitement in media about the results' implications for Karnataka. Since 2014 Lok Sabha results #BJP has lost Assembly segments in over 50 Lok Sabha Seats & has won only about 2 LS seats. So let us not lose perspective: there is no Modi wave here," he tweeted.

While BJP wrested the Left bastion of Tripura and received an invitation to be a part of the government in Nagaland, Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.

Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats.

Siddaramiah also said the state BJP should worry about how B S Yeddyurappa, who was imprisoned in an illegal land denotification case and 'presided over mining loot,' would convince voters to give stable corruption-free governance.

"The BJP Karnataka has to worry about convincing voters here how former 'JailBird' B S Yeddyurappa, who presided over mining loot, illegal de-notification of Bengaluru lands and cash-for-MLA scam called OperationKamala, can provide stable corruption-free governance," he said in another tweet.

Meghalaya is one of the five states and Union Territories currently held by the Congress.

The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who will visit poll-bound Karnataka on March 6, had said the lotus would bloom in Karnataka, Kerala,West Bengal and Odisha.

He said Modi and Amit Shah are the architects for the historic performance of the BJP in North-East.

He also praised Modi for drafting development policies and Shah, for his organisationl skills.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russia and Syria are responsible for the "heart-breaking human suffering" in the Syrian rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, US President Donald Trump and his British counterpart Theresa May said today.

The two leaders discussed the "appalling humanitarian situation in Eastern Ghouta" during a phone call today detailed by May's Downing Street office.

"They agreed it was a humanitarian catastrophe, and that the overwhelming responsibility for the heart-breaking human suffering lay with the Syrian regime and Russia, as the regime's main backer," the prime minister's office said.

Syria's regime has seized control of over a quarter of Eastern Ghouta, on the edges of the capital Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said today.

May and Trump said "Russia and others with influence over the Syrian regime must act now to cease their campaign of violence and to protect civilians".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Despite US support, the Afghan government's surprising new peace offer to the Taliban is immediately running into a wall.

The insurgents show no sign of shifting from their demand that talks for a conflict-ending compromise take place with Washington, not Kabul.

The impasse is blocking a diplomatic path out of America's longest-running war and could prove as fateful as fortunes on the battlefield.

The Trump administration says it's escalating pressure on the Taliban to advance a negotiated solution to the fighting. But diplomacy is a distant second to military efforts right now, and the US isn't offering carrots of its own to persuade the insurgents to lay down their arms.

Laurel Miller, who until last June was a senior American diplomat for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said the US should be clearer about what it's willing to negotiate on, including when it might start pulling forces from Afghanistan. "That could set the stage for talks," she said.

Such a timetable seems a remote prospect, and President Donald Trump has consistently railed against the idea of telling the enemy when the US might leave.

The US involvement in the Afghan conflict is now in its 17th year, and 10,000 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in 2017 alone. All sides are hung up on even the format for potential negotiations.

The Obama administration's peace push, which relied heavily on Afghanistan's neighbor Pakistan, floundered in 2015.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's new effort, announced at an international conference in Kabul this past week, includes incentives for insurgents that join negotiations and enter the political mainstream.

The government would provide passports and visas to Taliban members and their families, and work to remove sanctions against Taliban leaders, he said. The Islamist group could set up an office.

Alice Wells, America's top diplomat for South Asia, endorsed the overture and said the "onus" was on the Taliban to demonstrate they're ready to talk, "not to me or the United States, but to the sovereign and legitimate government and people of Afghanistan."



With wounds and emotions still raw in Kabul after a wave of brutal Taliban attacks in Kabul in late January, Ghani's offer was a significant olive branch. Still, it's one unlikely to change the calculus of hard-line insurgents, said Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center think tank.

And Barnett Rubin, a New York University expert on Afghanistan who advised the Obama administration, said: "The trouble is that the major issue the Taliban is interested in talking about is the one he has no control over the presence of American troops in Afghanistan."



Top Afghan security officials maintain back-channel discussions with Taliban, The Associated Press has learned, but the officials' efforts are not coordinated and more formal talks are impeded by the Taliban's insistence that its "Islamic Emirate," ousted in a US-led invasion in 2001 for hosting al-Qaida, remains Afghanistan's legitimate government.

"America must end her occupation and must accept all our legitimate rights including the right to form a government consistent with the beliefs of our people," the militant group said in a rambling February 14 letter addressed to the American people and "peace-loving congressmen." It sought "peaceful dialogue" with Washington.

Events on the ground are moving in the opposite direction.

Since August, when Trump recommitted America to an indefinite military presence in the country, the U.S. has sent in thousands of additional forces to train Afghans, bringing the total US troop figure to more than 14,000.

The US has intensified airstrikes, though there has been no significant dent on the Taliban, which control or contest nearly half the country.

Shortly after a Taliban suicide bomb using an ambulance that killed more than 100 people in Kabul, Trump declared on January 29: "We don't want to talk with the Taliban. There may be a time, but it's going to be a long time."



US officials have conveyed messages to Taliban political representatives in Qatar, urging the group to join talks with the Afghan government. Neighboring countries are doubtful about America's commitment to a political resolution.

Pakistan, Iran and Russia are thought to maintain ties to militant proxies inside Afghanistan in case the war-ravaged country collapses.

Miller, now a senior foreign policy expert at Rand Corp., said peace would require heavy lifting by the Trump administration, which has yet to appoint a top diplomat for the region.

The war might need international mediation. "It's not enough to say the door is open, let's have a peace process," she said. "You have to make it happen.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 31-year-old man was arrested today for allegedly setting a 35-year-old married woman on fire, following which the woman succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital here, police said.

The accused, identified as Rambharan Yadav, resident of Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh, called Reena Koli, a fellow tenant, to his room on Friday morning and allegedly set her on fire after she refused to indulge in a physical relationship with him, they added.

Koli was rushed to a local community health centre and later referred to the Maharao Bhim Singh (MBS) hospital in Kota, where she died the same night.

Yadav was arrested from the Kawai railway station, Chepabarod police station SHO Ratan Singh Bhati said, adding that a local court sent him to a five-day police custody.

The accused and the deceased were tenants in the same building in Koli Mohalla area of Chepabarod town, Bhati said.

The deceased, in her last statement to the police at the hospital, had alleged that Yadav doused her with kerosene before setting her ablaze, the SHO said.

The body was handed over to the family members yesterday after postmortem, he added.

The accused was booked under section 302 of IPC and sections of SC/ST Act, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The opposition YSR Congress today said that it would boycott the Budget session of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature starting here tomorrow.

The ruling TDP and the BJP, in the absence of the YSRC from the session, claimed that they would be "the government as well as the opposition".

The YSR Congress said that it would boycott the session till its demand, of disqualification of 22 of its MLAs who crossed over to the Telugu Desam Party, was met.

The 22 MLAs include four ministers in the Chandrababu Naidu Cabinet.

"If the Speaker acts against the 22 defectors, we will certainly attend the session," YSRC MP V Vijayasai Reddy and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Ummareddy Venkateswarlu said.

"We have also submitted a second petition to the Speaker seeking their disqualification," they pointed out.

Meanwhile, the TDP announced that it would play the role of government as well as the opposition in the session that begins tomorrow.

"Our leader (Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu) has clearly asked our legislators to unhesitatingly raise public issues and even offer constructive criticism. We are the government and we are the opposition as well. We dont need any other opposition," state Information and Public Relations Minister Kalva Srinivasulu told PTI.

TDP leaders said that it would initiate special discussions on at least 27 subjects, including the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, the Central assistance to the state in the last three-and-a-half years, construction of the state capital city Amaravati, the interlinking of Godavari-Krishna-Penna rivers and double-digit economic growth of the state.

The BJP said that it too was geared up to play the role of the opposition in the House.

"We will maintain 'coalition dharma' but we will not shy away from raising issues of public concern. Since the main opposition (YSRC) will not be attending the session, we will play that role as far as peoples issues are concerned," BJP floor leader in the Assembly P Vishnu Kumar Raju said.

The BJP will seek to counter the TDPs claims on what the Centre did for the state, party leaders said.

The slugfest between the TDP and the BJP that began a day after the presentation of Union Budget 2018-19 on February 1 is expected to find a new stage in the Legislature, political observers here said.

Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, without dwelling on the disqualification issue raised by the YSRC, today appealed to the party to attend the Budget session.

"This (Assembly) is a sacred platform. You may talk anything outside but thats not equal to the discussions in the House. So, please make use of the platform and offer suggestions to the government. You may also criticise if there are any lapses (in the administration), but make use of the platform. It is your responsibility," the Speaker remarked.

Kodela said he had personally spoken to some YSRC leaders on the issue.

"It will be good if they (YSRC legislators) come to the House," the Speaker added.

The Budget session will begin with the address by Governor E S L Narasimhan to the joint sitting of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly at 9.30 am on Monday.

The Business Advisory Committee will meet thereafter and decide on the business of the House and the duration of the session.

It is expected that the Budget session will continue till March 28 or 29.

State Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu will present the Budget for 2018-19 on March 8.

Besides special discussions on different subjects, the government will also move some new legislations like the police reforms, and granting statutory status to the AP Economic Development Board and the State Industrial Promotion Board, official sources said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)By Doina Chiacu and Valerie VolcoviciWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken to multiple world leaders about tariff hikes on steel and aluminum but still has no plans for exemptions, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Sunday, but he would not rule out the prospect.In appearances on U.S. television news shows, Ross sought to contain the global fallout from Trump's tariff announcement, insisting the proposals would not hurt the U.S. economy and playing down the effects of any retaliatory strikes.Trump said on Thursday the United States would impose duties of 25 percent ...Dear Reader,

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Digital EditorMOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP)  The Latest on a shooting at Central Michigan University (all times local):

3:15 p.m.

A close friend of an Illinois couple shot allegedly shot to death by their 19-year-old son in his college dorm room in Michigan says something out-of-character must have occurred.

Jordan Murphy tells The Associated Press Sunday that Eric Davis Sr. and his wife, Diva (DYE-va), were doting parents and that James Eric Davis Jr. is a good kid.

Davis Jr. faces murder and gun charges in the Friday morning deaths of his parents at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant. They were helping Davis Jr. pack for spring break. Davis Jr. fled the dorm after the shooting and was arrested Saturday morning.

Murphy worked from 2004 to 2008 with Davis Sr. in Chicago as Illinois Army National Guard recruiters. Murphy also said his family lived within 2 miles of the Davis family in suburban Plainfield. Murphy now lives in St. Johns, Florida.



1:15 p.m.

A Central Michigan University spokeswoman says operations will resume as normal at the school this week after a 19-year-old student allegedly killed his parents in his campus dormitory.

Heather Smith says Sunday that administrative offices will be open Monday. She says students are away on spring break and classes will resume March 12 at the Mount Pleasant school.

James Eric Davis Jr. was arrested after a manhunt and faces murder and gun charges in the Friday morning slayings of his father, Eric Davis Sr., and mother, Diva Davis. Davis Jr.s parents had picked him up Friday from a hospital where he had been brought for suspected drug abuse. His parents had planned to take him home.

After the shootings, officials canceled events and activities Friday evening on the campus, 155 miles (249 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

The Davis family is from Plainfield, Illinois.



4 a.m.

Investigators are trying to figure out why a Central Michigan University student charged with fatally shooting his parents acted so strangely the day before the killings that he was taken to a hospital.

The shooting happened Friday after James Eric Davis Jr.s parents picked him up from the hospital and brought him to his dorm to pack up for spring break. University police Chief Bill Yeagley says the 19-year-old can be seen on video in the dorms parking lot with the gun before he entered the residence hall where his parents were shot around 8:30 a.m. The gun was registered to his father.

Davis Jr. has been charged with two counts of murder and a weapons charge in the shootings of his father, Eric Davis Sr., and mother, Diva Davis.CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)  The first woman to try to enter the Corps of Cadets at The Citadel says she left the military school quickly because of the way outside forces treated her.

The Post and Courier of Charleston <a target=blank href=https://www.postandcourier.com/news/shannon-faulkner-says-i-do-consider-myself-a-citadel-alumni/article%E2%80%942a51c556-1e47-11e8-beea-4f0b27568b0c.html>reports</a> Shannon Faulkner spoke Saturday at the school, marking her first invited appearance since she left in 1995. Faulkner, now an English teacher in Greenville, spoke at a symposium on the legacy of the late South Carolina novelist Pat Conroy, alongside Conroys widow, writer Cassandra King. As one of his last requests, Conroy, a friend and mentor of Faulkner, wanted her to make peace with The Citadel.

I enjoyed being a member of The Citadel family. I do consider myself a Citadel alumni, Faulkner said Saturday. This is my school as much as anybody elses. I wont talk badly about the school and what it represents because I believe in it.

After a lawsuit, Faulkner started taking classes at The Citadel in January 1994 and became a member of the Corps about 18 months later. She withdrew six days later and left in tears while some cadets cheered.

Before she left, her childhood home was vandalized. She received threatening and disparaging mail. She said a vandal wrote Die Shannon on The Citadel water tower.

Faulkner said a man in Greenville grabbed her and basically told me that if I showed up (at The Citadel), my parents would die. The same man later showed up in Charleston, she said.

At one point in time, I thought I was going to die. I thought I was going to be the one that was going to be taken out, and I was willing to make that sacrifice, she said. But when it came to my friends and my family, they should not pay for my choices and thats what I had to decide.

At the end of Faulkners panel Saturday, a dozen audience members lined up to take photos with Faulkner and shake her hand, including 21-year-old Sumerlyn Carruthers, a junior at The Citadel from Fort Mill.

Faulkner hugged her. With tears in her eyes, Carruthers said, Thank you so much.

Without her, I wouldnt be here today, Carruthers said.



Information from: The Post and Courier, <a target=blank href=http://www.postandcourier.com>http://www.postandcourier.com</a>BERLIN (AP)  The Latest on Germanys politics (all times local):

4 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron has praised the decision by Germanys center-left Social Democratic Party to join a coalition government with long-time German Chancellor Angela Merkels conservative bloc.

His office said Sunday that Macron welcomed the outcome of the SPD vote.

The French leader was quoted as saying this is good news for Europe. France and Germany will work together in the coming weeks to develop new initiatives and advance the European project.

Macron, who was elected on a centrist platform last year, sent a congratulatory message to Merkel and acting Social Democrat leader Olaf Scholz.

Parliament is expected to elect Merkel to a fourth term as chancellor next week.

Germany is a key political and economic partner of France in Europe.



11:30 a.m.

Angela Merkel has welcomed the decision by members of Germanys Social Democratic Party to support a coalition government with the long-time chancellor.

Her party quoted Merkel on Twitter Sunday, saying I congratulate the SPD on this clear result and look forward to continuing to work together for the good of our country.

The general-secretary of Merkels party and her possible future successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, said in statement Sunday that the new government has a lot of work ahead of it that needs to be started soon.

The Social Democrats membership ballot backed a coalition deal with Merkels Union bloc by a two-thirds majority.

Merkel had to rely on her center-left rivals support after failing to clinch a coalition agreement with two smaller parties last year.

Parliament is expected to elect her to a fourth term as chancellor next week.



8 a.m.

Members of Germanys Social Democratic Party have voted in favor of joining a coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkels conservative bloc.

The decision clears the last major hurdle to the formation of a new government and a fourth term for Merkel.

Sundays announcement by the partys leadership ends almost six months of uncertainty in German politics, the longest the country has been without a government in its post-war history.

The center-left Social Democrats had furiously debated whether to extend the so-called grand coalition for another four years after suffering a slump in last years election. In the end, two-thirds of the partys 464,000 members approved a coalition deal.

Parliament is expected to meet next week to elect Merkel as chancellor, confirming her position as one of Europes dominant politicians.ROME (AP)  The Latest on Italys national election on Sunday (all times local):

5:20 a.m.

British politician Nigel Farage, a driving force behind his countrys referendum to exit the European Union, is praising the unexpectedly strong election showing by Italys euroskeptic 5-Star Movement.

Farage tweeted early Monday: My congratulations to my colleagues in the European Parliament (@5-Star Movement) for topping the poll tonight. Earlier he had tweeted, Euroskeptism is on the rise.

Projections on a partial vote count in Sundays election pointed to the 5-Stars being Parliaments largest single party.

Another populist party, the anti-migrant, similarly euroskeptic League, also surged. It was unclear if the two forces might try to form a government.

No one party or coalition appeared headed to clinching an absolute majority from a vote that was shaping up to produce a hung Parliament.



3:15 a.m.

With votes slowly trickling in, Italian parties competing in national elections have started calling it a night while they await further results before party leaders make comments.

The mood at the anti-immigrant League headquarters in Milan was euphoric early Monday as projections showed the center-right coalition the party is part of leading the race.

While the center-right bloc so far is lacking the majority needed to govern, a party official told reporters that the Leagues strong showing within the coalition was a clear signal to Europe, which has mistreated Italians.

Party leader Matteo Salvini has scheduled a news conference for midday.

Salvini has led the party to a remarkable result, jumping from just 4 percent of the vote five years ago to 17.7 percent according to projections, eclipsing coalition partner Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia, which had 13.3 percent.

The Democratic Party, which heads the current government, was coming in at under 20 percent. Agricultural Minister Maurizio Martina characterized the result as negative.

Party leader Matteo Renzi, Italys former premier, has insisted he will stay on as party leader whatever the elections outcome. Analysts say he might have to resign.



2:45 a.m.

The latest election projections in Italy have confirmed that a center-right coalition is leading slightly over the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement.

But other numbers in the RAI State TV projections, if confirmed by final results, will determine the tenor of postelection talks on forming a new government.

They showed Matteo Salvinis League widening its lead over Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia, a center-right coalition partner. The projections give the anti-migrant League 17.7 percent, compared to Forza Italias 13.3 percent.

Another finding will worry the European Union, and possibly financial markets. The projections show the two most stridently anti-Europe parties together topping 50 percent of the vote, with the 5-Stars at 32.5 percent and the League at nearly 18 percent.

It is far too early to say if the two parties would join in a coalition.



This item has been corrected to show the latest projections have Forza Italia with 13.3 percent of the vote, not 4 percent.



1:05 a.m.

Analysts say early projections from Italys election indicate that a hung parliament is the most likely outcome and that the anti-establishment 5-Star Movements strong showing may send a negative signal to financial markets.

Wolfango Piccoli of the Teneo consultancy noted early Monday that building a majority in the Italian Parliament will be hard if not impossible, and that tough negotiations were expected.

The early projections had the 5-Star Movement as the strongest single party but a center-right coalition comprising three parties was leading overall. Neither had enough of a lead to govern alone.

Economic analyst Lorenzo Codogno, a former Treasury official, said the 5-Stars showing was better than expected and that financial markets are likely to take these figures negatively.

He warned that talks on forming a government would be long and complex.



12:55 p.m.

A top leader of Italys 5-Star Movement says if exit poll data prove accurate, its an election triumph for the populist force.

Alessandro Di Battista, addressing 5-Star supporters early Monday, exulted over indications the anti-establishment movement was the leading party in Italys election for Parliament.

But the 30 percent support indicated by a RAI state TV exit poll is far short of the absolute majority needed to form Italys next government.

The 5-Star Movement has officially vowed not to join any postelection coalitions. But Di Battista welcomed other parties to come talk as long as they use 5-Star methods of transparency and correctness in political conduct.

One possible partner is the anti-migrant League led by Matteo Salvini. He is dueling with ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi for leadership of the center-right bloc that early projections had as the largest bloc in the new Parliament.



12:50 p.m.

Projections from Italys election indicate that the populist 5-Star Movement was the top party but hasnt received the majority it would need to govern alone.

RAI State TVs first projections with 7 percent of the vote counted early Monday showed the 5-Star Movement with 31.8 percent of the vote.

The projection did not look at how coalitions fared in Sundays election. The anti-immigrant, euroskeptic League had 15.9 percent of the vote and its coalition partner, former Premier Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia, came in at 14.2 percent.

The Democratic Party, which is leading the current government, had just 19.6 percent.

An RAI exit poll gave the center-right coalition of which the League and Forza Italia are part a slight edge over the 5-Star Movement.



11:25 p.m.

Italys Interior Ministry says the turnout for the national election was 71.48 percent, a drop from the 75 percent of eligible voters who participated in the 2013 election.

Sundays election was held to seat Italys next parliament and to choose the parties that will form the next government. Before Election Day, analysts had expressed fears of voters being increasingly disillusioned with the political system.



11:15 p.m.

An exit poll by Italys RAI state TV shows a center-right coalition has a slight edge over the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement in the Italian election.

The exit poll by the Piepoli polling agency on Sunday had the three-party coalition with 33 percent to 36 percent of the vote, compared with the 5-Star Movements 29.5 percent to 32.5 percent.

Former Premier Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia party and Matteo Salvinis anti-immigrant League are the two biggest partners in the coalition.

The exit polls margin of error of 3 percent puts the two political forces neck-and-neck.

The center-left coalition led by the Democratic Party, currently heading the government, was lagging at 24.5 percent to 27.5 percent.



11:05 p.m.

An exit poll by Italys RAI state TV shows the populist 5-Star Movement leading the Italian election but not with a strong enough lead to govern alone.

The exit poll by the Piepoli polling agency had the 5-Star Movement with between 29.5 percent and 32.5 percent of Sundays vote. The Democratic Party was the next largest party, with between 20 percent and 23 percent of the vote, according to the poll.

Former Premier Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia and the anti-immigrant League each were polling at between 12.5 percent and 15.5 percent. They were running as part of a three party center-right coalition.

The exit poll has a margin of error of 3 percent.



4:35 p.m.

Italian authorities are urging voters to leave plenty of time to cast their ballots since the process is taking longer than usual due to new anti-fraud measures.

Voters have complained of long lines  some of more than an hour  at polling stations around the country.

Romes city hall urged voters to head out as soon as possible, or at least an hour before polls close at 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) Sunday.

City authorities said the delays were due in great part to new anti-fraud measures. Under the new system, each ballot has a serial number that is entered in the registration books alongside the name of the voter who receives the ballot.

After the voter fills out the ballot and seals it, the detachable coupon with the serial number on it is removed and presented to the head of the polling station to make sure it matches the number in the registry.

The polling station chief then deposits the ballot in the box without any identifying information.



1:25 p.m.

A topless Femen activist has disrupted polling in Italys national election while ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi was casting his ballot.

The woman, who had the words Berlusconi, youve expired written in black marker on her topless torso, jumped onto the table at the Milan polling station as Berlusconi was voting.

Photographers in the room to shoot the scene jostled for position amid the chaos. Berlusconi was escorted out.

News reports recalled that Femen activists disrupted Berlusconis vote in 2013 as well.



12:55 p.m.

Italys interior ministry says the turnout for Italys general election at noon (1100GMT) stands at 19.3 percent, five hours after polls opened.

Long lines awaited voters in Rome, Milan and other cities, and some voters expressed confusion at the ballots.

It was not possible to compare Sundays turnout to Italys last general election because the 2013 vote took place over two days.

Some ballot glitches were reported in Palermo, Mantova and in two small towns of Alessandria, where the wrong ballots were delivered. The ANSA news agency said the vote in those towns was suspended when election officials discovered the error after some 40 ballots were cast.

Some Palermo polling stations opened late because of the ballot glitch.

Polling stations were closing at 11 p.m. (2200 GMT)



12:15 p.m.

Steve Bannon, the nationalist architect of Donald Trumps White House campaign, says Italys election is crucial for the global populist movement and that if populists dont win now they will in the future.

In an interview published in Sundays Corriere della Sera, Bannon says he came to Rome to observe the election. He says hes particularly keen to see how the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and anti-immigrant, nationalist League party fare.

He said: I think if they create a coalition among all the populists it would be fantastic, it would terrify Brussels and pierce it in its heart.

Bannon, who crafted Trumps anti-Muslim ban and backs a U.S. border wall with Mexico, said Italians have had enough of Europes migrant crisis. Describing himself as a proud Catholic, he said Pope Francis had nevertheless exacerbated the migrant crisis with his call for Europe to open its arms to refugees.

He said: The pope is infallible in doctrine, but not in church policy in the world.



9:50 a.m.

The outgoing president of Italys Senate is voicing concern that some polling stations in Palermo were still closed hours into election day due to delays in getting proper ballots delivered.

In a tweet Sunday, Pietro Grasso said such delays and errors were unacceptable. Grasso, who broke away from the Democratic Party to start his own leftist party, said he hoped the problem wouldnt discourage people from voting.

Overnight, Palermo authorities had to reprint about 200,000 ballots because the wrong ones were delivered. That delayed the opening of some stations.

In Rome, meanwhile, voters complained that the ballots were too complicated to understand.

Sister Vincenza, voting at a polling station on Romes Aventine hill, said the process was all mixed up. She said: You feel as if you have gone there prepared but it is not that clear. Anyway, I have to go to Mass.

 This item was corrected to show that Grassos party is left-wing, not center-left.



8:15 a.m.

The first glitches in Italys closely watched elections have started to be reported.

In Palermo, 200,000 ballots had to be reprinted overnight because the wrong ones were delivered. In Mantova, where voters are also voting for the leadership of the Lombardy region, the logo of the Democratic Party regional candidate was printed erroneously.

The ANSA news agency said there would likely be court challenges to the outcome as a result.

More than 46 million Italians were voting Sunday in a general election that is being closely watched to determine if Italy would succumb to the populist, anti-establishment and far-right sentiment that has swept through much of Europe in recent years.



6:12 a.m.

Polls have opened in Italy in in one of the most uncertain elections in years.

Sundays vote is one being watched to see if Italy will succumb to the populist, euroskeptic and far-right sentiment that has swept through Europe in recent years.

The campaign was marked by the prime-time airing of neofascist rhetoric and anti-migrant violence that culminated in a shooting spree last month against six Africans. While the center-right coalition that capitalized on the anti-migrant sentiment led the polls, analysts predict the likeliest outcome is a hung parliament.

More than 46 million Italians were eligible to vote from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (0600-2200GMT), including Italians abroad who already mailed in ballots. Exit polls were expected after polls closed, projections sometime thereafter and consolidated results Monday.OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  Burkina Fasos leaders urged vigilance Saturday, a day after brazen Islamic extremist attacks on the army headquarters and French Embassy in the capital, which killed eight people. An al-Qaida-linked group based in neighboring Mali claimed responsibility for the assaults.

It was the third attack on Ouagadougou in just over two years and it was aimed directly at the armys central command and the heavily guarded embassy, raising concerns that extremists are growing bolder in their assaults on the West African nation. The attack on the army headquarters narrowly missed a conference of top military leaders, indicating the extremists may have had inside information.

Previous extremist attacks had been on soft targets of restaurants which caused a greater loss of civilian lives.

The decision to actually stage an attack in this area (the army headquarters) where there is a permanent security presence demonstrates the growing confidence and capabilities of terror groups in the region, said Sean Smith, a West Africa politics senior analyst with Verisk Maplecroft.

Burkina Faso contributes more troops to the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali than other West African nations, making it an extremist target, he said.

The Mauritanian new agency Alakhbar said the militant group Jama Nusrat Ul-Islam wa Al-Muslimin issued a message late Saturday saying it was behind the attacks. The agency often carries claims of responsibility by jihadi groups for attacks staged across West Africa.

The agency said the extremist group carried out the dual attacks in Burkina Faso in retaliation for the killing of one of its leaders in a recent raid by French troops.

The groups formation, also known as JNIM, was announced in a video in March 2017 as a merger of three extremist groups: the al-Qaida-linked al-Mourabitoun, Ansar Dine and al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. It has positioned itself as the al-Qaida branch in Mali, and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, and has claimed attacks not only in Mali but in Niger.

Several extremist groups have also vowed to step up the bloodshed in response to the recent deployment of the multinational G5 Sahel force. The 5,000-strong force combines troops from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad and Mauritania to battle extremism in the region.

Islamic extremists have carried out two other large-scale attacks on Ouagadougou in recent years, killing 30 people at a popular cafe in 2016 and 18 more at a Turkish restaurant in August 2017.

Fridays attacks killed at least eight people, including a senior officer, and left more than 80 injured.

Burkina Fasos President Roch Marc Christian Kabore condemned the violence in a speech broadcast to the nation on Saturday.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, can justify such indiscriminate fury against the Burkinabe state, its institutions and the brave people who love peace, democracy, justice and progress, he said.

Burkina Fasos Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba said he is revolted by the Islamic militants attacks and said the government and people must remain on guard.

What just happened to us is a lesson, and we need to remain vigilant and also ready to anticipate on the modus operandi of the terrorists, Thieba said, announcing the government will put in place new measures to protect institutions.

The French ambassador to Burkina Faso, Xavier Lapeyre de Cabanes, expressed solidarity with Burkina Faso.

Our two countries were targeted. The symbolism is strong, that is, the terrorists are trying to divide us and that will obviously not happen, he said.

Security forces killed eight militant attackers, and several arrests were made after Fridays simultaneous attacks, but the repeat of violence left residents upset and in shock.

Retired soldier Amado Belem told The Associated Press he is unhappy about the assault.

Its a big shock to know that the army has been attacked so easily. It makes me crazy, he said.

Trading resumed at the main market in Burkina Fasos capital city near the headquarters, and residents returned to the streets.

Trees were burned down by the explosions and the smell of smoke lingered over the city. A deep hole in the ground and adjacent wall at the army headquarters mark where extremists dressed in uniforms set off a car bomb, apparently targeting a room where senior officers were to have met, but had relocated, according to Security Minister Clement Sawadogo.

The room was completely destroyed and the cars parts scattered inside the headquarters. Sawadogo said if the meeting had taken place in that room, our army would have been beheaded.

Burkina Faso, a landlocked nation in West Africa is one of the poorest countries in the world. It shares a northern border with Mali, which has long battled Islamic extremists. Attacks have spread into Burkina Faso, and a local extremist group has also gained momentum, attacking troops and civilians.



Associated Press writer Brahima Ouedrogo reported this story in Ouagaougou and AP writer Carley Petesch reported from Dakar, Senegal. AP writer Ludivine Laniepce in Ouagadougou contributed to this report.



This story has been corrected to show that the spelling of the prime ministers name is Thieba.OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  A former Burkina Faso soldier may have participated in Fridays simultaneous attacks by al-Qaida-linked extremists on the army headquarters and heavily-guarded French Embassy in the capital.

The government has launched an investigation into the attacks which killed eight soldiers and injured more than 80. French military experts are expected in Ouagadougou to help with the probe, according to a government statement.

One of the killed soldiers is believed to have been fired from the army after a 2011 mutiny and may actually have been an assailant, a person close to the investigation told The Associated Press. Many of the attackers were wearing army uniforms, according to witnesses, and some were from Burkina Faso, including two men arrested in connection with the attack, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak to the press.

The attack on the army headquarter was aimed at a conference room, narrowly missing a meeting of top officers, which would have beheaded the military leadership, according to Security Minister Clement Sawadogo.

An al-Qaida-linked group based in Mali claimed responsibility Saturday for the dual attacks.

Militant group Jama Nusrat Ul-Islam wa Al-Muslimin issued a message late Saturday saying it was behind the attacks, according to the Mauritanian news agency Alakhbar which often carries claims of responsibility by jihadi groups for attacks in West Africa.

The extremist group carried out the dual attacks in Burkina Faso in retaliation for the killing of one of its leaders in a recent raid by French troops, reported the agency.

The groups formation was announced in a video in March 2017 as a merger of three extremist groups: the al-Qaida-linked al-Mourabitoun, Ansar Dine and al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. It has positioned itself as the al-Qaida branch in Mali, and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, and has also claimed attacks in Mali and Niger.

Several extremist groups have also vowed to step up the bloodshed in West Africa in response to the recent deployment of the multinational G5 Sahel force. The 5,000-strong force combines troops from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad and Mauritania to battle extremism in the region.

Officials havent commented yet on the claim of responsibility, but Burkina Fasos minister of communications on Saturday said that the assailants could be members of a sleeping jihadist cell that has been in Ouagadougou for some time.

Burkina Fasos northern border region near Mali is the home of Ibrahim Malam Dicko, an extremist preacher who has claimed responsibility for recent deadly attacks on troops and civilians. His association, Ansarul Islam, is considered a terrorist group by Burkina Fasos government.

As residents held special prayers calling for peace, the capital remained on edge Sunday.

Three people tried to break through the security barricades at the presidential palace around 4 a.m. Sunday, said army spokesman Col. Jean Luc Diasso. One of the men was killed while trying to grab weapons from security forces, while the other two fled, he said. The three were believed to be robbers, Diasso said, but the event increased the general mood of insecurity.

Later Sunday Security forces fired warning shots near the army joint staff headquarters when people tried to approach the barricades set up to keep residents away from the site of the attacks.

The army released the names of the eight members of the security forces killed in the simultaneous attacks, including a senior officer. State funerals will be held at a later time, according to the government.

This was the third large-scale attack by extremists on Ouagadougou since January 2016 when 30 people were killed at a popular cafe. In August 2017, 18 more people were killed at a Turkish restaurant. Fridays attack targeted the militarys headquarters, showing the extremists are going for hard targets.



Associated Press writer Carley Petesch in Dakar, Senegal contributed to this report.BEIJING (AP)  President Xi Jinping is poised to make a historic power grab as Chinas legislators gather beginning Monday to approve changes that will let him rule indefinitely and undo decades of efforts to prevent a return to crushing dictatorship.

This years gathering of the ceremonial National Peoples Congress has been overshadowed by Xis surprise move  announced just a week ago  to end constitutional two-term limits on the presidency. The changes would allow Xi, already Chinas most powerful leader in decades, to extend his rule over the worlds second-largest economy possibly for life.

This is a critical moment in Chinas history, said Cheng Li, an expert on elite China politics at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

The move is widely seen as the culmination of the 64-year-old Xis efforts since being appointed leader of the ruling Communist Party in 2012 to concentrate power in his own hands and defy norms of collective leadership established over the past two decades. Xi has appointed himself to head bodies that oversee national security, finance, economic reform and other major initiatives, effectively sidelining the partys No. 2 figure, Premier Li Keqiang.

Once passed, the constitutional amendment would upend a system enacted by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982 to prevent a return to the bloody excesses of a lifelong dictatorship typified by Mao Zedongs chaotic 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution.

Deng Xiaopings abolishment of lifetime tenure for the leadership and more institutionalized transitions in power are very much in question, said Li, the politics expert.

Passage of the proposed constitutional amendment by the congress nearly 3,000 hand-picked delegates is all but certain. But observers will be looking to see how many delegates abstain from voting as an indication of the reservations the move has encountered even within the political establishment.

On Sunday, Zhang Yesui, the legislatures spokesman, told reporters that the move is only aimed at bringing the office of the president in line with Xis other positions atop the party and the Central Military Commission, which do not impose term limits.

It is conducive to upholding the authority of the Central Committee of the party with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core and also to unified leadership, Zhang said.

Chinese authorities have tightly controlled discussion about the move, scrubbing social media of critical and satirical comments. State media have been largely muted about the topic, but the official Peoples Daily sought to reassure the public by saying in a commentary that the move did not signal a return to lifelong rule.

This amendment does not mean changes in the system of retirement for party and state leaders and also does not imply that leaders will have lifetime tenure, the partys mouthpiece said Thursday.

Still, a number of prominent Chinese figures have publicly protested the move, despite the risk of official retaliation.

Li Datong, a former editor for the state-run China Youth Daily, wrote that lifting term limits would sow the seeds of chaos and urged Beijings lawmakers to exercise their power by rejecting the amendment. Wang Ying, a businesswoman who has advocated government reforms, called the proposal an outright betrayal.

Many expressed shock and disbelief at what they perceived to be a return to the Mao era, and the massive upheaval, violence and chaos of the Cultural Revolution 50 years ago that has barely faded from memory.

Already, the blanket and entirely positive coverage of Xi in official propaganda has drawn comparisons of a cult of personality to rival Maos.

State network China Central Television broadcasts near-daily segments featuring anyone from factory workers and farmers to space engineers and soldiers applauding for Xi in uniform enthusiasm for several minutes. His airbrushed, blemish- and nearly-wrinkle-free face often dominates the front pages of state newspapers.

But some analysts note there are a number of key differences between Xi and communist Chinas revolutionary founders that mean any major policy failure could obstruct Xis ambitions.

Xi Jinping is not loved and admired the way that Deng Xiaoping was. Xi Jinping is feared within the party, said Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at Londons School of Oriental and African Studies.

Xi has also waged expansive anti-corruption crackdown that some perceive as at least in part a purge of his rivals. This has surely won him many enemies, making the prospect of ceding power potentially risky.

Tsang said the party would follow Xi as long as things went well but that any serious economic misstep over the next five years would threaten Xis ability to extend his rule.

I dont think its a foregone conclusion that he will have a third term, Tsang said.

Xis power grab will be seriously tested by how he tackles grave challenges at home and abroad.

Chief among them is slowing growth in the state-dominated economy that is forecast to fall further as regulators try to get rising debt in check by tightening controls to cool booms in bank lending and real estate sales.

Abroad, China is faced with the task of maintaining stability and avoiding the outbreak of war on the neighboring Korean Peninsula, while also managing escalating frictions with the U.S. that threaten to evolve into a trade war.

Some observers say extending Xis rule gives him greater authority to address such challenges and carry out his vision of fighting corruption, eliminating poverty and transforming China into a modern leading nation by midcentury. The argument goes that lower-level officials tasked with carrying out needed changes wont be able to assume they can do the bare minimum and wait for his term to end.

Others say the risk of policy missteps is multiplied because Xi has made it politically risky for people to disagree with him and challenge his unbridled power.

The decision to scrap term limits was a case in point, Tsang said, noting that party leaders must have foreseen that such a move was going to be deeply unpopular, yet seemed unable  or unwilling  to steer Xi away from it.

What it does reveal is Xi Jinping is creating and deepening a moral hazard that now people will not want to say anything to contradict him, not only in public but even in private, Tsang said.

If this is the kind if pattern of policymaking, moving forward, the risk of bad decisions being made because they were not properly debated before they were made is getting higher and higher, he added.

What has been particularly alarming to many about the proposed removal of term limits was not only the move itself but seeming hastiness with which it was introduced. The Chinese public has grown accustomed to some measure of public debate about new laws or changes to existing laws. Some laws go through three or even four readings, but not in this case, observers pointed out.

When it comes to the revision of the constitution, how could it be that there is not a significant public commenting process, that there is not a more deliberative review process? said Dali Yang, a China expert at the University of Chicago. Thats truly a remarkable contrast.

Few experts expected China to adopt a Western-style, freewheeling democracy. But a return to one-man rule diminishes the likelihood that Chinas one-party system could move  as some had hoped  toward governing with greater accountability through the establishment of rules-based, impartial institutions.

This shows the one-party system cannot be fully institutionalized. They operate as secret societies; nothing is public, said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, an expert on Chinese politics at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Hes kind of a Godfather and he will remain the Godfather until the next one comes along.But I dont want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.

"Oh, you cant help that," said the Cat: "were all mad here. Im mad. Youre mad."

"How do you know Im mad?" said Alice.

"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldnt have come here.

 Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland





With freedom comes responsibility.

 Eleanor Roosevelt



Emilio Huerta and his very special mother, Dolores Huerta



I'm pretty sure David Valadao is, by the numbers, the most endangered incumbent running for reelection this year. His Central Valley district, CA-21, stretches from the suburbs south of Fresno, through Hanford and Corcoran, Coalinga and Delano down to the east side of Bakersfield. The district is over 72% Latino and Obama won it with 52% in 2008 and with 55% in 2012. Hillary beat Trump 55.2% to 39.7% and the 2016 PVI (D+2) is now D+5. The only other D+5 district occupied by a Republican is FL-27, where Ileana Ros-Lehtinen finally had the good sense to announce her retirement and get out of the way of the inevitable. I'm thinking some of the newly redrawn Pennsylvania districts are in the category too, but it's too soon to tell exactly.





So why is Valadao still even in this seat? Simple and clear: a series of pretty weak Democratic opponents, handpicked by the DCCC numbskulls, and unbelievably low voter turnout (a function of bad Democratic candidates and an unbelievably incompetent DCCC). All congressional districts have approximately the same number of people. In 2012 every single Minnesota district had over 300,000 people turn out to vote. On the same day Valadao's district had just 93,532 voters. Now, that's a contrast! How about the other Central Valley districts? These are the voter turnouts for 2012 and 2016 congressional race for each of the 6 districts that make up the Central Valley:

 CA-09 (Jerry McNerney)-188,389--- 184,377

 CA-10 (Jeff Denham)- 193,060--- 211,305

 CA-16 (Jim Costa)- 109,956--- 124,681

 CA-21 (David Valadao)- 93,532--- 118,124

 CA-22 (Devin Nunes)- 159,009--- 210,135

 CA-23 (Kevin McCarthy)- 195,578--- 216,188

That's why Valadao is still in office. Last cycle Emilio Huerta was the Democratic candidate. Valadao beat him. First Huerta barely won a spot in the primary and was then beaten by Valadao-- in this blue district-- 56.7% to 43.3%. Valadao spent $2,806,588 to Huerta's $648,918. The DCCC gave up on Huerta quickly, having spent just $27,195, but Pelosi's superPAC put in $1,751,651, towards the end, when it was already too late. The NRCC and Ryan's SuperPAC responded with just $155,795.





This cycle, the DCCC has been wringing it's collective hands over the district. Huerta got in again and his locally powerful family cleared the field quickly. The DCCC's attitude was the he couldn't win but they had no one to go up against him. So far this cycle Valadao has raised $1,346,307 and Huerta has taken in just $94,814. It was looking like Valadao could actually win in a wave election in a blue district!





gently, The DCCC jumped in last week and, persuaded Huerta to withdraw over the weekend. Several California members of Congress-- Ted Lieu, Jim Costa, Zoe Lofgren and Pete Aguilar, from what I've heard-- pressured him, "respectfully," one told me, to get out of the race. Ben Ray Lujan tried to paint a smiley face on it with a statement to the media: "Emilio Huerta and his family have made immense contributions to the Central Valley and our country as a whole. Every hardworking Californian owes them a debt of gratitude for their advocacy on behalf of families, children and our progressive values nationwide."





The DCCC has lost previously with establishment candidates John Hernandez, president of the Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Amanda Renteria, an EMILY's List corporate Dem from DC. This time there are strong rumors that the DCCC is importing TJ Cox, who was gaining traction against Josh Harder, the corporate Dem the DCCC is hoping to run against Jeff Denham.





Footnote: by Friday someone seems to have talked Christina Prejean into dropping out of her short-lived attempt to win the already crowded CA-49 primary in southern Orange County/northern San Diego county. Prejean's departure from the race is probably good news for Doug Applegate since she was also a military veteran in a heavily veteran district. Applegate is already the frontrunner.





You'll have to click on the image to read this poll



| BY Kim Shaw |

Agencies and clients have one more month to go before 28 March  the deadline for submission of entries to the Asia-Pacific Tambuli Awards 2018. Conference and Awards night will be held on June 5 in Manila. Malcolm Poynton, Global Chief Creative Officer Cheil Worldwide (pictured), is Overall Jury Chairman for 2018.

The APAC Tambuli Awards honors brands that do good and do well  showing the seamless integration of creativity + human good + results. Case study entries must demonstrate how brands uplift society, create positive change, and correlate purpose with purchase.

The APAC Tambuli Awards is not an award on charity, advocacy, pro bono, or CSR advertising, even if those campaigns are welcome and encouraged to enter. The award, however, focuses on mainstream brand campaigns that celebrate humanity, inspire purpose, and deliver results.

Agency and client entrants to this award contribute to the development of future talent for the marketing communications industry in Asia Pacific, through the Tambuli Scholarship Fund of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program at UA&P.| BY Ricki Green |

Diageo Australia has launched four new Bundaberg Rum TVCs via Leo Burnett Sydney, that celebrate the craft behind the iconic Australian spirit, the first of which aired last night (Sunday 4 March).

The series of four 15 second television spots are part of the Unmistakably Ours brand campaign that launched in March 2017.

Filmed entirely on the Bundaberg Rum Estate and surrounding sugar cane fields, the new spots bring to life the unique stories behind (the making of) the award winning golden liquor: the talented craftspeople that make it, the brands unique history and its locally sourced ingredients. The talent are distillers, blenders and people who work at the Distillery.

Says Karl Roche, senior brand manager, Bundaberg Rum: As Bundaberg Rum approaches its 130th year, we wanted to celebrate life at the Distillery  putting the spotlight on our people and award-wining product. Bundaberg Rum is made by a small group of just 34 people, with locally sourced ingredients. It has a unique and rich heritage of which were extremely proud. Its a story we want to share with all Australians.

Says Vince Lagana, executive creative director at Leo Burnett, Sydney: Were proud to say the Unmistakably Ours campaign has seen significant growth for Bundaberg Rum and has brought strong brand values back to the brand. In these follow up 15 second product spots, we wanted to focus on all the great things that make this iconic liquid truly unique and in turn prove how it really is unmistakably ours.

The new Bundaberg Rum campaign will appear on national free-to-air, subscription television and online from 4 March.

Client: Diageo

Marketing & Innovation Director: Adam Ballesty

Marketing Manager: Hayden Abercrombie

Senior Brand Manager: Karl Roche

Creative Agency: Leo Burnett Sydney

Executive Creative Directors: Vince Lagana and Grant McAloon

Creative Directors: Malcolm Caldwell and Ian Broekhuizen

Senior Copy Writer: Nigel Clark

Senior Art Director: Adrian Ely

Agency Producer: Michelle Browne

Group Business Director: James Walker-Smith

Senior Business Director: Amber Glenister

Business Manager: Tom Smyth

Production company: Infinity Squared

Director- Melvin J Montalban

Producer- Morgan Benson-Taylor

DOP  Tania Lambert

Art Director- Miles Pitt

Editor  Brad Hurt

Colourist  Matt Fezznews, latest-news

The ACT government is considering banning rent-bidding apps in Canberra as calls grow for the practice to be outlawed. The government's decision comes as a recent online petition has already garnered several hundred signatures calling for a ban on rent bidding. The apps, such as RentBerry, RentWolf and Property Connect, involve prospective tenants taking part in an auction-style process to see who is willing to pay more to lease a property. Tenant advocates have said the practice, which has been banned in Victoria and Queensland, would be "pouring petrol on the bonfire" of Canberra's rental market. Nick Haines, the senior campaigner at Sum of Us - the organisation behind the petition - said the apps were likely to increase already soaring prices in Canberra's rental market. "Ultimately, these apps at their core function push up rental prices in property markets in Australia, and it's not something that we need," he said. "We know the property market is overheated, and if you consider the fact that rental prices are already increasing in most capital cities and wage growth has flatlined, [these apps] are pouring petrol on the bonfire." Since the petition went live in the ACT on Saturday last week, it has already been signed by more than 400 people, with a similar campaign in NSW garnering thousands of signatures. This week, the NSW government said it would keep an eye on rent-bidding apps, particularly in the Sydney property market. A spokesman for the ACT government said a regulatory approach to rent bidding was being examined and work in other states was being studied to help improve tenancy legislation. "The ACT government is monitoring developments in other Australian jurisdictions, including Victoria. The ACT government will consider [the Victorian] reforms as part of the review of the Residential Tenancies Act," the spokesman said. "The government is concerned about the consequences of the practice, particularly on low income Canberrans seeking and housing, and would be willing to look at a potential ban of the practice in line wih Victorian reform." Tenants' Union ACT executive officer Dep Pippen said she had heard of several cases of rent-bidding in Canberra, and was concerned about the rise of the apps. "The practice of rent bidding takes advantage of the tight rental market and it forces people into saying they can afford something when they can't and leading to financial pressure," she said. "It will force people out of the market, and it's definitely false advertising." Founder of Canberra-based start up group Better Renting, Joel Dignam, said rent bidding exists in a grey area of current tenancy laws within the ACT. "From what I've been seeing, it's increasing the competition between prospective renters, and making offers above the asking prices of around $80 to $100," he said. "It's a very risky situation when there are 50 people competing for a property."

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"If it wasn't for society constantly reminding me that that I'm a person of disability and a person who's gay, I'd probably forget about it. I mean - I'm a busy person. I've got shit to do." He's offensive, hilarious and the definition of the word brazen, and now it seems the rest of the world is catching on to the inclusion message of Canberra's own Wayne Herbert. Herbert, 37, who has cerebral palsy, is the author of 2017's Anecdotes of a Disabled Gay and now his thoughts on diversity, disability and inclusion have caught the attention of Canada. Herbert has been invited to speak at the Canadian Association for Supported Employment's annual conference in Halifax in June. He'll speak on two out of the three days at the conference - the first day speaking on disability employment services in Australia and the next day delivering the TED talk he gave in Canberra last September. "This is my first international speaking engagement  even thinking about it makes a little bit of nervous wee come out," he said. "I've always wanted to be a voice for change  positive change. To have a lasting and positive impact of the community and, in particular, decision makers. "Canada's a great place to launch my message internationally. Justin Trudeau is someone I respect and admire politically." He's glad his message around inclusion - including calling on Australians to get rid of words like "limitation" and "deficit" when referring to people with disability - is resonating around the world, Herbert said. And his sense of humour is largely to thank for that. "I like to think I bring a new and refreshing insight into the world of people with disability and the LGBTIQ community, by showing people I'm fearless and not afraid to laugh at myself," he said. "But there's a serious side to my message. I want to open up a conversation on the social issues my communities face every day. "I'm known for telling people I have sex and masturbate  that I'm just like everyone else. I hope I change the way we think and perceive people with disability. We can all do better here in Australia and in many parts of the world  I just show people how to do that, in practical, meaningful ways." It's been a huge year for Herbert, who won the Chief Minister's inclusion award for Making Inclusion Happen and was nominated for the 2017 ACT Australian of the Year award. He's spent the past six months in radio and television studios across the country promoting his book. "Not sure I can believe it but this year's going to be even bigger - I'm a member of the ACT government disability reference group as well as deputy chairman of the LGBTIQ ministerial advisory council. "And late last year I was elected to the board of the ACT AIDS Action Council. I've got a lot to do in Canberra this year. "But secretly, I'd love a gig on radio, Gogglebox, or on some celebrity show in the South African jungle," he laughed. Follow Bree Winchester on Instagram and Facebook

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ACT Policing has laid just six charges relating to the territory's new revenge porn legislation in the seven months since it was introduced. Police data reveals three people have been charged since the laws were first introduced in August last year. Out of the six charges there were four counts of threatening to capture or distribute intimate images and two for non-consensual distribution of intimate images. Half of the revenge porn charges in the ACT have been laid in the past week, with a 47-year-old Gordon man facing court on Monday charged with three counts of threatening to capture or distribute images. It's alleged the man printed more than 20 explicit pictures of his former partner and threatened to send them out. Under the ACT's legislation, people who publish or threaten to publish revenge porn face up to three years in jail or a $45,000 fine. The penalties are increased to either five years in jail or a $75,000 fine if the victim is under 16. An ACT Policing spokesman said during the same time period there had been 28 charges for using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend. An ACT Policing spokeswoman said all three cases of revenge porn police had laid charges in, victims reported the offences to officers. "ACT Policing is well aware of the personal impact the sharing of intimate images can have on a victim," the spokeswoman said. "This new crime type complemented the existing Commonwealth offence of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend." Experts warn that despite the relatively low number of charges issued by police in the past six months, the number of Canberra victims of revenge porn were higher. RMIT associate professor Nicola Henry, a leading researcher on revenge porn, said she was not surprised by the low number of charges. "Victims may be concerned that if they report it, it will antagonise the perpetrator and images would be shared," she said. "The barriers for victims is that not only do they feel the perpetrator would seek retribution, the other issue is the feelings of shame or embarrassment if they report it." Dr Henry has previously praised ACT's revenge porn laws as among the best in the country, with other Australian jurisdictions following the capital's lead. Previous research conducted by Dr Henry found an estimated one in 10 people surveyed said someone had shared or threatened to share a sexually explicit image of themselves. "One in 10 is a huge number, and logic should have it that there would be more charges," she said. "The Australian community view image-based abuse as an abhorrent act that has significant impact on the victim, and you would hope the legislation plays a deterrent effect." At the time law came into effect, Canberra Rape Crisis Centre service director Penny Pestano said they had multiple new inquiries from young people with electronic and social media issues. Ms Pestano previously told Fairfax Media the centre would support a more positive definition of consent "creating more onus towards the offender to prove the consent was received". ACT Greens crossbencher Caroline Le Couteur, who said last year the revenge porn laws did not go far enough, said more education was needed to ensure people were comfortable in coming forward. "I hope a combination of these new laws, recent media attention, the #MeToo campaign and the government's forthcoming community education campaign will stop problematic behaviour before the police need to be involved," she said. "We have appropriate laws in place - education is the vital next step." Ms Le Couteur said the current laws could be strengthen by clarifying the provisions surrounding upskirting, calling current provisions "vague and confusing". "It remains deeply troubling that an estimated one in five Australians are victims of image-based sexual abuse," she said.

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Lake Tuggeranong has been closed to swimming twice because of blue-green algae outbreaks already this year, with the lake closing at least once a year since 2002. Data from the ACT environment directorate shows 2016 was an unusually unhealthy year for the lake, with five closures due to blue-green algae outbreaks. Ann Kennedy, from the Tuggeranong Lake Carers, has called on Canberrans to join the Lake Carers on Sunday for Clean Up Australia Day. "The previous one we did we had the most volunteers in the ACT," Ms Kennedy said. "There are just so many people who make use of the lake. If they want to be there and enjoy it, they can do a little to help make it a nice place." Tuggeranong residents Rees and Kerry Bunker were concerned about how diligent the government was being in maintaining the health of the lakes. A few days before Christmas, Mr Bunker noticed one of the traps near the lake had filled with rubbish, soil and what appeared to be an animal carcass. "It was the size of a dog," Mrs Bunker said. "It stunk." After several complaints to Access Canberra, workers cleaned up the traps in February, without telling Mr Bunker, who said the build up at the traps was a contributing factor to algae outbreaks. The husband and wife couple are kayakers and moved from interstate to Canberra in 2016 specifically to be by Lake Tuggeranong. "There's a lot of people who use the lake and who would use it more often if it wasn't closed due to high level blue-green algae," Mr Bunker said. Lake Tuggeranong has closed to swimming at least once a year since 2002, closing twice in 2004, 2011, 2012 and 2014. By comparison, Lake Ginninderra in Belconnen has only closed to swimming ten times since 2002 and three times in 2016. ACT Healthy Waterways program manager Justin Foley said the infrastructure around Lake Tuggeranong was designed 40 years ago to improve flood management, which could quickly rush pollutants into the lake, but the government was learning to better manage the systems. "The majority of pollutants arrive from human activity," Mr Foley said. The developments around Lake Tuggeranong had driven nutrient rich waste, like soil, into the lake, which led to outbreaks. "At the end of the day it is really about the behaviour of the community: what we do in our catchments, around our suburbs." Volunteers for Clean Up Australia Day can help clean up Lake Tuggeranong between 10am - 1pm on Sunday, March 4. People can register via the Clean Up Australia Day website or go to the Tuggeranong Scout Hall or the rowing shed under the Tuggeranong Library on Sunday morning.

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Incoming National Capital Authority boss Sally Barnes will face unanswered questions about the future shape of Canberra and how her agency should advocate for the capital as she enters her new role. Funding levels for the NCA, its role administering the National Capital Plan, and how it should participate in debates about policies that threaten the city are all live matters. Ms Barnes, who became chief executive in February, is settling into her new role but already has an answer to questions whether her agency should be a non-partisan advocate for Canberra within the federal government in matters like the Coalition's push to move public service jobs into regional areas. "My role is to take Canberra to the rest of Australia, not to be an advocate for particular issues," she said. Reaching the top floor of Canberra's National Carillon, commanding a long view of the city nestled between its mountains, Ms Barnes says it will keeping growing through a similar conversation to the one conducted by its architect Walter Burley Griffin. "The bones are there. The general agreement around enhancing what we've got is there. It's about working together, having conversations, a bit like Walter, asking what the future might be." What would he have thought of the city, more than one hundred years later, viewing it from the high vantage above Aspen Island? It's grown and realised its shape by the ebb and flow brought by war, economic depression, compromise, and waves of political indifference and enthusiasm. Mr Griffin didn't imagine motor cars would fill roads in the volumes taken for granted today, Ms Barnes said. But the new National Capital Authority chief believes he wouldn't complain, looking out from the carillon. "Considering the size of what's happened in terms of technology, I think he would be very pleased." The essence of the original plan was alive in the city's form, she said. The former Sydneysider admits to following the typical path of many newcomers to the capital, having moved from her home city four years ago for her previous role heading National Parks. Swapping Manly for Canberra, she has never lived at this altitude but doesn't miss being close to the coast. "I came here and I loved it." "Canberra is a bit of a model for how you can have a regional centre away from the coast." Earlier, she was chief executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage in the NSW government, and has previously worked for the state's Environmental Protection Authority. Ms Barnes said she has arrived at her new job with respect for the heritage she will manage and the responsibility it would bring administering the National Capital Plan. The daughter of a Dutch immigrant, Ms Barnes' father was part of a team that submitted a design for the Sydney Opera House - losing to Jorn Utzon. She's grown up a history buff, and before even knowing about the NCA chief executive job, she went to the US and on the trip learned about architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his connection with Griffin. Ms Barnes said Canberra's growth would bring new challenges to the city as it tried to keep the character setting it apart from other capitals. "With a modern city and a great environment, there will be more people who want to come here." That's a good thing, she adds, but it raises questions. "Then it's how do you maintain the essence of the national capital?" "It's having discussions with the community about how we keep the essence but become a sophisticated, modern city."

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The Education Department has overturned the expulsion of a student who allegedly sexually assaulted a teacher at a Victorian state school. The student has been allowed to remain at the school and the traumatised teacher has had to leave. The principal who tried to expel the student has also left the school. The revelations follows a series of controversial Education Department rulings that have revoked the expulsion of students. On Friday, the Andrews government announced it would overhaul the expulsion process to give principals and victims a greater say. Its a complex and sensitive case and the student accused of sexual assault has a disability. It is understood the teacher and principal are both deeply unhappy with the reversal of the student's expulsion. Other teachers at the school have contacted the Sunday Age to raise concerns about their safety and the Departments handling of the incident. The Education Department said it was unable to comment on the case due to legal reasons. The safety of students and staff is our number one priority, a spokesman said. The state oppositions education spokesman Tim Smith described the case as shocking and said the government needed to start trusting principals. The minister talks so much about violence against women yet this woman has had to move schools because she has been sexually assaulted, he said. The benefit of the doubt has to sit with principals. Principals know better than cardigan-wearing bureaucrats at Treasury Place whats going on in their school community. A principal, who did not want to be named, said he was alarmed that the student remained at the school while the teacher and principal had left. There's clearly something terribly wrong with our education system when policies such as the existing expulsion process leads to outcomes such as this, he said. It's all well and good to clean the mess up after the event, but cases such as this leave a trail irreparable damage that should not have occurred in the first place. The Sunday Age has not named the school for legal reasons. Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said the governments overhaul would ensure the views of principals were taken into account when an expulsion was challenged. Victims will also be able to give evidence about how a perpetrator's behaviour has affected them. And if an expulsion is overturned, principals will be able to appeal to a new independent panel. Victorian Principals Association president Anne-Maree Kliman said principals had been frustrated by the previous policy, and the changes would ensure that everyones voice was heard. Its an outstanding outcome for schools, principals and students, she said. There are concerns the bar for expelling students was raised too high in the wake of a damning Ombudsman's report released last August. The Ombudsman took aim at the prevalence of informal expulsions, revealing that as many as 6800 students were being pushed out of Victorian state schools every year. Mr Merlino said at the time it had become far too easy for students to be expelled. He also announced that he would review the appeals process. A total of 278 students  mostly boys in Years 8 to 10  were formally expelled from Victorian state schools in 2016. Of these students, 22 students appealed their expulsion and eight students had their expulsion overturned. In the past week it was reported that one Melbourne principal quit his job after his decision to expel a student was overturned. The student had threatened another student with a knife and relentlessly bullied a student with an intellectual disability. A girl who plotted to poison a classmate also successfully overturned her expulsion, with the victim having to take out a restraining order. The Departments handling of this matter is now being investigated.

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A 12-month-old girl has been killed after being attacked by her family's dog in northern New South Wales. The baby died on the way to hospital after emergency services were called to a home in Inverell about 2.30pm on Saturday. Upon their arrival, paramedics and police found the child had suffered critical injuries and began treating her at the scene. The familys Rottweiler dog was found in the backyard of the home by Gwydir Shire Council rangers. It has since been seized and impounded. It is not known whether the dog will be killed. A NSW police spokesperson told Fairfax Media that the fate of the animal is a matter for the local council. An investigation is now underway by police from the New England police district and a report into the infant's death is being prepared for the Coroner. There were about 3430 dog attacks reported to local NSW councils throughout 2017, with 310 of these involving children under the age of 16. No human deaths were recorded in NSW last year, however this latest fatal attack follows the news of a Canberra woman who was killed by her pet Pitbull in October. ACT police were forced to shoot and kill the dog at the scene as it attacked them while they performed first aid on the victim.

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The leader of United National Initiative Shahen Harutyunyan recalled: "Republic Square is the center of struggle. Since the age of 14, we went to struggle, together with my father, Shant Harutyunyan, and our friends. My father had called our revolution a revolution of values. What kind of values and ideals a society has, the power is shaped and carries out actions with such ideals and values. In the Soviet social order, the National United Party was the first non-Communist, non-Bolshevik Party, a unique phenomenon in the entire USSR expanse, one of whose founders was my grandfather, Shahen Harutyunyan. And I founded United National Initiative, although my father had taken some steps in that direction; the objective primarily is the engagement of the youth in the fight for the Republic of Armenia to have a free and independent prosperous country. I study at the Department of History at Yerevan State University. Each and every person is obligated to know the history of his country, his own country, homeland. I wished to assemble my friends, conduct discussions on history; we will learn the history of [our] own history, and after which we will be able to fulfill our ideas, visions. Considering the mistakes of the past, we should craft a country that will not repeat the same mistakes. Still in the years of Soviet Union, they wished to eliminate our family for 70 to 80 years, do everything, so that we would not have heirs; that is why, I decided to get engaged early. And my marriage depends on my fathers freedom. I will get married when he is released from prison. I met with my chosen [girlfriend] after the April [2016] war. We were organizing demonstrations near the Russian embassy, demanding from Russia not to sell weapons to Azerbaijan, and that is when I met her. Naturally, each and every one of us wishes to have a power to fulfill his goals and dreams. But the priority, aside from power, is the homeland. We will have a normal state when people clearly know their duties, clearly know their rights, ultimately realize that they need to fight for their rights."It's a political world in which we deal with in many issues and sadly the norm ever since the temporary measure of income tax to support the war cause was introduced and never withdrawn. The politicians have just kept at it, not unlike the Baron's and Royalty of England taxing the Serfs and the poor and destitute into worse situations than they were in then and now our government's seem quite content to do the same to us.

We need change and even when that was promised, it was a lie. Sadly, there seems few who have the smarts, the logic, or the wherewithal to figure out how to do better things for their fellow countrymen than to just keep raising taxes and making themselves bulletproof to those same taxes and then have the gall to take the people's tax money and spend billions of it offshore while we have so many poor, destitute and maltreated Canadian living here in Canada. Our Veterans, those maimed and injured in heart, mind, body and soul, our First Nations and Indigenous people, our seniors who put a lifetime of taxes into the system and now struggle on low and fixed incomes, our infrastructure that suffers while hundreds of millions of our tax dollars go elsewhere offshore.

It isn't rocket science to figure this out. Cut the frivolous offshore spending by about 90% and see how much would now be available in at home budgets to care for our Veterans, First Nations, elderly and needy Canadians. We now are a nation of food banks which hardly makes sense when we use the taxpayers money to send hundreds of millions elsewhere in this world rather than care for our own and therein lies the catch, looking after our own first.

I tire, as do countless other Canadians of the political bafflegarb and bunk about them lying about just pretty much everything they do. So many here in Canada who pay into the political machine do without, I am not suggesting the storming of the Bastille, but something has to change soon as we yet again are facing a government who does little or nothing for those here in Canada. Why? Because it may cost a few hundred million, while sending tens of thousands of millions elsewhere in the world that does nothing for those who have sent in trillions of dollars in income tax and have little to show for doing it. Yes change is needed and a whole new philosophy on the way we do business, but I guess being a hero in other nations for spending the taxpayers dollars there is more important than being a hero here at home.

Having integrity and being honourable you need to do it here at home first for your fellow countrymen, those that fill the government coffers with their hard earned incomes. They have to change, they must change and they must do it now because they are either for their fellow countrymen or against us and if they are against us, then a new order is needed. It doesn't seem that there are not too many political parties functioning at this time that are for us.

Be well, God bless the Canadian people in all walks of life. May the hundreds of millions they pour into the system be used to benefit them and the needs of this nation. May the ears and the eyes of the governments of this nation see the financial needs of this nation and look after it with the money that comes from the people of this nation. God Bless Canada.

Dave W. PalmerPhoto: Contributed

Join our wine writer, Allison Markin, every week for a wine review complete with food and music pairings. Featuring Okanagan and Canadian wines, with an occasional international bottle, Castanet celebrates the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry and influences from around the world. For current availability and pricing, consult the winery. Unless indicated, international selections are generally available at government liquor stores or private wine shops.

Wine: Mas La Plana, 2012

Winery: Familia Torres (Spain)

Why drink it? In honour of the recent Vancouver International Wine Festival, the largest event of its kind in western North America, and its choice to feature Spain (and Portugal), try this 100 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon. Known for blends, this was one of the winerys first single varietals. Big red fruit on the nose and palate, with plums and currants, there is also an earthy minerality on the long finish. Well balanced, lively, and different from what you might expect from a cab sauv, this wine  and others from Torres  are worth exploring. Several different vintages are available in government stores across B.C.

Price: $70

Pair with: Treat yourself to a side-by-side tasting of this bottle and an Okanagan cab sauv to taste the differences. Youll probably want to reach for some meat  mildly spicy sausages, cured ham or prosciutto  or aged cheeses with strong flavours.

Music pairing: Heaven by Los Lonely Boys

Have a wine to suggest? Email Allison at [email protected]A newspaper owned by the Bahraini Royal Court claimed that the 3 Bahrainis who died in sea were killed in the conflict in Syria.

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - A newspaper owned by the Bahraini Royal Court claimed that the 3 Bahrainis who died in sea were killed in the conflict in Syria.



Al-Watan newspaper published an ad that said it mourns their deaths in Syria's Ghouta. However, the announcement is related to their mourning procession held on (February 23, 2018) after they were martyred in Persian Gulf waters.



Government parties are trying to link the Bahraini opposition to the armed conflict in the region.



3 Bahraini activists wanted by the security authorities over their opposing activism martyred in sea while attempting to flee the country. Meanwhile, a fourth one accompanying them is still missing.



The Iranian authorities pulled out the bodies of martyrs Sayed Kassim Khalil, Sayed Mahmoud Adel and Maytham Salman from the territorial waters. Family of Hassan Ali Ibrahim announced that their son is missing.



Opposition sources said that boat transferring the 4 from Bahrain was more likely attacked by the Bahraini coast guards or pirates.



The Bahraini authorities summoned the families of the 4 for interrogation. Information mentioned that the security bodies relieved their responsibility from the accident.



The three were buried in the Iranian City of Qom.



Dozens of supporters of the Bahraini ruling family are fighting next to terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq.









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Click HereInternational

Chelsea Women internationals: All the action so far

With more Blues on international duty than ever before, we take a look at all of the action from the past two days with plenty of goals to celebrate.Israels goal in its next war in the north will be to reach a decisive victory including the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a senior Israel Defense Forces official claimed Wednesday.

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - An Israeli military official says killing Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanons Hezbollah resistance movement, would be a decisive victory in the regimes future war against the Arab country.



If we manage to kill Nasrallah in the next war, I would see that as reaching a decisive victory, Major General Yaakov Barak said on Wednesday, Haaretz reported.



Barak claimed that any future war is expected to be very different from previous ones, and that Israeli ground forces are ready and prepared to be sent into the Lebanese territory more quickly, widely and deeply than before.



He said that the next war will not be a war of several days, but it wont last several months either.



Baraks comments echoed remarks by Israels militarys chief spokesperson Brigadier General Ronen Manelis, who had said in November that Hezbollah will be a target of assassination in Tel Avivs next act of aggression against Lebanon.



There wont be a clear victory picture in the next war, though its clear that Nasrallah is a target, Manelis threatened.



Israel launched two wars on Lebanon in 2000 and 2006, in both of which the Hezbollah resistance fighters inflicted heavy losses on the regimes army.



Nasrallah has repeatedly warned the regime in Tel Aviv against going for another act of aggression against his country, vowing that Lebanese armed forces would give a crushing response to the regime in any future war.



Tensions have been rising between Israel and Lebanon in recent weeks over Tel Avivs building of a border wall and its threats against Lebanons offshore oil and gas exploration projects in disputed Mediterranean waters.



Earlier this week, President Michel Aoun said Beirut was prepared to counter any potential threat from the Tel Aviv regime.



Last month, Lebanese army chief General Joseph Aoun warned Israel against staging a new war on the country, vowing that it would use every available means to deter an act of aggression.



The army will not spare any method available to confront any Israeli aggression, whatever that costs, he wrote.



Hezbollah, the countrys de facto military power, has vowed to defend the rights of its homeland in oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean region against any new Israeli aggression.









/129Denis McDonough listens in the Rose Garden of the White House on Oct. 21, 2013. McDonough, who served as President Obama's chief of staff, said on March 4, 2018, that the Senate's top Republican insisted that a bipartisan appeal for states to step up election security in the face of Russian aggression be "dramatically watered down" before it was issued in advance of the 2016 election. (Charles Dharapak / AP)Barry Crimmins, longtime stand-up performer, political satirist and essayist who became an advocate for abused children, died Feb. 28 in Syracuse, New York He was 64. (Comix Comedy)Michael Che had his own commentary about Trump's bipartisan meeting and flip-flop on gun control during "Weekend Update." "He was alone in a room with a bunch of gun enthusiasts and they somehow managed to change his mind?" Che said. "You know, that once happened to me. I once spoke out against gang violence but then after a very private meeting with the Bloods on the roof of my building, I realized I disagreed with myself, too."So it's no surprise this year that Mark Bridges was nominated for his work on "Phantom Thread," in which Daniel Day-Lewis plays a domineering fashion designer with a tortured relationship with his muse. The clothes are not avant-garde or even especially dynamic, but they speak to the kind of timeless beauty to which the main character aspires. Bridges was able to capture that sense of propriety and good taste in his scrupulously crafted day suits and evening gowns - the sort of clothes worn by women who lived public lives, but not necessarily interesting ones.So lets correct that. His name is pronounced Kosh-choosh-ko. And this Monday, pour a little vodka, put some Chopin on the iPod and make a toast to Pulaski, Kosciuszko and all Polish and other immigrants who made the brave decision to come to this country. Because while some politicians through the decades have tried to keep them out, immigrants have been and always will be some of this countrys hardest workers, bravest soldiers and greatest innovators.A 48-year-old woman was in the 5900 block of West Giddings in the Jefferson Park neighborhood when someone knocked on the window, showed a gun and ordered her out of the vehicle around 12:15 a.m., police said.He said someone was out to hurt him, someone was going to harm him, and the officer calmed him down and tried to gain more information about what was going on. Mr. Davis was very vague and he kept talking about someone having a gun, Yeagley said, adding that Davis Jr. said he had not actually seen the person with a gun.Smith, 62, said he didn't know his son was coming into town and that they would usually meet at a hotel near Water Tower Place downtown because he did not like to be in the neighborhood.Goliber is 5 feet 5 inches and weighs about 130 pounds, the alert said. She is white with brown eyes and brown hair and has a scar on her left hand. She was last seen wearing a black jacket.The 45-year-old man was arguing with someone he knew in the 2400 block of West Madison Street in the Near West Side neighborhood on the West Side when the male stabbed him around 12:40 a.m.MADISON, WIS.  Police say a private security guard fatally shot an unarmed man who was trying to rob a Madison bank.



Authorities say 35-year-old Luis Narvaez walked into the Chase Bank on Madison's east side Thursday shortly before 5 p.m., held up a bag, demanded money and gestured as if he had a weapon.



The armed security guard confronted Narvaez and shot him once. He died at the scene.



Authorities say the security guard is cooperating with police. The Dane County district attorney will decide whether the shooting warrants charges."We even started to look for things on Google, and I have to say the idea for this, in the end, came from a place of need," Latimen said. "It served a dual purpose in that it helped us clean out our closets and give this gently used clothing that will hopefully bless someone else."The Chicago Bears are out to prove they can play better than they did in a Week 1 loss when they host the Cincinnati Bengals at Soldier Field. Heres our snapshot look at the Week 2 game.Ruby Gomez, 22, of the 100 block of South Clifton Avenue; Gino Moraca, 26, of the 300 block of Raymond Street; and Kassandra Delgado, 22, of the 200 block of McClure Avenue; agreed to prison terms in exchange for reduced charges in connection with a February 2016 incident in which a woman was beaten in her Elgin home, taken to Moraca's apartment and restrained, beaten and burned with cigarettes, a state's attorney's office news release said."It is exceedingly rare to find a professor who understands the needs of their students, both in the classroom and in the workplace," Andrusko said. "As a community college, its CLC's responsibility to hold on to professors like this. David has helped create opportunities that were previously unimaginable for students like me."Each community interested in joining has to contribute $30,000, some of which may be returned if the cost is less than what's gathered, Deputy County Administrator Amy McEwan said. If it costs more, it will be up to the new governing board to decide what to do.Tom and Rebekah Beishuizen of Crown Point were part of a small group of counter-protesters on the south side of the Court Street entrance to the fairgrounds. The Beishuizens said they felt it was important to share their point of view to such a large showing of protesters. They knew a lot of people would attend the gun show but said most would probably not be willing to protest. The couple are gun owners, though they said they don't regularly use the weapons.Cheesecake by Thomas is offering the full 'cheesecake experience'

Thomas Cosgrove began his cheesecake business to help Puebloans feel good following city's 19th-place listing among worst places to live in America.China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), one of the country's two leading nuclear power companies, is stepping up its overseas cooperation, the chairperson said Saturday.

Progress is being made in cooperation with CNNC's local partners in countries like Pakistan, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and the United States, CNNC chairperson Wang Shoujun said on the sidelines of the annual session of the country's top political advisory body.

In 2017, the CNNC completed the construction on the No. 4 unit of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant in Pakistan. The company also reached an agreement with its Pakistani partner to built another nuclear power unit at the Chashma plant using the Hualong One technology.

The total installed capacity of CNNC's nuclear projects in Pakistan has so far reached 4.63 million kilowatts while the installed capacity in operation has exceeded 1.3 million kilowatts, said Wang, who is also a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

"These projects have effectively alleviated local power shortages and boosted the country's economic development," he said.

Contracts have been signed for nuclear projects in Argentina while the CNNC and its Saudi Arabian partner have agreed to push forward cooperation on uranium and thorium resources.

In Ghana, the CNNC has helped convert a local highly-enriched uranium nuclear reactor into a low-enriched one.

Last year, the CNNC signed a joint venture agreement with TerraPower, LLC to form the Global Innovation Nuclear Energy Technology Co., Ltd. to work together on the Travelling Wave Reactor technology, marking a new stage in China-U.S. nuclear cooperation, Wang added.

The CPPCC started its annual session Saturday, with more than 2,100 political advisors gathering to discuss the country's major political, economic, and social issues.The quality rather than just the quantity of China's economic growth is expected to be high on the agenda as China's political leaders and officials gather in Beijing for the two sessions, according to experts.

One of the main focuses of the two sessions each year is usually the annual GDP growth target, which is set in the Government Work Report, due to be delivered this year by Premier Li Keqiang on Monday.

However, with achieving high-quality growth now a government priority, at least equal attention is likely to be given this year to how China intends to tackle industrial overcapacity, excess debt, income inequality and poverty reduction, as well as environmental degradation, while also pursuing development.

Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and former Asia head and chief economist of investment bank Morgan Stanley, said it is important for the world's second-largest economy to secure a sustainable future.

"The senior Chinese leadership has stressed the need for a more sustainable growth modelnamely, by shifting from resource-intensive manufacturing to resource-light services. Only then can China enjoy the quality dimension of the growth experience," he said.

"China is making good progress toward higher quality growth. But the journey has just begun," Roach added.

Zhu Ning, Oceanwide professor of finance at Tsinghua University, agreed there will be major emphasis on high-quality growth at the annual plenary meeting of both the National People's Congress, China's highest legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

He said the importance attached to a new and more inclusive growth strategy was made clear at the Central Economic Work Conference, a key meeting held in Beijing in December.

"The focus now is on the development of the overall economy. People have criticized China's growth about being all about growth's sake and not about development. We want broader-based, more inclusive development than just the growth of the number," he said.

With China expected to contribute 35 percent of global growth this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, financial markets across the world will also be paying close attention to the government's growth target.

Last year, the figure was set at "around 6.5 percent, or higher if possible" and was comfortably achieved, with GDP rising 6.9 percent in 2017the first time annual growth has accelerated since 2010.

China still needs to grow at a relatively fast pace to meet the government's aim of becoming a "moderately well-off society" by 2020, in time for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China the following year. To achieve this, it needs to double the 2010 GDP per capita income level. George Magnus, an associate at the Oxford University China Centre and an expert on China's economy, said he expects the government target to remain at "around 6.5 percent".

"China looks to me to be well on course to meet the 2020 goal. On my reckoning, 6.2 percent per annum for each of the next three years should do it. So there is even a bit of a cushion if things go slightly awry for any reason. China can now afford a bit of a trade-off between the quantity and quality of growth in future," he said.

Louis Kuijs, the Hong Kong-based Asia head of economics consultancy Oxford Economics, also said he expects a target in line with the 6.5 percent of last year, although he believes there are risks of excessive credit growth to achieve it.

"Since China's leadership is intent on meeting the 2020 target, it is likely it will be met, even though this implies only a moderate slowdown in credit growth with credit already continuing to outpace nominal GDP growth this year."

Douglas McWilliams, deputy chairman of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, a London-based economics consultancy, said the major risk of China not meeting its 2020 target comes from global factors outside of Beijing's control.

"The goal is likely to be met, but it is not certain. There is a major world recession building up as the global debt problem unwinds. My best guess is that this will emerge between 2020 and 2025. China will be much more affected this time than it was by the global financial crisis," he said.

It has been suggested that China may soon move away from setting ambitious growth targets.

Neither of the long-term targets of becoming a global technology leader by 2035 or a "great modern socialist country" by 2050 set out by General Secretary Xi Jinping in his report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC in October came with numbers attached.

"It is still an open question," Kuijs added. "Clearly, many experts, including me, would recommend abandoning specific targets for growth. Setting targets, however, remains a crucial element of economic policymaking in China's vast government system."

The two sessions take place as China is marking the 40th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening-up, which led to China opening up to the rest of the world and a transformation of the economy.

Zhu at Tsinghua University said it is important not to regard any transition to high-quality growth as a move away from the principles that were the basis of reform and opening-up.

"I don't think we are approaching a big watershed moment where we are moving in to a new growth model. Reform and opening-up was about the market playing an increasingly big role in determining the allocation of resources. I think this path will remain the same. The difference is that the targets are changing fundamentally."

Edward Tse, chief executive of Gao Feng Advisory, a management consultancy, said he believes China is in the process of moving on from its post-reform and opening-up phase.

"China is entering into a new era, and it is one that is epitomized by both confidence and sophistication. It is also one based on knowledge, innovation and a strong will to drive critical global governance and leadership issues," he said.

Tse said he believed the new era will combine a role for state direction and a burgeoning private sector.

"The top-down central government directive will continue to be strong. There will also be a role for local governments in the middle layer both competing and collaborating to provide further impetus for driving growth."

Roach said the major challenge for China in the future will be fitting into a world where it is now a dominant player rather than a developing nation that is catching up.

"There has to be a daunting reassessment of how China's shifting trajectory fits into the broader worldboth from an economic and a geostrategic perspective."

He said that while China was emerging, its economy was dependent on the rest of the world, particularly for demand for its cheap exports. Now, however, this dynamic has totally shifted, with the rest of the world having a new dependency on China, he said.

"China is now playing an increasingly important role in driving and shaping the rest of the world," Roach said.







Jim Rogers daughters, Happy and Bee, perform in Mandarin during an interview with China.org.cn. [China.org.cn]

World-renowned investor Jim Rogers made the decision to have his two daughters instructed in Chinese language and culture because he has long believed China would be the most important country of the 21st century.



Two girls' Chinese dreams

Happy and Bee, or "the daughters of Jim Rogers," at the ages of 14 and 10 are already set to one day turn the tables of fame on their father, who may come to be known as "the daddy of Happy and Bee Rogers."

The pair of vivacious and outgoing sisters were with their parents in Beijing in January to take part in a filming for a Spring Festival gala to benefit Chinas left-behind children. The Rogers family also set up a trust for left-behind children last year at a Baima Primary School in Shandong Province to award excellent bilingual students.

In recent years, the girls have gained internet starlet status ever since videos of them speaking fluent and accent-free Mandarin went viral, rivaling U.S. President Donald Trump's Chinese-speaking granddaughter Arabella.

"Hello, Chinese directors, I'm Happy Rogers, come and cast me and my sister in your films," said the elder sister Happy during a recent interview with China.org.cn, speaking into the camera as if doing an audition video.

Happys dream is to be an actress, especially in China. "I felt if I went to Hollywood, I would be just another girl there, she said. But in China, I can speak Chinese, so it would be different and special." She said she would also like to be a hostess for China's most widely viewed Spring Festival Gala in the future.

During the interview, the duo recited Tang Dynasty poetry by Li Bai as well as a Chinese tongue twister and sang a Chinese song. They also revealed that they super love xiaolongbao (dumplings), qipao (cheongsam), giant pandas, the classic novel "Journey to the West" and other uniquely Chinese cultural and historical features.

Ten-year-old Bee shares the same dream of becoming an actress with her older sister; but she also wants to be Queen of England and even has her own agenda for the first 100 days. "I want to be Queen because I want to help those who are in need," she said in Chinese.

Both sisters also showed their promise as budding feminists, saying they would love to support the #MeToo movement that has mushroomed on social media since October 2017, to help fight widespread sexual harassment in Hollywood and other workplaces.

Happy added that they even corrected a verse in a traditional Chinese children's song that says, "Dad goes out to make money and Mom takes cares of family."

"We changed it to 'Mom goes out to make money and Dad takes cares of family at home,'" said Happy, explaining, "We felt we cannot sing the original lyrics like that. We want to make it that men and women are equal. We want to make women have more opportunities."

Jim Rogers' vision for a great China

The cultured businessman and financial commentator was clearly proud and enjoyed the moment. He smiled throughout the interview as his daughter answered questions, though he could not understand most of what they said.

"We say our little secrets in Chinese, as my dad doesnt understand the language," whispered Happy.

But the eldest Rogers, at 75, does know one Chinese word, which is his favorite according to his daughters: "weiji" (normally meaning "crisis"). "In Chinese, it means disaster and opportunity are the same thing," Rogers explained, "but we don't have that word in English. China has been around for thousands of years, so you know about weiji. When you see problems, remember weiji."

Rogers emphasis on this word illustrates his conviction that despite some doubts and fears that have accompanied China's rise in the world and some problems that still lie ahead, "China is going to be the most important country in the 21st century. "

That is why he began in the late 1990s to make monetary investments in China, and made the decision to have his daughters grow up in a Chinese environment. "I wrote, lectured and broadcast that people, everybody, should teach their children and grandchildren Mandarin. And when she came," he said, pointing to Happy, "I immediately got a Chinese governess to come and live with us in New York."

Later he moved his family from the United States to Singapore, in part to give his daughters access to a Chinese environment and let them experience both Asian and Western cultures.

Jim Rogers himself visited China as a tourist many times since 1984, including making a motorcycle tour of the vast country in 1988, from Shanghai all the way to Pakistan. These experiences contributed to his growing vision of Chinas future.

"In my travel across China in the 80s, I realized that China would be the next great country in the world," he said. "China is on the rise again."

Rogers is a successful investor, but as a father he has not yet taught his girls about investment. "I would only teach them when they are willing to learn," he said, though he wants them to gain a taste for working and making money in their early years. "I told them that life is not easy, you must save money, have a job and learn to work."

Happy and Bee Rogers have paid attention. Happy now teaches Chinese to two younger girls in Singapore, earning US$25 an hour, while Bee works as a babysitter and Chinese tutor for two younger boys. "They were smarter than I," Rogers said of his daughters. "I once thought they would go to McDonald's and get a job, making US$7 or $8 an hour."

Jim Rogers has also left other legacies for his children, including a book he wrote called "A Gift to My Children: A Father's Lessons for Life and Investing." In it he shared what he wants his daughters to know, including how to learn from his success and mistakes.

"Look out the window; it is a completely different country from what I saw in 1984," Rogers said. "China changes every day, every week, every month and every year."

He paused and gazed at his daughters, as if already envisioning them on the wide-open stage that lies waiting for them to shine in every way in the future China.China provided financial support for 95.9 million students nationwide, including pre-school children, in 2017, 5 percent up from 2016, according to the Ministry of Education.

Financial aid for students totaled 188.2 billion yuan (29.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017, with a year-on-year increase of 11.45 percent, said Ma Jianbin, vice director of the National Center for Student Financial Aid.

Ma said the student aid system covers all stages of education including public and private schools, and students in financial difficulties, ensuring every student the access to education.

Over the past 11 years, the total amount of national aid has been expanding as fiscal support as well as investment from schools and society continues to grow. The number of students receiving support has been increasing over this period, Ma said.You are here: China

China's national observatory said Sunday thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected to hit parts of the country's southern regions.

From Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon, thunderstorms will sweep parts of Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Zhejiang and Fujian, with hail in some areas, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

Heavy rain will hit those provinces and region as well as Hubei and Jiangsu, with rainfall of up to 50 millimeters in some areas.

The NMC upgraded a blue alert for the severe convective weather to a yellow alert on Sunday morning.

The country has a four-tier color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.

From Sunday to Monday, cold air will bring temperatures down by 6 to 8 degrees Celsius in some northeastern and northern areas as well as regions along the Yellow River and Yangtze River.

On Sunday, parts of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region will see moderate to heavy snow, according to the NMC.Vietnamese Ambassador Ngo Duc Manh (centre) and Vice Rector of the Lomonosov Moscow State University Sergey Sakhrai (second, left)

at the meeting on March 2nd (Photo: VNA)



As MGU is directly subordinate to the Russian Government and not under the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, it is not among the universities having joined in training programmes with Vietnam.



Ambassador Manh, a former student of MGU, highly valued the schools training quality, adding that he wants to expand opportunities for Vietnamese undergraduates and postgraduates to study at this top university of Russia.



Sergey Sakhrai noted only the students with the best academic results are admitted to MGU, and the two sides need specific agreements so that Vietnamese students can enroll in the university. There are only few Vietnamese students at MGU at present, but it is ready to welcome talented Vietnamese with outstanding achievements in learning and research.



He added that to export Russian education as tasked by President V. Putin, MGU and its member specialized colleges are expanding and diversifying training cooperation, including cooperating with foreign prestigious universities, exchanging guest lecturers, and carrying out joined projects. MGU signed memoranda of understanding on cooperation with the Vietnam National University  Hanoi, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Academy of Journalism and Communication of Vietnam.



The vice rector also suggested a law university be opened in coordination with MGU.



At the meeting, the two sides mentioned a project on providing legal knowledge aid for Vietnamese students. Through an agreement between MGUs law faculty and the Vietnamese Embassy, students from the Southeast Asian nation can receive free legal aid whenever they have problems while studying in Russia.



Ambassador Manh applauded this idea and promised to step up the realisation of this initiative in the time ahead, noting that the number of Vietnamese students here increases by nearly 1,000 each year. Such a practical support will be very helpful for both students and managerial agencies.



During the event, the two sides also discussed other directions for specialised cooperation such as in economy and auditing. They agreed to promote the organisation of forums, conferences and consultations to help enhance Vietnam-Russia relations./.Photo taken on Feb. 27, 2018 shows the Telecom & Network Service Room of the press center for the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) and the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), in Beijing, capital of China. The press center opened for work on Tuesday. The first annual session of the 13th NPC, the country's top legislature, will open on March 5 in Beijing. The first session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC, the top political advisory body, will open on March 3. (Xinhua/Li Xin)





This weekend, China will begin its 2018 political season with the first plenary session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, and the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's advisory body, opening on March 5 and 3 respectively.





The meetings together are called "Liang Hui," or the "Two Sessions," and will be the first national assemblies following the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October last year, at which the country's new official political doctrine, known as "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era," was enshrined in the CPC Constitution. China watchers will once again be focused on these political conclaves to scrutinize the speeches, press conferences and personnel positionings as well as the policy announcements in Premier Li Keqiang's annual "Report on the Work of the Government."





The more than 5,000 Chinese lawmakers and political advisors, assembling in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, are expected to unveil policies on the country's economic development, environment, risk prevention, employment, rural vitalization and the continuing anti-corruption campaign.





According to China's official news agency Xinhua, a total of 2,980 deputies will elect the 13th NPC Standing Committee. Both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang will finish their first terms in March.





The 13th NPC and its Standing Committee are expected to implement the president's political doctrine. As such, it is expected that the leadership will unveil some action plans to advance their stated goal of building a "great modern socialist country" by 2020.





Indeed, the "Two Sessions" may still be a chance for China to further the remarkable economic strides it has made over the past 15 years, with more than 600 million people in the country lifting themselves out of poverty. In 2017, China witnessed a GDP growth of 6.9 percent, ranking among the top in the world. According to data from the World Bank, China contributed 34 percent to world economic growth from 2012 to 2016, more than that of the United States, the European Union and Japan combined. Despite some progress, there remains a lot to be accomplished in the country's poor, rural areas.





In his New Year's address, the president stressed that reform and opening up is the only path to fulfilling the so-called "Chinese Dream" of national rejuvenation.





The Two Sessions are an opportunity for the world to see if China will further open up and push globalization or  like so many other countries across the world.  retreat into protectionism, isolation and autocracy.





Rabi Sankar Bosu, Secretary of New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club, West Bengal, India





Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.You are here: Travel

 Flash

A van veered off and crashed into a convenience store in northern Thailand's Chiang Mai, injuring nine Chinese tourists, China's consulate general in Chiang Mai confirmed on Saturday.

According to the consulate general, the accident happened on Saturday afternoon when the bus lost control and collided with a 7-11 store on its way to Chiang Mai from Pai, a mountainous town in northern Thailand.

The injured were rushed to hospital and some victims are seriously wounded, according to the consulate general.

Pan jin, vice consul-general of the consulate general of China in Chiang Mai, together with other officials visited the injured.

The consulate general has urged Thai police and tourism bodies to investigate the cause of the accident and follow up with insurance.

Lyu Jian, Chinese ambassador to Thailand, attached great concern to the accident and has instructed the embassy staff to help the injured.



 Flash

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi lauded on Saturday the strategic partnership between his government and China's giant corporation Huawei, the Egyptian presidential spokesman said in a statement.

Sisi's remarks came during his meeting with Huawei Rotating CEO Guo Ping and Huawei Egypt CEO Terry Liu in Cairo, attended by Egyptian Communications and Information Technology (IT) Minister Yasser al-Qadi.

"President Sisi expressed hope for enhancing cooperation with Huawei and increasing the volume of its activities in Egypt in the coming period," Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

The president's expectation is highlighted by Egypt's tendency to develop its IT sector and the digital transformation of different industrial sectors in the country, said the presidential spokesman.

For his part, Guo expressed Huawei's keenness on boosting cooperation with the Egyptian government in the light of Egypt's ongoing economic growth and the mega national projects being carried out in the country.

He hailed the advantages of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Egypt and the government's efforts to promote the field.

The Huawei rotating CEO pointed out the constant progress of his company's Egypt-based international technical support center and its plan to establish a second one in Egypt to provide technical support for Africa and the Middle East.

Guo continued that choosing Egypt as a regional base reflects Huawei's confidence in the country's investment climate.

Huawei is a leading ICT corporation that has been operating in Egypt for over 18 years, providing innovated ICT solutions for businesses and government institutions as well as smartphones for the local market.

Last December, Huawei took part in the Cairo ICT 2017 exposition and attracted visitors by showcasing smart ICT solutions like "OpenLab," which cooperates with local markets and provides industry solutions to better meet business demands.

It also presented its ICT-based "Smart City" system that pursues the conditions of a whole city through a large monitor to facilitate controlling and dealing with traffic congestions, crimes, accidents, etc.

Huawei offers Egypt and African states cooperation to stay abreast of the latest smart city trends and technology, providing solutions to connect the digital and physical worlds across city administration, public services and industries, which are designed to benefit city residents and businesses in almost every aspect including transportation, education, healthcare, public security and more. Flash

Office stationery, aided by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), has been delivered to Lao capital Vientiane, Chinese embassy official told Xinhua on Saturday.

Wang Wentian, the Chinese ambassador to Laos, transferred the office supplies, which were sent to Vientiane on Friday afternoon, to Somphone Sichaleune, deputy head of LPRP Central Committee's External Relations Commission.

Wang said that the cooperation between the two parties of China and Laos is an important pillar for the development of bilateral relations. The external relations commission has played an active role in promoting bilateral cooperation.

The aided supplies reflect the Chinese kindness and the friendly relationship between the two parties, Wang said.

China is willing to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, and to continuously promote the development of China-Laos comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, said the Chinese ambassador.

Sichaleune highly appreciated the fruitful results of the cooperation between the two parties, and expressed sincere thanks to China for aiding the office supplies.

The Lao party official said the aid is of great significance to improving the daily office work. The LPRP External Relations Commission shall, as always, push forward the friendly cooperation between the two parties and put the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties and the two countries into practice, Sichaleune said.You are here: World

 Flash

At least 10 people were injured and more than 100 others detained on Saturday after police raided a protest camp near the Ukrainian parliament, authorities said.

Andriy Kryshchenko, head of Kiev Police, told the local 112 TV channel that six protesters and four police officers were injured.

The raid was carried out as part of an investigation into multiple criminal cases, the Interior Ministry said.

Police found grenades, smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails in the camp, the ministry said.

The camp was set up last year by supporters of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

On Feb. 27, 14 police officers were injured in clashes with protesters near parliament. Flash

China's development initiatives will not only boost the country itself, but bode well for the region and the world, a Bangladeshi politician said Friday ahead of the annual "Two Sessions" of China's top legislative and political advisory bodies.

Abul Hasan Chowdhury, former minister of foreign affairs, told Xinhua that China's economic transformation in the past decade has been rapid and impressive, offering many lessons for countries like Bangladesh.

China's rise "over the last decade is one of the most striking examples of the impact of opening an economy up to global markets," he said.

Chowdhury noted that China's development in infrastructure construction such as highways and high-speed railways has outstripped many developed countries.

"I think China changes every month with eye-catching infrastructures. Every time I visited China, I saw something new in infrastructure construction that actually leaves a great impression on people across the world," he said.

China has been flourishing and continuing its efforts to help people forge ahead toward a better-off life.

China's new initiatives like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative in a bid to build a community with a shared future for humanity will surely benefit all countries and regions, he said.

Chowdhury lauded the rapid pace of economic reforms in China.

"China has undergone a big shift from a largely agrarian society to an industrial powerhouse," he said, adding that China made remarkable efforts in expanding its own domestic demand instead of relying on its exports to drive growth.

"China is now a more balanced economy as a result of many structural reforms, policy shifts and poverty alleviation successes," he said. Flash

China's policy of reform and opening-up has not only led to great socio-economic achievements in the country, but also proved beneficial to the whole world, a Cambodian scholar has told Xinhua in Phnom Penh.

Joseph Matthews, director of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Education Center, said that in the last four decades since China adopted the reform and opening-up policy, the country has scored great economic achievement and tremendously improved the living conditions of its people.

"Now, China proudly holds the title of the second biggest economy in the world," he told Xinhua in an interview ahead of China's "Two Sessions," namely, the annual sessions of China's top legislative and advisory bodies.

"China's opening-up policy is beneficial to all countries including Cambodia," he noted.

Matthews, also a professor at the Beltei International University in Phnom Penh, said China's economic development in the last four decades was a great inspiration for the least developed countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

"If China can transform its passive and locally driven economy into a vibrant and diverse economy through consistent reforms and expansion, other countries can also do it by following the economic model of China," he said.

The professor said the most impressive feature of China's economic success story is that the country is always willing to share its prosperity, technology and wealth with its neighbors as well as underdeveloped countries in Africa and elsewhere.

He also said that the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China offers new opportunities for global growth.

Commenting on the proposed inclusion of "building a community with a shared future for humanity" in the constitution during the "Two Sessions" in Beijing, he said it truly reflected China's commitment to building a world of peace and prosperity.

Talking about China-Cambodia ties, Matthews said the relations should be a "role model" for other countries, saying that although China is a big country, it treats Cambodia, a small country, as an equal.You are here: World

 Flash

Up to 13 militants were killed as Afghan government forces aircrafts pounded the hideout of Islamic State (IS) group in Darzab district of northern Jawzjan province on Saturday, army spokesman in the northern region Nasratullah Jamshidi said Sunday.

"Acting upon intelligence report, the government forces' war planes struck the hideout of IS commander Qari Hekmatullah in Chakan area of Darzab district yesterday afternoon, killing 13 rebels on the spot," Jamshidi told Xinhua.

Two of those killed in the strikes were foreigners, the official said without identifying their nationalities.

The government forces war planes would continue to target IS militants in Darzab district, the official asserted.

IS outfit has yet to make comment on the report.It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discoverCopyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.

0108263 License for publishing multimedia online



Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349Free port faces fresh challenge Updated: 2018-03-05 06:47 By Zhou Bajun(HK Edition)

City can no longer complacently assume the role of disinterested third party in fast-changing relations between the West and China, argues Zhou Bajun

United States President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had authorized the Department of Commerce to significantly raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from several foreign sources. The decision followed an investigation by the department released on Feb 16 that concluded "unfair" quantities of steel and aluminum imported from abroad hurt the US economy and even put national security at risk. The sources of those "unfair" exports include the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Chinese mainland, Russia, Venezuela and Vietnam.

This is the first time Hong Kong has ever been "blacklisted" by the US government over exports. The HKSAR Government and five leading business bodies of the city immediately expressed strong opposition to the US decision.

The SAR government cited trade figures to refute US government claims to justify its protectionist maneuver, pointing out the US enjoys a more than $27 billion favorable balance of trade with Hong Kong every year; the small unfavorable balance of trade in aluminum imports from Hong Kong is only about $30 million a year on average. In the first 10 months of last year the US imported just about $30 million worth of aluminum products from Hong Kong, accounting for less than 0.2 percent of the total aluminum import value. It is simply preposterous to say this can hurt the US economy and even put its national security at risk.

Hong Kong has long been known around the world as a free port for international trade and has been spared fallout from trade wars until now. This time the city has become a victim of "collateral damage", presumably caught in the crossfire of a US-Chinese mainland trade spat for the very first time. However, amid the unprecedented, profound and all-round readjustment of the global politico-economic situation, one should understand the US trade protectionism offensive against China would include the HKSAR sooner or later because it is a part of the People's Republic of China.

The SAR government is watching with great concern what further protectionist measures based on unfounded claims the US government may announce, adversely affecting Hong Kong's exports, in the days to come but will wait and see how Washington responds to its opposition before deciding what it can do to remedy the situation.

Even if the US government responds positively to the HKSAR Government and business bodies, however, there is no way Hong Kong can avoid the rising tide of trade protectionism triggered by this global politico-economic adjustment. The city must prepare itself, in tactics as well as strategy, for any turn of events from here on.

For starters, all members of Hong Kong society regardless of their backgrounds must arrive at a correct common understanding of the ongoing readjustment of the global economic, financial and political situation.

Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city of world renown, an important center of international finance and trade, a transport hub with about 10 percent of its population being non-Chinese. Many residents of Chinese descent hold foreign passports. That is a pretty good reason to believe most adult Hong Kong residents share a common understanding and attach a fair amount of importance to the unprecedented, all-round and profound readjustment of the global economic, financial and political situation. Alas the reality is so ironically to the contrary, as Hong Kong society has shown time and again that it has yet to reach such a common understanding. After the US government readjusted its own global strategies late last year and early this year and named China and Russia as its main rivals, all the press around the world went gaga about it except local media in Hong Kong, where little analytical light has been shed on how the SAR is linked to and affected by the changing global situation.

Hong Kong society also needs to realize sooner rather than later that both the SAR and mainland are pursuing the same shared future for mankind.

Hong Kong was under British rule for more than one and a half centuries before China resumed the exercise of sovereignty two decades ago. The period in history when Hong Kong was separated from the motherland led some local residents to say they are "from Hong Kong" instead of Chinese. Given the openness of the Hong Kong economy, many locals and especially those in the "establishment" were convinced the city can navigate between the US-led Western bloc and China without being caught up in their disputes.

Sometime after the opposition camp held the July 1 mass rally in 2003, a few pro-opposition members of the intelligentsia put forward the idea of "a shared future for Hong Kong", claiming Hong Kong can serve as an intermediary between China and Western powers over economic matters. As the profound and all-round readjustment of the global economic, financial and political situation continues, however, the US has shattered this dream by declaring China one of its main rivals. Hong Kong, as an inseparable part of China, can no longer assume the role of an unaffected intermediary between the West and China.

Last but not the least, the SAR government and Hong Kong society need to adopt forward-thinking measures to protect the city's own interests against growing trade protectionism by Western developed economies, particularly the US.

(HK Edition 03/05/2018 page8)We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to formWe attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ben Carson and Jared Kushner are the two latest members of President Trump's administration found to be swimming in the swamp he vowed to drain.

Housing and Urban Development director Ben Carson is under scrutiny for ordering a $31,000 custom-made dining table set for his office suite. Jared Kushner is under scrutiny for possibly doing deals under his government table for his family business.

The House Oversight Committee has opened an investigation into the dining set order that was made while HUD is facing $6.8 billion in budget cuts to programs for the homeless, elderly and indigent.

Whistle Blower, Helen Forster, HUD's former chief of administration, claims Carson's wife, Candy, pressured her to circumvent the law requiring any expenditure for renovations exceeding $5,000 be approved by an oversight body.

With the launch of the investigation, Carson's office is now trying to cancel the order. But it may be too late, the order was made in December and $14,000 has already been spent on its construction.

Carson is playing dumb, claiming he was unaware of the work or the cost. The renovation is to a large part of his suite, he would have to go out of his way not to a notice it.

Carson is also under an ethics investigation for having his son attend HUD meetings when his son was seeking government contracts for his business.

Maybe Carson was just following the family business governing model put into practice by Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Qatar rebuffed multiple requests by Jared Kushner to invest in his family's financially troubled NYC skyscraper, 666 Fifth Avenue. But maybe Qatar, or one of the U.S. companies that loaned Kushner's family business $500 million, after he met with them in his government role, would have financed Carson's family dining set, had they been asked.

Kushner's business entanglements led to the rejection of his security clearance application. Those entanglements led him to become a potential target to be manipulated by at least four nations. They've prompted questioning by Robert Mueller's investigation. And they've created such bad press and legal jeopardy for Kushener, that Trump reportedly now would like to see him and Ivanka leave the administration.

Mueller's team is said to be looking into whether any of Kushner's business meetings with foreign representatives later influenced U.S. policies in a way that was either positive of negative.

Witnesses who have been interviewed by Mueller's team said they've been asked about Kushner's attempts to get financing for his families properties from Qatar, Turkey and Russia, during the transition period.

After Qatar, rebuffed Kushner's multiple solicitations to invest in his troubled NYC skyscraper, Kushner advocated for U.S. support of the embargo of Qatar by other countries in the region. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson opposed the embargo.

When Kushner's security clearance was rejected, it was divulged that the United Arab Emirates,China, Israel and Mexico targeted Kushner as someone who could be easily manipulated because of his business conflicts.

Kushner's family real estate business, Kushner Companies, received loans totaling $500 million from multiple companies after Jared Kushner had met with them in his White House capacity. Kushner never totally divested himself from the company when he joined his father-in-law's White House staff.

Kushner has reportedly long been an annoyance to Secretary of State Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster for essentially running his own foreign policy operation without proper consultation.

Kushner never has had top security clearance, and never will, but made the most requests for top secret security information, of any one on staff. He would routinely schedule meetings with foreign representatives without the knowledge of Tillerson or McMaster.

Kushner can't secure top security clearance. Kushner can't secure financing for the NYC skyscraper he overpaid for. Does Trump still seriously think Kushner can secure Mideast peace between Israel and the Palestinians?

The New York Times and others are reporting that Trump has sought Chief-of-Staff John Kelly's help and advice in sending Jared and Ivanka packing back to New York City.

Trump is said to have grown tired of the bad press surrounding Jarvanka. He is also wary of the legal jeopardy Kushner is in. Trump reportedly has now come to believe it would be better for his daughter and son-in-law to be back in New York. He is also said to have concluded that they should have never been put on his staff to begin with. He's right about that.

The negative Jarvanka experience may spare Bannon from having to become a White House adviser.HAYESVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- Authorities say a woman whose 8-year-old son shot his 4-year-old sister has been arrested.

The Mansfield News-Journal reports the Ashland County Sheriff's Office has said the girl was shot multiple times around 2:30 p.m. Saturday and her wounds are not considered life-threatening.

She was flown to a hospital in Cleveland where she is listed in stable condition.

Hayesville is roughly 70 miles southwest of Cleveland.

Both children have been placed in the custody of the county.

No details about how the shooting occurred or who owned the gun have been released.

The Ashland County prosecutor is expected to review the case to determine if criminal charges should be filed.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.MARYSVILLE, Ohio -- One-month-old Javon Jackson fidgets with his mom's jacket as he drinks from his bottle and holds her hand.

His mom coos. Her friends laugh, and a precocious, 2-year-old toddler stops by and waves hi. In all, it is a typical, upbeat moment for any mother and child -- until prison officials tell Javon's mom, Janisha Meredith of Cleveland, that a head count is scheduled in 5 minutes.

Javon and four other children, who were born while their mothers were incarcerated, are being raised by their moms in Ohio's prison nursery, a facility that sits less than 30 feet from the razor wire that circles the Ohio Reformatory for Women.

Mothers and their children sleep in 8-foot by 14-foot rooms, complete with cribs, night lights, and lots and lots of diapers. Their days are spent in a common nursery area, where inmates, assigned to be nannies, often care for the children when their mothers work elsewhere in the prison or take classes.

Since 2001, 298 infants and toddlers have lived with their mothers in the Marysville prison. The state is one of 11 in the country to offer a prison nursery. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons also has a program.

Proponents say the programs slash recidivism and allow mothers to bond deeply with their children. An annual federal grant, this year it is $61,000, funds Ohio's project. Volunteers and officials with Ohio State University Extension provide parenting and family education classes.

The women in the program are appreciative.

"This program has helped me become a better parent and a more mature person," says Meredith, 23, a convicted drug dealer who has been in the nursery for less than two months. She is to be released in April. "I am able to pay more attention to what is important: my child."

Critics question the long-term impact of prison nursery programs.

They say children, especially infants, should never be placed in prisons. Opponents fear nurseries will hinder cognitive development and growth, as prisons are built to punish and rehabilitate, not to cater to the needs of a child.

They say residential programs offer a far better alternative. These programs are based in communities and, in most cases, are part of probation. They allow mothers to work, gain treatment and bond with their children.

"The very environment of a prison is stressful, and that stress is not good for a child," says James Dwyer, a law professor at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. "Prison officials are not in a place to do what's best for the child. They are there to do what's in the best interest of the inmate."

Gail Smith, the director of the Women in Prison Project for the Correctional Association of New York, agrees.

"The culture of prisons focuses on security and is punitive," Smith said. "Mother-infant programs must be family-focused and nurturing."

Some officials in states that do not have prison nurseries cite the necessary renovation costs. Others simply fight the idea of it.

"There are a lot of people who don't believe that children should be in prison," says Kristina Toth of the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, which does not have a nursery program.

The ABC'S of parenting

Others say it is hard to debate the success of the programs. Ohio's prison system says it has not done any studies involving the recidivism of those in the program, although administrators say only a handful have returned to prison in recent years.

Other states, however, have seen drops in recidivism for those who go through the program. For instance, New York officials say the recidivism rate for those who go through the program is 3 percent, nearly the same as that for the Washington state program, where administrators estimate a recidivism rate of 3 percent to 5 percent. In Nebraska's program, the rate is 10 percent.

In interviews, officials from the states that have the programs -- California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New York, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and West Virginia -- say nurseries offer a chance for young mothers to realize the gift they have and to make the most of the opportunity.

Ohio prison officials say judges from across the state call and ask whether convicted women who are pregnant can take part in the program. But few are eligible.

Convicted women who are pregnant are sent to the prison system's Franklin Medical Center in Columbus to serve their sentences until giving birth. There, they are isolated to ensure their safety. Records show the facility housed 41 pregnant inmates in February.

The women deliver their children at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. For low-level offenders interested in the nursery program, administrators look into their mental health and criminal history. No woman can be a part of the program with a conviction of violence, and her sentence must be less than 36 months.

Those who are eligible can move with their children to the nursery in Marysville. For those who are not placed in the program, they must give their children to family or place them into foster care.

Janisha Meredith and Alexis Stoneburner were among the lucky ones. The two women, from different parts of Ohio, are raising their children in the nursery.

"The baby should always be with the mom, but not everyone gets this chance," says Stoneburner, 23, of Zanesville, as she held her sleeping 2-month-old daughter, Lillyana.

Stoneburner also has a 6-year-old daughter, and she said she is determined to make the most of her second chance as a parent.

"Being here has changed me. I won't ever take things for granted. It's time to step up and stop thinking about myself."

It won't be easy.

In July, a Muskingum County judge sentenced Stoneburner to 11 months in prison for possessing fentanyl. She has been in drug treatment on-and-off again since 2010.

She gave birth to Lillyana in December.

"For these folks [dealing with addiction], it is a lifelong battle," says D. Michael Haddox, the Muskingum County prosecutor, who handled Stoneburner's case. "They are the ones who have to decide whether they are going to do it."

In August, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Maureen Clancy sentenced Meredith to nine months in prison for peddling marijuana near a school. Meredith has two other children, daughters ages 6 and 3. She delivered Javon on Jan. 2.

"I'm a better mother today," Meredith says. "The little things count the most."

Her brightly painted room in the nursery could be pulled from a page of Parents magazine. Toys, clothes, children's books and diapers are stacked neatly or tucked under her bed. The rooms are the same throughout the nursery.

"These children don't know they're growing up in prison," says Clara Golding-Kent, a spokeswoman for the prison. "But they do know that they are with mom. It is only a negative if someone makes it a negative. These are life-changing moments."

'It works'

Joseph Carlson, a professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, has studied the effects of women raising children in prison for more than 20 years. At first, he was skeptical.

"I thought, 'That sounds really strange,' " Carlson says. "Then I realized that these programs work really well. Women who keep their babies while in prison bond and don't come back to prison."

Carlson studied data from Nebraska's prison system. From January 1991 through November 1994, prior to the implementation of a nursery, 30 incarcerated women had children and were forced to give them up to either family members or authorities. Fifteen of those women returned to prison, for recidivism rate of 50 percent.

Carlson found that from 1994 through 2004, 65 women completed the nursery program. Only 11 women re-offended, for a recidivism rate of 16.8 percent.

"This stops the cycle," Carlson says. "For many of these women, their mothers were in prison, too."

The next step

Meredith and Stoneburner are eager to talk about the program, how they learned to budget with laminated board-game money, how they like making communal meals in a microwave -- there are no appliances -- with other moms, and how they enjoy caring for their children.

The excitement fades when they talk about leaving prison. They fear going back to the culture that led them to Marysville.

"I'm nervous," Stoneburner says. "It's real out there."

Mothers who leave the nursery when their sentences end receive a car seat, a portable crib and a supply of diapers and clothes. More importantly, they also take with them information on whom to contact for support services, such as safe housing, recovery services and education services, such as Head Start. After that, many mothers are forced to rely on family.

It is unclear how much the fathers of Meredith and Stoneburner's children will help, as neither woman likes to talk about them. They want to work and care for their children.

"It really is stressful for them," says Maria Jones, a case manager. "You can't change certain things. But you can make the right choices."

Meredith holds a sleeping Javon and plays with his hair, thinking of leaving prison next month.

"I pushed my [older] kids off on my mom," Meredith says. "I had to go here; I had to go there. I had to go party. Now, my children come first.

"When I go home, I don't want to come back."CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force has arrested a Cleveland man accused of putting a gun to his sister's head and nearly hitting an Oakwood Village police officer with his car.

Authorities arrested Alphonso McPherson, 27, on Ambleside Drive near Cedar Glen Parkway. Authorities found a gunshot wound to his upper arm, and he was taken to a local hospital, according to a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service.

The incident happened early Friday at a house on Wright Avenue near Forbes Road, police said.

McPherson grabbed a gun from his bedroom, put a bullet in the chamber, put the gun to his sister's head and threatened to kill her, the release says.

McPherson backed into the street in a 2002 Ford Taurus as officers were arriving.

Two officers got out of the police cruiser and McPherson accelerated, nearly hitting one of them, the release says.

The officers fired a combined four shots at the car.

The car went into a ditch before it headed toward Forbes Road. The officers got back into the cruiser and followed the car through Bedford and Bedford Heights to Interstate 480 west, police said.

The officers called off the chase near the Brookpark Road exit when the car accelerated to approximately 90 mph, police said.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.The people of Cleveland face no more immediate or frightening danger than the fusillade of bullets that tear through city streets. We lost 836 people to gunshots in the years 2011 through 2017, and many, many more have been permanently scarred by shootings they survived.

So today, we announce a new goal for our

, one that takes careful aim at reducing the enormous number of guns that flood Cleveland's streets and get into the hands of people who are prohibited for having them.

Before I get into the specifics, we should be clear that gunshots are but a symptom of a much greater ill. The biggest cause of this violence is poverty. When people, particularly young people, have no hope of breaking free of poverty's grip, no way to even imagine fruitful and rewarding lives, they have no stake in their city. They become hopeless, ultimately losing respect for their own lives and those of others.

In our Impact agenda, we have taken aim at poverty. Our most enlightening work, published on cleveland.com and in The Plain Dealer, continues in

, in which we have spent the past seven months examining poverty's day-to-day challenges through the eyes of people immersed in them.

Separately, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer worked with Ideastream on

project, sponsored by PNC Bank, to advocate for a greater public emphasis on the first five years of a child's life. If we can get a child started off in the right direction, through nutrition, safety and most important, quality pre-kindergarten education, the future for them and all of us will be brighter.

And, through

, we have worked to bring equal treatment to the poor in a court system that has long treated people with means more favorably than those without.

These are long-term solutions. Gun violence can't wait for a long-term solution. People are dying today. They will die tomorrow. And too many mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters will suffer the soul-killing grief of losing people they love way too early, for no reason.

In Cleveland, we have a quite simple source for all this death and suffering. It is the Ohio General Assembly. In 2006, the Ohio House and Senate, largely controlled by rural legislators who have no idea -- and no care -- about life in Cleveland, passed a terrible law. It stopped Cleveland and all other municipalities in the state from adopting any gun regulation more limiting that those the Legislature has passed.

And even though we claim to have home rule in this state, the Ohio Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor used ridiculous gymnastics of logic

when it comes to governance regarding firearms.

In the five years before that Supreme Court ruling, 46 people aged 18 to 20 died of gunshots in Cleveland. In the five years after, 67 died. The ruling has helped flood city streets with illegal guns, and those guns kill.

Cleveland leaders once had good laws on the books to regulate guns. They all went away because of what the Legislature and Supreme Court did.

So, today, we say that for every person shot to death in Cleveland these last 8 years, those legislators and justices have blood on their hands. They may as well have pulled the triggers themselves. And we take aim at restoring the right of Cleveland -- and Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and all other municipalities -- to govern themselves when it comes to firearms.

In coming months, we will demonstrate the death and suffering the Legislature has wrought, and if we can't convince elected leaders to restore the rights of cities, then maybe we'll set off an promoting an amendment to the Ohio Constitution so strongly worded that even O'Connor and her fellow justices can't twist it.

Let's be clear. We are not advocating for specific regulations. What we advocate is that the people we elect as leaders in our cities do that. And if the voters in the cities come to disagree with the regulations that emerge, the voters have referendum powers to overturn those regulations.

Let's look, however, at some of the regulations cities like Cleveland have considered or might consider.

A gun registry. Cleveland had one until the Legislature forced it's destruction. Registries are about responsible gun ownership. If you owned a gun in the city, you had to register it. If your gun turned up in a crime, police knew where to start their investigation. And registries can be set up so they are not public records, meaning they do not become publicly available directories for burglars seeking weapons.

A gun transfer registry. If you sold your gun, gave it away or had it stolen, you'd have to report it, along identities of the recipients. This would discourage gun transfers to criminals prohibited from having the weapons, and being able to tack the paths of guns would help police investigate gun crimes.

(The two registries would discourage something police see all too often: people who buy large numbers of guns legally and sell them on the streets of Cleveland to people who should not have them. Police say that well over half the people involved in gun crimes in the city are prohibited from possessing guns, but they have them anyway.)

Assault rifle ban. Cleveland had one. Legislators spiked it. Such a ban would not stop the gun violence that torments the city, but perhaps it would deter the kinds of shootings at schools that have occurred elsewhere.

Gun storage rules. Last year, a city resident with more than 70 guns that were poorly secured in his home was the victim of a burglary, and every gun was stolen. You don't need much imagination to know where those guns likely ended up. An ordinance requiring people to properly secure their weapons would create a greater civil liability if the guns fell into the wrong hands and caused damage. The threat of costly civil lawsuits just might persuade gun owners to be more careful.

Gun felon address registry. Requiring felons convicted of gun crimes, upon leaving prison and returning to the city, to register their addresses would give police some starting points in investigations involving shootings. Criminals who use guns often repeat their crimes, police tell us. With an address registry, detectives would know at an instant the proximity of gun felons to shootings.

Liability insurance. Some cities require liability insurance for certain dog breeds. You must have liability insurance for your car. What about your gun? No, the U.S. Constitution does not give you the right to own a car or a dog, while it does guarantee that right for a gun. Would requiring insurance help foster responsible gun ownership within Constitutional provisions?

Creative minds surely would come up with other ideas for ways to reduce the number of guns on the streets of Cleveland. We must give city leaders the opportunity to use what they know of the gun violence to end it. The Legislature must provide that opportunity,

We are not asking for much here. Just the right to self-govern. We need it now.

Lives hang in the balance.CultNews101.com: news, links, resources. Cults101.org: resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations and related topics. CultMediation.com: offers resources designed to help thoughtful families and friends understand and respond to the complexity of a loved ones cult involvement. Intervention101.com: to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement. CultRecovery101.com: assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.Butter sculptures are displayed in an exhibition at the Kumbum Monastery in Huangzhong County of Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province, March 2, 2018. The butter sculptures are handmade by lamas in shapes of Buddha figurines, trees, flowers, birds and animals. (Xinhua/Wu Gang)

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[ Editor: WPY ]Xi Jinping (C, front), Li Keqiang (4th R, front), Zhang Dejiang (4th L, front), Yu Zhengsheng (3rd R, front), Zhang Gaoli (3rd L, front), Li Zhanshu (2nd R, front), Wang Huning (2nd L, front), Zhao Leji (1st R, front), and Han Zheng (1st L, front) attend the opening meeting of the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisory body started its annual session Saturday afternoon in Beijing, kicking off an important political season that will highlight new missions for the country's goal of a "great modern socialist country."

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, delivered a work report to 2,149 political advisors who gathered to discuss major political, economic, and social issues in the world's most populous nation and second largest economy.

"We will focus our advice and efforts on the main issues in securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarking on a journey to fully build a modern socialist China," Yu said.

Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders attended the opening meeting at the Great Hall of the People.

The CPPCC is an important organ for multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China (CPC). It is an important means of promoting socialist democracy.

Summarizing the work and experience over the past five years, Yu said the CPPCC should remain committed to its nature as "an important platform for all Chinese political parties, social organizations, and people from all ethnic groups and all sectors of society to work together and participate in the deliberation of state affairs in a democratic manner."

He stressed that the top political advisory body will uphold the CPC leadership.

In regards to its future work, the CPPCC will give top priority to studying and applying Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and earnestly study the new thinking on and requirements for the patriotic united front and the CPPCC, Yu said.

"We will promote the ready acceptance of the leadership of the CPC among all political parties, social groups, and people of all ethnic groups and from all social sectors that participate in the CPPCC, and firmly uphold the core position of General Secretary Xi Jinping," he noted.

The CPPCC will consolidate a shared political foundation for concerted efforts, sharpen political advisors' skills across the board, and improve the institutions, standards and procedures for the performance of its functions, he said.

In a report on proposals, Wan Gang, vice chairperson of the 12th CPPCC National Committee, said over the past five years, a total of 29,378 proposals had been submitted by the CPPCC National Committee members, and 99 percent of them had been handled up to Feb. 20 this year.

"Most of the proposals have either been taken up or put into practice gradually," Wan said.

The 13-day event runs almost in parallel with the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's national legislature, which is set to start Monday.

Together dubbed the "two sessions," the dual meetings are regular yet crucial venues where political and economic developments are reviewed and discussed, and key policies and laws adopted.

The more than 2,100 national political advisors and about 3,000 legislators are expected to offer proposals and insights for the government on running state affairs during this year's annual sessions.

The sessions are among the most important political events held since the 19th CPC National Congress in October, which charts the roadmap for China's development in the next decades.

This year's gatherings are expected to garner more attention both at home and abroad as they offer a window for global observers to look into China's next-stage policies.

On the agenda of this year's two sessions is a revision to China's Constitution, which is likely to enshrine Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to guide future development.

A draft law on supervision is also set to be deliberated and discussed, which will lay a legal basis for an upgraded anti-graft taskforce in a major political system reform process.

A government work report to the NPC session will reveal the nation's economic growth target and development plan for this year.

China's economy expanded 6.9 percent last year, picking up for the first time in seven years and well above the official target of around 6.5 percent.

A report delivered by Xi at the 19th CPC National Congress declared the opening of a new era for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The report offered two clear objectives: socialist modernization basically completed by 2035, and a "great modern socialist country" built by the middle of the century.

"In response to the need for development in the new era, we will put forward suggestions on how to develop a modern economy and socialist democracy, help culture to flourish, strengthen and develop new approaches to social governance, and build a Beautiful China," Yu stressed.

6

1

[ Editor: WPY ]He's the Today Extra host who counts actress Christie Whelan Browne as his close friend.

And David Campbell is now offering support to his pal in the wake of her sexual misconduct allegations against her Rocky Horror Show co-star Craig McLachlan.

The 44-year-old TV star told The Daily Telegraph on Monday: 'Standing by your mate when they are going through a tough time is an Aussie attribute.'

'We've got your back': David Campbell has publicly offered his support to friend Christie Whelan Browne after she made allegations of sexual misconduct against her former co-star, Craig McLachlan

He added: 'It's important for the people who call out unacceptable behaviour that we stand by them. So they know they aren't alone, that yes it might be horrible, but we've got your back.'

In January, Whelan Browne was one of several cast members from the 2014 run of The Rocky Horror Picture Show who publicly accused McLachlan of touching them or exposing himself to them.

The 52-year-old has vehemently denied the allegations.

Whelan Browne has accused McLachlan of 'indecently assaulting her' in 2014 when they were performing together during the Rocky Horror Show

McLachlan filed defamation proceedings against Fairfax and the ABC, and Whelan Browne was also named in the defamation suit

Speaking with both ABC and Fairfax Media in January, Whelan Browne alleged McLachlan 'indecently assaulted her during the show.'

While on stage and only visible to the audience from the waist up, she accused McLachlan of once pulling up her underwear and kissing her buttocks while he was obscured by public view.

Early last month, McLachlan filed defamation proceedings against Fairfax and the ABC, and Whelan Browne was also named in the defamation suit, according to media reports.

Craig McLachlan (right) and Christie Whelan Browne (left) during the 2014 run of their musical Rocky Horror Show

McLachlan's statement of claim was lodged in the NSW Supreme Court and targeted Browne.

Seven News reported that the claim states she was 'herself a notoriously foul-mouthed person who publicly distributed offensive matter and had expressed interest in deviant sexual practices.'

McLachlan has withdrawn from the current production of the Rocky Horror Show in Adelaide.It wasnt snow or ice that paralysed much of Britain during the past few days. It was lawyers. A great swirling storm of ambulance-chasers long ago descended on this country, blanketing common sense under a thick layer of solidified, litigious drivel.

I strongly suspect it was a terror of litigation that caused me to be trapped pointlessly for ages in an immobilised train on Thursday morning and then forced me into a huge diversion to get to work four hours late. At one point, as I rambled round Southern England in rattling carriages, I wondered if I might have to go through the Channel Tunnel to get to my desk.

I had assumed that some astonishing unexpected weather bomb had caused my problems. But when I looked into it, I found that a few miserable deposits of snow and ice on the platforms of Paddington Station in London had led to the closure, for several hours, of Isambard Kingdom Brunels Great Western Railway system.

When I looked into it, I found that a few miserable deposits of snow and ice on the platforms of Paddington Station in London (pictured) had led to the closure, for several hours, of Isambard Kingdom Brunels Great Western Railway system

How Brunel, that mighty engineer, who never saw an obstacle without wanting to overcome it, would have snorted with derision. I later checked with the Met Office, and they said the weather stations in Central London had reported no significant snowfall on the night before.

When I put this to Network Rail, they sent me a long statement repeatedly claiming they had faced extreme conditions and offering this excuse:

The station was not temporarily closed because of snow. It was temporarily closed because a combination of snow, strong wind and freezing temperature created sheet ice on the platforms and areas of the concourse creating an unacceptable risk to station users, particularly passengers disembarking trains. They sent me pictures, showing a few pitiful patches of snow, as if these were evidence of a major crisis. I am not convinced. I think they are evidence of a fear of litigation.

As for extreme conditions, what can they mean? Those of us old enough to remember the genuinely devastating winter of 1962-3 know what cold weather can do here. Then, there was a 36-hour blizzard right across the country, with 80mph winds creating 20ft snowdrifts.

The upper reaches of the Thames froze solid enough for a car to be driven across the river at Oxford. Even the salt sea froze four miles out from Dunkirk and a mile out from Herne Bay in Kent. The snow lay without a break for two months.

In the North of Scotland, temperatures got below zero Fahrenheit, what we would have called 35 degrees of frost (minus 19.4 on the boring, crude Celsius scale), which is really cold.

That was a crisis. This isnt. But a terrible fear of being sued has turned it into one, helped by the intolerant and stupid Green Dogma which has closed and demolished most of our perfectly serviceable coal-fired power stations and brought us close to a totally needless gas shortage. Count yourselves lucky we still have some coal generation left, or there would have been serious shutdowns last week.

Many will have jeered at a school head who told his pupils not to touch the snow. But I sympathise with him. Ges Smith, from the Jo Richardson Community School in East London, flatly blamed the fear of lawsuits for his attitude. He told scoffing TV presenters reminiscing about their snowballing days: What you didnt operate in is a society where the first thing that happens is a parent on the phone to a company to make that claim, and Im responsible.

A great swirling storm of ambulance-chasers long ago descended on this country, blanketing common sense under a thick layer of solidified, litigious drivel

He is perfectly right, forced to be a ninny by a reasonable fear of the courts, imposed on him by insurers.

The NHS is near-crippled each year by compensation claims worth about 1.5billion that it cant afford to fight, from lawyers on the make who are even allowed to advertise in hospital casualty waiting areas.

I just wish more people would say so. It was a stupid, predictably disastrous legal change. It transformed us in 25 years from being a robust, risk-taking adult society into a cringing, risk-averse health and safety despotism, where you close an entire railway in case someone slips on the snow and sues you.

For the record, this has nothing to do with Human Rights. It was done by a Tory government, which in 1995 triggered the Conditional Fee Agreements Regulations. Thanks again, John Major. It may have been hoping to save a bit off the Legal Aid budget. But the net cost to the country has been vastly greater.

So, in the end, its not the wrong kind of snow, or the wrong kind of wind. Its the wrong kind of law. You could call it Storm Major, since it is probably the biggest single monument of his wretched government.

Still we tremble in fear about Russia, which has no interest in us and in any case has an economy the size of Italys. Ministers feel free to say practically anything about President Putin, and blame Moscow for any crime thats going.

How odd that they, and the panicking media, say so little about China, a real threat to the wellbeing of the planet. Chinas sinister leader Xi Jinping, a welcome guest at Buckingham Palace, has just declared himself President for life, a fact which Chinese journalists have now been sacked for reporting too prominently.

His is a regime that maintains a prison-camp gulag, imposes the death penalty on untold thousands after secret, unfair trials, censors its media, and patrols the internet for dissent. It is also expanding aggressively in the tense South China Sea, building huge and menacing new military bases there.

Chinas sinister leader Xi Jinping (front), a welcome guest at Buckingham Palace, has just declared himself President for life, a fact which Chinese journalists have now been sacked for reporting too prominently

It hates any kind of criticism. It kidnaps publishers in foreign countries who bring out books critical of its leadership. It is slowly but surely strangling free speech, independent courts and protest in Hong Kong, in defiance of its treaty obligations.

Even in Britain, I know of student societies who, if they dare to allow anti-Chinese speakers, find themselves mysteriously packed by pro-Peking Chinese students. Russia, by contrast, merely laughs at our attacks on it.

We, who posture about Russia, do nothing about Chinas growing repression and real aggression. In fact it is even worse. We are silent about Hong Kong. We have allowed China to force us to drop longstanding support for Tibetan independence, and to stop holding high-level meetings with the Dalai Lama.

During President-for-life Xi Jinpings state visit to Britain, itself an elaborate kowtow to Peking, our police also treated pro-Tibetan protesters with astonishing harshness.

It is so much easier to screech about Russia, than to face or challenge a genuinely menacing superpower.

I asked the BBC how they could justify using propaganda footage, allegedly from the Syrian town of Ghouta, on a major news bulletin without any indication that it came from a partial source. They admitted they had done this. They admitted that it was against their rules. But I did not get the impression they were all that bothered, and I would not be surprised to see such stuff again. The BBC reports an awful lot of things from Syria which it has no way of checking, from supposed gas attacks by the Assad state to death tolls and films (generally of wounded children being rushed about the place by unarmed young men). It has completely abandoned any semblance of independence or impartiality. How then can it justify its licence fee, collected on these conditions?

Theresa May complains that the EU is threatening British sovereignty over Northern Ireland. But the Blair government, backed by the Tories, gave that sovereignty away in its 1998 surrender to Gerry Adams and his friend Bill Clinton. Im amazed at how few people have read the so-called Good Friday Agreement. Are they afraid of what theyll find?

If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens click hereIgnore Theresa Mays Brexit speech.

Yes, Fridays heavily trailed Mansion House address was pragmatic and authoritative.

It effectively threw down the gauntlet to the Kamikaze Brexiteers and Remainers on both wings of her party, demanding they give her the space to get on with it.

They wont, of course. But shes made overt attempts to sabotage her negotiating position a politically risky exercise.

'Since the referendum we have heard a lot about soft Brexit. We have heard a lot about hard Brexit. But thanks to the Labour leaders uncharacteristic candour, this morning we are facing an even more terrifying spectre. The prospect of a Red Brexit,' writes Dan Hodges

Instead the most significant speech of the week  and possibly one of the most significant speeches of this Parliament  was delivered on Monday by Jeremy Corbyn.

Since the referendum we have heard a lot about soft Brexit. We have heard a lot about hard Brexit.

But thanks to the Labour leaders uncharacteristic candour, this morning we are facing an even more terrifying spectre. The prospect of a Red Brexit.

For some in the Remain camp, his commitment to signing up to a customs union with the EU represented a moment of hope.

They pointed to it excitedly, and claimed a new window of opportunity had emerged to stop Brexit in its tracks.

I think its now 50 per cent, Tony Blair said when asked the chances of Brexit being blocked by a second referendum.

But again, hardline Remainers are deluding themselves. Or rather, they are allowing Corbyn to delude them.

The key passage of his speech was not actually the section on a customs union, which had been effectively written for him by a strange alliance of Keir Starmer, Anna Soubry and Michel Barnier.

Instead it was this: We will use funds returned from Brussels after Brexit to invest in our public services and the jobs of the future, not tax cuts for the richest, he pledged.

These were not the words of a head-banging Brexiteer such as Nigel Farage, but from The Absolute Boy himself.

'The key passage of his speech was not actually the section on a customs union, which had been effectively written for him by a strange alliance of Keir Starmer, Anna Soubry (above) and Michel Barnier. Instead it was this: We will use funds returned from Brussels after Brexit to invest in our public services and the jobs of the future, not tax cuts for the richest, he pledged'

Far from opposing Brexit, Corbyn is backing it. Despite attempts to force him into the Remain camp, he is at heart a Left-Leaver.

As he openly admits, he believes Brexit will provide a net economic benefit to the UK.

And he is already earmarking where the additional Treasury spoils this generates will be allocated.

So what would this Corbynite Red Brexit look like? To some of Corbyns critics it would be whatever the EU wants it to look like.

This week he was again forced to deny he was engaged in covert negotiations to undermine Theresa Mays own Brexit stance.

Such denials can be safely ignored. Last month, a memo was leaked which revealed Corbyn had privately informed Barnier he was prepared to back Britain remaining in the customs union.

In response to allegations of such perfidious collusion, his office angrily insisted: Jeremy did not say he was open to staying in the customs union.

What we now know is he said he was open to staying in a customs union. Pedantry that can no longer mask his duplicity.

But while its true that the lodestone of Corbyns world view has always been the enemy of the British state is my friend, on this occasion it is the EU which is guilty of entering into a myopic alliance.

Jeremy Corbyn is not interested in safeguarding the European dream, he is interested in safeguarding the international-Socialist dream.

His dalliance with EU bureaucrats such as Barnier is opportunistic, not idealistic.

The real reason Boris was grounded One notable absentee from Theresa Mays Mansion House speech on Brexit was the normally indefatigable Boris Johnson. Alas, I have not been able to listen in person as I hoped, as I have been delayed by our common European winter weather  on which we will remain in full alignment, he said in a missive from Budapest, where he was apparently snowbound. But a perusal of the Budapest airport departures board revealed that, whilst flights were facing some delays, the airport remained operational. It appears the British Foreign Secretary was simply not able to secure a priority take-off slot. Another sign of his waning influence? Advertisement

So long as they can help him undermine Theresa May, and clear his path to Downing Street, he will happily employ them as his useful bouffon.

But Corbyns real view of the EU is well known. And if it wasnt, he went out of his way to re-emphasise it last week.

I have long opposed the embedding of free market orthodoxy and the democratic deficit in the European Union, he said, before lamenting the fact the term Eurosceptic in reality became synonymous with anti-European .

Corbyn does not look to Berlin or Brussels for inspiration, he looks to Moscow and Caracas. And he sees a Red Brexit as the golden opportunity for letting his principles rip.

Wholesale renationalisation. Vast state aid subsidies. Penal rates of business taxation. Progressive isolationism.

A jungle of fresh environmental, workplace and media regulation. Corbyn is not going to let Angela Merkel or Emmanuel Macron or any of the EUs other free-market disciples stand in the way of this neo-Marxist utopia.

And to be fair, Corbyn is honest enough to admit it.

We cannot be held back inside or outside the EU from taking the steps we need to support cutting-edge industries and local business, stop the tide of privatisation and outsourcing or from preventing employers being able to import cheap agency labour to undercut existing pay and conditions, he warned, in a section of his speech that made Boris Johnsons cake and eat it analogies sound like an entreaty from WeightWatchers.

But despite his transparency, there are some who still prefer to pull the wool over their own eyes.

The Labour leaders commitment to a customs union will put jobs and living standards first by remaining in a close economic relationship with the EU, said the CBIs director general, Carolyn Fairbairn.

Yes, if you crave the job security of Venezuela, and the living standards of North Korea.

'One notable absentee from Theresa Mays Mansion House speech on Brexit was the normally indefatigable Boris Johnson'

A Corbynite Red Brexit would be like a neutron bomb going off in the middle of the UK economy.

The Treasury impact assessments have already outlined the risks Brexit poses in isolation.

Combine that with the impact of a Corbyn/McDonnell Year Zero industrial and financial strategy  a strategy the Shadow Chancellor himself has conceded may lead to an immediate run on the pound  and you are looking at an economic pogrom.

Yet still people try to ignore this reality.

As the debate rages, the British business and political class is allowing itself to be driven slowly mad.

They look at the prospect of a hard Brexit, or even a Kamikaze Brexit, and then they hear the Labour leaders lukewarm words on a customs union.

A Red Brexit? Would it really be that much worse? they say to themselves, hopefully.

Yes. It would. And if Jeremy Corbyn ever gets his way, it will.I spent many years of my political life trying to end conflict in Northern Ireland, and was delighted when Tony Blair concluded the Good Friday Agreement. Since then, life in Northern Ireland  and the relationship between North and South  has been transformed.

Today, when you drive from Northern Ireland into the Republic, there is little to indicate that any border has been crossed, other than different road markings and traffic signs.

Peace  together with mutual British and Irish membership of the EU  has ushered in a finer relationship between Dublin and London than we have ever known in the past. Now, unless we proceed with care, Brexit may undermine it.

When the Good Friday Agreement was implemented, the security border between North and South was swept away. No one missed it. The old border is now remembered as a hated symbol of The Troubles, with its Army checkpoints, listening posts and watch-towers.

Sir John Major (right) said he was delighted when his successor as Prime Minister, Tony Blair (second right), concluded the Good Friday Agreement

The memory of that border is so toxic that no one who knew it in the past wishes to see it return  in any form  in the future. But when the UK leaves Europe, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will become the perimeter of the EU  and, under EU law, customs checks will be unavoidable. This reality raises some unwelcome truths.

Although new customs posts would not remotely be the same as the security apparatus of the past, the very fact of a physical border may reopen sectarian fears. It is possible that both Nationalists and Unionists will handle a new border with aplomb  but equally, they may not.

Any new customs border will create practical difficulties. Ten thousand commercial vehicles travel back and forth across the border each day, carrying a vast range of goods. This weight of commerce is bound to cause delays, queues, and administrative obligations that will lead to higher costs for companies and consumers on both sides of the border.

No doubt many goods can be cleared in some invisible, frictionless way  as yet unidentified  but not all.

Some, such as animals and animal feed, which cross the border every hour of every day, will probably have to be examined for health and safety reasons, in order to avoid infections and diseases such as BSE. If so, a physical border seems unavoidable. And since the border winds through over 300 miles of countryside, this may well require a number of border posts to be erected.

The hostility to border controls is far wider than frustration over bureaucracy. The fear is that the border becomes a target  an outlet for Unionist or Nationalist fringes that wish to provoke trouble.

The current impasse over forming an administration in Northern Ireland is proof that all political passion is not spent, and history reminds us that grievances in Ireland can often be magnified into violence.

What happens if local incidents cause the border to be attacked  as there is ample past reason to believe it might be? Is security brought in? Does that reactivate old disputes that begin a downward spiral? As the age-old conflicts of Ireland tell us, this is a clear and present fear. The removal of hope is corrosive.

Opposition to a hard border is not just some anti-Brexit tactic. Sir Hugh Orde, the former Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, has warned that the political consequence of Brexit will play into the hands of those who are still determined to destroy the relative peace we have enjoyed and that customs posts could be a target for dissident paramilitaries.

I know that, after the many years of peace Ireland has enjoyed since the Good Friday Agreement, it is easy to believe there is no further risk. And I wish that were so. But that peace, which many people strove for years to achieve, is still fragile, and even the smallest risk must not be taken. Permanent peace in Northern Ireland is not a given. It is not certain. It cannot be taken for granted.

The British and Irish governments, and the European Commission, all understand the bleak symbolism of any border  but no one has yet found a way to avoid it. The British Government seeks a seamless and frictionless border but no one seems to know how that can be achieved  if at all.

EASY soundbites that technology must be able to find a way to avoid physical checks are unconvincing, for thus far no one can explain how this would work in practice.

A few days ago, the EU released a legal text setting out a fall-back position should a frictionless border be elusive. At this point the debate became toxic. The EU was accused of a power grab to divide Northern Ireland from the UK  and install it within the EU. Although this is a fanciful interpretation, this is not a resolution the British Government can accept politically  as the Prime Minister has made clear.

Two men dressed as customs officers take part in a protest outside Stormont against Brexit and its possible effect on the border, in March last year

But this dilemma was created by the UKs decision to quit the EU, and so the onus is on upon the Government to find a solution. Thus far, it is elusive.

Membership of a Customs Union would remove the need for a hard border  but the Government has ruled that out.

In the Prime Ministers speech on Friday, she again emphasised her wish to avoid a hard border. She is working with the Irish Taoiseach and the Commission to find a solution  and I wish them all well. But until one is found, the risk remains.

Whatever is finally decided, we must be acutely sensitive over the impact our policies will have on Ireland. As ancient grievances fade, we must not create new ones.

Opinion in Nationalist areas of Northern Ireland is already unsettled by the decision to leave the EU. Nationalists fear the loss of funding from Europe. They see a threat to the growing economic and cultural ties to the South. And, following

the British Governments supply deal with the DUP to obtain their support in the Commons, they are no longer sure the Government can be impartial between the two communities.

It is clear that Brexit will hurt Ireland, our nearest neighbour. That was not the intention, but it is the reality. The Irish Central Bank believes that a complete British dislocation from the EU could cost 40,000 jobs in the Republic, and shrink their economy by three per cent in a decade. Anglo-Irish trade would fall: so would cross-border trade between North and South.

Moreover, there are over 140 areas of co-operation that have been set up under EU frameworks in areas such as health, energy and animal welfare. Will they be replicated post-Brexit?

After 20 years of progress in Ireland, there is a risk that we will go backwards. The lack of any border had both a practical and symbolic role in establishing peace and, if one reappears  even in benign form  it will have ramifications.

The economies of North and South may become less entwined. Agitation for a poll on a united Ireland will renew. And, if North-South trade links begin to weaken, or if economic progress stalls, frustration will follow.

All of this comes at a time when Westminster may have to resume direct rule if the DUP and Sinn Fein cannot restore devolved government. This is a deeply worrying cocktail.

Brexit, even without its Irish complications, is extraordinarily complex. But as the difficulties become more apparent, the implications for Ireland must not be forgotten.

There is goodwill everywhere to solve the border question and that is a hopeful sign, but originality and flexibility are essential  together with a large dose of mutual respect and understanding.ITV political editor Robert Peston introduced himself to Theresa May at her Brexit speech on Friday as being from the BBC

ITV political editor Robert Peston was so mortified that he introduced himself to Theresa May at her Brexit speech on Friday as being from the BBC  which he left two years ago  he tweeted: I now want to kill myself.

He received an immediate automated response from Twitter: If you are having thoughts of self-harm, suicide or depression please know that there are people out there who care about you and that you are not alone.

Pestons reply? Thank you, concerned algorithm.

One-time No 10 adviser Michael Dugher recalls visiting the then Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi in Rome with then-PM Gordon Brown. Before lunch, Berlusconi insisted on showing Gordon his bath  large enough to accommodate, ahem, a few people. Gordon was totally bemused. Perhaps attending one of Silvios bunga bunga parties would have helped cheer up dour Gordon?

After being caught on TV asleep during a Ken Clarke pro-EU speech in the Commons, Brexiteer Sir Desmond Swayne may have the answer  a pair of joke eyeball spectacles so he can pretend hes awake the next time Ken drones on and on. Dog dares Swayne to wear them. Speaker John Bercow will go ballistic.

Jam star Weller is sweet on Jezza

If Jeremy Corbyn isnt already a fan of The Jam, he soon will be when he learns what Paul Weller, of the iconic 1980s band, thinks of him. Writing in NME Gold magazine, the Modfather, right, declares: I just like what Corbyn says. I like the fact hes not all PRd up and glossy. But as for one of Jezzas celebrated predecessors: Tony Blair, man, f***ing hell, what was all that about?

If Jeremy Corbyn isnt already a fan of The Jam, he soon will be when he learns what Paul Weller, of the iconic 1980s band, thinks of him

So fond is Matt Hancock of his ministerial limo that hes prepared to risk everything to save it. When his official car started sliding back down an icy hill last week, the Culture Secretary leapt out of the back seat and put his shoulder to the boot of the Matt-mobile to prevent a nasty prang.

Tom's Hollywood hiccup

The row over the 500,000 which Tom Watson trousered from racist press censor Max Mosley has Dog wondering about the Labour Deputy Leaders putative film career. Watson recently pocketed 20,000 from Hollywood for the book he wrote about his anti-phone hacking campaign, Dial M For Murdoch  with producers planning to portray him as a crusading hero. Dog is not sure that cap fits any more

Brussels might have Michel Barnier, the smoothly disdainful EU negotiator, but the Brexiteers have ex-Tory chairman Norman Tebbit in their corner. And blunt doesnt do justice to the Chingford Skinheads pungent views. Snarls Tebbit: Wellington saved them from Napoleon. Churchill saved them from the Fuhrer. When did they save us from anything? So its right that were going to bugger offWhat a difference a week makes. Seven days ago, when Jennifer Lawrence wore a plunging black Versace gown on a freezing London rooftop to promote her new film, surrounded as she was by old men in overcoats, hats, gloves and scarves, I was right behind her when she declared, defending herself against sexist condemnation, that wearing the gown was my choice. And if I want to be cold, thats my choice too!

Its her job after all, to look beautiful. Her body is her asset. Shes 27, so why not flaunt it?

Weve all done this: shivered from cab to kerb for the office Christmas party to be surrounded by old, leering men  strapless, feet burning, goosebumps, all in the name of work and fun and choice. Its not the 1950s!

Seven days ago, Jennifer Lawrence wore a plunging black Versace gown on a freezing London rooftop to promote her new film, surrounded by old men in overcoats

But that was until I saw Red Sparrow, the dire movie she was in town promoting  and had a volte-face.

That Versace gown must have felt as warm and enveloping as a burqa, given heres a film in which  among other lowlights  Lawrence reveals her bare buttocks while bending over towards the camera and is beaten viciously in a manner that would make even Fifty Shades Anastasia Steele blush.

I thought, why not flaunt her body... until I saw Red Sparrow, the dire movie she was in town promoting  and had a volte-face

Never mind the ludicrous plot about a supposed real-life Russian grooming school for turning women into Mata Hari sex spies (the only tension is in Lawrences thong), this is the nastiest, most anti-feminist film Ive seen in decades.

One newspaper called it a fascinating subversion of Americas sweetheart (yeah, you guessed, the reviewer was a man). Id call it Harvey Weinsteins dirty dreams in widescreen.

Starting out, Marilyn Monroe posed naked. As she became more successful, she covered up, growing as an actress in the process.

Half a century of campaigning for womens rights later, and amid the whole #metoo furore, J-Law has cunningly reversed that process.

Red Sparrow was green-lit (by men  the director is, bafflingly, the same bloke behind three of her fabulous, girl power Hunger Games films) before the Weinstein scandal broke. But thats no excuse.

Lawrence of course defends the films nudity and violence. But Im sorry, the whole Im playing a character so its art defence no longer works, post-Weinstein. Red Sparrow isnt art, its abusive porn. In fact, its worse than porn, as porn stars dont have Lawrences young, impressionable female fans.

Never mind the ludicrous plot about a supposed real-life Russian grooming school for turning women into Mata Hari sex spies (the only tension is in Lawrences thong), this is the nastiest, most anti-feminist film Ive seen in decades. Above, a scene from Red Sparrow

Some actresses would not have the luxury of choice. Lawrence does. She was the highest-paid Hollywood actress in 2015 and 2016, yet she chose to make this dross.

Maybe she thinks, just like Natalie Portmans embarrassing masturbation scene in Black Swan, this will bag her an Oscar. It wont.

Her sex scenes are so crass they make that Sharon Stone moment in Basic Instinct seem as tame as Hello Kitty.

It is unfathomable how she ever agreed to them but a clue may lie in an interview she gave to Radio 1 not long ago.

She was her usual loud, profanity-strewn self, a persona that has endeared her to millions of female fans. In it, she revealed that when she watches herself on screen, she has to get over her general overall ugliness.

Is that what drove her to make this film, one that will haunt her political career (shes taking two years off to persuade young women to vote) as surely as those p***y-grabbing boasts haunt Trump? I find it hard to believe. Red Sparrow isnt self-doubt, its self-harm.

What makes it even more incomprehensible is that back in 2014, Lawrence spoke out at being violated when private naked photos were leaked on the internet.

So, this must be her revenge  to make hackers redundant by doing their job for them and keeping the profits for herself. I only hope she doesnt have the gall to turn up at the Oscars tonight sporting a Times Up badge, wearing black to express solidaridee.

Jennifer, youre not part of the solution, youre part of the problem. You had a choice.

To have had this film edited in a different way. To cut away from scenes that are now burned on my retina. To hold a hand out to misguided girls, staggering in gutters of a Friday night, freezing in micro skirts and bralets, who think its their choice to get paralytic and pawed. But you snatched your hand away.Under Jeremy Corbyns leadership of Labour, all sorts of weird and not so wonderful characters have emerged from obscurity to take positions of influence. But although the hard-Left is now dominant, there is one position in the party it does not hold  that of Deputy Leader.

The irony, however, is extreme. Because you would have to search far and wide to find a character less suitable to be the champion of decency and moderation in opposition to the Corbynites than the man who holds the position, Tom Watson.

Throughout Mr Watsons career he has shown himself to be one of the most malign forces in mainstream British politics. He has used parliamentary privilege to smear decent and honourable men as paedophiles. He has campaigned to shackle the press. And he plotted to bring down Labours greatest ever Election winner, Tony Blair.

But worse, far worse than any of that, has been his behaviour last week in defending his friend Max Mosley.

Tom Watson (pictured) defended his decision to accept 540,000-worth of donations from Max Mosley after the F1 tycoon was revealed to be behind a 'racist' election leaflet in 1961

Let us be charitable and assume that Mr Watson had no idea that Mr Mosley, who has donated 540,000 to the Deputy Leaders office, had any history of involvement in racist politics.

That is, of course, an unlikely assumption. Mr Mosley was heavily involved in the Union Movement party of his fascist father Sir Oswald  and that involvement has long been public. But for the sake of argument, imagine that it came as a total shock to Mr Watson to discover last week that Mr Mosley has had such a long and revolting history as a proselytising racist, a supporter of the apartheid South African regime and a man who published a leaflet in a 1961 by-election campaign accusing coloured immigrants of spreading diseases and threatening childrens health. Youd think that he would say how awful  and condemn the man responsible.

Youd think he would say: I want nothing more to do with such a vile racist. Youd think he might even apologise for having associated himself and the Labour Party with Max Mosley.

As if.

Mr Watson is, you see, shameless. Instead of doing any of that, he stood up in the House of Commons and simply said he wouldnt give Mr Mosley the time of day if he still held such views. But he then reiterated that he was proud to be a friend of Mr Mosley, lauding him as a man who, in the face of great family tragedy and overwhelming media intimidation, chose to use his limited resources to support the weak against the strong.

What rot. Mr Mosley is one of the richest men in the country  estimated to be worth nearly 12 million  and he has used that wealth to try to shackle the press.

He has handed over 3.8 million via his family trust to fund the state-recognised newspaper regulator Impress, as well as funding his fellow hater of a free press, Tom Watson.

Max Mosley (pictured) has said he doesn't remember a leaflet bearing his name from the 1960s

As for the idea that Mr Mosleys racism is ancient history, in an interview on Channel 4 News last week he repeatedly refused to apologise for that racist by-election leaflet.

He would not even take up the offer by interviewer Cathy Newman to reject the idea that immigrants should be deported, while insisting: I have never been a racist.

It should be extraordinary that a Deputy Leader of the Labour Party would choose to praise such a man. But shamelessness is Mr Watsons defining characteristic.

When he smeared decent Conservative politicians as paedophiles, rapists and murders he did so without a shred of serious evidence.

He even claimed at Prime Ministers Questions that there was a powerful paedophile network linked to Parliament and No 10 under Margaret Thatcher.

He also said former Home Secretary Lord Brittan was a paedophile who compared with Jimmy Savile.

Mr Watson eventually made an apology of sorts, but it was after these foul accusations have been shown to be baseless.

Most of the opprobrium this week has  quite rightly  been focused on Max Mosley.

But in his own disgusting way, Tom Watson has shown himself to be equally unworthy of a place in public life.When it comes to your wedding day, the last thing you want is to lose your dress.

And that's exactly what happened to one Brisbane bride just days before tying the knot after she dropped it off to be altered.

Sharna Gurdon said she didn't even know the gown was missing until she saw a Facebook post by Queensland Police calling for the owner to come forward.

'It was terrifying. It's every bride's worst nightmare,' Sharna told Seven News.

Sharna Gurdon, from Brisbane, didn't know her wedding dress was lost until she saw hundreds of people sharing photos of it on social media (pictured)

Before its disappearance, Sharna handed her dress over to a tailor - but little did she know that she would soon be seeing it at the police station.

The seamstress had planned to work on the altercation at her home but instead, she hung it on the back of her car, soon forgetting about it.

She drove from her studio, with the dress hanging outside of the car for 5km, until it was flung off onto the side of the road.

A member of the public found the dress and went door-knocking to try and find its owner - but to no avail.

Sharna had handed it in to be altered before her big day but little did she know she would soon be seeing it at the police station

The tailor had taken it home to work on it but hung it on the back of her car to transport it and soon forgot about it

When they had no luck they handed it in to the local police station which led to hundreds of people sharing photos of her dress on social media.

And it didn't take long before Sharna noticed her own gown circulating online.

Queensland police then posted about the dress on their Facebook page to reunite the dress with its owner.

'I started bawling my eyes out and called the police straight away,' she said.

Queensland police had posted about the dress on their Facebook page to reunite the dress with its owner

'I started bawling my eyes out and called the police straight away,' Sharna said

Sharna married her partner on Saturday wearing the infamous dress that had now caused a stir online

She was reunited with her wedding dress four days before her special day.

Her mum, Karen Newell, said they are very grateful to the person who found it.

'Someone could have just picked it up and thought wow this is going on eBay or something,' Karen said.

'I just thank her from the bottom of my heart.'

Sharna married her partner on Saturday in an intimate ceremony wearing the now-famous dress that caused a stir online.Barbie dolls have been around for decades but in 2018 they are taking on a new role.

Australian weekend magazine Stellar revealed the cover of this Sunday's edition is fronted by the well-known doll to celebrate International Women's Day.

'Having Barbie grace the cover of an issue celebrating International Women's Day might not seem the most obvious of choices,' Stellar editor-in-chief Sarrah Le Marquand said.

'But we pride ourselves on delivering the unexpected at Stellar, and so when we heard there were plans to create a new, limited-edition range of Barbie dolls depicting senior roles in Australia that have never been held by women, suddenly Barbie seemed the perfect fit.'

Australian weekend magazine Stellar revealed the cover of this Sunday's edition is fronted by the well-known Barbie doll to celebrate International Women's Day

Mattell has unveiled unlimited edition range of Barbies to mark International Women's Day.

These 'Never Before Barbie' dolls represent male-dominated roles in Australian public life that women have unfortunately never held.

The goal behind this decision is to challenge any idea that those occupations should remain exclusive to men.

The dolls will feature a female Chairman of the AFL, a Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, a First Woman On The Moon, a Governor of the Reserve Bank, a Head of ASIO, and a President of the Australian Olympic Committee.

These are all positions which have never been held by women in Australia.

'Never Before Barbie' dolls have been unveiled, including this Chairman of AFL Barbie doll

Mattel marketing director Chedney Rodgers believes these dolls will encourage young girls to realise that they really can become whatever they want to be and increase female representation.

'These dolls have been created to spark a conversation around lack of gender diversity in senior leadership positions,' Ms Rodgers said.

'We want to help young girls move beyond historical gender inequality and ultimately inspire them to believe in themselves.'

Head of ASIO Barbie take on the male-dominated industry - to break the mould

Governor of the Reserve Bank Barbie: These 'Never Before Barbie' dolls represent male-dominated roles in Australian public life that women have unfortunately never held

Australian journalist Ita Buttrose said she used to tell her daughter that she could be anything in the world when she grows older.

When her daughter suggested she wanted to become a nurse, Buttrose said she would encourage her to be a doctor instead.

Buttrose explained having these dolls could instill powerful occupations into young girls so they could dream about taking on the male-dominated jobs.

The limited edition Never Before Barbie dolls are not for sale.Meghan Markle has revealed the one item she never boards a plane without, and it has a surprisingly budget price tag.

In an article from her former lifestyle blog The Tig, which has resurfaced online, Prince Harry's bride-to-be revealed that she never travels anywhere without a bottle of sanitiser spray or antibacterial wipes.

The former Suits star explained that she always sprays or wipes down surfaces around her when she travels on a plane, even though it does make her look 'a little odd' to fellow commuters.

'I'm no germophobe, but when I get on a plane I always use some quick hand wipes or a travel sanitiser spray to wipe it all down: that includes the little TV, the service tray, and all the buttons around your seat,' she said.

'Sure, the person next to you may give you a side eye, but at the end of the flight, you'll be the one whistling Dixie with nary a sniffle.'

With a packet of wipes costing as little as 1 Meghan's top travel tip is a purse-friendly option for those who don't have an A-list budget.

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Avoiding germs: Meghan Markle has revealed that hand sanitiser is the one product she does not travel without, adding: 'I'm no germophobe- you don't want to be the Dixie with a sniffle!'

Additionally Meghan advised fellow travellers to drink plenty of water when flying.

'Always travel with a high strain probiotic, and hydrate like you're dying of thirst  because even if you're not, for your body  the thirst is real', she wrote.

Meghan, who was previously based in LA, was an expert traveller due to her busy schedule filming law drama Suits in Canada.

And stepping into her new role as wife to Prince Harry, Meghan will certainly have an array of further engagements to keep her travelling schedule busy.

The Suits actress, who is due to marry Prince Harry in May, reveals she sprays down surfaces around her when she travels on a plane, though she admits it can make her look 'a little odd' to fellow commuters

Just last week she made her first official joint appearance alongside future brother and sister-in-law Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The two couples took part in the first annual Royal Foundation Forum in London on Wednesday February 28.

It was the first time Meghan has been seen in public with the Duchess of Cambridge since they attended Christmas Day service at Sandringham together.

Bride-to-be Ms Markle will formally become the fourth patron of The Royal Foundation following her high-profile wedding to Harry on May 19.

Last week she made her first official joint appearance alongside future brother and sister-in-law Prince William and Kate Middleton

On Friday Prince Harry and Meghan invited 2,640 people to the grounds of Windsor Castle to celebrate their wedding.

The guests, who will come from all corners of the United Kingdom, will be able to watch the arrival of the bride and groom and be in a prime location to see their carriage procession after the ceremony.

'Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have said they want their Wedding Day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations too,' Kensington Palace said in a statement.

'This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the Bride and Groom.'

The couple will marry at noon in St. George's Chapel, the 15th century church on the grounds of Windsor Castle - long the backdrop of choice for royal occasions.Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh made the remark on the sidelines of the 24th ASEAN Economic Ministers Retreat (AEM Retreat 24), which took place in Singapore on March 1-2.

According to him, Vietnam has actively collaborated with ASEAN countries in developing the Trade Facilitation Index (TFI) to measure the level in each member state. Based on it, ASEAN will give recommendations to each nation on measures to be improved to reach the goals of reducing 10 percent in trade costs by 2020 and doubling the intra-bloc trade value by 2025.

The country has also proactively implemented the initiative on the ASEAN Wide Self-Certification (AWSC), which aims to replace two other pilot mechanisms on self-certification.

The AWSC will help Vietnamese entrepreneurs selfcertify their products to ship to nine other ASEAN nations rather than to several ones, which helps save them time, costs, and resources.

During the two-day retreat, ASEAN economic ministers reached agreements on priorities designed by the host to promote e-commerce, trade facilitation, services and integration, thus creating a favourable business climate via realising the targets of the AEC Blueprint 2025.Crufts judges have been warned against crowning fat French Bulldogs winners at the annual dog show, which begins in London on 8th March.

According to The Times, the Kennel Club has told judges to 'avoid giving prizes to fat little Frenchies', as research indicates that plumper pooches are more likely to suffer breathing problems associated with flatfaced breeds such as bulldogs and pugs.

The move comes amid criticism of the overbreeding of popular pedigree dogs such as pugs and French Bulldogs, which can lead to genetic defects.

Campaigners are also aiming to have a new guidelines in place for next year that will stipulate dogs should have 'a waist you can see when you look down from above' as well as ribs you can feel.

Crufts judges have reportedly been warned against crowning French Bulldogs (seen) winners at their annual dog show this year

The move follows increasing criticism over the overbreeding of popular pedigree dogs such as pugs (pictured) and French Bulldogs, with the flat face breeds suffering increased breathing problems

Almost 21,000 dogs will compete at Crufts this year. The competition runs until next Sunday.

The event opens at the NEC Birmingham on Wednesday, and this year 98 migrant dogs from 15 foreign breeds will be paraded around the ring in the hope of catching the judges eye.

Previously, British owners of new foreign dogs were only allowed to show off their pets in the imported breed classes at the show.

But this week, winners of these classes can go on to compete in group rounds where champions are eligible to be selected for the canine crown.

Until now, only foreign dog breeds that have become established pedigrees in Britain were allowed to join the elite parade.

Kennel Club secretary Caroline Kisko said: It does give these dogs the right to show off in the ring.

We felt that if someone has gone to the expense and trouble of bringing a breed into the country, it seemed unfair to slam the door on them for the Crufts top prize.

Among the newcomers on show will be the Hungarian Pumi, an adorable breed with a slightly comical look. It is nicknamed the Clown in its native country.

Rising reports have seen a rise in apparent genetic defects, also linked to overweight dogs of the breeds (a Whippet- a slimmer breed- seen)The BBC's Carrie Gracie has revealed how her battle for her pay to be brought in line with her male colleagues left her 'exhausted and isolated' and feeling she was going mad.

The former China editor, 56, resigned from her role in January 2018, saying that she could not 'collude in unlawful pay discrimination', after discovering she was not being paid as much as her male counterparts who were doing the same job

In an interview with Stella magazine she revealed that taking a formal grievance against her employer left her completely drained, and how one of her biggest fears was being in conflict with the BBC.

'It's a really unpleasant place to be,' she said. 'It's like being expelled from your family.'

The corporation offered the veteran journalist a 45,000 pay rise and later 105,000 in back pay, but she turned both offers down and said her decision was never about money.

She admitted friends had urged her not to 'deprive' her two children of the money, but insisted that her son and daughter supported the decision completely.

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The BBC's former China Editor Carrie Gracie admitted her equal pay battle with the corporation had left her 'exhausted' and isolated

The mother-of-two turned down a pay rise of 45,000 and 100K in back pay on the basis that she didn't want to collude with unlawful pay discrimination

During a grilling by MPs on the Commons culture, media and sport committee, Gracie explained that BBC told her she did not deserve to be paid as much as her male counterparts because she was 'in development' while in China.

Miss Gracie accused BBC bosses of treating women who speak out about pay as the 'enemy'.

She said: 'I didn't ask for pay rises, I only asked for equality. All I want is for them to say ''your work in China was equal to your male peers''.

A number of female BBC presenters, including Kate Adie, Mariella Frostrup, Kate Silverton, Louise Minchin and Naga Munchetty, were in Westminster to support Miss Gracie.

Former BBC China editor Carrie Gracie said the reason she was given for being paid less than male counterparts was that she was 'in development' - despite having worked at the Beeb for more than 30 years

Former and present female BBC television and radio presenters including Kate Silverton, (right), Kate Adie (second right), Mariella Frostrup (third right), Louise Minchin (centre left) and Naga Munchetty show their support for Carrie Gracie

Radio and television presenter Mariella Frostrup (right) showed her support for Miss Gracie

Female BBC presenters who attended gasped as they heard Miss Gracie  who has spent more than 30 years at the corporation and is fluent in Mandarin  was initially told by bosses that she earned less than her male counterparts partly because she had been 'in development'.

She told the committee: 'It is an insult to add to the original injury. It is unacceptable to talk to your senior women like that. I would have never agreed to China on those terms.'

She added: 'I was for four years leading our China coverage, there are significant risks in our China coverage, I dealt with them. I did a good job.'

BBC chiefs were asked to apologise to her, but MPs had to prompt them three times before chairman Sir David Clementi turned round to address her directly, saying: 'I'm actually very sorry.'

It was the first time that the BBC has offered an unequivocal apology.

Previously, the BBC tried to buy her silence by offering her 45,000 pay rise on her 135,000 salary.

'I said I don't want that money', she said. 'I feel my salary is a good salary, it's public money. They're still not giving me equality, they're not giving me parity or the benchmark which would allow me to judge that it's a robust payment system.'

Director general Lord Hall claimed 'the system is working', when referring to the number of people who had come forward to complain about inequality.

Why did Carrie Gracie resign as BBC's China editor? In January 2018, Carrie Gracie, the China editor for the BBC, resigned from her post in Beijing due to pay disparities with her male colleagues. In July 2017, the BBC revealed as part of a funding settlement with the government that it paid its then top male star five times more than its best-paid female presenter, and that two-thirds of on-air employees earning at least 150,000 were men. The BBC had four international editors, two men and two women. When the top salaries were revealed as part of last year's settlement, Gracie learned that the two men made at least 50 percent more money than the women in those roles. In a letter published on her personal blog she said there was a 'crisis of trust' at the broadcaster, where she has worked for 30 years, and that it was 'breaking equality law and resisting pressure for a fair and transparent pay structure'. She had been offered a pay increase that remained 'far short of equality' and left her post in Beijing, returning to her former job in the BBC TV newsroom. 'The BBC must admit the problem, apologise and set in place an equal, fair and transparent pay structure,' she said, calling for an independent arbitration to settle individual cases at the broadcaster. Advertisement

Tory MP Julian Knight said: 'We have testimonies coming in right, left and centre from people at the BBC saying they are discriminated against and you are actually saying, 'The system is working, all is well, move on please'.'

Miss Gracie claimed the broadcaster has an informal 'caste system' and 'belittles' women who raise equal pay claims.

She accused it of trying to 'throw money' at people to resolve the problem and avoid a bigger 'fiscal liability'  and that its flurry of pay reports were trying to 'retrofit justifications for the indefensible'.

'We have a toxic work atmosphere women leaving, the credibility of management is diminished and damaged and they will lose in employment tribunals,' she said.

'They are stumbling towards a Greek tragedy  They need to stop now, pull up and trust their staff.'

She added: 'This is damaging the credibility of the BBC in a completely unacceptable way.

Miss Gracie said the 'BBC management need to stop treating us as some kind of enemy'

'Some day it would be nice if BBC could bring itself to say women, too, are good broadcasters and journalists but because its in this awful situation of not accepting an equal pay problem, it has to belittle us.

'It makes me angry, it makes me disappointed, and desperately anxious for the future of the BBC.

'If we're not truth tellers, who are we? We're no better than the next news source.

Lord Hall denied there is an 'old boys network' operating at the BBC when giving evidence

'The BBC lives or dies by its reputation for telling the truth without fear of favour, that is what we go out and do every day and that is what our bosses should do.'

The long-running debate about salary inequality at the BBC has dogged the broadcaster since last summer.

Unveiling a pay system with 'transparency at its heart', the broadcaster announced 'substantial pay cuts' for some men and increases for some female (and male) presenters.

The BBC has proposed a 320,000 cap on its news presenters' salaries after an outcry over gender pay inequality, according to BBC News.Michael Caine has thrown his weight behind the #MeToo movement, describing himself as a 'fully paid-up feminist'.

The Academy-award winning British actor, 84, known for his role in films including The Italian Job said that he's 'all for the ladies' as he discussed sexism in Hollywood and the allegations against shamed producer Harvey Weinstein.

In an candid interview with The Times the veteran star was revealed he was aware of the movie mogul's reputation for being a womaniser but did not realise the gravity of the situation.

'I knew he was a bit of a you know',' he explained, saying Weinstein's reputation was 'almost a joke' in Hollywood.

He said he'd believed the producer would make advances towards aspiring actresses, but had no idea 'no idea that he would be exposing himself or doing physical harm to the girl'.

'It's when they're slightly unknown and they need it. Do you know what I mean? You can't tell Elizabeth Taylor, 'You're going to have to screw me to get this part.'

To date, 70 different women including A-listers accuse the famed American producer of sexual misconduct.

Michael Caine has spoken out on the Harvey Weinstein allegations, revealing he was aware of his reputation but did not realise the gravity of the situation

And Michael revealed that he didn't see anything untoward happening himself, remembering how Weinstein 'certainly didnt do anything' when they filmed The Cider House Rules alongside Charlize Theron.

His comments come a day after Harvey Weinstein's lawyer defended his client's alleged sexual misconduct as a product of Hollywood culture, calling the 'casting couch' a distasteful tradition but not illegal.

'The casting couch in Hollywood was not invented by Harvey Weinstein,' high-flight attorney Benjamin Brafman, 69, said in a lengthy profile by the Times of London published on Saturday.

'If a woman decides that she needs to have sex with a Hollywood producer in order to advance her career and actually does it and finds the whole thing offensive, that's not rape,' Brafman continued.

The Academy-award winning British actor, 84, said the Harvey's (seen above) hiring tactic was known as the 'casting couch', but seen as a 'joke' by many in Hollywood

'You made a conscious decision that you're willing to do something that is personally offensive in order to advance your career.

'Now, however offensive the whole saga may be on both of your parts, that's not a crime.

'That's bad in many ways, when you look at it. But that's been the reputation of that industry [since] before I was born.'

In an honest interview with The Times , Michael described himself as a feminist, and admitted he had 'no idea' about the severity of the accusations

Harvey Weinstein's lawyer Benjamin Brafman has defended his client's alleged sexual misconduct as a product of Hollywood culture

More than 70 women have accused Weinstein of a range of sexual misconduct, including rape.

Weinstein has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone, but apologized for 'the way I've behaved with colleagues in the past'.

Some of the allegations against him did recall the storied 'Hollywood casting couch', with young actresses claiming they were invited to a casting meeting with Weinstein and then subjected to sexual overtures.

Among the women are Gwyneth Paltrow, who said he summoned her to his hotel room to suggest a massage after casting her in Emma in 1996.

Among others, Heather Graham and Brit Marling both penned essays describing their encounters with Weinstein, saying he turned meetings into overtures for 'massage'.

Asia Argento claimed Weinstein performed forced oral sex on her and Daryl Hannah says she repeatedly rebuffed his advances.

More than 70 women have accused Weinstein of a range of sexual misconduct, including rape- Heather Graham (pictured) said he turned meetings into overtures for 'massage'A teenager has gone from one runway to another after she was spotted by a modelling agent while waiting for a family holiday flight to Spain.

Ella Walker, 17, had never set foot on a catwalk when the talent spotter picked her out of the crowds in the airport departure lounge.

A year on from from being headhunted, the psychology student from Billericay, is working with model agent VSO Models, posing for major brands and recently appearing at London Fashion Week.

She said: 'I was just waiting to go on holiday with my family as our flight was delayed. I was with my mum, dad and little sister and it was really early in the morning.'

She follows in the footsteps of Kate Moss who was also spotted at an airport when she was 14-years-old by model agent Sarah Doukas of Storm.

Ella Walker, 17, from Billericay, Essex is working with model agent VSO Models after being spotted by a talent scout while waiting for a flight to Spain

The teenager was waiting on a delayed flight with her parents and sister when she was spotted

The teenager said she was shocked to be approached and had never considered a career in modelling before

'It was such a crazy thing to happen, I couldn't believe it,' Ella added. My family were really excited and my sister was saying it was amazing.'

After checking everything was above board, she signed a contract.

Despite the regular flights to Scotland, where the agency is based, and demanding work schedule, she says it is worth it.

She said: 'London Fashion Week in particular is a really busy season. I spend a lot of my days going up to London and after school I will get on the train to go up there.

The psychology student is busy juggling her work with her burgeoning modelling career and regularly flies to Scotland where the agency is based

She is now focusing on doing castings for adverts, using her acting skills

'It is quite difficult when you have got a lot of school work but it is so much fun. I do most of my school work on the train.'

Ella decided to study psychology at school after noticing changes needed to be made to mental health services.

She said: 'When I was young I never really thought of being a model, but now when I think of it it's such an amazing job.

'It's so fun and you get to meet so many people, and do such crazy things.'

The psychology student says she loves the variety of the work and never knows what she'll be doing from one job to the next

Ella was waiting for a delayed flight with her mother, father and little sister when she was spotted by a model scout

The teenager is keeping her feet firmly planted on the ground, and is still pursuing her psychology studies as well as modelling

As London Fashion Week has just finished, she is now focussing on castings for adverts, using her acting skills.

She said her days were varied and she often didn't know what she was doing until the last minute.

She said: 'During London Fashion Week you will show up and will not know what you are doing or what you are wearing.

'The fashion would is crazy. I do the modelling part-time for magazine blogs and adverts, for example for Essex Police.'

She has received a lot of support from her mum Tracey, dad Phill and 14-year-old sister Evie.What did you watch on TV last night? Call The Midwife, the BBCs Sunday-evening hit? The sumptuous historical drama Victoria, on ITVs channel Encore; or perhaps Girlfriends, on ITV Hub?

All three of these dramas aired at prime time. All three were written by women. It may have happened by stealth, but the fact is female writers in their 50s and 60s have slowly been hijacking television for some time.

In Girlfriends, ITVs show about three childhood friends in their 60s; BBC Ones comedy-drama Last Tango In Halifax, where a couple fall in love in their 70s; and the BBCs forthcoming Age Before Beauty, about a woman who takes over a beauty salon after her children leave home, we are seeing female writers explore topics that matter deeply to midlife women. From late love to dealing with elderly parents, the empty nest, redundancy and fears about ageing, the day-to-day dramas of grown-up women are finally being played out on the small screen.

Sally Wainwright (pictured) wrote Happy Valley and Last Tango In Halifax. She shared her thoughts on the increase of female drama writers

And not before time, says Gwyneth Hughes. She wrote the award-winning BBC drama Miss Austen Regrets, about Jane Austen at 40, and has now adapted Vanity Fair, William Thackerays novel about social climber Becky Sharp, on ITV this autumn.

The bulk of the TV audience has always been 50-plus women, but in the past no one made anything they wanted to watch, so theyd find themselves sitting in front of The Sweeney with their husbands, she says.

Not any more. TV bosses are finally waking up to the fact that mature women want to see stories that reflect their own lives. After all, the average age of a BBC1 viewer is 61.

Initially some male TV critics dismissed women-led shows such as Heidi Thomass Call The Midwife as fluffy Horlicks TV. But the ratings have proved them wrong. BBC1s head of drama Piers Wenger says women have written more than 40 per cent of the drama he has ordered for the channel, since taking up the role a year ago.

And, thanks to a new wave of talented female writers, we now have shows where midlife women are centre stage, instead of just playing the harried wife or the bit-part best friend.

Crucially, these are written by women who can draw on decades of life experience, such as Sally Wainwright, 53, the Bafta-winner behind cop drama Happy Valley and Last Tango In Halifax; Kay Mellor, the 66-year-old powerhouse behind hits including slimming-club series Fat Friends and current drama Girlfriends; Poldark and Age Before Beauty creator Debbie Horsfield, 62, and Amanda Coe, 53, who wrote last years BBC thriller Apple Tree Yard.

Daisy Goodwin (pictured), 56, believes we need more women coming up the ranks within writing for TV

So many myths exist about women because for so many decades TV was written by men, says Sally Wainwright. Women were either the Madonna or whore, put on a pedestal or treated like they were nothing. Now there are more women writers, were seeing women represented for what they really are.

Theres more work to do, of course. Last week in an open letter to TV drama commissioners, 76 women writers, whose work ranges from EastEnders to Midsomer Murders claimed there is an untapped resource of female writers who have cut their teeth on soap operas, yet are locked out of writing high-end prime-time drama.

Women are writing big dramas, but there still arent enough of them, admits Daisy Goodwin, 56, the writer-creator of ITVs Victoria, which is back for a third series this year. When women do well, they do really, really well. What we need is more women coming up the ranks.

Victoria (pictured) written by Daisy, returns to screens for a third series this year

Clearly, barriers are still being broken. Kay Mellor has long pioneered dramas with strong female characters, but writing this years hit ITV series, Girlfriends, about three friends in their 60s, was a passion project, designed to counter midlife womens fears of becoming invisible. She wrote it on spec, rather than waiting for the green light from a TV channel, because I thought, uh-uh, its not sexy, they wont like it. But Im just going to do it because I think I have something to say about women of a certain age.

The running joke in Girlfriends is that actress Miranda Richardsons character is approaching a big birthday, but we dont know which one. As Mellor explains: Miranda said to me: How can I play my age, Kay? And I said: Youre a gorgeous woman, who cares what age you are? But I could see that for her, as an actress, theres a fear that if she admits to being that age, roles might start becoming less frequent. So I said: OK, well Ill not mention it. Youre the youngest of the group.

Gwyneth Hughes (pictured) believes women over 50 have always been the bulk of TV audiences but no one made anything they wanted to watch

Then on Twitter someone wrote: They look good for 50 and I thought: Theyre not 50! says Mellor, with a twinkle. But theyre lovely-looking. So what if theyve got lines on their faces? It just makes them more interesting.

Girlfriends has been dubbed Mellors menopause drama. But the menopause is just part of life, she insists. Ive worked through it. I had a hot flush just now! But I think the wisdom that comes with age is fantastic. Youre not just a sexual person, youre a person in your own right, whose thoughts are as important as the man sat next to you. That said, the new crop of dramas is not shying away from showing midlife women as passionate beings. When it comes to brave new roles for grown-up women, last years Apple Tree Yard blew the doors off. Starring Emily Watson as a married scientist, it showed her having wild sex in a Westminster broom cupboard with a man she barely knows.

It was great to see Emily doing that, says Amanda Coe, who adapted the thriller from Louise Doughtys novel of the same name. Emily does a lot of film work where she tends to crop up as somebodys mum, or wife, usually in a rather unflattering wig. Shes a fantastic actress with a big range, so for her to be really sexy, and have a role with light and shade was great to see.

Gwyneth has written Vanity Fair (pictured) and Miss Austen Regrets

So does getting older make you a better writer? Wainwright thinks so. She recalls a meeting with her first agent in her 20s where she worried she only had one story. Her agent replied briskly: By the time youre 50, youll have 20 stories.

Its proved to be true, says Wainwright. Life gets richer and you get richer as a human being  the older you get, the more things you have to deal with.

Women writers are overturning the assumption that their age makes them less tuned in, less relevant somehow. I remember being asked to talk to some screenwriting students, recalls Debbie Horsfield, whose last series of Poldark attracted over 6 million viewers for its finale. I was 45 and one twentysomething man said to me: Dont you worry that as you get older, youll just become less relevant?

And I said: What Ive found is the older I get, the wider my breadth of experience is to write about, and the more stories there are. Because the truth is you never forget being 17, thats the wonderful thing, but you cannot imagine as a 30-year-old what its like to be 70.

Sally believes male scriptwriters are still trusted more, while women have to prove themselves. And class is another issue, she adds. In TV, I work with a lot of people who have clearly been privately educated.

Kay Mellor (pictured) admits writing about women as an unknown woman in the nineties was a big battle

Now Ive started to direct my shows myself, Ive realised a lot of directors are only where they are through confidence. I can be quite selective about who I work with now, but Ive met people over the years who are sharp-elbowed, freeloading entitled people who can talk the talk and often cant walk the walk, but are so good at appearing to be able to do things. And other more talented people get overlooked.

And the writers room can be blokey and competitive, says Amanda Coe, which can make it harder for women. Who has the confidence to speak up? Who can stay late for the drinks and networking that might land that commission, especially if they have small children at home?

Kay Mellor admits that getting Band Of Gold on the screen back in 1995 took her eight years. It was the biggest battle ever because not only was it about women, but it was about women who worked in the sex industry. It was written by me  and I was unknown and a woman. You cant get much tougher than that.

Today, many of our top women TV dramatists, including Goodwin and Wainwright, make sure they have an executive producer credit on their dramas, so they have more control.

Its no coincidence that in Victoria, we often see the tiny indomitable woman surrounded by a forest of pompous men dressed in black, laughs Goodwin.

Kay Mellor is known for her work on Girlfriends (pictured) and Band Of Gold

I worked at the BBC in the 1980s as a trainee arts producer and it was pretty patronising, she says. Even later, there was a sense I wasnt serious because my shows were about doing up your house, which was, as it were, womens work. Significantly, Goodwin is one of the first women trusted to write a drama about a British queen. It never occurred to her that she was writing a feminist drama, but the fact Victoria is a young woman in power, some people find surprising. There arent many shows where a woman, whos not the love interest or hasnt been kidnapped or raped is the central character.

Even the best male directors dont always get the nuance of a womans life, says Gwyneth Hughes, wholl often fight to keep a small scene in that reveals more about character.

Its partly the perspective of being female, and also an older female, all the things we go through about beginning to realise youre invisible. If you put it in a drama, women will completely get it.

You only have to look at the diverse slate of female-driven shows going out this year to see how far women have come. Sally Wainwrights next BBC drama is based on the diaries of 19th-century lesbian Anne Lister. Hopefully it will go out at 9pm on BBC One and I dont think that would have happened ten years ago.

Amanda Coe (pictured) confessed she finds American TV about men, for men, written by men disappointing

Amanda Coe is working on an original drama about the Profumo affair, The Trials Of Christine Keeler, written through the eyes of the late Keeler. Shes relishing the chance to write whats become a national fable, with the young women who are seen as the triggers for this national scandal at the centre of the story. Theyre not just adjuncts to the men.

And there are more stories to come. I think British telly really is leading the way for women, says Sally Wainwright.

We can have characters who are middle-aged and the story isnt necessarily about them being out to get a man. Its about them as complex, human beings doing all sorts of things. There are exceptions, but Im often disappointed when I see so much American telly is about men, for men, written by men.

Clearly theres still work to be done by British TV bosses so new female talents get a chance to shine alongside these established stars, who are quick to point out they had been plugging away for 20 or 30 years before their overnight success. But what they have proved is that shows that appeal to midlife women are money-spinners.

Amanda is known for writing Apple Tree Yard (pictured) and The Trials of Christine Keeler

Its normal for a show with a strong female lead  Dr Foster, Marcella  to be written by a man, says Amanda Coe, who sympathises with the women who signed the open letter lamenting the status quo.

But I cant think of a male-led show written by a woman. It would occur to nobody to commission a show about, say, a man having a mid-life crisis written by a woman. Or a female-penned biopic about a male historical figure. Women get to write women, and men get to write both. Its a microcosm of the moment were suddenly waking up in: why have women historically been treated as a minority, rather than half the population?

The irony is, if anything, scripts written for and by women may prove the saviour of prime time when this years flashier macho shows such as the BBCs epic Troy and Sky Atlantics historical fantasy Britannia have proved a turn off for many viewers.

How many BBC dramas are written by women? 20 the number of BBC dramas for 2018 written by women Advertisement

Forget over-the-top American-style formats, with expensive special effects, what we want are authentic British shows, about how we live now; shows that combine wit and humour, tension and emotional truth  with terrific female characters.

And the best news? Its us midlifers armed with our remote control, who have the power to make more of those happen.

Girlfriends is out on DVD. Kay Mellors Fat Friends The Musical is touring the UK until June 2, fatfriendsthemusical.com. Amanda Coes new novel, Everything You Do Is Wrong, is out now.Amandla Stenberg has revealed that she was in consideration for a lead role in Black Panther, but took herself out of the running.

The 19-year-old American actress revealed in an interview with CBC that she had auditioned for the role of Shuri in the blockbuster film, but backed off after deciding the role should go to a darker-skinned actress.

'One of the most challenging things for me to do was to walk away from Black Panther,' she said.

True beauty: Amandla Stenberg, 19, has revealed that she took herself out of the running for a role in Black Panther because of her heritage and skin color

Passing up: Amandla claims that she was 'really, really close' to snagging the role of Shuri (left), which eventually went to Letitia Wright

'I got really, really close and they were like, "Do you want to continue fighting for this?" And I was like, this isn't right.'

The actress went on to explain how she came to view her own look and heritage as not quite the right fit, saying she would have felt 'off' if she had gone through with it.

'These are all dark-skinned actors playing Africans, and I feel like it would have just been off to see me as a bi-racial American with a Nigerian accent just pretending that I'm the same color as everyone else in the movie,' Amandla said.

The teenager added that she felt she shouldn't take up 'space' in the cast saying that the decision was a difficult one but that she has 'no regrets.'

Walking the walk: The teenager claims that she would have felt 'off' joining the cast of 'dark-skinned actors playing Africans'

Star power: Danai Gurira, Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, and Florence Kasumba (left to right), are pictured in the blockbuster film

I recognize 100 per cent that there are spaces that I should not take up and when I do take up a space its because Ive thought really, really critically about it and Ive consulted people I really trust and it feels right, she said.

The role of Shuri, the genius little sister of King TChalla, eventually went to Guyanese-born British actress Letitia Wright, 24, who is being hailed as a breakout star of the film.

The subject is a touchy one for Amandla, as she previously faced criticism when she was cast as the 12-year-old character Rue in 2012's The Hunger Games.

Hitting the mark: Guyanese-born British actress Letitia Wright, 24, has been hailed as a breakout star for her performance as King TChalla's little sister

Claim to fame: Amandla was previously the subject of controversy when she was selected for the role of Rue in 2012's The Hunger Games

Amandla starred as the tribute from District 11 who lead character Katniss (played by Jennifer Lawrence) teamed up with in the area for the annual Hunger Games 'fight to the death' contest.

The casting sparked comments from a select few fans, who took to Twitter to complain that the part should not have been played by a black actor.

Their shocking comments come despite the fact that author Collins described Rue as having 'dark brown skin' in her novel.When I decided to do the new middle-class thing and rent out my spare room on the Airbnb website, I thought there was nothing to it. I would welcome guests, show them to the spare room then sit back to watch the money roll in.

Three years down the line, I now know it is extremely hard work. Your house gets ruined by guests banging their luggage against your white walls, the carpets wear out and your time is no longer your own. I have found myself often ironing sheets at midnight and the amount of housework tripled or quadrupled.

And as for the guests! I have been asked to do things well beyond the call of duty, such as sew buttons on shirts and take people to the station. Some guests arrived at 3am, while others have left at 5am sharp, asking if they could have breakfast first.

My worst experience, I think, was when five women trooped up after only two had booked. But I only have one room and two beds! I screamed in panic. Thats fine, we have sleeping bags, they said. What was I to do, turn them out into the night?

Liz Hodgkinson (pictured left) spoke to Europe's best B&B host Wendy Veale, (pictured right) for advice on running a successful B&B

Several middle-aged men sneaked in secret girlfriends, while one woman, who only paid for herself, smuggled in her two teenage daughters.

So, for the moment, I am giving my home and my nerves a much-needed breather. But countless others are still at it. There are about 168,000 Airbnb listings in the UK, while more than 22,000 B&Bs are signed up to the UKs Bed and Breakfast Directory.

The person behind each one presumably thinking the same at the start as I did  it would be easy money for hardly any effort.

So I am intrigued to meet Wendy Veale, whose Cotswolds B&B has just been voted the best in Europe, and fourth-best in the world, on the Trip-Advisor reviews website.

Whatever must the other three be like, I wonder as I walk into her establishment, for which the word immaculate is an understatement. It is not just clean, it gleams, and everything, down to the fresh flowers and carefully folded bathrobes, is colour co-ordinated.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, 59-year-old Wendy herself is colour co-ordinated, to match her decor. I only use four colours, Dulux bathstone beige, natural hessian, sage green and stone, she says, as we sit in her vast living room.

Before opening her B&B ten years ago, Wendy was a food and interiors stylist for magazines and companies including Marks & Spencer. When she saw that The Old School was for sale, she felt she could make it work as an upmarket B&B.

The property was too big and too expensive for just the two of us, she explains. And although I havent had any training, my mother ran a hotel.

Wendy and her partner John, a landscape architect, have their own living quarters in the house, separate from the four guest bedrooms.

On my Airbnb review page, a few visitors have drawn attention, rather embarrassingly, to spiders on the ceiling, a lack of variety for breakfast  I offer only toast, cereal, tea or coffee  and mould in the shower.

Wendy (pictured left) opened The Old School B&B after deciding the property was too large for only her and her partner John

I scour The Old Schools entry, half- hoping to find at least one disgruntled customer. Instead, there are 800 glowing reviews. Her grateful guests cannot find enough superlatives to praise the service that is frequently lauded as beyond five stars.

The most important thing is to have a natural empathy, she tells me. You have to genuinely like people and want to please them. Also, a love of entertaining must be in the blood.

I love giving dinner parties and treat my guests like friends. I am also always here to meet them and show them to their rooms. They can have a supper tray if they like, or afternoon tea with my homemade shortbread.

I gulp. My choice of toast or breakfast cereal seems rather spartan.

Wendys guests have cotton napkins at breakfast, clean every day. She also keeps a folder on each guest and notes their likes and dislikes.

For many years, she styled food and interiors for magazines and TV programmes, a job that requires a strong aesthetic eye. You can see this in the way the cushions and ornaments are arranged  nothing is just plonked down  and although the rooms are impeccably clean and tidy, with a country-house feel, they are also cosy and welcoming. Im not a hospital! she laughs.

How many people achieve five-star ratings on Airbnb? 58 per cent of airbnb hosts over 60 get five-star ratings Advertisement

Another vital aspect of her success is time management. I am up at 6am and I set aside a couple of hours each day for office work. Then I am strict about check-in and check-out times and when I serve breakfast.

Otherwise you risk running ragged all day with beds not ready, people still eating breakfast at 11am and guests arriving at midnight.

Quite. I tried to be strict with my guests, but they were always asking to check in early, and I would often find some still in bed at noon.

Wendys guest rooms are all different and each has a matching en suite. The beds are super king-size and the bathrooms show-home splendid. Giant fluffy white towels hang on heated rails and there are Jo Malone toiletries waiting to be used.

With bedlinen  a landladys biggest headache  Wendy is equally particular: I have high-quality, white Egyptian cotton sheets and send them to the laundry twice a week. Professionally laundered linen is a must if you want to get the highest rating.

Longer-stay guests gets fresh sheets every three or four days.

Wendy (pictured right) charges guests 135 per night in order to maintain the high standards required of The Visit Britain inspectors

She adds: When it comes to towels, though, I do them at home as they must be tumble dried, otherwise they soon get hard. The huge fluffy towels are much appreciated by my guests. Its a touch of luxury they love.

Some of my guests complained that the towels werent great, and, I have to admit, some date back to the Nineties. It is always a temptation to try to cut corners when hosting guests, but Wendy never does. Even my sausages are the highest quality, she tells me proudly.

At 135 a night, Wendys B&B is right at the upper end of the price range (I charged 80), but as she points out, it costs a lot to run a high-end establishment. A big cost is electricity and its 25 a time to service each room. Then I am registered for VAT, so that is 27 off each booking.

She points out it costs a lot to keep everything sparkling  professional oven cleaners visit twice a year and her carpets are done every three months!

The Visit Britain inspectors come round every year to make sure standards are maintained. They are always looking for something to criticise, so there is never any room for complacency.

As for The Good Food Guide inspectors, they just turn up, and other inspectors make appointments at short notice, so there is no chance to do a deep clean or redecorate a room.

Wendy (pictured left) serves guests breakfast produced by her own hens and ducks

They will nitpick about a worn thread on the stair carpet, and lighting is one of their favourites. They will inspect how often you turn the mattresses and look carefully at the bathrooms for signs of mould.

So FAR, Wendy has nothing to worry about, as The Old School has been assessed at five-star gold level, which few B&Bs in Britain attain.

Its not remotely surprising when you see the breakfast menu. Fresh fruits of all kinds, compote, bacon, sausages, smoked salmon, mushrooms, homemade porridge, and, of course, eggs. These are not your standard supermarket variety but produced by Wendys own hens and ducks.

Wendy does not take online bookings. I like to know something about my guests before they arrive as this place is also my home and I dont want complete strangers tramping through the house, she explains.

So we chat on the phone first to make sure we are a good fit and I always write a welcome letter.

With the wisdom of 11 years experience, her strongest advice is: Set out your stall. Be very clear about what you will offer and stick to it. Yes, its a wonderful accolade to be the best B&B in the whole of Europe but, by God, Ive had to work for it.

Somehow I dont think I could ever reach Wendys standard, but her dedication is so inspiring it has me dreaming of becoming a gracious hostess once more.

At the very least, I could bin those decades-old bath towels.

How can you keep your guests happy? 1 Cleanliness is all-important. Make sure everything is dusted, vacuumed and polished. 2 Connect with your guests. Be friendly, but respect privacy, too. 3 Try to book guests for a two-night minimum. It is far too much work to offer one night only. 4 Be ready to make changes. I offered picnic hampers, then saw it was an expense I didnt need. 5 Dont admit dogs. Many guests are allergic to dog hairs and they make cleaning a nightmare. 6 The same goes for children. Dont be swayed by parents saying their children are well-behaved as they may well be a nuisance to the other guests. 7 Forget about dinners and just concentrate on the B&B. Dinners are very hard work  you have to cater for a minimum of six to make it pay. 8 Keep up-to-date books, games and magazines in each room. 9 Display details of bus routes, places of local interest, train times, taxi firms etc. 10 Before deciding on price, carefully work out the set-up and running costs involved. It is all too easy to make a loss. Advertisement

The Old School Bed And Breakfast, Little Compton, Gloucestershire GL56 0SL (01608 674 588).Financial sharks are routinely promoting investment opportunities that could savage peoples nest eggs.

An investigation by The Mail on Sunday has revealed how a simple enquiry about safely investing money will often trigger an onslaught of sales pitches for the impossible  high reward, low-risk investments.

One such offer uncovered by this newspaper was based on investing in mineral water sourced from the Namibian wilderness.

A leading financial expert describes these unregulated investments as akin to asking a bloke down the pub to manage your investments.

Investors are at risk from sharks who look savers hungry for higher returns

BEWARE WEBSITE CLAIMS

An online search for safely investing money by The Mail on Sunday took us to the website of Safe Secure Investments.

It advertises annual returns of up to 14 per cent, with options to suit all investors  who only need stump up as little as 5,000. By comparison, the best five-year cash savings bonds currently offer annual interest of around 2.5 per cent.

The website boasts about financial security. For example, it claims a key feature of its bonds  which purport to invest in London Crossrail and the renewable energy sector  is market-leading capital protection via multi-layered security structures.

A slick video comprises a series of slides, set to soothing music that would not be out of place in a luxury spa.

One slide reads: Ensure that your capital is fully protected throughout the investment term. It features a hand spinning the lock of a safe. Another reads: FCA [Financial Conduct Authority] regulated advisers and service providers. Yet the website is not regulated.

Beware 'clones' of legitimate investment firm websites Financial sharks are creating copycat websites and posing as legitimate investment businesses to cheat people out of their savings Find out how to protect yourself here.

The Mail on Sunday showed the marketing material to financial expert Tom McPhail, of Hargreaves Lansdown. He said: It is offering double- digit returns with low risk. That is simply not possible.

The Mail on Sunday asked Safe Secure Investments to comment on the outlandish claims made on the website. Sheila Willshere, director of Direct Property 2015 Limited  the company behind it  insisted that risks are suitably flagged at various points in the engagement process.

She added: We do not attempt to hide these risks or downplay their significance. It is entirely the investors choice if he or she wishes to proceed. Willshere also said ordinary investors are explicitly excluded from making an investment into these products.

She denied that the claims of financial protection were meaningless, adding: All of the investments we offer are protected in a number of different ways.

All introducer websites related to investments and pensions should be treated with caution. Some invite older savers to undergo a free pension review or to unlock pension cash early. Often they give the pretence of being experienced financial specialists with proven track records when nothing could be further from the truth.

HOW CAN YOU REPLY ON THE INVESTMENTS?

The only way to find out more about the products offered by Safe Secure Investments was to request a brochure  providing a name, contact number and email address.

No brochure was forthcoming from Safe Secure Investments but the contact information provided to the website triggered dozens of emails and a handful of calls from Direct Property 2015 to discuss various financial deals.

One email mentioned a fixed return from a highly secure investment opportunity. It also prompted a request to complete a self-certification form, confirming the recipients status as a sophisticated or high net-worth investor.

At this stage warnings were given that the investment promotions exposed individuals to significant risk of losing all money. A caveat coming after many reassurances that the opportunities were secure.

Another unregulated company emailed details about an investment in bottled mineral water, sourced underground in the Namibian wilderness.

According to the brochure this brand of water is known for its fine texture and taste and the opportunity offers annuity type income of 5.29 per cent per annum.

Willshere says her company has no involvement with this investment.

The FCA's ScamSmart campaign aims to stop people falling victim to fraud and scams

HALLMARKS OF DECEPTION

Common features betray introducer websites that paint risky investments as safe.

If the only way to find specific information about an investment requires customers to supply personal contact details, be wary. Most likely, the website only exists to capture names and numbers to pass on to unregulated companies.

Such websites and subsequent cold-callers will also downplay investment risk, exaggerate investment returns and in some cases fail to mention charges.

Introducer websites and unregulated financial companies often use a centrally-located London address to suggest legitimacy. But these are often managed offices where desks and phones are easy to rent short-term.

Anyone looking at such a website should scroll down to the bottom to find further information about the company. Often there is an admission that it is not regulated or authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

McPhail says: The first rule of investing is only to deal with regulated advisers and investments. Not only does this significantly reduce the risk of something going wrong but if it does, you have a complaints system and compensation scheme to ensure you are treated fairly.

He adds: If you deal with unregulated advisers or investment schemes, it is no different from handing over your money to a bloke down the pub.

HOW COLD CALLS AND TEXTS CAN LEAD TO RUIN

Key steps to keeping your money safe

talk about your investment options with friends and family  never make decisions on a whim.

l abandon any transfers to an investment scheme if you have even the slightest doubt about its legitimacy. l check a company is authorised by City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority by searching its register. Visit register.fca.org.uk. l research a company. Find details on the Companies House register at beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Look for reviews on websites or online forums. l get reputable, regulated advice. To find a qualified professional use websites . l learn more about investment and pension scams by visiting fca.org.uk/scamsmart.

Help is also available from The Pensions Advisory Service. Visit pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk or call 0300 123 1047. l report scams to the regulator by visiting fca.org.uk/consumers/report-scam-unauthorised-firm.

An increasing number of savers are losing retirement funds to scammers or opportunists.

James Walsh works for the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, which represents thousands of occupational pension schemes.

He says: People are being offered opportunities to transfer money into places where it is at great risk. Over the last couple of years our members have seen an increase in fraudulent activity and they are worried about it.

Investors are led to these traps via websites, cold calls and unsolicited text messages.

Nearly 14 million was lost to a particular pension scam between November 2012 and September 2014, when 245 people were cold-called or lured by a series of scam websites.

The High Court recently ruled that four people behind the scam must repay victims following a special application by The Pensions Regulator  the first time such an order has been obtained.

As part of the order, an independent trustee can now seek confiscation of the scammers assets to help repay victims.

More than 1 million was paid to introducers who first contacted the victims and encouraged them to transfer their pension funds.

They were told funds would be put in low-risk assets and bonds, but they were put into risky unregulated investments including an off-plan hotel development in St Lucia.

One couple, who lost both their pensions worth a combined 78,000, were sent details about their money being invested in a truffle tree firm.

One 48-year-old victim, who had given up work to care for his seriously ill partner and their three children, lost nearly 50,000 in the scam. He was promised ten per cent of the transfer as a lump sum rebate.

He says: The loss of my pension will have a massive impact on my life. I feel stupid for throwing away my financial future for a lump sum of 4,200.Free financial tools and services that help people save, protect or better manage money are routinely overlooked  often by people who would most benefit from what they offer.

We look at five free-to-use official services that are worth considering.

five free-to-use official services that are worth considering.

PENSION WISE

This Government initiative guides people through the pensions jungle when they are on the cusp of tapping their retirement funds.

Guiders, as staff are known, present options for taking an income from a pension, give information about any tax issues and Government benefits and also highlight scams to be aware of.

Pension Wise is aimed at people aged 50 or above who hold a defined contribution pension  a pot of money that has built up as a result of contributions paid in over many years.

But fewer than one in ten of the target age group uses the service. This is despite the fact that those who use it usually go away happy. User feedback indicates an 89 per cent satisfaction rate.

Plans are afoot to merge Pension Wise, The Pensions Advisory Service and consumer help website the Money Advice Service into one financial guidance body.

Details are currently being thrashed out under the Financial Guidance and Claims Bill making its way through Parliament. But in the meantime, Pension Wise remains the first port of call for anyone seeking assistance on how to take income from a pension fund.

How to use it: Face-to-face meetings are delivered by Citizens Advice, while telephone appointments are handled by The Pensions Advisory Service. There is also an online option via the Pension Wise website. Visit pensionwise.gov.uk or call 0800 138 3944 to book an appointment, which takes up to one hour.

What it will not do: Provide personal advice tailored to you. It is a guidance service, so information provision is the name of its game.

CURRENT ACCOUNT SWITCH SERVICE

In recent years, millions of people have switched their bank account to a new provider using a secure service, which ensures the process is carried out automatically with minimal effort from customers. Known as the Current Account Switch Service, it comes with a raft of guarantees to ensure a smooth transfer.

It has been used nearly 4.5 million times since launch in September 2013. Among those surveyed about their experience, 93 per cent of switchers were satisfied with the service. It has a 99 per cent success rate of switching accounts within promised time scales. Yet last year, fewer than two per cent of consumers eligible to use it did so.

More than 40 banks and building societies provide the service, covering 99 per cent of current accounts.

Under the guarantee a switch happens within seven working days. Direct debits and standing orders are transferred to the new account automatically and the old one is closed.

Payments mistakenly made to or demanded from the old account are redirected to the new one. If anything goes wrong, resulting in penalties or a loss of interest, the new bank must issue a refund.

Most small businesses, charities and trusts with turnover, income or a net asset value of up to 6.5 million can also use the service.

How to use it:Request old bank statements you might need before initiating a switch. Then ask your new bank  online or in branch  to effect a transfer using the service. Choose a switch date and the bank will take care of the rest. Continue using your old account as normal until the switch date.

What it will not do: Let payments go astray. An automatic redirection service exists for as long as the customer needs it.

Switching service made it easy to open new accounts Rebecca wanted to a new bank and used the current account switch service to help Rebecca Kennelly decided this year would be the one when she finally got her finances in order. She was true to her word. On the second day of the new year, she switched her bank account. The 26-year-old used the Current Account Switch Service to handle the automatic transfer of all her monthly incomings and outgoings, including direct debits and standing orders, from Halifax to Nationwide Building Society. Rebecca, mum to two-year-old Alice, was enticed by Nationwides FlexAccount, while her husband James, 27, chose the building societys FlexPlus account. As a result of the building societys recommend a friend deal they also received a 200 bonus. Rebecca, a manager in recruitment, says: It was a new year and we wanted everything in order. We decided to bank with Nationwide and wanted to open a few accounts  including a Junior Isa for Alice  all under one roof. An employee in our local branch explained the Current Account Switch Service and it reassured us because we were worried about losing direct debits. But they took care of everything  we hardly did anything. She adds: I told my employer my new bank details, but even if it had paid my old account, the money would have been redirected to my new Nationwide account.

PAYm

Paying money into a friend or relatives bank account is faster and simpler with Paym (pronounced pay em). But fewer than one in five people eligible to use this tool have signed up  even though it is easy to arrange when logged into online banking.

Someone who owes you money can pay by entering your mobile number in their banking app rather than your account number and sort code. The same applies when you need to pay someone else, so long as he or she has signed up too.

Only one mobile number can be linked to one bank account  so it is clear which account the money is going to. It is useful for IOUs, such as splitting a pub bill or a taxi fare home. Sole traders might find it easier to be paid this way for smaller jobs.

You can send up to 250 a day, although some banks may offer a slightly higher limit. More than 686 million has been transferred between accounts since Payms launch in April 2014, with nearly 1 million sent every day during December last year. Although 250,000 new users registered in the second half of last year, there is more work to be done in making this a mainstream way to transfer money.

Nichola Shanley uses Paym for takeaways and splitting taxi bills

Paym is available to 25 million people via their mobile banking app, but so far there are just 4.2 million users registered.

It is offered by 15 banks and building societies, which may have different names for the service. For example, Barclays version is Pingit, while Lloyds Bank calls it Pay a Contact.

Nichola Shanley has paid back her mum for food, shared the cost of taxis and split the cost of a take-way with a friend  all with Paym.

When she transfers small sums via the banking app on her phone she only has to enter her mum or friends mobile numbers from her contacts list for money to land in their bank accounts.

Otherwise, she would have to wait for them to supply account numbers and sort codes.

The 25-year-old, who lives in Warwick and is an account manager in advertising, has also linked her own mobile number to her NatWest Bank account, so people can repay her with ease too.

Nichola says: I got a takeaway with a friend recently and wanted to pay her my share, which was about 10.

She did not know about Paym so she signed up while I was there next to her. It is the easiest way to pay back your friends.

How to use it: Register your mobile number by logging-in to online banking and looking for the section about mobile payments.

There is also a step-by-step process available online at paym.co.uk

To send a payment, the recipients mobile number must be registered to their account.

In your phones banking app, choose to transfer money using a mobile number. Select a recipient either from your mobile phonebook or by entering a number manually. You are asked to verify the name of the person before paying them.

What it will not do: Act as a mobile wallet  money is not stored on the phone. If your handset goes missing, the only route to your account would be via the usual banking app, which is password protected.

Around 75 per cent of energy suppliers offer ten commitments under terms of guarantee

ENERGY SWITCH GUARANTEE

This is designed to give people confidence to change energy supplier, which few do. Last year, a record 5.5 million customers switched electricity supplier. But this still only represents one in six customers according to Energy UK, the trade body that launched the guarantee. So most households are missing out.

Despite a lack of faith in switching, more than 90 per cent of people who change provider are satisfied with the process.

There are ten commitments pledged by suppliers under the terms of the guarantee.

They include: the new supplier handling a transfer and any potential problems; a transfer being completed in 21 days; a customer never being without gas or electricity; your right to have a 14-day cooling off period if you change your mind; and any credit from your old account balance being refunded within 14 days of your final bill  which itself must be delivered within six weeks of switching.

Around 75 per cent of energy suppliers offer the guarantee. They include: British Gas, Bulb Energy, E.ON, EDF Energy, Enstroga, Fairer Power, First Utility, Flow Energy, npower, Octopus Energy, Ovo Energy, Pure Planet, Scottish Power, So Energy, Tonik Energy and Utility Warehouse.

How to use it: Compare tariffs and decide which supplier you want to move to. Notify the new company that you wish to switch and it will take care of the rest. Find all details of the guarantee at energyswitchguarantee.com.

What it will not do: Find you a better energy tariff. Compare her at thisismoney.co.uk/energy

Step-by-step switching help is available at citizensadvice.org.uk/energy.

OMBUDSMAN SERVICES

If yo are locked in a dispute with a company and reach stalemate, an Ombudsman can usually intervene.

The well-established Financial Ombudsman Service covers disputes with financial companies. But Ombudsman Services can help resolve disagreements between consumers and communications providers, energy suppliers and a limited number of retailers.

It also covers fall-outs in the property sector, between customers and estate agents, surveyors and letting agents  but only until August this year. In 2016, Ombudsmen resolved more than 72,000 complaints, but research indicates that some 75 million problems went unheard. This is because most consumers feel it is not worth the hassle to complain or they will have to kick up a big fuss to get a result.

How to use it: First go to the company that wronged you  and be clear about how you want your problem resolved. It has eight weeks to put matters right. If it does not, you can refer your case to Ombudsman Services either via ombudsman-services.org or by calling 0330 440 1614 (communications), 0330 440 1624 (energy) or 0333 300 1620 (consumer).

What it will not do: Penalise a company for bad behaviour. It can order a company to refund you, rectify wrongs and issue an apology. But even if it finds in your favour, some customers may be dissatisfied by the recompense.

Mark Carney launched a scathing attack on digital currencies such as bitcoin, ethereum and ripple at a a conference this morning.

The Bank of England Governor called for regulation to hold cryptocurrencies to the 'same standards as the rest of the financial system'.

In a speech delivered to the inaugural Scottish Economics Conference in Edinburgh, Mr Carney branded cryptocurrencies a 'failure', a 'lottery' and said they exhibit the 'classic hallmarks of bubbles' that attract 'fools'.

Mark Carney: The Bank of England Governor says that cryptocurrencies need more regulation

He said: 'The prices of many cryptocurrencies have exhibited the classic hallmarks of bubbles including new paradigm justifications, broadening retail enthusiasm and extrapolative price expectations reliant in part on finding the greater fool.

'At present, crypto-assets raise a host of issues around consumer and investor protection, market integrity, money laundering, terrorism financing, tax evasion, and the circumvention of capital controls and international sanctions.'

His comments come as bitcoin's value continues to swing wildly, having rocketed to nearly $20,000 late last year before plunging. Today, the price sits at just below $11,000.

A host of regulators including in South Korea, China, Russia and India have already expressed concern about bitcoin, while Germany's Bundesbank has also called for global regulation.

Mr Carney added: 'A better path would be to regulate elements of the crypto-asset ecosystem to combat illicit activities, promote market integrity, and protect the safety and soundness of the financial system.

'The time has come to hold the crypto-asset ecosystem to the same standards as the rest of the financial system.

'Being part of the financial system brings enormous privileges, but with them great responsibilities.'

The Bank is assessing the risk cryptocurrencies pose to the financial system (PA)

The Bank's Financial Policy Committee is carrying out a study into the risks posed to UK financial stability by cryptocurrencies.

However, the Governor insisted that, in his view, crypto-assets do not 'appear to pose material risks to financial stability'.

The Bank chief also conceded that the distributed ledger technology which underpins cryptocurrencies can act to help the way payments are made evolve.

'Even if the current generation is not the answer, it is throwing down the gauntlet to the existing payment systems.

These must now evolve to meet the demands of fully reliable, real-time, distributed transactions.

'The Bank believes that distributed ledger technology could over time significantly improve the accuracy, efficiency and security of processes across payments, clearing and settlement,' he said.Following is the full text of the joint statement.

1. At the invitation of H. E. Shri Ram Nath Kovind, President of the Republic of India, H.E. Mr. Tran Dai Quang, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and Spouse paid a State Visit to the Republic of India from 02-04 March 2018. The President of Vietnam was accompanied by a high-level official delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Pham Binh Minh, leaders of many ministries, provinces and a large business delegation.

2. During the visit, the President of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang was received by the President of India and accorded the ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan; paid floral tributes at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat; held talks with and attended the State Banquet hosted by the President of India; held delegation-level talks with the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narenda Modi. President Tran Dai Quang received Honble Speaker of Lok Sabha Smt. Sumitra Mahajan and Honble Minister of External Affairs Smt. Sushma Swaraj and met a number of other leaders. He also addressed the Vietnam - India Business Forum and held discussions with several prominent leaders of Indian industry and business. Earlier, he visited Bodh Gaya.

3. The delegation level talks between Vietnam and India were held in a warm, cordial and friendly atmosphere, reflecting the significant deepening of bilateral relations and enhanced multidimensional engagement since the successful visit of Prime Minister Modi to Vietnam in 2016 and elevation of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. After the talks, President Tran Dai Quang and Prime Minister Modi witnessed the exchange of agreements on atomic energy, trade, agriculture and fishery, among others.

4. President Tran Dai Quang congratulated and commended India on its achievements in economic and social development, science and technology, and improving its peoples living standards; expressed his support for Indias enhancing role and position in the regional and international arena. President Kovind and Prime Minister Modi congratulated Vietnam on its important achievements in socio-economic development and foreign policy; and expressed their confidence that Vietnam would soon achieve the goal of becoming an industrialised country, with a prominent role and status in the region and the world.

5. Both sides affirmed the long-term and time-tested friendship between the two countries, the foundation of which was laid by the Fathers of the Nations, Mahatma Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh and nurtured by successive generations of leaders and people of the two countries. Both sides expressed their satisfaction at the excellent state of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, and commended various commemorative activities held in both countries in the Year of Friendship 2017 to celebrate the forty-fifth anniversary of diplomatic relations and tenth anniversary of the Strategic Partnership. President Tran Dai Quang lauded the organising of the Vietnam Days in India on this occasion which concluded successfully the Year of Friendship.

6. Based on the current excellent relations, the Leaders agreed to maintain regular exchange of visits at all levels of the political parties, Governments, legislative institutions and provinces/States and between the people of both countries. They also agreed to hold the next Joint Committee Meeting led by the foreign ministers of the two countries in 2018 in order to review the areas of cooperation and the implementation of the Action Plan of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the period of 2017-2020.

DEFENCE AND SECURITY

7. Both sides agreed that defence and security cooperation is an important and effective pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and expressed satisfaction at the progress being made in this domain. They welcomed ongoing exchange of senior level delegations, meetings of consultation mechanisms, stronger cooperation between their armed forces and enhanced cooperation in areas of cyber security, combating terrorism and violent extremism in all their forms and manifestations, transnational crimes, human and drug trafficking, maritime security, climate change and food security.

8. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to an open, free, secure, stable, peaceful and accessible cyber space under the auspices of the United Nations and called for greater cooperation and effective implementation of the agreements signed between the two sides on cyber security. They also agreed to operationalise of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the National Security Council Secretariat of India and the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and initiate the Deputy Ministerial level dialogue to enhance cooperation in traditional and non-traditional security matters and undertake training and capacity building programmes.

9. The Indian side affirmed its continued willingness to partner with Vietnam in defence cooperation and in building capabilities and capacities for Vietnam. Both sides agreed to expedite the implementation of the US$100 million Line of Credit for building of high-speed patrol boats for the Vietnam Border Guards and urged for early signing of a framework agreement on the US$500 million Line of Credit for defence industry. Both sides agreed to further enhance defence ties, including through exchanges of senior level defence delegations, regular senior level dialogues, cooperation between the two armed forces, port calls of naval and Coast Guard ships, capacity building projects, procurement of equipment, transfer of technology and cooperation in regional fora, including ADMM plus.

10. Both sides agreed that it is essential to strengthen cooperation in maritime domain, including anti-piracy, security of sea lanes, exchange of white shipping information, etc. In the spirit of the proposal for an ASEAN-India Strategic Dialogue on Maritime Cooperation made at the Commemorative Summit held in New Delhi in January 2018, the two sides agreed to further promote Vietnam-India bilateral consultation on maritime issues.

11. The two sides unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. The Vietnamese side shared Indias concern that terrorism poses today one of the most serious threats to global peace, security and stability. They underscored that there is no justification whatsoever for act of terrorism and recognised that terrorism cannot be and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic groups. They called upon all nations to adopt a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, which should include countering radicalisation, recruitment, training and movement of terrorists including Foreign Terrorist Fighters, blocking sources of financing terrorism including through organised crimes, money-laundering, smuggling of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), drug trafficking and other criminal activities, dismantling terrorist bases, safe havens and countering misuse of the internet, cyberspace, including social media and other communication techniques by terrorist entities groups and their affiliates. The two sides further agreed that they would cooperate in building a strong consensus for early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

ECONOMIC RELATIONS

12. Both sides agreed that enhancing strong trade and economic engagement is a strategic objective, a core element of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and are essential for strengthening bilateral ties. Both leaders expressed satisfaction and commended the significant rise in trade turnover during the last two years. In order to realise potential to both increase the volume of trade and diversify its composition, they requested the relevant ministries and agencies on both sides to explore substantive and practical measures to achieve the trade target of US$15 billion by 2020, including but not limited to utilising established mechanisms, strengthening exchanges of trade delegations, business-to-business contacts, regular organisation of trade fairs and events. Both sides agreed to hold the next Meeting of the Joint Sub-Commission on Trade in Ha Noi in 2018 at the earliest.

13. Both sides urged leaders of business and industry of both countries to explore new trade and investment opportunities in identified priority areas of cooperation: hydrocarbons, power generation, renewable energy, energy, conservation, infrastructure, textiles, footwear, pharmaceuticals, machine tools, agriculture and agro-products, tourism, chemicals, ICT and other service sector industries., The two sides agreed to intensify cooperation to increase productivity, quantum and content of science and technology in agricultural products.

14. Both sides encouraged greater two-way investment between Vietnam and India. Prime Minister Modi welcomed Vietnamese companies to avail of the favourable investment climate in India under the Make in India programme. President Tran Dai Quang welcomed Indian companies to invest in Vietnam and affirmed Vietnams commitment to create favourable conditions and facilitation for Indian investments in accordance with Vietnamese laws. He applauded Prime Minister Modis efforts which improved Indias ranking in the ease of doing business.

DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

15. President Tran Dai Quang highly appreciated Indias long standing and continued grants-in-aid and lines of credit for Vietnam. He thanked India for increasing scholarships to Vietnamese students, researchers, academic professionals and government officials, especially through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, the Mekong - Ganga Cooperation (MGC) framework, as well as the projects under the fund of Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), etc. Prime Minister Modi offered to organise customised courses in areas of interest to Vietnam through the ITEC programme. President Tran Dai Quang appreciated Prime Minister Modis announcement at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in January 2018 of undertaking a pilot project on rural connectivity in the CLMV countries which would create Digital Villages and for offering 1,000 fellowships to students and researchers from the ASEAN member states for studying integrated PhD programmes in Indian Institutes of Technology.

ENERGY COOPERATION

16. The two sides agreed that their cooperation in oil and gas exploration, thermal and hydroelectric power and renewable energy and energy conservation is registering remarkable progress. President Tran Dai Quang welcomed Indian businesses to expand their oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities on land and in the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Vietnam and to this effect suggested that relevant Indian companies file concrete proposals for the blocks offered by the Vietnamese side. Both sides agreed to actively pursue the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on collaboration in oil and gas exploration projects in third countries. The Vietnamese side also welcomed Indian oil and gas companies to avail of opportunities in the midstream and downstream sectors in Vietnam.

17. President Tran Dai Quang welcomed Indian companies to invest in renewable energy and energy conservation projects in Vietnam and thanked India for extending support to Vietnam in building a research reactor for the purpose of peaceful uses of atomic energy.

18. The Vietnamese side took note of the request by the Indian side on actively considering signing the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance with a view to strengthening the cooperation in the renewable energy space.

CULTURE, EDUCATION AND PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES

19. Both sides agreed to intensify cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange, widen and deepen cultural and historical ties by cooperating further in the areas of archaeology, conservation and museums to revive and reconnect the civilisational and historic cultural heritage between the two countries. India highly appreciated Vietnams proposal to establish a Vietnam Cultural Centre in India.

20. Both Leaders appreciated the effective implementation of the project of preserving and renovating the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site of My Son, Quang Nam province, Vietnam. The Vietnamese side welcomed Indian Line of credit for the restoration and preservation of Hoa Lai Tower and Po Klong Garai Cham Tower and grants-in-aid assistance of the Cham community in Ninh Thuan Province, as well as the efforts of the Government of India and the Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayta Samiti (BMVSS) to provide rehabilitation services and the prosthetic Jaipur Foot to around 500 Vietnamese in the provinces of Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc and other provinces.

CONNECTIVITY

21. Both sides agreed on the importance of stronger connectivity between Vietnam and India as well as between ASEAN and India. The Indian side urged Vietnam to utilise various initiatives of India for CLMV countries, including the US$1 billion line of credit for physical and digital connectivity projects. The progress made in regional connectivity endeavours such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway was noted by the two Leaders. The two sides agreed to explore the possibility of extending the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway further to Vietnam through Cambodia and Lao PDR.

22. The two sides stressed the importance of the early signing of an ASEAN-India Maritime Transport Cooperation Agreement. They sought acceleration of the establishment of direct shipping routes between the sea ports of India and Vietnam. They also welcomed the commencement of direct flights between New Delhi and Ho Chi Minh City during the visit and urged the airlines of both countries to soon open more direct flights between major cities of the two countries.

REGIONAL COOPERATION

23. Prime Minister Modi and President Tran Dai Quang shared convergence of views on various bilateral and international issues, including the regional security situation in Asia. They reiterated the importance of achieving a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region where sovereignty and international law, freedom of navigation and overflight, sustainable development and a free, fair and open trade and investment system are respected.

24. They emphasised that India and Vietnam play important roles in safeguarding and strengthening such an open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture and in further strengthening of cooperation with ASEAN. They expressed satisfaction at the successful conclusion of ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit held in January 2018, with significant contribution of Vietnam in its capacity as the Country Coordinator for the 2015-2018 period, and decided to undertake necessary steps to implement the proposals made in the Delhi Declaration to further enhance the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership.

President Tran Dai Quang expressed appreciation of Indias support for ASEANs centrality in the evolving regional architecture, its continued contribution to regional peace, security and prosperity and to ASEAN integration and the ASEAN community building process.

25. Underscoring the significance of sub-regional frameworks in strengthening bilateral cooperation and complementing regional cooperation through ASEAN frameworks, they agreed to optimally develop and utilise existing sub-regional frameworks, especially the Mekong-Ganga Economic Corridor.

MULTILATERAL COOPERATION

26. The two sides appreciated their coordination at regional and international fora and agreed to continue this tradition. Both sides reaffirmed their mutual support for each others candidatures as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council- Vietnam for the term 2020-2021, and India for the term 2021-2022. The Vietnamese side reiterated its consistent support for permanent membership of India in a reformed Security Council.

27. The two sides re-affirmed their determination and efforts to further cooperate in maintaining peace, stability and development in the Indo - Pacific region as well as in the world at large. They also reiterated the importance of, and the need for complete compliance with international law, notably the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), including the implementation of international legal obligations in good faith, the maintenance of freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea, full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to the threat or use of force, and in accordance with international law. In this regard, both sides support the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and look forward to an early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

28. Both leaders welcomed the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and reiterated their commitment to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They agreed that the Global Partnership remains key to the achievement of the SDGs. In this regard, both leaders recalled the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the importance of fulfillment of the Official Development Assistance committed by the developed countries.

29. President Tran Dai Quang thanked President Kovind and the friendly people of India for their gracious hospitality, and cordially extended an invitation to President Kovind to visit Vietnam at an early date. President Kovind gladly accepted the invitation and agreed that the timing of the visit would be arranged through diplomatic channels.Call me old fashioned, but I lament when learning that another one of our countrys building societies is to give up the ghost.

Less choice for savers and borrowers, another nail in the coffin for community focused businesses.

This time it is Holmesdale that has decided it can no longer carry on as an independent concern. Bar a hiccup or a customer uprising it will be consumed into the bowels of Skipton  its much larger rival  before the year is out.

Bar any hiccups another small building society Holmesdale will disappear - as it gets taken over by Skipton

Based in leafy Reigate, Surrey, Holmesdale has been around since 1855. But despite making 1.53 million profits (for the year to the end of March 2017), it believes soldiering on is pointless. It just cannot compete against the financial monoliths and does not possess sufficient capital to invest in its business.

When it finally disappears from view, it will take the number of building societies down to 43.

A far cry from the halcyon days of 1940 when 952 societies were scattered across this fine country of ours  and a significant reduction on pre-financial crisis numbers when there were 60. (Skipton has been pre-eminent in hoovering up the casualties).

Like bank branches, small community-based building societies are slowly withering on the vine  and as with both axed branches and closed ATMs, we should mourn their loss.

After all, they are businesses that often operate in towns and villages the big banks have long given up on (not an argument it must be said that can be used in the case of Holmesdale and Reigate).

They are also often prepared to be far more flexible over whom to lend to as a result of intimate knowledge of their local housing markets  and a willingness to assess home loan applications on an individual rather than tick-box basis.

Staffordshire-based Leek United and North West-centric Cumberland are brilliant examples of building societies making a difference in their communities.

Leek United has been foursquare behind the totally Leek campaign aimed at ensuring the town remains a vibrant place to live, work and shop. Empty town centre shop units have fallen in number as a result of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Cumberland will soon be the last bank or society standing in nine of the 34 communities it has branches in. Its modus operandi is all about offering a raft of financial services to local people  everything from current, apprentice and business accounts through to financial advice and commercial lending. Services that are provided face to face or via the phone or internet.

So, if you care about community, a vibrant high street (soon to lose its Maplin stores and, in some towns, its Prezzo restaurants) and financial diversity, you should lament the passing of Holmesdale  while supporting those financial businesses that operate in your neck of the woods.

Help keep your local commerce ticking over  or the cold and brutal wind of change will destroy it forever.

Time to leave our pensions alone

We are approaching the pensions silly season  when in the run-up to the Chancellor of the Exchequers Spring Statement, rumours surface about threatened reductions to the tax relief boost we receive every time we put money inside a pension.

So far, the rumour mill has been somewhat muted. But recent news that pension contribution tax relief cost the Chancellor a rather eye-watering 38.6 billion in the year to April 2017 may get Treasury tongues wagging between now and Tuesday week.

To put this number into perspective, it is more than the amount the Government spent on defence in the same financial year (37 billion).

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond

Given the predilection of past Chancellors to attack our pensions  Gordon Brown and George Osborne were masters of this dark art  I would not be surprised if Philip Hammond comes up with another wheeze designed to keep a lid on tax relief costs. A cut here, a reduction there.

But I hope I am wrong. When it comes to pensions I stand in the Steve Webb camp.

Last week, the former Pensions Minister, who now works for financial services giant Royal London, said: Successive Chancellors have viewed pension tax relief as a honey pot, convenient to dip into whenever they are short of money.

Six cuts in the last seven years simply undermine confidence in the system. It is time the Chancellor committed to no more changes to tax relief for the rest of this Parliament. Spot on. Leave our pensions alone.Betfair was founded in 1999, when online betting was virtually unknown. Today Paddy Power Betfair is a FTSE 100 company, valued at 7 billion.

The group has had some boardroom issues recently but, in the early days, Betfair helped to revolutionise the betting industry.

Tim Levene joined Betfair in 2001 and was instrumental in its success. But he left in 2010 to set up a new venture, Augmentum because he believed that the financial services sector would, over time, be transformed by the internet, in much the same way as the betting industry has been.

Augmentum has expanded significantly over the past eight years by investing in fast-growing financial technology companies, including Zopa, the worlds first peer-to-peer lending platform and Seedrs, the successful crowdfunding venture.

Taste of success: Whisky Invest Direct is part of Augmentum Fintechs portfolio

Now the group is planning to list on the stock market via a 100 million flotation. Shares in Augmentum Fintech will be 100p each, applications can be submitted through a wide range of intermediaries and the deadline is this Thursday.

Levene has powerful backers, including RIT Capital, chaired by Jacob Rothschild. Lord Rothschild is a member of the illustrious banking family,

RIT has a track record of success and is investing 10 million in the flotation. There is a strong management team too and advisers include Betfair founder Edward Wray.

Zopa and Seedrs apart, Augmentum has four further investments, including Interactive Investor, the UKs second largest online stockbroker after Hargreaves Lansdown, as well as BullionVault and Whisky Invest Direct.

BullionVault allows individual investors to buy and sell gold and silver online and is the largest operation of its kind in the world.

Whisky Invest Direct opens up the arcane world of whisky as an investment asset. Scottish distilleries typically rely on professional finance while their whisky matures.

Through Whisky Invest Direct, individual investors will be able to gain access to this market, which has historically grown by an average of 8 per cent a year.

Zopas loan book has expanded from less than 50 million to around 1 billion since Augmentum invested in the business in 2012. Interactive Investor assets have grown from 1.5 billion to almost 20 billion since Augmentum became involved in 2015.

Backer: Banking scion Lord Rothschild, chairman of RIT Capital

Levene and his team have been looking for other investments ahead of the flotation and intend to invest shareholders money over the next 12 months, buying 10 to 15 new companies.

The group is actively involved in its portfolio and intends to generate value for shareholders by helping businesses to grow, selling out at a profit and returning cash to shareholders as disposals are made.

Midas verdict: Banks, insurers and asset managers are often criticised for charging too much and delivering too little.

Technology has already begun to chip away at the edges of these industries but far greater transformation is expected. Augmentum Fintech provides investors with a way of accessing this transformation and the shares could go far. Investors with a sense of adventure should buy.

To be listed on: Main Market

Ticker: AUGM Contact: augmentumfintech.comA third of the UK's biggest 100 restaurant groups in the UK are loss-making as they suffer from market 'oversaturation' and rising staff costs, a new report claims.

Some 35 big restaurant chains were loss-making this year, compared to 20 last year - an increase of 75 per cent, according to accountancy group UHY Hacker Young.

It comes as Carluccio's is the latest restaurant group to spark concerns about the decline of high street eateries as it reportedly brought in KPMG to help it look at restructuring options.

Feeling the heat: Carluccio's is understood to have brought in KPMG to help it look at restructuring options

The Italian eatery chain, co-founded by the late Antonio Carluccio in 1999, operates about 100 restaurants in the UK.

A Carluccio's spokesman denied there were plans for a restructure.

The company's recent accounts show profits fell by more than 80 per cent to 982,000 in the year to September 25, 2016.

Its decision to bring in advisers is likely to fuel concerns about the fragile state of the UK's casual dining sector.

Burger chain Byron and Jamie's Italian have both undertaken Company Voluntary Arrangements this year and Prezzo is also set to close up to a third of its 300 restaurants.

UHY Hacker Young said their research showed that tough competition from 'fast casual' restaurants had taken a toll on big groups.

Restaurants in trouble Jamies Italian, started by Jamie Oliver, has closed 12 branches as part of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to restructure its 71.5m debt Barbecoa, another Jamie Oliver chain, entered administration in mid-February Byron, the burger chain, may close up to 20 of its 67 branches following a period of paying reduced rent Prezzo, the Italian chain, is expected to close some of its 300 branches as part of a restructuring Strada, another Italian chain, closed 11 branches over the festive period EAT, the sandwich chain, was rumoured in early February to be considering closing some of its 100 branches

They also blamed the introduction of the National Minimum Wage, which has risen to 7.50 per hour, for the financial deterioration of large restaurant chains. From April 2018, the minimum wage will rise even further to 7.83.

Peter Kubik, of UHY Hacker Young, said: 'More than a third of the biggest companies in the restaurant sector are losing money, and there is little respite on the horizon.

'Pressures on the restaurant sector have been building for years, and the last year has pushed a number of major groups to breaking point.

'With Brexit hanging over consumers like a dark cloud, restaurants can't expect a bailout from a surge in discretionary spending.

'Consumers only have a finite amount of spending power when it comes to eating out, and the oversaturation of the market means that groups that fall foul of changing trends can very easily fail.

'The Government has ratcheted up costs with a series of above-inflation rises in the minimum wage, and we are just weeks away from another 4.4% rise in April. That will be tough for a lot of restaurants to absorb.'DISGRACED: Gerard Walsh had a key role in the action group

When Royal Bank of Scotland agreed a 200 million settlement with a shareholder action group last year, it seemed a triumph for thousands of small investors over a ruthless and oppressive bank.

Thousands of ordinary shareholders had joined the RBoS Shareholders Action Group to sue the bank for inveigling them into buying shares during the Fred Goodwin era.

Those innocent shareholders were promised a share of the 200million as compensation.

But, as The Mail on Sunday has discovered in an investigation over several months into the action group, they are still waiting for their money. And there are troubling questions surrounding the action group itself.

We can reveal that a man at the centre of the group  Irish businessman Gerard Walsh, named as a fraudster by Jerseys Royal Court  is trying to claim for himself millions of pounds through a secretive company

Lawyers say they have uncovered 90 million phantom shares that formed part of the action groups claim, but never actually existed. This would have inflated the claim.

As a result of our investigation, MP Norman Lamb has written to Nicky Morgan, chairwoman of the Treasury Select Committee, asking her to look at the case.

The Ministry of Justice and Financial Conduct Authority have been made aware of the situation.

Why does this matter?

It directly affects thousands of innocent small shareholders who signed up to the action group and are still awaiting payouts.

It also affects all taxpayers, who bailed out RBS in the financial crisis. The costs, to be taken out of the coffers of taxpayer-backed RBS, include the 200 million settlement.

Walsh gave his address as Eaton Square in his 2011 bankruptcy

In addition RBS ran up more than 100 million of expenses defending itself before opting to resolve the case out of court. The millions of pounds Walsh is trying to claim would come out of the settlement money, leaving less for others, including small shareholders.

So who is Gerard Walsh?

He is a 60-year-old businessman who has lived in Eaton Square, Belgravia, and other expensive parts of London. He co-founded the RBoS Shareholders Action Group in 2009. Two years later, he was made bankrupt and stepped down as a director of the group.

Several sources familiar with the running of the action group said he continued to play a key role.

In 1997, the High Court of Ireland said Walsh was guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation by posing as a Lamborghini dealer. A London antiques dealer, who sued Walsh and others over payments for cars that were never delivered, was awarded damages of 677,000. Walsh also featured in a separate case in 2014 when the Jersey Royal Court called him a fraudster. The court found Walsh had induced the Nolan family, a wealthy Irish transport dynasty, into various investments but took large sums for himself, including tens of thousands he spent on paintings and a car.

The Nolans were awarded about 12 million in damages. Sources close to Walsh say he denies wrongdoing in the Jersey case, and that he was neither a defendant nor witness, so was not able to challenge the findings. But his name was mentioned about 650 times in the judgment, and lawyers for the Nolans described those who gave evidence to the court as puppets of Walsh.

Whats the problem at the Action Group?

Two main things. First, a company called Evalusafety was set up to make payments of more than 20 million. Shareholders have not been told who the money will go to, or what the payments are for.Walsh is believed to be claiming several million for himself and fellow managers of the Action Group.

Some or all of the sums may be legitimate for work on the case but the secrecy surrounding Evalusafety is troubling for shareholders. Second, lawyers say they have discovered 90 million phantom RBS shares that form part of the claim but never existed.

Fred Goodwin led RBS to its bailout

Isnt anyone trying to sort it out?

Yes. Property tycoon Trevor Hemmings, who was a big RBS shareholder, is trying to untangle the mess. One of his firms, Manx Capital, put up funding to continue fighting the case. As a condition of doing so, it insisted the action group stopped managing the claims. They are now being managed by a law firm, Signature Litigation.

What does the action group say?

The action group has filed a complaint against Signature with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Signature said: Walsh has a record of threatening and bringing SRA complaints against lawyers who do not agree to his improper demands, and we were threatened with this spurious and tactical complaint long ago.

Does the action group have any supporters?

Yes. A Twitter user with the handle @FrankRyan1936 and one of Walshs allies, Neil Mitchell, have taken to social media to accuse our journalists of being RBS stooges.

Why arent action groups regulated to run properly?

The Ministry of Justice regulates some groups but believed the RBoS Shareholders Action Group did not fall into its remit as it was a not-for profit company.

City regulator the Financial Conduct Authority will soon take over regulation from the MoJ.

A spokesman for Manx said: The action group failed in its primary task to collect and verify claims and pass them on to the lawyers accurately.

Its mismanagement has resulted in massive additional costs for true claimants to bear.

The lawyers are regulated and the tragedy for the claimants is that the action group and Walsh were not.

The law firm acting for the action group declined to comment.Charlotte Dellal, founder of Charlotte Olympia has filed for bankruptcy

Luxury shoe brand Charlotte Olympia, whose fans include Kate Moss, Beyonce and Lady Gaga, has gone bust in the US.

Founder Charlotte Dellal, 36, the daughter of property tycoon Guy Dellal, has filed for bankruptcy. The filing was made by the designers three Delaware-based firms Pinktoe Tarantula, Desert Blonde Tarantula and Red Pump Tarantula, which trade as Charlotte Olympia.

Court papers show the three firms have combined debts of $19.2 million (14 million). Four unprofitable shops in New York, California and Nevada will close.

Last summer, Ms Dellal sold a controlling stake in the business to Japanese-owned Onward Luxury Group for an undisclosed sum. William Kaye, representing Dellals companies at the US Bankruptcy Court, said: Despite selling the iconic Charlotte Olympia brand and taking steps to reduce their expenditures, the debtors operations are not profitable due to the widespread disruption in the retail industry.

Charlotte Olympia, founded in 2008, recently shut three other stores in the US. Latest accounts for the UK-based parent company show the closures cost the group 1.7 million.

The parent group posted a 5.4 million pre-tax loss for the year to March 31, 2017, and a 20 per cent drop in turnover to 16.8 million, citing challenging market conditions. Charlotte Olympia has two London shops and a concession in Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, which remain open.

Dellal is married to Maxim Crewe, a partner in private equity firm Cinven. Her father Guy is a business partner of tycoons Robert and Vincent Tchenguiz and of Dominic Chappell, the serial bankrupt who bought BHS.

Since 2015, more than 12 million of loans have been made to the company by a related party of a director and shareholder. Charlotte Dellal declined to comment.Here are a series of texts between Michelle Carter and Conrad Roy that were shown to the court. They appear here chronologically:

June 19, 2014:

Carter: 'But the mental hospital would help you. I know you don't think it would but I'm telling you, if you give them a chance, they can save your life'

Carter: 'Part of me wants you to try something and fail just so you can go get help'

Roy: 'It doesn't help. Trust me'

Carter: 'So what are you gonna do then? Keep being all talk and no action and everyday go thru saying how badly you wanna kill yourself? Or are you gonna try to get better?'

Roy: 'I can't get better I already made my decision.'

June 23, 2014:

Carter: 'How do you want to harm yourself'

Roy: 'Something idkk yet'

Carter: 'Please don't'

Roy: 'I hate myself I'll always hate myself, I'm never gonna view myself as good I'm so far behind'

Carter: 'What is harming yourself gonna do!? Nothing! It will make it worse!'

Roy: 'Make the pain go away like you said'

Carter: 'It will make the pain go away temporarily, but when you're done, you'll just regret it and feel even worse!'

July 7, 2014:

Roy: 'If you were in my position. honestly what would you do'

Carter: 'I would get help. That's just me tho. When I have a serious problem like that my first instinct is to get help because I know I can't do it on my own'

Later that day, they talk about how he could make carbon monoxide (CO) in order to suffocate to death

Carter: 'Well there's more ways to make CO. Google ways to make it. . . '

Roy: 'Omg'

Carter: 'What'

Roy: 'portable generator that's it'

July 8, 2014:

Carter: 'So are you sure you don't wanna [kill yourself] tonight?'

Roy: 'What do you mean am I sure?'

Carter: 'Like, are you definitely not doing it tonight?'

Roy: 'Idk yet I'll let you know'

Carter: 'Because I'll stay up with you if you wanna do it tonight'

Roy: 'Another day wouldn't hurt'

Carter: 'You can't keep pushing it off, tho, that's all you keep doing'

July 11, 2014:

After Roy suggests putting a generator in the truck to make CO rather than a water pump:

Carter: '...Well in my opinion, I think u should do the generator because I don't know much about the pump and with a generator u can't fail'

July 4-12, 2014:

The following was sent over a nine-day span. The *** symbols show a gap in communications between the two.

Carter: 'You're gonna have to prove me wrong because I just don't think you really want this. You just keeps pushing it off to another night and say you'll do it but you never do'

***

Carter: 'SEE THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. YOU KEEP PUSHING IT OFF! You just said you were gonna do it tonight and now you're saying eventually...'

***

Carter: 'But I bet you're gonna be like 'oh, it didn't work because I didn't tape the tube right or something like that' . . . I bet you're gonna say an excuse like that'

***

Carter: 'Do you have the generator?'

Roy: 'not yet lol'

Carter: 'WELL WHEN ARE YOU GETTING IT'

***

Carter: 'You better not be bulls***ing me and saying you're gonna do this and then purposely get caught'

July 11-12, 2014:

Again, *** shows a gap in communications

Roy: 'I'm just to sensitive. I want my family to know there was nothing they could do. I am entrapped in my own thoughts'

Roy: 'like no I would be happy if they had no guilt about it. because I have a bad feeling tht this is going to create a lot of depression between my parents/sisters'

Roy: 'i'm overthinking everything. . f**k. I gotta stop and just do it'

Carter: 'I think your parents know you're in a really bad place. Im not saying they want you to do it, but I honestly feel like they can accept it. They know there's nothing they can do, they've tried helping, everyone's tried. But there's a point that comes where there isn't anything anyone can do to save you, not even yourself, and you've hit that point and I think your parents know you've hit that point. You said you're mom saw a suicide thing on your computer and she didn't say anything. I think she knows it's on your mind and she's prepared for it'

Carter: 'Everyone will be sad for a while, but they will get over it and move on. They won't be in depression I won't let that happen. They know how sad you are and they know that you're doing this to be happy, and I think they will understand and accept it. They'll always carry u in their hearts'

***

Roy: 'i don't want anyone hurt in the process though'

Roy: 'I meant when they open the door, all the carbon monoxide is gonna come out they can't see it or smell it. whoever opens the door'

Carter: 'They will see the generator and know that you died of CO. . . .'

***

Roy: 'hey can you do me a favor'

Carter: 'Yes of course'

Roy: 'just be there for my family :)'

Carter: 'Conrad, of course I will be there for your family. I will help them as much as I can to get thru this, ill tell them about how amazing their son/brother truly was'

***

Roy: 'Idk I'm freaking out again'

Roy: I'm overthinking'

Carter: 'I thought you wanted to do this. The time is right and you're ready, you just need to do it! You can't keep living this way. You just need to do it like you did last time and not think about it and just do it babe. You can't keep doing this every day'

Roy: 'I do want to. but like I'm freaking for my family. I guess'

Roy: 'idkkk'

Carter: 'Conrad. I told you I'll take care of them. Everyone will take care of them to make sure they won't be alone and people will help them get thru it. We talked about this, they will be okay and accept it. People who commit suicide don't think this much and they just do it'

July 12, 2014:

In these exchanges on the day before his body was found, Roy expresses more hesitation about his plan.

Carter: 'So I guess you aren't gonna do it then, all that for nothing'

Carter: 'I'm just confused like you were so ready and determined'

Roy: 'I am gonna eventually'

Roy: 'I really don't know what I'm waiting for. . but I have everything lined up'

Carter: 'No, you're not, Conrad. Last night was it. You keep pushing it off and you say you'll do it but u never do. Its always gonna be that way if u don't take action'

Carter: 'You're just making it harder on yourself by pushing it off, you just have to do it'

Carter: 'Do u wanna do it now?'

Roy: 'Is it too late?'

Roy: 'Idkk it's already light outside'

Roy: I'm gonna go back to sleep, love you I'll text you tomorrow'

Carter: 'No? Its probably the best time now because everyone's sleeping. Just go somewhere in your truck. And no one's really out right now because it's an awkward time'

Carter: 'If u don't do it now you're never gonna do it'

Carter: 'And u can say you'll do it tomorrow but you probably won't'

***

Carter: 'You just need to do it Conrad or I'm gonna get you help'

Carter: 'You can't keep doing this everyday'

Roy: 'Okay I'm gonna do it today'

Carter: 'Do you promise'

Roy: 'I promise babe'

Roy: 'I have to now'

Carter: 'Like right now?'

Roy: 'where do I go? :('

Carter: 'And u can't break a promise. And just go in a quiet parking lot or something.'A Massachusetts prosecutor says a woman and her three children who were found dead in their home were homicide victims and police are asking the public for help with the investigation.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. announced Saturday that the victims found in West Brookfield on Thursday were killed in homicides.

Early also released their names: 38-year-old Sara Bermudez, eight-year-old Madison Bermudez, six-year-old James Bermudez and two-year-old Michael Bermudez.

Authorities have not released information on any suspects or a motive.

38-year-old Sara Bermudez, 8-year-old Madison Bermudez, 6-year-old James Bermudez and 2-year-old Michael Bermudez were found dead on Thursday

Several leads are being followed, with local authorities sharing with WCVB that there may gang activity involved. Early would not provide further detail relating to that claim.

Moses Bermudez had been trying to reach his wife from California, according to the Boston Globe, but failed to reach her.

Telling his sister, Rachaul, Moses had his father go check on them.

A well-being check call was done by police on Thursday and the bodies were said to have been found upstairs in a bedroom.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. announced Saturday that the victims found in West Brookfield, Massachusetts were killed in homicides

Gang activity may have been involved but a motive is unclear

The victims had stab wounds and burns, according to sources close to the investigation. Officials also detailed that there were numerous fires set inside the home, but those had run their course.

Police say a yellow plastic fuel container appeared to be missing from the home. They're asking anyone who has seen such a container that has been discarded to call state police.

Investigators also are seeking video from any home and business surveillance cameras in the area.

According to Rachaul Bermudez, the family is shocked to have learned of the murders. Her brother, who is an offshoreman in California, rushed home and to the police station when he got the news.

The victims were found with stab wounds and several burns when police discovered their bodies on Thursday

Moses and Sara met and married before moving back to Massachusetts, four years ago, so that he could be back close to family.

'Instead of the kids living in downtown Los Angeles and concrete, he wanted them to go on a boat, and with a fishing pole,' Rachaul said. 'He had a big house. He wanted to share it with everybody.'

The two had opened a bouncy house business, MJM Jumpers, and frequently rented out equipment for parties.

Their children were students at West Brookfield Elementary School, according to Quaboag Regional School District superintendent Brett Kustigian.

Investigators also are seeking video from any home and business surveillance cameras in the area

On Friday, Kustigian said the day was 'all about supporting students, coming together [as] a community, grieving, displaying emotion, and wondering how could something like this happen.'

'Unfortunately, there are no answers to many of our questions, but I am encouraged by the strength and resiliency of our students, staff, and the entire school community,' he added in a statement.

West Brookfield Police Chief C. Thomas O'Donnell added that many children and parents were nervous about the news.

'We don't want people to be overly upset, but we do want them to be careful,' he said.Alva Campbell, in this file mug shot, has been referred to as 'the poster child for the death penalty'

A twice-convicted murderer whose execution in November had to be halted when a usable vein couldn't be found to administer execution drugs died Saturday morning of natural causes.

Alva Campbell, 69, was found unresponsive in his death row cell Saturday morning at a prison in Chillicothe and was pronounced dead shortly before 5.30am at a hospital, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said.

On November 15, Campbell was in the execution chamber at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, his victim's family watched as the staff spent 25 minutes trying to find a suitable vein for the lethal injection.

A report in the Dayton Daily News said that while this was going on 'Campbell lay in a partially sitting position on a prison gurney'.

Campbell, seen here in prison with a colostomy bag, had argued that he was too sick to be executed.

Acting on the recommendation of medical staff, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Gary Mohr, halted the execution.

The inmate reportedly shed tears of joy when they couldn't proceed with executing him.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals last month denied a challenge filed by Campbell and another death row inmate to Ohio's execution protocol, arguing the three-drug combination used to carry out the death penalty posed an unacceptable risk of pain and suffering.

Cameras were rolling when Campbell was arrested in 1997, at the time, he'd already served 20 years for murder

After the failed execution attempt in November, Ohio Gov. John Kasich set a new execution date of June 5, 2019, for Campbell. He is seen here during his 1997 trial

After the failed execution attempt in November, Ohio Gov. John Kasich set a new execution date of June 5, 2019, for Campbell.

Campbell was sentenced to die in 1998 in Franklin County, which includes Ohio's capital city of Columbus, after being convicted of killing an 18-year-old man during a carjacking.

Campbell was in a wheelchair in 1997 when he overpowered a sheriff's deputy on the way to a Franklin County court hearing on armed robbery charges.

Charlie Dials, 18, died when he was hijacked by Campbell. His family was there for the halted exectution

Charles Dials, Campbell's victim loved his truck. He was only 18 years old

He took the deputy's gun, carjacked Charles Dials and drove around with him for several hours before shooting him twice in the head.

He spent 20 years in prison after being convicted in the 1972 slaying of a man at a bar in Cleveland.

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien had previously referred to Campbell as 'the poster child for the death penalty.'

Responding to the news of Campbell's death, O'Brien said on Twitter: 'Due to 20 years of frivolous post-conviction litigation, he successfully ran the clock out on justice due to the state and the victim's family.'

Campbell's attorney, David Stebbins, told The Associated Press that Campbell had 'suffered from a lot of pretty serious diseases for long time'. He said he last visited with Campbell about a week ago.

'It was only a matter of time before this caught up with him,' Stebbins said. 'In some ways, it was a relief.'

Stebbins said an autopsy will be performed on Monday.

Courtesy ABC6A vile paedophile who photographed himself abusing a baby girl was caught after police found the pictures and were able to zoom in on the man's fingertips.

Police linked Leigh Norton, 52, from central west NSW to the brutal attack on the nine-month-old girl after running the fingerprints from the photos through their database.

According to theDaily Telegraph police are able to use photographs and videos to identify criminals more often because of the improved quality of smartphone cameras.

Police linked Leigh Norton, 52, from central west NSW to the brutal attack on the nine-month-old girl after running the fingerprints from the photos through their database

Norton was sent to jail for 11 years last week, with police using the fingerprint in the abuse photo as evidence of the crime.

The picture was found in 2015 - when police raided a Melbourne paedophiles home and found conversations between the two men.

The former chemist and social worker was found with 33 images of the child - all taken on a mobile phone.A woman dumped her popcorn on a two-year-old at the movies and started hitting the tot after the child asked her mother for a treat, police say.

Keri Karman, 25, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child after she attacked a two-year-old she did not know in Long Island, New York, while watching the PG-13 blockbuster Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

She was at the AMC Dine-In in Levittown with her father, Charles Karman, 61, when a little girl next to her asked her mother for some popcorn.

'All she said was 'popcorn.' She didn't even say a full sentence,' Celia Riggs, the mom of two-year-old Harley told the New York Post because the child asked for food during the screening.

Keri allegedly dumped her $8.99 popcorn on the child's head and started hitting her with it after she told the tot to be quiet.

Keri Karman, 25, (left) and her father, Charles Karman, 61, (right) were charged with endangering the welfare of a child on Friday. Keri allegedly attacked a two-year-old at a Long Island, New York, movie theater in January after the child asked her mother for popcorn

Riggs took to Facebook on January 3 and shared a photo of her daughter asking for people to help find the culprit

'I just wanted to get my daughter out to safety,' Riggs said. 'I ran out with her. She was crying a lot.'

The incident occurred on January 2, but the pair was finally charged Friday with endangering the welfare of the child.

Riggs took to Facebook on January 3 and shared a photo of her daughter saying: 'Please share!! Looking for anyone who was at Levittown Loews at the 4 pm showing of Star Wars on January 2nd. My 2 year old daughter was assaulted while sitting at my side during a movie. There is an investigation police are involved but the person who did it got away. If you have any info please contact me ASAP! Lets get justice for Harley and use social media to find this lunatic #justiceforHarley.'

Charles Karman was charged as well because he failed to stop the incident when it happened.

Riggs is pictured above with her daughter Harley. Keri allegedly dumped her $8.99 popcorn on the child's head and started hitting her with it after she told the tot to be quiet

Keri allegedly started cussing at the 28-year-old mother of the child after she snapped and told her to be quiet. Riggs is pictured above with her daughter

Keri allegedly started cussing at the 28-year-old mother of the child after she snapped and told her to be quiet.

The 25-year-old then clamped her hand around the child's mouth, dumped her popcorn on top of the girl, and proceeded to hit her across the head with the bin.

The pair fled the movie theater once the child started crying.

Nassau County police were alerted of the incident after the two-year-old went to the doctors that same day complaining of head pain.

The police searched surveillance footage and movie theater receipts to identify the pair involved in the incident.

They arrested the Karmans, who live in Baldwin, on Friday at 3.30pm. It is unclear what sentence they might face from the incident.His entourage includes Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Chairman of the Presidential Office Dao Viet Trung, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong and a number of other senior officials.

The visit is expected to help to boost the two-way trade value between the countries, which is targeted to increase to over US$1 billion in the near future.

Vietnam and Bangladesh first established diplomatic relations in 1973 and have since maintained a fine friendship and effective cooperation. The two countries attach importance to, and desire to further develop their bilateral relationship.A woman has been told she must take a DNA test to prove who her late father was if she wants to keep her inheritance.

Lorraine Freeman, 55, claimed the estate of Colin Birtles  amounting to his Oldham house and some cash  when he died in 2013 without making a will.

But she faces a High Court challenge over rumours that she was not his biological daughter  from the woman who was brought up as her sister.

Janice Nield-Moir, who now lives in Australia, claims that Mr Birtles told several people he was not Lorraines father, and she has demanded that she take a DNA test to prove if they are both his daughters or just half-sisters.

Lorraine Freeman, 55, claimed the estate of Colin Birtles  amounting to his Oldham house and some cash  when he died in 2013 without making a will. She faces a High Court challenge over rumours she was not his biological daughter  from the woman who was brought up as her sister, who has demanded she take a DNA test (file photo)

Now, in a legal first, Judge Paul Matthews has agreed that Lorraine must have a saliva sample taken to establish paternity  and warned that if she does not, it will count against her in the inheritance dispute.

Birtless wife Veronica gave birth to Janice in 1961 and Lorraine the following year. The couple divorced in 1977 and Veronica subsequently died.

Lorraines birth certificate names Birtles as her father and he paid maintenance for her until she was 16, according to the judgment.

Lorraine, from Oldham, was said to have dismissed the allegations about her paternity as nothing but gossip and hearsay.

However, she agreed that she did not take any steps to contact Janice before staking claim to Birtless estate.

The judge said: Justice requires that the DNA evidence be made available to the court in deciding this claim, and the respondent should not be allowed to obstruct that. Accordingly, the court should direct the giving and testing of a saliva sample, with the court being able to draw an adverse inference if the respondent does not consent.

Lorraine declined to comment. Janice could not be reached.Liam Hackett, 27, chief executive of anti-bullying charity Ditch The Label, was turned away when he visited a breast cancer screening clinic in Brighton to support a friend

Men supporting their wives, partners or friends at an NHS breast cancer screening clinic have been banned from the waiting room  sparking outrage from patients.

Instead of being able to comfort women before they have a mammogram, men are being ordered to sit in a corridor.

A sign on the door to the screening clinic in Brighton says: Gentlemen are kindly asked to wait outside.

The ban has been imposed despite the fact that the waiting area is separate to the changing rooms, which have locks on the doors.

And the scan itself is performed in a different room that is not visible from the waiting area.

But the NHS trust involved said the decision to ban men was taken to protect the privacy and dignity of our women patients.

Ironically, the rule is in place despite transgender women  those who were born men  being automatically invited to breast-screening appointments under NHS guidelines.

The row came to light after Liam Hackett, 27, chief executive of anti-bullying charity Ditch The Label, was turned away when he visited the clinic to support a friend.

Sue Jones, 55, from Brighton, had discovered a lump in her left breast and made an appointment for a scan at the Park Centre for Breast Care in the city last month.

She told The Mail on Sunday: The receptionist kept saying it was their policy not to let men in. I was already anxious before the appointment but this made me really angry too.

Mr Hackett, who is gay, said he was made to sit on a chair in a corridor outside the clinic like a naughty schoolboy (above: mammogram scan)

Ms Jones, who is deputy chief executive at Ditch The Label, added: Its sexualising breasts when theres nothing remotely sexual about a mammogram.

Mr Hackett, who is gay, said he was made to sit on a chair in a corridor outside the clinic like a naughty schoolboy.

He said: Its like the staff there perceive all men as perverts. Im gay anyway  Im not interested in anyones breasts. His calls for men to be allowed in was backed by Dr Christian Jessen, star of Channel 4s Embarrassing Bodies. He said: Pain and fear are ever-present in healthcare and we should do all we can to help allay them.

A spokesman for Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust said: To protect the privacy and dignity of our women patients who are not fully dressed, we ask men to wait outside this clinical area for the 20 minutes it takes to complete the mammogram.Senate President Joe Negron, a Republican, initially ruled the voice vote had passed

The Florida state senate briefly approved a two-year freeze on the sale of AR-15 rifles on Saturday, before overturning the measure 15 minutes after the initial vote.

The vote to pass the bill came on an unrecorded voice vote, in which lawmakers shouted 'yea' or 'nay'.

Senate President Joe Negron, a Republican, ruled that the amendment passed on the voice vote, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The measure then failed 21-17 on a recorded vote minutes later.

The no votes were all cast by Republicans, while two Republicans joined 15 Democrats on the yea votes.

The surprise vote came on an amendment to bill SB 7026, which would inject millions of dollars into mental health and school safety programs, as well as impose new limits on gun access for the first time in three decades in Florida.

Florida Senators Bill Galvano and Joe Negron greet students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Florida State Capitol last month. The senate has rejected a ban on AR-15s

Lawmakers debated the bill passionately on a rare weekend session, just weeks after the massacre that left 17 dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Senator David Simmons, a Republican who opposes the ban, defended the need for civilians in a constitutional republic to keep and bear arms.

'Our founding fathers weren't talking about hunting, and they weren't talking about protecting themselves from the thief down the street who might break in,' he said, adding that citizens need guns to protect themselves from a tyrannical government.

Simmons cited Adolph Hitler's seizure of guns from German citizens as an example of the potential negative consequences of gun control measures.

Democrat Senator Kevin Rader, who is Jewish and represents Parkland, called the analogy 'absolutely unfair' and said he supported the ban on sales of AR-15s.

He recalled the evening he spent with parents waiting for victims to be identified.

AR-15 style rifles are seen for sale in a file photo. The Florida state senate briefly approved a two-year freeze on the sale of AR-15 rifles on Saturday, before overturning the measure

AR-15 style rifles are semi-automatic and have removable magazines. Their sale to civilians was previously banned at the federal level for ten years, ending in 2004.

Controversy around the weapons has grown after several high-profile mass shootings.

However roughly 90 per cent of the firearms homicides in the US are committed with handguns, in cases where the type of gun is known, according to the FBI.

It the Florida amendment temporarily banning AR-15 sales had passed in the state Senate, it is unlikely that it would have passed the state House, which is even more conservative.

The Senate session on Saturday was originally supposed to wrap up discussion by 1pm. But senators extended the session to 9pm as debate on numerous amendments extended for hours.

The Florida bill includes $18.3million for mobile crisis teams working with the Department of Children and Families and the schools; $500,000 for mental health first aid training: and $69million for mental health assistance to school districts.

It would also extend a three-day waiting period for handguns to all firearms, ban bump stocks and raise the age limit to purchase shotguns and rifles to 21, which is already the federal age limit for handguns.

A final vote on the bill won't be held until Monday.'Some might be surprised by my support for a Thatcher statue, as a Liberal Democrat MP from Scotland,' writes Jo Swinson

The statue of Viscount Falkland is a special place for me in Parliament.

Not because of who he was  I have no idea why he was deemed worthy of eternal stone-etched memory close to the entrance of Central Lobby.

But in 1909, a woman called Margery Humes bravely chained herself to this statue in protest at the injustice of women being denied the right to vote.

In the hurry to remove Margery, and silence her cries of Votes for Women, the police damaged the spur on the boot of the statue.

This reminder of the painful struggle for gender equality is still visible; I like to stand in that very spot and imagine the courageous acts of suffragettes a century ago, whose fight for equality we continue today.

Parliament, in common with our town halls, city centres and public spaces, is packed with men.

Im not just referring to the men going about their everyday business of being in charge, but the wallpaper of men immortalised in paintings, street names, statues and memorials.

Eleven monuments of men currently loom large around Parliament Square  and not a single woman.

Thanks to public campaigns such as Plinths for Women, a statue of suffragist Millicent Fawcett will rightly be unveiled there in April.

While Queen Victoria boosts the numbers of women statues, and unnamed nude women are not hard to find, data suggests fewer than 1 in 30 statues in the UK depicts a real woman from history, who wasnt in the royal family.

So it was disappointing to see Westminster Council last month turn down an application for a statue of Margaret Thatcher in Parliament Square.

Maybe they think one out of twelve is enough, that theyve ticked the woman box with the addition of Millicent Fawcett?

'As a little girl growing up in the 1980s, it never even crossed my mind to doubt that a woman could be Prime Minister. That achievement alone  for me and my whole generation  is more than significant enough to warrant a prominent statue in our public realm'

Apparently one of the reasons given for refusal was the state robes Thatcher would have been wearing.

Even in death, it seems there are no limits to how society judges women by how they look and what they wear.

Some might be surprised by my support for a Thatcher statue, as a Liberal Democrat MP from Scotland.

I grew up in the west of Scotland during the 1980s. Local steelmaking and coalmining industries were hit hard by Thatchers policies.

Her disastrous decision to use Scotland as a guinea pig for the implementation of the poll tax is firmly lodged in my memory, along with the protests it generated.

Insultingly, the views of Scots were ignored, and it was only when similar outrage was later expressed in England, that the government finally saw sense and changed the policy.

On some issues she was right. Thatcher showed impressive skills negotiating the UK rebate with our European neighbours; the contrast puts the current Conservative governments chaotic approach to shame.

And her bold decision to take us into the Single Market, and recognise the threat of global warming, showed she had long-term vision about our countrys future.

Whatever anyone thinks of Margaret Thatchers politics, there can be no dispute about her significance. She was our first female Prime Minister, and the longest-serving premier of the 20th century.

Thatcher gave her name to a distinct ideology which changed the course of the country. Her free market reforms ushered in a new kind of capitalist culture, in my view too distant from society and our humanity.

Margaret Thatcher was devastatingly successful in advancing her political cause.

I now spend a significant amount of my time trying to find policy solutions to change the unethical corporate behaviour that Thatcherism unleashed.

If we want gender equality, we have to fight for space for women we vigorously disagree with, as well as those we support.

As a passionate advocate of Scotlands place within the United Kingdom family of nations, I strongly oppose the attempts of Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP to tear our country apart.

Yet like Mrs Thatcher, there is no denying Ms Sturgeons significance as a political figure.

'As a passionate advocate of Scotlands place within the United Kingdom family of nations, I strongly oppose the attempts of Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP to tear our country apart. Yet like Mrs Thatcher, there is no denying Ms Sturgeons significance as a political figure'

As the first woman to lead Scotland as First Minister, in due course she should surely also be recognised with a statue.

While I am no Margaret Thatcher fan, there is one thing in particular for which I do thank her.

As a little girl growing up in the 1980s, it never even crossed my mind to doubt that a woman could be Prime Minister.

Seeing a woman in charge, running the country was completely normal to me.

That achievement alone  for me and my whole generation  is more than significant enough to warrant a prominent statue in our public realm.

And the simple power of being the first woman Prime Minister is so often dismissed in the understandable fury about Thatcherite policies.

Theres no doubt some of the vitriol directed at Margaret Thatcher also carries a whiff of misogyny.

The sexist, gendered insults. The way some people reacted to her death in 2013, with gleeful, tasteless celebration, is unlike anything I recall upon the death of any male politician, no matter how unpopular or controversial.

Even the whole statue debate is pretty sexist  since when did we only erect statues of men with whom everyone agreed?

Yes, Margaret Thatcher was demonised for what she stood for. But then she was demonised some more because she was a woman.

Some argue that Thatcher did not do much to advance the cause of women.

Looking at her government appointments, and her pursuit of policies which undermined public services and hurt the poor, disproportionately women, this is fair criticism.

'When I heard Hillary Clinton speak at the Southbank Centre last autumn, her answer to the question about what makes a successful woman politician was a single word: resilience'

Madeleine Albright famously said there is a special place in hell for women who dont help each other.

I generally agree, yet this is not a standard we typically hold men to when judging their significance as politicians.

And if we look through the lens of 1970s political power dynamics, do we really think for a second that a woman MP would have been elected leader of her party, let alone Prime Minister, if she had been an avowed feminist?

Consider the path the young Margaret Thatcher trod.

The snobbery she must have faced as a grocers daughter from Grantham, in a Tory party riven by public school privilege.

The ingrained sexism she had to battle in 1950s Tory Associations, even to become a candidate, let alone an MP.

And then finally getting elected as a 33-year old woman in 1959, entering a political system dripping with patriarchal power.

When I interviewed Shirley Williams for my book Equal Power, she recounted how in the 1960s as a Minister in the midst of a national crisis, she had to communicate with the lead civil servant in her department through written notes.

'Margaret Thatcher demonstrated extraordinary resilience in breaking the glass ceiling'

He refused to speak to her in person because he disagreed with the notion of women Ministers.

Becoming a party leader as a woman in the 1970s was a remarkable achievement  and even more so to do it in the Conservative party.

Expecting anyone to have done it all: become party leader, serve as Prime Minister and single-handedly transform the fortunes of women, is placing too much responsibility on the shoulders of one woman.

We all need to play our part in creating a world of gender equality.

When I heard Hillary Clinton speak at the Southbank Centre last autumn, her answer to the question about what makes a successful woman politician was a single word: resilience.

Shes right. Margaret Thatcher demonstrated extraordinary resilience in breaking the glass ceiling.

She created space for other women to follow, thankfully with different styles and different policy platforms.

If it wasnt for her, we might still be waiting for our first woman Prime Minister.

So to councils and public institutions across the country I say this: celebrate the centenary of womens suffrage by making women visible, including those like Margaret Thatcher whose achievements are controversial.

Just as we need to see more women in our public life, we need to see more women in our public space.New pictures show accused Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter, Nikolas Cruz, attempted to shoot out the windows on the top floor of a campus building to fire down at people below.

The shooter, however, failed to destroy the windows after discovering the glass where reinforced and hurricane proof.

Had he succeeded, police say that the carnage at the Florida school may have been much worse, according to Fox News who obtained the new images.

One photo shows a window located on a high-floor of a Stoneman Douglas building with multiple bullet holes, but remaining largely intact.

Confessed school shooter Nikolas Cruz, however, failed to destroy the windows after discovering the glass where hurricane proof

Police sources told Fox News that the damage appears originate from inside the building. Law enforcement noted that the high-vantage point would have led to a dramatic increase in the loss of life.

'What you are looking at is the third-floor teachers lounge, which faces west, Cruz was trying to shoot those windows out from the inside, creating a perch so he could act like a sniper -- little did he know, those windows are hurricane windows and they won't shatter,' the unidentified police officer told Fox News.

Had he succeeded, police say the carnage at the Florida school may have been much worse (Pictured: Nikolas Cruz, 19)

'Had he been able to get those shot out, who knows how many more people would've died, because he would've had sight to a wide-open courtyard where the other buildings funnel.'

Another picture obtained by the conservative broadcaster shows boxes of evidence with biohazard labels on them.

'By the looks of it, the ones with orange biohazard are anything from that day in the school that has blood or bodily matter on them; the rest is probably anything that was left behind that was unclaimed or evidence from the school shooting,' the police source said.

Cruz has been charged with the premeditated murder of 17 students at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida on February 14.

The 19-year-old's killing spree took place in the three story freshman building on the high school's campus and investigators believe we wanted to set up a perch there so he could pick off fleeing students.

A law enforcement source told ABC News Cruz left behind nearly 180 rounds of ammunition - or about six fully-loaded 30-round magazines - when he abandoned his rifle and fled the school.

Cruz disguised himself among a crowd of fleeing students and managed to get off campus to go to McDonald's afterwards before he was arrested.

The freshman building - or building 12 as it was also known - held up to 900 students and the school is over capacity, as the Parkland area is a popular residential area.The United Nations aid agency backed by Angelina Jolie has been hit by 19 allegations of sex abuse by staff in the past year alone, it can be revealed, with three of the alleged victims being under 18.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which received almost 100 million from British taxpayers in 2017, said misconduct complaints had been made against workers in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

On the eve of a crisis meeting to be held by Department for International Development (DFID) chiefs, this newspaper has also discovered that:

DFID contractor Adam Smith International has admitted it has had historic cases of sexual misconduct;

Human-rights group Amnesty International said it had dealt with three cases of sexual harassment;

Prince Charless young peoples charity, The Princes Trust, said three workers had been disciplined for inappropriate behaviour.

The United Nations aid agency backed by Angelina Jolie has been hit by 19 allegations of sex abuse by staff in the past year alone

Tomorrow, International Aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt hosts a safeguarding summit with the Charity Commission to work on solutions to the abuse crisis. She has asked charities which receive money from the UKs 13 billion aid budget to tell her what they have done about historic abuse allegations, and has had 161 responses so far. This newspaper can reveal some of the figures that have been provided by some of the biggest names in overseas aid. UNHCR, whose special envoy is Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, said it had one substantiated case of abuse in 2016, for which a member of staff had been dismissed. It had 19 complaints of sexual exploitation or abuse in 2017, of which six are still being assessed. One alleged victim was 17. Details of two other cases involving under-18s are unknown. Ms Jolie declined to comment but a source close to the actress said she will find the allegations upsetting and inexcusable and has raised the matter with the agency.

Meanwhile, Adam Smith International  which had its government work frozen after The Mail on Sunday revealed alleged dirty tricks to win contracts  said it was still preparing its response to DFIDs request for information and a spokesman said it was conducting an internal review to determine the extent and nature of historic cases of sexual misconduct and how they were managed.

Angelina Jolie poses with children in a refugee camp near the village of Komsomolskiy in North Ossetia, in August 2003

The Princes Trust, which received 14 million in public-sector funding last year, said: Three staff have been disciplined for insensitive or inappropriate behaviour in relation to young people, not constituting sexual abuse. One was dismissed.

Amnesty International, which does not receive public funding, said it had had three alleged cases of sexual harassment in the past ten years, resulting in a volunteer being dismissed. All cases were in the UK.

Another DFID contractor, VSO, said last night that staff had made eight allegations of sexual misconduct by employees in the past three years. Six led to staff having their contracts terminated. All the wrongdoing occurred overseas.This is the delicate moment a hissing, venomous red-bellied black snake is freed after being caught in fruit netting in a suburban backyard.

Veteran western Sydney snake catcher Sean Cade was called to Ingleburn Veterinary Hospital last week after a woman from nearby Macquarie Fields dropped the one-metre long reptile off to them.

The vets on duty weren't used to dealing with snakes and needed a snake catcher to hold the restless reptile so it could be liberated from the fine fruit netting.

'He opened his mouth a few times and showed me his fangs,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday.

Scroll down for video

This is the delicate moment a hissing, venomous red-bellied black snake is freed after being caught in fruit netting in a suburban backyard in western Sydney

'It was so close and tight around its actual jaw and around its head - in this case I just had to grab it behind the jawbone. They don't handle snakes very often.

'The thing they were worried about was the snake was hissing quite loudly.'

As Mr Cade held the snake, vet nurse Danielle Wiggins used suture scissors to cut around the netting during a delicate, 10-minute operation on Wednesday evening, shortly after 6pm.

During that time, it was difficult for her to see the net and Mr Cade was worried he might be accidentally snipped.

'The snake was moving around. She kept saying, "Have you got hold of it?",' he said.

As reptile handler Sean Cade held the snake, vet nurse Danielle Wiggins used suture scissors to cut around the netting during a delicate, 10-minute operation

Mr Cade said it was hard to see the snake during the operation he was worried about getting snipped

'It was just awkward because of where it was and where I was holding it, I had to re-manoeuvre a couple of times.

'The netting was in such a situation where she could have cut me.'

Mr Cade, a reptile handler with Australian Snake Catchers, said the one-metre long would have died within a couple of days if it wasn't freed from the netting, which was left lying around the Macquarie Fields backyard.

'It would have kept struggling and struggling and struggling and because of the diameter holes in the netting and the thickness of the snake it wouldn't be able to swallow anything,' he said.

Mr Cade, a reptile handler with Australian Snake Catchers, said the one-metre long would have died within a couple of days if it wasn't freed from the netting

Mr Cade said the red-bellied black snake would have died within a couple of days if it wasn't freed from the netting

The fruit netting was restricting the reptiles breathing and would have stopped it swallowing

'Within a few days it probably would have died. It was all over its face and across its jaw.

'With the restriction in the breathing, it just would have been nasty.'

Mr Cade, who has been a snake handler for 20 years, sees several snakes a year trapped in backyard fruit netting, which is often draped around trees to ward off birds and bats.

The larger male pseudechis porphyriacus red-bellied black snake was late released in bushland away from houses at Macquarie Fields.Gary Oldman is the overwhelming favourite to pick up the Best Actor Oscar tonight for his portrayal of Sir Winston Churchill in the Second World War drama Darkest Hour. Now he has declared his own war  on mobile phones

He is the overwhelming favourite to pick up the Best Actor Oscar tonight for his portrayal of Sir Winston Churchill in the Second World War drama Darkest Hour.

And now Gary Oldman has declared his own war  on mobile phones.

The London-born star is frustrated that children turn to their devices for instant gratification, rather than learning about history.

Were in an age where its the here and now and kids are consumed with their phones, he said. They dont teach history any more.

He was speaking out in response to a recent survey which found that half of under-18s think Churchill was Prime Minister during the First World War  and one in ten thought Margaret Thatcher led the nation from 1914 to 1918.

Doug Urbanski, who produced Darkest Hour, added: Kids today have their heads down in their phones. They are not thinking about history.

'One thing that is great about this movie is the older generation have brought their children to see it. Then they go researching in books and become interested.

Oldman said he was carrying a lucky charm to tonights ceremony, a badge he picked up in a British antiques shop.

A recent survey found that half of under-18s think Churchill was Prime Minister during the First World War (above: Oldman as Churchill in Darkest Hour)

Its a victory pin my wife found, he said at the Film Is Great party at the British Consulate in Los Angeles.

It just says Churchill and the V for victory. Its certainly done the trick so far.

The 59-year-old leads British hopes at a ceremony set to be dominated by the #MeToo movement against alleged sexual harassment from Hollywood players such as disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Oldman faced his own controversy when ex-wife Donya Fiorentino claimed he struck her with a telephone and put his hands round her neck during a drunken row.

Oldman has vehemently denied the allegations and no charges were filed.

A source told The Mail on Sunday there will be no all-black dress code on tonights red carpet, as there was at the Golden Globes in support of #MeToo, but said the must-have accessory will be a political activist.

Normally people bring their spouses or their mums, the source said.

Were in an age where its the here and now and kids are consumed with their phones, said Oldman (above with son Alfie and wife Gisele)

This year everyone wants to have an activist on their arm. Be prepared for the most politically correct Oscars ever.

Survivors of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, have been invited to lobby for gun control.

Tonights British charge also includes Oldmans first wife Lesley Manville, 61, up for Best Supporting Actress for Phantom Thread

A poignant moment is planned during the performance of the Oscar-nominated song Stand Up For Something.

Tonights British charge also includes Oldmans first wife Lesley Manville, 61, up for Best Supporting Actress for Phantom Thread.

She joked: I doubt there will be fisticuffs on the red carpet. Theyre both pretty marvellous films in very different ways.

A total of 30 Brits are nominated including Sally Hawkins for Best Actress in The Shape Of Water, tipped to win Best Picture, and director Christopher Nolan for Dunkirk.

Elsewhere, Christopher Plummer, the oldest ever nominee at 88, is up for Best Supporting Actor for All The Money In The World, in which he replaced Kevin Spacey, who was axed when he was accused of sexual assault.

Meryl Streep has a record 21st nomination, for Best Supporting Actress in The Post.The key to the murder of a young girl who was killed almost 40 years ago could be held by a bangle kept by her killer.

Suzanne Lawrence, who was 14, is thought to have been murdered after vanishing in 1979.

The youngster was last seen at a fair in Highbury, north London, just a few miles away from where child killer Robert Black lived.

Following his arrest, police recovered a woven orange and pink bracelet from Black's home, which detectives believe he kept as a trophy.

Suzanne Lawrence (left), who was 14, is thought to have been murdered after vanishing in 1979. Child-killer Robert Black (right) died in prison 2016 and killed four young girls between 1981 and 1986

Now former officers are calling for the bangle - which is being held in storage - to be tested for traces of DNA.

Former Met Detective Superintendent Russ Allen, 75, was in charge of the search of Black's lodgings in 1990.

Mr Allen said he always believed the bracelet was key to an horrific crime.

'It was a little material bracelet and definitely the kind a young girl would have,' he told The Star.

In the book Murder of Childhood, Mr Allen linked the bangle to Suzanne.

He added that it was a 'particular' piece of evidence that suggested Black killed the girl, because she had been wearing a bracelet at the time of her disappearance.

'When we raided Black's flat we found, on the mantel shelf, an identical bracelet. It's not conclusive, but it is strong circumstantial evidence,' added Mr Allen.

Retired Norfolk detective Chris Clark, 72, said the bracelet could be key to solving the young girl's murder.

Former Met Detective Superintendent Russ Allen, 75 (left), was in charge of the search of Black's lodgings in 1990.

He said: 'Now is the time to DNA test it and to show pictures in the hope of getting a match to Suzanne.'

At the time of her disappearance police initially thought Suzanne had run away.

It was not until 1994 that detectives finally said she was a possible victim of Black.

The child-killer died in prison 2016 and killed four young girls between 1981 and 1986.

Black, a van driver who travelled around Britain, was arrested in 1990 and convicted in May 1994 of murdering Suzanne Maxwell, 11, of Cornhillion-Tweed in 1982, Caroline Hogg, five, of Edinburgh, and Sarah Harper, 10, from Leeds.

He was also convicted of the 1981 murder of Jennifer Cardy, nine, of Northern Ireland, in 2011.Joss MacDonald (pictured), a Labour Party speech writer, has also branded Israel an apartheid state and insisted people excuse its behaviour because of the Holocaust

Labour was plunged into a new anti-Semitism row last night over claims by a key aide of leader Jeremy Corbyn that Israel was guilty of genocide.

Joss MacDonald, a Labour Party speech writer, has also branded Israel an apartheid state and insisted people excuse its behaviour because of the Holocaust.

Last night, Mr Corbyn faced calls to sack Mr MacDonald for his anti-Semitic language.

The row erupted just days after Labour confirmed that former London mayor Ken Livingstone was suspended indefinitely from the party over his claim that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler supported Zionism before he went mad. It also comes with the party still in turmoil over receiving 540,000 of racially tainted money from tycoon Max Mosley after it emerged a 1961 leaflet linked coloured immigrants with disease was published in the privacy campaigners name.

Allies of Labour deputy leader Tom Watson  who received the Mosley cash  yesterday claimed he had been bounced into agreeing to take no more money from the former F1 boss. Mr Corbyns office denied the claim.

Boasting he is a permanent Red, MacDonald holds a Commons pass courtesy of the Labour leader. In September 2014, in the aftermath of the Israel/Gaza conflict, he was drawn into a row over who was to blame with another Twitter user. He wrote: Sounds like an admission that Israel is committing genocide and that youre excusing it because of the Holocaust.

Four years earlier, Mr MacDonald wrote: Apartheid Israel has killed the two-state solution: the only future is a bi-national democratic Palestine.

The row erupted just days after Labour confirmed that former London mayor Ken Livingstone (pictured) was suspended indefinitely from the party following comments about Hitler

The remarks will revive many Labour MPs concerns that Mr Corbyns office is institutionally biased against Israel and in favour of the Palestinians.The Labour leader himself famously once described members of Hamas and Hezbollah as friends though he later said he regretted the remark.Last night, Tory MP Andrew Percy called on Mr Corbyn to take action against Mr MacDonald.

Mr Percy, who is Jewish, said: Accusing Israel of a genocide is a disgusting slur and Jeremy Corbyn should reconsider his decision to employ this man. Jeremy Corbyn promised a kinder politics but he continues to turn a blind eye to people around him who do and say things which are unacceptable in public life. These tweets show yet again that Labour have a systematic problem with anti-Semitic racism which needs to be addressed urgently.

Labour sources last night defended Mr MacDonald, saying he was being critical of Israel not anti-semitic.President Tran Dai Quang made the statement while addressing the India-Vietnam Business Forum in New Delhi on March 3, which formed part of his State visit to India from March 2-4.

Jointly organised by Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Confederation of Indian Industry, the forum drew over 300 businesses operating in such fields as energy, infrastructure, information-technology and communication, pharmaceuticals, health care, development research, and hi-tech agriculture.

President Quang stated that after over three decades of implementing the Doi Moi (reform) and international integration policies, Vietnam has become a dynamic economy with rapid and stable development, and has been evaluated as a safe and attractive investment destination in the region and around the world.

The increasing attentions from Indian businesses, including major groups, will soon turn India into one of the biggest trade partners of Vietnam in the future, he said, noting that the Make in India economic development programme initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will create more opportunities and make it easier for Vietnamese businesses to pour investment in India.

The President stated that India always considers Vietnam a pillar and an important partner in its Act East policy, while Vietnam also places a premium on promoting comprehensive cooperation with India, especially with the Indian business community, in the process of economic restructuring and innovation of the growth model for sustainable and inclusive growth.

He affirmed the two countries' strong determination to achieve two-way trade of US$15 billion by 2020.

President Tran Dai Quang witnesses the opening of an direct air route between Vietnam and India. (Photo: VOV)

Vietnam hopes India will become a leading material supplier of apparel, footwear and machinery building industries, as well as make it easier for Vietnamese goods, such as agri-products, seafood, timber products and footwear, to penetrate into the market, President Quang stressed.

He also called for the acceleration of bilateral tourism cooperation, especially spiritual and cultural tourism.

He hoped Vietnamese and India entrepreneurs will continue playing a crucial role as a pioneering force in promoting the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership in trade, investment and economy.

At the business forum, President Quang witnessed a ceremony to launch an direct air route between Vietnam and India. The first direct air route, run by Vietjet Air, will connect Ho Chi Minh City with New Delhi with four flights per week.

India is now one of the 10 leading trade partners of Vietnam while Vietnam is the fourth biggest trade partner of India in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).Advertisement

Revellers were still partying at dawn as council workers began a big clean up of Sydney's streets after the largest Mardi Gras parade the city has ever seen.

They drank beers in the street and danced in parks while others made their merry way home after a long night on the tiles.

Half a million revellers flocked to Sydney's Oxford Street as the city transformed with colour and glitter for the 40th Mardi Gras parade on Saturday night.

As the night wore on, happy party-goers lost their inhibitions and let their enthusiasm flow as rainbow banners flew overhead.

Partying 'till dawn: Thousands of revellers were still partying at first light as council workers began a big clean up of Sydney's streets after the largest Mardi Gras parade the city has ever seen. Pictured: Party-goers make their way home

Just chilling: One woman refused to let the celebrations end and continued sipping her Captain Morgan's rum and cola while perched in the street next to a tree

The long road home: Revellers walked arm in arm as they headed back after a night of wild partying. Others mingled in the streets, unwilling to let the party end

See you next year: A neon sign invited revellers back to the 41st Mardi Gras parade next year as a group assembled next to it before heading home

Morning stroll in the park: A couple of revellers headed home on foot after a night on tiles for the 40th Mardis Gras parade

The end of the night: One man waited to meet a friend while perched on a concrete bollard while another wearing black angel wings walked home

Making their way: Three revellers made their way down a messy street which was strewn with take away boxes in the centre of the city

Still going: Some revellers were still partying as the sun rose over the city while others made their way home on Sunday morning

The party never stops: Two revellers smoke in the street while a pub worker sweeps rubbish in the street outside his establishment

Dancing in the park: Two men relaxed in the park on their way home as one appeared a little worse for wear

Time for a snack: Three party-goers grabbed a kebab as they prepared to head home after a night at the Mardi Gras parade

Waiting for their taxi: a group of revellers waited on the side of the road to be taken home after the 40th Mardis Gras parade

The streets were covered in rubbish after the parade as pub workers and council workers began a big clear up

One raven-haired reveller was seen donning a red spaghetti-strapped dress paired with knee-high fishnet tights and black sunglasses

This gentleman had an early evening, lying down on the curb while the party paged on around him - luckily he had a friend taking good care of him!

Emergency services were on hand throughout the evening to make sure the biggest Mardi Gras ever went off without a hitch

An exhausted attendee in a floral shirt checked his phone as he rested on the side of the kerb following the celebrations

Two friends appeared in high spirits as they were spotted chatting aside an empty box of beer, with one of the pair holding a wine glass

As the main event began to wind down, a number of celebrators were seen turning to their mobile devices as they sorted their next move

Some revellers had a yuge evening! Impersonators galore showed up in their best costume, with this man pulling off a flawless impression of Donald Trump

Up we get! One party-goer took a bit of a tumble but as concerned parade-watchers looked on a friend helped her onto her feet

Rainbows all round! These three young men wore their best garlands to the show, and the colours matched bunting on the ground

Cher, is that you? A Donald Trump impersonator came face-to-face with someone wearing a wig matching the pop diva's

One raven-haired reveller was seen donning a red spaghetti-strapped dress paired with knee-high fishnet tights and black sunglasses while resting on the side of the road.

Another exhausted attendee in a floral shirt checked his phone as he rested on the side of the kerb following the celebrations.

Two friends appeared in high spirits as they were spotted chatting aside an empty box of beer, with one of the pair holding a wine glass.

A number of other celebrators were seen turning to their mobile devices as they sorted out their next move.

Saturday's celebration was expected to attract a record crowd as organisers take the chance to look back on defining moments in the event's history.

Barnaby, is that you? This rainbow-tied reveller won the People's Joyce Award - as news broke of the latest chapter in the former deputy PM's affair scandal

Groups of parade goers coordinated their outfits for the highly anticipated night of fun

Over 1000 police officers kept a close eye on party-goers as part of the night's huge security operation

One man was seen taking a quick break following the madness wearing shorts and a pair of white shoes, while leaning on a pole and smoking a cigarette

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy made an appearance the Dykes on Bikes and Boys on Bikes kicked off the evening's festivities.

Mr Turnbull described the parade as a 'wonderful part of Sydney'.

'It's 40 years old and 40 years ago Lucy and I had our first date so our love affair is a result of Mardi Gras,' Mr Turnbull said.

About 200 floats will make their way up the popular strip from 7pm, including a group of 250 people who were involved in the original 1978 demonstration and subsequent riot.

Hundreds of thousands of revellers have flocked to Sydney's famous Oxford Street as the city transforms with colour and glitter for the 40th Mardi Gras parade

Saturday's celebration is expected to attract a record crowd as organisers take the chance to look back on defining moments in the event's history

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy made an appearance the Dykes on Bikes and Boys on Bikes kicked off the evening's festivities

More than 12,000 people will take part in this year's parade including Maude Boate, who has travelled from Broken Hill in far west NSW and isn't new to the Mardi Gras scene.

'It's about my 30th Mardi Gras,' she told AAP in Sydney on Saturday.

'It's a wonderful night and what a wonderful milestone it is for equality.'

For Kobie Howe and Katrina Stouppos, it's the first time they have been able to celebrate Mardi Gras as a legally married couple in Australia.

'This year we are marching with marriage equality, it's an important year given what's happened last year,' Ms Howe told AAP.

'It's a great time to celebrate everyone's individuality, differences and diversity.

About 200 floats will make their way up the popular strip from 7pm, including a group of 250 people who were involved in the original 1978 demonstration and subsequent riot

More than 12,000 people were expected to take part in the parade, which kicked off on Sydney's Oxford Street on Saturday night

The 2018 edition of the parade is the first since same-sex marriage in Australia was legalised following a plebiscite last year

Tens of thousands of people flocked to the parade dressed in an assortment of eye-catching outfits

Some parade goers arrived on Saturday night dressed in studded, thigh-high leather boots and fish net stockings

The couple, who has been together for eight years, brought along their four-year-old daughter Mackie.

When asked what Mardi Gras meant to her, Mackie simply answered 'marriage equality'.

There's speculation pop superstar Cher - the headline act at the official party - could make a surprise appearance during the parade.

Mardi Gras creative director Greg Clarke stopped short of confirming the rumours but insisted people would not be disappointed.

Others dressed in colourful garments as they watched the parade floats go by from the sidewalk, where hoards of people gathered

Samba dancers performed at the parade - which has become a custom at Mardi Gras parades across the globe

The flesh was on display for young and old - as many arrived at the parade dressed in little more than a pair of underwear and sneakers

The parade was a chance for some to dress up in colourful costumes involving pink lycra, wigs, platform heels and fluffy ears

Drag Queen Ms J took centre stage during the night in a bright yellow dress and an extravagant matching floral headpiece

'She has come all this way and ... I'm sure she's going to want to be in that parade,' he told ABC news on Saturday.

'A big surprise.'

More than 1000 police officers will keep a close eye on revellers as part of a huge security operation that will also involve strategically parked vehicles, an intelligence crew, mounted police, the riot squad and sniffer dogs.

Assistant Commissioner Tony Crandell urged partygoers to look out for one another and plan their night ahead.

A number of roads will be closed, while thousands will be using public transport before and after the parade.

A total of 195 floats took part in the parade which was witnessed by some wearing budgy smugglers with knee-high white socks

Some participants couldn't contain their excitement as they rolled past hundreds of thousands of people revelling in the party atmosphere

Mardi Gras creative director Greg Clarke insisted people would not be disappointed by what was in store at the parade

More than 1000 police officers kept a close eye on revellers as part of a huge security operation on the night

The security operation also involved strategically parked vehicles, an intelligence crew, mounted police, the riot squad and sniffer dogs

'Police have been working with parade organisers and the LGBTIQ community to ensure a safe and fun night for all those taking part and supporting the event,' he said on Saturday.

Some of the highlights of the night will include a giant champagne bottle to be popped at Taylor Square and a same-sex wedding ceremony during the parade.

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting mild temperatures and mostly clear skies.

A number of roads were closed, while thousands used public transport to get to the parade on Saturday night

Groups of parade goers coordinated their outfits for the highly anticipated night of celebrations

Revellers were treated to comfortable Sydney weather on the night after the Bureau of Meteorology forecast mild temperatures and mostly clear skies

Some of the highlights of the night will include a giant champagne bottle to be popped at Taylor Square

A same-sex wedding ceremony was also scheduled to take place during the 40th anniversary of the parade in SydneyJeremy Hunts refusal to give boys a vaccine that will protect them from a cancer-causing virus because of the expense is a cop-out that is costing lives, experts warned last night

Jeremy Hunts refusal to give boys a vaccine that will protect them from a cancer-causing virus because of the expense is a cop-out that is costing lives, experts warned last night.

For the past decade, teenage girls  but not boys  have been inoculated against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) for free on the NHS because it disproportionately affects females.

Every year about 1,550 women die from HPV-related cancers  two-thirds from cervical cancer.

Yet each year 650 men also die  and due to changing sexual behaviour, the number is rising fast.

Last summer advisers to Health Secretary Mr Hunt concluded that extending HPV immunisation to adolescent boys was highly unlikely to be cost-effective.

But top medics say their conclusion was based on flawed assumptions about sex among young people today and the virulence of the virus. They want the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to revise its cost effectiveness models, to take account of concerns that:

Members of the Tinder generation are more likely to have a number of sexual partners and have oral sex than older age groups;

HPV causes more cancers, particularly oral cancers, than previously estimated;

Immigration and travel mean young men are much more exposed to HPV-infected young women than is appreciated.

The JCVI argues that vaccinating only girls is the best approach as this protects most males by default.

An NHS campaign to vaccinate boys would be a costly way of preventing relatively few cancers, the secretive committee contends.

Call for action: How The Mail on Sunday reported the story last month

But the JCVI has refused to publish its workings in full, leading critics including the British Dental Association to accuse it of cherry picking evidence just to keep costs down.

Chairman Mick Armstrong said: These models work on a garbage in, garbage out basis. If you start by understating a cancer risk and suggesting sexual habits havent changed in decades, then you get the wrong answer.

Dentists are seeing a growing number of male patients with oral cancer  leading many with sons to pay for private vaccination. A two-shot course is about 300  up to ten times the NHS cost.

The 30 jab that saves thousands Girls receive two jabs of the Gardasil vaccine in Year 8, when they are 12 or 13. This protects them from four strains of the HPV virus. Boys are not yet inoculated. Defence shield: The Gardasil vaccine Advertisement

Mr Armstrong said: When youve seen the devastating impact of oral cancer first-hand, youll understand why so many health professionals are prepared to protect their kids out of their own pockets.

Professor Margaret Stanley, president of the International Papillomavirus Society, said a new analysis by Scottish experts concluded HPV resulted in more cancers than previously thought.

The NHS is thought to pay 20 million a year to inoculate 370,000 Year 8 girls using the Gardasil vaccine.

The price charged by makers MSD is confidential. Extending it to boys would double the order but not the cost, as the NHS would be in a position to drive a harder bargain.

Boys are routinely vaccinated in Australia, New Zealand, Austria, the US and parts of Canada, said Peter Baker, of pressure group HPV Action.

Obviously the NHS isnt a bottomless pit, he added, but the JCVIs one-dimensional approach, only looking at cost-effectiveness, really shows the limitations of our vaccination policy.

Dr Tony Narula, of the British Association Of Ear, Nose And Throat Surgeons, said: This decision is too important to be left to accountants. Its a cop out.

Last summers JCVI conclusion was only an interim statement, meaning its advice could be changed.

Public Health England last night defended the committees work. Consultant epidemiologist Vanessa Saliba said both PHE and the JCVI are in agreement that the parameters used in the PHE [cost-effectiveness] model are the most plausible based on the available evidence.

Why did they keep missing the lump in my throat slowly killing me?

Because HPV is so hard to diagnose. Which is why this lucky survivor says: Protect the young - female AND male

By DAVID ROSE for the Mail On Sunday

The first time my sister-in-law Suzanne Vandervell had a tumour caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) it was not spotted by a doctor but by my wife, Carolyn.

Suzanne and her husband Nick had come to our house for lunch on Easter Sunday in 2010.

For months she had been suffering from ear aches and a sore throat, but despite numerous visits to her GP, who had prescribed several courses of antibiotics, her symptoms were getting worse.

Agonising ordeal: Suzanne Vandervell had a tumour caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Doctors confirmed that Suzanne, who lives near Farnham in Surrey, had advanced tonsil cancer, which had already spread to the lymph nodes in her neck

Carolyn peered into Suzannes mouth and there it was: an angry, irregular red lump on her right tonsil. Carolyn was alarmed. She recalls: I remember thinking, This is serious. It looked very sinister.

Days later, doctors confirmed that Suzanne, who lives near Farnham in Surrey, had advanced tonsil cancer, which had already spread to the lymph nodes in her neck.

Her treatment, at the Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford, lasted seven months, with weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by neck dissection surgery  peeling back flesh from her neck and scraping away fat and lymph nodes to remove the remaining malignant tissue.

The physical side effects  including pain, stiffness and an extreme dry mouth  were permanent. Before she had cancer, Suzanne was a wine expert and at one time made her living conducting tours of famous vineyards. Now she couldnt drink wine at all. She also experienced almost constant anxiety: like many HPV cancer patients, she was terrified the disease might return.

Her fears were well-founded. At the beginning of February last year, Suzanne told her GP she was convinced there was something seriously wrong because she felt exhausted and was losing a lot of weight, despite eating heartily.

Astonishingly, despite her history of cancer, it was not until the end of June  20 weeks later  that her illness was diagnosed. She had cancer again. Exactly where it started is uncertain, but by the time it was finally detected, it had spread through the space between her throat and the back of her nose and was starting to press up into her brain. The cancer was also threatening her carotid artery that delivers blood to the brain.

All the time that Suzanne had been feeling ill it had been growing steadily  and so becoming far more difficult to treat. In July, doctors at Guys Hospital in London told Suzanne her condition was terminal, and they could provide only palliative care. The surgeon just looked at me and said there was nothing he could do, because the tumour was too close to my artery. He said Id live for a few months, but when I died, I wouldnt feel anything because the cancer would shut off the blood supply to my brain.

It was so shocking, hideous. I asked if we could go to seek treatments abroad, and he said, You havent got time. 

Suzannes ordeal has cast a shadow across our family for years. It is also one reason why I have, over the past few months, been investigating HPV and challenging the NHS to extend its vaccination  provided to all girls aged 12 and 13 since 2008  to boys. Suzannes illness would not afflict anyone immunised in childhood.

The Mail on Sunday has revealed that HPV, spread by sexual contact and kissing, causes thousands of cancers a year, while the incidence of head and neck cancer  the fourth most common type among men  is rising rapidly. Countries including Australia, Canada and the US already vaccinate males, yet the NHS insists it would not be cost effective  claiming it is cheaper to treat HPV cancers than to spend between 12 million and 22 million a year on immunising boys.

Suzannes story highlights another reason for vaccinating as many people as possible. Horrendous as they are, HPV cancers are often difficult to diagnose, and the consequent delays in starting treatment that Suzanne has had to face, not once but twice, are common.

We see many patients with HPV-related cancers who have been to their GPs, been given antibiotics and the suspicion of cancer has not been raised, says Professor Chris Nutting, from the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, whose team has been treating Suzanne, 55, despite the prognosis from Guys.

Typically, these cancers may only start to cause symptoms when theyve already spread to the lymph nodes.

Its unfortunate because the earlier patients get treatment, the less gruelling it will be and the better the chances of a cure. This is a further argument in favour of vaccinating boys as well girls.

In 2010, after Suzannes first diagnosis, followed by an operation to remove her tonsils, she had gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy. But through it all she remained optimistic. She recalls: My skin felt tight, like I was being strangled. Nerve damage meant Id get spasms, like electric shocks, running into my jaw. I aged ten or 15 years as the chemo triggered the menopause.

But slowly I adapted to my new body and almost a year after the diagnosis, we went to the Canary Islands on holiday. I began to adjust, to feel OK.

A five-year survival after cancer is seen as a milestone, and after passing this, Suzannes confidence grew. But then, in the autumn of 2016, came the weight loss: half a stone in weeks, then more.

I told my doctor I looked crap and I felt crap, says Suzanne. But despite my history, and despite the fact that I had no gastric symptoms, she was convinced I had a stomach problem. She should have been saying, Hold on, this could be serious. 

A scan last May revealed a mass that needed investigation. However, delays in arranging a more precise MRI scan meant Suzanne did not get a full diagnosis until June 23.

Normally, standard radiotherapy is not administered to the same area of the body twice, because the side effects are so bad. Prof Nutting was prepared to try. He put the chances of killing the cancer at 30 per cent.

Several times, Carolyn had to persuade Suzanne not to abandon her latest rounds of chemo and radiotherapy, because from the outset, the side effects were extreme. One terrible weekend, she made an overnight trip to Switzerland to investigate the possibility of arranging her own death at Dignitas.

Then  incredibly  just before Christmas, a further scan showed that Suzanne was cancer-free.

She is still in such pain that she needs a constant supply of Fentanyl, the synthetic form of heroin, and has a steadily enlarging hole in her soft palate that will not heal  the result of soft tissue radionecrosis  the death of cells caused by re-radiating areas where she had already been treated in 2010.

No one will tell me what my chances are now, Suzanne says. Lets face it, how could they know? I have a profound fear it will come back again, and that next time I wont be able to eat, or speak, or Ill be disfigured.

But ask yourself this question: Why would you not provide a vaccine which would stop this disease from happening? How can you possibly justify that?Tensions will be high during Sunday's Academy Awards as different hosts ask if celebrities will be interviewed by E! host Adam Seacrest

The controversial Ryan Seacrest will find himself being the topic of conversation at the very Oscar red carpet where he'll be asking questions for E!.

Rob Silverstein, executive producer for 'Access', told Page Six that he was prepping host Scott Evans and Kit Hoover to ask celebrities questions pertaining to #MeToo.

'And then we will ask them whether or not they will talk to Ryan Seacrest,' he added.

Variety released an exclusive on Monday detailing Seacrest's alleged sexual misconduct towards former stylist, Suzie Hardy.

From 2007 to 2013, Hardy accuses the E! host of groping her, slapping her backside to the point of a long-lasting bruise and forcing her head into his crotch repeatedly while she tied his shoes.

The network had announced, at the beginning of February, that it supported Seacrest after conducting their own independent investigation.

Scroll down for video

Rob Silverstein, executive producer for 'Access,' is prepping hosts Scott Evans and Kit Hoover to ask questions about the #MeToo movement during the Academy Awards on Sunday

'You give them the information and let them know what you know,' an LA publicist said about not telling his clients to speak with the host. He added: 'But Ryan's employers are having him there because he's been cleared and you have to remember, Ryan has relationships with a lot of people personally.'

They found Hardy's claim to no hold merit, at the time, but now new details draw into question whether they will continue to stand behind the star.

And with one of the biggest award nights of the year, one New York City publicist is telling her A-list clients to steer clear of doing interviews with Seacrest.

'I'll be shocked to see who stops to talk to Ryan,' she said. 'He's in trouble.'

The network confirmed with Page Six that the star would still host and that they 'completely trust our investigation and have complete faith in it.'

As the big night approaches, different celebrities have been prepping themselves for the many questions they know they will be getting on #MeToo and alleged abusers Harvey Weinstein and Woody Allen.

Variety released an exclusive detailing allegations against the E! host from his former stylist, Suzie Hardy. She claims that the star repeatedly harassed her from 2007 to 2013

One LA publicist reportedly told his Oscar-nominated clients 'don't step in a pile of s**t' while they did their interviews.

'You don't want your client caught off-guard and hijacked or ambushed. You want them to be well-prepared, and if they want to give their opinion, you want them to voice it in such a way that it will get their message across, but that it won't get them in hot water,' he added.

E! announced that they did an independent investigation, absolving Seacrest, and that he would be hosting at the award show on Sunday

The publicist shared that he keeps his clients up-to-date on the latest scandal but shared that ultimately, it was up to them on whether they wanted to speak to Seacrest.

'You give them the information and let them know what you know,' he explained. 'But Ryan's employers are having him there because he's been cleared and you have to remember, Ryan has relationships with a lot of people personally.'

Oscar host, Jimmy Kimmel, has already spoken out on how he plans to let his longtime friend interview him.

'Listen, you know, we should at the very least afford people the opportunity for truth, what the facts of the story are before hanging them out to dry,' Kimmel told Variety.

But actor Patton Oswalt shared that he was wary of such associations and that he would be cautious, not to thank someone associated with sexual misconduct.

'Maybe think twice before you mention your agents and managers,' he said, according to Vanity Fair.

'I don't know if you've been paying attention to what's been going on this last year in Hollywood. I'm just saying, cover for yourself. You don't want to have to explain to your grandkids why you thanked someone who 'Dateline' just did a four-part series on.'

Oscar host, Jimmy Kimmel, has already spoken out on how he plans to let his longtime friend interview him

Jennifer Lawrence went as far to even admit that she would find it difficult to decide whether she would give Seacrest the time of day.

'I don't know about the Ryan Seacrest thing,' she told Howard Stern on Sunday.

'I don't know . . . That is where this stuff gets tricky.' Lawrence added: 'There is a lot to think about with E!'

'Listen, you know, we should at the very least afford people the opportunity for truth, what the facts of the story are before hanging them out to dry,' Kimmel told Variety

The energy towards Seacrest and his association to alleged sexual misconduct will definitely be one of biggest topics of the night.

'This thing has continued to gain momentum,' Silverstein added about the #MeToo movement.

'This isn't slowing down by any stretch of the imagination. You have Jimmy Kimmel hosting, who has almost become the late-night conscience. With an activist host, you'll have people who feel more free to make their feelings known onstage and on the red carpet.'

'If you've worked with Woody . . . you might be a little bit more on edge,' said Silverstein. He plans to ask celebrities about why they worked with different alleged abusers

But he's also expecting actors to skip interviews, all together, this year. Those who have worked with anyone who has been alleged of misconduct will especially steer clear.

'If you've worked with Woody . . . you might be a little bit more on edge,' said Silverstein. He plans to ask celebrities about why they worked with different alleged abusers.

For the LA publicist, he admitted to potentially advising his clients to skip 'Access' as a result of their plan.

'People are not on the red carpet to make political statements or comment on [someone else's] mishaps or concerns or sensitivities,' he added. 'It doesn't celebrate the evening, which is a celebration of the arts and people's work.'

Silverstein feels that asking such questions are vital for great television.

'If there are awkward moments, there are awkward moments. I'm not afraid of awkward moments,' he explained.

'Could [the red carpet] be a little bit more tension-filled? Yes  and I think that's great.''Ellie-May was sent home to die...this is an insult to her memory' Shanice said over being offered 15,000 in compensation for her death

Her five-year-old daughters innocent question  Why wont the doctor see me, Mummy?  will haunt Shanice Clark for the rest of her life.

Every day, Shanice relives the moment when a GP turned away severely asthmatic Ellie-May for being just a few minutes late for an appointment  without even looking at her medical records. The decision would lead to her tragic death.

Last week a coroner said Ellie-May was let down by the system and her treatment had been unacceptable, recording a narrative verdict that the opportunity to provide potentially lifesaving treatment was missed.

The story of Ellie-Mays appalling treatment only came to light last year when a Mail on Sunday investigation lifted the cloak of secrecy surrounding the case.

Yesterday, her heartbroken mother, in her first interview, revealed to The Mail on Sunday that she had been offered 15,000 in compensation, which she dismissed as an insult.

Insurers on behalf of Dr Joanne Rowe, the GP who sent Ellie-May home to die, have offered the sum three years after the tragedy.

That time has been a living hell for Shanice.

While no amount of money could compensate for the loss of a daughter, at least it represents for Shanice an admission of failure, even if it did take three years to come.

Yesterday, Ellie May's (pictured) heartbroken mother, in her first interview, revealed to The Mail on Sunday that she had been offered 15,000 in compensation, which she dismissed as an insult

Theres a large part of me that just doesnt want it, she says. How do you put a price on the life of a beautiful little girl? I would feel it was an insult to Ellie-Mays memory whatever they offered me.

Her focus, instead, is on ensuring no other family endures the terrible grief of a preventable death, caused by a callous mentality which placed clock-watching above the needs of a desperately sick child.

Care worker Shanice, 26, is campaigning hard for the NHS to adopt Gwent coroner Wendy Jamess recommendation that lessons should be learned so it never happens again.

The single mother-of-two knew exactly how important it was for Ellie-May to get urgent medical help. But her efforts were thwarted because Dr Rowe chose to apply a petty rule that patients arriving more than ten minutes late at her surgery must book another appointment.

Dr Joanne Rowe, the GP who sent Ellie-May home to die is still practising medicine

In fact, the practices rule was only meant to apply to routine consultations, not emergency appointments such as Ellie-Mays that day.

Shanice says: She was just sent home to die.

A cynic might conclude from subsequent events that the medical establishment closed ranks after the tragedy on January 26, 2015.

The General Medical Council (GMC) held a disciplinary hearing behind closed doors into the GPs conduct. And it was in a confidential NHS report that Dr Rowes refusal to see her patient was described as the root cause of Ellie-Mays death.

Temporarily suspended on full pay from her practice by the local health board while an investigation took place, Dr Rowe was able to find another job closer to home. Patients were not informed.

Only The Mail on Sundays report a year ago exposed the truth that Ellie-May died just six hours after being turned away from Grange Clinic in Newport, South Wales. Shanice fervently believes her vivacious daughter would still be alive had Dr Rowe seen her and prescribed steroid medication. But, like any mother, she also cannot help questioning herself.

All the what-ifs start creeping in. Ive replayed this over and over, she says. What if Id kicked up a fuss? What if Id refused to leave until she was seen?

Shanice booked an emergency appointment for Ellie-May after she had an asthma attack at school. When she collected Ellie-May at 3pm, she was wheezing badly, and her reception class teachers said that she had deteriorated dramatically just before home-time. They advised an urgent trip to the doctors. By that stage, Ellie-May was so weak she had to be carried to the home of Shanices mother, Brandi, 45.

Shanice Clark (wearing sunglasses, right) is surrounded by loved ones as her solicitor reads a statement after the inquest into the death of her daughter, Ellie-May, at Newport Coroner's Court

Shanice rang the surgery at 3.30pm requesting a home visit, but was refused and told instead she would be called back with a slot for an emergency appointment.

At 4.35pm she was asked to be at the surgery for 5pm, giving her 25 minutes to arrange care for Ellie Mays eight-week-old sister Evie and find a friend to give her a lift. She warned the practice receptionist that she may be late.

Shanice carried her wheezing daughter into the surgery at 5.05pm, but then had to queue for five more minutes at reception, setting Ellie-May down by her side as receptionist Ann Jones was busy on the telephone.

Left, Dr Joanne Rowe arrives at the inquest in Newport, South Wales, and right, Ellie-May's mother Shanice Clark arrives for the hearing

The surgery claimed Ellie-May was first seen at reception at 5.18pm, but admitted that senior partner Dr Rowe effectively dismissed her over the phone, without a consultation or even a glance at medical records which would have made it clear she was at risk of a life-threatening seizure.

Shanice recalls: I heard her [Dr Rowe] say we would have to come back tomorrow. But if the receptionist had just looked over the desk she would have seen a very poorly little girl. She could have referred her to the duty doctor at another surgery.

If Dr Rowe had looked at Ellie-Mays medical records she would have seen she had been admitted to a hospital high-dependency unit for asthma at least three times. She would have seen that a consultant said Ellie-May was at risk from a life-threatening asthma attack. The right thing would have been to see my little girl and prescribe medicine.

Upset and powerless, Shanice felt she had no option but to leave the surgery. But the most difficult question for her to answer now is whether her daughter would have survived had she gone directly to A&E.

Thats the thing that gets me most of all, admits Shanice. Should I have done something different?

Around two hours after putting Ellie-May to bed that evening, Shanice discovered that Ellie-May (pictured) was having an asthma attack and had stopped breathing

At the time, she made the decision that the best thing for Ellie-May was to be looked after in the comforting familiarity of her own home. Shanice tucked her daughter in bed at 8pm with a Toy Story DVD playing and checked on her every 15 minutes. At 10.30pm, after hearing coughing, she went to see Ellie-May. Her face and hands had turned blue. Immediately, she dialled 999 for an ambulance. It took the gasping little girl to Newports Royal Gwent Hospital, with Shanice following behind in a police car, but there was nothing paramedics could do to save her. By the time they reached their destination, Ellie-May was dead.

Shanice still struggles to reconcile the bald facts of the case with the gaping loss of her daughter.

All Ellie-May needed, she says, was a spoonful of prednisolone, an oral steroid for children. She had taken it dozens of time before, and although she hated the taste, she knew it would ease her crippling breathlessness.

Shanices neat two-bedroom flat is filled with reminders of the little girl who wanted to grow up to be a princess, like her idol Elsa in the Disney film Frozen. Photographs of Ellie-May beam down from the walls and Shanice keeps her ashes in a pink and cream wooden casket.

She recalls how the five-year-old had been off school with a cold the week before tragedy struck but was itching to get back to lessons at Malpas Court Primary.

On January 26, she was up early and dressed herself in her smart red uniform. They were about to leave when Shanice paused. I looked at her all ready for school and suddenly noticed how tall she was getting, she says. I pulled out my phone to take a quick picture.

It would be the last photograph of her daughter.

Shanice said that after Ellie-Mays death, she was totally numb.

For the next four weeks I was just an empty shell, I even rejected Evie, I didnt want to know.

Ellie-May Clark was having a severe asthma attack when she arrived 10 minutes late with her mother Shanice at The Grange Clinic, in Newport, Wales

The police came to see me and it was only when I was telling them what happened that it really struck me that the doctors refusal to see Ellie-May had led to her dying like that.

It is a bitter irony that Dr Rowe, 54, was responsible for child safeguarding at the clinic where she was a partner and had spent her entire 22-year career. She was never charged in connection with Ellie-Mays death, receiving only a reprimand from the GMC. She soon landed another job at a practice in Cardiff. Coroner Ms James fell short of bringing in a neglect verdict at last weeks inquest, but criticised Dr Rowe for refusing to see Ellie-May, failing to look at her records and not asking why the mother and daughter were late.

Ms James said: Dr Rowe refused to see Ellie-May without a clinical assessment, without enquiring why she was late and without giving any advice to her mother. Six hours later she was dead.

Lessons must be learned, Ellie-May was let down by the system.

The last words spoken at the three-hour hearing were an apology offered by barrister Leanne Wood on behalf of Dr Rowe, which Shanice graciously accepted.

Looking back now, she says: She was head of safeguarding children at the practice  how did she ever get that position? Its ridiculous. It was a title she did not deserve or live up to. Im still hurting that she walked into another job as if nothing had happened.

Dr Joanne Rowe (left, arriving at the Newport inquest), 54, refused to see Ellie-May Clark (right), sending her home without even looking at her medical records

All I want is for this to never happen again. A parent somewhere in the country will be turned away at a surgery and think of my little girl and they will make a fuss, they will refuse to leave, and their child will be seen and be saved. Thats all I want.

Dr Rowe said: Im not interested, and put the telephone down when contacted by The Mail on Sunday.

The GMC said the written warning it gave Dr Rowe, which will stay on her publicly viewable medical registration until 2021, was sufficient and transparently applied.The fragile Cabinet truce over Brexit was blown apart last night as a key ally of Boris Johnson mounted an astonishing attack on No 10.

The senior MP accused one of Theresa Mays most trusted aides of deliberately leaking a letter which the Foreign Secretary sent to the Prime Minister. The ally accused Mrs Mays chief of staff Gavin Barwell of releasing Mr Johnsons comments that played down the risks of a hard border in Ireland.

The MP said the leak was designed to put Mr Johnson in his place before the Prime Ministers keynote Brexit speech on Friday  and claimed that Mr Barwell was motivated by a personal dislike of the Foreign Secretary over his pro-Brexit stance.

Last night, Mr Johnsons spokesman tried to distance the Foreign Secretary from his allys remarks, describing them as a nonsense claim about a half-baked and misleading leak.

The ally accused Mrs Mays chief of staff Gavin Barwell (pictured right with the Prime Minister) of releasing Mr Johnsons comments that played down the risks of a hard border in Ireland

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Johnson had argued that the objective of the Brexit negotiations should not be to maintain no border on the island of Ireland after Brexit. He also sought to play down the exaggerated impression of how important checks were at EU external borders.

But many observers believe that a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic could undermine the Good Friday peace process.

After the contentious parts of the letter were leaked on Wednesday, No 10 moved quickly to slap down Mr Johnson by stressing that Mrs May was determined to avoid a hard border.

The ally told The Mail on Sunday that Boriss camp suspected former MP Mr Barwell of leaking the letter in order to stymie any potential rebellion by the Foreign Secretary.

It was a flush out, the MP said. We suspect Gavin. He subscribes to the view that Brexit is a total f*****g disaster. He blames Brexit and Boris for losing his seat [Croydon Central] at the last Election.

Stranded by snow in Hungary, Boris Johnson was unable to make it back to London to hear the PM's speech but held aloft a copy of her words and gave them a thumbs-up

The ally also claimed that Mrs May had intervened personally to stop Mr Johnson from releasing the entire letter, saying: It was a very partial leak of the letter. Boris asked to put the whole thing out to put the record straight. But the Prime Minister explicitly banned that.

The row destroys the Cabinets Brexit truce just days after it was agreed. Mrs May had brokered a united front ahead of her keynote speech on Friday which set out a her aims from the Brexit negotiations.

She appeased the hard Brexiteers, led by Mr Johnson, by restating her determination to leave the customs union and strike trade deals with the rest of the world. While the Remainers, led by Chancellor Philip Hammond, were mollified by a pledge to remain aligned with EU rules in certain key sectors.

It is the latest outbreak of hostilities between No 10 and the tight group of loyalists around Mr Johnson, which dates from the time when Downing Street was run by Mrs Mays former joint chiefs of staff Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill  who were intensely wary of Mr Johnsons ambition.

When Mr Johnson was first appointed as Foreign Secretary in 2016, it was claimed that Mrs May had deliberately set him up to fail by putting him in a job which would expose his diplomatic limitations  and keep him out of the country.

The MP said the leak was designed to put Mr Johnson in his place and claimed Mr Barwell (pictured) was motivated by a personal dislike of the Foreign Secretary over his Brexit stance

The tensions became public at a political dinner later that year when Mrs May likened him to a dog that could be put down when his master tired of him, to Mr Johnsons visible unease.

Mutual suspicion increased in the wake of Mrs Mays snap General Election disaster last year, after No 10 discovered that Mr Johnsons aides had been encouraging talk of a leadership bid.

It then intensified in the run-up to Mrs Mays Florence speech on Brexit last September when Mr Johnson ambushed her just days beforehand by publishing his own 4,000-word vision of the countrys future.

As recently as last months Cabinet meeting at Chequers, where the truce over EU withdrawal was agreed, it was reported that Mr Johnson had considered resigning when he thought a soft Brexit aligning the UK to Brussels rules was going to be agreed.

Mrs Mays speech at the Mansion House on Friday had appeared to unite the two wings of the party. Leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the influential European Research Group of backbench Tory Brexiteers, declared himself content. He said: There are inevitably a few small points that will concern Leave campaigners, but we must all recognise that everyone will have to give up something to get a deal, so now is not the time to nitpick.

Mr Johnson (left) had argued that the objective of Brexit negotiations should not be to maintain no border on the island of Ireland. Right: An armed guard on the Irish border in 1961

And leading Tory Remainer Nicky Morgan praised both the tone and content of Mrs Mays intervention, saying it was a welcome dose of realism  although she suggested it was several months overdue.

It made a very clear case for a new economic partnership. The EU cant say they dont know what the UK wants any more, she added.

Last night, a spokesman for Mr Johnson described the allegations by one of his allies as a nonsense claim from an anonymous quote about a half-baked and misleading leak that has been totally superseded by the Prime Ministers excellent speech on Friday.

The spokesman added: We all now have a song to sing on Brexit, and we are going to be in unison.

We are coming out of the customs union and single market and, as Theresa May has spelt out, we can stay economically and politically close to our friends and partners in Europe while forging an exciting new future for Britain  controlling our own laws and doing our own free trade deals.

And the PM was absolutely right to be optimistic about the solutions to the issues raised by borders in Ireland and elsewhere. Its time to be positive, folks.

Mr Barwell said: As Boris himself has made clear, these claims are ridiculous and totally untrue.The co-founder of the of ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's was placed under arrest on Saturday after violating a local noise ordinance in his home state of Vermont.

Police in Burlington say that Ben Cohen was taken into custody Saturday afternoon at around 3.30pm following a noisy public protest, according to broadcasting affiliate ABC 22.

The demonstration, which began around 11am, was intended to simulate the sound of the F-35 jet blast, said Lieutenant Matthew Sullivan of Burlington police.

The demonstration, which began around 11am and lasted to 3.30pm, was intended to simulate the sound of the F-35 jet blast

He was cited numerous times before his arrest for violating the Burlington's city noise ordinance

Sullivan explained that amplifiers were attached to a rig and led by a vehicle Cohen was driving. He was cited numerous times before his arrest for violating the city's noise ordinance.

'Because it was the third violation it's disorderly conduct by noise so they were arrested,' Lt. Sullivan said. 'Three protesters were arrested.'

The public display was intended to bring awareness to an upcoming ballot vote concerning the housing of F-35 Jets in the city (Pictured: Ben Cohen)

The public display was intended to bring awareness to an upcoming ballot vote concerning the housing of F-35 Jets in Burlington.

'It's either legal or it's not, if it's legal for the F-35 to make this noise 16 times per day, 52 wks a yr, for the next 50 yrs, it should b legal for us to do this limited demonstration of extreme jet blasts which are the subject of Item #6 on the March ballot,' Cohen said in a message posted to Twitter before his arrest.

Supporters of the demonstration said arresting protesters for violating the ordinance proved their point about the jet fighters.

'The city has just admitted that it's illegal,harmful and dangerous,' James Leas said. 'So now we have the city of Burlington acknowledging that by making these arrests.'

Residents of Burlington have an opportunity on Tuesday to vote on a non-binding resolution that would ask the Air National Guard to find somewhere else to house an F-35 fighter jet base, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

The Vermont National Guard, however, has already invested $83 million dollars into the project and will likely not be compelled by initiative.

'When the first F-35 lands here in 18 months we intend to be fully trained and equipped to receive it,' Lt. Col. Daniel Finnegan told Vermont Public Radio over the weekend.

The issue has festered in the New England city since 2013. Burlington airport has already been the home to F-16s for years, and supporters say that the addition of the F-35s will have little impact.President Donald Trump suggested that the United States ought to do away with term limits just as China recently did, it was reported on Saturday.

Trump spoke before a crowd of Republican donors in his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to CNN.

During his remarks, he praised Chinese President Xi Jinping, who recently enacted reforms that will allow him to rule as president indefinitely.

He's now president for life, Trump said of Xi. President for life. And he's great.

And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll give that a shot some day.

During the speech, Trump also criticized the rigged system in Washington.

President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that the United States ought to do away with term limits just as China recently did. Trump is seen left with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this past November

During his remarks, Trump praised Xi, who recently enacted reforms that will allow him to rule as president indefinitely. Trump is seen above with First Lady Melania Trump in Washington on Saturday

Xi is seen above attending the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing's Great Hall of the People

He also said he wished the Justice Department would launch an investigation against Hillary Clinton over the use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

Trump has frequently used his Twitter feed to criticize his attorney general, Jeff Sessions.

The president went after Sessions  whom he went after mercilessly on Twitter earlier in his term  a day after Sessions said his agency's internal inspector general would probe allegations of illegal surveillance against Trump campaign officials.

'Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse,' Trump wrote, leaving out a question mark at the end of his inquiry.

'Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn't the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!'

Sessions, who has been on the receiving end of multiple presidential online shots throughout his turbulent tenure, defended his own 'integrity and honor' in the face of Trump's attack.

'We have initiated the appropriate process that will ensure complaints against this Department will be fully and fairly acted upon if necessary,' Sessions said in a statement.

Then the former Alabama senator added: As long as I am the attorney general, I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor, and this Department will continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner according to the law and the Constitution.'

Trump on Saturday also blasted two other frequent targets of criticism  Clinton and former President George W. Bush.

Trump on Saturday also blasted two other frequent targets of criticism  Hillary Clinton (right) and former President George W. Bush (left)

'Is Hillary a happy person? Do you think she's happy?' he said.

'When she goes home at night, does she say, What a great life? I don't think so. You never know. I hope she's happy.

Trump also lambasted Bush for his decision to invade Iraq in 2003 after claiming that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

'Here we are, like the dummies of the world, because we had bad politicians running our country for a long time,' he said.

Trump said the Iraq invasion was the single worst decision ever made because it was tantamount to throwing a big fat brick into a hornets nest.

'That was Bush. Another real genius. That was Bush,' Trump said sarcastically.

'That turned out to be wonderful intelligence. Great intelligence agency there.'

Trump has used the Iraq War and the errors made by US intelligence agencies to discredit those who claim that Russia meddled in the 2016 elections.

The American intelligence community believes that President Vladimir Putin directed Russian cyber operatives to hack into the election to help Trump defeat Clinton.

Trump has largely resisted those claims. Russia has denied the hacking allegations.Doctors who have been struck off are using their medical titles and potentially endangering patients by carrying out cosmetic procedures, a Mail on Sunday investigation reveals.

One doctor was not only administering laser-assisted liposuction after being banned as a risk to patients, but is even now training medical professionals in the same procedure.

This newspaper also uncovered how a nurse who had been struck off after being given a jail sentence for fraud is back in business, illegally administering Botox.

Doctors who have been struck off are using their medical titles and potentially endangering patients by carrying out cosmetic procedures, a Mail on Sunday investigation reveals

The revelations come as the number of complaints over botched treatments has surged, with taxpayers having to pick up a vast bill for corrective treatment on the NHS. Last night, experts called for a tighter system to monitor rogue doctors and nurses  and compared the struck-off medics to drivers who have been banned after drink-driving but who then get back behind the wheel.

Dr Pieter Jooste was struck off while already suspended in 2014 for carrying out unsafe smart liposuction procedures, including in the homes of patients, as well as for other offences. The General Medical Council concluded he was a risk to patients.

But Jooste continues to offer liposuction under his supervision and trains doctors in the same procedure. He also teaches beauticians and medical professionals how to carry out non-surgical facelifts and use dermal fillers and Botox.

Consent to treatment forms seen by the MoS show that he has been accompanying his procedures with local anaesthetic, antibiotics and drugs used to treat epilepsy. These documents were being sent to prospective patients in 2016, two years after he was struck off.

THE BENEFIT CROOK Cheryl Henwood was struck off after being jailed for benefit fraud  but now offers Botox illegally at a beauty salon. Patients are not offered a consultation beforehand with a registered prescriber, which is a requirement by law. She reassures nervous patients that she is a nurse  but still took money from our reporter when she changed her mind about the procedure. Advertisement

'YOU CAN BE A MODEL' Dr Pieter Jooste was struck off in 2014 for carrying out unsafe smart liposuction procedures, among other offences. But Dr Jooste continues to train doctors in the very same procedure. He claimed that our reporter could be a model for his pupils to practise on. His treatments include the use of prescription-only drugs. Advertisement

When our undercover reporter contacted Jooste to request liposuction, he told her that he had an injured hand, so he could not perform the procedure himself. However, he later suggested that the reporter could be a model for his pupils to practise on.

When asked how he obtained prescription drugs without a licence, he replied: Almost anyone can buy antibiotics and other medicines online. But I work with a registered nurse and doctor who can [get me medication] if I do not buy it from other sources. Most of these products are about five years old  I still have some lidocaine left that I got from a wholesaler in Kent.

He denied any wrongdoing, claiming: You dont need to be registered with the GMC to be a doctor.

The Mail on Sunday also found a struck-off NHS nurse illegally administering Botox without prescriptions.

Cheryl Henwood was handed a 12-month jail sentence in 2013 having swindled taxpayers out of 92,000 in benefits over seven years.

She lavished the money on family holidays. She was struck off the Nursing and Midwifery Council register last year after the panel concluded: Members of the public would be appalled to find that a registered nurse would behave in such a way.

'I HAVE 4,200 CLIENTS' Dr Shreedhar Vaidya was banned from practising in 2008 after the GMC deemed his behaviour was inappropriate, unprofessional, intimidating, and racially motivated. But he admitted to handing out Botox prescriptions without seeing patients in person  a legal requirement in Britain. He admitted having 4,200 clients and claimed that patients dont need a medical consultation. Advertisement

When our undercover reporter visited Ms Henwoods salon in Birkenhead as a prospective patient, she was offered Botox without a face- to-face consultation. Asked whether she was a nurse, Ms Henwood replied: Yeah, yeah, dont worry.

It is illegal to administer Botox without a face-to-face consultation with a registered prescriber first. Last night, Ms Henwood declined to comment. Dr Shreedhar Vaidya was banned from practising in 2008. But despite being struck off for gross misconduct, he is illegally prescribing thousands of prescriptions for Botox over the phone. He admitted to handing out Botox prescriptions without seeing patients in person.

Ive got 4,200 clients among my 80 injectors, he told the BBC3 programme Ellie Undercover. Why do you need a doctor to see the clients face? He added: I got lazy and want to do less and make more money.

Dr Vaidya denies all wrongdoing.

Leading cosmetic surgeon Rajiv Grover said: You can compare them to someone who has killed while drink-driving but is back behind the wheel, despite being banned.

Ashton Collins, director of Save Face, a Government-approved register of cosmetic treatment practitioners, said: Its a growing trend for people who have been deemed unfit to practise to enter the cosmetic sector.Three men are due to appear in court tomorrow over the massive blast that killed five people in Leicester.

Arkan Ali, 37, Hawkar Hassan, 32, and Aram Kurd, 33, have been charged with manslaughter and arson with intent to endanger life.

The blast last Sunday night ripped through a Polish shop and a flat above.

Brothers Sean and Shane Rajoobeer were killed and their mother Mary is also believed to have died in the blast

Shane Ragoobeer, 18, and his brother Sean, 17, who lived in the flat with their parents and younger brother, both died.

The other victims have been named as Shanes girlfriend Leah Beth Reek, 18, and Viktorija Ljevleva, 22, who is believed to have been working in the shop.

The fifth victim is thought to be Shane and Seans mother, Mary, 46.

Emergency services at the scene on Hinckley Road in Leicester

Ali, Hassan and Kurd will appear before Leicester Magistrates Court. Two other men have been arrested and continue to be questioned by police.

They were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to cause an explosion and for offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Police refused to comment on media reports saying the explosion may have been caused by an illegal alcohol distillery.Two teenagers were stabbed in a brutal street fight in the early hours of this morning.

The pair, both 17, were rushed to hospital with devastating injuries after the fight in Cremorne, Sydney at 12.30am on Sunday.

One teen suffered stab wounds to his arm and leg, while the other suffered stab wounds to his abdomen.

Two teenagers were stabbed in a brutal street fight in the early hours of this morning. Pictured: The scene

The pair were rushed to hospital with devastating injuries after the fight in Cremorne, Sydney at 12.30am. Pictured: The scene

Both were taken to Royal North Shore Hospital where they are undergoing surgery.

Another 17-year-old was arrested at the scene and was taken to the same hospital for treatment of a possible head injury.

Following treatment, he was taken to Chatswood Police Station and charged with two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was refused bail to appear before a childrens court on Monday.

Officers from North Shore Police Area Command established a crime scene and have started investigations.

Dramatic pictures from the scene showed bloody clothes left on a set of steps.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Chatswood police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

One teen suffered stab wounds to his arm and leg, while the other suffered stab wounds to his abdomen. Pictured: The sceneA wedding turned into a nightmare when a stabbing between guests took place leading to one man being rushed to hospital.

A man was allegedly slashed across the face by another guest at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, South West of Melbourne at 11pm Saturday night.

The victim of the stabbing was taken to hospital, but police say his injuries are 'non-life threatening'.

A wedding turned into a nightmare when a man was stabbed by another guest near Melbourne

An arrest was make by police for 'drunk behaviour' but it is unclear if this person was also involved in the stabbing.

Police are still investigating and have urged anyone with further information to contact Crime Stoppers.

Police are also searching for two men involved in a separate stabbing in Altona North in Melbourne.

Two groups of men were involved in a fight at 9pm, with two men receiving stab wounds and being sent to hospital.

The fancy wedding venue is located on the water front at Eastern Beach Road Geelong.

A Royal Geelong Yacht Club staff member declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.A veteran political expert who is dating a movie star has blamed 'unattractive, older men' for spreading sex rumours about women who work in politics.

It comes as Vikki Campion, the girlfriend of former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, and female advisers of Labor leader Bill Shorten are the subject of political innuendo.

Laura Tingle, an ABC political commentator in Canberra who has been dating movie star Sam Neill since January, said the global MeToo campaign against male sexual predators had failed to stop ageing men from peddling rumours about women.

Scroll down for video

Veteran political expert Laura Tingle, who is dating a movie star, said 'unattractive, older men' are spreading rumours about women in politics

Her assessment came after former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce (right) suggested he may not be the biological father of Vikki Campion's (left) child due in April

'It's striking that the main victims out of all this dissent into the gutter are all women whether it's Vikki Campion, whether it's women in Bill Shorten's office,' she told the ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.

'They're the ones whose reputations have been really maligned and it's the sort of rubbish that we see from unattractive, older men on Twitter directed at women in public roles.'

Ms Tingle, 56, was weighing in the saga surrounding Ms Campion, 33, after her boyfriend Mr Joyce, 50, suggested he may not be the father of her child, who is due in April.

In an interview with Fairfax Media, the former Nationals leader and deputy PM called initial coverage of his affair with her former media adviser 'outrageous', and said neither he nor Ms Campion were asked about paternity.

'How could they know? They never even asked if it was "Joyce's bundle",' Mr Joyce said, referring to a headline which read 'Bundle of Joyce'.

Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash last week also threatened to name female Labor staffers who were rumoured to be having affairs with male politicians.

'If you want to start discussing staff matters be very, very careful because I'm happy to sit here and name every young woman in Mr Shorten's office over which rumours in this place abound,' Senator Cash told a Senate hearing under parliamentary privilege on Wednesday.

Ms Tingle publicly confirmed to friends in January she had begun a relationship with 70-year-old movie star Sam Neill, after the pair had exchanged messages on Twitter.

The former Australian Financial Review journalist joined the ABC's 7.30 this year, after a 35-year career in the media.

Jobs Minister Michaelia Cash last week also threatened to name female Labor staffers who were rumoured to be having affairs with the Opposition LeaderAustralian regions with a high rate of anti-vaxxers will be targeted in a campaign to get all children immunised.

Health minister, Greg Hunt, said the lowest areas will be targeted online and with physical advertising campaigns catered to the local area.

'What we have at the moment is a national campaign to get every child possible vaccinated, it saves lives, it protects lives,' he told Nine News.

The five targeted areas going to be bombarded with advertising and information about immunising

The areas targeted are the five lowest according to the Immunisation Register data in 2017.

In Richmond Valley Coastal region 81.76 per cent were vaccinated at one.

At the Richmond Valley Hinterlands 90.3 per cent were vaccinated at one and 90.86 at five.

The areas targeted are the five lowest according to the Immunisation Register data in 2017.

South Perth had 89.38 per cent vaccinated at one and 87.36 per cent at five.

Gold Coast Hinterland, Queensland - 85.89 per cent at one and 87.36 at five.

In Manjimup, Western Australia 91 per cent were vaccinated at one and at 91.59 per cent at the age of five.

Health Minister Greg Hunt (pictured) is targeting the five lowest area's of immunistation in Australia

'We're going to be targeting those areas with a new immunisation Get the Facts campaign, and that's about getting the rates up to 95 per cent and then towards 100 per cent,' the Health minister said.

Mr Hunt also said that he will be working with families who are firm on their anti-vaxxing stance and for others who may be cautious of immunisation.

'Parents do have a choice, but we want to make sure the information is there that if you don't vaccinate your child, you're risking their lives and you're risking the lives of other children.'Advertisement

Nine people have died and homes along the East Coast have been destroyed by the deadly nor'easter 'bombogensis' which tore through the region on Friday leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

But officials warn that severe weather is still to come in areas along the East Coast this week.

Florida and parts of the Caribbean should expect high surf tides from the slow moving storm as it continues to churn out towards the Atlantic Ocean.

These tides could continue into early next week and cause flooding in areas along the coast of Florida.

Another storm is forming, though, and is expected to hit parts of Florida on Tuesday before moving upward towards the North East on Wednesday into Thursday.

Heavy rainfall and snow mixtures are anticipated while the winds should be less severe than what was experienced during Storm Riley.

This comes after Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Virginia declared states of emergency where authorities had to rescue people from homes and vehicles.

Severe winds and flooding have left two million people without power as of Saturday afternoon, and officials in parts of Massachusetts warn it could take days or weeks to recover.

With another storm only days away, states will have to scramble to prepare for another hit of heavy weather.

A tree crushed a vehicle in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, on Friday. The driver was the only person in the car and they survived

A woman got caught by a wave as heavy seas continued to ravage the shores of Massachusetts on Saturday

A car drives through rain water in Winthrop, Massachusetts, on Saturday as the aftermath of the storm became clear

A large wave crashes over the seawall in Winthrop, Massachusetts, on Saturday at high tide

Footage showed a ferry boat rocking dramatically from side to side on Saturday from the strong waves near Cape May, Massachusetts

A ferry rocks in choppy waters off of Cape May during a powerful nor'easter that slammed the Northeast on Friday. https://t.co/Znu27cDNCV pic.twitter.com/daFdw8TMzb  ABC News (@ABC) 4 March 2018

Incredible washover on Rebecca road in Scituate, MA. Still have another high tide to go through at noon. Winds still gusting over 45mph. pic.twitter.com/NBWPKXt9qQ  Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) March 3, 2018



The flooding is 'the worst that we've seen in years,' said Capt. John Dougan of the Quincy, Massachusetts Police Department, to CNN.

In Massachusetts, coastal flooding drowned the city of Boston and inundated its surrounding suburbs. While the storm has passed, another round of flooding occurred at high tide on Saturday in parts of the state.

An estimated 7,000 flights were either cancelled or delayed as the storm wreaked havoc with winds of up to 80mph and heavy snow and rain.

Falling trees have proven to be the most deadly component of the storm.

In Chester, Virginia, six-year-old Anthony Hamilton was killed after a tree crashed into his home while he was asleep in the top bunk.

An 11-year-old boy in Putnam, New York, was killed when a tree fell onto a home and Shawn Gregory Walker died when a tree crashed into the car he was traveling in.

Another motorist was killed near Stamford, Connecticut after a tree fell on a car, state police said.

In Baltimore, officials confirmed the death of a woman, 77, who was struck by a large tree branch and pronounced dead at the scene.

In Newport, Rhode Island, 72-year old Robert Beaver was hit and killed by a tree at his home down the street from The Breakers, the Gilded Age mansion built for the Vanderbilt family.

Downed traffic lights in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. The governor declared a state of emergency because of the wind

An abandoned car in Quincy, Massachusetts, is swept away in flood water on Friday. More floods are expected throughout the day on Saturday as high tide approaches again

A police car in Parkway, New Jersey, was wrecked on Friday. The police officer driving it lost control on an icy road while responding to a call of another overturned vehicle. The cop survived with minor injuries

A felled tree in New Jersey on Friday caused closures on the roads. Large swathes of the North East remain impassable because of the storm

In Maryland, a 100-year-old woman was rescued from her home after a downed tree crashed into it, trapping her in her bedroom.

More power outages can be expected throughout the day as the wind lingers, according to forecasters.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency warned on Saturday morning that a third round of major coastal flooding would be seen as the high tide approached.

It will cause another 3ft of water to cascade through streets, they said, and potentially into homes.

AmTrak suspended services on Friday as wind, snow and rain pounded the region. The service resumed later on Saturday with severe delays.

At Dulles Airport in Virginia, sustained winds of more than 50mph were recorded for more than 12 hours straight.

The highest winds Friday were recorded in Barnstable, Massachusetts, where a gust of 93mph was recorded.

On Nantucket, gusts reached 90mph, and 91mph winds were felt in Wellfleet. On Saturday, they are not expected to surpass 60mph.

The National Guard is on hand to assist with rescues in Massachusetts and state help is being given to Maryland and Pennsylvania as a result of the states of emergency which have been declared.

The storm has veered away from the coast but is still causing disruption with strong winds which will last throughout Saturday

A woman and child are rescued by boat in Quincy, Massachusetts, on Friday after getting stuck in flood waters

The Quincy, Massachusetts Marine Unit Dive Team is transported down flooded Sea Street by a front-end loader on Friday

A National Guard vehicle brings emergency workers to residents trapped by flood waters on Friday in Quincy, Massachusetts

A flooded shed and home due to a strong coastal storm are seen on Friday in Quincy, Massachusetts

The 42-foot fishing vessel Artemis rests on the breakwater near Provincetown Inn after breaking from its mooring on Friday in Provincetown, Massachusetts. A relentless nor'easter pounded the Atlantic coast with hurricane-force winds

Passengers wait for SEPTA regional rail trains, most of which were suspended, in Philadelphia's Jefferson Station on Friday

Air travelers stand at the check in counter during a winter nor'easter at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Friday

Walking past Independence Hall, a woman braves the snow and wind along Market Street in Philadelphia on Friday

Streets department workers in Marple Township, Pennsylvania clear a downed tree during a winter storm on Friday

Workmen in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, repair wires from a downed line that fell on a pick-up truck

A tree crashed through the metal fencing which surrounds Vice President Mike Pence's Washington DC residence

In Washington DC, rubble fell from a partially burned building. The strong wind rattled the already fragile house and sent bricks bearing down onto the street and a car outside

In Winchester, Virginia, a child rides their bike beneath a downed tree on Friday

Toppled power lines on the road in Watertown, Boston, on Friday. Police are advising residents not to go outdoors until the storm passes

A Boston resident kayaks through the streets on Friday past an abandoned car in the midst of Winter Storm Riley

WATCH: #Quincy residents including children rescued from flood waters by a front end loader. Vid from @kentucci pic.twitter.com/8HnlT0PYCg  WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) March 2, 2018

In Essex, Massachusetts, there was rising flood water on Friday as a result of the storm

Rocky waters in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, shifted the dock on Friday afternoon

Tourists battle the wind in Times Square on Friday. New York City endured gusty winds, rain and snow

A truck trailer toppled over on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge between Staten Island and New York. No one was injured

In Scituate, a Massachusetts town near Boston, water rushes through the streets at high tide as Winter Storm Riley takes hold on Friday, March 2

Press tents outside the White House toppled in the wind on Friday. No one was hurt

Along Boston's Long Wharf, not far from the Fanueil Hall tourist area, large piles of sandbags were in place around a subway station and a Marriott hotel, a spot that flooded with icy seawater during an early January storm.

'People need to take this very seriously. If you live in an area that is told to evacuate, we strongly encourage you do so first thing Friday morning,' Baker said on Thursday.

The National Weather Service had coastal flood watches and warnings in place from southern Maine through coastal North Carolina, including New York's eastern suburbs, and also warned that a snowstorm heading east from the Ohio Valley could drop significant amounts of snow in northern New York State.

Ocean-facing homes could be destroyed by the storm surge and waves, while people who live in neighborhoods reached by low-lying roads could be cut off from services for hours or days, officials and government forecasters warned.

'This could be another storm with prolonged onshore flooding,' said Paul Walker, a senior meteorologist with private forecasting services Accuweather.

Voluntary evacuation orders are in place across coastal Massachusetts.

The tracks at Hoboken train station in New Jersey had flooded on Friday morning as a result of the sudden and torrential rainBarnaby Joyce has been slammed online and labelled 'a grub' after revealing he may not be the father of his pregnant staffer's baby - while claiming journalists never asked about the boy's paternity.

The disgraced former deputy prime minister said Vikki Campion's baby's paternity is a 'grey area' because the child may have been conceived when he was in Europe with his wife.

His long-time political nemesis Tony Windsor savaged him on Twitter.

'If anyone had doubts about Joyce's character I think they now have a clear picture of this grub, will sacrifice others on his blundering self-centered path,' the former independent member for New England said on Sunday.

Barnaby Joyce (pictured, right, with Vikki Campion) has revealed he can't be certain he is the father of his pregnant staffer's baby

The former deputy prime minister claimed he was never asked by the media if Vikki Campion's baby was his when news of the scandal broke (pictured are Barnaby and Natalie Joyce)

Mr Windsor told Daily Mail Australia he had no sympathy for the former Nationals leader, who thrashed him in his old northern New South Wales seat at the 2016 election.

'No. He's brought everything upon himself. Everything,' he said.

'All of the women issues that he's going to be confronted with have all been brought on by himself.'

Other angry voters also voiced their opinions over Twitter, as Ms Campion prepares to give birth in April to a baby boy.

'What's the point of him telling us this? Is he sacrificing Vikki in an attempt to look noble?' asked one woman.

'Yes, just when you think old mate has hit rock bottom and there's only one way to go from there. He's proven that he can go lower! Some of your best work Barnaby! NOT!' another tweeter said.

'If I could give Vikki Campion just two words of advice it would be these: LEAVE. NOW,' another tweet read.

He has also been slammed by News Corp journalist Sharri Markson for claiming the question about the child's paternity was never asked.

'I directly ask Barnaby Joyce, before publication, if the baby is his and ask him to confirm he had already told his wife and daughters,' Ms Markson tweeted.

The journalist included a screenshot of the email sent to Joyce which shows the matter of paternity was her first question.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has deflected attempts to question him about the latest revelation in the Joyce affair, the ABC reports.

'The matters that are in the papers today relating to Barnaby and Ms [Vikki] Campion are matters for them to resolve,' Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney.

'I don't have any comments to make on it at all.'

Joyce, who recently quit as leader of the Nationals said he plans to raise the child as his own, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

News Corp journalist Sharri Markson slammed Mr Joyce for claiming the question about the child's paternity was never asked

News of the scandal broke earlier this year eventually leading to Mr Joyce being forced to resign (pictured are Mr Joyce and Ms Campion at a bar in Sydney)

'It's mine, on the record, there it is. And can I say, even if it wasn't, I wouldn't care, I'd still go through this, I'd still love him,' Mr Joyce (pictured) said

'It's mine, on the record, there it is. And can I say, even if it wasn't, I wouldn't care, I'd still go through this, I'd still love him,' Mr Joyce said.

But he did admit there was a close relationship developing on a 'sporadic basis' around the time with his former staffer.

In the interview with Fairfax Media, Mr Joyce called initial coverage of his affair 'outrageous', and said neither he nor Ms Campion were asked about paternity.

'How could they know? They never even asked if it was 'Joyce's bundle',' Mr Joyce said, referring to a headline which read 'Bundle of Joyce'.

Vikki Campion, the former media advisor to Mr Joyce, is now pregnant with a son

Barnaby Joyce pictured in a bar in Sydney with Ms Campion in February 2017 just a few months before his former staffer fell pregnant

Mr Joyce, 50, said he does not plan to take a paternity test in the Saturday interview, during which Ms Campion, 33, was also present for some periods.

The backbencher said he was in Europe on an official visit with his wife Natalie for the ten days after June 23, 2017, while Ms Campion was in north Queensland.

The former deputy prime minister was forced to quit as the country's number two in the wake of the scandal on February 22.

Pressure was rising on Mr Joyce ahead of his resignation from the frontbench when allegations of sexual harassment surfaced - which has completely denied.

Mr Joyce, 50, said he does not plan to take a paternity test in the Saturday interview, during which Ms Campion, 33, was also present for some periods (pictured are Barnaby and Natalie Joyce)

The former deputy prime minister (pictured) said he was never asked if Vikki Campion's baby is his

When he announced the end of his term as deputy PM, Mr Joyce called for his decision to be 'a circuit breaker' for media coverage about his relationship and his unborn son.

'This has got to stop. It's not fair on them. It's just completely and utterly unwarranted, the sort of observation that's happened,' he said.

Ms Campion was Mr Joyce's former media advisor. She left his office in April 2017 and moved to another government department.

The pair were pictured in a Sydney bar in February 2017 months before news became public about their relationship.

Mr Joyce quit as deputy PM on February 22 and has now said the question of his paternity was a 'grey area'

Mr Joyce and Ms Campion worked together for 12 months between April 2016 and August 2017.

During this time, the pair racked up a total expenses bill of $43,446 - including more than $25,000 for six VIP trips funded by the taxpayer.

Daily Mail Australia is not claiming Mr Joyce used public funding inappropriately during this time.

The couple travelled together throughout the east coast for 2,000km on a holiday together in December and January.

Barnaby Joyce told parliament of his separation from his wife in a same sex marriage debate in December

They travelled from Grafton in northern New South Wales, to north Queensland with a stop in Townsville - after Mr Joyce told parliament he was separated from his wife, Natalie.

The road to the affair started back in May 2016, when Ms Campion, a former journalist, joined Mr Joyce's election campaign.

That August, she joined Mr Joyce's office as a staffer and had split with her fiancee three months before the pair were due to get married.

In April 2017, after a reported confrontation with Natalie Joyce, Ms Campion moved to Matt Canavan's office as an adviser.

Just a few months later, Malcolm Turnbull was reportedly told by Joyce that his relationship with Ms Campion was over.

Mr Joyce, an outspoken social conservative, separated from Natalie, the mother of his four daughters, after 24 years of marriage.Salma Hayak has sniped at President Donald Trump while presenting at the Independent Spirit Awards, an awards show for indie movies.

'This award has never gone to a s**thole nation, because there are no s**thole nations,' Hayek said while presenting an award at the event on Saturday in Santa Monica, California.

The Mexico-born actress was referring to an alleged remark Trump made in a January meeting with lawmakers, which he denies.

'Why are we having all these people from s**thole countries come here?' Trump supposedly said, referring to Haiti and some African countries.

'This award has never gone to a s**thole nation, because there are no s**thole nations,' Hayek (with Jason Clarke) said while presenting an award at the Independent Spirit Awards

'Why are we having all these people from s**thole countries come here?' Trump supposedly said in a January meeting, referring to Haiti and some African countries.

Hayek was presenting the award for best international indie film of the year, which went to the Chilean drama A Fantastic Woman.

No film from Africa or Haiti has ever won the award.

Hayek wasn't the only one at the awards show to take shots at Trump.

Hosts John Mulaney and Nick Kroll said that if a movie was made about a game show host becoming president of the United States, it would not do very well, and the movie would never end.

The audience howled with laughter and applauded at that one.

Hayek wasn't the only one at the awards show to take shots at Trump

Harvey Weinstein also came in for ridicule at the awards show, as did fellow disgraced Hollywood luminaries Brett Ratner and Woody Allen.

'It has been a renaissance for the male apology,' Kroll pointed out, adding that 'many men' are now only learning that it is not okay to run naked at women, fully erect, with hate in their eyes.'

Get Out won best feature, also taking home the award for best director.

It comes as Hollywood prepares for the Oscars on Sunday night, with many expecting the politicized atmosphere that increasingly characterizes such awards shows.A teenager is fighting for his life after being stabbed in broad daylight at a shopping centre.

The 19-year-old was with a friend when a fight broke out with two other men in Box Hill, Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.

He was stabbed with an unknown weapon and rushed to hospital where he remains in an induced coma.

A teenager is fighting for his life after being stabbed in broad daylight at a shopping centre. Pictured: The alleged attackers

The 19-year-old was with a friend when a fight broke out with two other men in Box Hill, Melbourne on Saturday afternoon. Pictured: The scene

Police have now released CCTV images of the alleged attackers who walked away from the scene after the stabbing at 4.30pm.

The first alleged offender is perceived to be Caucasian in appearance, about 175cm tall with dark hair and medium build, wearing a dark coloured windcheater and dark tracksuit pants.

The second alleged offender is also perceived to be Caucasian in appearance, about 175cm tall with short fair hair and a thin build wearing sunglasses on his head, a blue short sleeved t-shirt and dark coloured pants with a small bag over his shoulder.

Whitehorse Crime Investigation Unit detectives have released CCTV footage and are hoping to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has further information.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.Alec Baldwin returned to portray President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, just days after Trump called the performance 'agony for those who were forced to watch'.

Baldwin's Trump appeared in the cold open at a televised bipartisan meeting about gun violence, flanked by parodies of Vice President Mike Pence (Beck Bennett) and Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein (Cecily Strong).

'We have to take a hard look at mental health, which I have so much of,' Baldwin's Trump said. 'I have one of the healthiest mentals.'

'Maybe we just take everyone's guns away - nobody is allowed to have a gun, even whites,' the Trump character said, causing Strong's Feinstein to moan and salivate.

If President Trump has to handle this himself, he will. #SNL pic.twitter.com/enG3VcAfij  Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) March 4, 2018

Alec Baldwin has returned to portray President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live, just days after Trump called the performance 'agony for those who were forced to watch'

Baldwin opened the bit by reading awkwardly from a note card, but jumbling the words

Baldwin's Trump appeared in the cold open at a televised bipartisan meeting about gun violence, flanked by parodies of Mike Pence and Dianne Feinstein

The Trump character said of the departure of White House Communications Director Hope Hicks this week: 'I hate seeing her go, but I love seeing her walk away.'

Later in the episode, during Weekend Update, Strong returned to portray Hicks, saying: 'I'm going to miss all my friends from my semester abroad at the White House.'

In the cold open, the Trump character continued: 'Jared Kushner is hottest chick left in the place - but he's probably going to jail soon.'

Baldwin's Trump lamented that the US was being surpassed by China, Japan and Wakanda, the fictional setting of the film Black Panther.

'Wakanda is laughing at us,' he said, pointing out that the imaginary African nation had surpassed the US in flying car technology.

The Trump character also boasted that his proposed steel tariff had 'brought back the steel industry by destroying the auto industry and tanking the stock market'.

'I said I'd run the country like a business, and that business is a Waffle House at 2am', he said.

Hope Hicks is saying goodbye after an amazing semester abroad at the White House. #SNL pic.twitter.com/pQBZnmtz9O  Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) March 4, 2018

During Weekend Update, Strong returned to portray Hope Hicks, saying: 'I'm going to miss all my friends from my semester abroad at the White House'

Asked by co-host Colin Jost why the media was so kind to her, the Hicks character replied: 'If I had to guess, I'd say because my hair and face are good'

Returning to the topic of guns, the Trump character said: 'Maybe we do just take all the guns away,' pointing to the salivating Feinstein character and adding 'she's looking at me like a cartoon pork chop'.

Baldwin's latest impersonation follows the real Trump's tweet on Friday: 'Alec Baldwin, whose dying mediocre career was saved by his terrible impersonation of me on SNL, now says playing me was agony. Alec, it was agony for those who were forced to watch.'

Baldwin had been quoted in an interview saying that he despaired playing Trump.

The actor fired back after the President's tweet: 'Agony though it may be, Id like to hang in there for the impeachment hearings, the resignation speech, the farewell helicopter ride.'

In one segment, guest host Charles Barclay pitched his 'Ned's Roach Away' (NRA) pest control solution, which involves arming cockroaches with tiny AR-15s

'The only thing that can stop a bad roach is a good roach with a gun,' said Barclay

Michael Che also piled on the subject of guns, lamenting that hunting is considered a sport. 'I've never seen a deer get shot, grab its side and say "ah, good game",' said Che

The new SNL returned time and again to the topic of guns, with the New York-based cast calling for new restrictions on gun ownership.

In one segment, guest host Charles Barclay pitched his 'Ned's Roach Away' (NRA) pest control solution, which involves arming cockroaches with tiny AR-15s.

'The only thing that can stop a bad roach is a good roach with a gun,' he said.

The Weekend Update segment also returned to the topic, with co-host Michael Che lamenting that hunting is considered a sport.

'I've never seen a deer get shot, grab its side and say "ah, good game",' said Che.

"At Ned's, we know the only thing that can stop a bad roach is a good roach with a gun." #SNL pic.twitter.com/TbrQpkczo2  Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) March 4, 2018A 25-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a mother-of-two Donna Louise Steele, 42, in far north Queensland.

Mathew Ross White was arrested by police at 9.30pm on Friday night in Mooroobool, Cairns.

Detective Inspector Geoff Marsh said the two had a 'loose relationship' and their families knew each other.

The 25-year-old man from the Cairns suburb of Mooroobool was arrested on Friday night at about 9.30pm

White, a local AFL player, was also charged with misconduct with a corpse by interfering and enter with intent and made a brief appearance in Cairns at court on Saturday morning.

Ms Steele's body was found on August 6 wrapped in blankets and dumped in a remote creek 20km from town, just days before she was last seen at the Cooktown IGA supermarket in Helen St last on August 2, 2017.

The investigation included aerial and ground searches of homes, properties and waterways, with a man's shoe located in the Endeavour River area on October 31.

A 25-year-old Cairns man has been charged with the murder of 42-year-old mother of two Donna Louise Steele, who was found dead in bush land north of Cooktown on Sunday

Scientific analysis was conducted on more then 200 items, with trace DNA identified on some of them.

At the time her body was discovered The Cairns Post police were 'confident' that Ms Steele was killed by 'someone she knew'.

The arrest came a week after $250,000 reward was offered for information about her killer.

Queensland police investigating near the site where the body of Donna Louise Steele was found, in crocodile infested Isabella Creek near Cooktown

Ms Steele's body was found wrapped in blankets and dumped in a remote creek 20km from town, just days after she was last seen at the Cooktown IGA supermarket in Helen St last on August 2 2017.

Despite the arrest no one has claimed the $250,000 reward and the ABC.

'No reward has been sought by any person who has provided evidence to the Queensland Police Service. All the information that has been provided to us has been provided freely,' Inspector Marsh said.

He said: 'I can't say what happened in the mind of Matthew White, but obviously the Government offering that reward has placed pressure on a particular person, being Matthew White.'A male nurse committed suicide after a year of relentless bullying at work, his colleagues have claimed.

Andrew Earl, who was an emergency department nurse at Calvary Hospital in Canberra was found dead at his home in June.

A coroner ruled there was not enough evidence to say his death was solely caused by bullying but friends say he was 'worn down' by a psychological campaign against him.

Tragic: Andrew Earl (pictured), who was an emergency department nurse at Calvary Hospital was found dead at his home in Canberra in June

A coroner ruled there was not enough evidence to say that Mr Earl's death was solely caused by bullying but friends say he was 'worn down' by a relentless campaign

'He experienced psychological bullying. Over time it wore him down until he was mentally and emotionally exhausted,' a friend told The Sunday Canberra Times.

The friend claimed that one colleague constantly criticised and questioned his work.

She said: 'The colleague made changes to his work so it appeared to the rest of his team that he'd completed his work incompetently. Over nine to 12 months, it wore him down until he was mentally and emotionally exhausted.'

'He felt belittled and also ashamed that he couldn't cope with it,' she added.

The friend said that Mr Earl wanted to report the bullying so it never happened to anyone else but feared being labelled unfit for practice.

Mr Earl, who had been a nurse since 2009, was described as a 'gentle, giving person'.

He loved swing dancing, cooking, breeding Japanese spitz dogs and playing scrabble online.

The ACT Health Services Commissioner is investigating Mr Earl's death.

The friend explained that one colleague at Calvary Hospital (pictured) constantly criticised and questioned his work.

Calvary Hospital told Daily Mail Australia: 'We are very sad about the loss of Andrew, we continue to grieve his absence and the manner of his dying in June 2017. We deeply respect the wishes of Andrews family not to comment on his situation directly.

'Calvary does take bullying, harassment and intimidation very seriously. We will not tolerate these forms of gross disrespect in any way.

'Calvary wishes to reinforce that staff who speak out will be supported in being heard and the matter being investigated. There are several ways for them to speak out and they do not have to confront an individual who may be the subject of their complaint.

'Individuals may raise the matter with either their HR representative or senior executives, or with the Fair Work Commission. In addition, spiritual and emotional support and free counselling are available for employees and their families.'The visit comes at a time when Vietnam and Bangladesh are celebrating the 45th anniversary since the foundation of the two countries diplomatic ties (February 11, 1973-201).

Bangladesh has a stable political climate at present. The Bangladeshi Government has implemented a foreign policy of peace, non-alignment, friendship and cooperation with all countries, as well as actively participating in the United Nations peacekeeping operations, and contributing to the worlds peace and security. In recent years, Bangladesh has positively improved its position within multilateral forums, especially through successfully hosting the General Debate of the 136th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in April 2017, and contributing its ideas at multilateral conferences such as Arab-Islamic-American Summit and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In addition, the country has also actively promoted its relations with ASEAN countries.

Since the inception of their diplomatic ties in 1973, the traditional friendly relations and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Bangladesh have been continuously nurtured and strengthened by both countries generations of leaders and people. The fine relationship has been marked by high-ranking visits, most recently by NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong to attend IPU-136 in April 2017 and the visit to Vietnam made by the Speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, in July 2017. Many delegations of officials from Bangladesh have been sent to Vietnam to enhance the cooperation and share experience in administrative management, agriculture and rural development, tourism and climate change.

It is pleasing to witness the development of the economic cooperation between Vietnam and Bangladesh, with two-way trade of US$900 million in 2017. The two sides are striving to increase their bilateral trade turnover to US$1 billion in the coming years. Vietnam exports many goods to Bangladesh, such as cement, rice, fibers, textile and garments, machinery and equipment. By the end of December 2017, Bangladesh had invested in four projects in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of US$615,000. Agricultural cooperation between the two countries has been maintained and accelerated. The two sides have actively conducted exchanges of delegations at all levels in order to share experience on policies related to economic development, resettlement, migration and aquaculture.

Security and defence cooperation between Vietnam and Bangladesh has also been fostered. The two sides have held several activities to discuss their experience on participation in UN peacekeeping operations and transnational crime prevention and control. Education and training cooperation has seen fine achievements. The National Academy of Public Administration of Vietnam has coordinated with the Ministry of Public Administration and Public Administration Training Centre of Bangladesh to successfully hold 16 training courses on public administration for nearly 500 Bangladeshi management officials and leaders.

Bangladesh always attaches great importance to the relationship and position of Vietnam, considering the country as a reliable partner within the international arena. The two countries have exchanged and cooperated closely at international forums, particularly in the UN.

President Tran Dai Quangs state visit to Bangladesh affirms the determination of the leaders and people of both countries to further deepen the Vietnam  Bangladesh relationship and to strengthen the political trust between the two countries leaders. The visit offers a good occasion for the two sides to discuss the measures required to accelerate their bilateral cooperation across various fields in a more substantive and effective manner, as well as to discuss regional and international issues of mutual concern, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development all around the world.Australia's new Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has changed his stance on gay marriage and has now offered to MC a gay wedding for a relative.

The new leader of the National Party, who replaced Barnaby Joyce last week has now completely warmed to the idea of same-sex marriage and will attend the wedding of a gay relative soon.

Mr McCormack has come under fire in recent days over 'homophobic' editorials he penned in 1992 an 1993 saying homosexuality was 'sordid' and gay people were responsible for spreading aids.

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Australia's new Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack (pictured) has changed his stance on gay marriage. He has been married to his wife Catherine (pictured) for 31 years.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, his spokesperson confirmed he would now be happy to MC a gay wedding.

'He will attend a relative's wedding and has offered to MC it,' she said.

Sydney lawyer Michael Tiyce , who has been waiting 20 years to marry his partner, welcomed the news.

'While I wouldn't want someone I didn't know Mc'ing my future wedding to my long suffering partner, why wouldn't we take him on his word that he's a changed man?,' he said.

Mr McCormack is now be happy to MC a gay wedding.

Mr McCormack, 53, has been married to wife Catherine for 31 years and plans to prioritise his family, he told the Daily Telegraph.

'Once politics goes, I still want to have my wife and children,' he told the publication.

'At the end of the day, you might be Deputy Prime Minister, you might have a very important office, but you are still a husband, you are still a dad, and you still have to make time for family.'

Mr McCormack replaced Barnaby Joyce (pictured) after news broke out of his affair with Ms Campion

Tony Abbott's sister Cr Christine Forster, who is now married to her wife Virginia, raised questions about Mr McCormack's stance last week calling his 1993 column 'abhorrent'.

'If you're in public life you have to expect to be subjected to that kind of scrutiny,' she told AAP, while acknowledging the editorial was written a long time ago.

Mr McCormack said Australia was a different place in the 90's and his views have changed.

'Editorial views expressed more than 25 years ago in no way reflect how my views and community have changed since publication,' he said.

Tony Abbott's sister Cr Christine Forster, who is now married to her wife Virginia, raised questions about Mr McCormack's stance last week calling his 1993 column 'abhorrent'.

'Australia in the early-nineties was very different to what it is now.

'I say this not to excuse the culture which once existed but to put the quotes in context.

'As the country and local communities have changed, so too have community views and expectations - and so too have many personal views people held, including my own.

'As people get older and start families, and grow as members of their community it is completely reasonable their views change over time.'

Barnaby Joyce, his predecessor, earlier this week kept the option of returning to the front bench open.

But Mr McCormack was having none of it, telling the Daily Telegraph it would be 'getting a bit too far ahead of ourselves' for Joyce to return to the front bench.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, now a backbencher, on Sunday revealed he cannot confirm he's the father of the baby boy he is expecting with former staffer Vikki Campion, 33.A birthday party cruise on Sydney Harbour has ended in tragedy after the boat captain suffered a cardiac arrest and died while steering the vessel.

The Constellation Cruises vessel with 200 guests departed from King Street Wharf at around 6pm on Saturday night.

Shortly after leaving the wharf, crew members became concerned about the boat's increasing speed near Barangaroo and found the skipper Howard Bovill, 67, slumped at the wheel and unconsciousness.

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Constellation Cruises boat skipper captain Howard Bovill, 67, was found unconscious while steering a cruise for 200 birthday party guests

Mr Bonvill was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital where sadly, he was unable to be revived

It's understood he suffered a suspected heart attack.

'It was a gut feeling instinct' heartbroken crew member John Anogianakis told 7 News.

'I just ran up and the captain was not in a good way.'

The crew's desperate efforts to commence CPR on Mr Bovill and regain control of the boat were recognised.

'If it would have taken out the ferry wharves here at Barangaroo, there would have been massive casualties,' ferry master John Mann said.

A nearby charter vessel came to the aid of the crew and assisted in bringing the boat back to the wharf, where emergency services were waiting.

A nearby charter vessel came to the aid of the crew and assisted in bringing the boat back to the wharf

Paramedics rushed Mr Bovill to St Vincent's Hospital where he later died.

Friends and family paid tribute to the boat captain on social media on Sunday night.

'Howard was a lovely man and will be sadly missed by so many,' one friend commented.

Another added: 'Very sad news .... back with the love of his life!'

Marine Area Command officers have commenced inquiries into the incident.

A report will now be prepared for the Coroner.Bryant Canales will be placed on leave from the Bexar County Jail in Texas while the investigation of three escaped inmates is underway

A detention officer has been placed on administrative leave from a Texas jail after three inmates - with numerous murder charges - escaped on Friday.

Bryant Canales will be placed on leave from the Bexar County Jail in Texas while the investigation is underway.

He had been working at the jail only 18 months.

'Detention officer Bryant Canales was placed on administrative leave while the investigation is active and ongoing,' a statement from BCSO said, according to KSAT.

'We are also looking into the possibility other inmates and several suspects outside the walls who may have assisted.'

The three men - identified as Jacob Brownson, Eric Trevino and Luis Arroyo - were in the jail's recreation area around 10.40am when the made their escape.

They cut a hole in some mesh and used bed sheets to reach the hole and get outside.

Jacob Brownson (pictured), Eric Trevino and Luis Arroyo escaped from Bexar County Jail on Friday

They (Trevino and Arroyo pictured) cut a hole in some mesh and used bed sheets to reach the hole and get outside. Walking out the front side, jail visitors saw the three and alerted authorities

Canales had only been working at the jail only 18 months when the escape happened

Escaping through the front side of the jail, the trio were eventually spotted by jail visitors who alerted sheriff officials, according to Sheriff Javier Salazar.

The jail has been on a lock down, as a result of their escape.

A woman was waiting in a getaway car and drove them away. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus explained that she was one of the ex-girlfriends of the men.

Escaping through the front side of the jail, the trio were eventually spotted by jail visitors who alerted sheriff officials, according to Sheriff Javier Salazar

She dropped the men off at a nearby Sonic to get some food.

According to the police chief, the woman then called police and alerted them on where they could find the men.

According to Salazar, the investigation will look into how the men planned their scheme.

A woman -believed to be an ex-girlfriend of one of the escapees - was waiting in a getaway car and drove them away. She drove them to a Sonic before calling the police and turning them in

'It's something that shouldn't be allowed to occur,' he added.

Trevino had to be taken to a nearby University Hospital to get a foot injury checked out.

The other three were being questioned by sheriff's officials.

The three murder suspects were all accused of six separate murders.A baby girl who was mauled to death by an Rottweiler was reportedly inside a pram being pushed by her mother when she was set upon by the aggressive dog.

Kamillah Jones, just 12-months-old, died on her way to hospital when the dog attacked her near a house in Inverell, northern New South Wales on Saturday.

Heartfelt tributes have been paid to the 'beautiful little angel' who was 'loved and adored by so many' and 'never got a chance to live her life'.

Tragic toddler Kamillah Jones reportedly was attacked by a dog when she was being pushed in her stroller

The little girl, who was just 12-months-old, suffered fatal injuries and was in a critical condition when police arrived

The tragedy reportedly happened at a family barbeque at the girl's new home (pictured) to celebrate her family moving in

The little girl was described as a 'beautiful little angel' who was 'loved and adored by so many'

The dog savaged the infant at her new home as her family were celebrating moving in with a barbecue on Saturday, a source said.

However the girl's aunt, who is not thought to have been there at the time, rubbished those claims and said somebody else's dog attacked the pair as they went for a walk.

Ida Boney wrote: 'This was my niece that died today she was actually being walked by her mother in a pram on the way to her granny's house just one block away.

'There are no words to describe a scene where a mother is fighting with every ounce of her being to save her baby girl.

Baby Kamillah Jones died after she was mauled by a dog in a tragic incident in New South Wales

Heartfelt tributes have been paid to the baby girl with a fundraising website set up to help her family

'The dog in question actually cleared a fenced yard (someone else's dog not our family's).'

Another of the little girl's aunts, Amy Boney, said: 'Missing you heaps my little niece, fly high my angel well never forget you. You will always be in my heart beautiful.'

Earlier, she said the dog was not from her family but police said on Sunday the Rottweiler did belong to one of the baby girl's relatives.

Family friend Alisha Lay said the girl was a 'beautiful little angel' as she set up a GoFundMe page to support the family with funeral costs.

'She was loved and adored by so many. Little Kamillah's passing was so unexpected and a tragic accident.'

A baby died while being taken to hospital after being mauled by a Rottweiler on Saturday (stock image)

The campaign has raised over $1,500 of its $6,000 goal in less than six hours.

Paramedics arrived at 2.20pm and found the child suffering devastating injuries.

The baby was treated at the scene and rushed to hospital but died on the way.

The family's Rottweiler was found in the backyard of the home and seized by rangers from Inverell Shire Council.

It savaged the infant at her new home in Inverell, northern New South Wales, as her family were celebrating moving in with a barbecue on Saturday, a source said

A neighbour told The Daily Telegraph: 'I just saw a young girl in a paramedic's arms which was dreadful to see. I figured she had died when she came out the way she did.

'I didn't see any marks on her so I thought it must have been a pool incident I didn't notice any movement.

'I didn't see much after that because I ran inside because it was a little too vivid to watch.'

Police from New England Police District are investigating and a report will be prepared for the Coroner. Pictured: The street where the attack happened

Neighbour Helen Bedford pleaded for people to stop criticising the family on social media.

She wrote: 'These poor parents are beyond devastated and grieving.

'I watched the ambos trying to help her... I feel sick now.

'Please stop with the nasty comments, they don't need to see this at all.'

Police from New England Police District are investigating and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.President Donald Trump has become increasingly isolated and angry as he watches top aides leave the chaotic White House, a report claimed on Saturday

President Donald Trump has become increasingly isolated and angry as he watches top aides leave a White House that has descended further into more chaos, a report claimed on Saturday.

The president has been described by aides and friends as a man consumed by rage over the constant stream of scandals that have engulfed his administration, particularly over the past few weeks, The Washington Post reported.

Trumps behavior is beginning to concern allies, especially after this past week saw him express changing opinions on gun control, announce new tariffs on steel and aluminium, and take aim once again at Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

There was also the resignation of White House communications director Hope Hicks, one of the presidents most trusted aides, the Mueller investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the US elections, and the ethical and legal concerns surrounding son-in-law Jared Kushner.

It was reported this week that Kushner was stripped of his top secret security clearance by chief of staff John Kelly.

Kelly reportedly angered Trump earlier this week when he joked during an appearance at the Department of Homeland Security that his hiring by the president to be White House chief of staff was punishment from God.

Kelly has also been the subject of controversy over his handling of the Rob Porter scandal.

Porter was a top aide to the president who was operating without a security clearance due to past allegations of abusing ex-wives and girlfriends.

Kushner is also said to face more questions about over half-a-billion dollars in loans his familys real estate company received after he met with financiers in the White House.

One of Trumps supporters described the scene as pure madness. Others say they have encouraged friends of the president to call him and keep in touch in order to lift his spirits.

Trump is growing more concerned over his son-in-law, who is increasingly viewed as a political and legal liability.

The president has reportedly asked people close to him whether they think Kushner or his company broke the law.

A source of anger for Trump is the steady stream of negative headlines about son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to The Washington Post

The constant stream of negative headlines about Kushner, the Mueller investigation, and the turmoil in the White House has led Trump to lose his cool, advisers say.

Trump has repeatedly fumed over the fact that nobody has defended Kushner on television.

Trump was particularly incensed over a photograph that was shown on cable news.

In the picture, Sessions is seen dining at a Washington, DC restaurant with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Solicitor General Noel Francisco.

The image, which was first obtained by Axios, was interpreted by many to be a show of solidarity among the Justice Departments top officials just hours after Trump attacked Sessions and his agency in a tweet.

The agency has come under fire from Trump because of the Russia probe, which has gained momentum in recent weeks.

It was Sessions who recused himself from the Russia probe, leading his deputy, Rosenstein, to name Robert Mueller as special counsel.

Trump has been angry with Sessions for the recusal, which the president views as a betrayal.

There was also the resignation of White House communications director Hope Hicks (above), one of the presidents most trusted aides, and the intensifying Mueller investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the US elections

This week, the president took aim at Sessions for asking the DOJs Inspector General to investigate alleged surveillance abuse of FISA laws by the FBI.

Trump wanted criminal prosecutors to investigate the matter.

The presidents worsening moods and tense relationships with his top aides have taken a toll on the entire staff.

Morale is the worst its ever been, said a Republican strategist who has frequently spoken to White House staff.

Nobody knows what to expect.

One administration official warned that things may get worse before they get better.

'We havent bottomed out,' the official told the Post.

On Saturday, Trumps critics who have accused him of authoritarian tendencies were alarmed at his praise of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The president told a crowd of donors at Mar-a-Lago that he admired Xi after the ruling Communist party announced it was eliminating the two-term limit for the presidency, paving the way for him to serve indefinitely.

Hes now president for life, president for life. And hes great, Trump said, according to audio of excerpts of Trumps remarks at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida aired by CNN.

White House Chief of Staff Kelly (center) has also been the subject of controversy over his handling of the Rob Porter (right) scandal. Porter was a top aide who was operating without a security clearance due to past allegations of abusing ex-wives and girlfriends

And look, he was able to do that. I think its great. Maybe well have to give that a shot someday, Trump said to cheers and applause from supporters.

It is not clear if Trump, 71, was making the comment about extending presidential service in jest.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment late Saturday.

US Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat, said on Twitter that whether this was a joke or not, talking about being President for life like Xi Jinping is the most unAmerican sentiment expressed by an American President. George Washington would roll over in his grave.

US presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932.

An amendment to the US Constitution approved in 1951 limits presidents to two terms in office.

Trump this week also raged on Twitter at Attorney General Jeff Sessions (above)

In order to change the current prohibition, it would require initial support of two-thirds of both houses of Congress or support of two-thirds of state legislatures - and then would need to be ratified by three-quarters of the states.

Later Saturday evening, Trump took the opportunity to poke fun at himself and trade barbs with the press at an annual bipartisan dinner.

Trump accepted an invitation to the 133rd Gridiron Club and Foundation dinner on Saturday, his first given that he declined to attend last year.

Every president since Grover Cleveland has come to at least one Gridiron.

'We were late tonight because Jared could not get through security,' the president joked, referring to his son-in-law's recent security clearance woes.

Trump said that his staff was concerned he couldn't do self deprecating humor, adding 'I told them not to worry. Nobody does self deprecating humor better than I do,' according to initial pool reports.

Trump said that he'd offered Jeff Sessions a ride to the dinner, but that the attorney general had 'recused himself'.A young man accused of stabbing a celebrated secular writer at a seminar targeted him because he was an 'enemy of Islam', Bangladesh investigators have said.

Zafar Iqbal was attacked yesterday in the northern city of Sylhet as the latest in a series of stabbings of secular or atheist authors and bloggers in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose government has waged a fierce crackdown on homegrown extremism in recent years, blamed 'religious fanatics' for the assault.

Iqbal, a longstanding champion of free speech and secularism, remains in a stable condition after being flown to a military hospital in Dhaka with stab wounds to his head.

Police detained 21-year-old Faizul Hasan, a former Islamic seminary student, and were investigating any ties to the radical groups.

Colonel Ali Haider Azad Ahmed from the elite Rapid Action Battalion unit said Hasan told investigators it was 'his duty as a Muslim to resist those who work against Islam'.

Zafar Iqbal (pictured on a stretcher after the attack) was stabbed yesterday in the northern city of Sylhet in Bangladesh

'He has said Dr Zafar Iqbal was an enemy of Islam,' Ahmed told AFP.

Police said Hasan, whose father was a teacher at an Islamic seminary, may have had links to extremists blamed for attacks on secular and atheist writers in the last four years.

Suspected Islamist radicals have killed around a dozen such writers and bloggers, including an American atheist blogger of Bangladeshi origin.

Police have blamed homegrown Islamist extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team - also known as Ansar-al Islam and linked to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent - for most of the attacks.

Bangladesh's government has provided security for top secular writers and activists since Islamist extremists named them in several lists of targets.

Iqbal, 64, is a bestselling author and celebrity speaker who regularly appears at campuses nationwide. The US-trained professor teaches at a state university in Sylhet

Iqbal, 64, is a bestselling author and celebrity speaker who regularly appears at campuses nationwide. The US-trained professor teaches at a state university in Sylhet.

The attack was swiftly condemned by protesters in Dhaka and Sylhet, who staged torchlit marches and planned further rallies to demand justice later Sunday.

Hasina urged Bangladeshis to remain alert to the threat of extremism.

'Those responsible for these incidents have become religious fanatics,' she said Sunday.

'They think that they'll go to a heaven, but they will actually go to hell, because no one goes to heaven by killing a human being.'

In recent years Iqbal had supported the execution of top Islamist party leaders -- key opponents of Hasina -- for their part in war crimes in the early 1970s, despite allegations the prime minister was crushing dissent.

Bangladesh has been waging a war against extremists in the wake of numerous attacks by radical groups in recent years.

In July 2016, militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group.According to property tax records, the home is owned by renowned political science professor P.S. Ruckman Jr (pictured)

A renowned political science professor is believed to have shot and killed his two young sons before turning the gun on himself.

Police in Winnebago County, Illinois, found the bodies of the children and a man at the home of P.S. Ruckman Jr., 58.

Cops were sent to the house after his estranged wife, Heidi, got concerned that she hadn't heard from them in a few days.

They divorced in August and have since been sharing custody of the children.

Police arrived at around 7.10am Saturday morning to perform a welfare check.

They found the man and two boys in separate bedrooms with gunshot wounds.

Bill Hintz, the county's coroner, is expected to formally release the identities of the three on Sunday after notifying the next of kin.

Cops were sent to P.S. Ruckman Jr's house after his estranged wife, Heidi, got concerned that she hadn't heard from them in a few days

The two-story home is located 4600 block of Chandan Woods Drive and near the intersection of Linden and South Perryville roads (pictured)

Winnebago County Sheriff's Department Deputy Chief Mike Schultz confirmed that Mrs Ruckman, who works as attorney in Chicago, was the person who requested the welfare check.

Cops were sent to the house after his estranged wife, Heidi, got concerned that she hadn't heard from them in a few days

'(She) hadn't heard from them for a couple days and it was her weekend for custody of the kids,' Schultz told the Standard.

Ruckman is a professor at Rock Valley College and an instructor at Northern Illinois University.

He is also an expert on presidential pardons and author of two books: 'Pardon Me, Mr. President: Adventures in Crime, Politics and Mercy' and 'The Pardon Power in the 21st Century.

Ruckman is also a much sought after source for numerous publications, including The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today and The Associated Press.

He has also appeared on major networks, including BBC, PBS and MSNBC.

Winnebago County court documents show that the Ruckmans filed for divorce in July 2017.

No prior reports of domestic violence between the estranged couple existed in police records, according to The Journal.

Ruckman is a professor at Rock Valley College and an instructor at Northern Illinois University. He is also an expert on presidential pardons and author of two books: 'Pardon Me, Mr. President: Adventures in Crime, Politics and Mercy' and 'The Pardon Power in the 21st Century

'We're trying to figure out what the (family) dynamic was and what may have led up to this tragedy,' he said.

Neighbors of the Ruckmans said they were shocked and horrified to discover what happen earlier Saturday morning.

'I think it's terrible,' Steve Derr told the publication. 'Those two boys had a long life ahead of them.'An artist has accused Disney of stealing artwork he did on album covers and using it for the posters for Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The retro-styled character posters for the latest Star Wars movie came out in February along with the trailer and feature vintage pop-art style that also include shots of the different characters.

But the posters look almost completely identical to album covers created by Hachim Bahous, who shared the comparisons on his Facebook.

The retro-styled character posters for the latest Star Wars movie came out in February along with the trailer

They feature vintage pop-art style that also include shots of the different characters

The movie posters look almost exactly like album covers that Hachim Bahous designed in 2015

'I am flattered that the quality of my work is recognized, but it is still pure and simple forgery,' Bahous said in French on Friday.

'I have not been asked for my permission, I wish to be credited and paid for this work I have done for Sony!'

Bahous would then go on and tag several artist who helped out with the album work.

He took to Facebook to voice his concern about the observation and tagged several artist who helped with the concept

Looking at the two sets of artwork, it is almost impossible not to see the similarities.

Not only do they feature similar fonts, but the posters also have the same color schemes and styling for the pictures.

Graphic designer Adam Levermore took to social media to blast Disney for the move.

It is unknown whether Disney approached Sony for use of the design, with neither having to explicitly reach out to Bahous regarding permission.

Disney nor Sony have released a comment regarding the artwork.A 25-year-old man who boarded a bus in Melbourne's east holding a machete has been arrested by police after concerned passengers alerted the driver.

The man boarded the bus around 4pm this afternoon at Ringwood Station.

Three Melbourne teenagers were also on the bus at the time and reportedly saw the man brandishing a large machete, 'swinging it around like it was a toy', they told Daily Mail Australia.

Scroll down for video

The man boarded the bus around 4pm this afternoon at Ringwood Station. Reza Jalaly, a Melbourne teenager, was also on the bus at the time and alleges he saw the man brandishing a large machete (pictured), he told Daily Mail Australia

Reza Jalaly, 16, noticed the man waiting at Ringwood Station with 'something poking out of his shirt,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Shortly after, the man who was armed with the machete allegedly began to threaten the teenagers, gesturing towards the weapon.

'He had something poking out of his shirt, he looked at my friends watch and tapped his wrist,' the 16-year-old claimed.

The frightened teenager filmed the male passenger who sat at the front of the bus next to the driver.

Mr Jalaly said the bus was full of 'terrified passengers' and the man allegedly held the machete 'swinging it around like it was a toy'.

Mr Jalaly, a 16-year-old passenger, said the bus was full of 'terrified passengers' and the allegedly armed man held the machete 'swinging it around like it was a toy'

In the video footage the man walked away from the bus stop on Wantirna Road in Ringwood and appeared to try to conceal the weapon down the back of his shirt

Passengers notified the bus driver who pulled off to the side of the road and kicked the man off the bus.

In the video footage the man walked away from the bus stop on Wantirna Road in Ringwood.

The man allegedly tried to conceal the weapon down the back of his shirt.

Police were called and the man was arrested 'without incident', Victoria Police have said.

Nobody was injured. No charges have been laid and police say that investigations are continuing into the incident.A father-of-two was allegedly high on ice when he crashed outside a Sydney police station on Saturday night.

His daughters, aged just five and seven, were both sitting without seat belts in the back seat of the ute at the time of the crash.

Matt Holford, 29, was arrested when he narrowly missed an officer after crashing and mounting a curb outside Mount Druitt Police Station, west of Sydney.

Matt Holford, 29, was arrested after he was allegedly 'high on ice' when he crashed outside Mount Druitt Police Station

The father-of-two almost hit a male police officer during the incident on Saturday night

The incident followed a day filled with driving offences for the Newcastle-area man.

Shortly before midday, Holford allegedly tested positive to a roadside drug test at Liddel, in the Hunter Valley, with his children in the car.

He was immediately slapped with an 24-hour driving ban and left Musswellbrook Police Station in a taxi.

After returning home, Holford collected his ute and drove to Sydney with his young daughters in the back seat.

At 10.30pm he allegedly failed to stop after he was involved in an accident at a Mount Druitt intersection between Duke Street and Luxford Road.

Shortly after, Holford completed the two-kilometre drive towards Mount Druitt Police Station where he mounted a curb and nearly hit a male police officer.

The Mount Druitt incident followed a day of driving offences across NSW

The five and seven-year-old girls were found 'unrestrained in the car in a distressed state' after the crash

'As the man was being arrested, his two small daughters - aged five and seven - were found unrestrained in the car in a distressed state,' NSW Police posted on Facebook.

'The girls were checked and found to have escaped physical injury; police have reported the matter to Family and Community Services.'

Holford was later charged with driving recklessly and negligently and failing to comply with prohibition.

He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday.In his speech, President Quang said a number of inter-regional and global initiatives and long-term cooperation strategies have been raised in the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific over the past years, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Indias Look East policy, Chinas Belt and Road connectivity initiative, Japans Free and Open Indo Pacific Strategy, the USs Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision, and recently the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) with the participation of 11 member economies.

He said the 21st century becomes the century of the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific only when countries share the same vision for an open area in line with international law with no country and population group being left behind, and strive to maintain overflight, aviation and trade freedom for common prosperity.

Speaking highly of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech during the ASEAN-India Summit, President Quang said only via increasingly closer links across infrastructure, trade, investment, culture, education  training, and science  technology, India and ASEAN could build up power to create a new development space for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation and development.

In Vietnams foreign policy, India is always one of the most important prioritised partners, he said, adding that PM Modi also described Vietnam as the top priority in Indias efforts to boost ties with the Asia-Pacific region.

India deserves a greater role in the Indian Ocean-Asia Pacific regions as well as in the world, he noted.

The Vietnamese leader said Vietnam supports India in actively joining regional connectivity and cooperation mechanisms.

He stressed the need to further reinforce Vietnam-India economic-trade connectivity, considering it a development momentum for the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. Vietnam and India need to promote maritime cooperation and collaboration in achieving their sustainable development goals, and closely connect the United Nations Agenda on Sustainable Development 2030 with the regional cooperation frameworks, including the Mekong  Ganga Cooperation.

The President suggested jointly building an open and inclusive regional architecture and effectively realising contents of the ASEAN  India strategic partnership with a new vision.

President Tran Dai Quang speaks at the meeting.

Vietnam and India need to coordinate more closely at multilateral forums, particularly in the mechanisms of the United Nations and ASEAN, while actively participating in developing and shaping frameworks and cooperation methods, contributing to efforts of the international community to ensure peace, cooperation, development, and a bright future for the Indian Ocean, Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region, President Quang suggested.

He expressed his belief that with the time-testing friendship, shared vision, and efforts made by leaders and people of the two nations, Vietnam and India have a solid foundation for the growing strategic comprehensive partnership and becoming the focus in regional connectivity.

The Indian Ocean-Asia Pacific regions have established its century-old connectivity in terms of geography, history, economy, and culture, he said, adding that the recent initiatives on regional connectivity, once being implemented as commitments, will contribute to creating a future of peace, cooperation and prosperity in the regions.

He spoke highly of Indias Look East and Act East policies, saying that they will contribute to the development of the Indian Ocean-Asia Pacific space, promoting the building of a sustainable regional architecture.

The realization of the Indian Ocean-Asia Pacific Vision will lay a foundation for the countrys Act East policy to achieve its targets and benefits, President Quang stressed.

The Vietnamese leader highlighted the central role of the ASEAN nations in the Indian Ocean- Asia Pacific regions, saying that all key shipping routes connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean run through Southeast Asia.

ASEAN is the only regional organisation with close cooperation frameworks and mechanisms with all nations in and outside the region, therefore, all regional connectivity initiatives are important to ASEAN, President Quang affirmed.

On the occasion, President Quang attended a ceremony launching the book on Vietnam-India relations, titled Emerging Horizons in India  Vietnam Relations.

He also attended a ceremony at the Nehru Museum to announce the establishment of the Vietnamese Studies Centre under the Indian Academy of Social Science (ISSA).Bride-to-be Meghan Markle is having her hen do at a mystery five-star resort today - but two important people won't be there.

The Suits star, 36, will be celebrating her upcoming nuptials with her close friends, but the location is being kept a closely-guarded for security reasons.

Luxury Oxfordshire resort Soho Farmhouse has been widely tipped as Meghan's party location of choice after her and rumoured bridesmaid Millie Mackintosh were pictured there together last year.

Meghan Markle (pictured right) is reportedly having her hen do at a secret UK location today, but her mother Doria Radlan (left) and the Duchess of Cambridge won't be there

Best of friends: Millie Mackintosh and Meghan Markle (pictured at Soho farmhouse) have reportedly come very close since the Suits star moved to the UK and the former Made In Chelsea star is reported to be among her bridesmaids

Among those believed to be invited are former Made In Chelsea star and socialite Millie Mackintosh, 28, (pictured left) and fashion designer Misha Nonoo, 31 (pictured)

Soho Farmhouse refused to comment on whether the hen party is being held there when approached by MailOnline.

Her mother Doria Radlan, 61, isn't going to be there and will be staying at home in Los Angeles, reports The Sun.

Also missing out will be her sister-in-law-to-be the Duchess of Cambridge, 36, who is heavily pregnant with her third child.

After speculation she could be her bridesmaid, Made in Chelsea's Millie Mackintosh is likely to be among today's hen party guests.

Other guests at today's hen party celebrations include Violet von Westenholz (pictured), a close friend of Meghan's husband-to-be Prince Harry

Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge (pictured with Meghan) will reportedly not be at today's hen party

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured centre right with her husband Prince William right, Miss Markle, centre left and Prince Harry left) is also believed to be missing out today. The 36-year-old royal is heavily pregnant with her third child

Catholic-raised Meghan Markle will be baptised in Kensington Palace by Archbishop Justin Welby before marrying Prince Harry Meghan Markle is set to be baptised as an Anglican by the Archbishop of Canterbury this month, a report claims. Prince Harry's bride-to-be - who was raised a Protestant, went to a Catholic school and married a Jewish man - will be welcomed into the church at a service in Kensington Palace. Among the people expected to attend the private event are Meghan's father, Thomas, and her mother, Doria Radlan. Thomas - who was Episcopalian (an American branch of Anglicanism) when Meghan was born - will travel from Mexico, while Doria - who was a Protestant - will come from California, according to The Sunday Times. Meghan has reportedly asked for Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to perform the ceremony because she has 'formed a close bond with him'. Meghan has reportedly asked for Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury (pictured), to baptise her because she has 'formed a close bond with him' A source told The Sunday Times: 'She and Harry have been doing wedding prep with [the archbishop].' Meghan went to Catholic Immaculate Heart high school as a teenager and later married Trevor Engelson, who is Jewish. While she did not take his faith, their wedding - in Jamaica in 2011 - was conducted with many Jewish traditions, with the couple being lifted on chairs. They divorced two years later. Meghan was not required to formally become an Anglican to marry Harry, but it is thought she wanted to do so out of respect for the Queen, who is the head of the Church of England. Meghan and Harry will be married at Windsor Castle on May 19. Meghan and Harry (pictured) will be married at Windsor Castle on May 19 Advertisement

She has become close friends with the new Royal after she moved from Toronto to the UK.

Also likely to be in attendance is her fashion designer friend Misha Nonoo and friend of fiance Violet von Westenholz.

Wimbledon champion Serena Williams is another likely 'hen' after the two met at a charity football match in 2014 and hit it off immediately.

Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney could also be going today, counting herself as one of Meghan's best friends.

Suits co-star Abigail Spencer is another member of Meghan's inner circle and could well be preparing herself for a day of hen party pampering today.

Wimbledon champion Serena Williams (left) could be another member of the hen party today, having met Meghan (right) at a charity football match in 2014

Canadian stylist Jessica Mulroney (right) is one of Meghan's closest friends and is likely to be at the luxury hen party spa day today

Abigail Spencer (pictured) was Meghan's co-star on Suits and is likely to be invited today

Friends Amanda Schull and Lindsay Roth could also be on the list.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie along with little Princess Charlotte could be there too.

Miss Markle previously joked she would be having her hen party in Cardiff after she visited the Welsh capital with Prince Harry.

Llandaff sisters Anne and Judy Daley told Meghan they would be more than welcome, to which she replied: 'I bet that would be a lot of fun.'

The pair even bought her a plastic tiara and a bridal sash as a gift.

A Clarence House spokesman refused to comment when approached by MailOnline.

Meghan and her close friends are set for a day of pampering at a luxury spa somewhere in the UK ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry, 33, on May 19. The pair are pictured on the day they announced their engagement last yearMeghan Markle is set to be baptised as an Anglican by the Archbishop of Canterbury this month, a report claims.

Prince Harry's bride-to-be - who was raised a Protestant, went to a Catholic school and married a Jewish man - will be welcomed into the church at a service in Kensington Palace.

Among the people expected to attend the private event are Meghan's father, Thomas, and her mother, Doria Ragland.

Prince Harry's bride-to-be - who was raised a Protestant, went to a Catholic school and married a Jewish man - will be welcomed into the church at a service in Kensington Palace

Meghan has reportedly asked for Justin Welby (pictured), the Archbishop of Canterbury, to perform the ceremony because she has 'formed a close bond with him'

Thomas (right) - who was Episcopalian (an American branch of Anglicanism) when Meghan was born - will travel from Mexico, while Doria (left) - who was a Protestant - will come from California

Thomas - who was Episcopalian (an American branch of Anglicanism) when Meghan was born - will travel from Mexico, while Doria - who was a Protestant - will come from California, according to The Sunday Times.

Meghan has reportedly asked for Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to perform the ceremony because she has 'formed a close bond with him'.

A source told The Sunday Times: 'She and Harry have been doing wedding prep with [the archbishop].'

Meghan went to Catholic Immaculate Heart high school as a teenager and later married Trevor Engelson, who is Jewish.

While she did not take his faith, their wedding - in Jamaica in 2011 - was conducted with many Jewish traditions, with the couple being lifted on chairs.

Why Protestantism reigns in England Meghan's decision to be baptised is not strictly necessary for her to be married in the Church of England, but is believed to desire it out of respect to the Queen's strong faith King Henry VIII's reign saw England turn in favour of Protestantism and split from the Catholic Church. The split came about after the Pope refused to annul the King's first marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which he wanted because she could not give him a male heir. The King in turn declared himself head of the Church of England. From then on, only Protestant worship was permitted and Roman Catholics were ousted. He also started to close down monasteries, taking their land and money. Britain swayed between Protestantism and Catholicism during the tenures of Henry's successors, Edward and Mary, but Protestantism was ultimately victorious with the elevation of William III to the throne. In 1701, the Act of Settlement barred Catholics from the throne. Meghan's decision to be baptised is not strictly necessary for her to be married in the Church of England, but is believed to desire it out of respect to the Queen's strong faith and the traditions of Protestantism in the monarchy. Advertisement

They divorced two years later.

Meghan was not required to formally become an Anglican to marry Harry, but it is thought she wanted to do so out of respect for the Queen, who is the head of the Church of England.

While many people brought up in the faith are baptised as children, adults can undergo the religious ceremony too.

'You are never too old to take this step, and being baptised as an adult is a wonderful experience,' the church's website states.

During the ceremony water is usually either poured on the person's head at the font or they may be fully immersed in a special pool within the church.

The service of confirmation can only take place if a person has been baptised, and is about confirming the promises about their faith that were made at the baptism.

Meghan could be baptised and confirmed in the same ceremony.

Meghan and Harry will be married at Windsor Castle on May 19.Advertisement

Celebrity couple Anthony Bell and Kelly Landry have continued efforts to patch up their marriage after reportedly buying a new $10.3 million home together.

The pair were confirmed as the new owners of the waterfront mansion in Noosa, Queensland, which they are believed to have bought late last year.

Bell is quoted by the Daily Telegraph on Sunday as saying they had bought the six-bedroom pad after Landry and their two daughters moved to the area from Sydney.

Anthony Bell and Kelly Landry are reportedly working through things as they bought a $10.3m home in Queensland together. The pair went through a very public marriage breakdown last year when Ms Landry filed an AVO against Mr Bell (pictured during court hearing)

The solar heated infinity pool overlooks an expansive waterfront view of Noosa Sound is just one of the features of the plush property

The house has its own private beach, boat jetties and launching ramp and was a record sale when 'Belly and Kelly' bought it last year

The beautiful property on the Noosa Sound boasts a solar heated infinity pool and outdoor kitchen overlooking the ocean and has its own private sandy beach.

When 'Kelly and Belly' bought the house - featuring 800sqm of living space and six bathrooms and its own caretaker wing - it was a record for the popular town.

It follows reports last weekend that the two were trying again after a bitter public break-up which led to a court hearing.

'Kelly and I have purchased the house in Noosa as she and the kids have moved up there,' Bell told the Telegraph.

The house was named Queensland house of the year and designed by top architect Paul Clout who is based in the state

Kelly Landry (pictured) said she was happy that she and Bell were 'being co-parents' together and were working to raise their children

Kelly Landry said she was looking forward to continuing to raise their daughters at the new home after moving up from Sydney

'I travel up there on the weekends and I can happily report Kelly and I are working as a team to co-parent our beautiful children, who love the area and are enrolled in a local school.'

Ms Landry confirmed she and Bell - a millionaire accountant - were 'in the happy position of being co-parents'.

The TV presenter added she and Bell were 'focusing our energies on our children to ensure they can enjoy a happy upbringing in this beautiful part of Australia'.

Landry and Bell confirmed they are 'co-parenting' together and 'focusing energy' on raising their daughters in the new house

Sources close to the couple say they are attending counselling as Landry said they were looking forward to living in the new house

The family sold their former home in Watson's Bay, Sydney, for $18m and have now bought the new Noosa pad (pictured) together

The new property is built on two parcels of land and was recently named as the Housing Industry Association Queensland house of the year.

It features a concrete, steel, timber, stone and glass construction designed by top Queensland architect Paul Clout and has a 45m-long waterfront boundary.

The new house has two boat jetties and ramp for launching.

The family's former home at Watsons Bay on Sydney's northern shore was sold for $18million to the Calligeros hotelier family.

Sources close to the family have told the Telegraph the estranged couple had been attending parenting workshops and were looking to work things out.

The couple's break-up turned extremely sour when Landry took her husband to court in 2017

Bell had been living as a bachelor in his Dover Heights mansion which he bought for $11.5m from television personality Larry Emdur.

The couple's relationship turned sour and they ended up in court together when Landry unsuccessfully applied for an apprehended violence order against her husband.

Bell's lawyer previously said his client 'did not want to see his wife again' after the court case.

The high profile marriage collapsed in November 2016 after an alleged fight which left Ms Landry, 38, taking out an apprehended violence order on her husband.

But the bitter dispute ended when a magistrate threw out the AVO after allegations surrounding claims of domestic abuse by Bell and Landry accused of excessive drinking were unproven.

Magistrate Robert Williams found there was no need for an AVO because he saw little to no chance of Bell being violent to Ms Landry in the future.

He accepted Landry's testimony that her arm was smashed into a wall and led to their daughter's head hitting a wall in the incident.

But Mr Williams said he was not satisfied by Ms Landry's broader claim Mr Bell had been abusive or controlling.Theresa May urged the EU to get on board with her 'realistic' vision of Brexit today - saying she was 'being straight with people'.

The Prime Minister mounted a robust defence of her crucial speech on Friday, in which she set out a blueprint for the UK to align with EU rules to secure free flowing trade.

She said any free trade deal should cover financial services and Britain must retain the scope to diverge from Brussels regulations in future - but admitted there would be costs if it does.

But Irish deputy PM Simon Coveney warned today that it was unlikely the EU would accept Mrs May's ideas for ensuring there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

The speech seems to have succeeded in securing a fragile truce between Tory Remainer and Brexiteer factions - although the response from the EU has been less enthusiastic.

Conservative Remainers Nicky Morgan and Sarah Wollaston both signalled today that they were supportive of the PM's stance - lessening the prospects of a potentially catastrophic rebellion over the issue of keeping a customs union.

Mrs May was at church in her Maidenhead constituency with husband Philip this morning, after pre-recording the Marr interview on Friday

Theresa May (pictured giving her interview to the Andrew Marr, broadcast today) said voters were tired of politicians re-running the arguments from the 2016 referendum

Ireland's deputy PM Simon Coveney told Marr he was 'not sure that the European Union will be able to support' the UK plan, as it would want to protect the integrity of the single market

The PM's speech (pictured) seems to have succeeded in securing a fragile truce between Tory Remain and Brexit factions - although the response from the EU has been less enthusiastic

Meanwhile, Cabinet Office minister David Lidington warned that it would be 'dangerous' for parliament to vote down any deal secured by the government.

Responding to calls for a free vote on a final agreement, Mr Lidington told ITV's Peston programme: Shes entitled to expect the government and her party to support her in that when it is laid before the Commons.

Pointing out that he himself had been an 'ardent Remainer', Mr Lidington added: 'I said at the time, before and after that referendum that this was a matter for the British people to decide and I think that it would be dangerous in terms of whats a pretty fragile public confidence in our democratic institutions, for politicians to say now well actually I know we told you, oh electorate, that this was your decision but we changed our mind because we didnt like the answer.'

Defending her blueprint in the Mansion House speech as 'ambitious' and 'credible' today, Mrs May said voters were tired of politicians re-running the arguments from the 2016 referendum.

The premier admitted unravelling Britain's relationship with the EU was 'complex' but insisted she had set out a 'very practical' way to move ahead in negotiations.

She told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: 'I was being straight with people.

'I think it's important to be straight with people, but it's also one of the messages behind the speech which I think is to say to people - I think most people, most of the time, the public feel that the time for arguing, either side of the referendum is gone.'

Mrs May rejected 'unacceptable' EU proposals to force Northern Ireland to stay under Brussels rules to prevent a hard border with the Republic.

Instead she spelled out how she believed the soft border could be maintained using or through a broader trade agreement.

But Ireland's deputy PM Mr Coveney told Marr Mrs May had given no new information about how the border could work.

He also said he was 'not sure that the European Union will be able to support' the post-Brexit plan, as it would be worried about protecting the integrity of the single market.

WHAT WERE THE KEY POINTS OF MAY'S MANSION HOUSE SPEECH Theresa May set out her vision for the future of the UK-EU relationship last week. She said: There are five tests for the success of the deal - implementing the referendum, creating an enduring deal, protecting security, a deal that is consistent with the kind of country Britain wants to be and strengthening the United Kingdom

The UK-EU free trade agreement should be biggest and most ambitious ever struck

May said the deal should be the first one ever to cover services, the lynchpin of the British economy

But she accepted publicly that the City of London would not get 'passporting rights' that allow financial services companies to trade directly in Europe

But the deal will also require cherry picking, in defiance of the EU's refusal to consider it. May said every trade deal amounts to cherry picking

The PM said 'life is going to be different' after Brexit and there were 'hard choices' on both sides - and neither the UK or EU will get everything they want

Trade across the Irish border should be a 'frictionless as possible' to avoid a hard border

A border down the Irish Sea would be just as bad as a hard border on the island of Ireland

Britain will not slash and burn regulations and hopes for 'mutual recognition' in many areas

The UK is prepared to pay for access to and follow the rules of European agencies covering medicine, chemicals and flights Advertisement

'While of course we will explore and look at all of the proposed British solutions, they are essentially a starting point in negotiations as opposed to an end point,' he said.

Mrs May said 'quite a few' trade deals have included financial services commitments in them, adding that the 'very important role' of the City of London for the UK and EU needs to be recognised.

She said: 'If we were to accept passporting, we'd just be a rule-taker - we'd have to abide by the rules that were being set elsewhere, and given the importance of financial stability of ensuring the City of London, we can't just take the same rules without any say in them.'

Asked for her message to the financial services companies, Mrs May said: 'What we're looking to develop is a relationship that means they can stay here in the UK as part of the City of London, that they will be continuing to provide their services across the European Union.

'But they will know - given the sums of money involved, given the importance of financial stability, given the risk that actually the UK bears as a result of having the City here - that it's important that we do that on the basis of recognised regulatory standards, but we can't just accept rules made elsewhere without us having a say in them.'

Mrs May sidestepped a question over whether a Commons vote on the customs union would amount to a motion of confidence.

An amendment to the Trade Bill calling on the PM to try to negotiate a customs union with the EU, tabled by Conservative former minister Anna Soubry, has attracted the support of enough Tories to threaten defeat for the Government.

When asked what happens if the Commons tries to tie her hands, Mrs May said: 'First of all, we're going to be having a discussion with members in the House of Commons because what I have set out... in terms of a future customs arrangement with the EU I think is what most people actually want to see.'

Asked if she could stay as PM if she lost the vote, Mrs May replied: 'What we're doing in looking at the customs issue as we go through these various Bills in Parliament is what is the right customs arrangement for the United Kingdom to have with the EU in future that ensures we can have tariff-free and as frictionless trade as possible across the border.'

Former Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson (left) said Mrs May was attempting to 'dance on the head of a pin'. But Tory Brexiteer Iain Duncan Smith (centre) said the PM had stuck to her commitments about leaving the single market and customs union

The premier admitted unravelling Britain's relationship with the EU was 'complex' but insisted she had set out a 'very practical' way to move ahead in negotiations

Mr Johnson was unable to attend the speech after being stranded in Hungary by bad weather

Former minister Ms Morgan gave a strong hint that the rebels had been satisfied in their bid to get ministers to explain their positions more fully.

That is what we began to see in the Prime Ministers speech on this issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on Friday," she told the BBC's Sunday Politics today.

The Prime Minister could not have been more clear last week that she does not want to see a hard border between the two and thats exactly where we are as well.

Ms Morgan insisted the rebel amendment centred on concerns about the Irish border - despite her colleagues suggesting in recent weeks that it was about preventing economic damage to the UK.

Meanwhile, Health Select Committee chair Dr Wollaston - who had also put her name to the amendment - hinted that the rebels would hold off for the time being.

She told ITV's Peston on Sunday the amendments would probably be kicked down the road a bit".

May and Corbyn turn off voters with keynote Brexit speeches Voters were overwhelmingly turned off by speeches from Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn last week, according to a poll. Just 9 per cent had a better opinion of Mrs May after she set out her Brexit vision, the ComRes/Sunday Mirror research showed. More than a quarter (27 per cent) said their impression of her had got worse. But most voters backed her strategy of continuing to negotiate with the EU (33 per cent) to get the best exit deal for Britain, while less than a quarter (22 per cent) said she should walk away from talks. Less than one in five (19 per cent) called for another general election so voters can choose between the Labour and Tory positions on Brexit. Mrs May's Mansion House address was preceded by Mr Corbyns speech setting out Labours backing for a customs union with the EU. But it left more than a quarter (29 per cent) of voters with a worse opinion of the Labour leader, while 13 per cent said their view of him had improved. In a damning assessment of his strategy, more people thought Mr Corbyn should have ruled out a customs union (19 per cent) than backed his approach (18 per cent). Advertisement

Former Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson, who served as a European Commissioner, accused Mrs May of demanding the impossible.

'What Theresa May is doing is trying to dance on the head of a pin that simply doesn't exist,' he said.

'It will be painful for the country as a result.'

Despite the apparent success in papering over Tory divisions, Downing Street and Boris Johnson were today forced to deny claims Mrs May's chief of staff Gavin Barwell was behind a leak of the Foreign Secretary's private thoughts on the contentious issue of the Irish border.

In the lead-up to the speech a private memo from Mr Johnson to the PM was leaked, showing the Foreign Secretary believed the Government should merely focus on stopping the Irish border becoming 'significantly' harder.

Mr Johnson said 'even if a hard border is reintroduced' on the island of Ireland, the vast majority of goods would not be checked.

Friends of Mr Johnson have claimed that Mr Barwell leaked the memo to kill off the prospect of a rebellion over Mrs May's Brexit plan.

But a spokesman for Mr Johnson said: 'This is a yawnerama - a nonsense claim from an anonymous quote about a half baked and misleading leak that has been totally superseded by the Prime Minister's excellent speech on Friday.

'We all now have a song to sing on Brexit - and we are going to be in unison.

'We are coming out of the customs union and single market and as Theresa May has spelt out we can stay economically and politically close to our friends and partners in Europe while forging an exciting new future for Britain - controlling our own laws and doing our own free trade deals.

'And the PM was absolutely right to be optimistic about the solutions to the issues raised by borders in Ireland and elsewhere. 'It's time to be positive folks.'

A Number 10 source said: 'As Boris himself has made clear, these claims are ridiculous and totally untrue.'

Meanwhile, former PM Sir John Major has warned Mrs May any hardening of the Irish border could lead to the 'age-old' violence of the Troubles flaring up and said the issue 'cannot be taken for granted'.

He accused her of 'unconvincing' and 'easy soundbites' about finding a way to avoid a hard Irish border through technology, without offering any practical solutions.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he said: 'What happens if local incidents cause the border to be attacked - as there is ample past reason to believe it might be? Is security brought in?

'Does that reactivate old disputes that begin a downward spiral? As the age-old conflicts of Ireland tell us, this is a clear and present fear.'

Downing Street has dismissed claims that the PM's chief of staff Gavin Barwell (pictured) was behind a leak of a private letter on the Irish border written by Mr JohnsonIt is unclear if Trump (pictured yesterday), who was speaking at the Gridiron Club dinner on Saturday, was being serious or merely joking

President Donald Trump said the United States will be meeting with North Korea during a joke-filled monologue at a dinner with journalists.

But it is unclear if Trump, who was speaking at the Gridiron Club dinner on Saturday, was being serious or merely joking.

'Now we are talking and they, by the way, called up a couple of days ago,' Trump said of North Korea.

'They said that "we would like to talk."

'And I said: "So would we, but you have to denuke, you have to denuke",' Trump told attendees at the annual Gridiron Club dinner.

'We will be meeting and we'll see if anything positive happens,' he added.

'I won't rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un. I just won't,' he said, referring to North Korea's dictator.

It comes as the foreign ministry spokesman for North Korea said it would speak with the US to 'resolve issues in a diplomatic and peaceful way' through dialogue and negotiation'.

The Korean Central News Agency also reported that the official said there should be no preconditions for talks.

The spokesman was quoted as saying: 'In the decades-long history of the DPRK-US talks, there has been no case at all where we sat with the US with any precondition, and this will be the case in future too,' he said.

Trump joked: 'I won't rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un. I just won't.' Pictured: North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un

Trump said North Korea must 'denuke' if talks are to go ahead. pictured: The launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile in July last year, which was condemned around the world

If a meeting were to come together, it would be the first between the Trump administration and Pyongyang, which are in a standoff over North's development of nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States. Pictured: A drill held by the belligerent dictatorship last year

He said the precondition of denuclearisation is 'more than ridiculous' and said the US is 'terrified' of North Korea's nuclear development.

At the Gridiron dinner, Trump was also heard joking at his own expense while discussing North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

'As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, that's his problem, not mine,' Trump said.

If a meeting were to come together, it would be the first between the Trump administration and Pyongyang, which are in a standoff over North's development of nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States.

Trump and Melania are seen at the Gridiron dinner on Saturday in a photo snapped discreetly from the audience. The event was closed to cameras, but accounts of his remarks emerged

Trump's remarks came shortly before South Korea's presidency announced on Sunday that a high-level delegation of South Korean officials will travel to North Korea on Monday to discuss improving relations on the peninsula and possible talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

After the two-day visit to North Korea, the special envoys will travel to the United States to brief officials on their discussions in Pyongyang, South Korea's presidential Blue House said.

Last month, US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un's sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics but the North Koreans canceled at the last minute, US officials said in February.

They said the North Koreans had walked away after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions.

Signs of a North-South thaw have prompted speculation that it could lead to direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang after months of tension and exchanges of insults between Trump and Kim, that have fuelled fears of war.

North Korea has refrained from carrying out any weapons tests since late November, when it tested its largest intercontinental ballistic missile.

Trump's remarks on North Korea came toward the end of a 30-minute speech in his first press dinner since taking office 13 months ago.

Gridiron Club members don wigs and costumes to perform satirical skits skewering the president and Washington political class, a tradition dating back to 1885.

Presidents typically deliver a humorous speech at the event and do not disclose new policy initiatives.

Trump rattled off a series of jokes that got plenty of laughs, skewering members of his own Cabinet like Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who were all present in the Washington hotel ballroom.For the widowed artist searching for her perfect match on a dating website, the handsome silver-haired man staring back at her seemed too good to be true.

He liked to share photos of himself and his dog on social media, and from his messages he seemed like a trustworthy person.

There was just one problem - 'Martin' was using photos of Steve Bustin, from Brighton, who just happens to be a happily married gay man.

Mr Bustin, 46, first discovered his photos were being stolen and used on dating websites such as EliteSingles back in July 2016 when a woman called Birgit Hebibi from Berlin contacted him.

Steve Bustin, pictured right with his husband John, has had his social media photos stolen by scammers

One of the photos used to trick women was a photo of Mr Bustin next to a pool in Mykonos, Greece, from 2012

The 46-year-old is going public to 'devalue' his photos and try to stop the scammers for good

A man using his photos and calling himself Sebastian had started talking to her on Facebook, claiming to be a Brit working in Thailand.

She only broke off contact with the charmer after he started asking her for money.

The same thing has happened to Mr Bustin again and again - a scammer uses his photos to woo a woman, she is oblivious to the deceit for a while, then suddenly realises he is a fake before messaging the real Steve.

Mr Bustin, a former BBC News producer who now works as a speaker, told The Sunday Times he was choosing to go public now to 'devalue' his photos and hopefully stop the scammer, or scammers, for good.

He said: 'Someone has been harvesting images of me from all over the web.'

The most recent victim to come forward, a 60-year-old widow from the West Country who wishes to stay anonymous, began talking to 'Martin' on Zoosk dating at the end of January.

Mr Bustin, a former BBC News producer who now works as a speaker, added: 'Someone has been harvesting images of me from all over the web'

The tricksters have used photos of Mr Bustin from Halloween (pictured) and ones of him on holiday

One woman who was fooled by a fake profile said: 'I thought I'd found my Prince Charming. I was really taken in. He used to seem so kind'

'Martin' had plenty of photos to share but she suspected something was up when he claimed to be beside the pool in Dubai, but his weight and hair colour changed in the photos he sent from his trip.

Mr Bustin has since increased his security settings on social media but as a public speaker his job involves posting regularly

To keep up his trick he even used an old video of Bustin and superimposed his real voice on to it during a Skype call but she quickly caught on to the deception.

She told the Sunday Times this weekend that her son and niece had warned her to be careful around 'Martin' but she ignored their advice.

It was her first attempt at internet dating after her husband died three years ago, and she hoped she could find love again after two of her friends had already found it online.

She said: 'I thought I'd found my Prince Charming. I was really taken in. He used to seem so kind. He'd send me music and say: "Do you like the song? Do you like dancing?" I feel like a total idiot.'

When one woman contacted EliteSingles to report a trickster using the name 'Christian Hansen' with Mr Bustin's photos, they apologised to her and said: 'It does appear that this individual was able to slip under the radar.'

Mr Bustin has since increased his security settings on social media but as a public speaker his job involves posting regularly.

EliteSingles and Sussex Police have been contacted for comment.

The earliest known victim contacted Mr Bustin in July 2016 but one woman was contacted by someone using his photos as recently as the end of January

When one woman contacted EliteSingles to report a trickster using the name 'Christian Hansen' with Mr Bustin's photos, they apologised to her and said: 'It does appear that this individual was able to slip under the radar'Four more families of refugees and a cohort of single men have left immigration camps on Nauru to start new lives in the United States.

The group of 29, including eight children, who flew off the island nation on Sunday is the fifth cohort to depart Nauru under Australia's refugee resettlement deal with the US.

They included four families and a cohort of single men from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Rohingya and Pakistan.

It comes a week after 26 refugees, including two Sri Lankan families with three babies left Nauru for the US.

Four families and a cohort of single men from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Rohingya and Pakistan have left Nauru and are on their way to the US

The group of 29 refugees is the fifth cohort to depart Nauru under Australia's refugee resettlement deal with the US. Another 26 refugees left Nauru last week

Just 139 refugees have left Nauru and 85 from Papua New Guinea's Manus Island since last September, despite the resettlement deal being announced 15 months ago.

The US agreed to take up to 1250 refugees from the offshore detention centres under the deal Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull reached with the previous Obama administration.

It was hailed as the worst ever by now-president US Donald Trump but has agreed to honour the deal.

According to the Refugee Action Coalition, no Iranian, Somali or Sudanese refugees are among those who have left this year.

It's despite Australian Border Force officials denying any particular nationalities were banned from resettling in the US.

US officials were expected to remain in Nauru for another few weeks but had not yet scheduled any new vetting interviews for another round of refugees, according to Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul.

He said that current interviews by US officials are either first interviews of those who expressed an interest in being resettled or re-interviews of some people first interviewed months ago.

Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has come under fire from the Refugee Action Coalition

139 refugees have left Nauru for the US since last September

'Despite the glaring problems with the US deal, Malcolm Turnbull returned from his trip to the US with no better undertakings from Trump about the numbers or timing of refugee resettlement in the US,' Mr Rintoul said.

'Yet, Border Force officials have admitted for the first time that hundreds of people, refugees and asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru may be excluded from the deal. Turnbull has also repeated that New Zealand's offer to accept 150 refugees a year will not be considered until the US deal 'has run its course'. This is a formula that will condemn hundreds on Nauru and Manus Island to an uncertain fate, without safety or security.'

Meanwhile, Australian courts are ordering Border Force to bring sick refugees, deprived of treatment in Nauru, to Australia.Whether it's witnessing a drug deal, glitter covered seats or trips through McDonald's drive-thru, a day in the life of an Uber driver is never a dull one.

Since the ride share app launched in Sydney six years ago, it has transformed the way many Australians travel and provided an opportunity for work for thousands more.

In a video released by the Kristen and Wilko show, several drivers have revealed the most memorable passengers they have encountered through the service.

Scroll down for video

Several Canberra Uber drivers shared their most memorable on-the-job experiences in a video by local radio station MIX 106.3

One local driver told the show he suspects he was an accidental party to a drug deal.

'He said I've just got to drop some money off to a mate,' said the driver.

'(The passenger) came out about five minutes later and he was like blah blah blah the whole way back. So, I thought yeah, you've just done a drug deal and had a sample of the goods.'

But witnessing an alleged drug deal was far from the worst incident, with one driver admitting, 'someone got in my car and smelt like they'd had an accident'.

Another driver shared a time he was given a one-star review for an unusual reason.

The passenger was described as 'daggering drunk with slurred speech' who fell asleep soon after the trip began.

When the Uber reached the man's house he was still passed out, which led to him being stirred awake by the Uber employee.

'He got out of the car, stood in the open door and just abused me, because I ''hadn't woken him up the right way,''' said the driver.

Uber employs over 5000 Australian drivers and according to those in the video their most memorable have included playing witness to suspected drug deals and 'accidents' while in transit

Despite the occasional case of drunken verbal abuse, the Uber drivers said most passenger experiences were positive ones.

'The festivals are quite fun' one driver shared.

'Although clothes are optional,' he said.

'They're mad for the glitter, it took me weeks to clean the car out.'

And pyjama-clad passengers shouldn't worry about requesting a late night McDonald's run, as long as the driver's request is included on the order.

'I had a couple of young girls the other night, they spent 75 dollars between the two of them,' revealed the driver.

'But they bought me a coffee, so that was good.'A dead horse was found tied to a tree and its legs bound together, with police speculating it may have been dragged there.

The black and white cob was seen by passersby, who called the authorities about abandoned animal in Denford, Berkshire, last month.

Thames Valley Police arrived at the scene and covered the horse with a canvas, so that the upsetting sight could not be glimpsed by children.

A black and white cob was found dead and tied to a tree in Denford, Berkshire, last month after being spotted by passersby

It is not known whether the horse was dead or alive when it was left attached to the tree.

PC David Burleigh speculated that the horse may have died elsewhere, and then been dragged as its legs had been tied together.

Police were unable to find a microchip on the horse, found close to Hungerford on February 18.

PC David Burleigh, of Thames Valley Police, speculated that the horse may have died elsewhere and then been dragged to the tree where it was tied

In the UK, it is estimated that 7,000 horses are at risk of suffering because of neglect or abuse.

PC Burleigh appealed for anyone who has information to contact Thames Valley Poilice via the 101 number and quote the reference number 43180052598, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Thames Valley Police said they are currently investigating.Male MPs earn an average of 10.4 per cent more than their female counterparts, it was claimed today.

Analysis has revealed there is a gulf between the sexes in parliament despite all MPs having the same basic salary.

The research by the Sunday Times took into account earnings from second jobs and ministerial salaries to calculate a figure.

Embarrassingly for parliament, it is higher than the average 9.3 per cent pay gap at the BBC - which was heavily criticised by MPs from all parties.

Analysis has revealed there is a pay gulf between the sexes in the House of Commons (pictured) despite all MPs having the same basic salary

Male Tory MPs are said to be the highest earners, raking in an average of 104,102 a year.

By contract female Tories earn an average of 96,313.

Earnings by Labour politicians are much closer to parity - largely because they are not in the ministerial ranks and are much less likely to have outside jobs on top of the basic 77,000 MP salary.

Average pay for male Labour MPs is 79,267, compared with 78,840 for female Labour MPs.

Carolyn Harris, Labour's shadow minister for women and equalities, told the newspaper: "The gender pay gap remains stubbornly large for women working in most professions, so it is disappointing it also extends to MPs."

Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox is said to be the top earner since the general election last June.

The Torridge and West Devon MP works part-time as a barrister and has declared 464,707.66 in earnings since the vote.

Tory MP for Stratford-Upon-Avon Nadhim Zahawi came second in the analysis, having received a monthly salary of more than 29,000 from oil exploration company until he was appointed as a minister in January.

The Liberal Democrats have the largest pay gap at 20.5 per cent.

However, the party only has 12 MPs and the figures are weighted by Sir Ed Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton, who says his outside earnings are put into a trust for his disabled son.President Quang and his spouse were greeted by Bangladeshi President Mohammad Abdul Hamid with a 21-gun salute during an official welcome ceremony at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese businessmen in Bangladesh were also present at the welcome ceremony.

The visit takes place at a time when Vietnam and Bangladesh are celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties. It affirms Vietnams consistent external policy of independence, self-reliance, and multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations, including the long-standing friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Bangladesh.

President Tran Dai Quang (left) is greeted by Bangladeshi President Mohammad Abdul Hamid.

The visit is expected to blow a breath of fresh air into bilateral economic and trade relations. With many potential for cooperation in the fields of agriculture, pharmaceuticals and electronics, the two sides are striving to achieve the target of more than US$1 billion in two-way trade.

Earlier the same day, President Tran Dai Quang wrapped up his three-day State visit to India. He sent a message of thanks to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, appreciating the warm welcome and sentiments the President, senior leaders and people of India extended to him and the Vietnamese delegation.Professor Adam Schaife (pictured) warned minister of the approaching weather bomb a month before

Ministers were warned about the Beast from the East a month ago by a Met Office forecaster who stockpiled provisions in preparation for the weather bomb.

Professor Adam Schaife, head of long-range forecasting at the Met Office, alerted the Cabinet Office to the incoming weather bomb four weeks ago.

He told them that they should expect Britain to be battered by a deep freeze.

In preparation for the polar vortex he stocked up on essentials.

'I got extra oil, food and logs in, knowing this was coming,' he said last week.

A Lidl supermarket on Dudley Road, Birmingham, was emptied of goods last night.

Shoppers panic bought goods, clearing the store of meat, vegetables and frozen good.

Almost nothing was left on the shelves as people stocked up on essentials and prepared for increasingly bad weather.

Deliveries attempting to reach the store became stuck as snow caused chaos on roads across the UK.

Shoppers cleared shelves across the country as people prepared for the worst

This Lidl, on Dudley road in Birmingham, almost entirely sold out of meat, fish and vegetables

Delivers vehicles attempting to restock the store were caught in traffic caused by deadly patches of ice and poor visibility

The Lidl frozen section was left with just a few items still in stock

Despite the warning from experts at the Met Office, ministers failed to act.

Earlier this week National Grid revealed that the UK was on the brink of running out of gas, as intense demand caused by plunging temperatures outstripped supply.

The utility company, which operates the gas pipeline network, issued a 'gas deficit warning' as the nation ramped up the thermostats.

It was forced to ask suppliers to provide more gas as demand for the fuel hit a six year high.

Forecasts suggested the UK is facing a 48 million cubic metres shortfall. The country uses around 70billion cubic metres of gas a year - an average of 198 million cubic metres a day.

It raised fears that factories would be forced to close up and down the country, but National Grid insisted businesses had protocols in place to use less gas if supplies run low.

And households will only be asked to use less as a last resort, if these measures do not work.

Ministers have faced criticism for failing to prepare for the effects of the Beast from the East and Storm Emma

National Grid revealed earlier this week that the UK was facing a critical gas shortage as homeowners turned up the heating in their homes

Prof Schaife's team spotted the massive storm system, which was later dubbed the Beast from the East, growing near India and the Pacific Ocean.

The heaving mass moved east, spreading outwards and warming the stratosphere, 20 miles above the North Pole, by 50 degrees celsius in two days, bringing icy winds and heavy snow to swathes of Europe.

He also revealed that a similar weather pattern had caused the glacial freezes of February 2009 and 2013.

'We recognised the pattern because we'd seen it before,' he said.

He added the Met Office's modelling had improved allowing it to detect extreme winter patterns much earlier.

Schaife also revealed it was harder to predict extreme summer weather patterns that might cause drought or flooding.

But he did say his team were working on that.The mother of missing William Tyrrell broke down in tears while making a heart wrenching plea to her son's kidnapper to bring him home.

In her first television interview, an emotional Karlie Tyrrell spoke out on Sunday Night begging for her little boy not to be hurt.

She laid blame at the foster family who had William in their care when the toddler went missing, saying they had 'failed him'.

Pain: Karlie Tyrrell reveals her anguish and emotion still during her first interview about her missing son, William

She gave a heart wrenching plea to the kidnapper and called for them to return William safely

Too much: Emotional Karlie breaks down in tears as she is asked to give a message to her son

The picture of William Tyrrell in his Spiderman costume has become one of the most familiar images in Australia

In the program aired on Sunday evening, Karlie Tyrrell said she believes her son was still alive and pleaded for him to come home.

'Don't hurt him,' she said, bursting into tears. 'Just let him come home. Please.

'He hasn't even met his little brother yet. It's not fair. This isn't fair.

'I want my kids to be together. They're meant to be together, like brother and sister.'

Asked whether she felt the foster family should feel guilt, Ms Tyrrell said: 'They should, yeah. They were responsible for looking after him, and they failed.

The little boy was playing outside his foster grandmother's home in Kendall, NSW, when he vanished

William (pictured) was just three-years-old when we disappeared and his mother still believes he is alive

'She went inside and made a cup of tea. If that's the case, okay, that's an accident, and that's unfortunate.

'But it doesn't make any sense to me. Kids don't just go missing.'

The foster family's identity has never been made public and until a court suppression order was lifted last year it was not public knowledge that William was in care when he disappeared.

But they spoke anonymously to the Channel 7 program and recalled the moment three-year-old William went missing.

The family had driven up to Kendall in country north New South Wales from their Sydney home to visit his foster grandmother.

The disappearance sparked a huge police manhunt and became one of the largest in Australian history

Detectives fear the little boy may have been abducted and murdered but no body or any trace of William has ever been found

Mystery still surrounds exactly what happened to William Tyrrell when he went missing in September 2014

His foster mother said she was out having a cup of tea with her on the balcony outside when suddenly she realised she could no longer hear William playing.

'He was in his Spider Man outfit playing 'Daddy Tiger'. It was just two metres, three metres, away from where we were sitting. I've just walked out and I just see nothing,' she said.

But the foster family, Karlie and William's biological father, Brendan Collins, have all been ruled out by detectives as suspects in the little boy's disappearance.

Young William, who would turn seven in June, celebrating a previous birthday with cake

Karlie revealed she was out shopping in Blacktown, western Sydney, when her son was abducted when presenter Melissa Doyle asks if she was involved.

'No. I was shopping. I showed the police my ATM receipt, my docket, everything,' Karlie said, tears streaming down her face.

The toddler's mysterious disappearance almost four years ago sparked a huge manhunt and one of the biggest in Australian history.

Police hunting woodland around the Kendall area in 2015 more than six months after William disappeared

'I was shopping. I showed the police my ATM receipt, my docket, everything,' Karlie Tyrrell says of the day William (pictured) went missing

He disappeared outside the house in Kendall on September 12, 2014.

Police have issued a $1 million reward for information about William's whereabouts which leads to him being found.

Earlier in the week, William's biological paternal grandmother revealed how her son and Karlie had kept William hidden away for three months when he was a baby.

It was a desperate bid to prevent authorities taking him into care when he was just eight-months-old, Natalie Collins said in an interview with news.com.au.

Karlie still believes her son, who would turn seven in June, is still alive.

'Where else could he be? He's not in the bush,' she said in Sunday's program. 'I feel like whoever has him needs a bullet.'

Brendan Collins (pictured holding an unidentified child) and Karlie kept William hidden from authorities for three months in 2011 when he was a baby

Daily Mail Australia understands the interview had been planned by Seven for long time before the interview was filmed in February.

Karlie remained defiant adding: 'No-one will break me. They just need their mum. That's all they need, is their mum.'

New South Wales are continuing to investigate the disappearance and urge members of the public to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000 or the agency's website to provide information in confidence.A 31-year-old father found with a gunshot wound in a housing estate died after being taken to hospital.

The man, named locally as Chrissy Colgan, was taken to hospital after police went to an address in Erdington, Birmingham, at 10pm on Friday.

He was found critically injured and was provided emergency first aid before he was transported to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

A 31-year-old, named locally as Chrissy Colgan, was found by police at a housing estate in Birmingham, and later died in hospital

The house that has been cordoned off after a 31-year-old was found by police at 10pm on Friday evening with a gunshot wound in Erdington, Birmingham

He was placed on a life support machine but was pronounced dead at 6pm yesterday.

In a touching tribute, a family member said: 'The world will never be the same without our brother.

'He will always be here by our side and we will all miss him so much.

'He will never leave our hearts and he was such a big part of our lives. He is gone but he will never be forgotten.'

A man aged 30 and a 17-year-old male were arrested in connection with the man's death.

They will remain in police custody for questioning.

The 31-year-old, named locally as Chrissy Colgan, died after being placed on a life support machine. A man aged 30 and a 17-year-old male were arrested in connection with the man's death

Two properties in the street have been sealed off to allow police specialists to search the house for a full forensic examination.

West Midlands Police have now launched a murder investigation.

Detective Chief Inspector Edward Foster from West Midlands Police's Homicide Unit, said: 'We are conducting house-to-house enquiries and have already spoken to several potentially key witnesses.

'But we'd ask anyone who's not yet spoken to us - who lives nearby, was in the area or has information about what happened - to get in touch as they could have seen or heard something important.'Advertisement

Syrian government forces attacked a rebel-held town east of Damascus killing at least ten civilians, human rights monitors have claimed.

Tens of thousands of civilians trapped inside the Eastern Ghouta area including the besieged town of Douma.

Dozens of civilians have been treated overnight in a hospital in Douma after claims that forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad launched an artillery attack on the enclave.

Ten civilians have been killed and dozens have been injured in the latest shelling by forces loyal to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, where this child is being treated for his injuries overnight

Residents in the rebel-held enclave of Douma have been sheltering from airstrikes and artillery bombardment

Since February 18, more than 640 civilians - including 150 children - have been killed during attacks on Eastern Ghouta

The United Nations said it plans to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance on Monday. A convoy that would enter the enclave would consist of '46 truckloads of health and nutrition supplies, along with food for 27,500 people in need', the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said on Sunday in a statement.

Russia-backed regime forces have since February 18 killed more than 640 civilians - including over 150 children - in bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, one of the armed opposition's last strongholds in the country.

Following a deadly wave of air strikes and shelling, fighting on the ground has intensified in recent days, with loyalists retaking several areas inside the agricultural region, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Regime forces have advanced steadily since Thursday, the Britain-based monitor said, recapturing two areas in the east and southeast of the enclave on Saturday alone.

Obsevatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said: 'Regime forces and their allies have intensified their attacks on rebel positions in the past 48 hours.'

Eastern Ghouta's 400,000 residents have lived under regime siege since 2013, facing severe food and medicine shortages even before the latest offensive.

This man was pulled from rubble and taken to hospital in Douma for treatment following the most recent attacks

The United Nations wants Syrian and Russian forces to agree a ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to be sent into the area

Human rights observers said the hospital in Douma is running low on essential supplies needed to treat the wounded

The fighting on the ground comes after Russia on Tuesday started a daily five-hour 'humanitarian pause' in the enclave - a move that falls far short of a 30-day ceasefire demanded by the UN Security Council.

The ferocity of the bombardment initially lessened but it has continued to claim lives, and trucks loaded with desperately needed aid remain unable to enter the enclave.

Thousands of civilians instead are surviving on meagre stocks, and medical staff struggle to treat casualties with inadequate medical supplies.

The UN Human Rights Council postponed voting Friday on a British resolution condemning the crisis in Eastern Ghouta, after member states failed to agree on a final text.

Moscow has offered safe passage to non-combatants wishing to leave the enclave during the pause, but no Syrian civilians have left since Tuesday, the Observatory says.

The UN Human Rights Council failed on Friday to agree a resolution condemning the crisis in Eastern Ghouta

Syrian forces have launched a major offensive to dislodge rebel fighters from the Eastern Ghouta area outside Damascus

Government fighters are trying to advance inside Eastern Ghouta to cut off the main town of Douma and its surroundings in the north of the enclave, as well as isolate the southeastern area of Al-Marj, Abdel Rahman said.

Jaish al-Islam, a main opposition group in the region, accused regime forces of carrying out a 'scorched earth policy' as they progressed into the enclave.

Opposition fighters abandoned their positions confronted with 'hysterical bombing' in agricultural areas in the east, Jaish al-Islam spokesman Hamza Bayraqdar said on Telegram.

Since February 25, 60 regime and allied fighters have been killed, while 34 rebels from Jaish al-Islam have also died, it said.

Rebels today control only a third of the area they once held in Eastern Ghouta in 2012, as regime forces have gradually taken back territory from them.

More than 340,000 people have been killed and millions have fled their homes since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

So far, more than 340,000 people have been killed and millions have fled their homes since the start of Syria's civil war

Trucks loaded with aid for the beleaguered civilians have been unable to enter the conflict zone because of the shelling

French President Emmanuel Macron called on his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Sunday to put the 'necessary pressure' on the Syrian government to halt 'indiscriminate' attacks on civilians in the rebel-held enclave.

During a telephone call between the two leaders, Macron underscored the 'particular responsiblity for Iran, because of its ties to the regime, regarding the implementation of the humanitarian truce' sought by the UN, his office said.The American tourist suspected of decapitating his date then putting her severed head in a bag and the rest of her body scattered in woods during a vacation in Japan is a former US airmen and 'mama's boy' from Long Island, it has been revealed.

Yevgeniy Vasilievich Bayraktar, 26, remains in custody in Osaka, Japan, after allegedly murdering Saki Kondo then mutilating her body at his vacation rental.

Bayraktar was on vacation in Japan and was believed to have been alone.

He met Kondo on a dating app, either Tinder or Matchapp, according to Tokyo Sports.

She was last seen on February 15 and was seen entering Bayraktar's rented apartment with him on surveillance cameras. Kondo, 27, never emerged again but he was seen exiting the rental with several bags.

He was arrested on February 22 in a different rental after she was reported missing. Police found the woman's head in a bag in a short-term lodging room in Osaka.

Afterwards, he led police to her severed torso and the rest of her body which he had scattered in the woods in Shimamoto, 25 miles away.

US tourist Yevgeniy Vasilievich Bayraktar, 26, (left in a school photograph) is accused of murdering Saki Kondo, 27, (pictured right in an image circulated by the Tokyo Reporter in Japan then decapitating her and severing her limbs in February after they met online and had a date

Bayraktar lives in Long Island ordinarily and grew up in the US after moving when he was nine with his mother Regina when she married a Texan she had met online.

That man told The New York Post this week that Bayraktar was spoiled by his 'selfish' mother who abandoned her husband after he brought her and her son into the country and financed her nursing studies.

'He was a mama's boy. If we were having dinner and he didnt like the food, his mother would get up in the middle of the meal to cook him something special, and this was at a time when we didnt have a lot of money,' Benny Dacy, Bayraktar's former stepfather, said.

'He and his mother were very close. He and I were not,' Dacy said.

Bayraktar briefly served in the Air Force before being discharged in 2012. It is not known why he was left but he was there for just 11 months.

He lives in Long Island in Mastic Beach with his mother and her third husband.

Their home is quaint and is adorned with several US flags outside.

Bayraktar is seen hiding his face as he leads Japanese officials out of jail to take them to the rest of the woman's body on February 26

The 26-year-old lives in Mastic Beach in Long Island in this home with his mother Regina and her third husband

On February 15, he was last seen with Kondo on surveillance footage entering the vacation rental in Osaka

Bayraktar was filmed leaving the apartment afterwards with bags but Kondo was not seen again

This is the vacation rental in Osaka, Japan, where the woman's head was found in a bag. He was arrested elsewhere in a different rental which is where he is thought to have spent time with the woman

Regina works as a nurse in the Hamptons.

According to her first American husband, she and Yevgeniy were living modestly in Odessa, Russia, when he met her online.

He traveled there to meet her in person then brought the pair to the US to live with him in Texas.

They spent several years together while she studied to become a nurse but once she received her qualifications she and her son disappeared, he said.

'She called once to ask me for a divorce but I had no idea where they were until the news hit.

'It was the most traumatic time of my life when she just left me. She is a very selfish woman,' he said.

According to Japanese officials cited by The Japan Times, Bayraktar had met several Japanese women online and taken them to various vacation rentals around Japan before he met Kondo.

All of those women are safe.Panicked onlookers watched as a vehicle smashed into the fencing around Buckingham Palace - with cops swiftly reassuring pedestrians that the collision wasnt terror related.

Footage captured the car - initially believed to be an Uber - after it crashed into the railings around the London royal home this morning.

Witnessing the traffic accident, Matthew Vincent said: So scary. Loads of police here. Being told to move back by them.

Panicked onlookers watched as a vehicle smashed into the fencing around Buckingham Palace - with cops swiftly reassuring pedestrians that the collision wasnt terror related

Police have confirmed the crash is not being looked at as a deliberate act of violence or a terrorist attack.

In the footage, officers approached the car that had mounted the pavement.

A met police spokesman said: Police were called to Spur Road, SW1A at 22:49hrs on Saturday, 3 March after a car was involved in a collision with street railings.

Footage captured the car - initially believed to be an Uber - after it crashed into the railings around the London royal home this morning

Officers and London Ambulance Service attended. There are no reported injuries and the driver is out of the vehicle and being spoken to by police.

No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.

'This incident is being treated as a road traffic collision.

It is unclear if the Queen was in resident at the time of the crash.Theresa May urged Donald Trump to drop threats of a trade war today after he ramped up the war of words with Europe.

The Prime Minister voiced 'deep concern' about the escalating rhetoric during a phone call with the US president this afternoon.

The tit-for-tat began last week when Mr Trump called for 25 per cent tariffs on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium to protect domestic producers.

The EU then hit back by suggesting it would hike duty on Harley-Davidson motorbikes, bourbon and American blue jeans.

That in turn prompted Mr President to up the ante by threatening to pump up taxes on car imports from Europe.

The tit-for-tat exchanges have raise fresh fears about a major international metldown over trade, as Mr Trump follows through on his pledge to stop America being exploited by other countries.

But in a phone call with the US leader this afternoon, Mrs May urged him to cool the row and back down on the steel tariffs.

'The Prime Minister raised our deep concern at the President's forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminium tariffs, noting that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity in all parties' interests,' a No10 spokeswoman said.

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President Donald Trump has doubled down on trade pressure, but Mrs May (pictured right at church in her Maidenhead constituency today) has urged him to think again about steel tariffs

On the BBC's Sunday Politics show today, Cabinet Office minister David Lidington branded the threats 'inadvisable', saying: 'Trade wars don't do anybody any good.'

In a series of tweets yesterday, Mr Trump upped the ante by warning that the EU was taking the US 'for fools'.

'If the EU wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US,' he said.

'They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!' he continued.

Last year, the US ran a $151billion trade deficit with the EU, accounting for about one-fifth of America's $796billion global trade deficit.

'The United States has an $800 Billion Dollar Yearly Trade Deficit because of our 'very stupid' trade deals and policies,' Mr Trump said.

'Our jobs and wealth are being given to other countries that have taken advantage of us for years. They laugh at what fools our leaders have been. No more!'

The latest escalation in tensions came after the EU announced plans on Friday to target key imports from the US.

It was responding to Mr Trump's threat of 25 per cent tariffs on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium to protect domestic producers.

The move could be potentially devastating for UK and EU exporters.

Asked about the US move, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker told German TV: 'We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levis.

'We are here and they will get to know us.'

A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said US steel tariffs would hurt international commerce.

'The German government will look very closely at this decision and then assess the impact on the German and European economies,' the spokesman said.

'We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levis,' said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured)

Figures from European steel association Eurofer show the US was the destination of about 15 percent of Europe's steel exports in 2017.

Trade association UK Steel said the proposed measures would be an 'extremely blunt' reaction to a complex global problem.

Unite union national officer for steel Tony Brady said if the tariffs applied to the UK, they would be 'devastating'.

Cabinet Office minister David Lidington today rebuked the US, saying a trade war was in nobody's interests.

Mr Lidington suggested the American authorities could overrule any tariffs, as they did in the case of aircraft manufacturer Bombardier when Mr Trump's administration threatened huge duties on its C-wing planes.

The minister said: 'We'll have to see what happens, I mean there was a lot of concerns recently about something comparable with regards aviation and the aircraft that were being produced in part by Bombardier in Belfast in Northern Ireland, and the American authorities at the end of the day struck that down, they said no that is not the way that we should be going.'

And he warned Mr Trump that Britain's experience showed his plan would not work.

'We tried in Britain in the 60s and 70s protecting our car industry from competition,' Mr Lidington said.

'It actually didn't work, it protected inefficiencies, we lost all our export markets because our competitors who were more competitive went out and gobbled those up from us, and the car industry had to go through a very, very painful restructuring to get to the success story it is now.'

A Downing Street spokesman said last week: 'We are engaging with the US on what this announcement means in practice.

'We are particularly concerned by any measures which would impact the UK steel and aluminium industries.

Downing Street said last week that Theresa May is 'concerned' by Mr Trump's threats about the steel industry

'Over-capacity remains a significant global issue and we believe multi-lateral action is the only way to resolve it in all parties' interests.'

The issue is particularly sensitive given the UK's hopes of striking a post-Brexit trade deal with Mr Trump's USA.

China has made clear it is ready to hit back if economic sanctions are brought forward against its interests.

'China doesn't want a trade war with the United States,' said a spokesman for the National People's Congress.

'But if the US takes actions that hurt Chinese interests, China will not sit idly by and will take necessary measures.'

Canada also has said it will retaliate against any US tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Australia's trade minister has spoken with his US counterpart to seek an exemption to Trump administration tariffs on steel and aluminium exports.

'Unfortunately, at this stage, it is not clear to me or to Australia whether or not we will be captured by the president's announcement,' Steve Ciobo told Sky News on Sunday, after speaking with US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross on Saturday.

Trump officially has until April 11 to announce his final decision on a steel tariff.

An analyst at Jefferies said they expected the final policy to be more nuanced than a blanket tariff, due to a mounting pushback from domestic steel consumers and foreign steel suppliers.Former Attorney General Eric Holder has predicted that special counsel Robert Mueller will charge President Donald Trump with obstruction of justice.

In an interview with HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Holder said there is an 'obstruction of justice case that already exists'.

'I've known Bob Mueller for 20, 30 years; my guess is he's just trying to make the case as good as he possibly can. So, I think that we have to be patient in that regard,' Holder said.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder has predicted that special counsel Robert Mueller will charge President Donald Trump with obstruction of justice

'I've known Bob Mueller (pictured) for 20, 30 years; my guess is he's just trying to make the case as good as he possibly can. So, I think that we have to be patient in that regard,' Holder said

An obstruction of justice charge has long been speculated ever since Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in the midst of an investigation into potential ties between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia.

'I have absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department,' Trump told the New York Times in December 2017.

Holder, who served under then-President Barack Obama, also blasted Trump for saying he 'protected' Obama during his time in office.

'The difference between me and [Attorney General] Jeff Sessions  I had a president I did not have to protect,' Holder told Maher.

Holder was referring to that same Times interview last year in which Trump told the newspaper that Holder 'protected' Obama during his presidency.

'I don't want to get into loyalty, but I will tell you that, I will say this: Holder protected President Obama. Totally protected him,' Trump said at the time.

Holder's remarks come just days after Trump criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions (pictured) on Twitter, calling him 'disgraceful'

At the time Holder slammed Trump for the remarks, calling them 'wrong' and 'dangerous'.

On Friday, during his interview with Maher, Holder echoed that response, saying: 'So, this notion that I am somehow protecting Obama from things that he had done inappropriately or illegally is simply not true.'

Holder's remarks come just days after Trump criticized Sessions on Twitter.

Sessions stood up to Trump last week in an extraordinary response to his boss after the president ripped him online for having an independent internal watchdog review alleged warrant abuse.

'DISGRACEFUL,' Trump had tweeted.

Sessions, who has been on the receiving end of multiple presidential shots throughout his turbulent tenure, defended his own 'integrity and honor' in the face of Trump's attack on Wednesday evening.

Despite the renewed tension, the president did not seem ready to cut him loose on Thursday afternoon, giving him a shout out at a White House opioid summit.

And then on Saturday, Trump made a joke about his salty relationship with Sessions.

'But Attorney General Sessions is here with us tonight,' Trump said at the annual Gridiron dinner Satuday. Sessions was sitting about 10 feet away from him at the dais.

'I offered him a ride and he recused himself,' the president said to laughs.Deborah Sue Rudibaugh was arrested Friday in connection with the death of her son Jacob Millison

A 68-year-old woman was the second person to be arrested in connection to the murder of a young man in control of a prosperous ranch in Colorado.

Deborah Sue Rudibaugh, from Parlin, was taken into custody on Friday, a day after her daughter Stephanie Jackson was arrested.

The 33-year-old was accused of killing her brother, Jacob Millison, in an effort to gain control of the family's 700-acre ranch in Gunnison County. Police now believe their mother, Rudibaugh, was also involved in the man's death.

The family ranch is thought to be worth millions of dollars, and includes Indian Head Rock.

'It's definitely ranch-related,' Gunnison County Under Sheriff Mark Mykol told the Denver Post. 'It's a beautiful setting. Indian Head Rock is on the property.'

Now, Jackson and Millison's mother has been arrested as well in connection to her son's death, though investigators would not give details as to what her connection is.

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Cops say Rudibaugh and her daughter, Millison's sister, Stephanie Jackson, killed the man to gain control of their family's 700-acre ranch which is worth millions (the ranch pictured above)

Jackson, 33, was arrested on Wednesday in Gunnison County, Colorado. Police haven't yet given details as to how Millison died or exactly how Jackson and Rudibaugh were tied to the crime

Gunnison County Under Sheriff Mark Mykol simply told the GJ Sentinel: 'she is a suspect,' and declined to comment any further.

Millison was first reported missing by his friends in 2015, and three months later by his relatives.

When Millison's friends lost contact with him, they asked his family about his whereabouts and they said he was on a trip with an MMA fighter group.

But the friends reached out to the group and learned that wasn't the case.

It wasn't until about three months later that the family filed a missing person's report of their own.

In July, police got a warrant to search Millison's property and found his remains buried on the land, according to CBS Denver. They won't say how he died but believe his older sister and mother were involved.

Millison was first reported missing by his friends in 2015, and three months later by his relatives. Cops got a warrant to search Millison's property over the summer and found his remains. His sister is pictured above

Friend Randy Martinez says he always knew the family was involved.

'Literally days before he went missing he told us if anything ever happened to him, it was his family,' Martinez told CBS Denver.

'We kind of figured it all along - he is the type of person who would never just take off and leave and that's what they (his family) said he did,' Martinez said.

Rudibaugh is being held without bond on a count of first-degree murder, a felony count of tampering with a deceased human body and misdemeanor counts of abusing a corpse, concealing a death and false reporting.

Jackson was taken into custody Wednesday and is being held in lieu of a $500,000 bond. She faces seven counts of accessory to first-degree murder and one count of abuse of a corpse.A US businessman who wants to build a classic car museum in the English countryside is facing opposition from more than 250 locals including aristocrats, judges and film star Sir Patrick Stewart.

Peter Mullin is a millionaire philanthropist and classic car collector who is chairman of the famous Petersen Museum in the US.

He now wants to transform part of the Cotswolds into one of the world's finest car museums along with 28 luxury holiday homes which will only be available to collectors who agree to show their cars on site.

Peter Mullin wants to develop a classic car museum at an airfield in West Oxfordshire as part of a 150million redevelopment which includes 28 luxury holiday homes

Supporters of the redevelopment claim it will help provide 100 permanent jobs

Sir Patrick Stewart has criticised the plan for its 'elitist' nature and lack of affordable housing

The plan is to develop Enstone Airfield in West Oxfordshire, but his 150 million proposal, which will take two years and create more than 100 permanent jobs, has attracted fierce criticism from locals.

Sir Patrick Stewart, who owns a house nearby, described the plans as 'elitist'.

He said: 'I want to emphasise the disruption, annoyance and inappropriateness of the traffic movements involved.

'There is also too much of a commercial and elitist aspect to all this. Fabulously expensive historic cars, Bentley cars showroom and houses costing 5-6 million.

'This is a greenfield site and there is no mention of affordable housing. This area is of notable beauty, tranquility and is accessible to all, resident and non-residents alike.'

Retired judge Charles Harris QC criticised the plans to convert 60 acres of 'attractive farmland' into a 'large pleasure compound to contain holiday houses for billionaires'.

He said: 'The illustrations provided do not show elegant Cotswold stone houses, but wood, steel and glass constructions of a kind which might find favour in Sandbanks, but which are not appropriate in an area of natural beauty where planners generally take care to insist upon vernacular construction..'

Planning documents submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council describe the site - which would be called 'The Mullin At Great Tew' - as a one-of-a-kind museum, demonstration road, and residential holiday lodge experience.

The museum plan has been proposed by millionaire philanthropist Peter Mullin, pictured

It would house 25 cars from the Mullin Collection, which includes a very rare Bugatti Atlantic worth more than 30 million.

Holiday home owners would supply 25-100 cars at any time and there would be motorsport and design exhibition galleries at the 60,000 sq/ft museum.

Bentley Motors would also have a facility on site under the plans.

More than 250 people have written to the council to object to the plans.

Laws & Fiennes, acting on behalf of Lady Wills of Sandford Park, said the proposed development is in the countryside and is contrary to the local development plan.

They also said 'the absence of low cost housing in relation to the residential element is contrary to housing policy'.

Sir Patrick Stewart, pictured, is a nearby resident who has objected to the plan

Dozens of locals have shared concerns about increased traffic around the site, which is near an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

One person described the plans for a car museum as 'a figleaf to attempt to justify a blatant attempt to build 28 holiday homes in complete contradiction to the local plan'.

They added the holiday homes will have 'no benefit to the local community'.

Under the plans, Mr Mullin would also make a 12.7 million contribution towards the restoration of the Grade II Listed Tew Park House.

West Oxfordshire District Council is yet to make a decision on the proposal.

But Mr Mullin has defended the plans, which he has called as a 'legacy project' where he can share cars from his collection with the public and 'inspire future generations'.

He said: 'This project is something I have been considering for many years.

'All my collection is European and this has become a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring them home.

'And where better than the epicentre of motor sport and car manufacturing in Britain.

'I am very proud of what we as a team have proposed, which if approved, will create perhaps the world's leading automotive park and museum in the world.

'This is not a business venture for me, it is a legacy project and it is my most sincere desire to share cars from my collection, with the general public and to create a centre of learning to inspire future generations.

'Furthermore, I will use my influence to bring together other collectors and collections from around the world, many of whom have already shown considerable interest in getting involved.

'If we are successful in gaining planning permission, we will create something unique here, bringing a whole series of benefits in terms of education and tourism to the economy.

'It will add considerably to the culture and heritage of the region, as well as transforming a scarred brownfield site, which is totally out of keeping with the surrounding area.'

Kieran Hedigan, Project Director commented: 'A huge amount of thought has gone into this project. I have heard it said in some quarters that this is elitist. This is to completely misunderstand our intentions and could not be further from the truth. One of the key objectives of The Mullin is to serve audiences of all ages, rich and poor, young and old. This is a destination for grandparents and grandchildren and everyone in between.

' Is it elitist to be open 300 days a year, to offer discounted annual membership to local community residents, to welcome school trips with free admission, to employ apprentices, to establish scholarships with local universities, and seek out and train retired car enthusiasts as museum guides?'With the message Go More Green, the campaign seeks to encourage businesses and society as a whole to take part in activities that save energy, protect the environment and respond to climate change.

Lights are expected to go off in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and other cities for one hour from 8h30-9h30pm on March 24.

Nguyen Thi Lam Giang, an MOIT official, said that everyone can join the Earth Hour by switching off their unnecessary lighting and other electrical devices during the 60 minutes.

She added that the campaign is not only about the amount of energy saved during the hour but is also significant in raising the awareness of each citizen and the whole of society about environmental protection and climate change issues.

Vietnam has participated in Earth Hour, a movement organised by the World Wildlife Fund, since 2009. Last year, Earth Hour saved Vietnam 471,000 kilowatt hours.Advertisers have demanded to be taken off Infowars founder Alex Jones' YouTube channel, but he claims that the video-sharing website is trying to delete his content altogether.

'The Alex Jones channel with billions of views is frozen. We have been told it will be deleted tomorrow and all 33 thousands videos will be erased. We just set up this new page subscribe if you want to see what the SPLC wants censored..,' Jones tweeted Saturday evening.

The new YouTube channel Jones was referring to is called Inforwars Censored. As of Sunday morning, nine videos had been posted on that account.

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Advertisers have demanded to be taken off InfoWars founder Alex Jones' YouTube channel, but he claims that the video-sharing website is trying to delete his content altogether

'The Alex Jones channel with billions of views is frozen. We have been told it will be deleted tomorrow and all 33 thousands videos will be erased. We just set up this new page subscribe if you want to see what the SPLC wants censored..,' Jones tweeted Saturday evening

Though the conspiracy theorist believes that Sunday is the day when his YouTube channel, which boasts has 2.2 million subscribers, will be deleted, YouTube has 'no plans' to delete the account 'at present'.

YouTube told CBS that they had not told Jones that his account would be deleted.

According to the video-sharing site, that's not how they operate.

As YouTube's CEO Susan Wojcicki explained last month, YouTube 'has a three-strike rule'.

'If somebody violates three times then we actually terminate those accounts,' she said at the time.

Jones, who once called the Sandy Hook shooting a hoax, reportedly has two strikes against him.

His second strike came shortly after he took aim at the survivors of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that left 17 dead after gunman Nikolas Cruz opened fire at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last month.

Jones posted a video in February with the headline 'David Hogg Can't Remember His Lines'.

Though the conspiracy theorist believes that Sunday is the day when his YouTube channel, which boasts has 2.2 million subscribers, will be deleted, YouTube has 'no plans' to delete the account 'at present'

The video, in which Jones called Hogg a 'crisis actor', was taken down a short time later.

In another video, Jones claimed 'if you even talk about [Hogg], they delete your videos'.

YouTube, based in San Bruno, California, brought in a team of more than 10,000 new moderators to spot fake news, misleading and extreme footage In December 2017.

Staff took down footage and even whole channels in response to the Parkland mass shooting, which took place on February 14.

Two weeks ago, it was alleged that Jones discriminated against his staff, laughed along with racist and anti-Semitic slurs against former employees and even groped one female worker.

The controversial Infowars owner joked with staff who called Rob Jacobson 'The Jewish Individual', 'The Resident Jew' and shouted 'Yacobson' across the office, it was claimed in bombshell documents.

Jones allegedly continually bullied, ridiculed and humiliated Jacobson - who worked for Jones' company Infowars for 13 years - before firing him last May.

Jacobson is in the process of suing Jones for discrimination, harassment and unfair dismissal and his lawyers have submitted a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

A second former employee has claimed she suffered 'harassment and discrimination' at the hands of Jones and other senior managers at Infowars based on her race.A white man allegedly spit on and called a black three-year-old child the n-word while dining at a Hooters in Kansas on Monday.

Police say charges are pending against the man, who has been identified as a first responder.

The incident happened Monday night at a Hooters restaurant in Overland Park, Kansas.

Witnesses and family members of the child told police the suspect called the little boy a slur and spit on him while saying someone should get him 'up off the floor'.

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A fireman allegedly spit on and called a black three-year-old child the n-word while dining at a Hooters in Kansas on Monday

'He basically said get that little n***** up off the floor,' a witness told KCTV.

'The n-word started to get thrown around.'

The altercation happened when the toddler wandered away from his family and another family member had to chase after him.

The witness said he was dumbfounded when he heard the suspect utter the slur, and said he thought a fight was about to break out.

When police arrived at the restaurant the witness said he was even more shocked to find out the suspect was a first responder himself.

'I didn't catch what the officer said to him, but his immediate response was "It's okay, I'm a fireman," like that was supposed to blanket cover everything for him,' the witness explained.

The Overland Park Police Department later clarified that the suspect is not an Overland Park firefighter.

'My whole body just went numb,' the child's grandfather told KCTV. He is pictured, but did not identify himself out of fear of retribution

Overland Park police told the outlet Thursday that the officer will be charged with battery and making a criminal threat.

The toddler's family members also spoke to the outlet, but would not name themselves for fear of retribution.

'My whole body just went numb,' the child's grandfather told KCTV.

'How could someone do that to a child? He's helpless. He didn't deserve that.'

Police say the boy's family was at the restaurant celebrating a birthday.

Hooters issued a statement early Saturday to say they do not tolerate harassment or discrimination.

'Hooters does not tolerate any harassment or discriminatory language, the safety and well-being of our guests and employees are our utmost priorities,' the restaurant said.

'Of course it goes without saying that our policy is to fully cooperate with any law enforcement investigation.'Homes were evacuated in a London street after an explosion earlier this afternoon.

Firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene in Harold Hill - but there were no injuries.

Police, who had earlier cordoned off the site, said they had been stood down and confirmed the cause of the explosion was gas.

Pedestrians and drivers were earlier warned to avoid the area while the investigation was ongoing.

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Firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene in Harold Hill - but there were no injuries

Pedestrians and drivers were earlier warned to avoid the area while the investigation was ongoing

The London Ambulance Service told MailOnline it had not treated any patients at the scene and had been stood down

Police, who had earlier cordoned off the site, said they had been stood down and confirmed the cause of the explosion was gas

There are reports the explosion was at or near the Post Office in Farnham Road, but these have not yet been confirmed

It is believed to have occurred at about 1.30pm.

There are reports the explosion was at or near the Post Office in Farnham Road, but these have not yet been confirmed.

The London Ambulance Service told MailOnline it had not treated any patients at the scene and had been stood down.

The Metropolitan Police, meanwhile, said it too had been stood down.

It added: 'The cause of the explosion has been confirmed as gas related.

'There have been no reported injuries.

'Local residents who were evacuated from their property are now able to return.

'All cordons have been lifted.'

One resident tweeted that she had been evacuated from her home 'in the pouring rain' after the explosion

The Metropolitan Police said earlier: 'Residents are in the process of being evacuated from the building'. All residents have now returned to their homes

Romford resident Shantel Cook said the blast was either 'inside or at the back' of the Post Office

Video from the scene shows emergency services arriving at the scene in Harold Hill.

Romford resident Shantel Cook said the blast was either 'inside or at the back' of the Post Office.

'It has blown all the windows out,' she told The Mirror.

She told the Romford Recorder that evacuated residents had been taken to nearby St George's church.

Part of the ground floor of the four-storey commercial building was damaged and firefighters swept the area but failed to detect any gas leaks.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: 'Firefighters were called to reports of a suspected gas explosion at a commercial property in Farnham Road, Harold Hill, this afternoon.

'Part of the ground floor of a four-storey building was damaged. There were no reports of any injuries.

'Firefighters swept the area to check for any elevated gas readings but found none.

'As a precaution a 25m cordon was set up and around 100 people were evacuated from nearby properties.

'Two fire engines and a fire and rescue unit from fire stations including Harold Hill and Romford attended the scene.

'The Brigade was called at 1.29pm and the incident was over for us at 3.52pm.

'The cause is under investigation.'An alleged drug dealer from Iran accused of supplying almost $100,000 worth of ice in Sydney has claimed he was 'tricked' into the deals by his pregnant girlfriend.

Amir Elikaie, who arrived in Australia nine years ago as an Iranian refugee, appeared in court in Parramatta on Friday.

The migrant, who has since gained Australian citizenship, is charged with several alleged offences relating to dealing ice across the city.

Police claim Amir Elikaie was part of a network involved in ice deals worth $83,000 around Sydney (stock image)

He is accused for his alleged role in an ice ring, with deals worth $83,000 in four drops around the city's western suburbs, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Police claim Elikaie and his girlfriend, Natalie Joseph, is believed to be part of a network which sends ice in the post around the Parramatta area.

Joseph is currently behind bars and is seven months pregnant.

But in documents submitted to the court, police said that during interview, Elikaie told officers the whole plan was his girlfriends.

He told police he had been 'tricked and pressured' into getting involved, the Telegraph claimed.

Four deals across four addresses in western Sydney landed the couple a reported $83,000 for ice reported to be 75 to 80 per cent 'pure'.

Drugs raids at a property in Merrylands, western Sydney, reportedly found ice (pictured, stock image), heroin and drug equipment

A hearing at Parramatta Local Court heard that when Elikaie was arrested during a raid last week, he was wearing just a pair of shorts.

It is alleged the apartment in Merrylands contained ice, heroin, scales and other drug equipment.

But police reportedly found more ice packets when Elikaie asked the arresting officers to hand him a shirt which was hiding more packets on the floor, it is claimed.

Elikaie has pleaded his innocence and denied he knew anything about the drugs allegedly found in his apartment.

A bail application by Joseph was turned down by magistrates on Thursday, while Elikaie will appear again on April 26.

Police have been cracking down hard on alleged ice dealers across Sydney.

Elikaie is another Iranian refugee claimed to be involved in deals around the city.

Ali Maleki and Yosra Rabieh, an Iranian couple who arrived on a boat five years ago, are also facing charges as part of a separate investigation.

Ali Maleki and Yosra Rabieh, another Iranian couple charged by police over ice offences as part of a separate investigation

The pair are accused of meth trafficking after police reportedly seized more than 36kg of ice, $260,000 in cash and three luxury cars during raids in the city's north-west in February.

A third Iranian man was charged in connection with the reported discoveries by police.

Meanwhile, two other men were arrested in February following a raid by Australian Federal Police in October 2017 which reportedly found 10kg of ice hidden inside honey jars on a plane bound for Australian.The sister of murdered Reeva Steenkamp has warned South African authorities against freeing Oscar Pistorius, saying she believes he will kill again if released.

Heartbroken Simone Steenkamp has spoken out about her distress over losing her younger sister, who was shot in 2013.

The 52-year-old does not believe that Pistorius, who is appealing his jail term, killed Reeva by accident - and thinks he shot her because she was leaving him.

Reeva Steenkamp was shot in 2013 at the hands of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, who was found guilty of her murder

Reeva's sister Simone has spoken out about her sister's death, and warned South African authorities to not let Pistorius out of prison

Simone said: 'Pistorius will come out one day and he will do it again, he is that dangerous. It is in him  he will kill again.

'In a way I feel sorry for Pistorius. He has not had an easy life, what with the double amputation of his legs when he was just a baby and the loss of his mother at the age of 16.

'He worked hard to get where he did and I think the fame and acclaim went to his head and he just lost it with my sister', reports the Sun on Sunday.

'It is in him  he will kill again': 52-year-old Simone fears that Oscar Pistorius would take someone else's life if he were to be released (pictured: Pistorius with Reeva Steenkamp)

Simone went on to say: 'In a way I feel sorry for Pistorius. He has not had an easy life, what with the double amputation of his legs when he was just a baby and the loss of his mother at the age of 16'

Pistorius shot and killed 29-year-old Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day in 2013 when he fired four times through the door of his bedroom toilet, claiming he had mistaken her for an intruder.

Simone went on to describe her sister, who is 18 years her junior, as funny, and talked of how much she loved the Reeva, who was a model.

According to Simone, who was living in the UK when Reeva died, the initial trial was a struggle for the entire family. She says that she struggled with the seven month court proceedings - but her grieving mother June managed to sit through the entire thing.

However, she now says that she can get through the anniversary of her sister's death - and uses the day to remember how much Reeva made her laugh.

Pistorius shot and killed 29-year-old Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day in 2013 when he fired four times through the door of his bedroom toilet, claiming he had mistaken her for an intruder

This is not the first time Simone has spoken out about the paralympian. Before Pretorius was first sentenced in 2014, after being convicted of culpable homicide, she begged the judge to give him a tough prison sentence.

She said to MailOnline: 'Oscar deserves prison. How can he just stay in the luxury of his house after taking somebody's life. What is house arrest if not just wrong?

'Community service and house arrest are ridiculous. These should be for people who are stealing or other minor offences. Not shooting somebody. Reeva deserves justice.

This is not the first time Simone has spoken out about the paralympian. Before Pretorius was first sentenced in 2014, after being convicted of culpable homicide, she begged the judge to give him jail time, not house arrest (Pictured l-r: June and Simone Steenkamp)

She says that she struggled with the seven month court proceedings - but her grieving mother June (pictured) managed to sit through the entire thing

'This case will set a precedent all around the world. We do not want other men to get off just because Oscar Pistorius has. It is still homicide.'

In November last year, Supreme Court of Appeal judges were 'unanimous' in sentencing Pistorius to South Africa's minimum 15 years for murder, ruling Pistorius' six year punishment sentence for killing Reeva Steenkamp had been 'inappropriate'.

The time he has already served behind bars will be deducted from that punishment, so the effective sentence is 13 years.

Previously a role model for disabled people worldwide, Pistorius was released from jail in 2015 after serving one year of a five-year term for culpable homicide - the equivalent of manslaughter.

However, shortly after his release that year, Pistorius was found guilty of murder, irrespective of whoever was behind the door when he opened fire with a pistol he kept under his bed.

The year before he killed Steenkamp, Pistorius became the first double-amputee to race at the Olympics when he competed at the London 2012 games.Since gunman Nikolas Cruz slaughtered 17 people in a Valentine's Day massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School last month, dozens of sickening threats of similar shootings have been made across the country.

They include threats from students and adults and vary in their seriousness.

In one case, the teenager killed himself in the school bathroom instead of acting out a plan to commit mass murder.

He was not the only one who was able to sneak weapons on to campus - others have been arrested after police received tips from other students that they had handguns in their backpacks.

There have been at least 38 different threats across 20 different states since February 14, when 17 died in a shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Others said they were merely trying to be 'funny' while one girl even used it as a ruse to shut school for the day so that she could have more time to study for a test.

Thankfully none of the plots have been executed.

Many were foiled because the intended shooters publicized their plans on social media and shared photographs of themselves with guns.

They have however sparked panic in many cases and, in some, caused school closures. Now, dozens of youngsters across the country are facing felony charges. Most are not named because they are minors.

DailyMail.com found reports of at least 38 different incidents in 20 different states since February 14.

Florida - Eight threats made

A student in Miami Dade posted this imaget on Snapchat last month. He was questioned over it but has not been named or charged

Floridians who are still traumatized from the shooting in Parkland have also seen a number of other threats since.

Among the most sickening involve images posted on social media by a 15-year-old girl who threatened Space Coast Jr./Sr. High School in Cocoa.

She re-posted another threat made in a different state which showed a gunman holding a rifle and wearing a mask. It was captioned 'Florida round 2 tomorrow'. The girl in Florida wrote: 'I'm coming Space Coast watch out.'

Another boy shared a photograph in Miami Dade where he appeared holding a rifle. It was captioned: 'Here's a fat F*** YOU' to everyone.'

The teen was questioned by police but was not immediately charged.

A more serious scenario unfolded at Palm Beach Lakes High School where a student brought two guns to school on February 15. He ran away when police arrived to question him, dumping the weapons on the spot. Officers had received an anonymous tip about him. He was arrested.

The youngest menace in Florida was an 11-year-old child who wrote a threatening note and slipped it under the school principal's door.

It read: 'I will bring a GUN to school to kill all of you ugly a** kids and teachers. I will bring the GUN February 16, 2018. Be prepared, b****!'

The child was arrested and told police she was put up to it by another girl who said she would be beaten up if she didn't.

A 15-year-old girl on Instagram writing under the name 'brevard shooter' posted this photograph threatening another school. They were later arrested by police

An 11-year-old student put this under the door of the assistant principal at Nova Middle School in Florida. It was a girl and she later told police she was told to do it by another child

Mainland High School came under threat from a 20-year-old student who said he wanted to be a 'serial killer one day and kill everyone' in the school.

He recorded the threat in a video, according to police in Daytona. He is believed to be mentally ill.

The Gilchrist County School District closed on Friday, February 16, after receiving a threatening email. No other details were given about that threat.

On February 18, an 18-year-old was arrested Palmetto Ridge High School after being found with a knife in his backpack. Police had been alerted to him after receiving reports that he had a gas mask and was planning an attack.

In his bag, they found a note which said 'shoot up school' and had a list of student names.

A 13-year-old girl was also arrested for threatening Central Charter School with an Instagram post where she said its students would be killed 'this week'. She wrote the post on February 19.

Texas - Six threats made

Diego Horta, 17, was arrested after being found on Tuesday in a parking lot near a school in Rowlett, Texas, with a rifle and 100 rounds of ammunition

The second highest number of threats have been in Texas where six different plots have been reported.

A 13-year-old boy was arrested in Arlington on February 15, a day after the shooting in Parkland, for threatening Nichols Junior High School.

He said he wanted to shoot the school with a Nerf gun.

In Plano Texas, a 16-year-old was arrested for bringing a handgun to Plano West Senior High School. The school resource officer was tipped off that he had brought it into school.

Another threat was made on February 26 in Pasadena where a youngster threatened Sam Rayburn High School on Snapchat. That threat caused panic among parents who lined up at the school after hearing about it to try to collect their children. The teenager behind it was arrested.

Diego Horta, 17, was arrested near Rowlett High School on Tuesday with a rifle and 100 rounds of ammunition in his car.

He also had a Halloween mask with him but would not say whether or not he intended to carry out mass murder when approached by police.

He was sitting in his car in the dark when he was arrested. Horta is not a student there; he is homeschooled.

A teenage girl was behind another threat in Weatherford, Texas, on February 15. She allegedly posted on social media that she planned to cause harm at Weatherford High School.

Police did not find a weapon on her but she was charged with making a terroristic threat.

A line of parents outside a school in Pasadena, Texas, last month after reports of a shooting threat on Snapchat. The threat was not credible but sparked widespread panic

In Flower Mound, a 16-year-old boy was arrested after bringing a handgun to Marcus High School on February 16. The gun was unloaded but he also had ammunition with him.

A sixth threat at Stevenson Middle School in Houston caused a lockdown on February 19. It began with a Snapchat post which was shared by a student at another school. Police were called and they put Stevenson Middle School in lockdown.

The student who was behind it was not there - they were at home sick with their mother and had no weapons. It is not clear if they were charged.

Ohio - One shooting, one threat

Keith Simons, 13, killed himself at Jackson Memorial Middle School on February 20 after going back on an elaborate plan to commit mass murder. He wrote a 13-page manifesto about his plan but turned to suicide at the last minute and died in the school bathroom

Ohio has endured a shooting since the Parkland massacre.

On February 20, Keith Simons shot himself in the bathrooms at Jackson Memorial Middle School.

He had been planning an attack on the whole school but took his life first. The teenager had left a 13-page manifesto behind detailing what he had planned.

'When they interview my parents and ask how they didnt see the signs, they should know its not them, its me and its because of how I see the world.

'Id hurt and destroy something bigger but my schools an easy target,' he wrote.

Deandre Fleming, 18, was arrested after writing on Instagram that he wanted to 'kill teachers and anyone who gets in my way way'

Police do not know what caused him to change his mind and take his own life instead of inflicting mass murder.

'We seriously dont know what made him change his mind [about killing others]. But we thank God every day, whatever changed his mind, changed his mind,' said Police Chief Mark Brink.

Another threat was reported in Columbus.

Eighteen-year-old Deandre Fleming was charged after writing that he wanted to 'kill teachers and anyone who gets in his way,' on Instagram.

He was charged with second degree felony inducing panic.

Maryland

A 14-year-old boy was arrested after bringing a pellet gun to school in Loch Raven High School near Baltimore on February 15, the day after the shooting in Parkland.

Another student told a school resource officer about the weapon and thes school was put in lockdown.

Another student in Georgia was charged after making threats to South Gwinnett High School in a video where they showed a gun (seen above)

Georgia

A student is facing criminal charges after bringing a gun to Lanier High School in Sugar Hill, Georgia, on February 15, the day after the Parkland shooting.

They were arrested after police and school staff received an anonymous tip from another student.

California

Santa Rosa High School in California was the target of another purported threat which was posted on social media.

In a widely-circulated image, a girl appeared next to an assault rifle and sitting in front of a US flag.

She was wearing fishnet stockings, a skirt and a t-shirt.

It coincided with a February 28 scribble written in one of the school's bathrooms which read: 'March 1, the school is gonna be shot up'.

No one has been arrested but police said they were investigating all of the material. They did not believe a threat was credible.

This was one threat posted by Santa Clara Police in California. It is not known if the girl pictured was ever arrested but it circulated widely. She is pictured posing next to an assault rifle in a social media post which sparked panic in the community

Another threatening message was left in Santa Clara High School in the bathrooms where someone described a March 1 attack

Washington - Three threats made

Three students were charged over making separate threats to their high schools in Tacoma, Washington, last month.

One was a 17-year-old who threatened to 'shoot up' Spanaway Lake High School while he was on the school bus.

Other threats were made on Snapchat against Lincoln High School by a 15-year-old.

Another was made against Truman Middle School by a 12-year-old who had allegedly been threatening the school since February 2. Their threats continued after the shooting in Parkland, according to concerned parents and fellow students.

Jack Sawyer, 18, was arrested for aggravated attempted murder, attempted first-degree murder and attempted assaulted murder for plotting an attack on Haven High School in Vermont

Vermont

Eighteen-year-old Jack Sawyer was arrested for making threats to Haven High School in Vermont. He was charged with aggravated attempted murder, attempted first-degree murder and attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

He was arrested the day after the Parkland shooting but police were already looking into him when it happened.

Sawyer was arrested after police received a tip from a girl who knew him from a home for children with behavioral problems.

He had told her about the plan.

Illinois

Juan Bello, 18, was one of two teens arrested for a plot against Mundelein High School in Illinois. They posted photographs with guns online and said their school 'ain't ready for this'. The gun was fake. The other youngster charged is a minor

Two teenagers in Illinois were arrested for plotting an attack on Mundelein High School.

One of them was 18-year-old Juan Bello and the other was a minor who has not been named.

The alarm was raised after one of the two boys posted a photograph on social media which featured a handgun.

They wrote: 'Mundelein ain't ready for this,' alongside it.

The handgun was fake.

New Jersey - Two threats made

In New Jersey, a 10-year-old was arrested last month after sending out a string of emails threatening to shoot students at a school in Franklin Township.

The boy was a student of Franklin Township School District and the emails caused several schools in the area to close. He was charged with third degree terroristic threats and third-degree causing false public alarm.

Also in New Jersey, Nutley Public Schools closed as a result of a video posted on Instagram which they believed was a threat.

No further information about it has been released.

Christopher Michael Rodriguez, 20, was arrested last month for allegedly threatening South Pointe High School in Phoenix

Arizona

Christopher Michael Rodriguez, 20, was arrested last month for allegedly threatening South Pointe High School in Phoenix.

He posted it online and told police it was intended retaliation against some of the school's students who he said assaulted him.

Minnesota

In Minnesota, an autistic student was arrested for threatening to shoot up Orono High School.

His post on social media caused a lockdown which lasted six hours but people in the local community do not want him to face charges.

They say he would never have carried out the killings which he described because he is incapable.

Another student's mother set up a GoFundMe campaign with the boy's family's permission that by Sunday was near its $40,000 goal to help cover the family's legal and treatment expenses.

Claire Wnuk Berrett wrote on the fundraising page that some kids on the autism spectrum don't have the language or social skills to adequately express their needs.

In Minnesota, the community is raising money to pay the legal fees of an autistic teenager who was arrested for posting a threat on Facebook. The community says Jake Johnson, who was named by family in the fundraising page, would never have been able to carry out the mass murder he allegedly threatened because he is mentally disabled and that he should not be held responsible for it

Arkansas

Police in Fayetteville, Arkansas, received a report of a threat on February 16 from a student who said they wanted to 'shoot up the high school like they did in Florida.'

Authorities said the student did not mean to carry out the threat but they were charged with making it.

DREAMER Abigail Hernandez, 21, threatened a school in Rochester, New York, on Facebook

New York

In Rochester, a DREAMER was arrested after threatening to shoot up a local high school.

Abigail Hernandez, 21, wrote: 'Im coming tomorrow morning and Im going to shoot all of ya b******' on the Facebook page for East High School on February 15.

She left the comment under a the fake name of Martin Doll.

Hernandez is now facing deportation to Mexico.

Kentucky - Three threats made

Two people were arrested for threatening Jessamine County Schools in Nicholasville, Kentucky, last month. They were not named and their ages are not known but both were charged with terroristic threatening.

A minor was charged with the same crime elsewhere in the state days later in Bullitt County.

A third threat was reported at Chapin High School where police sent extra police in the days afterwards. No one was immediately charged.

This image went viral after appearing on February 15, the day after the shooting in Florida. It was taken by a teen in Spartanburg, South Carolina, who was later arrested

South Carolina

A Snapchat threat posted by a youth in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is the most recognizable of them all.

It showed the boy standing with a large assault rifle, similar to the AR-15 used by Cruz, and wearing a mask.

Alongside the image, he wrote: 'round 2 of Florida tomorrow.'

It was shared thousands of times on social media and sparked widespread panic as well as spawning some of the other threats listed in this article.

Police arrested the ninth grader who was behind it.

Virginia

A fourteen-year-old Lake Taylor Middle School student was arrested in Virginia after threatening to hurt classmates if they went to school.

He made the threat on social media, according to local police. The boy was charged with a Class 6 felony for making threats of death or bodily injury to a person or persons on school property.

Emily Nicole Wilson, 18, made threats to her school in Alabama because she wanted more time to study on a test and she thought it would 'buy her time'

Alabama

Emily Nicole Wilson, 18, was arrested after making online threats against a school which officials have not yet named in Cullman County.

She appeared in a photograph with a gun in a message which was sent through the Text Now app.

The messages also included the school's name and information about when the attack was planned.

Emily later told police she wanted to 'buy time' to have longer to study for a test and that she never planned on acting out.

Missouri

A 14-year-old girl in Raytown, Missouri, after sending out threats on social media.

She wrote: 'Coming to all Raytown schools Monday Feb 26 thanks for the bullying,' and included several gun emojis next to it.

'Snitch on me and I will blow the whole damn building up,' was another of her posts.

She followed them up with photographs of a handgun and ammunition. The photo she posted was not of any weapons she owned and she had copied it from another state.

A 14-year-old girl in Raytown, Missouri, after sending out threats on social media. She did not have any guns when police searched her home and the picture she included had been taken in a different state. She gave no explanation for the posts when she was arrested

North Carolina

Gates County Public Schools said it was investigating threats against its various schools in February after the Parkland massacre.

Its staff said that massacre made them more vigilant.

Oklahoma

Western Heights Public Schools in Oklahoma City was put in lockdown the day after the Parkland massacre after receiving a threat from someone they said was not at the school.

It did not amount to anything and the school was reopened the next day.

The large number of threats is worrying but not necessarily an increase on years gone by.

Experts say it is purely that they are now being made public because police are not taking any chances and are arresting children who would ordinarily be disciplined more privately by their teachers and parents.

'Kids make bad decisions and I think that in decades past those decisions would have been addressed behind closed doors with the principal and parents.

Nikolas Cruz, 19, slaughtered 17 people at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14

'Now they're being addressed behind closed doors in the police station and the courtroom,' said Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based consulting company.

Volusia County Schools, which Stoneman Marjory is a part of, said they had seen an increase in the number of threats.

'Unfortunately that word didn't get to the students and we started seeing more students making threats in the classroom, and that was frightening to their classmates.

'Most of the time these students didn't have access to weapons, but they were still making threats to shoot up their schools.'

The Educator's School Safety Network, which tracks reports of school threats and violent incidents across the country, has documented a spike since Parkland. The Ohio group counted 797 as of Sunday. Most (743) were for threats of various kinds, including gun and bomb threats. The threats were made mostly via social media (331) and verbally (119).

That amounts to about a sevenfold increase in the usual rate, director of programs Amy Klinger said.

'The mentality has shifted in a very short period of time from kids being kids to this is very serious stuff,' she said. She expects consequences of post-Parkland threats to be harsher than before.

'They almost have to be. Do we want to do this for the rest of the school year? Do we want to have this constant chaos and fear, and people being upset? How much learning is going on?'Bra tycoon Baroness Mone has come under fire for her new virtual currency venture she claims will be the 'British Bitcoin'.

The Scottish businesswoman, 46, and her boyfriend Doug Barrowman, 53, is officially launching the 'Equi' coin on March 15. A pre-sale on Thursday has already asked supporters for a minimum investment of 72,000 ($100,000).

But the business partner couple have been slammed by experts after it emerged the currency will not be regulated and could see backers lose everything.

Scroll down for video

Glasweigan-born Michelle Mone (pictured) became one of Scotland's most successful entrepreneurs in history after founding Ultimo lingerie brand, which developed the silicon-padded bra

According to The Sunday Times, the scheme is not signed up to the Financial Conduct Authority, who are now being urged to step in.

The couple are not selling the new product to the US either as their business model could breach American restrictions, reports the newspaper.

China has banned any new virtual currencies and countries like Russia, India and Bolivia also have strict laws, meaning they won't be able to sign up.

John Mann, Labour member of the Commons' Treasury select committee and MP for Bassetlaw has slammed Baroness Mone's plans.

He said: 'You would be better going off to the bookies than investing in this scheme.'

Theresa Burton, chief executive of FCA-regulated, peer-to-peer lenders Trillion Fund, is also skeptical.

The Scottish businesswoman and her partner (pictured left) have been slammed by experts after it emerged the virtual currency they are launching will not be regulated and could see backers lose everything

She told The Times: 'They may have found some loophole that allows this, but it should be a regulated activity. The government and the FCA have to wake up and look at this.'

Glasweigan-born Michelle Mone became one of Scotland's most successful entrepreneurs in history after founding Ultimo lingerie brand, which developed the silicon-padded bra.

She was made a Conservative Peer in the House of Lords in 2015 by former Prime Minister David Cameron and now advises on a range of business topics.

Mr Barrowman is the founder and CEO of a private equity company called Aston Venture and also founder and chairman of the Knox Group - a financial planning service.

He is estimated to be worth billions and has spoken regularly about the world of cyrpto-currencies.

Together the couple founded Equi Capital in the hope that backers will buy coins, which they can sell on digital currency exchanges and make money to invest in the business's capital projects.

In a promotional video Mone says: 'As an entrepreneur I fully understand what it takes to build a successful company.'

Coins are 36p each, but the couple hope it will make 58,000 ($80,000). There will be 250 million tokens available when the project launches later this month.

John Mann, Labour member of the Commons' Treasury select committee and MP for Bassetlaw has slammed Baroness Mone's plans. She is pictured in the House of Lords

Experts fear Equi coins could turn out to be worthless, meaning they won't make enough money to invest in capital projects or return any profit.

Equi insists what they are doing does not require regulation and is 'completely transparent'.

A spokesman told the newspaper: 'We have always taken the view, and our legal advice has supported that view, that [the initial coin offering] did not amount to a financial promotion requiring approval by an authorised person.'

The FCA said it could not comment on the particular case but warned against unregulated, high-risk and speculative investments.

Last month Baroness Mone was forced to defend her record in the House of Lords.

Stewart McDonald, SNP MP for Glasgow South, tore into her on Twitter for not asking any questions during her two and a half years in the Chamber.

But Baroness Mone hit back branding the politician a 'moron' and pointing out she has voted 78 times.

A spokesperson for Baroness Mone said:

'Equi has subjected its plans to the scrutiny of English leading counsel expert in UK financial regulation. The advice from leading counsel has been positive in supporting Equis views that its ICO falls outside the scope of UK regulation. Equi has from the outset planned that its investment platform, when constructed, will work as a regulated business under FCA scrutiny. Equi is, therefore, acting within the law and scope of financial regulation in the UK.

'References to US financial regulation is irrelevant. The US is a different jurisdiction. The SEC has not made up its mind how to approach regulation of crypto currency. Baroness Mone is on record as agreeing Mark Carneys recent statement that crypto currency is in need of regulation.

'So far as Equi is aware, no expert has criticised the ICO.

'The Equi White Paper, which is available on the Equi website, contains a full Risk Warning section as well as numerous FAQs which point to the risks inherent in every ICO and all crypto currency and includes a full extract from the FCA website pointing to the risks of crypto.

'Equi has gone to great lengths to ensure that potential purchasers of Equi make any purchase with full knowledge of the risks involved. They must fulfil stringent investment criteria which are designed to avoid ordinary members of the public losing money which they cannot afford to lose.'Barnaby Joyce has been blasted by his coalition colleagues as a 'first class c***' for admitting he is unsure if he is the father of Vikki Campion's unborn baby.

One MP used the expletive to describe the latest revelation about the affair surrounding the former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader.

Sources quoted by the Daily Telegraph on Sunday criticised Mr Joyce's 'disrespectful' and 'selfish' decision to go public saying he needed to 'sort out' the issues in his private life.

'This judgment is appalling, bizarre and I think he has some real issues in his private life to sort out,' one source told the newspaper.

Mr Joyce defended his announcement in another interview with Fairfax Media telling the Sydney Morning Herald he had 'no choice' but to address the rumour circling around parliament.

Barnaby Joyce (pictured, right, with Vikki Campion) has revealed he can't be certain he is the father of his pregnant staffer's baby

'This issue has continued to be pursued by media despite my resignation, with paparazzi waiting for us at our gate at the airport,' he said while also pointing out a Daily Telegraph journalist is due to appear on Monday night's Q&A on the ABC.

His long-time political nemesis Tony Windsor savaged him on Twitter calling him 'a grub'.

The former deputy PM claimed in an interview with Fairfax on Saturday that journalists never asked about the boy's paternity.

The disgraced politician said Vikki Campion's baby's paternity is a 'grey area' because the child may have been conceived when he was in Europe with his wife.

'If anyone had doubts about Joyce's character I think they now have a clear picture of this grub, will sacrifice others on his blundering self-centered path,' Mr Windsor, the former independent member for New England, said on Sunday.

The former deputy prime minister claimed he was never asked by the media if Vikki Campion's baby was his when news of the scandal broke (pictured are Barnaby and Natalie Joyce)

Mr Windsor told Daily Mail Australia he had no sympathy for the former Nationals leader, who thrashed him in his old northern New South Wales seat at the 2016 election.

'No. He's brought everything upon himself. Everything,' he said.

'All of the women issues that he's going to be confronted with have all been brought on by himself.'

He also predicted Mr Joyce would remain as the member for New England, without sparking another by-election.

'He wouldn't get a job anywhere else. He'll stay. I can guarantee that,' he said.

Other angry voters also voiced their opinions over Twitter, as Ms Campion prepares to give birth in April to a baby boy.

'What's the point of him telling us this? Is he sacrificing Vikki in an attempt to look noble?' asked one woman.

'Yes, just when you think old mate has hit rock bottom and there's only one way to go from there. He's proven that he can go lower! Some of your best work Barnaby! NOT!' another tweeter said.

'If I could give Vikki Campion just two words of advice it would be these: LEAVE. NOW,' another tweet read.

He has also been slammed by News Corp journalist Sharri Markson for claiming the question about the child's paternity was never asked.

'I directly ask Barnaby Joyce, before publication, if the baby is his and ask him to confirm he had already told his wife and daughters,' Ms Markson tweeted.

The journalist included a screenshot of the email sent to Joyce which shows the matter of paternity was her first question.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has deflected attempts to question him about the latest revelation in the Joyce affair, the ABC reports.

'The matters that are in the papers today relating to Barnaby and Ms [Vikki] Campion are matters for them to resolve,' Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney.

'I don't have any comments to make on it at all.'

Joyce, who recently quit as leader of the Nationals said he plans to raise the child as his own, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

News Corp journalist Sharri Markson slammed Mr Joyce for claiming the question about the child's paternity was never asked

News of the scandal broke earlier this year eventually leading to Mr Joyce being forced to resign (pictured are Mr Joyce and Ms Campion at a bar in Sydney)

'It's mine, on the record, there it is. And can I say, even if it wasn't, I wouldn't care, I'd still go through this, I'd still love him,' Mr Joyce (pictured) said

'It's mine, on the record, there it is. And can I say, even if it wasn't, I wouldn't care, I'd still go through this, I'd still love him,' Mr Joyce said.

But he did admit there was a close relationship developing on a 'sporadic basis' around the time with his former staffer.

In the interview with Fairfax Media, Mr Joyce called initial coverage of his affair 'outrageous', and said neither he nor Ms Campion were asked about paternity.

'How could they know? They never even asked if it was 'Joyce's bundle',' Mr Joyce said, referring to a headline which read 'Bundle of Joyce'.

Vikki Campion, the former media advisor to Mr Joyce, is now pregnant with a son

Mr Joyce, 50, said he does not plan to take a paternity test in the Saturday interview, during which Ms Campion, 33, was also present for some periods.

The backbencher said he was in Europe on an official visit with his wife Natalie for the ten days after June 23, 2017, while Ms Campion was in north Queensland.

The former deputy prime minister was forced to quit as the country's number two in the wake of the scandal on February 22.

Pressure was rising on Mr Joyce ahead of his resignation from the frontbench when allegations of sexual harassment surfaced - which has completely denied.

Mr Joyce, 50, said he does not plan to take a paternity test in the Saturday interview, during which Ms Campion, 33, was also present for some periods (pictured are Barnaby and Natalie Joyce)

The former deputy prime minister (pictured) said he was never asked if Vikki Campion's baby is his

When he announced the end of his term as deputy PM, Mr Joyce called for his decision to be 'a circuit breaker' for media coverage about his relationship and his unborn son.

'This has got to stop. It's not fair on them. It's just completely and utterly unwarranted, the sort of observation that's happened,' he said.

Ms Campion was Mr Joyce's former media advisor. She left his office in April 2017 and moved to another government department.

The pair were pictured in a Sydney bar in February 2017 months before news became public about their relationship.

Mr Joyce quit as deputy PM on February 22 and has now said the question of his paternity was a 'grey area'

Mr Joyce and Ms Campion worked together for 12 months between April 2016 and August 2017.

During this time, the pair racked up a total expenses bill of $43,446 - including more than $25,000 for six VIP trips funded by the taxpayer.

Daily Mail Australia is not claiming Mr Joyce used public funding inappropriately during this time.

The couple travelled together throughout the east coast for 2,000km on a holiday together in December and January.

Barnaby Joyce told parliament of his separation from his wife in a same sex marriage debate in December

They travelled from Grafton in northern New South Wales, to north Queensland with a stop in Townsville - after Mr Joyce told parliament he was separated from his wife, Natalie.

The road to the affair started back in May 2016, when Ms Campion, a former journalist, joined Mr Joyce's election campaign.

That August, she joined Mr Joyce's office as a staffer and had split with her fiancee three months before the pair were due to get married.

In April 2017, after a reported confrontation with Natalie Joyce, Ms Campion moved to Matt Canavan's office as an adviser.

Just a few months later, Malcolm Turnbull was reportedly told by Joyce that his relationship with Ms Campion was over.

Mr Joyce, an outspoken social conservative, separated from Natalie, the mother of his four daughters, after 24 years of marriage.Reverend Ron Feyl runs The Order of Exorcists, an independent exorcist service operating out of Highland Park, California

Italy has seen an explosion in the number of people seeking exorcisms - and the country's industry is struggling to cope with the demand.

Now, an independent ghoul-busting service has sprung up to fill the gap. The Order of Exorcists operates across 24 countries

The Catholic Church recognises exorcism but only when performed by high level members of the church.

But the Order of Exorcists operates outside of the rules and regulations imposed by the Vatican.

In 2014, the Vatican publicly backed the International Association of Exorcists - a group founded in 1990 which has about 200 members on six continents.

The Order, which is not recognised by the Vatican, operates through its website, which has comprehensive descriptions of previous exorcisms.

Its mission statement reads: 'Our mission is to help anyone with demonic issues, free-of-charge, who are experiencing symptoms of demonic possession, demonic infestation and/or house disturbances, including evil spirits, demons, and demonic hauntings; the Order of Exorcists should be your last call for help.'

The group describes itself an 'autonomous and independent branch of the Catholic faith which derives from the ancient Old Roman Catholic Church of the 12th Century.'

The group has divisions in 24 countries. Pictured: The Atlanta, Georgia, branch of the Order of Exorcists

The original church, and the exorcism order established under it, reject the current leadership and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

The order was created in the the 1980s and operated from St Michaels Catholic Parish, a small church in Highland Park, California.

The order is is now run by Presiding Bishop, The Most Reverend Ron Feyl who decided to reach out and recruit members of the clergy from other jurisdictions.

First the church only held exorcisms in the local area but soon they began receiving requests from people outside of California.

In 1981 the church established a full -time exorcism ministry 'The Sacred Order of Saint Michael the Archangel - Order of Exorcists.'

Since then the order has grown. Now with 61 full time members, it carries out regular exorcisms across the world.

Last month is was revealed the demand for exorcisms had prompted the Vatican to hold an international conference in a bid to train more priests to carry them out.

The church was concerned the skills of some of its current exorcists have declined and is worried priests are no longer willing to learn the techniques.

Many churches, like The Order of Exorcists have popped up to fill that gap.

According to Friar Beningo Palilla, one of the organisers of the conference, which took place in Sicily, there are now some 500,000 cases requiring exorcism in Italy each year, Vatican Radio reported.

Pope Francis laying his hands on the head of a young man after celebrating Mass in St Peter's Square, Rome

The Vatican says there has been a three-fold increase in demand for exorcisms in Italy alone

He blamed the increase on a growing number of people seeking the services of fortune tellers and Tarot readers in recent years.

Such practices 'open the door to the devil and to possession,' he claimed.

Many of the cases are not actually related to demonic possession, but to spiritual or psychological problems, he said, but they nonetheless must be investigated.

Palilla, a priest in Palermo, is calling for an across-the-board improvement in training.

'We priests, very often, do not know how to deal with the concrete cases presented to us - in the preparation for the priesthood, we do not talk about these things,' he said.

Pope Francis addressing crowds from the balcony of St Peter's in Rome. Friar Beningo Palilla is calling for an improvement in training for priests carrying out exorcisms

Palilla is particularly concerned about some priests conducting exorcisms without proper training.

He called for 'a period of apprenticeship, as happens for many professionals' and said priests wanting to train as exorcists 'should work alongside an expert to learn in the field.'

Palilla said the aim of the conference, billed as the first in the world on exorcism, was to 'to offer a rich reflection and articulation on a topic that is sometimes unspoken and controversial'.

Exorcism can only performed with high-level permission from within the church.

Four years ago, the Vatican backed the International Association of Exorcists, which was founded in 1990 and has licensed some 200 members on six continents.Australian airline Qantas has told staff to use 'gender appropriate' terms and avoid saying 'husband and wife' because it may offend the LGBTI community.

Qantas' People and Culture group executive Lesley Grant issued an information booklet detailing how to make employees feel more comfortable at work in line with the airline's Spirit of Inclusion month, The Daily Telegraph reported.

It asks employees to stop using words such as 'honey, darling and love' because they have the capacity to offend.

Australian airline Qantas has told staff to use 'gender appropriate' terms and avoid saying 'husband and wife' because it may offend the LGBTI community

No more 'mankind': Qantas CEO Alan Joyce

It also advises staff to use 'partner' instead of husband and wife, and 'parents' instead of mum and dad because it could exclude LGBTI families.

The pack asks Qantas workers to not use gender-inappropriate terms such as mankind or fireman.

The information states: 'Language can make groups of people invisible. For example, the use of the term chairman can reinforce the idea that leaders are always men.'

'Words like love, honey or darling, even when used as terms of endearment, often offend. In the workplace, it is best to avoid these sorts of words.'

Ms Grant told staff she wants the work environment at Qantas to be a place 'everyone feels comfortable to bring their whole selves to work'.

The material was produced by the Diversity Council of Australia, Qantas told The Daily Telegraph.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Qantas for comment.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (centre) celebrates the 40th annual Mardi Gras festival in SydneyAs MGU is directly subordinate to the Russian Government and not under the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, it is not among the universities that have joined in training programmes with Vietnam.

Ambassador Manh, a former student of MGU, highly valued the schools training quality, adding that he wants to expand the opportunities for Vietnamese undergraduates and postgraduates to study at this top university in Russia.

At the meeting, the two sides mentioned a project on providing legal knowledge aid for Vietnamese students. Through an agreement between MGUs law faculty and the Vietnamese Embassy, students from the Southeast Asian nation can receive free legal aid whenever they have problems while studying in Russia.

Ambassador Manh applauded this idea and promised to step up the realisation of this initiative in the near future, noting that the number of Vietnamese students here increases by nearly 1,000 each year. Such a practical support will be very helpful for both students and managerial agencies.

During the event, the two sides also discussed other directions for specialised cooperation such as in economy and auditing. They agreed to promote the organisation of forums, conferences and consultations to help to enhance Vietnam-Russia relations.They mystery disappearance of a Royal Ballet School pupil who fled into the snow after running from a hospital where she was being treated for a serious illness, was today baffling detectives.

Ashleigh Fair was not wearing any shoes when she vanished from her ward and was captured on a security camera running into a blizzard with only pink socks on her feet.

She was believed to have hailed a taxi from Reading, Berkshire, to Marble Arch in London where she was captured on CCTV in sub-zero temperatures, wearing just a knitted pink and green jumper and black jogging bottoms.

Ashleigh Fair, 19, pictured here on CCTV on Wednesday night, walked into the car park wearing only a pair of pink socks on her feet

Ashleigh Fair, pictured, went missing on Thursday morning from hospital in Reading

Police said today that there were major fears for Ashleigh's welfare particularly as she was in urgent need of medical treatment for a serious life-threatening illness. There have been no sightings of her since the CCTV images in Cumberland Place, London at about 11.30am on Thursday.

Ashleigh, who was a successful member of the Royal Ballet School and lives in Maidenhead, Berkshire, with her mother who suffers from Motor Neurone disease, was understood to have been a patient at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading since Wednesday.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said today: 'We are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a woman who is missing from Reading.

'Ashleigh Fair, aged 19 years, was reported missing after leaving the Royal Berkshire Hospital on Thursday at about 9.30am. Officers believe she may have travelled to London in a taxi from Southern Hill, Reading, arriving in Cumberland Place in Marble Arch shortly after 11.30am on Thursday.

'Today officers working to locate her are releasing CCTV images of a person they believe to be Ashleigh, which were recorded shortly before midday on Thursday. Ashleigh was wearing a green and pink knitted jumper, black tracksuit bottoms and pink socks when she went missing.'

Detective Sergeant Sarah Roxburgh, based at Reading police station, said: 'We are still urgently trying to trace Ashleigh, who is likely to require urgent medical attention and we are becoming increasingly concerned for her welfare.

'Ashleigh is not dressed appropriately for the extremely cold weather we have been experiencing and was not wearing any shoes at the time she went missing.

'We are working closely with our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police Service in London in our efforts to find her. Ashleigh, if you see this appeal, please contact police urgently. We need to check you are safe.

'Anyone with any information about Ashleigh's whereabouts should call the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101 quoting the reference URN 344.'

Dozens of police officers were drafted into Reading town centre as a huge race against time began to find Ashleigh last Thursday.

The classically trained dancer was a patient at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, in Reading, when she walked out the main doors at 9.30am. It was understood that she was being treated on a special ward at the hospital.

Shortly after breakfast-time on the ward, a member of staff spotted that Ashleigh was not in her bed and senior staff were alerted. CCTV footage was immediately checked and images of the missing girl were found, showing her fleeing from the entrance.

Speaking at her home in Maidenhead, Berkshire, Ashleigh's mother, Alison, said she was too upset to talk about her daughter's disappearance.A 10-year-old girl is seriously injured after being mauled by a dog in Melbourne.

The child was attacked by the animal shortly after 8pm in Berwick, in Melbourne's east.

The local council attended the property and seized the dog.

The investigation is ongoing.

A 10-year-old girl is seriously injured after being mauled by a dog in Melbourne



President Trump's administration appears unbowed by broad domestic and international criticism of his planned import tariffs on steel and aluminum, saying Sunday that the president is not planning on exempting any countries from the stiff duties.

Speaking on CNN's State of the Union, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said: 'At this point in time there's no country exclusions.'

On, NBC's Meet the Press, Trump's Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said he believed the tariffs would got into effect this week. 'I have no reason to think otherwise,' Ross said. 'The markets started recovering on Friday as it began to adjust to the realities that this is not the end of the world.'

Ross also addressed the announcement's timing, which seemed rushed. 'It wasn't sudden,' Ross said. 'With a whole year of preparation, I don't know why anybody should've been so shocked.'

Trump's announcement Thursday that he would impose tariffs of 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively, on imported steel and aluminum, roiled markets, rankled allies and raised prospects for a trade war.

On Thursday, President Trump announced tariffs on steel and aluminum, a decision that put the Wall Street in a tailspin

President Trump risks sparking a trade war with his closest allies if he goes ahead with plans to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, German officials and industry groups warned Friday

China has expressed 'grave concern' about a U.S. trade policy report that pledges to pressure Beijing but had no immediate response to President Donald Trump's plan to hike tariffs on steel and aluminum

President Trump on Friday insisted 'trade wars are good, and easy to win,' a bold claim that will likely find many skeptics, including those on Wall Street and even some Republicans

While his rhetoric has been focused on China, the duties will also cover significant imports from Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and the European Union.

The Pentagon had recommended that Trump only pursue targeted tariffs, so as not to upset American partners abroad.

Ross said Sunday that was not the direction the president would take.

'He's talking about a fairly broad brush,' Ross said on ABC's This Week.

He rejected threats of retaliation from American allies as 'pretty trivial.'

Few issues could blur the lines of partisanship in Trump-era Washington.

Trade is one of them.

Labor unions and liberal Democrats are in the unusual position of applauding Trump's approach, while Republicans and an array of business groups are warning of dire economic and political consequences if he goes ahead with the tariffs.

President Trump risks sparking a trade war with his closest allies if he goes ahead with plans to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports

President Trump has declared that the U.S. will impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, escalating tensions with China and other trading partners and raising the prospect of higher prices for American consumers and companies

Trade politics often cut along regional, rather than ideological, lines, as politicians reflect the interests of the hometown industries and workers.

But rarely does a debate open so wide a rift between a president and his party - leaving him almost exclusively with support from his ideological opposites.

'Good, finally,' said Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat and progressive as he cheered Trump's move. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, a Democrat who has called for Trump to resign, agreed.

'I urge the administration to follow through and to take aggressive measures to ensure our workers can compete on a level playing field,' Casey tweeted.

This moment of unusual alliance was long expected.

As a candidate, Trump made his populist and protectionist positions on trade quite clear, at times hitting the same themes as one of the Democratic presidential candidates, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

'This wave of globalization has wiped out totally, totally our middle class,' Trump told voters in the hard-hit steel town of Monessen, Pennsylvania, during one of his campaign stops. 'It doesn't have to be this way.'

Trump's criticism of trade agreements and China's trade policies found support with white working-class Americans whose wages had stagnated over the years.

Victories in big steel-producing states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana demonstrated that his tough trade talk had a receptive audience.

Both candidates in a March 13 House special election in Pennsylvania have embraced the president's plans for tariffs.

They addressed the topic Saturday in a debate that aired on WTAE in Pittsburgh.

'For too long, China has been making cheap steel and they've been flooding the market with it. It's not fair and it's not right. So I actually think this is long overdue,' said Democratic candidate Conor Lamb.

'Unfortunately, many of our competitors around the world have slanted the playing field, and their thumb has been on the scale, and I think President Trump is trying to even that scale back out,' said Republican candidate Rick Saccone.

But Trump's GOP allies on Capitol Hill have little use for the tariff approach.

They argue that other industries that rely on steel and aluminum products will suffer.

The cost of new appliances, cars and buildings will rise if the president follows through, they warn, and other nations could retaliate.

The end result could erode the president's base of support with rural America and even the blue-collar workers the president says he trying to help.

'There is always retaliation, and typically a lot of these countries single out agriculture when they do that. So, we're very concerned,' said Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, asked the administration to reconsider its stance. He said American companies could move their operations abroad and not face retaliatory tariffs.

'This scenario would lead to the exact opposite outcome of the administration's stated objective, which is to protect American jobs,' Walker said.

The Business Roundtable's Josh Bolten, a chief of staff for President George W. Bush, called on Trump to have 'the courage' to step back from his campaign rhetoric on trade.

'Sometimes a president needs to, you need to stick to your principles but you also need to recognize in cases where stuff you said in the campaign isn't right and ought to be drawn back,' he said on Fox News Sunday. 'The president needs to have the courage to do that.'

Tim Phillips, president of the Koch Brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity, noted that Trump narrowly won in Iowa and Wisconsin, two heavily rural states that could suffer if countries impose retaliatory tariffs on American agricultural goods.

'It hurts the administration politically because trade wars, protectionism, they lead to higher prices for individual Americans,' Phillips said. 'It's basically a tax increase.'

The president wasn't backing down, at least on Twitter, where he posted this message: 'Trade wars are good, and easy to win.'A 'heartbroken' transplant patient who was given a kidney from a 25-a-day smoker wants new guidelines disclosing the history of donors.

Janice Richardson, 55, had two friends willing to donate a kidney to her when she accepted the organ from a dead patient, who was a heavy smoker in October 2013.

The kidney, which was never more than 15 per cent functional, had to be removed eight months after the transplant after an MRI scan revealed there was a stone in it and a narrowing artery.

Janice Richardson, 55, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, faces a lifetime of renal dialysis after a kidney transplant failed because surgeons used an organ from a 25-a-day smoker

Ms Richardson underwent surgery at Leeds Hospital Trust, pictured, but was unaware of the donor's history of heavy smoking and high blood pressure

Ms Richardson, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, claims that had she known the donor's history, of heaving smoking and high blood pressure, she would have declined the kidney and taken an organ from one of her friends instead.

She said: 'My two best friends flew in from South Africa and Australia to be tested and were told they were a tissue match for me.

'Before I could make the decision which donor to go with, the hospital told me they had an excellent match and I was rushed into surgery.

'No-one ever discussed the state of the organ with me.'

The organ had been turned down by two transplant centres before it was accepted by doctors treating Ms Richardson.

Following the failure of the kidney, Ms Richardson is now unable to undergo a further transplant, due to her blood tissue been so hard to match and has to remain on dialysis.

Ms Richardson said the kidney she received had been turned down by two other transplant centres before it was accepted by surgeons at Leeds Hospital Trust

She said: 'When I became seriously ill and it became clear [the kidney] wasn't functioning, a doctor commented it was a shame I'd received such a poor quality kidney, implying something was known about it before the operation.

'You are made to feel so fortunate to be one of the chosen few to get a transplant.'

Ms Richardson has had troubles with her kidneys since she was 14, following an infection as a three-year-old which prevented her right kidney from growing.

She received her first kidney transplant from her sister Angela, 52, in November 2011, but despite initial signs that she was responding well, she contracted a BK virus, which destroyed the kidney and it was removed.

Paul McNeil, of Fieldfisher, Richardson's lawyer, said: 'Janice is now far worse off than she was in the beginning. She'll have to endure dialysis for the rest of her life.'

Dr Yvette Oade, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: 'Leeds Teaching Hospitals follows national guidance from NHS Blood and Transplant and the British Transplant Society to ensure that patients can fully consent to a transplant.

'Organs are offered to us by NHS Blood and Transplant, and our highly specialist transplant surgeons carefully assess every organ to ensure it is suitable for transplant and meets the needs of our patients.

'If a higher risk organ is being considered, the potential recipient is made aware of any medical history that may have an impact on the success or longevity of the transplant.

'This is so they are able to give informed consent and, where appropriate, have the opportunity to decline its use.

'Smoking, high blood pressure and multiple arteries are not considered contraindications for transplantation. Many organs with the above have been transplanted successfully in Leeds, across the UK and around the world.'

Ms Richardson says that she is heartbroken that the generosity beyond belief and love of her sister and her friends and all care from her husband has amounted to nothing.

She added: 'Words cannot express my gratitude and love for all that they have done for me. I feel completely let down by Leeds Hospital Trust.'A two-year-old girl died Friday after a mirror fell off of a wall at a Payless Shoe store and smashed over her head.

Ifrah Siddique was severely injured when the mounted full-length mirror fell on her just after 8pm, and was rushed to the Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, Georgia.

The toddler was trying on shoes when the mirror fell, and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Police have said the death appears to be an accident.

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Ifrah Siddique died Friday after a mirror fell off of a wall at a Payless Shoe store and smashed over her head

The toddler was trying on shoes when the mirror fell, and was pronounced dead at the hospital

While Ifrah was in the store with her mother trying on shoes the mirror fell off of the wall and smashed over her head

The girl's father, Moshin Siddique, told Fox 5 he feels 'dead, like I am no more'.

'That was my little girl,' the grieving father said through tears.

'We're pulling through,' Ifrah's cousin Aquib Iftkhar told WTSP. 'Everybody is still grieving and it's really hard. We're in a state of shock.'

Latisha Culpatrick works at the store next to Payless said she knew something serious happened when she heard a crash and a woman's scream.

'I could hear the crash and the mom screaming,' she told Fox.

'Everybody was crowded around the door. It was just tragic. I'm sure the mom didn't think when she was coming in to go shopping she wouldn't come out with her child. That's bad. Really bad.'

The two-year-old girl's father, Moshin Siddique, told Fox 5 he feels 'dead, like I am no more'

'That was my little girl,' the grieving father said through tears. The Siddique family has asked that the store ensure shelves and mirrors are secure and in place to prevent another tragedy like this one

Watch the latest video at <a href="http://www.foxnews.com">foxnews.com</a>

Culpatrick, who is a mother herself, said she saw blood and assumed the child had a seizure.

'I didn't know it was that bad,' she explained.

Payless said the company is 'devastated' about the girl's death in a statement to Fox 5

The tragic accident happened at the Payless Shoe Source on the 7100 block of Georgia Highway 85.

The Siddique family has asked that the store ensure shelves and mirrors are secure and in place to prevent another tragedy like this one.

Payless said the company is 'devastated' about the girl's death in a statement to Fox 5.

'Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of Ifrah Siddique during this time of incredible loss,' the statement read.

'We are devastated by this tragic event and are fully cooperating with authorities to reach and understand the nature of this accident. Out of respect for the family, no further information will be provided at this time.'When she unveiled her official portrait at the National Portrait Gallery on February 12th, Michelle Obama spoke of the future.

She said she thinks about what the portrait might mean to people who see it, 'particularly girls and girls of color, who, in years ahead, will come to this place and they will look up and they will see an image of someone who looks like them hanging on the wall of this great American institution.'

Well, it didn't take long.

Parker Curry, mouth wide open, takes in the portrait of Michelle Obama at the National Portrait Gallery

Jessica Curry got a picture from behind of Parker looking at the former First Lady. The toddler wouldn't turn around.

A tourist at the gallery in Washington DC snapped an adorable picture of a toddler, awestruck by the new portrait of Michelle Obama.

Little Parker Curry, 2, could not be moved from in front of the portrait of the former first lady, painted by Amy Sherald.

Ben Hines, 37, who was visiting from North Carolina snapped the picture of the little girl staring at the portrait, mouth open.

Hines was delighted to be in the right place at the right time, he told BuzzFeed that 'It was so touching and uplifting for me to see this beautiful child looking at a beautiful portrait of a powerful woman'.

Curry was at the museum with her mom Jessica and sister Ava, one.

Jessica told CNN that she really wanted to get a picture of her daughter in front of the portrait, but 'she was uncooperative with me because she was just so focused on the portrait and studying it, and she was just so fascinated'.

Michelle Obama unveiled her official portrait on February 12, with the artist Amy Sherald (r)

Parker Curry, 2, told her mother she thinks Michelle Obama is a queen, and Parker would like to be a queen too.

Jessica Curry(l) says it is important to show Parker (r) and her sister 'women who look like them' who have done great things

As the image spread around the internet, even the artist Amy Sherald shared it with the caption 'feeling all the feels'.

Jessica didn't realize that someone else had noticed, until a friend let her know that the picture had gone viral. She told CNN that the little girl thinks Michelle Obama is a queen.

She said 'she wants to be a queen as well.'

Echoing the former first lady, Jessica, a small business owner said, 'as a female and as a girl of color, It's really important that I show her people who look like her that are doing amazing things and are making history so that she knows she can do it'.Advertisement

Supermarket shelves were still empty today despite the big thaw clearing most of the snow from Britain's roads.

Deliveries to stores across the country have been delayed after the Beast from the East and Storm Emma buried the UK beneath an avalanche of snow.

Shoppers reported bare shelves after panic buying in places such as Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle.

But the worst of the wild weather is over and the big freeze is set to give way to the big thaw, with temperatures due to reach 11C in London on Monday, though weather warnings for snow and ice are still in place for parts of north England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Orange and yellow alerts for snow and ice are still in place across Ireland until midday on Monday.

Bare aisles and notices warning customers that stocks of some items are still low are a common sign at shops following the snow and ice, which halted some firms' deliveries. Pictured: An empty shelf at a Greater Manchester Co-op

At Morrisons' Chadderton store in Greater Manchester (pictured) there were also bare shelves in the bread section

A Ryanair jet prepares for take off in thick fog and sleet at Leeds Bradford airport in Yorkshire this morning

Cars speed down the motorway splashing black ice and flood water into the air. Parts of the south west of the UK were faced with flooding today

In Cornwall, coastal towns and villages like Fowey (pictured) suffered serious flooding

It comes as forecaster said Britain will be lashed with icy rain while fog will carpet the nation as the Beast from the East and Storm Emma recede, leaving chaos in their wake. Pictured: An Asda store in Chadderton, Greater Manchester with empty shelves

Trains in the UK were disrupted over the weekend and National Rail warned passengers to check services before travelling.

The Environment Agency said there was a risk of flooding from surging water levels due to snow melt as temperatures started to rise on Sunday.

Three flood warnings were in force, two in north-east England and another in Dorset, because of high tides.

An urgent appeal for blood donors has been issued by the NHS after stocks were depleted during the bad weather.

The weather will continue to warm up and any snow will be confined to hills and mountains by the end of the day, the Met Office said.

Despite the weather heating up, Sunday saw empty shelves in supermarkets up and down the country.

Stocks of fruit, especially grapes and strawberries, are low at the Asda store in Chadderton, near Oldham in Greater Manchester.

A notice was also on display in the Asda pizza aisle today, stating that 'due to adverse weather conditions and incidents on local motorways, we have had no fresh food delivery today'.

Meanwhile a Tesco store in Plymouth has been found to be almost entirely out of bread.

A spokesman for the shop, in Woolwell, said staff were working hard to get deliveries of goods.

In Bristol, Tesco stores were joined by Aldi, Asda and Lidl outlets in having a number of empty shelves.

The Bristol Post reported that bread and milk supplies were running 'critically low' across the city.

Gloucestershire Live, meanwhile, reported that branches of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Co-op and Morrisons were hit by low supplies - particularly of bread.

A Morrisons in Sheffield, meanwhile, has been found to have empty shelves - particularly in the bread aisle, the Yorkshire Post reported.

Horse 'poleaxed' by a falling tree and pinned to the ground for almost three hours in freezing temperatures This was the scene after a huge horse was 'poleaxed' by a falling tree and pinned to the ground for almost three hours before fire crews were able to cut through the weighty boughs and release the stricken animal. The 11-year-old horse was knocked off its feet and onto its side by the weight of the tree as it toppled over and the owners, who found it lying on the ground with the tree on top of it, immediately called in fire crews and a local vet. The drama happened in a snow-covered field near Abingdon Road, Oxford on Saturday and firefighters used hand saws instead of power-driven tools to save the mare further distress as they struggled to free her. This horse nearly became the latest victim of the freezing weather when it was 'poleaxed' by a falling tree and pinned to the ground A spokesman for the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said that the horse was suffering from the effects of the cold and was exhausted but otherwise uninjured. It was sedated by the vet. Crews removed some of the branches and then used special strops and a winch to pull the horse out from under the tree. Station Manager Barber 'This was a large horse that had got itself stuck in an awkward position and in this case the owners recognised the risk and called upon the emergency services to assist. 'Persistent effort from the fire crews involved and the vet, who had travelled out in difficult weather conditions, resulted in a safe and successful rescue.' The 11-year-old horse was knocked off its feet and onto its side by the weight of the tree as it toppled over and the owners, who found it lying on the ground with the tree on top of it, immediately called in fire crews and a local vet Advertisement

Shoppers arriving at this Tesco store in Plymouth, Devon, today were greeted by the sight of empty shelves

The UK is still picking up the pieces following the battering from the Beast from the East and Storm Emma. The wild weather has been blamed for empty supermarket shelves

Empty shelves at a Tesco in Plymouth, Devon. Experts have warned the weather may end up costing the economy billions of pounds

These boxes would usually be filled with vegetables. But the Tesco supermarket, in Plymouth, Devon, was running low due to the recent bad weather

In Salford, Vanessa Ward took a picture of an empty bread aisle at the Asda store.

She said: 'Just a 22-year-old wanting eggy soldiers for my breakfast and they had no bread, fully disappointed.'

An Asda spokesperson said: 'Despite the weather having created some pretty difficult conditions, our colleagues are continuing the work hard to get deliveries through and keep our shelves stocked for our customers.'

There were reports of an empty bread aisle at Sainsbury's Urmston, Greater Manchester store yesterday afternoon.

A spokesperson for Sainsbury's said: 'Some stores may be running low but there's plenty of bread and milk in the system and deliveries are getting through. Any store that is running low will be replenished today.'

Shoppers at the Tesco Express in Market Street, in Manchester city centre, said vegetables including corn on the cob and vegetable packs were temporarily out of stock.

Empty shelves in an Aldi store in Salford as panic buying and bad weather hit supplies

More empty shelves in a Tesco in Plymouth, Devon. Across the country, the snow is melting and flood warnings are in place

Bare shelves in a Tesco supermarket in Plymouth, Devon. Much of the UK is still picking up the pieces following the wild weather

Shoppers were today greeted by empty shelves at supermarkets up and down the country. At this Tesco in Plymouth there was a shortage of vegetables

The empty shelves have been blamed on the wild weather. Pictured: Bare shelves in Plymouth, Devon

Boxes which should contain potatoes are instead empty as supermarkets struggle to stock the shelves in the days following Storm Emma. This picture was taken at a Tesco store in Plymouth

A spokesman said they were not aware of any shortages affecting particular items, but that there may be localised issues.

At Morrisons' Chadderton store there were also bare shelves in the bread section.

The bread aisle at the Co-op store in Royton, Oldham, was bare on Sunday morning too.

There were notes on most times stating that they are temporarily out of stock.

A spokesperson for the Co-op said: 'Our stores have experienced extremely high demand as shoppers walk to their nearest convenience store - avoiding any unnecessary travel during the extreme weather conditions.

'Like other retailers we have experienced some localised disruption but stocks are returning to normal as roads become passable again.'

A notice at the Lidl store in Royton, Oldham, warned that 'due to adverseweather conditions some items will be available at a later date'. Otherwise the shelves were well stocked.

Shoppers reported that milk stocks were low in at Irlams O' Th' Height Aldi store in Salford this morning.

An Aldi spokesperson said: 'Some stores have experienced significantly increased demand as we help customers prepare for severe weather conditions. As a result, they are experiencing a temporary shortage of a small number of products.

More empty shelves at a Tesco in Plymouth, Devon today

Usually full shelves in a Tesco store in Plymouth stood empty today

Mountaineer Alan Hinkes scales a huge snow drift in Teesdale, County Durham as much of the country remains snowy

The recovery begins: A bulldozer covers heavy snow in the village of Trfil in South Wales. Much of South Wales will see heavy rain in the coming days, and even some thunder

Meltdown: Cars on the A465 in South Wales negotiate black slush caused by the potent combination of melting snow and flooding

A JCB was brought in to clear roads near Marlborough, Wiltshire, where the road is being used as a diversion route due to the A346 which remains treacherous

'We are working hard with our suppliers to keep disruption to a minimum and ensure customers can get everything they need from our stores.'

And people have been urged to give blood after stocks were depleted during the bad weather.

The NHS has appealed for blood and platelet donors to visit walk-in centres or book appointments for next week.

Stocks across the UK have been depleted after many people could not travel to their appointments because of the snow and ice.

Mike Stredder, director of Blood Donation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: 'The recent poor weather caused the cancellation of sessions in snow hit areas and meant we collected less blood than we needed, particularly Group A, Group O and B positive donations.

'Seriously ill patients need blood every day and they rely on the generosity of people making time to donate.

'So, we are appealing for existing donors to check the weather before they travel but, if it's safe for them to get out, we need them to come along to a session and donate if they are able.

'Please take action now and walk in and donate - you will save lives.'

Hospitals need 6,000 units every day across England to treat patients in need.

It comes as forecaster said Britain will be lashed with icy rain while fog will carpet the nation as the Beast from the East and Storm Emma recede, leaving chaos in their wake.

The Met Office does not plan to lift its yellow warning - advises taking caution and taking into account possible travel delays - until the early hours of tomorrow morning when the last of the treacherous ice and snow dumped by Storm Emma finally melts.

Temperatures have shot up across the country, with London and the South East hitting a balmy 8C.

Much of the South is expected to hit 10C over the next three days - a return to the temperature expected in March.

Today, some parts of the country were entirely free of snow. But in some places the white stuff lingered as temperatures failed to shoot up as predicted.Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman landed in the Egyptian capital today at the start of his first foreign tour as heir to the throne.

It is his first public trip abroad since he became Crown Prince last year and purged the kingdom's political and economic elite.

A beaming Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi greeted him at Cairo airport after he descended the red-carpeted steps of his plane.

The head of Prince Mohammed's office, Bader al-Asaker, tweeted that the prince's plane was escorted by Egyptian fighter jets when it entered Egypt's airspace.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (pictured) landed in Cairo - the first stop on his debut foreign tour which will see him visit Britain and the US

Prince Mohammed will hold meetings with Sisi, a key regional ally, and other officials in Egypt before flying off to Britain on Wednesday and then later this month the United States.

Saudi Arabia views Egypt as a cornerstone of regional stability, after the former army chief Sisi overthrew his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Riyadh viewed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood with suspicion and at one point briefly recalled its ambassador from Cairo during his turbulent year in power.

It has since showered Cairo with aid to prop up the country's economy, in a relationship that has led to some controversy in Egypt.

In 2015, during a visit by King Salman to Cairo, the two countries agreed on the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, sparking protests in Egypt.

Sisi ratified the deal last year, and Egypt's top court annulled lower court rulings for and against the treaty on the eve of the crown prince's arrival.

Prince Mohammed's visit comes ahead of Egypt's presidential polls in late March, with Sisi expected to win a second four-year term.

Prince Mohammed will hold meetings with Sisi, a key regional ally, and other officials in Egypt before flying off to Britain on Wednesday and then later this month the United States

A beaming Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi greeted the prince at Cairo airport after he descended the red-carpeted steps of his plane

The visit 'will be interpreted as proof of Saudi support for Sisi to remain as the president of Egypt', Mostafa Kamel al-Sayed, a political science professor at Cairo University, told AFP.

Cairo and Riyadh have maintained close ties, although Egypt has signalled a lack of enthusiasm for Saudi regional policy, both on the Yemen war and a potential escalation with Iran.

But it is among a bloc of Arab nations that joined a Saudi-led boycott since June of Qatar.

The crown prince's tour also aims to court investors and comes after a tumultuous period that has seen a military shake-up and a royal purge in Saudi Arabia, part of his sweeping power play.

Prince Mohammed is already seen as the country's de facto ruler controlling the major levers of government.A Canadian family has been devastated by a rare hereditary form of cancer that has struck two siblings, who are now battling the disease side-by-side in the same hospital room.

A heart-wrenching photo captured the moment Jacob Randell, 14, and his five-year-old sister Sophia embrace after the family was told it may be time to say goodbye to their boy.

The siblings, from Quebec, share a room at Ottawa's Children's Hospital in Ontario as they both fight the inherited condition that is caused by a gene mutation that can lead to highly aggressive, malignant tumors in children.

Jacob, 14, and his five-year-old sister hug as they both battle cancer. Their family had been told Jacob might not make it much longer when this photo was taken

Jacob was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was five years old in 2009 and his sister Sophia was diagnosed with the same cancer in 2016

The Randells were tested for the problematic gene after learning of the genetic nature of Jacob's disease. While Liam, seven, (right) was negative, his sister Sophia tested positive

Jacob Randell was the same age as his sister when he was diagnosed with the disease afters showing concerning symptoms such as daily vomiting in the mornings.

An entry on Jacob's blog reads: 'He was subjected to a battery of tests: MRIs, CT scans, hundreds of blood tests, and much more. His hair fell out and his skin took on an ashen look.

'He lost vision in one eye and it was found he had already lost hearing in one ear. A feeding tube was put in his stomach, and the family was told he may never be able to eat again.'

Ten months after his diagnosis, however, the family's prayers were answered when they were told Jacob's cancer was gone.

Seven years after Jacob's diagnosis, an MRI discovered Sophia had a brain tumor on the same location where her brother's had been

Jacob's aggressive tumor was gone ten months after his diagnosis, but the Randalls were told this year that Jacob now has kidney cancer

Sophia had also gone into remission, but doctors say the tumor in her brain is back

'This is the most heartbreaking picture my eyes and heart have ever seen,' the siblings' mom Liliane said as she shared a picture of the hospital room door

The Randells had all been tested for the problematic gene after learning of the genetic nature of Jacob's disease. While seven-year-old Liam was negative, his sister Sophia tested positive.

Her health was monitored ever since the test, and the unthinkable happened in 2016, when the Randell family went through the same nightmare again when Sophia was struck by the same cancer.

Seven years after Jacob's diagnosis, an MRI discovered a brain tumor on the same location where her brother's had been.

The family had a moment of relief when Sophia went into remission and both siblings seemed out of the woods, but their tranquility was cut short when doctors told them Jacob now had cancer in his kidneys.

A blog that follows Jacob's journey with his first diagnosis said: 'He lost vision in one eye and it was found he had already lost hearing in one ear. A feeding tube was put in his stomach, and the family was told he may never be able to eat again'

In just a week, the Randalls were told both Jacob and Sophia are suffering from cancer again

'I'm broken. We are all broken. This is not the life I imagined for them, but it is what it is and we will walk with them every step of the way,' the sibling's mom wrote on Facebook (the family is pictured with dad Jason)

Not only that, but less than a week later they were told Sophia's tumor had returned.

'This is the most heartbreaking picture my eyes and heart have ever seen,' the siblings' mom Liliane Hajjar said as she shared a picture of the hospital room door with both her children's names on it.

'I'm broken. We are all broken. This is not the life I imagined for them, but it is what it is and we will walk with them every step of the way,' she wrote on Facebook.

The Randells' friends and family have set up a GoFundMe page to help the family with the costs of treatments.

'Jacob and Sophia, I love you, I am sorry for what life has forced upon you but you are not alone. You are never alone. You will be ok. Not now, not tomorrow but you will be ok. I love you with all that I have,' wrote Liliane.A Russian senator with an extravagant hairstyle that makes her 'look like a James Bond villain' has become a hit online.

Valentina Petrenko, a 62-year-old legislator from the Siberian region of Khakassia, has stunned fans on social media with her ambitious hairdo.

Her giant perm has been a political hit in Russia for years but has just been discovered among English-speaking users online.

But the senator is less keen on the attention and says she just lifts it up with hair pins, Newsweek reports.

A Russian senator with an extravagant hairstyle that makes her 'look like a James Bond villain' has become a hit online

Russian lawmaker Valentina Petrenko has stunned fans on social media with her ambitious hairdo

The 62-year-old legislator from the Siberian region of Khakassia has delighted fans of her hairstyle for Russia in years but has just come to the attention of English speakers

The magazine remarked on her 'cold, steely glare', saying: 'There is something inescapably "Bond villain" about her.

'But instead of holding a fluffy white cat on her lap, she wears a permed brown one on her head.'

Alex Bruce-Smith posted a pictured of the lawmaker's fabulous hair on Twitter and said: 'Have just discovered Russian federation senator Valentina Petrenko's hair and need to share this news'.

Ted Stansfield said: 'Russian senator Valentina Petrenkos hair is the greatest thing Ive discovered this week.'

And Sarah Fraser commented: 'Holy hell. Has anyone checked Russian senator Valentina Petrenkos hair for poison, listening devices, bots? '

'There could be a ton of s*** in that hair do...'

Petrenko has been a member of the country's Federation Council since 2001, and once helped to negotiate the release of child hostages at a school.

Social media users shared their reactions after discovering the senator's magnificent hairThe two sides also agreed to talk about related issues in Beijing in the near future, in a bid to create conditions for further cooperation.



Liu He, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, director of the General Office of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs and also the leader of the Chinese side in the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Dialogue, came to the Unites States at the invitation of the US government and has stayed here from February 27 to March 3.



During his visit, Liu discussed the China-US economic and trade cooperation, as well as other important issues of mutual concern with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, White House National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.



During the consultations, Liu said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump have charted the course of Beijing-Washington ties in their close communications this year through telephone calls and exchanges of letters.



The two countries should work together to implement the consensus of the two leaders, expand pragmatic cooperation in economic and trade exchanges, jointly push for the settlement of the pressing issues, promote balanced development of the China-US economic and trade relationships so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples, said Liu.



China will advance its comprehensive reform and opening up, he said.



He also said that the two countries have complementary economic advantages and huge potentials for cooperation, adding that stable economic and trade ties between them conform to the fundamental interests of the two countries and help global prosperity.

In the consultations with the US side, Liu also delivered China's principled stand on trade balance and market access.

The two sides believed that the consultations in Liu's visit were helpful for both nations to deepen mutual understanding and promote cooperation.Joaquin Phoenix has reportedly said he doesn't want anyone to see his movies just days after the premiere of his new film Mary Magdalene in which he stars alongside his girlfriend Rooney Mara.

Still sporting his shaggy salt-and-pepper beard and mustache that match his short hair, the 43-year-old flew into London just in time for the premiere.

The actor, who also stars in hitman thriller, You Were Never Really Here, which is set to hit theaters in April, told The Telegraph: 'I don't really want anyone to see any movie that I'm in.'

'I mean, I want them to be successful so I can do more movies, but I don't really want anyone to see them,' he added.

Joaquin Phoenix (pictured on Monday) has reportedly said he doesn't want anyone to see his movies just days after the premiere of his new film Mary Magdalene in which he stars alongside his girlfriend Rooney Mara

Still sporting his shaggy salt-and-pepper beard and mustache that match his short hair, the 43-year-old flew into London just in time for the premiere. Phoenix is pictured with his girlfriend Rooney Mara, director Garth Davis (left), and Tahar Rahim (second from left)

Phoenix is not only starring in the biblical drama Mary Magdalene (above), but he's also in talks to play the DC Comics supervillain in Todd Phillips' Joker movie

Phoenix even said he asks his friends 'if they do see a movie that I'm in to please not talk to me about it'.

'I'm not one of those people who wants to invite everyone to their screening. I've done it in the past out of a sense of obligation, but I don't like it.'

When Phoenix was asked why he doesn't want people to talk to him about his roles, he said he believes he's preventing himself 'from becoming too self-conscious'.

'Because that leads to bad acting, right? Anybody can be a good actor. All you have to do is speak naturally and not look terrified that there's a huge machine right beside you watching your every move.'

'So anything that makes me aware that I'm working while I'm working, I just don't like,' he told The Telegraph.

Phoenix is not only starring in the biblical drama Mary Magdalene and You Were Never Really Here, but he's also in talks to play the DC Comics supervillain in Todd Phillips' Joker movie.

Phoenix, who also stars in hitman thriller, You Were Never Really Here, said: 'I don't really want anyone to see any movie that I'm in'

According to Variety, Phillips clearly wants Phoenix in the lead role.

Sources claim that Phillips is on board to co-write and direct the movie, having met with Phoenix before the new year to further discuss the project.

The film would possibly be able to expand and explore more opportunities within the DC Comics world, with more details to further the iconic comic-book characters.

'Insiders stress that Jared Leto - who starred in Suicide Squad as the Joker - is still on board as the character in the DC universe and that Phoenix has no effect on what happens with Letos character in future DC films,' Variety reported.

Phoenix recently wrapped filming The Sisters Brothers with Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.

It was during the filming of Mary Magdalene in the autumn of 2016 that Phoenix fell into a relationship with Rooney Mara, who plays the film's title character.

In 2010, director and Phoenix's former brother-in-law Casey Affleck finally confirmed that I'm Still Here was fake.

The so-called documentary starred Phoenix and followed his shambolic attempts to become a hip hop star.

Phoenix has shocked his fans over recent years, by growing a scruffy beard, putting on weight, and fumbling through a series of interviews, including his infamous 2009 sit-down with David Letterman.

'It's a terrific performance, it's the performance of his career,' director Affleck said in 2010.

Affleck said that rather than setting out to make a 'mockumentary' and calling it just that, the intention was to make the public believe they were witnessing the fall of a great star.

Phoenix (pictured in You Were Never Really Here) even said he asks his friends 'if they do see a movie that I'm in to please not talk to me about it'

Phoenix's Mary Magdalene will be released in UK cinemas on March 16 by Universal Pictures, but a US release date has yet to be announced. You Were Never Really Here (Phoenix in a scene above) will hit US theaters on April 6, 2018

He admitted most of the filming was a ruse, describing how footage of Phoenix and his siblings frolicking in Panama were actually actors swimming in Hawaii.

The film was supposed to be 'like a Saturday Night Live skit,' Phoenix told the Telegraph.

'We thought that when I announced my retirement, the whole joke would be that nobody cared.'

Instead, the project that was meant to be a joke and only last for abour four weeks, turned into a year-long project.

'We were shocked. We were like, "Oh, there goes our idea for the joke." So we just reacted to that moment and unfortunately it kept going.'

'And I remember struggling, not knowing what to do because it felt like we'd started this thing, we were halfway through, and we had to keep going,' he told the newspaper.

When it was finally revealed as a hoax, both Phoenix and Affleck's careers were temporarily derailed.

At that time, Affleck, who was married to Phoenix's sister, Summer, was also accused of sexual harassment by two female workers.

Phoenix's Mary Magdalene will be released in UK cinemas on March 16 by Universal Pictures, but a US release date has yet to be announced.

You Were Never Really Here will hit US theaters on April 6, 2018.1. Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin, 56, - The boss, also known as 'Putin's Chef'

According to the indictment released on Friday by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller's office, Prigozhin led the effort.

The 56-year-old is said to have used his businesses, Concord Catering and Concord Management and Consulting, to fund the Internet Research Agency, known as the 'Kremlin Troll factory' which was the vehicle for the alleged interference.

Prigozhin paid the salaries of the other 12 defendants who worked for the research company, it is alleged, through this financial backing which prosecutors started in 2014.

The businessman is given the nickname 'Putin's Chef' because he owns restaurants favored by Putin as the venues for state dinners.

A 2016 profile of him by the Russian newsite Meduza described him as an ex-con who graduated from a boarding school only to join a gang and become convicted of attempted robbery and prostitution. He spent nine years in jail.

He gained access to St. Petersburg's elite in 1996 when he and a friend opened Staraya Tamozhnya, one of the city's finest restaurants. Until then, he had worked with his father more modesty in grocery stores and selling hot dogs.

He opened his New Island, his second restaurant, in 1997. Putin was first drawn to it in 2001 when he took the then French president Jacques Chirac there for a meal and Prigozhin served them.

He continued to cater to Putin's staff at the restaurant over the years and grew closer to them. Soon, he became the go-to caterer for official state events in Moscow.

In 2010, he launched what was billed as a good-cause initiative to feed hungry schoolchildren in St Petersburg.

Putin attended the launch of food factory to celebrate it and the initiative was funded generously by state-owned bank Vnesheconombank.

A year into the project, parents became angry when they realized the food being produced was full of additives.

He then started feeding other school children in Moscow with more success, having obtained private contracts from the city's mayor.

Prigozhin won similarly lucrative contracts with the military.

In 2012, he signed a $1.2billion contract which had him provide 90 percent of the meals the Russian army's soldiers consumed. The system of outsourcing the military's meals ended in 2013.

It gave him his biggest paycheck and associates said at the time he was known to pay for private jets with cash.

Throughout, Prigozhin was a dedicated patriot and was proud of his association to Putin's government.

This lucrative relationship with the state carried on until 2013 when the laws changed and outside caterers were no longer brought in to provide the military with meals.

By then, Prigozhin had earned more than $1billion from the state through the deal.

The 'troll factory' (Internet Research Agency) was founded that same year. Though Mikhail Bystrov was named as its owner and CEO, Russian journalists learned of Prigozhin's connection to it early on.

What specifically prompted him to do it or if anyone put him up to it remains unclear.

In its genesis, the factory's employees had one job - to post complimentary post on social media about Putin and the government and besmirch the names of their opponents.

When Prigozhin's association to the Internet Research Agency was revealed, he faced increased scrutiny from critics.

An article in 2015 highlighted how the factory worked and the conflict Prigozhin's relationship to Putin posed.

With the bad press about him growing, Prigozhin attempted in 2016 to have himself 'erased' from the internet. It coincided with the introduction of a new bill which gave an individual the right to be forgotten.

The law was pushed by Putin and states that websites must delete content such as news stories about an individual if it breaks the law, is false or is 'obsolete'.

To date, Prigozhin has filed 15 lawsuits against the Russian search engine Yandex which is uncensored.

2. Mikhail Bystrov, retired police colonel and the CEO frontman for the 'troll factory'

Bystrov was listed as the CEO of Internet Research Agency and his name has been linked to other companies which have been tied to the election interference.

Little is known of him other than that was an employee of the state who was born in 1958.

He, unlike Prigozhin, has not been pictured publicly with Putin and has kept himself out of the spotlight.

According to Mueller's investigation, he joined IRC in 2014 as its highest ranking employee.

'Bystrov was the general director. He subsequently served as the head of various other entities used by the organization to mask its activities, for example, Glavset LLC, where he was listed as that entity's general director,' it reads.

3. Mikhail Leonidovich Burchik, aka Mikhail Abramov, the second in command

Burchik was Bystrov's right-hand man at the organization, according to Mueller's complaint.

He used the name Mikhail Abramov too and was instrumental in orchestrating Project Lakhta, the generously funded project which officials say was the start of the interference.

At conception, it had a budget of the equivalent of $1.25million. Lakhta involved both US and Russian-targeted interference, it claimed.

He was in charge of meetings, structure and personnel, according to Mueller's indictment, had one-on-ones with Prigozhin.

4. Sergey Pavlovich Polozov, IT whiz who used US servers to hide 'troll factory's' real location in Russia

Polozov was in charge of the IT department and his biggest responsibility was hiding the location of the Internet Research's Agency HQ, now known to be 55 Savushkina Street in the Olgina neighborhood of St Petersburg.

Prosecutors allege that the posts its employees wrote were designed to look like they had been written by Americans who favored Trump.

This was possible, Mueller says, through the 'procurement of US servers' which at first glance made them look like they came from America if they were ever probed.

Mueller's indictment alleges: 'Polozov served as the manager of the IT department and oversaw the procurement of US servers and other company infrastructure that masked the organization's Russian location when conducting operations within the United States.

'To hide their Russian identities, [they], particular Polozov, purchased space on computer servers located inside the US in order to set up virtual private networks (VPNs). They connected from Russia to the US-based infrastructure by way of these VPNs and conducted activity in the US, including accessing online social media accounts, opening new accounts, and communicating with real US persons - while masking the Russian origin and control of the activity,' it reads.

5. Aleksandra Yurevna Krylova, female spy who 'came to US in 2013 to gather information and report it back'

Mueller's complaint gives little detail of the background lives of the lesser known employees and there is scarce information about them available.

It is suggested though that Krylova, one of four women named, was the company's spy.

'In 2014, Krylova traveled to the United States under false pretenses for the purpose of collecting intelligence to inform the organization's operations,' the indictment reads.

6. Anna Vladislavovna Bogacheva, data analyst for alleged US interference dubbed 'the translator project'

Bogacheva was tied to what the employees referred to as 'the translator project'. It was part of the larger Project Lakhta but focused only on US audiences, it is claimed.

She too is alleged to have traveled to the US under false pretenses to gather information.

Bogacheva only worked for the company for three months between April and July 2015 but she is listed as one of the defendants.

7. Maria Anatolyevna Bovda, project manager

Bovda is described in the indictment as the 'head' of the translator project, the designated branch of the wider pro-Putin effort which focused on US audiences.

She worked there between November 2013 and October 2014, according to the complaint.

8. Robert Sergeyevish Bovda, second in charge of project

It is not clear from the indictment whether he and Maria Bovda are related, but he acted beneath her as the second in charge of the 'translator' project and worked at the company over the same dates.

He too is accused of trying to enter the US under false pretenses to collect information but he did not obtain a visa and could not make the trip.

9. Dzheykhun Nasimi Ogly, took over before the election

Ogly, who also used the names Jayhoon Aslanov and Ajay Aslanov took over when Maria Bovda left the project in late 2014 and he was at its helm during the election, it is claimed.

He was also listed as a director for another company which has been tied to interference and is owned by Prigozhin.

10. Vadim Vladimirovich Podkopaev, data analyst

Podkopaev joined in June 2014 and drafted social media content to be blasted by the 'trolls'.

He also worked as a data analyst, targeting US audiences, according to the complaint.

11. Gleb Igorevich Vasilchenko, pre-election 'troll'

Vasilchenko is accused of posting under numerous social media accounts which the factory operated from 2014 until September 2016, two months before the election.

He went on to work for 'sub groups' which were also owned by Prigozhin and which also worked to interfere with the election, it is claimed.

As per the complaint, he 'was responsible for posting, monitoring and updating the social media content of many organization-controlled accounts while posing as US persons or US grassroots organizations.

12. Irina Viktorovna Kaverzina, 'posed as multiple US voters online'

The fourth woman charged, she is alleged to have used multiple social media accounts to pose as an American and make influential posts about politics and Donald Trump.

She joined in October 2014.

When US officials launched their investigation in 2017, Kaverzine allegedly let slip to a family member that they had been 'busted' and told how she had to spend time 'covering her tracks'.

'We had a slight crisis here at work: the FBI busted our activity (not a joke). So I got preoccupied with covering tracks together with colleagues. I created all these pictures and posts and the Americans believed it was written by their people,' she wrote.

13. Vladimir Venkov, pre-election troll

Venkov, one of three designated trolls, allegedly shared the responsibilities of Kaverzina and Vasilchenko to post content online while posing as an American.The co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream knew he was disturbing the peace with a noisy demonstration against fighter jets.

Ben Cohen later told the Burlington Free Press that 'Of course' he knew he was breaking the law, explaining 'that's exactly the point.'

Cohen was one of three activists arrested for disorderly conduct Saturday after blasting jet noise from a mobile public address system in Burlington, Vermont.

Ben Cohen later told the Burlington Free Press that 'Of course' he knew he was breaking the law, explaining 'that's exactly the point.'

Cohen was one of three activists arrested for disorderly conduct Saturday after blasting jet noise from a car

Police in Burlington say that Cohen was taken into custody Saturday afternoon at around 3.30pm

He said the goal was to simulate what it might be like for residents living under the flight path of Vermont National Guard F-35 fighters

Police in Burlington say that Cohen was taken into custody Saturday afternoon at around 3.30pm, according to broadcasting affiliate ABC 22.

He said the goal was to simulate what it might be like for residents living under the flight path of Vermont National Guard F-35 fighters.

He tweeted that if he violated the city noise ordinance then the fighter jets will, too.

Burlington voters will weigh in Tuesday on whether city officials should oppose F-35s at the Burlington International Airport (Pictured: Ben Cohen)

'It's either legal or it's not, if it's legal for the F-35 to make this noise 16 times per day, 52 wks a yr, for the next 50 yrs, it should b legal for us to do this limited demonstration of extreme jet blasts which are the subject of Item #6 on the March ballot,' Cohen said in a message posted to Twitter before his arrest.

Lieutenant Matthew Sullivan of Burlington police explained that amplifiers were attached to a rig and led by a vehicle Cohen was driving. He was cited numerous times before his arrest for violating the city's noise ordinance.

'Because it was the third violation it's disorderly conduct by noise so they were arrested,' Lt. Sullivan said. 'Three protesters were arrested.'

'The city has just admitted that it's illegal,harmful and dangerous,' James Leas, one of the protesters arrested with Cohen, told ABC 22. 'So now we have the city of Burlington acknowledging that by making these arrests.'

Burlington voters will weigh in Tuesday on whether city officials should oppose F-35s at the Burlington International Airport.

Critics say the F-35s are noisier than fighters currently used by the Vermont National Guard.

The Vermont National Guard, however, has already invested $83 million dollars into the project and will likely not be compelled by initiative.

'When the first F-35 lands here in 18 months we intend to be fully trained and equipped to receive it,' Lt. Col. Daniel Finnegan told Vermont Public Radio over the weekend.

The issue has festered in the New England city since 2013. Burlington airport has already been the home to F-16s for years, and supporters say that the addition of the F-35s will have little impact.Advertisement

Alien hunters are convinced a mysterious object spotted on Google Earth is a crash-landed spaceship.

The unidentified mass was discovered near Antarctica on the remote South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, where just 20 people live.

Web theorists at well-known alien site Secureteam10 used satellite mapping to zoom in and get a closer look at the alleged spaceship near the 10,000ft tall Mount Paget.

Rather than evidence of little green men, one expert says it is the result of a large avalanche from a nearby mountain depositing a rock or chunk of ice onto a glacier.

Dr Richard Waller, senior lecturer in physical geography at Keele University, is behind the more down to Earth explanation.

Bizarre tracks can be seen running up behind the object, suggesting it slid through the snow for some distance before coming to a halt.

Footage of the strange mass published on YouTube on Saturday has been viewed more than 150,000 times.

While some believe it is the work of extra-terrestrials, many say it is just a rock which has been pushed along from a nearby glacier.

Alien hunters are convinced a mysterious object spotted on Google Earth (above) is a crash-landed spaceship

The unidentified mass was discovered near Antarctica on the remote South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, where just 20 people live

WHAT IS THE MYSTERIOUS OBJECT SPOTTED ON SOUTH GEORGIA? Conspiracy theorists who claim to have spotted a 'crash-landed spaceship' could be left disappointed, according to an expert on glaciers. Alien hunters are convinced the mysterious object, spotted on Google Earth, is of extra-terrestrial origin but the truth would seem to lie closer to home. Rather than evidence of little green men, it is the result of a large avalanche from a nearby mountain depositing a rock or large chunk of ice onto a glacier below. The unidentified mass was discovered near Antarctica on the remote South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, where just 20 people live. This image shows a close-up of the avalanche meeting with the glacier Dr Richard Waller, senior lecturer in physical geography at Keele University, is behind the claim. The unidentified mass was discovered near Antarctica on the remote South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, where just 20 people live. Web theorists at well-known alien site Secureteam10 used satellite mapping to zoom in and get a closer look at the alleged spaceship near the 10,000ft (three km) tall Mount Paget. Dr Waller says the avalanche is located in the upper part, known as the accumulation area, of the Novosilski Glacier. The track, which can be seen travelling from a mountain in the background, shows the rock or ice was sliding over the snow-covered glacier The avalanche is located in the upper part, known as the accumulation area, of the Novosilski Glacier, Dr Waller says. Speaking to MailOnline, he added: 'It looks to me as though this feature is related to a large avalanche from a nearby mountain. 'Part of a hanging glacier appears to have collapsed, you can see the avalanche debris at the foot of the slope, and this could be a large block of ice that has travelled further as a consequence. 'The track shows that it's sliding over a snow-covered glacier before it comes to a rest.' During the avalanche, unstable ice and rocks fracture from the glacier and travel down a path called a track. Most of the debris comes to a stop at the bottom of the slope, but a large chunk of rock or ice continues on, creating tracks Advertisement

Other YouTubers didn't appear to take the sighting very seriously.

'Umm thats when Superman crashed into that mountain in the 1st Snyder Superman movie,' wrote one.

'Its Santa's sleigh,' said another.

Secureteam10 describe themselves as 'the fastest growing research outlet and source for data' on aliens and UFOs.

Their Facebook page is followed and liked by nearly 165,000 people.

Web theorists at well-known alien site Secureteam10 used satellite mapping to zoom in and get a closer look at the alleged spaceship near the 10,000ft tall Mount Paget

While some believe it is the work of extra-terrestrials, many say it is just a rock which has been pushed along from a nearby glacier

The team say their mission is 'exposing the alien cover up, one leak at a time'.

Conspiracy theorists who are convinced the object is extra-terrestrial could be left disappointed, according to an expert on glaciers.

It was deposited by an avalanche located in the upper part, known as the accumulation area, of the Novosilski Glacier, according to Dr Richard Waller.

Speaking to MailOnline, he added: 'It looks to me as though this feature is related to a large avalanche from a nearby mountain.

'Part of a hanging glacier appears to have collapsed, you can see the avalanche debris at the foot of the slope, and this could be a large block of rock or ice that has travelled further as a consequence.

'The track shows that it's sliding over a snow-covered glacier before it comes to a rest.'A sixth man has been arrested in connection with the explosion in Leicester that killed five people.

Detectives investigating the blast in Hinckley Road on February 25 said they have arrested a man in his 40s from East Anglia on suspicion of manslaughter.

Three men are due in court on Monday charged with manslaughter and arson with intent to endanger life.

Two other men from East Anglia were arrested on Friday in connection with the incident but have since been released under investigation.

An aerial view of the scene of the explosion in Leicester, where five people died and a three-storey building was demolished

Firefighters continued to battle the flames which were started by a gas explosion

The three men who have already been charged with manslaughter and arson over the supermarket explosion are Aram Kurd, 33, of Leicester, Hawkar Hassan, 32, of Coventry and Arkan Ali, 37, of Oldham.

They have all been charged with five counts of manslaughter and with arson with intent to endanger life.

They have been held in custody during the weekend and will appear before Leicester Magistrates on Monday.

The home of Aram Kurd (pictured left), the owner of the shop destroyed in a blast, was searched by police (pictured right). Kurd has now been charged

This is the devastating aftermath of the explosion. Aram Kurd, 33, of Leicester, Hawkar Hassan, 32, of Coventry and Arkan Ali, 37, of Oldham, have all been charged with five counts of manslaughter

The explosion, which happened on Hinckley Road, Leicester, left a total of eight people in hospital - five of which have now been confirmed dead.

The Polish Zabka supermarket in Leicester exploded on Sunday February 25.

Five people died after a huge fireball tore through the supermarket and flats above, causing the entire building to collapse like a 'pancake'.

Care worker Mary Ragoobeer, 46, and her two sons Shane, 18, and Sean, 17, who lived in the flat, are all feared dead.

Shop owner Mr Kurd, who describes himself on social media as a security worker and translator, was working in the shop at the time of the explosion, and later told how he was trapped in the rubble narrowly avoiding serious injury

Leah Beth Reek, 18, who is Shane's girlfriend and 22-year-old shop worker Viktorija Ljevleva are believed to have died.

Shop owner Mr Kurd, who describes himself on social media as a security worker and translator, was working in the shop at the time of the explosion, and later told how he was trapped in the rubble narrowly avoiding serious injury.

Mrs Ragoobar moved into the two-bedroom property in Leicester four years ago along with her husband, Jose Ragoobar, 58, and the couple's youngest son, Scotty, 15.

Mr Ragoobar was at work at the time of the incident on Sunday night, while Scotty was pulled from the rubble by a passer-by and is being treated in hospital.

All five victims will officially remain 'missing' until formal identifications take place. But police say this process could take some time.

Mary Ragoobar (pictured), 46, and sons Shane, 18, and Sean, 17, have not been seen since the devastating explosion and are feared dead

Missing feared dead: Mary Ragoobar and her sons Shane and Sean (pictured) are among the suspected victims of the Leicester explosion

One line of inquiry police are understood to be investigating is whether vodka or other spirits were being distilled illegally at the Leicester shop.

Officers were seen carrying evidence bags out of a property belonging to the shopkeeper, 33-year-old Aram Kurd.

Roz Rowett, who lives in Leicester, said on Facebook: Ive heard someone was making vodka and it exploded? Dont know how true it is though  RIP to all that have lost their lives.

Landlord Hardeep Singh, 45, said he had inspected the shop after it had been refitted by Mr Kurd in December prior to his new business opening and said everything appeared to be in order  but he said he did not inspect the shops basement, which was the size of the entire ground floor.

Police would not comment on the claims.Kahlynn and Evan Huck, from San Francisco, were on their first run of their snowboarding trip at Squaw Valley Friday when the avalanche struck

A couple who were snowboarding together in California on Friday were nearly killed when an avalanche buried them in feet of snow.

Kahlynn and Evan Huck, from San Francisco, were on their first run of their snowboarding trip at Squaw Valley Friday when the avalanche hit them 'like a tsunami.'

And while Kahlynn was able to dig herself out of the snow, her husband was less lucky and only survived because rescuers were able to locate him and dig him out.

'There was lots of fresh powder it was super fun, then I heard someone yell and I looked back and I saw an eight foot wall of snow, a second later it hit us,' Evan told ABC 7.

'I was conscious for about 45 seconds while I was under the snow then I ran out of oxygen and passed out.'

A video uploaded from the slopes shows the rescuers digging Evan out of the snow and uncovering his bearded face.

A video uploaded from the slopes shows the rescuers digging Evan out of the snow and uncovering his bearded face

'There was lots of fresh powder it was super fun, then I heard someone yell and I looked back and I saw an eight foot wall of snow, a second later it hit us,' Evan told ABC 7. Squaw Valley is pictured in a photo taken just hurs before Kahlynn and Evan's near death experiences

Kahlynn was also buried by the snow, but managed to dig herself out relatively quickly.

'I was inconsolable wondering if my husband was gone,' she said.

The tip of Evan's snowboard was sticking out of the snow, though, which made the location he was buried easy to spot.

A group of good Samaritans helped to dig him out of the snow and regain his consciousness.

In a video of the rescue people wearing head-to-toe ski gear can be seen bent over the spot where he is buried, furiously digging at the snow to free him.

Skier Joe Breault was one of his rescuers, and said that the moment Evan gained consciousness he asked about where his wife was.

Somehow, neither Evan nor Kahlynn were injured.

The good Samaritans managed to spot that Evan's snowboard was slightly sticking out of the snow, which made him easy to spot

Friday afternoon's avalanche was just one in a string of avalanches from a freak storm that dropped an estimated six feet of snow in areas across the state.

Blake Smith, 36, is the second snowboarder to die during the California snow storm this week. He died on Friday after falling into a 5-foot embankment

At least two people have died so far, and an additional two had to be taken to the hospital with injuries after being hit by the walls of snow.

Blake Smith died Friday when he was snowboarding in Fresno, California and fell headfirst into a five-foot embankment of fresh snow. He could not free himself and suffocated.

Another snowboarder was found dead Friday at Squaw Valley Ski Resort after he went missing Thursday afternoon.

Wenyu Zhang, 42, was described by his friends as an advanced snowboarder. His friends last saw him at 12.45pm on Thursday before his body was found Friday morning.

Zhang died in the blizzard from exposure, which had 150mph winds in areas across the mountain.

His body was found just hours before an avalanche occurred and shutdown the resort for the rest of the day.

Wenyu Zhang, 42, was the other snowboarder who died during the snow storm. He went missing on Thursday and his body was discovered on Friday morning

Some mountain resorts in California experienced three to six feet of snow during the storm. Pictured is Northstar California on Thursday

On Saturday another avalanche closed a popular ski destination because eight people were buried in the snow. Rescue crews searched the area for hours after the fact to make sure no one else was out and trapped, according to USA Today.

Two guests at Mammoth Mountain were partially buried but able to free themselves. The other six were all employees who were hit towards the bottom of the ski lift.

They were all able to free themselves and suffer minor injuries.

The resort is not aware of any other missing people.A New York school shooter recently penned a letter from jail praising Florida students for being 'courageous and inspiring' while demanding politicians take action against gun violence.

Jon Romano, who was just 16 years old when he brought a pump-action shotgun to Columbia High School in East Greenbush, wrote to Times Union Executive Rex Smith last week to express his admiration for the Parkland shooting survivors.

Romano, now 30, wrote the letter in response to journalist Chris Churchill's February 21 column, which featured an interview with hero and Columbia principal John Sawchuk.

Scroll down for video

New York school shooter, Jon Romano (pictured in 2004) penned a letter from jail praising Florida shooting survivors for being 'courageous and inspiring' while demanding politicans take action against gun violence

Romano, now 30, wrote the letter in response to journalist Chris Churchill's February 21 column, which featured an interview with hero and Columbia principal John Sawchuk (pictured). Sawchuk tackled Romano before he killed anyone

Immediately after Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire on his classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, on February 14, student survivors (pictured) began advocating for gun control

Sawchuk tackled Romano and disarmed him 14 years ago before anyone at the school was killed.

In the letter, dated February 24, Romano wrote that Sawchuk 'is a hero who I owe my life to'.

'I know that every time another horrible shooting happens, he and all of my victims are hurt all over again by what I did to them,' Romano admitted.

Cruz (pictured) was charged with the premeditated murder of 17 students

'I want to take away their pain, but knowing I cannot, I want to prevent others from experiencing this pain'

Romano wrote that he has plans to 'advocate for gun safety and mental health reform after my release in 2021'.

'Also, I believe the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL are courageous and inspiring for speaking out and demanding action from politicians.'

Romano then called for the nation to demand 'life-saving policy changes from their representatives'.

'Only then could this generation be the last generation that lives in a nation plagued by gun violence,' he concluded in the letter.

Immediately after Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire on his classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, on February 14, student survivors began advocating for gun control.

Cruz was charged with the premeditated murder of 17 students.

On February 9, 2004, Columbia High School went into lockdown around 10.30am after Romano began firing shots.

Romano wrote that he has plans to 'advocate for gun safety and mental health reform after my release in 2021'. Pictured are activists and students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

On February 9, 2004, Columbia High School (pictured) went into lockdown around 10.30am after Romano began firing shots

He managed to shoot a teacher in the leg after being tackled by Sawchuk, but no one else was seriously hurt. Romano was convicted of attempted murder and reckless endangerment and is currently serving time at the Coxsackie Correctional Facility (pictured)

Romano managed to shoot a teacher in the leg after being tackled by Sawchuk, but no one else was seriously hurt.

In the column, written by Churchill, the journalist asked Sawchuk what he thought the outcome would've been if Romano had been armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, similar to the one used in multiple mass shootings in the US.

'I think a lot of people would have been dead,' Sawchuk told the newspaper.

Romano was convicted of attempted murder and reckless endangerment.A Florida woman claims she was brutally beaten by police just days after she testified against a cop who assaulted a homeless man.

Jessica Mooney, 26, was waiting at a bus terminal in Fort Lauderdale in 2015 when she witnessed officer Victor Ramirez slapping a homeless man in the face in an incident that was caught on a viral video shot by her fiance.

Officer Ramirez, was who has a long history of reports of excessive force, was charged with misdemeanor battery and arrested the following year. He was found not guilty despite the video evidence of him slapping Bruce LaClare.

Scroll down for video

Jessica Mooney, 26, is suing the Fort Lauderdale Police Department over claims that she was brutally beaten by multiple cops after being arrested on bogus charges on 2016

Mooney says she was arrested just eight days after testifying against a cop who she had seen slap a homeless man in 2015

Mooney served as a witness in his trial - something she says she paid a high price for, landing her in the emergency room.

'All I did was try to help somebody,' Mooney said to ABC10 in 2016. 'I testified because it was the right thing to do, because the cop was wrong.'

A lawsuit recently filed by Mooney against the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and reviewed by the Miami New Times claims that just eight days after she appeared in Ramirez's trial, she was arrested on bogus charges and savagely assaulted by several cops in jail afterwards.

The alleged victim's fiance filmed the police brutality incident in a video that went viral

The video shows officer Victor Ramirez approaching a homeless man and slapping him hard on the face

According to Mooney, she was arrested outside a Fort Lauderdale restaurant under the claim that she hadn't paid her $63.57 bill, even though she had. A copy of the receipt is included in her lawsuit.

Mooney was charged with petty theft and child endangerment for handing her five-month-old baby to a stranger when she was approached by police. Both charges that were eventually dropped.

She claims that once at the police station, she confronted the officers over what she says was a false arrest, and asked for officer Amanda Moreno's name and badge number. Mooney told Local 10 the officer's hair was covering her badge so she tried moving her hair softly with just one finger.

Mooney says several officers kicked and punched her while she was on the ground in a jail cell

She says she was left with a footprint on her rib cage, cuts all over her mouth and had to be taken to the emergency room after the beating at the police station

That's when, Mooney claims, she was thrown on the ground and savagely assaulted. Moreno allegedly 'smashed her face' on a fingerprinting machine and then 'three or four' officers jumped in and began kicking and punching her while she was on the ground.

'I don't know whether I lost consciousness or my body went into shock. I believe I had a footprint on my rib cage and cuts everywhere inside my mouth from just being brutalized,' an emotional Mooney told ABC10.

The officers involved claim Mooney was yelling obscenities and took a swipe at Moreno, but Mooney's attorney says video evidence from the jail cell discredits their account.

Officer Ramirez, was who has a long history of reports of excessive force, was found not guilty in the trial Mooney testified in (Ramirez pictured in trial in 2016)

Mooney's lawyer has seen security footage of the incident and says it disproves the cops' assertion that Mooney was aggressive to them before the beating

The video evidence has not been released to the public because the office of state attorney general Pam Bondi has refused to, citing a state law that allows government surveillance footage to be kept from the public to prevent those systems from being 'compromised'.

Pictures included in the lawsuit show brutal injuries on her arm and her eye, which looks swollen and dark purple.

Mooney remained in Broward County Jail for two days after her arrest, until she was taken to Broward Health Medical Center's emergency room for 'head trauma'.

At the time. prosecutors decided to not file charges.Cardinal George Pell has arrived at court under an intense international media glare and heavy police presence as a hearing begins that will decide if he stands trial on historical sexual offence charges.

The highest-ranking Catholic official to be charged with sexual abuse will return to the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday to fight the charges at a month-long preliminary hearing.

Pell, 76, denies the historical sexual offence charges involving multiple complainants.

Cardinal George Pell will face court under an intense international media glare as a hearing begins that will decide if he stands trial on historical sexual offence charges

Pell attended a hearing on Monday to determine whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to try him on sexual abuse charges

Pell, 76, denies the unrelated historical sexual offence charges involving multiple complainants

Prosecutors on Friday withdrew one of the charges, relating to a complainant who died after the criminal proceedings began in 2017.

The committal hearing will initially be open to the public as the defence and prosecution finalise further administrative matters, but will quickly move behind closed doors as accusers begin their evidence.

The hearing will be closed to the public and media for two weeks while the complainants give their evidence, as required by law in sexual offence cases.

At the end of the four-week proceeding, it will be up to Magistrate Belinda Wallington to decide if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial in the Victorian County Court.

The hearing will be closed to the public and media for two weeks while the complainants give their evidence, as required by law in sexual offence cases

George Pell is pictured arriving at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday

Dozens of Australian and international journalists are expected to cover the court case, with foreign interest from the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Swedish National Radio.

Pell will not have to enter a formal plea unless committed to stand trial, but his barrister Mr Richter told the Vatican treasurer's first court appearance last July that Pell will plead not guilty to all charges.

The former Sydney and Melbourne archbishop and Ballarat priest has taken leave from his position as Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy to fight the charges.

Pell (pictured on Monday) will not have to enter a formal plea unless committed to stand trial

His barrister Robert Richter QC told the Vatican treasurer's first court appearance last July that Pell will plead not guilty to all chargesA mother-of-two is flogging her 800,000 home in an increasingly popular way - by raffling it off to one lucky winner.

Anne Lumley, 55 is selling raffle tickets for 20 each after growing tired of the property selling process and wanting to move back to the UK.

Ms Lumley's rural four-bedroom-home is in the Isle of Man and is set in an idyllic 10 acre setting where she has lived for 25 years.

Anne Lumley, 55 is raffling off her 800,000 family home by selling tickets for 20 each

The property, which is located just one mile away from the Isle of Man TT course, boasts stables and boarding kennels - perfect for animal lovers.

A listening for the property entices ticket buyers by suggesting that they could either live mortgage free or sell the property for the proceeds.

The property is in the Isle of Man and is set in an idyllic rural location just one mile from the TT course

A listening for the property entices ticket buyers by suggesting that they could either live mortgage free or sell the property for the proceeds

Although the home is private Ms Lumley insists it is not remote, and is just ten minutes away from local shops.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo Ms Lumley said: 'Ms Lumley said: 'I've had it on the market before but I've got to the stage where both my girls have left home, I'm on my own, it's a big property - I just want to move back to the UK.'

'You just tend to have to wait about for someone to ring and you are at the mercy of someone to come and look at it. I wanted to be more productive.

'Most people have been really positive and saying they think it's a good idea. Because the market is pretty rubbish at the moment it's doing something different.'

Although the home is private Ms Lumley insists it is not remote, and is just ten minutes away from local shops

Ms Lumley said her most recent estimation placed the property value at around 800,000, meaning it could prove to be an absolute snip at just 20 per ticket.

The winner won't even pay any stamp duty on the property, with annual rates of 682, according to Ms Lumley.

She runs the property as a boarding kennels and rather than listing her house with an estate agents or even selling it at auction Ms Lumley decided to sell it off in a raffle

Ms Lumley said her most recent estimation placed the property value at around 800,000, meaning it could prove to be an absolute snip at just 20 per ticket

The winner won't even pay any stamp duty on the property, with annual rates of 682, according to Ms Lumley

The country home and its surrounding land has been owned by Ms Lumley for 25 yearsWASHINGTON, March 3 (Xinhua) -- A visiting senior Chinese official and his U.S. hosts have agreed that the two countries should settle their trade disputes by cooperation rather than confrontation, so as to secure the healthy development of bilateral economic and trade ties.

The two sides also agreed to talk about related issues in Beijing in the near future, in a bid to create conditions for further cooperation.

Liu He, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, director of the General Office of the Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Affairs and also the leader of the Chinese side in the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Dialogue, came to the Unites States at the invitation of the U.S. government and has stayed here from Feb. 27 to March 3.

During his visit, Liu discussed the China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as other important issues of mutual concern with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, White House National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, and U.S Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

During the consultations, Liu said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump have charted the course of Beijing-Washington ties in their close communications this year through telephone calls and exchanges of letters.

The two countries should work together to implement the consensus of the two leaders, expand pragmatic cooperation in economic and trade exchanges, jointly push for the settlement of the pressing issues, promote balanced development of the China-U.S. economic and trade relationships so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples, said Liu.

China will advance its comprehensive reform and opening up, he said.

He also said that the two countries have complementary economic advantages and huge potentials for cooperation, adding that stable economic and trade ties between them conform to the fundamental interests of the two countries and help global prosperity.

In the consultations with the U.S. side, Liu also delivered China's principled stand on trade balance and market access.

The two sides believed that the consultations in Liu's visit were helpful for both nations to deepen mutual understanding and promote cooperation.

During his visit, Liu also exchanged views with U.S. business leaders and famous experts and scholars, and held meetings with leaders of international organizations.President Trump gave a thumbs up to the Gridiron Dinner  a white-tie media dinner he attended in Washington Saturday night  and said he loved his job in an upbeat tweet sent out Sunday.

'The Gridiron Dinner last night was great fun,' Trump wrote in his first tweet of the day, which he didn't send out until Sunday afternoon. 'I am accomplishing a lot in Washington and have never had a better time doing something, and especially since this is for the American People!'

Trump's mood was surprisingly chipper after a week where he lost one of his top aides  White House Communications Director Hope Hicks  his son-in-law's business dealings were scrutinized, and his tariff roll-out received widespread condemnation.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended Saturday night's Gridiron Dinner, much of which is off-the-record, a tradition at the annual fete

President Donald Trump tweeted that he had 'great fun' at Saturday night's Gridiron Dinner, adding that he really likes his job as president

President Trump flashes a smile at the camera as he heads into an opioid summit on Thursday where he was a surprise guest

Jared Kushner (left) and Ivanka Trump (right) were spotted entering the Gridiron Dinner on Saturday night. President Trump joked that he got held up because Kushner couldn't get through security

President Trump had some fun teasing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (right) and his wife Louise Linton (left) for the photoshoot they did with new dollars. Linton's get-up was memorable, because she wore leather black gloves

At the same time, he successfully executed a comedy routine, taking over the podium at the end of the Gridiron Dinner, where he mocked himself and some of his administration's many scandals.

'I know the Gridiron is really an old tradition in Washington, been around a long time, and one that's important to many of you in the media,' Trump said. 'So, I was very excited to receive this invitation and come here and ruin your evening in person,' he said to laughs.

By the time Trump took the stage, he had already seen journalists perform song and dance numbers making fun of the Trump administration and other big-name people in politics, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden and a slew of female Democratic hopefuls for president in 2020.

'My staff was concerned heading into this dinner that I couldn't do self-deprecating humor. They were worried about it. They said, "Can you do this?" And I told them not to worry. Nobody does self-deprecating humor better than I do,' Trump said.

And so he joked about his tumultuous week.

'It's been really another calm week at the White House,' Trump said at the top of his speech.

'We finally have it running like a fun-tuned. It's fine-tuned. It's a beautiful piece of work,' he continued.

'But before I get started, I wanted to apologize for arriving a little bit later. You know we were late tonight because Jared could not get through security,' Trump said.

His son-in-law Jared Kushner, who had his security clearance downgraded from 'top secret' to 'secret,' was seated near the end of the dais as Trump spoke. Trump later said that Kushner has 'suffered.'

'Ivanka, you've got to do something,' he said, looking at the other end of the dais where the first daughter was seated.

Trump spent several minutes razzing other members of the administration too.

He acknowledged Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who he's been feuding with, by telling the audience that Sessions wouldn't ride with him to the event because he had recused himself.

He talked about how many American Treasury secretaries had contributed to the arts.

'Steve has given us the blockbuster movie, "Lego Batman,"' Trump said, picking on his ex-Hollywood producer Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

When that one landed well with the crowd, Trump was miffed.

'See, now that one I didn't think was funny at all,' looking back at his list of jokes that the staff prepared.

The president also gave a shout-out to Mnuchin's actress wife Louise Linton, who famously posed with black leather gloves, alongside her husband when he was looking at the first spools of currency to bear his name.

'When she asked whether or not she could sign the money also, I said, "Steve, you've got a lot to handle,"' Trump said laughing. 'I said, "You can't do that Steve!"

The president also smacked around Vice President Mike Pence a bit, saying that Pence has been keenly watching the news to see if the president had gotten impeached.

'You can't be impeached when there's no crime,' Trump said gleefully, but brushed off the joke when it didn't land. 'So much for humor. You never know about humor do you.'

Throughout the speech, he referred to former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon as a guy more leaky 'than the Titanic,' and called ex-staffer Omarosa 'the worst.'

'So many people have been leaving the White House. It's actually been really exciting and invigorating,' Trump said. 'I like turnover. I like chaos, It really is good.'

'Now the question everyone keeps asking is, "Who's going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller or Melania?"' Trump said, getting a laugh out of those Stormy Daniels rumors.

On the foreign policy front, Trump told the crowd that he was open to talking to North Korean leader Kim John Un.

'I won't rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un,' Trump said. 'I just won't.'

'As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, that's his problem, not mine,' the president said to laughs.This is the captivating moment a mountain lion is released from a toe trap.

The majestic creature was accidentally snared by the device, which was laid down to capture bobcats and coyotes.

Nail-biting footage shows a brave trapper unhook its enormous paw and let it run away.

As he approaches the huge cat with a noose on the end of a pole, it hisses and claws furiously in his direction.

Backing around a tree in a blind panic, the animal throws up a cloud of dust as it tries to wrench its paw free.

The trapper eventually manages to hook the noose around its neck - but it continues to growl menacingly, clawing at the pole.

This is the captivating moment a mountain lion is released from a toe trap intended to catch bobcats and coyotes in the city of Helper in Utah, USA

The majestic creature was accidentally snared by the device (above: its toe is wedged in the trap)

Flailing its limbs wildly in all directions in the hot sand, the cat is eventually wrestled to the floor.

Using one hand to keep it pinned down with the noose, the trapper uses his foot to try to unhook the creature's paw.

He then knees down and wrenches the trap off with one hand.

As the trapper approaches the huge cat with a noose on the end of a pole, it hisses and claws furiously in his direction

He eventually manages to hook the noose around the creature's neck and wrestle it to the floor

Using one hand to keep it pinned down with the noose, the trapper uses his hand and foot to unhook its paw

Realising it is free, the mountain lion claws at the air and hisses.

Meanwhile, the trapper unhooks the animal's neck from the noose and within seconds darts away from the distressed beast.

The footage, filmed in December last year, was shot in the city of Helper in Utah, USA.Advertisement

Mike Tyson's luxury 25,000 square foot Ohio mansion is set to become a church.

Iron Mike bought the Southington Township mansion, which has an indoor pool and hot tub, in 1989 at a sheriff's sale for $300,000. He had gates erected bearing his named and kept four tigers in cages there.

Ten years later he told it for for $1.3million to Paul Monea, an infomercial entrepreneur best known for marketing Tae-Bo exercise videos.

Monea was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison in 2007 for money laundering and the mansion was bought at sheriff's sale again in 2010, this time for $600,000 it was then then donated to the church for a tax write-off. The church's up-front investment was $50,000 to clear back taxes.

The gates of the house still bear his name, almost 20 years after he moved out. The church does not plan on keeping them

The abandoned house, shot by Architectural Afterlife, has the vaulted ceilings that make it easy to imagine it as a church

Vandals broke in and spray painted pentagrams over the hot tub. The church clean up includes a new baptismal pool

The 10,000 square foot room that housed the indoor pool will become the Sanctuary, with a stage and pulpit in the front

Pastor Nick DeJacimo sits on the stairs and discusses the renovation, 'this was meant for us', he says. Most of the work is being done by volunteers

While the mansion was changing hands, the now defunct website Illicit Ohio was able to get access to the property and posted an array of photographs of the inside, including the long-untended indoor pool, and the living room.

Now the church is getting ready to move in. Volunteers from The Living Word Sanctuary Church has been cleaning up since they got it.

'The property had been untouched for 10 years,' Living Word Pastor Nicholas DeJacimo told the Warren Tribune-Chronicle . 'You had so much grass you could have sold it for hay.'

The mansion is a considerable step up; the church has been holding services at a YMCA. The sanctuary the church hopes to have ready by year's end is an area where Tyson and his guests splashed in an indoor pool.

It will include an area for baptisms, along with the pews and pulpit. What was once fireplace will become an indoor waterfall.

Pews will replace the indoor pool which has been ignored for over a decade. There are plans for a waterfall in the sanctuary

The house was long abandoned and vandalized. The hot tub will be removed, pentagrams and all as part of the re-do

Church volunteers have been working since 2010 to turn the abandoned property into their church home. It is hard work

A spiral staircase with wrought iron railings, even when it was abandoned, the architecture of the house built in 1979 is exquisite

Mike Tyson's bedroom was once on the second floor of the Ohio home. Now it will house offices for the pastor and staff

One room will be turned into an area for brides to prepare for their walk down the aisle. This paint job will have to change.

Mike Tyson, seen here in January, owned the Ohio Mansion from 1989-1999. He now lives is Las Vegas with his family.

Tyson,in a file photo from 1989, kept four tigers, like the one seen here, on the Ohio property, the church removed the cages

The stone exterior of the 25,000 square foot home. The 4 car garage will be transformed into classrooms and a nursery.

A four-bay garage is being turned into youth classrooms and a nursery. Tall steel cages where Tyson kept four tigers have been dismantled for a pavilion.

The second-floor master suite featured mirror-covered walls and ceiling, a whirlpool spa and two bathrooms.

'We heard there were some crazy parties here,' DeJacimo said. 'We will turn this into a room where women can get ready for a wedding.'

Church offices and meeting rooms are being built on the second floor.

People stop hoping for a look inside Tyson's former home, DeJacimo said. He said the mansion 'got dropped in our lap.'

'I tell everyone, 'This was meant for us.''

The church will have many uses for the 25,000 square feet they now have, they've been worshipping at the local YMCACampus police say they had several run-ins with 19-year-old James Eric Davis Jr. the night before he allegedly shot his parents at Central Michigan University

A 19-year-old college student accused of killing his parents in a dorm had multiple run-ins with the Central Michigan University police the day before the shooting, officers have said.

CMU Police Chief William Yeagley said James Eric Davis Jr 'ran into the office of our community policing officer very frightened' on Thursday morning, the day before he allegedly killed 47-year-old Diva Davis and 48-year-old Chicago cop James Eric Davis Sr.

According to Yeagley, Davis Jr said someone was 'out to hurt him' but when asked about details he was 'extremely vague', NBC News reported.

Campus police even launched an investigation into the student's claims and interviewed a man Davis Jr said was armed and wanted to harm him. They concluded the man posed no risk to Davis Jr or anyone else.

Officers saw Davis Jr in the hallway of a dorm hours later with packed bags, looking like he was about to move out. Yeagley said the student mas not making sense and officers, suspecting he may be on drugs, decided to call his parents.

'The officer said we had some suspicion it might be drugs, does he have a drug history?' Yeagley said. 'The mother said she too is concerned this could be drugs.'

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Chief William Yeagley said campus officers called his parents to pick him up after they took him to the hospital for erratic behavior (Diva Davis, 47, left, and James Eric Davis Sr., 48 , right

According to Yeagley, Davis Jr said someone was 'out to hurt him' but when asked about details he was 'extremely vague

Davis Jr was then taken the hospital for evaluation and remained there overnight. His parents drove about four hours from the Chicago area to Mt Pleasant to pick him up.

He was discharged on Friday morning, just before he allegedly shot his parents dead at about 8.30am on the fourth floor of Campbell Hall, a co-ed dorm. No one else was injured.

He was arrested after a 12-hour manhunt and has been charged with two counts of murder. Yeagley said alleged gunman appeared incoherent and suffering from hypothermia and is currently under guard at a hospital.

Authorities say Davis Jr was captured on video on Friday as he entered the dorm hall with a gun believed to have been his father's. According to the university, the student went to the family car to pick up the weapon just before the shooting.

CMU Police Chief William Yeagley said James Eric Davis Jr 'ran into the office of our community policing officer very frightened' on Thursday morning

Police believed the suspect had an 'overdose or bad reaction' and took him to McLaren Central Michigan hospital in Mount Pleasant (pictured)

He was released from the hospital on Friday morning, just before he allegedly shot his parents to death at about 8.30am on the fourth floor of Campbell Hall, a co-ed dorm (pictured)

News of the shooting has shocked the college student's friends and neighbors, who have have told the Chicago Tribune Davis Jr was a good, quiet and polite kid from a good and loving family.

'Junior was a very respectful man, raised by upstanding parents, who would do anything to protect him and his siblings,' longtime family friend Jordan Murphy said.

'This is an incredibly tragic event, and I pray for Eric's other children. This is so incredibly out of character, something went wrong somewhere.'

Murphy also said the slain couple, who had another son and a daughter, were 'ever-present parents who doted on their children.'

Friends and neighbors of the suspect have said they are shocked by the shooting and that Davis Jr was a good kid from a loving family

Friday's shooting paralyzed the small college town in Michigan.

The school posted to their Facebook on Friday morning around 9.30am, telling students to shelter in place and avoid the area around Campbell Hall. Classes were cancelled for the day.

An automated phone message from the school also was sent to students Friday morning.

Surrounding schools, hospitals and offices were placed on lockdown.

Friday was the last day of classes for Spring Break, so many parents were headed to the campus to pick students up.

Central Michigan University has about 23,000 students in Mount Pleasant, which is about 70 miles north of Lansing.

After the shooting, Davis ran north away from the apartment buildings. Police arrested him early Saturday morning after a 12-hour manhuntAdvertisement

About 1million people from Virginia to Massachusetts were still without power Sunday, two days after a destructive nor'easter swept the East Coast.

Skies were clear Sunday over much of the Northeast hit by the storm, but many are still unsure whether they can return home and schools aren't sure if they will reopen Monday morning.

The storm has been blamed for at least nine deaths, including two children who were struck by trees.

But officials warn that severe weather is still to come in areas along the East Coast this week.

Another storm is forming and is expected to hit parts of Florida on Tuesday before moving upward towards the Northeast on Wednesday into Thursday.

Florida and parts of the Caribbean should expect high surf tides from the slow moving storm as it continues to churn out towards the Atlantic Ocean. These tides could continue into early next week and cause flooding in areas along the coast of Florida.

Heavy rainfall and snow mixtures are anticipated while the winds should be less severe than what was experienced during Storm Riley.

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About 1million people from Virginia to Massachusetts were still without power Sunday, two days after a destructive nor'easter swept the East Coast. Pictured is the Orleans, Massachusetts Natural Resource manager Nate Sears with Ed Hathorne keeping an eye n the high tide surf at Nauset Beach on Saturday

Skies were clear Sunday over much of the Northeast hit by the storm, but many are still unsure whether they can return home and schools aren't sure if they will reopen Monday morning. Pictured is a woman who had to abandon her car Saturday due to the high floods in Winthrop, Massachusetts

The storm has been blamed for at least nine deaths, including two children who were struck by trees. But officials warn that severe weather is still to come in areas along the East Coast this week

Another storm is forming, though, and is expected to hit parts of Florida on Tuesday before moving upward towards the North East on Wednesday into Thursday

Heavy rainfall and snow mixtures are anticipated while the winds should be less severe than what was experienced during Storm Riley. Pictured is the cleanup effort on Friday in Quincy, Massachusetts

The storm has veered away from the coast but is still causing disruption with strong winds which will last throughout Saturday

In Scituate, Massachusetts, a hard-hit coastal town near Boston, heavy construction vehicles worked to clear away several feet of sand that had covered roads near Peggotty Beach.

Town officials planned to deploy a drone to help assess coastal damage.

Further north, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker inspected storm damage in other battered coastal communities.

While perched on a sea wall in Gloucester - something officials have urged people not to do - the Republican got soaked by a strong wave, WBZ-AM reported.

'People should not stand on sea walls, correct,' Baker said sheepishly.

'However, I did want to get a look at what things were like on the other side, which I did get a look at before I got hit by the wave.'

As of mid-afternoon Sunday, more than 180,000 people remained without power in Massachusetts. More than 230,000 were powerless in Pennsylvania, and large-scale outages also continued in New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland.

A police car in Parkway, New Jersey, was wrecked on Friday. The police officer driving it lost control on an icy road while responding to a call of another overturned vehicle. The cop survived with minor injuries

A tree crushed a vehicle in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, on Friday. The driver was the only person in the car and they survived

A large wave crashes over the seawall in Winthrop, Massachusetts, on Saturday at high tide

In four New York counties dealing with widespread power outages and flooding Governor Andrew Cuomo declared states of emergency.

'This is an all-hands-on-deck situation and the people of the Hudson Valley should know that New York State is doing everything we can to restore power and help them recover as quickly as possible,' Cuomo said, according to Pix 11.

The counties named were Dutchess, Putnam, Sullivan an Westchester Counties, where about 136,500 people are currently without power. In total more than 360,000 New Yorkers were without power at the height of the storm, and currently that number is 182,000 across the state.

In New Jersey, officials said some areas might not have their electricity restored until Tuesday or Wednesday.

Among those affected was John Thompson, of Morris Township, whose family has been staying with in-laws.

'We have two young girls, so staying in a home without electricity wasn't an option,' Thompson said Sunday while having breakfast with his family.

'I know (the utility crews) are working as hard and fast as they can, but it's still frustrating that it's taking so long.'

An abandoned car in Quincy, Massachusetts, is swept away in flood water on Friday. More floods are expected throughout the day on Saturday as high tide approaches again

A woman and child are rescued by boat in Quincy, Massachusetts, on Friday after getting stuck in flood waters

Downed traffic lights in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. The governor declared a state of emergency because of the wind

In the Philadelphia suburbs, the Lower Merion School District said one high school and one elementary school remained without power and would not open Monday unless it was restored. At one of its high schools with power, the district invited residents to charge their phones and take hot showers.

'Dress warmly,' Superintendent Robert Copeland advised. 'Many of our buildings have been without power for several days and it will take time for them to warm up.'

New Hampshire was spared extensive power outages, but its short stretch of coastline was littered with debris.

'We saw some of the worst coastal flooding since the 'Perfect Storm' back in 1991,' said David Cropper, owner of the Cinnamon Rainbows surf shop in Hampton.

The surf remained high Sunday but there was no surfing because of strong winds.

The Coast Guard warned of navigational hazards off Oregon Inlet in North Carolina's Outer Banks after high winds and heavy seas swept about 70 containers off the cargo ship Maersk Shanghai late Saturday.

The Liberian-registered ship had departed from Norfolk, Virginia, earlier in the day.

The transportation disruptions caused by the storm were mostly resolved by Sunday. But North Carolina's Highway 12 was closed in both directions along a section on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks.

As a result, the state transportation department said Hatteras and Ocracoke islands were temporarily inaccessible by land transport.

Air travelers stand at the check in counter during a winter nor'easter at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Friday

Walking past Independence Hall, a woman braves the snow and wind along Market Street in Philadelphia on Friday

The tracks at Hoboken train station in New Jersey had flooded on Friday morning as a result of the sudden and torrential rain

In Scituate, a Massachusetts town near Boston, water rushes through the streets at high tide as Winter Storm Riley takes hold on Friday, March 2

AmTrak suspended services on Friday as wind, snow and rain pounded the region. The service resumed later on Saturday with severe delays.

At Dulles Airport in Virginia, sustained winds of more than 50mph were recorded for more than 12 hours straight.

The highest winds Friday were recorded in Barnstable, Massachusetts, where a gust of 93mph was recorded.

On Nantucket, gusts reached 90mph, and 91mph winds were felt in Wellfleet. On Saturday, they are not expected to surpass 60mph.

The National Guard is on hand to assist with rescues in Massachusetts and state help is being given to Maryland and Pennsylvania as a result of the states of emergency which have been declared.

The National Weather Service had coastal flood watches and warnings in place from southern Maine through coastal North Carolina, including New York's eastern suburbs, and also warned that a snowstorm heading east from the Ohio Valley could drop significant amounts of snow in northern New York State.

Ocean-facing homes could be destroyed by the storm surge and waves, while people who live in neighborhoods reached by low-lying roads could be cut off from services for hours or days, officials and government forecasters warned.

'This could be another storm with prolonged onshore flooding,' said Paul Walker, a senior meteorologist with private forecasting services Accuweather.

Voluntary evacuation orders are in place across coastal Massachusetts.A 10-year-old girl has been rushed to hospital after being viciously mauled by her family dog as horrified neighbours raced to her rescue.

Emergency services were called to the home in Berwick, 39km south-east of Melbourne's centre, shortly after 8pm on Sunday night.

Neighbours made the phone call after hearing the young girl's 'hysterical' screams.

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A 10-year-old girl has been rushed to hospital after being viciously mauled by her family dog as horrified neighbours raced to her rescue ('beware of the dog' sign at the home)

'We just heard the young girl screaming, it was obviously hysterical, it wasn't normal, so we went down to have a look,' one neighbour told Nine News.

'I tried to open the door, when I opened the door the young girl was banging on the door and screaming, and the dog was trying to get through the door.'

When emergency services arrived on scene, the girl was treated for injuries to her leg, neck and groin.

She was taken to The Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition, where she remains on Monday morning.

'I tried to open the door, when I opened the door the young girl was banging on the door and screaming, and the dog was trying to get through the door,' a neighbour said

The girl and her seven-year-old sister were believed to be home alone at the time of the attack.

A neighbour told 3AW their parents were at the gym.

The family dog has been seized and impounded by the council, pending an investigation.

The attack comes just one day after a one-year-old girl was fatally mauled by her family's Rottweiler in Inverell, northern New South Wales.Police are asking for the public's health to locate a discarded yellow fuel can they believe is linked to the brutal slaying of a woman and her three children.

Sara Bermudez, 38, and her three children, eight-year-old Madison, six-year-old James, and two-year-old Michael were found dead in their West Brookfield, Massachusetts home on Thursday. The incident was quickly ruled a homicide and police reached out to the public for any information.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph D Early Jr asked the public to help locate the can, which investigators believe was taken from the residence by the person or people responsible for their deaths, reported the Boston Herald.

Early wouldn't elaborate on how the can is related to the murders, but a law enforcement official said the victims' bodies had severe burns along with stab wounds.

It was also determined there were several small fires set around the house, all of which had run their course by the time the bodies were discovered.

Police are asking for the public's health to locate a discarded yellow fuel can they believe is linked to the brutal slaying of a woman and her three children

Sara Bermudez, 38, and her three children, eight-year-old Madison, six-year-old James, and two-year-old Michael were found dead in their West Brookfield, Massachusetts home on Thursday. Pictured investigators have roped off the area around the home where the bodies were found

Early still has not offered a motive for the murders or given details about cause of death.

'We need to speak to anyone who may come across a discarded yellow fuel can,' he said during a news conference near the home on Saturday.

'Police believe this can, fuel container, is missing from the home. Anyone with any information with regards to a discarded yellow plastic fuel can is asked to call the state police.'

The bodies of the victims were discovered when Moses Bermudez couldn't get in touch with his wife and called police to check in on them.

Mr Bermudez lives with the family in Massachusetts and but spends time in California for work, and was trying to reach his family while across the country to speak with them.

A well-being check call was done by police on Thursday and the bodies were said to have been found upstairs in a bedroom.

Several leads are being followed, and local authorities let slip to WCVB that there may have been gang activity involved.

In addition to scouring the surrounding area for the yellow fuel can, investigators are also seeking video from any home and business surveillance cameras in the area.

According to Rachaul Bermudez, the family is shocked to have learned of the murders. Her brother, who is an offshoreman in California, rushed home and to the police station when he got the news.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph D Early Jr asked the public to help locate the can, which investigators believe was taken from the residence by the person or people responsible for their deaths, reported the Boston Herald

Early wouldn't elaborate on how the can is related to the murders, but a law enforcement official said the victims bodies had severe burns along with stab wounds

It was also determined there were several small fires set around the house, all of which had run their course by the time the bodies were discovered

Moses and Sara met and married before moving back to Massachusetts, four years ago, so that he could be back close to family.

'Instead of the kids living in downtown Los Angeles and concrete, he wanted them to go on a boat, and with a fishing pole,' Rachaul said. 'He had a big house. He wanted to share it with everybody.'

The two had opened a bouncy house business, MJM Jumpers, and frequently rented out equipment for parties.

Their children were students at West Brookfield Elementary School, according to Quaboag Regional School District superintendent Brett Kustigian.

On Friday, Kustigian said the day was 'all about supporting students, coming together [as] a community, grieving, displaying emotion, and wondering how could something like this happen.'

'Unfortunately, there are no answers to many of our questions, but I am encouraged by the strength and resiliency of our students, staff, and the entire school community,' he added in a statement.

West Brookfield Police Chief C. Thomas O'Donnell added that many children and parents were nervous about the news.

'We don't want people to be overly upset, but we do want them to be careful,' he said.A German equality official has proposed changing the country's national anthem to make it more 'gender sensitive'.

Equality commissioner Kristin Rose-Mohring has suggested removing a reference to 'the Fatherland' from the lyrics of the German anthem while also dropping the word 'brotherly'.

Under her proposals the word 'Vaterland', which appears in the first and last lines of the current anthem, would be replaced by 'Heimatland', meaning homeland.

She suggested making the change on March 8, International Women's Day, according to the Bild am Sonntag.

A German equality official reportedly wants to change the country's national anthem to make it more 'gender sensitive'. Pictured: A German flag outside the Reichstag in Berlin

Rose-Mohring also proposed replacing another male-specific word, 'brotherly,' with 'courageously.'

'Why don't we make our national anthem gender sensitive,' she said. 'It wouldn't hurt, would it?'

Austria and Canada have both removed gender-specific terms from their anthems in recent years, with Canada recently changing the words 'in all thy sons' command' to 'in all of us command'.

Germany officially cut its national anthem to only the third stanza of August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben's lyrics in 1991, shortly after reunification.

The first stanza, which declares 'Germany above all else,' is associated with the Nazi dictatorship.

The now-disused first verse also describes Germany as extending to territory which now belongs to France, the Netherlands and countries in Eastern Europe.

The third stanza, which is now in use, begins: 'Unity, justice and freedom for the German fatherland.'

Germany officially cut its national anthem to only the third stanza in 1991, shortly after reunification Pictured: A German flag next to the Reichstag dome in Berlin

However, the proposal triggered a scornful reaction from the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

'Completely over the top, and not even an April Fool's joke,' tweeted a branch of the AfD in the southern state of Baden-Wurttemberg.

The anthem's melody was written by Austrian composer Joseph Haydn in 1797.

It was also used by West Germany during the Cold War, while Soviet-backed East Germany used the song 'Risen from Ruins'.

Equality commissioner Rose-Mohring successfully sued her own ministry in 2012 after three top ministry posts were given to male candidates without consulting her,

The proposal surfaced hours before Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) announced its members had agreed to a new coalition with Angela Merkel's conservatives.Leah Burns (pictured) vanished after leaving the Manchester Dental Hospital in early February and has not been seen since

The mother of a 15-year-old girl who has been missing for almost a month has appealed for help.

Leah Burns vanished after leaving the Manchester Dental Hospital in early February and has not been seen since.

Her mother, Clara Burns, is urging anyone who may have seen her to come forward.

'I just need her home' Ms Burns told the Manchester Evening News.

'She has come off all her social media, which is not like her. Her phone was never used after she went missing' she added.

'When she meets new people she is very shy and really polite.

'When you get to know her she is a very hyperactive and funny girl and she likes to joke about.'

Leah grew up in Stockport and Stretford but has links to Manchester. She has not been seen since she left the Manchester Dental Hospital at 1pm on Wednesday February 7.

Leah, who has two younger brothers, is described as 5ft 6in, white British, with green eyes and long brown hair which goes down to her hips.

She was wearing a blue bomber jacket with a fur trim on the hood and blue jeans, as well as a distinctive necklace with a blue Winnie the Pooh child's dummy attached to it when she went missing.

Her mother said the necklace is of 'huge sentimental value' to Leah and she always wears it.

Anyone who sees Leah is asked to call 101 quoting missing ref: MP/14/0083595As a retired healer, Avril Priestley is a true believer in the power of love.

So when her beloved Golden Retriever Ella was diagnosed with bone cancer, she put her heart and soul into caring for the pet and laying on hands.

Almost a year on, the disease has disappeared  leaving vets amazed.

Experts had suggested Ella would die within weeks without the amputation of one of her legs and a course of chemotherapy.

Experts had suggested Ella (pictured) would die within weeks without the amputation of one of her legs and a course of chemotherapy

But Mrs Priestley, 73, and husband Andy decided the five-year-old dog should simply enjoy the life she had left rather than endure agonising treatment.

They let Ella dine on steak, pork loin and chicken, and allowed her to sleep on their bed. Meanwhile, as well as giving Ella small doses of painkillers, Mrs Priestley carried out regular treatment laying her hands with love on the dogs front right leg. And incredibly, the cancer vanished.

Ellas vet, Dr Chris Vogt at the Polsloe Veterinary Clinic in Exeter, said: We, like her devoted owners, are astounded with Ellas story and could not be happier with the outcome.

The Priestleys first became concerned about Ella when they noticed her limping last year. The couple, who at the time lived in Barnsley, took their pet to their local vet, and scans in April showed Ella had bone cancer.

Mr Priestley, 63, said: We were told without an urgent amputation and a course of chemotherapy we could not expect her to live much longer than another four weeks. Ella was such an important part of our family but at the same time there was no certainty of a successful outcome.

Mrs Priestley (pictured), 73, and husband Andy decided the five-year-old dog should simply enjoy the life she had left rather than endure agonising treatment

So the couple decided they would make whatever life their dog had left one of minimal suffering and maximum joy. In the New Year  having moved to Exeter  the Priestleys decided to go to their new local vet to check on the progress of the cancer.

Mr Priestley said: We thought maybe Ella was enjoying a brief renaissance prior to the final decline  So Avril and I were amazed when the vet rang and said, There has been a miracle as there was no sign of the cancer.

Mrs Priestley said: We will never know if it was the healing. But Andy and I are just thrilled to have Ella well.

Mrs Priestley became a healer 20 years ago after being inspired by the recovery of her grandaughter, Paige Gill. She said: When Paige was 18 months she fell into a swimming pool and almost died. She spent months in hospital and was sent healing messages from all over the world. Today Paige is 23 and completely recovered.

Although very rare, there are reports of cancers spontaneously disappearing, not only in animals but also in humans. Scientists believe in these cases the body may trigger an immune response against specific antigens displayed on the surface of tumour cells.Government provides financial aid for 96 mln Chinese students in 2017

BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China provided financial support for 95.9 million students nationwide, including pre-school children, in 2017, 5 percent up from 2016, according to the Ministry of Education.

Financial aid for students totaled 188.2 billion yuan (29.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017, with a year-on-year increase of 11.45 percent, said Ma Jianbin, vice director of the National Center for Student Financial Aid.

Ma said the student aid system covers all stages of education including public and private schools, and students in financial difficulties, ensuring every student the access to education.

Over the past 11 years, the total amount of national aid has been expanding as fiscal support as well as investment from schools and society continues to grow. The number of students receiving support has been increasing over this period, Ma said.On Saturday morning in the biting cold, a middle-aged man in a stout winter coat handed out free tulips in a west German suburb to mark International Womens Day.

He cut an unusual figure in the market square of Marxloh, a rundown multi-cultural district where the German tongue is a rarity, on the edge of the once-thriving steel city of Duisburg.

Half the 20,000 residents in this suburb have foreign roots, many arriving thanks to a border-free EU and German chancellor Angela Merkels offer of welcome to the worlds refugees.

The outcome of Europes biggest migration crisis since the Second World war has been disastrous for Marxloh.

Immigrants on the streets of Marxloh, a district on the edge of the once-thriving steel city of Duisburg. The outcome of the migrant crisis has been disastrous for Marxloh

Many of the newcomers are jobless and so rely on state benefits, and hang around with nothing worthwhile to do.

A leaked police report says the streets are controlled by drug dealers and robbers who view crime as their leisure activity.

As for the Germans who remain here, some are frightened to go out after dark because of conflicts between foreigners, claiming that tram journeys through the area in the evenings are nightmarish.

We have many problems here and they do not get better, explains the tulip man in good English as he hands me an orange bloom from his basket.

This is a dangerous place that Mrs Merkel has tried hard to forget.

That was until last week, when she conceded for the first time that areas like Marxloh had become lawless no-go areas where locals, and even police, fear to tread.

Facing the end of her career if she failed to stitch together a loveless grand coalition of political opposites, the no-go admission was a dramatic climbdown for the German leader, who has welcomed more than a million new faces to her country in three years, while irritating an increasingly sceptical German public with the mantra We can do it.

Half the 20,000 residents in this suburb have foreign roots, many arriving thanks to a border-free EU and German chancellor Angela Merkels offer of welcome to the worlds refugees

Yesterday she survived only after an unlikely 11th hour pact was agreed between her own conservative-leaning Christian Democratic Union and the Left-wing staunchly pro-immigration Social Democratic Party.

Yet the road ahead will be rocky because the two parties have only a small joint majority in parliament. Both are under pressure from the Right-wing, fiercely anti-migrant party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

In elections last year, reflecting growing German dissatisfaction with mass immigration, it raced from the traps to become the countrys third largest political force.

In troubled Marxloh, a third of those entitled to vote backed the AfD. We felt disillusioned, says a young German man with a ring in his ear, who was drinking on Saturday afternoon at the Crazy Monkey, one of the few pubs left in the Duisburg area thanks to the large teetotal Muslim population.

Smoking a cigarette outside before returning to his game of darts, he said: Its no surprise that people here are turning against Mrs Merkel and her policy of allowing so many foreigners in.

In Marxloh market square itself, the main open-air restaurant, the Spar, is run by a Turkish 28-year-old who spent ten years in Londons Wood Green.

He came to Germany because of family difficulties six months ago, refuses to give me his name, but announces that the district has massive problems.

There are many people from different places in the world who want control here, he said. We dont see the police often and they seem to stay away from the streets.

Whatever the accuracy of this, Marxloh does not make you feel safe. The only policemen I encountered over seven hours were two outside their office in the market square.

A woman hands a man money in the Duisburg district of Marxloh in Germany. Angela Merkel has admitted there are parts of the country that are 'no-go' areas

They were standing near a heavily filled ashtray and refused to talk to me even through a German interpreter.

The streets come alive after dark when locals leave the market square, dominated by a mega-market called Istanbul and close to a street of gaudy wedding dress shops that are hugely popular with newly arrived migrants from Romania and Bulgaria.

Loud Arabic music floats out into the air from shoddy apartment blocks, there are wild gatherings of Roma with cans of lager, and flash cars with young men at the wheel suddenly zoom into sight and roar away again.

Marxloh is one of 40 problem areas cited in the German media as struggling to cope with large migrant concentrations, urban decay, high unemployment and chronic welfare dependency, which have become, they claim, incubators for anarchy as well as drug-dealing and crime.

In an article called Ghetto Report Germany the respected newspaper Bild  which described those 40 areas  labelled them as parallel societies, no-go areas and burgeoning ghettos.

Official police reports given to another respected newspaper, Der Spiegel, said spiralling levels of violence in Marxloh (and other places like it) show officers are losing control, and public order cannot be guaranteed over the long term.

There are districts where immigrant gangs are taking over streets for themselves, said the resulting account in Der Spiegel.

Ms Merkel was facing the end of her political career if she failed to stitch together a loveless grand coalition of political opposites

Native residents and business people are being intimidated and silenced. Policemen, and especially policewomen, are particular victims of a high level of aggression and disrespect.

It doesnt sound like the Germany of old. Marxloh, a 20-minute tram ride away from central Duisburg in western Germany, used to be a place for German families to visit on a Saturday afternoon for shopping, a picnic in the park, or a coffee and beer at the pavement cafes.

Not many outsiders visit here now, or dare to. The majority of women wear hijabs in respect of their Muslim religion and crowds of men in leather jackets gather on street corners to smoke while talking in foreign languages and staring pointedly at strangers.

Marxloh has long been an ethnic melting pot. The first foreigners to settle here were Turkish guest workers, invited to Germany in the Fifties and Sixties to do menial labour in the steelworks, only one of which remains.

Many are now German citizens. Soon to follow were Lebanese given sanctuary when they were displaced during a civil war that started in the Seventies.

When the EUs borders were opened to East Europeans more than a decade ago, the Romanians and Bulgarians arrived, too. Then came Mrs Merkels decisions to invite Syrian refugees, which led to many others  often pretending to be genuine refugees  from Kurdish areas of the Middle East, the Balkan States and Africa.

According to the locals, Marxlohs streets serve as boundaries between ethnic gangs guarding their drug-dealing turf. One is called Kurdish road, another Romanian Road.

No wonder Mrs Merkel has had to concede there are no-go areas in her country.

In her surprise admission last week, she said domestic security was the states obligation and people had a right to it whenever they meet and move in a public space. There are such places, and you have to call them by name and you have to do something about it, she said.

Merkel survived only after an unlikely 11th hour pact was agreed between her own conservative-leaning Christian Democratic Union and the Left-wing Social Democratic Party

Wise words, but too late? She was speaking a few weeks after a government-ordered study showed a drastic increase in violent crime committed by male migrants in Germany aged between 14 and 30.

Written by a group of criminologists, it said the influx of asylum seekers had led to the depressing spike.

A report prepared for the regional parliament on the breakdown of law and order in the Duisburg area has claimed Lebanese gangs, in particular, refuse to recognise police authority.

Their members are young men between 15 and 25, and that nearly 100 per cent of them  according to the report  are wanted for suspected crimes including physical assault, theft or robbery.

In Marxloh last Easter, a 15-year-old Bulgarian boy was killed with an axe late at night in a feud between his father and fellow Bulgarians. The child was dragged home by his mother before he died, leaving a trail of blood on the pavement. It isnt what should be happening.

Two years ago Arnold Plickert, a regional chief of Germanys biggest police union, acknowledged that Marxloh, and other no-go areas, had been ignored for too long.

He said a zero-tolerance policy was being put in place. If someone fails to use their car indicator, listens to loud music or throws a cigarette butt on the ground, the police will ensure the law is enforced, he said.

You have to say whoever comes to Germany needs to follow our rules.

And if they dont, then you draw a line and deport them.

It was a powerful statement, but there seemed little evidence of his sentiments in Marxloh this weekend.

I watched Roma girls of primary school age begging in the streets, and boys of 13 or 14 shouting to each other in Arabic as they ran across busy roads, threateningly demanding money by banging on the windows of cars slowed down by the traffic.

Whatever the overburdened police  and now Mrs Merkel  have to say, little in this sad part of Germany seems to be changing for the better.

Mutti (or Mother) as the Germans call her, may have won herself another term as chancellor, but there seems little she can do to clear up a mess which many here believe to be, in large part, of her own making.Cameras were banned from the March 3 dinner in Washington DC, but pool reporters were allowed in and conveyed the gist of his remarks.

Trump said that his staff was concerned he couldn't do self deprecating humor, adding 'I told them not to worry. Nobody does self deprecating humor better than I do.'

'We were late tonight because Jared could not get through security,' the president joked, referring to his son-in-law's recent security clearance woes.

'Ivanka, you've got to do something!' Trump said, adding that Kushner is 'a great guy who has suffered'.

He said that Vice President Mike Pence's comedy talent was as a straight man, adding 'He is straight!'

'I really am very proud to call him The Apprentice,' Trump said of Pence. 'But lately he's showing a particularly keen interest in the news these days. He is asking has he been impeached yet? I don't like that.'

He continued, 'Mike, you can't be impeached when there's no crime. I thought that was going to get a much better laugh. Melania said use it, it's good.'

Trump said that he'd offered Jeff Sessions a ride to the dinner, but that the attorney general had 'recused himself'.

Turning to the press, Trump said: 'And it's been a very tough year for CNN. They've lost a tremendous amount of credibility this year. And your best reporter, Steve Bannon. That guy leaked more than the Titanic. Boy did he leak.'

He said some people doubted him after he lost Bannon, his chief strategist, but joked that those same people now say 'somehow you're still doing great without Omarosa'.

'Omarosa, you're the worst!' Trump declared.

'So many people have been leaving the White House,' Trump said of recent staff turnover. 'It's invigorating since you want turnover. I like chaos. It really is good. Who's going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller, or Melania?'

He also referenced the #FreeMelania hashtag. 'She's actually having a great time,' he said.

On North Korea, Trump quipped that he would not rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un.

'As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, that's his problem, not mine,' Trump said. 'He must be a fine man. Do you think he's a fine man?'

Trump said of a potential 2020 electoral challenge from 'Sleepy Joe' Biden: 'I would kick his a** like no other.... Man, would he be easy.'

Trump also mocked Oprah and Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren. He once again called Warren Pocahontas and quipped that the senator suggested he and Rex Tillerson should smoke a peace pipe with the Koreans.

Toward the end of the speech, Trump spoke about DACA. 'I love the Dreamers.... we're going to help the Dreamers,' he said.

Trump said all were working together on DACA. 'I hope that something's going to happen,' said Trump.

Trump concluded his remarks by thanking the press for all it does 'to support and sustain our democracy. I mean that.'When supermodel Cara Delevingne shot an advertising campaign for a luxury brand at a South African wildlife reserve, she described the experience as humbling.

But the tragic death of a woman, who was mauled to death by a lion at the same park last week, has revealed just how great a risk Cara faced.

Now her multi-million-pound promotional launch for Swiss watch firm TAG Heuer has been axed in Britain.

The 25-year-old model spent several days in December at the Dinokeng Game Reserve for the photoshoot.

When supermodel Cara Delevingne shot an advertising campaign for a luxury brand at a South African wildlife reserve, she described the experience as humbling

The 25-year-old model spent several days in December at the Dinokeng Game Reserve for the photoshoot

Cara was allowed to walk among the lions under the watchful eye of their handler, lion whisperer Kevin Richardson, after being assured that the animals would not attack with him present.

The shots, taken by David Yarrow, were due to be unveiled at a celebrity party at Londons Maddox Gallery last Wednesday and an auction was expected to raise tens of thousands of pounds for charity.

But TAG called off the bash just three hours before it was scheduled to start. The firm said: Due to the deeply sad and shocking death at a reserve, which was used as a backdrop to the campaign, we have decided to cancel out of respect for the family of the deceased.

A source close to the brand added: The relatives of the woman, rather than business, are our primary concern.

Cara was instead taken to a nearby restaurant by TAG boss Jean-Claude Biver, where they dined with Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

Mr Richardson said he was devastated to learn of the unnamed womans death last week. The reserve has been closed to visitors since the tragedy.

Pictured: The model has a tattoo in tribute for her love of lions (above)

Now her multi-million-pound promotional launch for Swiss watch firm TAG Heuer has been axed in Britain

Pixie Geldof looks almost unrecognisable as she becomes the latest fashionista to follow the no eyebrows fad. The 27-year-old daughter of pop star Bob Geldof bleached hers to make them disappear, but many twentysomethings  including top British model Adwoa Aboah  have shaved theirs off entirely. When Pixie, right, shared this selfie, left, her famous pals were quick to compliment her. Adwoa called the shot beautiful and DJ Nick Grimshaw added: Oh yes. Not sure the look will catch on with the rest of us

TV star Nick Knowless costly divorce battle has forced him to move out of the five-bedroom Georgian home he rents for around 3,500 a month from Eton College. The presenter has to pay 48,000 a year to estranged wife Jessica Rose Moor, 30, stretching his 300,000 BBC pay package to the limit. Nick, 55, who denies accusations by Jessica of emotional abuse and of refusing to pay school fees for son Eddie, is looking for cheaper digs in the historic Berkshire town of Eton. Perhaps he could buy a fixer upper and enlist the help of his DIY SOS colleagues

Alastair Campbell spent his career stirring up trouble as New Labours spin doctor  and now his daughter is following suit. Grace Campbell, 24, is to star in new prank show Riot Girls on Channel 4. She has comic connections  she is mates with Scarlett Curtis, the daughter of Notting Hill scriptwriter Richard.

First she said she wouldnt sing if the Spice Girls reformed, then there was talk of them returning without her  now Im told that Victoria Beckham wants to block a new film charting their rise to fame. I hear a rockumentary is in the pipeline but while the other girls are thrilled at the prospect, Posh would rather not revisit her 1990s fashion disasters. But if she bows out of the film and the reunion, it would mean missing out on performing at Prince Harrys wedding.Leslie Bibb is in love and there's no hiding it.

The 43-year-old actress looked head over heels for her boyfriend Sam Rockwell, 49, as the two kissed on the red carpet of the 33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles.

Bibb and Rockwell have been together a little over 10 years now, but they showered each other with affection as if recently becoming an item.

He also thanked her when he won Best Supporting Actor.

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In love: Leslie Bibb looked head over heels for Sam Rockwell as the two felt each other up and kissed on the red carpet of the 33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles

The couple couldn't keep their hands off each other as they walked the red carpet.

Bibb donned a stunning metallic green sparkly jumpsuit with a plunging neckline that showed off her cleavage.

The dazzling outfit was sleeveless and perfectly tailored to fit Bibb's body. The actress completed the outfit with blue dangling earrings and black open-toe heels.

Meanwhile, Rockwell complemented his partner's attire by wearing a brown suit that featured black stripes at the side of the legs. He wore a green collared shirt beneath his outfit, and finished off his look with a 'TIME'S UP' pin.

Hands below the waist: The couple couldn't keep their hands off each other as they walked the red carpet

Loving gaze: Bibb and Rockwell have been together a little over 10 years now, but they showered each other with affection as if recently becoming an item

He was also seen winning Best Supporting Actor.

He got up and hugged Leslie.

'Thank you to the entire independent film community, you're my people, you're my family,' he said when he won.

'I love movies, if you're lucky enough to work with someone who inspires you like Martin McDonaugh you're lucky.'

Color-coordinated: Rockwell complemented his partner's attire by wearing a brown suit that featured black stripes at the side of the legs and a green shirt

He then thanked Frances McDormand and other stars, then gave a shout out to Fox Searchlight, his manager Jason Weinberg and his 'therapist.'

He then had a special word for Bibb: 'Thank you for putting up with this insaneness for four months.'

At the Screen Actors Guild Awards in January, Bibb revealed to E! News' Giuliana Rancic what has kept the couple going strong since they first paired up in 2007.

Dazzling: Bibb donned a stunning metallic green sparkly jumpsuit with a plunging neckline that showed off her cleavage

Bibb was not shy about answering Rancic's inquiry and immediately quipped: 'Good sex.'

Rockwell chimed in to add, 'Communication and good sex.'

The actor later won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.

He made sure to thank his partner when he accepted the honor and said: 'My beloved Leslie Bibb who puts up with me. I love you, baby.'She's known for her impeccable style both on and off the catwalk.

But while Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) nearly suffered a wardrobe malfunction as she headed out to celebrate the 2018 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Saturday night.

Opting for a risque white ensemble, the 26-year-old was photographed grabbing and adjusting the right breast of her outfit.

Hold on tight! Jesinta Campbell struggles to avoid a very embarrassing wardrobe malfunction as she stuns in very risque glittery outfit at the Sydney Mardi Gras

Trying to not draw any attention to her slip, Jesinta was all smiles as she looked ahead into the crowd.

Clearly concerned about exposing too much, the former Miss Universe Australia failed to let go of the cup.

Held up with a layered strap, the left side of her outfit had intricate stitching and beading.

Something the matter? Opting for an incredibly risque white ensemble, the 26-year-old was photographed grabbing and adjusting the right breast of her outfit

Not paying it any attention: Trying to not draw any attention to her slip, Jesinta was all smiles as she looked ahead into the crowd

The outfit left little to the imagination, showcasing Jesinta's taut stomach thanks to its high-waisted white short-shorts.

Adding sheer stockings, she strutted down the street in sequence over-the-knee boots.

The rest of her bare skin was kept bronzed with an ample amount of glitter slathered all over her body.

Walking the walk! Adding sheer stockings, she strutted down the street in sequence over-the-knee boots

Proud: Earlier in the day, Jesinta gushed to the Saturday Telegraph about how proud she and husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin were to be taking part in the Sydney Swans' first-ever parade float

Earlier in the day, Jesinta gushed to the Saturday Telegraph about how proud she and husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin were to be taking part in the Sydney Swans' first-ever parade float.

'Its going to be amazing! From what Ive heard there is going to be an rendition of the official Sydney Swans song, which Im really excited about,' she said.

Jesinta had also revealed a hint of what to expect, explaining: 'There's going to be lots of glitter!'Armie Hammer fell ill and did not attend the Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday - despite being one of the evening's nominees.

But his Call Me By Your Name co-star Timothee Chalamet was looking out for him.

Near the start of the awards show, the camera caught Timothee having a FaceTime conversation with the shirtless Armie, 31.

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Deus ex machina: Armie Hammer fell ill and did not attend the Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday, but his co-star Timothee Chalamet FaceTimed him in

Timothee, 22, turned the phone towards the camera, so that television audiences watching the award show could see Armie grinning and nodding at them.

Armie is so hunky that the award show's hosts, Nick Kroll and Jon Mulaney, praised his ravishing good looks during their opening monologue.

After the awards show started, he posted an Instagram photo of himself laying shirtless in bed raising a glass of red fluid.

A plate carrying a bowl of soup and some crackers sat on his chest, and he captioned: 'I may be too sick to be at the Indie Spirit Awards, but thanks to @elizabethchambers I am toasting you guys with pedialyte and chicken soup! Go get em guys!'

Smiles all around: Timothee turned the phone towards the camera, so that television audiences watching the award show could see Armie grinning and nodding at them

Feted: Both Timothee and Armie are nominated for Independent Spirit Awards by way of their performances in Call Me By Your Name

Elizabeth Chambers is Armie's wife, who married him in 2010 and by whom he has two children - three-year-old daughter Harper and one-year-old son Ford.

He is nominated for Best Supporting Male for his turn in Call Me By Your Name - for which Timothee is nominated for Best Male Lead.

The movie also scored nominations for its director Luca Guadagnino, cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom and editor Walter Fasano.

Call Me By Your Name, which was written by A Room With A View director James Ivory, is also nominated for Best Feature.

High praise: The movie also scored nominations for its director Luca Guadagnino, cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom and editor Walter Fasano

The big one: Call Me By Your Name, which was written by A Room With A View director James Ivory, is also nominated for Best Feature

Though his screenplay was not nominated at Saturday's awards show, James work is up for a gong at tomorrow's Academy Awards ceremony.

Timothee is nominated as well, as is the film for Best Picture - but Armie did not get a nod for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars.

At Saturday's awards show, Timothee was dressed in a casual oversize white shirt and tight black trousers, rounding off the look with white sneakers.

His outfit prompted one of the hosts to jokingly thank him for getting away from the gas station to be at the Independent Spirit Awards.

Ailing in style: Armie posted an Instagram photo of himself laying shirtless and ill in bed

Snazzy: At Saturday's awards show, Timothee was dressed in a casual oversize white shirt and tight black trousers, rounding off the look with white sneakersFaye Dunaway was at the heart of the car-crash envelope mix-up which saw the wrong film awarded Best Picture at the Oscars last year.

And Kristen Wiig lampooned the 77-year-old actress at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday.

The Bridesmaids funny woman, 44, donned a blonde wig and pretended to struggle to read the teleprompter, in an hilarious skit at the ceremony in Santa Monica, California.

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Joker: Kristen Wiig lampooned Faye Dunaway at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday

Flanked by John Mulaney and Nick Kroll, Kristen channeled the star's old school Hollywood glamour in a fur wrap and satin gloves.

She covered a beaded sky blue gown, and for a short time wore giant tinted eye glasses.

The SNL star joked around - straining to read Elizabeth Olsens name from the prompter.

Spoof! The Bridesmaids funny woman, 44, donned a blonde wig and pretended to struggle to read the teleprompter, in an hilarious skit at the ceremony in Santa Monica, California

Awkward: Faye Dunawa, 77, was at the heart of the car-crash envelope mix-up which saw the wrong film awarded Best Picture at the Oscars last year

She also reached for an abundance of tissues from her purse.

Dunaway infamously botched the announcement of the Best Picture winner last year, alongside Warren Beatty.

The pair were handed the wrong envelope, with Dunaway impatiently cutting off Beatty's hesitance when he saw the wrong title on the card.

In character: Flanked by John Mulaney and Nick Kroll, Kristen channeled the star's old school Hollywood glamour in a fur wrap and satin gloves

In the spirit: She covered up her beaded sky blue gown, and for a short time wore giant tinted eye glasses

What's happening? The SNL star joked around - straining to read Elizabeth Olsens name from the teleprompter

Crowd pleaser: She pretended to be the 77-year-old actress to the amusement of the hosts and audience

Playing for laughs: She also reached for an abundance of tissues from her purse and grabbed Mulaney and Kroll by the wrists

Renegade awards: The star was welcomed on stage in character

Fun: Kristen pulled no punches with her funny but kind impersonation

Hilarious: The SNL star brought a lot of humour to the Santa Monica proceedings

'La La Land,' she announced and the La La Land team took to the stage for minutes, even making acceptance speeches before producer Jordan Horowitz corrected the record, telling the the audience there had been a mistake.

Host Jimmy Kimmel stepped in to award the Academy Award correctly to Moonlight.

The Bonnie and Clyde twosome are set to reunite tomorrow, to present the Best Picture award again.

They are the joke team: The host of the awards show were Nick Kroll and John Mulaney

It's not the first time Kristen Wiig has sorted a wig to liven up a awards ceremony with a comedy sketch.

She joined Maddie Ziegler in a Sia-style blonde bob, in the 2015 Grammy awards, to dance to Chandelier.

Kristen is tipped to play a villain in Wonder Woman 2, according to Deadline earlier this week.

She's been lined up to play Cheetah, in the sequel to the Gal Gadot hit movie.In 2013 she got her first movie role in director-writer James Franco's 2013 biopic Bukowski about the famous writer.

And when Camila Morrone appeared on The Late, Late Show With James Corden on Thursday, she admitted that she hadn't prepped for the audition because she hadn't expected to get the part.

The 20-year-old dished: 'It was such a big role, such a big studio movie, I kinda went in thinking, "Whatever," I didn't get too much in my head about it.'

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Talking about her acting break: Model-turned-actress Camila Morrone appeared on The Late, Late Show With James Cordon and rocker Robert Plant on Thursday

The shock came when Camila, who is Leo DiCaprio's current girlfriend, actually landed the part.

In desperation, she told her agent: 'I don't know how to do this, I don't know how to act.'

So she said she rang her step-dad describing him coyly 'as a very established actor,' leaving James to point out that he is, in fact, Al Pacino.

The 77-year-old has been with Camila's mother Lucila Sola, 38, for seven years but they are not married.

Dishing on 'step-dad': The 20-year-old revealed she turned to 'step-dad' Al Pacino, 77, for acting advice when she got her first role and he told her. 'you're fine, you're 19, no one cares'

So she rang him saying: 'Al I don't know what to do,' and she said he was more than happy to help and invited her to his place to read the script.

Two hours later after they finished the script she asked: 'So what do I do? What is acting? How do I do it? I don't KNOW how to cry.'

And proving what a fine actress she is, Camila did a great take off of her step-dad when she revealed he said: 'Just be yourself, if you don't cry that's fine, just react to the act, and you'll be fine.'

Getting ready: The beauty shared this Instagram snap of her team prepping her for her appearance, captioned, 'I would say it takes a village, but it takes more than just a village'

And the audience fell about when she added, still in Al's voice: 'You're fine, you're 19, no one cares.'

The Miami-born beauty will next play Bruce Willis and Elisabeth Shue's onscreen daughter Jordan Kersey in Eli Roth's remake of the 1974 vigilante flick Death Wish.

It hit US theaters on Friday and is due out in the UK on April 6.Sean Penn managed to lure two famous Brads - Cooper and Pitt - to his star-studded book party, which took place Friday night at Giorgio Baldi in the Pacific Palisades.

The hot-tempered 57-year-old actor beamed with pride surrounded by his famous pals, who all took home a copy of his 'darkly funny' debut novel Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff.

The two-time Oscar winner's 176-page fiction effort about a 'modern American man, entrepreneur, and part-time assassin' will be by published by Atria Books on March 27.

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Leading men: Sean Penn (M) managed to lure two famous Brads - Cooper (L) and Pitt (R) - to his star-studded book party, which took place Friday night at Giorgio Baldi in the Pacific Palisades

Penn will kick off his first reading/Q&A tour for Bob Honey on April 10 at the Osher Marin JCC's Hoytt Theater in San Rafael.

While outside the Italian restaurant, Sean and the 54-year-old Oscar-winning producer chatted up chatted up Jill Vedder, the wife of the Pearl Jam frontman.

The War Machine silver fox and the twice-divorced father-of-two have collaborated onscreen only twice - in Being John Malkovich (1999) and The Tree of Life (2011).

Pitt looked dapper in his navy blazer, matching scarf, black pants, and flatcap as wll as brown boots for the celebrity outing.

In pocket: The hot-tempered 57-year-old actor beamed with pride surrounded by his famous pals, who all took home a copy of his 'darkly funny' debut novel Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff

Hitting shelves March 27! The two-time Oscar winner's 176-page fiction effort is about a 'modern American man, entrepreneur, and part-time assassin'

Turning on the charm: While outside the Italian restaurant, Sean and the 54-year-old Oscar-winning producer (L) chatted up Jill Vedder (R), the wife of the Pearl Jam frontman

Castmates: The War Machine silver fox and the twice-divorced father-of-two have collaborated onscreen only twice - in Being John Malkovich (1999) and The Tree of Life (2011)

Still got it: Pitt looked dapper in his navy blazer, matching scarf, black pants, and flatcap as wll as brown boots for the celebrity outing

Far-fetched? With Brad's 2016 separation from wife Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston's February separation from husband Justin Theroux, fans are now rooting for a reconciliation

With Brad's 2016 separation from wife Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston's February separation from husband Justin Theroux, fans of the ex-couple are now rooting for a reconciliation.

Friday marked date night for 43-year-old Cooper and his babymama Irina Shayk, who will celebrate their daughter Lea de Seine's first birthday on March 21.

The four-time Oscar nominee and the 32-year-old Lions Model will then celebrate their second anniversary of their romance in April.

The Russian beauty (born Shaykhlislamova) looked ravishing in a red shirt-dress, sky-high platforms, and matching lipstick as she covered up in a black maxi-coat.

Fancy feet: Friday marked date night for 43-year-old Cooper and his babymama Irina Shayk, who will celebrate their daughter Lea de Seine's first birthday on March 21

Devoted Eagles fan: The four-time Oscar nominee and the 32-year-old Lions Model will then celebrate their second anniversary of their romance in April

Scarlet fever: The Russian beauty (born Shaykhlislamova) looked ravishing in a red shirt-dress, sky-high platforms, and matching lipstick as she covered up in a black maxi-coat

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 stud will next reprise his role as genetically-modified raccoon Rocket in Avengers: Infinity War, which hits UK theaters April 27 and US theaters May 4.

Also there was Big Little Lies scene stealer Laura Dern, who co-starred with Penn in I Am Sam back in 2001.

The 51-year-old Star Wars stunner - who relies on stylist Cristina Ehrlich - wore a black quilted leather jacket over a matching maxi-dress and boots.

The two-time Oscar nominee - whose parents Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern also have Oscar nods - gave a social media shout-out to all the nominees and presenters this Sunday.

Yes! Also there was Big Little Lies scene stealer Laura Dern, who co-starred with Penn in I Am Sam back in 2001

Head-to-toe black: The 51-year-old Star Wars stunner - who relies on stylist Cristina Ehrlich - wore a quilted leather jacket over a maxi-dress and boots

'Celebrate art!' The two-time Oscar nominee - whose parents Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern also have Oscar nods - gave a social media shout-out to all the nominees and presenters

Laura captioned a mother-daughter snap from her first ceremony: 'May this face remind us to celebrate art and also take everything else with a grain of salt.'

While waiting for her car at the valet, Dern hung out with Eddie Vedder, whose song Guaranteed was on the soundtrack to Sean's directorial effort Into the Wild.

The 53-year-old grunge rock icon also performed his song Out of Sand on episode 16 of Twin Peaks third season starring Dern.

Vedder's (born Severson) Grammy-winning band will kick off their next tour on March 13 at Chile's Movistar Arena in Santiago.

Valet: Dern hung out with Eddie Vedder, whose song Guaranteed was on the soundtrack to Sean's directorial effort Into the WildThe wildly popular NBC show Friends ended way back in 2004.

But the female stars of the show, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston are all still remarkably close it seems.

According to Us Weekly the trio stays in touch via a standard group text chain.

Keeping in touch! The female stars of the show Friends, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston, are all still remarkably close it seems

While Lisa and Jennifer have apparently embraced the conversation, it seems Courteney, 53, doesn't love the format.

'Lisa, Jennifer and I all have a text chain, but to me its too much pressure. Im not into the group text chain,' said the Cougar Town star, before admitting 'I really dont like it!'

Lisa, 54, who last appeared in several episodes of the Netflix hit Grace and Frankie, added 'its a lot.'

Courteney went on to lament 'and then you have something funny to say and you say it but then you send the text and they dont get it.'

Classic tv! Of course Lisa (L), Courteney (C) and Jennifer(R) played Phoebe Buffay, Monica Gellar and Rachel Green respectively in the 10-year-running comedy

Of course Lisa, Courtney and Jennifer played Phoebe Buffay, Monica Gellar and Rachel Green respectively in the 10-year-running comedy.

The duo talked to the magazine at the Burn To Remember event, which took place in West Hollywood and was designed to honor first responders.

Notably absent from the occasion was Jen, 49, who just last week announced a surprise split with her husband of two years Justin Theroux.

The pair said in a statement that the decision to part 'was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year.' They said they would continue to be friends.

Nothing fancy! The trio stays in touch via a standard group text chain

It has since been reported that the actor broke up with the former Friends star because she refused to live in his New York pad, instead of her lavish Bel Air home.

While Aniston did stay with him at his East Coast hangout, their different lifestyles played a part in their decision to end their marriage, according to People.

'During his relationship with Jen, Justins life in N.Y.C. was always very different from his L.A. life,' an Aniston source told the magazine.

'In N.Y.C., he acted more like a single guy. He went out with his single friends and sometimes would have very little contact with Jen for days,' the source revealed.U.S. Secret Service agents stand guard on the north side of the White House after a man shot himself in front of the White House, Washington D.C., the United States, on March 3, 2018. The man who shot himself in front of the White House on Saturday was dead, said local police. The man, who was not identified yet, was in a large crowd when he fired the gun, the Washington Post reported, citing witnesses. (Xinhua/Yang Chenglin)

WASHINGTON, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The man who shot himself in front of the White House on Saturday was dead, said local police.

The man, who was not identified yet, was in a large crowd when he fired the gun, the Washington Post reported, citing witnesses.

One video posted on social media showed hundreds of people running away as sirens blared in the background and emergency vehicles sped toward the scene.

Secret Service spokeswoman Cathy Milhoan said the male suffered a single gunshot wound and that Secret Service personnel didn't fire any shots.

U.S. President Donald Trump was not at the White House at the time of the shooting. He is at West Palm Beach in the state of Florida and is expected to return to Washington D.C. Saturday evening.

The incident occurred just before noon, putting the White House on a lockdown while reporters were temporarily sent down to the basement.

"Secret Service personnel are responding to reports of a person who allegedly suffered a self-inflicted gun shot wound along the north fence line of @WhiteHouse," the Secret Service tweeted.

"No other reported injuries related to the incident at @WhiteHouse," said the Secret Service.

"We are aware of the incident," White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said. "The President has been briefed."

The incident came days after a vehicle hit a security barrier near the White House, resulting in the arrest and charge of a 35-year-old female driver.His Married At First Sight bride Carly Bowyer was caught passionately kissing her co-star Troy Delmege last month.

But it appears wealthy groom Justin Fischer isn't taking the news too hard.

In pictures exclusively obtained by Daily Mail Australia, the soft serve entrepreneur is seen getting cosy with two blonde women in a New Zealand bar earlier this week.

Where's Carly? Married At First Sight's 'millionaire' groom Justin Fischer has been spotted looking very cosy with a mystery blonde at a bar in New Zealand

While drinking at the busy Auckland venue, Justin chatted away to a pretty young lady who seemingly couldn't keep her hands off the businessman.

The unidentified woman, who wore a festive pink hat for her night out, appeared to be whispering in Justin's ear while touching him on the chest.

Bright-eyed Justin, 41, certainly seemed to be enjoying himself as he smiled and gazed at his talkative new friend.

New friends! While drinking at the busy Auckland venue, Justin chatted away to a pretty young lady who seemingly couldn't keep her hands off the businessman

Justin's marketing manager wife Carly was nowhere to be seen, but the MAFS star was still wearing his wedding ring during the outing.

It was a successful night of networking for the self-made 'millionaire', who was also spotted sharing a lively conversation with a second mystery lady.

The new friends appeared to really hit it off, with Justin seen leaning in to speak with the woman, who wore a tight-fitting white singlet.

What fun! Bright-eyed Justin, 41, certainly appeared to be enjoying himself as he smiled and gazed at his talkative new friend

Justin's experience on Married At First Sight has been something of an emotional roller coaster, as he's struggled to find a 'spark' with Carly.

But despite their problems with intimacy, they both decided to stay at last Sunday's commitment ceremony.

The businessman and father-of-two is the founder and CEO of Brullen, which makes the soft serve ice cream and frozen yoghurt machines.

That's not Carly! It was a successful night of networking for the self-made 'millionaire', who was also spotted sharing a lively conversation with a second mystery lady

What's going on here? The new friends appeared to really hit it off, with Justin seen leaning in to speak with the woman, who wore a tight-fitting white singlet

He established the business in 1998 and runs it alongside his brother, Scott.

He also owns Ruggito Coffee - a coffee supplier with clients purportedly including McDonald's - and Cafequip, which provides equipment for hospitality businesses.

Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel NineM*A*S*H actor David Ogden Stiers has passed away at the age of 75 following a battle with bladder cancer.

The Emmy nominated star died peacefully at his home in Newport, Oregon on Saturday, his agent Mitchell K. Stubbs announced on Twitter on Saturday.

'I am very sad to report that David died this morning March 3, 2018 peacefully at his home in Newport, Oregon after a courageous battle with bladder cancer. His talent was only surpassed by his heart,' read the message.

Tragic: The star of M*A*S*H, David Ogden Stiers, has passed away at the age of 75 following a battle with bladder cancer (pictured 2016 in Beverly Hills)

Stiers starred as Major Charles Winchester on the hit series M*A*S*H from 1977 to 1983.

The role landed Stiers two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series.

The prolific actor has also previously appeared in the Mary Tyler Moore show, North and South, and Murder, She Wrote.

Stiers' long career began more than 40 years ago with roles in Kojak, Doc, and even Charlie's Angels.

Hit role: Stiers (far R) starred as Maj. Charles Winchester on the smash hit series M*A*S*H from 1977 to 1983

Aside from appearing in front of the camera, Stiers also lent his voice to a number of roles, including Cogsworth in Beauty And The Beast, Governor Ratcliffe in Pocahontas, and Kamaji in Spirited Away.

He most recently appeared in the TV movie The Joneses Unplugged, Neil Stryker and the Tyrant of Time, and the Regular Show.

Born in Peoria, Illinois, Stiers briefly attended the University Of Oregon before eventually relocating to San Francisco, where he began doing improv and performing for the Actors Workshop.

Critically acclaimed: The role landed Stiers two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series (Stiers pictured far R)

He also studied at the world famous Juilliard School.

In 2009 Stiers came out publicly as gay, explaining to Gossip-Boy.com he was 'very proud to be so.'

'I wish to spend my life's twilight being just who I am,' he told the website at the time. 'I could claim noble reasons as coming out in order to move gay rights forward, but I must admit it is for far more selfish reasons. Now is the time I wish to find someone, and I do not desire to force any potential partner to live a life of extreme discretion with me.'

The critically acclaimed actor has been nominated for a total of three Emmy awards and was also a resident conductor for the Newport Symphony.She's the Australian model who runs the eponymous clothing brand Roser The Label.

And Natalie Roser proved she is her own best advertisement on Sunday, sharing an Instagram photo of herself modelling one of her collection's sold-out bikinis.

The 27-year-old, who is dating Neighbours actor Harley Bonner, flaunted her flawless physique in the skimpy, monochrome two-piece.

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Scorching: Natalie Roser proved she is her own best advertisement on Sunday, sharing an Instagram photo of herself modelling one of her collection's sold-out bikinis

The statuesque model proudly promoted her swimwear line as she posed in the entryway of a spacious apartment overlooking the beach.

'Morning swims! This bikini has sold out on my website, I have a couple of others up online but at the rate they're going youll need to be quick,' she wrote in the caption.

Her legion of Instagram followers soon flocked to the comments section to praise her stunning figure.

Savvy: Natalie keenly promotes her Roser The Label brand on her popular Instagram account

'I'll buy one if you promise I'll look like this,' wrote former Miss Tourism Australia Sarah Czarnuch.

'Ha! Easy done. You've got that covered,' replied an equally complimentary Natalie.

The Newcastle-born beauty shared the secrets of her self-confidence in an interview with Women's Health last year.

'I relaxed and started to take care of myself': The Newcastle-born beauty shared the secrets of her self-confidence in an interview with Women's Health last year

She noted how overseas model agencies weren't as accepting of her as Australian ones, with one reportedly saying: 'We'd sign you, but you need to lose a couple inches on your hips.'

But Natalie maintained: 'I'm not going to change my body shape, habits and eating when I know that I look healthy.

'It's about what the client is looking for and once I realised I didn't fit the bikinis or clothes the way they wanted, I relaxed and started to take care of myself.'Katie Price has previously revealed she is divorcing third husband Kieran Hayler, after he admitted having a year-long affair with their children's nanny.

But it seems that she has set a deadline for the end of the marriage, reportedly expressing a desire to be divorced 'by the end of the summer'.

In a further development, the former glamour model, 39, is allegedly allowing her adulterous ex to remain living in her mansion with her.

Katie Price 'wants to be divorced from third husband Kieran Hayler by the summer'... and is 'allowing him to live with her so he can work on her farm'

Despite ending the marriage, Katie is said to believe it's best for the two children they share together - Jett, four and Bunny, three - if Kieran remains in close quarters . She also wants him to stick around and work on the farm she has on the grounds of the house.

According to The Mirror, all this is in the name of keeping things 'amicable'.

'The moment he slept with her best friend, that was when it was over,' the source told the publication, referring to Kieran's past indiscretions which saw him having affairs with Katie's close friends Jane Poutney and Chrissy Thomas in 2014.

'She has done everything to make it work but said, she wont go on living a lie,' the source went on. 'At the moment, they co-habit. But she is unhappy. Being no stranger to divorce, she wants it amicable.

Fun on the farm: Horse lover Katie also wants him to stick around and work on the farm she has on the grounds of the house

'The kids are their focus and having him around is good for them. He will stay in the house as long as they can stick it out to help maintain the property and care for the kids.'

MailOnline has contacted a rep for Katie for comment.

The Sun reported previously that mother-of-five Katie had caught her ex stripper husband sending intimate emails to their nanny Nikki Brown.

The Loose Women panelist said: 'I was gutted. For a year I was basically paying her to f*** my husband.

'They had sex everywhere except in our bedroom, they even did it in the kids bathroom.'

Affair: Kieran previously cheated on Katie with her best friend Jane Poutney (Jane pictured next to Katie at a premiere months before the affair was made public)

Katie, who has been married to Kieran for more than four years said she had cried and screamed 'like a lunatic' as her husband confessed.

She said: 'When I confronted him he denied it at first, even when I said shed admitted it. I was crying, asking, "How could you do this to me again?"'

But Katie revealed that seconds after he admitted his third affair, Kieran had accused her of cheating by sending texts to other men behind his back.

She said she had but it was merely as a 'self-defence mechanism' as she suspected her was sleeping around.

As well as children Jett, four and Bunny, three, with Kieran, Katie is also mother to Harvey, 15, with Dwight Yorke and Junior, 12 and Princess, 10 with Peter Andre.

This will be Katie's third divorce, she was previously married to Peter Andre from 2005 to 2009 and Alex Reid from 2010-2011.

Katie and Kieran married in the Bahamas in January 2013, just five weeks after they first met, and when Katie was pregnant with Jett.

The former couple met through Katie's best friends Gary Cockerill and Phil Turner

Former loves: Katie enjoyed a short-lived marriage to cage fighter Alex Reid, which ended in 2011 after 11 months

In the past: Katie was previously married to Peter Andre from 2005 till 2009 - after they met in the I'm A Celebrity! jungle

The couple's seemingly sturdy marriage was rocked to its core in 2014 when Katie discovered Kieran and Jane becoming intimate on a sun-lounger during a group holiday to Cape Verde - after which she knocked out her rival's tooth.

Katie and Jane had known each other for 20 years when the 10-month affair came to light, and the latter was even maid of honour at Katie's weddings to Alex Reid and Kieran.

After Katie rumbled the pair's affair, which started when she was heavily pregnant with Jett and in hospital, and made Kieran undergo a lie detector test, she took to Twitter to announce she was divorcing him.

Days before she had revealed she was six-months pregnant with daughter Bunny.

Engagement: Katie was engaged to Argentinian model Leandro Penna who she met at Elton John's Oscars party in 2011 but split at the end of 2012

Snubbed: Rumours of tensions in the couple's marriage had swirled for months with Katie not wearing her wedding ring, and after she was spotted leaving a hotel with Geordie Shore star Scotty T- although he rubbished claims of an affair

She later made the shocking revelation that Kieran had bedded another close friend, former glamour model Chrissy Thomas, who Katie had known since she was 18.

The affair revelations continued as Katie detailed in her autobiography Love, Lipstick and Lies that Kieran used to meet Jane in a carpark for unprotected sex and that the pair had romped in her horse stables after she held a onesie themed New Year's party.

After initially announcing she was leaving her third husband via Twitter, Katie had a change of heart after she revealed Kieran was a sex addict who was hooked on the thrill and was seeking professional help for his addiction.

She also she would have left the plasterer turned farmer if she hadn't been pregnant.He's the Married At First Sight husband who has been forced to deny rumours he's gay after struggling to find a spark with wife Gabrielle Bartlett.

And on Sunday, Nasser Sultan took a step further and hit back against trolls who had posted 'homophobic' and suggestive comments below a now-deleted photo of the 50-year-old personal trainer celebrating Mardi Gras with his friends.

Nasser's photo - which he removed as a result of the unkind comments left by some of his followers - showed him sitting on a couch alongside several scantily-clad men.

On Sunday, Nasser Sultan hit back against trolls who had posted 'homophobic' and suggestive comments below a now-deleted photo of him celebrating Mardi Gras with his friends

'It's shocking behaviour,' Nasser told Daily Mail Australia, admitting he just wanted to celebrate Saturday night's Pride event with friends.

'I posted it to show my support for my friends and neighbours.

'Then it got heated to the point of people slagging me off so I deleted it.'

'People slagging me off': Nasser's photo, which he removed as a result of the unkind comments left by some of his followers, showed him sitting on a couch with several scantily-clad men

Don't listen to them, Nasser! The MAFS star, who lives in Surry Hills, said he just wanted to celebrate the event with friends and neighbours. Pictured: Nasser and his co-star Justin

While some of the comments were inoffensive or even supportive, others were unkind or of a suggestive nature.

In the photo's caption, Nasser wished friends a joyous Mardi Gras, and even added a cheeky hashtag which referenced his wife Gabrielle's famous put-down, 'Bad luck, Donald Duck!'

'Happy Mardi Gras everyone!' he wrote, adding the hashtags 'MAFS', 'love', 'peace', 'Donald Duck, 'Cher', 'Backstage' and 'VIP'.

'I am 110 per cent not gay': It comes after Nasser flatly denied being gay during an interview on KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie Show alongside his on-screen wife Gabrielle

It comes after Nasser flatly denied being gay during an interview on KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie Show alongside his on-screen wife Gabrielle.

Kyle asked the Surry Hills resident: 'A lot of my gay friends are saying, 'He's gay, that Nasser, you're gay'... They want you to be gay!'

Nasser was flattered by his popularity among gay MAFS viewers, but ultimately clarified: 'I am 110 per cent not gay.'

Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel NineShe has been enjoying a sun-kissed getaway in Mauritius over the past few days.

But after the weather turned rainy on Sunday, Skye Wheatley swapped her bikinis for lace lingerie as she posed for an Instagram photoshoot on her villa's balcony.

The 24-year-old showed off her holiday glow and eye-popping cleavage while striking her signature sultry pose for the camera

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Racy in lace! After the weather turned rainy on Sunday, Skye Wheatley swapped her bikinis for lace lingerie as she posed for an Instagram photoshoot on her villa's balcony in Mauritius

'Enjoying the rain in Gooseberry Intimates,' she captioned the photo.

Promoting the French lingerie label, Skye posed in a $155 ensemble featuring a lacy bralette and high-waisted briefs.

Channeling the island vibes, the former reality TV star styled her blonde hair in loose beachy waves.

Indoor day: The weather must have kept Skye indoors for most of the day, because she later took to her Instagram Story to share another sultry lingerie photo

The weather must have kept Skye indoors for most of the day, because she later took to her Instagram Story to share another racy lingerie photo.

She modelled the same underwear design but this time in black, and covered up in a white silk pyjama top which retails for $90.

Quite the traveller, the Gold Coast makeup artist traveled to Bangkok in 2015 for a $3,800 breast augmentation - despite her family's misgivings about the surgery.

Holiday vibes: She has been enjoying a sun-kissed getaway in Mauritius over the past few days

Skye later revealed that the surgery was 'botched' and had left her with a 'double bubble' in one breast.

In 2016, she made a trip down to Sydney where she paid a local surgeon $28,000 to fix the surgical 'error'.

Skye first rose to fame in after placing third in the 2014 season of Big Brother.She's wowing Australian audiences with her 'Art of the Teese' burlesque tour.

Now Dita Von Teese has dished on her positive working relationship with two Melbourne-based businesswomen, Helen Anderson and Lara Brockhurst.

The 45-year-old spoke to the Herald Sun on Sunday about the trio's successful revival of Dita Von Teese Lingerie and her lasting passion for sexy nightwear.

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Success: Dita Von Teese has dished on her positive working relationship with two Melbourne-based businesswomen, Helen Anderson and Lara Brockhurst, for her eponymous lingerie line

Dita, born Heather Renee Sweet, was interviewed at the company's Richmond headquarters as she worked on a new collection alongside Helen and Lara.

'When Helen and Lara approached me six years ago we instantly connected,' she told the newspaper.

'Id always wanted to do something with lingerie, my first job was in a lingerie store when I was 15,' she explained.

'Id always wanted to do something with lingerie, my first job was in a lingerie store when I was 15,' she explained

'My pin-up career and my burlesque career all started with my fascination with lingerie and wanting to be photographed in it and seen in it,' she added.

Her eponymous lingerie label was revived by Helen and Lara's new company AB Enterprises last year, after the trio initially launched the brand back in 2013.

The company currently distributes the collection globally through major international retailers including Harrods, Selfridges, Bloomingdales and Nordstroms.

'My pin-up career and my burlesque career all started with my fascination with lingerie and wanting to be photographed in it and seen in it,' she added

Daring: Her eponymous lingerie label was revived by Helen and Lara's new company AB Enterprises last year, after the trio initially launched the brand back in 2013

Dita arrived in February for her Australian tour and has shared numerous Instagram snaps from her travels to Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

She has delivered performance acts never seen in the country before including 'Lazy', a show only ever previously featured at The Crazy Horse in Paris.

Her last Australian tour was in 2016, with every show of the successful run sold-out.Strictly Come Dancing's Anton Du Beke has shown support for Brendan Cole after the professional dancer waltzed with the Duchess of Cornwall at Buckingham Palace in December last year.

In an interview with The Mirror, the performer, 51, clarified the rules on dancing with the royals: 'Its not that you are not allowed to dance with the royals but you are not allowed to put them in an uncomfortable position and not really allowed to address them personally.'

The professional ballroom dancer admitted that he would have taken the chance to share a few moves with Camilla if the New Zealand native hadn't danced with her.

Defence: Strictly Come Dancing's Anton du Beke has shown support for Brendan Cole's waltz with the Duchess of Cornwall, which took place at Buckingham Palace in December last year

Revealing Brendan's brave approach at the osteoporosis charity event, the Hole in the Wall host divulged: 'Craig Revel Horwood was due to dance with her but Brendan said to her, I dont know if you would like to have a little dance. But it certainly wasnt a thing.

During the discussion, the Hole in the Wall host spoke out about his failed efforts to grab a dance with the wife of Charles, the Prince of Wales: 'Camilla is lovely and I was chatting to her myself...In fact he [Brendan] only danced with her because I didnt get there quick enough. I would have had a go myself!'

This interview comes after Brendan denied claims he was fired from the BBC show for breaching protocol when he waltzed with the Duchess.

Hitting back: Brendan Cole, 41, denied claims he was fired from the BBC show for breaching protocol when he waltzed with the Duchess (pictured December 2017)

According to The Sun, the Dancing With The Stars judge left show bosses furious after he disobeyed orders and asked Camilla to dance during the series' Christmas special.

The publication added that Brendan's actions left show runners up in arms that he broke his rank, which was allegedly the 'last straw' and proved he 'couldn't be controlled'.

While a senior Strictly source told the publication: 'The event had been very carefully orchestrated, largely due to Craigs friendship with Camilla  and everyone, including Brendan, had been given an extremely clear briefing.

'...Each of the professionals was to pair up with the guests while Craig danced with Camilla. But Brendan being Brendan had to make it about him and ignored everyone and made a beeline for Camilla  who politely didnt cause a scene.

In light of the claims, a spokeswoman for Brendan denied the reports to MailOnline: 'I can confirm that these assertions are absolutely, categorically untrue. There was no such brief from BBC.'

MailOnline also contacted a rep for Strictly Come Dancing.

The latest reports come after furious Strictly producers 'sacked fiery Brendan after 13 years and 15 series on the show for creating negative press and for his on-air outbursts,' saying that 'no one is bigger than the show', sources told MailOnline in January.

The professional dancer broke down in tears on ITV's Lorraine as he revealed he has been axed - and a source told MailOnline: 'Producers were said to be furious over his recent interview, in which he criticised his celebrity partners.

End of the road: The professional dancer broke down in tears on ITV's Lorraine as he revealed he has been axed (pictured January 2017)

'Theyve always tolerated his rows with the judges as it creates drama and acceptable headlines but this was a step too far.'

Another source said: 'The producers believe no one is bigger than the show.'

The emotional star, who famously rowed with new head judge, Shirley Ballas, during the last series, as well as Bruno Tonioli, talked about his shock sacking on rival channel, ITV, and said: 'This is hard to talk about. The BBC havent renewed my contract.'

He added: 'They have made an editorial decision not to have me back on the show. I have had 15 incredible series on the show, they are a great team. I am very disappointed. Its an editorial decision. I will never know the ins and outs.'

Meanwhile, a second source told MailOnline: 'The judges did not want him back. The rows he had in the last series with judges Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli were the last straw.

The BBC told MailOnline in January: 'Wed like to thank Brendan for being part of the show since the beginning - winner of the first series - and for the contribution he has made to its success. We wish him all the very best for the future.'Things are set to go dramatically south for Married At First Sight's Gabrielle Bartlett and Nasser Sultan on Sunday night's commitment ceremony.

In a preview for the episode, Gabrielle hints she will abandon the experiment while speaking to fellow contestant Tracey Jewel about the state of her relationship with Nasser.

'I will leave on my terms, I've had too much experience to be played like a doormat,' she says.

It's over? In a preview for Sunday's MAFS commitment ceremony, Gabrielle Bartlett hints she will leave her 'marriage' to Nasser Sultan during a one-on-one chat with Tracey Jewel

Tracey, who has dealt with her own cheating scandal on the show, tells Gabrielle that she 'has to follow her gut'.

'You're a strong woman,' the self-described relationship expert advises.

Speaking to the camera in her one-on-one interview Gabrielle explains: 'There's a basic standard for how I like to be treated and what I'll tolerate.'

She continues: 'If I say "stay", I don't want it to compromise the basic set of standards I have for myself and I don't want to throw away those values.

'I will leave on my terms  I've had too much experience to be played like a doormat.'

So. Much. Drama! 'I will leave on my terms  I've had too much experience to be played like a doormat,' Gabrielle says in a preview video released on Sunday afternoon

Tensions between Nasser and Gabrielle surfaced during home stays, after the mother-of-one complained her husband was only interested in her when the cameras were rolling.

At the time, Gabrielle confessed that she felt both 'isolated' and 'alone'.

MAFS viewers were sent into a meltdown by the preview clip, with several fans telling Gabrielle to cut her losses and dump Nasser.

'He's a prick... plain and simple': MAFS viewers were sent into a meltdown by the preview, with several fans telling Gabrielle to cut her losses and dump Nasser

'He's a prick... plain and simple,' wrote a supportive fan.

White another wrote: 'Didn't take Donald Duck long to show the kind of man he is. Onward and upwards, Gab!'

Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel NineShe's the Australian actress who rose to fame in the 2006 film Candy, starring opposite Heath Ledger.

And Abbie Cornish looked every inch the glamorous movie star as she arrived at Vanity Fair's exclusive party in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

Known for her bold sartorial choices, the 35-year-old kept her look the perfect combination of conservative and chic.

Bold sartorial choice: Abbie Cornish looked every inch the glamorous movie star as she arrived at Vanity Fair's exclusive party in Beverly Hills on Thursday

The Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri actress paired a sheer, lace pussycat bow blouse with structured maroon trousers.

Proving she's a master of the art of fashion and elegance, Abbie wore a simple black spaghetti-strap shirt below her elaborate longsleeve top.

Finishing off her look with streamlined pantsuit bottoms, she offered just a glimpse of the tips of her black pointed high heels.

Beauty in black! Proving she's a master of the art of fashion and elegance, Abbie wore a simple spaghetti-strap top below an elaborate, lace pussycat bow blouse

To accessorise, Abbie opted for minimalist pieces, including a black clutch and simple gold earrings.

Keeping her makeup sweet and playful, Abbie left her skin fresh-faced and dewy with a subtle highlight.

Adding touches of pink to her cheeks and lips, she flashed her Hollywood smile for the cameras while posing for photographs.

Less is more! To accessorise, Abbie opted for minimalist pieces, including a black clutch and simple gold earrings

Opting for a rose-hued lip, the Sucker Punch star kept her eye makeup minimal, adding a simple swipe of mascara across her lashes.

Left slick and parted slightly to the side, Abbie's golden blonde hair was worn out and tucked behind her ears.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is in cinemas now.Political advisers have identified some of the key areas for legislators drawing up China's first property tax, including who will set the rates.

The legislation, under discussion for several years, is seen as an essential part of the structural reform to improve local governments' tax systems, Liu Shangxi, head of the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences, said on Saturday.

"The legal framework is expected to clarify whether provincial governments will be able to determine their own tax rates" based on local conditions, said Liu, who is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

He said decisions are also expected on how much of the tax will go to a local government's coffers, as well as who is expected to payall homeowners or just those with multiple properties.

Liu suggested making property tax a type of regulation tax, meaning that it would only start to be levied on individuals after they have acquired a certain number of properties, pushing them over a threshold, which would save housing resources and narrow the gap between rich and poor.

"Property tax is necessary now, but everything should wait until the draft legislation," he added.

The Chinese government is working on a long-term mechanism to support stable and healthy development of the property market, to push forward structural reform and prevent potential risks.

Liu Shijin, former deputy head of the State Council's Development Research Center, has predicted local authorities will probably have relatively large discretion over tax rates and collection.

Issues of public concern will be considered during the legislative process and reasonable solutions will be found, Liu, a CPPCC National Committee member, told Securities Times.

Xiao Jie, the finance minister, wrote in a People's Daily article that China's property tax will be a crucial part of the next phase of reform.

"The tax will be charged based on assessed values of commercial and industrial properties, as well as personal residential housing," he said.

Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics for Oxford Economics, said putting property tax on the legislative agenda in 2018 could mean introducing it in parts of the country in late 2019 or 2020.

"While we think a property tax is important as a stable revenue source for local governments, the initial rate is likely to be set fairly low," he said.Jessica Alba was snapped taking a walk with her two-month-old baby son Hayes Alba Warren strapped to her front in West Hollywood, California on Saturday.

The Pomona, California native, 36, wore a grey long-sleeved top with matching sweatpants and stone blue sneakers, accessorizing with large hoop earrings and shaded sunglasses.

The Sin City beauty, who has two other children with her husband Cash Warren - daughters Honor, nine, and Haven, six - had her locks pulled back into a ponytail as she made her way around the curvy roads in the showbiz enclave.

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Out and about: Jessica Alba, 36, was snapped taking a walk with her two-month-old baby son Hayes Alba Warren strapped to her front in West Hollywood, California on Saturday

The Dear Eleanor was out a day after announcing via Instagram that she was going to be on a TV adaptation of the film Bad Boys alongside her friend Gabrielle Union, who appeared alongside Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in 2003's Bad Boys 2 as DEA agent Syd Burnett.

On the program, TV Line reported, Alba is set to play Army veteran-turned-investigator Nancy McKenna, who has two stepchildren.

Alba will be an executive producer on the program alongside Jerry Bruckheimer, who was an executive producer on the original film series with the late Don Simpson.

Alba posted a shot of herself alongside Union and actress Olivia Munn in hearkening the exciting project.

On the grind: The actress is always staying active with projects in front of, and behind, the camera, as well as regular workouts

Too cute: Jessica shared this shot of her daughter Honor feeding the baby with a bottle

Coming soon: Alba on Friday revealed she'll be in the adaptation of a Bad Boys TV show with Gabrielle Union. The two were pictured with Olivia Munn

'Cant wait to get back on set as an actor and exec producer,' she said. 'Here's a #fbf #vanityfairoscarparty @oliviamunn probably telling me and @gabunion we'd make really good cops. Detective McKenna and Agent Burnett reporting for duty.'

The spin-off marks Alba's return to show business work since she gave birth to her first son this past New Year's Eve.

Alba has carefully navigated her onscreen career between television and cinema, having past appeared on shows such as Dark Angel, The Spoils of Babylon and Entourage; and in films such as Machete, Fantastic Four and The Love Guru.He was rumoured to have found love with Tara Pavlovic on Bachelor In Paradise.

But it appears Davey Lloyd has all but confirmed their coupling didn't work out, after he shared another intimate Instagram photo with model Sarah Turner on Saturday.

Last month, Davey was pictured passionately kissing Sarah at Cosmopolitan & Tinder's Bachelor of the Year 2018 Awards in Sydney.

Spoiler! It appears Bachelor In Paradise's Davey Lloyd has all but confirmed he isn't dating Tara Pavlovic, after he shared another intimate Instagram photo with Sarah Turner on Saturday

Clearly not feeling shy about their previous encounter, Davey posted two steamy photos of the pair kissing to his Instagram account at the time.

And it appears they hooked up again this weekend, with the former Bachelorette star sharing a bizarre snap of Sarah licking the side of his face.

Sarah, a tanned and tattooed bikini model, appears to run in the social circles of several Bachelor and Bachelorette alumni.

She follows Matty J, Sophie Monk, Apollo Jackson and many others on Instagram.

Hot and heavy: Last month, Davey was pictured passionately kissing Sarah at Cosmopolitan & Tinder's Bachelor of the Year 2018 Awards in Sydney

Showing off? Clearly not feeling shy about the previous encounter, Davey had posted two steamy photos of the pair kissing to his Instagram account at the time

Davey was rumoured to be dating Tara Pavlovic after the pair met while filming Bachelor In Paradise in Fiji last year.

But after hinting they were a couple, he recently updated his Instagram bio to clarify that his is, in fact, 'single'.

A Tinder account apparently belonging to Davey also surfaced online this week.

Just his type! It appears Davey and Sarah hooked up again this weekend. Pictured: Sarah

In January, Davey and Tara hinted they were a couple when they revealed on social media that they were FaceTiming each other.

But it would appear they are just friends and the carpenter is still sowing his wild oats.

Bachelor In Paradise will air on Network Ten later this yearShe infamously said she would 'rather be having a croissant and a little espresso in Paris' than be back home in Australia during a controversial 2012 interview.

And Melissa George appears to still be enjoying her adopted abode, stepping out to attend the Hermes show at Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2018 on Saturday.

The 41-year-old opted for a rock-inspired ensemble complete with tousled hair and minimal makeup as she smiled for paparazzi outside the runway presentation.

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Rock chic: Melissa George opted for a grunge-inspired ensemble complete with tousled hair and minimal makeup as she smiled for paparazzi outside the runway presentation

The actress wore her long blonde locks in a disheveled style that covered half of her face as she waved gingerly at the awaiting cameras outside the show.

She stayed warm in a striking outfit comprised of velvet slacks and a royal blue blazer, paired with mesh stockings and black stilettos.

For additional comfort, the mother of two donned a faux fur coat and carried what appeared to be a camel-hued throw.

Rebellious: The actress wore her long blonde locks in a disheveled style that covered half of her face as she waved gingerly at the awaiting cameras outside the show

In a Sun-Herald interview five years ago, Melissa blasted Australian media for constantly referring to her breakout role as Angel Brooks in Home and Away.

She went as far as to say the sole focus on her early television career had caused her so much stress she was unlikely to ever live in Australia again.

'I don't need credibility from my country any more, I just need them all to be quiet. If they have nothing intelligent to say, please don't speak to me any more,' she stated.

Chic: The Golden Globe nominee stepped out to attend the Hermes show at Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2018 on Saturday

'I'd rather be having a croissant and a little espresso in Paris or walking my French bulldog in New York City,' she quipped.

She did the interview after her Golden Globe nomination for American TV series 'In Treatment' and while dating her now ex-partner, French millionaire Jean-David Blanc.

'I've got to be honest. I'm not going to be a good Aussie any more. I'm going to speak out. I've just had it,' she told the newspaper at the time.She's the Sydney PR Queen whose signature look consists of designer threads, flawless makeup and luscious blonde locks.

But Sweaty Betty founder, Roxy Jacenko, 37, appears to have changed her appearance after rocking a new shorter, cropped hairstyle.

At least that's what a number of her fans thought on Sunday, when the high-flying publicist shared a glamorous selfie to Instagram.

New look? Sydney PR queen Roxy Jacenko, 37, has debuted a glamorous shorter updo to Instagram, with a number of fans thinking she had cut her hair

In the close-up snap, the PR maven shows fans what her hair would look like shorter, while relaxing on the leather seat of her Bentley.

While it is unclear whether she actually chopped off her locks, an overwhelming number of fans instantly complimented the 'new' hairstyle.

One wrote: 'Gorgeous! PS how good would you look with short hair,' while another fan noted,'I love this subtle look on you. So pretty.'

Crowning glory! The Sydney PR queen regularly flaunts her trademark long blonde hair for client shoots

Another follower wrote: 'Always so pretty I admire you, your [sic] a pleasure to follow and always inspired thank you.'

Meanwhile, Roxy recently took part in a raw interview with Rescu ahead of International Women's Day on March 8.

Set to be released in full next week, the interview promises to reveal 'the real Roxy', illuminating 'the real woman behind the social media veil.'

Luscious locks! the legendary publicist is known for her luscious blonde locks which she regularly styles in a variety of ways

Roxy appears in a short video, saying she's 'super excited' to speak with the website for their 'women of influence' series.

Appearing dressed down for the chat, the blonde has her hair tied back in a tight bun and wears minimal makeup.

Conducting the interview is Roxy's pal Bahar Etminan, editor and founder of the Rescu website.

Candid: Teasing the forthcoming chat, Roxy appears in a short video, saying she's 'super excited' to speak with the website for their 'women of influence' series

Having known the PR maven for more than a decade, Bahar told Daily Mail Australia that even she was 'shocked and surprised' to learn more about her close friend.

Inspirational and influential, there's no doubt Roxy has much to reveal.

The self-made success story went from working at McDonald's to becoming a multi-millionaire after starting her PR agency Sweaty Betty at the tender age of 24.

So much to tell you! Roxy Jacenko is set to tell all in a new interview with Rescu, which is being described as 'candid, uncut and very raw'

The tycoon now boasts three businesses, and is herself the ambassador of several high-powered brands.

Her personal life is just as action-packed, having hit media headlines when her husband Oliver Curtis was jailed for twelve months for insider trading.

The family is now reunited, with Roxy sharing adorable photos of her clan with her 213,000 Instagram followers.He's the former Bachelor star who has been ditching his tailored suits of late.

And Matty Johnson continued his tradie transformation, as he assisted with the development of girlfriend Laura Byrne's new jewellery store in Sydney's Paddington.

A clip shared to the 30-year-old's Instagram Story on Sunday, saw the hunk showing off his tiling and carpentry skills.

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Auditioning for The Block? The Bachelor's Matty Johnson, 30, continued his tradie transformation, as he assisted with the construction of girlfriend Laura Byrne's jewellery store, captured to his Instagram Story on Sunday

Matty, in a black T-shirt and khaki shorts was seen drilling nails into a fence, before sharing with fans his injuries.

'I just want to give all the tradies out there a shout out because I'm two days in and I'm stuffed. I don't think I could do a third day and I'm full of injuries,' the marketing executive told his Instagram followers.

Matty gave a close up look of his injuries, including a blister on his left hand and a flesh would on his right wrist.

Handyman: Matty, in a black T-shirt and khaki shorts was seen drilling nails into a fence, before sharing with fans his injuries

Appreciation: 'I just want to give all the tradies out there a shout out because I'm two days in and I'm stuffed. I don't think I could do a third day and I'm full of injuries,' the marketing executive told his Instagram followers

Despite the physical toll, the reality star had nothing but positive things to say of the progress made so far, revealing that the paving and painting is near-complete.

'Next week it's just the plants and granite and then we're all done!' Matty excitedly shared.

Girlfriend Laura, 30, who Matty chose on the grand finale episode of last year's The Bachelor, is preparing for her first jewellery store, to launch in Sydney next month.

The pair's joint construction efforts is proof their relationship continues to go from strength to strength.

Physical toll: Matty gave a close up look of his injuries, including a blister on his left hand and a flesh would on his right wrist

Near-complete: Despite the physical toll, the reality star had nothing but positive things to say of the progress made so far, revealing that the paving and painting is near-complete. 'Next week it's just the plants and granite and then we're all done!' Matty excitedly shared

In October last year, Laura revealed what life is really like with Matty since the cameras have stopped rolling.

The brunette told The Daily Telegraph: 'I wasn't sure if we would have a normal life. I was worried if things would be too public or too crazy, but it has been wonderful.'

'He doesn't fight...and I hate fighting too. Surprisingly, it is so normal, which has been great, because for a while there I questioned what things would be like,' Laura added.Grown-ish starlet Yara Shahidi looked ready for Easter church service while attending Chanel and Charles Finch's 10th Annual Pre-Oscars Awards Dinner in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The 18-year-old actress wore a pink-floral, Chanel couture scalloped dress fastened with a white belt and nude Brian Atwood pumps selected by stylist Jason Bolden.

Make-up artist Emily Cheng made sure the two-time SAG Award nominee looked flawless at the Madeo Restaurant affair.

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All she needs is a hat! Grown-ish starlet Yara Shahidi looked ready for Easter church service while attending Chanel and Charles Finch's 10th Annual Pre-Oscars Awards Dinner in Los Angeles on Saturday

And hairstylist Nai'vasha Johnson coiffed the 'embellished ponytails' on Yara, who celebrated her 18th birthday with a voter registration party.

Earlier on Saturday, Shahidi - who boasts 2.4M social media followers - posted a dancing video captioned: 'When your internal/external joy align.'

The half-Persian beauty just revealed she was forced to defer her acceptance to Harvard University this year due to her hectic schedule.

Wholesome: The 18-year-old actress wore a pink-floral, Chanel couture scalloped dress fastened with a white belt and nude Brian Atwood pumps selected by stylist Jason Bolden

Minneapolis-born stunner: Make-up artist Emily Cheng made sure the two-time SAG Award nominee looked flawless at the Madeo Restaurant affair

Feminine frock: And hairstylist Nai'vasha Johnson coiffed the 'embellished ponytails' on Yara, who celebrated her 18th birthday with a voter registration party

'Many of my friends started college this year, so I've been asking them if they think I'll have enough space and the ability to prep Blue Apron in my dorm,' the Dwight School grad told Bon Appetit on Friday.

'I'm trying to suss it out. I'm pretty spoiled in terms of ending my day with a home-cooked meal. Right now I have no intention of moving.

'But what's nice is that Cambridge is a university town, so I'll have lots of options. I've been collecting a list of restaurants to go to.'

Earlier on Saturday, Shahidi - who boasts 2.4M social media followers - posted a dancing video captioned: 'When your internal/external joy align'

'I've been collecting a list of Cambridge restaurants': The half-Persian beauty just revealed she was forced to defer her acceptance to Harvard University this year due to her hectic schedule

Dwight School grad: Former First Lady Michelle Obama penned one of Yara's recommendation letters to the Ivy League school where she plans on double majoring in sociology and African-American studies

Former First Lady Michelle Obama penned one of Yara's recommendation letters to the Ivy League school where she plans on double majoring in sociology and African-American studies.

Fans can catch more of Shahidi as Zoey Johnson in her very own spin-off Grown-ish - airing Wednesdays on Freeform - which has already been renewed for a second season.

Meanwhile, the STEM supporter went from regular to recurring status for the fourth season of ABC sitcom Black-ish, which airs Tuesdays.

Already been renewed for a second season! Fans can catch more of Shahidi as Zoey Johnson in her very own spin-off Grown-ish airing Wednesdays on FreeformShe's the Married At First Sight star whose tumultuous relationship with 'husband' Nasser Sultan has made headlines.

But it's not just Gabrielle Bartlett's love life that has people talking, but also her physical similarities with a certain A-list actress.

Instagram fans commented underneath a post by NW magazine on Sunday, that suggested Cameron Diaz to be the reality star's doppelganger.

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'Twins!' Fans consider Cameron Diaz [R], 45, to be Married At First Sight star Gabrielle Bartlett's [L], 44, celebrity doppelganger...but do YOU agree?

A side-by-side image drew attention to the similarities in facial features between blondes Gabrielle, 44, and Cameron, 45.

'Yaasss to whoever made this - we see it!' the celebrity weekly captioned the snap, causing followers to weigh in.

'Wow! Yes!!!' shared one, followed by another with 'twins', however not all Married At First Sight viewers agreed, with one posting 'No way. Nothing alike.'

They agree! Followers weighed in, with one writing in the comments section 'Wow! Yes!!!'

'Twins': Another followed simply with 'twins'

Not convinced: However not all Married At First Sight viewers agreed, with one posting 'No way. Nothing alike'

The celebrity comparison comes as Gabrielle is seen in a preview clip for Sunday night's episode hinting that she will abandon the experiment, while speaking to fellow contestant Tracey Jewel about the state of her relationship with Nasser, 50.

'I will leave on my terms, I've had too much experience to be played like a doormat,' she says.

Emotional: The comparison comes as Gabrielle is seen in a preview clip for Sunday night's episode hinting that she will abandon the experiment, while speaking to fellow contestant Tracey Jewel about the state of her relationship with Nasser Sultan: 'I will leave on my terms, I've had too much experience to be played like a doormat'

Tracey, who has dealt with her own cheating scandal on the show, tells Gabrielle that she 'has to follow her gut'.

'You're a strong woman,' the self-described relationship expert advises.

Speaking to the camera in her one-on-one interview Gabrielle explains: 'There's a basic standard for how I like to be treated and what I'll tolerate.'

She continues: 'If I say "stay", I don't want it to compromise the basic set of standards I have for myself and I don't want to throw away those values.

'You're a strong woman': Tracey, who has dealt with her own cheating scandal on the show, tells Gabrielle that she 'has to follow her gut'

'I will leave on my terms  I've had too much experience to be played like a doormat.'

Tensions between Nasser and Gabrielle surfaced during home stays, after the mother-of-one complained her husband was only interested in her when the cameras were rolling.

At the time, Gabrielle confessed that she felt both 'isolated' and 'alone.'

MAFS viewers were sent into a meltdown by the preview clip, with several fans telling Gabrielle to cut her losses and dump Nasser.She's the Sunrise presenter who infamously triggered, 'Vajayjaygate,' after she wore a 'vagina' dress to the 2016 Oscars.

Fast-forward to 2018, and Edwina Bartholomew looked cool, calm and collected ahead of the 90th Academy Awards in Hollywood this week.

In an act of defiance, the 34-year-old shared a photo to her Instagram story on Sunday, looking relaxed while sporting a white sheet face mask.

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Will she play it safe this year? Sunrise host Edwina Bartholomew appears calm ahead of the Oscars as she makes last-minute touches after THAT 'vagina' dress disaster

The Seven presenter gave fans a sneak peak into her preparation methods ahead of the Oscars.

In the short clip, Edwina is seen playfully moving her eyes from side to side as she smiles wryly ahead of Hollywood's night of nights.

She simply captioned to snap: 'Pre Oscars.'

Controversial: In February 2016 her Oscars dress left some social media fans bemused

The bubbly blonde has endured her fair share of wardrobe malfunctions during her high-profile media career.

She left fans bemused back in February 2016 after wearing that infamous 'vagina' dress at the Oscars.

She hit the red carpet at the 2016 Oscars in Los Angeles, in a Rachel Gilbert ice blue gown that had heads turning.

After posting images of her outfit to social media, the Sunrise reporter left her followers bemused, thanks to the unusual detailing at the front of the outfit.

Awkward! Sunrise presenter Edwina Bartholomew suffered a wardrobe malfunction again in 2016 while attending the Premier's Games Appeal Dinner in Adelaide, after her pink dress split 'right up the wazoo'

One Instagram user asked: 'Nice but why is there a uterus on your dress?'

And on Facebook one commentator wrote: 'Your face and body are to die for.... But, sorry, the thing on the dress looks like a part of a female anatomy. I know I am not the only person thinking this....'

Edwina's ensemble consisted of a crepe skirt with what is described on the designer's website as 'a silk gazar sculptured detail' - which caught the eye of social media users.

Letting rip: Taking to Instagram, Edwina informed her fans that she quickly had to find a replacement frock on the night, her emergency attire of choice being a sleek black dress borrowed from a Brazilian dancer

Edwina later responded to what she has now coined 'Vajayjaygate'.

In July of the same year, the Channel Seven star was stoked to be sporting a glamorous pink gown from Myer on Saturday while attending the Premier's Games Appeal Dinner in Adelaide, but unfortunately the dress split 'right up the wazoo', very soon after she put it on.

Taking to Instagram, Edwina informed her fans that she quickly had to find a replacement frock on the night, her emergency attire of choice being a sleek black dress borrowed from a Brazilian dancer.

Seam-splitting professional: Later in 2016, she suffered another unfortunate fashion faux pas at the Melbourne Cup

'That moment your split, splits right up the wazoo and you have to steal a dress from a Brazilian dancer #aycurumba (sic),' the media personality wrote, next to a post showing photos of the two dresses.

She also shared a closeup snap, revealing the severity of the wardrobe malfunction.

Later in 2016, she suffered another unfortunate fashion faux pas at the Melbourne Cup.

The bubbly blonde showed more than she bargained for while flashing her Spanx, when her elegant white frock split just under her derriere.

Fortunately, a quick-thinking pal was able to sew it back together for the Channel Seven host, who laughed off the incident on Instagram.

'When you [sic] dress splits up the back and it's not even 10am. Thanks for the quick stitch up Gen! #melbournecup #sun7,' she captioned the snap.She's set to star in upcoming blockbuster Finding Steve McQueen.

And since filming has wrapped on the project, Rachael Taylor can finally let her hair down and enjoy the awards season - which came in the form of an appearance at the Monte-Carlo Film Festival.

The stunning blonde stunned in a black velvet gown that trailed along the red carpet and a Madeline-style collar with a gold pin attached to it.

Vision in velvet! Rachael Taylor stuns in floor length black dress at the Monte-Carlo Film Festival alongside co-star Travis Fimmel

She went for a bold makeup look on the evening, opting for a red lip and high volume eyeliner.

Her hair was similarly dramatic with a side fringe pulled back into a half-up style. She paired the look with a gold clutch.

Keeping her company was fellow actor and co-star Travis Fimmel, who kept things casual in a navy blue trench coat and matching trousers.

Sweet! She went for a bold makeup look on the evening, opting for a red lip and high volume eyeliner

They looked at ease around each other, namely because they play accomplices in their latest Hollywood film together.

Rachael has been a proud proponent of women's rights, particularly surrounding the Time Out and #metoo campaigns circulating the film and television industry, in the past year.

Speaking to Stellar last year the 33-year-old said she was very open about her opinions on topics like domestic violence - which continue to be a huge issue in her home country of Australia.

'I'll take any opportunity I can see for a conversation to open up around it,' Rachael said at the time.

Shining! Rachael has been a proud proponent of women's rights, particularly surrounding the Time Out and #metoo campaigns circulating the film and television industry, in the past year

Opening up the conversation: The movie star said her reason for constantly talking about the issue is because it 'destigmatises' it

The movie star said her reason for constantly talking about the issue is because it 'destigmatises' it.

However Rachael revealed that her strenuous filming schedule means she isn't as effective as she'd like to be in battling the issue.

'I feel a little bit pulled  it's tough being based in the US as much as I am, as I'd love to do more,' she told the publication.

The beauty's latest role has been playing radio host Trish Walker on Netflix original series Jessica Jones.

Rachael also paid tribute to her unionist and 'feminist' grandfather, who she said she owes her outspoken nature to.

'He always encouraged me, and dismissed that idea that women should be seen and not heard,' she said.She's always known how to make a statement as she walks out onto the red carpet.

And Gemma Arterton was determined to turn heads as she arrived at the premiere of her new film The Escape in a striking red jumpsuit from British brand ME+EM on Saturday.

The 32-year-old stood out in her bold look at the Glasgow Film Festival, and she offset her striking ensemble with a black leather jacket and Doc Martins.

A vision in red: Gemma Arterton banished the bitter weather in a bold red jumpsuit and Doc Martins as she attended the premiere of The Escape at the Glasgow Film Festival on Saturday

Determined to banish the bitter winter weather in Scotland, the actress kept her shearling coat, also by ME+EM, very much on as she posed for pictures at the event.

But, despite the cold, she kept her jacket open, with one side hanging past her collarbone so that her halter neck jumpsuit and statuesque figure could be visible underneath.

While the actresses bright outfit fit loosely across her body, it was tied at the waist with a ribbon to give a peek at her slender waist and show off her hourglass figure.

Staying warm: Determined to banish the bitter winter weather in Scotland, the actress kept her faux-fur lined coat on as she posed for pictures at the event

The Their Finest actress also managed to look effortlessly chic in her comfortable footwear, which made a bold statement when paired with her glamorous jumpsuit.

Her cropped brunette locks were styled into a loose bob that framed her face well while also highlighting her bright red lipstick and natural-looking make up.

In the independent film directed by Dominic Savage, Gemma plays a dutiful wife and mother of two who starts to become increasingly aware of her dissatisfaction with life, and particularly her shallow husband who is played by Dominic Cooper, 39.

Dominic's character is a superficial man who likes to keep up appearances, and he doesn't even realise what's going on in his wife's head or how one decision she's about to make will change their seemingly perfect lives forever.

New role: In the independent film directed by Dominic Savage, Gemma plays a dutiful wife and mother of two who starts to become increasingly aware of her dissatisfaction with life

Cinched: While the actresses bright outfit fit loosely across her body, it was tied at the waist with a ribbon to give a peek at her slender waist and show off her stunning hourglass figure

Gemma currently has quite the busy schedule, as she is working on the TV series of Watership Down and is also getting ready to star in films My Zoe and Summerland in 2018.

But even with the demanding programme the British beauty was not going to miss the premiere of her new film.

Speaking about her time in Hollywood last August, the actress shamed an obese Hollywood producer who previously ordered her to lose weight on a few films.

Gemma revealed that producers flew a personal trainer out to Morocco to ensure she lost weight - and had her filmed in the gym to prove she was exercising - during production of an unnamed title.

Looking casual: The Their Finest actress managed to look effortlessly chic in her comfortable footwear, which made a bold statement when paired with her glamorous jumpsuit

Incredibly, the actress - size 10 at the time - said she was even told she couldnt eat dried apricots by the weighty Hollywood boss.

Gemma revealed: There was one film that I was on and we were out in Morocco and a couple of weeks went past and they literally were like We need a personal trainer - stat.

And they flew someone out overnight that gave up their whole life to be with me and be my personal trainer.

'You know when its like - Is it that f****** bad that I need an emergency... [it was as if they were] like on speed dial - Get that trainer out here now. It was so traumatic at the time.BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China will neither import foreign models nor export a Chinese model of development, a spokesperson for the annual session of China's top legislature said Sunday.

China will follow its own path, and will not ask other countries to copy the Chinese practice either, Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), said at a press conference.

Zhang said there is no one-size-fits-all model for development, and each country should develop its own path based on its own conditions.

China does not seek to overturn or replace the current international order. Rather, it will continue to be a defender of and contributor to the order, said Zhang.

China is willing to actively participate in the global governance reform and construction, and promote the international order to evolve for greater justice and equity, he said.He's the Married At First Sight's goofy groom who last week told his stunning wife, Ashley Irvin, that he was in love with her.

But on Sunday night's episode of the program, Troy Delmege's male co-stars warned him that he was coming on too strong.

'Calm down, you're scaring the s**t out of her!' his fellow grooms warned as they got together for a boys' chat.

'Calm down, you're scaring the s**t out of her!' Troy Delmege was given a blunt warning by his Married At First Sight co-stars on Monday, after he publicly confessed he was in love with his new 'wife'

Co-star Patrick bluntly told Troy : 'I'm only gauging what I can see front of me and I see someone that's very scared and you're full-on.'

Elsewhere, Ashley was seen confessing to another of her Married At First Sight co-stars that she is yet to find the spark with her 'husband', despite all of his good qualities.

'I know it could work. He is willing to move to Brisbane. He's dropped the L bomb.He is super nice. He is hilarious. My parents love him. My sister loves him'.

Turned off: Ashley told her co-star that Troy's intensity was a turn-off, and that he was already having his mail re-directed to her house

However, she stated that Troy was already having his mail re-directed to her house, and his intimacy was a turn-off.

And later in the episode, during the commitment ceremony, the couple got into a fight after Troy stated he wanted more from Ashley, particularly in terms of intimacy.

The IT worker stated: 'Like, I'm sort of raring... Not raring to go but I'm looking to progress.'

Bickering again! Later in the episode, during the commitment ceremony, the couple got into a fight after Troy stated he wanted more from Ashley

Getting offended, Ashley screeched back: 'Yeah, that's funny that you say that though... On the wedding night when I was expecting to go hard and heavy with you, you turned your back on me in bed.'

She then went on to admit that she had felt rejected from that time onwards, and that kissing her 'husband' now feels like a chore.

'I just wish I did have that spark where I'm like 'You are smoking hot, I really want to get to with you right now,'' she confessed.

Not seeing eye-to-eye? While Troy wants to progress sexually, Ashley stated that she does not feel a spark

The show's relationship expert Dr Trisha Startford then asked Ashley: 'How do you feel when you kiss Troy passionately?'

'Like, 'Good job, you're making an effort'... It never feels like I wan to jump him after it, though', she stated as her 'husband' sat next to her awkwardly.

However, the couple both voted to Stay in the Married At First Sight experiment, with Ashley hoping her feelings for Troy can grow.She's entering her final week in the South African on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

And for Real Housewives of Melbourne star Jackie Gillies' husband, Ben, that time couldn't come soon enough.

The Silverchair musician revealed he is missing his wife tremendously, news.com.au reported on Sunday.

'I miss you like crazy,' he said in a video message broadcast to Jackie in the camp.

'I sleep with your t-shirts at night': I'm A Celebrity star Jackie Gillies' husband, Ben, wrote her a bizarre love letter... admitting he has been 'smelling' her clothes while she's been away

'I sleep with your T-shirts at night, it is a little but weird. I smell them, that's really weird.

He added: 'I am so unbelievably proud of you and some of the stuff that you're doing in the jungle I just can't believe it. You're inspiring, you're amazing, stay in there and win.'

The bizarre love letter comes just a week before the competition ends.

Jackie immediately bonded with now-evicted camp mates Lisa and David Oldfield in the nature-filled surroundings, with the two housewives forming an alliance early on.

As the controversial couple made their entrance to camp, Jackie was clearly chuffed to be in Lisa's company, with the pair making a beeline for each other and heartily hugging.

Sweet! The somewhat creepy love letter comes just a week before the competition ends - with Jackie in good stead to be the last celebrity eliminated

Alliances? As Lisa Oldfield joined the cast of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here on Monday with husband David, she wasted no time in trying to forge an alliance with fellow Housewife Jackie Gillies.

While Lisa and her One Nation Party founder husband David made their introductions, the 43-year-old surreptitiously pulled a note from under her shirt which she quickly passed to Jackie.

Jackie happily took the note and proceeded to read it as David suggested the time wasn;t right for such secretive moves.

'Were you supposed to give it to her straight away?' David asked.

Chuffed: As the controversial couple made their entrance to camp, Jackie was clearly chuffed to be in Lisa's company, with the pair making a beeline for each other and heartily hugging

Continuing, David suggested his wife should've shrouded her potential subterfuge in even more secrecy.

'I think you should have secreted it to her,' David opined. 'Just mail it from home.'

While the contents of the note were not divulged on Monday's episode, it appeared the pair had planned for even more contraband - revealing they had a 'party' planned.

Shhhh: While Lisa and her One Nation Party founder husband David made their introductions, the 43-year-old surreptitiously pulled a note from under her shirt which she quickly passed to Jackie.

Too open: 'I think you should have secreted it to her,' David told Lisa. 'Just mail it from home'

'I'm sorry to tell you we did have a big party planned,' David said. 'We tried to smuggle in as much as we could.'

While they kept things pretty low key for their debut episode, David and Lisa teased that the fellow castmates could be in for a tumultuous time as the series progresses.

In their introduction piece, the pair revealed that they were fans of manipulating people, but not in a 'nasty way.'

'There are a couple of things that David and I enjoy doing,' Lisa said. 'That is playing people - not in a nasty way.

'For entertainment,' David added.

The winner will be announced next Monday, March 12.She revealed in an earlier episode that she went to rehab for alcohol addiction.

And on Sunday's I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! comedian Fiona O'Loughlin revealed that she committed suicide 'a couple of times'.

'[I found] myself at the age of 52 with nothing, literally nothing, not a penny in the bank, no home,' the now 54-year-old told Steve Price in his jungle radio segment.

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'I found myself with nothing': I'm A Celebrity's Fiona O'Loughlin, 54, spoke candidly on her previous struggle with alcohol addiction, and revealed she attempted suicide 'a couple of times' on Sunday night's episode

Steve, 63, interviewed Fiona on her stand-up comedy career during his regular jungle radio segment.

Fiona revealed that she was always a bit 'absent' on stage due to her alcohol addiction, and nearly lost her career due to being untrustworthy.

'I almost got reward for bad behaviour in the beginning, because I had gone on the front foot about it, made jokes about myself being a bit of a lush. But then it became very apparent and I very nearly lost my career because I was untrustworthy,' Fiona explained.

In conversation: Steve Price, 63, interviewed Fiona on her stand-up comedy career during his regular jungle radio segment

Detailing her lowest point, the reality star went on to say: 'There was a time when I would [find it very hard] to put my makeup on, I would try to do it with blurred eyes, because you couldn't look at myself. I attempted suicide a couple of times.

'Finding myself at the age of 52 with nothing, literally nothing, not a penny in the bank, no home.'

However Fiona ensured Steve that she's changed her life and mindset since becoming sober.

'I can assure you, I will put my head on the pillow tonight sober...I feel like I've been given a second chance, you know.'

Candid: Detailing her lowest point, the reality star went on to say: 'There was a time when I would [find it very hard] to put my makeup on, I would try to do it with blurred eyes, because you couldn't look at myself. I attempted suicide a couple of times. Finding myself at the age of 52 with nothing, literally nothing, not a penny in the bank, no home'

This is not the first time Fiona has opened up on her struggles with alcohol addiction.

The brunette told Fairfax Media prior to going into the South African jungle that her drinking once indirectly caused her to fall into a near-fatal coma.

Unaware that her heater's apartment was leaking carbon monoxide, Fiona was poisoned to the point of unconsciousness.

'The thing with the heater was inevitable. If it wasn't the heater, it would have been something else,' she told the publication.

'Yes, it was leaking carbon monoxide  but I was not in a fit state to look after myself. Blaming the heater would be like saying, "I got into my car under the influence and hit a power pole  so it's the car's fault I had the accident'",' Fiona added.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or depression, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.Gabrielle Bartlett was left heartbroken on Married At First Sight last week, after Nasser Sultan abandoned her 'home stay'.

But on Sunday night's episode of the show, the blonde bride enacted the ultimate revenge on her well-moisturised 'husband'.

The 44-year-old voted to STAY in their relationship, knowing Nasser would want to leave.

Revenge is a dish best served cold! Gabrielle Bartlett had the last laugh on Sunday's episode of Married At First Sight, tormenting her 'husband' Nasser Sultan by opting to stay in their relationship

That's awkward! Nasser did not see Gabrielle's decision coming, and it left him stunned

'He's selfish, he's a quitter. Not only do I feel like he's checked out, a large part of me feels like he's never checked in,' she explained early in the episode in a private piece-to-camera.

And sure enough, during the commitment ceremony, Nasser revealed he was ready to give up on his relationship with Gabrielle.

Revealing his decision, Nasser stated: 'I'm so sorry, Gab. You know I love you as a friend and I'll always love you as a friend but I feel the chemistry is not there and our communication is not connecting. And with great sadness, I want to leave.'

Calling it quits: Nasser voted to leave the experiment, and expected that Gabrielle would do the same

The exercise instructor believed Gabrielle would similarly opt to end their relationship, after her disappointment in him over the past week.

But in a delicious twist, the actress and plus-size model dropped a bombshell.

'I know that Nasser is very, very stubborn. I know that and I've been wearing that. But I'm also stubborn,' she said as she flipped her card around to reveal the word STAY.

Bombshell: In a delicious twist, the actress and plus-size model voted to stay in their marriage

She continued: 'I vowed to myself that while there was a crack of light I will stay until there is darkness.'

Nasser was left 'gobsmacked' and appeared to have tears in his eyes.

It was then that Gabrielle unleashed a tirade against her 'husband'.

'Let this card remind you of who is sitting next to you. And I'm not a doormat. I can be very selfish when I want to and this is what I want so this is what I'll have.

Stuck with her! Nasser was left 'gobsmacked' and appeared to have tears in his eyes

'I want you to be open, I want you, for the quality of your life going forward, for your own sake, step outside your comfort zone.'

She then harshly quipped: 'He talks about how he's about to go back to his rock 'n' roll lifestyle, but I'm telling you It's not that rock 'n' roll, babe.'

Seemingly devastated, Nasser conceded that he would try and give the relationship another shot.

After the commitment ceremony, a grinning Gabrielle said in a piece-to-camera that she had 'taken the power back for myself'She said goodbye to Made in Chelsea last week after it was revealed that she wanted to focus on her career.

And while she isn't returning to the much-loved E4 show, Tiffany Watson, 24, has spilled the beans on the inner-workings of the series and discussed how she felt forced into sharing every part of her life even when she didn't want to.

Tiff - who's sister Lucy left the show in 2016 - leaves behind a rocky year on the show which saw the demise of her romance with Sam Thompson, 25 - whom she dated for three years.

Candid: Tiffany Watson, 24, has spilled the beans on the inner-workings of the series and discussed how producers covered up the most shocking scandals hit by the cas

The blonde beauty reflected on having to share her private life with Sam on the series and admitted everything boiled over between the two in 2016 during a trip to the Maldives when she had to tell him she had slept with someone else.

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, the reality star revealed she found it 'stressful' to play out that part of her relationship on TV after she was faced with having another cast member reveal her lie to Sam when she wanted to protect him.

She told the publication: 'I said we just kissed when actually we slept together. I had told one of the other cast members and she was going to tell him, so I had no choice but to admit what happened.

'I flew back to London sitting next to Sam and he wouldnt talk to me for the whole 22-hour flight. They didnt film that part but the whole thing was very stressful.

Tough: Tiff - who's sister Lucy left the show in 2016 - leaves behind a rocky year on the show which saw the demise of her romance with Sam Thompson, 25 - whom she dated for three years

Frank: The blonde beauty reflected on having to share her private life with Sam on the series and admitted everything boiled over between the two in 2016 during a trip to the Maldives when she had to tell him she had slept with someone else

'I was in love with Sam, we even discussed getting married, and being on TV put pressure on the relationship. There were some things I didnt want to film because I wanted to protect him, but I knew I had to.'

At the end of season 13, Tiffany and Sam decided to go on a Ross and Rachel-style 'break', and agreed to see other people which appeared to be the beginning of the end.

Despite them being 'allowed' to do this, things turned nasty when Sam had a fling with fellow MIC cast member Mimi Bouchard.

While Mimi was never Tiff's 'friend' this caused much drama, and there were many tears when the pair reunited in Ibiza and back in London for season 14.

Moving forward: Speaking to The Sun on Sunday , the reality star revealed she found it 'stressful' to play out that part of her relationship on TV after she was faced with having another cast member reveal her lie to Sam

'Stressful': She told the publication: 'I said we just kissed when actually we slept together. I had told one of the other cast members and she was going to tell him, so I had no choice but to admit what happened' (Pictured in 2017)

In February, Tiff - who is a fitness enthusiast and a vegan activist on the side - confirmed that she is set to leave via a spokesperson to MailOnline but suggested it's more of an open-exit.

'Tiff has taken a break for now to concentrate on a number of exciting projects including TV as well as the opening of her vegan restaurant with her sister and her lifestyle/stationary business 365 which she launched a few months ago,' the spokesperson said.

'She also has a number of trips coming up for work and leisure as well as her best friend's wedding where she is her maid of honour so its a busy few months and seemed the right time to step back and work on all the exciting things she has coming up and give them her all,' they added.

Going: In February, Tiff - who is a fitness enthusiast and a vegan activist on the side - confirmed that she is set to leave via a spokesperson to MailOnline but suggested it's more of an open-exit

A spokesperson for MIC added: 'Whilst shes yet to film in series 15, its never goodbye in Chelsea.'

Tiff mentioned on numerous occasions during the 14th season of MIC that she is opening a vegan restaurant with her sister and family.

Their father - Clive - is already a restaurateur, and is said to be helping them put the business together.She's proven her skills as a model after strutting her stuff at Paris Fashion Week, and has already stepped out of her supermodel mum Cindy Crawford's shadow.

And after her hectic runway schedule, Kaia Gerber decided to have some much needed time off as she stepped out with some friends for a night out in Paris.

Dressed in a stylish monochrome outfit, the teen catwalk queen was seen with fellow models Vittoria Ceretti and Charlotte Lawrence on Saturday night.

Time for a break: Kaia Gerber, 16, let her hair down for a night out with friends Vittoria Ceretti (right) and Charlotte Lawrence (centre) after storming the runway at Paris Fashion Week

Kaia's seemingly Beetlejuice inspired outfit saw her walk out in striped black-and-white trousers which she paired with a jet black hoodie.

Adding a pop of colour to her ensemble, the blossoming model sported bright red trainers to offset the monochrome look.

Her brunette tresses were pulled back into a ponytail, but she styled her fringe with a middle-parting so that it framed her pretty face.

Looking just like her mother Cindy, Kaia confidently walked out along the streets of Paris holding her friend's hand.

Casually chic: Kaia's seemingly Beetlejuice inspired look saw her walk out in striped black-and-white trousers which she paired with a jet black hoodie

Vittoria Ceretti, 19, and Charlotte Lawrence, 17, both sported casual ensembles which looked effortlessly chic as they walked out into the night.

Charlotte showed off her taut abs in a white crop top, which she paired with high-waisted jeans and black heeled shoes.

Vittoria, meanwhile, went for a more toned down look as she wore a jumper with the hood up over her head, baggy jeans and black-and-white trainers.

Kaia has had a powerful fashion week takeover in Paris as she was seen storming the runway for show's like Isabel Marant, Saint Laurent, and Off-White.

Strutting her stuff: Kaia has had a powerful fashion week takeover in Paris as she was seen storming the runway for show's like Isabel Marant, Saint Laurent, and Off-White

Inspired by the best: In February Kaia was also seen channelling her inner Jackie O for the Moschino catwalk at Milan Fashion Week

In February Kaia was also seen channelling her inner Jackie O for the Moschino catwalk at Milan Fashion Week.

Kaia became the spitting image of the late first former lady Jackie Onassis Kennedy as she sauntered down the runway in an electric orange zipped roll-neck jacket, teamed with a sophisticated A-line skirt.

All eyes were on her as she confidently walked down the illuminated catwalk in vintage-style tangerine buckled heels.

Stunning: Kaia became the spitting image of the late first former lady Jackie Onassis Kennedy as she sauntered down the runway in an electric orange zipped roll-neck jacket

Carving her way: Kaia has proven her skills as a model after strutting her stuff in multiple shows at PFW, and has already stepped out of her supermodel mum Cindy Crawford's shadow

The striking combo was topped off with a quintessential Jackie Kennedy 50s throwback pillbox hat that perched perfectly on Kaia's quaffed cropped 'do.

Kaia toted the much-talked about Moschino Fresh detergent-homage bag with elegant chain strap.

The timeless look was finished off with retro winged eyeliner and a nude pink lip, as Kaia gave her best sultry model pout towards the camera.

Whilst she has been jetting around the world for various Fashion Weeks, the teen hasn't been compromising her education and keeps up with her studies through an online program.

Stunning: The striking combo was topped off with quintessential Jackie Kennedy 50s throwback pillbox hat that perched perfectly on Kaia's quaffed cropped 'do

Working hard: Whilst she has been jetting around the world for various Fashion Weeks, the teen hasn't been compromising her education and keeps up with her studies

In an interview with Harpers Bazaar, Kaia said that in a typical day, she'll usually complete her homework at around 3:30p.m.

'I usually use the afternoon to catch up on homework. Im completing my diploma at Malibu High School through an online program, and its difficult to get much done during the week, as the Wi-Fi on planes is really annoying,' she admitted.

'My favorite class this year is AP Calculus because I just like math. Its definitely super hard to teach yourself derivatives, though!'

According to a recent report by WWD, Kaia has solidified her fashion future by joining forces with titan Karl Lagerfield, 84, on her first design collaboration, set to launch in the autumn.

Named Karl Lagerfeld X Kaia, the capsule collection will be available in Karl Lagerfeld stores and online globally from September.She knows how to work her runway magic at any star-studded event.

And Alessandra Ambrosio proved her sartorial credentials as she made an eye-catching exit from Pre-Oscars Party at the Giorgio Armani Boutique in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles on Saturday.

The former Victoria Secret Angel, 36, looked head-to-toe gorgeous as she left the high-fashion bash in a decadent red sequined mini-dress.

Legs for days: Alessandra Ambrosio was ravishing in red as she stepped out in a sequinned mini-dress for the Giorgio Armani Boutique Pre-Oscar bash in LA on Saturday

The belted ensemble put Alexandra's toned physique on full display as she sauntered out of the event in the striped number.

Alessandra flaunted her endless legs in the mini-dress, adding height to her statuesque frame in black-toed killer heels.

The catwalk queen elegantly draped a chic black cape jacket over her shoulders, while she walked past gushing fans.

Leggy lady: The belted ensemble put Alexandra's toned physique on full display as she sauntered out of the event in the stripped number

A ravishing red lip colour perfectly complemented the rest of her ensemble, while a touch of mascara added extra drama.

Alessandra's glossy chestnut locks were swept away into a smart ballerina bun as she clutched onto a patent black handbag.

Late last year, Alessandra announced her retirement from the famed Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after having walked with the company for nearly two decades.

Taking to Instagram about her last show, she said: 'In my wildest dreams I would have never imagined doing 17 Victorias Secret Fashion Shows. Thank you Ed, and all my Victorias Secret family for making these memories unforgettable.

Statuesque frame: A ravishing red lip colour perfectly complemented the rest of her ensemble, while a touch of mascara added extra drama

Brazilian beauty: Alessandra flaunted her endless legs in the mini-dress, adding height to her statuesque frame in black toed killer heels

'Last night was so emotional to say goodbye to my angel sisters but we put on the biggest and best show ever. I could not have done this without all the love and support from my fans.'

She took her daughter to China when she walked for the last time in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

The now retired angel has been engaged to her children's father, Jamie Mazur, for nine years.

Chic style: Alessandra's glossy chestnut locks were swept away into a smart ballerina bun as she clutched onto a patent black handbag

Famed for her slender figure, the Daddy's Home 2 star admitted that her frame has never been the same following the births of her two children.

In an interview to The Edit in April 2016, she conceded: 'Your body will never go back to exactly what it was before pregnancy, whatever people tell you. It cant.'

'I think I have a better body now than before I had kids. Its partly because I work out, whereas before I didnt, but also to do with the shape  it just looks more formed now and I feel better about it than I did.'

'After having Anja I only had three months to lose all the weight [before doing the 2008 Victorias Secret show] and I was on this 1200-calorie-a-day meal-delivery service that I hated. I couldnt do that again.'She has carved a hugely successful career in the fashion industry since being scouted at the tender age of 14.

And Karlie Kloss showed off her model figure on Sunday as she left the royal Monceau hotel in Paris.

The former Victoria's Secret Angel, 25, looked effortlessly chic in a black mid-length dress which clung to her lithe frame, having earlier sported a dressed-down ensemble.

Stunning: Karlie Kloss showed off her model figure on Sunday as she left the royal Monceau hotel in Paris

Karlie looked every inch the fashion maven as she paired the figure-hugging dress with black leather boots and shrugged a chocolate brown trench coat over her shoulders.

The Illinois-born beauty styled her blonde locks in soft tumbled waves and accentuated her glowing complexion with deftly touches of make-up.

The starlet, who was heading to a catwalk show during the capital's Fashion Week, had changed out of her casual denim ensemble for the glitzy Balenciaga show.

Outfit change: The starlet, who was heading to a catwalk show during the capital's Fashion Week, had changed out of her casual denim ensemble for the glitzy event

The former Victoria's Secret Angel, 25, looked effortlessly chic in a black mid-length dress which clung to her lithe frame

Stylish: Karlie looked every inch the fashion maven as she paired the figure-hugging dress with knee-high leather boots and shrugged a chocolate brown trench coat over her shoulders

Best seat in the house: Karlie sat in the front row as she cast her eyes over Balenciaga's upcoming winter/ autumn collection at the catwalk show

In demand: She has carved a hugely successful career in the fashion industry since being scouted at the tender age of 14

She's still got it: Following the show, Karlie showed off her sartorial flair as she headed out of the venue with a security guard

Star-stuuded: Meanwhile Anna Wintour rubbed shoulders with Balenciaga's CEO Cedric Charbit at the showcase

The one to impress: The Vogue editor has become an important figure in much of the fashion world, widely praised for her eye for fashion trends and her support for younger designers

Flirty display: Following the show, Karlie slipped into a plunging gold foiled gown which teased a glimpse of her cleavage

Flawless: She paired the look with a tan leather coat and amped up the glamour with gold aviators

Earlier in the day, Karlie cut a low-key figure in a denim jacket as she arrived at the hotel.

She teamed the look with a navy 'Chicago' slogan hoodie, black skinny jeans and pointed boots.

The entrepreneur appeared to go make-up free, shielding her eyes with a pair of black aviators and tied her blonde tresses back in a loose ponytail. She added a touch of glamour to her outfit with a quilted Dior bag.

Casually-clad: Earlier in the day, Karlie cut a low-key figure in a Heron Preston denim jacket as she arrived at the hotel

Trend-setter: She teamed the look with a navy Chicago hoodie, also from Heron Preston, as well as black skinny jeans and pointed boots

Loved-up: On Saturday, Karlie was spotted with her boyfriend Josh Kushner on a stroll in NYC

On Saturday, Karlie was spotted with her boyfriend Josh Kushner on a stroll in NYC.

The Chicago native has been dating Jared Kushner's younger brother for six years, but are famously private about their romance.

The blonde beauty was casually-clad in a navy pinstripe coat, black leggings and chic white trainers while Josh, 32, opted for a charcoal grey padded coat and black denim jeans.

Her trip to Paris comes after Karlie recently sparked controversy by heading out on a dinner date with Katy Perry, the known arch nemesis of Karlie's BFF Taylor Swift.

It is not known how long Perry and Kloss have been friends, but it was a not-so subtle hint that Kloss has moved over to Team Perry.

Adding fuel to the fire, Kloss and Swift have not been pictured together since an outing in New York in November 2016, leading fans to question whether trouble has been brewing within the iconic girl squad.Their blissful five-year marriage is proof that age really is nothing but a number.

And Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 27, and his wife Sam, 50, continue to prove critics wrong as they stepped out for a date night looking very much in love.

Dressed up for the occasion, the pair looked stylish in their chic ensembles as they headed to a trendy restaurant in West Hollywood on Saturday.

Love birds: Smitten Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 27, and wife Sam, 50, looked stylish as they stepped out in chic outfits for a date night at a trendy restaurant in West Hollywood on Saturday

Aaron looked handsome in his grey suit jacket, which he buttoned up over a matching crisp shirt and skinny jeans.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron star offset his dark ensemble with a pair of brown Chelsea boots.

The actor's brunette locks were styled in loose curls, and his close-cut beard was preened to perfection.

Happy together: Aaron, 27, and Sam, 50, continued to prove critics wrong as they stepped out for a date night looking very much in love

Looking good: Sam oozed retro Hollywood glamour by allowing her blonde locks to cascade over her shoulders, and she also brushed on stylish make up to highlight her features

Stylish: Aaron looked handsome in his grey suit jacket, which he buttoned up over a matching crisp shirt and skinny jeans

Aaron's wife also looked stunning as she stepped out in a mid-length white dress that she looked incredible in.

Sam oozed retro Hollywood glamour by allowing her blonde locks to cascade over her shoulders, and she also brushed on stylish make up to highlight her features.

The Fifty Shades director's added a pop of colour to her outfit with burgundy red heels, which were strapped at the ankle, and she also carried a colourful flower print bag on one shoulder.

Blossoming romance: The couple met while she was called Sam Taylor-Wood and he Aaron Johnson, and she was directing him in the 2009 John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy

Handsome: The actor's brunette locks were styled in loose curls, and his close-cut beard was preened to perfection

Adding colour: The Fifty Shades director's added a pop of colour to her outfit with burgundy red heels and she also carried a colourful flower print bag on one shoulder

The couple met while she was called Sam Taylor-Wood and he Aaron Johnson, and she was directing him in the 2009 John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy.

He, at the time, was 19, and she over twice his age at 42, but they proceeded to get engaged that year and marry in 2012 at Babington House in Somerset.

The lovebirds raise their two young children, seven-year-old Wylda Rae and five-year-old Romy, together at their glamorous home.

Sam is also mother to 20-year-old Angelica and 12-year-old Jessie from her first marriage to Jay Jopling.

Happy family: The lovebirds raise their two young children, seven-year-old Wylda Rae and five-year-old Romy, together at their glamorous home

Hitting out at critics: 'If I gave a second thought to other people, I would be the unhappiest person, probably still in a miserable marriage,' Sam told The Hollywood Reporter.

Mother of four: Sam is also mother to 20-year-old Angelica and 12-year-old Jessie from her first marriage to Jay Jopling

The mother-of-four was married to the art dealer in 1997 but they decided to go their separate ways for good in 2008.

Sam moved on her heartache with Aaron and the filmmaker defiantly defended her choice to marry a man 23 years her senior in June 2017.

'If I gave a second thought to other people, I would be the unhappiest person, probably still in a miserable marriage,' she told The Hollywood Reporter.

'People like to talk about it. I'm like, "Yeah, but it works better than my last marriage". It's lasted longer than a lot of my friends' marriages.'BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China hopes that talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States would be held "as early as possible" and that the good momentum on the Korean Peninsula would be maintained.

Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the first session of the 13th National People's Congress, made the remarks at a press conference Sunday.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula is easing. China welcomes the positive changes following the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and hopes all parties could seize the opportunity to maintain the good momentum, he said.He's best known for his roles in iconic blockbusters like The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

But Hugo Weaving's niece Samara admits she didn't pursue a career in the film industry because of her famous relative, but said it was merely a 'happy coincidence.'

'We're always aware of our family being creative but it wasn't like 'my uncle is an amazing actor, I want to be like that',' the 26-year-old beauty told Women's Health magazine this week.

Hugo who? Former Home and Away star Samara Weaving says having a famous relative didn't persuade her to enter the film industry

'I was living overseas and was a bit too young when The Matrix came out, so I didn't realise what an iconic Australian actor he was. I just started doing little plays and theatre stuff.'

Samara, who is now set to appear in Foxtel's Picnic At Hanging Rock, has gone on to find international success after starring on Home And Away.

Playing affluent schoolgirl Irma in the six-part cable mini-series, the blonde bombshell has admitted she looked to some well-known figures to prepare for her performance.

Hugo Weaving: He's best known for his roles in iconic blockbusters like The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings

In an interview with Confidential on Wednesday, she said Princess Diana and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis acted as inspiration.

'Irma has the stresses of being known as the wealthy one from England,' Samara explained to the publication.

'I was looking at women that had to deal with that atmosphere,' she added.

'I was looking at women that had to deal with that atmosphere' Samara said she research Diana (left) and Jackie (right) because they were born into wealth, similar to her character

'I researched Princess Diana and Jackie Onassis. I saw them as women born into wealth who had that [pressure] put upon them.

Based on a book by Joan Lindsay and set in 1900, Picnic At Hanging Rock follows three schoolgirls and their governess who vanish without a trace.

Joining Samara as part of the cast is a number of high-profile stars, including Game Of Thrones' Natalie Dormer and Orange Is The New Black's Yael Stone.

Period drama: Based on a book by Joan Lindsay and set in 1900, Picnic At Hanging Rock follows three schoolgirls and their governess who vanish without a trace

Also starring is: Lily Sullivan, Anna McGahan and Madeleine Madden.

Now based in Los Angeles, Samara was part of the Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri cast, who won Best Acting Ensemble gong at the SAG Awards last month.

The actress has also scored international gigs in projects such as SMILF, Ash vs Evil Dead and Out of the Blue.She's a former Channel V presenter.

And in Monday's The Daily Telegraph, Carissa Walford has revealed that she's experienced sexism and been paid less than her male colleagues.

'You're kind of always second-best to the male co-host,' the 30-year-old told the publication.

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'You're kind of always second-best': Former Channel V presenter Carissa Walford, 30, revealed in Monday's The Daily Telegraph's Confidential, that she's experienced sexism and been paid less than her male co-hosts

'I've experienced it first-hand...you're kind of always second-best to the male co-host,' Carissa shared.

'Yes I've experienced [sexism] on a smaller scale and know that my co-hosts have been paid more than me,' the Sydney-based journalist continued.

However Carissa went on to say that she's now feeling confident in conferring future contracts, with the gender pay gap a hot topic.

First-hand: 'Yes I've experienced [sexism] on a smaller scale and know that my co-hosts have been paid more than me,' the Sydney-based journalist continued

'It's a bizarre thing but I feel like now, more than ever, I've even got that extra confidence that when negotiating a deal, I'm wanting to have a platform that really helps other women.'

Carissa's comments come a week after former Today Tonight presenter Naomi Robson weighed in on the gender pay gap debacle.

The 56-year-old told The Sunday Telegraph's Stellar: 'I believe, that it is only fair and reasonable that if two people do the same job and the same quality of work, irrespective of their gender or their age or whatever it might be, that they should be paid the same - But television doesn't really work like that.'

Positive: However Carissa went on to say that she's now feeling confident in conferring future contracts, with the gender pay gap a hot topic: 'It's a bizarre thing but I feel like now, more than ever, I've even got that extra confidence that when negotiating a deal, I'm wanting to have a platform that really helps other women'

Naomi went on to address the highly circulated story of Lisa Wilkinson's shocking departure from the Today show.

Lisa quit the breakfast program after Channel Nine reportedly refused to pay her the same salary as co-host Karl Stefanovic.

On this, Naomi shared: 'Lisa Wilkinson's case has highlighted this issue and I think it's going to put people on notice to a certain extent, and I think that's not such a bad thing. Change is long overdue  this is certainly one area where social media is driving that change.'She sensationally quit Made In Chelsea, after a tumultuous year on the show.

And Tiffany Watson seemed to be relishing in her new-found freedom as she prepared to jet to Mexico with her best friend, Frankie Gaff on Sunday.

Her holiday comes after the 24-year-old claimed she was 'forced' to tell her ex Sam Thompson about her affair on the reality series.

Holiday time: Made In Chelsea stars Tiffany Watson and Frankie Gaff arrived at Heathrow on Sunday as they prepared to fly to Mexico

Tiffany flashed a hint of her toned stomach in a pale yellow tracksuit as she arrived at Heathrow Airport, laden with suitcases.

She styled her blonde hair in a sleek straight look and opted for a minimal make-up look ahead of her long-haul flight.

Meanwhile Frankie, 23, who has also reportedly left the hit E4 show, was casually-clad in a cosy cream knitted jumper, black joggers and chic white trainers.

Pressured: Her holiday comes after the 24-year-old revealed she was 'forced' to tell her ex Sam Thompson about her affair on the reality series

Toned: Tiffany flashed a hint of her toned stomach in a pale yellow tracksuit as she arrived at Heathrow Airport laden with suitcases

Dressed down: Meanwhile Frankie, 23, who has also reportedly left the hit E4 show, was casually-clad in a cosy cream knitted jumper, black joggers and chic white trainers

The duo were clearly excited for their holiday, animatedly chatting as they made their way to the airport's departure terminal.

Tiff - who's sister Lucy left Made In Chelsea back in 2016 - leaves behind a rocky year on the show which saw the demise of her romance with Sam Thompson, 25 - whom she dated for three years.

The blonde beauty reflected on having to share her private life with Sam on the series and admitted everything boiled over during a trip to the Maldives in 2016, when she had to tell him she had slept with someone else.

Mexico bound: The duo were clearly excited for their holiday, animatedly chatting as they made their way to the airport's departure terminal

Sunny climes await: Frankie could hardly contain her delight at leaving gloomy London as she grinned while pushing her suitcase

Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, the reality star revealed she found it 'stressful' to play out that part of her relationship on TV after she was faced with having another cast member reveal her lie to Sam when she wanted to protect him.

She told the publication: 'I said we just kissed when actually we slept together.

'I flew back to London sitting next to Sam and he wouldnt talk to me for the whole 22-hour flight.

'I was in love with Sam, we even discussed getting married, and being on TV put pressure on the relationship. There were some things I didnt want to film because I wanted to protect him, but I knew I had to.'

Mexico bound: The duo were clearly excited for their holiday, animatedly chatting as they made their way to the airport's departure terminal

Tumultuous: Tiff leaves behind a rocky year on the show, which saw the demise of her romance with Sam Thompson, 25 - whom she dated for three years

In February, Tiff - who is a fitness enthusiast and a vegan activist on the side - confirmed that she is set to leave via a spokesperson to MailOnline, who suggested it's more of an open-exit.

'Tiff has taken a break for now to concentrate on a number of exciting projects including TV as well as the opening of her vegan restaurant with her sister and her lifestyle/stationary business 365 which she launched a few months ago,' the spokesperson said.

'She also has a number of trips coming up for work and leisure as well as her best friend's wedding where she is her maid of honour so its a busy few months and seemed the right time to step back and work on all the exciting things she has coming up and give them her all,' they added.Her body is still in tip-top shape after giving birth to her first child last summer.

And Nikki Reed made show off her famous assets while heading to a Pre-Oscars Party at Giorgio Armani Boutique in Beverly Hills on Saturday night.

The 29-year-old actress was all smiles as she made her way down Rodeo Drive to meet up with fellow A-listers.

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Nikki Reed made show off her famous assets while heading to a Pre-Oscars Party at Giorgio Armani Boutique in Beverly Hills on Saturday night

Nikki looked gorgeous as she donned a chic periwinkle dress that featured a floral pattern and a flapper-inspired fringe hem.

The Twilight Saga star fashionably teamed her ensemble with elegant footwear that had three bow that tied at the top.

Nikki made sure to accessorize accordingly with dangling silver Coomi earrings and a matching blue clutch.

The wife of Ian Somerhalder styled her caramel tresses in loose waves while keeping her face looking natural with a minimal amount of makeup.

The 29-year-old actress was all smiles as she made her way down Rodeo Drive to meet up with fellow A-listers

So chic! Nikki looked gorgeous as she donned a chic periwinkle dress that featured a floral pattern and a flapper-inspired fringe hem

Nikki married co-star Ian in a surprise ceremony in Topanga Canyon, California on April 26, 2015.

The Sleepy Hollow actress gave birth to her first child, daughter Bodhi Soleil Reed Somerhalder, on July 25.

The mother-of-one appeared to have left her husband at home well enjoying a night out during Hollywood's busiest weekend.

Off the market: Nikki married co-star Ian in a surprise ceremony in Topanga Canyon, California on April 26, 2015They tied the knot in an environmentally-friendly wedding in Ibiza, Spain in October.

And things continue to be going strong for Michael Fassbender, 40, and Alicia Vikander, 29, as they were spotted at the airport together after attending the Berlin Film Festival.

Both were dressed casually before flying back to their Lisbon home on Saturday, but even in the comfortable ensembles the pair looked effortlessly chic.

Married couple Michael Fassbender (pictured) and Alicia Vikander looked effortlessly chic in casual attire as they headed to the airport after the Berlin Film Festival on Saturday

The Irish actor stepped out in the capital city's main airport in a red and white parka, grey jeans and a black top, which he paired with dark brown shoes.

Despite being indoors the X-Men: Apocalypse star wore dark sunglasses, and he carried his overnight bag slung across one shoulder.

Alicia, meanwhile, was seen arm in arm with a friend, and she looked stylish as she walked out in an all black ensemble which she offset with a long beige coat.

Airport fashion: Alicia was seen arm in arm with a friend, and she looked stylish as she walked out in an all black ensemble which she offset with a long beige coat

The Swedish actresses brunette curls were set in waves, and a lock of her hair was pinned back on either side to give her a glamorous look.

Like her husband, Alicia wore leopard print Sunday Somwhere sunglasses indoors and carried a bag on either shoulder as she headed to her flight.

The pair both worked hard at the Berlin Film Festival, and Michael announced he would be working as part of a new action-comedy called called Kung Fury which is also set to star David Hasslehof.

The independent film, directed by and starring David Sandberg, will focus on a police officer named Kung Fury who, together with a group called the Thundercops, will travel through time and space to save his friends and defeat mysterious villains.

Busy: The pair both worked hard at the Berlin Film Festival, and Michael announced he would be working as part of a new action-comedy called called Kung Fury alongside David Hasslehof

Standing out: Earlier in the week Alicia ensured all eyes would be on her as she attended a photocall for her upcoming film Tomb Raider in Berlin

Earlier in the week Alicia ensured all eyes was on her as she attended a photocall for her upcoming film Tomb Raider in Berlin.

Clad in a stunning floral gown, the actress looked sensational as she posed up a storm for the cameras.

Sheathing her sensational figure, Alicia dazzled in a nude floor length gown with baby blue accents that was adorned in a ditsy floral pattern.

Halterneck in design, the garment also featured cold shoulder detailing with black ruffles on the sleeve to showcase her enviably toned arms.

Stunning outfit: Sheathing her sensational figure, Alicia dazzled in a nude floor length gown with baby blue accents that was adorned in a ditsy floral pattern

Pampered for the gods: The brunette beauty wore her glossy locks half pinned back whilst she bore a slick of vampish red lipstick on her plump pout

The brunette beauty wore her glossy locks half pinned back whilst she bore a slick of vampish red lipstick on her plump pout.

Alicia is following in the footsteps of Angelina Jolie by portraying Lara Croft in the reboot of the hugely successful movie series.

While Jolie fought with an arsenal of weapons, Alicia's version of the character is more of an approachable hero as she searches for purpose after the disappearance of her father.

'This is a girl trying to figure out what path shes going to take in life, and theres a lot of pressure on her,' Alicia told American Way. 'Shes like me when I was 20.'

Tomb Raider: Alicia is following in the footsteps of Angelina Jolie by portraying Lara Croft in the reboot of the hugely successful movie series

Blossoming romance: They fell in love on the set of The Light Between Oceans in 2014, but the pair did not make their debut on a red carpet until the 2016 Golden Globe Awards

Alicia admitted that her romance with Michael was a slow burner - telling ELLE Magazine for their April Issue that they didn't talk during their first two meetings.

'The first two times we met, we didnt chat, we only danced,' the Swedish actress revealed of their brief interaction on the dancefloors of the Toronto International Film Festival and BAFTAs.

The couple went on to fall in love on the set of their movie The Light Between Oceans, which was filmed in 2014, but did not make their debut together on a red carpet until the 2016 Golden Globe Awards.

Sparks flying: Alicia admitted that her romance with Michael was a slow burner - telling ELLE Magazine for their April Issue that they didn't talk during their first two meetings

Things went from strength to strength and the pair went on to tie the knot in a destination wedding in Ibiza, with guests such as film director Steve McQueen.

Alicia and Michael relocated to Lisbon together last year and speaking of the move she revealed: 'When I met my husband three and a half years ago, he had mentioned hed been to Lisbon and loved it, and I knew friends who were moving out there.

'And that was a time when I was just starting to feel really at home in London. But after Brexit I think I was like, "Meh, you know what, I want to stay in Europe."'She may have had a cold.

But that didn't stop Sandra Bullock from turning up at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre late Saturday afternoon to rehearse her role as a presenter for the 90th Academy Awards.

The brunette beauty was joined by her one-time love Matthew McConaughey and a slew of stars who dropped in for their own chance to practice announcing, and handing over, the coveted Oscar statuette.

Fighting a cold: Sandra Bullock sniffled her way through an Oscars ceremony rehearsal at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Saturday ahead of Sundays awards

The 53-year-old, who won the 2010 Best Actress trophy for The Blind Side, blamed the cold 'on my kids,' she told People.

Casually dressed in a pink shirt and black pants, she watched as a mic rose up from the floor in front of her.

And she joked: 'Suddenly the dress is just riding up,' envisioning a wardrobe malfunction should the pop-up mic catch on her gown. 'Chiffon billowing up'

'Chiffon billowing up': The 53-year-old joked about the possibility of a wardrobe malfunction if she stood too close to the spot where the pop-up mid rose out of the stage

Matthew, 48, was equally casual in a white shirt that he left hanging outside his jeans.

The star, who nabbed Best Actor in 2014 for Dallas Buyers Club, brought along his wife Camila Alves, 36, who sat in the front row clapping as he rehearsed.

Sandra and Matthew dated from 1996 until 1998 after they co-starred in the Joel Schumacher-directed legal thriller A Time To Kill with Samuel L Jackson.

Bringing his own audience: Matthew McConaughey was joined at the rehearsal by his wife Camila Alves, 36

And the winner is...: The 48-year-old nabbed Best Actor in 2014 for Dallas Buyers Club

These days Sandra is dating photographer Bryan Randall who helps her bring up her two adopted children Louis and Laila.

Other presenters include Emily Blunt, Dave Chappelle, Eugenio Derbez, Ansel Elgort, Jane Fonda, Jodie Foster, Eiza Gonzalez, Nicole Kidman, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Lupita Nyongo and Christopher Walken.

The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be broadcast live on the ABC Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Hollywood icon: Eva Marie Saint, 93, on stage during rehearsals, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in director Elia Kazan's On The Waterfront, starring Marlon Brando in 1955Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have no plans to overly spoil their childrenWyatt Isabelle, age three, and Dimitri Portwood, age one.

Kutcher revealed to Dax Shepard on his new podcast, Armchair Expert, that he won't be setting up a trust fund for his kids.

'We'll end up giving our money away to charity,' The Ranch actor explained.

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Tough love! Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have no plans to set up a trust fund for their kidsWyatt Isabelle, age three, and Dimitri Portwood, age one

Growing up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Ashton's family had very little money. His mom worked for Proctor and Gamble, while his dad was a factory worker.

It was a luxury to go out to eat or even buy ice cream at the grocery store.

'I'm obsessed with ice cream because that was such a privileged experience,' he said while reminiscing about his childhood with Dax. 'So now I'll eat ice cream virtually every night.'

'We'll end up giving our money away to charity,' The Ranch actor explained on Dax Shepard's new podcast Armchair Expert

Money was scarce for years until Kutcher landed his big break in Hollywood.

And now his biggest battle as a parent is teaching his kids how to be 'resourceful.'

'My kids are living a really privileged life and they don't even know it and they'll never know it,' he said with a hint of concern in his voice.

Hard times: Growing up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Ashton's family had very little money. His mom worked for Proctor and Gamble, while his dad was a factory worker

His plan is to encourage his kids to take their own path in life without the crutch of a trust fund.

'If my kids want to start a business and they have a good business plan, I'll invest in it,' Ashton explained.

He hopes that without a handout, his kids will be 'motivated to have what they had [growing up].'

'My kids are living a really privileged life and they don't even know it and they'll never know it,' he said to Dax as he reminisced about his challenging childhood

Shepard, who launched his podcast on Valentine's Day, seeks to learn what it means to be human through interviews with his celebrity pals.

His guests so far have included his wife Kristen Bell, Parenthood co-star Joy Bryant, and fellow funny man Jimmy Kimmel.

In a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter, Shepard explained: 'I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy.'

'I invite you to join me as I explore other people's stories. We will celebrate their work and successes, but more importantly the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment.'Celebrities have registered their support for Time's Up against sexual harassment campaign and the fight to end gun violence at various awards events in the last few months.

At the Golden Globes in January stars including Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer and America Ferrera wore black to honor Time's Up while others carried white roses.

But they may go for a brighter color for the Wear Orange To Prevent Gun Violence campaign at the 90th Academy Awards at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Sunday, according to People magazine, citing stylist sources.

Color co-ordinated: Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer and America Ferrera wore black to honor Time's Up at the Golden Globes in January. Now stylists say stars may opt to back the Wear Orange To Prevent Gun Violence campaign at the Oscars

Many attendees are likely to wear Times Up pins to show their support.

Actress Zoey Deutch, 23, wore her pin on the peplum of her black off-the-shoulder dress at Saturday's Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica.

Meanwhile, there was no sign of any advocacy as preparations for the Oscars ramped up on Saturday at the Dolby Theatre.

Sandra Bullock was among celebs who turned up to rehearse her role as a presenter for Sunday's event.

Making her point: Actress Zoey Deutch, 23, wore her Time's Up pin on the peplum of her black off-the-shoulder dress at Saturday's Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica

Pin ups: Stars could choose to wear simple pins like the Time's Up Pins or Wear Orange To Prevent Gun Violence campaign at the Oscars

The 53-year-old, who won the 2010 Best Actress trophy for The Blind Side, had a cold that she blamed 'on my kids,' she told People.

Casually dressed in a pink shirt and black pants, she watched as a mic rose up from the floor in front of her.

And she joked: 'Suddenly the dress is just riding up,' envisioning a wardrobe malfunction should the pop-up mic catch on her gown. 'Chiffon billowing up'

The brunette beauty was joined by her one-time love Matthew McConaughey who dropped in to practice announcing, and handing over, the coveted Oscar statuette.

Fighting a cold: Sandra Bullock sniffled her way through an Oscars ceremony rehearsal at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Saturday ahead of Sundays awards

'Chiffon billowing up': The 53-year-old joked about the possibility of a wardrobe malfunction if she stood too close to the spot where the pop-up mid rose out of the stage

Matthew, 48, was equally casual in a white shirt that he left hanging outside his jeans.

The star, who nabbed Best Actor in 2014 for Dallas Buyers Club, brought along his wife Camila Alves, 36, who sat in the front row clapping as he rehearsed.

Sandra and Matthew dated from 1996 until 1998 after they co-starred in the Joel Schumacher-directed legal thriller A Time To Kill with Samuel L Jackson.

Bringing his own audience: Matthew McConaughey was joined at the rehearsal by his wife Camila Alves, 36

And the winner is...: The 48-year-old nabbed Best Actor in 2014 for Dallas Buyers Club

These days Sandra is dating photographer Bryan Randall who helps her bring up her two adopted children Louis and Laila.

Other presenters include Emily Blunt, Dave Chappelle, Eugenio Derbez, Ansel Elgort, Jane Fonda, Jodie Foster, Eiza Gonzalez, Nicole Kidman, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Lupita Nyongo and Christopher Walken.

The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be broadcast live on the ABC Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Hollywood icon: Eva Marie Saint, 93, on stage during rehearsals, won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in director Elia Kazan's On The Waterfront, starring Marlon Brando in 1955Jodie Sweetin had a scary encounter.

The Full House star's home was almost broken into by burglars, according to TMZ, but her security guards chased the suspect away on foot.

The 36-year-old apparently heard footsteps on her roof, and when her team checked it out they spotted a man wearing a hoodie.

That's a close one! Jodie Sweetin's real-life house was targeted for a hot prowl until the actress' security guards chased the suspect away on foot, TMZ reported

No evidence was left behind at the scene when the cops arrived, but Jodie was in a similar situation when ex Justin Hodak attempted to visit her after breaking his retaining order last summer.

Although Hodak is not related to this incident, Jodie keeps a round-the-clock security after discovering her ex-fiance has been released early from prison.

Sweetin has feared he will approach her now that he's a free man after serving three months for making threats and illegal gun possession.

Hodak, 40, was slapped with a six year, eight month suspended sentence for the gun rap and falsifying evidence by threatening a witness with force or implied force.

Getting caught! The 36-year-old apparently heard footsteps on her roof, and when her team checked it out they spotted a man wearing a hoodie

Watching her back! No evidence was left behind at the scene when the cops arrived, but Jodie was in a similar situation when ex Justin Hodak attempted to visit her after breaking his retaining order last summer

The hot prowl incident occurred last week, but the actress has carried about her usual schedule and even traveled to Canada for work.

Jodie has experienced a nice comeback since 2016 as she has been cast as Stephanie Tanner in the Full House revival Fuller House with Candace Cameron Bure and Andrea Barber for Netflix.

In 1987 she was cast in Full House, which starred John Stamos and the Olsen twins. It was a smash success and was on the air until 1995.

Even though she had achieved so much success at such a young age, she still graduated from Los Alamitos High School in Los Alamitos, California in 1999, and then attended Chapman University in Orange, California.

In 2009, Jodie wrote a memoir called unSweetined, which chronicles her downward spiral of alcohol and drug abuse that began with the ending of Full House.

On-screen family: Jodie has experienced a nice comeback since 2016 as she has been cast as Stephanie Tanner in the Full House revival Fuller House with Candace Cameron Bure and Andrea Barber for NetflixShe recently made her directional debut for luxury fashion line Miu Miu.

And Dakota Fanning ensured all eyes were on her as she attended Valentino's Fall/Winter show during Paris Fashion Week on Sunday.

The multi-talented star, 24, flashed her leggy pins in a thigh-skimming frock, embellished with a delicate pleated design.

Leggy: Dakota Fanning ensured all eyes were on her in a thigh-skimming frock as she attended Valentino's Fall/Winter show during Paris Fashion Week on Sunday

The actress also gave a peek at her toned shoulders in the bardot-style dress as she ruled the FROW during the starry event.

The Twilight star teamed her ensemble with a pair of black sandal heels, adorned in silver studs.

Dakota maintained her stunning display in the accessory department, as she wore an opulent diamond choker and rose gold bangles.

Sensational display: The actress, 24, also gave a peek at her toned shoulders in the bardot-style dress as she ruled the FROW during the starry event

Style savvy: The former child star maintained her stunning display in the accessory department, as she wore an opulent diamond choker and rose gold bangles

The former child star wore her blonde mane in her trademark straight style and showcased her radiant complexion with neutral-toned makeup.

The award-winning starlet was joined by model Karlie Kloss, who flaunted her sartorially savvy style in a gold plunging jumpsuit and knee-high boots.

Dakota's fashion appearance comes after she premiered her directorial debut Hello Apartment in London last month.

Patterned ensemble: Karlie Kloss, 25, commanded attention in a gold plunging jumpsuit and knee-high boots

The American actress was asked by Miu Miu to step up to the directorial plate with her cinematic project, which marks the brand's 15th commission, that focuses on how the spaces that we live in shape our formative years.

Drawing on her own experience of her first apartment, Dakota, who follows in the footsteps of Ava DuVernay, Miranda July and Chloe Sevigny to create her own short film, told Vanity Fair that her creative offering follows Ava, who has moved into her first Brooklyn loft.

Speaking on the process, the star said: 'The post-production and the magic that happens in the editing room with color timing and sound mixing and talking with the composer and the music supervisorthats where it all kind of comes together.'CAIRO, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi lauded on Saturday the strategic partnership between his government and China's giant corporation Huawei, the Egyptian presidential spokesman said in a statement.

Sisi's remarks came during his meeting with Huawei Rotating CEO Guo Ping and Huawei Egypt CEO Terry Liu in Cairo, attended by Egyptian Communications and Information Technology (IT) Minister Yasser al-Qadi.

"President Sisi expressed hope for enhancing cooperation with Huawei and increasing the volume of its activities in Egypt in the coming period," Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

The president's expectation is highlighted by Egypt's tendency to develop its IT sector and the digital transformation of different industrial sectors in the country, said the presidential spokesman.

For his part, Guo expressed Huawei's keenness on boosting cooperation with the Egyptian government in the light of Egypt's ongoing economic growth and the mega national projects being carried out in the country.

He hailed the advantages of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Egypt and the government's efforts to promote the field.

The Huawei rotating CEO pointed out the constant progress of his company's Egypt-based international technical support center and its plan to establish a second one in Egypt to provide technical support for Africa and the Middle East.

Guo continued that choosing Egypt as a regional base reflects Huawei's confidence in the country's investment climate.

Huawei is a leading ICT corporation that has been operating in Egypt for over 18 years, providing innovated ICT solutions for businesses and government institutions as well as smartphones for the local market.

Last December, Huawei took part in the Cairo ICT 2017 exposition and attracted visitors by showcasing smart ICT solutions like "OpenLab," which cooperates with local markets and provides industry solutions to better meet business demands.

It also presented its ICT-based "Smart City" system that pursues the conditions of a whole city through a large monitor to facilitate controlling and dealing with traffic congestions, crimes, accidents, etc.

Huawei offers Egypt and African states cooperation to stay abreast of the latest smart city trends and technology, providing solutions to connect the digital and physical worlds across city administration, public services and industries, which are designed to benefit city residents and businesses in almost every aspect including transportation, education, healthcare, public security and more.Advertisement

Hollywood icon Sharon Stone suffered a nasty fall when in Beverly Hills on Saturday.

The 59-year-old Basic Instinct actress lost her footing on a sidewalk while out to lunch at Grill On The Alley with several friends. The fall may have been due to her six-inch stiletto heels.

But soon after the blonde bombshell - who has made a comeback with HBO's Mosaic - hit the pavement, she got up and gave onlookers a smile and a thumb's up proving she was not hurt badly.

Painful experience: Hollywood icon Sharon Stone suffered a nasty fall when in Beverly Hills on Saturday

Down: The 59-year-old Basic Instinct actress lost her footing on a sidewalk while out to lunch at Grill On The Alley with several friends

She takes a risk when she puts on those sexy kicks: The fall may have been due to her six-inch stiletto heels

The siren seemed to have gotten one of her heels in the crack of the alley which appeared uneven. She fell near a valet stand.

The movie icon, who has made over 30 films, lost her belongings and her wallet and several business cards could be seen on the ground. Her sunglasses also nearly came off.

Los Angeles in known for having uneven streets and pedestrians fall very often. Citizens often complain to the city but repairs are slow or don't happen at all.

The Specialist star at first looked happy as she walked along Rodeo Drive.

She was surrounded by friends who looked to be more business associates than anything.

Not the best situation: The siren seemed to have gotten one of her heels in the crack of the alley which appeared uneven. She fell near a valet stand

No bruises... yet: Though she had no cuts or scratches, she will likely be sore after this unfortunate fall

Uh-Oh: The movie icon, who has made over 30 films, lost her belongings and her wallet and several business cards could be seen on the ground

I get by with a little help from my friends: The Specialist star at first looked happy as she walked along Rodeo Drive. She was surrounded by friends who looked to be more business associates than anything

It's the city's fault: Los Angeles in known for having uneven streets and pedestrians fall very often. Citizens often complain to the city but repairs are slow or don't happen at all

When she took her tumble, two friends reached out to grab her. Sharon fell hard on her side and it looked to be painful with her head nearly touching the pavement.

But soon after she got up and seemed a bit startled until she broke into that smile.

The Casino star was dressed in a light pink suit that made the most of her gym-toned body. She added a black scarf that matched her shoes and held onto a black clutch purse.

For some reason, the Mesa member had a diamond ring on her engagement finger; it is not known who she is dating at the moment.

Engaged? For some reason, the Mesa member had a diamond ring on her engagement finger; it is not known who she is dating at the moment

This suit needs to hit the dry cleaner: Stone had black marks on both knees of her lovely designer suit

The heels were black and looked far from comfortable or sturdy.

Even though the siren will turn 60-years-old in less than a week, she has not shied away from her sexy image that she crafted after the thriller Basic Instinct made her a superstar in 1992.

Often the Pennsylvania native is given kudos for her sophisticated image and is often a hit at awards shows, where she models fashion's finest, and of course, sky-high heels.

Stone's movie career is also at an all-time high: she has been filming a new movie with director Martin Scorsese, who worked with her on the acclaimed Casino.

All good with SS: After standing up, Sharon looked at her foot, likely worried that she suffered a sprain

This fall comes after the former model said she won't ever allow herself to be 'defined' by a man.

The star - who was previously married to TV producer Michael Greenburg and newspaper executive Phil Bronstein - won't confirm whether or not she's currently single, but she is adamant that she won't be in a relationship unless it is an 'actual partnership.'

Speaking to the new issue of Grazia magazine, she said: 'I was just not that girl who was told that a man would define me.

'I was told that if I wanted to have a man in my life, it wouldn't be an arrangement, it would be an actual partnership. And those are hard to find.'

A good pal: Meanwhile, the cover girl's male friend picked up her wallet and cards on the ground

Her divorce in 2004 from Phil was especially painful as they argued over custody of Roan who wanted the teen to go to school in San Francisco.

She has since then dated Martin Mika and David DeLuise.

The Mosaic star is parent to three adopted sons, Roan, 17, Laird, 12, and 11-year-old Quinn and she readily admits they all completely changed her life.

Now that's the spirit: Sharon gave a thumb's up and a mega watt smile after dusting herself off

And then she did this: Proving she's young at heart, the Law & Order SVU star flashed a peace sign and stuck her tongue out

The Basic Instinct actress explained: 'Having three kids certainly will change your reality.

'And I think that not trying to be a girl and allowing yourself to be a grown-up woman is also very helpful.'

Sharon - who almost died after suffering a stroke and brain haemorrhage in 2001 - can currently be seen as a murder victim, wealthy author Olivia Lake, in Steven Soderbergh's drama Mosaic.

Still turning heads: The Disaster Artist star got onlookers to ogle as she walked down famed Rodeo Drive

This may have been her glam team: Sharon and the pals appeared to be looking for clothes, perhaps for the Academy Awards on Sunday in Hollywood

Gucci, Pucci me: Here the leggy Vanity Fair cover girl was seen outside Cartier and across the street from David Yurman

She finds it refreshing that her character's personal history, including whether or not she has children, isn't addressed in the show.

She said: "She's everything isn't she? She's needy, vulnerable and narcissistic, and she's frozen - she's stuck and sort of disintegrating.

'We don't know if she was married before or what her other life could have been - we just kind of pick her up mid-stream.

'We just let her be,' added the Quick And The Dead actress.

'We don't have to look under her petticoat to know she's a woman, at long last.'

Heartbreaking: The fall comes after she talked about her love life. Her divorce in 2004 from Phil Bronstein was especially painful as they argued over custody of Roan who wanted the teen to go to school in San Francisco; seen in 1999

They were married: The Basic Instinct star and Bill MacDonald in 1994

The Agent X star also said she was terrified about returning to acting after overcoming her health problems.

The Playboy cover girl and singer Dwight Yoakam in 1992

And though she jumped at the chance to appear on Mosaic, she admitted she had to mask her insecurities about being back in front of the camera.

Asked if she was nervous, she said: 'F**k yes, I absolutely felt insecure. But I certainly didn't want anyone to think I did.

'I was asking myself, What's going to happen if I can't do it? What's going to happen if I fall apart?'

Sharon was particularly nervous because the stroke left her with memory problems, whereas she used to be famed in the acting world for quickly being word-perfect with her scripts.

She said: 'I lost my short- and long-term memory when I had the stroke and it took me a long time to get it back, because I had to learn to learn.

'I was such a hot shot, back in the day. I had a photographic memory so I didn't even have to learn lines. Coming back to it, I didn't know what the hell I was doing.'

Then a model came next: Stone went younger with Martin Mika in 2013

But the Fading Gigolo star - who was given just a 5 per cent chance of survival after the brain hemorrhage - felt really lucky to be able to bring her personal struggles to the role in the drama series.

She told Grazia magazine: 'If Steven Soderbergh had asked me to come and read the phone book, I'd probably have done it.

'But I feel really lucky that he asked me to do something that was so personal and raw and revealing because, frankly, I've been through hell and it was great to be able to bring all of that insecurity and compassion to the screen.;A controversial travel blog reportedly written by Kieran Hayler and his friends has resurfaced online.

The Mirror report that Katie Price's husband contributed to the 2007 blog titled Da Boyz World Tour, which includes content that could be viewed as racist and transphobic.

Kieran, now 30, and three of his friends travelled to Argentina, Brazil, Chile and New Zealand 11 years ago, writing about their experiences for the blog.

Travels: A controversial travel blog reportedly written by Kieran Hayler and his friends has resurfaced online

The Mirror report that it is not clear if all four men wrote content but one post does appear to have been written by Kieran as he directs readers to his MySpace page.

Among posts about their wild, drunken antics, are entries which include controversial language.

One post includes use of the N-word with a caption underneath a group shot reading: 'we thought we'd take a photo for our up and coming rap album - "Itchy Trigger Finger N*****" with such hits as 'Drive by while high', 'Big willies, 9 milli' and 'AK spray'. Buy that s**t straight from your local HMP!'

Estranged: The report comes amid Kieran's wife Katie's fight to end online trolling

Another post sees one of the group posing with a woman at a tango lesson, with the caption reading: 'Now this one we aren't sure about. Is it a man? Is it a woman? Who knows, but Alex said she sure could tango! If only she'd put a bit more slap on...guys love it when you really gloop it on.'

A representative for Kieran has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

The report comes amid Kieran's wife Katie's fight to end online trolling.

Katie has vowed to be the 'voice' for her son Harvey and protect him from abuse - as she took her fight for a new criminal offence of online trolling to be created to Parliament last month.

The ex glamour model told how her 15 year-old son - who is blind and has a range of health problems which hampers his speech - has been subjected to vile racist abuse online.

Close: While Kieran's blog contains racist language, Katie has vowed to be the 'voice' for her son Harvey (pictured with Kieran) and protect him from abuse

The mother-of-five wants a new criminal offence - which she has dubbed 'Harvey's Law' - to be created to make online trolling a specific crime.

Giving evidence with her mother Amy by her side in February, she described how sick trolls single Harvey out and hurl racist abuse at him online - even creating videos of him.

She went to the police but said they were left 'embarrassed' and unable to take cases any further because there was no criminal offence in place.

Speaking about her son, Katie said: 'He is mocked for his colour, his size, I just think they think he is an easy target to pick on.

'But I'm his voice. I'm here and I'm going to protect him.'

She said the new law would 'stop deaths and abuse' and told MPs that tougher action should be a 'no brainer'.

She said: 'I truly believe that if it was a criminal offence I do not believe there would be so much of it. But there is definitely nothing in place.

Fight: Katie took her fight for a new criminal offence of online trolling to be created to Parliament last month

'You can make up an email, a name and be on that site. They need to tighten it up - surely it cannot be hard work to do that.

'It would stop so many deaths, harassment and abuse. Some of you MPs have even had it as well. It happens to everyone - so it's a no brainer really.'

Her mother Amy told MPs that trolls are hiding behind their computer screens - but the abuse they post has left her family deeply upset.

Katie has previously revealed she is divorcing third husband Kieran, after he admitted having a year-long affair with their children's nanny.

But it seems that she has now set a deadline for the end of the marriage, reportedly expressing a desire to be divorced 'by the end of the summer'.

In a further development, the former glamour model, 39, is allegedly allowing her adulterous ex to remain living in her mansion with her.She became a fashion icon during London's Swinging Sixties, when she shot to fame as one of the world's first supermodels, taking on the mantle from Jean Shrimpton.

But Twiggy, 68, has revealed that the moments she holds most dearly in her life are becoming a mother to her daughter Carly, 39, and a grandmother to Joni, two.

In a new interview with Hello! magazine, the British beauty said: 'When I first had Carly, I loved her so much that it was terrifying. What I could never have imagined is that I would love another child as much as I love her.

We are family: Twiggy, left, has spoken to Hello! magazine about becoming a mother to her daughter Carly, right, as the pair promote their first fashion collaboration for M&S

'But then Joni came along and what I feel for her is complete unadulterated love. She's brought a whole new dimension into my life.'

She added: 'When I'm not working, I jump into the car and drive over to spend the day with her and Carly. My husband Leigh [Lawson] jokes that he's gained a granddaughter and lost a wife.'

Twiggy also has a grandson by her stepson Jason called Solomon, who was born a few months before Joni.

Fashion icon: Twiggy, born Lesley Hornby, became a fashion icon during London's Swinging Sixties, when she shot to fame as one of the world's first supermodels. Pictured in 1966

Legend: The star, now 68, continues to be a trailblazer in the fashion world with her collections

The style icon and her daughter are joining forces to work on their first fashion collaboration together for M&S.

Carly, who is from Twiggy's first marriage to the late actor Michael Witney, said she is thrilled to be working with her mother.

'Being invited to design the latest collection with her was a dream come true,' the fashion designer said, adding that she has 'always wanted to work with Mum'.

Out now: The latest issue of Hello! is out now

Twiggy added: 'Carly and I have always been very close. We're very lucky we get on so well; not every mum and daughter experiences the type of relationship we have, but our love for one another just grows stronger.'

Carly said that Twiggy has inspired her how to be a mother herself.

'When I was growing up, Mum had an extraordinary life and had to travel a lot, but she took me everywhere with her," she said.

'Now I'm a mother too, I'm taking my lead from her; I want to be with my little girl Joni every day of her life.'

Read Twiggy's full interview in the latest issue of Hello!, out now.Kem Cetinay has become the ninth celebrity eliminated from Dancing On Ice, narrowly missing out on a spot in next week's final.

The Love Island winner, 21, burst into tears as he was eliminated from the competition following a shock skate-off with fellow frontrunner Max Evans, 34, on the night.

Kem and his partner Alex Murphy had scored their highest ever mark of 38 earlier in the show with a beautiful second skate performance to Labrinth and Emeli Sande's Beneath Your Beautiful, packed full of romantic lifts.

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Over: Kem Cetinay has become the ninth celebrity eliminated from Dancing On Ice, narrowly missing out on a spot in next week's final (pictured with partner Alex Murphy)

In it to win it: The Love Island winner, 21, burst into tears as he was eliminated from the competition following a shock skate-off with fellow frontrunner Max Evans, 34, on the night

While Max and his partner Ale Izquierdo had wowed with a series high score of 37.5 with their routine to You Really Got Me by The Kinks.

Jake Quickenden and Brooke Vincent made it through to the DOI final, leaving Kem and Max in the skate-off.

Kem skated to Shawn Mendes, There's Nothing Holding Me Back while Max wowed to I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz.

Shock Kem and his partner Alex Murphy had scored their highest ever mark of 38 earlier in the show with a beautiful second skate performance to Labrinth and Emeli Sande's Beneath Your Beautiful, packed full of romantic lifts

Goodbye: Max gave Kem a warm hug as the pair bid farewell to the competition

Skate-off: Kem and partner Alex Murphy skated to Shawn Mendes, There's Nothing Holding Me Back in his skate-off

It was a clean sweep with the judges with Jason Gardiner saying: 'I want to save Max and Ale'.

Ashley voted for Max and Ale while Chris sealed Kem and Alex's fate by voting for Max and Ale.

Jayne Torvill would have agreed with the decision.

No holding back: Kem gave it his all in the skate off but it wasn't enough to save him from elimination

Gravity defying: Max wowed to I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz with partner Ale Izquierdo

Intimate: Max was all smiles despite the tense skate-off as he wrapped up his performance

Kem broke down as he thanked his partner for her support before embracing a sobbing Jake Quickenden, who looked devastated to have lost his best pal from the competition.

Jake Quickenden and his partner Vanessa Bauer scored the first perfect 40 of the series with a poignant tribute performance to Jake's late father, which moved the judging panel to tears.

Jake and Vanessa took to the ice with a poignant performance to Stay by Shakespear's Sister.

Thank you: Kem broke down as he thanked his partner for her support

Shock: Kem looked disapponited as Max pulled a shocked expression on learning he was through to the final

Love you pal: Kem embraced a sobbing Jake Quickenden, who looked devastated to have lost his best pal from the competition

Best friends: Kem's best pal Chris Hughes showed his support for the top skater

Into the final: Jake and Vanessa Bauer (L) looked overwhelmed as they made the final while Brooke Vincent and Matej Silecky cheered

Dancing On Ice: Jake Quickenden and partner Vanessa Bauer scored the first perfect 40 of the series with a poignant tribute performance to Jake's late father

Beautiful: Jake and Vanessa took to the ice with a poignant performance to Stay by Shakespear's Sister

During his VT, he said: 'I remember my dad dancing to that in the living room and sadly it didn't go on forever, I lost him and my brother to cancer. No-one is around forever, that's the way life goes, I know that.

'I want to make him proud. He never saw me compete on all these reality shows. And I've never won one, so I want to do this for him.

Jason scored 10, Ashley scored 10, Jayne 10, and Chris scored 10, making for the first perfect 40 of the competition and a standing ovayion from the judges.

Made him proud: During his VT, he said: 'I remember my dad dancing to that in the living room and sadly it didn't go on forever, I lost him and my brother to cancer. No-one is around forever, that's the way life goes, I know that'

Star-struck: Jake had earlier suffered a blunder during his first routine, but there was no errors in this flawless performance

Perfect 10s: Jason scored 10, Ashley scored 10, Jayne 10, and Chris scored 10, making for the first perfect 40 of the competition and a standing ovation from the judges and audience

Tears: An emotional Christopher Dean said: 'Your father would be proud' before breaking down

You did it: Jake broke down in tears as his scores were read out

Jake broke down in tears as his scores were read out.

Jake said: 'Obviously I wanted to come out in the second skate and show I deserve to be here. Thank you.'

An emotional Chris said: 'Your father would be proud' before breaking down.

Gutted: However an unfortunate blunder during a lift saw Jake Quickenden and his partner Vanessa Bauer slip down the leaderboard during their first routine

Started well: Leaderboard topper Jake took to the ice for their stunning first performance to Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap, complete with an ambitious solo skate

Jason said: 'We haven't been moved like that this series. I take my hat off to you mate.'

Ashley said: 'It was more important than perfect, it was what it meant to you.'

This week the celebrities were tasked with letting go of their partner and wowing in a 30 second solo skate, in a bid to impress the judges.

Rugby player Max Evans, 34, was reunited with his skating partner Ale Izquierdo, and wowed with his highest score so far while series favourite Jake Quickenden made an unfortunate blunder on the ice that dented his score.

Tumble and fall: However he suffered a slight mishap during a star lift and his partner came tumbling down

Wow factor: Jake gave it his all in the solo skate with jaw-dropping moves but it wasn't enough to earn a 10

Happy: Jake looked to be loving every second of his solo skate as he careered across the rink

Crestfallen: Jason scored 8, Ashley scored 9.5, Jayne 9.5, and Chris 9.5, scoring 36.5, a shocking second place on the leaderboard

Max wowed during his routine to You Really Got Me by The Kinks, complete with walking handstand and an array of twirls and jumps during his solo skate, and only a couple of slight wobbles.

Jason scored 9, Ashley scored 9.5, Jayne scored 9.5, and Chris scored 9.5 totalling 37.5, just .5 under Jake Quickenden's series high score from last week.

Max said: 'I am speechless, I am so tired.'

Dancing On Ice:Max Evans has scored his highest mark of the series during the show's semi-final on Sunday, just missing out on Jake Quickenden's series high score from last week

Series high: Max wowed during his routine to You Really Got Me by The Kinks, complete with walking handstand and an array of twirls and jumps during his solo skate, and only a couple of slight wobbles

Confidence: Max looked relaxed as he skated without his partner for 30 seconds

Strength: Max roared as he showed off his strength by lifting his partner

Chris said: 'The hard work, determination has set him up so well. I was so impressed with the solo skate, it was all there.'

Jaosn said: 'Your solo really got me going. Yo were really solid, you attacked it and I applaud you for doing that. That end-lift I had a problem with that, that Detroiter.

Max quipped:'Can I just say you look incredible tonight Jason.'

Jayne said: 'For me that was a solo skate, that was incredible, I loved the music and the choreography'

Ashley said: 'You came out and said I'm here to win, it was technically difficult.'

No holds barred: Jason scored 9, Ashley scored 9.5, Jayne scored 9.5, and Chris scored 9.5 totalling 37.5, just .5 under Jake Quickenden's series high score from last week

Yes! Max looked elated as he revelled in his fabulous score on the night

We did it! Max and Ale celebrated as they got their highest score to date

Leaderboard topper Jake Quickenden and his partner Vanessa Bauer were up next with a stunning performance to Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap, complete with an ambitious solo skate.

However he suffered a slight mishap during a star lift and his partner came tumbling down.

Jason scored 8, Ashley scored 9.5, Jayne 9.5, and Chris 9.5, scoring 36.5, a shocking second place. on the leaderboard

I'm so sorry, I understand Jason not giving a high mark. That lift went wrong.'

Skillful : Kem Cetinay and his partner Alex Murphy scored their highest mark of the series as they opened the show's glittering semi-final

Jaw-dropping: First up was Kem Cetinay and Alex Murphy, who survived the skate-off last week, against Alex Beresford and Brianne Delcourt

Cowboy: With a Wild West themed routine to nail, Kem and Jake Quickenden had to walk two miles to the studios after their car journey was halted by the 'Beast From The East' - heavy snowfall

Ashley said: 'What it did to your confidence, the moves and the kind of technicality is so up there, the lift did shake your confidence.

Jason said: 'The thing is, I am tough on you, you recovered well and that's what I need to see.'

Jayne said: 'I thought the solo skate was brilliant.'

Wow: The playful routine to Timber by Pitbull ft Kesha saw the pair nail a forwards roll on the ice

Confidence: Kem oozed confidence during his solo skate with the pair scoring 35 out of 40

Support: Kem was spurred on by his ex girlfriend Amber Davies, with whom he won Love Island, who took to Instagram to cheer him on

Chris said: 'You should be in the final, you will be' as Jason retorted 'that hasn't been decided yet, you still have to vote' as a devastated Jake dejectedly skated off the rink.

First up was Kem Cetinay and Alex Murphy, who survived the skate-off last week, against Alex Beresford and Brianne Delcourt.

With a Wild West themed routine to nail, Kem and Jake Quickenden had to walk two miles to the studios after their car journey was halted by the 'Beast From The East' - heavy snowfall.

The playful routine to Timber by Pitbull ft Kesha saw the pair nail a forwards roll on the ice, with Kem oozing confidence during his solo skate.

Fun filled: Coronation street star Brooke Vincent and Matej Silecky took to the ice next with a fun performance to the Spice Girls Who Do You Think You Are

Solo: Jason scored 8, Ashley 8.5, Jayne 8, and Chris 8.5 totalling 33, their highest score of the series

Pop hit: Brooke and Matej looked effortlessly cool as they twirled along the ice

Judges Jason Gardiner scored 8.5, Ashley Banjo 8.5, Jayne Torvill 9, and Christopher Dean scored 9 totalling 35 out of 40, which was Kem and Alex's highest score of the series.

Kem said: 'I love being a cowboy, it's my favourite thing I do need Alex and it was good to skate on my own.'

Chris said: 'I just love his energy and infectious personality. The solo bit was a bit scrappy, your stop, drop and roll made the routine, you're wanted in the final

Jayne said: 'I think you're capable of more difficulty. That performance was electric.'

Emotion: Brooke burst into tears as her growth in the competition was praised by Ashley Banjo

Jason said: 'You're a wonderful showman, your solo skate didn't make it out of the rodeo. You didn't show off and it was your time to.

Ashley said: 'You needed to come out and show everyone what you're made of. You have it. The solo skate needed more content to be competitive.'

Kem was spurred on by his ex girlfriend Amber Davies, with whom he won Love Island, who took to Instagram to cheer him on.

Coronation street star Brooke Vincent and Matej Silecky took to the ice next with a fun performance to the Spice Girls Who Do You Think You Are, with the actress speeding off for her solo skate clad in a Geri Halliwell inspired Union Jack leotard.

Jason scored 8, Ashley 8.5, Jayne 8, and Chris 8.5 totalling 33, their highest score of the series.

Lift: All celebrities had to skate twice during the evening, with Kem taking to the ice first with a dazzling performance in honour of his mother to Labrinth and Emeli Sande's Beneath Your Beautiful, packed full of romantic lifts

Wow factor: Jason scored 9.5, Ashley scored 9.5, Jayne 9.5 and Chris 9.5 equalling Jake's series best score of 38 out of 40

Gold: Kem looked in his comfort zone as he effortlessly lifted Alex into the air

Brooke said: 'It's been really fun, it's like reliving my childhood, it was so fun.'

Jayne said: 'I can't believe your confidence, you took off with lots of speed, it needed a bit more difficulty.

Chris said: 'Your skating has got better and better in the past three weeks,.'

Jason said: 'This was a solid concept, I think the choreography was great up until the solo skate. It lacked content.

Finesse: Next to skate again was Max Evans who sizzled on the ice to boyband favourite Picture Of You by Boyzone

Airborne: Jason scored 9, Ashley 9, Jayne, 9 and Chris scored 9 totalling 36 out of 40

Ashley said: 'You have grown the most out of everyone in the competition. I know how hard the skate is' as Brooke burst into tears.

All celebrities had to skate twice during the evening, with Kem taking to the ice first with a dazzling performance in honour of his mother to Labrinth and Emeli Sande's Beneath Your Beautiful, packed full of romantic lifts.

Jason scored 9.5, Ashley scored 9.5, Jayne 9.5 and Chris 9.5 equalling Jake's series best score of 38 out of 40.

Kem said: 'I have ogre hands and I step all over the place and I'm so happy.'

Kiss: Max showed off his acting chops as Ale leaned in for a cheeky peck on the cheek

Chris said: 'This number is so tender, the kem-istry that you two have is amazing. The skating and emotion was there.'

Jason said: 'You were brave, you danced together as one for the first time. Magical.'

Ashley said: 'You deserve a place in the final' as Jayne said 'You are so versatile. You skated it beautifully.'

Next to skate again was Max Evans who sizzled on the ice to boyband favourite Picture Of You by Boyzone.

Jason scored 9, Ashley 9, Jayne, 9 and Chris scored 9 totalling 36 out of 40.

Daring: Brooke and Matej then returned for their ethereal skate to One More Time by Ariana Grande, which featured a showstopper lift

Jayne praised the 'fun routine' while Jason labelled it 'cute' and said 'it would have been nice to see more choreographically.'

Chris said: 'The lifts that you are doing, there's tons of elements in there, do rotating lifts.'

Ashley said: 'You are skating so well tonight, so smooth, it was missing the competitive energy though.'

Brooke and Matej then returned for their ethereal skate to One More Time by Ariana Grande, which featured a showstopper lift.

Exciting: Jason scored 8.5, Ashley 8.5, Jayne 8.5, Chris scored 9 totalling 34.5 out of 40

Jason scored 8.5, Ashley 8.5, Jayne 8.5, Chris scored 9 totalling 34.5 out of 40.

Brooke said: 'I looked like a sack of spuds four weeks ago and I have improved.'

Jayne said: 'You had so much fun and that came across' while Chris said 'I loved that you were enjoying it. The confidence, I loved it.'

Jason said: 'This routine was one of your best, you have so much invested in it. You probably will secure a place in the final. You needed to live that more.'

Ashley said: 'Everyone in Manchester will be behind you.'She appears to have learnt to appreciate her 'husband' Troy's quirks over the past few weeks on Married At First Sight.

And Ashley Irvin and her 'husband' Troy Delmege have shared their desires to start a family and become parents.

Speaking to NW Magazine this week, the 28-year-old praises her quirky partne, saying: 'There's no doubt in my mind that Troy would make a good dad.'

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Troy and Ashleys baby joy! Married At First Sights Barbie bride reveals her goofy IT manager husband will be a great father as they reveal their family plans

The blonde flight attendant excitedly revealed: 'We both want families!'

Troy, an IT accounts manager, mirrored Ashley's desire to welcome children, telling the magazine: 'I 100 per cent want loads of kids!'

As a 35-year-old, he hinted he'd like to start soon so he could able to have the energy to play with the bubs.

The news comes after his estranged sister claimed he was still a virgin, which he cleared up in NW Magazine, revealing he 'became a man' at 19.

'We both want families!' Troy, an IT accounts manager, mirrored Ashley's desire to welcome children: 'I 100 per cent want loads of kids!'

'There's no doubt in my mind that Troy would make a good dad': The 28-year-old flight attendant praised her quirky partner's attributes as the foundation of becoming a great father

However, unaired footage on the show's official website revealed Ashley telling the relationship experts she had to 'teach' Troy how to kiss.

In the chat, which occurred during last week's commitment ceremony but was not broadcast, Ashley is asked if she has made 'any effort' in their relationship.

'I mean, yeah, today I did, didn't I?' the flight attendant told her husband.

'This is how you do it': Married At First Sight's Troy Delmege FINALLY gets a lesson in how to kiss from wife Ashley Irvin after she calls his 'over affectionate' technique a turn-off

A cheerful-looking Troy tells the MAFS experts that his wife 'let me kiss her properly for the first time this morning'.

Keen to explain the situation to the room, Ashley replied that Troy 'came at me real fast and I said, "No, no! This is how you do it. This is what I like".'

Her explanation prompted several of the other contestants to burst out laughing.

You know how to kiss, right? Ashley replied that Troy 'came at me real fast and I said, "No, no! This is how you do it. This is what I like"'

Tell us more: Ashley, 28, told the experts that her reaction was out of character, because this time she was happy to explain to Troy exactly how she liked to be kissed

Ashley, 28, told the experts that her reaction was out of character, because this time she was happy to explain to Troy exactly how she liked to be kissed.

Earlier in the chat, Ashley had complained to the experts that Troy's over affectionate nature was a turn-off.

'He always says that showing affection is his way,' she began.

Hopeful: A cheerful-looking Troy told the MAFS experts that his wife 'let me kiss her properly for the first time this morning'

Tough crowd: Ashley saying that Troy couldn't kiss properly prompted several of the other contestants to burst out laughing

'But Troy is so over-affectionate. Like, all the time needs to touch, needs to kiss - he's the most touchy-feely guy I've ever been with.'

During Ashley's explanation, Troy appeared to agree, going bright-red in the face and nodding his head.

This isn't the first time Troy has been criticised for his method of performing an everyday task.

What is he doing? Troy's bizarrely aggressive teeth brushing method left fans confused when he was first introduced on the show

Troy's bizarrely aggressive teeth brushing method left fans confused when he was first introduced on MAFS.

Meanwhile, Ashley had earlier complained to producers about the manner in which the IT Manager ate ice cream in another unseen clip posted to the show's website.

Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel NineKim Kardashian will do anything to keep her good looks.

In the past she has had vampire facials and several types of injections.

And on Sunday the wife of Kanye West was at it again as she shared a clip from her latest pick me up.

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It must hurt: Kim Kardashian got a very strange looking facial on Sunday

It takes a lot of tricks to look this good: The 37-year-old looker was getting a CACI facial with the help of several tools

Ouch: The mother-of-three - she has North, aged four, Saint, aged two, and Chicago, aged two months - had clamps and papers on her face

The 37-year-old looker was getting a CACI facial with the help of several tools.

She appeared to be in pain but did not say she was as a woman pulled at her skin.

The mother-of-three - she has North, aged four, Saint, aged two, and Chicago, aged two months - had clamps and papers on her face.

The video shows two probes being attached to the skin around Kims chin and lifting the skin around the chin at first and then lifting the eyebrows to give a more open and youthful eye appearance.

Owie: She appeared to be in pain but did not say she was as a woman pulled at her skin

More: 'Firming & Tightening,' she wrote on her Snapchat clip, describing the pain-free facial which incorporates simultaneous LED light therapy which combined with the micro-current, stimulates collagen production

New: The Complex magazine cover vet also said she was with top LA therapist Tracie Martyn

'Firming & Tightening,' she wrote on her Snapchat clip, describing the pain-free facial which incorporates simultaneous LED light therapy which combined with the micro-current, stimulates collagen production.

The Complex magazine cover vet also said she was with top LA therapist Tracie Martyn. The star usually gets treatments from Dr Ourian of Epione.

The day before she posted a playful Instagram image that showed off her sexy cleavage as she stuck her tongue out while wearing a black suit.

The KKW Beauty mogul sported gorgeous pink hair that she recently debuted on social media.

Classy but sassy! On Saturday, Kardashian posted a playful Instagram image that showed off her sexy cleavage as she stuck her tongue out while wearing a black suit

The reality TV star always manages to perfectly balance her sophisticated looks with edgy sex-appeal.

Kim wore an all-black business suit without a blouse or shirt beneath the jacket, revealing a plunging and revealing neckline that showed her bare chest and navel.

She wore high-fashion transparent vinyl heels that were softly hinted in turquoise.

The star appeared to be getting ready as she sat on a chair in her hotel room with a blow dryer set up near her on a table.

On Sunday, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star debuted her new youthful look on social media.

After some of her fans questioned whether it was a wig, the E! star took to Twitter to clear things up.

'I don't really do wigs . It's real.' she wrote.

The reality TV queen revealed that she was ready for a new look after six months of sporting a chic blonde mane.

Transformation: Kim revealed her once blonde locks were dyed a vibrant candyfloss pink hue

Clearing things up: The reality TV star later tweeted that the pink color is her real hair and not a wig

Kim and her sisters have recently been spotted on a girls' trip in Japan.

Their Instagram accounts have been lined with sensational snaps from their Japanese getaway.

The 37-year-old star was in the country to film for the latest season of her hit series Keeping Up With The Kardashians.She reconnected with her biological mother 16 years ago.

And now Married At First Sight's Tracey Jewel's biological mother Patricia Gaugg has revealed why she gave up her daughter at just a few weeks old in 1982.

Speaking to New Idea, the 53-year-old said the decision to place the newborn up for adoption was devastating: 'Giving up my baby was the hardest thing I've ever done!'

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'Giving up my baby was the hardest thing I've ever done!' MAFS star Tracey Jewel's biological mother reveals the reason she gave up her newborn daughter for adoption

Pat said she gave Tracey, who she originally named Rachael, up for adoption shortly after birth at the advice of her family and cried endlessly at her loss.

'My family pushed me towards adopting her out and I just felt it was for the best. There was no government help and I felt my baby would have a better chance if she grew up in a loving household,' she admitted.

The Brisbane-based mother, who now also has three sons, left school early to work at Coles and claims Tracey's plumber father doesn't know she exists.

Tracey was raised by loving parents Jenny and Mick, who allowed her to reconnect with her biological mother on the eve of her 18th birthday.

Pat said she was extremely delighted to hear from her estranged daughter and they reconnected in person two days later.

'I felt my baby would have a better chance if she grew up in a loving household': Pat said she gave Tracey, who she originally named Rachael, up for adoption shortly after giving birth because she feared she couldn't support a child without government help

'Kick him to the kerb!' Pat says she's proud of how Tracey is conducting herself on the reality show, but doesn't feel Dean is the perfect match for her daughter

Pat says she's proud of how Tracey is conducting herself on the reality show, but doesn't feel Dean is the perfect match for her daughter.

Pat even admitted she's told Tracey: 'He can't be trusted... Kick him to the kerb!

Meanwhile, Tracey admitted she felt 'worried' about securing a future outside the experiment with Dean during Sunday night's commitment ceremony.

A relationship expert in her own right, the brunette beauty told the professionals she was taking one day at a time.

'I'm worried about the future': MAFS' Tracey Jewel admits to having doubts about her 'marriage' to Dean Wells despite voting to stay on recent commitment ceremony

And she felt so strongly about it, she even uploaded a similarly worded caption attached to an Instagram photo of the two sitting on the couch.

'Although we're in a good space now I am worried about the future #timewilltell #movingintherightdirection #futureplanning #commitmentceremony #feelingthepressure #mafs #marriedatfirstsight,' she wrote.

Dean and Tracey's relationship has taken centre stage throughout this season of MAFS thanks to Dean's extra-marital dalliance with bikini model Davina Rankin.

Look of death: And it's still this misdemeanor that has Tracey wary of trusting her beau

And it's still this misdemeanor that has Tracey wary of trusting her beau.

On Tuesday's episode, fans watched as a red-faced Dean confronted Tracey's parents about the affair.

'There were a few incidents one of the other girls from the experiment wasn't happy in her relationship as well and she reached out to me and I think she kinda liked me,' he told them.

Awkward! On Tuesday's episode, fans watched as a red-faced Dean confronted Tracey's parents about the affair

'And there was maybe a bit of a connection there between her and I decided I didn't want to be with that other girl and I wanted to stay with Tracey,' he confessed.

Miraculously Dean escaped from the the interaction unscathed, with Tracey's parents dismissing the situation as nothing more than a common mistake.

And he appeared to have proved himself, with Tracey choosing to stay in the experiment during Sunday night's commitment ceremony.She's the Gold Logie winner who has been the face of The Project since its debut on Network Ten in 2009.

And despite both women denying any issues, there are rumours Carrie Bickmore may be getting ready to leave the panel over 'tensions' with new hire Lisa Wilkinson.

New Idea reported on Monday that the show's producers are now having to handle Carrie with 'kid gloves' over fears she will jump ship.

Unconfirmed reports: Despite both women denying any issues, there are rumours Carrie Bickmore may be getting ready to leave The Project over 'tensions' with Lisa Wilkinson

'They are having to handle Carrie with kid gloves as they don't want the worst outcome - i.e that she spits the dummy and walks,' an unnamed source told the publication.

New Idea claimed that rising ratings since the former Today host's addition to the Sunday night panel - as well as Lisa's high-profile interviews with Celine Dion and Jacqui Lambie - had ruffled Carrie's feathers.

'Lisa's jaunt to Vegas to interview Celine Dion hasn't gone down well with Carrie,' the source went on to allege.

Claims: 'They are having to handle Carrie with kid gloves as they don't want the worst outcome - i.e that she spits the dummy and walks,' a source told New Idea. Pictured: Lisa Wilkinson

They added: 'These high-profile interviews like Lambie are p***ing Carrie off.'

Lisa has proved to be a ratings boon for The Project, with News.com.au reporting that her debut in January brought 200,000 more metropolitan viewers to the show.

It was also suggested by New Idea's anonymous source that Lisa and Carrie are putting up a front - especially on social media, where they often post pictures together.

Front: It was also suggested by New Idea's anonymous source that Lisa and Carrie are putting up a front - especially on social media, where they often post pictures together

'While it's all lovey dovey on social media, it is a different story behind closed doors at Ten,' the insider suggested.

'Aside from a few times sitting on the panel together, they pass like ships in the night.'

A spokesperson for Network Ten rubbished the publication's claims, saying New Idea 'wasn't interested in the truth.'

'The article in New Idea is a complete fabrication and could not be further from the truth,'the spokesperson said. 'New Idea, which is of course owned by Channel Seven, did not bother checking any of its claims with Network Ten, Carrie, Lisa or anyone who works on The Project.'

They continued: 'The truth is that these two highly talented, strong and professional women enjoy working together, and support each other. Clearly New Idea is not interested in the truth.'

'I couldn't be more excited': In contrast to New Idea's claims, Carrie was full of praise for her co-star when speaking to Who last week, saying Lisa was the shot in the arm the show needed

In contrast to New Idea's claims, Carrie was full of praise for her co-star when speaking to Who last week, saying Lisa was the shot in the arm the show needed.

'I couldn't be more excited to be working with her. We text, we call and we're going to make a great team,' she said.

Lisa has also previously dismissed reports of a feud with Carrie, telling News Corp: 'I couldn't believe (there were rumours) because this is complete fiction. Carrie can't believe it, I can't believe it.'

At the close of 2017, Lisa had secured a reported $2.3million salary to front The Sunday Project and Network Ten's new website Ten Daily.

The former magazine editor had previously left Channel Nine after her employers had reportedly refused to pay her the same as her Today co-host Karl Stefanovic.She's the eldest daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe who recently become a fixture on the red carpet since celebrating her 18th birthday last year.

And Ava Phillippe continued to hold her own in the well-heeled social circuit on Sunday evening, when she was one of the guests in attendance at Valentino's Autumn/Winter 2018 presentation at Paris Fashion Week.

The teenager, who is the spitting image of her Oscar-winning actress mother, turned heads as she arrived at the hot-ticket show in a chic polka dot dress with layered sleeves, over which she draped a retro-style black-and-white coat.

Passion for fashion: Ava Phillippe attended Valentino's Autumn/Winter 2018 presentation at Paris Fashion Week on Sunday evening

Her flattering dress of choice featured layered sleeves and was cinched mid-torso, giving it a high-waisted look, while a black bow further polished her look.

Standing tall in a pair of contrasting deep red heels, she complemented her elegant ensemble with a pair of black opaque tights.

With her golden locks falling beyond her shoulders in bold waves, she added an extra touch of glamour with a rich palette of makeup, which included blush, eye-shadow and a deep red lipstick.

Elegant gown: The 18-year-old turned heads as she arrived at the hot-ticket show in a chic polka dot dress with layered sleeves

Layered: The eldest daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe draped a retro-style black-and-white coat over her ensemble, removing it once she arrived at the event

After watching the show - which fellow Hollywood offspring Kaia Gerber, daughter of Cindy Crawford, walked in - Ava took to Instagram to share a snap of herself posing in her outfit on a grand marble staircase as she gazed out of a large window.

Reese welcomed her eldest daughter Ava with ex husband Ryan - who she co-starred in film classic Cruel Intentions. The pair were married from 1999 to 2007 and also share 14-year-old son Deacon together.

Since 2011, Reese has been married to her talent agent second husband Jim Toth, by whom she has a five-year-old son called Tennessee.

Strut: Standing tall in a pair of contrasting deep red heels, she complemented her elegant ensemble with a pair of black opaque tights, while she toted a branded white leather handbag

Pose: After the show, she took to Instagram to share a shot of herself on a marble staircase

Since turning 18 last September, Ava has become a fixture at glamorous Hollywood events, often accompanying her famous actress mom Reese on the red carpet.

Late last year, Reese and Jim attended the Bal des debutantes to support Ava when she was introduced into high society over Thanksgiving weekend at the iconic Peninsula Hotel in Paris, France.

In previous years, le Bal has according to its website introduced a stunning variety of debutantes ranging from Princess Fawzia-Latifa, daughter of the deposed last King Of Egypt, to Scout and Tallulah Willis, daughters of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.

In the past: Her parents Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe - who co-starred in the film Cruel Intentions - were married from 1999 to 2007. Pictured in 2001She has become a fashion week fixture around the world, and is known for her signature sense of style.

And Lady Amelia Windsor wowed as she made a chic arrival to the Valentino Paris Fashion Week show on Sunday.

The 22-year-old fashionista looked suitably edgy for her day at the prestigious show, clad in a fuschia pink and black patterned dress with a chic lace panel across the neckline and along the hem.

French finesse: Lady Amelia Windsor wowed as she made a chic arrival to the Valentino Paris Fashion Week show on Sunday

She donned a trendy pair of black leather biker boots and layered an elegant black coat over her shoulders.

Her blonde tresses were styled sleek and straight, parted on the side while her pretty features were enhanced with smoky silver eyeshadow, fluttery lashes and liner, finished with a slick of rose lipstick.

She accessorised with a glittering gold pendant necklace and a studded silver quilted bag, with star pattern.

Blonde beauty: The 22-year-old fashionista looked suitably edgy for her day at the prestigious show, clad in a fuschia pink and black patterned dress with a chic lace panel across the neckline and along the hem

Edgy: She donned a trendy pair of black leather biker boots and layered an elegant black coat over her shoulders

Regal: Her blonde tresses were styled sleek and straight, parted on the side

Lady Amelia, who was hailed 'the most beautiful member of the royal family' by Tatler magazine, is tipped to become one of the fashion industry's biggest stars.

All the signs of success are there. Lady Amelia has walked for Dolce & Gabbana and appeared in a film for footwear designer Penelope Chilvers since signing to Storm Model Management, the British agency that discovered Kate Moss, in 2017.

But Amelia explained in her interview with W that she ultimately sees herself embracing a more behind-the-scenes role, likely in digital media.

Glamour: Her pretty features were enhanced with smoky silver eyeshadow, fluttery lashes and liner, finished with a slick of rose lipstick

FROW: Amelia joined Anna de Pahlen on the Valentino front row as she struck her best pose

She pointed to the career of Grace Coddington, Vogue's creative-director-at-large, as inspiration for the path she hopes to take.

Lady Amelia is the daughter of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, and granddaughter of Edward the Duke of Kent, who is a first cousin of the Queen.

It makes her a distant cousin of Prince William, 35, and Prince Harry, 33.With its two partners ESF Courchevel 1850 and Maison Cheval Blanc Courchevel, Hublot organised the ninth annual running of its famed Slalom event, which took place within a warm, friendly  and decidedly gourmet  atmosphere! While around a hundred participants, each accompanied by an instructor from ESF Courchevel 1850, took to their skis to deliver the perfect rhythm and precision demanded by this course, their supporters were able to enjoy a delicious 3-star "snack", prepared by Chef Yannick Alleno and Cheval Blanc Courchevel.

Coming from a family of bistro owners, Yannick Alleno's passion for cooking dates back to his early years. In 2013, he created the Cuisine Moderne movement, a revolutionary and visionary approach to the culinary arts and the base for which he outlined in several works in the Reflexions dun cuisinier (Reflections of a Chef) collection. Now the head of sixteen restaurants across the world, two of which have been awarded three Michelin stars  Le 1947 at Cheval Blanc Courchevel and Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris  the Parisian chef brings his focus on local produce and contemporary flair to four continents.

Yannick Alleno  Hublot

Whilst enjoying an Alpine-themed cocktail specially created by Yannick Alleno at Le Bar, the guests watched a live cooking demonstration and tried some innovative "Alpine Sushi" prepared before their very eyes. After a dessert  shaped like a mountain, and accompanied by the stylised "H" of the Hublot brand  was flambeed in traditional Genepi liqueur, Chief Marketing Officer Philippe Tardivel presented Yannick Alleno with a Hublot watchmaker's apron embroidered with his name.She was convicted of smuggling cannabis into Indonesia in 2005, spent nine years in Kerobokan Prison and since her arrest, maintained the drugs were planted on her.

And in a new interview with Woman's Day, Schapelle Corby professed she doesn't 'use drugs' nor 'smoke marijuana'.

The 40-year-old told the magazine she doesn't have addictive personality and she was taking anti-psychotics while suffering from mental illness during her time in prison.

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Don't get high on your own supply! Convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby sets the record straight and claims she 'doesn't smoke marijuana'

'I'm not an addictive person. I'm not into drugs,' she claimed.

'When I see comments saying "Druggo!" it's upsetting because I don't use drugs. I don't smoke marijuana,' she added.

The high-profile Queensland resident described how she had previously suffered from mental illness, which had her on 'anti-psychotic' medication for four years.

'When I see comments saying "Druggo!" it's upsetting because I don't use drugs. I don't smoke marijuana,' she said in an interview with Woman's Day

'When I was mentally ill and on anti-psychotics, I was huge. When all those larger pictures [of her] came out, I was on very strong anti-psychotics,' she explained.

She revealed how her past psychosis had not only contributed to her weight gain, it had lead to her losing the ability to read and only being able to 'look at pictures'.

'When I was mentally ill and on anti-psychotics, I was huge. When all those larger pictures [of her] came out, I was on very strong anti-psychotics,' she explained

Schapelle was convicted in May 2005 for the importation of 4.2 kilos of cannabis into Bali and was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Denpasar District Court.

In March 2010, she petitioned Indonesia's President for clemency on the grounds of mental illness, and in May 2012 she was granted a five-year sentence reduction.

In February 2014, she was released on parole after serving nine years in prison, leaving Bali in May last year to return home to Australia for the first time in 12 years.

Homecoming: In February 2014, she was released on parole after serving nine years in prison, leaving Bali in May last year to return home to Australia for the first time in 12 yearsShe's not shy when it comes to showing off her beautiful curves on the red carpet.

And Australian actress Abbie Cornish once again turned heads at the 90th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday in a revealing gold gown.

The Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri star stunned in an embellished dress with plunging neckline.

Gilded! Australian actress Abbie Cornish shows off her cleavage in a revealing gold gown at the 90th Academy Awards

The dress featured a low-cut which showed off her cleavage and was cinched in at the waist with a metallic belt.

The blonde beauty accessorised with stunning diamond jewels, including a matching drop necklace and earrings.

She wore her golden locks in Hollywood style loose curls, casually pinned back in a half-up-half-down do.

The Australian actress is currently gaining praise for her turn in the lauded Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald in October, Abbie revealed that she was somewhat of a one-woman army when it comes to furthering her career as she does it all without the help of a publicist - something decidedly un-Hollywood.

Taking the plunge: The Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri star stunned in an embellished dress with plunging neckline that showed off her cleavage

'It's true, I don't know anyone else my age doing what I do who doesn't have a personal publicist, so I definitely went against the grain,' she told the publication.

She added: 'But, I have to say I love it. It's given me so much happiness to know i can be myself and do things my own way. I will always support the work but i don;t need to be famous.'

Abbie rose to fame after appearing opposite Heath Ledger in 2006 drama film Candy.Australia's Oscar nominees are a mixed lot this year.

There is glamorous star and emerging Hollywood power player Margot Robbie and the bearded, bespectacled giant-sized editor Lee Smith who cut British director Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk into a masterpiece.

There's also Derin Seale, who has Australian film royalty blood flowing through his veins, and his longtime friend, movie-making partner and renaissance man Josh Lawson.

Australia's Oscar dark horse could be another editor, Paul Machliss, who was literally on the edge of his seat on moving vehicles with his editing equipment as the stars of the high-octane, musically-influenced action film Baby Driver were shooting their scenes.

The 90th Annual Academy Awards, hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, are scheduled to begin at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre at noon Monday AEDT.

Queenslander Robbie, 27, who spent three years on the Australian TV soap Neighbours before moving to Los Angeles and quickly rising the ranks, was nominated for best actress for her performance as scandal-plagued US Olympic ice skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya.

Robbie also produced the film, which picked up nominations for supporting actress Allison Janney and editor Tatiana Riegel.

Despite an acclaimed performance channelling the tough Harding and spending months on the ice preparing for the role, Robbie is a long shot with Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) the short-priced favourite.

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) and Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) are the next best chances.

The only nominee behind Robbie is one of the greats, Meryl Streep, a three-time Oscar winner and 21-time nominee, whose odds have blown out to around 100 to 1 for her performance in The Post.

"The nomination in itself is beyond anything I could have dreamed for, but to be among this group in particular that I specifically aspire to be like is the highest praise," Robbie, marvelling at the nominees in her category, told AAP.

Sydney's Smith, who stands 196cm tall, is Australia's best chance of an Oscar for editing the World War II epic Dunkirk.

Smith has been nominated twice before, for The Dark Knight in 2009 and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World in 2004, but left both Academy Awards ceremonies empty-handed.

His front runner Oscar status was confirmed last month when he won the American Cinema Editors award for Dunkirk.

History shows 23 of the last 27 ACE winners won the editing Oscar.

Smith said being so tall comes in handy despite spending much of his life in the confined space of editing suites.

"It's good because you are always in arguments with people in an editing room and at six foot 5 I always get my way," he laughed.

Smith's biggest threat is fellow Australian Machliss who was so close to the action editing on the set of Baby Driver a small cart was built to hold his editing equipment so he could wheel it from location to location.

Machliss also was placed on a trailer with the actors, who were in vehicles, so he could edit their scenes live.

Seale and Lawson, nominated for their Sydney-shot short live action film The Eleven O'Clock, are considered outsiders for the Oscar.

Seale, who directed the 13-minute comedy, is the son of Australian cinematographer John Seale, who won the Oscar in 1997 for The English Patient and nominated four other times for Rain Man, Witness, Cold Mountain and Mad Max: Fury Road.

His first memory of being on a film set with his dad was 1981's Gallipoli and his first job was as video playback operator on The English Patient.

Lawson, who wrote, produced and stars in the short film, played Paul Hogan in last year's TV mini-series Hoges.

He wrote The Eleven O'Clock for a Sydney theatre production 13 years ago and during a dinner with Seale mentioned the play about a delusional patient who believes he is a psychiatrist.

"We sat down and had dinner a couple of years ago and Derin said 'I want to make a short film' and I said, 'Well I have a script that I don't think will be hard to make. It's pretty much just two guys in a room'," Lawson said.

Three Billboards is favourite for best picture, just ahead of The Shape Of Water, while Gary Oldman is considered unbeatable for best actor for Darkest Hour.

The Shape of Water's Guillermo del Toro is front runner for director while Three Billboard's Sam Rockwell is hot favourite for supporting actor and Janney also appears way ahead of the pack for best supporting actress.Four more families of refugees and a cohort of single men have left immigration camps on Nauru to start new lives in the United States.

The group of 29, including eight children, who flew off the island nation on Sunday is the fifth cohort to depart Nauru under Australia's refugee resettlement deal with the US.

They included two Sri Lankan, one Rohingyan and one Afghan family and single men from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, refugee advocates said.

Since resettlements under the deal started in September, 139 refugees have left Nauru and 85 from Papua New Guinea's Manus Island.

However, the Refugee Action Coalition said it was remarkable there were no Iranian, Somali or Sudanese refugees among those who have left this year, despite Australian Border Force officials denying any particular nationalities were banned from resettling in the US.

RAC spokesman Ian Rintoul said US officials were expected to remain in Nauru for another couple of weeks but had not yet scheduled any new vetting interviews for another round of refugees.

Under the deal Australia reached with the previous Obama administration - derided as the worst ever by now-president Donald Trump - the US agreed to take up to 1250 refugees from the offshore detention centres.Ford star Mark Winterbottom believes Holden's next generation Commodore has thrown down a gauntlet to the rest of the Supercars field.

The new model Commodore - the ZB - made its Supercars debut at the Adelaide 500 this weekend and wasted little time getting into the winner's circle following Shane Van Gisbergen's victory in Saturday's 250km season opener.

Van Gisbergen has also swept the pole positions at the Adelaide 500, proving the ZB - the first Supercar based off a hatchback road car - has one-lap speed as well as race pace.

Rivals, particularly those driving Falcons, have raised concerns about a supposed weight advantage with the new Commodore.

Tickford Racing and DJR Team Penske both claim the ZB's additional composite parts, particularly its roof, give it a centre-of-gravity advantage over the Fords and Nissan Altimas in the field, which have steel roofs.

Winterbottom says its no surprise Triple Eight Race Engineering - who Van Gisbergen races for as part of the Red Bull Holden Racing Team - has delivered a superior race product after 18 months developing the car.

"They don't do bad things. I've never seen Triple Eight do something that was slower," the 2016 champion told AAP.

"It's always an advantage and good on them, they work hard, get it approved and off they go.

"It's a better aero package, looks really good. They've done a good job on it. There's no doubt that's a better car than what they've had."

Winterbottom's boss at Tickford Racing, Tim Edwards, says the Ford teams are already looking into ways they can alter the weight distribution in the Falcon to match the ZB.

And despite the Commodore's impressive start, Winterbottom doesn't believe the Falcons are facing an unfair competition.

"It is what it is, I think we've got a car quick enough to win if we get it right, we've just got to work harder," he said.Former WA deputy premier Mal Bryce has been remembered as "ahead of his time and a champion of innovation and technology" after the long-serving Labor stalwart died at the age of 74.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said Brian Burke's deputy would be missed by many people following his death on Saturday.

"Mal was a decent man, ahead of his time and a champion of innovation and technology. He loved his family," Mr McGowan said.

WA Labor described Mr Bryce as a "respected and loved member" of the party.

"Mal contributed so very much to our party and our state, and remained a passionate and active WA Labor member throughout his life," a statement read.

"Our thoughts are with Mal's family, friends and former staff."

Other friends have also paid tribute in social media posts, describing Mr Bryce as a visionary and mentor.

Mr Bryce, who joined WA Labor in 1961, was recognised last year with life membership to the party.

At the age of 28 in 1971, Mr Bryce was elected to state parliament to represent Ascot, which is now Belmont, and he held the seat for 18 years before retiring in 1988.

In 1989, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Mr Bryce was responsible for several public sector innovations including the Small Business Development Commission, the SciTech Discovery Centre and the Department of Computing and Information Technology.

He also pushed for the establishment of electorate offices and staff.

Mr Bryce was the architect of the first online community in Ipswich, Queensland and in 2012 was awarded the Pearcey National Medal, recognising his contribution to the ICT industry.

He was also admitted to the Australian ICT Industry Hall of Fame in 2012, and inducted as a fellow of the World Academy of Productivity Science the following year.Matt Moylan has admitted he was shocked to be told he would leave his junior club Penrith for Cronulla over the NRL off-season.

Moylan, who will play his first game for the Sharks on Friday night against North Queensland, said he never thought he would leave Penrith after making his debut for the Panthers in 2013.

"To be honest I never thought it would come to a stage where I would leave. But that's footy and as I said I've moved on and looking to play some good footy at Cronulla," Moylan said.A man has been taken to hospital in a serious condition after falling from a rocks in a national park northwest of Melbourne.

Paramedics were called to the Organ Pipes National Park in Keilor North shortly before 2.30pm on Sunday after reports a man and woman had fallen, Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen told AAP.

The man, in his 30s, had a broken leg and was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious but stable condition. The woman, also in her 30s, was treated at the scene for a bruised leg.A father was allegedly high on drugs when he crashed a car outside a Sydney police station with his two small daughters in the back seat.

Police say the 29-year-old driver narrowly missed hitting a male officer and a parked car before mounting the curb and stopping on the footpath outside the Mt Druitt cop shop at about 10.30pm on Saturday.

"As the man was being arrested, his two small daughters - aged five and seven - were found unrestrained in the car in a distressed state," NSW Police posted on Facebook.

"The girls were checked and found to have escaped physical injury; police have reported the matter to Family and Community Services."

The man had allegedly failed to stop after a collision at the intersection of Duke Street and Luxford Road moments before the crash.

He had also earlier been arrested at midday on Saturday for driving while on drugs on the New England Highway at Liddell.

The father had been taken to Muswellbrook Police Station and issued with a suspension notice prohibiting him from driving for 24 hours.

After the second incident he was charged with driving recklessly and negligently and failing to comply with prohibition.

He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday.Police have fired shots at a car in Victoria during a pursuit, leaving two men with minor injuries.

The pursuit began on Friday when police tried to arrest two men over a carjacking and robbery in Rosebud.

Three shots were fired at the car, which was found dumped in a reserve in Karingal on Saturday.

Two Rosebud men, aged 26 and 22 ,were arrested on Sunday after they were found at a property in Frankston.

Both received treatment for the minor injuries they received when the shots were fired at the car, and they are being interviewed by police.

The Professional Standards Command is investigating, which is standard protocol when police fire their weapons.

Investigators believe the incident is linked to an alleged carjacking and robbery on Thursday, which has already led to charges being laid against an 18-year-old Mornington woman and 15-year-old Rosebud boy.Seiko Watch Corporation announces that it will present its luxury watch brand Grand Seiko for the first time at Milan Design Week 2018, one of the worlds largest design exhibitions, to be held from April 17 to 22, 2018, in Milan, Italy.

Since its birth in 1960, Grand Seiko has achieved the highest level of precision, beauty and legibility through constant innovation, embodying the true essentials of watchmaking. When it made its global debut in 2010, Grand Seiko won high praise for the durability of its high precision and sophisticated design, made possible by the fact that the company is one of the few fully integrated watch manufacturers in the world. In Spring 2017 Grand Seiko took its next step forward by broadening the appeal of the brand to new design areas and introducing a new color scheme. To symbolize this transformation, its logo is now proudly presented at the twelve oclock position on the dial.

Exhibition Theme: THE FLOW OF TIME

The exhibition will showcase an installation featuring Grand Seikos Spring Drive movement, the companys unique and innovative mechanism characterized by high precision and a long power reserve.

As the embodiment of Japanese aesthetics and master artisanal techniques, Spring Drive has as its unique signature of the perfect glide motion of the second hand, reflecting the natural and continuous flow of time.

Two Japanese artists - TAKT PROJECT and Shingo Abe - have expressed the essence of Spring Drive in an installation that invites the visitor to think about and explore the innovation that Spring Drive represents.

THE FLOW OF TIME

Tuesday, April 17Sunday, April 22, 2018

Cubo B, La Triennale di Milano

Viale Alemagna, 6 Milano (Cadorna area)Seriously ill patients could be missing out on life-saving blood transfusions because Australians don't realise donated blood has a very short shelf life.

Donated blood doesn't even last two months, yet new research reveals there is a misconception in the community that it lasts forever.

A survey by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service found 90 per cent of people did not know how long donated blood could be kept.

If they had known it only lasts 42 days, more than a third of participants said they would have been more likely to donate.

"Blood is a precious and finite resource, and blood donations don't last forever. In fact, the red cell component of a donation only lasts 42 days," said Blood Service spokesperson Jennifer Campbell Case.

The survey also uncovered similar misconceptions about blood donor rates, with Australians overestimating how many people donate blood and underestimating how much blood is needed.

More than half of the respondents thought at least one in 10 people were blood donors.

"But the real figure is much less; only one in 30," Ms Case said.

"And 80 per cent either didn't know or underestimated the number of blood donations Australian patients need each year," she said.

The findings have prompted the Blood Service to launch a new campaign to recruit 8000 new blood donors every month.

"We're hoping that our new campaign, which educates donors on the 42-day shelf life of blood, will motivate more people to donate today and donate regularly," said Ms Case.Major private investors will be eyeing western Sydney with renewed interest after a multi-billion dollar plan to support the growing region was unveiled.

The Western Sydney City Deal was officially announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and eight local council mayors at Werrington on Sunday morning.

Western Sydney, with a present population of about two million people, is expected to add another million people by the early 2030s.

Transport woes plague the region, due to a lack of connectivity on train lines and congested roads.

To ease the pressure federal and NSW governments have committed to fund the North-South rail link, from St Marys to Badgerys Creek via the new airport, 50-50.

The as-yet-to-be built Western Sydney Airport is at the heart of the plan, Mr Turnbull said, adding it would be the catalyst for 200,000 new jobs which are sorely needed in the region.

The City Deal will also deliver a research and manufacturing hub known as the aerotropolis, an investment attraction office to drum up business interest in the region, a more efficient planning regime, a $150 million livability program to deliver community facilities, education facilities for the aerotropolis and embedded digital technology in the city.

Many of the projects in the livability program will begin immediately, local councils said.A man who was injured in a drive-by shooting has been released from hospital but police are yet to link the attack to an escalating bikie war in the NSW Hunter Valley.

The 44-year-old was shot in the leg at a home near Maitland just after midnight on Sunday, police say.

He was treated by paramedics and taken to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition but was discharged later that day.

No arrests have been made as investigations continue.

There have been six other shootings since January, all of which have been connected to a feud between the Nomad and Finks outlaw motorcycle gangs.Liberal Premier Will Hodgman must turn his mind to convincing the Tasmanian parliament of his plans for poker machines after being returned for a second term in a state election at the weekend.

Opposition Labor leader Rebecca White insists her party will not resile from an election vow to gradually phase out machines from pubs and clubs despite Saturday's loss.

Ms White declared Labor's position on poker machines - that they be pulled from all pubs and clubs and restricted to casinos by 2023 - would not change despite the fierce campaign and some internal backlash.

It will be up to Mr Hodgman to convince the state's left-leaning upper house to back his alternative vision, allowing machines to remain in all venues until at least 2043.

"The Liberal Party now have a very big job ahead of them to convince both the lower and the upper house that putting this deal out to all of the publicans as a direct licence model is in the best interests of the Tasmanian people," Ms White told reporters on Sunday.

Mr Hodgman lay low after his historic win, with celebrations tempered by the death of former cabinet colleague and childhood friend Vanessa Goodwin, aged 48, on polling day.

Counting to determine the winners of final seats continues but the Liberal government has secured a majority of at least 13 of 25 seats in the state's lower house.

Labor has nine seats, the Greens one, with two undecided.

The Greens meanwhile face a nervous wait to see whether sitting members Rosalie Woodruff and Andrea Dawkins can rejoin leader Cassy O'Connor in parliament.

Labor and the Greens have accused the Liberals of buying their way back into power through a big-spending campaigned bankrolled by pokies barons.

As a consequence, Mr Hodgman is facing calls to overhaul Tasmania's campaign funding and donation disclosure laws in the wake of the campaign.Early voting is under way ahead of South Australia's election on March 17.

Pre-poll centres across SA open on Monday with thousands of people expected to take the opportunity to cast an early ballot over the next two weeks.

More than 90,000 people voted early in 2014 and that number is expected to increase this year meaning their decisions could be decisive in a number of key seats.

Among those eligible are people working on election day, those with health issues or people with particular religious beliefs that may prevent them attending a polling booth on March 17.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill urged those casting an early ballot to vote Labor as the only party to make job creation the top priority.

However, SA-BEST leader Nick Xenophon said the key question going into the election was whether or not South Australians wanted "more of the same" from the two major parties.

Liberal leader Steven Marshall said his party had released more policies that were being discussed widely in the community.

On the campaign trail on Sunday, Labor announced a plan free vaccinations for children against meningococcal B and the flu.

The meningococcal B vaccines will apply to children aged under two and will cost $24.5 million over the next four years.

The flu vaccines will be offered free to all children aged five and under at a cost this year of $1.5 million.

The Liberals promised a full audit of safety and clinical functions at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital after the death of a mental health patient on a secure ward.AUSTRALIA v SOUTH AFRICA, DAY 4

* SCORE: Australia 351 and 227, South Africa 162 and 9-293.

* MAN OF THE MOMENT: Aiden Markram. The young opener copped an almighty spray from David Warner after his batting partner AB de Villiers was run out for a duck in a collapse of 4-20 , but he regained composure and scored a classy century.

* KEY MOMENT: Tim Paine shifts up to the stumps and coolly holds a catch to dismiss Markram for 143, all but scuppering South Africa's bold bid for victory.

* STAT OF THE DAY: It was the sixth time de Villiers had been run out in Tests and his first duck in 39 Test innings against Australia. No wonder Warner was so excited.

* SUMMARY: Mitchell Starc's triple-wicket maiden has Australia on the cusp of a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series. Starc will likely take the second new ball on Monday, needing one more scalp to end the match and claim the second 10-wicket haul of his Test career.

* QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It was just reminding him of what he had just done, trying to get him off his game, the same as they do to us. It didn't work." - TIM PAINE laughs that Warner's unsolicited advice to Markram had little impact.Efforts to shield undocumented US immigrants from deportation have fizzled in Congress, leaving the fate of many so-called "Dreamers" up to the US court system

Congress will hit an initial deadline Monday for resolving the fate of "Dreamers," with nothing to show for months of negotiations over nearly two million immigrants who arrived in the US illegally as children.

When President Donald Trump last September scrapped a program that shielded large numbers of young arrivals from deportation, he gave lawmakers six months to craft a solution.

They bickered. Young immigrants and activists launched fiery protests. Trump himself relentlessly thrust himself into the thorny debate, tweeting about Democrats "blowing the one great opportunity they have" to forge a deal.

No deal ever came, leaving nearly 700,000 young immigrants who signed up for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in potential legal limbo, and a Congress red-faced over its monumental failure.

The court system has given a temporary reprieve. Two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration cannot immediately begin deporting DACA recipients after March 5 while courts weigh legal challenges over ending the program, and that the immigrants can begin applying for renewals under the court order.

Trump recently sought to get that order overturned by the Supreme Court, but the justices declined to intervene, meaning it could take months before appeals courts determine how officials can proceed.

- No deadline, no action -

While the courts give DACA recipients breathing room beyond March 5, activists and lawmakers warn that extra time is not what focuses the mind in Washington.

"When we have a deadline... we get really serious about it," number two Senate Democrat Dick Durbin told National Public Radio. "And now we don't have that deadline in the same way we did before the court decision."

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus wrote Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen seeking her assurance that agents will not target DACA recipients whose status has lapsed.

"Unfortunately, President Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that he does not truly want to solve this DACA crisis," they wrote Thursday.

"Given this posture, it is critical that DHS ensure that DACA recipients are not deported from the only country they have known."

Congress had every opportunity to legislate a fix, but the fate of Dreamers has proved too divisive for lawmakers to resolve.

Last month, Democrats essentially forced a brief government shutdown over the issue, demanding that the Senate's Republican leaders set aside time to debate immigration.

They agreed, but despite one week of floor debate last month, the Senate failed to pass any of a series of proposals addressing Dreamers.

- Eclipsed by gun control debate -

Among them was a Trump-backed plan that would provide a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million Dreamers, in exchange for billions of dollars in border security funding and dramatic curtailment of legal immigration.

Instead, the Senate could punt. A bipartisan pair of senators introduced bare-bones legislation this week that provides a three-year DACA extension along with three years of boosted border security funding.

Conservatives in the House of Representatives have introduced their own, more hardline legislation addressing DACA, but it has been unable to gain sufficient support within their Republican Party to pass.

Meanwhile, immigration is all but sidelined. A recent deadly school shooting has put the issue of gun control front and center on Capitol Hill, and lawmakers must thrash out a federal spending deal.

Immigration activists warn time could be running out, especially if an appeals court ends the earlier judges' injunctions with no protections locked in place.

"This is why we need Congress to pass a clean Dream Act that will protect us without criminalizing our families," tweeted DACA recipient Eliana Fernandez, referring to a longstanding legislative proposal that would grant permanent residency to Dreamers.

With partisanship roiling Capitol Hill, that appeared increasingly unlikely.Cardinal George Pell is accused of multiple offences relating to incidents that allegedly occurred long ago

Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell faces a crunch hearing starting in Australia Monday to determine if he stands trial on historical sexual offence charges.

The 76-year-old, a top adviser to Pope Francis who has taken leave to fight the allegations, is accused of multiple offences relating to incidents that allegedly occurred long ago.

Pell, the most senior Catholic cleric to be charged with criminal offences linked to the Church's long-running sexual abuse scandal, has denied all the claims.

The exact details and nature of the allegations have not been made public, other than they involve "multiple complainants".

One of charges was withdrawn on Friday, reportedly because the accuser died.

Up to 50 witnesses could be called during the four-week committal hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, which will be closed to the media and public for up to two weeks while they give their accounts.

The magistrate will then decide if there is sufficient evidence for the case to go to trial.

Pell's defence team said last week part of their cross-examination would be to determine when the accusers first disclosed he had allegedly abused them, as they try to prove the allegations were a "recent invention", the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

A frail-looking Pell has so far made two court appearances at preliminary hearings -- in July and October last year.

He has not had to enter a plea, although he instructed his lawyer from the outset to make clear he intended to plead not guilty.

"For the avoidance of doubt and because of the interest, I might indicate that Cardinal Pell pleads not guilty to all charges and will maintain the presumed innocence that he has," his barrister Robert Richter said in July.

- Royal commission -

The former Sydney and Melbourne archbishop did not have to attend the previous hearings, but opted to do so having vowed to clear his name after a two-year investigation led to him being charged on June 29 last year. He is expected to be in court again on Monday.

Since his last appearance, his legal team has been denied requests for medical records of the complainants, with the magistrate saying disclosure could be harmful.

The Pell case has coincided with Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, ordered in 2012 after a decade of pressure to investigate widespread allegations of institutional paedophilia.

The commission spoke to thousands of survivors and heard claims of child abuse involving churches, orphanages, sporting clubs, youth groups and schools.

Pell appeared before it three times, once in person and twice via video-link from Rome over his dealings with paedophile priests in Victoria state in the 1970s.

In its findings handed down in December, the five-year inquiry found Australian institutions "seriously failed" children in their care with tens of thousands sexually assaulted.

It recommended that celibacy among Catholic priests should be voluntary to help curb abuse.

With Pell proclaiming his innocence, Australia's Catholic leaders have spoken out in support, describing him as a "thoroughly decent man".

The Archdiocese of Sydney is providing his accommodation while he fights the charges, but it has said it will not foot his legal bills, which could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.Actor/writer/director Jordan Peele (C) accepts the prize for best feature for 'Get Out' at the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica -- on the eve of the Oscars

Jordan Peele's satirical horror flick "Get Out" triumphed Saturday at the Spirit Awards -- the latest in a string of honors the film has picked up, with the Oscars just one day away.

Generating rave reviews from experts and audiences alike, Peele's feature directorial debut -- which cost under $5 million to produce -- has raked in $255 million at theaters worldwide.

The film -- a dark send-up of the African American experience and of suburban white guilt over racial inequality -- follows a young black man, Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who is so nervous about meeting the family of his white girlfriend (Allison Williams) that he fails to realize the menace lurking within their mansion.

"This project didn't start as a statement. It began as me wanting to make a film in my favorite genre," said Peele, who also bagged best director honors.

"I sat down and I would smoke a little bit of weed and try to make a mind-bending horror film... and I realized there were a lot of people locked up for smoking less weed than I was smoking when I made the movie."

The Film Independent Spirit Awards, an annual celebration of low-budget cinema that takes place on Santa Monica beach just outside Los Angeles, are seen as an strong indicator of movies that could strike Oscars gold.

Five of the last six best feature winners have gone on to best picture glory at the Academy Awards, including "Moonlight," "Spotlight" and "Birdman."

"Get Out" has four nominations for Sunday's Oscars, including best picture and best director.

- 'Fearless' -

The prize for best actor went to American-French rising star Timothee Chalamet, whose acclaimed performance as a lovelorn teen in "Call Me By Your Name" has seen him win numerous awards.

Frances McDormand won best actress, her third Spirit Award, for her searing performance as a rage-filled grieving mother in Martin McDonagh's black comedy "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."

Actress Frances McDormand -- a favorite to win a best actress Oscar on Sunday for 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' -- accepts her Spirit Award for the same role on Saturday in Santa Monica

"I continue to be amazed that you let me get to the microphone. Are you crazy? One thing I know is that we are allowed to swear," joked McDormand, a mainstay on this year's awards circuit who is the favorite for the Oscar.

"Do you know how hard it has been not to swear for the last couple of months?" she asked, before cursing a blue streak.

Sam Rockwell won best supporting actor for "Three Billboards," in which he plays opposite McDormand as a racist, violent police officer.

The best supporting actress prize went to Allison Janney, for playing figure skater Tonya Harding's cold, brutal mother LaVona in Craig Gillespie's acclaimed biopic "I, Tonya."

"I play a lot of confused and complicated women, but not anyone this dark. I don't think people think of me that way," Janney said backstage.

"I guess I have to play more dark characters -- that's in my future."

- Best screenplay for 'Lady Bird' -

Coming-of-age tale "Call Me by Your Name" had led the nominations going into Saturday's event.

Set in 1980s Italy and starring Armie Hammer opposite Chalamet, it tells the story of 17-year-old Elio as he begins a relationship with his father's American research assistant, Oliver.

Actor/director Greta Gerwig's comedy "Lady Bird" -- up for best picture at the Oscars -- earned her a best screenplay Spirit Award

The film was nominated in six categories, winning best cinematography and editing ahead of Chalamet's triumph.

Josh and Benny Safdie's heist thriller "Good Time" tied in second place with nods for directing, editing and three actors, including for its star Robert Pattinson -- but went home empty-handed.

Greta Gerwig's comedy "Lady Bird" -- up for best picture at the Oscars -- earned her a best screenplay award while real-life couple Emily Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani took best first screenplay for "The Big Sick," the comedy story of their romance.Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf, seen at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, has said he sees no path to value in a tie-up with rival chipmaker Broadcom

With a potential for the biggest-ever deal in the tech sector at stake, Qualcomm shareholders will have their say on a hostile bid for the US mobile chip giant by Singapore-based rival Broadcom.

Qualcomm shareholders at an annual gathering Tuesday will get to vote whether to replace six of the California company's 11 board members with candidates backed by Broadcom, essentially endorsing the deal estimated to be worth $117 billion.

Weeks of parries and thrusts, along with tactical public statements, have left the companies' boards at odds over the unsolicited offer.

Qualcomm's board on Thursday sent a letter to shareholders urging them to re-elect its current members, making a statement against Broadcom's offer.

"The Qualcomm board believes it is not in the best interest of Qualcomm's stockholders to elect Broadcom's nominees," the directors said.

Qualcomm, which is the dominant maker of microprocessors for smartphones, says it has a bright future on its own, especially ahead of a transition to fifth-generation (5G) wireless communications networks.

The Qualcomm board has also expressed concern that any deal with Broadcom could be delayed or blocked by antitrust regulators around the world.

Broadcom meanwhile fired off a letter of its own, urging Qualcomm shareholders to elect all six of its nominees to the board, sending "a clear signal" supporting the takeover bid which would provide a handsome gain to shareholders of the US firm.

The hostile offer "provides greater value and certainty to Qualcomm stockholders, with less risk, than any other available alternative," Broadcom said in its appeal to shareholders.

- Value and risk -

Broadcom CEO Hock Tan announced a bid for Qualcomm days after a White House meeting with President Donald Trump, where he pledged to move the company back from Singapore to the United States

Broadcom made its first offer in November, and subsequently raised it to $121 billion but then lowered it, arguing that Qualcomm had effectively agreed to "transfer" value by raising its takeover offer for Dutch-based tech firm NXP.

The Broadcom offer "undervalues" the US firm, Qualcomm has said, while opening the door to talks if Broadcom boosts its price.

Qualcomm chairman Paul Jacobs said the company is willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement that would allow Broadcom to view confidential business information from its US rival, suggesting this would enable Broadcom to get a better picture of Qualcomm's true value.

Any tie-up of the two giants could reshape the fast-evolving sector of chips for smartphones and connected devices. But it would have to pass regulatory muster in several countries.

Qualcomm has cited "regulatory risk" as a factor in rebuffing the Broadcom bid but has also said the offer "undervalues" Qualcomm in view of its prospects in mobile technology.

Broadcom has accused Qualcomm's of "engagement theater" designed to ease pressure at the US firm's annual shareholder meeting March 6.

"Rather than acting as true fiduciaries with a responsibility to act in the best interests of Qualcomm's stockholders, the Qualcomm board has done nothing more than feign engagement with Broadcom," the Singapore-based company said in its letter.

Broadcom's original offer for Qualcomm came days after chief executive Hock Tan visited the White House last November and told President Donald Trump the company would be moving back to the United States.

- 'Oil and water' -

Qualcomm chairman Paul Jacobs said the US chipmaker may be open to a deal if Broadcom raises its offer worth $117 billion

Analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategies questioned the wisdom of the tie-up.

While they are rival chip companies, Broadcom and Qualcomm they are very different in their approaches to the market, according to Moorhead.

Qualcomm is known for mobile chip innovations that set industry standards, for example in new superfast 5G wireless connection technology, the analyst noted.

Meanwhile, he said Broadcom is adept at using intellectual property developed by others and making products at low cost, referring to them as "implementors."

Qualcomm innovations seem to be giving it a lead in competition with Broadcom, particularly with 5G, which could be among reasons for the hostile takeover campaign, according to Moorhead.

"I understand why Broadcom is doing this; it is just oil and water," the analyst said of putting the companies together.

And, such a merger would likely get tied up by regulators for a long time, he added.

"I get the sense that the vote is going to be close," Moorhead said of the coming Qualcomm board election.

"Wall Street is driven by short term gain."Here are the winners! Here are the winners!

Thousands of people entered our big summer competition from 1 July to 31 August this year. Were you one of the winners? Find out below! Thousands of people entered our big...Trump's plans for steel and aluminum tariffs have alarmed major producing nations

Australia Sunday warned against tit-for-tat retaliation and the outbreak of a trade war that could slow global economic growth, as it pushed to be excluded from US President Donald Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs.

Canberra has sought to be exempt from the hefty tariffs, citing an understanding reached with the United States at G20 meetings last year.

There are also local industry concerns that the tariffs could see cheap steel destined for the US flood the domestic market instead.

"We've seen... over the last 48 hours commentary from Canada, from the European Union. We've seen the US government going back about tariffs on cars," Trade Minister Steve Ciobo told Sky News Australia Sunday.

"That's what concerns me, if we continue to see an escalation of rhetoric, and, ultimately, action around tariffs applying for imports and exports across multiple economies... this will lead to a slow-down in growth."

Ciobo said he spoke with his US counterpart Wilbur Ross Saturday, but was unable to secure an exemption guarantee, adding that it would "ultimately... come down to a decision of the president".

A US official said Friday no countries will be exempt, but added that possible exemptions to the measures would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The minister said Canberra would use existing anti-dumping measures if cheap products flood the Australian marketplace as a result of the Trump tariffs.

But he would not comment on whether his government would retaliate directly against the US if the administration moved forward with its plans, only saying that a trade barrier in principle "doesn't make good policy sense".

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke out strongly against import barriers Sunday, calling it a "dead end".

"Protectionism is not a ladder to get you out of the low-growth trap, it is a shovel to dig it a lot deeper," he told reporters in Sydney.

Ciobo said Friday Australian steel and aluminium only accounted for a small percentage of the US import market, but warned the tariffs would distort trade and lead to a loss of jobs.

Fears of a global trade war and counter-measures grew over the weekend, after Trump threatened the European Union's auto industry if it enacted retaliatory measures to his steel and aluminium sanctions.

The European Commission chief's Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday that the EU was drawing up measures against leading US brands such as Levi's and Harley-Davidson.A young engineer works on making a drone entirely built in Cameroon at the Will & Brothers company premises in Douala

Talking fast and dreaming big, William Elong shows off the first "made in Cameroon" drone at his sixth-floor workshop in downtown Douala, minutes from the economic capital's Atlantic seafront.

The 25-year-old, known as a high-flyer after being named one of Forbes' most promising young Africans under 30, is enthusing about his new unmanned aerial drones and keen to promote his company and Africa as a place where IT and new tech can flourish.

We must "get out of the Afro-centric vision of business" to "understand that when one has a global vision, worldwide, this includes Africa," Elong says in a discussion of future technologies.

Elong has no degree in IT or robotics but studied strategy and competitive intelligence in France, becoming the youngest-ever graduate from Paris' Economic Warfare School.

He founded his startup Will & Brothers in 2015 with a main project called Drone Africa, which aims to provide drones for civil purposes to businesses, the state in Cameroon and elsewhere.

With a top range of up to 20 kilometres (12 miles), the drones can be used for purposes as different as cartography, media coverage, support for agriculture and detecting gas in mines to reduce the risk of accidents.

"The know-how is here, in Cameroon," says Elong, who is aware young African talent often seeks employment in Europe and elsewhere. He says at this stage his firm's capital of $200,000 (162,400 euros) has come from Western backers.

Also supported by the government of President Paul Biya, Elong hopes eventually to raise $2 million to expand the business but he regrets that "not many Africans are involved" in the project, which features two airborne types of drone and one terrestrial model.

The commercial market in Africa is expanding with unmanned aircraft already whizzing across the skies delivering items like medicine and food, and even helping farmers sow seeds.

- 'Flying wing' -

In Rwanda, drones get medical supplies such as blood and vaccines to remote areas. Tanzania is launching a similar programme. And drones equipped with night-vision cameras help to detect and track poachers in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Elong presents the two airborne prototype models on a table inside his assembly shop. The first "flying wing that we've baptised Algo" has the furthest range and could prove an economical solution to the costly task of making maps, he suggests.

Three drone makers at work in the plant run by William Elong, 25, who aims for a Cameroonian entry into the market for pilotless aircraft

The second type, known as Logarythm, has four arms forming a propeller, can reach an altitude of up to 500 metres (1,640 feet) and is fitted with high-definition cameras, which would be useful in high-risk zones and for precision work, Elong adds.

Crucially, he argues, manufacturing costs are lower than those of foreign manufacturers, so the drones produced will be priced competitively across the African marketplace.

He envisages "selling drones to Vietnam, to Venezuela, to Denmark for example, and becoming one of the biggest global enterprises in this sector."

Elsewhere, two young engineers in white lab coats are carefully building a prototype. "When all the components are available, we are able to assemble a drone like this in 24 hours," says engineer Louis Ekani.

Some of the parts are made in Cameroon, while others are supplied from abroad.

- 'The pride of Cameroon' -

"The start was extremely complicated," says young technical director Yves Tamu, who is described on the company website as an entrepreneur, digital champion and inventor. "But we have a dynamic, autonomous and state-of-the-art team thanks to which we found the solution (to assembling drones)."

The average age of employees is barely 22 and the team comprises mainly engineers and developers who have spent two years building airworthy drones.

"Will & Brothers is the pride of Cameroon," gushed Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Libom Li Likeng at a government ceremony to present the drones in early February.

Their design demonstrates "the innovative capacity of Cameroonian youth", she added.

Elong's firm is represented in Ivory Coast and plans to open offices in France and the United States, but he stresses the development of artificial intelligence is his primary goal.

Will & Brothers has worked on an AI known as Cyclops, which enables drones to detect people, objects and vehicles and to identify different types of animal at specific sites.

"Artificial intelligence is the future of humanity," Elong says, confident that Africa can at least try to compete with the big tech giants in California. "It knocks me out that so many people here take no interest in technology."Trump's plans to introduce tariffs on steel and aluminium has angered major producing nations

China will "take necessary measures" if the United States harms the country's economic interests, a Chinese official said Sunday, as President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium.

"China doesn't want a trade war with the United States," Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National People's Congress, told a news conference on the eve of the rubber-stamp parliament's annual session.

"But if the US takes actions that hurt Chinese interests, China will not sit idly by and will take necessary measures," Zhang said in China's strongest reaction yet since Trump announced the levies on Friday.

President Xi Jinping's top economic aide, Liu He, met with US officials at the White House this week to discuss the fraught economic relationship.

Trump's announcement has sparked a flurry of counter threats from other nations, sparking fears that it will trigger a tit-for-tat trade conflict around the globe.

Trump has shrugged off the threat, boasting on Friday that "trade wars are good, and easy to win".

The Trump administration plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum.

China has been in Trump's crosshairs over its trade practices since his presidential campaign, but its steel and aluminium exports to the United States are minimal.

While China is the world's largest steel producer, it accounts for less than one percent of US imports and sells only 10 percent of its wrought aluminium abroad.

Steel producers in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey rely far more heavily on the US market.

"The American action to put sanctions on other countries' reasonable steel and aluminium exports in the name of harming national security is groundless," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.Monks dressed as deities took part in the religious ritual wrapping up Losar, the Tibetan new year in China's northwestern province of Qinghai

Despite a few elbows to the face, Tsering pushed through the broil of Tibetan worshippers and lifted her bawling two-year-old over the mad crush, briefly pressing the girl's forehead to a passing sacred scroll.

Scores of monks and men heaved the enormous thangka -- an image of Buddha painted on silk, rolled up in a tight cylinder while in transit -- through the packed streets around Rongwo Monastery in China's northwestern province of Qinghai for a religious ritual wrapping up Losar, the Tibetan new year.

The ceremony is known as the Great Prayer Festival of Losar

"It's good luck, especially for children," said Tsering, breathless and flushed with success, before whirling away to search rather fruitlessly for her daughter's missing right shoe.

China has long been accused of trying to eradicate Tibetan culture through political and religious repression. Beijing insists that Tibetans enjoy extensive freedoms.

Tibetan Buddhist monks unveiled the huge thangka -- an image of Buddha painted on silk -- during the festivities

Rebkong county is a major centre of traditional Tibetan culture and the Gelug -- or "Yellow Hat" -- sect of the exiled Dalai Lama. It has witnessed numerous self-immolation protests against Chinese rule since 2009.

Police were a constant presence throughout the new year celebrations, watching over the various ceremonies, stopping all cars entering the county seat and checking the few hotels allowed to receive foreigners.

The first few days of the festival are dominated by family and feasting

But Losar passed without incident in a riot of colour and celebration.

Like the Chinese lunar new year, the first few days are dominated by family and feasting.

The climax for the Gelug sect is the annual "sunning of the Buddha", as it is known in Chinese, where a colossal thangka painting multiple stories tall is paraded through the streets and briefly displayed.

- Dancing and exorcisms -

Under crisp blue skies men flailed ceremonial scarves as a procession left the Rongwo monastery, beating away an endless stream of frantic hopefuls aggressively pushing to touch the painting.

Losar passed without incident in a riot of colour and celebration

On a steep hillside outside the monastery, the thangka was unrolled in a splendour of rich pinks, greens, and blues to the sound of firecrackers and the wail of conch shells.

"The thangka is an offering to Buddha, but it must be big so all living creatures can see it -- people, but also birds and insects. That way, all beings will have a chance at a better existence in their next life," a monk told AFP.

China has long been accused of trying to eradicate Tibetan culture through political and religious repression

The thangka's size flaunts its monastery's wealth and power, said Anna Sehnalova, a Tibetologist at Oxford University.

"It's a way to show sponsors that something is happening with their money. Tibetans love to see rituals performed for them."

Beijing insists that Tibetans enjoy extensive freedoms

At a much smaller monastery in Gartse town families gathered in their finest clothes -- off-the-shoulder robes of jewel-toned brocades and sheepskin -- to watch the cham dances, ritual performances by masked monks thought to purge the new year of negativity from the previous.

Rebkong county is a major centre of traditional Tibetan culture and the Gelug -- or "Yellow Hat" -- sect of the exiled Dalai Lama

"It's an exorcism, to get rid of bad things and dishonest practices. If we don't do this today, there will be bad consequences for everyone," said a dancer.

Two young monks in skull masks, reminders of life's impermanence, waggled their heads in a slow pas-de-deux as children licked purple-topped ice creams.

Another pair of dancers raised their swords and flung the skinned, shriveled carcasses of two tiny baby lambs over the heads of the crowd.

"To be honest, I don't know what it means," said a student named Tenzin, echoing the sentiments of many baffled but delighted spectators in the crowd.Trump's plans to introduce tariffs on steel and aluminium imports has angered major producing nations

China warned Sunday that it was ready to hit back if the United States damaged its economic interests, fuelling fears of a trade war after President Donald Trump unveiled tariffs on steel and aluminium.

Trump's announcement on Thursday sparked a flurry of counter-threats from other nations. But Washington's main trade rival had avoided any overt warnings of potential retaliation until now.

"China doesn't want a trade war with the United States," Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National People's Congress, told a news conference on Sunday, the eve of the rubber-stamp parliament's annual session.

"But if the US takes actions that hurt Chinese interests, China will not sit idly by," Zhang said. An official English-language interpreter added the phrase, "and will take necessary measures".

Zhang warned that "policies informed by misjudgement or wrong perceptions will hurt relations and bring consequences no side wants to see".

Trump's announcement came as President Xi Jinping's top economic aide, Liu He, met US officials at the White House to discuss the fraught economic relationship.

During his visit, according to the official Xinhua news agency, Liu and his hosts "agreed that the two countries should settle their trade disputes by cooperation rather than confrontation".

Since announcing plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminium, Trump has shrugged off threats from other nations, boasting on Friday that "trade wars are good, and easy to win".

- Slowing world growth -

China has been the main target of Trump's anger over the US trade deficit since his presidential campaign, but its steel and aluminium exports to the United States are minimal.

While China is the world's largest steel producer, it accounts for less than one percent of US imports and sells only 10 percent of its wrought aluminium abroad.

Steel producers in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey rely far more heavily on the US market.

"The American action to put sanctions on other countries' reasonable steel and aluminium exports in the name of harming national security is groundless," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.

Some US allies, like Canada and Australia, had hoped to be spared the tariffs. A major South Korean business lobby, the Federation of Korean Industries, said Sunday it sent letters to US Congress members and officials seeking an exemption.

A US official said Friday possible exemptions to the measures would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Australia warned that a trade conflict could put the brakes on global economic growth.

"That's what concerns me, if we continue to see an escalation of rhetoric and, ultimately, action around tariffs applying for imports and exports across multiple economies... this will lead to a slowdown in growth," trade minister Steve Ciobo told Sky News Australia Sunday.

Trump ratcheted up the rhetoric on Saturday, threatening a tax on cars from the European Union if it takes retaliatory measures.

On Friday European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU was drawing up measures against leading US brands such as Levi's and Harley-Davidson.Australian air force personnel along with high commission officials and Papua New Guinea locals unload aid from trucks onto an RAAF C-130J aircraft in Lae, bound for earthquake-hit areas

Local communities are struggling to cope with the aftermath of a major earthquake that hit Papua New Guinea's remote highlands almost a week ago, reports said Sunday, amid fears of a rising death toll.

The highlands in the Pacific nation's interior about 600 kilometres (370 miles) north-west of Port Moresby were struck by a 7.5-magnitude tremor early on February 26.

The region has also been shaken by a series of strong aftershocks in subsequent days, the latest a 6.0-magnitude tremor recorded by the United States Geological Survey that struck about 0.30am local time Monday (1430 GMT Sunday).

The government has declared a state of emergency and sent relief workers to the Southern Highlands, Western, Enga and Hela provinces, which have been hit by downed communications, landslides and sinkholes, as well as toppled homes and buildings.

"This was the biggest earthquake in a hundred years (in the highlands) and it spread 150 kilometres across the fault line," humanitarian duty officer Darian Clark of the Australian High Commission (embassy) said in a statement Saturday.

"A number of urban settlements, as well as villages, have been affected, many in the form of landslides and landslips, which means that roads have been cut off, water contaminated, power knocked out and other widespread effects for the local people."

Numerous communities have yet to be reached by aid workers and it was not known how badly they were affected, seismologist Mathew Moihoi of PNG's Geophysical Observatory told AFP Sunday.

No official death toll has been released by the government, but various PNG media reports have cited local officials on the ground who spoke of dozens of casualties.

The PNG Post-Courier newspaper has collated unconfirmed reports of more than 50 dead from the initial quake.

"The figures (for the death toll) have been coming out from areas where there is access, but there might be areas which are not accessible and it is a little bit hard to get to those areas," Moihoi said.

"There might be some casualties there, we just don't know. It's going to be a little bit difficult to get the figures at this stage."

Local news website Loop PNG cited a police officer as saying that starvation and looting were on the rise in the affected communities.

The situation was worsening on the ground every day, the website added Sunday, quoting local advocacy groups mobilising to help stricken communities.

"People are crying and they are shouting when they are calling us," Cathy Alex from the Advancing PNG Women's Network said as she pleaded for public donations.

"We can't just sit and wait for the (government-pledged disaster funding of) 450 million kina (US$140 million)."

Besides the government's aid efforts, oil and gas companies ExxonMobil and Oil Search, which operate in the area, have assisted relief and recovery efforts.

The Australian military said Saturday it had arrived in PNG and was distributing relief supplies and conducting aerial surveys of quake-hit areas.President Donald Trump says he 'may' attend the May opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.

Trump said he was looking at coming, if he can, in a meeting Monday at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The U.S. president and former real estate mogul boasted that he was building a new embassy for a mere $250,000 after rejecting a bid to do it for $1 billion.

Trump took a jab at his predecessors in office, saying that 'many' promised to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel, 'but they never were able to do what they should have done.'

He also declared the Middle East peace process alive and well despite international blowback from the decision, saying, 'If we could do peace between Israel and the Palestinians, that would be a great thing for the world.

'It would be a great thing for this country, and for everybody,' Trump said. 'So, we're working very hard on it, and we have a shot at doing it.'

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President Donald Trump says he 'may' attend the May opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem. Trump said he was looking at coming, if he can, in a meeting Monday at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu told Trump on Monday that Jewish people have a 'long memory' as he applauded the U.S. president again for move that coincides with the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel.

WELCOME BACK: First lady Melania Trump welcomes the Israeli PM and his wife Sara to the White House on Monday. It was Netanyahu's second visit since Trump took office

Netanyahu said Saturday before boarding a flight to the U.S. that he would request that Trump attend the embassy opening in what would be the siting president's second trip to the country since taking office in January of last year.

'I'll definitely discuss with him that possibility,' Netanyahu said.

The Israeli prime minister is in Washington this week for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual policy conference. He's holding bilateral talks with Trump at the White House today, as well.

While the conversation is expected to center on Iran, including the conflict in Syria and the possibility of a confrontation between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, Netanyahu was expected to put pressure on Trump to pick up the pace on presenting a peace deal to the Palestinian National Authority.

Talks went off the rails when Trump controversially named Jerusalem, a city that both entities lay claim to, as the capital of Israel. The move was seen as a major give-away to Netanyahu's government by the Palestinians.

Trump said Monday that he believes he gave the Israelis and Palestinians a 'real opportunity to peace' by taking the issue off the table before an accord is negotiated.

A Palestinian official told Haaretz as Trump prepared to welcome Netanyahu that the government would reject the United States' peace plan outright at this point and urged the U.S. to take it off the agenda in today's talks.

In an Oval Office chat with reporters prior to private talks with Netanyahu and the Israeli delegation, Trump said, 'Jerusalem was a wonderful thing, and I know was very much appreciated in a big part of the world, not just in Israel, in a very big part.

'I think it's something that's very much appreciated in Israel, but far beyond Israel,' he added.

HELLO! President Trump waves to the press after the first couples pose for a portrait

Trump noted later, in an Oval Office session, that he an Netanyahu have been friends for a long time. They're seen here entering their White House just in front of their wives

If Trump visits Israel in May, it will be his second trip to see Netanyahu since taking office, as well

He acknowledged that an peace accord between the Israelis and the Palestinians would be the 'hardest deal' of all to to achieve, but he believes it's still within the realm of possibility.

'The Palestinians, I think, are wanting to come back to the table, very badly,' he said. 'If they dont, you dont have peace. You dont have peace, if they don't you don't have peace, and thats a possibility also. Im not saying its going to happen.'

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, insisted later in the day that the administration is 'as committed today as we've ever been to the peace process.'

'We're going to do that when we think the time is right, but we're going to continue pushing forward,' she said. 'We'll let you know when we have an announcement of what that plan will look like.'

Netanyahu told Trump on Monday that Jewish people have a 'long memory' as he applauded the U.S. president again for move that coincides with the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel.

'This was a historic proclamation, followed by your bold decision to move the embassy by our upcoming national independence day,' Netanyahu said. 'Mr. President this will be remembered by our people throughout the ages. And as you just said, others talked about it, you did it. So, I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Israel.'

Palestinians refer to May 15 as Nakba, which translates roughly to 'catastrophe', in commemoration of the hundreds of thousands of people who were displaced in the 1948 conflict that led to the establishment of the state of Israel.

Other countries are firmly refusing to follow in the United States' footsteps and are leaving their embassies in Tel Aviv even as the Trump administration converts a consular building in Jerusalem into a temporary embassy for the U.S. while the a permanent location is scouted.

Trump today said that he'd make the switch for $250,000.

'They put an order in front of my desk last week for a billion dollars. I said a billion? Whats that for? They said, "Were going to build an embassy." I said were not going to spend a billion dollars. And were actually doing it for about $250,000.'

Asked if he would come to Israel for the opening of the new embassy on May 14, Trump said, 'I may. We will be talking about that and other things.'

'We're looking at coming, if I can, I will. But I'll be there again. Israel is very special to me. Special country. Special people, and I look forward to being there,' he said. 'I'm very proud of that decision.'

A Palestinian official hit Netanyahu in Haaretz on Monday, warning that the besieged head of government who's under investigation in Israel for alleged corruption might use his visit at the White House to encourage the American president to unveil a Middle East peace deal that he knows the Palestinian Authority will reject.

'We know Netanyahu is in distress and he may call early elections due to Israels internal crisis, the senior official said. 'Therefore, its important that the diplomatic arena, especially relating to the Palestinians, not be on the agenda today, and that the Palestinians and Abu Mazen be depicted as rejectionists who bears the "no partner" label, this time with American backing.'

Netanyahu said Monday that he intended to make Iran the focus of his talks with Trump.

'Iran must be stopped. That is our common challenge,' he said.

Yet, he also told Trump, 'The Arabs have never been closer to Israel, and Israel has never closer to Arabs, and we seek also to broaden that peace to the Palestinians. So I look forward to those discussions.'

Netanyahu and Trump will deliver brief remarks to reporters this afternoon, but the two men will not take questions in a formal setting from their respective media outlets. For Trump, whose administration is also being probed, the set up allows him to dodge questions about his son-in-law Jared Kushner's security clearance status

Trump gave little away on Monday about what a peace deal could entail.

'Were working on it very hard,' he said at the top of the meeting with Netanyahu without going into detail. 'It would be a great achievement -- and even from a humanitarian standpoint -- what better if we could make peace between Israel and the Palestinians. And I can tell you, we are working very hard on doing that.'

Netanyahu and Trump delivered brief remarks to reporters in the afternoon in the Oval Office sit-down where the U.S. president answered a few impromptu questions. The two men did not, however, face their respective media outlets in a formal setting.

For Trump, whose administration is also being probed, the set up allowed him to dodge questions about his son-in-law's security clearance status.

Jared Kushner, a senior White House advisor, had his clearance level downgraded as the FBI finishes a routine investigation into his assets. Kushner is one of more than a dozen White House officials whose lost their clearance last month in a crack down related to the scandal involved alleged wife abuser and former staff secretary Rob Porter.

Trump's son-in-law had been tapped to oversee the Middle East peace process alongside a special envoy, Jason Greenblatt, who used to work for the president as a real estate lawyer.

The White House insists that the loss of access to top secret information won't keep Kushner from working on the peace plan that was supposed to come out within the calendar year.

Kushner's situation has nonetheless raised questions about his ability to be effective in that role just as Netanyahu is in Washington.

'His role wasn't impacted today,' Sanders asserted on Monday afternoon.Sierra Leone's outgoing President Ernest Bai Koroma said Samura Kamara, candidate of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC) in Wednesday's election, would not act as "his master's voice" and "is definitely going to be himself"

Sierra Leone's outgoing leader has defended the presidential candidate widely seen as his handpicked successor on amid accusations of personal interference, and hit out at opponents of an election day vehicle ban.

The West African nation goes to the polls on Wednesday to choose a replacement for Ernest Bai Koroma, who is stepping down after 10 years as president, along with a new parliament.

Koroma told AFP at a rally Saturday in the western town of Kambia that Samura Kamara, the candidate of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), would not act as "his master's voice", adding: "He is definitely going to be himself."

The president is staying on as party chairman after stepping aside, leading to accusations he wants to retain control of the APC from behind the scenes via his former foreign minister.

Koroma also defended his record, admitting he was "not saying we got it all right" with an economy hit by the twin blows of Ebola and slumped commodity prices, but also tarred by successive corruption allegations.

Surrounded by hundreds of supporters waving red flags and covered top to toe in the red sun icon of the APC, Koroma looked at ease as his last day in power approaches.

"I'm campaigning so that our APC party will remain in power to continue the good work we have started," Koroma told the small crowd, arguing against the influence of social media and for continuity of his road building programme.

Sierra Leone's president also addressed concerns by rights groups that a ban on all vehicles without a government pass on voting day could disenfranchise large swathes of the population reliant on public and private transport to reach polling stations.

"All of it is intelligence driven. The police who are in charge of the security of people during elections have already been informed that people have intentions of moving in with machetes and others to disrupt the process," he said.

After watching the rally, Muhamadu Tuiay, 18, wouldn't confirm who his vote would go to, but said he wanted to improve the poor state of education in the country, where half the population is illiterate and many are forced into work from childhood.

"We are suffering," he told AFP. "(It's) the lack of teachers and the money we are paying for school fees is too much," he said.A firebrand South African politician has vowed to unseat a white mayor after praising plans to hand land to black people.

Julius Malema, 37, who leads the country's Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party, said he wanted to 'remove' Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip specifically because he 'is a white man'.

He told a packed arena in Johannesburg that 'we are starting with this whiteness. We are cutting the throat of whiteness'.

During the speech Malema said he wanted to unseat the mayor - a member of the Democratic Alliance - and accused the political group of being a racist party that promotes the interests of whites.

'All white people who are voting DA, who are angry with what we are going to do in (Port Elizabeth)... all of you can go to hell, we don't care about you. We don't care about white feelings,' he said to loud applause and cheering. 'We don't hate white people, we just love black people.'

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Julius Malema, who leads the country's Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party, said he wanted to 'remove' Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip specifically because he 'is a white man'

He told a packed arena in Johannesburg that 'we are starting with this whiteness. We are cutting the throat of whiteness'

Trollip is pictured showing his ID prior to vote in the municipal election at a polling station on August 3, 2016 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Malema launched his campaign to be elected president in 2019 by aggressively distancing his party from its one-time coalition partner.

The EFF has propped up the administration of Port Elizabeth's mayor since 2016 elections.

Athol Trollip is a member of the DA which has governed Port Elizabeth as well as Johannesburg and Pretoria with the support of Malema's EFF.

But since the resignation last month of president Jacob Zuma, long the target of Malema's ire, the EFF has switched its attentions to the main opposition DA.

malema shared this picture of himself in September. In 2014 he was criticized for wearing Louis Vuitton shoes and in 2011 he received backlash after flying business class to the three-day nuptials of millionaire property developer David Mabilu

Malema is seen above flashing one of his expensive watches. He loves to wear Breitling and Rolex

Malema has sought to rebuild ties with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) since President Cyril Ramaphosa succeeded Zuma last month.

'Ramaphosa must do the right thing. We don't care about him being a billionaire, we want him to do the right thing,' said Malema.

Malema founded the EFF in 2013 when he was expelled from the ANC along with a number of allies, and the party now has the third largest number of MPs in the National Assembly.

In his speech, Malema welcomed the ANC's recent resolution to seek to expedite the process of redistributing land to 'rightful owners' that is widely understood to mean transferring land owned by whites to economically disadvantaged blacks.

Malema founded the EFF in 2013 when he was expelled from the ANC along with a number of He is seen above in an October Instagram snap with his wife

Party time: Malema busts a move while holding a glass of champagne in this Instagram snap hashtagged 'weekend vibes'

'We want to give land to our people, it is going to happen, it will happen in our lifetime, whether they like it or not. The land will be returned,' he said.

'We are not going to listen to any Britain, we are not going to listen to European Parliament, we are not going to listen to UN - we are going to listen to the people of South Africa,' Malema added.

He was referring to a letter sent Tuesday by right-wing British UKIP MEP Janice Atkinson to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson calling on London to 'step in' over the issue of land redistribution in South Africa.

Malema also announced a voter registration drive for EFF supporters.

'All fighters in all branches must be registered to vote. If you are not registered, then you are a criminal.'

According to the Telegraph he has said he has learned 'to live in conditions of capitalism while fighting and defeating it'.

In 2014 he was criticized for wearing Louis Vuitton shoes and in 2011 he received backlash after flying business class to the three-day nuptials of millionaire property developer David Mabilu.

He is also known to wear flashy watches such as Breitling and Rolex

In 2010 he came under fire for drinking Moet et Chandon Rose champagne and eating cake at his birthday celebrations, while his supporters, including a large number of elderly people got just water and fruit.

He said: 'We don't want them to stay in shacks, that's why we can't stay in shacks.

'How are you going to inspire them when you are also going to stay in a shack?'President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi inaugurated the East of the Canal Command Centre, on 25 February, days before the end of the three-month deadline he had given to eradicate terrorism from Sinai.

The new command centre is part of an ambitious drive to upgrade and modernise the Armed Forces, said Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi.

The new facility is a meeting and visitor centre constructed by military engineers 27 metres underground. It is not an operations control headquarters, says General Nagi Shuhoud of the Higher Nasser Military Academy. The operations control facility is situated in another area and it is reserved for military personnel and operations management.

The centre was first mooted two and a half years ago when the eastern commands  the first and second field armies  were unified and the site has been visited by leading officials.

During the inauguration Al-Sisi listened to a presentation by General Hassan Abdel-Shafi, director of the military engineers corps, who explained the structure of the command centres military and administrative units.

The president lauded recent successes in eliminating terrorist operatives, lairs and arms depots and securing the borders of the peninsula, severing terrorist supply lines and smuggling routes for weapons, ammunition and terrorists.

Appearing in uniform for the fourth time since he was elected president, Al-Sisi said: The Egyptian people trust the ability of their Armed Forces to protect Egypt.

After concluding a presentation on the progress of COS 2018, General Mohamed Farid Hegazi requested an extension of the three-month deadline for the eradication of terrorism.

We started to prepare for the comprehensive military operation from the moment we were assigned the mission. We have now begun to carry it out, he said.

The Armed Forces have discovered that terrorists prepared installations and planted explosive devices throughout the areas in which they operate in Sinai, including some residential quarters.

The original deadline was an expression of the desire to eliminate any threats as quickly as possible, especially after attacks on Al-Rawda Mosque at Beir Al-Abd and at Arish airport during the defence and interior ministers visit in November, says Brigadier General Khaled Okasha, a member of the National Counter-terrorism Council. But from a security standpoint the timetable has proved too short to execute all the required tasks.

In requesting an extension the chief of staff was being objective and honest, says Okasha.

Goals are being accomplished and the way is being paved for development plans without any falsification of facts on the ground or precipitous haste.

Development is core to our long stern strategy, which is why we saw the president at the command centre not just with military leaders but also with ministers who oversee public services, utilities and investment. The development dimension of the operation could not be clearer.

Okashas words echoed those of the presidential spokesman who said: A comprehensive development process in Sinai began in 2014 and will continue until 2022. Noting that the process will cost some LE275 billion, he urged Egyptians to work together to facilitate the financing.

The president appealed to citizens and the business community to contribute to the Long Live Egypt Fund, saying funding development in Sinai has become a national security question of the first order.

In a press briefing for military reporters, army spokesman Colonel Tamer Al-Rifaai said COS 2018 will continue until north and central Sinai are free of terrorism.

* This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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The DR Congo government said its troops were waging a war against Ugandan rebels active in North Kivu province

Seven people died in a raid by suspected Ugandan Islamist rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the latest in a string of deadly cross-border attacks, officials said Sunday.

"Six people were shot dead and another was stabbed" in the village of Eringeti in DR Congo's restive North Kivu province, a Congolese military source told AFP.

Eringeti's mayor Leon Baungatho said the assault happened around 5.30 pm (1530 GMT) on Saturday.

"We are still grieving," said regional official Noela Kavivutwiraki. "The army needs to redouble its efforts to prevent suprise attacks from Ugandan rebels."

Thought to be behind a string of deadly attacks in North Kivu, the Ugandan Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia stands accused of a number of attrocities in DR Congo.

Congolese authorities and the UN mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, accuse the ADF of having killed more than 700 civilians as well as combatants in the Beni region from 2014-16.

The ADF is also accused of killing 14 UN peacekeepers in eastern DR Congo on December 7, in the biggest single loss of peacekeepers in nearly a quarter of a century.

The government in January declared it was waging "war" on the ADF and a Congolese militia, the Yakutumba, which is active in South Kivu province, several hundred kilometres (miles) to the south.An Afghan soldier from the Field Artillery Division of the Afghan National Army, Kandak 6, checks the barrel of a D30 Howitzer gun prior to a test firing

A brigade of seasoned American soldiers has arrived in Afghanistan in recent days on a much-trumpeted mission to offer a new type of training -- as well as motivation -- to beleaguered Afghan partners.

Pentagon officials hope the deployment of hundreds of battle-hardened, expert troops across the country will help turn the tide in the war, but Afghanistan watchers are skeptical about how much difference they can make in the 16-year-old conflict.

Most of the troops in the so-called Security Force Assistance Brigade, or SFAB, have multiple Afghanistan combat deployments under their belts, speak some level of Pashto or Dari and -- after having themselves undergone special training -- have now volunteered to return.

"They are coming here because they are passionate about the mission," Navy Captain Tom Gresback, a spokesman for NATO's Resolute Support mission in Kabul, told AFP.

The United States and NATO have already tried various training models for Afghan security forces, but even after all these years many units remain beset by corruption and desertions and are suffering horrendous casualty rates.

US officials have also tracked dozens of cases of reported human rights violations in Afghan security units, including several involving child sexual assault.

The Pentagon has been training partner forces in various conflicts for decades, and the approach has been buoyed in recent years by local forces' successes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

Afghan army soldiers take positions near an office of the British charity Save the Children during an attack in Jalalabad on January 24, 2018

What differentiates the SFAB from other Afghan missions is not just the US soldiers' experience, but the fact they will be patrolling closer to the conflict's front lines than trainers have done in recent years -- putting them at greater risk.

They will help Afghans hone a variety of skills including marksmanship and weapons training, and combat medics will teach Afghan partners how to better handle battlefield trauma.

And, vitally, the Afghans will learn how to call in air strikes and how to conduct ground-clearing operations.

"The goal is to not fight for the Afghans, but to train these proud soldiers to see that they can fight for themselves," Gresback said.

- Training shortcomings -

Squads of about 10 US soldiers will embed at the "kandak" level -- an Afghan term for battalions typically made up of 300-400 men -- and they will deploy across Afghanistan, including in volatile southern Helmand province and in eastern Nangarhar province, where the Taliban and Islamic State are fighting.

The NATO and US training of Afghan troops has recently been largely conducted by commandos and focused on Afghanistan's special forces, rather than on its conventional units.

Up until the end of 2014, NATO troops provided most of the security in Afghanistan, but in 2015, after the drawdown of Western forces, Afghan troops were tasked with the job themselves.

The results were disastrous, with thousands killed each year as the Taliban resurged. Officials have acknowledged training has sometimes fallen short.

A US government watchdog last year blasted the military as being woefully unprepared to take on the challenge of creating security forces of the size and scope needed in Afghanistan.

In this October 23, 2016 image, a US military helicopter is seen flying toward Bagram airbase from Kabul, Afghanistan.

Bill Roggio, an Afghanistan expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the SFAB deployment is a step in the right direction but may ultimately have limited impact.

"Does it improve things on the margins, or does it actually make a real difference in that (the Afghans) are either going to be able to stop the Taliban's gains or beat them back? I am skeptical," he told AFP.

US commanders say the SFAB, along with an increased tempo of air strikes and a broader strategy for the region including Pakistan, will help the Afghans push back the Taliban.

Officials say 64 percent of the Afghan population lives in areas currently controlled by the Afghan government, with 12 percent in Taliban-controlled areas and the rest living in "contested areas."

They have set the seemingly modest goal of increasing those under government control to 80 percent within two years.

"I've looked at the training regime," US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said recently.

"First of all, the quality of these troops, in terms of their experience and their selection, and second, the training, gives me a lot of confidence."Military personnel were on guard outside the headquarters of the country's defence forces in Ouagadougou following the twin attacks on the French embassy and the country's military

A suspected key figure in the deadly Burkina Faso attacks has been arrested, a government source said Sunday, adding that there were suspicions of complicity by the army.

Saying the suspect could be "one of the brains" behind the attacks, the source told AFP there were "very strong suspicions" that "army infiltrators" had passed information to the assailants for the coordinated attacks in the capital Ouagadougou Friday claimed by GSIM, a jihadist group allied to al-Qaeda.

The arrested suspect's nationality was not revealed. A second man was also arrested and questioned, but is of lesser interest to investigators, the source said.

Sunday saw further unrest when one person was shot dead after three people attempted to storm a roadblock in the early hours near the presidential compound.

Two of the trio managed to flee the scene but the third was arrested and gunned down after attempting to seize the weapon of a guard, according to government and security sources.

Friday's twin attacks on the French embassy and the country's military HQ in the capital saw seven soldiers killed, which was a new toll after eight had previously been declared dead.

The source added that nine assailants were killed, one more than previously reported. At least 80 people were injured.

Some of the assailants may have managed to flee the attack on the military HQ, a government source said.

- Inside job?-

Burkinabe soldiers patrolling the army's headquarters in Ouagadougou in the aftermath of the attacks claimed by GSIM, a jihadist group allied to al-Qaeda

The attackers "had knowledge of the current habits and practices inside the (army) headquarters," another governmental source said Saturday, which is how they managed to access the service entrance.

The assailants were also wearing army uniforms, another sign of possible help from inside.

Investigators are considering whether the attack on the well-protected French embassy was merely a diversion.

That attack resulted in the death of four jihadists who were unable to enter the diplomatic compound, the source said.

A group of French investigators arrived in Ouagadougou on Saturday to help the Burkinabe authorities.

The government has said the attack on the military HQ was a suicide car bombing and that a regional anti-terrorism meeting may have been the intended target.

That meeting had been moved to a different room, otherwise the death toll could have been far higher.

Visiting the HQ on Saturday, Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba said he saw "apocalyptic scenes" and condemned "with the utmost severity this terrorist attack, cowardly, which attacks our country, once again, which sows death, unnecessary destruction".

GSIM, which has admitted responsibility for previous attacks in the troubled Sahel region, claimed to have carried out the twin attacks, in a message cited by Mauritania's Al-Akhbar news agency.

The group said the Ouagadoudou attacks were a response to the deaths of some of its leaders "in a French army raid in northern Mali two weeks ago," the agency reported.

According to French military sources, some 20 jihadists were "killed or captured" on that occasion.

Burkina Faso has been the target of jihadist attacks since 2015, but they had never previously been carried out with this level of organisation.

"I hope it stops." said Bouri Sawadogo, a local student, "because with the frequency that this is happening we're all scared".Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C-R) welcomes Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C-L) upon his arrival in Cairo on March 4, 2018

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks in the Egyptian capital on Sunday at the start of his first foreign tour as heir to the throne.

A beaming Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi greeted the prince at Cairo airport after he descended the red-carpeted steps of his plane.

The head of Prince Mohammed's office, Bader al-Asaker, tweeted that the prince's plane was escorted by Egyptian fighter jets when it entered Egypt's airspace.

Prince Mohammed and Sisi, a key regional ally, agreed in talks to bolster economic ties and launch joint projects, "particularly in the tourism sector on the Red Sea", said Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Radi.

The prince is to fly off to Britain on Wednesday and then later this month to the United States.

Saudi Arabia views Egypt as a cornerstone of regional stability, after the former army chief Sisi overthrew his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Riyadh viewed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood with suspicion and at one point briefly recalled its ambassador from Cairo during his turbulent year in power.

It has since showered Cairo with aid to prop up the country's economy, in a relationship that has led to some controversy in Egypt.

In 2015, during a visit by King Salman to Cairo, the two countries agreed on the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, sparking protests in Egypt.

Sisi ratified the deal last year, and Egypt's top court annulled lower court rulings for and against the treaty on the eve of the crown prince's arrival.

Prince Mohammed's visit comes ahead of Egypt's presidential polls in late March, with Sisi expected to win a second four-year term.

The visit "will be interpreted as proof of Saudi support for Sisi to remain as the president of Egypt", Mostafa Kamel al-Sayed, a political science professor at Cairo University, told AFP.

Cairo and Riyadh have maintained close ties, although Egypt has signalled a lack of enthusiasm for Saudi regional policy, both on the Yemen war and a potential escalation with Iran.

But it is among a bloc of Arab nations that joined a Saudi-led boycott since June of Qatar.

The crown prince's tour also aims to court investors and comes after a tumultuous period that has seen a military shake-up and a royal purge in Saudi Arabia, part of his sweeping power play.

Prince Mohammed is already seen as the country's de facto ruler controlling the major levers of government.Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, seen here at the White House last September with his wife Ivanka Trump and the president, has endured a rough patch recently, prompting even some Trump confidants to suggest it may be time for him to go

Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has had such a bad patch recently, including losing his top-secret security clearance, that the president himself is joking about it.

Trump, in a lighthearted speech Saturday before a dinner of Washington media leaders, quipped that Kushner had arrived late because he "couldn't get through security."

But Trump's jesting tone belied the fact that the political pressure on Kushner, and to a lesser degree on his wife Ivanka Trump, has probably never been higher.

On Sunday, even a former top adviser to Trump hinted that it might be time for the couple, both senior advisers to the president, to go.

Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor who for a time led Trump's transition team, said the White House staff, including family members, needed to put the president's interests first.

"For Jared and Ivanka and the other family members, I think everyone has to focus on what's best for the president," he said on ABC's "This Week."

"I think, unfortunately, you know, because of all the infighting and all the leaking, they're ill-serving this president."

Asked about reports that Trump had even hinted to friends that he hoped John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, could find a way to usher the Kushners out, Christie pointed to the recent resignation of Trump confidante Hope Hicks amid a swirl of controversy.

"She did the noble thing," Christie said. "If I'm not 100 percent an asset for the president, I'm going to back away."

Reince Priebus, Trump's former chief of staff, said on the same program that he agreed with most of what Christie said.

But he also said he thought that after a rough start, the Kushners had gradually "found a place" in the White House that "fits in nicely with their portfolio."

Trump gave Kushner an almost unprecedently broad portfolio, from streamlining the US government to working for Middle East peace.

But a recent report in the New York Times questioned possible links between meetings Kushner held in the White House and loans worth hundreds of millions of dollars subsequently granted to his family's business.

And a Washington Post report suggested that officials from China, Israel, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates had discussed ways to exploit Kushner's inexperience and financial entanglements.

For now, Trump's jokes aside, the Kushners remain in place.

"Jared is still a valued member of the administration," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said last week.US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk off Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, on March 3, 2018

US President Donald Trump appears intent on moving forward next week on US steel and aluminum tariffs with no exemptions for allies, the US commerce secretary said Sunday, minimizing the threat of retaliation as "pretty trivial."

"I know he's had conversations with a number of the world leaders," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on ABC's "This Week." "The decision, obviously, is his. But as of the moment, as far as I know, he's talking about a fairly broad brush."

Trump ignited fears of a trade war and an outcry from US trading partners this week when he abruptly announced blanket 25 percent tariffs on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said she raised her "deep concern" over the tariffs in a phone call with Trump on Sunday, her office said.

The European Union has said it is drawing up measures against leading US brands like Harley-Davidson and Levi's jeans, while China warned it "won't sit idly by" if its interests are hurt.

Canada, which has the most to lose as the top source of US steel and aluminum imports, has called the tariffs "unacceptable."

Ross, who said he expected them to go into effect in the coming week, played down the impact on the US economy of retaliatory measures.

He said $9 billion in US tariffs would be a fraction of one percent of the US economy.

"So, the notion that it would destroy a lot of jobs, raise prices, disrupt things, is wrong," he said.

"As to the idea of retaliation, sure there may well be some sort of retaliation, but the amounts that they're talking about are also pretty trivial.

"It's some $3 billion of goods that the Europeans have threatened to put something on. Well, in our sized economy, that's a tiny, tiny fraction of one percent."

"So while it might affect an individual producer for a little while, overall it's not going to be much more than a rounding error," he said.

The move has been highly controversial among Republicans and within the administration, but Trump on Friday tweeted that "trade wars are good, and easy to win."

Peter Navarro, a top White House trade advisor, said the administration would consider exemptions on a case-by-case basis but "no country exclusions."

"As soon as you start exempting countries you have to raise the tariffs on everybody else. As soon as you exempt one country, then you have to exempt another country and so it's a slippery slope," he said on CNN's "State of the Union."Nir Hefetz (2nd-L), a former media adviser to the Netanyahu family, is alleged to have acted as a go between in a corruption scandal

A former aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a top businessman were released and put under house arrest Sunday after 14 days in custody over suspicions of fraud involving the premier, police said.

Tel Aviv magistrates court released Nir Hefetz, a former media adviser to the Netanyahu family, and Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of telecoms group Bezeq, after complex questioning of the two men, Netanyahu, his wife and other suspects.

Police suspect Elovitch's business was given regulatory breaks in return for Netanyahu receiving positive coverage on Walla!, a news website he owns.

Hefetz is alleged to have acted as a messenger between Netanyahu, Bezeq and Walla! officials.

He is also suspected of trying to bribe a retired judge to block a probe into the prime minister's wife, Sara Netanyahu, over alleged misuse of public funds.

Police are not divulging details of the probe but Israeli media said that police and Securities Authority investigators on Friday carried out a carefully orchestrated simultaneous interrogation of six suspects at different locations to prevent them coordinating their testimonies.

Top-selling daily Yediot Aharonot said while Netanyahu was being questioned for five hours at his official Jerusalem residence, Sara was being grilled at national fraud squad headquarters near Tel Aviv.

Elsewhere in the same police building, it said, Hefetz and Elovitch were under interrogation, along with Elovitch's wife Iris and a former senior communications ministry official, whose name is subject to a court gag order.

All were placed in separate rooms, it said.

"Detectives who were sitting in a forward command post continually received updates in real time from the six separate interrogations and steered the complex operation," the paper added.

"They fed questions to the detectives in the interview rooms and tried to find holes in the answers that were received."

Friday's session with Netanyahu was the eighth time since January 2017 that the right-wing premier had been questioned over a string of corruption allegations that threaten to end his long tenure.

It came after police last month said they had sufficient evident for his indictment for graft, fraud and breach of trust in two other cases.

Netanyahu, 68, has denied all charges and rejected talk of stepping down. He is due to meet US President Donald Trump, perhaps his closest international ally, at the White House on Monday.

In one case, Netanyahu and family members are suspected of receiving one million shekels ($285,000, 230,000 euros) in gifts, including luxury cigars, champagne and jewellery, from wealthy figures in exchange for financial or personal favours.

In the other case, investigators suspect the premier of trying to reach an agreement with the owner of Yediot Aharonot newspaper for more favourable coverage.French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, seen here leaving the Elysee Palace following a weekly Cabinet meeting in Paris in February, arrived in Tehran for talks on the 2015 nuclear deal and Iran's role in the conflict in Syria

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Tehran early Monday for talks on the 2015 nuclear deal and Iran's role in the Syrian conflict.

It is the first visit by one of the European signatories to the nuclear deal since US President Donald Trump set an ultimatum that he would abandon it in May if it was not "improved".

Le Drian has made it clear to Tehran that he is no "emissary of Donald Trump", the foreign minister's team have told AFP.

The visit was originally scheduled for January but postponed due to a week of violent protests in Iran.

"We want to preserve the nuclear deal because it is working, it's robust and because the Iranians are respecting it," Le Drian's team said.

Le Drian, however, has said that without an end to ballistic missile tests by Iran, it will "always be suspected, with reason, of wanting to develop nuclear weapons".

Tehran denies seeking nuclear arms and says its missiles are purely defensive and not up for discussion.

Iran has said it "will not accept any amendments in (the nuclear) agreement, be it now or in the future, and it will not allow any other issues to be linked to (it)".

Despite their differences, Iran has welcomed French efforts to re-engage economically and politically with the Islamic republic.

Last year, Iran signed a $5-billion gas exploration deal with French energy giant Total, Tehran's biggest since the nuclear accord.

But political differences were on show on Sunday in a call between presidents Hassan Rouhani of Iran and France's Emmanuel Macron.

The French president called for Iran to put "the necessary pressure" on its Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad, to stop "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians.

For his part, Rouhani said countries exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia -- France being one of the biggest suppliers -- must answer for war crimes being committed by that country in Yemen.Turkish anti-riot police secure the area around the US embassy in Ankara in December; the embassy will be shut to the public on Monday over a "security threat"

The US embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara will be closed to the public on Monday over a "security threat", the mission announced on its website.

The embassy was the target in 2013 of a suicide bombing claimed by a far-left group that killed a Turkish security guard.

Relations between NATO allies Washington and Ankara are strained over a number of issues, notably the US arming of a Syrian Kurdish militia, the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

Ankara on January 20 launched an operation against the YPG in its border stronghold of Afrin in western Syria.

Turkey has called on Washington to stop working with the YPG, which it views as a "terrorist" group.

But the United States has expressed concern about the Turkish Operation dubbed "Olive Branch" and urged restraint from Turkey.Cardinal George Pell is the most senior Catholic cleric to be charged with criminal offences linked to the Church's long-running sexual abuse scandal

Cardinal George Pell's barrister accused police of failing to follow proper procedures as a crucial hearing opened Monday to determine if the top Pope Francis adviser will stand trial on historical sexual offence charges.

The 76-year-old, the most senior Catholic cleric to be charged with criminal offences linked to the Church's long-running sexual abuse scandal, denies all the claims.

He has taken leave from his role as Vatican finance chief to fight the charges, which relate to incidents that allegedly occurred long ago. Their exact details and nature have not been made public, other than they involve "multiple complainants".

Pell, in a beige jacket on top of a black shirt with a clerical collar, arrived by car and was escorted by dozens of police as he made his way up the steps and into the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

This was in contrast to his two previous appearances at preliminary hearings -- in July and October last year -- when he walked from his nearby lawyer's office in chaotic scenes as he was mobbed by the media.

A small group of protesters and supporters, holding placards and signs, were outside the court.

"Go to hell George Pell," shouted Valda Ann Hogan, while a supporter, Beverly Hastie, told AFP: "I know him and he is an innocent man, a good man, a holy man and we're here to support him."

Up to 50 witnesses could be called during the committal hearing, where they will give their accounts and be cross-examined by Pell's legal team. The hearings are due to last four weeks.

Magistrate Belinda Wallington will then decide if there is sufficient evidence for the case to go to trial.

The court was open to the media for some 30 minutes before the hearing was adjourned until the afternoon when evidence from Pell's accusers is due to begin via video-link in closed proceedings.

During the brief session, in which Pell coughed but said nothing, his barrister Robert Richter said the defence team had supplied police with many witness statements favourable to the cardinal that they were obliged to investigate.

"They have not done so," he claimed.

He also requested that a support person be allowed to accompany Pell to court "in regard to the cardinal's age and medical condition".

Pell was excused from giving evidence in person to a session of Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2016 due to a heart ailment.

- 'A decent man' -

Pell does not have to formally enter a plea unless committed to stand trial, although he instructed his lawyer from the outset to make clear he intended to plead not guilty.

"For the avoidance of doubt and because of the interest, I might indicate that Cardinal Pell pleads not guilty to all charges and will maintain the presumed innocence that he has," Richter said in July.

Pell's defence team said last week that part of their cross-examination would be to determine when the accusers first disclosed he had allegedly abused them, as they try to prove the allegations were a "recent invention".

Since his last appearance, the cardinal's lawyers have been denied requests for medical records of the complainants, with the magistrate saying disclosure could be harmful.

His case has coincided with a national inquiry into child sexual abuse, ordered in 2012 after a decade of pressure to investigate widespread allegations of institutional paedophilia.

The commission spoke to thousands of victims and heard claims of abuse involving churches, orphanages, sporting clubs, youth groups and schools.

Pell appeared before it three times, once in person and twice via video-link from Rome over the Church's handling of complaints against paedophile priests.

Australia's Catholic leaders have spoken out in support of him, describing Pell as a "thoroughly decent man".Egypt's prosecutor-general Nabil Sadek ordered on Saturday the opening of a judicial investigation into an attack in the UK on 18-year-old Egyptian student Mariam Abdel-Salam, who fell into a coma after being assaulted on 20 February.

Abdel-Salam, who lives with her family in Nottingham and is a Central College engineering student in Beeston, was punched repeatedly and verbally assaulted by a group of women in a crowded area near the intu Victoria Centre mall in London, according to a report by local newspaper Nottingham Post.

Sadek has tasked the international cooperation department with preparing a request to be sent to British authorities for a report on the investigation by UK police, medical reports, and any other procedures that have been taken regarding the incident.

On Friday, Egyptian ministry of Foreign affairs said in a statement that it is closely following up on the incident, through both The Egyptian consulate and embassy in London.

City police said that Abdel-Salam has recovered from the coma but is still in intensive care at Queen's medical centre, according to the Nottingham Post.

The Nottingham Post said on Friday that a 17-year-old female suspect was arrested in connection with the attack.

Short link:

LONDON (AP) - The Latest on the negotiations for an agreement on Britain's departure from the European Union (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says the Europe Union needs to deliver on its promises of prosperity, security and stability if it wants to beat back the rise of populism on the left and right.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at the Mansion House in London, Friday March 2, 2018. May promised to tell an impatient European Union on Friday what Britain is prepared to give and what it wants to take in a post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP)

Speaking Friday at an event in Berlin, Rutte warned that failure could mean that "people will start believing the false promises and pipe dreams of the political extremes."

Contrasting his speech with British Prime Minister Theresa May's comments Friday on Brexit, Rutte said he wants to talk about "the best way to move forward with Europe."

He then laid out nine proposals for the EU - including creating a single market for services - not just goods, reforming the bloc's budget and linking the receipt of EU funds to members states' adherence to the rule of law.

___

2:10 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May says Britain is willing to keep similar regulatory standards to the EU after Brexit so goods can keep flowing without tariffs and other obstacles.

In a speech Friday outlining her vision for future economic ties, May said: "U.K. and EU regulatory standards will remain substantially similar in the future."

She also said Britain will seek to remain part of some EU agencies, such as those governing medicines and aviation safety. She says the U.K. is willing to pay - and to play by the agencies' rules - to remain a member.

May is laying out her vision for a close economic relationship with the bloc that also leaves the U.K. free to strike new trade deals around the world.

___

2:05 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May says Britain has "concerns" about the European Union's draft Brexit document, but she is confident agreement can be reached.

May rejected an EU proposal to keep Northern Ireland in the bloc's customs union to ensure there is no need for border infrastructure with the Irish republic after Brexit.

In a speech Friday, May said that would break up the U.K.'s common market and is unacceptable.

But she also says Britain is committed to avoiding a hard Irish border and ensuring there is no return to violence in Northern Ireland.

___

1:55 p.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May says Britain and the European Union will have less access to each other's markets than they do now after Brexit.

She said Friday that it's inevitable because the U.K. is leaving the bloc's single market and customs union.

May is making a speech outlining her vision of future economic ties with the EU.

She says Britain wants a close relationship after Brexit, but not one modeled on existing trade deals with Norway or Canada.

May says Brexit talks are approaching a crucial moment and "there is no escaping the complexity of the task ahead of us."

___

11:05 a.m.

Britain is due to leave the European Union in March 2019, but the two sides have yet to negotiate new arrangements for trade, security, aviation and a host of other fields.

Prime Minister Theresa May plans to give a speech on Friday to answer critics who accuse Britain of failing to grasp the tough realities of its departure from the EU.

EU leaders have warned that May's insistence on leaving the EU's single market and customs union makes the close ties she hopes to maintain post-Brexit impossible.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, an opponent of Brexit, said May could no longer get away with "vacuous, meaningless rhetoric."

Sturgeon tweeted that May's speech "must set out exactly HOW she intends to achieve her (seemingly contradictory and unachievable if we leave single market/customs union) objectives."

___

10:40 a.m.

Prime Minister Theresa May is promising to tell an impatient European Union what Britain is prepared to give and what it wants to take in a post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc.

In a speech Friday aimed at answering critics who accuse Britain of failing to grasp the tough realities of leaving the EU, May will call for "the broadest and deepest possible agreement - covering more sectors and cooperating more fully than any free trade agreement anywhere in the world today."

May's office says she will say Britain wants to maintain "high standards" of regulation, like the EU's, while having the right to diverge from EU rules over time.

That could be seen by the EU as cherry-picking benefits of membership, something it insists Britain can't do.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at the Mansion House in London, Friday March 2, 2018. May promised to tell an impatient European Union on Friday what Britain is prepared to give and what it wants to take in a post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP)

European Chief Negotiator for the United Kingdom Exiting the European Union Michel Barnier, center, and Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, 2nd left, welcomes toy manufacturer Lego's CEO Niels B. Christiansen, right, at the Prime Ministers residence Marienborg, north of Copenhagen, Friday, March 2, 2018. (Keld Navntoft/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

European Chief Negotiator for the United Kingdom Exiting the European Union Michel Barnier, left, is welcomed by Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen at the Prime Minister's residence Marienborg, north of Copenhagen, Friday, March 2, 2018. (Keld Navntoft/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

European Chief Negotiator for the United Kingdom Exiting the European Union Michel Barnier, center, and Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, left, welcomes corporate and organizational representatives at the Prime Ministers residence Marienborg, North of Copenhagen, Friday, March 2, 2018. (Keld Navntoft/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May greets EU Council President Donald Tusk at 10 Downing Street in London, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May greets EU Council President Donald Tusk at 10 Downing Street in London, Thursday, March 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at Mansion House, in London, Friday, March 2, 2018. May is promising to tell an impatient European Union on Friday what Britain is prepared to give and what it wants to take in a post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc.(Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at the Mansion House in London, Friday March 2, 2018. May promised to tell an impatient European Union on Friday what Britain is prepared to give and what it wants to take in a post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc. (Peter Nicholls/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at Mansion House, in London, Friday, March 2, 2018. May is promising to tell an impatient European Union on Friday what Britain is prepared to give and what it wants to take in a post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc.(Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP)AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - As early voting for the Texas primary entered its final day, the state had already set a non-presidential cycle record for the number of people turning out.

Through Thursday, more than 583,000 Texans in the 15 largest counties had cast in-person, early ballots, outpacing the then-record nearly 510,000 who did so during 2014's midterm election.

Democratic participation is up nearly 50 percent over four years ago. Republican turnout is up slightly from 2014.

Early voting ended Friday, ahead of Tuesday's first-in-the-nation primary.

Democrats haven't won a Texas statewide office since 1994, a longest-in-the-country losing streak likely to continue in November.

But there are a record eight open congressional seats, and three Republican congressmen may have close races since Hillary Clinton carried their districts over Donald Trump in 2016.Unions representing West Virginia teachers and service personnel said Saturday that they will stay out on strike after the state Senate voted to cut the 5 percent pay raise they had negotiated with Gov. Jim Justice.

In a joint statement, the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia, West Virginia Education Association and the School Service Personnel Association said Senate President Mitch Carmichael and his leadership team had left them with no choice after they voted to reduce the raise to 4 percent.

The statement said all public schools in West Virginia would be closed again Monday "and remain closed until the Senate honors the agreement that was made."

FILE - In this March 1, 2018 file photo, Parry Casto, a fifth grade teacher at the Explorer Academy in Huntington, W.Va., dressed in an Uncle Sam costume leads hundreds of teachers in chants outside the state Senate chambers at the Capitol in Charleston, W.Va The strike rolled into its second weekend with the state Senate planning to meet Saturday, March 3 after declining to take a vote on whether the teachers will get the 5 percent pay raise negotiated by Gov. Jim Justice and union leaders. (AP Photo/John Raby)

The Republican-controlled Senate voted Saturday evening to approve the lower pay raise, bucking teachers, Republican Gov. Jim Justice and the Republican-controlled House, which approved the 5 percent raise on Wednesday. The two bills will now have to be reconciled. It was unclear how soon that process would begin.

The Senate's vote came as the teachers' strike rolled into its second weekend. Republican Sen. Greg Boso of Nicholas introduced the amendment to lower the raise, which the full Senate adopted by a vote of 19-15.

Senate Republicans have repeatedly emphasized exercising restraint with state spending, while agreeing that teachers and West Virginia's other public workers are all underpaid.

"That compensation increase is long overdue," said Sen. Charles Trump, a Berkeley Springs Republican. "We've been able to do this without tax increases."

Approving a 4 percent raise, instead of the 5 percent hike, will save the state $17 million, Boso said.

Democratic lawmakers said their Republican counterparts should approve the deal the governor negotiated with union leaders for a 5 percent raise.

"We're all caught up in our egos," said Democratic Sen. Douglas Facemire of Sutton. He noted the impact of the impasse on students, including those who depend on schools for their meals. "For 1 percent we're going to let kids go hungry," he said.

Hundreds of teachers and supporters, including students, rallied at the Capitol on Friday, the seventh day they've shuttered classrooms.

Teachers are protesting pay that's among the lowest in the nation, rising health care costs and a previously approved 2 percent raise for next year after four years without any increase.

Justice told school superintendents gathered at the Capitol on Friday that he believed the votes for the raise were there. One administrator noted the impasse is affecting 277,000 students and 35,000 employees.

Protesting teachers have argued that education in West Virginia - where more than 700 classrooms lack fully certified full-time teachers - needs to be a higher priority among politicians. Pay starts at about $33,000 a year, lower than in surrounding states.UDINE, Italy (AP) - Fiorentina captain Davide Astori was found dead in his hotel room on Sunday at the age of 31 after a suspected cardiac arrest before an Italian league match.

The defender, who also played 14 times for Italy's national team, was discovered by Fiorentina staff when he failed to show up for breakfast at the hotel in Udine. Fiorentina's game at Udinese in northeast Italy was called off, along with all fixtures in the country's top two divisions.

Astori's body was taken to the Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital for an autopsy.

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 filer, Fiorentina's Davide Astori goes for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Fiorentina at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy. Fiorentina captain Davide Astori has died, the club has announced. He was 31. Astori was found in the early hours of Sunday morning in his hotel room in Udine, where the team was staying ahead of an Italian league match. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)

"The belief is that the player died of a cardiac arrest by natural causes," Udine prosecutor Antonio De Nicolo said. "It is strange that such a thing should happen to a professional who is so closely monitored without there being any warning signs."

Fiorentina said Astori, who had played for the club since 2015, was "hit by a sudden illness." Club President Andrea Della Valle said Astori had been due to sign a new contract on Monday and that it would have tied him to the club "for life."

"For this terrible and delicate situation, and above all out of respect for his family, we appeal to the sensitivity of everyone," the team said in a statement.

Astori leaves behind his wife, Francesca Fioretti, and their 2-year-old daughter.

His wife was informed of the news by Fiorentina directors who visited her personally, while Astori's parents, who live in Bergamo, were told on the telephone.

In Florence, fans attached scarves, flowers and messages to the gates of the team's stadium, while banners paying tribute to him were put up outside several other stadiums.

There was an outpouring of shocked reaction across the soccer world. The English Football Association said it plans to honor Astori when it hosts Italy at Wembley on March 27 in a friendly.

Genoa and Cagliari were preparing to play in Serie A's early game when the players were told of Astori's death. Several - many of whom had played with Astori for Italy - walked off in tears. When the match was officially called off, a picture of Astori was shown on the giant screen, leading to applause throughout the stadium.

Cagliari coach Diego Lopez, who played and coached Astori at the Sardinian club, had to receive medical treatment after finding out the news, as did Carlos Sanchez, who is on loan from Fiorentina at Espanyol.

"I'm shocked, it's an absurd tragedy," said Giovanni Malago, the president of Italy's national Olympic committee. "The football world is deeply affected by what has happened. Words mean nothing, the decision to postpone the matches is the right one.

"Often people say 'the show must go on' but that's not always right for me. Football is the most popular sport but also the one that has to give special signs at this time."

Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon, a former Italy goalkeeper, posted a picture of himself with Astori on Instagram.

"Ciao dear Asto," Buffon wrote in Italian before going on to say that he rarely talks publicly about people but was making an exception "because you have a young wife and family who are suffering, but above all your little daughter, deserves to know that her father was in every way a GOOD PERSON. a TRULY GOOD PERSON."

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte, who coached Italy from 2014 to 2016, struggled to hold back the tears as he reacted to the death before a Premier League game at Manchester City. He wore a black armband during the match in tribute.

"This is a tragedy," Conte said. "This news really hurt me and it's very difficult in this moment to find the right words for the family. ... He was a great player, especially a fantastic guy."

Astori made his Italy debut in 2011 and played at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil where he scored against Uruguay.

"You were the best expression of an old-fashioned world," Buffon said, "one that people have left behind, and which was governed by values like altruism, elegance, politeness and respect toward others.

"Genuine compliments, you were one of the best sporting figures I ever came up against."

Astori started out in the Milan youth academy but never played a senior match for the Rossoneri, making his Serie A debut with Cagliari in 2008.

He spent six years at the Sardinian club before loan spells at Roma and Fiorentina, where he was signed on a permanent basis in 2016.

"Davide was always the epitome of great professionalism and reliability," Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco tweeted. "An amazing person. I too feel the grief of all his loved ones."

Italian soccer has more stringent rules and tests than many other countries, with professional athletes in Italy required to undergo certain checks every six months.

"Risk of sudden death goes right down with all the checks but you can't avoid it completely," said Carlo Tranquilli, a specialist in sports medicine and former doctor for Italy's under-21 team for 18 years.

"In our country we have a lot more checks and there are few like us in the world."

Flowers are laid outside the Artemio Franchi stadium to honor Fiorentina captain Davide Astori, in Florence, Italy, Sunday, March 4, 2018. Fiorentina captain Davide Astori has died, the club has announced Sunday. He was 31. Astori was found in the early hours of Sunday morning in his hotel room in Udine, where the team was staying ahead of an Italian league match. (Maurizio Degl'Innocenti/ANSA via AP)

FILE In this Feb. 16, 2017 file photo Davide Astori of AC Fiorentina plays the ball during a Europa League match against Borussia Moenchengladbach in Moenchengladbach, Germany. Fiorentina captain Davide Astori has died, the club has announced. He was 31. Astori was found in the early hours of Sunday morning March 4, 2018 in his hotel room in Udine, where the team was staying ahead of an Italian league match. (Marius Becker/dpa via AP)

A woman leaves a Fiorentina scarf outside the Artemio Franchi stadium to honor Fiorentina captain Davide Astori, in Florence, Italy, Sunday, March 4, 2018. Fiorentina captain Davide Astori has died, the club has announced Sunday. He was 31. Astori was found in the early hours of Sunday morning in his hotel room in Udine, where the team was staying ahead of an Italian league match. (Maurizio Degl'Innocenti/ANSA via AP)MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Fifteen students in one Florida school district are facing felony charges and prison time for making alleged threats since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre. Meanwhile, an autistic Minnesota high school student whose alleged threat led to a six-hour lockdown is in juvenile court and has received an outpouring of sympathy.

The Feb. 14 killings of 17 people in Parkland, Florida, have ignited a wave of copycat threats, as happens after nearly every high-profile school shooting. Most prove unfounded, but cause big disruptions to schools while tying up police for hours or even days.

Experts say authorities' swift responses are underscoring a climate in which even idle threats will result in serious consequences.

In this Feb. 22, 2018 photo, Meghan Stephenson hugs her child before staying goodbye outside Orono Schumann Elementary School as a police officer stands nearby as students arrive for the day after a threat was posted, causing Orono, Minn., schools to go on lockdown. An autistic Orono High School student whose alleged threat led to a six-hour lockdown is in juvenile court. He's received an outpouring of sympathy, and donations for his family. The Feb. 14 killings of 17 people in Parkland, Fla., ignited the usual copycat threats. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP)

"Kids make bad decisions and I think that in decades past those decisions would have been addressed behind closed doors with the principal and parents," said Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based consulting company. "Now they're being addressed behind closed doors in the police station and the courtroom."

The Volusia County Schools system in east-central Florida isn't taking chances. Sheriff Michael Chitwood made it clear he had a zero-tolerance policy as threats began after Parkland. On Thursday, he went further, saying students or their families would have to pay the costs of the investigations - at least $1,000 and sometimes much more.

District spokeswoman Nancy Wait said the message is clear: We're not joking around.

"Unfortunately that word didn't get to the students and we started seeing more students making threats in the classroom, and that was frightening to their classmates," she said. "Most of the time these students didn't have access to weapons, but they were still making threats to shoot up their schools."

Don Bridges, president of the National Association of School Resource Officers and a veteran of 16 years on duty at Franklin High School in suburban Baltimore, said the number of threats goes down when districts send a strong message that they won't be tolerated.

The Educator's School Safety Network, which tracks reports of school threats and violent incidents across the country, has documented a spike since Parkland. The Ohio group counted 797 as of Sunday. Most (743) were for threats of various kinds, including gun and bomb threats. The threats were made mostly via social media (331) and verbally (119).

That amounts to about a sevenfold increase in the usual rate, director of programs Amy Klinger said.

"The mentality has shifted in a very short period of time from kids being kids to this is very serious stuff," she said. She expects consequences of post-Parkland threats to be harsher than before.

"They almost have to be," she said. "Do we want to do this for the rest of the school year? Do we want to have this constant chaos and fear, and people being upset? How much learning is going on?"

Tom Clark, a defense attorney in Santa Fe, New Mexico, represents a 14-year-old boy whose threat preceded Parkland but who faced tough consequences.

Clark said the boy had been having a bad day and wrote a list of people he wanted to shoot. After someone found the list in November, the boy, who had never been in trouble before, was jailed, facing hefty charges and a lifetime expulsion. He eventually was sentenced to probation.

"After the initial harsh reaction, at least the district attorney stepped back and the superintendent of schools stepped back and looked at it in a more compassionate light," Clark said.

Probation officers worked with the boy to find an alternative program where he could attend school at night.

"No one wants to be the judge or the police officer or the security guard who doesn't take action and something awful happens," Clark said. "So the initial reactions are swift and harsh and then ultimately people are able to get a better handle on what's going on with these children individually."

It's not clear yet what the consequences will be for an autistic boy whose social media threat to shoot up Orono High School in suburban Minneapolis prompted a lockdown Feb. 21 that kept students confined to classrooms for nearly six hours. Prosecutors won't say what the charges are because it's a juvenile case.

The community's reaction was unusually sympathetic. Another student's mother set up a GoFundMe campaign with the boy's family's permission that by Sunday was near its $40,000 goal to help cover the family's legal and treatment expenses. Claire Wnuk Berrett wrote on the fundraising page that some kids on the autism spectrum don't have the language or social skills to adequately express their needs.

"When verbal or written threats are made, they are usually an attempt to express the severity of the adolescent's distress," Berrett wrote. "It is not necessarily a true indication of a desire to hurt themselves or others. They do not have the social awareness to recognize this is the wrong thing to say."

Principal David Benson said the outpouring shows, "We have a caring and supportive community for sure."

___

Associated Press reporter Amy Forliti contributed to this story from Minneapolis. AP researcher Jennifer Farrar contributed from New York.

___

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of 'Marjory' in first paragraph.LONDON (AP) - Prime Minister Theresa May has spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump and expressed "deep concern" about his threatened trade war with the European Union.

May's office says she discussed the issue with Trump during a telephone call Sunday.

Trump has threatened to tax European cars if the EU boosts tariffs on American products in response to the president's plan to increase duties on steel and aluminum.

President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with steel and aluminum executives in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Thursday, March 1, 2018, in Washington. Trump's announcement that he will impose stiff tariffs on imported steel and aluminum has upended political alliances on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

May's office says she "raised our deep concern at the president's forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminum tariffs, noting that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity."

The leaders also discussed Syria and humanitarian concerns in eastern Ghouta. May's office says they agreed "the overwhelming responsibility" for suffering falls on the Syrian government and Russia, its main backer.WASHINGTON (AP) - Russia will "never" extradite any of the 13 Russians indicted by the United States for election-meddling, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, even as he insisted they didn't act on behalf of his government.

Putin's comments in an NBC News interview airing Sunday illustrated the long odds that the Russian operatives will ever appear in U.S. court to answer charges of running a massive, secret social media trolling and targeted messaging operation to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The United States has no extradition treaty with Moscow and can't compel it to hand over citizens, and a provision in Russia's constitution prohibits extraditing its citizens to foreign countries.

"Never. Never. Russia does not extradite its citizens to anyone," Putin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during a massive rally in his support as a presidential candidate at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 3, 2018. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Even if the Russians never face justice in the United States, the sweeping indictment served the added purpose of increasing the public's awareness about the elaborate foreign campaign to meddle in American democracy, legal experts have said. For years, the Justice Department has supported indicting foreigners in absentia as a way to shame them and make it harder for them to travel abroad.

The detailed, 37-page indictment from special counsel Robert Mueller last month alleges Russian operatives working for the Internet Research Agency used fake social media accounts and on-the-ground political organizing to exacerbate divisive political issues in the U.S. Posing as American activists, the operatives tried to conceal the effort's Russian roots by purchasing space on U.S. computer servers and using U.S. email providers.

Yet Putin argued his government has little to answer for until the U.S. provides "some materials, specifics and data." He said Russia would be "prepared to look at them and talk about it," while repeating his government's insistence that it had no role in directing the operatives to act against the United States.

"I know that they do not represent the Russian state, the Russian authorities," Putin said. "What they did specifically, I have no idea."

___

Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAPPRETORIA, South Africa (AP) - George Coetzee closed with a 4-under 67 for a two-shot victory over Sam Horsfield of England in the Tshwane Open on Sunday.

It was the South African's first victory in two years.

Coetzee had a two-shot lead going into the final round at Pretoria Country Club, and Horsfield stayed in range for most of the front nine. They were tied through 10 holes until a pivotal two-shot swing on the 11th hole, when Coetzee made birdie and Horsfield dropped a shot.

Coetzee birdied the next two holes and stretched his lead to four shots. He finished on 18-under 266.

The final round was suspended briefly because of storms. Horsfield birdied his last three shots for a 67 to secure second place.

Mikko Korhonen of Finland closed with a 68 to finish alone in third.CAIRO (AP) - The Dubai government media office says two Egyptian freelance journalists who were arrested while reporting on the historic Alexandria tramway "have no connection" with Emirati-owned Al-Bayan news outlet.

The office made the statement in an email Sunday, two days after May al-Sabbagh and Ahmed Moustafa were ordered detained for 15 days by Egyptian authorities on charges including possession of equipment with intent to spread fake news.

Defense lawyers Mohammed Hafez and Mohammed Abdel-Aziz quoted al-Sabbagh as saying that she works for the outlet's Cairo office. Al-Sabbagh said she hadn't been assigned the story but was planning to submit it with Moustafa for potential publishing as decided by her supervisors.

The arrests come after Egypt's chief prosecutor said action should be taken against any media considered to be "hurting national interests."HAYESVILLE, Ohio (AP) - A woman whose 8-year-old son shot his 4-year-old sister has been arrested.

The Mansfield News-Journal reports the Ashland County Sheriff's Office has said the girl was shot multiple times Saturday afternoon at a home in Hayesville, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southwest of Cleveland.

The girl was flown to a hospital in Cleveland, where she's listed in stable condition.

Both children have been placed in the custody of the county.

Authorities have not released any details about how the shooting occurred or who owned the gun.

The Ashland County Prosecutor's Office is expected to review the case.

___

Information from: News Journal, http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.comCairo is preparing for the first official visit to Egypt by Saudi Arabias Mohammed bin Salman since he became Crown Prince last June.

Bin Salman is set to visit Egypt for three days, where he will meet with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday, according to a Friday statement by Presidency spokesman Bassam Rady.

Bin Salman will then head to the UK on 7 March and to the US on 19 March.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be an honoured guest in his second country, Egypt, Rady said in the statement, which did not provide details about the course of the visit or topic to be discussed.

Saudi media outlets have not mentioned specific issues to be discussed, mainly focusing instead on the impact of the overall foreign trip as a first time crown prince.

Egyptian state-owned news agency MENA described the visit as a natural extension of human, historical, and political relations, adding that the trip aims to boost bilateral ties between the two countries as well as "brotherly and friendly relations, as well as coordinate positions and stances on regional and international issues.

According to the agency, El-Sisi and Bin Salman will discuss the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, as well as ways to prevent Iran from interfering with the security and domestic affairs of Arab states, the dispute with Qatar, and combating terrorism and unifying efforts to fully eliminate it.

Sundays visit comes as both countries seek enhanced political and economic ties, more than a year after a tug-of-war in 2016 over misunderstandings on positions on regional issues, UN Security Council resolutions on Syria, as well as a maritime border demarcation agreement that caused uproar within Egypts opposition.

The agreement, inked during a historic visit by Saudi Arabias King Salman in 2016, hands two Red Sea islands, Tiran and Sanafir, to Saudi Arabia.

It was ratified by El-Sisi 24 June 2017, following parliamentary approval in the same month.

The agreement has faced a number of legal challenges and has led to disputes over which courts have jurisdiction to hear such cases.

However, on Saturday, Egypts Supreme Constitutional Court issued a verdict that disregards all legal challenges that were outstanding and opposing the deal, one day before Bin Salman's visit.

In the last year, relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia improved, with the latter reaffirming its pledge to be a key backer to Egypt, providing billions of dollars in aid, grants, oil products and cash deposits to help the Egyptian economy following the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

In March 2017, Saudi oil company Aramco resumed providing Egypt with oil products as per agreements after a halt in October 2016 that took place following conflict over UN Security Council resolution voting on Syria.

Egyptian officials affirmed at the time that the suspension was not of a political nature, despite the Saudi ambassador to Egypt leaving Cairo for a short time.

Gulf security indivisible to Egypt

Egypts El-Sisi has repeatedly said, during a number of visits to the Gulf region, as well as in press interviews, that Gulf security is indivisible from Egypts own national security.

Were always together. Its clear. Stability in the Kingdom means stability for Egypt, and vice versa. This also applies to the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait, he told pan Arab newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat in an exclusive interview in November 2017.

He said that he and his "brothers" in the Gulf and other Arab states can fight terrorism if they are united, adding that those "evil powers" who seek to target Egypt are the same powers that seek to target the whole region.

In June 2017, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and UAE severed diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting Islamist militants and Iran, charges Qatar says are baseless.

The four Arab states affirmed "working together with partners" around the world towards finding solutions to countering terrorist organisations and extremist groups, expressing unity in their ongoing commitment to combat terrorism, drying up its funding, countering extremist ideology and the ways of its promotion, according to the statement.

Since then, the four countries have issued lists designating entities and individuals as involved in terrorist activities and linked to Qatar.

Egypt has also told Saudi Arabia it rejects attempts by Iran to shake the stability of Arab states. In November 2017, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry asserted to Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman, during a visit to Riyadh, Egypt's full rejection of foreign interference in the region, specifically from Iran.

Shoukry said that Egypt supports security and stability in the Gulf, as it is integral to Arab and Egyptian national security.

Both Shoukry and the Saudi prince affirmed that the stability of both Egypt and Saudi Arabia was a "valve of security" for the Arab region, adding that any damage to one of the two countries would damage the other.

Saudi Arabia has been also informed of updates regarding the controversial Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations, which reached deadlock in recent months, between involved countries Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Egypts has also strongly denounced a series of rocket attacks against Riyadh by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen, the latest in December 2017.

Economic ties remain firm

According to MENA, Saudi investments top those of Arab countries in Egypt, coming second in terms of volume of all foreign direct investment.

In statements last February during the Egyptian-Saudi Business Council held in Cairo, Egyptian Minister of Trade Tarek Kabil said Saudi investments in Egypt hit $6.1 billion, representing around 11 percent of the total foreign investment in Egypt, and around 27 percent of total Arab investment, which reached $20 billion.

The head of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce Ahmed El-Wakil has said Saudi Arabia ranks first among the Arab investors in Egypt, with total investments worth $27 billion in 2,900 projects in a number of fields.

Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr has also been meeting a number of Saudi businessmen to present investment opportunties.

In August 2017, Egypts investment ministry said Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal is set to invest in a number of new touristic and construction projects in Egypt valued at $800 million, in an agreement reached with Talaat Mustafa Group (TMG) and Minister Nasr.

Its unclear if the Saudi Princes plans for investment are still in effect, after he was released from detention in January, more than two months after being taken into custody in a sweeping Saudi crackdown on corruption.

Nasr also presented investment opportunities in light of Egypts investment friendly law, ratified in June 2017, at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh in October 2017.

During the conference held in Riyadh, Crown Prince Bin Salman announced the listing of NEOM, a 26,500-square kilometre (10,230-square mile) zone that will extend into Jordan and Egypt, the latest and most extraordinary in a slate of privatisation programmes led by the floating of Aramco.

Adjacent to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba and near maritime trade routes that use the Suez Canal, the zone will serve as a gateway to the proposed King Salman Bridge, which will link Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

This month, both countries are set to issue tenders for a project to link the electricity grids of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, according to Saudi newspaper Al-Madina, which quoted Egyptian Minister of Electricity Mohamed Shaker.

The project, which would cost round $1.6 billion, and to which Egypt would contribute about $600 million. would have a capacity of 3 GWs with a completion date of 2020.

According to Saudi officials, the 1,300-kilometre, 500 kV DC transmission line will start at Badr in Egypt, and pass through the northwest Saudi town of Tabuk and end in Saudis Al-Madina.

Egypts El-Sisi has praised the steps of Bin Salman's anti-corruption campaign that saw toppled a number of businessmen and Saudi officials in November 2017.

I place on record my appreciation and respect for the kingdoms steps on various levels, which will have a positive impact, domestically and internationally, El-Sisi said during the Al-Sharq Al Aswat interview, describing the steps as "bold and well thought out".

Short link:

RIVERDALE, Ga. (AP) - Payless Shoes is offering condolences to the family of a 2-year-old girl who died after a mirror inside one of its suburban Atlanta stores fell on top of the girl.

Riverdale police Lt. Nicole Rabel told news outlets that Ifrah Siddique was found severely injured Friday night. The discount footwear company said in a statement Sunday that it is devastated and that company is working with authorities to understand the "nature of this accident."

Rabel says Siddique visited the store to get new shoes with her family before the mirror fell on her. The girl was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Siddique's cousin, Aquib Iftkhar, says the girl had internal bleeding and lost a substantial amount of blood. Iftkhar described Siddique as an adorable little girl.PARIS (AP) - At this rate Lyon won't have long to wait before bidding farewell to next season's Champions League, drawing 1-1 at Montpellier on Sunday to make it six league games without a win.

Three losses and three draws during that spell have destroyed any momentum gained after beating league leader Paris Saint-Germain on Jan. 21. Lyon is now five points behind third-place Marseille, and nine behind second-place Monaco.

Belgian forward Isaac Mbenza put sixth-place Montpellier ahead in the seventh minute after a neat passing move opened up Lyon's defense.

Jonathan Ikone moved the ball wide right to fullback Ruben Aguilar and his fast cross to the back post was turned in by Mbenza.

Lyon went close to equalizing in the 39th minute when striker Mariano Diaz hit the crossbar with a powerful header from a corner.

Diaz scored with his next chance, however, equalizing in the 58th with his 16th goal in 27 league games after joining from Real Madrid. Midfielder Houssem Aouar made the difference with a run down the left, cutting inside three defenders and squaring the ball for Diaz to score from close range.

PSG rested several key players in Saturday's 2-0 win at Troyes. PSG, which is 14 points ahead of Monaco with 10 games left, hosts Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday. PSG trails 3-1 from the first leg.

___

MARSEILLE HELD BY NANTES

Having conceded six goals in four days and two matches against Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille nearly slumped to a fourth consecutive loss in all competitions. But Florian Thauvin salvaged one point for the hosts with an equalizer deep in stoppage time that secured a 1-1 draw with Nantes.

Marseille, which lost to Braga in the Europa League last week and was beaten twice by rival PSG in the league and the French Cup, remains in third place, four points behind Monaco.

Marseille dominated possession in the first half but was caught cold at the Velodrome stadium when the highly rated Leo Dubois beat Steve Mandanda with a powerful and precise shot from outside the box.

Marseille pushed hard and created several good chances in the final half-hour but lacked a cutting edge until Thauvin netted his 16th goal this season from close range following a scramble in the box.

___

CONSISTENT CAEN

Caen moved up a place into 12th spot after scoring in each half in a 2-0 home win against Strasbourg.

Powerful striker Enzo Crivelli gave the Normandy side the lead in the 43rd minute, shooting from inside the penalty area after swapping passes with midfielder Stef Peeters.

Defender Frederic Guilbert scored a fine second goal in the 87th.

He won the ball in his own half, sprinted up the pitch, passed the ball to midfielder Ismael Diomande on the right and volleyed home Diomande's return pass.A boy whose parents want him to be given cannabis to treat a rare form of epilepsy has been rushed back into hospital.

Alfie Dingley, aged six, was admitted after suffering from a cluster of seizures and is being given intravenous steroids.

Alfie and his mother Hannah Deacon (Maggie Deacon/PA)

It is the second time he has been hospitalised since returning from Holland last month, where he was being treated with cannabis oil.

His parents want the Government to let him use the medication, a banned substance in the UK, to help with his symptoms.

Alfies mother Hannah Deacon has appealed to the Home Office and Prime Minister Theresa May to act to help my beloved son survive and have the best life he can.

We need your urgent compassion and action now. Please dont stand by and let my son suffer or die unnecessarily, she added.

To see him in distress in hospital with his life in danger yet again is traumatic and heartbreaking, she said.

My son is suffering.

Ms Deacon said cannabis oil is the best treatment for Alfies seizures (Maggie Deacon/PA)

Ms Deacon, from Kenilworth in Warwickshire, added that the medical cannabis products are the only ones which have worked to reduce Alfies seizures in number, duration and severity.

Cannabis oil is currently illegal in the UK, despite being available for medical purposes throughout Europe, including in the Netherlands where Alfie and his family spent five months paying for treatment.

Alfie is back in hospital for the second time since returning from Holland (Maggie Deacon/PA)

Alfies seizures, which can number up to 20 or 30 a day, can gradually be controlled in UK hospitals, but over time it is likely he would be institutionalised with psychosis and die prematurely.

The Home Office has previously said it would consider a medical cannabis trial as an option for Alfie.The UK Government has been urged to commission a study into the extent of unfair or illegal employment practices in Scotland.

The recommendation is part of a Westminster committee report calling for the Government to do more to protect workers rights.

Changes in the work environment such as the move to the gig economy and the use of zero-hours contracts has led to some employers avoiding their obligations to employees, the report found.

The Scottish Affairs Committee made several recommendations following its inquiry into sustainable employment, including that the UK Government sets up a study to discover how prevalent unfair or illegal working practices are in Scotland.

.@HughGaffneyMP asks if the Govt will name & shame employers for breaches of employment rights.



@margot_james_mp tells us the Govt is "sympathetic" to Taylor's recommendation that employers who fail to pay employment tribunal rewards be named & shamed.#SustainableEmployment pic.twitter.com/3AqzlGHlQh  Scottish Affairs Committee (@CommonsScotAffs) December 5, 2017

Further recommendations include giving all workers the right to written terms and conditions, and for consideration of a higher minimum wage for hours which are not guaranteed.

The report also recommends enabling workers who spend a year on zero hours contracts the right to request a contract reflecting actual hours worked.

The committee is urging the Government to create stronger penalties including punitive fines for repeat or serious employment offenders and to expand naming and shaming to all non-accidental employment rights breaches.

The report also called for more details on how the Governments recently announced industrial strategy will apply to Scotland.

Committee chairman SNP MP Pete Wishart said while most employers in Scotland respect workers rights, it is clear there are instances where some employers either do not recognise the proper employment status of their staff or fail to accord them their legal employment rights.

He said the committee is also concerned about how flexible contracts, such as zero hours, can be used exploitatively.

Scottish Affairs Committee convener Pete Wishart (PA)

He added: It is clear that one of the major challenges for the current employment framework is that it is based on legal definitions of employees and workers which were drafted decades ago, and it is clear that they do not provide the level of clarity which is needed in light of new business models and working practices that have only emerged in the past five years.

We are calling on the Government to improve the statutory definitions for employment status and to take forward a number of recommendations  many of which reflect recommendations which were also made by the Work and Pensions and Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committees, and the Taylor Review  which would improve the rights of workers and employees, and ensure that they are enforced.

The Government should be prepared to revisit legislation to make sure it reflects modern work and allows people to access the rights their employment patterns merit.

A UK Government spokesman said: Not only are we already addressing the Scottish Affairs Committees recommendations, we are going much further.

Last month we set out our plans to ensure millions of workers, including those in Scotland, will benefit from enhanced rights and protections as the UK becomes one of the first countries to address the challenges of the changing world of work.Two more universities are to offer teacher training courses, Education Secretary John Swinney has announced.

With some schools facing difficulties recruiting classroom staff, he said the move would help to build capacity within teacher education.

It comes as the EIS teaching union warned schools are facing a recruitment crisis  with this one of the reasons why they are demanding a 10% wage rise for teachers.

Two more universities are to offer teacher training courses (David Davies/PA)

Both Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh and the capitals Napier University will provide teacher training courses for the first time from the start of the 2019-2020 academic year.

The Scottish Government is providing 1.3 million for the move, which will create hundreds more opportunities for people to qualify as teachers.

Reason3: Teacher recruitment is facing a crisis. Schools across Scotland are struggling to recruit teachers. Improving pay will attract more people into teaching. Scotlands teachers deserve a pay rise. #eis10for10 #ValueEducationValueTeachers  EIS (@EISUnion) January 31, 2018

Edinburgh Napier University will initially offer a total of 30 places on a one-year Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) course  which allows those who already have a degree to train as a teachers  with a focus on maths and sciences.

It is planned to expand that into areas such as English and computing, with up to 150 training places after three years.

Queen Margaret University will recruit up to 120 students to an undergraduate primary course but will also have 20 places on a PGDE course for those who wish to be home economics teachers.

Mr Swinney said: Teachers have a key role to play in helping us raise standards and close the attainment gap. That is why we are doing everything we can to attract talented and enthusiastic people to the profession.

We recognise that, in common with many other countries, it is hard to recruit teachers in the numbers we need, particularly in certain specialist subjects.

Adding two additional universities to the institutions that offer initial teacher education, supported by 1.3 million investment from the Scottish Government, means we can not only recruit additional teachers to take up post within the next two years but build capacity within teacher education.

The two new teacher training courses offer more choice and flexibility for anyone considering teaching as a career, especially in the specialist home economic and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects where we know there are shortages at the moment.

Kenneth Muir, chief executive and registrar of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, hailed the move as a landmark development in the provision of initial teacher education.

He added: We must continue to adapt to ensure we do not miss out to other professions on new, high quality teaching talent.

It is important that high standards are maintained and we will ensure the courses offered by QMU and Napier universities satisfy fully our accreditation criteria.

Alistair Sambell, vice principal and deputy vice chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: Our new teacher education programme will be designed by teachers, for teachers.

As a university we have an applied approach to learning, and student placements in schools will be underpinned by practice-based learning in class, supported by practising teachers.

Professor Petra Wend, principal of Queen Margaret University, added: Teacher education at QMU will offer research-informed, practice-based programmes developed in collaboration with professionals from the sector and inspired by the needs of Scottish children and schools today.A murder inquiry has been launched following the death of a 31-year-old man found with a gunshot wound in Birmingham.

The victim was discovered after police were called to an address in Parkhouse Drive, Erdington, at around 10pm on Friday night.

West Midlands Police said firearms officers deployed to the scene provided emergency first aid before the man was transferred to hospital.

A man found with a gunshot wound in Erdington, Birmingham, on Friday night has died from his injuries (Peter Byrne/PA)

He was placed on a life support machine but was pronounced dead at 6pm on Saturday.

A man aged 30 and a 17-year-old male were arrested in Parkhouse Drive in connection with the mans death and remain in custody for questioning, the force said.

Detective Chief Inspector Edward Foster, from West Midlands Polices homicide unit, said: We are conducting house-to-house inquiries and have already spoken to several potentially key witnesses.

But wed ask anyone whos not yet spoken to us  who lives nearby, was in the area or has information about what happened  to get in touch as they could have seen or heard something important.No first minister worth their salt would agree to support the EU Withdrawal Bill in its current form, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The legislation  designed to transpose EU law into British law so the same rules apply on the day of Brexit as the day before  will see EU responsibilities in devolved areas initially transferred to Westminster.

Both the Scottish and Welsh governments have said they cannot recommend that legislative consent is given to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill as it stands.

Nicola Sturgeon said the EU Withdrawal Bill amounted to a `power grab (Jane Barlow/PA)

The UK Government said the legislation will allow common frameworks to be created ahead of further devolution but devolved governments say it amounts to a power grab and must be amended.

Speaking to ITVs Peston On Sunday, Ms Sturgeon said she could not commit to backing the EU Withdrawal Bill.

No, I wont at this stage because we havent reached the agreement that we would need to reach, and I should say the Welsh Government are in exactly the same position as the Scottish Government, the First Minister said.

There has been movement on the part of the UK Government  weve welcomed that  but it doesnt yet address the issue of principle at stake.

We accept, as do Wales, that there will be areas where common frameworks across the UK make sense and that would probably be the case if and when Scotland becomes independent.

But the question is who decides? and at the moment the UK Governments proposition is that even in areas of devolved competence  agriculture, the environment, fishing, justice  they should be able to impose frameworks on Scotland and Wales, and our position is that where there are devolved areas it should only be by the consent of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments, so I hope we can reach agreement.

Were working hard towards that, but Im going to continue to be frank about it  there is an issue of principle at stake that we wont compromise on because if we did we would allow Westminster to exercise a power grab on the responsibilities of the Scottish Parliament and I dont think any first minister worth their salt should agree to that.

Downing Street said on Friday that Theresa May and Ms Sturgeon agreed to work to break the deadlock around the Bill in a phone call after the Prime Ministers most recent Brexit speech.

Labours shadow secretary of state for Scotland Lesley Laird said: The Scottish Government needs to publish the areas of dispute it has with the UK Government over the EU Withdrawal Bill so the public can understand how we have got into this mess.

Labour has said all the way through the negotiations that both governments should be as open and transparent with the people of Scotland as possible.

An important first step in that process is publishing these areas of dispute.

Labour has grave concerns about the Withdrawal Bill, thats why we tried to amend it to defend the devolution settlement, but that doesnt mean the Scottish Government has a blank cheque to take a series of unprecedented legislative steps.

The Scottish people have a right to know why these two governments cannot reach an agreement.Theresa Mays plan to maintain a soft Irish border after Brexit could be changed to accommodate European Union concerns, her deputy said amid signals that Brussels could reject it.

Cabinet Office minister David Lidington, the Prime Ministers de facto number two, said her high-profile Friday speech was an ambitious opening bid for negotiations on trade.

And after Irelands foreign minister Simon Coveney suggested the EU could block her plans to maintain a soft Irish border while leaving the customs union, Mr Lidington accepted it could be changed to accommodate concerns.

Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington has said Theresa Mays Brexit plan was an "ambitious opening bid".

But he rejected suggestions that the UK would have to accept the fallback option of keeping Northern Ireland in an effective customs union with the EU.

The issue is holding up agreement on Britains exit terms and a transition deal.

Mr Lidington backed Mrs Mays plan to avoid a hard border through technological solutions and placing no new restrictions on the 80% of cross-frontier trade carried out by smaller businesses, while suggesting it could be tweaked.

Asked if the backstop option was inevitable, Mr Lidington told ITVs Peston on Sunday: Im much less pessimistic than you are, clearly we are at the start of a negotiating period and will want to sit down with our EU partners and work through where their concerns, whether legal or technical, are and see how we might together address this.

But Irish Tanaiste Simon Coveney told BBC Ones The Andrew Marr Show he was not sure that the European Union will be able to support the plan, as it would be worried about protecting the integrity of the single market.

"It is a very complex thing for Britain to leave the EU... when you add in a fragile peace process this is a significant responsibility for the British government and I'm glad the PM made that clear in her speech" - says @simoncoveney #marr pic.twitter.com/rkf9K5MHNI  The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) March 4, 2018

While of course we will explore and look at all of the proposed British solutions, they are essentially a starting point in negotiations as opposed to an end point, he said.

Mr Coveney said if agreement cannot be reached during tripartite talks between the UK, Ireland and the EU Commission, the backstop plan of full British alignment with customs union and single market rules that Mrs May committed clearly to in Decembers conclusion of withdrawal negotiations would have to be put in place.

He said: This isnt a question of either side wanting to put up borders, but if you have to protect a functioning single market, just the same way Britain wants to protect its own single market, well then you have to understand that if goods move from one customs union to another then there needs to be some checks unless there is some mechanism that is negotiated and put in place that prevents that.

"It's raised a whole series of questions about how she's going to arrive at the destination she's described" says Lord Mandelson on PM's #Brexit speech



But admits "she has described a destination better than she's ever done before" #marr pic.twitter.com/Z7HDYxVZ0h  The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) March 4, 2018

Mrs May said she was pleased that Irish PM Leo Varadkar had agreed to form the three-way talks to look at her proposals.

And she declined to defend Boris Johnsons comparison of the border to crossing between London congestion zones in Camden and Islington, but insisted both of them are absolutely clear that there will not be a hard border.

Mrs May told Marr: I think the Irish border is something to which we are all committed.

Were committed, the Irish government, all the parties in Northern Ireland, to making sure theres no hard border for the future, and thats why Im pleased that with the Commission and the Irish government well be able to sit down and in a very much more detailed sense say, What are, you know, the proposals weve put forward, how would they work? Lets see which is the best option for the future.

Meanwhile, Labour former cabinet minister Lord Mandelson dismissed Mrs Mays Brexit plan.

He told Marr: What Theresa May is doing is trying to dance on the head of a pin that simply doesnt exist.

He added: It will be painful for the country as a result.

Mrs May sidestepped a question over whether a Commons vote on the customs union would amount to a motion of confidence.

An amendment to the Trade Bill calling on the PM to try to negotiate a customs union with the EU, tabled by Conservative former minister Anna Soubry, has attracted the support of enough Tories to threaten defeat for the Government.

But senior Tory Sarah Wollaston, one of the MPs who has signed Ms Soubrys amendment, said the rebels would now give the Prime Minister breathing space to try to negotiate her own customs plan.

She told ITVs Peston On Sunday: I think what we need to see is some kind of partnership that allows frictionless trade at our border and also deals with the situation in Northern Ireland and I want to give her the space to do that.

Nigel Dodds, deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party which props up Mrs Mays minority Government, criticised Mr Coveney for throwing his weight behind Brussels in a move that defies logic as it reduces the options to solve to the border issue.

The DUP MP said: It is in the Republic of Irelands economic interests to have a sensible agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. A no deal Brexit would be catastrophic for the Republic.

Despite this fact, the Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has thrown his weight behind Brussels. The Irish governments current approach defies logic.

Last August Her Majestys Government published innovative proposals to deal with the United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland border.

These were sensible solutions which should have been explored further by the Republic.

However, the Irish government has instead thrown its lot in with Brussels and closed down the space to even consider innovative solutions.

Even Michel Barnier has recognised the solution cannot be based on a precedent.

Rather than vent outrage about the United Kingdoms democratic decision to leave the European Union, the Irish government should be seriously considering innovative solutions. A good deal for the United Kingdom will mean a good deal for the Republic of Ireland.Theresa Mays de facto deputy has rebuked United States president Donald Trump for threatening a trade war with the European Union.

Mr Trump has said the US will simply apply a TAX on cars made in Europe if the EU retaliates against trade penalties he is seeking on imports of steel and aluminium.

Cabinet Office minister David Lidington told BBC Ones Sunday Politics programme: I just think that the United States is not taking an advisable course in threatening a trade war.

United States president Donald Trump has threatened a trade war with the EU. (Matt Cardy/PA)

Trade wars dont do anybody any good.

Brussels is promising retaliation against American exports if Mr Trump follows through on his idea, which he is warning he will do next week.

But the president has responded on Twitter: If the EU wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!

Mr Lidington suggested the American authorities could overrule any tariffs, as they did in the case of aircraft manufacturer Bombardier when Mr Trumps administration threatened huge duties on its C-wing planes.

The minister said: Well have to see what happens, I mean there was a lot of concerns recently about something comparable with regards aviation and the aircraft that were being produced in part by Bombardier in Belfast in Northern Ireland, and the American authorities at the end of the day struck that down, they said no that is not the way that we should be going.

And he warned Mr Trump that Britains experience showed his plan would not work.

We tried in Britain in the 60s and 70s protecting our car industry from competition, Mr Lidington said.

It actually didnt work, it protected inefficiencies, we lost all our export markets because our competitors who were more competitive went out and gobbled those up from us, and the car industry had to go through a very, very painful restructuring to get to the success story it is now.Kell Brook is on course for a showdown against Amir Khan at the back end of this year after a spectacular second-round knockout of Sergey Rabchenko at the Sheffield Arena.

Brook has long coveted a bout against his British rival but those prospects seemed to diminish when he followed up a fruitless jump to middleweight to challenge Gennady Golovkin in September 2016 by losing his IBF welterweight title to Errol Spence Jr last May.

However, the 31-year-old drew a line under those twin defeats in emphatic style in his first foray into the light-middleweight division as he needed less than five minutes to dispose of Belarusian fighter Rabchenko to the delight of a partisan home crowd in South Yorkshire.

In doing so, Brook not only rejuvenated his career but laid down the gauntlet to Khan, who will end a near two-year layoff when he takes on Canadas Phil Lo Greco at a catchweight of 150lbs in Liverpool next month.

Eddie Hearn, who promotes the pair, said: That fight potentially happens in November or December.

My job for both guys is to provide the biggest fights out there and I feel that fight is the biggest fight out there for both of them.

I just feel one day, if we dont make that fight, well look back and think ohh, everyone will.

But the fights not as big if theyre not firing on all cylinders. Kell showed hes 100 per cent firing on all cylinders and Amirs got to show that on April 21, and then well move on.

The Khan fight is not the only option available to Brook, who feels he delivered a warning to the top-tier fighters in the 154lb division with his demolition of Rabchenko.

Brook said: Im putting the champions on notice. Im aiming for the stars. Im going to go out and win another world title, youre going to see me perform like this every time.

Rabchenko had previously lost only twice in 31 professional contests but proved no match for Brook, who wasted little time settling into his stride behind a crisp jab.

Sergey Rabchenk is knocked down by Brook (Richard Sellers/PA)

Brook ramped up proceedings in the second round with a jolting right uppercut followed by a right to the temple which floored Rabchenko and saw him counted out by referee Steve Gray.

Hearn believes Brook, who is scheduled to return to the ring in the summer, possibly as early as June, has found a new lease of life at light-middleweight and would back him to avenge his defeat to Spence Jr if the pair were to meet in that category.

Hearn added: Rabchenko is world level but hes not elite level, but what Kell did to him just shows you he is 100 per cent elite level.

He didnt get the best out of what he could have at welterweight. The only reason he couldnt beat Errol Spence is because of what he had to do to make 147lbs. He would beat Errol Spence at 154lbs, no question.

Errol Spence is a very good fighter but at welterweight (Brook) cant do it. He feels as though he can make welterweight but I truly believe this is the weight.Egypts armed forces said on Sunday that military and police units have eliminated ten extremely dangerous takfiris in North Sinais Al-Arish as part of the onging Operation Sinai 2018 anti-terrorist effort.

In an official statement dubbed communique 14, the armed forces said a confrontation took place with the takfiris based on intelligence that they were operating in a deserted area in North Sinais Al-Arish.

The Arabic word "takfiri" refers to extremist Sunni Muslims who accuse other Muslims of being infidels, often as a justification for using violence against them.

Six automatic firearms and a quantity of ammunition were confiscated after the raids, the military said in its statement.

Two officers and two soldiers were killed during the operations announced by the army on Sunday, while one officer and three soldiers were injured during the clashes and the purge of terrorist hotspots.

The army said that 245 people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorist or criminal groups, with some later released after security checks.

Police and military units destroyed 145 hideouts, dens and stores located in mountainous areas, along with trenches used by terrorists.

The army added that a workshop used to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs) was also discovered, along with an underground storehouse containing more than 10,000 liters of petrol. Thirty-nine IEDs planted to target the security forces were also destroyed.

During operations to track down and raid terrorist groups, 12 cars and 28 unlicensed motorcycles used to carry out militant attacks were also found.

Security forces also raided 21 farms used to grow marijuana and opium poppies, with more than five tonnes of ready-to-sell narcotics seized.

The air force discovered and destroyed 11 vehicles laden with explosives and ammunition as they attempted to infiltrate into Egypt across the nation's western borders.

The army statement said that the navy and border-guard forces continue to secure western and southern border areas, along with the Egyptian coastline.

The army and police have conducted 609 patrols and security checkpoints on main roads and routes nationwide, according to the statement.

The Operation Sinai 2018 counter-terrorist effort, which was launched on 9 February, involves land, naval and air forces, as well as the police and border guards.

It targets "terrorist and criminal elements and organizations" in northern and central Sinai, as well as parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert, as announced by the military at the start of the operation.

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Arsene Wenger remains under intense pressure as his Arsenal side were deservedly beaten by an impressive Brighton side at the AMEX Stadium on Sunday.

The Gunners went into the contest on the back of damaging defeats to Manchester City in both the Carabao Cup final and the Premier League, as well as losing the home leg of their Europa League tie with Ostersund.

And their season continues to unravel following this 2-1 reverse, with a large section of the travelling support calling for Wengers head at one point in the first half.

Arsene Wenger on the touchline during Arsenals game at Brighton (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Wenger had said confidence was low at the Emirates Stadium and it showed as Seagulls skipper Lewis Dunk opened the scoring on seven minutes before Glenn Murray doubled the advantage.

Arsenal responded in fits and starts, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang turning home the consolation before the interval, but the Gunners left for north London still with only three away league wins to their name this season.

While Arsenal are low on self-belief, Brighton are flying as they remain unbeaten in all competitions since January 20, have two players up for the Premier League player of the month award and, in Chris Hughton, a boss nominated for the managers accolade.

That stark contrast in form showed early on as Brighton took the lead from a run of the mill corner, Petr Cech far too easily beaten in the air by Shane Duffy, who headed back across goal for Dunk to slam in the opener.

Wengers side were seemingly under threat every time Brighton broke clear, and Shkodran Mustafi was forced to block Jose Izquierdos effort behind and Dunk headed over when well-placed from the resulting set-piece.

The recalled Alex Iwobi then played Arsenal into trouble, smashing a clearance straight at Anthony Knockaert, who should have scored after exchanging passes with Pascal Gross.

Further individual errors would cost Arsenal later in the half as Laurent Koscielnys pass out of defence was misplaced and the Seagulls broke forward, with Gross crossing in for Murray to head home unmarked for his sixth goal in as many games, with Cech at fault once again.

Frustration began to creep into the Arsenal players, with Jack Wilshere picking up a booking for a poor challenge on Knockaert towards the end of the first half.

But they would halve the arrears before heading in for the break, Iwobi capitalising on some uncertain Brighton defending and passing to Granit Xhaka, whose pass was turned home by Aubameyang.

Koscielny came close to atoning for his earlier mistake as he crashed a header off the post in stoppage time, with Brighton hanging on to their lead as Stuart Attwell blew for half-time.

The second half started evenly, with Mesut Ozil stinging the palms of Mathew Ryan with a drilled effort before a flashpoint on 65 minutes as Sead Kolasinac, already booked, ploughed into Ezequiel Schelotto.

The Brighton man was forced off as a result but Kolasinac escaped further punishment for the incident, much to the dismay of the home support.

Wenger turned to Danny Welbeck, Eddie Nketiah and Hector Bellerin from the bench but it was Murray who scored for Brighton  only to have it rightly chalked off for offside.

Arsenal, in the manner true to a team chasing a result, had all of the ball in the closing stages with Aubameyang coming the closest to salvaging a point for his side, but they could not find the equaliser they craved.Pep Guardiola hailed a superb team performance after his Manchester City side moved closer to title glory with a 1-0 victory over lacklustre champions Chelsea.

Bernardo Silva scored the only goal at the Etihad Stadium, sending City 18 points clear at the top of the Premier League, but Chelsea were poor and failed to muster a single shot on target.

The result means City need only a maximum of four more wins to claim their third Premier League crown.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola oversaw a 1-0 win over Chelsea (Nick Potts/PA)

Guardiola said: Chelsea can do absolutely everything  build-up, long balls and when they make high pressing they do it well. When they defended they were well organised.

But in all the aspects we were better. We made an amazing high pressing, our build-up was good, we didnt concede one shot on target and we created enough chances to win.

We made an amazing performance because we played against Chelsea, who are still the champions. Two-and-a-half days after Arsenal, and (before that) the (Carabao Cup) final, we were aggressive and we had desire and commitment to want to win again.

Amazing team performance today, so proud to be part of this group! 14th straight league win at the Etihad and it was great to score in front of the home fans again! C'mon @ManCity !  pic.twitter.com/hymtTHrISb  Bernardo Silva (@BernardoCSilva) March 4, 2018

City have now accumulated 78 points from 29 games and could become the first side to break through the 100-point barrier in the Premier League. Chelsea currently hold the record for the most points in a season  95 in 2004-05.

Guardiola said: What really matters is to be champions. I never spoke with the players about the records, we are not going to play for the records. We are going to play good to win games.

Records are a consequence of what you have done but they are not the main thing. If you think about records you forget what you have to do.

Guardiola admitted he could not have expected his side to have performed as well as they have done this season.

He said: Before? No way. Who could believe it? I think if you ask the players, the players neither.

City did set one record in the course of beating Chelsea, completing 902 passes  more than any side in a Premier League game since statisticians Opta began counting in 2003-04.

Guardiola said: We try to play with the ball. Sometimes it is more complicated when teams are aggressive but we spoke about moving the ball quick, one or two touches, and controlling the counter-attack from Hazard, Willian and Pedro because they are so good at it. We did it really well.

Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan was responsible for 167 of those passes.

Guardiola said: He is a clever guy, so intelligent.Hunger striking women at the Yarls Wood immigration removal centre have been told by the Home Office their protest could lead to their deportation being speeded up.

The letter from a Home Office immigration enforcement manager at the centre told detainees refusing food or fluid may, in fact lead to your case being accelerated and your removal from the UK taking place sooner.

After a visit to Yarls Wood last month, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said she was told by detainees that around 65 women were refusing food but management had denied it was a hunger strike.

Inside the courtyard at Yarls Wood, Europes largest detention centre for asylum seekers. (Sean Dempsey/PA)

Responding to the letter Labour MP David Lammy said he would be raising the threats at the centre in Bedfordshire  which was described as a place of national concern by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2015  with ministers.

Asylum seekers and refugees on hunger strike at Yarls Wood being threatened with accelerated deportations. I will be asking Home Office Ministers to explain this and how these threats relate to due process, human rights and the treatment of human beings in a civilised society https://t.co/8t1znU3OSd  David Lammy (@DavidLammy) March 4, 2018

Mr Lammy tweeted: I will be asking Home Office ministers to explain this and how these threats relate to due process, human rights and the treatment of human beings in a civilised society.

The letter, obtained by the Detained Voices website, also advises protesters that their refusal of food or fluid will not lead to the progress of your immigration or asylum case being halted or delayed and will not lead to your removal directions being deferred.

They are being told their protest will not lead to you being granted permission to stay in the UK and will not automatically lead to your release from detention.

It is understood that the Home Office sends such letters when it feels there is a need to ensure that a person who is refusing sustenance is doing so from an informed position and is aware of any impact it may or may not have on their case.

The Home Office said it only removes people with no legal right to remain in the UK and that protesting detainees are being closely monitored by healthcare professionals.

On February 23, when Ms Abbott visited Yarls Wood, she raised concerns about standards of medical care, access to legal help and the length of detention faced by some of the women.

Last week, Tory frontbencher Baroness Williams of Trafford rejected the charge that people were held indefinitely, pointing out the majority of people were detained for no more than four months.

Some people may remain in detention longer because of launching appeals against their removal, she said.Call The Midwife viewers were left sobbing and in bits after Nurse Barbara died suddenly during the latest episode of the BBC drama.

The character, played by Charlotte Ritchie since 2015, passed away after contracting septicaemia.

Dozens of heartbroken viewers posted messages on social media saying they were devastated about the surprise storyline.

Charlotte Ritchie in Call The Midwife (BBC)

One said: Oh my goodness! In absolute bits after watching @CallTheMidwife1! To be fair, I cry watching that programme most weeks but I am heartbroken we have lost the brilliant Barbara  @Charitchie! Bravo to the entire cast, every episode better than the last!

 Oh my goodness! In absolute bits after watching @CallTheMidwife1!  To be fair, I cry watching that programme most weeks but I am heartbroken we have lost the brilliant Barbara - @Charitchie!  Bravo to the entire cast, every episode better than the last!  #CallTheMidwife    (@emma1883) March 4, 2018

Actress Ritchie said she was also emotional about leaving, saying she was departing with a really heavy heart.

I am so, so sad to be saying goodbye to the show I love so much, she said.

It was a near impossible decision to make, but it felt like the right time for me to keep on moving and keep trying new things. I adore Barbara and it is with a really heavy heart that Ive let her go.

Ritchie added: This show has never shied away from reality and it is a sad fact that lots of wonderful young people suffer from sepsis, and sometimes dont live through it.

Call The Midwife continues to raise awareness of desperately important medical issues that still affect people today.

I am so grateful for having been allowed to be part of Call The Midwife for four glorious years.

A Call The Midwife representative said the show hoped to raise awareness of sepsis with Nurse Barbaras story.

The spokesperson said: During series six of Call The Midwife, a number of beautiful children who had lost limbs to sepsis appeared on screen as part of our Thalidomide strand. After meeting them, we very much wanted to raise awareness of this cruel disease.

If you've been affected by the medical issues in tonight's #callthemidwife and would like help, advice or information about Meningitis, then visit https://t.co/muzdXE6kWZ or contact 0808 80 10 388 (Mon-Fri) pic.twitter.com/7RtTjyPKE3  Call the Midwife (@CallTheMidwife1) March 4, 2018

When Charlotte Ritchie, who plays Barbara, announced that she was leaving the show, we realised we had the perfect opportunity to create a story around an illness that kills 44,000 people per year in the UK, many of them very young.

Our fans have been deeply touched by the storyline, which continues as the Nonnatus family come to terms with Barbaras death next week.President Maithripala Sirisena has raised concerns about the mushrooming of Chinese shops throughout the country, at the recently held Cabinet meeting.

Chinese shops have increased in numbers in Colombo and Kandy and convening of Chinese shop owners to Sugathadasa Stadium on Tuesday (06) is an disadvantage to the local shop owners, President has told the Cabinet.

The actions taken by the former Minister of Finance has distanced the minor shop owners of the country from the government with displeasure, he has further told the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has reminded that opening of Chinese shops had begun from 2001. (Dayaseeli Liyanage)Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) today said that the Ministry of Education had lost Rs. 128 million due to the use of synthetic papers to print Grade seven Geography textbooks last year, according to the Auditor General's Report.

CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said the Auditor Generals Department had observed that it would have cost only Rs 25 million if usual paper materials had been used. However, it had to sustain a cost of Rs. 154 million as it used synthetic papers. He said such materials caused heath hazards to schoolchildren.

Therefore Mr. Stalin said that department had observed the additional cost of Rs. 128 million as a loss .

According to the Audit Report, Mr. Stalin said the Education Ministry had spent Rs. 305.55 in excess for a textbook as a result .

He said that it was revealed in the Presidential Special Investigation Report that around Rs. 130 million had been misused by the action and the print was harmful for schoolchildren.

Although the report recommended such textbooks should be withdrawn from use . He said the malpractices had been identified in the tender proceedings. Mr. Stalin said no disciplinary action had been taken against the responsible officials over the matter.

The CTU urged the authorities concerned to take disciplinary actions against responsible officials and to recover the loss made to the country immediately.

The education authorities had printed 320,000 copies of textbooks in Sinhala medium , 120,000 in Tamil medium and 60,000 copies in English. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)UPFA General Secretary and Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said Arjuna Mahendran, the main suspect of the Central Bank bond scam, would be brought back to Sri Lanka through the Interpol.

Addressing a gathering held at Weeraketiya yesterday, he said the mastermind of the bond scam has left the country. Regardless of the country he is in, he would be brought back and produced before our courts,

He said the people were disappointed with the government for robbing public properties.

No matter who does it, looting public properties is unacceptable. Therefore, the President is taking measures to eliminate fraud and corruption, he said. (Chandrasena Gamage)

Video by BuddhiPrime Minister and Minister of Law and Order Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered another inquiry into the recent clashes in Ampara, as the initial report already submitted by the police is said to be incomplete.

A release from the Ministry of Law and Order said there were evidence to suggest that there had been lapses in enforcing law and order during the clashes.

The release added that arrangements had been made to pay compensation to those who were affected during the clashes.

The ministry also thanked the Maha Sanga and the Muslim clergy for their contribution in carrying out the investigations. (Yohan Perera)President Maithripala Sirisena would undertake an official visit to Japan from March 12-15 and meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Nikkei Asian Review reported on Saturday.

President Sirisena is also scheduled to meet with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

During the Presidents visit, it was reported that Japan is expected to reaffirm its commitment to bolstering bilateral ties with Sri Lanka in an effort to forestall 'Chinese encroachment' in the region.

When meeting with the President, Premier Abe will likely confirm closer collaboration in several areas such as the economy and stress the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

According to Nikkei, Japan is expected to try to keep Sri Lanka from leaning back toward Beijing by improving cooperation with President Sirisena and supporting Sri Lankan Government's diplomatic strategy.Prince Mired Al-Hussein, the Special Envoy of the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention which is also known as the Ottawa Treaty, arrived in Sri Lanka today on a three-day-official visit.

Ahead of the visit, Prince Mired said he is much honoured to visit Sri Lanka and very grateful for the invitation by President Maithripala Sirisena.

I look forward to meeting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana in one of the newest members of our Convention, he said.

The visit comes in the wake of Sri Lanka acceding to the Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention on December 13, 2017 becoming its 163rd State Party.

The Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention seeks to end the use of anti-personnel landmines (APLs) worldwide.

During his visit to Sri Lanka, the Special Envoy will call on the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry said he is also scheduled to undertake a field visit to the Northern Province, accompanied by Rehabilitation and Resettlement Minister D. M. Swaminathan, where he will witness the mine clearance activities being carried out and interact with agencies that clear mines as well as landmine victims.

The Special Envoys visit provides an opportunity for Sri Lanka to demonstrate the work that has been done so far in mine clearance and plans to make the country mine free by the year 2020.

In this context, the Special Envoy is expected to meet with the UN Country Team, civil society and other stakeholders to discuss further assistance for mine clearance and mine victims in Sri Lanka, it said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)Six members of a cell affiliated to the terrorist organization Daesh have been arrested by security forces in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Minya during a raid on their training camp, a security source said on Sunday.

According to the source, the cell consisted of six people who had established a training camp near Maghagha, a city in the north of Minya.

Security forces conducted a raid on the camp, confiscating a wide range of weapons, along with field glasses, laptops, and detailed plans for targeting governmental and security facilities, churches, and military and security figures.

The source said that the terror group viewed the training camp as the starting point for a widespread campaign of attacks in the governorate.

The interior ministrys national-security investigations department had been monitoring the organization's communications, said the source, observing cell members ahead of the raid on the camp.

One cell member was able to escape ahead of the raid, but security forces arrested him during a campaign in Upper Egypts Sohag, where the terrorist is originally from.

The success by the national security apparatus in Minya to arrest such a cell has thwarted a major terror plot that the organization was planning to execute, the security source said.

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I began my official life as District Land Officer, SLAS and ended up 30 years later as National Coordinator for English, UGC and I also worked at Rajangane and in the Mahaweli Authority, apart from Polonnaruwa and Ratnapura, and visited Thambuttegama with N.G.P. Panditharatne, Chair, Mahaveli Authority, at the beginning stages.



He drove the jeep all the way from Colombo and back and we met the people because we were at the initial stages of the project, to explain the situation. We met them in the school hall. Communication was easy.

We now hear, from the TV that the recent riot at Rajangane was caused by an agent provocateur, who had stimulated the highly politicised audience of colonists and dependants by telling them the half-truth about a water processing project.

We all know and the people of Rajarata know the immense damage done to the health of the farmers in the NCP dry zone by use of a weedicide.

This has been the subject of much bitter debate for years and since this kind of problem is well known internationally a scientific process called reverse osmosis has been employed to process water for drinking in similar situations in other countries.

I was in an audience at the Independent Medical Practitioners Association (IMPA) Colombo, where a person from Singapore demonstrated it on stage. That was for an English educated middle-class audience of professionals. The procedure is well described in books and on the internet.

In Colombo very, very few wanted to buy the gadget for home use, because Colombo water is okay. However, it is a well known and used process for water purification worldwide. An audience which knows only Sinhala or Tamil will not catch on to it easily, as laymen.

Apparently, the protagonists of the project had not communicated its meaning to the colonist beneficiaries and it was easy to distort its significance. That is how the Bandaranaikes and the SLFP presented Sinhala only for the entire population, except the family which was sent abroad for study.

As recently as 1987, when at the insistence of Rajiv Gandhi, English was brought in as a language to establish commonality, Dr Colvin R de Silva, was alleged to have persuaded President J.R.

"Clearly, it was so easy to persuade the Rajangane farmers about the evil intentions of the reverse osmosis process because accessing that kind of knowledge from an available, public source is not possible in Sinhala. "

Jayewardene, to change the description of English from national language to link language thereby placing English in limbo with no status of its own, in the Constitutional Amendment of 1987.

It is only a link. English has immense intrinsic value, much more than Sinhala or Tamil and would have played a transforming role like in India if it had been included as a national language. But did Dr Colvin R de Silva, the famous author of Ceylon under the British, a text which we admired for its use of English in the doctoral thesis at the University of London want us to study in English?

I bring in this background to apply it to the Rajangane situation. Clearly, it was so easy to persuade the Rajangane farmers about the evil intentions of the reverse osmosis process because accessing that kind of knowledge from an available, public source is not possible in Sinhala.

I dont know about Tamil. This event throws light on an unusual and very significant experience I had in 1988, as National Coordinator for English. In 1987, I ran an island-wide English course for students who had gained admission but had not yet stepped into the universities. We had 6,000 students, in 100 teaching centres (Government schools, after school hours) from KKS to Dondra, with 300 odd teachers from the neighbouring schools.

The target was the General English Paper for the A Level. It was superbly orchestrated by consultants and books donated from the West. There was an end of programme evaluation test and I inserted one personal question:

Will you sit for the A-Level General English Paper now that you have been prepared?

The answer was:

No! We want to be educated in the English medium in the University.



I leave the reader to come to his own conclusions. Does this have any bearing on the Rajangane episode?

-The writer is an ex SLAS officer, PhD English (USA) PG Dip Econ (Oxford) BA (Ceylon)The Islamic State militant group continues to pose a significant and evolving threat around the globe, even after it has suffered a series of devastating military setbacks in Iraq, Syria and the Philippines,

said the head of UN Counter-Terrorism Office Vladimir Voronkov on Saturday.

Speaking during an event at the Diplomatic Club in Cairo on Satuday, Voronkov stated that terrorism remained an unprecedented threat to international peace, security and development.

"A number of crucial resolutions were adopted by the [Security] Council during these two years to upgrade the counter-terrorism responses of member states," he said specifically referencing UN Resolution 2354 of 2017.

Resolution 2354, which was championed by Egypt and co-sponsored by a 60-member statement, aims to counter terrorist ideologies and narratives.

Voronkov stated that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would issue a report sharing his assessment of the work achieved by the UN in its counter-terrorism efforts.

He also added in his speech that member states would review the implementation of the UN global counter-terrorism strategy in April.

The global strategy is reviewed every two years to ensure it is aligned with member states needs

Voronkov announced that the United Nations will hold a high-level conference of member states' counter-terrorism agencies states on 28-29 June with aims to enhance cooperation, exchange information and develop new and innovative ways of tackling terrorism.

Voronkov arrived in Cairo on Saturday for a two-day visit to discuss the evolving threat of terrorism with a number of Egyptian officials.

Earlier on Saturday he met with Egypt's Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar.

The UN's Office of Counter-Terrorism was established in June 2017 to provide guidance on the implementation of General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates, to enhance coordination and coherence, and to strengthen the delivery of UN counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to member states.

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The British Embassy in Cairo on Sunday called the attack on 18-year-old Egyptian student Mariam Abdel-Salam, who fell into a coma after being assaulted on 20 February in London, a "despicable, unacceptable assault."

The embassy's spokeswoman told state-run news agency MENA that the embassy shares the family's concerns, and noted that one of the attackers has been arrested.

Abdel-Salam, who lives with her family in Nottingham and is a Central College engineering student in Beeston, was punched repeatedly and verbally assaulted by a group of women in a crowded area near the Intu Victoria Centre mall in London, according to a report by local newspaper Nottingham Post.

The newspaper reported on Friday that a 17-year-old female suspect was arrested in connection with the attack.

London police said that Abdel-Salam has recovered from the coma but is still in intensive care at Queen's medical centre, according to the Nottingham Post."All forms of hate crimes are completely unacceptable," the spokeswoman told MENA.

She added that British investigators are investigating the assault to guarantee the attackers face justice, and that they are working with the Egyptian embassy in London to ensure Mariam's family recieves full support.

Egypt's Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek ordered on Saturday the opening of a judicial investigation into an attack through the Egyptian prosecution's international cooperation department.

On Friday, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement that it is closely following the incident through both the Egyptian consulate and embassy in London.

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Egypt will be hit by a sandstorm Monday, the Meteorological Authority warned Sunday.

According to a statement by the authority, sandy winds will be active in the East and will reach to the storm level in the West.

The authority also said that winds would cause disturbances in navigation in the western Mediterranean Sea.

The Meteorological Authority also warned that visibility would decline because of mist in early morning on the North Coast, as well as in cities around the Suez Canal.

Expected temperatures on Monday:

Cairo: 32-20 Celsius

Alexandria: 30-19 Celsius

Nile Delta: 31-19 Celsius

North Sinai: 31-13 Celsius

South Sinai: 28-17 Celsius

Upper Egypt: 35-17 Celsius

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Egypt's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday the country's ambassador is in regular contact with Polish authorities to pursue investigations into the assault incident on an Egyptian student in Warsaw last week.



An Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman also said the country's ambassador to Poland, Hossam El-Kawish, has contacted the student.

"The Egyptian embassy in Warsaw is communicating with Polish authorities in order to pursue investigations that would lead to the arrest of the attackers," the Foreign Ministry's statement said.

The ministry's spokesman Ahmed Abu-Zeid said that the student, Mohammed Ezzat, reported to the Egyptian embassy that he was assaulted by four people upon leaving a friend's house on Saturday the week before.

Ezzat said during a phone call to Al-Naharada state television's morning program that as he was walking down the street last Saturday, a group of young men stopped him and asked for his nationality.

"When I told them I am an Egyptian, I was surprised by a very strong punch below my eye and then they started attacking me," Ezzat said.

"I tried to escape, immediately rushing into a police vehicle that was present nearby and reported the incident to them. However, they didnt act to arrest the attackers and only called an ambulance for me," he added.

Abu-Zeid added that the student then reported the incident at a police station after receiving treatment.

Ezzat then traveled to Portugal to continue treatment and returned to Poland on Thursday to follow up with police investigations into the incident.

Upon the attack, Ezzat suffered severe facial injuries and temporary loss of sight in one of his eyes.

He expressed gratitude for the response of the Foreign Ministry and affirmed that his condition is getting better after receiving treatment and that he is able to see again with his injured eye.



Last month, 18-year-old Egyptian student Mariam Abdel-Salam fell into a coma after being punched repeatedly and verbally assaulted by a group of women in a crowded area near the Intu Victoria Centre mall in London.

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Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call on Sunday from US President Donald Trump in which they discussed a range of regional matters and ways to enhance bilateral relations between both countries, a statement by Egypt's presidential spokesman said.

"During the phone call, the two leaders discussed ways to develop aspects of Egyptian-American strategic relations on all levels during the upcoming period," the statement said.

El-Sisi and Trump also discussed a range of regional issues with aims to support political settlements to existing regional crises.

"The U.S. president affirmed his appreciation and support to Egypt's efforts in the war on terrorism," the statement added.

The US has said recently it stood by Egypt in its fight against terrorists in North Sinai.

The U.S. commitment in continuing to support Egypt in its fight against terrorism and bringing security for the Egyptian people is steadfast and will continue, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last month.



Egypt launched a major security operation last month involving the army and police against terrorist and criminal elements and organisations across the country, the army said.

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During a summit in Cairo on Sunday, Egypt President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed the importance of joining their countries' efforts to address attempts to divide the region and the threat of terrorism and countries supporting it.

Bin Salman arrived in Cairo earlier on Sunday for his first official visit to Egypt as part of his first foreign tour since assuming the position of Crown Prince in June 2017. He was received by President El-Sisi at Cairo airport.

Shortly after the reception ceremony, El-Sisi and Bin Salman held a bilateral summit at the Ittihadeya Presidential Palace in Cairo.

"President Sisi expressed Egypt's keenness to enhance bilateral cooperation with Saudi Arabia in all fields, in a way that reflects the level of strategic partnership between the two countries", Egypt's presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

Rady also highlighted the significance of the visit's timing in light of the "great challenges currently taking place in the Middle East, which require mutual coordination between Egypt and Saudi Arabia."

"The Egyptian president reaffirmed that the security of the Gulf is an integral part of Egyptian national security," the spokesman added.

For his part, the Saudi Crown Prince, Minister of Defence and First Deputy Prime Minister Bin Salman extended to Sisi the greetings of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz.

Bin Salman stressed that his keenness to conduct his first foreign visit as Crown Prince "reflects the depth and strength of relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which are bound by common history and one destiny".

The Crown Prince also expressed hope that the visit will give momentum to the strategic relations between the two "brotherly countries" on the official and popular levels, and to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all fields in order to enhance joint Arab and Islamic action in face of dangers and threats.

"The meeting [also] covered ways to enhance economic and investment relations between both countries, especially in the field of tourism investment in Egypt's Red Sea region," the statement added.

"El-Sisi and Bin Salman's discussions conveyed agreement on regional issues and on combining efforts to seek political settlements to the existing crises in the region's countries to end the humanitarian suffering of its people and preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations," Rady concluded.

Bin Salman's three-day visit to Cairo coincides with the signing of economic agreements between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, according to Egyptian media.

The crown prince has visited Egypt several times in recent years while serving as deputy crown prince.

In addition to serving as the crown prince, minister of defence and deputy prime minister, Bin Salman is also the president of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs in his country.

After his visit to Egypt, Bin Salman will head to the United Kingdom on 7 March and to the United States on 19 March.

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Mumbai: Rajinikanth made his fans go gaga over him on Friday with the teaser release of Kaala which was filled with everything trademark Rajinikanth.

Two days later, another film starring the megastar, with a lot more at stake, 2.0s teaser was also released on social media, albeit it was leaked.

Also read: Rajinikanth's Kaala could beat 2.0 to screens

Twitter went on an overdrive on Sunday after the leak, with the hashtag '2Point0' trending in the morning.

The one-and-a-half-minute video is shot of the screening of the Tamil teaser on a big screen outdoors and is hence blurry, but theres no doubt that theres something grand in store for the fans.

Theres no doubt a heavy use of VFX, as phones fly off peoples hands and off the shelves, creating a storm.

Also read: Shankar unhappy with Rajinikanth, Akshay starrer 2.0, another delay on the cards?

Vaseegaran, played by Rajinikanth, and his team face a massive problem and his other version Chitti is back, accompanied by another robot Amy Jackson.

Akshay Kumar, who reportedly plays a Crow Man in the film, is seen briefly as he stylishly sets off a bomb towards the end and a massive crow is also seen spelling trouble for the people.

Be it his heavy-duty weapons or his massive battalion or action sequences, Chitti is the one to look out for this time as well.

Also read: 2.0: Cast unaware of release date, makers face clash with Aamir for Diwali release?

His funny expression in the last scene of the teaser, gives us a hint that he could turn out to a mean guy again.

Theres also Nasser and Sudhanshu Pandey spotted in the teaser.

2.0, directed by Shankar, was earlier scheduled to release on Diwali 2017, then took on release dates like Republic Day, a week in April, but now reports suggest itd be releasing on either Independence Day or Diwali.

Watch the teaser here:Katrina Kaif in 'Tiger Zinda Hai', Salman Khan in 'Ek Tha Tiger', Jacqueline Fernandez in 'A Gentleman' and Varun Dhawan in a still from 'ABCD 2'.

Mumbai: Deccan Chronicle informed you on Saturday that Remo DSouza will be directing a dance film with A-listers, the cast of which will be announced on March 19.

Get ready for a big announcement! @TSeries & @remodsouza are all set to produce a dance film featuring A-list actors. Directed by Remo, the film will release on 8th November 2019. The cast will be announced on 19th March.  DC Entertainment (@EntDC) March 3, 2018

We have now come to know about the cast and the movie beforehand. The movie happens to be ABCD 3 and in an interesting development, it is also being said that the movie will star Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Varun Dhawan and Katrina Kaif all together.

Some trade sources from the industry told Pinkvilla, "So we will get to see Katrina Kaif play a Pakistani character yet again. Yes, we've learnt that Remo D'Souza's next film with Varun Dhawan will see the actress playing a Pakistani girl, while Judwaa heroine, Jacqueline Fernandez will play a British girl. The title of the film is ABCD 3."

Remember how it was announced that Salman is doing another film with Remo apart from Race 3? Well, it happens to be ABCD 3 and Salman is playing father to a 13-year-old girl in ABCD 3, reports the portal.

It is also being believed that the movie will be an emotional film about a father-daughter relationship with a lot of dance elements in it.Mumbai: Sridevi might have turned to ashes, but the work done by the actress and her contribution to Indian cinema will always remain immortal.

On this occasion, The Government of Mauritius has planned to honour the actress for her contribution towards the Indian cinema.

A source told DNA, This month, they (the Government of Mauritius) were keen to host a group of eight to 10 film personalities. They wanted Sridevi, accompanied by her husband Boney Kapoor, to be the Chief Guest at the Womens Day function, which is being hosted over the March 8 weekend. Now, this wont be possible.

The Mauritius Government was supposed to honour the actor in person for her immense contribution to Indian cinema on Womens Day. However, the unfortunate happened. They reached out to the late actors husband, Boney Kapoor, expressing their grief and informed that they would still be honouring her on the occasion. The condolence letter stated that she epitomised women empowerment, dignity and strength, and that she holds a special place in the hearts of Mauritians, a source close to producer Boney Kapoor informed Hindustan Times.The first look teaser of the much-awaited Rajinikanth starrer film 2.0 had been screened internally by the movies team.

The first look teaser of the much-awaited Rajinikanth starrer film '2.0' had been screened internally by the movies team. The teaser for the 'Robot' sequel was shown in the US at a conference, and some miscreants decided to leak the first look, shooting it secretly on their mobile phones.

This happened a few hours before another teaser was supposed to be screened on TV, after being shown at an awards function earlier. The makers are fuming since fans across social media are now watching the teaser.

The makers have exercised copyright action, and have gotten some of the uploads removed. However, a few people have downloaded and uploaded it again. This makes it practically impossible to remove the hordes of videos from across the world, says a trade source.

Trade analyst Ramesh Bala says, In the video, you can even see the person hosting the event at the conference, where the making of the teaser is shown. Its more of a work in progress teaser. The makers, including director Shankar, must be in shock right now, because theyre not reacting at the moment, and are trying to find out how this happened.

The film is slated to release during Diwali now, and the official teaser is to release only sometime in August.British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood (R) acknowledges the audience at the end of Austrian fashion designer Andreas Kronthaler's 2018/2019 fall/winter collection fashion show on March 3, 2018 in Paris. (Photo: AFP)

PARIS: The buttoned-up styles of the Victorian era have met their nemesis in the unbridled sexuality of British punk in contrasting shows at Paris Fashion Week.

Here are some of the fall-winter highlights from the shows Saturday, which included Vivienne Westwood, Elie Saab and Hermes:

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD GETS SAUCY

The raw sexuality of British punk was on full display at Austrian designer Andreas Kronthaler's show for Vivienne Westwood. Big red-white-and-blue carpets - in the colors of the Union Jack - led guests' eyes up to the show's decor of dismembered, upside-down mannequin legs. Three scantily-clad Goth ravers climbed up onto podiums around the runway as the show began and started to gyrate provocatively.

The clothes channeled the punk styles that made Westwood's name in the '70s - but it was also a celebration of violent color and couture. A diaphanous marbled pastel froufrou gown looked initially like a watercolor painting - until, on further inspection, the belt that consisted of adult toys came into focus.

The model's thick eyebrows evoked famed Italian porn star-turned-politician, La Cicciolina. She also had barbed wire covering her lips and wore kinky red lace-up boots. The collection stayed true to Westwood's encyclopedia style by including Arab-style headdresses that were given an urban reworking, as well as styles inspired by the 18th century.

The best look? A giant flame red baroque tulle hat with a period fastening under the chin. Actress Rose McGowan, members of South African hip hop group Die Antwoord and rappers Ninja and Yolandi Visser applauded from the front row.

DEAR VIVIENNE: A LOVE LETTER TO WESTWOOD

Instead of the program notes, Andreas Kronthaler left guests a photocopy of a touching love letter he'd written to his wife and design partner Vivienne Westwood, 76. The 65-year-old Austrian designer had handwritten the missive on blue Eurostar notepaper on Feb. 28 while traveling between London and Paris on the cross-Channel train.

"Dear Vivienne. Heart. God how long have we known each other?" it began, before listing all the fashion influences Westwood had exerted on him over the years.

"When in doubt: dress up! ... These mantras of yours and so much more became part of my life and work. I still thank you to this day," it read. Kronthaler first met Westwood in 1988 and they wed in 1993. He had for a long time taken the role as a silent creative partner but took over officially as designer in recent years. Kronthaler ended it: "Love you forever. Andreas."

ELIE SAAB'S VICTORIAN FASHION

Elie Saab went to the "dark romance" of the Victorian era for inspiration for his brooding fall-winter offerings. The house produced a predominantly black collection of high necklines, statement bell and Juliette sleeves, defined shoulders and lots and lots and lots of ruffles.

There was a delicacy to some of the fabrics and detailing such as in large velvet bows draped from collars inspired by the 19th-century paintings of France's Auguste Renoir. Saab fused that covered-up era's styles with an exploration of all things floral - and served it on his bread-and-butter design choice, cinched-waisted gowns.

The collection, entitled "Winter Bouquets," had blooms as prints, embroideries and appliques in white, blush, powder blue and burgundy.

HERMES SHOWS OFF ITS COLORS

With an exotic set and a glowing red runway, Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski emanated quiet power in a collection that showed off her skills as a colorist and signaled that the Hermes designer is growing in confidence.

Starting in black, slim silhouettes in graphic styles gradually changed color and moved into powerful hues of midnight blue, vermilion, tan brown, mustard yellow and lime green. With subtlety, the '80s was referenced in soft belted leather coats, shimmering leather pants and knee-high boots in contrasting colors.

Detailing such as embroideries across a shoulder had a Latin American feel and demonstrated the famed craftsmanship of Hermes, a fashion house that in France has become a byword for luxury.

Vanhee-Cybulski's penchant for checks produced a beautiful square brown dress. But the real finesse was to be found in the collection's color combinations, such as when a belted jumpsuit in maroon was set off stylishly by a soft vermillion coat.

JUNYA WATANABE GOES TOP HEAVY

In a collection that took its vibe from the street, Junya Watanabe's edgy collection went stylishly off-kilter. Oversize double-breasted suit jackets towered above floral leggings in an intentional effect that made the legs look like sticks. It was given greater resonance with large block-like sneakers and preppy socks.

Elements of deconstruction - such as billowing sleeves that looked like pieces of fabric snipped away, or trench coats partially hidden in fur - demonstrated the skill that showed why the Japanese fashion designer was originally the prot?g? of Comme des Garcons designer Rei Kawakubo.

Bright reds and blues were then injected into the color palette - such as in one statement trapeze-shaped raincoat and in one mushroom-shaped bubble jacket - giving the 41-piece show an on-trend '80s vibe.Washington: Turns out, antibiotics may impact cancer treatment efficacy.

Any negative impact of antibiotics on cancer treatment appears to go back to the gut and to whether the microbiota is needed to help activate the T cells driving treatment response, said Dr Gang Zhou, in a study conducted at Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

Antibiotic use is known to have a near-immediate impact on our gut microbiota and long-term use may leave us drug-resistant and vulnerable to infection.

"It likely depends on what types of therapy physicians are giving to patients and how often they also are giving them antibiotics," said Zhou, corresponding author of the study.

They have some of the first evidence that in some of the newest therapies, the effect of antibiotics is definitely mixed. Infections are typically the biggest complication of chemotherapy, and antibiotics are commonly prescribed to prevent and treat them.

"We give a lot of medications to prevent infections," said Dr Locke Bryan, a study co-author.

"White blood cell counts can go so low that you have no defence against bacteria, and that overwhelming infection can be lethal," said Bryan.

In this high-stakes arena, where chemotherapy is increasingly packaged with newer immunotherapies, Bryan, Zhou and their colleagues have more evidence that antibiotics' impact on the microbiota can mean that T cells, key players of the immune response, are less effective and consequently, some therapies might be too.

They reported that antibiotic use appears to have a mixed impact on an emerging immunotherapy called adoptive T-cell therapy, in which a patient's T cells are altered in a variety of ways to better fight cancer.

They found that one of the newest of these - CAR T-cell therapy - is not affected by antibiotics, likely because it is not so reliant on the innate immune system.

"These infused T cells can pretty much act on their own to kill cancer cells", Zhou said.

With this approach, physicians retrieve T cells from a patient's blood, engineer them to express a tumour-finding receptor - called chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR - and give them back to the patient.

These patients typically will receive a conditioning chemotherapy regimen, which often includes the common agent cyclophosphamide, or CTX, to intentionally wipe out some of their normal T cells and make room for the engineered super-fighters.

This emerging treatment is often used in patients, who have failed multiple other treatments, including chemotherapy.

Even long-term antibiotic use does not seem to hinder the efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy against systemic lymphoma in their animal model. While they could see the impact of antibiotics on the microbiota, mice with CAR T-cell therapy continued to respond well to cancer treatment.

But the efficacy of another mode of adoptive T-cell therapy was impacted. This model mimicked therapy in which receptors that target the patient's tumour are put into their T cells.

In this case, the researchers transferred tumour-specific CD4+T cells to treat mice with colorectal cancer.

"One key difference here is that, unlike the CAR T-cell therapy, these engineered T cells still need help from the innate immune system to fight a tumour, now that they can better target it", Zhou said.

Their studies also confirmed that antibiotic use impacts the efficacy of the widely used CTX when it's used alone, in this case, to treat B-cell lymphoma.

In addition to directly killing rapidly dividing cancer cells, CTX gets the attention and help of endogenous T cells, and antibiotics reduced that T-cell response, the scientists reported.

Their findings in lab animals confirmed the recent work of others that the altered intestinal microbiota impacts CTX's ability to fight sarcoma, a rare cancer of our connective tissue. Bigger picture, it suggested that some chemotherapy regimens rely on the gut bacteria to stir the immune system to fight cancer, the scientists wrote.

"It is clear in animal models that if you wipe out the intestinal microbiota like you do with antibiotics, it will attenuate the chemotherapy efficacy," said Zhou. "There is also emerging clinical evidence showing that for CTX-based chemotherapy, some patients who also get antibiotics for a longer period of time seem to have less optimal outcomes."

Human studies are needed to see whether antibiotics affect the outcomes of adoptive T-cell therapy and to give clinicians and their patients' better information about how best to manoeuvre treatment, Zhou noted.

The study is published in the journal Oncotarget.CHENNAI: A recent study published in medical journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology had suggested that there are sets of five subgroups of diabetes, against the current division of diabetes into two categories- type 1 diabetes (10 percent incidence) and type 2 diabetes (85-90 percent incidence).

However, a study by the medicos in Chennai also revealed that there are many other forms of diabetes that includes Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA), Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) and secondary diabetes, which are increasingly being recognised nowadays.

Type 2 diabetes normally affects adults and does not require insulin except in the more advanced stages and type 1 diabetes usually affects children and they require lifelong insulin injections daily.

Other than the type 1 and type 2, the genetic form of diabetes that affects children is MODY and happens due to a single genetic defect. Patients with MODY need to be diagnosed by 'genetic testing' to prevent being taken to type 1 diabetes due to similarities over age.

Dr V. Mohan emphasised on the need of diagnosing monogenic forms of diabetes, which is mistaken to be type 1 diabetes. Patients can be wrongly diagnosed to have type 1 diabetes and advised to have unnecessary lifelong insulin injections. Once the diagnosis of MODY is confirmed, in most forms of MODY, insulin injections can be completely stopped and these patients can be treated with a very inexpensive sulphonylurea tablet which has been used for decades, for treating diabetes, he said.

The study, based on a comprehensive genomic analysis of 289 individuals from India included 152 clinically diagnosed MODY cases and 137 normal glucose tolerance subjects (NGT). The study was conducted by senior diabetologist Dr V. Mohan and Dr Radha Venkatesan from Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) in Chennai with the support of medicos from California and healthcare research centre MedGenome.ROME: Italy might be politically divided, with a kaleidoscopic landscape of parties jostling for supremacy in Sunday's polls, but there are some quirks that unite the nation.

Here are five facts about what Italians get up to when they aren't voting:

- Fancy a coffee? -

The Italian coffee cult is now a worldwide phenomenon with its own vocabulary. But there are rules: milk only in the morning in the form of a caffe latte, latte macchiato or cappuccino, and no milky coffee after a meal.

The other variants include ristretto -- a short shot of concentrated espresso coffee, lungo -- a larger and more diluted espresso, corretto -- espresso with a shot of liquor, marocchino -- with cocoa -- and salentino -- iced coffee with almond milk cubes.

And remember: Italians drink a lot of coffee but in small doses throughout the day. No magnum sized coffee cups please!

- Mickey, Donald and Benito -

To the horror of purists, Italians are increasingly peppering their conversation with Anglicisms.

This was not the case under Fascist rule when Benito Mussolini banned all foreign names as well as foreign terms.

However, sandwiches are still tramezzini and Italians are among the rare people to have never heard of the Disney characters Mickey and Donald, who remain the much loved Topolino and Paperino.

- New Year's Eve Italian style -

Never mind the New Year's rituals of the rest of the world: the parties, champagne and fireworks -- the traditional stuff -- is quirky and sexy in Italy.

Custom dictates that Italians have to break something on December 31, usually crockery, and wear red underwear.

So after Christmas, the shop windows are festooned with red knickers.

And a good tuck in on New Year's Day includes pigs trotters and lentils to ensure that money keeps on rolling in over the next 364 days.

- Dreams and numbers -

In a highly superstitious country where even the educated make a detour to avoid walking under a ladder or crossing a black cat, lottery aficionados resort to an allegedly infallible technique for that jackpot ticket: the numerology of dreams.

Do flowers, breasts, a hunter, music, boredom, fear or a hat figure in your dreams? Each element corresponds to a number between 1 and 90.

Technically you can play a single number, but the payoff is so paltry that most people look for secondary interpretations in their dreams and play between 2 to 5 numbers.

Instead of playing simply 90 for fear, imagine that you dream of being frightened by an insane person. Then you play both 22 and 90.

The internet site of Lottomatica, the leading lottery in Italy, helpfully provides a special page. You just describe your dream and it will suggest numbers.

- Listen to my hands! -

Yes, hands and fingers do the talking when Italians chat with an elaborate code, from the classic fingers pinched against the thumb that can mean "What do you want from me?" or "I wasn't born yesterday", to a hand circling slowly that can signal "Whatever" or "That'll be the day".

And yes, they are fearful of their mammas and eat a lot of pasta -- or 26 kilos per year per person, according to the Italian Association of Confectionery and Pasta Industries.

However, Americans have outstripped them as far as pizzas go: 13 kilos per person a year against just 7.3 kilos for Italians, according to farmers' union Coldiretti.Syrian government forces have seized roughly one quarter of the rebel-held eastern Ghouta enclave near Damascus in recent days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday.

"Most of it is farms and there are few towns in (the captured area)," Observatory Directory Rami Abdulrahman told Reuters.

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Neeraj Singhania, 38, was a deputy general manager with Matrix Cellular (International) Services Limited, and his wife Ruchi, 35, worked with a US-based IT company in Noida. (Representational image: Pixabay)

Ghaziabad: A couple in their mid-thirties was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the bathroom of their Indirapuram flat in Uttar Pradeshs Ghaziabad on Friday evening.

According to a report in The Times of India, police is clueless on how the couple died and even the postmortem report could not conclude the reason behind the deaths. It has put the cause of death as uncertain.

The two were found naked, with strips of tablets to treat blood pressure strewn near the bodies, police said.

Sachin Malik, the SHO of Indirapuram, said, Their viscera have been preserved for now and will be sent for forensic tests in Agra.

The police are yet to receive any written complaint.

Neeraj Singhania, 38, was a deputy general manager with Matrix Cellular (International) Services Limited, and his wife Ruchi, 35, worked with a US-based IT company in Noida. They lived with Neerajs parents, younger brother and sister in a 3BHK flat in Indirapurams Gyan Khand 1. The couple also have a five-year-old daughter.

According to the police, the couple had celebrated Holi on the roof of their flat and returned to their room around 6 pm. When they did not respond to repeated knocks on the door around 9.30pm, Neerajs younger brother looked through a slit in the window and found his sister-in-laws leg protruding from the bathroom.

The family eventually broke open the door and found the couple lying on the floor of the bathroom without any clothes.

An ambulance was called and they were rushed to a private hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival. Their bodies, however, did not have any injury marks, said Rakesh Kumar Mishra, the circle officer of Indirapuram.

Ruchis parents, too, had come from Vaishali to celebrate Holi in the Indirapuram flat. The birthday of Neerajs father Prem Prakash Singhania and the marriage anniversary of his parents-in-law fall on March 2. The family had gathered to celebrate the occasion, Mishra added.

The couple got married in 2010.THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city police on Saturday recorded the arrest of a Romanian national who was handed over to them in Nicaragua by the Interpol in connection with an ATM theft at an SBT ATM at Althara here in July 2016. The accused, identified as Ianut Alexander Marino, 28, of Craiova, Romania, was brought to the Museum police station on Saturday. He was one of the five foreign nationals accused in the case. One of them, Illie Marian Gabrielle, was arrested in Mumbai weeks after the theft.

"The Kerala police has spotted two more accused in the case in Germany and the UK. We will also try for their extradition to India. The fifth accused is absconding," said state police chief Loknath Behera. Mr Behera said that the state police will ensure the extradition of more suspects who are hiding in foreign countries. A special cell has been formed under IG crimes for the purpose. "Even in cases where extradition treaties do not exist, we will be able to secure the custody of the accused on a case-to-case basis. We have prepared a list of the recent grave crimes" Mr Behera said.

"Now we have learnt how to get such quick extraditions. Even if we fail to bring the other accused back to the country, we can make arrangements to try them in those countries," he added. The ATM theft in Thiruvananthapuram was the first of its kind in the country, as it involved rigging the ATM machines. The accused stole around Rs 4.5 lakh using a combination of rigging devices and wireless cameras that captured the ATM pin entered by the victims. The suspects were caught in a security camera and were identified by staffers of various hotels in Thiruvananthapuram.

The city police first issued a lookout notice and contacted Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France. The Interpol had listed them as suspects in their records for cybercrime "In Nicaragua, their Supreme Court was convinced about the crime and gave a nod for extradition," said superintendent of police K.E. Baiju who led the probe team. Three more suspects, including Christian Constantine and Bogdean Floriam Floreci, were absconding. Mr Baiju, who had led the probe in his capacity as cantonment assistant police commissioner, has received accolades from the state police as well as independent cybersecurity agencies.Party President N C Debbarma said, 'The elections are a separate issue, our demand has for years been to create a separate state for tribal people of Tripura. We are hopeful that the Central Government will form a high-level monitoring committee to look into our demand.' (Photo: ANI)

Agartala: A day after winning Tripura elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) has put the demand for a separate state for the tribals back on the table.

Party president N C Debbarma said, "The elections are a separate issue, our demand has for years been to create a separate state for tribal people of Tripura. We are hopeful that the Central Government will form a high-level monitoring committee to look into our demand."

Debbarma further said that he wanted the core issues of the indigenous people to be addressed on priority.

"Development activities are a regular exercise, whichever political party may be in power, so the demand will continue", he added.

The BJP and its ally on Saturday scripted history by ending the 25-year reign of the Left Front led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) with a two-thirds majority in the Tripura legislative assembly elections.

Debbarma defeated the CPI(M)'s Ramendra Debbarma in Takarjal constituency.

The IPFT has been fighting for a separate state for tribals since its inception in the year 1997.In a letter, Nirav Modi said he was 'baffled and in a state of extreme confusion' as the passport authority had written to him, informing that it had suspended his passport after receiving a communication from the ED. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: Diamond trader Nirav Modi, who is at the centre of the Rs 12,700-crore fraud at the Punjab National Bank (PNB), has alleged that he was concerned about the unfairness of process with the way a woman employee of his firm was arrested.

Modi, against whom a special court on Saturday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW), wrote two letters to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in response to summons in January.

Also read: PNB fraud case: Non-bailable warrants issued against Nirav Modi, Choksi

A lady executive (Kavita Mankikar) of my organisation has been arrested by the CBI illegally, in complete violation of the Criminal Procedure Code. And when the liberty of a female is not been priced (sic) by the investigating agencies, my concern for my safety and for the unfairness in the process is not in any manner misplaced, Modi wrote to Archana Salaye, assistant director of ED, on February 26.

Mankikars lawyer had claimed that she was arrested at 8 pm, while as per the law, a woman cannot be arrested after sunset.

Modi wrote two letters to the ED, one on February 22 and another four days later. The ED had issued summonses to him on February 15, February 17 and February 22, asking him to appear before the agency.

However, Modi, believed to be in the US, did not join the probe.

In the letter, he said he was baffled and in a state of extreme confusion as the passport authority had written to him, informing that it had suspended his passport after receiving a communication from the ED.

...your good self sought to have me join the investigation. On that, I wrote to the passport authority, requesting it to provide me with reasons for the suspension and proposed revocation of my passport. But surprisingly, within minutes of my reply, the authority revoked my passport, Modi said.

The lightning speed with which the passport authority acted showed that the action was pre-determined and his fate was already decided, he wrote in the first letter.

In the second letter, he said, I am very engaged in trying to deal with the businesses that I am involved with outside India.

I am trying to ensure that so far as possible, the position of these business creditors, including banks and employees, are properly considered, given the difficulties these business are experiencing.

I have also been very concerned by the tone of the press coverage and comments that have been made by politicians, which have led to me having concerns for my own safety.

A special court for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases in Mumbai on Saturday issued NBWs against Modi and another diamond trader, Mehul Choksi, in connection with the PNB scam.It is a fractured mandate. Now it is a question of looking at people who would like to look at common agenda acceptable to the states people and come together, incumbent chief minister Mukul Sangma said. (Photo: PTI)

Shillong: After a fractured verdict, senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath on Saturday met Meghalaya governor Ganga Prasad to request him to invite the Congress, which emerged as the single largest party in state, to form the new government.

According to IANS report, Kamal Nath said, We have already met the governor and handed him a letter to request him to invite the Congress being the single largest party.

We will stake claim to form the government. We are already in touch with other political parties. We are confident of forming the new government, Nath further said.

The voice of the people should be respected and the BJP winning only two seats has proven that people rejected them, the Congress leader added.

It is a fractured mandate. Now it is a question of looking at people who would like to look at common agenda acceptable to the states people and come together, incumbent chief minister Mukul Sangma said.

The Congress, which failed to open its account in Tripura and Nagaland, is trying hard to retain Meghalaya. The party has won 21 assembly seats and is short of ten seats to get an absolute majority in the 60 member assembly.

The National Peoples Party (NPP), founded by former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma and now led by his son and lawmaker Conrad Sangma, came second with 19 seats. NPP, which is a partner of the BJP and a member of the NDA, contested the polls on its own.

Also read: NPP to form govt in Meghalaya with help of others: Conrad Sangma

The BJP, which had won no seats in 2013, won two this time. Its other ally United Democratic Party won 6 seats. Eleven seats have been won by others and these MLAs will be soldiers of hard-nosed political negotiations in the coming days.According to CPI(M) sources, the Tripura results have given Yechury and the Bengal lobby a much-needed political ammo to push for bringing all secular democratic forces together, including the Congress, to take on the BJP. (Photo: PTI/File)

Kolkata: The trouncing of the CPI(M) in the Tripura Assembly elections has forced it to rethink strategies and increased the clamour within the party for an "adjustment" with the Congress, ahead of a crucial party meet next month.

The heavy defeat in Tripura has raised several questions within the CPI(M) on adopting the "right strategy" for survival, party leaders said.

The BJP-IPFT combine scripted history on Saturday by winning the Tripura Assembly polls with a two-third majority, ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front in the state.

The BJP and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) together won 43 seats. The CPI(M) won 16 seats and the Congress none.

Also Read: BJP wins Tripura, looks to form governments in Nagaland, Meghalaya

CPI(M) politburo member Hannan Mollah said the party is facing one of the toughest situations following its defeat in Tripura, which has "forced us to rethink in a new way".

"We, in our draft resolution, have said we don't want any understanding with the Congress. But now, after the defeat in Tripura, it is a completely new situation where we have to rethink our strategies and political line," Mollah said.

The CPI(M) central committee had on January 21 voted against the draft political resolution put forward by party general secretary Sitaram Yechury proposing an alliance with the Congress. It adopted a draft resolution, which will be placed before the party congress next month, ruling out any form of electoral alliance or adjustment with the Congress.

Asked if there was a possibility of changing the draft and incorporate "new options", Mollah said the issue needed to be discussed in the party congress, but there was always a chance of altering it after discussion.

Another CPI(M) politburo member, Mohammed Salim, said the party will discuss every aspect, including the defeat in Tripura, before adopting its "political-tactical line".

A senior central committee member, who did not wish to be named, sais that in the present situation there are "high chances" that a window will be left open for adjustment with the Congress.

"A middle path has to be sorted out to keep a window for adjustment with the Congress. We can't let the BJP derive benefits out of division among Left secular and democratic forces," the central committee member said.

Yechury, along with a large section of leaders from Bengal, have been vocal about adjustment with the Congress to stop the BJP.

Yechury's political line, however, has been vehemently opposed by the party's Kerala unit, along with politburo member Prakash Karat, known as a hardliner in the CPI(M).

"We can no longer afford to keep the Congress out of the broader unity of Left and democratic forces," a senior CPI(M) leader of Tripura, who also did not wish to be named, said.

According to CPI(M) sources, the Tripura results have given Yechury and the Bengal lobby a much-needed political ammo to push for bringing all secular democratic forces together, including the Congress, to take on the BJP.

A CPI(M) central committee member from West Bengal said the state unit has a clear understanding about the threats from the BJP.

"The Tripura unit also got the taste of BJP's divisive politics. But despite attacks from the RSS, the Kerala unit is yet to understand the magnitude of the threat the BJP poses," he said.

The CPI(M)'s allies, like the CPI, are in favour of the broader unity of secular forces, including the Congress. West Bengal Congress president Adhir Chowdhury, who has been a big supporter of the Left-Congress alliance, said the CPI(M) has to behave pragmatically and needs to relook at its policies on the Congress before it is "too late".Barkas Community Centre Hospital had four paediatricians and one gynaecologist in the unit.

Hyderabad: Three paediatricians have been appointed at the Barkas Community Centre Hospital on March 3.

This has been the impact of a story published in Deccan Chronicle on February 28, highlighting the plight of the hospital that was grossly under staffed to handle its 350-400 patients.

Barkas Community Centre Hospital had four paediatricians and one gynaecologist in the unit. But three paediatricians resigned on February 1 leaving the hospital with only one paediatrician and one gynaecologist.

With 50 to 80 children coming every day with fever, cough and other minor ailments, it was impossible for just one paediatrician to cater to so many patients, leaving the parents angry with the hospital management.

This led to a severe crisis with just two doctors to handle this category of patients. The emergency patients were being transferred to other government hospitals.

But the fresh appointment of the three doctors has brought immense relief to the hospital and to the patients and their relatives.Kolhi also actively participated and worked for the rights of downtrodden people of marginalised communities living in Thar and other areas. (Photo: Rabyanoor/Twitter)

Karachi: Krishna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan's Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, according to a media report on Sunday.

Kolhi, 39, from Thar is a member of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

She won the election for the reserved seat for women from Sindh province, Dawn News reported.

Her election represents a major milestone for women and minority rights in Pakistan.

Earlier, PPP had elected first Hindu woman named Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla as a senator.

Kolhi belongs to a remote village in Nagarparkar district of Thar in Sindh province.

Born to a poor peasant, Jugno Kolhi, in February 1979, Kolhi and her family members spent nearly three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district. She was a grade 3 student at the time when held captive.

She was married to Lalchand at the age of 16, when she was studying in 9th grade.

However, she pursued her studies and in 2013 she did her post-graduation in sociology from the Sindh University.

She had joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother, who was later elected as Chairman of Union Council Berano.

Kolhi also actively participated and worked for the rights of downtrodden people of marginalised communities living in Thar and other areas.

She is from the family of the valiant freedom fighter Rooplo Kolhi, who had waged a war against the invading British colonialist forces when they had attacked Sindh from Nagarparkar side in 1857.

Subsequently, he was arrested and hanged by the Britishers on August 22, 1858.

Pakistan's ruling PML-N of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday, won 15 seats in Senate and became the largest party in the upper house of Parliament, according to the provisional results.

Provincial and federal lawmakers voted to elect 52 senators in the Senate elections, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Twelve seats each from Punjab and Sindh, 11 each from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, four from tribal regions and two from federal capital territory were up for grab due to retirement of 52 senators in March.

More than 130 candidates, including those nominated by political parties and independent candidates were in the contest.Karti was arrested from Chennai airport on Wednesday morning soon after he returned from the United Kingdom. (Photo: ANI)

Mumbai: Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, has been brought to Mumbai this morning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further questioning.

Karti is likely be confronted with Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea, separately, sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said as tweeted by news agency ANI.

Karti Chidambaram is accused of facilitating, for a bribe, foreign investment approvals for television company INX Media, when his father was finance minister.

Indrani Mukerjea, the former co-owner of INX Media and accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, brought up Karti Chidambaram's father's name in her statement to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Also read: Indrani Mukerjea's bribe allegation triggered Karti arrest, linked ex-Finmin father

She and her husband Peter Mukerjea told the ED that they had met P Chidambaram in the North Block when he was the finance minister, to seek government approval to foreign investment proposals worth around Rs 300 crore in their company INX Media. The couple alleged he had asked them to help his son's business and to "make foreign remittances" for this purpose.

P Chidambaram and his 46-year-old son have denied the allegations, calling it a case of "political vendetta".

The CBI has been given Karti Chidambaram's custody till Tuesday though the agency had asked for two-weeks' custody, arguing that he was not cooperating with the investigation.

Also read: No home food: Patiala House Court sends Karti to CBI custody till Mar 6

Karti was arrested from Chennai airport on Wednesday morning soon after he returned from the United Kingdom, was brought to Delhi and produced before a duty magistrate.Karti Chidambaram is accused of facilitating, for a bribe, foreign investment approvals for television company INX Media, when his father was finance minister. (Photo: ANI)

Mumbai: Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was on Sunday confronted with Indrani Mukerjea at Mumbai's Byculla jail Sunday afternoon. A video camera recorded the confrontation.

Karti has contested Indrani and Peter Mukerjea's statements levelling allegations of bribery against him, underlining that the allegations were being made by the murder accused 10 years after the alleged bribery incident.

According to a report in NDTV, sources said Mukerjea was called into a separate room in the Byculla women's jail premises to meet Karti. Six CBI officers were present in the room, leading the probe.

While no jail officials were allowed inside, two women constables and a male police officer were deployed outside the room to monitor Indrani Mukerjea.

After the confrontation, Karti was taken back to Delhi.

Terming the allegations levelled against him as false, Karti said that they are politically motivated.

Karti Chidambaram is accused of facilitating, for a bribe, foreign investment approvals for television company INX Media, when his father was finance minister.

Indrani Mukerjea, the former co-owner of INX Media and accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, brought up Karti Chidambaram's father's name in her statement to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Also read: Indrani Mukerjea's bribe allegation triggered Karti arrest, linked ex-Finmin father

She and her husband Peter Mukerjea told the ED that they had met P Chidambaram in the North Block when he was the finance minister, to seek government approval to foreign investment proposals worth around Rs 300 crore in their company INX Media. The couple alleged he had asked them to help his son's business and to "make foreign remittances" for this purpose.

P Chidambaram and his 46-year-old son have denied the allegations, calling it a case of "political vendetta".

The CBI has been given Karti Chidambaram's custody till Tuesday though the agency had asked for two-weeks' custody, arguing that he was not cooperating with the investigation.

Also read: No home food: Patiala House Court sends Karti to CBI custody till Mar 6

Karti was arrested from Chennai airport on Wednesday morning soon after he returned from the United Kingdom, was brought to Delhi and produced before a duty magistrate.Turkish police on Sunday fired tear gas to break up a women's rights march in Ankara with some 15 protesters reportedly detained.

The protesters, mainly from the Ankara Women's Platform, a NGO promoting women's rights, had gathered in the Turkish capital for the march called ahead of International Women's Day on March 8.

"We are getting stronger in solidarity," read one banner as riot police moved in and fired tear gas after the group ignored calls to disperse, AFP photographers at the scene said.

Fifteen women were detained by police, the private Dogan News Agency reported.

In Istanbul Sunday, a group of around 1,500 women rallied in the Bakirkoy district on the European side of the city, an AFP journalist reported.

The group was protesting Turkey's military operation in Syria targeting Syrian Kurdish militia, considered a terror group by Ankara.

"There is a war on our border. We cannot remain indifferent," one woman protester Meltem said.

Short link:

Sarkar will continue as the chief minister until the new government is sworn in. (Photo: PTI/File)

Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar submitted his resignation to Governor Tathagata Roy on Sunday a day after the CPI(M) was drubbed by a resurgent BJP in the Assembly polls.

Sarkar will continue as the chief minister until the new government is sworn in.

The BJP put up a spectacular show in Tripura on Saturday ending the 25-year-old reign of the Left Front government in the state.

Tripura is a done deal for the saffron party with Biplab Deb Kumar set to be the next chief minister.

Also Read: BJP wins Tripura, looks to form governments in Nagaland, Meghalaya

Sarkar, a CPI(M) politburo member, won from his Dhanpur seat, defeating his nearest rival, Pratima Bhowmick of the BJP. His party, however, bagged only 16 of the 59 seats. BJP bagged a total of 43 seats in alliance with the tribal party, Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT).

Four-time Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, with the lowest bank balance and a squeaky clean image, has ruled the state from 1998. The Left Front has ruled the state since 1993.

The Red Fort crumbled under an aggressive attack by the BJP that pushed all its frontliners into the campaign battle, charging the Left of sustained corruption, inability to develop the state and disappointing its aspirational youth by failing to provide opportunities.Mysore: It was a tragic World Wildlife Day for S. Manikandan, director of Project Tiger, Nagarahole national park, as he was attacked and crushed by a lone tusker while estimating the damage wrought by a forest fire in DB Kuppe wildlife range, HD Kote taluk, on Saturday.

This senior forest officer was moving about in Kakanakote forest area along with ten other colleagues when the pachyderm charged at him and knocked him cold. He was rushed to HD Kote hospital but was declared brought dead. His body was handed over to his family after an autopsy at KR Hospital, Mysuru. He is survived by his wife, 14 year old daughter and a son aged nine.

Mr Manikandan, who joined Indian Forest Service (IFS) in 2001, was known for his efforts to curb human-wildlife conflict, and rehabilitation of tribals.The collection comprises 173 jewels, excluding the famed Jacob Diamond and the 22 emeralds; Eminent traders and merchants describe the jewellery as unique.

HYDERABAD: International writers who penned books on the Nizams and their jewellery expressed concern over the condition of the Nizam Jewels, kept in the vaults of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

They fear that the unique jewellery, which includes emeralds and pearls, needs proper conservation as otherwise they would get damaged.

The collection comprises 173 jewels, excluding the famed Jacob Diamond and the 22 emeralds. Eminent traders and merchants describe the jewellery as unique.

In a communication with Deccan Chronicle, John Zubrycki, Australian writer who penned the book The Last Nizam and The mysterious Mr Jacob, Diamond Merchant, Magician and Spy has specifically expressed concern about this.

He said, I am deeply concerned that no independent expert has been allowed access to the collection in the Reserve Bank of India to check on the condition of the jewellery. Pearls in particular, are likely to deteriorate quickly if not kept in specially climatised enclosure.

Beyond that, this is easily the most remarkable collection of jewellery in India, and one of the most important and valuable collections in the world.

According to Mr Zubrycki, the jewellery should be on public display so that all can appreciate it.

The people of India in particular would take great pride in having these pieces in a museum as they reflect the craftsmanship and artistic legacy of what was once Indias greatest princely state, he told Deccan Chronicle.

Ms Usha Balakrishnan, a researcher who penned the book, Jewels of Nizam said, It is my personal belief that the Nizam Jewels is the most outstanding collection of Indian royal jewels in the world-set with fabulous Indian diamonds, Colombian emeralds and Basra pearls; they were all made by Indian craftsmen and are outstanding examples of Indian aesthetics and design sensibilities.

Having been purchased for the people of India as items of great heritage value and cultural importance, they should be on permanent exhibition for all Indians and the world to see.

Historian Dr Mohammed Safiullah said, Nizam VII, Mir Osman Ali Khan after merging his State with the Indian Union in 1948, created HEH, the Nizams Jewellery Trust.

The trust property included 173 pieces of jewellery, 22 pieces of unset emeralds and the famous 184.5-carat Jacob diamond. Pearls lose their colour if not kept under proper conditions. There are thousands of Basera pearls in the jewellery and there is likelihood of damage.

After the death of the Nizam in 1967, the trustees were planning to sell the jewellery, but the Government of India intervened and bought it after a long legal battle for `206.49 cr in 1995. The trustees were paid `165.5 crore.

Proposal to bring back jewellery submitted

Faiz Khan, a trustee of the various trusts of Prince Mukaram Jah, said that they had submitted a proposal to the government through the Nizam family to bring the Nizams jewellery back to Hyderabad and put them on display.

Time and again we have been making this representation. Last year, the demand was raised in the Assembly and the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had given an affirmative reply. But again, no one has got in touch with us so far, he pointed out.

The Nizam family, according to Mr Khan, feels the Nazira Bagh Palace, at King Kothi is the ideal place to display the jewellery.

There is a strong room in the cellar where the jewellery can be stored in the vaults. At the same time, the place is spacious enough for public display, he said.

Mr Khan also expressed concern over the upkeep of the jewellery in the vaults of the Reserve Bank of India. We hope for the best and expect the largest and one of the costliest collections of jewellery to be in good condition, he added.The police personnel identified as Arul Raj, shot himself dead while he was on his guarding duty at the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's memorial. (Photo: ANI)

Chennai: An armed reserved police personnel, on Sunday committed suicide by allegedly shooting himself.

The police personnel identified as Arul Raj, shot himself dead while he was on his guarding duty at the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's memorial.

The incident took place around 4:55 am in the morning, when he killed himself using his 303 bolt-action rifle.

Reportedly, he was taken to the Royapettah government hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Meanwhile, the police is ascertaining the reason behind his suicide.

Further details are awaited.Chennai: The Madras High Court has granted 3 more months to the state government for implementing its order relating to providing ramps and fire fighting equipment in the hospitals.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose posted after three months, further hearing of a Public Interest Litigation from Jawaharlal Shanmugam, which sought a direction to the authorities to provide ramp facility as a mandatory rule from the topmost floor to ground floor for easy evacuation of patients in all high rise hospital buildings.

When the case came up for hearing on Friday, the Principal Secretary, Health and Family welfare department filed a status report stating that the state government had accorded sanction for a sum of Rs 1,154 crore for providing fire fighting sprinkler system in the basement floor of Tower Block-I and II at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai.

The report further said out of 203 multi storied buildings in Tertiary Care Institutions (Medical College Hospitals) ramp facilities were available in 105 and in 98 buildings, ramp facilities have to be made. In the Secondary Care Institutions (District/Taluk hospitals) out of 326 multi storied buildings, ramp facilities were available in 211 and 95 buildings, ramps facilities have to be made. The inspection of private hospitals was done from December 5, 2017 in Chennai by forming 6 teams in which the petitioner has also accompanied and a total number of 206 buildings were inspected in Chennai. District Level Teams have also been formed by the Joint Director of Health services concerned. So far 67 percent of hospitals (1977 out of 2934) were inspected in the districts.

Further, the Engineer-in-chief (Buildings) submitted a detailed estimate to the tune of Rs 29.71 crore for construction of ramps and fire fighting system for secondary care institutions and to the tune of Rs 55.92 crore for Tertiary care institutions and proposals were already sent to the Finance department, the report added.Governor Banwarilal Purohit presides over the meeting of vice chancellors and registrars of universities on Saturday at Raj Bhavan in Chennai. R. Rajagopal, additional chief secretary to Governor, and Sunil Paliwar, principal secretary to government, higher education department were present. (Photo:DC)

CHENNAI: In wake of the arrest of Bharathiar University vice-chancellor A.Ganapathi, Governor Banwarilal Purohit, who is also the chancellor of state universities, has ordered all the vice-chancellors to function in a transparent manner in recruitments and awarding of civil works.

After assuming charge, the Governor chaired the meeting of vice-chancellors for the first time to review teaching and non-teaching vacancies in universities and the audit objections, financial status of the varsities. The Governor has reportedly sought total transparency in higher education.

"The state government is likely to lift the ban following the redeployment of excess faculty members in Annamalai University. So, the chancellor has asked for the selection of best faculty members following the UGC regulations," sources said.

He also advised the VCs to improve university's rankings and to take steps to get into the category one of the UGC. In the meeting, the issue of having a common act for state universities was also discussed.

The governor also instructed the vice-chancellors that the civil works be awarded to government agencies following the rules and regulations of Tender and Transparency Act.

"Any procurement or any construction should take place as per the rules of Tender act," he reportedly told VCs. He also asked the VCs and registrars to function in such a manner that it increases the reputation of the universities. Some reports claimed that the Governor had asked the V-Cs should submit their asset details. However, the vice-chancellors who took part in the meeting denied it.CHENNAI: The development initiatives and pro people welfare measures have made the BJP win in the Tripura and Nagaland elections and this winning streak will continue in the rest of the country, particularly the southern parts, BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan has said.

"The BJP has registered a resounding victory in Tripura and Nagaland. The Communist party, which has been facing defeat all over the world, and sticking on to one or two places in the country is now sent packing home while the Congress lost all the seats. They (Congress) thought that they could win based on the results of the by-elections. But it is now pushed into the oblivion in Tripura and Nagaland," Dr Tamilisai said, reacting to her party's spectacular performance in the elections in those states, on Saturday.

"The huge victory across NE India  Tripura, Meghalaya & Nagaland elections shows the popularity, faith & acceptance of PM Modi Ji govt & @BJP4India mantra Development for all. Thanks to people of these states for showing their valuable support to our Hon'ble PM @narendramodi Ji," she tweeted.

The senior leader who is currently touring the Tuticorin district in the State, distributed sweets to party members and the public and celebrated the BJP's victory in the polls. Speaking on the occasion she said, "we will strive hard and ensure a resounding victory in the civic polls in Tamil Nadu."

The BJP will create a huge impact on local bodies elections because in the present political condition, the DMK can never emerge as an alternative force in the State as they don't seem to have the intention to help the people nor do they appear to function like a good opposition party," she alleged.He said Rajput and his wife got angry after Ahirwar and others lit the bonfire to mark the occasion of Holi, which they feared would engulf their house. (Photo: File | Representational)

Sagar: A dalit man was allegedly pushed into a Holi bonfire by an upper caste couple in Futera village in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on March 1, police said on Sunday.

According to police, the couple got angry fearing the bonfire lit by the victim and others would engulf their house.

The Dalit, identified as Balram Ahirwar, survived with 15 per cent burn injuries, an official said, adding that the police arrested one Raje Rajput (38) in connection with the incident on Thursday night while efforts are on to trace his wife.

The incident occurred during the Holika 'dahan' (burning) ceremony in the village, located around 40 kms away from the district headquarter, said Rahatgarh police station inspector Anil Singh.

He said Rajput and his wife got angry after Ahirwar and others lit the bonfire to mark the occasion, which they feared would engulf their house.

In a fit of rage, they caught hold of Ahirwar and pushed him into the bonfire, the inspector said.

Ahirwar was rescued by other revellers and admitted to hospital.

When contacted, district SP S Shukla told PTI Ahirwar alleged the Rajput couple passed casteist remarks during an argument with him.

Singh said the accused duo have been booked under relevant sections of the IPC and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.Mumbai: A joint questioning of Karti Chidambaram and Indrani Mukerjea, both accused in the INX Media case, ended on Sunday evening, with the former leaving Mumbais Byculla Jail with a defiant gesture to the media claiming innocence.

Sources said Karti, son of senior Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidambaram, was brought face-to-face with Indrani, who is lodged inside the Byculla jail and is undergoing trail for allegedly killing her daughter Sheena Bora.

The 6-member CBI team landed at Mumbai early on Sunday morning and arrived at the Byculla womens prison around 11.30 am. A defiant Karti waved at the media after alighting from the SUV, before being whisked away by the officials inside the prison.

The joint interrogation session went on for four hours that was video recorded by the CBI officials.

The questioning was to ascertain the claims made by Indrani naming Karti and his father over the foreign remittances made by the Mukerjeas to assist Karti and their interest in overseas venture.

The questioning ended around 3.15 pm. The CBI team headed to the airport to return to Delhi. While being whisked away by the CBI officials, Karti said, I am innocent. The whole case is politically motivated.

The CBI officials refused to comment on the joint interrogation. Sources added, The joint questioning was required before the custody ended. If needed, more joint interrogation will be held again. The CBI has Kartis custody till March 6.Hyderabad: Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of AIMIM, said that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao could play an important role in changing the face of national politics.

He made this statement a day after Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao hinted at the formation of a third front in the run-up to the next parliamentary elections.

I welcome Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Raos statement. He can launch a movement against the Congress and the BJP. The country is looking for an alternative to them, Mr Owaisi said.

Mr Owaisi said that regional parties would pay an important role in the formation of the government after the next parliament elections. Mr Rao will bring all non-Congress and non-BJP parties together. He has acceptance, strengths, capacity and political foresight. I am sure he will be successful in what he plans to do. His work will have a far-reaching impact on national politics, he said.

The AIMIM chief appreciated the work of the Chief Minister and said that despite criticism Mr Rao had managed to take the state to the number one position in the country. He has proven all pessimists wrong by delivering good governance in the state. I am of the opinion that Mr Rao will play an important role both pre- and post-election, he said.

When asked about the possibility of N. Chandrababu Naidu, the CM of AP, joining Mr Raos third front, Mr Owaisi said, The Centre is not implementing the Act, and the anger shown by Mr Naidu for the BJP is there for all to see, he said.A Belgian trade delegation is set to visit Egypt from Sunday 4 March to 8 March to discuss fostering and enhancing economic trade relations between Belgium and Egypt, the Belgian Embassy in Cairo said on Sunday.

According to an embassy press statement, the delegation will include representatives from over 25 Belgian companies seeking to provide assistance to Egyptian companies in exporting to Europe, as well as discussing the prospects for further cooperation.

According to the embassy, the delegation will be looking for Egyptian partners to represent their companies in Egypt.

The embassys trade attache, Haguer Magdi, said the delegation will be hosted by the embassy's trade commission, connecting the companies later with their Egyptian counterparts who are interested in the European countrys industry and vast expertise.

The delegation will meet with Egyptian companies in the private and public sectors, in addition to visiting the countrys New Administrative Capital in order to explore promising opportunities for exporting products and exchanging expertise in construction and development.

Belgium values local industries of all sizes. Eighty-five percent of the Belgian economy consists of small and medium enterprises, Magdi noted, with the statement providing further details of the fields in which the companies operate.

The Belgian SMEs specialize in several sectors, including but not limited to construction, consultancy, video mapping projection, healthcare, furniture, banking and insurance, flooring, packaging, printing, energy and electricity, automotives, and satellite navigation.

Although most companies are new to the Egyptian market, others have already been trading with Egypt for years, with a value of 150 million euros, Magdi said.

The statement concluded that the upcoming visit comes within a framework that sees the Belgian and Egyptian counterparts meeting every two years since 2008 to discuss investment opportunities.

The first such meeting was held in 2008 in the presence of Prince Philippe and the current King of Belgium, and 100 Belgian companies.



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About six lakh women die every year due to kidney failure all over the world. (Photo: Pixabay)

CHENNAI: About six lakh women die every year due to kidney failure all over the world, which is comparatively more than the number of men dying of kidney failure.

Apart from the fact that women suffer from certain diseases affecting the kidney more than men, it could be the lack of treatment in women as a possible reason, say medicos.

On account of World Kidney Day, doctors discussed insights on the theme Kidneys and Womens Health at an event organised by Sapiens Health Foundation on Sunday. Urinary tract infection is more common in women due to the short urinary passage, while pregnancy tends to worsen the situations. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a disease peculiar to young women damaging the kidneys, said renal specialist Dr Rajan Ravichandran.

Various issues associated with self-detection of kidney disease, assisted peritoneal dialysis and treatment of rare diseases were discussed by the medicos. A book titled Proceedings of the Salt conference 2017 was also released by M.M. Murugappan, chairman, Murugappa group at the event. The Salt conference was held in collaboration with IIT Madras by the Sapiens Foundation to discuss the need of major awareness public health program to prevent high intake of salt and subsequently reduce the number of deaths due to cardiac diseases, kidney diseases and strokes.THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said the Leftist ideology should not die and it would be a "disaster" for India if it happens. Delivering the key note address at the international seminar on sustainable habitat coinciding with the birth centenary of Laurie Baker in Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Ramesh delved on the fate of Communism in the aftermath of the CPM receiving a drubbing at the hands of the BJP in Tripura.

He recalled that 1917 is not the centenary year of Laurie Baker alone but also that of the Russian Revolution and February Revolution, both of which are commemorated in Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. But sadly it (communism) is no longer there in West Bengal and Tripura. The Left has to be strong in India. I am very clear about it, he said amid a loud round of applause. The demise of the Left will be a disaster for India. Were going to fight the Left; were going to be politically rivals. But I am the first to say that India cannot afford the demise of the Left.

Mr Ramesh who essayed on the lefts relevance, did not hesitate to give a piece of his mind to his comrade friends including finance minister Dr. T. M. Thomas Isaac who was present on the dais. Mr Ramesh urged the left to change its mind and have abetter understanding of the peoples aspirations, earning another round of applause by the audience and poet Sugathakumari who was on the dais. Mr Ramesh hailed the contribution of Baker, noted for low budget and eco-friendly building designs, and said the significance of sustainable and nature friendly techniques was increasing now days in the wake of threat cased by climate change.Cyber experts will conduct a disk analysis on the laptops found at the site of an encounter in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh four days ago. (File photo)

HYDERABAD: Cyber experts will conduct a disk analysis on the laptops found at the site of an encounter in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh four days ago. Ten Maoists, including six women, were killed in the encounter between the security forces and the outlaws early on Friday. Apart from weapons, including INSAS rifles, an AK 47 and cash, the police also seized laptops.

A team of disk forensic experts will extract the over-a-period information from the gadgets. The details will be provided to the security agencies concerned for analysis and plans for next moves. We can know more about their future plans  both spreading their propaganda and attacks, advisories issued by the central committee and other important decisions taken. These are vital for the security forces, said a senior police official.

Following recent enco-unters based on tracking of e-communication, Maoists have reportedly stopped sending messages through emails, Facebook or other online tools.

The Maoists use some encrypted code for communication or storing information. However, the police had in the past cracked the communication with the help of a few surrendered Maoists.

The laptops could also have latest pictures of meetings and party activities taken up by group members.

Meanwhile, senior officials in Telangana police said top Maoist leaders had attended the meeting in a prelude to the encounter day. However, they had managed to escape from the spot during the encounter.

Maoists do not sit in a group at a particular place except when they are in meeting. When they go out to sleep or take rest, they spread out in about a kilometre area to avoid becoming sitting ducks for security forces. It might be due to this strategy that main leaders might escaped from the spot, said another official familiar with anti-Maoist operations.Guwahati: Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya on Sunday evening gave 48 hours to the ruling Naga Peoples Front to prove its majority in the 60-member Assembly, soon after the states Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang announced that he would not resign following the declaration of election results.

A senior leader of NDPP said that Mr Rio, in his meeting with the governor, staked claim to forming the government in Nagaland, saying he has the support of 32 MLAs.

While the Nagaland Peoples Front has emerged as the single largest party, winning 27 seats in the 60-member Assembly, the combined strength of the NDPP-BJP-led alliance has become 32.

The BJP, which had won only one seat in the 2013 state Assembly polls, bagged 12 seats this time, while its ally, the newly-formed NDPP, won 17 seats in the 60-member House. The National Peoples Party (NPP) bagged two seats, while the JD(U) got one seat. One Independent legislator has also extended its support to the NDPP-BJP-led alliance. Sources in the NDPP-BJP alliance told this newspaper the new government would take office on Tuesday or a day later. They said the BJP would announce its decision formally only after the legislature party meetings. The newly-elected legislators are expected to meet in Kohima on Monday to elect their party leader.

The NPF had, however, informed the governor apprising him of a pre-poll understanding with the NPP and JD(U). The NPF, in its letter, also informed the governor that it had decided to propose T.R. Zeliang as chief minister of their alliance.CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday condoled the death of an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer from Tamil Nadu who was trampled by an elephant in Karnatakas Nagarhole Tiger Reserve.

In his message, Modi said Manikandan, 45, will be remembered for his passion towards wildlife and forest conservation. The officer was attacked and killed by an elephant when he was conducting a survey of the fire line in the DB Kuppe Forest Range in Nagarhole National Park near Mysuru on Saturday.

The PMO said the prime ministers thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of Manikandan, who lost his life while on duty. The country will remember him for his rich service and passion towards wildlife and forest conservation, it said in a tweet.

In Chennai, the state government released a letter that Palaniswami wrote to the departed officers wife M. Sangeetha. I was shocked to hear the news of the death of S. Manikandan and I convey my deepest condolences to the family of the officer, Palaniswami said in the letter. He also said he was praying to god to give Manikandans family the strength to overcome the great loss.

The 2001-batch officer was briefing his colleagues when a lone tusker came from behind and charged at the group.

Unfortunately, Manikandan lost his balance while trying to escape and was trampled by the jumbo, sources said, adding that he was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead.Balaghat (MP): Two Chinese soldiers  Wang Chi and Div Shu Nag Jung  deemed as spies by India, shared the fate of living in a foreign land for over half a century in anonymity but in the end fates diverged their paths.

Their turbulent years of their exile in India which saw them getting incarcerated in different jails for a long time after being captured in the border in the aftermath of 1962 Indo-China war, and then being detained in a remote tribal hamlet, Triodi, in Madhya Pradesh which, in the end, culminated into a pleasant homecoming for one and death for the other.

For Wang Chi, 79, a native of Xianyang under Shaanxi province in China, it was a thrilling end to his 54-year-long battle to return to his motherland after he landed in Beijing in China on February 10 last year to a tumultuous reception by his surviving family members and friends from his younger days.

His family members were crying their heart out as they hugged him, said Vishnu Wang, who had accompanied his father along with his wife and daughter to Xianyang then.

Chi, was a mechanical survey engineer in Peoples Liberation Army of China and was captured in Arunachal Pradesh on January 3, 1963 and then shifted from one prison to another in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh before being released in Tirodi in 1969.

Later, Chi started a family in Tirodi by marrying a local girl, Sushila Mohite, in 1974 and assumed a new identity as Raj Bahadur Wang. While doing odd jobs to support his family, Chi ran from pillar to post for 54 years, pleading the authorities to facilitate his return to his homeland. He finally managed to contact his family in China in 1985 and later managed to acquire passport in 2013 and another four years to obtain visa.

But, it was not the same happy ending for Div Shu Nag Jung. Similar to Chi, Div was kept in several prisons till he was set free in Tirodi. Div too, married a local girl, Sewan Bai Janbandhu, in 1973.

My husband said his family might have perished in a severe earthquake that hit China in early 1970s. Hence, he had accepted Tirodi as his homeland. But, he had developed a desire to go back when he saw Chi return home in China. But, his dream never materialised his wife said.

He died on August 31 last year.Dy CM Mahmood Ali kisses the hand of Chief Minister K. Chandra-sekhar during the public meeting addressed by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragathi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Sunday. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Sub-registrars have threatened to go on indefinite strike against Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos decision to hand over property registration duties to Tahsildars (MROs) from March 12.

The sub-registrars demanded that the government protect the independent identity of the stamps and registration department, saying they would not allow outsiders to take over their duties.

Tahsildars too are opposing the CMs decision, arguing that sub-registrar duties will overburden them.

Property registrations were already hit on Saturday across the state when sub-registrars in all 143 sub-registrar offices from 31 districts met in the city to discuss their future course of action.

"Over 700 employees from the stamps and registration department have conducted day-long agitations in front of Registration Bhavan and took a rally to the CCLA office. We have submitted a representation to the govenrment over our demands.

If they fail to respond, we have no option but to go on strike," Mr Sthitaprajna warned.

The sub-registrars are afraid the stamps and registration department will lose its identity if Tahsildars working under the Revenue department take over their duties.Hyderabad: When he ended his speech at a public meeting in Pragathi Bhavan on Sunday with Jai Bharat! instead of the usual Jai Telangana!, TRS chief and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was signalling loud and clear his entry into national politics and his intention of forging a Third Front against the BJP and Congress.

Mr Rao said he will meet leaders in all states except those rules by the Congress and BJP and seek their support for the new Front. We will seek the guidance of economists, agriculture scientists and other experts to prepare an agenda for the new Front which will follow a truthful cooperative federalism with limited powers to the Centre and maximum powers to states. Not namesake cooperative federalism that is being followed now, against the spirit of the Constitution.

Mr Rao came down heavily on the BJP and Congress for the serious problems people face even after 70 years of Independence.

Look at China. They have made tremendous progress in the past 25 years. It has become the economic power of the world, next only to the US. When we point this out, they say Chinas constitution, rules, are different. Why dont we make similar changes? Who stopped you all these years? Mr Rao questioned.

He accused the BJP and Congress of keeping all the powers with them and making the states puppets in their hands.

There is Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana. This is shameful. What has PM to do with laying roads in six lakh villages? Are there are no sarpanches, mandal, zilla parishads, state governments to do this job? Even for giving wages to NREGA workers in villages, the amount is sent from Delhi. My demand is Centre should handle only national security, Army etc. The rest of the powers should be transferred to the states. Look at the US. They have a Supreme Court for each state. There is no central domination there. The police commissioner works under the Mayor. There is a Federal Court to deal with cases of states. That model should be adopted here, Mr Rao opined.Hyderabad: Two months ago, on December 29 last year to be precise, Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao had declared that he was not interested in national politics and would remain in Telangana till he had made it Bangaru Telangana.

He had also said at the time that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had asked him whether he was interested in national politics and he had replied in the negative.

So what has made him announce now that he will plunge into national politics and float a nationwide political front against the BJP and Congress?

Theres more than one reason, according to TRS sources. For one, Chief Minister of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and TDP president, Chandrababu Naidu, seems to have decided to float or lead a national front of non-BJP and non-Congress parties once he has snapped ties with the BJP on account of the injustice done to Andhra Pradesh in implementing the promises made in the bifurcation act.

Mr Naidu has a rich background of associating with several national and regional parties in making and breaking alliances or fronts in the past. He was in the forefront of floating the United Front, taking the support of the Congress party against the BJP, and then later declined to support the Congress and extended support to the BJP. He knows almost every major politician in the country.

K. Chandrashekar Rao wants to upstage him by expressing his interest in national politics before Chandrababu Naidu does so. Though Mr Naidu was in Hyderabad on Saturday, there was no reaction from him on KCRs new adventurism.

Mr Chandrasekhar Rao is more fluent in Hindi, Urdu and English than he is in his mother tongue Telugu. Being able to speak Hindi is a great asset when dealing with leaders in North India.

By speaking out against the BJP and the Congress  which is his arch rival in Telangana  he wants to consolidate those opposing the BJP as well as those feeling uncomfortable with the central governments decisions.

His recent remarks against the central government on policies and issues, was part of this new thinking. The Congress partys failure to get a single seat in Nagaland and Tripura, and its failure to repeat its performance in Meghalaya, forced him to declare his intention to jump into national politics yesterday evening.

However, it is not an easy task to float a Third Front at the national level as three such experiments earlier proved. The Janata Party of 1977, National Front in 1987 and United Front in 1996 all ended in failure. Of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, there are 255 seats in 14 states where it is a fight between the BJP and Congress (in Kerala the fight is between LDF and the UDF led by the Congress). In the remaining 288 seats in 15 states, the fight is among regional parties with national parties being in the fray as well. It is a fitting example of Bahujan Samaj Party versus Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh which has 80 Lok Sabha seats.

It remains to be seen with which parties, and under whose leadership, KCR will float the new front.The BJP is expected to seek passage of the Triple Talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha despite strong opposition. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: The Opposition, including the Congress, is expected to corner the Narendra Modi government in the second part of the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, on various contentious issues like the Punjab National Bank scam and the ongoing tussle between Prasar Bharati and the Information and Broadcasting ministry.

While the BJP government is expected to push for the passage of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, which seeks confiscation of assets of absconding fraudsters and loan defaulters, and the Triple Talaq Bill will be high on the governments agenda.

Sources stated that the government hopes that it would be able to deflect the opposition criticism if it is able to get the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill through in the ongoing Session.

The Opposition has been targeting the Modi government on the issue and said Nirav is the second big offender to flee India with a huge amount of money owed to public banks.

Another major issue that is expected to create trouble is the ongoing tussle between the public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, and the I&B ministry.

The Opposition has been targeting the I&B ministry over its refusal to release funds to the Prasar Bharati for the salaries of its employees. The Ministrys enmasse transfer of Indian Information service officers is also expected to be taken up during the session.The verdict on the just-concluded elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland has established three major points  the complete regionalisation of the BJP, making it a truly pan-India party; the relegation of the Congress from a position of dominance to that of a fringe player in the region; and the continued relevance of regionalism, as demonstrated by the fantastic performance of regional parties, in an area known for unique aspirations, even sub-national aspirations. Going by how the BJP managed to sweep the CPI(M) away from its bastion in Tripura, the state it had ruled without a break since 1993, it is only natural to look at the saffron partys election-winning strategy. It is actually simple: the BJP worked to a plan that began in 2015. The party despatched an RSS prahari from Maharashtra, Sunil Deodhar, 52, to stay put in Agartala and prepare the ground to oust the Left from the latters stronghold. Mr Deodhar, an old RSS Northeast hand since the early 1990s, began with a social engineering exercise by getting leaders of indigenous groups and ethnic communities interested in the BJP. The narrative the party weaved was that of utterly poor development and progress and highlighted the flaws of the Manik Sarkar government. The resultant broader narrative that started catching the imagination of the masses was that of anti-incumbency. Chief minister Manik Sarkar may have a clean image but he is presiding over a corrupt government  was the refrain.

This approach worked, with the BJP (that fielded 51 candidates) winning 35 seats on its own, and its tribal ally, Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), winning eight of the nine seats it contested. The BJP spiced up the campaign by putting a dynamic new leader of the party, Himanta Biswa Sarma, a top Assam minister and convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (Neda), as its in-charge for the Tripura polls. Mr Sarma took Tripura by storm and his high-voltage, whistle-stop, hop-in-hop-out campaign style took the Communists by surprise. The Left had no one to match Himantas charisma in the vicinity. The Left has been left far behind (it managed to win only 16 seats, down by 34 seats from its 2013 tally) in the battle of ideologies in Hindu-majority Tripura, but it hasnt come as that big a surprise considering the poor law and order situation in Tripura and other factors. But what will the BJPs critics say about Christian-majority Nagaland, where the party managed to win 12 of the 20 seats it contested, up from just one seat it won in 2013? Why am I using phrases like Hindu-majority Tripura or Christian-majority Nagaland? This is because of the obvious charge or description the BJPs rivals and critics reserve for the saffron partys ideology as that of trying to push nothing but the Hindutva agenda, and the perception about the resultant polarisation on religious lines. That is a different debate, but it had its bearing on the Nagaland polls, with some churches issuing appeals to voters not to elect people who could become an affront to Christianity.

The Churchs diktat, however, had no impact at all. This is because the BJP refrained from raising anything touching on religion or issues relating to food habits that irked people across the country sometime ago. The only thing the BJP talked about in states like Nagaland was development and progress. Yes, BJP leaders in charge of Nagaland like Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said it was important for the state to have a government with the BJP as a partner as it would help in an effective implementation of the Naga peace agreement as and when it is signed. Significantly, the BJP had sidelined its ally of 15 years, the Naga Peoples Front (NPF), and entered into a tie-up with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), headed by former chief minister Neiphiu Rio, an erstwhile mover and shaker of the NPF. This was just weeks before the election on February 27. But NPF leader and chief minister T.R. Zeliang said soon afterwards that the BJP-NPF alliance, too, was still on. On results day, March 3, Mr Zeliang said although the BJP has a formal alliance with the NDPP, the doors of the NPF were open for the BJP to come and join. This means the two most important regional parties in Nagaland, NDPP and NPF, have no problem whatsoever in working together with the BJP.

Meghalaya has given a fractured mandate, but there is a clear story there  that the verdict has been anti-Congress. The Congress emerged as the largest single party with 21 seats (down by eight seats from its 2013 tally), but 38 other MLAs who won belong to other parties. Of them, 19 went to the Nationalist Peoples Party (NPP), six to the United Democratic Party (UDP) and two to the BJP. One seat went to KHNAM, a local party, while the polls to one seat had been deferred due to the assassination of a candidate in Garo Hills. The Congress and the NPP are evenly poised to stitch up an alliance, but the NPP, which is close to the BJP and is an NDA ally, has a better chance of bringing regional parties on its side. To what extent is the Congress responsible for the BJPs rise in the Northeast? To a large extent, really. In Tripura, the Congress was first sidelined by the BJP, which usurped the position of the main Opposition party before the polls. The Congress seemed to have abdicated to the extent that party president Rahul Gandhi came to campaign in Tripura only on the last day of electioneering. In Nagaland, the Congress, for some strange reasons, fielded just 18 candidates. The party did focus in Meghalaya with Mr Gandhi launching his bitterest attack on the BJP, accusing it of trying to buy the Church. That worked, but only partially. The clear warning to the Congress is that it needs to start from scratch in the Northeast, which was once its bastion. That means the forces to watch in the region are the BJP and the regional parties.Indias most recent gesture in respect of relations with China is, to say the least, pusillanimous. An instruction from the Cabinet Secretary reported last week  after a note by the foreign secretary  has directed all officials and senior figures to avoid any event with which the Dalai Lama is associated. The foreign secretarys note  leaked to the media  had spelt out the reason, namely, that bilateral relations with China are in a sensitive state. Just days before the instruction became public, the government had noted in reply to a parliamentary question that fresh Chinese military manoeuvres in the Doklam area could not be ruled out after the dust settled last August on the Sino-Indian standoff in the Doklam plateau.

Beijing will be justified in reading the Indian move in relation to the iconic Nobel Peace Prize winner as a triumph of its browbeating diplomacy, and possibly even as an example of Indian kowtowing. China regards the Tibetan spiritual leader as a splittist, or separatist, though the latter strenuously denies this. Beijing regularly expresses annoyance when the Dalai Lama is received by any world leader. Since 1959, when the Dalai Lama, as a boy, escaped to India following the failed Tibetan uprising against the Chinese occupation that was crushed, and was given refuge by Jawaharlal Nehrus government, the famous Tibetan monk has not engaged in any political activity in the country, and has confined himself to the religious domain. In fact, not taking part in politics was a condition of being given hospitality.

It is noteworthy that in the nearly 60 years the spiritual leader has lived in this country, political leaders or senior officials are not known to have associated with him at public forums  even at religious platforms. This makes the latest directive, which obviously has clearance from the highest level, intriguing. It also risks being seen as a placatory gesture  agreeing to doing something of which Indians have not been guilty in the first place. Last month, when the Indian foreign secretary travelled to Beijing for the first time in his present capacity (he was earlier our ambassador to China), foreign minister Wang Yi had reportedly told him that India should be prudent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China in June. A series of high-level official meetings between the two nations have been planned to prepare for the PMs visit, in the course of which Mr Modi is more than likely to interact with President Xi Jinping on bilateral matters and issues of common concern. It is in the interest of neither country to have anything but the friendliest of ties, and to take constructive steps to deal with points of difference. But appeasement and currying favour cannot lead to satisfactory relations.US presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932. (Photo: AP/File)

Washington: US President Donald Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday after the ruling Communist party announced it was eliminating the two-term limit for the presidency, paving the way for Xi to serve indefinitely, according to audio aired by CNN.

"Hes now president for life, president for life. And hes great," Trump said, according to audio of excerpts of Trumps remarks at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida aired by CNN. "And look, he was able to do that. I think its great. Maybe well have to give that a shot someday," Trump said to cheers and applause from supporters.

US presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932. An amendment to the US Constitution approved in 1951 limits presidents to two terms in office.

Chinas annual parliament gathering kicks off on Monday as Xi presses ahead with efforts to ward off financial risks without undermining the economy. The Communist party announced on February 25 the end of the two-term limit for the president - and the parliament is expected to ratify the move.

During the remarks, Trump praised Xi as "a great gentleman" and added: "Hes the most powerful (Chinese) president in a hundred years." Trump said Xi had treated him "tremendously well" during his visit in November.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Saturday.

Trump has often praised Xi, but in January Trump told Reuters the United States was considering a big "fine" as part of a probe into Chinas alleged theft of intellectual property.

He has been critical of Chinas trade policies. Trump told The New York Times in December that because of North Korea he had "been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war."Islamabad: In a first, a Hindu Dalit woman was elected to the Senate, the upper house of Pakistani parliament, in the elections held on Saturday.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)s candidate Krishna Kumari Kohlis victory went viral on the social media. Ms Kohli said she felt proud and was thankful to the PPP for nominating her.

Pakistans Hindus, who make up around two percent of the countrys 20 crore people, have long faced economic and social discrimination.

Polling was held to elect 52 members, and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) won 15 new seats in the Senate, securing a total of 33 spots in the 104-seat upper house, which along with support from allies earns the party a dominating majority in the chamber.

Ms Kohli is from Nagarparkar village in Tharparkar. Born in 1979, the Senator-elect battled hunger and poverty early in her life, and was also a victim of bonded labour. Despite her hardships, driven by her passion for knowledge, she continued her education at a run-down school in her neighbourhood.

Ms Kohli was married when she was in ninth grade. Fortunately my husband and in-laws were extremely supportive and encouraged me to continue my education, she said.'China doesn't want a trade war with the US,' says Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National People's Congress. (Photo: File)

Beijing: China will "take necessary measures" if the United States harms the country's economic interests, a Chinese official said Sunday, as President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium.

"China doesn't want a trade war with the United States," Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National People's Congress, told a news conference on the eve of the rubber-stamp parliament's annual session.

"But if the US takes actions that hurt Chinese interests, China will not sit idly by and will take necessary measures," Zhang said in China's strongest reaction yet since Trump announced the levies on Friday.

President Xi Jinping's top economic aide, Liu He, met with US officials at the White House this week to discuss the fraught economic relationship.

Trump's announcement has sparked a flurry of counter threats from other nations, sparking fears that it will trigger a tit-for-tat trade conflict around the globe.

Trump has shrugged off the threat, boasting on Friday that "trade wars are good, and easy to win".

The Trump administration plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminium.

China has been in Trump's crosshairs over its trade practices since his presidential campaign, but its steel and aluminium exports to the United States are minimal.

While China is the world's largest steel producer, it accounts for less than one percent of US imports and sells only 10 percent of its wrought aluminium abroad.

Steel producers in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey rely far more heavily on the US market.

"The American action to put sanctions on other countries' reasonable steel and aluminium exports in the name of harming national security is groundless," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.US President Donald Trump joked about his own impeachment and mocked several media organisations at a high-profile gathering of journalists and politicians.



Arriving late at the Gridiron Club's white-tie dinner, at which dozens of journalists and politicians gather to trade barbs, Trump said he was late because his son-in-law Jarred Kushner could not get through the security. The security clearance of Kushner was recently downgraded.

Ivanka, you've got to do something! Trump said. Both Ivanka and Kushner were seated at the head table along with the First Lady.

The president talked about planning his remarks and said he discussed them with the funniest people in the White House, including Vice President Mike Pence. Trump called Pence a good straight man.

He is straight! said, Trump.

Trump went on to joke that Pence begins every day asking, Is he impeached yet?

You cant be impeached when there's no crime. Put that down! Trump said.

Noting that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was in attendance, he said he offered to bring Sessions to the dinner.

I offered him a ride over and he recused himself, said Trump.

Towards the end of his speech, Trump talked about Deferred Action Against Childhood Arrival.

I love the Dreamers. We are going to help the Dreamers, he said.

Trump said were all working together on DACA. I hope that somethings going to happen, he said.

He then went on to mock several media organisations including the failing New York Times and CNN. He said CNN recently lost its very best reporter in former White House strategist Steve Bannon.

He took aim at his favourite target - media - Fake News CNN.

He called Fox News the fourth branch of government. And he made fun of Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr, who stepped down in December as publisher of The New York Times, saying: I inherited millions. Arthur inherited billions of dollars, and he turned it into millions.

The president also poked fun at Stephen K. Bannon, his former chief strategist, who many inside the White House believe was the source for some of the nastiest parts of the recent book by Michael Wolff.

He continued by describing the recent turnover at the White House as exciting and invigorating.

I like a turnover. I like chaos. It really is good, said Trump.

Trump then joked about who would be next to leave the White House and questioned whether it would be Steve Miller or Melania. He later referenced the #FreeMelania hashtag.

Shes actually having a great time, Trump said of his wife.

Trump brought up his recent calls for tariffs and suggested they were good for dying industries that have asked the White House for protection.

However, Trump added that it might be too late for the print media.

Trump also brought up talk former Vice President Joe Biden, or as he put it, Sleepy Joe might run for president in 2020. Trump referenced prior comments Biden made about wanting to take him out behind a barn.

While his speech was in joking tone, on North Korea, he quipped that he would not rule out direct talks with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

However, he said it was Kim who faced the risk of dealing with a madman. He also said North Korea had called up and asked to begin talks but that he responded to you have to nuke first.A 28-year old policeman posted on duty at the memorial of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa here allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself today, police said.



M Arunraj (28), a native of Madurai and attached to the armed reserve, allegedly took the extreme step early in the morning by shooting himself in his neck using his .303 service rifle, they said.

He died on the spot.

A senior police official said the cause of the incident was being probed into.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he opposes early elections, as corruption probes linked to him intensify speculation over his future.



Israeli media have raised the possibility of a June poll, with graft investigations potentially weakening the premier's ability to hold together his right-wing coalition.

"There is no reason for that to happen if there is good will," Netanyahu said before departing for a visit to the United States late Saturday.

"For me, there is good will. I hope that the other (coalition) partners also have it."

Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump on Monday at the White House and is set to address pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC on Tuesday.

Israeli police recommended Netanyahu's indictment in two corruption cases last month and investigations are continuing in others.

He and his wife Sara were questioned by police on Friday in a third case of alleged graft.

At the same time, there are signs that a split is emerging within his coalition that threatens to pull the government apart.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties want a law passed to allow religious students to continue to be exempted from military conscription.

Other members of the coalition oppose such a law, but the ultra-Orthodox have threatened to block a 2019 budget that Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon wants to see approved this month.The Rajasthan state crime records bureau has initiated a special drive in school and colleges to train at least one lakh girls in a year on police functioning and procedures to empower them.



Under the campaign Saarthi, one lakh girls will be given knowledge and information about FIR and the procedure of FIR registration, police headquarters and district level set up, detailed information on police website and all helpline numbers, WhatsApp numbers which they can use when required, SP, SCRB Pankaj Chaudhary told PTI.

He said workshops and training programmes will be organised in educational institutions and special emphasis will be on government institutions in rural areas.

We are targeting to cover at least one lakh girls across the state in one year. They will be trained and educated and will be motivated to share the knowledge with family members, friends and with others in their circle so that large number of girls and women and even their family members are acquaint with such knowledge, he said.

Demonstration on the Rajasthan police website, which among others contains all vital information and contact numbers from top to bottom, and mobile apps and digitisation of Rajasthan police will be organised in workshops. Training on police functioning, information on whom to contact and what to do, how to follow a certain procedure will also be the part of the campaign which is getting encouraging results, the SP said.

He said the special focus of the training is on the emerging challenge of cyber crime.

Experts will train them on how they can keep away from cyber crimes. Safe use of social media platforms, online banking frauds and other such activities are part of the training programme, Chaudhary said.

The SCRB has roped in Raj Saarthi Foundation to carry out workshops and training programmes in all the districts which would be assisted by state/ district level teams of the SCRB.

The campaign was initially introduced on national girl child day on January 24 this year and we have so far covered 25,000 girls in different parts of the state. Its formal inauguration will be on March 8 on the occasion of womens day, Jaideep Sharma, director of the foundation, said.

Chaudhary said there are various helpline numbers, mobile apps through which police has simplified procedures like verification of domestic help or tenant, tracking FIR online and others.China will not "sit idly by" if the US tries to hurt its economic interests, a top official said today, after President Donald Trump sparked trade tensions between the world's two largest economies by announcing plans to impose hefty tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.



Zhang Yesui, spokesman of China's Parliament, the National Peoples Congress (NPC), said China does not want a trade war with the US but would take necessary measures if America's move impacts its economic interests.

His comments came amid growing China-US discord over Trump's announcement of increasing tariffs over US imports of steel and aluminium.

Trump said the hefty tariffs aim to protect domestic industry as well as to counter persistent threats posed by Chinese products.

"China does not want a trade war with the US but if the US takes actions that hurts China's interests then China will not sit idly and take necessary measures," Zhang said.

China has the lion's share of over USD 580 billion in bilateral trade with the US. The trade deficit for the US amounted to over USD 370 billion last year.

Since he took over power, Trump has been pressuring China to step up measures to reduce trade deficit and expand US exports and investments. China signed trade deals worth about USD 250 billion, including buying 300 planes from Boeing, during Trump's visit here last year.

China also opened its markets to import soya beans, beef and oil from US.

Early this week, Beijing rushed its top diplomat Yang Jiechi followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping's economic advisor Liu He to the US to pacify the Trump administration to avert a "trade war" between the two countries.

Referring to the ongoing talks, Zhang said for the past couple of days, China and the US had consultations over the trade issues and agreed to hold the talks in Beijing to deepen the bilateral cooperation.

"China-US relations is one the most important bilateral relationships in the world. A stable and growing relationship will not only serve the fundamental interests of both the peoples and it is also the what the international community wants to see," Zhang, a former Chinese Ambassador to US, said.

He said the right approach to address the trade issue is to open the market to each other and work together to find solutions acceptable through talks.

Stating that the US-China ties in the last 39 years benefited both the countries, Zhang said China and the US have different political systems, history and development stage.

"So we don't see eye to eye on every issue and that is only natural. such differences need not necessarily lead to conformation between that two countries," he said.

It is important for both sides to perceive each other's strategic intentions correctly and with a fair mind and keep to the right direction of the China US relations, he said.

"Policies informed by misjudgement or wrong presumption will hurt the relations and bring about the consequences neither side want to see," he cautioned.

China stands ready to work with the US to follow through on the consensus of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump during the US President's visit to Beijing last year and work with mutual respect and increase strategic mutual trust, avoid strategic misjudgement and focus mutual beneficial cooperation and propel handle differences so as to keep China us ties on the right track, he said.Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said no political angle should be imputed in his meeting with Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who is trying for a solution to the Ayodhya dispute through mediation.



"No politics should be seen behind the meeting," he said at a press conference here.

Adityanath said he shares years-old ties with the spiritual guru and whenever he came to Lucknow, he visited him.

"No political angle should be seen in it," he said.

In the past one year, Ravi Shankar has interacted with more than 500 leaders in Ayodhya, Bangalore, Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai personally or through video conferencing.

Recently, he met expelled AIAIMPLB member Salman Nadvi here and has plans for a meeting with Muslim scholars and Ulemas in Lucknow on March 28.

After meeting Nadvi last week, he had said, "Our efforts are on...towards success and the response from all sides is very good. We will continue (our) efforts. We are talking of maintaining love and harmony between two communities and for a grand Ram temple."

The Art of Living founder said the effort was to bring in a consensus on the issue.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board last month expelled cleric Syed Salman Hussain Nadvi, who had expressed the view that shifting a mosque was permissible under Sharia law.

During the general body meeting of the AIMPLB in Hyderabad, many of the 500 participants had demanded that Nadvi be removed from the board.

The board's spokesman had said Nadvi's statement was not acceptable and he made it in his personal capacity.Donald Trump has appeared to cheer on China's Xi Jinping for paving the way to a limitless tenure, while delivering a lighthearted address at a Florida fundraising event.



Trump seemed to jokingly muse over making such power consolidation moves himself, according to audio from the closed-door event at his Mar-a-Lago resort published by news outlet 'CNN'.

"He's now president for life," the 71-year-old US president said, eliciting chuckles from the crowd of Republican donors.

"And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great," he added.

He garnered even more laughs when he quipped: "Maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day."

Though the US leader's comments struck a jocular tone, many on Twitter voiced concern over the prospect of an indefinite Trump presidency.

"Whether this was a joke or not, talking about being President for life like Xi Jinping is the most unAmerican sentiment expressed by an American President," said Democrat Ro Khanna, a California congressman.

China's legislature will hold an annual session starting from Monday that will grant Xi a second five-year stint as president - and also likely scrap the Constitution's limits on holding the office, clearing the way for him to rule for life.

The possibility has sparked public outcry, prompting Chinese censors to furiously stamp out dissenting voices on social media.Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has recounted the time when his father celebrated poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan was receiving brickbats for his illustrious book of poetry "Madhushala", and revealed it was Mahatma Gandhi who came to his rescue.



The 75-year-old actor today recalled the incident at the Benares Hindu University in 1935 where his father was accused of straying the youth of the then British-ruled India by glamourising liquor.

"'Madhushala' written in 1933... Yes 1933... 85 years ago... Still bears fruits of its brilliant thought and longevity... Yet when it was first demonstrated to resounding applause and encore at the Benares Hindu University in 1935, or there about, there were the naysayers that brought threat, unsavoury proclamations, in times to come... Complaints were made to the Mahatma - Gandhi ji too...

"'There is this young man that is polluting the youth of the country by aggrandising the qualities of alcohol... Corrupting the young... And must be stopped or arrested' They complained," Bachchan wrote in his blog.

The star said Gandhi took notice of the "loud voices of dissent" and sent for his father.

"'I wish to listen to what you have been writing...' he (Gandhi) addressed, when my father was brought before him... He heard several verses from the recitation that day and spoke up..."

Bachchan wrote that after listening close Gandhi said, "But there is nothing objectionable in this...?

"Relieved, my father made a hasty exit from the great man's presence, fearing if he did not, there could be a possibility of a change of mind..."Germany's second biggest party said Sunday its members have in their high-stakes referendum approved a plan to join Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition, clearing the last hurdle in the way of the veteran leader's fourth term.



But the chancellor, in power for 12 years, will go into her fourth term with far weaker cards than before, as she had to pay a high price to coax the reluctant Social Democratic Party (SPD) back into another loveless "grand coalition".

Two in three of the SPD's rank and file backed a new partnership with Merkel's conservatives, heralding an end to the political stalemate that has plagued Europe's biggest economy since September's inconclusive elections.

Stung by their worst post-war results, the SPD had initially ruled out another four years under Merkel's shadow.

But after Merkel's attempt to cobble together a government with two smaller parties failed, the SPD relented.

With the party riven over its way forward, its leadership promised its more than 460,000 members the final say on any coalition deal.

"We now have clarity. The SPD will be in the next government," said SPD's caretaker chairman Olaf Scholz, adding that his party plans to send three male and three female ministers to the cabinet.

With the SPD's emphatic decision to move forward with a new partnership, Merkel is expected to launch her fourth government by mid-March.

But Merkel faces a far rockier road ahead than in the last four years.

Unlike in their previous partnership when Merkel's conservatives and the SPD enjoyed a crushing majority, this time they now have only a slim 56 percent (399 out of total 709) of seats in parliament.

Both sides had been weakened as voters angry about the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers in Germany since 2015 turned to the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Wary that the AfD has further fragmented the political landscape and that voters are calling for change, Merkel's conservatives and the SPD have also inserted a clause to review their cooperation in two years.

And despite Sunday's positive vote outcome, dissenting voices in the SPD remain loud.

The party's youth chief Kevin Kuehnert, who ran an impassioned campaign against the planned coalition known as "GroKo", expressed disappointment at the vote result on Twitter.

"Criticisms against the GroKo remain," he wrote.

Within her ranks too, Merkel, who once seemed invincible, is looking increasingly vulnerable as calls grow louder for renewal.

Opponents of her liberal refugee policy have grown more outspoken, while the conservative wing of her party is seething at having lost control of the powerful finance ministry to the Social Democrats as part of the coalition deal.

For the chancellor,who is under pressure within her party to rejuvenate her ranks, the clock is essentially ticking to groom her successor.

At a congress this week, her party formally appointed its new general secretary, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, tapped by Merkel to kickstart the renewal process.

Crucially, Merkel has also named one of her most outspoken CDU critics, Jens Spahn, by bringing him into her next cabinet as health minister.

Spahn, 37, a former deputy to hardliner Wolfgang Schaeuble at the finance ministry, has repeatedly slammed Merkel's centrist policies, particularly on immigration.

He has also advocated a sharp conservative shift in a bid to woo back voters from the AfD, which garnered nearly 13 percent in the September election.

Announcing the new line-up, Merkel called Spahn "a representative of the younger generation" who would play a constructive role.

Noting that at 63 she will be the oldest member of government, Merkel filled the CDU ministries with loyalists, keeping Ursula von der Leyen at the defence ministry, putting close ally Peter Altmaier on the economic affairs brief and placing Julia Kloeckner in the agriculture job.

The cabinet picks "are future-oriented -- they bring together experience with new faces in a good mix", Merkel said, while admitting it had required some "painful" choices.Outgoing Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar submitted his resignation to Governor Tathagata Roy here on Sunday, a day after the CPM-led Left Front was dethroned by the BJP-IPFT coalition after nearly 25 years in power.



The governor advised Sarkar, who was chief minister since 1998, to continue until the new chief minister takes oath.

Coming out of the Raj Bhavan, Sarkar told reporters that he and his ministers would not have been able to run the government for so many years unless the people and the employees extended their cooperation to them.

He expressed gratitude to the people of the state and the staff members of the state administration.

The BJP-IPFT combine scripted history on Saturday by winning the Tripura Assembly polls with a two-third majority, ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPM-led Left Front in the Northeastern state.

The BJP and the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) won 43 seats and the CPM won 16.

Election on 59 seats of the 60-member Assembly was held on February 18.

Polling was countermanded in one seat due to death of a CPM candidate.Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the people of the Northeast have rejected the "politics of hate" by "unanimously" voting the BJP to power.

The BJP on Saturdaywrested Tripura, the Left bastion, and received an invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.

Modi, while addressing a youth convention in Tumakuru about 70 km from here via video-conferencing, said the poll results of Tripura had given him immense joy.

"The brothers and sisters of the Northeast have rejected the politics of hate by unanimously voting the BJP to power," he said.

The convention is being organised to mark the silver jubilee celebrations of the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashram in Tumakuru and celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Sister Nivedita, a social worker and a disciple of Swami Vivekananda.

Modi, speaking on the subject of 'Youth power: A Vision for New India', said a fitting reply to radicalisation could only be given by the resolve for integration.

Hitting out at the previous Left and Congress regimes in the Northeast, the prime minister said the people there earlier were feeling cut off from the Indian mainstream because of policies and decisions that alienated them, but his government has been working relentlessly to wipe off this feeling.

"Our government has resolved to work in such a way that no part of the country and no group feels alienated and we have proved this by working towards it," he said. "This wave of integration can also be felt among the people of Karnataka," he said.

The mandate which the people of Northeast have given is in itself is a very big change, Modi said.

By participating in the happiness of the people of the Northeast through the Assembly polls results, the whole country has sent a strong message that they were with their dreams and sentiments.

"For the country's unity, showing solidarity to the sentiments of the Northeast is a necessity and very big thing," he said.

Modi said the results of Northeast Assembly polls have created an environment of festivity in the entire country.

The prime minister said the Assembly polls also brought the whole country together to celebrate the happiness of the people living there.

"I don't see Northeast poll results through the lens of victory and defeat of political parties, but what is important is that the whole country became participants in the happiness of people residing there," he said.

Modi said such occasions were rare that accomplishments of the Northeast become accomplishments of the whole country.

"We all saw this happening when many Indians, who were glued to the television as though they themselves were in the electoral battlefield, started to realise the happiness, dreams and sentiments of the people of the Northeast as their own," he said.India and Vietnam will explore "substantive and practical measures" to achieve the bilateral trade target of USD 15 billion by 2020, according to a joint statement issued here.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation level talks with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang yesterday, who is on a three-day India visit.

The joint statement further said both the sides agreed to hold the next Meeting of the Joint Sub-Commission on Trade in Vietnam's capital city Hanoi in 2018 at the earliest.

"In order to realize potential to both increase the volume of trade and diversify its composition, they (Modi and Tran) requested the relevant ministries and agencies on both sides to explore substantive and practical measures to achieve the trade target of USD 15 billion by 2020 including but not limited to utilising established mechanisms, strengthening exchanges of trade delegations, business-to-business contacts, regular organisation of trade fairs and events," the joint statement said.

As per the statement, both the sides urged leaders of business and industry of both countries to explore new trade and investment opportunities in identified priority areas of cooperation.

The Vietnamese president applauded Prime Minister Modi's efforts which improved India's ranking in the 'ease of doing business', it added.

Referring to defence cooperation, the joint statement pointed out that their cooperation in oil and gas exploration, thermal and hydroelectric power and renewable energy and energy conservation is registering remarkable progress.

The Vietnamese president "welcomed Indian businesses to expand their oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities on land and in the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Vietnam," the joint statement said.

It also pointed out that the Vietnamese side took note of the request by India on actively considering signing the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance with a view to strengthening the cooperation in the renewable energy space.In Japan, tea is considered more than just a drink. And the Japanese tea ceremony has indeed played an integral part in its culture for centuries. It is an elaborate practice of preparing and serving the Japanese green tea called 'Matcha'. It is patience, grace and authentic rituals that set this ceremony apart.



On the occasion of completing a year, Radisson Blu Atria recently invited tea masters Nomura Yoko, Yoshida Teruyo and Murata Masashi from the Japan Travel Cafe, Azuki, to perform the sacred ceremony. In a conversation with Nomura Yoko, Surupasree Sarmmah finds out more about this practice and what Nomura thinks of the Indian tea culture.

Tell us about the Japanese tea culture...

This ceremony is also called Chanoyu, Sado or Ocha in Japanese. For us preparing tea in this ceremony is more than just drinking it. It is also about the aesthetics. We serve Matcha (powdered green tea) along with traditional sweets to balance out the bitterness of this magical potion. The host of the ceremony is always of prime importance and we Japanese believe in preparing a bowl of tea with all our hearts. There are aesthetics involved even in the way we place the tea utensil (which is considered from the guests viewpoint). We like to call this ceremony as the 'Way of the tea' and the manner in which it is performed is called 'Otemae'. There are various factors involved in making this sacred and authentic. One of the most important things is the venue. 'Chashitsu', a room especially for tea ceremonies - tatami floor, low ceiling, screens, an alcove for scrolls, a hearth built into the floor and entrances for guests are important aspects. The ceremony varies from one school of thought to the other, time of the day, season and venues.

How often do you come to India?

This is my third visit to India, before this, I performed the ceremony in the University of Calicut last year. I am excited to showcase our cultural performance here in Bengaluru. I hope people get a glimpse of the significance and understand the importance of the ceremony, which is in harmony with the nature. The flower arrangements and the sound of water during the performance is extremely important to us.

How successful do you think 'Matcha' is going to be here?

Yes, it is going to be successful as 'Matcha' green tea is already booming in the West and I am sure introducing it here will be a good idea. More than that, India will also be introduced to the Japanese culture.

Can more events like this have a positive impact on the relationship between India and Japan?

Definitely. I saw people in huge numbers come to witness the tea ceremony in the University of Calicut, I was overwhelmed by the positive response. I am sure with more such events, the two countries are going to bond better. Tea is just a factor, understanding each others culture is the main purpose.Indian government's move to implement the Supreme Court ruling on privacy is being closely watched as it is a subject where developed nations have taken lead and has significant bearing on security and trust of people on telecom services, a senior officer of global telecom body GSM Association said.



"The Supreme Court ruling on privacy is an area that is going to be very closely watched. Historically, folks around privacy and data protection have come primarily from United States and European Union. Its going to be very interesting to observe, how the government interprets the ruling of Supreme Court and how that will be manifested in data protection regulations," GSMA Asia Pacific Head Alasdair Grant told PTI in an interview.

The Supreme Court in a judgement on August 24, 2017 declared right to privacy a fundamental right, a far-reaching verdict that could impact a range of life choices of Indians, including food habits and sexual orientation.

The government had constituted a 10-member committee in July 2017 to recommend a framework for securing personal data in the increasingly digitised economy as also address privacy concerns and build safeguards against data breaches. The panel has completed public consultation process. The recommendation of the committee will be used for framing data protection and privacy rules in India.

"As licensed operators, we are subject to sector specific laws around data protection which means we are able to offer secure services that customers can trust," Grant said.

He said the rules will clarify the attributes of India's 12-digit unique identifier number Aadhaar and privacy issues around telecom subscribers.

GSMA is a global telecom operators' body and at present it is being chaired by Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal.

"India's thinking around policy and regulation is observed closely both throughout Asia pacific and world...we see digital India programme has been very profound programme to sustain economic development," Grant said.

India at present is the second largest telecom services market in terms of subscriber base and largest in terms of mobile data usage.

Grant said that India is one of most rapidly growing country in the world.

"Almost 90 per cent of population have sim card but only approximately one quarter of population has mobile broadband. Which means that 30 per cent of mobile users have smartphone. The big socio-economic change for Indian citizen is (to) move from feature phone to smartphones. We are seeing with effective policy that is going to happen quickly. We feel there is need for more capacity, more 5G capacity," he said.

Talking about ease of doing business in India, Grant said GSMA is very hopeful that government will look at issues around cost of doing business under the new telecom policy in works specially spectrum price and high taxes being paid by the telecom operators.

"Spectrum is the life blood of the industry and the Internet in India is mobile . So, spectrum is life blood of mobile because the digital ecosystem is absolutely central to India's economic futures. Spectrum is critical path of India's national infrastructure," Grant said.

He said it is important that Indian government develops effective roadmap for the release of spectrum, in particular 5G spectrum.

"It is equally important that pricing of spectrum is rational. So that it allows for efficient infrastructure investment to promote financial health of industry. We are in midst of dramatic period of consolidation in the industry. Need for financially healthy industry is paramount," Grant added.

He also said that when GSMA talks about best practices for spectrum, it is not about favouring any particular operator or fighting for lowest possible price.

"We are advocating for efficient pricing model," he said.

Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha, who was here to attend Mobile World Congress last week, said India will align with the world to enhance telecom footprint in the country and revenue generation will not be a priority for the government.Around 100 armed Maoists swooped down on a school in Jamui and gunned down two people claiming that they were 'mukhbir' (police informers).

The incident took place on Saturday when many of the displaced people, who had taken shelter in the Pancheshwari Middle school's campus, were fast asleep.

According to police sources, the Maoists came looking for a man named Ranjit Koda. They gheraoed the school and asked for Koda to come out and surrender.

When they could not locate him, the Maoists broke open a bathroom where Ranjit's brother, 38-year-old Madan Koda, had hid himself. They shot him dead.

In the melee, Madan's younger brother Pramod Koda ran for safety towards the field. But the Maoists caught hold of him and gunned him down.

According to an eyewitness account, Ranjit had gone to a nearby field and thus escaped the Maoists' wrath. But after hearing the gunshots, he immediately informed the SP and the DSP. The police arrived on the scene in the next one hour. By that time, the Maoists had escaped under the cover of darkness.

The SP, J Reddy, who reached the spot, said the killing was a result of battle of supremacy between the Maoists faction.

"Those killed had earlier worked with Maoists," the SP said, adding that a manhunt has been launched to nab the rebels.Radical South African opposition leader Julius Malema launched on Sunday his campaign to be elected president in 2019 by aggressively distancing his party from a one-time coalition partner.



The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader used a speech at a packed arena in Johannesburg to confirm that he would seek to unseat the mayor of Port Elizabeth whose administration his party propped-up since 2016 elections.

The mayor of the south coast city, Athol Trollip, is a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA) party which has governed Port Elizabeth as well as Johannesburg and Pretoria with the support of Malema's EFF.

But since the resignation last month of president Jacob Zuma, long the target of Malema's ire, the EFF has switched its attentions to the main opposition DA, accusing it of being a racist party that promotes the interests of whites.

"All white people who are voting DA, who are angry with what we are going to do in PE... all of you can go to hell, we don't care about you. We don't care about white feelings," he said to loud applause and cheering.

"We don't hate white people, we just love black people."

Malema has sought to rebuild ties with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) since President Cyril Ramaphosa succeeded Zuma last month.

"Ramaphosa must do the right thing. We don't care about him being a billionaire, we want him to do the right thing," said Malema.

Malema founded the EFF in 2013 when he was expelled from the ANC along with a number of allies, and the party now has the third largest number of MPs in the National Assembly.

In his speech, Malema welcomed the ANC's recent resolution to seek to expedite the process of redistributing land to "rightful owners" that is widely understood to mean transferring land owned by whites to economically disadvantaged blacks.

"We want to give land to our people, it is going to happen, it will happen in our lifetime, whether they like it or not. The land will be returned," he said.

"We are not going to listen to any Britain, we are not going to listen to European Parliament, we are not going to listen to UN -- we are going to listen to the people of South Africa," Malema added.

He was referring to a letter sent Tuesday by right-wing British UKIP MEP Janice Atkinson to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson calling on London to "step in" over the issue of land redistribution in South Africa.

Malema also announced a voter registration drive for EFF supporters.

"All fighters in all branches must be registered to vote. If you are not registered, then you are a criminal."India and Vietnam have agreed to intensify ties in defence and security, underlining that cooperation in the two key areas was an "important and effective pillar" of their strategic partnership.



The two sides also condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, an India-Vietnam joint statement said.



The document was released by the Ministry of External Affairs after the delegation-level talks yesterday between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, which covered an entire gamut of issues.



A pact on cooperation in the field of atomic energy was also signed. Tran thanked India for extending support in building a research reactor for the purpose of peaceful use of nuclear energy. During the joint press statement yesterday, Modi had said that the two countries decided to cooperate in defence production and explore opportunities in transfer of technology.



Both sides agreed to expedite the implementation of the USD 100 million Line of Credit for building of high-speed patrol boats for the Vietnam Border Guards.



They also agreed that defence and security cooperation is an "important and effective pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and expressed satisfaction at the progress being made in this domain", the statement said.



The two countries agreed to further enhance defence ties, including through exchanges of senior-level defence delegations, regular senior-level dialogues, cooperation between the two armed forces, port calls of naval and Coast Guard ships, capacity building projects, procurement of equipment, transfer of technology and cooperation in regional fora, including ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) plus.



The two sides also decided to strengthen cooperation in the maritime domain, including anti-piracy, security of sea lanes and exchange of white shipping information, the statement said.



Modi and Tran and also discussed stepping up cooperation in the non-traditional security sector and cyberspace.



The two sides agreed to operationalise the MoU signed between the National Security Council Secretariat of India and the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and initiate the Deputy Ministerial-level dialogue to enhance cooperation in traditional and non-traditional security matters and undertake training and capacity building programmes.



On terrorism, the two countries called for a comprehensive approach to deal with the menace, which should include countering radicalisation, recruitment, training and movement of terrorists including Foreign Terrorist Fighters, the statement said.



The approach should also look into blocking sources of financing terrorism including through organised crimes, money-laundering, smuggling of weapons of mass destruction, drug trafficking and other criminal activities.



It said that the approach should also be aimed at dismantling terrorist bases, safe havens and countering misuse of the internet, cyberspace, including social media and other communication techniques by terrorist entities groups and their affiliates.



The two sides further agreed that they would cooperate in building a strong consensus for early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), which was first proposed by India in 1996, , the document said.Arch-rivals the BSP and SP have joined hands to "defeat" the BJP in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls in Uttar Pradesh (UP).



The two parties, which parted ways nearly 23 years ago, would also help each other in thwarting the BJP in winning an extra seat in the upcoming Rajya Sabha (RS) polls from the state.

BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday declared she had asked her supporters to back the party which was in a "better position" to "defeat" the BJP in the bypolls scheduled for March 11.

Though Mayawati did not the name the SP and explained that her party's support was only "limited" to the bypolls and that it was not an "alliance", she did keep the option of an electoral alliance open.

"The issue of the alliance will be taken up at the time of the next Lok Sabha polls...we will have to see if we are offered a respectable number of seats," she told reporters here on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, SP leaders shared the platform with BSP leaders in Gorakhpur.

While the SP and the Congress leaders welcomed Mayawati's announcement, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed it as "incompatible".

"Our enemy is common (BJP)....we must fight it together if we want to defeat it," said SP leader Sunil Singh Sajan.

It (SP-BSP joining hands) was like the coming together of 'ker-ber' (the banana tree and Indian Plum...the two cannot grow together as one is soft and the other is thorny), Adityanath said.

Mayawati also said that her party would help the Congress in the RS polls from Madhya Pradesh if it helped the BSP in the RS polls in UP.

The BSP and the SP had contested the UP Assembly polls in alliance in 1993 and had emerged victorious.Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari today met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in support of a CBI enquiry into the alleged SSC paper leak. Tiwari, who led a delegation of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) aspirants, urged the home minister to look into the allegations of irregularities and mass cheating in the Combined Graduate Level-Test Tier II examination held in February.



The home minister assured the delegation that the government would not allow any injustice and order an appropriate inquiry in the matter, said a statement issued by the Delhi BJP unit.

A large number of aspirants of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) are on a week-long dharna near the Commission's office at CGO Complex, demanding CBI probe into the alleged paper leak in Combined Graduate Level test held from February 17-21.

Later, the delegation met SSC chairman Ashim Khurana. New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi also met the SSC aspirants and appealed them to defer their agitation.Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the country's youth were its great strength and that they were the ones who would take India to great heights in the 21st century.



He was addressing the gathering at the valedictory of the silver jubilee of the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashram here, through video-conferencing from New Delhi.

During his 40-minute address, the prime minister recalled his visit to the city three years ago to seek the blessings of Siddaganga seer Shivakumara Swami.

Likening the youth to God, Modi said 65% of the country's population was aged below 35 years and that this segment of the population should work towards excelling personally and for the country's uplift.

He called upon the people to inculcate Swami Vivekananda's teachings in their lives and to be proud of the country's culture and heritage.

The prime minister said his government had spent Rs 4.5 lakh crore for the betterment of the country's youth. Modi said the loans taken under the Mudra scheme were being repaid at great pace and that more than 70% of those availing the facility were women.

Modi called for innovations in the education system and that the Atal Innovation Mission would help achieve that.As over 28 lakh students gear up to take their board examinations from Monday, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has authorised the superintendents of all examination centres to provide scribe facility to students who are not able to write their papers due to "a sudden illness or an accident."



To avail the facility of scribe, such students will have to reach their examination centres with a certificate on their physical condition from a medical officer, who should not be lower than the rank of an assistant surgeon.

Besides, such students must also have obtained recommendation of the principals of their schools for availing facility of scribe during their examinations.

The examination bye laws of the CBSE provides for facility of scribe to such students.

However, the board's notification on rules to provide this facility came on Sunday - three days after it took the last minute decision in this connection on March 1- even as the board examinations for the class X and XII begin from Monday.

"Scribe will be provided (to such students) free of cost by the superintendent of the examination centre. The Centre superintendent shall ensure to provide a scribe who must be a student of class lower than the one for which the candidate is taking the examination," examination controller KK Choudhury stated in the notification.

The Centre superintendents "shall" arrange "a suitable room" for candidates to be availing facility of scribe. They have to appoint one special assistant superintendent to supervise the examination of such students.

"Principals of the schools concerned shall ensure extreme care in recommending such cases." he added.

No restriction

The board in its notification, in this connection, on February 1 had stated that there will be no restriction on educational qualifications or age of the scribe to be appointed for students not able to write their papers either due to some sudden illness or accident.

Over 16.38 lakh students of class X and close to 11.87 students of class XII are set to take their board examinations, starting Monday, across the country.The vehicles of India's top constitutional authorities - the President, the Vice President, Governors and Lieutenant Governors - will soon have to display their registration numbers.



The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in its affidavit filed before a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar of the Delhi High Court said that it has written to the authorities concerned to get these vehicles registered.

"The offices of the President of India, Vice President, Governors and Lieutenant Governors in the country and Secretary (Ministry of External Affairs) have been asked vide letter dated January 2, 2018 to ensure that all the vehicles used by the President/President's Secretariat, Vice President/Vice President's Secretariat, Governor/ Lieutenant Governors/ or their officers/secretariat, Ministry of External Affairs be registered, if not done, and that they display registration mark as per the rules," the affidavit said.

The affidavit filed through central government standing counsel Rajesh Gogna further said that in pursuant to the letter, the Vice President secretariat informed that "all the vehicles of this secretariat display their registration number including vehicles being used by the Vice President of India and his spouse".

"The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also intimated that it has 14 vehicles, which are used during the visit of foreign dignitaries. MEA has initiated the process of registration of vehicles," the high court was told.

The ministry's response came in the backdrop of a PIL seeking to enforce the display of registration number on cars of constitutional authorities and dignitaries.

The petition, filed by NGO Nyayabhoomi, has claimed that the practice of displaying the state emblem of four lions, instead of the registration numbers, make the cars conspicuous and the dignitaries may become easy targets for terrorists and anyone with malicious intent.

"The practice of replacing the registration mark with the State Emblem of India, instead of displaying them both, is arbitrary and symptomatic of the desire to rule rather than to serve," the petition said.

The PIL by the NGO's secretary Rakesh Agarwal also sought direction to the Delhi government and Delhi Police to seize the cars used by the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Vice President, Raj Niwas and Protocol division of the MEA for not being registered under the Motor Vehicles Act.

The plea referred to an RTI response by the MEA saying none of its 14 cars maintained by its protocol division were registered.

On the other hand, the plea claimed that the Rashtrapati Bhawan refused to supply the registration numbers of its cars on the ground that disclosure of such information would endanger the security of the state and life and physical safety of the President.

It said a person meeting with an accident involving such a car cannot bring any claim against it as due to the absence of any identification mark, the vehicle's ownership cannot be known and the citizens get the message that if a dignitary could disobey the law and get away with it, so could they.

It also sought prosecution of the owners of cars being used by such dignitaries in a time-bound manner and sought a direction to the ministries of home affairs and external affairs to register the cars used by the dignitaries and obtain their insurance policies.Something strange, scary and sublime is happening to cameras, and it's going to complicate everything you knew about pictures. Cameras are getting brains.



Until the past few years, just about all cameras - whether smartphones or point-and-shoots or CCTV surveillance - were like eyes disconnected from any intelligence.

They captured anything you put in front of them, but they didn't understand a whit about what they were seeing. Even basic facts about the world eluded them. It's crazy, for instance, that in 2018, your smartphone doesn't automatically detect when you've taken naked pictures of yourself and offer to house them under an extra-special layer of security.

But all this is changing. There's a new generation of cameras that understand what they see. They're eyes connected to brains, machines that no longer just see what you put in front of them, but can act on it - creating intriguing and sometimes eerie possibilities.

At first, these cameras will promise to let us take better pictures, to capture moments that might not have been possible with every dumb camera that came before. That's the pitch Google is making with Clips, a new camera that went on sale last week. It uses so-called machine learning to automatically take snapshots of people, pets and other things it finds interesting.

Others are using artificial intelligence to make cameras more useful. You've heard how Apple's newest iPhone uses face recognition to unlock your phone. A startup called Lighthouse AI wants to do something similar for your home, using a security camera that adds a layer of visual intelligence to the images it sees. When you mount its camera in your entryway, it can constantly analyse the scene, alerting you if your dog walker doesn't show up, or if your kids aren't home by a certain time after school.

It doesn't take long to imagine the useful and very creepy possibilities of cameras that can decipher the world. Digital cameras brought about a revolution in photography, but until now, it was only a revolution of scale: Thanks to microchips, cameras got smaller and cheaper, and we began carrying them everywhere.

Now, AI will create a revolution in how cameras work, too. Smart cameras will let you analyse pictures with prosecutorial precision, raising the specter of a new kind of surveillance - not just by the government but by everyone around you, even your loved ones at home.

The companies making these devices are aware of the privacy dangers. Many are moving into the field gingerly, slathering their products with safeguards that they say reduce the creepiness.

Take Google's Clips, which I've used for the past week and half. It's one of the most unusual devices I've ever encountered. The camera is about the size of a tin of mints, and it has no screen. On its front, there's a lens and a button. The button takes a picture, but it's only there if you really need it.

Instead, most of the time, you just rely on the camera's intuition, which has been trained to recognise facial expressions, lighting, framing and other hallmarks of nice photos. It also recognises familiar faces - the people you're with more often are those it deems most interesting to photograph.

Clips, which sells for $249, makes taking pictures unconscious and all but invisible. Carry it around wherever you go; the camera has a handy case with a big bendy clip, so it can be affixed to your jacket, set on a tabletop, carried in your palm or placed anywhere else with a view.

From there, it's all AI

Clips watches the scene, and when it sees something that looks like a compelling shot, it captures a 15-second burst picture (something like a short animated GIF or Live Photo on your iPhone).

I took a trip with my family to Disneyland recently, and over two highly photographable days, I barely took a photo. Instead, this tiny device automatically did the work, capturing a couple hundred short clips of our vacation.

Some of them were quite good, getting the high points of our trip in the same way I might have with my phone. But what was really interesting was the stuff I wouldn't have consciously captured.

Clips caught moments of my kids goofing off and fighting in Disney's endless lines, playing catch at home, dancing like adorable maniacs - moments too spontaneous or seemingly slight for me to have caught with my camera, but which will probably paint a more accurate and edifying picture of our lives in 30 years.

An intelligent camera gets these times because it doesn't ask you to break the moment to capture it.

But, obviously, setting up a camera that doesn't need to be specifically triggered to take a picture is problematic. It raises the worry of spying - both that Google can spy on you, or that you can use it to spy on others.

Google addresses that creepiness in two ways. The device is mostly unconnected from the internet. It can take pictures without a connection, and it requires your phone for viewing or saving the clips. But even then, all its AI happens on the device, and it doesn't even need you to have a Google account, the company said.

"We spent a lot of time thinking about privacy, and making sure this was a device people would actually want," said Eva Snee, who heads Google's research on how people interact with Clips. "What we learned was that cameras don't creep people out when they're used deliberately and the person is part of the process."

Clips also raises the memory of other products in this vein, including Snap's Spectacles and Google Glass, the search company's failed attempt to get consumers to use glasses that can take photos.

To ensure that, Clips is designed to look like a camera. When it's on, it flashes a white LED to signal that it could be recording. It also does not record audio, because that might have felt too much like spying.

Lighthouse, which I've also used for a few weeks, is meant to be an upgrade over the internet-connected home security cameras that have become popular. Those devices can be annoying because they freak out every time they spot any movement.

Lighthouse's special trick is a camera system that can sense 3D space and learn and recognise faces - intelligence meant to avoid false alarms. It also has a nifty natural-language interface, so you can ask it straightforward questions: "What did the kids do when I was gone?" will show you clips of your kids when you were gone.

Lighthouse, which sells for $299 and requires a $10 monthly subscription, feels like a work in progress. It was mostly accurate in differentiating people in my house, but it was also tripped up into thinking I had an intruder by a mylar balloon floating around my living room.

The company is young and I expect its software to improve. I can see it being of genuine use to people who wonder what's happening at home when they're away. Want to know if your dog is jumping on your couch?

Ask Lighthouse; it can recognise dogs jumping around couches, and will instantly show you the clip.

But what if it's your spouse, not your pooch, you're worried about? I trust my wife, but for the sake of this column, I asked the device to show me any clips of her in the house with an unfamiliar person. There she was one evening, with the baby sitter, whom Lighthouse hadn't seen before.

It was a case of straight-up spying on my family. But it's an obvious possibility with a camera that understands the world so well.

Alex Teichman, Lighthouse's chief executive, said it could add safeguards against inter-family spying, for instance by restricting face identification only to unrecognised faces.

He also pointed out that the system has numerous fine-grained privacy controls that allow you to turn off any recording when certain family members are present.

Both Lighthouse and Clips are well-crafted against abuse. It should be noted that neither one allows for much more spying than we can already accomplish with smartphones; constant social surveillance is the norm in 2018.

But they are guides to the future. Tomorrow, all cameras will have their capabilities. And they won't just watch you - they'll understand, too.The KIADB (Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board) must avoid acquiring land beyond what was required, Large and Medium Industries Minister R V Deshpande said on Sunday.



Speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of KIADB, he advised the Board to ensure that its decisions did not hurt others.

"Studies should be taken up to assess the ideal sites for industries and their contribution to job creation. Officials should know what plans and policies are needed to encourage first-generation industrialists and startups," he said.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah laid the foundation stone for the KIADB central office and said the board played a significant role in helping the state emerge as a top investment destination in the country.

Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy remembered KIADB's cooperation in the early days of his company. "The company now functions in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru and Hubballi and has got 800 acres from the government," he said.

Murthy said Infosys had invested Rs 10,000 crore in the state. He said last year's exports stood at Rs 20,000 crore.

A documentary tracing KIADB's journey was screened on the occasion.Criticising Niti Aayog for recommending the privatisation of Air India "without any basis", a parliamentary panel said the government's policy think tank is acting like a spokesperson for the private sector.



It also said that the arguments cited by Niti Ayog for privatising the national carrier are "childish".

These remarks are part of the 'Revised Draft Report on Proposed Disinvestment of Air India', which the BJP members in the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture claim has already been rejected by the panel.

Opposition members, however, claim that the report is back in the business of the committee.

In a January meeting, in which committee chairman Derek O'Brien was not present, BJP members claimed that the panel had withdrawn the contentious report that argued against disinvestment of the national carrier.

The meeting was chaired by BJP MP Rakesh Singh in the absence of O'Brien, a leading voice of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, amid Opposition MPs walking out against the move.

However, in a meeting on February 20, Opposition MPs once again raised the issue and grilled Ministry of Civil Aviation officials. They claimed the report was back on the committee's table.

According to the draft, Niti Aayog is "acting as a spokesperson of the private sector and recommended for privatisation of Air India without providing any basis or rationale".

It noted that the think tank "simply said government should not be in airline business when there are private airlines all round. Probably it is a childish argument, if we extend the theory to many other sectors of the functioning of the government, we may have to close down many institutions of national importance".

In one of the sections in the draft, titled '11 reasons why the national carrier should not be disinvested', the panel has also asked whether there are any documents or studies about the basis of Niti Ayog's recommendations.

The draft report also talks about the reasoning given by Niti Ayog, which includes fragile finances of the airline. It has also said Air India with 14% market share is not a strategic or priority business for the government.

The Union Cabinet had last June gave an in-principle approval for disinvestment in Air India. A Group of Ministers led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is working on the contours of the process.



A militant was among four persons killed in a brief shootout with army in Pahnoo area of south Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday evening, the army said.





A defence spokesperson said the militants fired on a Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) of army's 44 Rashtriya Rifles at Pahnoo, 52 km from here, around 8 pm, from a car. The fire was retaliated, triggering a gunfight in which a militant and three over ground workers (OGWs) were killed, he said. An AK-rifle was recovered from the possession of the slain militant.





Residents of the area, however, contested army's claims saying three of the four killed were civilians and not associated with any militant outfit.





Police identified the slain militant as Shahid Dar of Jamnagri, Shopian, while the other three were identified as Suhail Wagay, Shahid Khan and Shahnawaz Wagay.





The latest incident comes more than a month after three civilians were killed after the army opened fire on protesters in the same district on January 27. Following the incident, an FIR was registered by J&K police against Major Aditya Kumar of 10-Garwal and his unit on murder (section 302) and attempt to murder (section 307) charges.





However, the Supreme Court put an interim stay on criminal proceedings against Major Aditya and directed the government that no coercive action be taken against him in the incident. The apex court order came in response to a petition filed by Major Aditya's father Lieutenant Colonel (R) Karamveer Singh, demanding that an FIR registered against his son be quashed.





The FIR has even divided the ruling coalition partners, the BJP and People's Democratic Party. The BJP demanded that the case against the army be withdrawn, while Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of PDP said that the case will be taken to a "logical conclusion."





Shopian, along with neighbouring Pulwama district, has emerged as the hub of new age militancy in Kashmir over the last two years. The heightened militancy is receiving ground support with the local people posing maximum resistance to the security forces, especially during counter-insurgency operations.Mohamed Nasheed, the former president of the Maldives, who was in Bengaluru last month to attend a media event, was asked what exactly he had in mind when he sought the dispatch of a special envoy, along with a military contingent, from India. What was to be the agenda of this military contingent and what were to be its 'mission objectives'?



Nasheed explained that he did not want the Indian troops to come and depose President Abdulla Yameen, nor did he want them to come as an 'occupation force' to take control of the capital Male'. He wanted merely 'force projection', to be sent as a signal of Indian displeasure towards Yameen's highhanded behaviour towards his own people and the country's parliament and judiciary.

He also added for good measure that he did not want Maldives to become a pawn in the contestation between India and China in the Indian Ocean. What had happened between his tweet and his visit to Bengaluru was that China had issued direct messages to Maldives' neighbours not to interfere in 'the internal affairs of a sovereign country'.

China's warning

More important than the rhetoric were reports of the Chinese Navy's movements in the eastern Indian Ocean. It was reported that 11 Chinese warships had sailed into the region in February, amid the state of emergency in the Maldives. A fleet of destroyers, at least one frigate, a 30,000-tonne amphibious transport dock and three support tankers entered the Indian Ocean, according to news portal Sina.com.cn.

Though Indian defence ministry sources later clarified that there were no such movements anywhere near the Maldives and that the Chinese ships were at least 2,500 nautical miles away, the signals were clear. They were meant to deter any adventure by India in what is generally regarded as our backyard.

More recently, there have been reports of a 'Joint Ocean Observation Station' that China is 'looking to establish' in the Maldives. The so-called observatory is to be located in Makunudhoo island, the western-most atoll to the north of Male, closest to the Indian coastline.

That this observatory will not only be a watching station and a listening post with radars and signals intelligence (SIGINT) facilities but will also have 'military application with provision for a submarine base' should not come as a surprise to anyone in the strategic community in Delhi.

One comforting thought, though, is that it is still in the planning stage. But with China, proposals become reality at breath-taking speed. Yameen, by having signed the Free Trade Agreement with China in December 2017 (the second country in the neighbourhood to do so with China after Pakistan) and pledging to align the country along the Maritime Silk Route as part of the Belt and Road Initiative of China, has made it clear as to where he wants to position his country.

With China's presence becoming so ominously imminent, can India dare to do anything in the Maldives? Well, even before the Chinese naval vessels reached the Maldives, India seemed too paralysed to act in a critically strategic country that enables area dominance in the southern Indian ocean. Having lost Humbantota in Sri Lanka to the Chinese Navy and now Makunudhoo island in the Maldives, are we still in control of the southern Indian ocean?

It's a different matter whether China is really interested in protecting and defending Yameen or it is just paying back India for our 'excessive' interest in Vietnam? Or is it payback for our keen interest in the South China Sea dispute with China's ASEAN neighbours?

Neighbourhood and Look East

It is accepted that foreign policy cannot be compartmentalised into regions and it should essentially be a projection of what you are and what you stand for as a country. Let us say, India stands for rule-based governance in international relations. But, when you join hands with one group of nations (ASEAN) against another country, which is not exactly following the high moral principle but its own 'narrow self-interest', you should be ready to face the consequences. Enunciating principles is easy, but to stand by them is tough.

China is essentially testing India's ability to stand up for its convictions and for its interests in the neighbourhood, first in Bhutan (on the Doklam issue) and now in the Maldives. If we let our neighbourhood slip into China's grip, our ambitious 'Act East' will likely remain quite hollow. It may look quite dramatic to have 10 heads of states on one platform to witness our Republic Day parade, but what is at stake for us in Brunei and the Philippines more than in our own neighbourhood?

It has become fashionable for the chiefs of the army and navy to talk of India being a 'net provider of security' in our neighbourhood, including the Indian Ocean. While it sounds very impressive, what exactly do they mean by it? And against whom will we defend our neighbours? Are we truly capable of providing that security or is it just an 'aspirational thing'?

As our neighbours, starting with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives, mortgage their land, along with their sovereignty, to China's easy flowing cash, India has to come up with more ingenious ways of winning over friends by using all the old tricks - 'Sama, Dana, Bheda and Danda'. There is much that our agencies can do in the neighbourhood. 'Sabka saath sabka vikas' does not seem to be working even within India. Now, if our neighbours want 'vikas' (progress) with Chinese characteristics, where does that leave our policy?

(The author is a retired diplomat)The Central Crime Branch (CCB) officials recorded the statement of Sathwik, brother of Vidwath L, on Sunday.



Vidwat was assaulted at Farzi Cafe in UB city on February 17 by Mohammed Haris Nalapad, son of Congress MLA N A Haris. Vidwath gave his statement to the police on Saturday.

Senior police officers said that Sathwik told them that Vidwath's friends informed him about the incident and he immediately rushed to Mallya Hospital.

Nalapad and his associates barged into the emergency ward and when he objected to their behaviour, the gang dragged him by holding his collar and threatened them with dire consequences.

Vidwath told the police he had stretched out his injured leg and Nalapad objected to it. An argument broke out and the MLA's son and his friends attacked Vidwath, an officer added.

Vidwath told the police that Nalapad and his associates asked him to say sorry but kept hitting him without allowing him to apologise.

"They attacked me with whatever they found and did not leave me, even when I fell unconscious," Vidwath told the police.

The police have also recorded the statements from the staff at Farzi Cafe, Mallya Hospital and other eyewitnesses.

The police said that along with the medical report of Nalapad, his six associates from the Forensic Sciences Laboratory, the victim's and witnesses statements would be submitted to the court.

Nalapad and his associates are likely to file an appeal before the high court on Monday, challenging the city civil and sessions court order rejecting his bail application.

Dr Anand, the consulting plastic surgeon who is treating Vidwath, said, "They (Vidwath's family) are waiting for insurance staff to clear the bills. The entire billing process was settled on Saturday. We had given a discharge clearance too. Now it is up to them on when they want to get him (Vidwath) discharged."A new claim has been filed against Del Mars City Council and top administrators by former employee Liza Rogers, this time stating that she was wrongfully terminated for being a whistleblower.

Rogers says she sounded the alarm about administrators using the citys vehicles, parks, power tools and even manual labor for their personal benefit, and that she was fired for it.

An attorney for the city, Jeff Morris, said Rogers latest claim has been rejected.

We expect her to be filing a civil lawsuit, Morris said in an email Friday afternoon, March 2. The city will vigorously defend its actions in court through the legal process.

Rogers worked for the city as an administrative assistant, a lifeguard, parking enforcement officer and facility manager. She and her supervisor, Chief Lifeguard and Director of Community Service Pat Vergne, were both laid off last year after an extensive independent investigation of their department.

An earlier wrongful termination claim filed for Rogers by attorney Kenneth Hoyt was based on violations of public policy and discrimination, and it was denied by the city in January. The new claim was filed Feb. 7 by attorney Dan Gilleon.

In addition to the grounds made in the former claim, the new one is based on Californias whistleblower law, which states that an employee cant be fired for refusing to violate a law or for reporting a violation.

Shes taken a stand, and its going to benefit everybody, Gilleon said Friday, March 2.

This kind of abuse of power  is not good for the rest of us, he said.It took a lot for her to say she wants to speak out on this.

Vergne, a 37-year Del Mar employee, also filed a wrongful termination claim that the city rejected. He has since filed a lawsuit.

A four-month investigation found evidence that Vergne had improperly waived fees for the use of the citys Powerhouse Park and community center, allowed events without permits, abused overtime, used a city credit card for personal purchases, and misused public funds.

A subsequent investigation by the San Diego County Sheriffs Department found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Rogers wrongful termination claim states she was fired Sept. 21 in retaliation for her disclosure of multiple violations of law by City officials and employees.

Those violations include the use of a city vehicle for personal activities, authorization of payment for hours not worked, inappropriate and sexual-related comments to new lifeguards, the use of city employees to work at a personal residence while on the city clock, the use of city power tools at personal residences and more.

All of Rogers allegations are against the Community Services Departments deputy director, Mark Rathsam, and lifeguard Lt. John Edelbrock, whom the city promoted to Vergnes former position in January.

She also claimed Rathsam and Edelbrock had used the Powerhouse facilities for personal events without obtaining the necessary permits or paying the required fees.

The lifeguard department investigation has roiled the community for almost a year. Many residents have called for the termination of City Manager Scott Huth, saying Huth had unfairly accused Vergne of wrongdoing.

However, after the completion of an extended performance review, the City Council voted in February to extend Huths employment contract to 2020.

Huth also received a 3 percent consumer price index increase, a 2 percent merit increase, and a 4 percent one-time bonus on his base annual salary of about $210,000.

--Phil Diehl is a writer for The San Diego Union-TribuneBy Tim Craig

26 February 2018

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands (The Washington Post)  Even though he works at a dump, Kenneal Smith used to enjoy the coastal and mountain views offered from his guard shack here at the islands largest landfill.

But after back-to-back hurricanes pinwheeled across the Virgin Islands in September, Smith feels like hes buried under piles of sheared metal roofs, waterlogged appliances, and crumpled mango and bay rum trees that have been dropped off here.

You used to actually be able to see over these banks, said Smith, as he looked up at four-story debris piles lining the entrance to Bovoni landfill. And the trucks just keep coming.Over the past 4  months, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local contractors have collected more than 736,000 cubic yards of debris  the equivalent of 61,000 truckloads  as they rush to clean up St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix, the territorys three major islands.As the mountains of wreckage continue to grow, crowding landfills and littering roadsides, debate has raged over how to get rid of the detritus tarnishing the islands famous Caribbean landscapes.A plan to burn the waste was squashed after residents protested over the potential health and environmental effects. Shipping the waste to the U.S. mainland is complicated by the threat of invasive species.Other Caribbean nations dont want it either. []For much of its history as a U.S. territory, the Virgin Islands has endured repeated environmental hazards, including underground landfill fires and pollution from the oil and rum industries.Now, after enduring back-to-back Category 5 hurricanes, residents say they have an even better understanding of how fragile their natural environment is. While it took only a few weeks for leaves and flowers to blossom again, most of St. Johns cherished shallow-water coral reefs were damaged during the hurricanes and could take years to fully recover, according to the National Park Service. [more]Country

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Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of ZimbabweConfessions of a liberal who was afraid to call out Trump/Russia connections in 2016

A few days before a New York Times poll of expert executive branch watchers collectively rated Donald Trump as the worst president in American history, The Intercepts James Risen made an observation that still chills me:

One year after Trump took office, it is still unclear whether the president of the United States is an agent of a foreign power. Just step back and think about that for a moment.

To see a Pulitzer Prize-winning national security journalist, who had been targeted for prosecution for his work by both the W. Bush and Obama Administrations, make this observation shivered my spine for two reasons:

We know that Trump, at the very least, invited help from the Russians who were trying to elect him president and sought to reward them for that help. Thats obvious. We know he is an agent of foreign powers  oligarchy and Illiberal democracy.

These conclusions are clear to me and worthy of mockery to many on the left, who see the obsession with Russia as mostly a means of absolving Hillary Clinton and her key supporters for their loss in 2016. This episode of Doomed with Matt Binder does a nice job of laying out many of the objections to a fixation on Russia, which is occasionally branded as a rising neo-McCarthyism by so-called liberals, who are generally accused of ignoring Americas own Illiberalism and hypocrisy.

Like any liberal who admires many of the policies and instincts of true leftists, the idea of buying into anything vaguely red-baiting nauseated me  especially given how the much more destructive domestic forces of the hard right and libertarianism are ascendant in this country.

These pointed concerns shook me during the 2016 election. While a few brave voices like Sarah Kendzior warned of Trumps Russia ties and autocratic inclinations, I shied away from making the obvious connections between Trump and Russia. And I was cowardly in my defense of those were assailed through targeted attacks disguised as leaks.

Instead, I fixated on what is still my biggest fear  not that Putin had turned Trump but that Trump wanted to be our Putin.

One thing is true, Vladimir Putin longs for the days of the Soviet Union. But like his fallen empire, Putin has nothing to do with any semblance of the left that I want anything to do with.

Hes looted his people to make himself the richest person on Earth. Hes a party to systemic elimination of his critics and enemies. And he uses blatant racism, sexism and homophobia to rally supporters to his hollow con of an agenda. And hes given himself all this, along with the presidency for life, with limited economic leverage and even less strategic genius.

In short, hes everything Donald Trump could ever hope to be.

While experts warn of a rising right-wing populism and nationalism across continents, its rarely mentioned that this is an agenda that Putin more than any other individual has pushed wherever true democracy, his fiercest enemy, reins. The idea of finding common cause with people in every country who just happen to be white definitely has a lot to do with an ism and it isnt nationalism.

I often joked Congratulations to anyone who had one for how many black presidents it would take for Republicans to fall in love with Russia, but its important to note how the collapse of racial liberalism, as described in this brilliant essay by Nils Gilman, has revealed the chasm between the right and left in stark terms.

Trumps successful gambit of elevating all the themes of dog whistle racism, which had generally been sublimated by coded language for decades, and pairing it with left-sounding arguments in favor of the working class was in many ways just a cartoon version of that scam Republicans have been using to win over the South and rural areas for decades. But by averring the religious culture war (and using Mike Pence as a walking symbol of his devotion to that old gambit) and focusing on making economics a culture war about immigration, trade and corruption (we all know the swamp is just them), he did something Republicans hadnt been able to do, ever.

He was elected, with Putins help, to deliver Paul Ryans agenda  an agenda that sees freedom as the power to undo the safety net along with environmental and consumer protections to let billionaires get richer as 95 percent of us sink forever into deeper debt and despair. Trump hid is allegiance to the agenda by swearing off Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security cuts.

But the billionaires were not fooled.

Im more excited about what were doing and about the opportunities than Ive ever been, Charles Koch told the members of the mighty donor network he and his brother David have led for a decade at their January 2018 meeting. We have made more progress in the last 5 years than I had in the previous 50.

Trumps agenda of corruption and exploitation is an agenda that only an oligarch could love. Thats what I saw when I saw him praising Putin and thats what Putin saw, too  a man who despises democracy as much as he does.

And in Trump the right has found someone who had no compunction about finishing their job of hollowing out our democracy.

Remember When Justice Alito mouthed not true when President Obama said in his SOTU that Citizens United would open the door to foreign money in our elections? Now it is clear there was a huge sum the NRA put in via dark money and we will soon learn how much of it was Russian  Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) March 2, 2018

I feel like a naive kid when I say that oligarchy and Illiberal democracy are distinctly non-American forces. I know its easy for me to say as a while male, but its a naivety that Martin Luther King Jr. appealed to when he came to cash in on the promissory note of our founding and its a naivety Shirley Chisholm invoked when she launched her candidacy for the presidency in 1972:

I have always earnestly believed in the great potential of America. Our constitutional democracy will soon celebrate its 200th anniversary, effective testimony, to the longevity to our cherished constitution and its unique bill of rights, which continues to give to the world an inspirational message of freedom and liberty.

We should expect better than Donald Trumps criminality and we should expect far better than his rejection of our aspirations.

And we should never look away from the bald truth of this moment. As Max Bergmann of the Moscow Project told me:

There were two campaigns to elect Donald Trump: a Russian one and an American one. Collusion is where they overlapped. With more than 50 contacts between the Trump team and Russians, the June 9th meeting with senior campaign staff and Kremlin-linked figures, and Trumps long-standing financial relationships that could easily provide leverage, the question is not whether they worked together, but how deep it goes.

Donald Trumps campaign and Russia worked together to help elect our current president of the United States, or we are witnessing the greatest coincidence since the Big Bang, I wrote in USA Today.

I wrote that to make excuses for no one and without any pretensions. I know the failings my country and my party made Donald Trump possible. And I know that my silence and focus on the trivialities of Trumps ridiculousness helped in the slightest of ways make it happen.

And I know that for 2018, Democrats focus shouldnt be doing Robert Muellers job. Its amazing that despite the rank corruption of this president and his party, a competent investigation is revealing all the things that happened in plain sight. So our job is to stand up up to Trump.

By close to 2-1, 58%-32%, those surveyed say they want to elect a Congress that mostly stands up to the president, not one that mostly cooperates with him, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds.

To me, thats thats the message of 2018. We need to stand up to Trump for democracy, for health care, for the working class. Its something we should have done better in 2016. And if we dont do in 2018, it may be too late.

By Chicago Tribune , March 03, 2018





After a nearly daylong manhunt, authorities took into custody a college student from the Chicago suburbs who police said fatally shot his parents on the campus of Central Michigan University.





The university and local police said 19-year-old James Eric Davis Jr., of Plainfield, was taken into custody after he was seen passing through the campus after midnight Saturday.

Read More:



Join us - become an Elderado today at: LarryElder.com

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PKK ringleader asks US for help

Terrorists became helpless before Turkish soldiers in Afrin hope for help from US to stop Turkish Army.

Since the launch of the operation on Jan. 20, the Turkish military have liberated 116 locations, including one of Afrin's five towns, 88 villages, six smaller villages, 20 strategic mountains and hills.

Terrorists are helpless before Turkish soldiers, asked US for help.

After terrorists got into a scrape before Turkish soldiers, PKK headquarter Qandil called for US. PKK ringleader Murat Karayilan said that US should stop Turkish Army in Afrin Karayilan stated that US could ensure Turkish soldiers retreat.The final state of Russian-flaged YPG headquarter

A headquarter was made over to YPG by Russia in Kefer Jenne in north Afrin was shot by Turkish military.

Turkish military liberated seven more residential areas, including a strategic Rajo town, from PKK/YPG-Daesh terrorists as part of the ongoing operation northwestern Syria, the military said.

Shelters and emplacements belongs to YPG terrorists were destroyed by Turkish air forces with specialized attack helicopters.

The final state of Russian-flaged YPG headquarter WATCH

A Russian-flaged YPG headquarter in Kefer Jenne district was shot dead on. The headquarters were being used by Assads regime militias.Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have been splitting their time between Stefani's home on the west coast and his home in Oklahoma for years.

As fans have seen, Stefani and Shelton enjoy time in Los Angeles when they are working but also frequently visit Shelton's ranch with her three children. However, according to a recent report, their trips to Oklahoma weren't quite enough for Stefani and Shelton to gain the privacy they've been hoping for. Ultimately, sources claimed they would soon be taking a break from Hollywood.

On March 1, E! News claimed Stefani and Shelton had seemingly been trying to keep their romance off the radar in recent months. Around the same time, a report from the Inquisitr suggested that the couple may soon leave Los Angeles for good.

The report also said the couple were planning to quit Hollywood to have a simpler life and have decided to move to the Midwest. However, according to Gossip Cop, they shut down a similar report from Radar Online at the end of February after being told that the couple had "no plans" to leave Los Angeles permanently. Instead, they seem to be enjoying their current balance of time in Oklahoma and time in California.

Stefani and Shelton have been facing pregnancy and wedding rumors for the last two years but so far, they seem to be holding off on taking those potential next steps in their romance as they focus on otheir careers and their time with Stefani's family, including her boys Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo.

Although Stefani and Shelton won't be walking down the aisle anytime soon, that doesn't mean they aren't totally in love with one another. In fact, according to a report from Hollywood Life at the end of last year, Stefani has never been more into her man than when she experienced the 2017 holidays with him.

"She didnt think she could love him any more than she already did but then he pulled a total Super Dad for her kids on Christmas," a source explained at the time. Their dad ended up going to England for the holidays so it was all on Gwen and Blake and he totally hit it out of the park. He was up with them at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning. And he had all sorts of surprises for them, he even made a treasure hunt. Seeing Blake make her kids so happy is better than anything in the world for Gwen."Fans love to devour news about Sandra Bullock's private life. Between her relationship drama and raising her kids, they cannot get enough of Bullock.

No Wedding For Sandra

On March 2, a representative for Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock had to come to the defense of The Blind Side and Gravity star. Many celebrity gossip media outlets had claimed that Bullock married her boyfriend, Bryan Randell.

"They are not married," said Bullock's representative to People Magazine.

It's A Love Story

Bullock apparently met Randell when she was looking for a photographer to take photos of her adopted son, Louis. The duo stayed in touch following the completion of the assignment. Eventually, Bullock and Randell were romantically linked and were seen moving in together in 2016. Many of Bullock and Randell's friends believed that the duo had a beautiful relationship but also swore up and down that they were not ready to take their relationship to the altar.

"They are pretty much married the way they act around each other and the amount of time that they share with one another," an insider told E! News.

Many insiders believe that the Miss Congeniality franchise actress does not like soaking up the Hollywood glitz and glamor. They also think that when her film assignments and press junket obligations are done, she just wants to harness all of her remaining energy on building a cohesive family unit which includes Randell, Louis, and her adopted daughter, Laila.

'Ocean's 8' Is Coming

The wedding rumors between Bullock and Randell come months before the premiere of Bullock's latest film, Ocean's 8. Following the release of the Ocean's 11 franchise reboot's official trailer, many rumors were running wild that Matt Damon, who is set to make an appearance as Linus Caldwell, was eliminated from the film due to his support to comedian Louis C.K. following the latter's sexual misconduct scandal. As of publication, Damon is still a part of the film.

Ocean's 8 is expected to focus on Debbie Ocean (Bullock), the sister of legendary Danny Ocean (George Clooney), as she picks up the pieces of her shattered life. She has a plan that could shake up the New York City fashion world. Ms. Ocean assembles a team of eight women who are going after a $100-million diamond necklace displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ocean's 8 has been confirmed to be released into theatres on June 8.

Sandra Bullock Bulletin

Outside of her marriage rumors and preparing for Ocean's 8's release, Bullock has seldom been seen in public. When disgraced Today show anchor Matt Lauer was terminated by NBC News for a sexual misconduct allegation, a clip of a 2009 conversation between Lauer and Bullock re-emerged. It featured Lauer awkwardly admitting that he had Bullock's naked body as a screensaver on his phone.

Months before the Lauer interview resurfaced, Bullock received disturbing news. Her stalker, Joshua James Corbett, was released on June 30, 2017, from a psychiatric facility after a judge gave him five years' probation. On June 8, 2014, Corbett broke into her home and Bullock had to hide her children in a closet as she called 911 to send police to her house.When you look at livestock through the lens of environmental sustainability, one of the biggest drawbacks is the sheer volume of grass these animals eat before finding their way onto our dinner plates.

In a world with unlimited grazing land, this might not be such a bad thing. But on a planet with finite land resources, this need for grass creates a stumbling block in our efforts to meet an ever-growing demand for meat.

But what if we could figure out a way to help cows and other animals get more out of the grass they eat? Recent research suggests we may be headed that direction, with scientists discovering a gene which can be turned down to make grass more digestible  and more efficient.

Grasses owe their evolutionary success partly to sturdy cell walls that make them difficult to digest. This deters many herbivores, and poses problems even for those animals which are adapted to eat it. Unlike humans, cows and sheep have stomachs that allow them to graze on grass. Still, they cant release all of the grasss energy. Much of a plants calorific value is tied up in a robust cell wall, making it inaccessible to livestock.

More digestible grass would make it possible to raise cows on smaller pastures, reducing the pressure put on the land by beef and dairy production. It also has the potential to boost bioenergy efforts. Crops such as maize, sugarcane and rice have those same robust cell walls, and this makes them difficult to process into biofuels.

Trailers filled with sugarcane sit at Biosev SAs Santa Elisa mill in Sertaozinho, Brazil, in 2015, ready to be converted to ethanol.

The parts of the sugarcane plant which arent made into sugar are a perfect source of fuel, yet it takes large amounts of energy to turn them into bioethanol. They already are used in Brazil, where theyre given a high energy pre-treatment followed by treatment with enzymes to release sugars from the cell walls. These sugars are then fermented to make bioethanol. In theory, more digestible biomass should lower the amount of energy and enzymes needed, making bioethanol production both cheaper and more environmentally friendly.

Previous efforts to find more digestible grasses have generally had little success. Sometimes the methods have been quite simple, such as screening plants to identify those with high digestibility. Others have worked on suppressing genes. One crop has been brought to market, brown-midrib maize, in which a natural mutation decreases lignin production. It attracts a premium in the US as an animal feed, but the mutation has the side-effect of reduced yield.

New research findings

The new research, released recently in New Phytologist, identifies a key gene involved in the stiffening of grass cell walls, and demonstrates that suppressing it can increase the release of sugars, making the grass more digestible.

Scientists have known for a long time that ferulic acid contributes to strong grass cell walls. This small molecule creates cross-links in the cell wall, making them stronger. It has been hard to identify the gene responsible for adding ferulic acid to the cell walls, which encodes an enzyme, although a collaboration between researchers in the UK, Brazil and the US has now had success. The project was led by Dr. Rowan Mitchell from Rothamsted Research in the UK and Dr. Hugo Molinari at the Laboratory of Genetics and Biotechnology at Embrapa Agroenergy, part of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).

Mitchell first identified a possible gene in 2007. He compared the fully sequenced genomes of rice, a grass and Arabidopsis, a non-grass commonly used as a model organism in the lab. By looking for a gene that was highly expressed in grasses but not in non-grasses, and judging that it was the right type of gene based on the sequence of the protein it encodes, he came up with a likely candidate.

Demonstrating its role in the lab, however, has proved difficult. In the 10 years since the discovery, the team has tried various approaches, and were finally successful using RNA interference (RNAi). Using genetic modification techniques, they added a gene which suppresses the target gene to around 20 percent of normal activity.

This increased the release of sugars by up to 60 percent and makes it a promising target for improving grass crops for both bioenergy and animal feed.

Click here to see more...The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-CategoryDUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 4,2018 /PRNewswire/ --Spinnaker Support, a leading and trusted global provider of Oracle and SAP third-party support, announced today they are returning as a Platinum Sponsor of Gartner's Symposium/ITxpo for the second consecutive year. Gartner is expected to host more than 600 CIOs and senior IT executives from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in Dubai from 5-7 March 2018. The intent of the event is to provide a community of Gartner analysts, industry experts, peers, and solution providers to discuss new ways to approach critical challenges.

"As the only third-party support provider at the event in 2017, attendees discovered from Spinnaker Support that there is a safe and legally acceptable alternative to Oracle and SAP-provided annual support," stated Kurt Moydell, SVP of Global Sales and Marketing at Spinnaker Support. "We sponsor Gartner events like this all over the world because they draw IT decision makers looking for better enterprise application support for a fraction of the cost, where savings can accelerate their digital innovation programs. Being able to share our unique benefits with these IT decision makers directly in a cooperative setting is invaluable."

Co-Presenting with a Local Customer

Spinnaker Support will co-present with Alamar Foods, an operator of fast food restaurants and cafes based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They signed a three-year Oracle support agreement in the second half of 2017, after being introduced to Spinnaker Support at the Gartner Dubai event last year. Alamar Foods will share their decision-making process to adopt Spinnaker Support and will discuss the positive cost and operational impacts of third-party support during the presentation on 6 March at 11:30.

"Though our initial driver to investigate third-party Oracle support was a company-wide initiative to make sustainable savings, the incremental benefits we are receiving are advantageous for our organization," stated AlMutaz Mah'd, Head of ICT and SSC at Alamar Foods. "The fast response time, support for customized code, and fact that the first person we speak to is an Oracle expert are all incredible advantages we have on the IT team now."

"I worked closely with Alamar Foods throughout their internal processes to make the transition away from Oracle support, and it confirmed my belief that there are many other organizations in the GCC region that could benefit from making the switch to Spinnaker Support," stated Nigel Pullan, Vice President of Emerging Markets & Global Alliances at Spinnaker Support. "Our commitment to the region is unwavering, as evidenced by our investment in employees, infrastructure, and an ever-growing partner network."

About Spinnaker Support

Spinnaker Support is a leading and trusted global provider of Oracle and SAP third-party support. Spinnaker Support clients gain more comprehensive and responsive service, save an average of 62% on their support fees, and can remain on their current software release indefinitely. Over 30% of Spinnaker Support's customers leverage their managed services and consulting to improve performance, optimize cost, and reduce complexity. trust Spinnaker Support to keep their enterprise applications running at peak performance and to help them navigate from on-premise to hybrid to cloud.

Spinnaker Support's award-winning blend of services span SAP, BusinessObjects, Oracle E-Business Suite, JD Edwards, Siebel, Oracle Database, Oracle Technology and Middleware products, Hyperion, Agile PLM, ATG/Endeca, and more. To learn more about Spinnaker Support, visit http://www.spinnakersupport.com/. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.

Contact: Michelle Wilkinson, 720-457-5442, mwilkinson@spinnakersupport.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/538443/Spinnaker_Support.jpg75 Percent of LA Residents Can't Afford to Buy in Los Angeles

SANTA MONICA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 4, 2018 / The cost to live in Los Angeles is now at a crucial point for most of its inhabitants. Today, the chance to buy a home in southern California is now a pipedream for the majority of people who call LA home, perhaps not for much longer.

The California Association of Realtors recently published a report that paints a dim picture of the present, and future. The report states that housing costs are so high that only one in four households is able to purchase a median priced property in Los Angeles. According to the association's Housing Affordability Index, the average cost of a home in Los Angeles was $ 553, 330 (4th Quarter in 2017). When additional costs are added into the mortgage payment of taxes and insurance, the average monthly mortgage payment is calculated at $ 2, 790. This number assumes that the buyer makes a down payment of 20 percent which, in itself, is difficult to make. Most homebuyers do not have on average $ 107,000 to put down on a house, Neil Shekhter points out.

In light of the facts and numbers, a potential buyer would need to make almost $ 112, 000 per year. That calculation uses household income to determine if a homebuyer can make mortgage payments without incurring a substantial debt that the buyer cannot handle. In simple terms, 30 percent of the household income will go toward the mortgage payment. Sadly, under the current conditions, three quarters of the residents in Los Angeles County earn less than what would be required to pay that steep a mortgage without a high degree of risk, according to Neil Shekhter, founder, and CEO of Santa Monica-based NMS Properties.

High home prices in southern California are not a new phenomenon, and historical records are confirming that conditions are only becoming worse. Beginning in early 2012, data shows that more residents' gross pay was sufficient for purchasing a home in LA. However, housing prices have skyrocketed while income has lagged behind or, in some cases become stagnant. Back in 2012, the salary required to buy a home in southern California was $ 53, 780, or less than half of what is required today ($ 100, 210).

One bright spot concerns first-time homebuyers albeit a small glimmer of relief. The median price for a starter home in Los Angeles County is $ 470,330, within the means of almost half the residents (43 percent). They will however still be responsible for a large down payment of 20 percent to keep costs manageable. The average mortgage under these conditions would be around $ 2,400.

In a nationwide comparison, the report also confirms that the average cost of a home in southern California is greater than the rest of the United States. On average, if you live outside southern California, in order to afford to buy a home, a buyer most earn annually $ 50,040. A standard home would cost on average almost $ 248, 000. Statistics indicate that 56 percent of the population fall within that range, Neil Shekhter notes.

Unfortunately, there are no homes in LA that sell for under half a million dollars.

Launching NMS Properties in 1988, Neil Shekhter assumed the role of CEO in January 1995. The real estate management company focuses on multi-family and mixed-use properties in the Greater Los Angeles area and in Santa Monica. At present, NMS properties manage more than 70 properties.

Over the course of 2017, NMS deployed 40 furnished units in Los Angeles, and Neil Shekhter plans to triple that number in 2018. The company currently manages some of its properties while testing a pilot with MY SUITE.

Neil Shekhter - Founder and CEO of NMS Properties

Apartments For Rent In Los Angeles NMS Residential: http://www.nmsresidential.com

NMS Properties - Real Estate Management Firm: http://www.nmsproperties.com

Contact Information: info@NeilShekhter.com

SOURCE: NMS Properties, Inc.Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 4, 2018) - Commander Resources Ltd. ("Commander") (TSX-V: CMD) is pleased to report that its project partner Fjordland Exploration Inc. ("Fjordland") (TSX.V: FEX) will fund a minimum $1,200,000 exploration program on the company's South Voisey's Bay nickel-copper-cobalt project (the "SVB Property") located 80 kilometres south of Vale's Voisey's Bay nickel mine in Labrador, Canada. Fjordland's funding will be provided by its strategic investor, High Power Exploration Inc. ("HPX").

The large 29,400 Ha SVB Property is located in central Labrador 80 kilometres south of Vale's Voisey's Bay Nickel mine and covers parts of the Pants Lake Gabbro Complex. Fjordland recently completed a 1469 metre drill program in which hole 17-6 returned a 3.9 metre interval of semi-massive to massive sulphide comprised of pyrrhotite, pentlandite and chalcopyrite grading 0.37% nickel, 0.27% copper and 0.1 % cobalt at the base of the Worm Gabbro within a sequence of troctolite. Borehole Electro-Magnetic (BHEM) data, collected by Crone Geophysics in November, defined several extremely high conductivity targets in particularly in holes 17-6 and 17-7 where a strong conductor was associated with the intersected sulphides, and an even stronger non-decaying off-hole conductor. (see news release dated January 18, 2018 and the accompanying QA/QC statement)

Drilling in 2017 was centred on modeled conductors derived from re-processed historical UTEM-3 surveys conducted in 2002 and 2014. Targeting incorporated recent geological concepts being successfully applied at the Voisey's Bay Mine wherein structure plays an important ore control role and where massive sulphide accumulations may also occur in wall rock structures. Ongoing processing of historical geophysical surveys completed by previous project operators and aided by recent improved geological insights derived from the recent drilling has outlined numerous untested conductors throughout the property and will form the basis of the 2018 drill program.

Fjordland currently has a 35% project interest. Under the terms of the Commander/Fjordland option agreement, announced on June 5, 2017, Fjordland may earn up to a 100% interest in the property by paying Commander combined cash payments of $290,000, completing $8.0 million in exploration expenditures and issuing to Commander an aggregate of 4.5 million shares of Fjordland. Upon Fjordland acquiring a 100% interest in the project, Commander will retain a 2% NSR with Fjordland having the right to buy down 50% of the Royalty for a payment of $5,000,000 as a cash payment, or a cash payment equal $2,500,000 plus the issuance of shares having a fair market value of 50% of the buy down amount. Commander will receive a $10,000,000 advance royalty payment at the commencement of commercial production. Fjordland is 30% held by an affiliate of HPX who have separately entered into a funding agreement with Fjordland to provide up to $7.4 million in expenditures and $290,000 in property payments, following which Fjordland has agreed to assign a 65% project interest in SVB to HPX (see FEX news release dated August 28, 2017). HPX is a privately owned, metals-focused exploration company deploying proprietary in-house geophysical technologies to rapidly evaluate mineral prospects. The HPX technology cluster comprises systems for targeting, modelling, survey optimization, acquisition, processing and interpretation. HPX has a highly experienced board and management team led by Co-Chair and Chief Executive Officer Robert Friedland.

Robert Cameron, P. Geo. is a qualified person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 and has read and takes responsibility for the technical aspects of this release.

About Commander Resources:

Commander Resources is a Canadian focused exploration company that has leveraged its success in exploration through partnerships and sale of properties, while retaining equity and royalty interests. Commander has a portfolio of base and precious metal projects across Canada and significant equity positions in Maritime Resources Corp. (MAE-TSX.V) and Aston Bay Holdings (BAY-TSX.V). Commander also retains royalties from properties that have been partnered, optioned or sold.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Robert Cameron, P. Geo.

President and CEO

For further information, please call:

Robert Cameron, President and CEO

Toll Free: 1-800-667-7866

info@commanderresources.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may 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.In simple words, its not ideology or any progressive policies but West Asian capitalism that will keep the rump of the CPM or rather communism alive in India. When the remittances start falling, we will see the real test.

The most common reaction to the CPMs rout in the Tripura Assembly elections on Saturday was the reference to a rather prophetic statement of the partys national general secretary Sitaram Yechury recently. At a conference in February last week, he had reportedly told delegates that the party is CPI (M), and not CPM (Kerala). His angry taunt was targeted at the proxies of CPMs Kerala leadership that sought to dismiss the Congress as its national ally against the BJP.

Communist Party of India (Kerala) sounds like a misnomer. But with the disastrous results in Tripura on Friday, thats precisely what the party has been reduced to. A national party (undivided), which was the principal Opposition in the first ever Lok Sabha, has now been pushed to a tiny land that accounts for hardly three percent of the countrys population. And social media was immediately abuzz with derisive memes recalling Yechurys statement. The statement was also featured in the headlines of major news channels.

In terms of electoral significance, the CPM has been wiped out from India, barring Kerala. In West Bengal, the CPM-led Left Front was defeated by the Trinamool Congress in 2011 and 2016 after being in power for seven consecutive terms since 1977. The party has now been trounced in Tripura after 25 years of uninterrupted rule. Whats truly catastrophic is that in both the states, the Opposition has thrown it out with two-thirds majority.

In West Bengal, the party is apparently in irreversible shambles following two consecutive routs, even failing to send a nominee to the Rajya Sabha for the first time in sixty years. In Tripura, its first defeat itself is portentous because the BJP literally came out of thin air.

With a jubilant BJP president Amit Shah training his guns on the South next, the big question now is if the CPM can safeguard its last vestige: Kerala. The answer is most probably yes without much trouble. Firstly, the states demography (nearly half of the states population comprise Muslims and Christians) doesnt give the BJP enough room to polarise. Moreover, CPM's communism is funded by West Asian capitalism.

Since the demography has been discussed time and again, lets focus on the socio-economics and violence.

Despite all the alleged machinations by the Trinamool and the BJP in West Bengal and Tripura respectively, the principal reasons that did the CPM in were socio-economic stagnation and its violent ways. Although on some fronts the states records appeared better than the national average, they did badly in where it mattered the most such as infrastructure, electricity, education, access to health, banking and employment.

Of the two, West Bengal with a per capita income that was lower than the poor national average was worse off. In a list of 10-15 states arranged according to various indicators, West Bengal languished at the bottom. On the other hand, Tripura had been trapped in a vicious cycle of poor infrastructure and industrialisation, low capital formation, and high levels of unemployment among other economic ills.

While it made little progress on these counts, the CPM didnt moderate its violent domination of Opposition. In both the states, the Opposition parties accused them of cell rule in which the party called the shots in public institutions and delivery of services. It was a policy of deliberate social exclusion that provoked counter-violence. Bad development and violence were a bad combo, when somebody was offering an alternative, whether it was bogus or not.

The CPM in Kerala is also accused of similar  or worse  level of violence and cell rule, but what protects the partys rein is the socio-economic superiority of the state. Its among the states with highest per capita income (55 percent more than the national average) and highest levels of consumption, and some of its human development indicators are comparable to that of the western countries. Although it also has the highest unemployment rate in India and poor primary and secondary economic sectors, the state tops the list in terms for the quality of life. In other words, socio-economically, theres no disgruntlement against the CPM, in comparison to West Bengal and Tripura.

Whats ironical is that the CPM has nothing to do with this relative affluence and socio-economic stability because what sustains the states high income, high consumption and high levels of human development are the remittances from overseas migrants, mostly in West Asia. Every year, they put more than 100,000 crore rupees directly in the hands of people. (Not to forget, the princely states of Travancore and Cochin that accounted for two-third of the state had established a remarkably high socio-economic baseline even before the birth of the Communist Party of India)

According to the latest estimate by eminent migration researcher S Irudayarajan of the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) in Thiruvananthapuram, remittances account for 36 percent of the states GDP. This is much higher than some of the remittance-dependent countries in the world with comparable human development indices. Irudayarajan estimates that remittances support one in three households in the state directly and another one-third indirectly.

In fact, the influence of remittances vividly reflects the economic profile of the state. According to the Central Statistics Office of the PRS, 62 percent of the states economy is in the tertiary sector (real estate, trade, services) and 26 percent in the secondary sector (like construction). The primary sector is marginal and has been growing downwards.

With practically no clients from the primary sector, what sustains both the tertiary and secondary sectors that account for 88 percent of the states economy are remittances. As long as the remittances continue to flow, there will be no West Bengal or Tripura scale under-development and poverty that the CPM has to worry about. In other words, its West Asian capitalism thats sustaining the partys rule. It will also determine the partys future, not only in Kerala but also in the rest of India because its the money from the state thats keeping the party afloat at the national level.

Given the income-elasticity of 88 percent of the states economy, it will be a completely different ballgame if the remittances fall even by a small margin. According to an economist of the Indian Institute of Growth in New Delhi, even a ten percent fall can lead to a collapse of Keralas economy. Various reports warn that employment opportunities in West Asia are drying up and that the number of returnee migrants is rising. If this trend reaches a certain threshold, the CPM will be in trouble because it has no alternative policy other than rhetoric. It doesnt even know how to leverage the present flow of money and its historic development gains to establish a sustainable welfare state.

In simple words, its not ideology or any progressive policies but West Asian capitalism that will keep the rump of the CPM or rather communism alive in India. When the remittances start falling, we will see the real test.The pink bollworm, after having attacked Bt cotton cultivation across Maharashtra, is now troubling farmers and labourers with skin problems.

The pink bollworm, after having attacked Bt cotton cultivation across Maharashtra, is now troubling farmers and labourers. Stocks of harvested cotton infested by the pink bollworm are causing red rashes, itching and skin allergies to people who come in contact with them. Government hospitals and primary health care centres have confirmed that many such patients are approaching them for treatment. However, the agriculture department is not aware of the problem.

Cotton is cultivated on over 40 lakh hectares across the state, mostly in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. More than half the fields where Bt cotton was cultivated were infested with the worm, causing major losses for farmers. In 2017, 22 labourers died due to inhaling pesticides used to control the worm in Yavatmal district. Now, farmers who stocked this cotton at home and labourers who worked to harvest this infested crop have begun to face skin problems. While they do not know the exact reason for the skin allergies, they know that contact with the cotton harvest is causing this problem.

Keshav Admal is a 28-year-old farmer from Mandhawa village of Parbhani district of Marathwada. He cultivated cotton on his 15-acre farmland in the village. His harvest got infested by pink bollworm and half of his produce got wasted. He said, But I took the remaining harvest into my house 15 days ago. Soon, each member in the house started to complain about continuous itching. After interacting with fellow farmers, I found out that everyone who has been stocking cotton like this has been facing this problem.

Anant Kadam, a farmer from Arvi village in Parbhani, lost his produce of cotton which he cultivated on 12-13 acres. Now, he is unable to get labourers to pick up the infested cotton balls. He said, After labourers have came to know that cotton balls are causing allergy, itching and red patches on the skin, they have been refusing to work. I cannot ask family members to help in removing the cotton roots, stems and balls either.

Dr Motiraj Bawane from Kelapur in Yavatmal district had to sell cotton at extremely low rates just to get rid of pests causing skin allergies. He said, Initially, we thought pesticides used to control the pink bollworm on cotton produce are causing allergies at such a large scale. But later, farmers who have stocked cotton at their homes and labourers working at gins of cotton started to face skin rashes and other issues. After doctors examined a large number of patients, they realised that infested cotton is causing the problem.

Dr Amar Surjuse, head of department of Dermatology, Government Medical College, Yavatmal, said, We have been receiving 10-15 patients daily who complain of itching and red rashes on their skin due to cotton that was infested. We are not sure whether the pest is the pink bollworm or something else, but we have received patients. Their condition is not serious enough for them to be admitted and they are treated at the outpatient department. Apart from the patients at the government hospital in Yavatmal, there are also a number of patients at primary health centres.

Kishor Tiwari, an activist from the Farmers Mukti Mission, said, We have demanded that the government should create awareness and help farmers to destroy cotton produce with their stems and roots in farms. Farmers also need to destroy eggs of this pest that are under the soil. Farmers should not sow cotton seeds before the monsoon for the next season. They should cultivate pulses or oilseeds in the next season instead of cotton, so that the pink bollworm is destroyed completely.

A medical official from Latur Government Hospital, on the condition of anonymity, said that a similar problem exists in villages in Latur as well and that he got reports from doctors in PHCs about such patients.

Rajesh Ghadge from the agriculture department, said, I dont think that the pink bollworm is causing skin problems to labourers, as the pest lives on seeds of cotton.

When this reporter asked him why farmers and labourers are facing skin problems after coming in contact with the cotton, and whether the department is going to find out reasons for the same, he cut the call.

Sadabhau Khot, agriculture minister in the Maharashtra government, said, We have not received reports of such a problem as of now.Ahead of polls in some states and the 2019 general elections, the Congress has decided to up the ante over issues related to agriculture, employment and poverty as it prepares to take on the ruling BJP, party sources said.

New Delhi: Ahead of polls in some states and the 2019 general elections, the Congress has decided to up the ante over issues related to agriculture, employment and poverty as it prepares to take on the ruling BJP, party sources said.

For the Grand Old Party's plenary session, to be held between 16 and 18 March in the national Capital, a separate resolution will be passed on issues related to agriculture, employment and poverty alleviation. During the last plenary session in 2010, agrarian and employment issues were part of the economic resolution.

The Congress has also formed a nine-member sub-group on 'agriculture, employment and poverty alleviation' under the chairmanship of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Party leader Meenakshi Natarajan is the convener of the sub-group.

"Farmers are under distress in the country currently. Given that the agrarian crisis has deepened, it warrants passage of a separate resolution that will guide the party's future activities on this line," a senior leader said, requesting anonymity.

This, however, is not the first time that the party will have a separate resolution on agrarian and employment-related issues. The leader added that the Congress had passed a similar resolution in 2001.

"We had taken enough measures to see these problems do not surface when we were in power (till 2014). The situation was better when we had the last plenary session," the leader claimed.

Another party insider said the issues of employment and poverty alleviation have become "acute" over the past three years. "The economy has been paralysed due to the government's double blow of demonetisation and GST. We will have to reach out to the people on the issues," the insider added.

The leader said that the party has already started reaching out to the youth and first-time voters on issues concerning them, including that of employment.One terrorist was killed in retaliatory firing in Jammu and Kashmir when militants fired at a joint motor vehicle patrolling party around 8 pm in Pinjoora area of Shopian district, media reports said.

One alleged terrorist, identified as Shahid Ahmad Dar, and three overground workers were killed in Jammu and Kashmir when militants fired at a joint motor vehicle patrolling party around 8 pm in Pinjoora area of Shopian district, media reports said.

The firing took place near an army camp in the Pahnoo area of Shopian where security forces have launched a cordon and search operation, a police official said.

#UPDATE: A joint motor vehicle patrolling party was fired upon by terrorists at 8 pm in Pinjoora area of Shopian district. One terrorist killed in the retaliatory operation. Operation underway. #JammuAndKashmir  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

Also the three over ground workers/accomplices in the car who were accompanying the terrorist were found to be dead. Police has reached the spot and started legal formalities: Indian Army #JammuAndKashmir  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

Recently, a militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district. Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in village Shakurdin following information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

With inputs from agenciesA wild tusker on day attacked and killed a senior Indian Forest Service Officer in a thickly forested area in the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, officials said.

A wild tusker killed a senior Indian Forest Service Officer in the thickly forested area in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, officials said. The incident occurred on Saturday, which happened to be World Wildlife Day.

Forest officials said the incident took place at Tatigundi Kere in the DB Kuppe range near Kakanakote at about 1.30 pm. The officer, S Manikandan, who was the Field Director of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, had gone to the area to assess the damage caused by a "mild" fire in the region on Saturday evening.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Punati Sridhar said Manikandan was accompanied by other forest officials.

After getting down from the jeep, they had walked for a while when the elephant attacked them from behind. While others managed to escape, Manikandan was attacked by the elephant and trampled to death.

He was taken to a government hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, Sridhar said.

"He was a good officer, who was committed to the conservation of forest. He was posted as the field director of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve two years ago," Sridhar said.

Some wildlife experts claim that precautionary measures were not adequately taken during the assessment, which led to Manikandan's demise. However according to The Hindu, even though the guards were armed, the elephant attacked the officials suddenly, giving them no time to react.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind took to Twitter to acknowledge S Manikandan's service to the nation.

My thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of Shri S. Manikandan, who lost his life while on duty at the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. The country will remember him for his rich service and passion towards wildlife and forest conservation: PM @narendramodi  PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 4, 2018

"The country will remember him for his rich service and passion towards wildlife and forest conservation," Modi tweeted from the PMO India Twitter account.

Sad to learn of the very unfortunate death of Shri S. Manikandan, a dedicated Indian Forest Service officer who lost his life in a freak incident while on duty in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. The nation salutes him. Thoughts with his family, friends and colleagues #PresidentKovind  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 4, 2018

"The nation salutes him. Thoughts with his family, friends and colleagues," Ram Nath Kovind tweeted, adding that Manikandan was a dedicated Indian Forest Service officer.

With inputs from PTINirav Modi has alleged that he was right in being concerned about the 'unfairness of process', going by the way a woman employee of his firm was arrested

Mumbai: Diamond trader Nirav Modi, who is at the centre of the Rs 12,700-crore scam at the Punjab National Bank (PNB), has alleged that he was right in being concerned about the "unfairness of process", going by the way a woman employee of his firm was arrested.

Modi, against whom a special court on Saturday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW), wrote two letters to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in response to summonses last month.

"A lady executive (Kavita Mankikar) of my organisation has been arrested by the CBI illegally, in complete violation of the Criminal Procedure Code. And when the liberty of a female is not been priced (sic) by the investigating agencies, my concern for my safety and for the unfairness in the process is not in any manner misplaced," Modi wrote to Archana Salaye, Assistant Director of ED, on 26 February.

Mankikar's lawyer had claimed that she was arrested at 8 pm, while as per the law, a woman cannot be arrested after sunset.

Modi wrote two letters to the ED, one on 22 February and another four days later. The ED had issued summonses to him on 15 February, 17 February and 22 February, asking him to appear before the agency.

However, Modi, believed to be in the US, did not join the probe.

In the letter, he said he was "baffled and in a state of extreme confusion" as the passport authority had written to him, informing that it had suspended his passport after receiving a communication from the ED.

"...your good self sought to have me join the investigation. On that, I wrote to the passport authority, requesting it to provide me with reasons for the suspension and proposed revocation of my passport. But surprisingly, within minutes of my reply, the authority revoked my passport," Modi said.

The lightning speed with which the passport authority acted showed that the action was pre-determined and his "fate" was already decided, he wrote in the first letter.

In the second letter, he said, "I am very engaged in trying to deal with the businesses that I am involved with outside India.

"I am trying to ensure that so far as possible, the position of these business creditors, including banks and employees, are properly considered, given the difficulties these business are experiencing.

"I have also been very concerned by the tone of the press coverage and comments that have been made by politicians, which have led to me having concerns for my own safety."

A special court for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases here today issued NBWs against Modi and another diamond trader, Mehul Choksi, in connection with the PNB scam.A 28-year old policeman posted on duty at the memorial of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in Chennai allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself on Sunday, police said.

Chennai: A 28-year old policeman posted on duty at the memorial of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in Chennai allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself on Sunday, police said.

According to PTI, M Arunraj allegedly took the extreme step early in the morning by shooting himself in his neck using his .303 service rifle, police said.

According to The Hindu, the other constables posted at the memorial heard the sound of a gunfire. The report added that Arunraj was rushed to the government hospital where he was declared dead.

Arunraj, a native of Madurai, had joined the state police in 2013, The New Indian Express reported. At the time of his suicide, he was attached to the armed reserve.

A senior police official said the cause of the incident was being probed into.Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani on Sunday hinted at a change in flexi-fare system in premium trains, saying there will be some tweaking.

Kolkata: Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani on Sunday hinted at a change in flexi-fare system in premium trains, saying there will be some tweaking which will benefit both passengers and railways.

Lohani, who earlier headed Air India, said flexi pricing structure works well in competitive transportation like the airlines, where private operators vie with each other to increase occupancy.

But when it comes to trains, the Indian Railways is the only passenger service operator and flexi-fare system may not be conducive for passengers, the Railway Board chairman said.

In the present flexi-fare system, train fares go up as soon as a certain number of seats are booked in premium trains. "There will be some tweaking in some areas which will be beneficial to both passengers and the railways," Lohani said.

Railway minister Piyush Goyal had earlier said that instead of flexi-fares, a dynamic pricing system was being considered where discounts could be given during off season.

The fares would automatically adjust through artificial intelligence, algorithms or technology, to help trains have more occupancy, thus maximising revenues, the minister had said.

On a visit to the city to review progress of work in Eastern, South Eastern and Metro Railways, the chairman said that overall punctuality of passenger trains stood at 70 to 75 percent.

"While punctuality is an issue, safety is also of great concern and we have laid utmost stress on track maintenance and repairs," he said.

Stating that track maintenance work leads to delay in train movement, he said this is a vicious circle but safety is foremost and has been given priority over punctuality.

Lohani, an officer with the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, who was brought back from Air India to head the Railway Board in August 2017 after a string of accidents, assured that once track maintenance work has been streamlined and safety issues are taken care of, punctuality of trains would rise.The protest against the alleged paper leak of the combined graduate level exam of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) spilled into a fifth day Sunday

The protest against the alleged paper leak of the combined graduate level exam of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) spilled into a fifth day on Sunday as agitators continued to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)-led investigation into the matter, reports said.

Social activist Anna Hazare reportedly met hundreds of SSC aspirants in the national capital and urged them to walk on the path of non-violence. He also demanded from the government to take action in this regard.

Delhi: Anna Hazare met Staff Selection Commission (SSC) aspirants who are protesting against the alleged paper leak of #SSC & are demanding a CBI investigation pic.twitter.com/KSdr0M1v3C  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

"We will wait for the government to take a decision and then see what we need to do. I urge all of you to not get violent in the meantime, Hazare was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

What the alleged 'scam' is?

A large number of candidates have alleged that there was leak of some of the papers for the SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Tier II Examination and that mass cheating was reported during the examination. The CGL examination was held from 17 to 21 February.

A total of 1,89,843 candidates appeared for SSC CGL Tier II exam, this year.

The SSC, on 17 February, had to cancel the second shift of the SSC CGL Tier II exam after malpractices were reported at an exam centre in New Delhi.

According to NDTV report, paper chits with answers were found in the toilet at the exam centre after the completion of quantitative aptitude paper. In Bhopal also, on 22 February, the commission had to cancel the exam after candidates found out that several questions were already marked with answers.

When the exam started, we found that in several questions the answers were also marked. We informed the invigilators suspecting a paper leak and stopped answering further, a candidate was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

Political parties offer support to protesters

The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and BJP have come out in support of the candidates, who have been protesting outside the SSC's office at CGO Complex in New Delhi for the last five days.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that the Centre should initiate a CBI probe in the alleged SSC paper leak, stating that the issue was related to the fate of thousands of exam aspirants.

  SSC exam scam  CBI enquiry                        CBI enquiry    Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 2, 2018

CM @ArvindKejriwal meets SSC students and discusses about #SSCExamScam. CM demands CBI enquiry regarding this Exam Scam. pic.twitter.com/IczcqbJIsG  AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 3, 2018

The Congress on Saturday also joined the chorus and demanded a thorough probe by CBI into the matter.

Dubbing the SSC paper leak scandal as another Vyapam scam, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said the government should immediately agree to all the demands of the agitating students and order a CBI probe into the paper leak.

In a statement, he said that students from across the country were protesting on the streets of Delhi for days to highlight the corruption in the SSC recruitment exam.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Saturday met protesters outside the SSC office at Lodhi Road and said he would take up the issue with the minister concerned. He said the agitating candidates belong to various states and he met them on "humanitarian" grounds.

SSC headquarters comes under siege

The SSC headquarters has been under siege for more than five days. The Delhi Metro on Saturday even closed the JLN Stadium station for public in the wake of a big protest by students at the nearby CGO Complex. The station falls on the Delhi Metro network's busy Violet Line that connects Kashmere Gate to Escorts Mujesar.

It was closed around 9 am on the advise of Delhi Police. "The station will remain closed till further directions," a senior Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) official said on Saturday.

Rajasthan students join the protest

The SSC aspirants from Rajasthan have also joined the ongoing protest in the national capital. According to DNA, candidates, in large numbers, from across Rajasthan have gone to Delhi to show their solidarity with the protesters. Some students are planning to stage a protest in Jaipur also.

With inputs from agenciesThe trouncing of the CPM in the Tripura elections has forced it to rethink strategies and increased the clamour within the party for an 'adjustment' with the Congress

Kolkata: The trouncing of the CPM in the Tripura Assembly elections has forced it to rethink strategies and increased the clamour within the party for an "adjustment" with the Congress, ahead of a crucial party meet in April.

The heavy defeat in Tripura has raised several questions within the CPM on adopting the "right strategy" for survival, party leaders said.

The BJP-IPFT combine scripted history on Saturday by winning the Tripura Assembly polls with a two-third majority, ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPM-led Left Front in the state. The BJP and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) together won 43 seats. The CPM won 16 seats and the Congress none.

CPM politburo member Hannan Mollah said the party is facing one of the toughest situations following its defeat in Tripura, which has "forced us to rethink in a new way".

"We, in our draft resolution, have said we don't want any understanding with the Congress. But now, after the defeat in Tripura, it is a completely new situation where we have to rethink our strategies and political line," Mollah told PTI.

The CPM central committee had on 21 January voted against the draft political resolution put forward by party general secretary Sitaram Yechury proposing an alliance with the Congress.

It adopted a draft resolution, which will be placed before the party congress next month, ruling out any form of electoral alliance or adjustment with the Congress.

Asked if there was a possibility of changing the draft and incorporate "new options", Mollah said the issue needed to be discussed in the party congress, but there was always a chance of altering it after discussion.

Another CPM politburo member, Mohammed Salim, said the party will discuss every aspect, including the defeat in Tripura, before adopting its "political-tactical line".

A senior central committee member, who did not wish to be named, told PTI that in the present situation there are "high chances" that a window will be left open for adjustment with the Congress.

"A middle path has to be sorted out to keep a window for adjustment with the Congress. We can't let the BJP derive benefits out of division among Left secular and democratic forces," the central committee member said.

Yechury, along with a large section of leaders from Bengal, have been vocal about adjustment with the Congress to stop the BJP.

Yechury's political line, however, has been vehemently opposed by the party's Kerala unit, along with politburo member Prakash Karat, known as a hardliner in the CPM.

"We can no longer afford to keep the Congress out of the broader unity of Left and democratic forces," a senior CPM leader of Tripura, who also did not wish to be named, said.

According to CPM sources, the Tripura results have given Yechury and the Bengal lobby a much-needed political ammo to push for bringing all secular democratic forces together, including the Congress, to take on the BJP.

A CPM central committee member from West Bengal said the state unit has a clear understanding about the threats from the BJP.

"The Tripura unit also got the taste of BJP's divisive politics. But despite attacks from the RSS, the Kerala unit is yet to understand the magnitude of the threat the BJP poses," he said.

The CPM's allies, like the CPI, are in favour of the broader unity of secular forces, including the Congress.

West Bengal Congress president Adhir Chowdhury, who has been a big supporter of the Left-Congress alliance, said the CPM has to behave pragmatically and needs to relook at its policies on the Congress before it is "too late".The Congress' victory in the recent Assembly bypolls in Madhya Pradesh has made the party upbeat and it has now decided to campaign aggressively against the ruling BJP in the state elections due later this year.

Bhopal: The Congress' victory in the recent Assembly bypolls in Madhya Pradesh has made the party upbeat and it has now decided to campaign aggressively against the ruling BJP in the state elections due later this year.

Out of power in the state since the last 14 years, the Congress is planning to highlight the "unfulfilled" promises of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, whom the party has termed as a "Ghoshnaveer" (a man of hollow promises).

However, the BJP claims Chouhan has always adopted a sensitive approach in formulating welfare schemes and that the people have trust in him which, it says, is evident from the Congress' victory margin going down in the recent bypolls.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief spokesman KK Mishra said, "During his over 12-year-long tenure, Chouhan made nearly 13,000 announcements, out of which about 9,500 have been unfulfilled. They are only on paper and therefore, we will project him as the 'Ghoshnaveer' to expose the BJP."

Though the Congress won the bypolls to Kolaras and Mungaoli Assembly seats held last month, its victory margin was reduced considerably compared to the 2013 polls.

In the Kolaras constituency in Shivpuri district, the Congress defeated the BJP by 8,086 votes. In 2013, its victory margin was 24,953 votes.

In the Mungaoli seat in Ashok Nagar district, the Congress defeated the BJP by 2,124 votes. The Congress had won the seat by a margin of 20,765 votes in 2013.

Mishra said in 2013, hardly any top leader had campaigned in these areas, but in the recent bypolls, Chouhan and his entire cabinet camped there, but in vain.

Chouhan announced a slew of measures for both the constituencies, but the Congress tried to deflate his claims by saying that when the BJP, despite being in power, had not done anything for the area in the last 13 to 14 years, it won't do anything this time also.

Another Congress spokesman, Pankaj Chaturvedi, said during the forthcoming Assembly polls, his party will also point out the Chouhan government's failure on the economic front, the state's high malnutrition and infant mortality rate, and the crime graph, among others, to corner the BJP.

"As per Madhya Pradesh's economic survey recently released by the government, the state has more than 11 lakh registered unemployed youths and the ruling dispensation managed to provide jobs only to 450 people," Chaturvedi claimed.

"The state's economic growth rate too has come down from 14 percent to 7.8 percent in the BJP's tenure," he said while adding that the Congress will highlight all these things during the campaign for the state Assembly polls.

However, the state BJP spokesman, Rajnish Agrawal, said the chief minister has always chalked out welfare schemes with "sensitivity".

He said the Chouhan government brought in popular schemes like the 'Ladli Laxmi' and the 'Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojna', worked for farmers' welfare and also launched the 'Bhavantar scheme' to compensate farmers suffering crop losses due to the low market prices.

"These schemes were emulated by other states also. Even the people of Mungaoli and Kolaras have reposed faith in the chief minister by narrowing the Congress' victory margin. People are with him and trust him a lot," Agrawal claimed.

In the run-up to the two by-elections, senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia had accused Chouhan of making "hollow promises" to people.

The former Union minister had said during the Ater Assembly bypoll (in 2017), the chief minister announced 300 sops while in Mungaoli and Kolaras, he made over 425 promises but nothing materialised on the ground.

During the campaign for the bypolls, the Congress had tried to corner Chouhan by calling him a "Ghoshnaveer" for not fulfilling promises after winning an election.

Earlier in run-up to the 2003 Assembly polls, the BJP had termed the then chief minister, Digvijay Singh, as "Mr Bantadhar" (spoiler) to cash-in on the failures of the Congress government.

Meanwhile, Chaturvedi said the Congressmen and the people of the state want Scindia to be projected as the "party's face" in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.

But, the Congress leadership will take a final call on it, he added.A day after the BJP's successful showing in the Assembly polls in three north-eastern states, party president Amit Shah visited the RSS headquarters here and held a meeting with Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and other senior leaders.

Nagpur: A day after the BJP's successful showing in the Assembly polls in three north-eastern states, party president Amit Shah visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and held a meeting with Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and other senior leaders.

The saffron party won the Assembly polls in Tripura and performed well in Nagaland.

The topic of discussion during the four-hour long meeting could not be known as the BJP president did not field questions from the media once he came out of the RSS headquarters. He reached the venue at 2.55 pm and left around 6.40 pm.

Shah also met senior RSS functionary Bhaiyaji Joshi.

Earlier in the day, the BJP president met Union minister Nitin Gadkari at his residence.

Answering a query outside the Ravi Bhavan, a complex of government guest houses here, on the forthcoming Karnataka polls, Shah said, "You write it down. BJP will win in Karnataka." The RSS' highest decision-making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, of which Shah is a part, will meet here between 9 to 11 March.With support from two outside MLAs, the BJP-NDPP led People's Democratic Alliance's tally has increased to 31 MLAs, making it the most likely contender to form the government in Nagaland

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) coalition has emerged as the most likely contender to form the government in Nagaland.

The People's Democratic Alliance, which BJP and NDPP formed before the polls, won 29 seats. On Saturday evening, the coalition received support from two more MLAs  an independent and a Janata Dal (United) legislator  thus taking its overall tally to 31, one above the magic number of 30 seats required to form the government in the state.

Not long before this development, the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF) president Shurhozelie Liezietsu had said that while their party did not have the magic figure of 30, they would see what happens next. The NPF had suffered an exodus of leaders and workers last year when Neiphiu Rio, a former three-time chief minister of Nagaland, formed NDPP.

Some uncertainty prevailed earlier on Saturday when NPF was winning and leading from more seats than NDPP. At this stage, Union minister Kiren Rijiju had said that BJP would join hands with NPF if the alliance with the NDPP didn't work out, his statement giving rise to much speculation in Kohima.

While launching the NPFs poll campaign last month, incumbent chief minister TR Zeliang had revealed that BJP had asked for 15 seats, which the party did not agree to. State BJP chief Visasolie Lhoungu had also admitted that the partys preferred partner was NPF but disagreement over seat-sharing had forced it to join hands with NDPP.

Soon after the speculations surfaced, NDPP chief was pictured shaking hands with BJP's Ram Madhav, with the winning JD(U) MLA Kayto Aye in tow. Like Rio, Aye too is a former NPF member. He and the lone independent MLA in Nagaland, Tongpang Ozukum, who defeated NDPPs Alemteshir Jamir, have given in writing to Rio that they are willing to support the NDPP-BJP alliance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognised the rise of the saffron party in Nagaland from mere one seat in the 2013 Assembly elections to 11 in the 2018 polls. He tweeted:

Thank you Nagaland for supporting @BJP4Nagaland and our valued ally. I assure my sisters and brothers of Nagaland that we will continue to work for the progress and prosperity of Nagaland. I applaud the tireless work of the local BJP unit.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2018

A close call

The Nagaland Assembly election was a close contest in multiple constituencies with multiple candidates clinching wins by a very low margin of votes. For example, in Tenning, NPF candidate won by a margin of 32 votes, beating the sitting MLA who had won the seat in the last Assembly poll on an NPF ticket but was now contesting on an NDPP ticket. Likewise, the outgoing speaker of Nagaland Assembly, NPFs Imtiwapang Aier, too won his seat by a margin of mere 62 votes. Whereas, the partys MLA from Alongtaki, Benjongliba Aier, lost to BJP candidate Temjen Imna Along by 86 votes.

Alemtemshi Jamir, former Nagaland chief secretary and the working president of NDPP, contested the poll from two constituencies. He lost in both Mongoya and Angetyongpang seats by 348 and 950 votes respectively. Independent candidate Ozukum, whos now supporting the NDPP-BJP alliance defeated Jamir in Angetyongpang.

Rio won from the Northern Angami-2 seat unopposed.

No woman elected

The north-eastern state is yet to get its first woman MLA. At one point, NDPPs Awan Konyak was leading in Aboi assembly constituency by 1,320 votes but her fortune reversed quickly. The winner  the NPFs Eshak Konyak  had also won the 2013 poll with a 693-vote lead over Awans father and NPF candidate Nyeiwang Konyak, on a Congress ticket. Nyeiwang was a four-time MLA and former education minister. He passed away on 31 January this year.

Awan was one of the five women candidates who had contested the Nagaland Assembly election. She says that she believed she couldve become the first woman MLA from the state, adding that she would come back stronger the next time.

Awan praised the fighting spirit of the BJPs Rhakila, who fought from Tuensang Sadar-II constituency for the third time but lost again. Rhakila was close to a win in 2008, ending up only 353 votes behind the winning candidate. She fought under the banner of BJP in 2013 and lost by 1,075 votes. Meanwhile, 81-year-old Kejong Chang of NPF got elected as an MLA for the fourth time after winning the seat in 1998, 2008 and 2013.

(The author is an Imphal-based independent reporter and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters)Voters of Meghalaya have elected a hung Assembly, with no single party or pre-poll alliance securing enough seats to be able to form the government

Voters of Meghalaya have elected a hung Assembly, with no single party or pre-poll alliance securing enough seats to be able to form the government.

Senior leaders of both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have rushed to the state to stitch alliances to woo regional leaders to form the government. A coalition will need to have at least 30 seats in the 60-member Assembly to stake claim to form the government.

The Congress and National People's Party (NPP) have emerged as the two biggest parties, winning 21 and 19 seats respectively. The BJP could win only two seats in the hilly state. An alliance of regional parties  United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP), Garo National Council (GNC)  won eight seats whereas a new organisation, Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), bagged four seats.

The NPP, which has stated it is open to alliances, is part of BJP's North-East Democratic Alliance. Though the legitimacy of this alliance is questionable  BJP contested against NEDA members in Tripura and Nagaland  it is expected that NPP will go with BJP. Congress has called NPP a puppet of BJP.

The kingmakers

Addressing the media over his emphatic win in Pynursla, NPP bigwig Prestone Tynsong said that all the newly elected party MLAs will hold a discussion with party chief Conrad Sangma to decide their strategic direction. "We will know by tomorrow (Sunday)," he said.

Conrad declined to comment if his name will be proposed for the chief ministers responsibility. His sister Agatha Sangma, who won from South Tura after trailing behind BJP candidate all morning, has also been hinted at as a potential chief ministerial candidate.

Sources said the NPP is also in talks with the UDP-HSPDP-GNC alliance and the PDF. The UDP has joined hands with other regional outfits (HSPDP and GNC) and campaigned to form a government without help from any national party. This alliance now controls eight seats (UDP-6, HSPDP- 2, GNC-0). As on Saturday night, there was no concrete news about the UDP-HSPDP-GNC alliances next move. The UDP has been in government with Congress before but it was sitting against it in the Opposition for the past five years.

Change in fortune

The fortune of Independent contestants exhibited a marked downward turn since the last Assembly polls. In 2008, there were five Independent MLAs in Meghalaya and the number increased to 13 in 2013. Between 2008 and 2013, their vote share increased from 13 percent to 28 percent. However, this time around, only three Independent candidates managed to win.

Regional parties had an improved showing in the election this time. In the 2013 Assembly polls, NPP had won just two seats, but this time around it emerged as the second largest party winning 19 seats. Other regional parties' endeavours also paid dividends as they were able to improve their tally. Their gains came at the cost of Congress, which won eight less seats than it had in the 2013 Assembly polls.

Some of the highlights of Saturdays results were Mukul Sangma (Congress) winning comfortably in both Ampati and Songsak, Alexander L Hek (BJP) retaining Pynthorumkhrah, and the unexpected defeat of PDFs key candidate PN Syiem and HSPDPs Ardent Basaiawmoit.

Addressing the media after his win in North Shillong, the sole winner from Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM), Adelbert Nongrum, said, "Wherever I have campaigned, I have made it clear that I will not compromise on the issues that benefit the genuine causes of the indigenous peoples."

Nongrum is known for his anti-immigration platform and reportedly, several BJP, Congress and UDP supporters from the constituency had extended their support to the KHNAM candidate.

Hung verdicts are not new to Meghalaya. There hasnt been a single-majority government there since 1972 (by the now-extinct All Party Hill Leaders Conference). Parties in the state dont get along and there have been 23 governments since the state was carved out 46 years ago. In this light, the electorates verdict of a hung assembly is business as usual. In the next couple of days, the states politicians will stitch together a coalition thatll hold until they have to do it again.

(With inputs from Kyrmenlang Uriah, a Shillong-based member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)Congress leaders believe the results of the elections in the North East will have no bearing on Karnataka, which they are confident of holding on to.

New Delhi: The Congress's euphoria over recent by-poll victories may have been punctured after the party's dismal performance in the North East, but its leaders believe the results will have no bearing on Karnataka, which they are confident of holding on to.

A party leader claimed the BJP's victory in the North East was an "aberration" that did not reflect the country-wide "resurgence of the Congress".

Though the Congress failed to get a majority in Meghalaya and did not win a single seat in either Tripura or Nagaland, the leaders insisted they were not troubled by the results and were confident of emerging victorious in Karnataka, where elections are to be held shortly.

Sources in the Congress stressed the North East had its own compulsions and was "no real lesson for South India".

After the poor Congress performance in elections in the northeastern states, the results of which were declared on Saturday, the party's morale was at a low, with no leader willing to speak out about the loss.

With Congress president Rahul Gandhi out of country, the leaders preferred not to analyse or talk about the defeat.

Some party insiders admitted that the morale of the party, boosted after the recent victories in bye-elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and its performance in Gujarat Assembly elections, had been badly dented after the North East results.

Congress general secretary incharge of Karnataka KC Venugopal said the result of the elections in the northeastern states will have no effect on the party's poll prospects in Karnataka, where it will get a "comfortable majority".

"There will be no impact of the results of the northeastern states in Karnataka. Definitely, we will form our government," he said.

Asked whether the JD-S and BSP combine will affect the party's prospects, he claimed, "I don't think it will have any effect. We will get a comfortable majority."

Party spokesperson and research cell in-charge Rajeev Gowda, however, said the North East results were an "aberration" and the national trend was against the BJP. "The BJP's growth in the North East is by encouraging defections and endorsing corrupt politicians," he said.

These "hollow victories" would not have a bearing on Karnataka, "which has already seen the real face of the BJP and its leaders", he said.

Gowda said the country was seeing a "revival and resurgence" of the Congress starting with Gujarat and the by-polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and "the cutting to size of the BJP due to its corruption and non-performance".

"The results do not change the ground realities, which are in favour of the Congress," he held. Claiming that the Congress was on an "extremely strong wicket", he said the BJP would be "crushed" in Karnataka.

Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said, "BJP conveniently ignores its defeats, be it in Bihar, Bengal or Punjab and makes such a big deal of its victory!."

"The BJP has made it a habit to present victory with full pomp and show but goes silent when it comes to defeats. There is no need for BJP to flaunt and continue to live under misconception," he said.

Another Congress leader felt the BJP would "pay dearly" for banking on former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa as he had earlier been jailed. The people of the state had seen his governance from 2008 to 2013, during which many BJP ministers were also sent to jail on corruption charges, the party leader said.

The party has also not given up all hope in the North East, and is working out on forming a government in Meghalaya after its losses in Tripura and Nagaland.

While the BJP wrested the Left bastion of Tripura and received an invitation to be a part of the government in Nagaland, Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.

The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. Senior party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath are in the state capital of Shillong, working out possible tie-ups with independent MLAs in a bid to form a government.

They met a number of leaders from smaller parties in a bid to cobble up a coalition in the northeastern state.

The two leaders claimed the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it.

The Congress's move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught napping in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form a government.

Meghalaya is one of the five states and UTs currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.An internal debate in the CPM on the political line the party has to follow has become even more shrill after its crushing defeat in Tripura, with the camp supporting general secretary Sitaram Yechury blaming the former party boss Prakash Karat for not adapting to changing scenarios in the country

New Delhi: An internal debate in the CPM on the political line the party has to follow has become even more shrill after its crushing defeat in Tripura, with the camp supporting general secretary Sitaram Yechury blaming the former party boss Prakash Karat for not adapting to changing scenarios in the country.

The incumbent Left government, in power in the state for 25 years, was routed by the BJP that earlier had less than a 2 percent vote share in Tripura.

"The issue will now be debated in our party congress (to be held in April). I will not be able to say anything now as the final decision will be taken there," Yechury told PTI.

Though the general secretary was tight-lipped, it has become amply clear that party leaders supporting his line will now strongly push for having an understanding with all anti-BJP forces as against Karat's policy of keeping a distance from other such parties.

"The Tripura results clearly show that the Left should have tried to bring all the anti-BJP forces together to defeat the BJP. The Congress had its voters in the state. But we could not give them an alternative. We should have given them the confidence that we could take the BJP on," a senior leader from Bengal said.

The leader from the Bengal unit  which has mostly been with Yechury on alliances  hoped for a change in the party line.

The Karat camp did not agree, with some members holding that along with anti-incumbency, the erosion of the Congress helped the BJP.

"There is no anti-BJP force other than the Left in Tripura. The Congress vote share has come down to 2 percent from 36 percent in the state. We have got 46 percent votes in Tripura. The entire Congress leadership crossed over to the BJP," CPM politburo member Brinda Karat told PTI.

The defeat is also being seen in Left circles as a breakdown in the CPM's electoral and political strategy and the party's disconnect with the masses and ground reality.

The CPI, another Left party, believed the CPM had failed to adapt to changing times and the results reflected not just the coming apart of its electoral and political strategy but also a massive disconnect with reality.

"As communists, we must understand changing times and challenges. We must understand the BJP is coming to power. It is no ordinary change of power. We have to change our strategy accordingly to defeat the BJP-RSS combine. That's why we need a broader anti-BJP front," said CPI leader D Raja.

Some Left insiders rued that while the Left was losing its bastions such as West Bengal earlier and Tripura now, the CPM was still grappling with internal differences.

The difference of opinion between party general secretary Yechury and his predecessor Prakash Karat over the use of the phrase "understanding with the Congress" in its draft political resolution to be discussed at the party congress in April has become the talk of Left political circles.

Karats line against electoral alliance or understanding with the Congress prevailed over Yechurys, who did not want to rule out an understanding with the Congress.

A senior party member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the result of the Tripura Assembly election was likely to change equations within the party.

"After Tripura, many leaders within the party who had earlier backed the Karat line are now slowly realising that in today's political situation, the Left needs to bring all anti-BJP forces together to fight against the BJP," the leader said.

The debate is going to become sharper in the days to come, in the run-up to and at the party congress in Hyderabad. The daggers would be out, and the voices  although behind closed doors  loud and shrill.AAP said that Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash was trying to divert attention from the Nagrik Sehkari Bank fraud with his police complaint against two party MLAs, who allegedly assaulted the top bureaucrat two weeks back

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday said that Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash was trying to divert attention from the Nagrik Sehkari Bank fraud with his police complaint against two party MLAs, who allegedly assaulted the top bureaucrat two weeks back.

The allegations like fraudulent loans issued through forged documents and lakhs spent on 'laddoos' during Diwali were levelled against Delhi Nagrik Sehkari Bank Ltd (DNSBL), according to a report by a Delhi Assembly committee.

"It is clear that the chief secretary is using his police complaint as a shield to divert attention from the scam," AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, who headed the committee, said in a statement.

"...though it is clear from the facts that the committee proceedings have nothing to do with the executive decisions of the government nor are the proceedings in any way connected with what Mr (Anshu) Prakash is trying to unsuccessfully portray," he added.

The committee on Sunday stated that the chief secretary "distorted" the facts in his petition filed in the Delhi High Court, challenging a breach of privilege notice served on him for non-appearance before the committee.

The chief secretary on 20 February filed a police complaint against AAP MLAs  Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal  for "assaulting" him at the chief minister's residence where he was called for an emergency meeting on 19 February night.

Citing a government report, Bharadwaj said that in some branches of the bank, like in Lajpat Nagar, Non-Performing Assets had crossed 57 percent.

"No Delhi government officer wants to act on this. Delhi Assembly Committee asking questions for last one year. No answers. No Accountability," he tweeted.

In PNB scam everybody is asking why No Govt acted before to stop this loot ? Right under Delhi Govt, there is multi-crore bank loan scam. Assembly Committee is questioning Govt, but Govt Officers dont wanna answer. Is Central Govt supporting another PNB scam in Delhi ?  Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) March 4, 2018

"In PNB scam everybody is asking why No Government acted before to stop this loot? Right under Delhi Government, there is multi-crore bank loan scam. Assembly Committee is questioning Government, but Government Officers don't wanna (want to) answer.

In Delhi Nagrik Sehkari Bank, Govt report says in some branches like Lajpat Nagar Branh, NPA has crossed 57 % . 57% NPA - And No Delhi Govt officer wants to act on this. Delhi Assembly Committee asking questions for last 1 year. No answers.

No Accountability.  Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) March 4, 2018

"Is Central Government supporting another PNB scam in Delhi ?" he said in a series of tweets.Hailing the BJP's performance in recently-held elections in three North Eastern states, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the party will register victory in poll-bound Karnataka as well.

Mumbai: Hailing the BJP's performance in recently-held elections in three North Eastern states, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the party will register victory in poll-bound Karnataka as well.

He said the BJP secured nearly half of the total vote share in Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, which shows that voters are increasingly in favour of the saffron party.

"The BJP has not only won the elections but secured 49 to 50 percent votes in (the three) North East states. It shows the mandate is inclined towards the BJP. The poll outcome is also a boost for forthcoming Assembly election in Karnataka," the chief minister told reporters, a day after the BJP won Tripura and is believed to be in reckoning to form governments with alliance partners in Nagaland and Meghalaya.

Analysing the poll outcome, Fadnavis said the BJP did not win the elections because of some vote division, but due to the people's trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah.

Fadnavis said the BJP is now in power in 21 states covering 78 percent of geographical area of the country, and will repeat its historical win in the 2019 general elections as well.

During his interaction with reporters, Fadnavis quoted a social media message to taunt the Congress. "There is a social media message, which I also liked. It says the Congress wants bypolls to be held only in those areas where it has improved its performance," he said in an apparent reference to the Congress retaining two of its seats in the bypolls held in Madhya Pradesh recently.

"I wanted to thank the voters of Tripura for one more reason. In the last six months, as many as 27 workers of the BJP were killed in violence when the previous government was in power. Despite so much Opposition, the BJP clinched the victory which is a commendable job," said Fadnavis.The suspense over who will form the government in Meghalaya finally came to an end with National People's Party (NPP) chief Conrad Sangma meeting Governor Ganga Prasad in Shillong to stake claim to form the government, media reports said.

Meghalaya is set to get a non-Congress government with National People's Party (NPP) chief Conrad Sangma meeting Governor Ganga Prasad in Shillong to stake his claim, ANI reported. Sangma has the support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

NPP's Conrad Sangma met #Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form government. Oath ceremony to take place on 6th March at 10.30 am. pic.twitter.com/27NaL1UAwV  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

"We met the Governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs: 19 of the NPP, six of the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People's Democratic Front (PDF), two each of the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent," Sangma told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan in Shillong.

The NPP leader is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker (L) PA Sangma who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from Tura constituency after his father's death.

BJP key strategy for North East Himanta Biswa Sarma told ANI Conrad Sangma will be the next Meghalaya chief minister.

The coalitionRegional Democratic Alliance (RDA)comprises the NPP, the UDP, HSPDP and the BJP. UDP president and RDA chairman Donkupar Roy earlier told reporters that his party agreed to lend support to the NPP, which secured 19 seats in the Assembly polls, on the condition that Conrad Sangma will be the chief minister once the NPP-led alliance forms the government.

Sangma said on Saturday his party would be able to form the next government with the help of other like-minded parties. "We are hopeful that we will be able to form the government. People are fed up with the corrupt Congress government and looking for a change," he told PTI.

With inputs from PTIMeghalaya is likely to have a non-Congress government in state despite being the single largest party as United Democratic Party (UDP) extended its support for National People's Party (NPP), media reports said.

Meghalaya is likely to have a non-Congress government despite the Grand Old Party securing the most seats in the Assembly elections.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) has extended its support to National People's Party (NPP), which won 19 seats, and with that Congress' hopes to form a government in the state are likely over.

The UDP won six seats, while its alliance partner Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) won two seats on Saturday. Though HSPDP has not officially announced its support for the NPP-led coalition government, reports claimed otherwise.

With BJP, which won two seats and has garnered support from an Independent candidate Samuel S Sangma, the NPP-UDP-HSPDP-BJP alliance already seems to have 29 MLAs.

BJP Meghalaya in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma told ANI on Sunday that the anti-Congress bloc has support from 29 MLAs and that they are going to meet the Meghalaya Governor at 5 pm.

In the meanwhile, NPP chief Conrad Sangma, who could be the next chief minister, had also confirmed that he is going to meet the Meghalaya governor at 5 pm on Sunday.

Sangma had earlier said that his party would be able to form the next government with the help of other like-minded parties.

Earlier today, Sarma said that the verdict of the Assembly elections in Meghalaya was against Congress, which ruled the state for a decade, and against Mukul Sangma.

"We want NPP to take the initiative and BJP will provide full cooperation. We are here to help form a non-Congress government," he told ANI. He also said that UDP has extended a support letter to us and they have discussed threadbare.

"It is just a matter of 2 hours, you will come to know everything, who will be the leader. Let it unfold officially in a dignified manner," Sarma added.

You will come to know at 5 pm: Conrad Sangma, NPP on being asked if #Meghalaya would get its first woman chief minister in Agatha Sangma pic.twitter.com/exLnwjeteQ  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

Mukul Sangma submitted his resignation as Meghalaya Chief Minister to Governor Ganga Prasad in Shillong. pic.twitter.com/rHk4aLuoyh  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

Congress, which won 21 seats in Meghalaya, has also been making efforts to form government in the hill state. On Sunday morning, before tendering his resignation to Governor Ganga Prasad in Shillong, former chief minister Mukul Sangma, had said that the fractured mandate will be clear soon, ANI reported. But Congress efforts have failed to bring any positive results for the party.

Earlier on Saturday after the results were declared, BJP had said that it will "inspire" the regional parties to respect the public mandate and form a non-Congress government in Meghalaya.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju also met with UDP chief Donkupar Roy at his residence on Sunday, said News 18. Roy later told ANI that he is ready to support NPP-coalition with Conrad Sangma as the leader.

BJP's Kiren Rijiju along with Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress's Mukul Sangma arrived at United Democratic Party headquarters in Shillong.  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

Voters of Meghalaya have elected a hung Assembly, with no single party or alliance securing enough seats to form a stable government in the state and the suspense over who could form the government or be the chief minister continued.Electoral mandates in the three North East states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland also come with big challenges for the incoming governments.

Electoral mandates in the three North East states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland also come with big challenges for the incoming governments.

The decisive mandate in Tripura brought an end to 25-year rule of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front and paved the way for installation of the BJP-Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) coalition government.

However, a new political reality has dawned: While BJP-IPFT coalition will be running the state government, the Left Front continues to control the Tripura Tribal Areas Development Council (TTADC), a majority of the village councils in TTADC, the three-tier panchyat bodies and civic bodies. The TTADC enjoys legislative and executive autonomy under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The new government will face the challenge of balancing the development work initiated for the state and delivering the fruits through these Left-controlled elected bodies.

Any conflict in sharing power and governance between state government and these elected bodies may have an adverse impact on the development work and shape new perception among the electorate.

The Left Front won all 28 seats of TTADC in elections to the tribal autonomous council held on 3 May, 2015. In 2016, the Left Front swept the TTADC village council polls, winning 520 of the 587 village councils. The Left also won all the 19 urban Local bodies: Agartala Municipal Corporation, 13 municipal bodies and five nagar panchyats.

The BJP, with four seats more than the magic number for 60-member House, will not be dependent on eight legislators of IPFT for survival of the government. As a result, the IPFT will not be in a position to push its primary demand for creation of a Separate Twipraland by carving out TTADC areas and may be forced to take to the streets on the statehood demand to retain its support base.

On the other hand, for the BJP, next target will be to win the two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura in 2019. The CPM won both the seats in 2014 even as the Modi wave swept the country. In this Assembly poll, the BJP with 35 seats, polled 43 percent (999093 votes) while the CPM with 16 seats polled 42.7 percent (992575 votes). The IPFT with eight seats polled 7.5 percent (173603 votes). This means that even though numerically the BJP will not be dependent on the IPFT for stability of the government, sustaining the coalition will be critical for the saffron party in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

In Meghalaya, ensuring political stability will be the major challenge for the new ruling coalition. Both the Congress and its principal opponent National Peoples Party (NPP), are trying to cobble up support to form the new government. However, numbers thrown up by the fractured mandate come as a grim reminder of political instability in the past when the state witnessed frequent changing of guard. Whichever party leads the new government, running it smoothly for full five years may be a tougher ball game for major partner of the ruling coalition than cobbling support to form government.

More parties in the ruling coalition will mean a smaller share of the pie for each constituent party. When figures just add up to the magic number, each constituent, irrespective of their strength, will have equal bargaining power as far as power sharing goes. Of 59 seats in the Meghalaya 60-member Assembly for which elections were held on 27 February, the ruling Congress won in 21, NPP 19, BJP 2, United Democratic Party (UDP) 6, Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP) 2, Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement 1, Peoples Democratic Front 4, Nationalist Congress Party 1, and Independents 3.

As the size of the ministry is limited to 12 (including the chief minister), only 11 berths will be available for the new chief minister to distribute among the legislators of the ruling coalition. In Assam, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has not been able to expand his ministry even though the coalition government of BJP, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) will be completing two years on 16 May.

Not just the legislators of the two coalition partners, a section of BJP legislators have also expressed their resentment over delay in expansion of the ministry. It has also given an opportunity to the Opposition Congress to leverage the issue to ministry expansion and link it to their allegations of failure of the BJP-government to undertake desired development work to fulfill the aspirations of the people.

Sonowal is currently heading a 11-member ministry, including six from BJP, two each from AGP and BPF but is apprehensive of expanding it as it might trigger disgruntlement among the ministerial berth-aspirants (not just among the BJP legislators but also among the legislators of the coalition partners who may be left out).

It was dissidence over ministry expansion during the third term of the previous Congress government headed by former chief minister Tarun Gogoi in Assam that kept him and his party leaders busy devising strategies to preventing a palace coup due to which development work took a back seat.

The mandate in Nagaland has brightened prospects of the BJP to become the minor partner in a ruling coalition. BJP was a coalition partner of the NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland but did not have the numbers to have much of an influence on the political affairs. BJP was the first to break out of joint declaration to boycott elections in Nagaland until a solution to the Naga issue was found and then all other parties followed suit.

With elections already over, the spotlight will be on the Naga peace talks. However, for the BJP, which is also running governments in neighbouring states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, it will be walking a tightrope as far as signing of the final accord with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) is concerned. The BJP is already under tremendous pressure in these states to lift the veil of secrecy over the Framework Agreement signed by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre with the NSCN (IM).

These states have witnessed vigorous protest with citizens expressing apprehensions that Framework Agreement paved the way for inclusion of large areas in these states in Nagalim. The NSCN(IM)s map of Nagalim includes whole of Nagaland, areas in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and areas in Myanmar and the rebel group has been insisting that any solution that is arrived must apply in Nagalim.

In all the three states, electoral victories will soon be dwarfed by governance challenges.

The author is a senior journalist and editor of NEZINE.Why is it vital for Congress president Rahul Gandhi that his party perform well in the months leading up to 2019?

We have never seen as much interest in an election concerning Indias North East as we did this week. I usually wake up early, around 5 am, and was surprised to see that on Saturday before 7 am, news channels were all ready with their panellists awaiting the results in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland.

This is a good sign for us as a nation. I remember a few years ago, the magazine India Today running an editorial which complained about how India was ignoring the North East. In that same issue, which covered some eight or so state Assembly elections, the magazines cover featured only five larger states from North India, ignoring the North East ones also going to the polls. This attitude seems to be changing and that, as I said, is good for us.

The results were fascinating, especially the one in Tripura. India is one of the last remaining major democracies to have active communist parties and they add great colour and value to our politics even if they have become a much reduced force. However, Id like to focus on the Congress today.

After winning some by-elections in Rajasthan in February, Congressman Sachin Pilot said: To win states, you have to win municipal elections, ward elections, etc. Those are elections that form the bedrock of an organisation. We have to win states. No party can think of conquering New Delhi nationally unless they have a good number of states under their belt.

Why are states important to win for national parties? What is the significance of local power? That was what we should look at because the Congress has been squeezed out of power in more states today than ever in history. Perhaps that will change later this year when some states such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh go to the polls. Why is it vital for Congress president Rahul Gandhi that his party perform well in the months leading up to 2019?

The first advantage is the most obvious: Being in power is what politics is about. The party can execute the specifics of its ideology and therefore set the agenda. For example, the BJP could make beef and cattle slaughter a national issue for months by banning it in Haryana and Maharashtra.

The second advantage is that power at the level of corporation and state Assembly gives politicians the agency to to serve their constituents. Most politicians begin and end their day with people pestering them for all sorts of things: From electricity connections to admissions for their children. It is the party in power that can deliver this and not the Opposition.

The third aspect is funding. This works in two ways. The reality is that leaders make and take money for their party, even when they may not be personally corrupt. There is an excellent anecdote about this by the late journalist Dhiren Bhagat in his book Contemporary Conservative, about VP Singh. Official funding from corporate houses also will flow towards the party in power for obvious reasons. The fourth and related aspect is that of spending by candidates. Individuals who are contesting for parties which are usually in the Opposition will not spend as much of their money on their campaign. This results in their not being as competitive.

The fifth aspect is that the party in power can control messaging. For example, through government spending on advertising. The largest advertiser in India is the Union government. Last year, it spent Rs 1,280 crore on advertising the prime minister and his schemes. To put the number in perspective, Hindustan Unilever, which sells everything from Axe deodorant to Lux soap to Taj Mahal tea spent Rs 900 crore. Indias telecom companies all put together spend less than the Union government. All state governments have publicity budgets that are used primarily for self-promotion. Arvind Kejriwals Delhi government spent Rs 526 crore on publicity in 2015.

The sixth aspect is that these large sums keep the media on the side of the ruling party. This is especially true for regional newspapers that have high dependence on government advertising.

To give one example, Rajasthan Patrika, Indias seventh largest newspaper with a readership of over 1.5 crore, went to the Supreme Court because Vasundhara Rajes government stopped giving it advertisements (presumably because of unfavourable coverage).

The seventh and last reason is the use of the machinery of the State. The Election Commission keeps watch over this to some extent, but that is only in the phase after elections are announced. For the rest of the five years, the party in power can use the police force, give positions to supporters and generally use and misuse the infrastructure of government. These are the things which, especially in our part of the world, nourish and sustain political parties.

Without consistently and regularly gaining strength and sustenance through local power, it will be difficult for Rahul to automatically become a contender nationally in 2019.Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who had undergone a medical check-up at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai returned to Thiruvananthapuram and said he was perfectly healthy

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who had undergone a medical check-up at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, returned to Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday and said he was perfectly healthy.

"This was a routine check up that I have been undergoing for the past 15 years and contrary to a section who are against me and give wrong news, I am perfectly healthy and I have no health issues," Vijayan told the media at the airport in Thiruvananthapuram soon after he arrived.

He was accompanied by his wife Kamala Vijayan. The Kerala chief minister was discharged on Saturday evening.

Eyebrows were raised when TV channels here had flashed the news that Vijayan was hospitalised on 2 March.

Vijayan's office, which is otherwise very active in the social media by giving instant updates on his programmes, speeches and Facebook posts, was, however, tight-lipped about his admission to the hospital.

Kerala Police chief Loknath Behra also feigned ignorance about Vijayan's sudden admission in the hospital in Chennai.Tripura BJP President Biplab Deb, considered a frontrunner for the chief minister's post following his party's victory in the state, had humble beginnings. Born in a middle-class family at Rajdhar Nagar village in Gomati district on 25 November, 1971, Biplab Deb completed his graduation from Udaipur College in the state in 1999.

Agartala: Tripura BJP President Biplab Deb, considered a frontrunner for the chief minister's post following his party's victory in the state, had humble beginnings. Born in a middle-class family at Rajdhar Nagar village in Gomati district on 25 November, 1971, Biplab Deb completed his graduation from Udaipur College in the state in 1999.

His father Haradhan Deb was a local leader of the Jan Sangh.

Biplab Deb left for Delhi soon after his graduation to join the RSS. The 48-year-old leader served the right-wing organisation for around 16 years, under the guidance of Govindacharya and Krishnagopal Sharma, two prominent Sangh leaders.

In 2015, he returned to Tripura and assumed the charge of Central Jan Sampark Pramukh for the BJP.

Biplab Deb was declared the state president of the BJP on 6 January, 2016. He replaced Sudhindra Dasgupta, the longest-serving chief of the party in Tripura.

His wife Niti is an officer at State Bank of India. The couple has a son and a daughter.

On a few media reports about him being a gym instructor before taking the political plunge, Biplab Deb told PTI: "During a television interview, I said I used to visit the gym for exercise, but now I do not get any time for exercise. I am surprised how media reported that I was once a gym instructor."

Biplab Deb had on Saturday said he was ready for the top job.

"I am ready to take the responsibility. I will not run away from taking any responsibility," he had told reporters in New Delhi and had added that it was up to the party leadership to take a final call. The BJP demolished the Left citadel in Tripura on Saturday, winning a two-third majority with ally IPFT, and ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPM-led rule in the state.This victory of BJP in Tripura Assembly polls is quite akin to a tectonic shift in Indian politics probably comparable internationally to the collapse of the Berlin Wall or of the Soviet Union. It signifies collapse of an ideology which ceded ground to another powerful ideology.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Agartala in December 2014 to dedicate the second unit of ONGC's Palatana to the nation. People gathered in large numbers to listen to him.

Invited to the ceremony was Tawfique-e-Elahi Choudhury, advisor to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had helped in setting up the plant by allowing transshipment of equipment via Bangladesh.

The huge turnout puzzled Choudhury. He asked rather incredulously, This state is run by a party which steadfastly opposes BJP; then how come there is such an overwhelming reception?

Yes, the wow factor of Indian democracy that struck the Bangladeshi guest three years ago has come into a full play after the Tripura Assembly results on Saturday. What once was the CPMs impregnable citadel, where Manik Sarkar ruled since 1998, collapsed like a house of cards in the face of peoples desire for change.

Sarkar, 69, is known as an affable and austere chief minister. People loved him and may continue to love him even now. Tripura was one of the best-administered states in the northeast where human development indicators like literacy, health, and cleanliness are better than many other higher states. But it lacked economic prosperity as industries shunned the state in spite of Sarkar's attempts to aggressively woo them.

Unlike CPM, which has built its cadre and party-infrastructure over decades, BJP was a new political entrant to the state. Till 2014, it was literally impossible to even to think that BJP would ever be in the race to claim power in Tripura. The partys victory in Tripura is nothing short of a political miracle that has been made possible by sheer perseverance and political perspicacity. The BJP leadership correctly diagnosed the peoples pulse and weaved a narrative that captured their imagination.

And this narrative, distinctly different from the worn-out Marxist phrases and socialist idioms which were in circulation for decades, focused on building Tripura as a model of development. Ironically, in Tripura, the state is the biggest employer. And as compared to other states, the Manik Sarkar government has been vacillating on the implementation of successive pay commissions since the fourth pay commission. This prevarication has caused a huge resentment among the government employees who act literally as opinion makers.

The BJP has won over the employees by promising them to get their dues. Given the fact that the Centre is ruled by BJP, the assurances carried more weight than similar promises by either Congress or CPM. But what appears to have taken the CPM leadership off guard is its inability to realise that the mood of the people in the tiny state is no longer enamoured of traditional Marxist-socialist platitudes. The shopping malls in and around Agartala and the students who throng these complexes in the evening are a clear testimony to people's yearning for change.

Ironically enough, the only leader who anticipated this wind of change was Manik Sarkar. He made a determined attempt for course correction but was stone-walled by traditionalists within the party. For instance, he invited industrialists to invest in the state to spur economic growth. Given the fact that the state has a lower per capita income compared to the national average, Sarkar saw the limitations of state-sponsored growth in the state. In a candid conversation with me, he had said that the state desperately needs private investment.

And that was the precise reason why Sarkar did make an attempt to mend fences with the Centre. He personally developed a very good rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and invited him to address his cabinet  much to the chagrin of the CPM leadership. Sarkars pragmatic politics found an ideological roadblock erected by puritans led by Prakash Karat. His every attempt to reorient the party to the changing axis of politics was thwarted as CPM took a rigid stance against the rising BJP, giving the latter an opportunity on a platter to weave a counter-narrative.

On the other hand, BJP captured the imagination of a large section of state employees by promising a better lifestyle and emancipation from a political dogma that has been keeping people perpetually in the thrall of penury and backwardness. Given the fact that Tripura is one of the states where RSS has a strong foundation, BJP lost no opportunity in building up its cadre base, largely drawn from Congress, on the foundation of a strong RSS network.

Weary of a regime which is blindfolded by its own ideological limitation, BJPs counter-narrative found resonance among people.

This victory of BJP in Tripura is quite akin to a tectonic shift in Indian politics probably comparable internationally to the collapse of the Berlin Wall or of the Soviet Union. It signifies collapse of an ideology which ceded ground to another powerful ideology. In essence, BJP has occupied the political space which once belonged to Congress in post-independent India. And the greatest testimony to our democracy is that all this has been attained through the ballot.The Left, in its leadership structure, needs to reflect the subaltern groups whom they claim to represent. They may not conform to the idea of the typical middle-class decent folks, but only they can provide impetus equivalent to BJP's 'Ram Temple'

When Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress uprooted the Left Front government from West Bengal in 2011, columnist Mukul Kesavan wrote a piece hoping the communists would survive the spell in exile from office. He counted some attributes of the Left that he thought were exemplary, including providing an alternative to the ideas that Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress represented, giving regional players their due in the federal politics and stamping out riots in West Bengal. The state had been historically quite prone to it.

But none of these attributes were ostensibly more inspiring than the inherent decency of the Lefts national leaders. Kesavan spoke of a woman who was disinterested in the "minutiae of Left politics", but who was also emphatic that the only decent parliamentarians who came on television belonged to the Left  Indrajit Gupta, Somnath Chatterjee and Sitaram Yechury. As proof, she told Kesavan, "Theyre the only ones I would trust in the same room as my daughter."

Given the battering that the Left has received in Tripura, the chances of communists coming to the Centre as parliamentarians and improving the decency quotient of the Indian political class continue to nosedive. Obviously, this has little to do with Tripura, which, after all, elects only two Lok Sabha MPs and sends one to the Rajya Sabha.

Yet the defeat in Tripura is significant because it is here that India witnessed for the first time a direct contest between the Left and the Right of Indian politics. And the Left was pushed to a distant second. It is nowhere near the sniffing distance of power in West Bengal. It has lost many pockets of influence it had in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, etc. The red flag flies only in Kerala, where power shifts from the Left-led Front to the Congress-led alliance every five years.

The Lefts loss of Tripura means it will face a stiff challenge from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, whose cadres continue to grow with every electoral victory as does its mammoth financial resources. Kerala is indeed the Lefts only redoubt, for it finds difficult to stage a comeback wherever it has declined, whether in West Bengal or in its pockets of influence that once dotted Indias political terrain.

Is it then the time to write the Lefts obituary?

Everybodys favourite counter-argument would be that BJP had slipped to just two seats in the Lok Sabha in 1984, but commands a majority of its own today. It might, after the 2019 General Elections to Lok Sabha, even become Indias natural party of governance, just as Congress was until 1989.

But the Left cant be the BJP for a variety of reasons, none more than the fact that it wont opt for communal polarisation, which unmistakably shines through the ideological camouflage of Hindutva. Nor does it have leaders who can emerge out of the ideological straitjacket to create for themselves the communist equivalent of, say, the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which is what propelled BJP from the margins of Indian politics to its very centre.

Certainly, the Left had its chances to create symbols through which it could have captured the national imagination. In hindsight, it does seem CPM committed an egregious mistake in disallowing Jyoti Basu to head the United Front coalition government in 1996. Boxed in Kerala, West Bengal, and Tripura, Basu as prime minister could have helped the Left to break into new areas through a formulation of radical economic policies.

However, CPM reasoned that a coalition of a medley of parties was intrinsically unmanageable and bound to collapse in due course. The consequences of such an eventuality, the party feared, could prove disastrous for its support base in its bastions. So, between playing safe and being a little adventurous, the Left chose caution, postponing expansion through the ballot to one that was to be achieved through a mass movement, for which they had anyway lost appetite because of being in power for well over a decade.

The Left compounded this mistake by pulling support from the UPA government of Manmohan Singh on the issue of India signing a nuclear deal with the United States. Neither the UPA government fell nor was the nuclear deal stalled. Might it not have been a better idea to pull the plug from the UPA government on its neo-liberal economic policies against which it railed?

The architect of both these mistakes was CPMs former general secretary, Prakash Karat, whose intellectual heft and obsession with ideological clarity, aka rigidity, impresses most. It has now led him to oppose CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechurys line that the Left should build alliances with Congress and other regional parties before the 2019 elections.

Karats line seems a prescription for the Left to inflict a fresh wound on itself. A BJP victory in 2019 will certainly lead to the Lefts fort of Kerala being besieged and the secular democratic space shrinking. It is no longer an issue of the Left growing in the distant future; rather, it is about the Left surviving to fight another day.

True, the Left cant walk into a new dawn on the crutches of allies. But does it boast an array of leaders who can rebuild the party by initiating a mass movement, the surest route to achieve success, that is durable?

This is precisely where Kesavans decent men are found wanting. Or it can be said that their decency is a bit hypocritical. In an insightful piece in The Hindu, academician Pulapre Balakrishnan points to the irony of decent men leading a party whose activists are engaged in a bloody tit-for-tat with other formations, including RSS, which too has violence coded into its DNA. From Balakrishnans analysis, it would seem the decency of Left national leaders is a structural hypocrisy.

As Balakrishnan says, In almost all cases the actual killing is undertaken by young men of the working classes while the leadership rests with a class that does not soil its hands with labour of any kind. At the national level, the so-called intellectuals lead CPM while its rank and file are of the subaltern class. It is members of this underclass that cannot hope to ever lead the party who find themselves in the frontline of the assault against opponents named 'class enemies."

The structural hypocrisy of Left leaders, in a way, limits the expansion of their movement. It isnt a problem of recent vintage. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, the communists were abusive towards Dr BR Ambedkar and dubbed him casteists. They sincerely believed that Ambedkars caste movement would drive a wedge in the unity of the working class, pit the upper castes against those lower to them in the hierarchy. They also assumed, rather naively, that a classless society will automatically lead to the obliteration of caste discrimination and exclusion.

It led to the splitting of caste and class movements in India. Obviously, the Left has belatedly realised its folly. It now seeks to unite the Dalits and the Left. But such is the legacy of animosity that the sight of Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani sharing the platform with the Left youth leaders arouses suspicion among Dalits, evident from this writers piece.

A large segment of Dalits believes the Left wants to co-opt them and revive its flagging fortunes through their support. They perceive the Left as a party of upper caste leaders, whose intentions are suspicious, is no different from those of BJP and Congress.

The Left, therefore, needs to reflect in its leadership structure the subaltern groups whom they claim to represent. They may not conform to the idea of the typical middle-class decent folks but can be depended upon to soil their feet by participating in a grassroots movement.

The limitation of Kesavans decent leaders is palpable in West Bengal. After the Left was voted out in 2011, its middle-rung leaders simply switched over to the Trinamool Congress. Fattened on the state governments largesse, largely because it was through these middle-level leaders that the state provided its services, they just didnt want their money-making methods to end. These leaders are in the forefront of combating Left cadres who still remain ideologically committed, preventing them from even opening offices in rural Bengal.

It is hard to see how decent communist leaders will wade into such territories. Once they identified with the poor, lived with them, took up their cause, but they gradually junked the method as their hold over the levers of power strengthened. Years in power have perhaps left them with no stomach for a fight without the states protective shield.

Nobody would want Left leaders to become like heads of other political parties, as much known for their venality as their murderous ways. Still, the Left needs to ensure that its leadership structure includes representatives of the groups on whose behalf they claim to fight, whether or not they are the paragon of middle-class decency, sophistication and intellectualism. It is they who can possibly create the communist equivalent of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.Reuters

Dialog Semiconductor expects Apple, its top customer, to use its chips for a significant proportion of its devices in 2019 and 2020, Chief Executive Jalal Bagherli told a German newspaper.

Apple at the start of the year commissioned us with the design of chips for many devices for 2019 and 2020, weekly Euro am Sonntag quoted Bagherli as saying in an interview published on Saturday, without providing details.

Dialogs stock has lost more than half of its value over the past year on investor concerns that Apple is working on its own battery-saving chips for iPhones.

Analysts reckon Dialog derives more than half its revenue from supplying Apple with power management integrated circuits (PMICs).

Dialog in December acknowledged that Apple could develop its own power chips. It said at the time there was no risk to its existing supply deals in 2018 and that it was in the advanced stages of working with Apple on designing 2019-type products that could lead to commercial contracts by this month.

Negotiations over that chip are still ongoing. But we expect to deliver a chip design for testing in the customers system in the second half of the year, Bagherli told Euro am Sonntag.

He also said that he saw no need for Dialog to develop a defence against possible hostile takeover attempts following the drop in its market value.

A defence, including an anchor shareholder or poison pills to scare off bidders, are not in the interest of a stock-listed company, he said.

Almost 89 percent of shares in Dialog are freely traded, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Its biggest single shareholder is Tsinghua Unigroup, Chinas top state silicon chipmaker, which holds about nine percent of voting rights in the group.tech2 News Staff

A few days after a full press render of the Motorola Moto E5 Plus showed up on the internet, images of the Moto G6 Play have now begun surfacing. The Moto G6 Play has now been received by Taiwans certification agency NCC who have released a number of images of the phone and its box contents.

Based on what we can make of the released images, we find the design to be almost identical to what we saw on the Moto E5 Plus. That said, music lovers can stay rest assured that the phone does sport a 3.5 mm headphone jack given that the company bundles the earphones in the box.

Some info to go along with the #motoE5plus leak yesterday.

3GB RAM, 32-64GB, 5.8" 720x1440 18:9 IPS, 5000mAH, and that "other" cam hole are focus and depth sensors.

ROW COULD have a MTK 675x variant.

NA is a SD430.  Andri Yatim (@HeyAndri) February 27, 2018

The news arrives also just days after the phone was allegedly spotted on Geekbench where a number of its key specifications were revealed. The Moto G6 Play is expected to come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC, 3 GB of RAM and will run Android Oreo 8.0 out of the box. Older leaks also suggest that the phone will come with a 5.7-inch HD (720 x 1280 pixels) display and a large 4,000 mAh battery.

Considering Motorola currently sells only two phones under the Moto G series, the Moto G6 Play is expected to be a new variant which is now rumoured to debut alongside the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus.

As far as pricing is considered, the Moto G6 Play is expected to be the most affordable of the three variants.

Coming to news related to the Moto E family, it has been rumoured that this year's range will include three phones, the Moto E5, Moto E5 Play and Moto E5 Plus. Based on findings of tipster Andri Yatim, there are claims that the Moto E5 Plus will come in two variants, one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC and another with a MediaTek MT675X SoC options. The tipster also states that the entire 2018 Moto E range will come with dual rear camera setups.China has for the first time in recent years skirted the customary announcement of its national defence budget

Beijing: China's development will pose no threat to any other nation, a top official said on Sunday as the country for the first time in recent years skirted the customary announcement of its national defence budget ahead of its annual parliament meeting.

Every year, the spokesman of the National Peoples Congress (NPC), unveils the country's defence budget in terms of percentage.

But this year, Zhang Yesui, a former vice-foreign minister, who took over as the spokesman of the NPC did not reveal any percentage of increase though he defended the steady rise of Chinas military expenditure, saying it is consistent with Chinas rise.

China will adhere to the path of "peaceful" development, Zhang said.

"With a defence policy that is defensive in nature, the development of China will pose no threat to any other country," he said.

China last year increased the defence budget to $150.5 billion, three times higher than Indias latest defence budget of about $52.5 billion.

The defence budget of the US which is the highest in the world amounted to $602.8 billion.

Though China announced its military spending at about $150.5 billion, observers say it is considerably higher, considering it is now building two more aircraft carriers in addition to the one already in service as well as addition of new jet fighters, including stealth fighter J-20.

Chinese Navy also expanded its global reach with flotilla ships sailing through the far-off oceans to expand Chinas influence.

It is not clear yet whether Chinas defence spending for this year would be figured in the work report of Premier Li Keqiang which would be submitted to the NPC.

Without disclosing any details, Zhang said China's defence input rate is lower than other major countries and China's development will pose no threat to any other country.

China's defence budget takes up a smaller share of its gross domestic product and national fiscal expenditure compared with major world countries, he said.

Its military spending per capita is also lower than other major countries, he said.

A large part of the growth of China's defence budget is to make up for the low military spending in the past and is mainly used to upgrade equipment and improve the welfare of servicemen and women and the living and training condition of troops.

Zhang also denied that the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China's geo-strategic tool, saying such a characterisation is a misinterpretation.

To say that the Belt and Road Initiative is a geo-strategic tool, in my view, this is a misinterpretation of the initiative." Zhang said.

India opposed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor connecting Chinas Xinjiang with Gwadar as it passes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"Five years ago, President Xi Jinping put forward the (BRI). Over the past five years, thanks to the joint efforts from all parties, this initiative is being turned into actions from a concept, and it is being translated into reality from a vision," he said.

Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, delivered a work report to 2,149 political advisors who gathered to discuss major political, economic and social issues in the world's most populous nation and second largest economy.

"We will focus our advice and efforts on the main issues in securing a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and embarking on a journey to fully build a modern socialist China," Yu said.Donald Trump on Saturday appeared to cheer on China's Xi Jinping for paving the way to a limitless tenure

Washington: Donald Trump on Saturday appeared to cheer on China's Xi Jinping for paving the way to a limitless tenure, while delivering a lighthearted address at a Florida fundraising event.

Trump seemed to jokingly muse over making such power consolidation moves himself, according to audio from the closed-door event at his Mar-a-Lago resort published by news outlet CNN.

"He's now president for life," the 71-year-old US president said, eliciting chuckles from the crowd of Republican donors. "And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great."

He garnered even more laughs when he quipped: "Maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day."

Though the US leader's comments struck a jocular tone, many on Twitter voiced concern over the prospect of an indefinite Trump presidency.

"Whether this was a joke or not, talking about being President for life like Xi Jinping is the most unAmerican sentiment expressed by an American President," said Democrat Ro Khanna, a California congressman.

"George Washington would roll over in his grave."

China's legislature will hold an annual session starting Monday that will grant Xi a second five-year stint as president -- and also likely scrap the constitution's limits on holding the office, clearing the way for him to rule for life.

The possibility has sparked public outcry, prompting Chinese censors to furiously stamp out dissenting voices on social media.Italy went to the polls in one of the country's most uncertain elections ever with far-right and populist parties expected to make major gains and Silvio Berlusconi set to play a leading role as voter turnout heads towards a new low

Rome: Italy went to the polls Sunday in one of the country's most uncertain elections ever with far-right and populist parties expected to make major gains and Silvio Berlusconi set to play a leading role as voter turnout heads towards a new low.

Polls opened at 06:00 local time and will close at 22:00 local time, and early figures from the interior ministry put nationwide turnout at 19.4 percent, above the 14.9 percent from the same point in 2013, when however the country voted over two days.

The numbers are in line with those from the same point of the constitutional reform referendum in December 2016, when overall 65.5 percent of the nation voted. That would put turnout at the lowest levels for a general election since the Second World War.

Confusion and delays blighted voting at some polling stations, with new anti-electoral fraud procedures being blamed for huge queues, while in one polling station in Rome voting had to be suspended due to the discovery of voting cards with the wrong candidates' names printed on them.

Tensions between far-right and anti-fascist activists have marred a gloomy campaign dominated by fears about immigration and economic malaise.

"This election campaign has been pretty squalid, including from the Democratic Party (PD), who I voted for," 24-year-old barber Mirko Canali told AFP after casting his vote in Rome.

He said he knew many other young people who, fed up with high youth unemployment, had decided to support the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S).

"They're pissed off, can't bear (PD leader Matteo) Renzi anymore and maybe they're right," Canali said.

Many Italians are cynical about promises made by the many squabbling parties and confused about what the outcome might be.

"I voted for the right and Berlusconi in the past ... but this time I'm voting M5S to be against the parties that have always stolen," said 24-year-old pastry chef Francesco Tagliavini at a polling station in Rome's Tor Marancia neighbourhood.

The result could be a stalemate between the M5S, three-time former prime minister Berlusconi's right-wing coalition and the ruling centre-left PD.

The final opinion polls put the coalition in the lead with 37 percent, followed by the M5S on 28 percent and the centre-left 27 percent.

But under a new electoral law being tried out for the first time, any grouping would need at least 40 percent of the vote to command an overall majority of seats in both chambers of parliament.

Berlusconi's back

A remarkable feature of the election has been the return to the limelight of 81-year-old Berlusconi, despite a political career overshadowed by sex scandals and legal woes.

The billionaire tycoon, who can't hold office because of a tax fraud conviction and has put forward European Parliament President Antonio Tajani as his prime ministerial nominee, was ambushed as he cast his vote in Milan by a topless woman from the Femen activists group who had "Berlusconi, you have expired" scrawled across her body.

Berlusconi isn't just being challenged by the public, however, as his plans face opposition from his ambitious coalition partner, League leader Matteo Salvini, whose anti-immigration and euro-sceptic rhetoric has fired up the campaign.

Salvini has said he should be nominated prime minister if his party comes ahead of Berlusconi's and their coalition as a whole wins a majority.

Berlusconi and Salvini have promised to expel 6,00,000 illegal migrants if they win  a proposal dismissed by the centre-left as logistically impossible.

'Pure populism'

The election has drawn international attention, including from former White House adviser Steve Bannon  the man who harnessed the populist insurgency that propelled Donald Trump to power.

Bannon, who is visiting Italy as part of a European tour, told the paper: "The Italian people have gone farther, in a shorter period of time, than the British did for Brexit and the Americans did for Trump".

He called a potential alliance between the Five Star Movement and the League  a scenario that has spooked financial markets and European capitals  the "ultimate dream".

PD leader Renzi told a final campaign event in his native Florence on Friday that only a vote for his party would prevent Salvini from taking power.

"The PD is the only serious political force that can bring concrete results," Chiara Serdone, a 70-year-old retired railway company employee, told AFP at the rally.

Scenarios

If no party wins an overall majority, one scenario outlined by analysts could be a grand coalition between the PD and Forza Italia  a prospect that would reassure investors but risks spreading more cynicism and emboldening populists and the far-right.

Another possibility could be a temporary government and eventually a new election.

The M5S may end up as the single biggest party but has ruled out any post-election deals with the others.

Five Star's leader Luigi Di Maio broke with tradition by announcing a full list of ministerial nominees ahead of the vote, including many academics with no political experience.

The 31-year-old Di Maio told supporters: "Some people have mocked this decision but we will be the ones laughing on Monday."Krishna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan's Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, according to a media report on Sunday.

Karachi: Krishna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan's Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, according to a media report on Sunday.

Kolhi, 39, from Thar is a member of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). She won the election for the reserved seat for women from Sindh province, Dawn News reported.

Her election represents a major milestone for women and minority rights in Pakistan. Earlier, PPP had elected first Hindu woman named Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla as a senator. Kolhi belongs to a remote village in Nagarparkar district of Thar in Sindh province.

Born to a poor peasant, Jugno Kolhi, in February 1979, Kolhi and her family members spent nearly three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district. She was a grade 3 student at the time when held captive.

She was married to Lalchand at the age of 16, when she was studying in 9th grade. However, she pursued her studies and in 2013 she did masters in sociology from the Sindh University.

She had joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother, who was later elected as Chairman of Union Council Berano. Kolhi also actively participated and worked for the rights of downtrodden people of marginalised communities living in Thar and other areas.

She is from the family of the valiant freedom fighter Rooplo Kolhi, who had waged a war against the invading British colonialist forces when they had attacked Sindh from Nagarparkar side in 1857. Subsequently, he was arrested and hanged by the Britishers on August 22, 1858.

Pakistan's ruling PML-N of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday won 15 seats in Senate and became the largest party in the upper house of Parliament, according to the provisional results.

Provincial and federal lawmakers voted to elect 52 Senators in the Senate elections, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Twelve seats each from Punjab and Sindh, 11 each from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, four from tribal region and two from federal capital territory were up for grab due to retirement of 52 senators this month. More than 130 candidates, including those nominated by political parties and independent candidates were in the contest.South Korea will dispatch a delegation led by senior security officials for a two-day visit to North Korea, the presidential Blue House announced Sunday, as US President Donald Trump hinted that he is ready to talk to Pyongyang

Seoul: South Korea will dispatch a delegation led by senior security officials for a two-day visit to North Korea starting Monday, the presidential Blue House announced Sunday, as US President Donald Trump hinted that he is ready to talk to Pyongyang.

For its part, North Korea said it was not begging to talk with Washington and denounced upcoming US-South Korean joint military exercises, warning that it would take countermeasures against the United States if they went ahead.

The drills will take place next month, a South Korean presidential security adviser said according to the Yonhap News Agency. They had been delayed until after the Winter Olympics and Paralympic games in South Korea.

South Koreas presidential Blue House said in a statement that National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Suh Hoon, a veteran of past negotiations with the North, will be among the 10-member South Korean delegation visiting Pyongyang.

The visit was part of an effort to lower tensions on the Korean peninsula as well as possibly arrange talks between North Korea and the United States, it said.

After the visit to North Korea the envoys will travel to the United States to brief officials, and Seoul said it would also coordinate closely with officials in Japan and China.

During a joke-filled monologue at a dinner with journalists in Washington on Saturday, Trump suggested that the United States will be meeting with North Korea but has told Pyongyang it must firstdenuke.

We will be meeting and well see if anything positive happens, he added.

It was unclear if Trump was joking or if formal US-North Korea talks were imminent.

Speaking on Sunday in Beijing ahead of the opening of Chinas parliament, Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui said China hoped the United States and North Korea could begin dialogue too.

War and chaos on the peninsula in not in the interests of any side, Zhang said.

Last month, US Vice-President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Uns sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, US officials said in February.

North Korea reiterated on Saturday that it was willing to talk to the United States but said it would never sit with any precondition.

A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman was quoted by KCNA as sayingwe will neither beg for dialogue nor evade the military option claimed by the US

A commentary published by North Koreas official KCNA news agency warned that North Korea wouldcounter the US if joint military drills go forward.

The Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang last month gave a boost to recent engagement between the two Koreas after more than a year of sharply rising tensions over the Norths missile programme and its sixth and largest nuclear test in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in hopes to capitalize on that thaw in relations by arranging talks over North Koreas nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programme.

During a phone call on Thursday, Moon told Trump of his plan to send a special envoy to North Korea in response to an invitation from leader Kim Jong Un.

In sending an envoy to Pyongyang, Moon said he would be seeking to reciprocate Kim Jong Uns decision to send a senior delegation, including his sister, Kim Yo Jong, to the Olympics, marking the first visit by a member of the Norths ruling bloodline since the 1950-53 Korean War.

The White House has said any talks with North Korea must lead to an end of its nuclear programme, and on Feb. 23, the United States said it was imposing its largest package of sanctions to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programmes.

At the time, Trump also warned of aphase two that could bevery, very unfortunate for the world if the steps did not work..  19 ,      ,           ,   ...Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel is no stranger to taking shots at President Trump.

The comedian has repeatedly made jokes -- and seriously criticized -- the president on his late night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! He hit Trump repeatedly last February when he hosted the 89th Academy Awards.

So it's no surprise Kimmel kicked off the awards show with a few jabs at the president and Vice President Mike Pence. Here's a look at Kimmel's comments during the 90th annual Academy Awards, and other jokes he's made about Trump in previous years.

Let the tweetstorm...begin," March 2018

At the top of the show, Kimmel started listing stars in attendance, pointing out that Black Panther actress Lupita Nyongo.

The stunning Lupita Nyongo, she was born in Mexico and raised in Kenya, Kimmel said. Let the tweetstorm from the president's toilet begin!

The host then began to comment on the years diversity, highlighting Get Out star Jordan Peele.

Jordan is only the first person in 90 years to be nominated for directing, writing and best picture for his debut film, Kimmel commented. What a debut it was. None other than President Trump called Get Out the best first three quarters of a movie this year.

He ended his opening act by discussing gay romance film Call Me By Your Name," saying it didn't perform too well at the box office.

We dont make films like Call Me By Your Name for money, he quipped. We make them to upset Mike Pence.



His hair tried to fly away to Mar-a-Lago on its own, February 2018

Kimmel poked fun at Trump's hair "flapping in the wind" on his show in February.

Trump is getting on Air Force One, headed to Mar-a-Lago for the weekend and his hair tried to fly to Mar-a-Lago on its own," Kimmel said. "Now the red hats make sense.

Thats unbelievable. I think we might have to see that again he added, before the clip was replayed. Yes, you can see - this is why Darth Vader had the good sense to wear a helmet.

Kimmel joked, According to White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, the presidents hair stayed perfectly still, he does not have a bald spot and anything to the contrary is fake news."

Two maniacs, January 2018

Kimmel called Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un two maniacs in January.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times, Trump tweeted. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!

After reading Trumps tweet on-air, Kimmel said, Happy New Year, everybody. We have two maniacs with nuclear warheads bragging about who has the bigger button.

Quit that boring job, October 2017

Kimmel called on Trump to leave the presidency in October.

Late Night host are dealing with the Democrats for their very "unfunny" & repetitive material, always anti-Trump! Should we get Equal Time? Trump said in a tweet.

Excellent point Mr. President! You should quit that boring job - I'll let you have my show ALL to yourself #MAGA, Kimmel later replied.

Bad at math, September 2017

The comedian made headlines in May when he spoke on-air about his son Billy, who was born with heart defects. Kimmel used his show as a platform for families access to equal medical care, and repeatedly spoke out against congressional attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

In late September, Kimmel called Trump bad at math regarding the proposed Graham-Cassidy health care bill.

Kimmel aired a clip of Trump saying, "We have the votes. We can't do it now because we have somebody in the hospital."

Kimmel pointed out a tweet from Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss, which said he was at home.

There was no senator in the hospital, Kimmel said, and even if he was, there were still at least three other Republicans who were against the bill.

He later offered a summary.

So just to recap, Mr. President: There was no Senator in the hospital, you didn't have the votes, the bill didnt pass, and youre bad at math, okay? he said.

DACA remarks, September 2017

Kimmel spoke about Trumps decision to repeal the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program.

This morning, our president woke up and asked his staff, Now that this hurricane is over, whats something horrible I can do to distract people from the Russia investigation? he said. Someone said, You know, there are 800,000 innocent kids you could deport for no good reason, and he said, Done and done!

Kimmel eventually joked, The presidents spokesperson said it was a difficult decision, the presidents been debating it for months, but ultimately Donald Trump believes that if these kids want to be American, they have to do it the right way: by marrying Donald Trump. And thats as simple as that.

King of America, August 2017

Kimmel slammed Trump after the president spoke at a press conference about a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., that had been met by counter-protesters.

The comedian called Trump completely unhinged and the press conference astonishing.

The only thing I can compare it to is, remember when Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfields ear off? And then he bit his other ear off? he said. This was the presidential equivalent of that.

Later in the monologue, Kimmel put forward the idea of naming Trump the first king of America.

We need to set him up in a castle, maybe in Florida, lead him to the top, and then lock the door to that castle -- forever, Kimmel said.

Comey firing, May 2017

Kimmel said that Trump firing FBI Director James Comey is kind of like O.J. firing Judge Ito halfway through the trial. He added that Comey was fired while investigating potential Russian collusion.

This is the kind of thing dictators do, Kimmel said. This is the kind of thing reality TV hosts do, they fire someone every week. Maybe thats what happened, he thinks hes still on The Celebrity Apprentice. It was between James Comey and Meatloaf and, well, the Loaf won again.

Kimmel later said, One reason they gave -- and this is really something -- for firing Comey is because he mishandled the Hillary Clinton email situation, which is hilarious because that would mean Trump fired James Comey for making him president.

Jared Kushners trip to Iraq, April 2017

Kimmel spoke about White House senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushners Iraq trip on his show.

The comedian said that Kushner has no experience dealing with foreign governments and called him a guy who negotiates rent.

I mean -- this is his job, is to figure out how much it will cost to put a Dunkin Donuts on the first floor of an office building, he said. Dennis Rodman has more foreign policy experience than Jared Kushner. Thats for -- for real.

Kimmel said hed been thinking about why the president would send his son-in-law -- and that there is only one possible explanation -- I think the president might be trying to kill him.

You know, a lot of fathers dont get along with their son-in-laws, he joked.

Oscars, February 2017

The 2017 Oscars featured multiple Trump references - including when Kimmel thanked Trump and praised Meryl Streep in his opening monologue.

And maybe this is not a popular thing to say, but I want to say thank you to President Trump, Kimmel said. I mean, remember last year when it seemed like the Oscars were racist? Thats gone! Thanks to him.

The joke came in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, sparked by a lack of diversity among major award nominees.

Kimmel went on to reference Trumps labeling of Streep as over-rated. Streep was up for Best Actress at the awards show.

This is Meryls 20th Oscar nomination, made even more amazing considering the fact that she wasnt even in a movie this year -- we just wrote her name down out of habit, he said. Meryl, stand up if you would. Everybody please join me in giving Meryl Streep a totally undeserved round of applause, will you? The highly overrated Meryl Streep, everyone.

Stages of grief, November 2016

After Trump won the presidential election, Kimmel described the five stages of grief -- denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

Now stage one, is, of course, denial. As in, No, the host of Celebrity Apprentice is not our president, he cant possibly be, Kimmel said on his show. CNN must have the map wrong, they must have missed a county or something.

When he reached the stage of acceptance, Kimmel said, No matter how you feel about it, Donald Trump is the president of the United States of America, Kimmel said.

"So thank God we legalized marijuana yesterday, he continued, in an apparent reference to a California proposition.

Emmys monologue, September 2016

Television brings people together, but television can also tear us apart, Kimmel said during his opening monologue at the Emmys. I mean if it wasnt for television, would Donald Trump be running for president? No, he would be at home right now quietly rubbing up against his wife Malaria while she pretends to be asleep.

Kimmel later said that Celebrity Apprentice producer Mark Burnett was responsible for the Trump phenomenon.

Thanks to Mark Burnett, we dont have to watch reality shows anymore because were living in one, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Meghan Markle is expected to be baptized this month at Kensington Palace in a private ceremony with her family, including her mother and her father, ahead of the royal wedding, a report said Sunday.

Markle, who was raised as a Protestant and went to Catholic school, will be baptized as an Anglican by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, The Sunday Times reported. Markles mother, Doria Ragland, and her father, Thomas Markle, are expected to attend the ceremony. Markles parents divorced when she was 6 years old.

Thomas Markle lives in Mexico and never met Prince Harry prior to the engagement. The duchess-to-be reportedly wants both her parents to be at the May 19 wedding at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle.

The former actress chose to be baptized before the royal wedding out of respect to Queen Elizabeth II, who is the head of the Church of England, according to The Sunday Times.

MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY'S ROYAL WEDDING: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Markle previously married film producer Trevor Engelson, who is Jewish, in 2011. She never converted to Judaism and the couple divorced two years after getting married.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, who will officiate the royal wedding, said last month the Church of England has dealt with Markles previous divorce, Sky News reported.

"It's not a problem," Welby said about Markles divorce. "The Church of England has clear rules with dealing with that and we've dealt with that. We went through that as anyone would who will officiate at a wedding where someone has been separated and a partner is still living."

MEGHAN MARKLE'S EX-HUSBAND TREVOR ENGELSON: WHO IS HE?

More details about the royal wedding have been released in recent months. Kensington Palace announced Friday that Harry and Markle invited 2,640 people to stand on the ground of Windsor Castle to watch the carriage procession.

"Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have said they want their Wedding Day to be shaped so as to allow members of the public to feel part of the celebrations, too," the palace said in a statement. "This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the Bride and Groom."

About 1,200 people will be members of the general public. Harry and Markle invited 200 people to represent charities and other organizations they support.

The 2,640 people does not include those who are invited to the ceremony in the chapel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 2021 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Following the Winter Olympics, South Korean President Moon Jae-in indicated he was ready to talk to North Korea and engage in diplomacy. And while Vice President Mike Pence  who earlier announced severe sanctions on the North first signaled a willingness to talk, he quickly seemed to change course.

President Trump further indicated that he is considering a preventive military strike on the North if the sanctions failed to denuclearize the communist nation. But such a so-called bloody nose strike against North Korean missile sites and nuclear facilities stands an excellent chance of becoming a bloody disaster.

China won't tolerate an unprovoked attack on North Korea, and President Moon will not support the use of South Korean forces as part of a U.S. military strike against North Korea.

South Koreans loathe the regime of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. But very few think that initiating a war on the Korean Peninsula will hasten reunification, let alone lead to lasting peace. In fact, 59 percent of South Koreans oppose a pre-emptive strike on North Koreas nuclear facilities.

Consequently, if President Trump authorizes military action against North Korea, the most probable outcome will be war with China and the immediate expulsion of U.S. military forces from South Korea. President Moon will have no other choice if he is to avoid conflict with China.

And, contrary to expectations in Washington, Japan will decline to participate in Washingtons bloody nose extravaganza in any meaningful way. Tokyo will privately welcome a conflict that removes North Korea from the map, but will not put the Japanese home islands at risk to help Washington in its war with China.

The net result will be embarrassment on a global scale for Washington and the American people. The Trump presidency could well be destroyed.

On the other hand, its useful to point out that President Xi Jinping of China has actually cooperated with Washington to push North Korea to the brink of economic implosion. Xi has told Kim Jong Un that if he attacks his neighbors or the U.S., Beijing will not assist North Korea in any way.

The importance of Xis stance to U.S. military planners cannot be overstated. Military planning is always based on a mix of known capabilities relating to friendly and opposing weapon systems, as well as unknowable aspects of a potential opponents behavior. Predictably, in American military planning untested assumptions are often frequently shaped by wishful thinking.

Fortunately for the U.S., President Xi has taken precautions to disabuse Washington of any wishful thinking. If America initiates hostilities against North Korea, China will not sit on the sidelines.

According to South Korean sources, if we attack North Korea the Chinese Peoples Liberation Armys Northern Theater Command is preparing the Chinese 78th Army Group for intervention on the ground to cope with the potential collapse of the North Korean state.

The Northern Theater Command in Manchuria also includes the 79th Army Group. Together, the two Chinese Army Groups positioned in Manchuria field 855 tanks, 819 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, 200 self-propelled guns, rocket artillery, missile defense units, support troops and several hundred attack aircraft  a force of roughly 300,000.

None of these points suggest that Americas nuclear arsenal could not quickly and thoroughly erase the North Korean state from the map. While thats something that Washington can accomplish, a high-end conventional conflict with China on the Korean Peninsula is a contingency for which the U.S. armed forces are not prepared.

Any use of nuclear weapons to compensate for U.S. conventional military weakness  regardless of yield  would likely trigger a nuclear exchange with China that no sane person wants.

It is time to reconsider the wisdom of military action against North Korea. In their first meeting, President Moon asked President Trump to accelerate the transfer of wartime command of all Korean and U.S. armed forces on the Korean Peninsula to a Korean Army four-star general. President Trump was perplexed.

President Trumps advisers had not prepared him for the question. For decades, a U.S. Army four-star general has exercised absolute authority over the South Korean-U.S. Combined Forces Command, the warfighting headquarters responsible for the defense and, if necessary, the defeat of external aggression against South Korea.

President Moon is the latest South Korean leader to conclude that without unambiguous South Korean national command authority over the armed forces on its soil, South Korea is not really a sovereign nation. He has a point.

The truth is that Washington is not equipped to solve the problem on the Korean Peninsula, largely because the problem is not ours to solve. South Korea is a brilliant success story. Now the United States mission on the Korean Peninsula is complete.

Seoul, not Washington, must now work with Beijing and Tokyo to solve the problem. For Washington, Step One is to signal American support for President Moons initiative of an inter-Korean dialogue.

Step Two is to turn over command of the Combined Forces Command to a South Korean four-star general as soon as possible. Make it clear that the destiny of the South Korean people rests in their own hands.GAZA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian farmer was killed on Saturday by Israeli troops' gunfire when he approached his farm close to the borderline area between southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis and Israel, medics said.

Mohamed Abu Jame'a, 59, was shot by Israeli troops' gunfire stationed at the borderline area and was critically wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry said in an emailed press statement.

He then succumbed to his injuries later in hospital, said the statement.

On Friday, around 16 Palestinian demonstrators were shot and wounded by Israeli troops' gunfire during clashes near the borders.

Israel established a 300-meter no-go zone on the borderline into the eastern area of the coastal enclave, where the Israeli soldiers stationed at the borders open fire at anyone who approaches the area.

Few weeks ago, four Israeli soldiers were injured when a roadside bomb detonated. They were trying to remove a Palestinian flag that was hanged on the barbed-wire on the borders.

The Israeli army gives no clarification yet on the Palestinian farmer's death.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision that effectively reinstated the Obama eras over-reaching joint employer regulation is a perfect example of how the left plays by its own set of rules.

The joint employer rule made headlines in 2015 when the NLRB, under President Obama, rewrote the definition of what the government considered a joint employer.

Traditionally, a joint employer was an employer who shared direct control over an employees workplace or employment with another employer.

The idea was that since all employers shared and exercised similar and immediate control over employees, all should be responsible for making sure the employees had safe and reasonable working conditions. It also meant all joint employers were responsible for mistakes or bad behavior at their businesses.

President Obamas NLRB, however, decided employers with even indirect control are considered joint employers. This immediately increased legal liability and the complexity of executing basic operations for franchisors and contractors across the United States  including the estimated 760,000 franchise locations in our country.

In response to this enormous government-imposed risk, chain businesses such as restaurants and retailers had more incentive to own all of their individual branches rather than sell franchises. This erased opportunities for small business owners nationwide. For this reason, in December, the labor board under the Trump administration voted to overturn the Obama-eras destructive, over-reaching rule.

However, the left did not go quietly.

In a February report  at the urging of Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and fellow Democrats  the labor boards inspector general claimed that one of President Trumps appointees, Board Member William Emanuel, should have recused himself from the December vote to overturn the Obama-eras employer rule.

The Democrats said they made this assertion due to Emanuels former law firms involvement with one of the clients in the 2015 Browning-Ferris decision, which established the indirect control definition of a joint employer. The inspector claimed this could have caused potential conflicts of interest when Emanuel later voted in the recent December decision that overturned the Obama-era Browning-Ferris ruling.

However, the same NLRB inspector general didnt seem to have any problem when former Obama appointee Craig Becker made rulings on cases in which chapters of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was involved.

Before joining the NLRB, Becker served as associate general counsel for SEIU. Keep in mind, President Obamas conflict-of-interest rules were nearly identical to President Trumps.

Around the time of his appointment, Republicans repeatedly called for Beckers recusal in SEIU-related cases based on the conflict, and he refused. In fact, as I pointed out during my 2012 presidential campaign, Becker is so radically anti-business, he couldnt even get confirmed when Democrats controlled the Senate. President Obama had to put him in place with a recess appointment.

Raymond J. LaJeunesse thoroughly analyzed this Democratic double-standard in a recent column for The Federalist Society. Also, one private labor and employment attorney separately noted, according to Allen Smith at the Society for Human Resource Management, that Becker's refusal to excuse himself from cases involving the SEIU set a precedent for Emanuel being involved in the Hy-Brand case.

Finally, Emanuel already addressed the complaint about his involvement in Hy-Brand in a letter to lawmakers saying that his former firm, Littler Mendelson, is a huge law firm of more than 1,000 lawyers, and that he was unaware that Littler had ever represented any party when the (2015) case was before the board. It is true that Emanuel said he would clarify parts of his statement. However, the NLRB vacated the December decision before he got the chance.

Aside from reviving a terrible, job- and opportunity-killing policy, this declaration by the labor boards inspector general clearly shows that the arrogant, hypocritical left gets to play by its own rules.

This double-standard essentially bars any labor attorney who has previously worked at a large law firm that represents companies in labor disputes from participating on the labor relations board, while allowing union lawyers to do as they please. In addition to effectively turning the NLRB into a taxpayer funded, pro-union body, this undermines Republican presidents ability to appoint pro-market board members in the future.

The House has already passed a bill that will permanently define a joint employer under the direct control standard and eliminate the Obama-eras ambiguous, overreaching joint employer indirect control rule. Its now up to the Senate to pass it. Otherwise, Warren and her liberal friends will keep using this left-leaning, pro-union double-standard to their advantage.President Trump will meet Monday in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with hopes of soon reaching a long-sought Mideast peace agreement, as both world leaders try to make international progress amid the strains of domestic investigations into each of their governments.

Trump and Netanyahu, who have met several times before, are expected to discuss a range of issues beyond Israeli-Palestinian peace, with Iran, Syria and now North Korea topping their list.

Trump is attempting to act on international issues and negotiate with world leaders amid ongoing federal probes into whether anybody on his 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia to win the White House race, while Netanyahu is facing allegations of corruption that have resulted in calls for his resignation.

The two might actually find this a bonding experience, Alan Mendoza, a national security expert who founded the British think tank the Henry Jackson Society, said Sunday on Fox News Americas News HQ. Mendoza also pointed out that Netanyahu has not been charged in the corruption probe and that hes been investigated many, many times.

Another factor in the effort to strike a peace deal is that Jared Kushner, the White Houses point man on the issue and Trumps son-in-law, last week had his security clearance downgraded.

Kushner and a small team have spent the past year preparing a much-awaited blueprint for peace. But no major details have emerged, which has caused concern about whether the plan ever would emerge. And, former negotiators say Kushner's downgraded status could severely impair his ability to broker a peace deal.

Still, Netanyahus relationship with the United States appears strong now that Trump has moved into the White House after President Barack Obama, who didnt have a close relationship with Netanyahu.

Israel recently gave thunderous support for Trump's decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and recognize the disputed city as Israel's capital.

But the White Houses relationship with the Palestinians at that time already was strained, and the announcements only reinforced impressions that Trump could be biased against them.

"A mediator will have to mediate between two semi-equal parties. Otherwise it's not a mediation process," said Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to Washington, in a recent Associated Press interview. "You have to level the field and level your relationship between the two sides in order to be an honest mediator."

Still, after winning praise in Israel for his Jerusalem proclamation, Trump made clear the Israelis also would have to make concessions.

"You won one point, and you'll give up some points later in the negotiation, if there's ever a negotiation," Trump said in January.

Meanwhile, beneath the veneer of U.S.-Israeli unity, there is lingering disagreement and suspicion.

Israel is increasingly worried that Trump is backsliding on a pledge to "fix" or dismantle the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Israel also is concerned that behind Trump's tough public stance toward Tehran is an acquiescence to Iran's growing presence in Syria and influence in Lebanon -- two Israeli neighbors.

"The Israelis now are undoubtedly sounding the alarm," said Jonathan Schanzer, who researches Iran's regional influence at the hawkish Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. "The assets the Israelis see on the other side of the border to its north -- they are not happy."

Nevertheless, it's in Netanyahu's interest to keep such disputes out of the public eye, said David Makovsky, a former State Department official who worked on Mideast peace negotiations. The Israeli leader faces multiple investigations related to allegations of bribery and corruption.

"It's important for him not to run afoul of Trump," said Makovsky, now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "It's necessary for him to show he's not so engulfed by his own legal problems that he's not functioning as a leader."

Trump and Netanyahu are scheduled to meet Monday amid the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference, which brings thousands of pro-Israel officials, lawmakers, activists and academics to Washington.

Vice President Pence, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Trump's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, are set to give speeches, and each is likely to hammer away at Iran.

Israel views Iran as an existential threat, and Netanyahu has repeatedly implored Trump to "fix it or nix it" when it comes to the nuclear deal. That agreement, negotiated by the Obama administration and other world powers, rewarded Iran with billions of dollars in sanctions relief for curbing its nuclear program.

Critics, including Netanyahu and Trump, say Tehran got too much for too little. Among the remedies they're advocating: removal of several of the deal's clauses that allow Iran to gradually resume advanced nuclear work starting in 2024.

Trump has said he won't renew U.S. waivers for sanctions when they next expire on May 12 unless European countries agree to a new deal that would force them to punish Tehran if the Iranians resume advanced nuclear work. He wants tougher inspections and penalties for Iranian missile testing.

North Koreas pursuit of a nuclear warhead and intercontinental missile on which to launch it has created international concerns, too.

Trump said Saturday night, as hes said before, that he would negotiate with North Korea, which recently was hit with another round of economic sanctions. But he also said any such deal, which almost certainly would include an easing of penalties, must include denuclearization by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Fox News' John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Facebook has ended its short-lived experiment with an alternative News Feed feature called Explore that was decried by journalists and regular users in the six countries where it was launched.

The trial bubble, which was instituted in October in Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Bolivia, Cambodia, Serbia and Slovakia, involved limiting users core News Feed to posts from family and friends and advertisementswhile relegating posts and links from media organizations to a separate Explore feed.

In a March 1 blog post, the social networks head of News Feed Adam Mosseri wrote:

We constantly try out new features, design changes and ranking updates to understand how we can make Facebook better for everyone. Some of these changeslike Reactions, Live Video, and GIFs work well and go on to become globally available. Others dont and we drop them. Today, were ending one of those tests: the Explore Feed.

The Explore Feed was a trial response to consistent feedback we received from people over the past year who said they want to see more from friends and family in News Feed. The idea was to create a version of Facebook with two different News Feeds: one as a dedicated place with posts from friends and family and another as a dedicated place for posts from Pages.

Regardless of the companys intention, the response from its users was largely negative.

As Mosseri writes: People dont want two separate feeds. In surveys, people told us they were less satisfied with the posts they were seeing, and having two separate feeds didnt actually help them connect more with friends and family.

GOOGLE GETS SUED OVER RAMPANT 'BRO CULTURE'

Journalists and media companies in the countries where the experiment took place were also not happy with the experiment.

The Facebook explore tab killed 66 percent of our traffic. Just destroyed it  years of really hard work were just swept away, Dina Fernandez, a journalist and member of the editorial board at Guatemalan news site Soy502, told the Guardian. It has been catastrophic, and I am very, very worried.

The Guardian reports that in Slovakia, data from Facebook-owned analytics site CrowdTangle showed that interactionsengagement such as likes, shares and commentsplunged by 60 percent overnight for the Facebook pages of a broad selection of the countrys media Facebook pages.

The decision comes as the tech company is facing scrutiny from lawmakers in the U.S. for not doing enough to prevent foreign actors and purveyors of hate speech from harnessing Facebook. The tech firm has also admitted that it dropped the ball in terms of its role in faciliating Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election.

At the Lesbian Who Tech conference on Friday in San Francisco, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said: "Things happened in the last election that were unacceptable -- that we were not prepared for. We're definitely playing catch-up, and we acknowledge that. But we are working hard to get ahead and stay ahead."A particularly fierce weather system, Storm Emma, has been wreaking havoc across the UK. Along with forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights and stranding passengers, the storm has caught another in its victim crosshairs  a baby rabbit.

A tiny brown hare covered in snow was spotted at Dublin Airport by a K9 team Saturday. The little rabbit was retrieved by an airport worker, who filmed the adorable snowy rescue.

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT EXPERIENCES EXTREME TURBULENCE, ENTIRE FLIGHT THREW UP

In the video, the rabbit is seen hopping up to the worker, who then grabs it and escorts it into a vehicle.

A special rescue this morning by one of our Airport Police. This little fella was taken to safety & given food and heat. Were happy to report hes safe and well, Dublin Airport tweeted.

As it turns out, the rabbit, a leveret reported to be less than a year old, is actually a girl and was named Emma after the storm that nearly took her life, the Metro reported.

SInce making her Twitter debut, the rescued rabbit has won the hearts of those on social media across the world, who have been rooting for the tiny but might bunny.

Here in US we are rooting for Emma! one wrote.

Thank you so so much for your act of kindness, another commented.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

For now Emma seems to be enjoying life on the inside. Dublin Airport tweeted out a pic of her resting in her foster home with the worker who rescued her, and his family. She will remain with them until she is ready to return to the wild.

Hareport News: the rescued baby hare is getting some TLC with our colleague who found it & his family. He's a she, they've called her Emma & will release her back into the wild when she's back to full health, Dublin Airport tweeted.The son of former District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry has agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges stemming from his outburst at a downtown Washington bank.

Marion Christopher Barry was accused of threatening a teller and throwing a metal trash can in January, destroying a security camera. Police said Barry became angry after being told his account was overdrawn.

The charges appeared to hinder the 34-year-old's campaign for his late father's seat on the D.C. Council. The younger Barry raised little money and finished sixth out of 13 candidates in a special election last month. He has said he plans to run again.

Court records show Barry intends to plead guilty at a hearing on Wednesday, which had been his trial date.

The elder Barry died last November.A Missouri man who once threatened to kill all white people was indicted Friday in the killings of three white males, and is now accused in six killings overall.

The accused, Fredrick Demond Scott, 23, was indicted by a grand jury in the deaths of David Lenox, 67, Timothy Rice, 57, and Michael Darby, 61.

Scott was also charged last summer in the deaths of Steven, Gibbons, 57, John Palmer, 54 and Karen Harmeyer, 64.

The five male victims were all shot as they walked on or near the trails or, in one case, walked home after getting off a bus. The female victim was homeless, and her decomposing body was found in a tent in woods in Grandview. She also was shot, police said.

The police say they do not know if the shootings were racially motivated.

However, Scott, a black man, threatened to shoot up a school and kill all white people in January 2014, The Kansas City Star reported, citing court documents.

Scotts mother has said that her son suffers from schizophrenia.

With the latest indictments, Scott faces six counts of first-degree murder and six counts of armed criminal action in a string of killings that began in August 2016. The last killing currently linked to Scott occurred Aug. 13, 2017.

He pleaded not guilty in the initial three cases.

Scott was arrested after Gibbons' killing, when surveillance video showed him following the victim, according to court records. Detectives later linked Scott to the scene with DNA from an iced tea bottle and a cigarette butt. He was linked to the Palmer killing with DNA from a T-shirt left at that crime scene.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A fierce noreaster that lashed the Atlantic coast Friday claimed at least nine lives and left millions without power as it moved offshore.

The deaths were reported in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. The victims included a 6-year-old boy in Virginia and an 11-year-old boy in New York.

In New Jersey, a 41-year-old Andover man was killed Friday night when he came in contact with live power lines, NJ.com reported.

The storms powerful winds knocked out power to more than 2.1 million homes and businesses from North Carolina to Maine.

Forecasters said rain and snow was expected to slowly come to an end Saturday, hanging on across southern New England the longest. Winds were expected to remain breezy from Washington to Boston, a day after they toppled tractor trailers and exceeded 50 mph, with gusts of 80 to 90 mph on Cape Cod.

Ohio and upstate New York got a foot or more of snow, while Boston and Rhode Island expected to get 2 inches to 5 inches.

Jim Hayes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center in Maryland, said coastal flooding was expected to continue to cause problems in eastern Massachusetts and Boston, which could experience "a significant coastal flood event."

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam both declared states of emergencies. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker activated 200 National Guard members to help victims. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf was sending 90 guard members, primarily to assist communities in the Poconos Mountains where the deepest snow totals were recorded.

Floodwaters in Quincy, Massachusetts, submerged cars, and police rescued people trapped in their vehicles. High waves battered nearby Scituate, making roads impassable and turning parking lots into small ponds. More than 1,800 people alerted Scituate officials they had evacuated, The Boston Globe reported.

Airlines canceled some 4,000 domestic flights. Amtrak announced Saturday it has suspended service between Washington, D.C. and New York City due to power outages.

Passengers had a rough ride aboard a flight that landed at Dulles Airport outside Washington.

"Pretty much everyone on the plane threw up," a pilot wrote in a report to the National Weather Service.

President Donald Trump, who traveled to North Carolina for the funeral for the Rev. Billy Graham, was forced to fly out of Dulles instead of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where Air Force One is housed, because of high winds.

On the West Coast, a storm moving in from the Pacific was expected to bring heavy rain and snow in the mountains especially among the Sierras and the Great Basin, Dean reported. Flooding was a concern, especially across the burn areas in Southern California.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Minnesota investigators are looking for a dangerously violent man who fractured an elderly mans face with his fists after a road rage incident.

Anyone who would brutally attack a senior citizen in this manner is a clear danger to the public, the Anoka County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post Sunday that included a photo of the badly injured victim.

Had enough? the much younger attacker asked the victim after pummeling him for more than a minute, deputies said.

The victim, who was not identified, sustained multiple face fractures and several lacerations requiring many stitches in the Friday evening attack in East Bethel.

AmyJane Johnson, of St. Paul, Minn., identified herself on Facebook as the victims daughter-in-law and said he was 71.

She said the family was thankful he was alive.

LOOK AT THIS PHOTO, Johnson wrote. This is a 71 year old man who did nothing...literally NOTHING to warrant this. Our family is heartbroken and helpless and those are the 2 worst feelings to have.

She said her father-in-law didn't know he'd been followed home and that he fortunately was able to get up and get into the house for help after he suffered through the attack.

She appealed for help in finding the "low-life" who did this to her father-in-law.

The incident began when the victim had to brake suddenly to avoid a traffic situation in front of him, Fox 9 Minneapolis reported. That angered the driver behind him who started driving aggressively and taunting him.

The victim thought the incident was over and drove home, investigators said. That was when the other driver set upon him, the station reported.

The suspect is described as a white man, approximately 35 years old, 6 feet or taller, short hair, possibly in a "buzzed" style. He was said to be wearing a longer length leather coat or jacket.

He likely has injuries to his hands, the station reported.

The suspect was driving a newer dark silver or gray vehicle with LED headlights and a line of LED lights just below the headlights, possibly a Mustang or similar vehicle.

According to Fox 9, the vehicle had dark tinted windows.

Click for more from Fox 9 Minneapolis.A 2-year-old girl died Friday after a mirror fell on her while she was at a Payless ShoeSource store in Georgia, officials said.

Ifrah Siddique was inside the Riverdale store with her family around 8 p.m. when the full-length mirror fell on top of her, officials told FOX5 Atlanta. The toddler, who was trying on shoes with her mother before the incident, was rushed to the hospital where the 2-year-old later died.

"I feel dead like I am no more...that was my little girl," Mohsin Siddique, the girls father, told FOX5 on Saturday.

FLESH-EATING BACTERIA RESULTS IN FOOT AMPUTATION FOR TEXAS MAN

Latisha Culpatrick, who works at a store next to the Payless, recalled hearing a crash and a woman screaming that night.

I could hear the crash and the mom screaming. Everybody was crowded around the door. It's just tragic," Culpatrick told the news station. I'm sure the mom didnt think when she was coming in to go shopping she wouldnt come out with her child. Thats bad. Really bad.

Payless ShoeSource said in a statement to FOX5 that the company is devastated by the girls death.

Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of Ifrah Siddique during this time of incredible loss. We are devastated by this tragic event and are fully cooperating with authorities to research and understand the nature of this accident. Out of respect for the family, no further information will be provided at this time, the statement read.

The family is asking for the store to ensure shelves and mirrors are secure to prevent another tragedy.19,325 new COVID cases in Kerala after 1.21L tests on Saturday

With this, the number of active COVID cases in the state fell to 1,80,842. Of the new cases, 18,114 contracted the virus through contact while 96 came from outside the state.A Mexican national has confessed to stealing the identity of an American citizen, and over the course of 37 years pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits.

Andres Avelino Anduaga, 66  who hails from Tijuana, Mexico  admitted in San Diego federal court on Thursday that he assumed the fake identity of a Texas resident named Abraham Riojos in 1980 after obtaining a fraudulent birth certificate, and then successfully applied for a California drivers license, Social Security number and passport.

From 1989 to 2016, according to the plea agreement, he received around $361,000 in benefits -- which included Medi-Cal, food stamps and Supplemental Security Income benefits.

The fake identity also enabled Anduaga  identified as an illegal immigrant and repeat felon  to go back-and-forth without restriction between Mexico and the United States, which he was alleged to have been doing multiple times per week.

The programs that this defendant stole from  for decades  provide benefits to Americas most needy. This prosecution demonstrates the commitment of the United States Attorneys Office to protecting the integrity of our welfare programs and punishing those who prey on the goodwill of our nation and its taxpayers, stated U.S Attorney Adam Braverman.

EXPLOSIVES FOUND ON MEXICAN FERRY, US EMBASSY ISSUES SECURITY ALERT

PHONE CALL BETWEEN TRUMP, MEXICAN PRESIDENT GOES SOUTH

Investigators also located the real Abraham Riojos, now residing in Florida, who said he had no indication that his identity had deceitfully been used for so long. Authorities have not made clear how Anduaga feigned the identity, but it is believed the two did not know each other and never made contact.

Anduaga is required to pay back the full amount of government funds he fraudulently received, and faces twelve years behind bars and additional fines.

Sentencing is slated for May 29.A spike in violent crime in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu has the U.S. military mulling a plan to keep service personnel away from the area.

On Thursday, a 25-year-old service member was stabbed in the early morning hours, after parting ways with a friend, and in October two service members were stabbed -- with one of them dying from his wounds, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

"Between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., it's a dangerous time to be walking alone in Waikiki," Jessica Lani Rich, president and CEO of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii, told the newspaper. "We need to make Waikiki safe at all hours."

"Between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., it's a dangerous time to be walking alone in Waikiki. We need to make Waikiki safe at all hours."  Jessica Lani Rich, president and CEO, Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii

The latest assault coincides with a dramatic increase in Waikikis overall crime, the newspaper reported, notng that last week local leaders -- including law enforcement, military leaders and judiciary personnel  met to discuss ways to improve public safety.

"We'll look for the low-hanging fruit  things that we can implement immediately," Mufi Hannemann, president of the Honolulu Lodging and Tourism Association, told the paper.

In addition, the Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board has weighed banning military officers from patronizing parts of Waikiki.

According to a military advisory, 1,000 arrests in Waikiki over 180 days involved violent crimes, drugs, and alcohol, the Star-Advertiser reported.

The Honolulu Police Department said that between December and January they saw increases in both assaults and in calls for service.

The conference of officials plans to meet again Wednesday to discuss possible steps against crime.

Click here for more from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.An Ohio death row inmate died Saturday of natural causes after his November execution -- where he requested a special pillow to help him sit up -- was halted when a usable vein could not be found to inject the lethal drugs, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said.

Alva Campbell, 69, was found unresponsive in his cell at a prison in Chillicothe, prison department spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said. Campbell was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead just before 5:30 a.m.

"Due to 20 years of frivolous post-conviction litigation, he successfully ran the clock out on justice due to the state and the victim's family, Franklin County prosecutor Ron O'Brien tweeted about Campbells death.

OBrien previously called Campbell the poster child for the death penalty.

The twice-convicted murderer cheated death in November when he was placed on an execution gurney, but walked away 20 minutes later after authorities failed to insert an IV with the lethal drugs into him, Dayton Daily News reported. Campbell suffered from a lot of pretty serious diseases for a long time, Campbells attorney, David Stebbins, told The Associated Press.

Due to his breathing problems, Campbell requested a special pillow to help him sit up on the gurney in the death chamber.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich set Campbells new execution date for June 5, 2019, before the inmate died.

EXECUTION CALLED OFF FOR SICK OHIO INMATE WHO ASKED FOR SPECIAL PILLOW

Campbell was sentenced to death in 1998 for shooting and killing Charles Dials. Campbell was in a wheelchair in 1997 when he overpowered a sheriff's deputy on the way to a Franklin County court hearing on armed robbery charges. He took the deputy's gun, carjacked 18-year-old Dials and drove around with him for several hours before shooting him twice in the head.

Campbell also spent 20 years in prison after being convicted in the 1972 slaying of a man at a bar in Cleveland.

Campbell and another death row inmate recently filed a challenge, arguing that Ohios execution protocol  the three-drug combination injection  placed inmates at risk for pain and suffering. However, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals denied Campbells challenge last month.

Stebbins said it was only a matter of time that Campbells slew of health problems caught up with him.

"In some ways, it was a relief, he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A sign declaring March to be Stop Blaming White People Month! has caused a fury in a New Jersey community -- and prompted an investigation to find out who posted it.

In its entirety, the bright yellow and orange sign read, MARCH is national Stop Blaming White People Month! Accept responsibility for your own bad choices. Hug a white person!

The sign was discovered at a U.S. Postal Service location in Flemington, about 26 miles north of Trenton, the state's capital.

The town's population of about 4,500 people is about 78 percent white, according to U.S. Census figures.

Greg Kliemisch, a USPS postal inspector, told NJ.com that the sign was discovered Thursday by postal employees, and was immediately removed.

Posting signs of any kind -- controversial or not -- at the post office is strictly prohibited, Kliemisch said.

The sign drew the ire of Flemington Councilwoman Betsy Driver, who criticized it on the public Flemington Forward Facebook group.

"Racism in our town exists, and the racists have been emboldened in the past year to fly their hateful flags a bit higher and yell a bit louder.  Flemington, N.J., Councilwoman Betsy Driver

Racism in our town exists, and the racists have been emboldened in the past year to fly their hateful flags a bit higher and yell a bit louder, Driver wrote.

NJ.com reported she also said racism is not a laughing matter.

"The fact that somebody even put the sign up is just sad and not a reflection of our town," Driver said.

Kliemisch told the publication that he could not confirm whether the location had cameras outside the building that could have captured the incident, as the investigation was still in its early stages.

It was not immediately clear what consequences the person(s) who posted the sign might face if found, the report said.A man was killed after "some type of device" exploded on the front porch of his home in Texas on Friday, officials said.

The Austin Police Department said the victim, a man in his 40s, was found on the front porch of his home, after the explosion was reported around 7 a.m. in the city's northeast Harris Ridge neighborhood.

The callers were reporting an explosion and they also reported that there was a victim that appeared to have traumatic injuries as well, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said at a news conference.

Manley said the man, whose name has not yet been released, was taken to a nearby hospital where he died shortly after from his injuries. The chief added that the authorities determined the explosion was caused by "some type of device," but did not provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Austin police are now probing the incident as a homicide and are working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to conduct a post-blast analysis.

Based on what we know right now, we have no reason to believe this is anything beyond an isolated incident that took place at this residence, and no reason to believe this is in any way linked to a terrorist act, Manley told reporters. But we are not making any assumptions. We are conducting a thorough investigation to rule that out.

An inspector from the U.S. Postal Service arrived at the home on Friday, and Manley said authorities are trying to determine if the device was mailed to the home in the past week.

We reach out to all of our providers that deliver mail to this area, both the U.S. Postal Service and those that do it privately because that is one of the things we want to know is was there a package delivered to this residence in the past several days, Manley said.

Monica Sledge told FOX 7 she was playing with her 2-year-old when she heard a loud noise that sounded like more than a blown transformer.

It was just a really loud, deep boom and it shook the windows and I just kind of freaked out, picked up my son and went the opposite direction, Sledge said

BROOKLYN MAN TARGETED NYPD COPS WITH EXPLODING PACKAGE, FEDS SAY

Another neighbor told KEYE-TV he saw someone run across the street and try to turn the man over after the blast took place.

"I did notice there was a pool of blood everywhere," Kenneth Thompson said.

The incident appeared similar to one in New York in 2017, when a package explosion that was meant for a cop instead killed landlord George Wray.

Federal prosecutors charged Victor Kingsley, 37, with using a weapon of mass destruction as part of a plot to get revenge against cops who arrested him in January 2014, the United States Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday. No officers lived at the home, but the landlord picked up the package that had been sitting on the porch for about a week when it exploded, police said.

The package burned Wray's head, legs, and torso before he died a few days later, the NYPD said.Three murder suspects busted out of a jail in Texas  but their getaway came to a sudden end Friday after an ex-girlfriend of one of the men dropped them off at a Sonic drive-in, and promptly called the cops.

Now, a department jailer in San Antonio has been placed on administrative leave, officials said.

The office of Sheriff Javier Salazar identified the escapees from the Bexar County jail as Jacob Anthony Brownson, Luis Antonio Arroyo and Eric Trevino: three murder suspects  accused in six separate murders, KSAT reported.

Its something that shouldnt be allowed to occur, Salazar told KSAT.

It's not clear why the ex-girlfriend, who was their getaway driver, contacted authorities after dropping them off at the restaurant, according to KSAT.

The inmates were caught less than an hour later.

The three climbed a wall Friday morning in a jail recreation area, cut a screen, jumped to a roof and used bed sheets to lower themselves.

Then they went out the front side of the jail where visitors alerted officials.

Detention officer Bryant Canales was placed on administrative leave while the investigation is active and ongoing, said a statement from the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. We are also looking into the possibility other inmates and several suspects outside the walls who may have assisted.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A student in Washington state who was arrested after his grandmother reported "upcoming and credible threats" of a plot in his journal to attack a high school previously dressed up as one of the shooters from the Columbine massacre, according to court documents filed Friday.

Joshua OConnor, 18, was charged with first-degree attempted murder, first-degree robbery with a firearm and possession of an explosive device as part of a plot outlined in his journal to commit "mass murder of as many students as possible at ACES High School in Everett, the Snohomish County Prosecutors Office said.

The 18-year-old was arrested on Feb. 13 after his grandmother alerted police to his journal which "detailed plans to shoot students and use homemade explosive devices at ACES High School," the Everett Police Department said.

According to court documents obtained by Q13 News, O'Connor wrote in his journal on Jan. 15: "I feel so alone ... I hate my social anxiety and high functioning depression ... I can't wait to blast a __ ton of seniors and maybe some teachers. I hope to get at least one Mukilteo pig. I'd even settle for the Kamiak (High School) resource officer..."

In another entry, the 18-year-old also wrote how far the police department was from the high school and the amount of time it would take until officers arrived.

O'Connor also detailed his plot and fascination with the Columbine massacre in an entry, writing that he would wait till after lunch to set off a homemade bomb by the gym bleachers, before heading into a bathroom "to gear up," according to the court documents.

GRANDMOTHER THWARTED WASHINGTON SCHOOL SHOOTING BY LOOKING AT STUDENT'S JOURNAL, COPS SAY

After the bomb exploded, O'Connor said he would "start shooting spree and start music ... mow kids down in hallway and gym" and "after gym is clear, head to cafeteria (unless pigs arrive) and "kill yourself (himself) at the end to Make a Change," prosecutors said in court documents.

The Snohomish County Prosecutors Office said O'Connor "did more than just plan, think and write about this crime; he took at least three actions  toward premeditated mass murder" over nearly three months. Those actions included purchasing a Hi-Point 9mm carbine rifle, possessing a homemade CO2 bomb, and robbing an AM/PM gas station at gunpoint for money so that he could buy more guns and ammunition, according to officials.

As part of his interest in the Columbine school shooting, O'Connor also dressed up as gunman Eric Harris in an acting class in 2017, deputy prosecutor Andrew Alsdorf wrote in documents, according to the Herald. The alleged plot in Washington was supposed to coincide with the Columbine anniversary in April.

O'Connor remains jailed on $5 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in court on Monday, according to Q13 News.

School officials last month said the grandmother set the perfect example for preventing a possible tragedy the same week a former student killed 17 people at a high school in South Florida.

"The best defense against this kind of thing, the school shooting is, that if you hear something or see something is tell authorities. And thats exactly what she did," Mukilteo School District spokesperson Andy Muntz told Q13 News. "I know it had to have been really hard for her to do that, to turn in her grandson like that. But she quite honestly probably saved a lot of lives including her grandson."A winter storm bringing blizzard conditions across parts of the central U.S. may target the Northeast later this week as the region continues to clean up from the recent bomb cyclone.

The storm is not expected to rapidly intensify off the coast, a process known as "bombogenesis," but will still bring snow, heavy rain, and strong winds to the region, according to AccuWeather.

Heavy snowfall may hit parts of New England, such as Vermont and New Hampshire, while a wide-swath of the highly populated cities may see accumulating snow from Wednesday into Thursday.

"The midweek storm may drop accumulating snow from The Delmarva Peninsula through Pennsylvania, New Jersey and into Maine and Quebec," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert said.

It remains too early to know how much snow the storm may bring to the Northeast, but a track closer to the coast will result in higher snow totals inland than along the coast, according to Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean.

"Not as strong as this past beast, but more snow for coastal cities possible," Dean said Sunday.

POWERFUL NOR'EASTER CLAIMS AT LEAST NINE LIVES AS IT MOVES OFFSHORE

As the storm moves across the central U.S., widespread snow is expected across the Northern Plains with amounts of 6-12 inches expected through parts of Montana, the National Weather Service said.

The system is expected to intensify on Monday and "will pick up speed," the weather service said, adding that "heavy snow will spread across the Northern High Plains to the Upper Mississippi Valley."

Blizzard warnings also have been posted across North and South Dakota, where driving along Interstates 90 and 94 is going to be "very difficult" because this "very strong system," Fox News Meterologist Adam Klotz said on "America's News HQ."

"It isnt a huge storm yet, but as it moves into northern Plains we're going to pick up a little bit more moisture, and you are going to see this thing pick up wind and really begin to drop a whole lot of snow," Klotz said.

The prospect of another storm comes as tens of thousands of utility workers in the Northeast raced to restore power to more than 1.5 million homes and businesses just days after a powerful nor'easter caused flooding and wind damage from Virginia to Maine.

The powerful storm killed at least 9 people as the cleanup of snapped trees, damaged structures and mountains of debris continued on Sunday.

Flood waters had receded in most areas, but Friday's storm had taken huge chunks out of the coastline in Massachusetts and other states.

WHAT IS A 'BOMB CYCLONE'?

"It looks like a war zone," Becky Smith told the Associated Press, describing the scene in the coastal town of Scituate near Boston where powerful waves dumped sand and rubble on roads and winds uprooted massive trees. "It's a lot of debris, big rocks and pieces of wood littering the streets."

The storm's aftermath also was still affecting travel, with airports from Washington, D.C. to Boston reporting dozens of delays and cancellations, while service was slowly returning to normal on rail systems throughout the region.

Amtrak said nearly all of its northeast corridor trains will return to service on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A man and woman in a New York City suburb were arrested Friday after the woman allegedly dumped a container of popcorn on a 2-year-old who talked during a showing of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," Nassau County police said.

Authorities arrested Keri Karman, 25, and Charles Karman, 61, who were both charged with endangering the welfare of a child in connection with a Jan. 2 incident.

A 28-year-old mother had taken her young daughter to a movie theater in Levittown, Long Island, police said. When the little girl asked for some popcorn during the PG-13 flick, a woman sitting next to the girl allegedly verbally attempted to quiet the 2-year-old.

All she said was popcorn. She didnt even say a full sentence, mother Celia Riggs told The New York Post.

The girls mother told the woman not to talk to her daughter, police said, at which point the woman allegedly started screaming and cursing at the pair before covering the girls mouth with her hand.

The woman then allegedly proceeded to dump popcorn over the 2-year-olds head and hit her with the empty container, police said.

The little girl reportedly started to cry and the woman, and the man she was with, reportedly took off from the theater.

A doctor examined the 2-year-old after she said her head hurt and determined that she had a contusion, police said.

Along with their charges, the Karmans, both from Baldwin, N.Y., were issued appearance tickets, police said.A woman was found dead in a Texas parking lot on Sunday after authorities followed a bloody trail from a bus stop bench to the body, police said.

The body of the woman, who was not identified but believed to be homeless, was discovered about 11 a.m. in a parking lot in downtown San Antonio, FOX29 San Antonio reported.

"We were looking at it a little bit earlier, I think, as a suspicious death, but it appears that it's probably a homicide," San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. "It was a violent act. Don't know what type of act it was, whether it was blunt force, or whether it was a stab; it was a violent act."

McManus said there appears to be at least some blunt trauma to the womans body. Residents in the area told police the woman was known in the neighborhood.

No weapon was recovered, according to FOX29. McManus added that surveillance video will be reviewed in the investigation.A woman who told the Daily Caller that Muslim activist and Womens March founder Linda Sarsour covered up a sexual harassment incident in 2009, is being sued for supposedly making up the allegation.

Asmi Fathelbab told the Daily Caller in December that Majed Seif, a coworker at the Arab American Society of New York, rubbed his crotch on her and stalked her when she was an employee of the organization in 2009, the New York Post reported.

Im astonished that Im being sued by my stalker, harasser and assaulter, Fathelbab said. Since he stopped stalking me in 2012, this is the first time I heard from him.

"Im astonished that Im being sued by my stalker, harasser and assaulter. Since he stopped stalking me in 2012, this is the first time I heard from him."  Asmi Fathelbab

At the time, Sarsour was acting director of the Arab American Society. Fathelbab alleged that Sarsour dismissed her complaints and said, no one would believe me because something like that doesnt happen to someone who looks me.

Sarsour denied Fathelbabs allegations and provided BuzzFeed News with documents to corroborate her side. She told them she initially rejected the Daily Callers report as a hit piece, but became fearful for her familys safety when Donald Trump Jr. retweeted the story.

Sarsour did not return the Posts request for comment.

Fathelbab set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her legal battles.The most senior Vatican official ever charged in the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis will appear in an Australian court in a hearing to determine whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to try him.

Australian Cardinal George Pell's preliminary hearing begins in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday and is scheduled to take up to a month.

Pope Francis' former finance minister was charged in June of last year with sexually abusing multiple people in his Australian home state of Victoria. The details of the allegations against the 76-year-old cardinal have yet to be released to the public, though police have described them as "historical" sexual assault offenses, meaning they occurred decades ago.

Pell's lawyer has told the court that the cardinal plans to formally plead not guilty.next Image 1 of 2

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The Latest on the slaying of journalist Jan Kuciak in Slovakia (all times local):

6:50 p.m.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has dismissed the president's proposals to resolve the crisis the political crisis resulting from the slayings of an investigative reporter and his fiancee.

Fico said Sunday that any change in the current three-party coalition government would have to be approved by the coalition members and President Andrej Kiska has no say in it.

Kiska, Fico's rival, called earlier Sunday for substantial changes in the country's coalition government or for an early election because of a "huge" distrust of the public in the state.

Fico said the president's proposals denied the result of the 2016 parliamentary election.

A junior coalition party and the opposition have called on Interior Minister Robert Kalinak to resign.

___

5:10 p.m.

Slovak President Andrej Kiska is calling for substantial changes in the country's coalition government or for an early election to resolve the "serious political crisis" resulting from the slayings of an investigative reporter and his fiancee.

Kiska said in a televised speech on Sunday: "Many don't trust law enforcement authorities ... This distrust is justified. We crossed the line, things went too far and there's no way back."

Kiska's speech came two days after tens of thousands of protesters marched in dozens of Slovak cities to honor 27-year-old journalist Jan Kuciak. Some demanded the , with some demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico's government.

In his last unfinished story, Kuciak reported on the influence of the Italian mafia in Slovakia and its possible ties to people close to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Kiska, a rival of Fico, says he will open talks with the country's leaders in next days

___

2:20 p.m.

Slovakia's prosecutor general says authorities have renewed their investigation into threats by a businessman against an investigative journalist who was shot dead last week with his fiancee.

The bodies of 27-year-old Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova were found Feb. 25 in their house.

Last year, Kuciak alleged that the businessman, Marian Kocner, threatened him following the publication of a story about him. The reporter said he filed a complaint with police and alleged they failed to act.

Prosecutor General Jaromir Ciznar said investigators will return to the threats though he personally didn't believe this case had anything to do with Kuciak's death.

In his last unfinished story, Kuciak reported about the influence of the Italian mafia in Slovakia and its possible ties to people close to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.A New York tourist who was arrested in Japan while carrying the severed head of a woman in his suitcase was a so-called mamas boy and former member of the U.S. Air Force, the New York Post reports.

Yevgenity Vasilievich Bayraktar, 26, was on vacation when he tried to leave Osaka with the remains of a woman hed met last month on a dating site.

Bayraktar, who reportedly lived in a modest bungalow on Long Island with his mother and her third husband, served 11 months of a four-year stint as an airman first class, according to the Air Force.

He and his mother were very close, but he and I were not, said Benny Dacy, Bayraktars former stepfather, who now lives in Houston.

Dacy, who met his future bride, Regina Mishura, in Odessa, told the Post that he tried to cultivate a bond with his new wifes son, but the boy kept to himself and was very close to his mother.

SOCCER STAR FOUND DEAD IN HIS ROOM AT 31

He was a mamas boy, said Dacy, 69. If we were having dinner and he didnt like the food, his mother would get up in the middle of the meal to cook him something special, and this was at a time when we didnt have a lot of money.

Dacy also told The Post that Bayraktar maintained contact with his biological father in Russia, but that after he financed Reginas nursing school studies in Texas, she and her son disappeared.

The young man was arrested Feb. 22 on suspicion of killing and dismembering Saki Kondo, 27, who was reported missing by her family on Feb. 16, a day after her date with Bayraktar, the Post reports.

According to authorities, Bayraktar, who had been traveling in Japan since January, met the victim on an online dating site and took her to a vacation home he rented in Osaka, where he allegedly dismembered her. He was on his way to another apartment he rented when police arrested him with Kondos severed head in his baggage, according to what Japanese authorities told the Post.When China's legislators gather Monday, they are expected to set the stage for President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely, as they vote on a constitutional amendment to end presidential term limits.

The passing of the legislation would effectively undo decades of efforts to prevent a return to dictatorship. The 10-year, two-term limits on the presidency were first put in place by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982.

Dengs policy was to prevent returning to the lifelong dictatorship typified by Mao Zedongs chaotic 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution. Mao ruled for nearly 30 years until his death in 1976.

In effect, the proposed change would allow Xi, already China's most powerful leader in decades, to extend his rule over the world's second-largest economy potentially for life.

On Sunday, Zhang Yesui, the legislatures spokesman, told reporters the move was only aimed at bringing the office of the president in line with Xis other positions that do not have term limits. Xi is also head of bodies that oversee national security, finance, economic reform and other major initiatives, effectively sidelining the Communist Party's No. 2 figure, Premier Li Keqiang.

"It is conducive to upholding the authority of the Central Committee of the party with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core and also to unified leadership," Zhang said.

In Florida on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the impending change in Xi's status.

"He's now president for life. President for life. And he's great," Trump said, according to a recording obtained by CNN. "I think it's great. Maybe we'll give that a shot someday."

"He's now president for life. President for life. And he's great. I think it's great. Maybe we'll give that a shot someday."  President Donald Trump, referring to China's President Xi Jinping

Trump's remarks were reportedly met with laughter and applause during a luncheon for Republican donors at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Yet a number of prominent Chinese figures have publicly protested the move despite the risk of official retaliation.

Li Datong, a former editor for the state-run China Youth Daily, wrote that lifting term limits would "sow the seeds of chaos." He urged Beijing's lawmakers to exercise their power by rejecting the amendment.

Wang Ying, a businesswoman who has advocated government reforms, called the proposal "an outright betrayal."

Other observers note that the seeming hastiness with which the proposal was introduced has been almost as alarming as the plan itself. The Chinese public has grown accustomed to some measure of public debate about new laws or changes to existing laws, as some plans go through three or even four readings prior to a final vote.

But not in this case, observers such as Dali Yang, a China expert at the University of Chicago, pointed out.

"When it comes to the revision of the constitution, how could it be that there is not a significant public commenting process, that there is not a more deliberative review process?" Yang said. "That's truly a remarkable contrast."

Xi's consolidation of power will be seriously tested by how he tackles grave challenges at home and abroad.

Domestically, slowing growth in the state-dominated economy is a chief concern; it is forecast to fall further as regulators try to get rising debt in check by tightening controls to cool booms in bank lending and real estate sales.

Abroad, China is faced with maintaining stability and avoiding the outbreak of war on the neighboring Korean Peninsula. Further, another key task is managing escalating frictions with the U.S. that could risk evolving into a trade war.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Syrian troops captured at least six villages and towns in the rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta, state media and activists reported Sunday  sending thousands of civilians fleeing the region that United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres described as hell on earth.

The forces under Syrian President Bashar Assad began their advance late Saturday in the region, the last major rebel stronghold near the capital, Demascus, Syria's Central Military Media said. A reporter from the state-run Al-Ikhbariyah TV said the Syrian troops seized about 4.6 square miles after crossing a moat.

Rebel forces responded Sunday by launching a counteroffensive. At least one town was recaptured by the rebel troops as intense shelling and fighting continued.

"It is a scorched-earth policy," Ghouta-based activist Nour Adam said. "People are moving out because of the relentless bombing."

Thousands of civilians took cover and fled government forces. Some hid in underground shelters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated, according to Reuters.

Eastern Ghouta, where about 400,000 people live, has been the subject of daily bombardment by the government forces. More than 600 civilians have been killed in the last two weeks alone.

The United Nations Security Council demanded a 30-day nationwide ceasefire that initially failed to pass. The U.N. voted unanimously in favor of the ceasefire resolution on Feb. 24 after two days of negotiation. Russia called for daily, five-hour ceasefires to deliver aid and evacuate civilians in eastern Ghouta. However, no aid has been delivered, according to Reuters.

Guterres said civilians in the rebel-held enclave were living in hell on earth.

"This is a human tragedy that is unfolding in front of our eyes and I don't think we can let things go on happening in this horrendous way," Guterres previously said.

Meanwhile, no civilians have exited through a humanitarian corridor set up by Russia and the Syrian government nearly a week ago.

Russia has accused the rebels of preventing civilians from leaving, allegations denied by the insurgents. The rebels say the humanitarian corridor is part of government efforts to forcibly displace the population, and have called on government forces to implement a full ceasefire adopted by the U.N. Security Council.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Free Freightnet Membership

List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours.Glasgow-trained vet Christine Middlemiss has returned to Defra to take up her new role as UK chief veterinary officer.

Dr Middlemiss, who grew up on a family farm in Scotland, with a background in beef cattle and sheep, took up her new post on Thursday (1 March), replacing Nigel Gibbens, who has stepped down after 10 years in the role.

She brings with her a wealth of experience after serving as the CVO for New South Wales in Australia.

See also: CCTV to be compulsory in English abattoirs from May

Before moving to Australia, Dr Middlemiss was an experienced veterinarian who worked for a number of years in private practice in Scotland and the north of England with specific interest in research, meat processing and livestock genetics.

Dr Middlemiss then joined the Animal Health agency (now part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency) in 2008 as a divisional veterinary manager in Scotland.

She also led Defras Animal Traceability and Public Health policy team, detecting and responding to new and emerging diseases such as Schmallenberg and porcine epidemic diarrhoea.

She rejoins the department at a time when animal welfare is a top priority for the government.

Animal welfare announcements

This is demonstrated by a number of recent announcements by Defra secretary Michael Gove, including legislation making CCTV cameras mandatory in slaughterhouses and the draft animal welfare bill.

Meanwhile, bovine TB continues to cost the industry an estimated 500,000 a year. Last year, more than 40,000 TB-infected cattle were slaughtered in the UK.

Dr Middlemiss said: I am delighted to have been appointed. It is a privilege to take over from Nigel and lead my veterinary colleagues to support our farming and food industry on the UK reputation for high health and welfare of our animals.

Our secretary of state has confirmed he wants to cement the UKs place as a world leader on animal health and welfare as the UK leaves the European Union, and Im delighted to have an opportunity to play a part in that.

BVA welcomes appointment

John Fishwick, president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), said he looked forward to working with Dr Middlemiss.

She will take up her role amidst EU Exit negotiations when the vital role veterinary surgeons play in so many areas of political and public life must be championed and considered more than ever, he said.

The work of all vets in government is indispensable in protecting and promoting animal health and welfare and public health, and current UK CVO Nigel Gibbens CBE has been crucial in steering this with calm direction and sage insight from the heart of government.Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 78F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 78F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.bohlah at 4-03-2018 07:00 AM (3 years ago) (m)

Raising unanswerable questions, Nigerians were treated to a theatre of the absurd when the police high command raised the alarm that a self-confessed kingpin of the Boko Haram Islamist sect, which held the nation by the jugular, on September 25, 2011 had surreptitiously slipped out of custody.

Raising unanswerable questions, Nigerians were treated to a theatre of the absurd when the police high command raised the alarm that a self-confessed kingpin of the Boko Haram Islamist sect, which held the nation by the jugular, on September 25, 2011 had surreptitiously slipped out of custody.

Rather alarming, the same man has re emerged and is currently the head of Benue State local security agency called Livestock Guards.





His arrest and escape from police custody

While initially keeping the identity of the agency under wraps, the police had said it officially handed over the suspect, Alhaji Ali Teshaku, to a sister security agency via a memo by the then Inspector General of police, Hafiz Ringim, dated July 7, 2011. The police further claimed that the action was based on a formal letter from the unnamed sister agency dated June 27, 2011, which requested release of the suspect to it.



Olusola Amore, the Force Public Relations Officer at the time, explained that the IGP acceded to the request in the spirit of intelligence sharing as is customary in security circles, but was quick to add that the identity of the sister agency concerned would not be given in the national interest.

However, fingers were pointed at the direction of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), whose erstwhile chief, Major General Babagana Munguno (retd), the incumbent National Security Adviser (NSA), reportedly made the request and eventually took over custody of Teshaku from the police. But all the military intelligence chiefs at the time denied having anything to do with the suspect.



In a curious twist of events, the DIA eventually admitted taking custody of the suspect from the police after writing a formal request, but claimed it encountered several obstacles in the process, which were surmounted with the intervention of a former NSA, late General Owoye Azazi, who prevailed on Ringim to release the suspected terrorist kingpin to Monguno.



Interestingly, Teshaku was said to have opened up on the activities of Boko Haram to the DIA and claimed to have revealed same to the police authorities. Reports further indicated that both the then NSA and Chief of Defence Staff [CDS] were notified by the DIA on its encounter with the suspect before he was returned to police custody.



But Nigerians were bemused shortly thereafter, when the DIA reportedly asked for the suspect to be released to it a second time for further investigation, but was allegedly turned down. It was, indeed, a high drama as the police authorities vehemently denied the allegation that Teshaku had been returned to its custody after he was handed over, talk less of receiving a second request for his release to the DIA.



As Expected, the claims, counter claims and denials between the security agencies were further compounded by reports of the DIAs eventual admission of taking custody of the suspect at a point in time from the police, and it became a source of concern and embarrassment to the presidency, which ordered a probe into the incident.



Nothing was heard since then about him besides a joint press conference held at the Defence Headquarters to douse public suspicion of mutual distrust and rivalry amongst security agencies. While Hafiz Ringim, the IGP at the time declined comments on the issue when contacted recently on telephone, former police spokesman, Olusola Amore, a retired commissioner of police, gave an insight into the squabble between the police and DIA.



Let me flashback because I can actually remember now since you said it was that issue that led to conflict between us and the DIA. I know the DSS were also involved, but instead of them handing over the suspect back to us, all we saw was the suspect making some allegations against the police. And we said well, we still believe that the suspect would be returned to us because we transferred the suspect in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration. So, there is no way they would release the suspect without returning the suspect to the police. That was the conflict.



The suspect was arrested by the police in connection with Boko Haram and handed over to the DIA. I think it was the DIA because I was later invited for a joint conference at the Defence Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence Agency, all of us were there. I just sat there, but I didnt talk. But I said at that meeting that we still believed the suspect is with the DIA, and would be handed over to us. In fact, I didnt want to go but the DIA was boxed into a corner and they wanted a face-saving press conference. So they wanted the PROs of all security organizations to be there. Sincerely, I didnt want to go but later, they got in touch with Ringim (IGP); so Ringim said I should go but shouldnt say a word there. So I attended, Amore said last week in a telephone chat.



Re-emergence after seven years

Seven years after, the dust over the suspects whereabouts seemed to have settled. But a mention of the suspects name during an interview last month with Garus Gololo, coordinator of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) triggered an alarm in the reporters memory. Gololo had alleged that Ali Teshaku, presently the commander of the Livestock Guards in Benue State, an outfit created by the state government with the enactment of its anti-open grazing law, was a suspected Boko Haram leader engaged to terrorize Fulani herders and evict them from the state.



Tahav Agerzua, Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom on Media and ICT, however, debunked the allegation. This matter you are pursuing is not necessary at this time. After all, we inherited him from the previous government and the man has been granted amnesty. This is a security issue, but if you want further explanation, you can come over and I will arrange for you to talk to the security people, he said on telephone when contacted on the issue.



His response fired the reporters zeal to probe into the identity of Ali Teshaku, with a view to ascertaining if he was indeed, the suspected Boko Haram leader at the centre of a conflict between the police and the DIA some years ago. The investigation paid off as Saturday Sun got a lead to unmask him. Teshaku, in a telephone interview, confirmed that he was the subject of controversy between the two security agencies. He also confirmed that he was released from detention by the DIA after probing into his background and role in the Boko Haram saga.



If you are in this country and you are an unknown person or from a poor family, these politicians or the security, they can use you and dump you. On this issue, the DIA is made up of serious and experienced people. When they dug into my role and found out what happened between me and the Nigerian security, they knew that I was supposed to be rewarded, he said.



Two former security goons, however, confirmed in separate encounters with Saturday Sun that Teshaku was at a time on security radar as a suspected henchman of Boko Haram. But the soft-spoken Benue State-born man says his engagement by a former Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), Mike Zuokumor, as coordinator of a Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in the state as part of measures to curtail the incessant herdsmen/farmers clashes, was an indication that he was not a devil as was being painted by the police authorities.



Connection with Boko Haram hierarchy

But Zuokumor, who does not want to be drawn into the controversy on Teshakus suspected role in the Boko Haram insurgency, explained why he engaged him as head of the CJTF in Benue. Teshaku is a Tiv man, but a Muslim; the bulk of herdsmen are Muslims and he had something in common with them. He also had something in common with the Tiv farmers. Teshaku was instrumental to the signing of a peace accord. He was made chairman of a committee and had a Fulani deputy. Teshaku did not go to school, but had native intelligence. He was the one that pointed at who is who during the farmers/herdsmen crisis at the time I was DIG Operations.



Top security sources confided in Saturday Sun that Teshaku had an awesome influence on senior commanders of the Boko Haram sect at the height of its devastating attacks during the previous administration, and indeed, met ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, on one occasion in his bid to proffer a solution to the insurgency.



At the meeting which sources said held in the wee hours of the fateful day at the Maitama, Abuja residence of a traditional ruler and Jonathans childhood friend, King Amatele Jonny Turner, Obigbo Mikimiki of Opume Kingdom, Bayelsa State, Teshaku was masked and taken to the venue by a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police who, at that time, was the commissioner of police at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command, in company with Wilson Inalegwu, then an Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations at the command.



It was learnt that after listening to Teshaku, who allegedly offered to persuade top commanders of the Boko Haram including those in Niger, Cameroon and Chad to converge on Maiduguri for a peace meeting as a prelude to ceasing the attacks, he was said to have been mobilized in United States of America, US Dollars, and succeeded in arranging a meeting of the sect commanders at the Borno State capital. While there, they were said to have clashed with the military during which some of them were killed, and a few were arrested.



Teshaku was also said to have arranged clandestine meetings between the authorities and Boko Haram commanders in Abuja, leading to two agreements in 2012 in which the insurgents indicated their willingness for a truce. But sources said factional leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, refused to attend the Abuja meetings, but opted to engage a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe in Dubai, United Arab Emirate.



It could not be ascertained at press time whether the meeting held. But most of the meetings between the authorities and the Boko Haram elements in Abuja were said to have been presided over by a former Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (retd).

When the hunt for him intensified, Mamman Nur, the suspected mastermind of the United Nations (UN) House bombing in Abuja was said to have also contacted Ali Teshaku, when he learnt of a peace move, and had sought reprieve from the authorities through a former commissioner of police in the FCT, who had been promoted an Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).



A source hinted that the police chief, now retired, linked Teshaku to Peter Gana, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID). Eventually, Teshaku and Nur met the DIG, who the source said took them to the office of the NSA.

Was Teshaku a kingpin of Boko Haram as alleged by the police, a repentant opportunist who had wanted to capitalize on the crippling insurgency to fester his nest during Jonathans administration, or a security mole? Only the security agencies can provide answers to these posers. Rather alarming, the same man has re emerged and is currently the head of Benue State local security agency called Livestock Guards.While initially keeping the identity of the agency under wraps, the police had said it officially handed over the suspect, Alhaji Ali Teshaku, to a sister security agency via a memo by the then Inspector General of police, Hafiz Ringim, dated July 7, 2011. The police further claimed that the action was based on a formal letter from the unnamed sister agency dated June 27, 2011, which requested release of the suspect to it.Olusola Amore, the Force Public Relations Officer at the time, explained that the IGP acceded to the request in the spirit of intelligence sharing as is customary in security circles, but was quick to add that the identity of the sister agency concerned would not be given in the national interest.However, fingers were pointed at the direction of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), whose erstwhile chief, Major General Babagana Munguno (retd), the incumbent National Security Adviser (NSA), reportedly made the request and eventually took over custody of Teshaku from the police. But all the military intelligence chiefs at the time denied having anything to do with the suspect.In a curious twist of events, the DIA eventually admitted taking custody of the suspect from the police after writing a formal request, but claimed it encountered several obstacles in the process, which were surmounted with the intervention of a former NSA, late General Owoye Azazi, who prevailed on Ringim to release the suspected terrorist kingpin to Monguno.Interestingly, Teshaku was said to have opened up on the activities of Boko Haram to the DIA and claimed to have revealed same to the police authorities. Reports further indicated that both the then NSA and Chief of Defence Staff [CDS] were notified by the DIA on its encounter with the suspect before he was returned to police custody.But Nigerians were bemused shortly thereafter, when the DIA reportedly asked for the suspect to be released to it a second time for further investigation, but was allegedly turned down. It was, indeed, a high drama as the police authorities vehemently denied the allegation that Teshaku had been returned to its custody after he was handed over, talk less of receiving a second request for his release to the DIA.As Expected, the claims, counter claims and denials between the security agencies were further compounded by reports of the DIAs eventual admission of taking custody of the suspect at a point in time from the police, and it became a source of concern and embarrassment to the presidency, which ordered a probe into the incident.Nothing was heard since then about him besides a joint press conference held at the Defence Headquarters to douse public suspicion of mutual distrust and rivalry amongst security agencies. While Hafiz Ringim, the IGP at the time declined comments on the issue when contacted recently on telephone, former police spokesman, Olusola Amore, a retired commissioner of police, gave an insight into the squabble between the police and DIA.Let me flashback because I can actually remember now since you said it was that issue that led to conflict between us and the DIA. I know the DSS were also involved, but instead of them handing over the suspect back to us, all we saw was the suspect making some allegations against the police. And we said well, we still believe that the suspect would be returned to us because we transferred the suspect in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration. So, there is no way they would release the suspect without returning the suspect to the police. That was the conflict.The suspect was arrested by the police in connection with Boko Haram and handed over to the DIA. I think it was the DIA because I was later invited for a joint conference at the Defence Headquarters and the Defence Intelligence Agency, all of us were there. I just sat there, but I didnt talk. But I said at that meeting that we still believed the suspect is with the DIA, and would be handed over to us. In fact, I didnt want to go but the DIA was boxed into a corner and they wanted a face-saving press conference. So they wanted the PROs of all security organizations to be there. Sincerely, I didnt want to go but later, they got in touch with Ringim (IGP); so Ringim said I should go but shouldnt say a word there. So I attended, Amore said last week in a telephone chat.Seven years after, the dust over the suspects whereabouts seemed to have settled. But a mention of the suspects name during an interview last month with Garus Gololo, coordinator of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) triggered an alarm in the reporters memory. Gololo had alleged that Ali Teshaku, presently the commander of the Livestock Guards in Benue State, an outfit created by the state government with the enactment of its anti-open grazing law, was a suspected Boko Haram leader engaged to terrorize Fulani herders and evict them from the state.Tahav Agerzua, Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom on Media and ICT, however, debunked the allegation. This matter you are pursuing is not necessary at this time. After all, we inherited him from the previous government and the man has been granted amnesty. This is a security issue, but if you want further explanation, you can come over and I will arrange for you to talk to the security people, he said on telephone when contacted on the issue.His response fired the reporters zeal to probe into the identity of Ali Teshaku, with a view to ascertaining if he was indeed, the suspected Boko Haram leader at the centre of a conflict between the police and the DIA some years ago. The investigation paid off as Saturday Sun got a lead to unmask him. Teshaku, in a telephone interview, confirmed that he was the subject of controversy between the two security agencies. He also confirmed that he was released from detention by the DIA after probing into his background and role in the Boko Haram saga.If you are in this country and you are an unknown person or from a poor family, these politicians or the security, they can use you and dump you. On this issue, the DIA is made up of serious and experienced people. When they dug into my role and found out what happened between me and the Nigerian security, they knew that I was supposed to be rewarded, he said.Two former security goons, however, confirmed in separate encounters with Saturday Sun that Teshaku was at a time on security radar as a suspected henchman of Boko Haram. But the soft-spoken Benue State-born man says his engagement by a former Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), Mike Zuokumor, as coordinator of a Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in the state as part of measures to curtail the incessant herdsmen/farmers clashes, was an indication that he was not a devil as was being painted by the police authorities.But Zuokumor, who does not want to be drawn into the controversy on Teshakus suspected role in the Boko Haram insurgency, explained why he engaged him as head of the CJTF in Benue. Teshaku is a Tiv man, but a Muslim; the bulk of herdsmen are Muslims and he had something in common with them. He also had something in common with the Tiv farmers. Teshaku was instrumental to the signing of a peace accord. He was made chairman of a committee and had a Fulani deputy. Teshaku did not go to school, but had native intelligence. He was the one that pointed at who is who during the farmers/herdsmen crisis at the time I was DIG Operations.Top security sources confided in Saturday Sun that Teshaku had an awesome influence on senior commanders of the Boko Haram sect at the height of its devastating attacks during the previous administration, and indeed, met ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, on one occasion in his bid to proffer a solution to the insurgency.At the meeting which sources said held in the wee hours of the fateful day at the Maitama, Abuja residence of a traditional ruler and Jonathans childhood friend, King Amatele Jonny Turner, Obigbo Mikimiki of Opume Kingdom, Bayelsa State, Teshaku was masked and taken to the venue by a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police who, at that time, was the commissioner of police at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command, in company with Wilson Inalegwu, then an Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations at the command.It was learnt that after listening to Teshaku, who allegedly offered to persuade top commanders of the Boko Haram including those in Niger, Cameroon and Chad to converge on Maiduguri for a peace meeting as a prelude to ceasing the attacks, he was said to have been mobilized in United States of America, US Dollars, and succeeded in arranging a meeting of the sect commanders at the Borno State capital. While there, they were said to have clashed with the military during which some of them were killed, and a few were arrested.Teshaku was also said to have arranged clandestine meetings between the authorities and Boko Haram commanders in Abuja, leading to two agreements in 2012 in which the insurgents indicated their willingness for a truce. But sources said factional leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, refused to attend the Abuja meetings, but opted to engage a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe in Dubai, United Arab Emirate.It could not be ascertained at press time whether the meeting held. But most of the meetings between the authorities and the Boko Haram elements in Abuja were said to have been presided over by a former Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (retd).When the hunt for him intensified, Mamman Nur, the suspected mastermind of the United Nations (UN) House bombing in Abuja was said to have also contacted Ali Teshaku, when he learnt of a peace move, and had sought reprieve from the authorities through a former commissioner of police in the FCT, who had been promoted an Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).A source hinted that the police chief, now retired, linked Teshaku to Peter Gana, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID). Eventually, Teshaku and Nur met the DIG, who the source said took them to the office of the NSA.Was Teshaku a kingpin of Boko Haram as alleged by the police, a repentant opportunist who had wanted to capitalize on the crippling insurgency to fester his nest during Jonathans administration, or a security mole? Only the security agencies can provide answers to these posers.

Post Reply I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist Posted: at 4-03-2018 07:00 AM (3 years ago) | Addicted Herobohlah at 4-03-2018 07:09 AM (3 years ago) (m)

Three cousins who are first children of their respective parents have reportedly died after attending a birthday party in Benin, Edo State.

Three cousins who are first children of their respective parents have reportedly died after attending a birthday party in Benin, Edo State.

Operatives from the Homicide Unit of the Edo State Police Command are battling hard to unravel how three boys identified as Micheal Osula, Igie Edosomwan and Kelvin Idemudia lost their lives in a mysterious and questionable manner.



According to reports, the three brothers were said to have died on Sunday last week after the birthday party held at Ogida quarters in Egor Local Government Area.



Sources close to them said they were rushed to a nearby hospital after complaining of not feeling well, after which they were confirmed dead moments later



Mother of one of the deceased, Mrs. Comfort Edosomwan, had wailed profusely over the Sudden demise of her son.



Edosomwan, who disclosed that her son was about to eat in the house when unidentified friend of his called him to join him to the birthday party, appealed to the police to thoroughly investigate the matter, alleging money ritual to have caused the ugly and dramatic incident.



She added that one of the suspects arrested in connection to the deaths had recently returned from Ghana.



The states Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, when contacted, said some suspects were being interrogated over the deaths. Operatives from the Homicide Unit of the Edo State Police Command are battling hard to unravel how three boys identified as Micheal Osula, Igie Edosomwan and Kelvin Idemudia lost their lives in a mysterious and questionable manner.According to reports, the three brothers were said to have died on Sunday last week after the birthday party held at Ogida quarters in Egor Local Government Area.Sources close to them said they were rushed to a nearby hospital after complaining of not feeling well, after which they were confirmed dead moments laterMother of one of the deceased, Mrs. Comfort Edosomwan, had wailed profusely over the Sudden demise of her son.Edosomwan, who disclosed that her son was about to eat in the house when unidentified friend of his called him to join him to the birthday party, appealed to the police to thoroughly investigate the matter, alleging money ritual to have caused the ugly and dramatic incident.She added that one of the suspects arrested in connection to the deaths had recently returned from Ghana.The states Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, when contacted, said some suspects were being interrogated over the deaths.

Post Reply I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist Posted: at 4-03-2018 07:09 AM (3 years ago) | Addicted HeroYou have permission to edit this article.

Edit CloseMalong Linked To Attack Near Juba

The government has accused the former army chief of general staff, Paul Malong Awan of orchestrating an attack near Juba last week.

Ateny Wek Ateny, Spokesperson in the Office of the President 8\01\ 2018[Photo by Jale Richard]

By Jale Richard



JUBA, 09 January 2018 [Gurtong]-Ateny Wek Ateny, Spokesperson of the President said according to a leaked audio recording of telephone conversation of Malong and other commanders, the office of the president has verified, Malong gave instructions to Colonel Chan Garang to attack.



In the leaked audio recordings, the former Chief of general staff conversed with Lt. Col. Chan Garang in Kuda (Equatoria), Bak in Wau of Western Bhar-el-Ghazal and Manut Yel Lual in Malual-Bai in Northern Bahr el Ghazal ordering them to attack government positions.



Ateng Wek Ateny, addressing the press at the Presidential palace on Monday said that they confirmed that the audio belongs to General Paul Malong even though he (Malong) claims the audio was not his.



We took measures to verify the audio and we can confirm without reservations that the audio has borne the true voice of General Paul Malong, the former Chief of general staff of the Army of the SPLA, Ateny said.



He said the government has already extended to all those opposing the government to come back and make sure that the solution to the political problem is found on the table not on barrel of the gun.



But if someone is still attempting now to be a rebel and is trying to be part of the bigger collusion to bring down the government, and already part of those who have come with him according to this tape, they are signatories to the cessation of hostilities agreement, and they are also those who are coming to negotiate in the final phase of the revitalization process in Addis Ababa, I dont know what the government should do? Can we also negotiate even those who have not yet been born?



Ateny said the Security Council is yet to decide on how to deal with the matter.



Malong was fired by President Salva Kiir in May last year, after a wave of resignations by senior military officials who alleged there was ethnic bias in the army and that soldiers were committing war crimes in the context of South Sudan's civil war.



He fled the capital briefly before being persuaded to return. He was then put on house arrest, and his release negotiated before getting clearance from the president to travel to Kenya on medical ground in November.







Haiti - France : IRD sets up new scientific partnerships in Haiti





Convinced that scientific research is necessary to advance sustainable development, the Institute for Research for Development (IRD), a major French player on mission in Haiti, supports the strengthening of Geosciences at the State University of Haiti (UEH) and worked during his stay (25 February to 4 March 2018) to set up new bilateral scientific partnerships.



The IRD delegation wad composed of Mrs. Sarah Marniesse, Director of the Department of Knowledge Mobilization for Development, as well as MM. Henri-Luc Thibaut, Director of the Department of International Relations, Christian Valentin, representative of the Department of Ecosystems and Biodiversity, and Philippe Charvis, Director of the Department of Geosciences and Bernard de Lepinay, researcher at the CNRS of GeoAzur.



During his stay, the IRD worked on setting up new scientific partnerships with the Haitian Doctoral College and the various higher education institutions in the country in fields such as agronomy, water resources and health. or else urbanism.



Recall that the action of the IRD in Haiti has already allowed the development of cooperation with the UEH in Geoscience (seismology, landslides etc ...). The Geoscience Research Unit (URGeo) of the UEH Faculty of Sciences has been selected to participate in the IRD Young Associate Program (JEAI) program in order to enable it to become a recognized center in its field, closely associated with national and international scientific networks.



On the other hand, this partnership has enabled the establishment of the first university related to Geosciences in Haiti through the creation in 2016 of a Master in Geosciences at the Faculty of Sciences of the UEH led by Haitian teachers trained abroad as well as by French teachers. Currently attended by 14 Haitian students, this Master has also benefited from the support of the Conference of University Presidents of the French Embassy and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF). Ultimately, it should be co-authored by the University of the West Indies.



Learn more about IRD :

The Institute for Research for Development (IRD) is a major French public institution whose objective is to foster the development of scientific partnerships with developing countries in order to put science at the service of development to design solutions adapted to contemporary challenges.



HL/ HaitiLibre























Haiti - News : Zapping...





More than 200 million Gourdes Zombi checks

As part of the fight against zombies checks, the Ministry of Public Health has recovered nearly 200 million gourdes during the last 10 months in central and departmental directorates, and health facilities throughout the country.



Tens of thousands of young people flee Haiti

The Mayor of Les Cayes Gabriel Fortune said on the radio of the capital, that the fleeing of thousands of young Haitians to Chile https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23276-haiti-flash-nearly-105-000-haitians-arrived-in-chile-in-2017.html were the result of national bankruptcy and corruption in the country, encouraging Haitians in Chile to learn a trade and come back to be useful to the country.



Few Foreign Direct Investment

On Friday, at the International Forum on Arbitration in Haiti, organized by the Chamber of Conciliation and Arbitration of Haiti (CCAH), Tessa Jacques Antoine, the Director General of the Center for Investment Facilitation (CFI), presented the Haiti's experiences with foreign direct investment (FDI). Emphasizing "[...] although there have been public policy efforts facilitating the entry of FDI into the economy, much remains to be done in attracting FDI to Haiti."



Exploitation of the stones of the littoral...

A delegation of the Ministry of the Environment is currently in the South-East to learn more about the issue of exploitation of the stones of the coast of the municipality of Marigot.



New Instrument Landing System

L'Office National de l'Aviation Civile (OFNAC) travaille sur l'installation d'un nouveau Systeme d'atterrissage aux instruments (Instrument Landing System - ILS) au niveau de l'aeroport International Toussaint Louverture.



Lycee Toussaint friend of hygiene

The Toussaint Louverture High School has received a plaque of honor from the Ministry of National Education which elevates it to the rank of Shool Friend of Hygiene https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22764-haiti-health-closure-of-the-project-certification-of-friendly-schools-of-hygiene.html . Rodrigue Duverger, the High School Director, said the plaque was a follow-up to the results of the hard work of the various players in the public high school and said he would continue this momentum not only at the physical level, but also at the intellectual level.



HL/ HaitiLibre

















Hawaii DoE Organizing Walkout for March 14--Using Students as pawns in Effort to Gut Constitution of 2nd Amendment

Students encouraged to participate in March 14 walkout  with caveats

From Hawaii Tribune Herald March 3, 2018 (with editorial comments in parenthesis)

...The state Department of Education is advising schools statewide to create a designated walkout area for students who want to participate in upcoming protests against gun violence, Superintendent Christina Kishimoto said in a Friday letter to parents.

(Translation: Principals are being instructed to schedule a rally on their school campus. And the Sup't just advertised the rallies to every single parent and student.)

On March 14, students throughout the country are announcing plans on social media to participate in National School Walkout Day. The protest is slated to begin at 10 a.m. and will last for 17 minutes to honor the lives of the 17 people who died in the recent school shooting at a Florida high school.

(Summary: The mentally ill are allowed to roam free and illegally obtain guns. The latest example of the inevitable result--a school shooting in Florida--is then used to restrict the 2nd amendment --and 1st amendment-- rights of sane citizens. When the demos becomes disorderly because the insane are introduced into it, the demos loses rights.)

On April 20, a second protest is planned at 10 a.m. on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings in Colorado.

(On 420. Now you know where the mental illness is coming from.)

The DOE supports students constitutional rights to a peaceful assembly and free expression, Kishimoto said in the letter, though disorderly conduct that disrupts school operations is not acceptable and will be appropriately handled in accordance with the Code of Student Conduct.

(Translation: Students must make our events look good or else.)

Additionally, Kishimoto said students who leave campus during the event will be marked with an unexcused tardiness or absence.

(Translation: Stay on campus to swell up our crowd counts or be punished.)

She said participation in any walkout is voluntary and the DOE advises schools to encourage students to use the time to share ideas for improving campus safety, security and culture..

(Your teachers will take the entire class to the rally and check attendance there.)

Photo: 'Designated walkout area' without 'disorderly conduct'

A school district in Texas said it will suspend any student who participates in a walkout.

Thats exactly the opposite of what we want to do, Chad Keone Farias, superintendent of the Kau-Keaau-Pahoa Complex Area, said Friday about the penalties.

(Translation: We Principals are liberals too and we want to encourage this.)

Farias said hes not sure how many students locally plan to participate.

He said East Hawaii principals were sent guidance about the event and are being encouraged to respect students right to participate while also making sure any planned protest activities are safe and dont break school rules.

The last thing we want to do is discipline, Farias said.  As educators, we want to respect that kids have this right to participate in this responsible civic activity to voice their concerns that we need to bring school violence into the light. This is not a place students should feel unsafe. This is where they should feel most safe.

Hilo High School is encouraging students to gather on the campus patio during the designated walkout time, Principal Bob Dircks told the Tribune-Herald on Friday.

He said students will be encouraged to write out any comments or concerns about gun violence and read them aloud  if they wish  during the event, which falls during Hilo Highs lunch recess.

He said Hilo Highs walkout is largely being organized by a student leader.

(Yeah. Right. He's so prominent that he isn't even part of this article. LOL!)

So, it will be a means to share their thoughts and their voices, and it will be peaceful and wont take away from academic time, Dircks said. Which I think is a very good call on the students part.  But this has got to be student driven. It cant be something the adults come up with.

(Translation: Weve got them brainwashed enough that they will think only of gun control. None of them will think about the need to control the mentally ill who are purposefully left out in the public and allowed guns.)

Other principals said Friday they are discussing walkout events with their student leadership and hope to have plans in place next week.

Kishimoto said in the letter there have been more than a dozen school threats in Hawaii since January. She said none of those were credible and the majority were made on social media.

(The insane ain't got but one idea between 'em.)

Pahoa, Keaau and Konawaena high schools were among campuses that received threats. The threats spurred police to increase their presence at the high schools.

(See how this works?)

read  Pawns

SA: Students will take an important step March 14

Big Q: What do you think of students planned 17-minute class walkout on March 14, in honor of 17 killed in Floridas school shooting?

Totally Related: Ige Returns from DC, Denounces Trump -- "Ige said he discussed school safety issues with representatives from the National Education Association"

Cataluna: Oahu teens organize gun control events

SA: Hawaii students plan walkouts: 17 minutes for 17 victims

NN: Hawaii students walk out on March 14

NYT: Conspiracy theorists help NYT make it appear that criticism of mental health care is akin to a conspiracy theory.UHERO State Forecast Update: Not much lift from tax cuts in Hawaiis soaring economy

From UHERO, March 2, 2018

Hawaiis economy continues to grow, but with expected slowing as the cycle matures. Tourism is booming, construction remains on a healthy plateau, and jobs are plentiful. The big story this quarter is the federal tax cuts that went into effect on January 1. These will provide a modest boost for Hawaii families, who have seen little income growth in the expansion so far. Tightness in tourism and labor markets will limit the overall effect on the States economy.

This analysis and near-term forecast is available as a service to the public. For more detailed multi-year forecasts, subscribe to UHERO's Forecast Project.

Tax Cuts Will Give a Boost, But How Big?

From UHERO Summary (With commentary in parenthesis designed to make report accurate.)

In December, the US Congress passed the most sweeping tax overhaul in decades. The legislation slashes the corporate income tax rate, accelerates capital expensing, and provides a temporary incentive for multinationals to repatriate foreign income. For households, the new law reduces personal income tax rates and raises the standard deduction, while capping deductions for state and local taxes. It also caps the mortgage interest deduction for new mortgages above $750,000 and eliminates the deduction for most home equity loans. Among other elements of the law are favorable treatment of pass-through income, higher thresholds for estate taxation, and a repeal of the Obamacare mandate. Changes in personal income taxes are phased out by 2027; changes in corporate taxation are permanent.

How much tax relief will the new law provide in Hawaii? According to the non-partisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the new law will result in a $1.3 billion cut in federal taxes on Hawaii residents. Nearly all families will enjoy a tax cut initially, although the benefits are heavily skewed toward those with higher incomesabout two thirds of the tax savings accrue to the top 20%. In part, this is because higher-income households claim the lions share of savings from tax cuts on small businesses and corporations. (Foreign investors also enjoy this benefit.) Because of the personal income tax cut phase-out, by 2027 lower-income households will see a small net increase in tax burden, while there will still be some positive impact at higher incomes.

($1.3B / $1.4M = $928 per person, $3,712 per family of four.)

How might the new tax law affect the Hawaii economy? The primary near-term impacts will come from increased spending induced by higher disposable incomes, both here and on the mainland. Increased demand will be felt across a wide range of businesses serving both local residents and tourists. Higher after-tax business profits may well lead to higher pay for some workers. Over the long run, investment incentives could result in expansion of the local capital stock, whether in resorts, residential, or commercial spheres. This would provide opportunities for income and employment gains.

How big will these effects be? (We at UH want to pretend) The overall near-term impact will be very small for several reasons. First, (because Donald J Trump is President we are telling you) the spending rise will be limited, because most tax savings go to well off families, who tend to consume a much smaller proportion of their income than do poorer households (and we just forgot about investment, because President Donald J Trump makes us forgetful). The spending that does occur will result in very little job creation, given the historically tight Hawaii labor market (and we cant think of anything else because the President is Donald J Trump). Stronger demand will lead to wage growth and an increase in aggregate income, (Already has. Did you forget all the companies that raise wages to $15 and paid out big bonuses?) but may also drive up prices, limiting gains in real purchasing power. (But if we were arguing for a minimum wage hike, we would conveniently forget this argument.) The growth effects, then, will necessarily occur over the long run as capital investment raises capacity and perhaps productivity. However, credible estimates for the US economy find these effects to be relatively small (because the President is Donald J Trump).

read  Summary

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iciHaiti - RD : Partial assessment of the fight against Haitian smuggling...





Friday Sugar Puttzi Frugis Martinez, Director of the Specialized Land Border Security Corps (CESFRONT) delivered a partial assessment of the results of the fight against Haitian smuggling (to or from Haiti) by members of his institution with the support of the Dominican Armed Forces.



From January 2017 to February 2018, CESFRONT seized, inter alia: more than 205,000 pounds ( 93 tonnes) of contraband garlic from Haiti, more than five million packages of cigarettes of different brands, nearly 3,500 pounds (  1.5 tonnes of marijuana), 2.156 gallons of clairin and thousands of alcohol bottles including rum of various brands.



In addition, on the Dominican territory, CESFRONT intercepted and seized 18,374 bags of charcoal smuggled to Haiti and discovered and destroyed 579 clandestine smokestacks along the border, intended for the manufacture of coal. There were also 1,565 bags of "guaconejo" clandestinely cut off from Dominican territory destined for the neighboring country (a plant with high monetary value for the species it produces, disappeared from Haiti because of uncontrolled cutting).



This report excludes, inter alia, the trafficking of vehicles (cars and motorcycles), spare parts, weapons, livestock and various foods between the two countries.



SL/ iciHaiti

















Undercover Drug Bust in the Central Valley, Seizure of 30 Pounds of Methamphetamine and Heroin

Fresno, California - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced the arraignment of three individuals who were arrested for possession of 29 pounds of methamphetamine, one and a quarter pounds of heroin, as well as one loaded handgun. The narcotics are believed to have been imported from Mexico.

Defendants Abel Castro, Tauri Valera and Julian Aispuro were arrested on February 22, 2018 and booked into the Fresno County Jail. The arrests came after a month-long investigation led by the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Methamphetamine Task Force (FMTF), a Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area team. The task force is made up of personnel from the Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriffs Office, Tulare County Sheriffs Office, Kings County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, California National Guard and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

This operation demonstrates our continuing commitment to crack down on drugs that are being trafficked throughout our state, said Attorney General Becerra. Keeping Californians safe is our number-one priority at the California Department of Justice, and we will continue to work with our state, local and federal law enforcement partners to combat illegal narcotics, including opioids.

Undercover agents from the FMTF task force negotiated with the three suspects to purchase 29 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of heroin. During the morning hours of February 22, the suspects confirmed the narcotics had crossed the Mexican border and would be delivered to a Fresno parking lot. The defendants were arrested once the FMTF undercover agents were able to view the evidence.

Today, defendants Abel Castro, Tauri Valera and Julian Aispuro, were arraigned in Fresno County Superior Court on five felony counts each of conspiracy to possess and sell methamphetamine and heroin. Additionally, Valera was charged with possession of narcotics while armed with a firearm, and Castro was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and resisting arrest. The case is being prosecuted by the Fresno County District Attorney's Office.

Bail was set at $790,000 for Castro, $730,000 for Valera and $675,000 for Aispuro.

It is important to note that a criminal complaint contains charges that are only allegations against a person. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.In Advance of San Francisco Listening Session, California Committed To Defending Clean Power Plan

Sacramento, California - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra issued the following statement in advance of the listening session that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held in San Francisco on its proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a legal responsibility to significantly reduce carbon pollution from power plants. This responsibility can only be fulfilled through a strong, effective, and science-based policy like the Clean Power Plan. Repealing it simply wont cut it. That is why the California Department of Justice is committed to doing everything in its power to defend the Clean Power Plan.Leopards are on the brink of extinction in Cambodia due to increased poaching, warns new research.

The study has confirmed that the world's last breeding population of leopards in the South East Asian country is at "immediate risk" of extinction, having declined an astonishing 72 per cent over just five years.

The population represents the last remaining leopards in all of eastern Indochina - incorporating Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

The research, conducted in Cambodia's Eastern Plains Landscape, revealed one of the lowest concentrations of leopards ever reported in Asia, with a density of one individual per 100 square kilometres.

Increased poaching, especially indiscriminate snaring for the illegal wildlife trade and bushmeat, is to blame for the dramatic decline, according to the report published in the Royal Society Open Science journal.

Study co-author, Dr. Jan Kamler, Southeast Asia leopard programme coordinator for conservation group Panthera, said: "This population represents the last glimmer of hope for leopards in all of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam - a subspecies on the verge of blinking out.

"No longer can we, as an international community, overlook conservation of this unique wild cat."

He added: "We must band together in action, not just in words, to curb the epidemic of poaching facing this gorgeous big cat and others around the globe."

Scientists were also shocked to discover that the primary prey of leopards was banteng - a wild species of cattle weighing up to 800 kilos (1,760 pounds). (Panthera/WildCRU/WWF/SWNS.com)

Co-author Professor David Macdonald, director of Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), said: "Leopards are a monument to opportunism, adapting to habitats from desert to urban jungle, but their adaptability risks a deadly complacency: people think - 'oh, leopards will be fine'. They won't.

"Almost everywhere they are doing worse than people thought, and our findings show that in South East Asia they are heading for catastrophe."

Scientists were also shocked to discover that the primary prey of leopards was banteng - a wild species of cattle weighing up to 800 kilos (1,760 pounds).

In particular, male leopards targeted banteng, making it the only known leopard population in the world whose main prey weighed greater than 500 kg (1,100 pounds) - more than five times the leopard's own mass.

Scientists believe the Indochinese leopards' new choice of prey was triggered by the disappearance of tigers from the region in 2009, which created a "predatory void".

Prompted by the study's findings, Panthera and WildCRU are working with local and national groups to increase effective law enforcement and monitoring of the region, which will include the use of PoacherCams.

Historically found throughout all of South East Asia, the Indochinese leopard has lost 95 per cent of its range and is likely to be classified as Critically Endangered by IUCN later this year.

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A separate study recently estimated that just over 1,000 breeding adult Indochinese leopards remain in all of South East Asia.

But conservationists say that just 20 to 30 reproductive individuals remain in eastern Cambodia, representing the "last hope" for the leopard's future in eastern Indochina.

They say poaching for bushmeat and the illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss, prey decline due to bushmeat poaching, and conflict with people are to blame, creating a "deadly cocktail" of threats facing leopards in Asia, and around the globe.

Study lead author Susana Rostro-Garcia, of WildCRU, said: "Much of the snaring in Cambodia, and across South East Asia, is driven by the rising demand for bushmeat.

"Wild landscapes are covered with thousands of snares set to catch wild pig and deer to supply bushmeat markets."

She added: "Unfortunately, these snares also negatively impact many other species, with leopards and other wildlife often caught as by catch, and their valuable parts removed and sold to illegal wildlife traders."

In particular, she said that as tiger numbers plummet due to poaching pressure, leopard skins and other body parts are increasingly coveted for use as status symbols and in traditional Asian medicines sold through the illegal wildlife trade.

SWNSMountainous environments often provide both magnificent views and seclusion for the people who live there. Historically, mountain structures have been all about function over form  small huts and cabins made from sturdy materials that can withstand the unpredictable climate at high altitudes. However, these modern homes have gone beyond necessity to create truly remarkable structures in some of the worlds most remote locations.

The Estate Bungalow in Mataguma, Sri Lanka, for example, is a modern take on the regions traditional Chena Watch huts, which stand on stilts above a forest canopy to allow farmers to keep watch over the fields all day and all night.

Inspired by this, architect Narein Perera built a home on large metal stilts that is top heavy, to allow views of the surrounding hillside throughout the property, and causing minimal impact on the fragile surrounding rainforest. Due to the steepness of the hills, the designers had to create a bridge to connect the bungalow to a nearby road.

In European settings, mountain dwellers not only have to tackle dizzying heights but also strict planning laws, put in place to ensure the home respects local architecture. Villa Vals in Switzerland is one of the few modern homes in the area that has been approved by the Vals authorities.

To ensure the project would gain approval, Belgian architects SeARCH & CMA concealed the home as much as possible, placing most of the rooms underground, embedded into the alpine mountainside. In addition the plans incorporated the old Graubunder barn, a traditional part-underground Swiss farmhouse that is illegal to demolish, turning it into a secret entrance to the house.

Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Show all 10 1 /10 Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Villa Vals  Vals, Switzerland Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Villa Vals  Vals, Switzerland Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Fiscavaig  Isle of Skye, Scotland Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Fiscavaig  Isle of Skye, Scotland Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Solo House  Cretas, Spain Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Solo House  Cretas, Spain Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes The Mirror Houses  Bolzano, Italy Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Estate Bungalow  Matugama, Sri Lanka Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Estate Bungalow  Matugama, Sri Lanka Mountain View: the worlds most secluded homes Estate Bungalow  Matugama, Sri Lanka

Weather, of course, is always of vital importance to homebuilders, and while an area such as the Isle of Skye in Scotland may look beautiful, it hosts harsh conditions that many structures cannot endure. When architects Rural Design created 15 Fiscavaig, their first concern was to ensure the walls would withstand a battering from the Hebridean winds, achieved by deliberately narrowing to the north and leaning into the gales. The wooden structure impacts the surrounding marshlands very little, making the house feel like a temporary guest in an ancient landscape.

On the other hand, Solo Houses in Cretas, Spain, have a much more permanent feel. Drawing inspiration from medieval castles and strongholds that have existed for centuries, this concrete behemoth sits in the perfect vantage point to look over the entire landscape, with 360-degree views.

These holiday homes and more can be found in Mountain View, by Sebastiaan Bedaux, available at lannoo.com/nl/mountain-viewGender reassignment surgeries are reportedly on the rise in the United States, according to a major study conducted by The John Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The researchers analysed data compiled by the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2000 to 2014, which gave them an indication of the number of patients seeking gender reassignment surgery across the country.

The NIS gathers data from approximately 1,000 hospitals around the US every year, which represents around 95 per cent of the nations population.

Using the data accumulated by the NIS, the team assessed a total of 37,827 hospital appointments for gender reassignment surgery.

The ages of the patients ranged from 26 to 49.

The initial analyses of the data were carried out from June to August 2015.

The authors of the study, which was led by Joseph Canner and Omar Harfouch and published in JAMA Surgery, discovered that the number of patients undergoing genital surgeries has risen drastically in recent years.

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During a five-year period from 2000 to 2005, 72 per cent of the patients who had gender reassignment procedures in the US decided to undergo genital surgery.

From 2006 to 2011, this percentage increased to 83.9 per cent of patients.

The team also considered what kind of health insurance plans the patients had.

Of the 4,118 people who underwent genital surgery, 56.3 per cent did not have any health insurance cover.

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For those who did have health insurance cover in the form of Medicare or Medicaid, 70 chose to have genital surgery in 2014.

This is a notable increase from the 25 patients covered by health insurance who had genital surgery between the years of 2012 to 2013.

The authors of the study noted that it is extremely important that third-party payers, such as health insurance companies, enforce policies that forbid the discrimination of people with gender identity disorder.

In doing so, this will help more transgender patients seek out the help they need should they wish to undergo gender reassignment procedures and improve the accumulation of gender identity data for further study.

In 2016 it was reported that the number of gender reassignment surgeries taking place in the UK had sharply risen, with the number of referrals at a clinic in Charing Cross quadrupling over a decade.Verdant hills stretch into the distance at Hells Gate National Park, where zebras, buffaloes, antelopes, baboons and other wildlife roam an idyllic landscape of forests, gorges and grassy volcanoes near the shores of Lake Naivasha.

Snaking over the same landscape are pipes. Miles and miles of pipes  some high enough off the ground that trucks can pass underneath and giraffes wont hit their heads  carry steam from beneath this volcanic valley to big power plants inside the park.

The valleys animal herders have long known the unusual properties of the ground under their feet. On chilly days, they warmed themselves near vents that emit plumes of hot steam. Now, Kenya is increasingly harnessing that steam to turn generators that can allow it to expand electrical service and power its rapidly growing economy.

The park, about 50 miles from the capital Nairobi, sits over the East African Rift, a huge fracture in the earths crust that also cuts through Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and other countries. Steam from here helped generate 47 per cent of Kenyas electricity in 2015, with hydropower (nearly 35 per cent) generating much of the rest.

An engineer at KenGens Masinga hydro-electricity dam control room. Over-reliance on hydro power has been problematic in times of drought (Getty)

Kenya has pushed hard to harness its geothermal capabilities. It generated 45 megawatts of power with geothermal energy in 1985 and now generates about 630 megawatts; nearly 400 megawatts of that production has come online since 2014.

No matter how you cut it, that is a significant amount of generation in the geothermal world, says Gene Suemnicht, chief executive of EGS, a California-based geothermal consultancy that has worked in Kenya.

That explosive growth has made geothermal power a promising source of renewable energy for a country of 44 million people that is expected to nearly double in population by 2050.

Much of Kenya lacks electricity; only 40 per cent of its population has access to reliable service. Much of the African continent has even less: only about 25 per cent of Africans have access to reliable electricity. Although Africa is home to 16 per cent of the worlds population, it consumes only 3.3 per cent of global power production.

Reliable energy is a vital driver of economic growth. At Oserian, one of Kenyas largest flower exporters based near Lake Naivasha, geothermal steam warms greenhouses and generates electricity at its two power plants.

Geothermal heating allows the company to sell 380 million flower stems each year and also grow varieties of roses that would not be economically viable without 24-hour heating, says Neil Hellings, managing director of Oserian. Savings from using geothermal energy versus conventional electricity let Oserian pay its employees more than double that of many competitors, Hellings adds.

Zebra gather at a leaky pipe carrying condensed water that will be injected back into wells near the Olkaria plant (Getty)

Another geothermal field already under development north of Hells Gate was expected to bring power to 500,000 households and 300,000 small and medium-size businesses, according to the African Development Bank Group.

Other countries have used geothermal power to drive their economies. In the 1970s, geothermal development helped propel Iceland from poverty to a wealthy island nation.

The rise of Kenyas geothermal industry  it ranks ninth in the world in geothermal energy production, according to the Geothermal Council Resource, a US industry association  has helped reduce electricity rates and expand access to electricity. The government has set an ambitious goal of universal access by 2020  but many challenges make that a very high bar to reach.

Electrical transmission and distribution  and connecting customers who can pay for service  is crucial to a viable power business. In Kenya the grid to transport the generated power to citizens also needs substantial investment, says Victoria Cuming, head of policy at Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Big efforts to expand Kenyas grid are underway, with about 1,500 miles of new electrical lines under construction and 3,600 miles in the works by Kenya Electricity Transmission Co, or Ketraco. The main hurdle for grid expansion will be financing. Kenya has typically relied on concessional investors or government funding, Cuming says.

Sanjay Chandra, director of new energy development at ICF, a consultancy in the United States, noted that connecting homes or smaller businesses in the last mile is always challenging. This is especially so in poor areas where people may not be able to afford electricity or dont use much, therefore making it relatively expensive  and financially unviable  for companies to connect them.

In western Kenya the electrification rate is hovering around 5 per cent even though 84 per cent of unconnected households are within 200 metres of a connection point, Chandra says.

Last year, Kenyas demand for electricity exceeded 1,600 megawatts for the first time. Under ideal circumstances, the country has the potential to generate more than 10,000 megawatts of geothermal energy, according to Kenya Electricity Generating Co, or KenGen, which generates the majority of the countrys electricity.

Across all of East Africa, theres potential for some 20,000 megawatts of geothermal energy, according to a report from agencies including the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa and the United Nations Environment Programme.

A Masai tribesman looks out over a geothermal power station in Hells Gate (Getty)

But Kenya and the surrounding region face many challenges to harnessing their full geothermal potential. Lack of funding and technical expertise, poor governance and corruption often hobble big infrastructure projects in developing countries.

And though geothermal is considered renewable energy, it does have pitfalls. While the Earth will most likely supply heat for millions of years, the underground water necessary to produce steam can be depleted if not recharged.

Yet from a geological perspective, Kenyas geothermal conditions are ideal. The amount of volcanism is amazing, Suemnicht says. Its in the centre of the action.

The East African Rift is one of the worlds largest rift valleys, about 3,700 miles in length and 30 to 40 miles across. It is slowly splitting the African continent apart at the rate of several millimetres each year.

Rift settings have very high potential for geothermal, Suemnicht says. Most geothermal development occurs in tectonically active areas on Earth.

Kenya is by far Africas geothermal leader, but nations such as Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Djibouti, Eritrea and Comoros have done preliminary exploration and Ethiopia generates about 7 megawatts of geothermal power.

Tapping geothermal energy is a long and expensive process that requires special expertise. From start to finish, it can take years from site scouting to construction to connection to actually generating electricity  and revenue.

To find suitable spots for drilling steam wells, scientists do geological, geochemical and geophysical surveillance, a process that can take three months, says Xavier Musouye, a geologist with KenGen. When suitable spots are found and assessed, drilling begins using the kind of tall rigs commonly seen at oil wells. Except for periodic maintenance breaks, these drills pound into the earth 24 hours a day for nearly two months.

At a new well site in Hells Gate, the noise is deafening as gargantuan machinery pummels the ground. The well will eventually reach a depth of almost two miles, joining the nearly 300 others already in place in the park.

It can cost about $6m (4.4m) for a single well, and even with all the planning and testing there is still a risk of drilling an empty well. Two geothermal wells were explored in neighbouring Rwanda but were unsuccessful, notes Meseret Zemedkun, energy programme manager for the UN Environment Programme.

Although it is a time-consuming process, there have been advancements to speed things along. KenGen recently started using a new kind of small power plant directly on the well head that can get up and running more quickly. These generate 7.5 megawatts compared with the large power stations that each generate 45, 105 and 140 megawatts.

Super-heated steam shoots from an uncapped well in Hells Gate, close to the KenGen Olkaria plant (Getty)

Kenya, the first African country to tap geothermal power, began its programmes in the late 1970s and early 1980s through funding primarily from the World Bank and guidance from the UN Development Programme. But funders pulled out in the early 1990s amid government instability, before returning towards the end of that decade.

The growth since then has been dramatic, and continues. KenGen is in the process of building a new 140-megawatt plant, financed by a $400m loan from Jica, Japans development agency, that is expected to start running by 2018.

Although geothermal power has led to rapid expansion of electrical service here, there are environmental trade-offs. There is the conundrum of drilling in Hells Gate, a 26 sq m-area that is one of the countrys smaller parks but has been designated a Unesco world heritage site. Some environmentalists are critical of extracting geothermal energy here. They complain that pipes and power plants are environmentally disruptive and an eyesore.

Elizabeth Mwangi-Gachau, chief environmental officer for KenGen, says the company conducts environmental assessments and tries to mitigate impact. It considers wildlife migration and behaviour in its development plans. Mwangi-Gachau adds that KenGen has refrained from drilling in parts of Hells Gate that would compromise the flora and fauna, even where there is major geothermal potential.

Zemedkun, of the UN, pointed out that environmentally friendly geothermal projects have been developed around the world  even within national park areas, including in the United States, Italy, Iceland, New Zealand and Japan.

At Hells Gate, the otherworldly network of geothermal pipes can be an attraction for some tourists. KenGen has even opened a geothermal spa, following the lead of an Icelandic power company that opened the Blue Lagoon spa, a signature attraction that uses water harnessed by a nearby geothermal power plant to warm its pools.

On a sunny afternoon, groups of Kenyans bask in the spas azure water. Theyre not fazed by the sight of steel pipes at a nearby geothermal wellhead. Overhead, odourless white steam floats into the air to mingle with the clouds streaking the Kenyan sky.

 New York TimesCampaigners, politicians and stars from Hollywood and the media stood shoulder to shoulder outside the Palace of Westminster to call for gender equality in the March4Women ahead of International Womens Day on Thursday.

Helen Pankhurst, great-granddaughter of suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, joined forces with Bianca Jagger, Justine Greening, Natalie Imbruglia, Sadiq Khan and many other public figures to say that right across the board, in every sphere, theres work to be done to ensure equality.

Marchers including (from third left to right) Bianca Jagger, Justine Greening, Natalie Imbruglia, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Sandi Toksvig, gather outside the Palace of Westminster ahead of the March4Women (PA)

Many men joined the crowd of thousands marching for womens rights, including Mayor of London Mr Khan who helped to lead the charge, saying he was a proud feminist and could not understand why anyone would not want to be the same.

Speaking at the event, Hollywood actor Micheal Sheen said he would absolutely take a pay cut if it meant being paid the same as an actress and said equal rights were incredibly important to me.

Care Internationals sixth annual march was especially poignant in the centenary year of the beginning of womens suffrage in Britain, and in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal in Hollywood that led to the global #MeToo and Times Up movements.

Wearing sashes bearing the suffragettes slogan Deeds not words, hundreds of supporters held banners reading: Bloody difficult woman, Courage is a muscle and Men of quality do not fear equality before setting off on the historic route to Trafalgar Square.

Ms Pankhurst said: I think we are living in a world where there are some dinosaurs that are trying to take us back.

And there are those that are moving together, trying to say thats not the way we want this world to look and moving us forward and looking at issues around inequality, and naming prejudice and all sorts of forms of entitlement that just shouldnt be part of the scene of the 21st century.

A young girl dressed as a suffragette during the March4Women near signs reading Bloody difficult woman and A womans job is Prime Minister (Dominic LipinskiPA) (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

She said right now there was a great energy and that day after day after day theres a media story saying we are not going to tolerate this anymore.

Asked about US President Donald Trumps recent admission that he does not consider himself a feminist, she said: Its irrelevant. I think what we need to be focusing on is the number of men and women who are supportive of change and of equality and all the beautiful and wonderful things that happen.

And we need to fight against people like him who represent old ideas, dated ideas, ideas that actually put people into boxes and dont allow people to thrive. Why should we allow that?

In reference to President Trumps reluctance to identify as a feminist, Mr Khan said: I think if youre in a position of power and influence and you think its wrong that women get paid less than men, you think its wrong theres discrimination against women still, you think its wrong that simply by virtue of being born a boy you have more chances than a girl, you should be a feminist.

Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted a photo of her Wikipedia page underneath the search term bloody difficult woman.

Heres to all the bloody difficult women out today on the #March4Women, she tweeted.

Actor Michael Sheen during the March4Women (PA) (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

When asked if he would take less money for a role if it meant equal pay between him and a female co-star, Sheen said: I think its absolutely imperative that no matter what the industry, no matter what the profession, that people should be paid the same for doing the same work. Thats just a given.

Were not going to change anything unless that happens, so absolutely.

His comments were echoed by activist Bianca Jagger, who was cheered as she called out for the gender pay gap to be closed before the marchers set off on Sunday.

Activist Bianca Jagger speaks during the March4Women (Reuters) (REUTERS/Simon Dawson)

When he was asked about the popularity of the #MeToo and Times Up movements, Sheen said: Theres clearly a moment happening, but its a moment in a series of moments over history.

And we have to make sure that this doesnt just remain a moment. And that everyone, men and women, both make sure that this goes on into the future to make permanent change.

He added: We have look at what the systemic challenges are. Not just if there are individual monsters who have done terrible things. We have to each of us look at what our own individual responsibility is.

I have to look at how Ive contributed to the challenges for women in society at the moment and do what I can to change that.

Campaigners shared pictures of themselves and their placards from the event.

We are bloody difficult women and proud! Carrie Symonds, the Conservatives director of communications, tweeted.

Using the Mayor of London account on Twitter, Mr Khan tweeted: As a proud feminist it was an incredible honour to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Londoners from all backgrounds at the #March4Women today  and to spread the message that London should be a beacon of gender equality.

Using his personal account, he added: Terrific turnout here in Trafalgar Square with thousands of Londoners of all backgrounds coming together to reaffirm our commitment to achieving true gender equality.

Dawn Butler, the Labour MP for Brent Central, said: So much energy at todays #March4women surrounded by so many #Phenomenal women. I had a simple message today: @UKLabour will not give up the fight for equality for women and girls everywhere.

The Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities also said equality is key to a civilised society and compared the protest to Mud March, the first mass procession organised by the suffragettes, in 1907.Water companies across London have asked customers to use as little water as possible because severe weather conditions have caused multiple pipes to burst.

More than 20,000 people were believed to be affected as thawing temperatures also caused a reservoir to drain in Hampstead.

Customers complained they have been unable to register outages with Thames Water because the helpline was unavailable.

Thames Water said they were aware of the problems and were hoping to resolve the problem.

Were aware that some customers in IG7 IG8 may be experiencing no water/low pressure. We have a team in the area investigating and we hope to repair it as soon as possible, they tweeted.

Shops in the worst-affected areas have reportedly run out of bottled water as people to look to stock up.

Thames Water is currently trying to set up water bottle stations while the pipes are being fixed, the BBC reported.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. 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PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. She went on to win the silver medal Getty

The warnings come as thousands of households in the south and south-east were left without water as frozen pipes burst as they thawed.

South East Water apologised to customers across Berkshire, Hampshire, Kent, Sussex and Surrey, which had low pressure or no supply at all.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: I am extremely concerned about the continued problems with the Thames Water supply, and it is unacceptable that thousands of Londoners remain without water.

"This is simply not good enough and I have sought assurances from Thames Water that they are doing everything possible to fix the problems and get the supply switched back on as soon as possible for everyone who has been affected.

"This cold weather should not have caused these problems for Thames Water."Ministers are accused today of breaking a promise to introduce a reform to cut the huge number of benefit sanctions, plunging people into the misery of hunger and eviction from their homes in some cases.

A yellow card system, giving claimants 14 days to challenge a decision to dock their benefits on the grounds it was imposed wrongly, was pledged more than two years ago in October 2015.

But the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has now admitted that the move has been postponed because an evaluation has proved complex - and that no date for its implementation has been agreed.

The stance has been condemned by Frank Field, the chairman of the Commons Work and Pensions Committee, who highlighted the appalling distress that sanctions are still causing.

It comes as the number of sanctions starts to rise again, driven by an explosion in the number of punishments imposed on claimants of universal credit.

One constituent of Mr Field, the MP for Birkenhead, was recently docked benefits for missing an appointment to receive universal credit because he was in an operating theatre at the time.

The DWP later accepted it as a valid reason and issued a back payment. But, Mr Field said, the damage had already been done. The loss of money resulted in my constituent being evicted.

In another similarly alarming case, a man in the Merseyside constituency was sanctioned for missing a job centre appointment while he was in A&E.

On that occasion, he pleaded with hospital staff to ring the job centre  fearing his benefits would be lost  but the sanctioning went ahead.

My constituent said Please dont tell my family first, tell Jobcentre Plus, even as he had to be taken to A&E, because he was so terrified of being sanctioned, Mr Field told The Independent.

People are being reduced to going to food banks because they are being left so hungry, or they are losing their homes, which the yellow card would prevent.

The warning system was first promised in October 2015 by Iain Duncan Smith, then Work and Pensions Secretary, who was under growing pressure from MPs.

He told MPs: People are notified of a sanction and it is imposed immediately afterwards. In some cases, claimants go on to challenge the decision and the sanction may be overturned.

We will trial arrangements whereby claimants are given a warning of our intention to sanction and a 14-day period to provide evidence of good reason before the decision to sanction is made.

The trial, in parts of Scotland, led to almost 500 people successfully explaining why they did not deserve punishment after being accused of failing to meet their commitments in return for benefits.

A year ago, the DWP said claimants from the trial were being interviewed to compile a final report for publication in Spring 2017, but it never appeared.

Instead, Mr Field has now been told, in a written parliamentary answer, that the finalisation of the evaluation has proved complex and there is no date for publication.

Meanwhile, the number of benefit sanctions is starting to rise again, after falling in 2016, driven by the controversial extension of universal credit.

The shake-up replaces six existing benefits with a single payment, but the six-week wait for a first award, since cut to five, triggered widespread condemnation.

In the year to October 2016, 133,301 sanctions were imposed on universal credit claimants  a figure that soared to 238,985 in the following 12 months.

The tide of sanctions is already high but  far from that tide going out  it is now going into reverse and the numbers are going up again, Mr Field added.

The Independent revealed how the Government was refusing to investigate evidence of a 30 per cent leap in the number of claimants going to food banks in areas where universal credit was introduced.

A DWP spokesperson declined to expand on when the warning system might be taken forward, saying only: Findings will be shared once the final draft is agreed.

The department acknowledged that the use of sanctions had risen, but said the increase in the year to October 2017  after the expansion of universal credit  was only from 3 per cent to 4.8 per cent.

These are figures which relate to some time ago, and in fact the rate of universal credit claimants with a sanction deduction has decreased since a peak in March 2017 and now remains fairly stable, the spokesman said.

This peak in early 2017 was the consequence of the department processing a backlog of outstanding decisions at the end of 2016.

Sanctions are only used in a small minority of cases when someone has failed to meet the requirements without good reason.

The benefit sanctions system has long fiercely criticised for causing hardship and depression, often on flimsy evidence of wrongdoing  and with little proof that they work.

Typically, if conditions are not met, benefits are docked for four weeks, which can mean a loss of 300 for a claimant over the age of 25  but a sanction can last for three months, or even a year.

In a damning report in 2016, the National Audit Office castigated the DWP for failing to monitor people whose benefits had been docked and suggested the system cost more money than it saved.

In the six-month Scottish trial, around 6,500 claimants were given a yellow card, of whom 13 per cent provided evidence to challenge their potential sanction.

Of that 13 per cent, 455 then avoided being sanctioned  which means around half of the claimants who provided evidence made a successful challenge.Theresa May has been forced to defend her Brexit plans amid claims the EU is likely to reject them.

The Prime Minister insisted proposals outlined in a major speech on Friday to maintain an open border in Northern Ireland and ensure a close trading relationship with Europe were credible.

It comes as European leaders suggested the plan would be difficult to accept because it would undermine the EUs single market.

Irelands foreign minister, Simon Coveney, was among those suggesting the EU may reject the plan.

He told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show: She hasnt really gone into any more detail than weve already heard in terms of how shes going to solve the problem of maintaining a largely invisible border on the island of Ireland.

Mr Coveney said he was not sure that the European Union will be able to support the UKs plan because it poses a threat to the integrity of the single market.

He said: When somebody from the British Government definitively says that something will be the case, people assume that that is the negotiated outcome. Of course its not.

While of course we will explore and look at all of the proposed British solutions, they are essentially a starting point in negotiations as opposed to an end point.

In a major speech in London on Friday, Ms May confirmed the UK will be leaving the customs union and single market but suggested an open border could be maintained in Northern Ireland through technological solutions and ensuring similar regulations are maintained between Britain and the EU.

Mr Coveney said: This isnt a question of either side wanting to put up borders, but if you have to protect a functioning single market, just the same way Britain wants to protect its own single market, then you have to understand that if goods move from one customs union to another then there needs to be some checks, unless there is some mechanism that is negotiated and put in place that prevents that.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

If negotiations fail to reach an agreement then the backstop plan of full British alignment with the customs union and single market would have to be put in place, he said, insisting that the UK Government had committed clearly to this last year.

Labour peer Lord Mandelson, a former European Commissioner, also claimed the EU would never accept the plan in a month of Sundays.

He said: What Theresa May is doing is trying to dance on the head of a pin that simply doesnt exist.

It will be painful for the country as a result.

Responding to claims her proposals were unrealistic, Ms May insisted her speech contained credible proposals for maintaining an open border in Northern Ireland.

Weve got proposals as to how were going to achieve that  now were going to be able to sit down and talk with others about how were going to do that, she told Andrew Marr.

This is an ambitious deal but what Ive put forward is credible because it is based in practicality.

 Theresa May: As Prime Minister of the whole of the United Kingdom, I won't let Brexit affect Northern Ireland progress

She denied the plan amounted to cherry-picking saying: If you look at the European Union today, it has different trade agreements with different countries around the world.

If you say that looking at what suits your particular economies and putting that into a trade agreement is cherry-picking, then they are cherry-picking in every trade agreement they put forward.

In the first signs of Conservative dissent over Ms Mays speech, Tory grandee Lord Heseltine said it proved the Government had no answer on how to implement Brexit.

He told The Observer: The speech just moves us further down the cherry-picking road. It set out the cherries that Britain wants to pick but that approach completely ignores the fact that the EU has said, sorry, there is no cherry-picking.

Why is it that after 18 months since the referendum we have not got any closer with these issues? The answer is simple: because no one has got any answer about how to do it.

However, Ms May was given a boost when a senior Tory rebel said the speech had given the Prime Minister breathing space on a key vote that could force her to change her Brexit policy.

Pro-EU Tory MPs believe they have enough support to defeat the Government by passing an amendment to the Trade Bill that would force ministers to keep the UK in a customs union with the EU.

But in a sign of backbench dissent falling away, Sarah Wollaston, who has backed the amendment, told ITVs Peston on Sunday: I think what we need to see is some kind of partnership that allows frictionless trade at our border and also deals with the situation in Northern Ireland and I want to give her the space to do that.The UK Government should give aid directly to women in developing countries instead of to charities, in order to correct the power imbalance exposed by the Oxfam abuse scandal, the Green Party has said.

Amelia Womack, the partys deputy leader, will use a speech today to say UK money is most beneficial in the hands of those best equipped to use it.

Speaking at the Greens conference in Bournemouth, she will say giving aid directly to women in the developing world would address the old, centralised we know best charity-based models of aid and end the colonial construct of givers and takers.

It comes weeks after the aid sector was plunged into crisis by allegations of abuse by Oxfam and Save the Children staff working in countries such as Haiti.

Recommended Oxfam receives 26 new reports of alleged sexual misconduct

The revelations led Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, to launch an urgent review of UK charities safeguarding policies and to halt government funding of Oxfam until it can show it has taken steps to improve its procedures.

Ms Womack will say the scandal highlighted a problematic power imbalance between Western aid workers and the people they are attempting to help.

Defending aid organisations but saying staff members must be held to account when they fail in their moral duties, she will call on ministers to divert funding away from charities and instead make regular cash payments to women and households in the developing world.

She is expected to say: Its time to throw out the old centralised we know best charity-based models of aid, time to show we understand that people know what they need best, and time to put local people in control.

Only by moving away from the colonial construct of givers and takers will we truly start to end the power imbalance between even the most well-intentioned Western aid workers and those they are attempting to help.

Thats why we want to see more aid money given directly to people who can best use it. Cash transfers, straight into the hands of the people with the knowledge, the skills and the connections to drive real change. Friends, those people are women.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. She went on to win the silver medal Getty

It would mark a significant change in the way the UK supports developing countries. Currently the majority of funding is distributed via foreign states, charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The Department for International Development already makes direct transfers to people and households in underdeveloped countries but this accounts for just 2 per cent of its total budget.

A major study published late last year found direct cash transfers resulted in improved health and increased school attendance among households that received them.

Charities such as GiveDirectly are using cash transfers to try to alleviate poverty in countries including Kenya and Uganda. The funding takes the form of a basic income, with recipients given regular payments to spend as they wish.

 Penny Mourdant on Oxfam: If moral leadership isn't there then we cannot have you as a partner

The Green Party said payments should be made to women and also used to fund skills training and to support womens organisations.

It said evidence suggests giving women control of household resources leads to money being spent in more beneficial ways, such as on food and education.

She is expected to say: Gender targeted cash transfers, distributed with the help of local womens organisations, underpinned by business skills training, peer support networks of fellow business women, and mentoring. Enabling women to take part fully in developing economies. This is the best tool for aid, and wed be putting it in the hands of those best equipped to use it.

She will add: No campaign for womens equality can ignore the fact that globally 60 per cent of chronically hungry people are women and girls.

That in no country have women achieved economic equality with men, or that women are still more likely than men to live in poverty.Theresa May has expressed the UK's "deep concern" at Donald Trump's decision to raise tariffs on steel and aluminium.

The Prime Minister raised the issue during a call with the US President on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Trump has outlined plans to impose a 25 per cent tariff on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminium.

Recommended US President threatens tax on cars imported from EU in angry tweet

A Downing Street spokesperson said: The Prime Minister raised our deep concern at the Presidents forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminium tariffs, noting that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity in all parties interests.

It comes after Ms May's de facto deputy, David Lidington, warned Mr Trump it was a mistake to hike tariffs and start a trade war with the EU.

He told the BBC's Sunday Politics: "I just think that the United States is not taking an advisable course in threatening a trade war.

"Trade wars don't do anybody any good."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 September 2021 Sheikeh MOhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, leader of Abu Dhabi, leaves Downing Street after meeting with Boris Johnson PA UK news in pictures 15 September 2021 Children pose by ice sculptures depicting people collecting water by charity Water Aid to show the fragility of water and the threat posed by climate change in London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 14 September 2021 Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2021 Luke Jerram's 'Museum of the Moon' at Durham Cathedral PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2021 Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his awesome year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than 150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospitals charity PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2021 British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women's singles final of the US Open in New York AP UK news in pictures 10 September 2021 People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2021 Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queens Guard PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2021 Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London Reuters UK news in pictures Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled Prairie by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition 'Mixing it up: Painting it up' at the Hayward Gallery in London EPA UK news in pictures 6 September 2021 Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic PA UK news in pictures 5 September 2021 People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2021 Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London. PA UK news in pictures 3 September 2021 South Africa's Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men's 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain's Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2021 A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season. PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 4 August 2021 England's Joe Root looks on as India's KL Rahul doesn't make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham PA UK news in pictures 3 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women's Team Pursuit and Mens Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2021 Great Britains Charlotte Worthington competes during the Womens BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics PA UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA UK news in pictures 31 July 2021 James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics AP UK news in pictures 30 July 2021 Great Britain's Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan PA UK news in pictures 29 July 2021 Team GB's Mallory Franklin during the Womens Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. She went on to win the silver medal Getty

The EU has responded to Mr Trump's threats by imposing its own trade penalties in the US. That prompted the US President to make further threats, this time to impose a new tax on cars manufactured in Europe.

He wrote on Twitter: "If the EU wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!"

Ms May and Mr Trump also discussed the situation in Syria.

The Downing Street spokesperson said: They discussed Syria, and the appalling humanitarian situation in Eastern Ghouta. They agreed it was a humanitarian catastrophe, and that the overwhelming responsibility for the heart-breaking human suffering lay with the Syrian regime and Russia, as the regimes main backer.Donald Trump has told reporters North Korea called up the United States to seek talks, while also not ruling out direct negotiations with Kim Jong-un.

During a light-hearted speech at a dinner with journalists in Washington on Saturday, the US president suggested talks could take place with Pyongyang if it denukes.

It was unclear from Mr Trumps remarks whether he was joking, or whether the US was indeed on course to enter landmark talks with the secretive communist state.

Now were talking, Mr Trump said, according to the Washington Post.

They, by the way, called up a couple of days ago, they said we would like to talk. And I said, so would we, but you have to denuke.

The president also joked he would be prepared to engage in direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

I would not rule out direct talks with Kim Jong-un, Mr Trump said.

I just wont. As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine, he added to laughter.

South Korea will send a 10-strong delegation to Pyongyang on Monday after diplomatic progress made at last months Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang offered hopes of a thaw in relations between the two Koreas.

The visit will attempt to lower tensions on the peninsula and encourage the hermit kingdom to re-enter into dialogue with the United States, South Koreas Yonhap news agency said.

North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Show all 21 1 /21 North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Pukguksong-2 missile - 2 May 2017 A solid-fuel "Pukguksong-2" missile lifts off during its launch test in North Korea on May 22, 2017. They said that it was examining operational plans for attacking Guam, an angry reaction to UN punishment for previous North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile tests and a US suggestion about preparations for possible preventive attacks to stop the North's nuclear weapons program. Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Hwasong-12 -16 September 2017 North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting a launching drill of the medium-and-long range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 at an undisclosed location. Kim vowed to complete North Korea's nuclear force despite sanctions, saying the final goal of his country's weapons development is "equilibrium of real force" with the United States, state media reported on September 16, 2017. AFP/Getty Images North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Donald Trump address South Korean assembly - 7 November 2017 President Donald Trump talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-In during their joint press conference at the presidential Blue House on November 7, 2017 in Seoul.Trump was the first US President to address the South Korean National Assembly since President Clinton in 1993. He addressed Kim Jong Un warning him to not underestimate the US and that for talks to materialize then Pyongyang would need to take steps into denuclearization. Getty North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Demilitarized Zone Haean-Myeon, is a small military town near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and border between North and South Korea, in Gangwon province. The zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula and was created after the 'Korean Armistice Agreement'. Any negotiations between the two countries tend to take place in this zone. AFP/Getty Images North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Declared state sponsor of terrorism by Trump - 20 November 2017 President Donald Trump speaks to the media during a cabinet meeting at the White House on November 20, 2017, where he officially designated North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. North Korea had previously been on the list, however was removed in 2008. Getty North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile - 29 November 2017 The North Korean government launches it's Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea on November 29, 2017. It is supposedly capable of reaching all parts of the US. Korean Central News Agency via AP North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile - 29 November 2017 North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un celebrating the launch of the Hwasong-15 missile on November 29, 2017. AFP/Getty North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Kim Jong-Un New Year's speech - 1 January 2018 North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un delivering his New Year's speech. He vowed North Korea would mass-produce nuclear warheads and missiles in a defiant New Year message on January 1 suggesting he would continue to accelerate a rogue weapons programme that has stoked international tensions. Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Intercontinental ballistic missile ice sculpture - 1 January 2018 Fireworks are seen above the Taedong River during New Year celebrations as visitors pose for a photo in front of an ice sculpture of an intercontinental ballistic missile at the Pyongyang Ice Sculpture Festival in Kim Il Sung Square in North Korea on 1 January, 2018. REUTERS North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures US-South Korean military drills postponed - 4 January 2018 South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks with US President Donald Trump on January 4, 2018 in Seoul. South Korea and US agreed to delay the annual "Foal Eagle" military drills until after the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in an effort to "de-conflict" the Games and "focus on ensuring the security" of the event. South Korean Presidential Blue House via Getty North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures North and South Korea have first official talks in over two years - 9 January 2018 Vehicles transporting the South Korean delegation, led by South Korean Unification Ministrer Cho Myoung-Gyon, drive past a checkpoint on the road connecting South and North Korea at the Unification Bridge, near the Demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating them both on January 9, 2018 in Paju. They began their first official face-to-face talks in two years. Getty North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures North and South Korea have first official talks in over two years - 9 January 2018 Members of the South Korea delegation (R) shake hands with members of the North Korean delegation (L) during their meeting at the border truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas on January 9, 2018. They focused on the forthcoming Winter Olympics after months of tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme. AFP/Getty North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Foreign Ministers Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula - 16 January 2018 Foreign Ministers from twenty countries from North and South America, Asia, and Europe pose for a photo at the Vancouver Foreign Ministers Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula, in Vancouver on January 16, 2018. The US urged an escalation in pressure on North Korea over its nuclear missile program, despite a more cautious tone from key US ally South Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, co-hosted the event with Canada's foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, and called for North Korean ships to be intercepted and for new punitive measures to be implemented every time Pyongyang tests new weapons. AFP/Getty North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures North Korea and South Korea to march together at Winter Olympics - 20 January 2018 PyeongChang 2018 Olympics President Lee Hee-beom, North Korea's Sports Minister and Olympic Committee president Kim Il Guk, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan and South Korea's National Olympic Committee President Lee Kee-heung join their hands as they pose during a signing ceremony at the Olympic Museum on January 20, 2018 in Lausanne. North Korea will send 22 athletes to the Winter Games in the South. The two nations will also march together at the opening ceremony. AFP/Getty North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Anti-North Korea activists protest delegation arrival - 22 January 2018 Anti-North Korea activists burn a portrait of leader Kim Jong-Un during a rally Seoul Station as a North Korean delegation arrived to check out performance venues for the Winter Olympics on January 22, 2018. Protesters led by the Korean Patriots Party gathered and complained that the talks to encourage North Korea's participation is stealing the spotlight from their country to the benefit of the regime. Donga Daily via Getty North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Panmunjom - 7 February 2018 South Korean soldiers stand guard at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between South and North Korea on February 7, 2018. In a sign of thawing bilateral ties, North Korea today announced that Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, will attend the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Getty Images North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures North Korean ferry arrives in South Korea - 6 February 2018 North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 carrying a 140-strong orchestra approaches a port in Donghae, South Korea, February 6, 2018. REUTERS North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Anti-North Korea protest - 6 February 2018 A member of a conservative civic group tears a portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during an anti-North Korea protest as the North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 carrying a 140-strong orchestra approached. REUTERS North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures North Korea at the athletes village - 8 February 2018 A North Korean flag is seen hanging on a building at the Winter Olympics athletes village in Gangneung, South Korea. REUTERS North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Olympic Welcome ceremony - 8 February 2018 Democratic People's Republic of Korea Vice Sports Minister Won Gil-woo receives a gift from mayor of the Olympic Village Kim Ki-hoon during the welcome ceremony ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Games at the Olympic Village on 8 February, 2018 in South Korea. Getty Images North Korea  South Korea relations: in pictures Mike Pence meets Moon Jae-in - 8 February 2018 US Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in before their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea on 8 February, 2018. REUTERS

However, a spokesperson for North Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was preposterous that the US wanted it to scrap its nuclear weapons programme as part of any talks.

The ministry did say dialogue with the US was possible and Pyongyang wanted a to find a diplomatic and peaceful solution to the conflict.

The US, that was terrified at the rapid development of our nuclear force and has continued to knock the door of dialogue, now feigns an indifference and advances this or that precondition, the spokesperson added.

Not being content with it, it insists that it will have dialogue only for making the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] abandon nuclear weapons and persist in maximum pressure until complete denuclearisation is realised.

This is really more than ridiculous.

Mr Trump signed off on the largest-ever package of sanctions against the regime last month in a bid to pressure it into giving up its nuclear arsenal.

He warned a phase two of the plan would be very, very unfortunate for the world if the move did not prove successful.Criminal proceedings are believed to have been launched in Mexico against police officers who allegedly abducted three Italian visitors and sold them to a criminal gang.

The four officers  three men and a woman  confessed to having turned over the three men to an organised crime group, prosecutors say.

Raffaele Russo, 60, his 25-year-old son Antonio, and his nephew, Vincenzo Cimmino, 29, were in the country to sell machinery.

The three had stopped last month at a petrol station in Tecalitlan, an agricultural town in Jalisco state, where the police arrested them. They sent a last message to their family from a mobile device.

Relatives claimed the men were sold to a gang for 1,000 pesos (38.50).

The Italians were handed over to an organised crime group by the local police, the state attorney-general said.

Authorities are believed to suspect the men of passing their goods off as expensive brands. But their families in Italy denied they were involved in any wrongdoing.

The officers have been charged over the mens forced disappearance, the BBC reported. The crime that may carry a prison term of up to 60 years.Vladimir Putin has denied his government had any connection to Russian nationals charged with interfering in the US election.

As part of his investigation into potential Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential contest, Special Counsel Robert Mueller last month charged 13 Russian nationals and three organisations in connection with what an indictment described as a sophisticated plot to foment distrust of American government and tilt the election.

In an interview with NBC, Mr Putin said Russia would never extradite its citizens and rebuffed the notion of a link to the Kremlin.

I know that they do not represent the Russian state, the Russian authorities, the Russian President said.

American intelligence officials have concluded that Mr Putin directed an offensive aimed at undermining faith in American democracy and attacking Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, eventually developing a clear preference for Donald Trump.

Mr Putin and other government surrogates have rejected that conclusion. Former ambassador Sergei Kislyak last month called the allegations in Mr Muellers indictment of Russian nationals fantasies that were being used as ammunition for Americas domestic political disputes.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

The indictment alleges the Russian operatives work for the Internet Research Agency, an outfit commonly described as a troll farm which the indictment describes as an organisation engaged in operations to interfere with elections and political processes, saying it was guided by a strategic goal to sow discord in the US political system, including the 2016 US presidential election.

 Rod Rosenstein announces thirteen Russian nationals have been indicted in Mueller probe

The document does not allege the Internet Research Agency was controlled or directed by the Russian government. But it describes the organisation being overseen by a man named Yevgeny Prigozhin, an oligarch who is seen as close enough to Mr Putin that the Russian media has dubbed him the Presidents chef.Some 600 bitcoin mining computers have been stolen in Iceland, in what is being described as one of the biggest thefts ever in the small island nation.

A total of 11 people have been arrested so far after four burglaries in the Reykjanes peninsula.

The computers are yet to be found and are believed to be worth almost 1.5m.

Icelandic media have dubbed the crime the big bitcoin heist and the thieves could potentially make more money if they use the computers to mine the cryptocurrency and then sell it.

"This is a grand theft on a scale unseen before," police commissioner Olafur Helgi Kjartansson said, NBC reported. "Everything points to this being a highly organised crime."

Bitcoin hit the news last year after its value increased by more than 20 times from below $1,000 to a peak of more than $20,000.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

It is a digital currency that was created in 2009 by a mysterious figure using the alias Satoshi Nakamoto and can be used to buy or sell items.

It doesnt exist in physical form, there is no central bank and a record of each transaction, using anonymised strings of numbers to identify it, is stored on a huge public ledger known as a blockchain.

The supply of bitcoin can only be increased by a process known as mining.

For each bitcoin transaction, a computer owned by a bitcoin miner must solve a mathematical problem. The miner then receives a fraction of a bitcoin as a reward.Italian voters have delivered a hung parliament at the country's general election, likely meaning there will be weeks of talks in order to form a new government.

However, one thing is clear: populist parties are making big gains amid distrust of the establishment powers. The anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) is expected to become the single biggest party - if polls are confirmed it will take around 30 per cent of the vote. But a right-wing coalition, spearheaded by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, is projected to win the most seats in parliament though fall short of the numbers needed for an absolute majority.

One exit poll by Italys RAI state TV put the M5S with between 29.5 per cent and 32.5 per cent of Sundays vote. Mr Berlusconis centre-right Forza Italia and the anti-immigrant party the League (La Lega) each were polling at between 12.5 per cent and 15.5 per cent. They are running as part of a centre-right coalition, which was expected to gather between 33 per cent to 36 per cent of the vote, short of the 40 per cent analysts have said is the minimum needed to secure a majority under Italys new electoral law.

Mr Berlusconi  who cannot currently hold public office thanks to a tax fraud conviction  had placed the migrant crisis Italy has faced in recent years at the centre of the campaign he has led.

The ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD), led by another former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, is set to gather between 20 per cent and 23 per cent of the vote, according to the exit poll, with a centre-left coalition gaining 25 to 28 per cent. Along with the exit poll for Mr Berlusconis coalition  made up of his own party Forza Italia, the League and the far-right Brothers of Italy  such a result would be a blow to the Italian establishment parties.

If this is the result, for us it is a defeat and we will move into the opposition, said Ettore Rosato, leader of the lower chamber of parliament for PD, according to local media.

Mr Berlusconi may yet find his coalition actually reaches 40 per cent of the vote with full results not expected until Monday morning, and Italian exit polls having previously given misleading initial readings. The same could be said for M5S, but it is the sense of distrust in the status quo that is the first clear trend.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The result forecast for the M5S, led by 31-year-old Luigi Di Maio, would be a quite a result for a group formed less than a decade ago. The party has made big strides with voters sick of the political norm through its hardline stance on corruption, and it has fed off public resentment about economic hardship across the country with election pledges such as a universal basic income. But the party has also gained a reputation for flip-flopping on issues.

Both the M5S and the League were said to have beaten expectations in the early vote count for the upper chamber of the parliament, the Senate.

Previous elections in 2013 led to a long-frozen political standoff, and dissatisfaction with the central government in Rome smoulders. The least bad choice is the best, a middle-aged couple said before entering a polling station in Rome, summing up the mood.

Italians trust the Pope more than they trust parliament or political parties: a recent Demos survey found that 77 per cent of people trust Pope Francis, 19 per cent trust the State and only 11 per cent have confidence in parliament. Asked about political parties, that trust slipped to just 5 per cent.

Decades after the 1990s scandal known as Tangentopoli, voters are still convinced that corruption is dominating politics: nine out of 10 Italians think corruption is widespread, and 66 per cent think parties themselves are compromised  well above the European average.

Italians are also among the most disenchanted in Europe when it comes to their countrys economic situation, in spite of recent slow signs of recovery. While 2018 has been dubbed the immigration election, going to the polls on Sunday people told The Independent that unemployment ranked alongside border issues as what concerns me the most.

Unlike elsewhere in Europe, the youngest here are not the most hopeful  it is quite the contrary. Francesco, 18, has just voted for the first time; his polling station is in the high school he usually attends in Rome. To be honest, I imagined my first vote would go differently, he said. Today, theres no politician that really represents me. Mine is one of the European countries with the highest percentage of Neets [not in education, employment or training]. Im concerned about youth unemployment and about the conditions of public schools today.

The needs of young people were far from centre stage during campaigning: as a result, half of all those under 25 are expected not to vote. Italys Interior Ministry suggested the turnout for the election was around 72 per cent. If that is the final tally it would represent a drop from the 75 per cent of eligible voters who participated in the 2013 election.

During two months of grinding election campaigning, party leaders repeatedly ruled out any post-election tie-ups with rivals. However, Italy has a long history of finding ways to form governments, however unlikely or unstable they might seem. Parliament will meet for the first time on 23 March, and formal talks on forming a government are not likely to start until early April.

The biggest worry for many would be a link up between the M5S, the League and the hardline nationalist Brothers of Italy. If the final vote tally reflects the projections that around 50 per cent of the electorate have voted for such populist parties, they would have enough votes to rule. There had also been talk before the vote of the possibility of a coalition between the M5S and the centre-left PD, although that may prove unworkable depending on whether the ruling party would stomach being the junior party in a coalition.

A prominent deputy from M5S said early projections of the results suggested a triumph for the anti-establishment party.

If the numbers are confirmed, this is a real moment of glory Alessandro Di Battista said. Everyone will have to come and talk to us, he added, referring to negotiations to form a government.

The stage seems set for the anti-establishment parties to take advantage of this mix of opinions. The other populist leaders of the West have sensed this change, with the far-right Northern League leader Matteo Salvini presenting himself as the Italian Marine Le Pen, and the alt-right ideologue Steve Bannon flying in to Rome to taste the mood himself.

On the eve of Sundays vote, Donald Trumps former adviser told Corriere Della Sera: Italians often consider themselves provincial in world politics, but this is not so: you are on the crest of the wave, facing a fundamental test of the power of sovereignty, and this is exemplified by the issue of migrants. If Italy is going to undergo the kind of Trumpisation he envisages, distrust in politics will be its fuel.

Additional reporting Chris StevensonAfter days of devastation to Britains transport network, Sunday morning dawned at the UKs busiest railway station with an unfamiliar air of normality. The first trains trundled off to suburban south-west London on schedule, while passengers on longer-distance services to Portsmouth and Weymouth are enduring the expected bus replacement services because of scheduled engineering work.

South Western Railway plans to run a normal Sunday service, though it is the exception; most train operators are warning travellers of some disruption.

Virgin Trains East Coast said: Customers are advised not to travel today unless absolutely necessary. Services are expected to be extremely busy.

In Wales, no trains are running west of Carmarthen, while the line from Cardiff to Shrewsbury is closed. Arriva Trains Wales said: The situation is extremely changeable and train services continue to be severely impacted with extensive cancellations and last minute significant changes.

The start of service on Monday 5 March is also likely to be severely impacted.

Six Eurostar services are cancelled on Sunday: two return journeys from London to Paris, and a round trip to Brussels. One service to and from Paris is cancelled on Monday. The cross-Channel train operator warned: If youre travelling today or tomorrow you might arrive at your destination with a delay of up to 60 minutes.

Recommended Severe warnings remain in place as Britain counts Storm Emma toll

The GWR lines in the Cotswolds, from Swindon to Gloucester and Oxford to Hereford, have closures and disruption.

In Devon, the coastal line between Exeter and Teignmouth is subject to speed restrictions. CrossCountry trains in the South West are being hit due to a shortage of trains following damage by snow and ice.

Coastal resorts are gradually being reconnected to the national rail network. Newquay in Cornwall, Cromer in Norfolk and Skegness in Lincolnshire will see their first trains moving for days. But the Norfolk and Suffolk branch lines from Norwich and Ipswich to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft remain closed.

In the northern half of Britain, lines across the Pennines from Leeds to Lancaster and Carlisle remain closed, as well as the route paralleling Hadrians Wall from Hexham to Carlisle. The West Coast main line remains closed across the Scottish border, though a bus replacement service will operate between Carlisle and Glasgow.

While many rural roads remain closed, almost all the nations trunk routes are now open. One of the last to be cleared was the A66 west from Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire. Highways England said: There are some power lines which have been brought down around the A67 in Bowes, which may require closures prior to repairs.

In the skies, passengers flying in and out of Birmingham airport continue to experience problems. The early flight on Ryanair from Dublin was diverted to Manchester, while Wizz Airs flight from Warsaw landed at Liverpool. Some Sunday afternoon departures were running up to six hours late.

Off track: Wizz Air flight from Warsaw to Birmingham, diverted to Liverpool (FlightRadar24)

Elsewhere, the issues are largely to do with planes and crews being out of position after days of turmoil. The problem is still very evident in Dublin, which closed completely on Friday and had a difficult day on Saturday. BAs first flight from the Irish capital to Heathrow was cancelled.

TUIs flight from Tenerife to Manchester on Sunday afternoon is delayed six hours, while the Goa to Gatwick service is expected to operate 13 hours late.

For passengers trying to reach Gatwick, rail services to the Sussex airport are disrupted: trains from central London can run only as far as Redhill, where travellers must transfer to buses.In one of the more startling twists of his meandering career, the serially bankrupt Donald Trump is trying to settle a debt. All the contractors hes allegedly stiffed down the decades wont be amused, but the debt he is currently paring down is the one to stand-up comedy.

Politically, he owes it everything. It was Barack Obamas set at the 2011 White House correspondents dinner that transformed him from posturing birtherist dilettante into seriously ambitious candidate.

While Obama subjected Trump to a brutally hilarious public shaming, every eye in the room was trained on Trump as his face turned from default tangerine to electric crimson.

 Donald Trump gets roasted at White House Correspondents' Dinner

At the time, this was assumed to be the hue of ultimate embarrassment. But with hindsight, it was the authentic colour of vengeful rage. That was the moment, so many believe, he decided to become President and punish Obama by undoing everything Trumps predecessor had done.

Trump has spent more than a year chasing that dream, with attempts of varying success: removing the US from the Paris climate change treaty and Iranian nuclear deal, repealing healthcare legislation, keeping Obamas fellow Moo-slims out of the country and transgenders out of the military; etc etc.

Now Trump acknowledges his debt by concentrating on his comedy stylings. The early feedback from his two weekend performances  one in private to Republican donors in Florida, the other at a Washington charity dinner  suggests that he is no match for his predecessor yet. But hey, its still the earliest of doors.

Admittedly, the habit of laughing at, rather than with, Trump is so embedded that it can be tricky to discern whether he is intending to be funny. A line he used in Washington  Nobody does self-deprecating humour better than I do  obviously reads like a joke. But then so does I love the poorly educated at a campaign rally, and he wasnt joking there.

This ambiguity became more alarming when he turned his geopolitical antennae to the East. After a classic about Little Rocket Man (I wont rule out direct talks with Kim Jong-un. As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine), he addressed Chinese President Xi Jinpings scrapping of the countrys constitutional term limits in his own interests.

Hes now President for life, said Trump. I think its great. Maybe well have to give that a shot some day. Lets hope he was speaking in jest; solace for anyone depressed that he has, at most, almost seven more years left. If he can repeal the 22nd Amendment, which restricts a President to two terms, a man in such uniquely tremendous health could easily do a Mugabe, and stay in power deep into his nineties.

Scrapping a constitutional amendment is not easy. It requires a two-thirds majority in both Congressional houses, followed by a vote in favour from three-quarters of the 50 states. Trump would probably have to nuke all the solidly Democratic coastal states.

But stranger things happen  and one may be happening right now in Italy. With his far right allies, Silvio Berlusconi, the proto-Trump from the House of Bunga Bunga, is predicted (at the mid-vote time of writing) to emerge from 2018s general election with the most seats.

It might have helped the Italian electorate if only there was a recent guide to the dangers of electing a mega-narcissist and closet baldie billionaire businessman with a sparkling track record in sexual scandal and tax tactics.

No such precedent exists, however, and there is a chance that the 81-year-old will regain power (albeit exercised through a proxy, the former PM having been banned from public office after a tax fraud conviction in 2013).

Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (L) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States on the West Front of the US capital in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jim Bourg: "This photo was shot with one of two remote cameras. The cameras were monitored and triggered remotely and the pictures were transmitted to clients worldwide within minutes of being taken." Reuters/Jim Bourg Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Obama farewell address - 10 January 2017 US President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he delivers his farewell address in Chicago on 10 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "In his final days in office, Obama made a visit home to Chicago. As he spoke from the stage to his wife and daughter in the audience, he became emotional when he talked about what they had sacrificed during his time in office. I turned from photographing the Obama women embracing to find him onstage wiping away tears." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inauguration - 20 January 2017 A combination of photos shows the crowds attending the inauguration ceremonies to swear in U.S. President Donald Trump at 12:01pm (left) on January 20, 2017 and President Barack Obama sometime between 12:07pm and 12:26pm on January 20, 2009. Reuters/ Lucas Jackson/Stelios Varias Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Liberty Ball - 20 January 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Liberty Ball in honour of his inauguration in Washington on 20 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "What I see when I look at this picture is the end of a very long day, not to mention weeks and months of preparation by many photographers, editors and network experts and the beginning of everything since." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception - 22 January 2017 US President Donald Trump greets Director of the FBI James Comey as Director of the Secret Service Joseph Clancy (L), watches during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House on 22 January, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "I have covered the White House for 16 years and normally either the President or the pool is in position when an event starts. In this case the President was not where anyone expected him to be. In fact, he was almost blocking the door when the pool came in. We had to scramble to find a position without bumping him or the furniture as he greeted and thanked members of law enforcement for their security efforts during the inauguration. Luckily, he greeted FBI Director James Comey a few seconds after the pool had made its way into the room." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Private phone calls to world leaders - 28 January 2017 US President Donald Trump, is joined by his staff, as he speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on 28 January, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Very early in the Trump administration, weekends were as busy as weekdays. On Trump's second Saturday the official schedule said he would be making private phone calls to a number of world leaders including Russia's Vladimir Putin. I arrived early and, before sitting down at my desk walked up to Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office. He, too, was just taking his coat off. I gingerly made the suggestion that previous administrations had sometimes allowed photos of such phone calls through the Oval Office windows on the colonnade. To my mild shock, he didn't even think about it twice. "We'll do it!" he said. In truth, I really only expected the Putin call, but we were outside the windows multiple times throughout the day as the calls went on." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway - 27 February 2017 Senior advisor Kellyanne Conway (L) attends as US President Donald Trump welcomes the leaders of dozens of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in the Oval Office on 27 February, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "We're often asked how much access we have to the Trump administration, and the answer is we have an awful lot. President Trump himself is very comfortable in the spotlight, and his aides are similarly unfazed by cameras. In this instance, senior advisor Kellyanne Conway was so comfortable in our presence she seemed not to consider the optics of kneeling on a Oval Office sofa to take pictures with her phone." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Angela Merkel heads to Washington - 17 March 2017 Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on 17 March, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Chancellor Merkel made one of the earliest important visits of any US allies to meet Trump in his first months in office. When world leaders give joint news conferences they don't always tend to give each other their full attention - but Merkel watched Trump intently at several key moments, and here seemed particularly rapt." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump welcomes truckers to the White House - 23 March 2017 President Trump reacts as he sits on a truck while he welcomes truckers and CEOs to attend a meeting regarding healthcare at the White House on 23 March, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "The White House organised a listening session with truckers and CEO's of major American companies, regarding healthcare reform. An 18-wheeler tow truck was parked on the South Lawn of the White House and as Trump welcomed the truckers someone invited the him to come and sit in the driver's seat. Trump jumped into the cab and started yelling and pretending to drive - creating one of the most memorable pictures of the year. A lesson learned, always be prepared for the unexpected." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 6 April 2017 US President Donald Trump talks to journalists members of the travel pool on board the Air Force One during his trip to Palm Beach, Florida on 6 April, 2017. Carlos Barria: "During the many trips to President Trump's residence in Florida it is usual to see the president coming to the back of the plane to chat with journalists. During one of the trips to the so called 'Winter White House', Trump had a long talk with reporters while the Air Force One entertainment system was playing one of the latest Star Wars movies. As I was listening to Trump talk I was also looking at the movie waiting for a part of the movie to frame the mood of the day. Of the many scenes, I choose the one with Darth Vader." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump speaks during an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office of the White House on 27 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "A day before President Trump's hundred days in office I was part of the team that interviewed the commander-in-chief in the Oval Office. I was only allowed to photograph Trump during the last five minutes of the interview. The time was very tight so I had to move fast as I had pictures in mind that I wanted to shoot. I walked into the Oval Office and saw that the President had printed maps of the country showing areas in red where he won. I raised my hands holding my camera as high as possible to get the best view of the scene using a 16mm wide angle lens." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures 100 Days - 27 April 2017 US President Donald Trump reacts as he arrives at Harrisburg international airport, before attending a rally marking his first 100 days in office in Pennsylvania on 29 April, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to celebrate his hundred days in office with a victory rally. He was in friendly territory as he won with a big difference over his opponent Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, during the November elections. As usual when the commander-in-chief arrives local residents gather to greet him. This time a small group of military personnel attended the arrival. Surrounded by secret service agents Trump walked from the Air Force One and raised his hand in a sign of victory as the crowd cheered him on." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 2 May 2017 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (L) and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus watch as US President Donald Trump presents the U.S. Air Force Academy football team with the Commander-in-Chief trophy in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on 2 May, 2017. Photographer Joshua Roberts: "Covering the White House does not just mean covering the President. White House staffers are an important part of the story and their relationship with the President and each other is an indicator of how things are going in the West Wing. The tendency is to focus exclusively on the President once an event starts but I always try to look around to see how people are reacting as things unfold." Reuters/Joshua Roberts Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Secret Service - 4 May 2017 Secret Service agents use a presidential limousine as cover from spraying water as US President Donald Trump lands via Marine One helicopter in New York on 4 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "The best part of any trip to New York City with the sitting US President is the helicopter ride into Manhattan. The ride out at night can be stunning. Here, Secret Service agents protect themselves from the spray from the East River as Trump lands on the helipad." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures NATO Summit - 25 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump wait the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron (unseen) before a lunch ahead of a NATO Summit in Brussels on 25 May, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "One of the best parts of travelling overseas for White House coverage is the chance to see the U.S. president in different environments and (literally) a different light. Here, Trump and his wife came out of the shadows to greet France's President Macron." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump meets Putin at G20 summit - 7 July 2017 US President Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "On July 7, I witnessed one of the most important meetings of President Trump's first year in office. Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Germany. The world's eyes were on these two leaders after speculation about Russian interference during the 2016 US elections. We entered the room for less than two minutes, where I took dozens of pictures. But there was this very interesting moment when Trump extended his hand to Putin for a handshake. Putin paused for a second and looked at Trump's hand. That was the picture that I was looking for, a little moment that seemed to say a lot." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures First lady - 8 July 2017 First lady Melania Trump chats with US President Donald Trump during their return from Germany at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on 8 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "After President Trump's trip to Germany he arrived back at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump said goodbye to Trump as she was heading off in a different direction that day. While chatting a breeze blew Melania's hair up in the air." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Made in America product showcase - 17 July 2017 Vice President Mike Pence laughs as President Donald Trump holds a baseball bat as they attend a Made in America product showcase event at the White House on 17 July, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "This summer the White House organized an event to showcase 'Made in America' products. All kinds of exhibitors brought their products as the President and Vice President toured the event. One of the companies was Marucci Sport, a manufacturer of baseball bats based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As Trump approached a table full of baseball bats, photographers at the event, including me, rushed to get a good angle hoping that he would pick up a bat. As we predicted, he did. He took one and joked around as though he was hitting something hard. The only thing closer to him right there, was the media." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House staffers - 25 July 2017 Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says hello to reporters as he and White House advisors including Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci accompany President Trump for an event celebrating veterans at AMVETS Post 44 in Ohio, July 25, 2017. Jonathan Ernst: "The most visible person in any White House is naturally the President, followed by the press secretary. But there are also the staff who support them. For those of us covering the Trump administration, there seem to be more compelling figures in the West Wing than ever before. It's crucial to know who's who and why they're important. When I raised my camera and back-pedalled ahead of the group to take this image Lewandowski gave me a hello. I liked the photo, but had no idea it would go a little bit viral, especially since Scaramucci, who was the biggest mover and shaker that week, was hidden back in the pack. But I guess the image catches a glimpse of what it's like to be a West Wing staffer on the road." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Campaign rally - 3 August 2017 US President Donald Trump arrives at a rally in West Virginia on 3 August, 2017. Photographer Carlos Barria: "President Trump travelled to Huntington for one of his usual campaign rallies. While members of his family spoke to the crowd he was waiting under a black curtain to be introduced. Suddenly he walked onto the stage, one of the first frames that I took was of his hand. I set my exposure for the light on the stage hoping to create this dark background and it worked." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Staring into the solar eclipse - 21 August 2017 Without his protective glasses on, US President Donald Trump looks up towards the solar eclipse while viewing with his wife Melania and son Barron at the White House on 21 August, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "On a day when everyone, and I mean everyone, was told not to look at the eclipse without protective glasses, Trump, President of the United States, couldn't help himself." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Harvey - 2 September 2017 US President Donald Trump poses for a photo as he and first lady Melania Trump help volunteers hand out meals during a visit with flood survivors of Hurricane Harvey at a relief centre in Houston, Texas on 2 September, 2017. Photohrapher Kevin Lamarque: "Trump, eager to deliver the image of a hands-on response to Hurricane Harvey, made this visit to a relief centre and obliged this woman with a selfie as Melania continued to work." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures White House - 15 September 2017 Donald Trump welcomes 11-year-old Frank Giaccio as he cuts the Rose Garden grass at the White House on 15 September. Frank, who wrote a letter to Trump offering to mow the lawn, was invited to work for a day at the White House along the National Park Service staff. Frank was so focused on his task that he did not notice the President arrive to surprise him. He took his father jumping in to grab his attention and point Trump out. Photographer Carlos Barria said: The image of Trump shouting at a kid who is mowing his lawn might have many interpretations in today's politically polarized United States. But for me it was just a kid who loved what he was doing, to the point he almost appeared to ignore the President." Reuters/Carlos Barria Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Take a knee - 27 September 2017 A man kneels with a folded U.S. flag as the motorcade of U.S. President Donald Trump passes him after an event at the state fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., September 27, 2017. In September, soon after Trump had made comments condemning NFL players who kneel during the national anthem, he made a day trip to a rally in Indianapolis. Jonathan Ernst managed to capture a man on one knee with a tri-folded flag and was able to use a portion of the sign on the building he was kneeling in front of to track the man down and tell his story in full. US Army veteran Marvin Boatright wanted to send a message against social injustice. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Hurricane Maria - 3 October 2017 President Donald Trump throws rolls of paper towels into a crowd of local residents affected by Hurricane Maria as he visits Calgary Chapel in San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 October, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "During an afternoon visit to Puerto Rico for President Trump to survey damage from Hurricane Maria and greet some of its victims, Trump made a stop at a church where food and supplies were being distributed. Among the items were paper towels and Trump, apparently caught up in the moment, decided to distribute some of the rolls." Reuters Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Jared Kushner - 1 November 2017 White House Senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind President Trump during a cabinet meeting in Washington on 1 November, 2017. Photographer Kevin Lamarque: "The role of Jared Kushner has gone through a series of changes. He began front and centre as a high profile adviser, but as time has passed and issues surrounding him have surfaced, he has become more of a background figure." Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Trump in China - 9 November 2017 Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 9 November, 2017. Photographer Damir Sagolj: "It's one of those "how to make a better or at least different shot when two presidents shake hands several times a day, several days in row". If I'm not mistaken in calculation, presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump shook their hands at least six times in events I covered during Trump's recent visit to China. I would imagine there were some more handshakes I haven't seen but other photographers did. And they all look similar - two big men, smiling and heartily greeting each other until everyone gets their shot. But then there is always something that can make it special - in this case the background made of US and Chinese flags. The first time it didn't work for me. The second time I positioned myself lower and centrally, and used the longest lens I have to capture only hands reaching for a handshake." Reuters/Damir Sagolj Donald Trump's first year: in pictures Air Force One - 10 November 2017 US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China, November 10, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "There is a Reuters photographer in the tight pool covering the US president for every appearance he makes 365 days a year. This was just one of 32 images of mine that were transmitted on the Reuters wire of President Trump visiting China and Vietnam that day. You never know when a sudden interaction, a gust of wind or a unique facial expression will lead to a striking image that grabs peoples' attention." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst Donald Trump's first year: in pictures ASEAN handshake - 13 November 2017 Donald Trump registers his surprise as he realises other leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, are crossing their arms for the traditional "ASEAN handshake" as he participates in the opening ceremony of the summit in Manila on 13 November, 2017. Photographer Jonathan Ernst: "Having covered a few ASEAN summits, I knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. Not everyone in the room knew to expect the ASEAN handshake. A lot was written about this unscripted moment, and what deeper meaning it might have. The simple truth is that sometimes in life there are unscripted moments." Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Sloppy Steve Bannon  victim of another Trump zinger on Saturday (He leaks more than the Titanic)  is in Rome to observe what he foresees as another populist revolt.

The prospect of a Berlusconi restoration wont get a big laugh in Brussels. The collective sigh of relief when Angela Merkel finally clinched her coalition in Germany will turn to a yelp of panic. But it would be a bounteous gift to satirists, so swings and roundabouts there.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin  not the leader to satirise openly unless free-form diving down muscovite lift shafts is your sport  announced he will run for another term this year. One suspects he may squeak it.

With Putin indefinitely in the Kremlin, Berlusconi potentially pulling the strings in Rome, Xi ensconced for life in Beijing, Merkel unshiftable in Berlin and a scion of the Family Kim playing with the plutonium in Pyongyang, a bizarre sense of permanence settles over global affairs at a time of extreme volatility. If the paradox gives Theresa May a rare beam of optimism about her prospects, who could begrudge her that?

As for Trump, he also has fresh cause for hope. Should he fail to repeal the 22nd, he has a path to another spotlight-hogging career after leaving office  the comedy clubs. He has plenty of material.Two days ago The Independent reported from Yarls Wood Immigration Removal Centre on the case of Opelo Kgari. Ms Kgari, 27, has been in the United Kingdom since she was 13, when she arrived with her mother.

She thinks of herself as British and took A-levels, but could not take a place at university because of her immigration status and so has thrown herself into volunteering and charity work.

Today, we report that Ms Kgari has been taken from Yarls Wood to an airport to be returned to Botswana, a country that she hasnt been to for 14 years  she hasnt got a life there; she doesnt even speak the language, as a friend explained to our reporter.

This is a terrible case, and it was a relief that at a very late stage, with Ms Kgari and her mother already at Heathrow, Caroline Nokes, the immigration minister, intervened to stop the deportation. The only humane outcome would be to allow Ms Kgari to stay and to contribute to the society where she has made her home.

The Independent accepts the need for immigration controls. We accept, therefore, that some people will have to be detained and returned to their country of origin. That means that places such as Yarls Wood have to exist.

This case, however, highlights two ways in which the current Government falls short of the humanitarian standards that should govern British immigration policy. One is the need for more flexibility in cases of young people such as Ms Kgari who have only a tenuous connection with their home country.

The other is the need for higher standards of care at Yarls Wood. According to Ms Kgari, most of the staff at the centre are decent people, but they are trying their best in a system under strain. The humanitarian and mental health needs of many of detainees are not being adequately met, which is why 120 of them have been on hunger strike in protest.

Recommended Woman brought to UK from Botswana as a child in deportation reprieve

Yarls Wood is just one of many neglected corners of Britain that shames a rich, liberal society.

It was ironic that Theresa May began her speech on Brexit in the splendour of the Mansion House on Friday by repeating her promise to the nation on the threshold of 10 Downing Street when she became Prime Minister in July 2016. We will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you, she said, then and now.

Yet it often seems that her Government has become so consumed by Brexit that it has no time and energy to devote to the pressing and difficult social problems of the disadvantaged. Whether they are asylum seekers such as Ms Kgari; people with mental health problems; prisoners denied any realistic prospect of rehabilitation; rough sleepers; people whose benefits have been cut unfairly; or people forced to live in inadequate or overcrowded housing.

Let Ms Kgaris plight be a summons to our nations conscience.iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Amid the heartbreaking reports of atrocities in the Middle East, including chlorine-gas attacks and airstrikes against civilians in Syria, comes a story of hope: Saeed and Simba, a pair of lions rescued from Syria and Iraq, have been saved from war, relocated to a sanctuary in South Africa.



Saeed, a 2-year-old cub, was abandoned at the Magic World amusement park outside Aleppo as fighting nearby increased. Simba was left in the Mosul zoo in Iraq during the height of the ISIS insurgency.



In 2017, Four Paws, an Austria-based animal-rights group, organized elaborate operations to extract the lions from their respective war zones and transfer them first to Al-Mawa Animal Sanctuary in Jordan.



Finally, this week, the lions reached their forever home: the Lions Rock sanctuary in Johannesburg, South Africa, home to 90 other large cats. There, Simba and Saeed will be able to grow up in a pride, with plenty of socialization and interaction with other lions.



The lions endured significant hardship during their time in the war zones. Four Paws experts say they were malnourished and have psychological issues due to the noise of bombing and chaotic atmosphere.



Four Paws reports some zoo animals disappeared - presumably stolen to be sold on the black market.



In order to keep their staff and the animals safe, Four Paws built custom cages to fit onto vehicles and deployed multiple convoys in order to transport the lions to safe havens undetected by combatant forces.



In Saeeds case, the Turkish government made an exception to open the long-closed border between Turkey and Syria to allow the lions passage.



For Simba, the journey involved multiple false starts. He was turned away at the border and returned to the Mosul zoo once. On the next attempt to move him, the lion was held by government officials for a few days before being allowed to leave Iraq.



The lions escapes were facilitated as civilians, especially in Syria, are subject to attacks from many groups and unable to leave.



Its heartbreaking for us and our teams to see people living in these types of conditions, not being able to get out, said Robert Ware, executive director of Four Paws USA.



Ware told ABC News a potential escape of an exotic animal poses a public safety concern to civilians in the area. The animals also consume food and water in areas where such resources are already scarce.



Lions Rock staff say Simba and Saeed are now working on gaining trust with their keepers, learning very basic commands to enter and exit pens for their safety and care.



Rehab really starts at Lions Rock, Ware said. The lions are definitely scarred. Lions Rock is where these problems can come out.

Already, the lions have achieved some exciting milestones in their new home, according to Barbara van Genne, head of the Big Cats program for Four Paws.



Simba started exploring his new enclosure and he already met his new girlfriend, Van Genne said. And Saeed was very impressed by the new sounds and smells and hearing the other lions roar, and feeling grass under his paw for the first time.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas (right) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a picture, during the latter's visit to the Palestinian Authority headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Feb. 10. Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit the occupied West Bank as part of a Middle East tour. (Nasser Nasser/AFP/Getty Images)

President Buhari was in Kano yesterday, March 3rd for the Wedding of Fatiha of Idris Ajimobi and Fatima Ganduje, the son and daughter of Governor Ajimobi and Governor Ganduje respectively. Angry Nigerians stormed social media to express their disappointment saying that Buhari, who couldnt visit Benue and Taraba where many Nigerians were killed by Fulani Herdsmen, and is also yet to visit Dapchi, where over 100 girls were kidnapped by boko haram could attend a wedding in Kano. Here are our top 10 reactions.

Im of the opinion that President Buhari should visit Dapchi where 110 school girls were abducted by Boko Haram.Kano is not far from Yobe State.

The other time, he was in Nasarawa State, but didnt visit its next door neighbour, Benue where over 70 people were killed by herdsmen.  Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) March 3, 2018

President Buhari rightly canceled multiple events when his son, Yusuf, was in hospital. But seeing Buhari celebrating and dancing in Kano while #DapchiGirls parents are weeping, while Zamfara is mourning, while Kaduna is burning and Adamawa is on fire, is a new low for Nigeria!  Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) March 3, 2018

So President Buhari is going to Kano today for wedding of the daughters of Ganduje/Ajimobi but couldnt visit Dapchi or Benue, Adamawa or Taraba? Kai The way Buhari was screaming when Chibok happened and insulting GEJ, you will think he will be in the bush now in Lake Chad.  Adeyanju Deji  (@adeyanjudeji) March 3, 2018

1. Benue

2. Adamawa

3. Taraba

4. Yobe

5. Borno

6. Kaduna These are States were hundreds of Nigerians have been butchered and killed in the last 6 months. Buhari SWORE TO LEAD FROM THE FRONT. He never thought it wise to visit any of these states. But he is in Kano for a wedding.  Dr. Dipo (@OgbeniDipo) March 3, 2018

Okay, lets rehash. Buhari hasnt bothered to visit Benue, Dapchi or Rann. But he found time to visit Kano, for a wedding. Nigerians dont have a problem with glaring incompetence & insensistivity from their leaders  as long as their leaders come from the right ethnic group  Onye Nkuzi (@cchukudebelu) March 3, 2018

President Buhari attends wedding in Kano, but REFUSED to visit Benue where scores were slaughtered by terrorist herdsmen. Mr Buhari daily, through his actions and the inactions, tells us where his priorities lie.  Nedu Ekeke #BBOG (@Nedunaija) March 3, 2018

President @MBuhari is in Kano for a wedding. Scores of citizens he swore to protect were killed in Benue, Zamfara, Taraba etc and the closest he has shown empathy is invite the leaders of the affected groups to the Villa. This is what leaders go down for in sane societies.  JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) March 3, 2018

Its totally unwise for Buhari to have gone to Kano for a wedding when hes yet to visit Yobe (where some girls were abducted) and places like Borno, Mambila, Benue, Zamfara etc. where several people died. The critics have been given something to talk about.  Muhd Ibrahim Abba (@el_bonga) March 3, 2018

President Buhari has not considered it expedient to visit Dapchi where over 100 school girls were kidnapped but has all the time to attend a wedding ceremony in Kano. This is not how responsible leaders behave in the 21st century. Buharis apparent lack of empathy is sickening.  Inibehe Effiong (@InibeheEffiong) March 3, 2018The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has seized the passport of a former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Oduah, after grilling her for several hours on Wednesday.

Chief Guy Ikokwu, the President of PNF and member, Southern Leaders/Middle Belt Forum, in this piece, analyses the report of the APC Committee on True Federalism.

Ex-military officer and acclaimed mastermind of the April 21, 1990 abortive coup, Col Tony Nyiam (retd) x-rays the malfunctioning security system and lapses that have not only made the Boko Haram insurgency a tough nut to crack but also easy for them to freely 

ThisDay

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje married off one of his daughters, Fatima, to Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobis son, Idris, saturday in Kano in a grand ceremony, which took place at the Kano Central mosque. Daily Times N4.6bn Fraud: We believe transactions on Fani Kayodes account are lawful A prosecution witness, Mrs. Shedlis Gana, in the ongoing trial of the former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, on Friday told a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos that she did not know if money deposited and withdrawn from the account of the former Minister, are for and from unlawful act. Daily Trust

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that so far it has not received any evidence of underage voting in the local government election held in Kano last month.

Tribune

MEMBERS of the Boko Haram sect that have sent thousands to their untimely graves are ready to surrender, founder of the Complete Care Aid Foundation, Aisha Wakil, has said.

Adebayo Shittu, the Minister of Communications and two-time gubernatorial candidate in Oyo State shares his thoughts and aspirationsSpains top criminal court sentenced a rapper, Pablo Rivadulla to two years in prison for Twitter posts and a song it said glorified terrorism

Though one of the three judges who oversaw his case made known her disagreement with the sentence.

In its statement, the National Audience said it had analysed 64 of Hasels Twitter posts as well as a songs lyrics and found that put together, they not only went against state authorities but alluded to the necessity to take a step further using violent behaviour, including using terrorism.

The court gave as an example one 2016 tweet in which the rapper attached a photo of a member of the GRAPO, a once violent far-left group. Hasel wrote: Protests are necessary, but not enough, we support those who went beyond, the statement read.

One judge, however, disagreed with the decision to sentence Hasel to jail. She considered that none of the tweets were a call for violence, according to a court document. This is not the first time that Hasel has been condemned for glorifying terrorism.

In 2014, the National Audience sentenced him to two years jail for the content of some of his songs. He did not serve time, as first-time offenders of non-violent crimes with a sentence of no more than two years dont usually spend time behind bars in Spain. But this time round, if the Supreme Court confirms Fridays sentence, he will be sent to prison for four years to serve both sentences.

The news comes just over a week after the Supreme Court upheld a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence for another rapper, Valtonyc, for lyrics they said glorified terrorism and insulted the crown. The sentences have raised concern over free speech in Spain, but terror victim groups argue they do not want to see violence trivialised.

Source: Linda Ikejis blogThe who is who of Nigerian politics including President Muhammadu Buhari were yesterday in Kano for the wedding of the children of Governor Ajimobi and Governor Ganduje.

Many Nigerians were very angry with the president and took to social media to pour out their anger and frustration. According to them, the president was yet to visit Dapchi in Yobe state, where over 100 girls were take hostage by members of the Boko Haram group. Buhari hasnt also visited Taraba, Benue where hundreds of Nigerians were killed by Fulani herdsmen, but could attend a wedding in Kano.

However, some people in Buharis government have said Buhari is an adult and has the right to be anywhere he wants to be. Whats your take???My name is Matt, I am photographer and "BTS search Guru".On ISO 1200 Magazine we have the best team searching brand new behind the scenes videos around the world to learn all the secrets of the best photographersAllie Gross covers Teton County government. Originally from the Chicago area, she joined the News&Guide in 2017 after studying politics and Spanish at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.Editor in Chief Johanna Love has covered the Jackson Hole community as part of the News&Guide staff since 1998. She took the helm of the newsroom in 2017. She fields story tips and kudos as well as criticism and questions.Former Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban hosts the P.K. Subban All-Star Comedy Gala at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, Monday, August 1, 2016. The embattled Just for Laughs group says it has found a buyer.The Montreal-based company says it has reached an agreement in principle with an unnamed group of investors. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham HughesBombardier Aerospace employees leave a special meeting where the reviewed the partnership between the Quebec aircraft manufacturer and Airbus for the C Series in Montreal, Sunday, March 4, 2018. Bombardier Aerospace workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of a reciprocity agreement to govern labour relations under a future C Series partnership with Airbus. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham HughesIndependent MNA and Bloc Quebecois Leader Martine Ouellet questions the government in the National Assembly, in Quebec City on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. The national office of the Bloc Quebecois is meeting in Montreal to discuss the fate of seven of the party's MPs who quit the caucus in the last week. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques BoissinotPaul Lamontagne, new managing director of FinDev Canada poses for a portrait in Montreal on Friday, February 23, 2018. The head of the government's new development finance institution says he's determined to make it a player in the world's poorest countries where it can do the most good. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan RemiorzFinance Minister Bill Morneau participates in a TV interview after tabling the budget in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018. The Liberals are pouring more money into a tax filing program for the homeless and newcomers to Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin TangNational Trade Council adviser Peter Navarro, right, and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, center, await President Donald Trump's signing three executive orders, in the Oval Office at the White House, Jan. 23, 2017. Navarro, making the rounds of weekly talk shows, says that excluding one country will create a slippery slope -- he says tariffs would go up on the remaining countries, and everyone else would demand the same treatment as Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Evan VucciFirefighters and rescuers work at the scene of a building collapse in Poznan, Poland, Sunday, March 4, 2018. An apartment block collapsed Sunday in Poland's western city of Poznan, killing several people and injuring more than 20 others, officials said as teams of firefighters and rescuers with dogs combed the rubble in search of more victims. (AP Photo/Str)Ashley Judd, left, and Annabella Sciorra appear during rehearsals for the 90th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 3, 2018. The Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, March 4. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)President Donald Trump gestures as he walks across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington with first lady Melania Trump, Saturday, March 3, 2018, as they return from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Police said they've made a second arrest from old rape kits.

Police said they arrested Jihad Moore, 66, on rape and sodomy charges stemming from a 1996 case.

Prosecutors tested several kit to see if the DNA matched anyone who was already on file from the justice system. So far, two kits have led to two separate arrests.

Rebecca Morgan is a lawyer who helps survivors of domestic violence and assault.

"I hope that the message it sends to survivors is that the culture is shifting," she said. "People are paying attention, people are listening, people believe you and care about you and want you to be safe and want you to be healthy."

The detective in charge of Portland Police Cold Case Sex Unit said that the rape kits are helping them get results for old cases.BRAINERD, Minn. (AP)  A Brainerd man is accused of trying to poison an infant with antifreeze.

Twenty-three-year-old Jeffrey Thomas is charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault. A criminal complaint alleges Thomas tried to poison the 4-month-old girl after his wife because upset that he may have fathered the child with another woman. A paternity test has not been completed, but Thomas says he's not the father.

The Star Tribune says the baby was placed with Thomas shortly after she was born following a child protection proceeding in Carlton County. The complaint says Thomas and his wife took the infant to the hospital after she became sick Jan. 18. Authorities say hospital tests showed the baby had ingested ethylene glycol, commonly found in antifreeze.

Thomas is in the Crow Wing County Jail on $750,000 bond.NORA SPRINGS, Iowa  A man arrested for domestic assault is also accused of threatening and attacking law enforcement.

33-year-old Andreas Deshawn Frazier of Nora Springs is charged with domestic abuse assault  2nd offense, 1st degree harassment, assault on persons in certain occupations, and child endangerment.

Frazier was arrested on February 17 after authorities were called to his home on a report of domestic abuse. According to the criminal complaint, his wife said Frazier hit her in the face and on her shoulder. As he was being driven to the Floyd County Jail, Frazier is accused of threatening his wife and children and Nora Springs Police Chief Jessie Dugan. In addition, Frazier is accused of assaulting Floyd County Sheriffs Deputy Dan Sargent.By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - A small Canadian mining company has staked claim to mineral rights on over a hundred thousand acres of federal land in Utah since last year, hoping to tap lithium deposits from spent oil wells to feed Americas high-tech battery industry. The play by Vancouver-based MGX Minerals is part of a global scramble for the super-light metal used in smart phones, electric vehicles, and storage for power generated by wind and solar installations.

MGX Minerals shares have surged 40 percent this year to C$1.43 ($1.11). Still, analysts were divided over prospects of the move. The company said it was encouraged by President Donald Trumps administration's move this year to encourage more U.S. production of lithium and other metals on a list of critical minerals it says are important for national security. U.S. officials "understand that the U.S. needs a supply of lithium and is cognizant of global competition," said MGX CEO Jared Lazerson in an interview. He called Utah "one of the best places to start for lithium for North America." The United States currently has only one active lithium operation, owned by Albemarle Corp in Nevada, and imports more than half the lithium it consumes. Other companies, including Westwater Resources , US Lithium Corp and Pure Energy , are also trying to develop new lithium projects in the United States to feed rising demand. MGX is focusing its mineral rights claims on southeastern Utahs Paradox Basin, a productive oil and gas drilling area. The company plans to extract lithium from drilling wastewater, using a proprietary filtration system it has piloted in western Canadas oil patch.

Much of the worlds lithium is filtered from underground brines, though relatively little is extracted from petroleum wastewater, the volumes of which have been increasing in the United States due to a production boom.

"In this fundamental shift we are in between fossil fuels and renewable energy, we get these hybrid models," Lazerson said, referring to his company's technology. Analysts have given the venture mixed reviews. "Think about drilling a hole 2,000 meters long, through rock, to hit brine in Utah, and coming up with negligible lithium," said Jon Hykawy, a battery minerals analyst at Stormcrow Capital. "Wildcatting for water is probably not a great business model." Stephan Bogner, an analyst for Rockstone Research, was more optimistic: "If MGX can prove commercial viability a big rethinking may begin in the United States as to where capital should be deployed," he said. "It would be a game-changer." Despite burgeoning demand for lithium from battery producers around the world, some analysts believe the market for the metal is headed for a glut. On Monday, Morgan Stanley sent lithium stocks tumbling when it forecast a surplus in 2022 that would drive prices down to half their current level. Some industry officials took issue with the outlook. Lazerson said he has been told by companies to get them "anything that has any lithium in it." He did not disclose details.

"A TOP PRIORITY" Lazerson said wastewater brines available in southeastern Utah are relatively rich in lithium for North America, with content as high as 730 parts per million. The company hired Utah land acquisition company Plateau Ventures to stake out claims in the area and it hopes to start commercial production of lithium from the holdings within 18 months. "You have Tesla and GM bringing electric vehicles on line with no significant new source of lithium. Everyone is struggling for feedstock right now," he said. He said he could not disclose the companies with which MCX is in supply talks. An official for electric car maker Tesla Inc did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

GM spokesman Tony Cervone said the company would not publicly comment on specific sourcing of commodities. The U.S. Geological Survey said in a report last month that global lithium consumption rose more than 13 percent in 2017 to 41,500 tons - driven by surging electric vehicle production in China and elsewhere - with prices rising worldwide.

In the United States, prices rose more than 60 percent to $13,900 a metric ton. "Lithium supply security has become a top priority for technology companies in the United States and Asia," the report noted. Chile and Australia are currently the worlds top lithium producers, accounting for more than half of global output.

MGXs most advanced projects are in Alberta, where it holds over a million acres of mineral rights. In January 2017, the company concentrated lithium from heavy oil waste water in the province using its rapid filtration process, with results confirmed by the Saskatchewan Research Council. Lazerson said the companys pilot plant in Calgary is on track to reach commercial scale early this year. ($1 = 1.2865 Canadian dollars) (Reporting By Valerie Volcovici; Editing by David Gregorio)

Reuters Messaging: valerie.volcovici.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Mostly clear. Low near 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low near 65F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.Craig O'Dear is a Kansas City attorney who has supported both Republican and Democratic candidates, and is now running for U.S. Senate as an Independent. (Craig O'Dear)Prices of various cryptocurrencies are shown in real time at a virtual currency exchange located in downtown Seoul in this Jan. 28 file photo. / Yonhap



By Yoon Ja-young



Cryptocurrencies are currently in a legal gray area, but they should be institutionalized and investors should be protected, experts say. They agree that reckless regulation will make the country fall behind the global trend.



Oh Jung-geun, a professor of IT and finance at Konkuk University in Seoul, cites bitcoin as a major invention in 2009 from the perspective of the history of civilization, along with Apple's iPhone. While the launch of the smartphone led to the era of networks where the whole world became connected beyond time and place, bitcoin led a shift in trade, from the trade of value to the trade of trust, according to Oh.



Bitcoin is based on the distributed ledger of block chain technology, where the data regarding trades are stored in peer-to-peer networks of all trade participants, instead of a third-party central server. Since the data is shared by all, it is difficult to manipulate and it ensures security.



"Bitcoin wasn't actively traded for some time, but as the market confirmed that hacking was impossible, mining and trading grew explosively from 2013," Oh said at a seminar organized by the Korea Economic Research Institute.



There is huge expectation for block chain technology in the market. The banking industry plans to adopt it for security as it lowers costs since it operates without a central server, which requires huge expenditure. Also, it is free from forgery. The World Economic Forum estimated that 80 percent of global financial firms will use the technology within this year.



Innovation in finance



Digital currencies are not issued by authorized institutes such as central banks, but they are bringing about innovation in finance. In overseas remittance, for instance, virtual currencies enable low fees and quick transactions, which compares with analogue money where it costs high fees and two or three days.



Contrary to concerns that digital tokens can be used by criminals, Oh says they can help prevent corruption.



"Since its birth in the Middle Ages, banking has not been free from the corrupt ties between politics and business. The greed of gigantic financial groups has caused financial crises, hitting the global economy."



He said the launch of cryptocurrencies will free many people from a centralized elitist financial power, creating new wealth by greatly improving economic efficiency.



"There is concern that they will be abused by criminals, but most of the issues will be solved through strengthening of know your customer and anti-money laundering regulations."





Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Hong Nam-ki speaks at a meeting organized by the National Assembly over the direction of cryptocurrency policies in this Jan. 18 file photo. / Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geunGov't needs strategic approach to find compromise solution



By Kim Jae-kyoung



The government should take a more strategic approach to find a "compromise solution" in its efforts to save the Korean unit of General Motors (GM) and minimize job losses, analysts said Sunday.



They called on the Korean government to examine GM's negotiation tactics in the past and maintain a firm posture not be swayed by the U.S. automaker's brinkmanship.



They said that the government should realize that GM is ratcheting up pressure to secure a better deal by threatening to withdraw from the Korean market.



"GM is using the leverage it has to extract a good deal. It is not uncommon for auto companies to shut down a plant that is too old or underperforms," Mauro Guillen, director of the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, told The Korea Times.



"In doing so, they send the signal that other plants could also be shut down. So they put a lot of pressure on the local government," he added.



In February, the Detroit-based carmaker, which owns 77 percent of its Korean unit, announced it would shut down its underused plant in Gunsan, southwest of Seoul, as part of global restructuring.



The firm said that it would determine the fate of three other factories in Korea depending on financial aid offered by the government.



It demanded that the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), which is the second-largest shareholder of GM Korea with a 17-percent stake, participate in its $2.7 billion debt-to-equity swap plan.



The biggest leverage for GM might be the fact that the U.S. auto giant has little to lose even if it pulls out of the Korean market because GM Korea's losses have been ballooning over the past years due to low productivity.



Also, the rapid growth of Shanghai General Motors, or SAIC-GM, is giving more leeway for GM to maintain such an aggressive negotiation posture and make more bold decisions on its Korean operation.



"The auto industry has overcapacity. GM is not a leader in the industry. GM makes most of its money in China with government protections," said independent analyst Andy Xie based in Shanghai.



"It can't make money in free competition. It is dumb for the Korean government to double down on its failing venture in Korea."



GM Korea is estimated to have suffered losses of 900 billion won ($831.4 million) in 2017, bringing the accumulated losses since 2014 to a total of 3 trillion won. Its domestic sales in February plunged by 48.3 percent to 5,804 from a year ago.



In 2016, the Korean unit posted an operating loss of 531.1 billion won, while SAIC-GM enjoyed an operation profit of 2.86 trillion won. The operating rate for SAIC-GM in the same year stood at 112 percent, well above GM Korea's 60 percent.



Burden sharing is crucial



Analyst stressed that the Korean government's negotiation strategy should be focused on how to prevent GM from leaving Korea and minimize job losses. GM Korea employs some 16,000 workers, including around 2,000 in Gunsan.



"I think the long-term game should not be to keep that (Gunsan) plant open but to ensure GM continues to have a strong presence in Korea," Guillen said.



To that end, the government should conduct thorough due diligence and come up with proposals to ensure a solid restructuring plan from GM, management transparency and its long-term commitment to Korea.



Sohn Sung-won, an economics professor at California State University-Channel Islands, said that all parties need to cooperate to come up with a solution.



"The most important point is that jobs need to be preserved," he said.



"There are too many jobs at stake including secondary jobs related to the plant. The government should bring all the interested parties together and come to a compromise solution."



Troy Stangarone, senior director at the Korea Economic Institute (KEI) based in Washington, said that GM's turnaround plan will be the key to finding a breakthrough.



He said that if a feasible restructuring plan is introduced, its debt-for-equity swap proposal would be reasonable because it would help to relieve the financial stress on GM Korea. In return for the financial relief, the Korean government would receive a larger equity stake.



"If GM Korea presents a solid restructuring plan that includes improvements in efficiency in the plants as well as a commitment to produce vehicles with solid sales prospects, an injection will likely be worth it to protect jobs, while avoiding disruption in the in the auto industry in Korea more broadly," he said.



He pointed out that there is a mutual interest in developing a viable restructuring plan, though both sides may have slightly different views on what that would look like.



"If either side makes unreasonable demands, that could lessen the prospects of a deal that each side needs," he said.



"However, if the plan is reasonable and protects the government's equity in GM Korea and the larger industry in Korea, it makes sense for the government to move forward with the swap."



/ Captured from Guardian's website



Abroad he denies sexual misconduct, but at home stays mum



By Kang Hyun-kyung



Poet, writer and critic Ko Un, 84, denied allegations about his habitual sexual misconduct in a statement sent to British media outlet the Guardian, Saturday (KST).





Ko Un / Korea Times file

His denial, however, caused controversy.



The poet has remained mum on fresh allegations that he abused his status in the literary world to sexually harass female writers and publishers. But he was vocal in defending himself against the same allegations in the foreign media outlet.



In a statement published in the Guardian article titled "Poet Ko Un erased from Korean textbooks after sexual harassment claims," Ko said he regrets that his name had been brought up in the recent allegations.



"I have already expressed regret for any unintended pain that my behavior may have caused. However I flatly deny charges of habitual misconduct that some individuals have brought up against me," it read. "In Korea I would simply wait for the passage of time to bring the truth to light and settle the controversy. However to my foreign friends, to whom facts and contexts are not readily available, I must affirm that I have done nothing which might bring shame on my wife or myself. All I can say at the moment is that I believe that my writing will continue with my honor as a person and a poet maintained."



Earlier, Ko was quoted by a Korean media outlet as saying that he hadn't intended to harass female writers or those who were involved in the literary world. He said he tried to encourage them and if what he did in the past was construed as sexual misconduct by today's standards, he was sorry for that.





By Yi Whan-woo



North Korea is stepping up its publicity campaign for leader Kim Jong-un's luxury tourist project on its east coast.



The campaign comes amid Pyongyang's recent invitation to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach to visit the North after the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, fueling speculation that it hopes to capitalize on the visit to ease international economic sanctions and earn foreign currency.



During the Winter Games from Feb. 9 to 25, the North's state-controlled Korean Central Television reported that work on building the Wonsan Kalma Shore Tourist Zone was "going strong."



It underscored that electricians and other workers had completed installing underground power lines in "a short period of time."



The proposed coastal tourist project in and around Wonsan will include Kalma International Airport and the Masikryong Ski Resort, Kim's pet project built in 2013.



The country wants to complete the project by July. The zone will offer "multiple levels of enjoyment, including uniquely designed multi-story hotels, a movie theater, an outdoor performance stage, an indoor swimming pool and a leisure complex."



The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, separately reported that the Masikryong Ski Resort was "filled with numerous visitors" Feb. 16, the birthday of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.



"The laughter and singing of the people spending their holiday at the world-class ski resort resonated over and over deep in the mountain," the newspaper said.

"The employees offered tailor-made services for the guests depending on their age, gender, preferences and interests. Such services left a left deep impression on the visitors."



Meanwhile, Bach told Reuters Feb. 12 that he would visit North Korea after the Winter Games.



He said the parties were still discussing a convenient date.



Some sources speculated that Pyongyang invited Bach as part of efforts to host the Winter Olympics or the Asian Winter Games in the long term and organize an international ski competition at the Masikryong Resort in the short term.



The 14 square-kilometer resort features 10 slopes, an Austrian-made cable car system and four snowmobiles from Canadian company Ski-Doo along with other amenities.



The sources also speculated that such events were ultimately aimed at loosening the economic noose on Pyongyang, giving the North another way to earn foreign currency for its nuclear program.

By Yi Whan-woo



North Korea's Ministry of State Security has ordered military units on the North-China border to facilitate government-run smuggling, according to sources familiar with Pyongyang.



They said the ministry, which reports directly to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is breaking the country's laws as part of efforts to raise cash for the ruling Workers' Party and ultimately, Kim.



They speculated that the party has been lacking cash since China began supporting international sanctions aimed to put economic pressure on the North.



"A senior ministry official recently visited military units in Ryanggang Province (in the country's north) and ordered them to help with smuggling involving government-run trading companies," a source said last week. "Among the companies were ones run by Office 39 and the Mirim Shipping Co."



Office 39 is the party's secretive organization responsible for generating revenue for Kim, while the Mirim Shipping Co. has been blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council for funding Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.



Another source speculated that Kim himself was behind the smuggling, saying "the ministry's order would have been impossible without his instruction."



The military units in Ryanggang Province are usually tasked with cracking down on smuggling and preventing people from fleeing the impoverished regime.



"Now the soldiers are driving trucks to transport smuggled goods and are also protecting smugglers, because otherwise, their lives would be at risk," a third source said.



A fourth source said the ministry is encouraging those who have relatives in China to travel there and bring in foreign currencies when they return _ a measure believed to be aimed at countering international efforts to restrict North Korea from sending workers abroad. The wages of those sent overseas are pocketed by the Kim regime for the country's nuclear weapons development.



"The ministry officials publicly ask those who are capable of bringing in foreign currencies through their relatives in China to travel as often as possible," the source said.

By Yi Whan-woo, Joint Press Corps



President Moon Jae-in will send envoys to Pyongyang, Monday, for talks on resuming dialogue between North Korea and the United States on the North's denuclearization, Cheong Wa Dae announced Sunday.



National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong will lead the five-member delegation that completed by National Security (NIS) director Suh Hoon, Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung, NIS deputy director Kim Sang-gyun, and senior Cheong Wa Dae official Yun Kun-young. Five working-level officials will accompany them.



This will be the first time that South Korea's top presidential security adviser and spy agency chief  both minister-level officials  have visited the North together.



Cheong Wa Dae said the visit comes in response to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister Kim Yo-jong's trip to the South for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February, during which she delivered her brother's invitation to Moon for a summit in Pyongyang.



"The delegation will embark on a two-day trip to North Korea on Monday on a special direct flight, which will fly over the western border," Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan told the press.



"They will particularly discuss ways to create an environment for U.S.-North Korea dialogue for peace on the Korean Peninsula as well as the development of inter-Korean relations."



After returning to Seoul, Chung and Suh will visit the U.S. and brief Washington officials on their Pyongyang visit, Yoon said.



Regarding a possible meeting between the North Korean leader and Moon's envoys, a Cheong Wa Dae official said nothing has been decided. "But Kim Yo-jong, who was Kim Jong-un's special envoy, met with Moon during her visit, and we expect a corresponding event to take place," he said.



The official hinted that the envoys may take a personal letter from Moon to the North Korean leader, also mentioning "looking back on Kim Yo-jong's visit"  she brought her brother's letter for Moon.



Kim Jong-un has mostly remained reluctant to meet foreign envoys after taking power in December 2011. If he meets the envoys, it will be his first meeting with South Korean officials since taking power.



Political sources speculate that the young dictator will be different this time and will meet the presidential delegates.

"The visit is being made in response to Kim Yo-jong's trip the South. It is possible that Kim has already made up his mind to meet the delegates, considering Moon had a lunch meeting with Kim Yo-jong and several more during her stay here," a source said.



Kim Yeon-cheol, a professor at Inje University, speculated the delegates are likely to underscore denuclearization as Pyongyang's exit route from its international isolation.



But the professor remained skeptical over whether Kim will accept the idea, referring to the fact that both he and U.S. President Donald Trump have refused unconditional talks on denuclearization.



"Sending a special delegation once will not settle everything and lead to Washington-Pyongyang talks," the professor said. "It will be a success if North Korea offers the slightest cause for bilateral dialogue."



Meanwhile, Trump jokingly said during a dinner with the Gridiron Club, an exclusive group of Washington journalists, Saturday, that North Korea recently reached out for possible talks through a phone call.



By Lee Kyung-min



A women's rights group plans to set up help centers for sex crime victims. The group will also propose legislative recommendations to help protect women. The move comes as support for the #MeToo movement is increasingly gaining momentum in Korea.



Members of the Korea National Council of Women held a rally under the theme of "#MeToo, #WithYou" in Gwanghwamun Square, Friday, vowing to set up help centers at 17 regional offices in provinces or cities nationwide. The group will hold a founding ceremony of the center headquarters on Thursday, which is International Women's Day, which celebrates the "social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women" and calls for action to accelerate gender equality.



The group plans to set up a consultative body to support victims systematically and to propose legislation to protect victims who speak out against workplace sexual harassment or assault. The proposed legislation will also aim to prevent abuse of power stemming from an unequal power balance between men and women, and will demand equal pay for equal work. The draft will be completed by the end of next month.



"We express firm support and deep consolation for victims who braved what could become a personal attack or victim-shaming to raise awareness publicly about the crime prevalent in every aspect in the society," a group member said during the rally. "It took a great amount of courage for them to speak up. Their decision should be commended because doing so required them inevitably to confront the emotional pain and suffering with which they can never deal with easily.

"We will stand by the movement until the day the country completely roots out sex crimes."



The rally came amid a flood of revelations by sex crime victims against perpetrators in almost all sectors of the country over the past month. The flood was triggered by female prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun, who said a then-senior prosecutor had groped her at a funeral eight years ago. An investigation is ongoing into Seo's allegation that was subject to undue personnel measures, including an unwanted transfer to a remote branch and a poor work performance review.





Ex-President Lee's key aide indicted



By Lee Kyung-min



A key aide to former President Lee Myung-bak was indicted, Sunday, for managing his slush fund and personal assets under borrowed names, further troubling the former President amid an intensified prosecution investigation into a wide range of alleged wrongdoings involving him, his family and close aides. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said Cheonggye Foundation Secretary General Lee Byeong-mo was indicted on charges of embezzlement, breach of trust and destruction of evidence.



The indictment could influence a decision by Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il who will determine whether to question Lee, following an official debriefing wrapping up a months-long investigation into him. The district office head Yoon Seok-yeol is expected to conduct the debriefing as early as today, seeking approval to summon Lee for questioning as well as directions for the ongoing investigation. Lee is anticipated to appear before the district office as early as mid-March, if Mun so directs, a decision widely expected given the volume of evidence connected to a series of allegations, including bribery amounting to 10 billion won ($ 9.7 million). Mun's predecessor Kim Soo-nam approved of summoning former President Park Geun-hye after giving her a seven-day notice.



Prosecutors suspect Lee received 1.7 billion won in bribes from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) through many of his key aides, whom recently confessed to their roles in delivering the money. Lee is also suspected of having received 2.2 billion won from former Woori Financial CEO Lee Pal-sung in return for helping him assume the post by exerting undue influence on the financial institution where the government was the largest shareholder. This allegation was substantiated after prosecutors questioned Lee Myung-bak's son-in-law, Samsung Electronics senior executive Lee Sang-joo who admitted to delivering 800 million won to Lee Sang-deuk, an elder brother of the former President, after he received it from a close aide to Lee Pal-sung. The son-in-law is also suspected of having received an additional 1.4 billion won from Lee Pal-sung, a claim he denies.



Prosecutors said Samsung Group is believed to have paid 2 billion won in addition to $3.7 million (4.5 billion won) as a retainer to a U.S. firm, Akin Gump, of which Samsung was a major client, following the questioning of former Samsung Card Vice President Choi Do-seok. Choi managed the firm's financial issues alongside former Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Hak-soo who confessed the firm under his leadership paid legal fees that helped Lee Myung-bak recover 14 billion won in what could have been a failed investment, in return for a presidential pardon for group Chairman Lee Kun-hee.



The investigation into DAS, a corruption-ridden car parts manufacturer through which Lee Myung-bak managed tens of billions in a slush fund, has picked up speed, as Lee Byeong-mo confessed that Lee owned land in Dogok, southern Seoul, under a borrowed name. The aide said the land sale proceeds were funneled into DAS, substantiating the prosecution's supposition that he was the owner of the firm, a claim he flatly denied in the lead up to the 2007 Presidential election.



A controversy concerning DAS nearly cost him his election as it was among the few entities that recovered its initial investment in full during his term unlike 5,500 investors who lost 100 billion won in a stock price manipulation scandal in 2001. Lee is suspected of having abused the presidential office by mobilizing government agencies including the National Tax Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



Prosecutors said Lee Myung-bak lent 12.3 billion won _ interest-free _ in DAS and affiliates funds to a company owned by his son, Si-hyung, which could constitute embezzlement and breach of trust. Lee Myung-bak is also suspected of receiving hundreds of millions of won from Daebo Group in return for helping the firm land construction work.





By Kim Se-jeong







The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday it will revamp the membership registration system for the city's shared bicycle network to enhance user convenience.







The bikes currently run on membership and those who want to use them must type in personal information details to a central server and go through a smartphone authorization process.







Under the new system, users can simply use their social media accounts to log in.







Since the rental service began in 2015, the city government has 20,000 bikes running across the city with 1,290 rental spots. It costs 1,000 won per hour.







The city is also going to diversity the fare system.







Currently, one user can rent only one bike at a time and have two fare options _ one hour or two hours. Those who use them often can buy a pass that lasts a week, 30, 180 and 365 days. But, under the new system, one user will be allowed to rent multiple bikes and can keep them for up to 24 hours.







In accordance with the bikes' popularity, the city will set up an additional 250 pick-up spots across the city.







"The contribution that the bikes are making to the lives of people is big. We will continue to monitor the system and upgrade it," the city said in a statement.







The city bike system is available in all districts in Seoul with almost 600,000 members and bikes have been rented out over 6.7 million times since it started.





















#K League Jeonbuk narrow gap with K League-leading Ulsan with victory Four-time defending K League 1 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors closed in on leaders Ulsan Hyundai FC with a narrow victory Saturday. Paik Seung-ho converted a 49th-minute penal...

#BTS BTS heads to New York for U.N. event as special presidential envoy K-pop sensation BTS flew to New York on Saturday to attend a United Nations event as a special presidential envoy. The chart-topping group is scheduled to attend the opening cer...National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Suh Hoon.



- The pair are expected to visit the North early this week



South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday named his top security adviser and the chief of the country's spy agency as his special envoys to visit North Korea this week for talks that are widely expected to focus on resuming dialogue between the communist state and the United States.

Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidential National Security Office, will lead the five-member delegation to Pyongyang that will include Suh Hoon, chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.

The delegation also includes Chun Hae-sung, vice minister of unification, Yun Kun-young, a Cheong Wa Dae official, and Kim Sang-gyun, a senior NIS director.

They will embark on a two-day trip Monday, using a special direct flight to Pyongyang, Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan told a press briefing.











President Moon Jae-in stands with North and South Korean officials at Cheong Wa Dae during a visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong, third from left, and other ranking officials, Feb. 10. National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, right, and National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, second from right, will visit Pyongyang Monday as Moon's special envoys. / Joint press corps



By Kim Rahn



The President's special envoy to North Korea should be someone who can communicate with him closely and candidly and who has a firm grasp on Korean Peninsula issues.

In this regard, the two envoys to visit Pyongyang from Monday to Tuesday  National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Suh Hoon  are the right picks as they are believed to be able to deliver President Moon Jae-in's messages to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un the most clearly.

Both Suh and Chung were present at the meeting of Moon and Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong at Cheong Wa Dae in early February when she visited the South to attend the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Chung, who will lead the five envoys, is the Moon administration's top official dealing with security and foreign affairs policy, and coordinating various issues surrounding the peninsula.

He has kept close contact with security officials at the White House, discussing North Korea issues and South Korea-U.S. relations with U.S. President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, his counterpart.

In late February, he had a meeting with Kim Yong-chol, head of the Workers' Party of Korea's United Front Department, when the latter visited the South to attend the closing ceremony of the Olympics. During the meeting, the North Koreans told Chung that they were willing to talk with the U.S.

Chung is likely to play the role of messenger between Pyongyang and Washington for their talks on denuclearization. Chung and Suh will visit Washington soon after they come back from Pyongyang.

Suh is Moon's top strategy maker on North Korea issues and one of the President's closest aides who helped him draw up his peace overture plans.

Under the former liberal Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, Suh was a member of the teams that led the first and second inter-Korean summits in 2000 and 2007, respectively. He met former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un's father, on several occasions during the summits.

Suh was a member of the National Security Council and was in charge of North Korea strategy at the NIS under the Roh government, having experience in negotiating with high-ranking North Korean officials at many meetings. He was a member of Moon's election camp for both the 2012 and the 2017 presidential elections.

As the head of the spy agency, Suh has a close communication channel with U.S. CIA Director Mike Pompeo. It was the two spy agencies that mediated the meeting between U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Kim Yo-jong during their stays in South Korea in early February, although the meeting was cancelled at the last minute.

Political parties showed mixed reactions to sending Chung and Suh.

Rep. Park Jie-won of the minor liberal Party for Democracy and Peace said the two are a perfect pair.

"An envoy should be someone who knows about President Moon, the U.S. and North Korea, and Suh knows all three," he said on Facebook. "Sending Chung also shows Moon takes full consideration of Trump."

But the main conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP) was opposed to the envoys, especially Suh, saying the NIS should be the agency cracking down on spies, not "cooperating" with the North.

"The denuclearization of North Korea should be the only and absolute theme of the envoys' visit, so a person who cannot talk about it, watching Kim Jong-un straight in the eye, should be excluded," LKP spokesman Hong Ji-man said, referring to Suh. "Like the previous two inter-Korean summits, those who try to beg for peace by giving presents should be excluded."By Mark Leonard





LAHORE  The Communist Party of China's (CPC) decision last week to eliminate presidential term limits seems to open the door for President Xi Jinping to be not just "Chairman of Everything," but also "Chairman Forever."







The move has been met with dismay around the world, but it has also intensified an ongoing debate among China experts over whether the biggest threat to China is too much executive power, or too little.







Where one stands on that question seems to depend largely on whether one is a political scientist, an economist, or a technologist.







Many political scientists and legal scholars, for example, argue against the change, because they consider the model of collective leadership that the CPC established after 1979 to be one of its biggest successes. That model's term limits and system of peer review for high-level decision-making has provided the checks necessary to prevent a repeat of Mao-era catastrophes such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution.







In fact, the post-1979 dispensation has often allowed for a genuine battle of ideas, particularly between the statist Young Communist League and coastal elites who favor more economic liberalization. China may remain a closed society in many ways, but its top policymakers have shown an open-minded willingness to experiment and learn through trial and error.







Many economists, meanwhile, are less worried about excessive executive power, because they think it is even more dangerous to have a government that is too weak to overhaul the country's economic model when needed. Among the government's current economic challenges are slower growth, spiraling debt  particularly among state-owned enterprises  and vested interests standing in the way of structural reforms.







Most economists would concede that the collective leadership model has prevented disasters. But they would argue that it has also impeded reform, and allowed the CPC to become a syndicate of corruption and cronyism, ideologically bereft and devoid of purpose.







At the end of Hu Jintao's two-term presidency in 2013 many feared that the collective leadership model was inadequate for confronting vested economic interests, tackling inequality, and delivering basic public goods. Indeed, as early as 2007, Hu's own premier, Wen Jiabao, had concluded that China's economic trajectory was "unstable, unbalanced, uncoordinated, and unsustainable."







By contrast, argue the economists, Xi has begun to turn things around by fighting for a "cleaner party." His massive anticorruption campaign has jailed thousands of party officials at all levels, and re-established the CPC's grassroots credentials.







The economists would concede that Xi's campaign has also conveniently removed many of his potential rivals. But they would argue that his strengthened position now allows him to replace a growth model based on credit-financed debt with something more sustainable.







Of course, whether they are right about that remains to be seen. Despite Xi's success in consolidating his power and extending his hold on it indefinitely, there is reason to doubt that he would be willing to risk a new economic model if sustainability proves to be incompatible with maintaining rapid growth.







This is where the technologists come in, by offering new ways to correct or avoid potential mistakes. In addition to supplanting the collective leadership model with one centered on the personality of a supreme leader, Xi has also significantly expanded the surveillance state.







The government is increasingly using CCTV, big data, and artificial intelligence to study Chinese citizens' behaviors, hopes, fears, and faces, so that it can forestall dissidence and challenges to its authority.







Moreover, under Xi, the government has established online "social credit" databases, which suggests that it could eventually roll out a single score for all Chinese citizens, comprising credit ratings, online behavior, health records, expressions of party loyalty, and other information.







The beauty of a big-data dictatorship is that it could sustain itself less through direct threats and punishment as a public spectacle, and more through "nudges" to manipulate people's perspectives and behavior. And the more time Chinese citizens spend online, the more the government will be able to control what they see and do there.







Digital technologies will also allow the government to respond more quickly to public discontent, or to head it off altogether if it can discern or predict changes in public opinion. Given that many dictatorships collapse as a result of poor information, digital technologies could become an even more powerful prophylactic against bad decision-making than term limits.







If there is one thing that political scientists, economists, and technologists can all agree on, it is that Xi is building the most powerful and intrusive surveillance regime in history. It remains to be seen if his approach to "making China great again" will strengthen his hand or turn out to be a fatal weakness.







But with China playing an ever-larger role in the global economy through its investments and infrastructure projects, the reverberations from what happens there will be felt everywhere, and for years to come. In a sense, Xi might just end up being a "chairman of everything forever" after all.











Mark Leonard is director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate ( www.project-syndicate.org ).By Shannon O'Neil



Venezuela's refugee crisis is metastasizing. According to the United Nations, 5,000 Venezuelans have fled to Curacao, 20,000 to Aruba, 30,000 to Brazil, 40,000 to Trinidad and Tobago, and more than 600,000 to Colombia.



In times past, the U.S. has led in responding to exoduses sparked by political or humanitarian crises. In 1980, it welcomed 125,000 Cubans fleeing in what became known as the Mariel Boatlift.



Nearly two decades later, it provided respite for tens of thousands of Hondurans and Nicaraguans in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, and more than a quarter-million Salvadorans after a 2001 earthquake. Much as the region has not always welcomed some U.S. interventions  think Grenada in 1983, Panama in 1989 and Central America throughout the 1980s  when crises arise, Latin American nations still look north.



Yet although the U.S. has put pressure on Venezuela to restore its democracy, the burden of coping with the implosion of what used to be Latin America's richest nation has fallen most heavily on its immediate neighbors. They can't afford to wait for a distracted and less benevolent U.S. to do the right thing. Instead, for their immediate and collective future, they must forge a regional response to what has become the hemisphere's greatest humanitarian crisis.



Despite touting its "year of engagement" with Latin America and dredging up unfortunate echoes of the Monroe Doctrine, the Trump administration seems to have little desire to lead in the Americas  at least on the region's most pressing issues. It pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, leaving Canada, Chile, Mexico and Peru bereft, and has repeatedly threatened to end the North American Free Trade Agreement. It walked away from the Paris climate accord, which Latin American nations widely supported, and rolled back the opening with Cuba.



As for Latin Americans themselves, the U.S. is more likely to kick them out or wall them off than extend its welcome mat. It recently ended Temporary Protected Status for some 200,000 Salvadorans and 60,000 Haitians (the fate of an additional 87,000 Hondurans is unclear), and looks to begin deporting some 700,000 Mexican and Central American Dreamers,' undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as kids.



Not only has it halved the number of spots open to refugees, it is speeding up asylum applications for recent applicants  a decision that will likely result in the rapid repatriation of many Venezuelan asylum seekers who would otherwise have been able to work while waiting for the processing of their cases.



Top U.S. diplomats have called out Venezuela's humanitarian plight and human rights abuses. But on his five-country trip to the region, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson focused more on building support for new sanctions than on addressing this more immediate catastrophe. And while the Trump administration has offered aid to Venezuela  which the Maduro government has repeatedly rejected  the countries receiving Venezuela's refugees have been largely left to deal on their own.



Colombia, bearing the heaviest burden, has granted its own version of temporary protected status to some 150,000 Venezuelans, even as it has cut back on new visas, beefed up military patrols to stanch illegal crossings, and visited refugee camps in Turkey to look for best practices.



Brazil declared a state of emergency in border state Roraima, doubling troops and ramping up basic services for the tens of thousands of newcomers. And while often not the first stop for those fleeing, Peru and Argentina have somewhat loosened visa requirements, enabling more Venezuelan migrants to stay and work.



These piecemeal responses won't be enough, however. The flood of people is already overwhelming border economies, schools, health systems and basic shelter in Colombia, Brazil and even Ecuador. Venezuela's Caribbean neighbors, many with weak institutions and still recovering from last year's hurricanes, are ill-equipped to meet such new challenges.



And those fleeing are vulnerable to human trafficking and extortion, providing fodder for transnational drug and criminal organizations. The surge threatens to shift politics in this year of the Latin American election, when nearly two out of every three voters heads to the polls to elect a new president.



Unfortunately, coordination among Latin American nations won't be easy. Despite much cooperative rhetoric and nearly two dozen regional economic and diplomatic bodies, the countries and their foreign policy efforts remain quite solitary.



There is no NATO, no true customs union, and so far no regional body able and willing to act decisively. Instead, and in part due to the weight and leadership of the giant to the north, most every country has historically adopted a non-intervention mantra toward its neighbors.



Still, Latin American nations today differ from their more passive past incarnations. With a combined GDP of more than $5 trillion, and two of the world's 15 biggest economies, the region's increasing economic heft means more resources are available to address the costs of such a crisis.



Mexico recently joined the growing roster of Latin American nations that contribute to peacekeeping missions. Nearly all the countries are democratic, with most committed to spreading these ideals broadly. And the spillover effects of the Venezuelan crisis on their own voting populations have created a shared urgency.



To assuage the humanitarian crisis will require coordinating and funding massive efforts to bring food, water, shelter and medicine to those already displaced and the many more to come. It will mean creating schools (one-half of refugees are usually children), building infrastructure, and finding ways to enable the exiled to make a living. And it will mean getting more nations to take in those forced into exile, relieving the crush on Venezuela's immediate neighbors.



To galvanize a response, the region's leaders should turn to the Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank to fast-track cheap loans for refugee-focused infrastructure. They should pressure China, which covets not only Latin America's raw materials but its growing consumer markets, both to support that effort and to make clear to Venezuela that its conduct must change. And they should forcefully call out Cuba, which has supported and advised President Nicolas Maduro as he dismantled his country's democracy and engineered its economic and financial self-destruction.



Latin America doesn't need a new mechanism to pursue this more cohesive and comprehensive response  the recently created 14-country Lima group could suffice, and older diplomatic bodies desperate for a mission abound. Its nations need only to summon the will and leadership to pick up the regional humanitarian mantle. If they do so, it may then be the U.S.'s turn to follow.





Shannon O'Neil is a senior fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. The above article was published by Bloomberg News and distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Chang Se-moon





I admit that I am one of those people who have been critical of President Moon Jae-in's policy on North Korea. Since my trademark is an unbiased mind, I decided to take a second look at his policy and see how the future of the two Koreas might unfold if his policy were followed through.



President Moon's approach toward meeting North Korean leaders with no conditions attached might imply that he accepts the status of the nuclear weapons that the North possesses.



What could follow depends largely on future leaders of South Korea who succeed Moon. Assuming that the policy of accepting nuclear weapons in the North as given continues in large part through future presidents of the South, I can see the following progression in relations between the two Koreas.



If South Korea officially decides to accept North Korea as a nuclear state, Washington and Pyongyang will negotiate in such way to also accept the North as a nuclear power but will accept a promise of the North to make a symbolic reduction in nuclear weapons as well as to move the target of these weapons away from the United States. This agreement, if reached, may help lift some of the harsh sanctions currently in effect.



The negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea may also lead to the withdrawal of the majority of U.S. troops from South Korea, leaving the security of the South largely, if not entirely, to South Korea.



The probability of military confrontation between the two Koreas will be very low, not because leaders of North Korea suddenly desire peace, but because leaders of South Korea will give in to demands from North Korea; maybe not all but most of them anyway.



Initial demands will be moderate. The Gaeseong Industrial Complex will open again and group tours to Mount Geumgang will begin under the name of economic cooperation.



Broadcasting by use of large speakers at the DMZ will stop under the name of the peace overture. The North will demand the return of North Korean defectors back to the North, but accept the status quo since it can be a deal breaker.



Economic cooperation between the two Koreas and economic assistance from the South to the North will slowly but steadily increase, mostly under the name of humanitarian assistance. South Korea effectively becomes the cash cow to North Korea.



There will be new candlelit demonstrations led by the young who will have to assume the bulk of the financial burden coming from the new relationship between the two Koreas.



China and Japan will feel increasingly antsy over the close inter-Korean ties. Although trade between China and North Korea will continue to grow, South Korea will replace China as the most important trade partner of the North.



Likewise, Japan will feel uneasy about the likely stronger voice that is coming from the Korean Peninsula. In addition, the role of South Korea in the Pacific alliance with the U.S. will weaken, making Japan more exposed to threats from China.



The images of war will gradually disappear from the minds of people in both Koreas.



There is a huge unknown variable that no one can predict will happen and how it will happen if it does. The variable is the possibility of implosion within North Korea.



There are several issues related to implosion. If there is an implosion and new leaders in North Korea ask for help from the South, what will South Korea do? Obviously, this will be a dangerous time because horrible bombs are everywhere. More importantly, this will be the historic chance for the two Koreas to be unified.



Even more importantly, what will happen if China sends over 50,000 soldiers to North Korea under the pretense of securing its nuclear weapons?



China should not intervene in internal Korean affairs, but we all know China will, unless the military of South Korea is strong enough to counter Chinese forces and North Korea is willing to fight to keep Chinese soldiers from crossing the Yalu River.



By now the message of this article is clear: The danger of a military confrontation between the two Koreas will be lowered. However, there will be a massive transfer of wealth from the South to the North as the price of securing the unsettling peace.



When the demands from the North turn out to be political, diplomatic and military in nature, new turmoil and crises will erupt in the South over how long and how much of the increasingly excessive demands from the North should be accepted.



Now you have an idea of what could happen if President Moon's policy is to be followed through with. I am not sure whether this outcome is better or worse than the current approach of sanctioning North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons. Maybe readers are.





Chang Se-moon (changsemoon@yahoo.com) is the director of the Gulf Coast Center for Impact Studies.

Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, compiled these statements from interviews with the refugees.



Q1. Is it a good idea for South Korea to send an envoy to North Korea in preparation for President Moon Jae-In possibly visiting North Korea?



Q2. How likely is North Korea to attack South Korea?



----------------------------------



Eunsoo, female, arrived in South Korea in 2014



This is a good thing. North Korea already sent a delegation and apparently is seeking ways to reduce tensions. It is better to have talks so there won't be misunderstandings about each other's actions. Moon Jae-In has said that he would like to have talks with North Korea, so he couldn't really reject the offer.



I was brainwashed when I was in North Korea that we had nothing to fear from the world, that we were so powerful that no one would dare challenge us. I remember that I was always ready to attack South Korea or the USA even though I was just a small high school girl.



Now I see that it was just propaganda so we wouldn't focus on our country's own problems. I hope my comment won't make South Koreans relax, young people here are not ready to fight and are so naive about how militaristic North Korea is. I don't believe North Korea will attack, but South Korea needs to show its tough side so the North won't be tempted.



Eunjoo, female, arrived in South Korea in 2013



I hope Moon Jae-In won't go to North Korea. North Korea hasn't and won't change, it will be a waste of time, a one-time political show. I support Trump's policy of isolating North Korea and ridiculing Kim Jong-un. Moon is so stubborn, trying to negotiate with a regime that only wants to destroy South Korea, not negotiate.



North Korea won't attack South Korea. The main target of its propaganda and threats is the USA, not South Korea. It would be stupid for North Korea to attack, and Kim Jong-Un knows it. They are trying a different strategy, such as sending Kim Yo-jong to the Olympics. She also came with Kim Yong-nam, he has a higher ranking and is the true frowning face of North Korea, but the media focused on Kim Yo-jong, making her look so glamorous.



Surely North Korea has studied South Korea enough to know that the media would go crazy over female leaders, cheerleaders and celebrities from North Korea.



Sunhee, female, arrived in South Korea in 2010



There needs to be talks so there will be clear communication. Summits may not yield strong results and humanitarian aid has not had an impact, but talks can maintain trust between the two sides. President Moon is correct to accept Kim Jong-un's invitation for talks, they should talk in a practical way about reunification, not about nuclear weapons.



Thankfully, President Trump is focused on nuclear weapons to deal with North Korea on that issue. The two Koreas can talk about ways to come together.



No way North Korea will attack South Korea. One, Kim Jong-un is not brave enough to attack. He may be a bizarre guy, but Trump looks unpredictable to him and he probably fears that Trump might assassinate him. That's why Kim always has a loud voice, threatening, sending missiles in strategic situations where he isn't directly challenging anyone.



Two, the elite know they would lose their power if there is war. They would stop Kim Jong-un from attacking, even though they will let him brag about walking around with his nuclear button. They know both Koreas would die with another war.



Chol-soo, male, arrived in South Korea in 2017



The impending threat of war on the peninsula has been escalating fast, and I predict that the United States and North Korea will engage in war in a year or two. The day war ensues on the Korean peninsula, a military coup would occur in the North. Most North Korean citizens have no real loyalty to the Kim administration.



Deep inside, they are hopeful for the regime to fall. The frequent missile tests conducted by the North are an attempt to parade the North's military prowess to the world. When the North completes its nuclear submarine, in the belief it can strike South Korea without US interference, it will attempt a strike. In a state of emergency, such as a war with America, Kim would have to delegate some of his power to his generals.



Armed with power and weapons, these generals would lead the nation in a military coup. The ensuing war doesn't mean disaster for South Korea. It will lead to a military coup, and will serve as the catalyst to reunify the peninsula.



The park circa 1908



By Robert Neff





Pagoda circa 1900

Lowell's visit generated some interest in the pagoda amongst a handful of Americans visiting Seoul. In April 1884, another group of Americans  this time naval officers  sought out and wrote about the pagoda.



"On our return, or on our way back, rather, to Chong Dong, we went in search of the remains of the only Buddhist Temple in Seoul, Buddhism scarcely existing in this part of Corea, though it flourishes in the southern provinces.



"It is a small memorial of some sort, in the form of a pagoda of white marble, thirty feet in height, in many stories with projections from each, once ornamental with many bells, of which only two remain. The marble work is excellent, and each story is decorated with panels in high relief representing events in the life of Buddha, all executed in a surprisingly spirited and artistic way. And around it are grouped torsos, and other fragments of sculpture, from the old temple."



Like Lowell, the naval officers claimed the site was hard to find "as houses have grown up around it, and we had to go through a house to it, as it were, in a back-yard." Since Lowell's first visit, the Korean gentleman who was in charge of the site apparently realized that there was money to be made:



"[The] man of the house came up to us, and tapping on a light board shelf at the base of the pagoda, intimated that a supply of cash was solicited, and we had to make an offering to the shrine, which will probably go for sam-shu and tobacco."





Pagoda circa 1905-1910

For many years the site remained neglected until 1897 when McLeavy Brown, a Scotch-Irish barrister working for the Joseon government, suggested making the area into a Western-style park. In this way, he argued, the pagoda, which had been built in the 15th century and damaged during the 17th century Japanese invasion [the top three storys had been knocked off and left on the ground], could be repaired and serve as the park's centerpiece.









By 1903, Brown had a small enclosure built around the pagoda but his efforts to repair it were thwarted by the Korean "court necromancers" who vehemently opposed the idea, claiming that "great misfortunes would befall the country if the top was replaced." Brown was forced to abandon the restoration.



Over the years, the park continued to transform and became a popular attraction of downtown Seoul. Concerts were held in the summer, young lovers went there to escape the disapproving glares of their elders and children had a spot to play.



And yet, despite the passage of time, no one fulfilled Brown's vision until February 17, 1946, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with the aid of a large crane, replaced the fallen pieces to their original place in just 45 minutes.



Brown would have been delighted but what about the "court necromancers" and their prophecy?



The peninsula was divided and then devastated by the Korean War. In March 1956 a statue of President Syngman Rhee was erected in the park but a little over four years later was torn down and dragged through the streets during the April Revolution (April 19, 1960) that toppled his government.



The next time you go to Tapkol Park and walk amongst the trees while looking at the murals, stop for a moment and listen to the breeze. Maybe you will hear the faint sound of prophecy, history and hope that surround this sacred ground in the middle of Seoul.





The park circa 1920s





The park circa 1930s-1940s





The park circa 1930s The park circa 1955





The park circa 1960Naver founder Lee Hae-jin speaks during a company event held at Naver's data center in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Aug. 15 last year. / Courtesy of Naver



By Jun Ji-hye



Naver founder Lee Hae-jin is seemingly moving to distance himself from key management of the company to send a signal to the market that the search portal is different from other local family-owned conglomerates.



He recently sold some of his shares in Naver _ for the second time _ reducing his ownership to a 3.72 percent stake, from 4.31 percent.



Last year, Lee sold 110,000 of his shares to foreign investors before the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) designated Naver as a chaebol, or a conglemerate, and him as an effective owner or "head" of it. He had appealed to the antitrust regulator not to classify the firm as a chaebol.



Lee also announced he will officially step down from the company's board, 19 years after he founded the company. He currently serves as its global investment officer (GIO). This decision follows his resignation as chairman of the board in March last year.



He is said to be signaling to the market that Naver is operated transparently by professionally trained executives, and not by owners or founders.



Lee's latest moves are drawing keen attention as they are construed as an attempt to avoid re-designation as an effective owner of a large corporation during an annual evaluation by the FTC scheduled for May.



The commission is already conducting a legal review before making its decision.



Conglomerates and their heads here are subject to tougher scrutiny and regulations by the financial authorities. Such rules are technically aimed at enhancing the corporate transparency of conglomerates here, most of which are owned by family members.



On Feb. 26, Naver's board of directors said in a meeting that it had decided not to extend Lee's tenure as an internal director that expires March 19. The firm's executive director Choi In-hyuk will take over Lee's position, it said.



Lee has been a key member of the board since 1999 when Naver was set up.



Regarding the reasons for Lee's resignation from the board, the firm said, "Lee will fully focus on his role as a GIO at a time when the industrial paradigm is rapidly changing in the global market."



Two days after that, the firm said Lee sold 195,000 shares of the company through a so-called block deal for 150 billion won ($138 million).



The Naver official said Lee sold his stocks for personal reasons, refusing to elaborate on details.



In August last year, Lee also sold 110,000 stocks for 81.8 billion won, reducing the rate of the stockholding at the time to 4.31 percent from 4.64 percent.



Despite such efforts, in September the FTC designated Naver as a large corporation with assets of more than 5 trillion won and Lee as the effective owner of the firm with overwhelming control over the nation's largest portal service provider.



At the time, the commission concluded that Lee, despite his seemingly low stake, was heavily influencing the management of the company. The commission said the National Pension Service, Naver's biggest shareholder with a 10.76 percent stake, and American and British investors who hold a 5 percent stake, respectively, seemed to hold their stakes for investment purposes, not for management.



The commission added that Lee's position as an internal director of the board has also influenced the management of the company.



Ahead of the commission's evaluation last year, Lee claimed that he was not dominating the company, but the commission stuck to its decision.



The Naver official said Lee's latest moves were unrelated to the upcoming FTC evaluation to designate large corporations and their effective owners, saying, "The moves were part of the company's efforts for a shift in generation."



But market observers construed the moves as an attempt to stress that he is unrelated to company control.



By resigning from the board, Lee may expect the commission to withdraw its decision of last year in which it designated Naver as a large corporation and Lee as its effective owner.



But it remains to be seen whether the FTC will make the decision Lee wants.



In 2008, the commission continued to designate Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee as the group's effective owner even after he resigned from all positions including being an internal director of the board amid an intense investigation at the time by an independent counsel into alleged tax evasion through the use of "borrowed" name bank accounts.



An official from the commission said whether or not to maintain a position on the board of directors is not an absolute condition for designating somebody as an effective owner.



"There are various conditions. We can designate somebody as an effective owner even when only one condition is met," the official said, asking for anonymity. "We will review all relevant situations and conditions for two months before making a decision."



Choi In-hyuk, who will replace Lee on the board, has been working in the operation of services after joining Naver in its initial stages. He is a close friend of Lee.



The appointment of new directors of the board will be finalized at a general meeting of stockholders scheduled for March 23.

By Jun Ji-hye



Samsung SDI and LG Chem, Korea's secondary battery makers, are concentrating on taking over and maintaining leadership in the global market by boosting supplies to international companies.



Samsung SDI said Sunday that it would supply 13,000 battery modules for an energy storage system (ESS) being built for Hawaii's massive solar energy storage project.



The energy storage project on the island of Kaua'i at the end of the Hawaiian chain features 28 megawatts of a sunlight generation system paired with a 100 megawatt-hour lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery system based on Samsung SDI's modules.



The ESS is designed to store excess solar energy for stable power supply.



For the project, which will provide about 11 percent of the island's electricity, the Korean company will work with U.S.-based AES Distributed Energy and Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) to supply batteries.



It marks the largest solar and storage project on Kaua'i to date, according to PV Magazine, which specializes in the solar energy and photovoltaic industry.



Samsung SDI did not disclose the value of the contract.



"By providing industry-leading technologies and products that meet the demand of our customers and market, we will contribute to meeting the rapid market demand in Hawaii," said Fabrice Hudry, vice president of Energy Solution for Samsung SDI.

"We are honored to partner with AES DE and KIUC to establish in the state of Hawaii the largest solar plus energy storage system, providing Kaua'i with more reliable and economical renewable energy."



In October, Samsung SDI also signed a deal to supply Li-ion batteries for the Younicos and TerraForm Power ESS project in Hawaii. In February last year, the firm supplied 240 megawatt-hour ESS batteries for a project of AES Energy Storage and other ESS firms to establish a power supply grid in California.



For its part, LG Chem will collaborate with Mahindra & Mahindra, an Indian conglomerate and owner of Korean carmaker Ssangyong Motor, in the field of advanced Li-ion battery technology to accelerate the Indian company's electric vehicle (EV) business.



"Under the aegis of this collaboration, LG Chem will develop a unique cell exclusively for India application and will also supply Li-ion cells based on NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) chemistry with high energy density," Mahindra & Mahindra said in a statement. "These cells will be deployed in the Mahindra and SsangYong range of EVs."



LG Chem will also design the Li-ion battery modules for Mahindra Electric.



LG Chem's Executive Vice President Kim Jong-hyeon said his company expected the collaboration to be one of the memorable moments in commercializing EVs in India.



Hemant Sikka, president and chief purchase officer at Mahindra & Mahindra, also said, "The EV revolution is taking the country by storm and at Mahindra we are happy to be at the forefront of this change.

"This association with LG Chem will give Mahindra the requisite access to advanced battery technology and will also enable us to deliver globally competitive products."

Two of Kumho Tire's union leaders stage a sit-in protest on a transmitting tower near the company's factory in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, Friday. / Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo



The row between creditors and the union of Kumho Tire is deepening, as the former once again selecting China's Doublestar as a potential buyer of the domestic tire maker.



The union said Sunday that it had scrapped a tentative self-rescue plan, which it had agreed to with management, and will launch an "all-out strike" March 23 to protest the creditor's plan to sell the company to the Chinese tire maker.



Union leaders have been staging a sit-in protest on a transmitting tower in Gwangju, where the company is located, since Friday, saying they will continue the protest until the main creditor, the Korea Development Bank (KDB), withdraws the Doublestar plan.



The protest came after the KDB announced Friday that it was in talks with Doublestar to hand over more than a 45 percent stake to the Chinese firm for 646.3 billion won ($596.77 million).



KDB Senior Vice President Lee Dai-hyun said: "The talks are ongoing under the conditions that Doublestar retains the current number of employees for three years and creditors lend 200 billion won to Kumho Tire for facility investment."



"The Doublestar option is the best to normalize Kumho Tire's business and prevent further losses for creditors," Lee said.



Kumho Tire will issue a rights offering worth 646.3 billion won, each share priced at 5,000 won. This will make Doublestar the largest stakeholder of Kumho Tire with 45 percent, while creditors' share will decline to 23.1 percent from 42.1 percent.



This is not the first time that Doublestar has attempted to buy Kumho Tire. In January last year, the creditors selected it as the preferred bidder to buy the cash-strapped tire maker, but saw the deal collapse eight months later as the Qingdao-based company demanded a lower sale price.



Despite that attempt, the KDB again resorted to Doublestar, saying there was no other option.



The KDB said Kumho Tire's liquidation value is an estimated 1 trillion won, while its going-concern value remained at 460 billion won at the end of last year.



The bank cited the company's weakened cost competitiveness, the poor performance of overseas affiliates, and inefficiency in production and management as reasons for the company to post losses for three consecutive years.



"There were several investors who showed interest in Kumho Tire's overseas factories, but there were no global tire makers interested in the whole company other than Doublestar," Lee said.



Also, the KDB said the union's strong influence on the company has made Kumho Tire unattractive, saying personnel costs are relatively high compared to productivity.



The union is vehemently opposed to a Doublestar takeover, saying there would be a potential leak of Kumho Tire's core technologies and knowhow, massive layoffs and a negative impact on the economy of Gwangju.



"The plan is only aimed at minimizing creditors' loss and does not count the chaos it will create to employment in Gwangju," it said.



The union said the acquisition could become a repeat of the sale of Ssangyong Motor to China's Shanghai Automotive Industry in 2004. The sale was criticized as the Chinese company took over Ssangyong's core technologies while not investing enough to strengthen the Korean carmaker's competitiveness.



Another reason against Kumho Tire's sale is the fact that it is the only company producing tires for Korea's warplanes including the F-16, F4 and F5, and the T-50 advanced trainer.



If Doublestar is to buy Kumho Tire, it must apply for a government license listing it as a defense company.

By Nam Hyun-woo



The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) said Sunday it has sent letters to key United States officials urging the U.S. to exclude Korea from tariffs on steel imports.



The lobby group said the letter was sent to 565 U.S. officials, including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, senators, congressmen and White House officials.



In the letter, FKI Chairman Huh Chang-soo said "Korean businesses are very concerned about possible heightened restrictions on Korean imports to the U.S" and "tariffs on steel imports to America, especially Korean steel, should be reconsidered."



Huh wrote that the tariffs effects on protecting U.S. jobs and industries were uncertain and could adversely affect the general global economy, as well as stressing that both Korea and the U.S. enjoyed vibrant trade relations as well as a military alliance.



In the letter, Huh stressed that "imposing heavy tariffs or quotas on imported steel may help the local steel industry in the U.S., but will also cause counter-effects in many local steel-consuming industries, such as difficulty in supplying and obtaining parts, producing goods, and providing jobs."



Regarding the Feb. 16 announcement by Tillerson that countries subject to import limits would decided on by whether they circumvented restriction on the use of Chinese steel and how fast they expanded steel production capacity, Huh wrote that Korea has never been involved in the export of circumvented goods made of Chinese steel.



"Korea's major steel export item to America is mainly made of Japanese steel and the percentage of Chinese steel use in Korean products is only 2 percent," he wrote.



Huh continued that Korea has contributed significantly to the American economy, saying Korea's investment in the U.S. has doubled since the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement took effect in 2012. Korea invested a record $13.1 billion from January to September in 2017, more than double the $5.7 billion in 2012.



He added that Korea is one of America's core allies with a mutual defense treaty and the "blood-forged alliance between Korea and the U.S. should supersede any other considerations in dealing with a bilateral issue."



An FKI official said that the lobby group sent the letter as a preemptive measure to persuade U.S. officials, amid Trump's announcement to place hefty tariffs on imported steel and aluminum a day earlier. The president said tariffs would be 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, and would be formally announced next week.



"The U.S. has already imposed 30 to 60 percent antidumping and countervailing duties to Korean steel," the FKI official said. "If the U.S. places hefty duties again, Korean steel makers' U.S. exports will not be possible in the future."



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SubmitThe Oscar winners may have been predictable, but there are reasons to be glad to have watched the show By Kenneth Turan Frances McDormand onstage after winning the Oscar for lead actress at the 90th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) What if they awarded the Oscars and not one of the winners was a real surprise, not a single solitary one? What would the show be like, would people be glad they watched or wish theyd played pinochle instead? That question is not an academic one  it happened Sunday night at the 90th Academy Awards. Of all the 24 little gold statues handed out, none of them could qualify as a genuine upset. A night like this has been headed our way for quite some time as the world of Oscar prognostication has grown over the years from a genial hobby to a serious business practiced by crack teams of experts. Analyzed and scrutinized from a multitude of angles for days, weeks and months, it was inevitable that many of the awards secrets would be revealed, that the predilections of the academy members would be easier and easier to read. Yet even as favorite followed favorite to the Dolby Theatre stage, there were reasons to be glad you were metaphorically in the house, watching it all play out. Read MoreMORE PHOTOS: Red carpet | Show highlights | Backstage | Winners  Facebook

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Here is a minute by minute break down of the 90th Academy Awards By Justin Chang Jordan Peele walks up to accept his Oscar for original screenplay at the 90th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Sundays Oscars telecast clocked in at just under four hours. For this critic, heres how the show broke down, minute by minute. 5:03 P.M. Kimmel takes the stage Jimmy Kimmel kicks things off with an acknowledgment of last years epic envelope snafu: This year, when you hear your name called, do not get up right away. 5:12 P.M. In a Price Is Right-style giveaway, Kimmel offers a free jet ski to the winner who gives the shortest speech. A not-so-subtle way of saying Hurry up, ski-daddle. Read MoreMORE PHOTOS: Red carpet | Show highlights | Backstage | Winners Facebook

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Oscars TV audience dropped to 26.5 million  an all-time low By Stephen Battaglio ABCs telecast of the 90th Oscars was watched by 26.5 million viewers on Sunday, the smallest TV audience on record for the ceremony. The average audience for the broadcast was down 19.5% from last years 32.9 million viewers and under the previous low of 32 million viewers in 2008, according to data from Nielsen. ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was the emcee of Sundays telecast, his second consecutive year in the role. Jon Stewart hosted in 2008. Read More Facebook

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Man accused of stealing Frances McDormands Oscar is arrested; video shows him gloating with it By Christie DZurilla One person at the official Oscars after-party won himself a pair of handcuffs Sunday night. Terry Bryant was arrested at the Governors Ball and accused of stealing Frances McDormands statue  after he took time to videotape himself bragging and gloating to others at the party about the prize his team was taking home. The 47-year-old remained in custody Monday morning on a grand theft charge in lieu of $20,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. He was arrested at 11:50 p.m. Sunday at the party site, which is inside Hollywood and Highland. A photographer caught the alleged thief, LAPD Sgt. Meghan Aguilar said, and the department has seen the video of Bryant mugging on Facebook with the stolen Oscar claiming it was his. The department credits the photographers quick action with preventing Bryant from hightailing it with the stolen Oscar. Aguilar said the photographer did not recognize Bryant as one of the winners, so followed him and took the statue from him without any resistance. The photographer then notified Governors Ball security, who apprehended Bryant. Bryant had a legitimate ticket to the party, Aguilar said. Sources said that when Bryant was detained he appeared to have consumed a lot of alcohol. In video posted to Facebook, the man who appears to also go by the name DJ Matari gloated and tried to find out the address of Jimmy Kimmels party. Lookit baby, my team got this tonight. This is mine. We got it tonight, baby, he says before kissing the statue. Governors Ball, baby. Who wants to wish me congratulations? Hoots and air kisses followed. He said at one point he had won it for music, and later that hed won for best producer. The statue was lifted just after McDormand had it engraved at the official Oscars after-party, and she still didnt have it with her at the Vanity Fair party later in the evening. Somebody tried to steal my Oscar at the Governors Ball, she told producer Jason Blum as she made her way inside the Vanity Fair shindig. Let me see someone try to pawn that! Staff writer Amy Kaufman contributed to this report. UPDATE 1:26 p.m.: This article was updated with further details about the arrest. 11:58 a.m.: This article was updated with comment from LAPD Sgt. Meghan Aguilar. This article was first published at 10:55 a.m. Facebook

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How Guillermo del Toros dark, innocent and mystical imagination propels his films By Jeffrey Fleishman Guillermo del Toro after winning the Oscar for directing, with presenter Emma Stone backstage at the 90th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The greatest thing that art does  and our industry does  is erase the lines in the sand. We should continue doing that when the world tells us to make them deeper. Guillermo del Toro, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro infuses the grotesque with innocence and wonder, as if he has slipped into our dreams and fascinations, not to judge, but to find truth and grace in the dark furrows and creaky hallways of human nature. His characters, often children or those uncorrupted, are drawn into mystical and scary cinematic worlds of fairies, fauns, fallen bombs and, in the case of his best picture winner The Shape of Water, a fish-man in a Cold War parable who awakens the passions of a mute cleaning woman. Del Toro is a filmmaker who explores the soul of the other and how the things that frighten us can also heal and make us whole. I am an immigrant, he said in his acceptance speech Sunday for his directing Oscar for Shape of Water. The greatest thing that art does  and our industry does  is erase the lines in the sand. We should continue doing that when the world tells us to make them deeper. The Shape of Water is the refinement of that quest, a crucible of menace and cruelty that is transformed by the love of two misfits, one of this world, the other an exotic manifestation of another. It is in the subconscious  the flight of imagination  where Del Toro likes to play, notably in Pans Labyrinth, the story of a girl who escapes war and loss through her own fairy tale, and The Devils Backbone, about what lurks in the whispers and darkness at a boarding school. Read MoreMORE PHOTOS: Red carpet | Show highlights | Backstage | Winners  Facebook

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Whats best and worst about awards season? The shoes definitely fall into one of those categories By Los Angeles Times  On the Oscars red carpet, attendees at the 90th Academy Awards reflect on the best and worst parts of awards season. Celebrating with peers, reuniting with castmates, talking about issues and seeing people they dont get to see all the time. These are a few of Oscar-goers favorite things. We asked folks on the Oscars red carpet Sunday about the best and worst parts of awards season, and  on the worst side of the conversation especially  a few themes emerged. Hint: Even the guys were complaining about the shoes. Its a lot of getting swirled up into hair and makeup, and the high heels, Allison Janney said. My foot, I really think I have to get an operation on my foot. SEE PHOTOS FROM THE RED CARPET >> Facebook

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Review: 90th Academy Awards show speaks up yet keeps the smiles coming By Robert Lloyd Jimmy Kimmel, from left, and Oscar winners Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale at the 90th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The 90th edition of the Academy Awards came and went Sunday evening, filling its nearly four hours with laughter and tears, self-mocking and self-celebration and more than a usual amount of music. Jimmy Kimmel hosted for a second time, handily. It was, as always, a long flight, stimulating in its scenic views, enervating in its length. Compared with some earlier years, there was a decided lack of turbulence. There were two main narrative thrusts to the evening, one looking backward, one looking ahead  looking ahead was also looking outward, to a more inclusive film industry. The 90th Oscars ceremony was the reason for the first, which announced itself with a faux-historical, black-and-white newsreel opening and continued through the evening with well-edited montages featuring past winners of major categories. The message seemed to be that movies may have a long way to go in terms of diversity and representation but were always kind of woke: We have much to do, but we have done much. Read MorePHOTOS: Red carpet | Show highlights | Backstage | Winners Facebook

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Mary J. Blige may not have won the Oscar but hers was the winning performance of the night By Mikael Wood Mary J. Blige performs at the 90th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Listen closely, future Academy Awards performers: Do. Not. Let. Mary J. Blige. Sing. Before. You. One of pop musics most deeply committed performers, the veteran R&B artist almost always operates at 110%. And on Sundays Oscars telecast, where she gave the first of the nights performances of the tunes nominated for original song, Blige made the acts that followed look like outmatched beginners. Singing Mighty River from Mudbound  in which her screen performance led to a second Oscar nod, for supporting actress  Blige dug deep into the gospel-fired composition written by her, Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson. She scrunched up her face as though experiencing the pain the song describes in lyrics like Egos a killer / Greed is a monster. She pushed her voice to its breaking point in a line about getting this hurt off me. And she ditched words altogether at one point to embody the type of salvation that can feel like a rivers cleansing waters. Read MoreSEE MORE OSCAR HIGHLIGHTS PHOTOS  Facebook

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Roseanne, House of Cards and Mary Poppins Returns give sneak peeks during Oscars By Libby Hill Move over, Super Bowl. The Oscars are honing in on your trailer territory. Three notable teasers made their debut during Sunday nights ceremony, and they could not be more different. The first look at Disneys Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt in the titular role and Lin-Manuel Miranda, hopes audiences are ready for whimsy. The tease follows a wayward kite as it tumbles through a gray London day, eventually finding new life with a precious ragamuffin and his buddy Miranda. Eventually the skies part and one Mary Poppins appears silhouetted in the sky via the kite. Then theres Poppins. We see Blunt examining herself in a mirror as Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer, playing the (now grown) Banks children from the original film, look on. Mary Poppins, it is wonderful to see you, Whishaw says. Yes, it is, isnt it, Blunt replies, walking away from the mirror, leaving her reflection to give her the side eye. See? Whimsy! Audiences will have plenty of time to decide how Mary Poppins Returns is ruining their childhoods before the film premieres in theaters Dec. 25. Meanwhile, Netflix gave fans their first look at the embattled, Kevin Spacey-less final season of House of Cards. The only suggestion of former President Frank Underwoods (Spacey) existence in the teaser trailer is a presidential portrait in a hallway quickly abandoned for the bustling offices within the White House. The camera weaves its way through the crowd, finally reaching the Oval Office, where President Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) sits at her desk. She turns in her chair, looks at the camera and says, Were just getting started. Hail to the Chief, reads the on-screen message that follows. The show appears to be all systems go despite the November removal of Spacey in the wake of multiple of sexual assault and harassment accusations. Viewers should be able to roll with anything, though. Claire became president during Season 5, and theres apparently nothing more unbelievable than a female president. House of Cards will return in the fall. And finally, Roseanne. ABCs resurrected classic sitcom returns at the end of this month, nearly 21 years after the shows finale in 1997. In the history of television, no family was quite like the Conners, the teaser intones between clips from the original series. Nothing has changed, it concludes before spinning off into new footage from the upcoming season. The gangs (nearly) all here in the teaser, which includes Laurie Metcalf, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, Alicia Goranson and, of course, Roseanne Barr. Roseanne returns March 27. Facebook

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Oscars red carpet: Lets talk about the political movements sweeping Hollywood By Nardine Saad  Thoughts on the movements in Hollywood The political movements mobilizing Hollywood toward inclusion and diversity may seem widespread, but insiders believe that Times Up and #MeToo are only just getting started. In the history of the United States, weve only been talking about sexual violence for four months, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke told The Times on the red carpet. People are already ready to rush to say whats next. We have a lot to unpack where we are right now. As awareness increases, they hope that action does too. One of the most important things we can do is stand up and support women, Oscar winner Common said. If they dont have equality, the world is out of balance. Now its important that we take the things that weve been doing and shift them and figure out ways to implement equality. SEE PHOTOS FROM THE RED CARPET >> Facebook

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After months of #MeToo rage, Oscar night delivered smiles and odes to inclusiveness By Robin Abcarian Annabella Sciorra, from left, Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd backstage at the Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) This was Hollywood at its sanitized best. After months of horrifying revelations about widespread sexual harassment and assault in the industry, the 90th Academy Awards presented a toothless, feel-good nod to the scandal. So many of this years films feature transgressive female characters  Frances McDormands hell-bent mother in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Margot Robbies blue-collar ice dancer in I, Tonya  but little of that anger made it onstage. After winning for lead actress, McDormand asked every female nominee to stand and be acknowledged, a graceful gesture of support by a woman for women. But where you might have expected some righteous rage, Oscar delivered only paeans to inclusiveness. Earlier, a trio of actresses  all of whom were victimized by Harvey Weinstein  stood together onstage and declared that women were finally speaking as a mighty chorus, as one of them, Ashley Judd, put it. Read More Facebook

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Frances McDormand lost her Oscar at the after-parties. Heres how she found it By Amy Kaufman Frances McDormand holds her freshly engraved Oscar at the Governors Ball with her son Pedro by her side. (Angela Weiss / AFP/Getty Images) Somebody tried to steal my Oscar at the Governors Ball. Let me see someone try to pawn that! Oscar winner Frances McDormand Amid the flowing Champagne, towers of seafood and passed plates of Wolfgang Puck cuisine, one of the most bizarre moments following Sundays telecast happened at the Governors Ball when a partygoer swiped Frances McDormands freshly engraved statue. Late in the evening, McDormand was spotted red-faced from laughing and crying after an unidentified man lifted the trophy while she was chatting and darted out of the Ray Dolby Ballroom where the party was being held. At one point, she turned to L.A. Times photographer Jay Clendenin and said, I lost my Oscar. Her handlers quickly rushed over to figure out where the sticky-fingered bandit had gone off to. Read More Facebook

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Elton John Oscar-viewing party raises $5.9 million for his AIDS Foundation Lionel Richie, left, Elton John, Miley Cyrus and Ricky Martin on Sunday. (Michael Kovac / Getty Images) Nearly 1,000 invitees to Elton Johns 26th Academy Awards viewing party raised $5.9 million for his AIDS Foundation on Sunday night in West Hollywood. The tony gathering under white tents set up in West Hollywood Park drew its own bevy of celebrities from film, music, TV and other realms. Among them were Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Billie Jean King, Spike Lee, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Zooey Deschanel, Gladys Knight, Heidi Klum, Ricky Martin, George Hamilton, Jennifer Garner, longtime Grammy Awards telecast executive producer Ken Ehrlich and Johns longtime songwriting collaborator, lyricist Bernie Taupin. Attendees were invited to text in pledges as the Oscar telecast was displayed on multiple screens throughout the room. At one point, audience members were informed it was one of the rare events where its OK to spend the night texting. The evenings host was characteristically resplendent, wearing a rust-colored tux jacket and bejeweled round-frame glasses. He and David Furnish, his husband and event co-creator, thanked guests for their contributions to the foundation, which has raised more than $400 million for various programs aimed at fighting AIDS globally since EJAF was founded in 1992 in the U.S., with a sibling foundation launched the following year in the U.K. A live auction of several artworks and other items generated more than $725,000 on the spot Sunday, a major chunk of that for artist Chris Levines luminescent portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, Lightness of Being, 2018, which sold for $270,000. A Lalique sculpture that John created for the evening sold for $80,000. Following the awards ceremony and live auction, John turned over the annual musical spotlight segment to Michigan-based hard rock band Greta Van Fleet, which let loose with Led Zeppelin-inspired riffs and decibels and high-pitched, Robert Plant-like vocals from lead singer Josh Kiszka. Whoever says rock music is dead is completely wrong, said John, 70. When I first saw them they knocked me out They are going to be one of the biggest bands of the year. Elton John, center, and members of hard-rock band Greta Van Fleet at his AIDS Foundation dinner and concert on Sunday. (Michael Kovac / Getty Images) Facebook

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Taraji P. Henson says she wasnt dissing Ryan Seacrest at the Oscars By Christie DZurilla Taraji P. Henson talks to Ryan Seacrest on the Oscars red carpet Sunday in Hollywood. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Turns out when Taraji P. Henson touched Ryan Seacrest under the chin on the Oscars red carpet, she was actually telling him to keep his chin up. You know what, the universe has a way of taking care of the good people, the actress told the E! News host on Sunday night, flicking a finger under his chin as she continued, You know what I mean? Twitter promptly blew up with people reacting to the moment, both for and against. Of course, the shade supporters drew more media attention, especially because Henson was one of the fewer-than-usual people who stopped to chat with Seacrest amid controversy over harassment accusations of which hes been cleared. Telling People later Sunday that she absolutely supports Seacrest as controversy dogs him, Henson clarified: I did it to keep his chin up. Its an awkward position to be in. Hes been cleared, but anyone can say anything. Too bad we didnt keep watching through the rest of the exchange, which ended this way: The rest of the Taraji P. Henson & Ryan Seacrest interview that people are acting like didnt happen #oscars pic.twitter.com/FifHYePAL7  Siobhan Morris (@siomo) March 5, 2018 In the skeptics defense (and  lets just say it  ours too), Hensons comment to her next interviewer made her Seacrest exchange sound shadier than it turned out to be. Im great now that Im in your company, the actress told ABC Wendi McLendon-Covey. And here we thought Henson was throwing shade and then doubling down. But guess what? Shes just really, really nice. Facebook

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A glimpse behind the scenes at the 90th Academy Awards From Jimmy Kimmels opening monologue to The Shape of Waters best picture win, the 90th Academy Awards was a nearly four-hour long celebration of film. But not all of the evenings magical scenes were shown on screen. Here are some candid behind-the-scenes moments captured backstage at Oscars 2018 that you didnt see on TV. Lead actress winner Frances McDormand, left, backstage with presenters Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence at the 90th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Jordan Peele, who won the Oscar for original screenplay, with presenter Nicole Kidman backstage. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Presenters Tiffany Haddish, left, and Maya Rudolph. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Presenters Gina Rodriguez and Tom Holland backstage at the 90th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Presenter and Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig, right, with fellow presenter Laura Dern backstage at the 90th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) SEE MORE BACKSTAGE PHOTOS >> Facebook

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How The Shape of Water became the first sci-fi film to win best picture By Glenn Whipp Producer and director Guillermo del Toro, left, and producter J. Miles Dale pose in the press room of the 90th Academy Awards. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images) Love is much stronger than hatred, and its much more powerful than fear.  Love is the antidote to what were living through today. Guillermo del Toro, filmmaker How did The Shape of Water, a movie about a mute cleaning woman falling truly, madly, deeply in love with a fish-man, wind up winning the Oscar for best picture? It starts with the power of love, the films Oscar-winning director, Guillermo del Toro, says. Love is much stronger than hatred, and its much more powerful than fear, Del Toro told The Times in a November interview. Love is the antidote to what were living through today. Read More Facebook

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The Shape of Water wins best picture at the 90th Academy Awards on a night that balanced celebration and politics By Josh Rottenberg The Shape of Water director Guillermo del Toro holds one of his Oscars after the 90th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Bringing an end to one of the most wide open best picture races in years, The Shape of Water  a fantastical fable about a mute woman who falls in love with an aquatic creature  claimed the top prize Sunday night at the 90th Academy Awards, beating out a strong field of eight rivals that included box office hits such as Dunkirk and Get Out as well as smaller, more intimate fare such as Call Me By Your Name and Lady Bird. Marking a moment of redemption for the Academy Awards themselves, the award was presented by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, central players in last years shocking mix-up in which the musical La La Land was mistakenly named best picture over the actual winner, Moonlight. (This year, when you hear your name called, dont get up right away, returning host Jimmy Kimmel joked in one of several nods to the bungle throughout the night. Give us a minute. We dont want another thing.) In contrast to last years chaos, this years wins proceeded in an orderly fashion, with many awards going to first-timers. Read More Facebook

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Fox Searchlight dominates Oscars, with strong showing from Warner Bros. By David Ng The Shape of Water producer-director Guillermo Del Toro, left, and producer J. Miles Dale at the 90th Academy Awards. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Buoyed by The Shape of Water, Fox Searchlight Pictures took home more Oscars than any other studio at the 90th Academy Awards on Sunday with six statuettes. The best picture victory for Shape extends Searchlights enviable winning streak, which has seen the independent film label score best picture for Birdman, 12 Years a Slave and Slumdog Millionaire in the last 10 years. Warner Bros. put in a strong showing with five Oscars in the technical categories for Dunkirk and Blade Runner 2049, and Universal received four statuettes. Fox was the leader going into Sundays ceremony with 27 nominations, with Searchlight accounting for 20 of those. Shapes Guillermo del Toro singled out the indie studio in his acceptance speech for directing. Read More Facebook

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With an Oscar win for A Fantastic Woman, transgender rights take the spotlight By Jeffrey Fleishman Sebastian Lelio, winner of the award for foreign language film for A Fantastic Woman. (Jordan Strauss / Invision / Associated Press) Im on Jupiter. I cant believe that this happened. It is a film that has managed to contribute to a necessary and urgent conversation. Sebastian Lelio on A Fantastic Woman Sebastian Lelios A Fantastic Woman, which won the Academy Award for foreign-language film, is an unrepentant fable in a time when transgender people and others in the LGBTQ community are demanding wider rights in countries, including Chile, that have treated them as deviants and curiosities. The film follows Marina (played by transgender actress Daniela Vega) in a quiet rebellion for dignity against condescension and relentless humiliation. A Fantastic Woman opens with Marina and her lover Orlando (Francisco Reyes) out on a date in Santiago. Things turn tragic when Orlando falls ill and dies. Marina grieves but also endures the scorn  both pointed and subtle  of a woman who is held in suspicion by Orlandos family and the police. She moves through the story stunned but with the accustomed indignation that comes with being the other. In one scene, investigators subject her to a strip search, embarrassing her in the glare of florescent light. Orlandos ex-wife, Sonia (Aline Kuppenheim), tells Marina with disdain: When I look at you. I dont know what Im seeing. But she is unbroken; each slight brings a renewed resolve that has made the movie a bellwether for the transgender movement. Read More Facebook

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Gary Oldman has regrets, even after his Oscar win By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Gary Oldman in the Oscars photo room. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Gary Oldman won his first Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, and even though the film is set during World War II the actor feels it still speaks to today. [Director] Joe [Wright] would say that part of the movie is about doubt. But those insecurities and fears, we want to do things with the best intentions, and I would like to give people the benefit of the doubt and say they are motivated by a good heart and that they have the best intentions, Oldman said in the press room backstage after his Oscar win. When you are in a position like I think Winston was in 1940, he sends 4,000 men to their deaths to save 300,000  in war, those are the types of decisions you have to make. Then of course I dont know how you would sleep soundly in your bed on the evening you sent 4,000 men to their death. And I think we  not to that extent, but most people in the audience, theyve got financial burdens  theyre trying to put the kids through college or they have illness or sickness in their family. Weve all got  and certainly I know I do, you know regrets and things. Thats the worst thing you can do as an artist is you can  second guess. I still sometimes have that little demon, that little voice. The four actors Oldman trumped for the award include previous winner Denzel Washington and Daniel Day-Lewis and relative newcomers Timothee Chalamet and Daniel Kaluuya. He had especially kind words for Chalamet, a critics favorite who had triumphed one day earlier at the Spirit Awards (where Oldman was not nominated). Im thrilled for Chalamet, Oldman said. Hes a lovely kid, and he really is, hes a kid and hes a charmer, hugely talented and I said to him tonight, in the words of Arnie, youll be back. Facebook

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Rachel Shenton fulfills promise to Silent Child star, signs Oscars speech By Nardine Saad The Silent Child writer Rachel Shenton signed along to her acceptance speech when she won the Oscar for live-action short film. Joined onstage by the director, Chris Overton, also her fiance, Shenton said she promised their 6-year-old lead actress Maisie Sly that shed do it. Our movie is about a deaf child being born into a world of silence. Its not exaggerated or sensationalized for the movie. This is happening. Millions of children all over the world live in silence and face communication barriers and particularly access to education, Shenton said. Deafness is a silent disability. You cant see it and its not life-threatening, she continued. So I want to say the biggest of thank yous to the Academy for allowing us to put this in front of a mainstream audience. Shentons speech was a throwback to that of Oscar-winning actress Louise Fletcher. The One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest star famously used sign language during her 1976 speech to express her gratitude to her parents. Facebook

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Guillermo del Toro lauds Mexican storytellers after Oscar wins By Sonaiya Kelley Director Guillermo del Toro, left, and producer J. Miles Dale of The Shape of Water, pose for photos at the 90th Academy Awards. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Guillermo del Toro, who won two of the nights top honors (director and best picture for The Shape of Water), arrived at the press room after the show with the films producer, J. Miles Dale in tow. The Mexican director volleyed questions in both English and Spanish about diversity and the significance of Mexican storytellers and stories. What we have to bring to the world discourse, to the world conversation is extremely important, he said. Its honoring your roots and honoring your country. The director said his next stop would be back to Mexico, where hes going to see his parents. With these two, he said, gesturing to his awards. Del Toro was also asked what else is going on at Fox Searchlight. Its above my pay grade, he said. But what I know is Im continuing conversations with them about future projects. When asked why he chose to set The Shape of Water in Baltimore, Del Toro said he fell in love with the the city as a kid via Barry Levinsons The Baltimore Trilogy. I think that those three films, Avalon, Diner and Tin Man, are fabulous landmarks of American cinema, he said. Through Shape of Water, which took home four statues Sunday night, the director sought to draw a parallel to Levinsons Tin Man, particularly with the Cadillacs and their symbolic representation of American. I loved the setting, he said of the city. And I know we screwed up with the accent, Im aware of that. But what I wanted was to capture that flavor. Its such an interesting mixture, the Catholic, the industrial, how near it is to the ocean. Anything left to say? Oh, yes, a lot, he said. I have a lot of cousins, man. Facebook

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Guillermo del Toros speech for director celebrated the power of filmmaking By Los Angeles Times Staff  Guillermo del Toro wins the 2018 Academy Award for directing for The Shape of Water. Accepting his Oscar for director on Sunday, Guillermo del Toro extolled the virtues of filmmaking. I am an immigrant like [fellow Mexican directors] Alfonso [Cuaron] and Alejandro [G. Inarritu], my compadres. Like Gael [Garcia Bernal], like Salma [Hayek] and like many, many of you. In the last 25 years Ive been living in a country all of our own. Part of it is here, part of it is in Europe, part of it is everywhere. Because I think that the greatest thing our art does and our industry does is to erase the lines in the sand. We should continue doing that when the world tells us to make them deeper. The place I like to live the most is at Fox Searchlight because in 2014, they came to listen to a mad pitch with some drawings and the story and a maquette. And they believed that a fairy tale about an amphibian god and mute woman done in the style of Douglas Sirk, and a musical and a thriller was a sure bet. I want to thank the people that have come with me all the way: Kimmy, Robert, Gary, Wayne and George. And my kids. And I wanna say, like Jimmy Cagney said once, My mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my brothers and sisters thank you. And I thank you very much. Facebook

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For Jordan Peele, his Oscar win for Get Out marks the beginning of a movement for black directors By Trevell Anderson Jordan Peele, backstage with his Oscar for original screenplay for Get Out. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Am I about to be auctioned off right now? Thats how Jordan Peele started off his question-and-answer session backstage at the Academy Awards on Sunday, when the Get Out writer-director faced a crowd of reporters after winning the Oscar for best original screenplay. He noted the honor was about more than him. I didnt know how important this was, he said. I always wanted this, but the campaign is grueling and there were times where I questioned what it was all about [because] youre watching your last jumpshot for a year. As an artist, that doesnt feel right. But when the nominations came out, Peele said, he had that amazing feeling of looking at that 12-year-old that had this burning in my gut for this type of validation, and I instantly realized that an award like this is much bigger than me. This is about paying it forward to the young people. After the academy announced his nomination, he was reminded of Whoopi Goldbergs 1991 Oscar acceptance speech for best supporting actress in Ghost. He reached out to her, he said, and thanked her for telling young people who maybe doubted themselves that they could do it. Peele said that when he was younger, he longed for role models but found few beyond Spike Lee, John Singleton and Mario and Melvin Van Peebles. He is happy to be a role model for those coming behind him, along with the likes of directors Ava DuVernay, Ryan Coogler, Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and F. Gary Gray (Friday). Its a renaissance, he said of this moment when films like DuVernays A Wrinkle in Time and Cooglers Black Panther will be in the cinematic conversation at the same time. Im glad to be part of a time, the beginning of a movement, where the best films of every genre are being brought to me by my fellow black directors. Facebook

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More from Oscar winner Frances McDormand on inclusion rider (she just learned about it too) By Jessica Gelt Frances McDormand onstage after winning the Oscar for lead actress. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Frances McDormand arrived in the press room after winning the Oscar for her work in Martin McDonaghs Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and she had just been informed of the online confusion that arose after she ended her rousing acceptance speech with two words: inclusion rider. I just found out about this last week  there has always been available to everybody that does negotiation on film, an inclusion rider, which means you can ask for, and/or demand, at least 50% diversity, in not only the casting, but in the crew, so I just learned that after 35 years of being in the film business: Were not going back, she said to loud applause. McDormand stopped short of saying that this year was a historic year for the idea of inclusion, instead citing the 2017 win of the indie-film-that-could, Moonlight, as the beginning of the tide that has swept the industry. When someone pointed out that Three Billboards has started a movement, with social justice billboards cropping up in Florida in the name of gun control and in front of the United Nations about the Syrian crisis, McDormand became animated. Recently my husband and I were in London, and we went to Tate Modern and saw an exhibition about the Russian Revolution and the propaganda that was used, she said. Now, that revolution didnt go too well, so we dont want to think too much about that  but red and black is a really good choice, and Martin McDonagh knew that. He was involved in the choice to use that kind of iconography. Billboards still work  they still work, she said. Thats the kind of power that an image can have, and thats what were making  were making powerful images. After only five minutes McDormand, the woman of the hour, was whisked away, but not before she was asked about the impact Three Billboards will have in China where it was just released. Are they going to see it? McDormand asked of Chinese audiences. When she was told that so far it has only made about $1 million in box office revenue she said, We need to get a little more people in cinemas. It is not America  does not represent America  but it represents a really good conversation about compassion and inclusion. Facebook

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Oscars fashion poll: You thought the best-dressed stars were Chadwick Boseman, Allison Williams and Darrell Britt-Gibson By Valli Herman Margot Robbie, left, Chadwick Boseman and Nicole Kidman attends the 90th Academy Awards. (Matt Petit / A.M.P.A.S via Getty Images) We did an Instagram poll during the Oscars on Sunday to find out what our followers thought were the best/worst looks on the red carpet. Like todays political climate, there were a few truly polarizing choices. Overwhelmingly, viewers appeared to like risk-taking menswear, whether it meant pink satin jackets, all-white ensembles or regally embellished coats. Initially ridiculed, now ankle-high mens trousers appear to have passed the acceptance test. For men, there was a tie. Top honors went to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri co-star Darrell Britt-Gibson. The views on womens wear were less unified. Though previous Oscar winner Rita Morenos historic, vintage dress was the most talked about of the night, it wasnt the most loved. That honor for women went to Get Out co-star Allison Williams and her very proper, princess-y dress. Given how simpler, classic looks scored better overall than the avant garde, perhaps now we know why women play it so safe on the red carpet. Here are the results of our Instagram poll from just after the conclusion of the 90th Academy Awards: Allison Williams: 92% best, 8% worst Allison Janney: 87% best, 13% worst Rita Moreno: 60% best, 40% worst Daniel Kaluuya: 75% best, 25% worst Mary J. Blige: 72% best, 28% worst Darrell Britt-Gibson: 90% best, 10% worst Taraji P. Henson: 74% best, 26% worst St. Vincent: 12% best, 88% worst Greta Gerwig: 81% best, 19% worst Chadwick Boseman: 90% best, 10% worst Timothee Chalamet: 71% best, 29% worst Saoirse Ronan: 66% best, 34% worst Facebook

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Netflix earns its first feature film Oscar as Icarus wins in the documentary category By Mark Olsen This years nominees for documentary feature all had some pretty phenomenal stories behind the scenes along with what went on the screen. The Oscar went to Icarus, a real-life espionage story about Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, a scientist turned whistleblower who helped bring down the immense state-sponsored apparatus in place for the illicit doping of Russian Olympic athletes. The win marked the first Oscar to go to a feature film from the streaming service Netflix. Read More Facebook

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Watch Jimmy Kimmels Oscars opening monologue By Christie DZurilla In the 90th Oscars opening monologue, host Jimmy Kimmel riffed on last years best picture gaffe, Harvey Weinstein and the representation of women and minorities in Hollywood. And he actually made those things kind of funny. All that with only about a bajillion Swarovski crystals sparkling on the set behind him. Hey, it is Hollywood. Check out Kimmels opening monologue in the video above, or if you just want the highlights, read on. Read More Facebook

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Obviously Olympic skaters Mirai Nagasu and Adam Rippon were rooting for I, Tonya By Jen Yamato Mirai Nagasu, left, and Adam Rippon on the Oscars red carpet. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Mingling near the Oscars lobby bar, Olympic skaters Mirai Nagasu and Adam Rippon just barely missed a swiftly exiting Margot Robbie as the I, Tonya star rushed back into the Dolby Theatre for presenting duties. The Pyeongchang bronze medalists, who were at the 90th Academy Awards for Access Hollywood, were of course rooting for Robbie, who portrayed Tonya Harding in the biopic. Were having a great time! said Rippon, whose harness-couture evening wear was the eye-catching talk of the red carpet. At least a few of their faves already collected gold statuettes. I was really rooting for Coco and also Allison Janney, Nagasu said with a smile. We feel like weve been rooting for all the right people. What did the Olympians think of I,Tonya? We loved it, Rippon raved. We thought it was awesome. Nagasu said she wasnt born during I, Tonya times. I didnt really know what Tonya was feeling, and looking at it from her perspective as well was really enjoyable, she added. Last month Nagasu hit a milestone reminiscent of the real Harding, becoming the first American female skater to land a triple axel at the Olympics. The next goal on Rippon and Nagasus Oscar night agenda? A face-to-face meeting with Robbie. Facebook

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Allison Janneys next move after her Oscar win? Back to Mom tomorrow morning By Trevell Anderson Allison Janney backstage at the 90th Academy Awards. (Matt Petit / Getty Images) Allison Janney is a Hollywood veteran whose career began in 1993 with a role on daytime TVs Guiding Light. And now, shes an Oscar winner after taking home the Academy Award for supporting actress Sunday night for her role in I, Tonya. I didnt dare to dream of things like this because I didnt want to be disappointed, she said, adding that at one point she had given up because she wasnt getting the roles that would allow her to flex her acting muscles. But [I, Tonya writer] Steven Rogers did [that] for me, [which allowed me] to show a different side of me and show what I could do, she continued. Its an extraordinary gift hes given to me. I think Im going to get him a Rolex and engrave it on the back. Still, shes not going to allow the Oscar win to alter her work ethic in any way. I have to be at a table read for Mom at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning so Im going right back to work, she said, referencing the CBS sitcom in which she stars. Im happy to have a job after something like this because it can go to your head. Im going to have a big crash-down after this so Im happy to have the folks of Mom to lift me up. Facebook

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Watch Frances McDormands rousing speech that just fired up the Oscars By Los Angeles Times Staff  Frances McDormand wins the 2018 Academy Award for actress in a leading role for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Chances are youll be hearing about Frances McDormands triumphant Oscars acceptance speech for actress in a leading role Sunday night for her performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. And for good reason. Heres what she said: OK, so Im hyperventilating a little bit. If I fall over, pick me up cause Ive got some things to say. I think this is what [Olympic gold medalist] Chloe Kim must have felt like after doing back-to-back 1080s in the Olympic halfpipe. Did you see that? OK, thats what it feels like. I want to thank Martin McDonagh [who created Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri]  look what you did. We are a bunch of hooligans and anarchists, but we do clean up nice. I want to thank every single person in this building and my sister Dorothy. I love you, Dot. I especially want to thank my clan, [husband] Joel Coen and [son] Pedro McDormand Coen. These two stalwart individuals were well-raised by their feminist mothers. They value themselves, each other and those around them. I know you are proud of me, and that fills me with everlasting joy. And now I want to get some perspective. If I may be so honored to have all the female nominees in every category stand with me in this room tonight: the actors  Meryl, if you do it, everybody else will, cmon!  the filmmakers, the producers, the directors, the writers, the cinematographers, the composers, the songwriters, the designers. OK, look around, everybody. Look around, ladies and gentlemen, because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed. Dont talk to us about it at the parties tonight. Invite us into your office in a couple days, or you can come to ours, whatever suits you best, and well tell you all about them. I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider. And for what its worth, Olympian Chloe Kim obviously appreciated the shout-out in McDormands speech. Hey Frances let's go snowboarding sometime   Chloe Kim (@ChloeKim) March 5, 2018 Facebook

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Im shedding scales! Sally Hawkins tears of joy turn to sequins after Shape of Waters Oscar win By Amy Kaufman Sally Hawkins, center, with Guillermo del Toro, Doug Jones and Octavia Spencer after The Shape of Waters best picture win. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images) After the 90th Academy Awards broadcast wrapped, The Shape of Water crew reveled under the glittering awards set. Sally Hawkins, wiping tears out of her eyes, looked down at her dress and realized she had left a pool of sequins to her right. She laughed and said, Im shedding scales! Facebook

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Oscar-winning Coco songwriters on learning to appreciate the Day of the Dead and paying tribute to mom By Jessica Gelt Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez hold their Academy Awards for original song, Remember Me from Coco. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) After the husband-and-wife songwriting team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez took home an Oscar on Sunday for the song Remember Me from Coco, their thank-yous in the backstage press room fittingly included a beloved family member who recently died. Coco centers on the practice of mourning the departed through the Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead. That tradition proved healing to Robert Lopez after his mother died in August and his family honored her in early November, when the Day of the Dead honors lost loved ones. She was the main force in my childhood who encouraged me to play piano and write music, and go for my dream, Robert Lopez said in the press room. She told him if he didnt practice she would make him eat the piano, Kristen Anderson-Lopez said. Remember Me is a song about leaving people you love, Robert said. We sang it at the funeral, and it was very important in helping me in heal. From now on, the couples family will celebrate Day of the Dead like Christmas and Halloween, Kristen said. Because loss is inevitable.  I want to pass that tradition on to our daughters. The pair did not dare dream of another Oscar win after nabbing their first for the epic ballad Let It Go from the 2014 animated feature Frozen. The timing of this win, however, was serendipitous, since they just wrapped up the first week of previews for stage adaptation of Frozen at the St. James Theatre on Broadway. The musical includes new songs by the couple. The Lopezes talked about the importance of Coco to the Spanish-speaking world. Robert lamented that even though his family immigrated from the Philippines  his father was born on a boat on the way from Manila  he never learned Spanish himself. Its one of the great regrets of my life, he said, concluding, Ive always felt other even though I was assimilated.  I want to encourage every brown kid to pursue their dream just like my mom did. Facebook

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Whats an inclusion rider? Frances McDormand mystifies at the Oscars By Libby Hill  Frances McDormand wins the 2018 Academy Award for actress in a leading role for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. To conclude her powerful speech at the Oscars, Frances McDormand invoked two words: inclusion rider. But what is an inclusion rider, exactly? In a 2016 TED Talk, Annenberg Inclusion Initiative founder and director Stacy Smith explained the advantages of actors including such a rider in their contracts. Smith, an associate professor at USCs School of Communication, said that a typical film features around 45 speaking roles and that theres no reason that the cast, outside of the leads, shouldnt reflect the demography of the films location. An equity rider by an A-lister in their contract can stipulate that those roles reflect the world in which we actually live, Smith said. Now, theres no reason why a network, a studio or a production company cannot adopt the same contractual language in their negotiation processes. McDormands words sparked enough interest that the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative tweeted a brief explanation after her remarks. For those of you asking about the #InclusionRider, its designed to ensure equitable hiring in supportive roles for women, POC, the LGBT community, & people w/disabilities. You heard McDormand, Hollywood: Get those inclusion riders and make films reflect reality. Watch the whole of Smiths TED Talk here. For those of you asking about the #InclusionRider, it's designed to ensure equitable hiring in supportive roles for women, POC, the LGBT community, & people w/disabilities. #DrStacySmith worked with @KalpanaKotagal to craft the language. Contact us to learn more.  Annenberg Inclusion Initiative (@Inclusionists) March 5, 2018 Facebook

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Backstage with Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty and this years PwC accountant before Oscars best picture redo Faye Dunaway, left, and Warren Beatty present the award for best picture at the Oscars. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press) Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were waiting in the wings backstage at the Oscars, and Dunaway seemed nervous. She noticed a camera snapping photos in her direction and became distressed. Even though the photographer said he was not taking her pictures, she shooed him away. Can you walk away? I dont want cameras. I dont want anyone near me. What can we do about all these cameras? She paced in the wings while she read her lines. This year, there would be no Oscar snafu. She paused to watch the actress reel and exclaimed excitedly when Laurie Metcalf popped up on screen. I love her. She was amazing in Dolls House, Part 2,

she said, referencing Metcalfs Tony-winning performance on Broadway. Once Beatty and Dunaway took the stage and began their presentation, one of the PwC accountants who replaced last years wrong-envelope accountants watched the monitor closely as Shape of Water was announced, shaking her head in the affirmative. Awesome, awesome show, the stage manager said, embracing her as she let out a huge sigh of relief. Facebook

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Yes, Tiffany Haddish swapped her Jimmy Choo stilettos for Uggs By Khanh T.L. Tran Presenters Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph backstage at the 90th Academy Awards. (Al Seib) At the Oscars, rising star Tiffany Haddish pulled off what many Angelenos do in the privacy of their own home. In front of millions of viewers, the breakout star of Girls Trip swapped her shimmery Jimmy Choo stilettos for comfy Ugg slippers. For her funny skit onstage with Maya Rudolph, the 38-year-old comedian slid her tired feet into a suede and shearling style called the Coquette. It was the second wardrobe change Haddish made that evening. She arrived at the 90th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in a traditional Eritrean dress as a tribute to her late father who came from the African nation. Before she cut up the audience with Rudolph, she switched into a white Alexander McQueen gown that she first wore at the premiere for Girls Trip last July and then repeated when she hosted Saturday Night Live the following November. After all, the form-fitting dress with a bejeweled collar and a high side slit cost $4,000 of her hard-earned money. As she stated in her SNL monologue: I feel like I should be able to wear what I want, when I want, however many times I want, as long as I Febreze it. Facebook

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Team behind Oscar-winning Coco on the importance of representation By Sonaiya Kelley Lee Unkrich, left, Adrian Molina, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt and Darla K. Anderson from Coco backstage at the Oscars. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Representation was a major point of conversation in the press room after Coco won the award for animated feature at the 90th Academy Awards on Sunday night. Directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina and producer Darla K. Anderson fielded questions and compliments about the films inclusivity and diversity. It takes an awareness of the fact that strong storytellers come from all sorts of places, said Molina. At Pixar we work very hard to show that films about communities of color, films that come from particular places, have resonance that can reach across the world. Weve seen that with Coco, weve seen that with Black Panther, and I think youre going to see it with a lot of other films in the future. Molina was also asked about his Mexican heritage and what it meant to him to help bring a story about his own culture to the big screen. Of all of the people at Pixar who, when they heard that me and Darla would be making a film about Mexico and Dia de los Muertos, I was one of the people who said, I need to work on that film, he said. So much of my experience growing up, so much of the pride coming from family and a place that is proud of who they are to have this opportunity to reflect all of those experiences with a wonderful team at Pixar, was something that I knew if not now, than when? When the filmmakers started making Coco six years ago, It was a very different political climate, of course, than it is now, said Lee. While we were making the film, we had a change in presidency and a lot of things started to be said about Mexico and about Mexican Americans that was unacceptable, he added. And while we were making the film, we began to feel a new urgency to get the movie out into the world. To get a positive message about the beauty of Mexico, the beauty of the Mexican people, the beauty of their culture and traditions into the world and also to give Mexican American kids something to look up to, something to aspire to, to see a bit of themselves up on-screen. The importance of a film like Coco was not lost on Lee, who aimed to keep the story as true to life as possible. We tried to make the best film, the most authentic, the most respectful film that we could, Lee said. It just means the world to us that the film ended up being the biggest movie of all time in Mexico and that its done so well all around the world, including places like China that you wouldnt expect a film like Coco to do well in. Facebook

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Heres why Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster presenting an Oscar tonight was a big deal By Nardine Saad Jodie Foster, left, and Jennifer Lawrence speak onstage during the 90th Academy Awards. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images) Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Fosters appearance at Sundays Oscars bucked tradition, but was not totally unexpected. The Oscar-winning actresses presented the award for lead actress to Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri star Frances McDormand. They ribbed Meryl Streep during their presentation and praised the trailblazing actresses who share the honor with them. But something was different this time. Lawrence and Foster stepped in when Casey Affleck withdrew from the show in January in the wake of the #MeToo and Times Up movements coursing through Hollywood and beyond. Historically, the lead actress prize is presented by the previous years lead actor winner. We appreciate the decision to keep the focus on the show and on the great work of this year, an academy spokesperson said when Affleck bowed out. Allegations of past misconduct dogged the Manchester by the Sea star last awards season as he swept the lead actor honor. In 2010 he settled with two female crew members who sued him after accusing him of sexual misconduct on the set of his directorial effort Im Still Here, which filmed in 2009. Affleck was also the subject of 2016 lead actress Brie Larsons silent protest at the 2017 Oscars when she refused to clap for him upon presenting him with his prize. Foster won lead actress Oscars for The Accused (1988) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and was nominated for two other films. Lawrence won her lead actress Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and was nominated three other times. Facebook

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Roger Deakins, after winning an Oscar at long last: A big part of me was saying, please, please, no By Jessica Gelt Roger Deakins with Sandra Bullock backstage after winning the Oscar for cinematography for Blade Runner 2049. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The wait is over for Blade Runner 2049 cinematographer Roger Deakins, who finally won an Oscar after 14 nominations that go back to 1994s The Shawshank Redemption. Deakins was unfazed in the press room when a reporter mentioned that he began his career in the era of film stock. On the way here, I was just reminded that one of the early films I did was Sid and Nancy with Gary Oldman, he said. So amazing to be with Gary in the same space. I dont know, what can I say? Deakins also addressed the challenges of creating a sequel to Ridley Scotts original 1982 neo-noir sci-fi classic. Its all a part of your film memory, but this was very much Denis film, Deakins said, a reference to director Denis Villeneuve. But when youre aware of whats come before, I think what [Blade Runner cinematographer] Jordan [Cronenweth] did on that film was stunning, but Im a different person. He also said that after so many years of coming close but not winning the prize, he developed a sense of hesitation. A big part of me was saying, please, please, no, he said of the prospect of taking the statue. But its great because Ive worked with a lot of the same people on my crew for years and years, and I feel its recognition for their work  I really do  and I know theyre watching in New York and London and Budapest, and I wish I could thank each and every one of them. Read Times staff writer Josh Rottenbergs interview with Hollywoods master of light. Facebook

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Keala Settle doesnt hold back onstage in song or backstage about Jordan Peele at the Oscars By Amy Kaufman Keala Settle performs This Is Me from The Greatest Showman at the Oscars on Sunday. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP)) The crowd in the backstage wings erupted when Jordan Peele won his screenwriting award, but it was The Greatest Showman star Keala Settle who was most excited for him. Yes! Yesssss! Y-y-y-es! she shouted as he was making his acceptance speech. As he exited the stage, she pumped her fist in his direction. Bro! BROOOO! After bringing down the house with a performance of the nominated song This Is Me from The Greatest Showman, she emerged backstage and shouted a phrase we cant print in this publication, Yes,  ! After taking a few moments to catch her breath, she looked at a stagehand. Um, can I go? On her way out, production staffers kept stopping her to congratulate her on her performance. Man, you guys are nice! Facebook

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Were with Sofia Coppola. Red-carpet fashion could use some more personality By Valli Herman Sofia Coppola photographed in Los Angeles on Nov. 10, 2017. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Were with director Sofia Coppola, who recently wrote an essay for W magazine lamenting the sterile perfection on the red carpet. I miss the days before actresses hired stylists, when women dressed themselves for formal events, Coppola said. There was personality, style  and mistakes. No doubt minutes after the best picture Oscar is awarded this year, it will be hard to remember who wore what  and perhaps worse, you wont care that you cant recall. However, if you need a real reminder, check out our best/worst gallery of red-carpet looks from the 90th Academy Awards. Read More Facebook

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89-year-old James Ivory on his long-awaited first Oscar win: It feels good... Its mine. By Trevell Anderson James Ivory, winner of the Oscar for adapted screenplay, for Call Me by Your Name poses backstage at the Oscars. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) With James Ivorys win for best adapted screenplay for Call Me by Your Name, he became the oldest person ever to take home the golden Oscars statue. And hes taking the honor in stride. Ninety years for anything you do is extraordinary, he said, about the age hes turning in June. Having won the Oscar at that age seems like a hiccup in nature. It feels good to be holding onto that Oscar. Its mine. Ivorys win is something of a marvel, considering the industry veteran has never taken home one before. With a career spanning more than six decades, he has done more than direct, and sometimes write, great films; he helped shape American cinema. From the mid-80s until the mid-90s, the films of Merchant Ivory Productions, which he led with his late life partner, Ismail Merchant, and their late longtime writing collaborator Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, were such a dominant force at the box office and during awards season that Merchant Ivory became a genre unto itself. Ivory directed almost all of them, and although A Room With a View, Maurice, Howards End and Remains of the Day, among others, nabbed countless Oscar nominations (including three for Ivory) and at least six wins, this years writing honor for adapting the gay love story Call Me by Your Name is his first. Im glad it was an Oscar for writing, he said. Facebook

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If you noticed Guillermo del Toros pocket square, heres the story behind it By Valli Herman Guillermo del Toro, left, arrives with Doug Jones at the 90th Annual Academy. (Angela Weiss / AFP/Getty Images) After the Times Up pin, the second-most common mens accessory may have been a particular pocket square worn by many of the male nominees from The Shape of Water. Throughout awards season, the teal silk pocket square has been a signature look for the films director Guillermo del Toro, set decorator Shane Vieau and costume designer Luis Sequeira. Created by production designer Paul Austerberry, the fabric was custom printed with the water-inspired wallpaper pattern that lined the hallway outside Elisa and Giles apartments in the film. Facebook

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Kobe Bryant backstage at the Oscars: Thanks to Oprah and Shonda By Jessica Gelt Kobe Bryant in the Oscars press room. (Frederic J. Brown) After Kobe Bryant won an Oscar for best animated short, the former NBA champion took a question backstage in the press room about his sheroes by naming two Hollywood powers: Oprah Winfrey and Shonda Rhimes. The first person I called was Oprah, Bryant said of his decision to start his own studio, adding that Winfrey has long been a mentor and that she spent over an hour with him on the phone, going into great detail about how she built her studio, Harpo. Rhimes invited him to visit her production company, Shondaland, Bryant said. Shonda Rhimes is absolutely amazing, he said, adding, when you have mentors like that in your life, you get to learn from the best of the best. The scene backstage made for an interesting moment in the #metoo era, as social media was awash in consternation about the win for Bryant, accused of rape in 2004. That case was settled out of court in 2005. None of this, however, was mentioned when Bryant took questions in the press room, where he appeared thrilled and breathless and was greeted with loud applause. It feels better than winning a championship, to be honest, Bryant said. As a kid I grew up dreaming of winning a championship, but to have something like this coming out of left field  people asked, What do you want to do when you retire? and I said, writer. And they were like, Thats cute, but to be here right now, to have a sense of validation  its crazy, man. Whats the difference between playing basketball and writing for film? Playing basketball, the hardest thing to do is get out of the way of yourself, he said. As a writer you have to get in a deeper connection with yourself, to understand your fears beneath the surface, to communicate with them. Asked if he struggled working to establish himself in a new field, Bryant was sanguine. Ive been hard at work for the last two years focusing on novels, writing a series of books that were looking forward to bringing those to the market, he said. When you start over you have to quiet the ego  begin again. My advice to athletes first and foremost is to do the thing that you love to do. I wake up in the morning and I cant wait to go to the studio. The films score was by the inimitable John Williams, and Bryant was awed by the experience of working with the film legend. Williams told Bryant that each key has its own soul. Hes a real Obi-Wan Kenobi, Bryant said. He was so energized he nearly knocked me over. Facebook

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Something up their sleeve? More standout looks from the Oscars By Valli Herman Salma Hayek Pinault and husband Francois-Henri Pinault at the Oscars on Sunday. (Jordan Strauss / Invision/AP) With slit sleeves cascading to the floor, Allison Janney swept along the Oscar red carpet in a vivid red Reem Acra gown that captured a growing trend  interesting sleeves. Notable sleeve details provided a bit of cover to otherwise-bare shoulders or plain gowns. On the simple side: Laura Derns sheath with a capelet sleeve by Calvin Klein by Appointment and Mary J. Bliges white Atelier Versace gown with an asymmetric sleeve detail. Laura Dern wearing Calvin Klein (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Salma Hayek Pinault took the look to the max in a love-it-or-hate-it Gucci laden with heavy swags of crystals draped along her chest and shoulders. Read More Facebook

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Star Wars has not won an Oscar since 1981 By Libby Hill Star Wars: The Last Jedi actors Oscar Isaac, left, Mark Hamill and Kelly Marie Tran present at Sundays Oscars. (Chris Pizzello / Invision/Associated Press) Mark Hamill, Kelly Marie Tran, Oscar Isaac and BB-8 took the stage at the 2018 Oscars to present the awards for animated short and animated feature. But their film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, ended the night winless, extending the franchises Oscars drought. Its been 40 years since George Lucas and his galactic fairy tale made their debut at the Academy Awards, and Star Wars has made itself at home in the years since. But while the franchise has racked up a respectable 33 nominations, spread over nine films (including 2016s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), the series hasnt brought an Oscar home since 1981. The galaxy far, far away had by far its most successful showing at the 1978 ceremony, where Star Wars: A New Hope won six categories, including film editing, score and visual effects. (Fun fact: George Lucas has never won an Oscar for the Star Wars franchise. His ex-wife, Marcia Lucas, has won an Oscar for the films, thanks for her part in editing the original film.) A New Hope garnered the most nominations among Star Wars films at the Oscars, with 10 nominations. At the 1981 awards, heat for the series was already fading, with The Empire Strikes Back earning three nominations but only one win. Empires win for best sound is the last Oscar the franchise has earned, special achievement awards notwithstanding. But Oscar nominations continue to roll in for the Star Wars universe. Heres a look at how nominations break down by picture. Star Wars: A New Hope  6 wins, 10 nominations Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back  1 win, 3 nominations Star Wars: Return of the Jedi  4 nominations Star Wars: The Phantom Menace  3 nominations Star Wars: Attack of the Clones  1 nomination Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith  1 nomination Star Wars: The Force Awakens  5 nominations Rogue One: A Star Wars Story  2 nominations Star Wars: The Last Jedi  4 nominations Well see how the next Star Wars film fares next year. For more historical Academy Awards moments, check out the Times Oscar timeline. Facebook

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Times Up has its Oscars moment and touts diversity, inclusion and intersectionality By Nardine Saad Ashley Judd, Annabella Sciorra and Salma Hayek speak at the Oscars. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press) Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein  a perennial Oscars fixture  wasnt at Sundays Academy Awards but his presence still loomed large. Host Jimmy Kimmel ribbed the mogul and others sullied by harassment scandals in his opening monologue, and the ceremony was peppered with additional commentary on Times Up, diversity and more. But the most explicit moment addressing the watershed moment came in the form of three Weinstein accusers  Ashley Judd, Anabella Sciorra and Salma Hayek  speaking to the effects ushered in by the producers downfall. The women used the platform to reflect on the changing landscape (which was called into question when Kobe Bryant took home his first Oscar earlier that night) and highlight the academys strides toward inclusion and diversity. This year, many spoke their truth. The journey ahead is long, but slowly, a new path has emerged, Sciorra said. The changes were witnessing are being driven by the powerful sound of new voices, of different voices, of our voices joining together in a mighty chorus that is finally saying times up, Judd added. The moment was remarkable because all three women were among the scores who brought allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein. The former Oscars fixture has kept a low profile since the game-changing reports led to his downfall. Upon introducing a video package, the women told the audience to look forward to make sure that the next 90 years are filled with equality, inclusion and intersectionality. Here are a few quotes from those featured in the video: Everyone is getting a voice to express something thats been happening forever.  Mira Sorvino, Oscar winner Some of our best work has come from turmoil Get ready for more Get Outs, Black Panthers, Wrinkle in Times  were here and were not going anywhere.  Lee Daniels, two-time Oscar nominee Now, straight white dudes can watch movies starring me and relate to that its not that hard! Ive done it my whole life.  Kumail Nanjiani, Oscar nominee When Thelma and Louise came out, everyone said, This changes everything, there will be so many more movies starring female characters. That didnt happen, but this is now that moment.  Geena Davis, Oscar winner Theres nothing to be scared of. Its just equality.  Sarah Silverman, comedian Seeing Wonder Woman and seeing women cry, something clicked  Ill say it. This is what white men feel all the time. I imagine its gonna be the same thing when people go see Black Panther.  Barry Jenkins, Oscar winner Go make your movie. We need your movie. I need your movie. So go make it.  Greta Gerwig, Oscar nominee Times staff writer Amy Kaufman contributed to this report. Facebook

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Armie Hammer had a hot dog cannon at the Oscars and nothing else matters By Libby Hill Armie Hammer cut loose with a hot dog cannon during the Academy Awards ceremony. (Charles Sykes / Invision/Associated Press) Ever since Ellen DeGeneres staged her fabled Oscar selfie in 2014, each Academy Awards host has been compelled to throw an unpredictable element into their ceremony. From Ellens pizza delivery to Gary from Chicago, the bits land with varying degrees of success, but all that changed Sunday night. Because Jimmy Kimmel gave Armie Hammer a hot dog cannon. Kimmel took a big bunch of celebrities across the street to surprise a group of strangers watching a screening of A Wrinkle in Time with candy and snacks, specifically, hot dogs. Thats right, hot dog cannons exist and they are magnificent. Check out the photos below to see the glory for yourself. Kimmel just busted out the hot dog guns.  pic.twitter.com/VAhsTqdkeS  Dolph LomaGGGringo  (@BenSotoKarass) March 5, 2018 Hot Dog Canons are literally the best thing to ever happen to the Oscars! You get a dog, you get a dog, you get dog... IN THE FACE! #OscarSunday #Oscars2018 #hotdogs #movies pic.twitter.com/2rcSemRp0I  Shelley (@ZIAMiche) March 5, 2018 Facebook

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Women over 50 make a sartorial splash at the 90th Academy Awards By Valli Herman Jane Fonda on the red carpet during the 90th Academy Awards. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) When it comes to defining classic Hollywood glamour, few did it better than the women over age 50 who graced the Oscars red carpet. As awards shows continue to tilt toward safe, simple silhouettes, women of a certain age have the advantage. When you no longer have to flaunt your body, classic looks become a mature womans best friend. Variations on the simple white sheath brought glamour to Laura Dern, 51, and Jane Fonda, 80. Helen Mirren 72, and Eva Marie Saint, 93, defined elegance in jewel-tone, long-sleeve gowns. Meryl Streep, 68, in a sweeping red gown with a deep-V neckline, showed that decolletage is ageless. In a move that may stretch the definition of vintage clothing, Rita Moreno, 86, the first woman to EGOT she has an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony  wore the same dress she wore to accept her 1962 Oscar for West Side Story. Is it still vintage if you wore it the first time? Facebook

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These are the 10 activists Common and Andra Day asked to join them during their Oscars performance of Stand Up for Something By Gerrick Kennedy Common performs onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images) Common and Andra Days performance of Stand Up for Something was among the most poignant moments of Sundays Academy Awards as the pair were joined by nearly a dozen activists. In recent months the powerful record  lifted from last years Marshall and up for original song  has taken on a life of its own as a potent anthem of resilience. It has been used as a rallying cry for the gun violence prevention movement and was a cornerstone of the L.A. Womens March, and the Peoples State of the Union in New York City, and was used to raise awareness on immigration rights. For Sundays performance Day and Common wanted to spotlight 10 individuals working to create change, including the founder of the #MeToo movement and activists from a myriad of causes. If its one thing I learned from being a part of Selma is that, an activist is someone who lives their life for what they believe in and works for that cause everyday, Common said in a statement before the show. The activists we asked to join us on stage are people who have dedicated their lives to making the world better. For some because their own personal experiences have driven them to this place, and some because theyve seen the injustices going on in the world and felt they had to take action. Added Day: I am truly honored to share the stage with such powerful people. People who work, sacrifice and have fought through their personal pain to make the world a better place. ... Common and I wanted to show people who are working everyday in the trenches to transform perceptions, circumstances, legislation, social and political landscapes, and bring hope to the hopeless. Heres a breakdown of everyone who appeared onstage alongside the performers: Alice Brown Otter, the 14-year-old who was a prolific voice of the #NoDAPL movement. In the summer of 2016, she ran 1,519 miles from Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota to the front steps of the Army Corps of Engineers office in Washington, D.C., to protest the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Patrisse Cullors, queer activist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement. Bana Alabed, a Syrian refugee from Aleppo, who tweeted during the siege of the city in 2016. The 8-year-old penned a book, Dear World: A Syrian Girls Story of War and Plea for Peace about her experience, which J.K. Rowling describes as a story of love and courage amid brutality and terror. Bryan Stevenson, the director of the Equal Justice Initiative and the author of Just Mercy. Stevenson and EJI won relief for scores of people wrongly convicted or unfairly sentenced. Cecile Richards, a lifelong activist for womens rights and social justice, including more than a decade as president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement. Dolores Huerta, the president and founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Huerta also co-founded the United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez in 1962. She has received numerous awards, among them the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award in 1998 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Janet Mock, the New York Times bestselling author of two memoirs, Redefining Realness and Surpassing Certainty, books that broke ground by centering her journey as a young trans woman. Mock spoke at the Womens March on Washington and founded #GirlsLikeUs, a project that empowers trans women. Mock is also the first trans woman of color to write and produce for television as shes working on Ryan Murphys upcoming series Pose. Jose Andres, who was named one of Times 100 Most Influential People, Outstanding Chef and Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation. He served more than 3.3 million meals in Puerto Rico following the devastation of Hurricane Maria last year, reaching communities in need across all 78 municipalities through 23 kitchens. Andres work has earned numerous awards including the 2015 National Humanities Medal, one of 12 distinguished recipients of the award from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Nicole Hockley, mother of Dylan Hockley, who was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting. She is the founder and managing director for Sandy Hook Promise, the national non-profit organization founded and led by several family members who lost loved ones at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. Facebook

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At the Oscars, its a sea of blush, nude and pale pink gowns By Valli Herman Allison Williams attends the 90th Academy Awards wearing Armani Prive. (Neilson Barnard / Getty Images) Striking a note between bold and bland, blush-tone gowns gave that sense of barely-there coverage mixed with innocence. Blush, nude, pale pink  whatever you call it  the tone can melt into paler complexions, but when its embellished with plenty of sparkle, those subtle hues come alive. Abbie Cornish wearing Elie Saab Couture (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) They were a popular choice on the Academy Awards red carpet on Sunday night, chosen by Allison Williams in Armani Prive, an Elie Saab Couture-clad Abbie Cornish, Emily V. Gordon in J. Mendel and Elisabeth Moss, who wore Dior Haute Couture. Elisabeth Moss in Dior Haute Couture. (Richard Shotwell / Invision/AP) Facebook

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Call him Oscar winner Kobe Bryant now. Or not By Nardine Saad Kobe Bryant, left, and Glen Keane accept the Oscar for animated short. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press) Eighteen-time NBA All-Star and five-time champion Kobe Bryant received his first Academy Award Sunday night. The former Lakers star accepted his Oscar for animated short during Sundays ceremony alongside artist Glen Keane, who gave life to his 2015 Dear Basketball letter, which announced the ballers retirement from the game. Composer John Williams scored the film. Its a message for all of us, Keane said in his speech. Whatever form your dream may take, its through passion and perseverance that the impossible is possible. Bryant, who produced and wrote the short, interrupted Keanes speech to remind viewers that as basketball players, were supposed to shut up and dribble. He additionally thanked his wife and three daughters and kept his comments onstage brief. The athletes nomination alone sparked controversy in the age of #MeToo and Times Up. Sexual misconduct scandals ended careers throughout the entertainment industry in the past year, so Bryants recognition by the academy will no doubt raise eyebrows given that he was charged with rape in 2003. That was the same year the academy awarded the director Oscar to convicted sex offender Roman Polanski for The Pianist, as the The Times columnist Robin Abcarian wrote this week. The charges against Bryant were later dropped, but, Abcarian wrote, that is not an exoneration. Read more about Dear Basketball here and Abcarians column on Hollywoods moral confusion here. Facebook

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A dazed-looking Sufjan Stevens triggers Oscar memories of Elliott Smith By Mikael Wood Sufjan Stevens (Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Reaffirming the established idea that nothing makes a gentle indie boy look more frightened than the Oscars stage, Sufjan Stevens sang his very pretty Mystery of Love (from Call Me by Your Name) like someone whod been called unwillingly to the principals office. The performance  for which Stevens was aided by a hipsters dream team that included St. Vincent, Chris Thile and Moses Sumney  took place almost 20 years to the day after Elliott Smith flashed his best deer-in-headlights look as he did Miss Misery (from Good Will Hunting) on the Academy Awards in 1998. Facebook

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Allison Janney drops some truth on the Oscars crowd By Los Angeles Times Staff Allison Janney cracked a joke in her acceptance speech for supporting actress. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) I did it all by myself. Allison Janney Facebook

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Sam Rockwell backstage after his Oscar win: I could go on for an hour about Philip Seymour Hoffman By Jessica Gelt Sam Rockwell in the Photo Room at the 90th Academy Awards. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Sam Rockwell sauntered backstage after winning the supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of an erratic and racist police officer in director Martin McDonaghs dark fairy tale, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. He looked relaxed, like a man who expected to win after an awards season that found the film he starred in alongside Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson garnering a wealth of critical accolades, including seven Academy Award nominations. Asked what he did to prepare for the volatile role of a deputy who tries to prevent a grieving mother from continuing to publicly chastise the sheriffs department for not solving the rape and murder of her teenage daughter, Rockwell called his process, A big souffle, a stew. I did some ride-alongs with some cops, met with some skin-graft patients. I had two or three months to indulge in all this research. He also elaborated on a previous statement that his characters arc was similar to Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show transitioning into Travis Bickle from the ultra-violent 1970s parable, Taxi Driver. The town of Ebbing is very much like Mayberry, and Woody Harrelson is very much like Andy Griffith, he said. The goofiness of Barney Fife morphing into Travis Bickle was kind of a generalization. Its a lot more complicated than that, obviously. Rockwell became extra animated when asked why he thanked the late Philip Seymour Hoffman when he accepted his Oscar statuette. He wasnt sure anyone had heard him because the music was swelling when he uttered his last words. He was an old friend of mine, he directed me in a play at the Public Theater, Rockwell said, adding that Hoffman was an inspiration to all of his peers including Billy Crudup, Liev Schreiber, Mark Ruffalo and others. Phil Hoffman was the guy, and he was a great director. He vowed to direct a play of a year ... I could go on for an hour about Philip Seymour Hoffman. Regarding McDonaghs contention that Three Billboards couldnt be set in Ireland or England, Rockwell said he felt it could be set in almost every working-class town around the world, but, he added, There is something very timely about it now with whats going on in this country. Facebook

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In Sacramento, theyre holding their breath for Lady Bird By John Myers The East Sacramento house featured in Greta Gerwigs Lady Bird celebrates the Oscars on Sunday afternoon. (John Myers/Los Angeles Times) There was a red carpet in front of the iconic blue house featured in Lady Bird as Oscar night drew neighbors rooting for their hometown favorite, writer-director Greta Gerwig. Her story really resonates, said Chris Wood, the owner of the East Sacramento home that serves as the setting for some of the movies most poignant moments. Wood and a large throng of neighbors gathered to watch the Academy Awards, all hoping the movie that has resonated so deeply in Californias capital city would walk away with at least one of the statues on Sunday night. Oscars night draws a crowd to Club Raven in East (John Myers/Los Angeles Times) A few blocks away, a large crowd gathered at Club Raven, a neighborhood bar whose neon sign also got its brief few seconds of fame in Gerwigs movie. Inside, patrons were dressed up in ball gowns and black tie. (After the film opened, the bar began serving a Lady Bird cocktail--vodka, blackberry syrup, sweet and sour mix and soda water.) Back at the Wood family home, neighbors joked that the house shouldve been nominated for best supporting actor. Weve had fun, said Wood of the notoriety. Facebook

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Kazuhiro Tsuji just made Oscar history  but hed rather focus on his work By Trevell Anderson Kazuhiro Tsuji, from left, Lucy Sibbick, and David Malinowski, winners of the award for best makeup and hairstyling for Darkest Hour. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) With his Academy Award win, along with David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick, for their work in Darkest Hour, Kazuhiro Tsuji became the first Asian individual to win the Oscar for hair and makeup. But the makeup artist, whom Gary Oldman pulled out of retirement for this project featuring the actor as Winston Churchill, doesnt focus on his identity and being a first. I dont want to think about [being] Asian, he said backstage at the Academy Awards. Im just doing what I love to do. As soon as we start to think about the race we are, its not good. It doesnt work well. Kazuhiro Tsuji, who just won with the #DarkestHour team for makeup/hairstyling, is the first Asian to win that award. #Oscars  Tre'vell Anderson (@TrevellAnderson) March 5, 2018 Facebook

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Maybe lets forget that Oscar performance of Cocos Remember Me? By Mikael Wood Natalia Lafourcade, left, and Miguel. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Well, that was  kind of awkward. Considered by many to be the front-runner for the original song Oscar, Remember Me (from Disneys Coco) got an iffy rendition that started out with the very charming Gael Garcia Bernal warbling a few lines in what appeared to be his impression of a 12-year-old boy. Then Miguel and Natalia Lafourcade showed up, and though they certainly sang better than Bernal did, the two seemed stifled by needing to wind their way through the troupe of dancers twirling around them. Great song, shaky performance. Facebook

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Mary J. Blige digs deep for Oscar performance of Mighty River By Mikael Wood (Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Mary J. Blige gave the first of the evenings five performances of the tunes nominated for original song  but she definitely didnt come with a soft launch in mind. Singing Mighty River from Mudbound (which also led to a nod for Blige in the supporting actress category), the veteran R&B star dug deep into the gospel-fired composition she co-wrote with Raphael Saadiq and Taura Stinson, pushing her voice close to the breaking point as she sang about how greed is a monster and described the need to put our differences aside. Facebook

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Janet Mock at the Oscars: Its time for better representation, in front of the camera and behind it By Trevell Anderson Janet Mock at the Academy Awards. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) I think right now theres greater awareness. I cant wait to see the actual action. The actual action that people do to actually, hopefully change things from the gender pay gap to, of course, sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. And making sure also  behind the scenes that we shift and change, and that people who are actually being portrayed on camera are written by and directed by and costumed by folk from those communities. Trans activist Janet Mock Facebook

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Greta Gerwig and Laura Dern crowd-source their documentary presentation Just before she was to present best documentary feature, Greta Gerwig was having her makeup touched up - - I did you on No Strings Attached! the makeup artist reminded the actress - - when co-presenter Laura Dern arrived backstage. Gerwig was jittery with excitement.  I cant breathe in, she said with a smile. I know, Dern said. I wish I didnt wear eyeglasses. When we walk out, should we hold hands? Dern asked Gerwig. I think arm-in-arm is awkward. She noticed a clutch of reporters observing the actresses conversation and asked for advice. Holding hands? Thats cute, right? We crowd-sourced it! Gerwig said. Just as they made their decision, an accountant from Price Waterhouse Cooper handed Dern the envelope. Can you confirm that this is for documentary feature? the accountant asked the actress. Because we arent playing around with those envelopes this year, yall. Facebook

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#MeToo founder Tarana Burke answers the question: What next? By Trevell Anderson Tarana Burke, left, and daughter Kaia at the Academy Awards. (Robyn Beck) After a momentous year in which Hollywood began to confront sexism and sexual misconduct in the industry, #MeToo founder Tarana Burke walked the Oscars red carpet with a compelling question lingering in the air: What next? Weve only been talking about sexual violence for four months, so when people are already rushed to say whats next, we have a lot to unpack where we are right now, Burke said. And so were continuing to unpack and look at sexual violence, and really, whats next is figuring out how to get sexual violence resources. We have millions of people around the world who have opened up and are talking about their needs, and now we need to figure out how to meet those needs. Facebook

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From Harvey Weinstein to Black Panther, some of Jimmy Kimmels best zingers from his Oscars monologue By Mary McNamara Jimmy Kimmel hosted last years Oscars as well. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Jimmy Kimmel returned for his second stint hosting the Oscars, hopefully this time without the wrong film being named best picture at the end. Here are some of the best bits from his opening monologue: After thanking the academy for having him back a second time: Some of you will be going home with an Academy Award. This year when you hear your name calleHello! Im Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

This edition of the newsletter is coming out on the morning of the Academy Awards. Every year, it seems the buildup to the ceremony will never end, and yet it is still a surprise when the day is actually here.

Kenneth Turan wrote about why the Oscars still matter, saying, One reason to pay attention, not to be too reductive about it, is that if the Oscars truly were passe, no one would take the time to worry if they still mattered. The fact that the question is asked is partial confirmation of significance.  Paradoxically, for reasons both long term and immediate, the Oscar feels especially of interest and significant this of all years.

From the other side of the coin, Jeffrey Fleishman declared that they are fast losing their relevance, noting, The Oscars live in a tricky no-mans land between the real and the imagined. They aspire to be topical but are careful  some would say timid  in what they choose as a cause and how they offend, especially amid our nations acrimony and divisions.  That leaves them a few steps  and a degree of courage  behind the times to which they are speaking.

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Trevell Anderson and Jen Yamato took note of the Oscars and diversity a year after the best picture win by Moonlight. As Yamato stated, As much as everyone in Hollywood likes to deflect responsibility for putting words into action, the Oscars and the film industry share a symbiotic relationship; one cannot make significant progress against history unless the other moves forward, too.

Amy Kaufman was at a news event held by representatives of the Times Up movement, who declared they would not be making the same kind of presence on the red carpet at the Oscars as they did at the Golden Globes.

We are not an awards show protest group, explained filmmaker Ava DuVernay. So we stand down this time.

Josh Rottenberg spoke to Glenn Weiss, who was the director of last years unpredictable broadcast and will be returning again this year. Rottenberg also took a behind-the-scenes look at the production teams response to last years big unexpected moment.

I interviewed Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, who returned this year as hosts of the Spirit Awards. Both declared themselves fans of award shows as an odd ritual of show business, or as Kroll put it, a super interesting, bizarre paradox of an experience.

And a group of critics and reporters here at The Times wrote about which of the best picture winners they cannot live without, as well as which movie that did not win best picture but should have taken home the honor.

We had a really fun screening event and Q&A this past week for the film Thoroughbreds with writer-director Cory Finley and actresses Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy. Later in the month, we will have an event with Gemini, one of my favorite films of the year, that well have details about soon. For info and updates on future events, go to events.latimes.com.

In this image released by Twentieth Century Fox, Matthias Schoenaerts and Jennifer Lawrence appear in a scene from Red Sparrow. (Murray Close / AP )

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Red Sparrow

Theres something exciting when a movie wildly splits opinion, and it seems the new Red Sparrow, directed by Francis Lawrence, is doing just that. In the film, Jennifer Lawrence plays Dominika Egorova, a Russian ballerina pressed into service as a spy after suffering an injury. The cast of the unexpectedly downbeat thriller includes Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeremy Irons and Charlotte Rampling with a scene-stealing turn by Mary-Louise Parker.

In his review for The Times, Kenneth Turan wrote, Simultaneously effective and uninspired, Red Sparrow is successful in fits and starts. A perfectly serviceable spy thriller, it inevitably leaves behind the feeling that a better film was possible than the one that made it to the screen.

The Times Josh Rottenberg spoke to Jennifer Lawrence, who seemed ready for the response to the movie when she said, At the end of the day, were the movie industry  were going to have sex, were going to have violence.  If you focus so hard on making something thats politically correct, the art will suffer. Art is subjective. Some people are going to hate it, some people are going to love it.

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For the New York Times, Manohla Dargis countered, That may not be everyones idea of progress, but its both appealing and crucial that Red Sparrow doesnt soft sell Dominika. Theres an attractive, recognizable toughness to her as well as a febrile intensity born from need and circumstances, including the existential reality of being a woman in a mans world.

Shinobu Terajima appears in a scene from Oh Lucy! (Film Movement )

Oh Lucy!

The first feature written and directed by Japanese filmmaker Atsuko Hirayanagi, Oh Lucy! is the story of a lonely Tokyo office worker who follows an oddball English tutor (Josh Harnett) to California. Actress Shinobu Terajima was nominated for a Spirit Award for her lead performance, and Hirayanagi was nominated for best first feature.

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As Justin Chang wrote for The Times, Within the confines of this cross-cultural shaggy-dog tale, Hirayanagi locates both a sharp vein of absurdist comedy and a bitter, melancholy undertow. She also has a deft enough touch to make one mode almost indistinguishable from the other.

For the Wrap, Inkoo Kang said the movie breathes new life into the mid-life crisis story, noting, The trans-Pacific drama Oh Lucy! proves that a shift in perspective  from a generic white dude to a spiky Japanese woman  can go a long way in restoring interest and intrigue to a genre thats long been watered down by its writers and directors.

Oak (actress Kaniehtiio Horn) seeks revenge in Ted Geoghegans Mohawk from Dark Sky Films. (Dark Sky Films )

Mohawk

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For anyone looking to really get away from Academy-friendly prestige movies, there is Mohawk. A historical horror hybrid from writer-director Ted Geoghegan and co-writer Grady Hendrix, the film follows two Native American warriors (Justin Rain, Kaniehtiio Horn) and an Englishman (Eamon Farren) who find themselves alternately hunters and the hunted against a band of American militia.

In his review for The Times, Noel Murray said, Geoghegan and Hendrix keep the storytelling punchy, developing their characters through multiple scenes of angry men and women chasing each other. Mohawk is a gripping and despairing action picture, about how we cant seem to stop trying to destroy those we distrust  including ourselves.

Email me if you have questions, comments or suggestions, and follow me on Twitter @IndieFocusOver the past two years, most everyone has applauded the motion picture academys decision to add nearly 1,500 new industry professionals as a long-needed step toward diversifying the groups ranks.

But the ever-increasing enrollment has created one small problem:

Its almost impossible to get a ticket to the Oscars these days unless youre willing to beg or engage in some serious wheeling and dealing.

The Oscars have always been the toughest ticket in town, and, as the academy has promised to keep adding new members in an effort to double the number of women and minorities in its ranks by 2020, the seating inventory will be squeezed even tighter with each passing year.

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FULL COVERAGE: Oscars 2018 

Unfortunately, its only going to get harder, says an academy spokesperson who was not authorized to speak on the record about ticketing.

The reason is simple math. The Dolby Theatre, which has hosted the Oscars since 2002, seats 3,400 people on four levels and 20 opera boxes.

Oscar nominees  there are 200 this year  each receive a pair of tickets and can request an additional pair. Most do. Lead actor nominee Timothee Chalamet, for example, is bringing his parents and sister. Ive always been very lucky to have their support, so it only feels right to get to go with them, the first-time nominee says.

Lady Bird writer-director Greta Gerwig will be attending with her parents, her partner, Noah Baumbach, and her childhood best friend.

After nominees account for about 800 tickets, blocks are reserved for the shows broadcast network (ABC), the telecasts sponsors, the production team, the accountants, the legal team, media (including The Times), academy museum donors and various dignitaries, such as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Movie studios receive a fair share too, proportional, in theory, to the number of nominations their movies earn. But in practice, executives from indie studios complain that the major studios  Warner Bros., Disney, Fox, Sony, Paramount, Universal  receive more than their fair share.

Paramount has zero nominations, and they still get a lot of tickets, griped a veteran publicist, adding that she had to scramble to find extra tickets for people connected to her films.

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Presenters  and there are more than usual this year with the shows producers pulling out the stops for the 90th ceremony  each get a pair of tickets as well.

I always love going to the Oscars, Nicole Kidman, a presenter this year, tells The Times. Its nice to be invited.

Add it all up, and remove the spots that have obstructed views owing to the television cameras (seat fillers occupy those), and theres only a few hundred seats left for a group totaling 8,298 people.

Snagging those tickets involves a process that will be familiar to anyone who has tried to score Dodgers playoff tickets in recent years. Members receive an email around the holidays, inviting them to enter a ticket lottery. And while the academy has embraced online voting, the lottery is conducted the old-fashioned way. Names are written on slips of paper and then pulled out of a drum.

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We dont use a hat, but its close, says an academy worker familiar with the process. And there are lots of slips of paper.

Should their name not be pulled, academy members say they move quickly past the first two stages of grief  denial and anger  and go directly into bargaining mode, calling studios, publicists and friends, faux and real. Dump your date. Ditch your spouse. Take me. Please!

Ticket-scrounging veterans emphasize the need to check egos and not get hung up over seat location. Thats because the seating chart follows a traditional hierarchy. Recognizable stars dominate the first few rows of the orchestra level, with big-category nominees placed near the aisle or the very front. Nominees in the crafts categories  production design, costumes, sound and the like  are seated farther back, typically resulting in a hike to the stage.

A few years ago, the producers floated the idea that the stars should be seated a longer distance from the stage because itd be more interesting to watch them make that minute-long walk, notes a studio executive. That proposal didnt get much traction.

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Then there are three mezzanine levels, with the highest one, Mezzanine 3, containing the most seats. (Oh, man, if youre afraid of heights or have any kind of panic anxiety, thats a scary place, an academy employee says.)

But beggars cant be choosers. The increase in membership, plus the move into the cozier Dolby (the Shrine Auditorium, a former home of the Oscars, seats 6,300), has crunched the inventory. If you want to go and youre not nominated (or the designated Mayor of Hollywood as front-and-center Jack Nicholson was for many years), you have to be OK with the thinner oxygen, says a member who annually enters the lottery.

Of course, nominees and A-listers have their own set of concerns when it comes to the seating chart. Exes  spouses, lovers, partners, colleagues no longer on speaking terms  cannot be placed near each other. You wont see a reunion of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at the Oscars or Pitt and Jennifer Aniston or Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow or  well, you get the idea.

There are a lot of ways this can go wrong, an academy spokesperson says.

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Perhaps thats why the late Otto Spoerri held the job for nearly 25 years, dispensing tickets for the ceremony and the after-show Governors Ball and drawing up the seating chart until he retired in 2002. Spoerri is credited with creating most of the broadcast-friendly traditions still used today  spotlighting stars, placing nominees within the same category at a respectful distance from each other  and was handicapping races long before Oscar pundit sites existed so he could seat likely winners in a way that would get them to the stage in a timely manner.

He was the most easygoing guy with enormous responsibility that I had ever met, former academy President Sid Ganis told The Times upon Spoerris death in 2008. Everybody in Hollywood and way beyond was at his doorstep in trying to get him to give up some of his treasure.

That treasure, which has become even scarcer, is just another reason why its a thrill to be nominated.

It is amazing, Gerwig says. The filmmaker and actress has hosted her own annual Academy Awards party for years. This is the first time shell attend the actual ceremony, having wanted to wait until she was nominated.

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Im excited to be sitting there and have the lights dim and hear the Welcome to the 90th annual Academy Awards!  she adds. I am excited for the commercial breaks because what happens during the commercial breaks? And speeches always make me cry, so Ill have plenty of opportunities for that.

And rest assured, shell be seated in a place where the camera can capture each and every teardrop as it falls.

Times staff writer Justin Chang contributed to this story.

glenn.whipp@latimes.com

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Twitter: @glennwhippSatirical horror-thriller Get Out won the best feature award at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, where it also captured the director prize for Jordan Peele and left industry-watchers wondering if the annual independent film honors will predict Sundays winners at the 90th Academy Awards.

There was tremendous affection throughout the show for the low-budget success story, an electrifying vision of race in America. The director prize was presented by Spike Lee, while the feature award was presented by Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.

This was a scrappy movie we had to make, Peele said backstage after winning the directing prize. I had to put my heart and soul into it, I cried just about every night because it was so draining, and I got up every morning and brushed that off and I got it together and realized that this is the best time of my life.

The Saturday afternoon event took place in its now traditional location of an oceanside tent in Santa Monica. Run by the Los Angeles-based membership arts organization Film Independent, the Spirit Awards recognize films made for less than $20 million that exhibit a uniqueness of vision and original, provocative subject matter.

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Five of the past six winners of the Spirit Award for best feature have gone on to win the Oscar, including relative upstarts Moonlight and Spotlight, after many years of diverging from the Academy.

Two films heavily favored to win best picture at this years Oscars  The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri  were not nominated for the Spirits top prize.

This years Spirit Awards were one of the final turns of an awards season that has seen Hollywood struggle with how to navigate the accepted rituals of self-congratulation along with an added element of self-reflection stemming from the recent harassment and abuse scandals.

Kristen Wiig, center, portrays Fay Fontaine, during a comedy skit with hosts John Mulaney, left, and Nick Kroll at the 33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP )

Comedians Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, hosting for the second consecutive year, acknowledged the unusual atmosphere right from the top.

Opening the show, they declared this year we threw out the bad apples before their monologue called out Harvey Weinstein, Brett Ratner, Woody Allen, Louis C.K., Kevin Spacey and Mario Batali by name, each the butt of individual jokes, garnering a raucous response from the crowd of celebrities, nominees, journalists and industry pros.

Comments from the stage turned directly political when Mulaney described President Trump as a demented game show host. In introducing the international film prize (which went to Chiles A Fantastic Woman), actress Salma Hayek Pinault took a swipe at one of Trumps most infamous comments and said, This award has never gone to a shithole nation, because there are no shithole nations. 

Other prizes given out Saturday favored presumed Oscar frontrunners, including Allison Janney, who won supporting female for I, Tonya, and Sam Rockwell won supporting male for Three Billboards.

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Rockwells co-star Frances McDormand continued her winning streak as well, taking the female lead award, and delivering an acceptance speech peppered with her signature sardonic flair  and a few choice F-bombs, which are more welcome at the breezy Spirit Awards than at tomorrows Oscars ceremony.

Frances McDormand accepts the award for best female lead for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri at the 33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP )

One prize where the Spirits may distinguish themselves: Timothee Chalamet won male lead for Call Me By Your Name, in a category where his award season rival Gary Oldman was not nominated.

Greta Gerwig won screenplay for Lady Bird. The award for editing went to Tatiana S. Riegel for I, Tonya. The prize for cinematography went to Sayombhu Mukdeeprom for Call Me By Your Name; he was one of the few major winners not nominated for an Academy Award.

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The Spirit Awards also give out a number of prizes for which there is no analogue at the Oscars.

Winner of the first feature prize was Ingrid Goes West  a dark comedy about social media starring Aubrey Plaza and directed by Matt Spicer. Oscar nominees Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon took home the award for first screenplay for The Big Sick, based on their own real life romance. The John Cassavetes award for a film made for under $500,000 went to writer-director Antonio Mendez Esparzas drama Life and Nothing More.

The previously announced Robert Altman award, given to an ensemble cast, went to Netflixs period drama Mudbound, starring Carey Mulligan, Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Rob Morgan and Oscar nominee Mary J. Blige.

In accepting the award, director Dee Rees gave a powerful, impassioned speech that was a sharp rebuke to anyone skeptical of films distributed by the streaming giant. Celebrating the actors in her cast and the craftspeople behind the camera, Rees emphatically declared, Mudbound is cinema.

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Dee Rees, second from right, accepts the Robert Altman award for Mudbound at the 33rd Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, March 3, 2018, in Santa Monica, Calif. Looking on from far left are Garrett Hedlund, Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram and Rob Morgan. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP )

Best documentary went to Faces Places. The films co-director JR had stolen the spotlight during awards season toting around a life-sized cardboard cut-out of collaborator Agnes Varda, who lives in France. This time it was he who nearly missed the show due to travel delays, making it to Santa Monica just in time to join the 89-year-old Varda onstage to accept the documentary award.

Later backstage, Varda, flanked by JR and her daughter Rosalie, who produced the film, was asked if French director Jean-Luc Godard, part of a key scene, has yet seen the film.

I sent him the DVD, she said. So far no word.

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jen.yamato@latimes.com | Twitter: @jenyamato

mark.olsen@latimes.com | Twitter: @IndieFocus

ALSO

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Why #TimesUp will stand down at the Oscars

How the Oscars preferential ballot turns the best picture race into a celebration of the least disliked

Final predictions for all 24 Oscar categoriesMargot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sienna Miller, Kristen Stewart, Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow were among those who celebrated Oscars Eve at the Charles Finch and Chanel dinner on Saturday night. At Madeo Restaurant in West Hollywood, Mann was weighing whether to dig into the eaterys traditional Italian cuisine.

I would love to eat some pasta, Mann said, but Im not supposed to have pasta tonight because I have a really tight dress that I have to put on tomorrow, which sounds ridiculous. But I dont want to be puffy. She paused. But I think Im going to cave and Im going to eat the pasta anyway.

I already look puffy all the time, Apatow, her spouse, chuckled.

Daniel Kaluuya attends the Charles Finch and Chanel pre-Oscars dinner in West Hollywood. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

The event

Filmmakers and trendsetters gathered to toast the intersection of film and fashion at the 10th annual cocktail and dinner party. Naturally, most of the crowd was decked out in head-to-toe Chanel. This is something I would wear every day, Mann said of her multicolored cotton and polyamide skirt from the brands spring/summer 2018 Act 1 ready-to-wear collection. Im super comfortable, and its super cute. (She had paired the look with a nude cupro and polyester pullover from Chanels cruise 2018 collection. )

Tracee Ellis Ross was a big fan of her look as well. I always love the demure sexiness of Chanel, she said, clad in a white silk Chanel blouse. Its a little chilly and its a little rainy. So feeling covered up is lovely.  Its the mystery of the female body as opposed to letting it all hang out that I find really elegant and badass.

Ross said the piece de resistance was her Chanel bag. This is the feature of all features, she said holding it up. This is the most beautiful bag Ive ever seen. Its like a piece of jewelry. Meanwhile, Ross hairstyle evoked visions of her mother, Diana Ross. I cant help it, she laughed. From her womb, I came. I thought, Lean into the frizz in this weather.

Tracee Ellis Ross said of her Chanel bag: "Its like a piece of jewelry. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

The crowd

Rounding out the guest list were Daniel Kaluuya, the star of Get Out, which picked up best picture at the Independent Spirit Awards earlier that afternoon, as well as Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Oliver Stone, Joe Wright, Faye Dunaway, Adrien Brody, Danny Huston, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jeff Bezos, Edgar Wright, Jessica Hart, Stella Maxwell, Matthew Modine with daughter Ruby, and Yara Shahidi with her mom, Keri.

Yara Shahidi wears Chanel at the Charles Finch and Chanel pre-Oscars dinner in West Hollywood. Billy Farrell / BFA.com

The menu

Guests dined on artichoke salads, lemon chicken and branzino with tiramisu for dessert. I pick up from Madeos a lot, Ross said. I am a gluten-free bolognese-and-a-carciofi-salad girl. And [Ill add] a minestrone if Im feeling extra hungry. They have beautiful wine and really good food.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, left, and Gael Garcia Bernal at the dinner. Billy Farrell / BFA.com

The scene

Per tradition, a mariachi band greeted guests at the partys stairway. Its an amazing touch, Edgar Ramirez said of the music. Were in L.A., and mariachi is such an intimate part of California.

I love the crowd and the opportunity to see friends and people that I admire, he continued. This is a very relaxed, no pressure way to talk about storytelling and films.

Before taking their seats for dinner, Jack Huston and Jamie Dornan caught up. Hello, mate! Huston said as they shook hands. Meanwhile, Mann found a friend in Haley Bennett as Apatow chatted up an industry insider nearby.

Jamie Dornan, left, and Amelia Warner attend the Charles Finch and Chanel pre-Oscars dinner. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

Earlier in the night, Mann and Apatow discussed the Academy Awards. Apatow produced The Big Sick, which is nominated for best original screenplay. Its screenwriters, Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, had picked up a trophy earlier that day at the Spirit Awards.

I was so happy for them, Apatow said of the couples win. Of Sundays odds, he joked, If we dont sweep, Ill be furious. I dont know how we sweep when we only have one nomination, but we better.

For her part, Mann said she went through about 40 dresses before finding the one shell wear on the red carpet. We tried on a lot of dresses, she admitted, sharing that shell be wearing a look by Zac Posen. I wore Zac Posen last year, and hes such a nice man. And hes coming to the hotel to zip me up and send me on my way tomorrow, which is exciting.

Kristen Stewart wears Chanel at the dinner co-hosted by the French brand. Billy Farrell / BFA.com

The looks

Kristen Stewart rocked a Chanel jacket with a black and white wool cloth skirt from the Metiers d'art Paris-Hamburg 2017/18 collection.

Yara Shahidi looked elegant in a coral lace embroidered dress with a leather belt from the brands spring/summer 2017 haute couture collection.

Margot Robbie wore a short black satin dress with faux pearl embellished straps from Chanels fall/winter 2017/18 haute couture collection.

Sienna Miller selected an ecru and white pearly tweed jacket from Chanels Metiers d'art Paris-Hamburg 2017/18 collection.

Margot Robbie wears a short black satin dress with faux pearl embellished straps from Chanels fall/winter 2017/18 haute couture collection. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

Support our journalism Please consider subscribing today to support stories like this one. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Already a subscriber? Your support makes our work possible. Thank you.

image@latimes.com

For fashion news, follow us at @latimesimage on Twitter.The three unions representing West Virginia teachers and service personnel say they will stay out on strike following the state Senates vote on Saturday to cut the 5% raises they negotiated with Gov. Jim Justice.

In a joint statement, the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia, West Virginia Education Assn. and the School Service Personnel Assn. say Senate President Mitch Carmichael and his leadership team have left them with no choice.

They say all public schools in West Virginia will be closed again Monday and will remain closed until the Senate honors the agreement that was made.

Schools have been closed and classes canceled for seven days.

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Senate majority Republicans backed the amendment to reduce the pay raise by a vote of 19 to 15 on Saturday evening. Senators say the pay increase is overdue, but by granting the 4% raise they can avoid a tax increase.

Democrats say their Republican counterparts should abide by the deal the governor negotiated with the union for a 5% raise.

American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia President Christine Campbell told WCHS-TV that the cut was a deal breaker.

The state House approved the 5% raise. The two bills will have to be reconciled.

Senate Republicans, who control the chamber, have repeatedly emphasized spending restraint, saying the teachers and West Virginias other public workers are all underpaid but funds are limited.

Hundreds of teachers and supporters, including students, rallied at the Capitol on Friday, the seventh day theyve shuttered classrooms.

Teachers are protesting pay thats among the lowest in the nation, rising healthcare costs and a 2% raise for next year after four years without any increase.Good morning, and welcome to a special Sunday edition of the Essential California newsletter.

Over the last several days, rain offered the Southland a respite from the dry winter the region had been experiencing. But its worth taking a moment to reflect on the 58,000 people in Los Angeles County who have no roof over their head and perhaps no dry clothes to change into. The homelessness crisis here is a multifaceted conundrum with no easy solution, but its scope and scale are impossible to ignore. The Los Angeles Times has devoted significant resources to exploring how it got so bad and whether theres a way to solve this problem.

Sign up for the Essential California newsletter 

EDITORIALS

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The Times Editorial Board, which is separate from the newsroom, came together to a produce a much discussed six-part series of stories about homelessness this week:

A national disgrace: It is neither desirable nor morally acceptable to blithely tolerate a level of destitution more commonly associated with Calcutta or Sao Paolo. Los Angeles Times

The economically homeless: High rents, few vacancies, stagnant incomes and a patchy government safety net  this is why Los Angeles is facing an unprecedented homeless crisis. Los Angeles Times

NIMBYism: Permanent supportive housing is our best bet for getting homeless people permanently off the streets. Los Angeles Times

The mentally ill: Treating and housing the mentally ill is harder than jailing them. But it might actually work. Los Angeles Times

Compromise: From dirty streets to wildfires to viral outbreaks, homelessness affects us all. There is no passing the buck. Los Angeles Times

Accountability: L.A. has a long history of failure on homelessness. It needs leaders who will take responsibility. Los Angeles Times

WITHOUT A HOME

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The last month has seen a series of stories about homelessness in Los Angeles and beyond. Heres a sampling of the Los Angeles Times at its best:

How do we fix this? Whats most alarming is that we have a growing constellation of skid rows across greater Los Angeles, from Burbank to Bel-Air and Pasadena to Pacific Palisades. Los Angeles, rich beyond dreams, is a refugee camp, its riverbeds and alleys draped in blue tarpaulin, writes columnist Steve Lopez. So here is my question  a question that taxpayers, merchants, sympathetic observers, disillusioned critics and the homeless themselves have every right to ask: When, if ever, will the situation get better? Los Angeles Times

Eye-opening photos: The 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count tallied 4,545 campers and RVs in L.A. County that possibly serve as makeshift dwellings. In short, one of Americas least affordable housing market forces people to find creative alternatives for shelter. Times photographer Luis Sinco spent a year documenting the lives of people who live in these mobile homes. Los Angeles Times

History lesson: L.A.s homelessness surged 75% in six years. Heres why the crisis has been decades in the making. Los Angeles Times

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Criminalizing homelessness? L.A. officials have denounced criminalizing homelessness. But as Los Angeles struggles with a growing homelessness crisis, arrests of homeless people have gone up significantly, a Times analysis of police data shows. And the most common offense was failure to appear in court for an unpaid citation. Los Angeles Times

Parking lots: A plan to make city property available for homeless housing projects is now focused almost entirely on about 120 public parking lots, most acquired by the city in the 1950s and 1960s to spur suburban commercial development. The conversions will require both architectural and political ingenuity. Los Angeles Times

Changes ahead? Two proposals would eliminate some hurdles for permanent supportive housing projects and make it easier to temporarily convert motels into homeless housing. But some critics say the supportive housing measure goes too far, depriving residents of a chance to voice concerns about projects. Los Angeles Times

The view from O.C.: In Orange County, the crisis isnt any better, and the clearing of an encampment along the Santa Ana riverbed was an ongoing conflict. Initially the people had nowhere to go. Los Angeles Times

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The judge: Meet Judge David Carter, whos been at the center of the Orange County riverbed homeless case and is known for his unconventional, hands-on approach. Los Angeles Times

Plus: After the homeless filed an injunction in federal court, a judge demanded that Orange County officials, cities and homeless advocates collaborate to find shelter for hundreds of people who have been living in the camps. Now many of the people who had been living there have been given 30-day vouchers at motels. Los Angeles Times

DEEP DIVES

Cast away: The epidemic of gay teens tossed out by their families who end up on the streets (2013). Rolling Stone.

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Nothing in land of plenty: The new homeless of Silicon Valley (2015). The New Republic

Hidden city: In New York, there are more homeless, but they are more invisible (2013). The New Yorker

Helping hand: A hero for the those dying on the streets of L.A. (2017). Los Angeles Times

Transformation: From homeless to Harvard (2003). Harvard Crimson

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Tough lessons: Learning to be an adult on the streets (2012). The New Yorker.

A bond: Steve Lopez, Nathaniel Ayers and The Soloist. (2009). 60 Minutes

Grieving apart: The two families for a homeless woman who died on San Franciscos Castro Street. (2016) Longform

Upstarts: Without a home but in college. (2017) California Sunday

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Old school: Unlocking the decades-long mystery of Joe Gould, a homeless man with a benefactor that is a story in itself. (2014). Vanity Fair

AROUND THE INTERNET

Two lives: To many who saw her, she was homeless. But to others, she was once a much different person. New York Times.

Photos: See before-and-after photos of the Santa Ana River Trail with homeless people gone and trash cleaned up. Orange County Register

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More photos: Using a simple whiteboard and a black marker, Los Angeles Daily News photographer Hans Gutknecht asked more than 50 people struggling with homelessness and poverty across Los Angeles County to write a personal message or answer this question: If you could say something about yourself to anybody, what would it be? Los Angeles Daily News

A crisis in a different city: Is Seattles homeless crisis the worst in the country? Seattle Times

Amazing investigation: Cities have been offering homeless people free bus tickets to relocate elsewhere for at least three decades. In recent years, homeless relocation programs have become more common, sprouting up in new cities across the country and costing the public millions of dollars. The Guardian

Valleytalk: Tackling homelessness in the heart of Silicon Valley. KQED

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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.I have made it a point to oppose the arch-conservatives, anarchists and extremists who rail unreservedly against the federal government in the West. I dont think national monuments, for example, represent a government land grab; quite the opposite: They protect cherished territory from being given over to corporations by the government. Grazing fees arent highway robbery; in fact, they should be high enough to discourage public-property ranching. And I dont think agencies like the National Park Service operate in breach of my most precious constitutional rights.

It is with some embarrassment, then, that I find myself singing an anti-government chorus about the corner of the West where I live. The federal bureaucracy is way out of bounds when it comes to whats happening in the Yaak Valley, in northwestern Montana.

Does it make sense to mix smugglers, hikers and grizzlies?

The Yaak is hidden along the U.S.-Canada border, in the Kootenai National Forest, a place so remote most people dont know it even exists. For the sake of the most endangered grizzly bears in the U.S., its crucial that it stay that way.

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Over nearly four decades, a man named Ron Strickland has doggedly pursued the idea of connecting, marking and proclaiming a new national scenic hiking path  the Pacific Northwest Trail  on a nearly straight line from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean, passing dead-center through the heart of the territory occupied by the Yaaks remnant population of grizzlies. I have no real quarrel with another trail; I just dont want it to traverse this last beleaguered patch of bear habitat.

Only about 20 grizzlies now remain in the Yaak, perhaps no more than two reproducing females. They are cut off from other bear populations, barely hanging on. Like most grizzlies in the Lower 48, these bears are protected by the Endangered Species Act. (Yellowstones grizzlies have been delisted, a politicized decision thats meeting well-deserved opposition in court.) Still, the Yaak bears face real threats: large clear-cuts and so-called salvage timber sales gnaw into their habitat in the Kootenai; new multinational mines are proposed nearby. There are poachers, and hunters unable to tell the difference between grizzlies and black bears.

The fate of these bears is one reason Stricklands proposal met government resistance over many years. If the Pacific Northwest Trail were even one-sixth as popular as the California-to-Canada Pacific Crest Trail (which the PNT intersects), it could attract 1,000 permitted thru hikers a year. They might not all make it as far as the Yaak Valley, and if they did, they might not make contact with a bear. But any grizzly-human encounter is dangerous, for the bear more than the human. A bear that becomes acclimated to hikers campfires and trash, to searching tents for Cracker Jack and Clif bars, soon becomes a problem bear and then a dead bear.

The decades-long rejection by the U.S. Forest Service of the proposed trail, and in particular its objections to the proposed Yaak route, was an example of good government working in conjunction with science and societys needs. Protecting the Yaak from Stricklands recreational corridor protected significant public resources  big, wild country and an iconic endangered species, keystone of the ecosystem  for future generations. It kept the grizzly bears out of harms way and, responsibly, avoided directing backpackers into one of the last strongholds of Ursus arctos horribilis.

However, in 2009, Strickland finally convinced then-Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) to attach the PNT proposal, undebated, to an omnibus public lands bill as a midnight rider. The rider authorized the trail and established an advisory council to administer it, including considering exactly which existing paths, tracks and roads to mark, connect and publicize as the PNT. The council, however, has met just three times since 2015, and it has not yet formally discussed a single alternative to the Yaak route sketched out by Strickland. In the meantime, the nonprofit Pacific Northwest Trail Assn., which Strickland founded, has barreled ahead, distributing maps and developing the trail as it sees fit. The Forest Service, which once concluded the trail would be too expensive to complete and too problematic environmentally, now points to the authorization law and simply goes along with the associations program.

Already, hikers are wandering through the Yaak Valley backcountry, directed there by a trail website, and leaving messy campsites in their wake. Last year, three Canadians were caught with $1 million worth of cocaine and ecstasy in the same territory; they planned to backpack it north across the border. Does it make sense to mix smugglers, hikers and grizzlies?

Bear scientists, and a group for which I volunteer, the Yaak Valley Forest Council, are spending vast amounts of time, energy and money trying to undo the damage done and ward off what promises to be more. Weve contracted on our own for an independent environmental analysis of the proposed route. And weve suggested, over and over, more than one equally wild and wonderful scenic route for the trail.

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But the Pacific Northwest Trail Assn. is dug in, refusing to consider supporting a more benign trail. (The director doesnt even know what kind of bears are affected, referring to them with the Alaskan term brown bears  a similar race but different population.)

No one in the Yaak is about to point a loaded gun at the feds to protest the idiocy of this trail and the bureaucracys heedlessness. We arent planning to occupy the local Forest Service headquarters waving the American flag. What we want is to sit down with scientists and agency officials  even if the trail association has no interest in such a democratic effort  and find a solution. Let the trail come, but leave the bears out of it.

Rick Bass, the author more than 30 books, is a founding board member of the Yaak Valley Forest Council. His memoir, The Traveling Feast will be published in June.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookTo the editor: The Los Angeles Times should be applauded for its thoughtful discussion about problems in treating mentally ill homeless people. (Treating and housing the mentally ill is harder than jailing them. But it might actually work, editorial, Feb. 28)

Those who call for a balance between civil liberties and involuntary treatment assume that the latter entails forced confinement. Many patients who lack the judgment to participate in treatment would benefit from mandatory outpatient medication and related support. Attempts have already been made to modify the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act of 1967, but current procedures remain cumbersome and are too rarely utilized.

As for the jailing of mentally ill people, there are broadly two distinct populations. Some are incarcerated because of dangerous behavior that is crazy and the direct result of mental illness. Such patients are unlikely to cause legal problems if they are stabilized by psychiatric treatment and receive outpatient care.

Others are people who committed crimes and happen to have a chronic mental illness. These people cannot be handled by mental healthcare providers alone. Ideally, the psychiatric treatment can be made robust enough to stabilize the inmate and permit him or her to have the same chance of rehabilitation as others.

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Dr. Cyril Barnert, Los Angeles

The writer is a retired clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA.

..

To the editor: Los Angeles, like New York and other large cities, has tried to lure people off the street into shelter or treatment facilities. Perhaps we can all point to instances where that effort has met with some occasional success. Though, more often than not, the choice is usually to remain on the street.

No, its not a lifestyle preference; its because the alternative is believed to be much worse.

By now, its hard to imagine why we havent understood that the lure is housing. Research studies have shown that people come off the street when theyre given the opportunity to move right into a home. And this housing first approach, combined with strong support services, works even for those who are struggling with significant mental health or substance issues.

Its less expensive in the long term, yielding benefits in both direct and indirect costs, such as a reduction in hospitalizations and the use of other social support service systems. More importantly, its a much more humane approach than to simply warehouse people in shelters or allow them to fend for themselves on the street.

Arnold S. Cohen, New York

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The writer is president and chief executive of the Partnership for the Homeless.

..

To the editor: I am a 56-year-old Angeleno who suffered (along with my siblings) trying to care for my mentally ill mother. Your editorial brought back painful childhood memories of our mother, who never was able to get the care she really needed.

The 1960s and 70s were a terrible time for mental health treatment. After helping to care for my mother during my youth, I later witnessed firsthand as a college student living in Santa Monica in the early 1980s how low untreated mental illness can take someone. Californias closure of mental institutions without funding community-based centers to treat people should be noted as the worst paradigm shift in our collective compassion for the mentally ill.

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Your editorial explaining how this happened is the reason I continue to subscribe. Thank you for giving all of us who have had to deal with mentally ill loved ones hope that a framework for treatment exists.

Keith M. Jones, Los Angeles

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.President Trump has expressed new openness to talks with North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, saying we will be meeting as he delivered what was supposed to be a comedic speech at a lighthearted annual gala dinner hosted by Washington journalists.

Officials said later that no meeting has been scheduled, but Trumps apparently unscripted aside seemed to indicate a willingness to negotiate with the government of Kim Jong Un, whom Trump has taunted as Little Rocket Man and threatened with fire and fury like the world has never seen.

Trump delivered a self-deprecating punchline during a rambling speech Saturday night in front of more than 600 journalists and guests at the Gridiron Dinner at the Renaissance Washington Hotel, saying: I wont rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un, I just wont. As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine.

But then he appeared to depart from his written remarks to describe an overture that Pyongyang has extended to Washington, apparently through the government in South Korea.

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By the way, a couple days ago they said, We would like to talk, and I said, So would we, but you have to de-nuke, you have to de-nuke,  Trump said.

The Trump administration has publicly insisted that North Korea give up its nuclear weapons program before talks could begin, a demand Pyongyang on Sunday dismissed as preposterous.

In his comments, however, Trump hinted he may be considering other options, saying maybe positive things are happening and we will be meeting, and well see if anything positive happens.

A U.S. official said that Washington would insist that any talks should focus on denuclearization, but that it would not demand Pyongyang disarm first or set other preconditions to meet. For its part, North Korea wants international recognition of its role as a nuclear power, a position the U.S. and its allies say they cannot accept.

But some progress appeared in sight. On Sunday, North Koreas Foreign Ministry dismissed U.S. demands that it give up its nuclear arsenal. But it also said dialogue with Washington was possible and that it hopes to find a diplomatic and peaceful solution to the conflict.

Trump previously said he would be willing to talk to North Koreas leader. Speaking to reporters at Camp David, Md., in January, Trump said he would absolutely be willing to talk to Kim without preconditions. I have no problem with that at all.

That signal appeared to get through to Pyongyang. Last month, Vice President Mike Pence prepared to meet secretly with North Korean officials during his visit to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

But the North Korean delegation, led by Kims sister Kim Yo Jong, canceled the meeting at the last minute after Pence vowed to sharply expand U.S. sanctions.

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Last fall, Trump seemed eager to quash an effort by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to start talks with Kims government through back channels in an effort to defuse tensions. In October, Trump tweeted that Tillerson was wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man.

Trump believes his maximum pressure campaign to isolate North Korea from the world economy through trade, banking and shipping restrictions has made Kim more willing to engage with South Korea, and ultimately with Washington.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for North Koreas decision to send a delegation to the Olympic Games and have its athletes walk with South Korean athletes in the opening ceremony, although leaders in Seoul and Pyongyang arranged the joint appearance themselves.

South Korea will send a 10-member delegation to Pyongyang on Monday to pursue the nascent thaw in relations. The visit will attempt to lower tensions on the peninsula and encourage Kims government to reenter dialogue with Washington, according to South Koreas Yonhap news agency.

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The talks come at a critical moment as the nascent diplomatic spirit between the parties from the Games fades and negotiators face the tough, fundamental questions about their disagreements going forward.

If the envoys trip goes well, it certainly is a win for Moon and raises hope for diplomacy to continue, said Duyeon Kim, a visiting senior research fellow at the Korean Peninsula Future Forum in Seoul, referring to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. But the road is still delicate and tensions could escalate if the situation is mismanaged.

A first test for any future diplomacy could come as Seoul and Washington determine when to resume their annual military exercises on the peninsula, which were delayed for the Games.

The drills, which the North sees as invasion preparations, could derail continued dialogue and the possibility for better relations between Pyongyang and Seoul and ultimately Washington.

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The Souths delegation, led by two of Moons top foreign policy aides, is expected to return home Tuesday and then fly to Washington to brief officials there about the discussions.

Moon selected Suh Hoon, who heads the Souths state spy agency, and Chung Eui-yong, head of the national security office, as his emissaries. The two aides are thought to have strong inter-Korean experience and good relations with national security officials in Washington.

Duyeon Kim said the aides selection is both practical and symbolic.

It shows that Moon is placing heavy, if not almost equal, importance on both inter-Korean relations and U.S.-North Korea relations, she said.

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North Korea surprised U.S. intelligence officials last year by making rapid advances in its weapons programs. It tested intercontinental ballistic missiles that for the first time appeared capable of reaching the continental United States, and it tested a thermonuclear device in September that was far more powerful than earlier versions.

U.S. officials say it is only a matter of time, perhaps less than a year, before Pyongyang masters the ability to build a bomb small and robust enough to be launched atop a long-range ballistic missile, and thus pose a direct threat to the United States.

I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017

Special correspondent Matt Stiles in Seoul contributed to this report.

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Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

brian.bennett@latimes.com

UPDATES:

4:25 p.m.: This story was updated with a researchers comments from Seoul.

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This story was first posted at 2:30 p.m.Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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Watch Live: White House holds surprise news briefing amid government shutdown Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt mAs President Trump appears to lurch from crisis to crisis on the world stage, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have quietly maneuvered to constrain an impulsive commander in chief, the latest sign of a national security team that is increasingly challenging the president.

Officials say the two senior Cabinet officers have slow-rolled requests for options on a wide range of policy goals, including exiting the Iran nuclear disarmament deal, reacting to missile strikes into Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, pressuring longtime ally Pakistan by cutting U.S. military aid, and possible limited airstrikes on North Koreas nuclear infrastructure.



For the record: An earlier version of this article misspelled the last name of former Secretary of State George P. Shultz and referred to him incorrectly as President Reagans first secretary of State. Alexander Haig served in that post for the first 5 1/2 months of Reagans tenure.

Trump is said to blame Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, bristling when his national security advisor has not presented the options he sought, or as quickly as he demanded them. That has given rise to multiple reports that McMaster could resign or be forced out in coming weeks, and added to the portrait of a White House in perpetual turmoil.

But when he walks into the Oval Office, McMaster is often caught in a carefully orchestrated manipulation by Mattis and Tillerson to slow the delivery of options they dont want the president to take, according to two current White House officials and one former official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions.

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They are going to hide the ball from the president to keep him from doing stupid [stuff], theres no doubt about it, said another former official, a national security expert who served in the Trump administration transition and asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations.

Other members of Trumps national security team also have pushed back, increasingly in public, suggesting that some of the presidents top advisors have decided to speak out rather than acquiesce to what they see as false claims or dangerous policies.

In a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Feb. 13, six of the presidents hand-picked security chiefs  including Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and FBI Director Christopher A. Wray  challenged or contradicted Trumps stated views on Russias role in the 2016 election, the danger of Russian meddling in elections this fall, and whether a controversial GOP memo on surveillance was accurate.

Last week, Adm. Michael S. Rogers, head of the National Security Agency and the Pentagons Cyber Command, told Congress he was concerned the White House had not ordered any retaliation against the Russian meddling, or given him new authority to block it in the future  a barely veiled criticism of the president.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has clearly come to the conclusion that theres little price to pay and that therefore I can continue this activity, Rogers told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Feb. 27. Clearly what we have done hasnt been enough.

Even McMaster has pushed back  but then got bloodied for it.

During a security conference last month in Munich, Germany, McMaster said the federal indictment of 13 Russians in the special counsel investigation provided incontrovertible evidence of Moscows meddling the 2016 election.

Trump furiously tweeted back that McMaster forgot to say that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the Russian campaign.

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The practice of Cabinet officials actively sandbagging presidential requests has several precedents in modern American history, but not on this scale.

The Pentagon misled President Lyndon B. Johnson about the effects of escalating the Vietnam War, a pattern of devastating bureaucratic misdirection that McMaster studied for his doctoral thesis and was the subject of his 1997 book, Dereliction of Duty, which became a bestseller last year after he joined the White House.

President Reagans long-serving Secretary of State, George P. Shultz, was careful about what information he shared with Reagan about the Soviet Union because he was afraid Reagan might act on his bellicose impulses toward Moscow, historians say.

But with Trump, it is a different kind of strategic withholding, Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University, said in a telephone interview.

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Trumps advisors fear he will say something rash or take an unplanned action, and are likely calculating that by slow-walking a potentially explosive action, his attention will turn to something else, Zelizer said.

Those kinds of fears of judgment or instantaneous action were never as great as they are today, Zelizer said. In part, advisors are just waiting out the time between his tweets and his fury, hoping to create some sort of stability.

One concern among advisors close to Mattis and Tillerson is that McMaster is willing to present Trump with options the president has requested for a so-called bloody-nose military strike at North Korea in an effort to disable its nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles before Pyongyang achieves the ability to launch a nuclear-tipped missile at the United States.

McMaster has told staff that he would present the options, even though he agrees with most foreign policy experts that a limited series of U.S. airstrikes would spark a full-scale war on the Korean peninsula.

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The Pentagon, which has warned of hundreds of thousands of casualties if war breaks out, has been slow to deliver the bloody-nose options to the White House, however.

In addition, Tillerson asked the State Department last month to make a list of all the sanctions and other actions  public and covert  that the United States and other nations are taking against North Korea. The goal, aides said, was to present them to Trump to convince him not to launch a preemptive strike.

Trump was frustrated in April after Iran-backed Houthi insurgents based in Yemen attempted to ram a high-speed boat packed with explosives into a Saudi Aramco fuel terminal. Trump demanded more U.S. military options to counter the possibility of similar attacks, but was not satisfied with the list he got.

Trump also asked for ways to deter Iran from sending short-range ballistic missiles into Yemen; Houthi rebels have fired the missiles into Saudi Arabia in recent months. Again, military options were slow in coming.

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Trump publicly called for cutting aid to Pakistan in August, and privately railed against the country for not doing more against terrorist groups. He got nowhere until Jan. 1, when he tweeted about what he called Pakistans lies & deceit. Many saw the tweet as a way to short-circuit the bureaucracy.

Three days later, the State Department announced it was freezing as much as $1.3 billion in annual aid to Pakistan.

Mattis and Tillerson are holding the line because they dont want to rush to war any faster than we otherwise would, Ned Price, a former CIA analyst and National Security Council spokesman under President Obama, said in an interview. Its not that unrealistic to be concerned that if the president is in a petulant mood, he will start an actual war.

Feeding the friction at the White House is a widespread view among McMasters staff that Tillerson and Mattis dont treat him as an equal.

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When McMaster came to the White House he decided not to retire from the Army, and stayed on active duty as a three-star general, technically outranked by Cabinet officials and Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general.

Ive never seen anything like this, where it is Cabinet secretaries bigfooting the national security advisor and diminishing that role, as Mattis and Tillerson seem to be doing, Price said. In my mind, it is pretty unprecedented.

Even McMasters critics say he has brought order to what was a chaotic and unscripted policy shop under his predecessor, Michael Flynn, who was fired because he allegedly lied to Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, about lifting U.S. sanctions on Russia. Flynn subsequently pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, part of a plea deal with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

While Trump had developed what seemed to be a genuine friendship with Flynn, forged in the crucible of the 2016 campaign, that didnt extend to McMaster.

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Now Trump and McMaster see each other nearly every day. Yet the battle-hardened Army general hasnt developed a natural rapport with Trump.

I dont know that the president ever really clicked with him, said Michael Allen, who worked on the George W. Bush National Security Council and advised the Trump transition. But, he added, McMaster has made a positive difference under difficult circumstances.

The most dramatic showdown came last summer, when Trump was furious he was being asked to certify the Iran nuclear agreement to Congress for a second time without a menu of tough actions to take.

Advisors, including Tillerson and McMaster, favored renewing the certification and had to repeatedly tell the president they hadnt prepared other options, and would have to tip off allies if Trump was about to reverse course.

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The president was furious.

This is never  happening again! Trump said, using an expletive, according to two people, one who heard him and another who was briefed on the meeting. Neither would agree to be identified while discussing internal deliberations.

At that point, Trumps personal interactions with McMaster bottomed out, one White House official said.

Since then, McMaster has been more forceful in demanding fulsome policy proposals that hew to Trumps demands, a stance that has lead to repeated clashes with Mattis in particular  a Trump favorite the president calls Mad Dog.

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Trump had lunch Thursday with Mattis and Pence in the presidents private dining room. The president met with McMaster in the Oval Office, aides said.

The Pentagon denied that Mattis was deliberately slow-rolling any military options to the White House.

The Secretary speaks to the President regularly. He provides options and his best military advice on a variety of national security matters, Lt. Col. Roger Cabiness, a Defense Department spokesman, said in a statement.

A State Department official similarly denied that Tillerson intentionally slows down deliberations to prevent Trump from taking action.

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The secretary takes seriously his job of providing the best possible advice to the president and does so on an almost daily basis, said Steven Goldstein, undersecretary of state for public affairs. Once the president makes a decision, we enforce that.

Tillerson feels it is important to make his position known if it sometimes differs from others, and he would expect others to do too, Goldstein said. Foreign policy is run at the State Department, so the fact that the secretary is vocal about what he believes how things should go is what people would expect from secretary of State.

And the White House has sought to squelch reports that McMaster will soon be gone.

Look, Gen. McMaster is not going anywhere, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday on Fox News. As the president said yesterday in the Oval Office to a number of the people, he thinks he is doing a great job and is glad he is here.

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Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

brian.bennett@latimes.comThe lone candidate for a U.S House seat out of California that the Democrats consider a prime pickup opportunity for the midterms is ending his congressional bid.

The Fresno Bee reported the news Sunday and said Emilio Huerta wrote in an op-ed that he would instead focus on helping other Democrats win election to various levels of government office.

Huerta, a lawyer and son of labor rights icon Dolores Huerta, was attempting to unseat GOP Rep. David Valadao for the second time in November. He lost to Valadao by 13 percentage points in 2016.

Huerta has not responded to requests for comment.

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Democrats are not ceding the race, and expect a new candidate to announce before this weeks filing deadline.

Huertas exit has some Democrats who were concerned he was a weak candidate breathing a sigh of relief.

Elected officials and Democratic party operatives in the Central Valley and in Washington had told The Times they felt the candidates mother pressured them to keep other candidates from entering the race.

Valadaos 21st Congressional District in 2016 backed Hillary Clinton for president by a wide margin and Democrats overwhelmingly outnumber Republicans there.

Huerta had just about $100,000 in the bank as of Dec. 31 and did scant campaigning. Valadao has nearly $1 million in his war chest at the end of the year.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan thanked Huerta in a statement.

Emilio Huerta and his family have made immense contributions to the Central Valley and our country as a whole. Every hardworking Californian owes them a debt of gratitude for their advocacy on behalf of families, children and our progressive values nationwide, Lujan said.

Local activists and party strategists in the last week have been floating the names of other potential candidates who could run in the majority Latino district that includes parts of Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties.

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Several Central Valley Democratic Party sources who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media said they expect engineer T.J. Cox to announce a run next week. Cox has been running in a crowded field in the nearby 10th Congressional District, but owns a home and business in Fresno.

Cox had less than $300,000 in cash on hand at the beginning of the year, putting him behind the other Democrats in his race.

Calls to Coxs campaign manager have not been returned.

He already has run for Congress in the area. In 2006, he lost to former Rep. George Radanovich by more than 20 percentage points in what was the 19th Congressional District before district boundaries were redrawn.

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Even though only 29% of voters in the district are registered as Republicans, Valadao has easily fended off Democratic challengers since his first election in 2012.

A local dairy farmer, Valadao has focused on bringing more water to the Central Valley, something that plays well in an agricultural district hit hard by drought. Hes also been willing to break with Republican leadership to push for immigration reform, most recently backing Democratic bills to resolve the legal status of people brought to the country illegally.

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

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Read more about the 55 members of Californias delegation at latimes.com/politics

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California could flip the House in 2018, and these 14 races will make the difference

Updates on California politicsIn one of her first public appearances since launching her campaign for California governor, Amanda Renteria encouraged a group of more than 100 young women to engage in politics and spoke about her experience as a Latina with political ambitions.

I am inspired to run because of all of you, she said at a forum hosted by Ignite, an organization that promotes young women interested in politics. In most of my life, the things that I wanted to do, people dont look like me, whether it was me being a woman, me being a person of color.

Renteria, 43, surprised political observers last month when she filed paperwork to enter the governors race. The former aide to Hillary Clinton has significant ground to make up before the June primary, where shell face fellow Democrats who have been running for more than a year and raised millions for their campaigns.

She stumbled a bit out of the gate and offered little by way of a platform. On Saturday in San Francisco, it was clear Renteria is pitching her candidacy to communities that are underrepresented in politics  and voters shed like to win over in the June 5 primary.

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She spoke about being the child of former farmworkers and growing up in the Central Valley.

After the forum, Renteria said shes planning to release a detailed policy platform this month that will focus on overhauling political culture and improving educational standards. She said she wants computer science and coding to be required in California public schools.

Renteria launches bid for California governor 

She also said she wants to make sure that all parts of California have good standards of living, including places that have been traditionally left out.

More than 100 women, most from colleges in Northern California, attended the event at the Google Community Space in San Francisco. Renterias message resonated with many of them.

Zahra Abadin, 21, wanted to know more about Renterias positions on immigration and economic issues before forming an opinion of her candidacy. The UC Berkeley student said she appreciates the conversation about having more underrepresented groups in politics. Abadin, who is Muslim, said she might want to run for office herself one day.

I empathize with her and appreciated how she talked as a first-generation student, as a low-income [person] who is the first in her family to graduate and go to college, Abadin said. It seemed like she was someone who knew what she was talking about.

Deyci Carrillo Lopez, a 22-year-old student at UC Santa Cruz, said she identified with Renterias story because she also is the child of farmworkers. She was brought to the U.S. by her parents at age 3 and is undocumented. She is a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which gives temporary legal status.

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Its definitely important to be able to see how struggles and your story shaped the kind of policies that you advocate for and the communities that you represent, said Lopez, who someday wants to run for U.S. Senate.

After working as a Democratic staffer in the U.S. Senate, Renteria ran an unsuccessful bid to unseat Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) in 2014. She then worked on Clintons presidential campaign. She left her most recent job as a top staffer in the California Department of Justice to run for governor.

She says she decided to run after she attended a debate hosted by Univision dominated by wealthy male candidates in the race.

Renteria said she didnt think they adequately addressed issues affecting women, particularly the #MeToo movement that has sparked discussion across the country about sexual harassment and discrimination against women in the workplace.

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Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are among the top candidates in a race that already has brought in $40 million, putting Renteria at a big fundraising disadvantage.

Californias governors race is awash with cash 

Renteria acknowledged her path to victory wont be by raising money. Instead, she said shes hoping to build grass-roots support through social media and by meeting with groups of potential voters. There have been no public polls conducted since she announced her candidacy.

She said shes spoken with sexual assault survivors on college campuses to hear their stories. Renteria shared her own MeToo moment in a post on the self-publishing platform Medium on Wednesday, describing how a more senior male colleague made inappropriate advances to her when she was 24.

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Attendees at the Ignite forum also broke into smaller sessions on topics including political leadership and activism in the era of #MeToo.

Delaine Eastin, the other prominent female candidate in the governors race, also attended the Ignite event and spoke about the importance of women in politics.

We need to elect a lot more of you, she told them.

Eastin is polling significantly behind her male rivals in the race, but pointed to her stronger-than-expected showing at the Democratic Convention late last month. Around 20 percent of delegates voted to endorse her. No candidate for governor won enough of the vote to secure the partys official endorsement.

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Renteria entered the race too late to speak at the convention or to be on the ballot for the partys endorsement.

In addition to Eastin and Renteria, attendees at the Ignite event heard from other female political candidates, including Eleni Kounalakis, a Democrat running for lieutenant governor, and Stacey Abrams, a Democrat running for governor in Georgia.

California has never elected a female governor or lieutenant governor. In an interview with The Times at the event, Kounalakis stressed the importance of including women and underrepresented groups in the political process.

Its not just because its fair, she said. Its because it builds a better, stronger society and a better, stronger democracy.

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Bollag is a special correspondent.

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Track the California races that will matter most in the midterm elections

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Updates on California politicsCalifornia has a long history of mixing crime and punishment with raw politics. But outrage doesnt always translate into coherent policy, and unintended consequences can spark even more public anger.

With that in mind, consider the last two years of debate over what should, and should not, be a violent crime.

That debate begins with the index of crimes in section 667.5 of the California Penal Code. The list was first enacted in 1976, and has been tinkered with so many times its hard to say whether its a fair representation of the most heinous crimes.

Column: Theres no timetable on when Gov. Jerry Brown picks a final Supreme Court justice 

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Heres why that matters: The list is now a key part of determining which California prison inmates are eligible for early parole under Gov. Jerry Browns 2016 ballot measure, Proposition 57. A legal fight over how to interpret the ballot measure could become a potent political issue.

Brown signed the law creating the original list of violent crimes during his first tour of duty as governor. Its since been amended or expanded 38 times, the last effort in 2014. Eight specific offenses or crime categories were in the original version. Now, there are 23 crimes. The list almost doubled in size in just the five years between 1988 and 1993.

So whats included? Some violent crimes are relatively straightforward  murder, attempted murder, voluntary manslaughter, robbery, kidnapping. (Kidnapping, interestingly, was dropped from the list in 1977 with no noteworthy explanation and added back in 1991.) Some additions, like the inclusion of carjacking in 1993, were sparked by news events. A prosecutor told The Times that year that classifying the crime as violent would give local district attorneys another weapon in their arsenal to attack this epidemic.

Voters opted to tweak the law twice, making substantial changes that werent well publicized in those elections. Proposition 21 in 2000 removed the long-standing focus on specific kinds of robberies  those in someones home and involving a deadly or dangerous weapon  and instead made any robbery a violent crime. In 2006, voters added more definitions of sex crimes.

Coverage of California politics 

And yet other crimes have long been sliced relatively thin. Only specific circumstances in the case of rape or first-degree burglary are on the list of violent crimes. Its doubtful, as a result, that the 23 offenses cover everything the average Californian would think of as being violent.

This might not be a pressing issue if not for the changes brought on by Browns 2016 ballot measure, which expanded parole opportunities to those serving time for a nonviolent felony offense. That phrase is brand new, and Proposition 57 placed the term in the California Constitution.

Its unclear, though, whether nonviolent felony offense is just another way of saying any crime thats not on the list of violent crimes. A Sacramento Superior Court judge last month rejected that idea. At the same time, the judge ruled that some convicted sex offenders  who the Brown administration has deemed ineligible under Proposition 57  should be considered for release because they werent convicted of one of the 23 crimes.

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Judge Allen Sumners ruling seemed to hint that current law is full of knots crying out to be untangled. He wrote that it is by no means clear what the voters understood, or intended, the term nonviolent to mean.

The simplest way to clear that up would seem to be a comprehensive revision of the list of 23 violent crimes. And yet victims rights advocates want to create a new list, 51 crimes in all, that would disqualify someone for parole. How  or if  the two lists would work together is unclear. Few things are simple in the politics of criminal justice.

john.myers@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast

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Updates on California politicsRegarding Vietnamese currency tips (On the Spot, by Catharine Hamm, Feb. 18): Check and double-check with your bank or credit union about using an ATM or debit card overseas.

My credit union would authorize my use of a card, but I had to sign a waiver that the credit union was not responsible in case of theft or corruption. I passed on that.

Fortunately, my spouse has a card with a bank that has links to a bank in the country we were visiting, so we used hers for cash.

Dave Middleton

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Rancho Mirage

::

In 2015 I traveled to Vietnam with plenty of dong purchased from my bank. However, I learned that the street vendors, especially children and teens, preferred new, crisp U.S. one-dollar bills that I found handy to pay for bottles of cold water and fresh coconut juice in the shell, tips to cab drivers and waiters in fine cafes. Easier than doing the dong math.

That cold water and juice saved my life in the high heat and humidity. And though I loved the stunning terrain and tasty cuisine, the sight of starving and dead dogs and cats was unpleasant.

Two more tips: The Vietnamese are generally friendly but are offended if tourists pat their adorable babies or children on the head and/or call the U.S. combat there the Vietnam War instead of the American War.

David Salvaggio

Redlands

travel@latimes.com

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@latimestravelIts easy to find Santa Cruzs best-known spots  the sandy beaches, the boardwalk and the breathtaking cliff walks. But locals have a few secrets too. One of these is that this coastal town has a surprising number of high-quality bakery/cafes. Its not clear how this happened, but we dont ask why  we just enjoy.

These are Santa Cruz institutions, places where you can pick up a fresh-baked loaf or meet friends for coffee and a chat. Wherever your explorations of Santa Cruz take you, these neighborhood eateries, each with its own character and specialties, are great places for a treat or a full meal.

The complementary, and comforting, aromas of freshly baked sourdough and earthy roasted coffee welcome you to Companion Bakeshop, a friendly bakery tucked in a small shopping center at the north end of town. Its a good spot to stop as you arrive or leave town along Highway 1.

Companion has an open, modern feel: glass (through which you can watch the bakers work), light wood and white subway tile. On a recent foggy morning when I visited, the sounds of halting Italian from a casual conversation class at a nearby table blended with soft guitar music from overhead speakers.

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Every loaf, except the baguettes, is sourdough of some sort. Youll also find plenty of pastries  tea cakes, galettes and croissants  to go with that coffee. Fun fact: This space becomes a wine bar on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Take your pick of bread at Companion Bakeshop in Santa Cruz. (Jenny Carless )

Info: Companion Bakeshop, 2341 Mission St., Santa Cruz; (831) 252-2253. Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Just a half-mile from West Cliff Drive, Kellys French Bakery is a cozy stop before or after a stroll.

If youre picking up a loaf, try the Francese (you can taste the olive oil) or the four-seed Compagnon. In the morning, pair your latte with one of the colorful macarons, an olallieberry tartlet, a black-bottom cupcake  or go whole hog with a cinnamon bun smothered in butter cream.

Kellys also offers lunch and dinner items such as grilled panini sandwiches, quiche and lasagna, which you can enjoy with a glass of wine or a beer.

Kellys was a trailblazer in its lively little neighborhood  a former all-industrial zone that now hosts wine-tasting joints, microbreweries, shops and restaurants.

Fun fact: Kellys makes its own ice cream.

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Apart from pastries and assorted bread, Kellys French Bakery in Santa Cruz also serves lunch and dinner. (Jenny Carless )

Info: Kellys French Bakery, 402 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz; (831) 423-9059, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Emilys Bakery is the place for muffins, whose sweet aroma greets you as you enter. Apple walnut, lemon, poppy seed, chocolate, blueberry  you name it. Theyre big and flavorful, and if youre lucky, youll get one straight from the oven. Emilys sits at the intersection of Mission and Laurel streets.

It alsos offers cake slices, croissants, scones, sweet rolls and sandwiches. While you stand in line trying to choose, you can watch bakers work their dough behind the counter or enjoy the collection of zebra memorabilia and artwork on the walls.

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Emilys is small, with an industrial vibemost people pick up and gobut if you stay, try the deck outside, surrounded by trees, where you can watch a small stream below.

Fun fact: Owner Emily Reilly used to be mayor of Santa Cruz.

Enjoy the collection of zebra memoribilia and artwork at Emilys Bakery in Santa Cruz. (Jenny Carless )

Info: Emilys Bakery, 1129 Mission St., Santa Cruz; (831) 429-9866. Open 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

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Cakes, cakes and more cakes. I defy you to find a local who hasnt considered the Buttery when contemplating a dessert for that special occasion. Carrot cake is a customer favorite (a traditional recipe with walnuts on the sides); the devils food whipped cream is also fantastic.

Youll find cupcakes too, decorated with coconut flakes, sprinkles and even rose petals. Youll also see tempting pastries (scones, croissants, cheddar cheese twists) and breads (German rye, whole wheat and more). The cafe can set you up with sandwiches (the BLTA is popular), soups and salads.

The Buttery is a cheery spot, often bustling inside, with a more relaxed, dog-friendly area outside. Its just a hop, skip and a jump from the Santa Cruz Harbor, past the historic Victorians of the Seabright neighborhood. Fun fact: You can enjoy live music on the patio on Sunday afternoons.

The Buttery in Santa Cruz is the spot to go for that special-occasion cake. (Jenny Carless )

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Info: The Buttery, 702 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz; (831) 458-3020. 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Gayles Bakery & Rosticceria, just six miles south in quaint Capitola, is the grande dame of the areas bakery-cafes. It celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

The humming main room features colorful mosaic-like tabletops, while the enclosed patio (with fireplace) is more calm. Display cases are filled with almost-too-gorgeous-to-eat delicacies such as slices of lemon chiffon cake, raspberry Napoleons and pecan crocodiles.

The Rosticceria, which serves oven-roasted meats, pasta, salads and more, has a loyal following. Regulars enjoy the Blue Plate Dinner specials.

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A slice of lemon chiffon at Gayles Bakery in Santa Cruz. (Jenny Carless )

Fun fact: Gayle Ortiz opened the bakery in 1978 because her love for baking had taken over her house. Husband Joe told her that she needed to move her operation out of the kitchen.

Info: Gayles Bakery & Rosticceria, 504 Bay Ave., Capitola, Calif.; (831) 462-1200. Open daily: 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

travel@latimes.com

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@latimestravelGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel proved to be a lucky duck instead of a lame duck on Sunday when the countrys second-largest political party, the Social Democrats, agreed reluctantly and after nearly six months of bitter wrangling to join forces with her conservative Christian Democrats for another four years.

Grass-roots members of the center-left Social Democrats opted by a surprisingly large two-thirds majority in a postal vote to swallow their pride and join another loveless right-left grand coalition with the Christian Democrats. The vote will keep Merkel in power even though Social Democratic leaders had vowed that they would do no such thing after an inconclusive election in September.

In that vote, both parties slumped to their worst post-World War II results after ruling four years together as a new far-right party, Alternative for Germany, siphoned away considerable support from both. Feeding off frustration over the arrival of more than a million refugees from Syria and elsewhere, it become the third-largest bloc in the six-party Parliament.

Weaker at home than any other time during her 12 years at the helm of Europes leading nation, the 63-year-old Merkel could have been forced out of power and Germany plunged into a political crisis with new elections likely if the 463,000 grass-roots members had voted against the coalition agreement. It was a detailed 179-page pact that the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats had hammered out a month ago in which Merkel turned over considerable power and important ministries to the Social Democrats to attract them into her government.

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Olaf Scholz, center right, interim leader of Germanys Social Democrats, and party members listen on Sunday as treasurer Dietmar Nietan announces the results of a party referendum at party headquarters in Berlin. (Kay Nietfeld / AFP/Getty Images )

Germany has been politically adrift during the last five months without a new government. Many in the European Union had been holding their collective breath for the last four weeks as Social Democratic leaders begged party members to jump over their shadows and support another grand coalition, despite initial misgivings.

The nations two largest parties have been archrivals for most of the last 70 years. Many analysts and even Social Democratic leaders had expected an extremely close contest and were surprised that such a comfortable 66% majority of the partys ballots were in favor of the coalition. Results were announced at a news conference televised live on four German TV networks early Sunday.

Just about everyone was expecting it to be very close, said Julius van der Laar, an international political strategist based in Berlin. A lot in the [Social Democratic Party] thought it was just the wrong decision to be part of another Merkel government but others thought it was just time to get a working government. The big winner today is Merkel. She would have been in deep trouble with a no vote. But shes safe in the saddle now. Shes mastered yet another crisis.

Merkel, whose first efforts to form a three-way coalition with the Greens and Free Democrats had failed in November, welcomed the Social Democrats vote  a clear reprieve for the veteran chancellor who is the European Unions longest-serving leader. It was also applauded by heads of government across Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron called it good news for Europe, a sentiment echoed by EU leaders in Brussels.

Merkel was also under pressure in her party after the disappointing election result in September and for making so many concessions to the Social Democrats in the coalition talks. If the Social Democrats had vetoed the deal, analysts believe Merkel would have faced fresh calls to resign.

Even though Merkel is loath to comment on the inner workings of the Social Democratic Party, or SPD, and rarely releases any information via Twitter, the chancellor applauded the move with a posting [link in German] on the Christian Democrats official Twitter account: I congratulate the SPD on this clear result and Im looking forward to continuing our good work together for the good of the country.

Merkel and her new government are expected to be sworn into office by March 14.

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ALSO

Germanys Merkel sets the stage for her eventual exit by picking a successor

Britains Theresa May has a big Brexit headache  and his name is Jeremy Corbyn

Laughing? Not so much. Most Russians just wish the election-tampering story would go away

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Kirschbaum is a special correspondent.Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconis right-wing coalition was leading the Italian election late Sunday, exit polls indicated, but appeared unlikely to reach a majority in Parliament, suggesting weeks of drawn-out negotiations to find a broader coalition amid growing populist anger over migration and the weak economy.

Surging populist parties looked set to gain over half the votes, indicating that the anti-establishment rage sweeping Europe since the U.K. Brexit vote has found a new home in Italy.



For the record: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the deputy director of the school of government at LUISS University in Rome as Giuseppe Orsina, He is Giovanni Orsina.

Projections based on 15% of votes counted showed Berlusconis four-party coalition taking 36.8%, shy of the 40% required for a majority in the lower house of the Italian Parliament.

The 81-year-old Berlusconi cannot reclaim his office because of a 2013 tax evasion conviction, but has cast himself as kingmaker in the coalition, which includes the virulently anti-migrant party known as the League and the hard-right Brothers of Italy party, which traces its political heritage to Italys World War II-era fascists.

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But projections showed the League taking 17.5% of votes on Sunday, comfortably outpacing Berlusconis Forza Italia party at 14.1%, putting League leader Matteo Salvini in the drivers seat. Italys largest party, the populist Five Star Movement, appeared set to grab just under a third of the votes, comfortably beating preelection polls. Official vote totals were expected Monday.

Five Star will be the pillar of the next legislation  that is the result of all these years of work, said Five Star member of Parliament Alfonso Bonafede after the exit polls were published.

This shows everyone will need to talk to us, said fellow member of Parliament Alessandro Di Battista.

The biggest loser of the night, according to the exit poll, was the governing center left Democratic Party, which was projected to take between 21% and 23% of the vote, far less than the populist coalition.

If things stay like this, we will have the God of all hung parliaments, said Giovanni Orsina, deputy director of the school of government at LUISS University in Rome.

Berlusconis coalition was strongly challenged in southern Italy by Five Star, which has railed against a governing class that is mistrusted by 77% of Italians. Five Star had proposed a living wage to be paid to the regions many unemployed young people.

Salvini, 44, staged 300 rallies in the course of the race and ran a successful social media campaign in which he condemned migrants who came to Italy illegally. As he surged in northern Italy, the ruling Democratic Party  widely blamed by voters for allowing more than 600,000 migrants to head for Italy over the last four years  has struggled to cling to votes in its left-wing heartlands in the central regions of the country.

Berlusconi had called for the expulsion of migrants as he tried to keep up with the anti-migrant crusade mounted by Salvini and the Brothers of Italy party.

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Far-right League party leader Matteo Salvini, right, poses for a selfie with a supporter as he arrives to vote for general elections at a polling station in Milan on March 4, 2018. (Miguel Medina / AFP/Getty Images )

The campaign has seen rallies by far-right groups, threats to leave the European Union and promises by politicians to expel hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the country illegally after more than 600,000 sailed to Italy over the last four years.

The populist surge drew a visit to Rome by former White House strategist Stephen K. Bannon, who told Italys Corriere della Sera newspaper that a possible alliance between the anti-migrant League party and the populist Five Star Movement was the ultimate dream.

The Italian people have gone farther, in a shorter period of time, than the British did for Brexit and the Americans did for Trump, said Bannon.

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He said the election was crucial for the global populism movement.

Growing intolerance of migrants in Italy has dominated the election campaign since the shooting last month in central Italy of six African migrants by a neo-Nazi who once stood as a candidate for the League.

A topless Femen activist protests at a Milan polling station where former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was about to vote. (Antonio Calanni / Associated Press )

Voters stood in line for up to an hour Sunday as officials struggled with new anti-voting-fraud measures and took time to explain how to fill in voting slips, which have become more complicated since the introduction of a new voting law that combines first-past-the-post and proportional representation voting.

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In Palermo, Sicily, polling stations opened late after a mistake with voting slips forced the reprinting of 200,000 slips at the last minute.

Berlusconi, who resigned in 2011 amid a series of sex scandals, was confronted as he voted in Milan by a topless protester from the group Femen who cried out, Your time is up! before she was led away by police.

To read this article in Spanish click here

ALSO

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Germanys Merkel walks away a winner after vote that could have ended her career

Britains Theresa May has a big Brexit headache  and his name is Jeremy Corbyn

Pope Francis sexual abuse commission, hit by resignations and criticism, gets a reboot

Kington is a special correspondent.

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UPDATES:

6:20 p.m.: This article has been updated with the latest projections.

5:50 p.m.: This article has been updated with exit poll results.

This article was originally published at 12:20 p.m.The cast of the Easton Area High School musical "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is raising money for a cast member's parent who suffers from cancer.

When Erika Kauth heard an Easton Area High School drama student's mother has cancer, her first thought was, "How can I help?"

Other volunteers with the school play quickly agreed.

"We banded together and put together a fundraiser that exploded into something that I never expected it would be," said the 25-year-old costume designer for this spring's high school musical.

Organizers of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" at Easton Area High School will raffle off baskets at each of the three performances scheduled for next weekend.

Proceeds will go to the parent, who declined to be named, as well as St. Luke's Cancer Center.

The play organizers first collected money for the parent at a tricky tray fundraiser in January dedicated to raising money for the play. With no advance notice or planning, that small effort netted $400.

That success spurred bigger and better plans to raise money and cancer awareness at the actual show.

Pink is becoming an unofficial color of the production. It's been incorporated behind the scenes and in costumes.

"We're going to put spots of pink anywhere we can," Kauth said.

The 25-year-old mental health worker for Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 participated in the plays when she attended Easton Area High School. Now Kauth volunteers despite graduating.

"I came back to it because I love it," she said.

The effort has expanded to honor Julia Miles, a district Spanish teacher who recently passed away due to cancer. It will also honor a Paxinosa Elementary School teacher who is battling the disease, Kauth said. The effort was spearheadad by Kauth, cast parent Jana Dowdell and costume designer Maggie Daraghy.

"We're trying to make it a community thing more than for just one family," Kauth said.

HOW TO HELP

Catch the play "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (and donate money) at the productions:

7 p.m. Friday, March 9

7 p.m. Saturday, March 10

2 p.m. Sunday, March 11

The shows are at the high school, 2601 William Penn Highway, Palmer Township

If you want to donate and don't necessarily want a raffle ticket, send a check payable to "EAHS musical theatre" to Easton Area High School, 2601 William Penn Highway, Easton, Pa. 18045

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.At the new Allentown distillery Gallows Hill Spirits, the Salem witch trials aren't just a quirky theme. They're part of owner Bob Piano's family history.

Using Ancestry.com, Piano traced his lineage back 10 generations to his "8-times great-grandfather" Samuel Wardwell, who was executed during the trials in 1692.

Piano's new business at 2200 S. 12th St., which held its grand opening Friday, March 3, combines that ancestry with his passion for distilling liquors like rum, vodka and more.

At Gallows Hill's tasting room, you can sip spirits while learning about the witch trials, which led to the execution of 20 people in Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693.

"It's part museum and part old-timey tavern," Piano said.

Behind the bar is a reproduction of the facade of Salem's "Witch House," the home of Judge John Corwin, who presided over most of the witch trials. Customers are greeted by a two-thirds-scale replica of the "Witch House" sign that hangs in Salem. On the walls, you'll find tributes to all 20 people killed as part of the trials, as well a restoration of the indictment of Piano's ancestor Wardwell.

The distillery's name refers to the spot where the alleged witches were hanged, and spirits' labels also harken back to the Puritans.

Tituba's Silver Rum is named for a slave who was among the first accused after reports that she introduced voodoo to local girls, while the Soothsayer Vodka is inspired by Piano's ancestor Wardwell, who was said to be able to predict the future.

The initial spirits, which also include a moonshine-like "specialty spirit" called Moonstone Rune, are all clear liquors because they don't require aging. (The distillery plans to introduced liquors aged in barrels down the line.)

All 80 proof, the three spirits are smooth, without a ton of bite, Piano said. A cream liqueur at 40 proof called Chai Milk Punch is also set to debut soon.

Piano admitted that there's not much tying together liquor and the witch trials, aside from his interest in both. In fact, liquor wasn't even his original bailiwick. For 25 years, he was more interested in brewing beer, and became part of the local community of brewers. Gallows Hill co-founder Scott Minnich, for one, is president of Lehigh Valley Homebrewers.

But despite his love of beer, Piano, whose background is in information technology, was deterred from starting his own brewery by the abundance of upstarts saturating the craft beer market. Distilling spirits, he figured, offered a better opportunity while allowing him to make use of his fermenting know-how.

Beer isn't totally absent from Gallows Hill, though: Four taps feature offerings from local breweries.

While Gallows Hill doesn't have a kitchen, food trucks like Vince's Cheesesteaks and Brisket King will be on hand to keep patrons fed. The distillery will also experiment with hosting live music, but will keep it low-key.

"I don't want people to have to shout," Piano said.

Gallows Hill Distillery is open Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. A lot out in front offers free parking. For those using a GPS to find the distillery, Piano recommends entering the business name rather than the address.

Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook.More than 80,000 remain without power Sunday across the Lehigh Valley and neighboring areas following a powerful nor'easter Friday that tore down utility lines with rain, snow and heavy winds.

The storm as of Sunday morning cut power to 41,538 properties in Lehigh, Northampton and Warren counties. Factor in neighboring Bucks and Monroe counties and the count is another 39,324 customers -- that's households and businesses, not individuals.

In Northampton County, an estimated 20,668 residents remain without power, as well as an estimated 6,475 customers in Lehigh County. In Warren County, an estimated 14,393 residents are without power.

Some residents were told not to expect power to be restored until Wednesday evening at the latest.

Joe Nixon, a PPL spokesman, said customers in the Lehigh Valley, Poconos, northeast Pennsylvania (including Scranton area), and Bucks and Montgomery counties are planned to have power restored by 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Tricia Ingraham, a spokeswoman with FirstEnergy, didn't expect the majority of Met-Ed customers without power to be restored until Wednesday evening with the exception of Weisenburg Township, where customers may get their power restored by Monday evening.

In Warren County, Ron Morano, Jersey Central Power & Light spokesman, said the most affected areas are in Blairstown, Independence Township, Liberty Township and Mansfield. He expected power to all customers to be restored by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Since Saturday, more than 75,000 Central Jersey residents have had their power restored, and crews are repairing more than 200 damaged poles and more than 1,000 spans of down wire, he said.

As of 8 a.m. Sunday, about 137,000 PPL customers have had power restored, Nixon said.

JCP&L workers are evaluating damage and isolating damaged equipment. "Crews are out working to restore everyone safely," Morano said.

PPL is recalling about 25 linemen doing storm restoration work in Puerto Rico to help restore customers to power in Pennsylvania. Also assisting PPL are 100 contractors provided through PPL's sister utilities in Kentucky -- Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities, Nixon said.

Additionally, another 250 line workers were expected to arrive Sunday and Monday from utilities as far as Florida, Texas, Ohio and Alabama, he said, noting Friday's storm will rank among the 10 worst to affect PPL customers.

Morano stressed residents need to stay away from downed wires and report them either to JCP&L or local police or fire departments. JCP&L also is offering free water and ice to customers whose service has not yet been restored. Customers can pick up water and ice at the following area locations:

ShopRite of Washington, Route 31 North, Washington.

ShopRite of Hunterdon, 1207 Route 22, Greenwich Township.

ShopRite of Mansfield, Route 57 West and Allen Street, Hackettstown.

Acme Supermarkets, 152 Route 94, Blairstown.

ShopRite of Hunterdon, 50 Route 513 Building G, Clinton.

ShopRite of Hunterdon, 272 Route 202 at Route 31, in Flemington.

In Nazareth Borough, where many folks also remain without electricity, the Moravian Church, 4 S. Main St., is continuing to offer overnight shelter Sunday starting at 6 p.m. Residents are being asked to bring their own pillows, blankets or sleeping bags. They will also be open Sunday as a warming station.

A second warming station is being set up at the Schoeneck Moravian Church, 316 N. Broad St., Nazareth from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Transportation is available to the shelter by police and fire officials for those unable to drive.

"We are urging all residents without power to take advantage of the shelter and warming stations today and tonight," a Nixle alert stated.

In Blairstown, a warming station at North Warren Regional High School is planned to be open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Warm showers and charging stations are available to residents, according to a Nixle advisory.

In Washington, the Butler Park Fire Dept., 17 River Road, is open until 4 p.m. Sunday for folks in need of warming up, charging electronics and filling water bottles.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced Friday Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers were helping with wellness checks and moving large vehicles stranded on roads.

Weather temperatures also are expected to remain chilly this week.

Sunday is forecast as mostly sunny with a high near 44 followed by a low around 27 overnight into Monday. A north wind is forecast around 9 to 13 mph.

Snow is likely Tuesday night through Wednesday, with the chance of precipitation being 80 percent, the National Weather Service says.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Pennsylvania's "Good Samaritan" law has been credited with saving the lives of people who overdose on drugs. It's an important part of the effort to contain an opioid epidemic, along with equipping police and paramedics with naloxone, addiction counseling, and getting people into drug courts in lieu of prosecuting them for low-level drug offenses.

The law grants immunity from prosecution to victims of suspected overdoses and the people who call 911 on their behalf. Pennsylvania, New Jersey and 38 other states have recognized the urgency of getting people to act responsibly in these situations.

The statistics are staggering. The Centers for Disease Control reported 63,600 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses in 2016, a 21 percent increase over the year before. That number covers all drugs, but prescription painkillers, heroin and fentanyl make up most of the cases, accounting for the surge in fatalities.

Pennsylvania had the fifth-highest rate of opioid-related deaths in 2016 -- 38 deaths per 100,000 residents, a total of 4,844.

Good Samaritan laws vary from state to state. In Pennsylvania, drug users who dial 911 can expect immunity from minor drug charges, but not from more serious crimes, such as drug trafficking or firearms offenses. Nor can anyone use a "free card" to thwart an ongoing investigation, such as calling for medical help when police are at the door with a search warrant. Also, the person reporting an overdose must have a reasonable belief a person's life is in danger.

Despite these balances, Pennsylvania's law had a glaring deficiency. While it offered immunity to the suspected victim and the reporter, it didn't specifically extend that protection when those are one and the same person -- when someone calls 911 to self-report an overdose.

The flaw was exposed in a case in Dauphin County. Sheila Marie Lewis called 911, thinking she was overdosing, and was subsequently charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. She sought to have the charge dropped, seeking immunity under the Good Samaritan law, but was convicted in county court. The judge said the law does not apply to self-reporters, nor to people who are found not have needed immediate medical attention. She appealed to state Superior Court.

That interpretation violates the legislative intent of the law, a panel of three Superior Court judges ruled last week, in overturning the conviction. The opinion, written by Judge Jack Panella of Palmer Township, noted "the act is designed to save lives by sacrificing the enforcement of minor narcotics penalties" -- including possession of drug paraphernalia.

"Furthermore, excluding self-reporters from the immunity granted by the act would lead to absurd results," Panella wrote.

The judges also rejected the idea that immunity from minor drug charges disappears if it turns out that a person wasn't in mortal danger -- as long as there was a reasonable expectation of medical need.

This is just one beachhead in an addiction battle claiming thousands of American lives each year and devastating communities. But it needed to be addressed and clarified. If necessary, the Legislature should revisit its Good Samaritan law and incorporate the court's findings.Debra Jones thought of all the food in her freezer, and her cat at home in her darkened house.

"I was silly," the Nazareth resident said Saturday. "I went shopping yesterday, stocked up."

Her power out at home since Friday, Jones got a ride from her cousin Tom Albani to the Moravian Church in Center Square Nazareth. Albani was making a list of non-perishable food he could run out and get for them while they warmed up in the church, which opened its doors first as a warming and electronics charging station and then as an overnight shelter beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday. Jones didn't think she would stay overnight, to get home to her cat.

The Nazareth residents said they were told by Met-Ed to expect their power back on by 11 p.m. Wednesday. PPL Electric Utilities was telling some of its Lehigh Valley customers who'd lost power the same thing, while crews scrambled to assess and repair widespread damage.

Friday's storm cut power as of Saturday morning to 68,000 properties in Lehigh, Northampton and Warren counties. Factor in neighboring Bucks, Monroe and Hunterdon counties and the count was 154,137 customers -- that's households and businesses, not individuals -- as of daybreak.

"I think this is worse than Sandy from a power-outage standpoint for us," said Bath Borough Council Vice President Michele Ehrgott inside the warming station at George Wolf Elementary School in the borough.

James Sprague was there Saturday afternoon, sitting with his feet propped up on a folding chair. He's 79 and spent Friday night into Saturday huddled under blankets, no heat at home. A caregiver checking on him Saturday morning decided to bring him to the school.

"I lost a lot of stuff in the refrigerator, I'm sure," Sprague said.

Storm update: We are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power and are bringing in additional resources. Below are estimated restoration times for various regions of our service territory. (1/3)  PPL Electric (@PPLElectric) March 3, 2018

(2/3)

Lehigh Valley, Poconos, Northeast Pennsylvania, and Bucks and Montgomery counties  11 p.m. Wednesday, March 7.

Susquehanna Valley (Lock Haven/Bloomsburg) and Lancaster County  11 p.m. Sunday, March 4.  PPL Electric (@PPLElectric) March 3, 2018

(3/3)

Harrisburg Area  5 p.m. Sunday, March 4.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton region and Schuylkill County  11 p.m. Monday, March 5.

Please note: Most customers will be restored well before these times.  PPL Electric (@PPLElectric) March 3, 2018

STORM UPDATE: More than 110,000 customers affected by Winter Storm Riley have been restored. Approx 82,500 customers remain without service  primarily in Northampton, Pike and Monroe counties, where high winds & significant snowfall have hampered our efforts to restore power. pic.twitter.com/7MVuE0LVFJ  Met-Ed (@Met_Ed) March 3, 2018

Bath Mayor Fiorella Reginelli-Mirabito had been in and out of the school throughout the morning. My Place donated pizza, and state Rep. Marcia Hahn brought in snacks, as well. Resident Scott Cavallo stopped in to charge up his phone and had a pretty easygoing attitude about the ordeal.

"It's kind of a nice little gathering," he said.

The school hosted upwards of 40 people Friday night into Saturday in the gym, sleeping on gymnastics mats, Ehrgott said.

"We ran out of gym mats," she said.

Around the Lehigh Valley and northwestern New Jersey on Saturday, businesses were forced to remain closed without electricity. Motorists were contending with roads closed due to storm debris and traffic light after traffic light darkened.

"This is crazy," said the Rev. Jeff Gehris, pastor at Moravian Church in Nazareth, where he and his wife, Sherry, were welcoming those in need Saturday.

Outside the church, lifelong Nazareth resident Joanne VanNatta was awaiting a LANTA bus to take her to Palmer Park Mall.

"I read a whole James Patterson book last night," she said, by flashlight, in her powerless home. Saturday, with the power still out, she took a cold shower and headed for the mall, where a friend in Bethlehem Township was to meet her and host her for the night.

"The wind was howling, it was horrible," said VanNatta, a crossing guard in Nazareth. "It was a horrible evening."

As nightfall approached Saturday, Warren County communities were also gearing up to host residents facing the cold and darkness. Mansfield Elementary School in Port Murray opened its doors for residents to get drinking water and charge electronics.

JCP&L announced free water and ice for customers at stores including ShopRite of Washington on Route 31 North; Shoprite of Hunterdon at 1207 Route 22 in Greenwich Township, 50 Route 513 Building G in Clinton and 272 Route 202 at Route 31 in Flemington; and Shoprite of Mansfield at Route 57 West and Allen Street in Hackettstown.

STORM UPDATE: Service has been restored to more than 75,000 customers who lost power following yesterdays massive winter storm. We are offering free water & ice to the 130,000 customers who remain out of service. For list of locations: https://t.co/yt5T7shmBm pic.twitter.com/Pgzp64mx1M  JCP&L (@JCP_L) March 3, 2018

Phillipsburg declared a state of emergency, and Mayor Stephen Ellis announced a warming center/shelter open 6 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m.m Sunday at Firth Youth Center.

RESIDENTS Please be advised the TOWN OF PHILLIPSBURG has declared a PROCLAMATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY . Once the... Posted by Stephen Ellis, Mayor on Saturday, March 3, 2018

Beyond the Lehigh Valley, the storm Friday into Saturday left at least six people dead, including an 11-year-old boy in New York State. Police in Montgomery County's Upper Merion Township, outside Philadelphia, said a 45-foot portion of a tree landed on a car at about 7 p.m. Friday, killing a 57-year-old man.

Gov. Tom Wolf said Saturday that about 445,000 utility customers remained without power, down from nearly 600,000 affected at the height of the storm. Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers were helping with wellness checks and moving large vehicles stranded on roads, he said.

The lingering outages are infuriating for residents like Beverly Hannah, of Palmer Township. Her home on Clayton Street remained cut off while she could see homes with power nearby on Seip Avenue.

"I have to wait until March 7? That's ridiculous," she said. "I'm quite sure they want their bills paid before then."

Hannah, who describes herself as a young 70-plus, was headed to a friend's house with electricity Saturday afternoon, but she has two cats and a dog and isn't sure where she'll be welcome to wait out the return from primitive living.

"I definitely miss my TV," she told lehighvalleylive.com over the phone. "And my cellphone is running down."

The storm's winds, with gusts peaking near 60 mph Friday at Lehigh Valley International Airport diminished Saturday to speeds in the teens and 20s from the northwest, with gusts in the low 30s.

The forecast for Saturday night at the airport was mostly cloudy with a low around 29, a north wind at 13 to 18 mph and continued gusts as high as 32 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Sunday is forecast as mostly sunny with a high near 45 followed by a low around 25 overnight into Monday. A north wind is forecast around 10 to 15 mph.

Snow is likely Tuesday night through Wednesday, the weather service says.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Spread the love











8 Australia/New Zealand Easter Eggs from Thor: Ragnarok:

In a special clip from the Commentary Track youll find the Australia/New Zealand influence on the space ships in the film, along with a variety of additional AU/NZ fun facts from Thor Ragnarok director Taika himself!

1. The horns on Surturs helmet were crafted out of an ancient Australian boomerang that the crew received as a gift while filming in Australia.

2. The Grandmasters henchwoman, Topaz, is played by Rachel House. She has starred in many of Taika Waititis projects, including Eagle vs. Shark, Boy, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

3. Taika Waititi is a big fan of sketch comedy actor Steven Oliver from Australias Black Comedy television series and contacted him to be Cousin Carlo in a scene with Jeff Goldblum.

4. The scene where Valkyrie opens a bottle with her blade is an homage to the Beth Heke character in Once Were Warriors.

5. Chris Hemsworth loved Taika Waititi so much he shaved an N and a Z in the sides of his head for New Zealand. (according to Taika, at least)

6. Interns from a local Aboriginal community created much of the Hulk parade masks & banner props on Sakaar. Several of the interns ended up getting jobs with the art department.

7. During Helas fight sequence against the army of Asgard, she is doubled by the famous New Zealand stuntwoman, Zoe Bell.

8. The colors for The Grandmasters ship, The Commodore, were inspired by the Aboriginal flag, while Valkyries ship colors were modeled on the Maori flag. Many of the space ships in the film were also named after cars from the Australia/New Zealand car company, Holden  Statesman, Commodore, Escort, Kingswood, Torana, etc.

Pin it for later:

About Thor Ragnarok

In Marvel Studios Thor: Ragnarok, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok  the destruction of his home world and the end of Asgardian civilization  at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett). But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger  the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)  and grapple with his silver-tongued adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the fierce warrior Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and the eccentric Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum).

Connect with Thor

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine alone.CHICOPEE -- Amid reports that the venerable Hu Ke Lau Chinese restaurant is closing, one of its owner says his family will make an announcement on its future this week.

Restaurateur Andy Yee described the upcoming announcement as a "positive story for my family and the city of Chicopee for the next half a century."

The property at 705 Memorial Drive would be redeveloped, Yee said.

The restaurant, founded by the late Jung Tai "Johnny" Yee, first opened its doors on April 6, 1965. It underwent a major expansion a decade later.

On Saturday, Atoa Ripley, one of the Polynesian show performers at the Hu Ke Lau, posted on Facebook, "After over 40 years of bringing Polynesian culture to little ol' Chicopee. Massachusetts, the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee will be closing next month! ... Shows will be weekends until April 6th (Our Final Show!)

Chicopee City Councilor Joel McAuliffe reposted that Facebook message, drawing more than 1,200 shares, scores of comments and numerous calls to the restaurant.

Bill Bell, better known as DJ Adapt, also noted on Facebook "this may be the last time I DJ at Hu Ke Lau but on March 9th I'll be taking the reigns on Fusion Friday @ Hu Ke Lau so I hope to see many friends there on a possible send off!"

Later, Johnny Yee's widow, Linda Yee, told WWLP-TV in Chicopee that the Hu Ke Lau was closing around April 7, but left the door open for the possibility a smaller restaurant taking its place.

The Memorial Drive restaurant boasts a large showroom with a stage that features a variety of entertainers, including a Polynesian floor show, music acts and comedians.

In addition to the Hu Ke Lau, the Yee family owns, or has an interest in, several restaurants in Western Massachusetts, including Johnny's Tavern in Amherst; Johnny's Bar & Grill, Johnny's Taproom and Iya Sushi and Noodle Kitchen, all in South Hadley, Route 9 Diner in Hadley; and the Student Prince in Springfield.LOS ANGELES, California -- Did the city make the movies or did the movies make the city?

It's all a blur driving down Sunset Boulevard.

Not just because the iconic road cuts through Los Angeles' tourist attractions, souvenir shops and billboards advertising the latest blockbuster movies. Or because it shares the same name as the 1950 classic by Billy Wilder - a Hollywood film about Hollywood that was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and captured three.

You see, there's something vaguely familiar about this place - the streets, the buildings, the blueish-purple skies overhead. Those winding rows of majestic palm trees swaying in the sun.

They've appeared in so many films and are so burned into our pop consciousness that they are more than "cinematic." They blur reality and film... Am I in a city or on a movie set?

Actually I'm sitting in L.A. traffic and not moving much, but you get the point.

I've visited L.A. dozens of times. With each trip I've increasingly come to see the city as some sort of living, breathing extension of the movies.

Yes, there are more than 2,600 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tourists snapping photos and comparing their hands to the impressions of movie stars in the concrete around Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Bright lights and garish impersonators lording over Hollywood Boulevard.

But there is also that milieu created over decades with dozens of movies -- hyper-informed and loaded with images that reflect the city like some funhouse mirror.

Of course, there's the sing-song valentine known as "La La Land." There are countless others, including "The Big Lebowski," "Pulp Fiction," "Repo Man," "Mulholland Drive," "Swingers," "Boogie Nights," "Chinatown," "Double Indemnity," "The Long Goodbye."

L.A. is a studio, a set and a character all rolled into one. Actually, many sets and characters. The diversity of the terrain and environment allows Los Angeles to play a variety - concrete jungle, bucolic small-town America, post-apocalyptic wasteland and endless party of thrills.

I recently spent a week tracking down the real-life places in films that made L.A. famous... Or, perhaps, movies L.A. made famous.

Lest you think this is a meandering dash into Hollywood obscurity, many of the spots are located near other attractions most curious travelers would want to hit anyway: breathtaking beaches, stylish diners, glamorous hotels, scenic drives and iconic landmarks.

Many are close enough to one another that they make up six short mini tours you can take in anywhere from a few hours to a full day.

HOLLYWOOD 101

Hollywood Boulevard is the first stop for anyone visiting L.A. with a camera. There are the stars, the circus of impersonators on the street, the lights and the kitsch. Many head right to TCL Chinese Theatre (6925 Hollywood), or Grauman's as it was known during its Hollywood heyday. Opened in 1927, it's renowned for those celebrity hand and footprints in the concrete - not to mention premiering everything from Cecil B. DeMille's "The King of Kings" to "Star Wars." Movie buffs will also remember it as the backdrop for the opening scene of "Singin' in the Rain," the 1952 musical that is considered one of Hollywood's all-time classics. Across and down the street a bit is the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (7000 Hollywood) -- where the Academy Awards debuted in 1929; where Marilyn Monroe once lived and where countless films were shot, including "The Fabulous Baker Boys."

Just down the street and away from the crowds, you get a different piece of classic Hollywood with the El Capitan Theatre (6838 Hollywood), the 1926 movie palace that premiered "Citizen Kane" and was a stand-in for The Muppet Theater in "The Muppets." Don't forget to cross the street and check out Musso & Frank Grill (6667 Hollywood). This place might have a monopoly on Tinseltown allure, with its elegant bar and dining room, legendary literary and movie guests and servers in red coats. But it offers a slice of vintage Hollywood that make you feel like an extra in a movie. Oh yeah, it played backdrop to a meeting of Ed Wood Jr. and Orson Welles in "Ed Wood" and made cameos in "Mad Men." Follow it up with a shot and a beer at Frolic Room (6245 Hollywood), a vintage dive bar with Art Deco style that has been open since Prohibition. It attracts a shadowy set of Hollywood vampires, was one of author Charles Bukowski's favorites and appears in the noir classic, "L.A. Confidential."

Due north and a seven-minute walk away is the 101 Coffee Shop (6145 Franklin Ave.), a stylish 1960s-era diner that serves killer shakes and has appeared in "Swingers," "Entourage" and "Gilmore Girls." Fans of the L.A. noir will no doubt enjoy getting a glimpse of High Tower Court, (located a mile away, at 2178 High Tower Drive), the apartment block that plays a prominent role in Robert Altman's classic, "The Long Goodbye." Due east is another noir gem: Sowden House (5121 Franklin Ave.), an opulent 1926 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed mansion that appeared in "L.A. Confidential" (and hosts tours).

David Lynch and The Muppets paid homage to L.A. in very different ways. They come together at Pink's Hot Dogs (709 N La Brea Ave). A colorful legend since 1939, this retro blast serves two dozen foot-longs and has appeared in, whoa, "The Muppets" and "Mulholland Drive."

Another Hollywood institution, The Dresden (1760 N Vermont Ave.) rolls out a different kind of color - the kind that boasts vintage '50s decor, a campy musical troupe called Marty and Elayne and an appearance in "Swingers."

The Hollywood tour ends with "Sunset Boulevard," er, actually an homage to "Sunset Boulevard" on Melrose Avenue - Paramount Studios (5515 Melrose). Most of the locations, including Norma Desmond's glorious mansion, have been torn down. But Paramount - where she comes to visit Cecil B. DeMille in the hopes of jumpstarting her career -- remains. The studio still does movie tours.

HOLLYWOOD ON THE BEACH

Yes, the movie industry set up shop in Hollywood in the 1910s to evade movie patents held by Thomas Edison in New Jersey. But it also came for the blue skies and sun that guaranteed most days fine for filming. There are no better sunsets in America than those drifting over the Pacific Ocean - which makes these spots scenic on the screen and in person.

From Malibu, to the north, to San Pedro, 47 miles south, you can take in some of the country's most breathtaking vistas and views, and memorable movie scenes.

At the northern tip is El Matador Beach, a romantic getaway from the world that features dramatic sunsets and otherworldly rock formations. The beach is sandy and you will regret not bringing a bathing suit or a camera for his heavenly spot that played backdrop in the 2004 romance, "The Notebook."

Point Dume State Beach (five miles to the southeast in Malibu) is just as much a natural beauty. It shoehorns soft sand, still waters, rugged rocks and vicious waves on one coastline. It's also the site of the 1968 sci-fi classic, "Planet of the Apes." The one-hour walk up to Point Dume - where the Statue of Liberty was located in the film - takes you through desert shrubs, wildflowers and thick bushes and offers some of the most beautiful views anywhere.

The circa-1901 Santa Monica Pier (20 miles east along the coast) is a deep dive into humanity -- a jam-packed carnival of tourists and amusement park rides, including a charming carousel and a massive Ferris wheel. It's also the site of countless films, from "The Sting" to "Forrest Gump" to "Iron Man."

Venice Beach (less than two miles southeast away) boasts gorgeous views of the Pacific and a storied past. Jim Morrison used to hang out in this former hippie lair. So did Olivia Newton- John, who roller skates in the film "Xanadu." You can even stay at the Samesun Venice Beach, a hostel that appeared in the 1958 film noir classic "Touch of Evil."

Hungry? Lucky you, there are two famous movie eateries a short drive inland. Dinah's (6521 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles) is renowned for its stylish interior, cool lighting and that big bucket of chicken sign. The circa-1959 diner also played backdrop to a gang of German nihilists in "The Big Lebowski" and a weird job interview scene in "Nightcrawler." Since 1953, Randy's Donuts (805 W. Manchester Blvd, Inglewood) has wowed Angelinos with fried dough and that massive donut sign, not to mention appearances in "Dope," "Iron Man 2," "Get Shorty" and "Earth Girls are Easy."

The South Bay Beaches have also seen their share of roles - mostly for their sand and sun and piers. The Manhattan Beach Pier has appeared in "Point Break" and "Starsky and Hutch." The Hermosa Beach Pier starred in "La La Land" and its beach house community appeared in "Jackie Brown." The Redondo Beach Pier was a regular in "The OC."

California's vibrant port town San Pedro (15 miles southeast of Redondo) is home to Sunken City Trail, the site of the messy funeral in "The Big Lebowski" where The Dude and Walter try and scatter Donny's ashes over the Pacific Ocean. The area, a collection of rocks and trees sitting on a cliff, is beautiful, but also a popular suicide spot, which has resulted in the city limiting access.

BEVERLY HILLS & CENTRAL L.A.

Yes, it's closed. But Johnnie's Coffee Shop (on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) is a museum piece: a historic landmark, a fine example of Googie architecture and the backdrop for "The Big Lebowski" and "American History X."

Johnnie's is less than a mile south of the Original Farmer's Market, a popular tourist attraction, and four miles east from Beverly Hills Hotel (9641 Sunset Blvd). "The pink palace," an Old Hollywood icon that played host to the Rat Pack, W.C. Fields, Elizabeth Taylor and appeared on the Eagles "Hotel California" album, was the filming location for "California Suite."

Of course, you can make a beeline to Rodeo Drive or pretend you're Eddie Murphy and go to Beverly Hills City Hall (455 North Rexford Drive), which doubled as the police department building in "Beverly Hills Cop."

Seventeen miles and a world away are the Watts Towers (1727 E 107th St.). Located in L.A.'s Watts neighborhood, the 99-foot towers were built out of concrete, steel, broken glass and found objects by an Italian immigrant, Sabato Rodia, from 1921 to 1954. They are so cinematic that they've appeared in countless films, from "Menace II Society" to "Colors," "Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde" and "La La Land."

DOWNTOWN L.A.

Downtown was the forgotten part of L.A. No more. The area has experienced a two-decade-long revival and has reclaimed its place as the center of life - and an important piece of movie history.

Check into the Millennium Biltmore Hotel (506 S. Grand Ave). The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded at this 1923 gem, which hosted many of the early Oscar ceremonies. It has also played a starring role on the screen, appearing in more than two dozen movies including "Chinatown," "True Lies," "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Ghostbusters."

Downtown is perfect for a walking tour that takes in the city's architecture and a number of movie locations.

The Bradbury Building (304 S. Broadway) is a dazzling architectural gem of ornate brick, wood and iron that has seen more roles than most A-list actors: "Blade Runner," "Double Indemnity" and "DOA." Across the street is the Grand Central Market (315 S. Broadway), a sprawling and buzzing market that was built in the late-1800s and which makes a cameo in "La La Land." Angels Flight (350 South Grand Ave), a circa-1901 railway lift that is one of the few remnants of the Bunker Hill neighborhood, also makes it into "La La Land," along with "The Muppets" and "Kiss Me Deadly."

For color, a three-mile drive into thriving Koreatown takes you to The Prince (3198 W 7th St). The colorful restaurant -- lots of reds and ornate decor - serves a stellar Korean-style chicken and boasts an appearance in "Chinatown." Speaking of Chinatown (four miles to the east), the bustling neighborhood rolls out shops and restaurants and movie roles in "Chinatown" and "Rush Hour."

SUPERSTAR LOCATIONS

No, the city didn't encase the Los Angeles River in concrete to make it hospitable to car chases. It was done to deal with a flood in 1938. But the effect was all the same: The river, which often looks more like a creek or a trickle, has played a major role in films such as "Repo Man," "Drive" and "Point Blank." Accessing the river can be difficult, but you can get to it between L.A.'s Los Feliz and Atwater Village neighborhoods along Fletcher Drive.

Along with stellar views and natural beauty, Griffith Park (located in Los Feliz, 1.7 miles northwest of the Fletcher Dr. river access) also offers the city's most famous filming location, appearing in everything from the 1915 D.W. Griffith classic "Birth of a Nation" to "Rebel Without a Cause' to "La La Land."

The grandiose Ennis House (a mile south) doesn't have as many credits, but the 1924 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed mansion has appeared in a dozen films, including "Blade Runner" and "House on Haunted Hill."

FROM FILM NOIR TO SMALL-TOWN AMERICA

Located far from the glitz and spotlight, places like Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank have played major roles in the movies because they seem more like "regular" America.

Glendale, three miles east of Griffith Park, has sleepy residential neighborhoods and 143 North Jackson Street offered the perfect location for the "Mildred Pierce" house in the 1945 Academy Award-winner. Glendale also supplied the "Double Indemnity" train station (400 W Cerritos Ave.) for the 1944 Billy Wilder film noir classic, which still functions as an Amtrak station.

One of modern cinema's most famous moments - the John Travolta and Uma Thurman dance scene in "Pulp Fiction" - is also a product of Glendale. Sadly, Rabbit Slim's, a former bowling alley that was dressed up as a diner, is no more. But you can still see the exterior, which is part of the Walt Disney Imagineering campus (1401 Flower St.). You can get inside and eat at another Quentin Tarantino location, however. The cozy Pat & Lorraine's diner (4720 Eagle Rock Blvd., in the Eagle Rock neighborhood) played host to the famous opening sequence of "Reservoir Dogs." It also serves a killer Mexican chicken plate.

Pasadena and South Pasadena, with their greenery and trees, provided many a Middle American home to the movies. There's the "Halloween" House (100 Mission St., South Pasadena) that replicates the Haddonfield, Illinois residence where Michael Myers murdered his sister in the 1978 film. It's an office building now, but still a popular stop for horror buffs. Three-tenths of a mile away is the tiny and modest "Pretty in Pink" house (1010 Hope St.), where Molly Ringwald and Harry Dean Stanton live, on the wrong side of the Chicago tracks (and, yes, there actually are train tracks at the end of the street here). Doc Brown's much grander "Back to the Future" house is a mere two-and-a-half miles away in Pasadena (4 Westmoreland Place).

"La La Land" brought romance to Pasadena's Colorado Street Bridge - a 1,486-foot Beaux Arts gem renowned for its arches and lights. Sadly, it is also notorious for being a "suicide bridge" that has been the jumping spot in countless deaths over the decades.

Thank god - and Hollywood - for romance.WASHINGTON - Police have identified the man who fatally shot himself outside the White House on Saturday as a 26-year-old Alabama resident.

Cameron Ross Burgess, of Maylene, Alabama, approached the White House's north fence line about 11:46 a.m., pulled out a handgun and fired several shots - none of which were directed at the White House, D.C. police said Sunday.

Burgess was standing before a crowd of more than 100 people when he shot himself, according to witnesses. After pulling the gun, those in the crowd reported, he fell to the ground as onlookers fled.

A police spokeswoman explained the department does not typically announce the identities of suicide victims, but Saturday's case was an exception because of the public nature of the shooting.

Burgess's remains were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy, D.C. police said.

(c) 2018, The Washington Post. Faiz Siddiqui wrote this story.Two East Bridgewater women accused of burning and disfiguring a 5-year-old girl in what police described as part of Haitian voodoo ritual were indicted on several charges by a Plymouth County grand jury.

Peggy LaBossiere, 51, and her sister, Rachel Hilaire, 40, were both indicted on charges of mayhem, assault and battery on a child with injury, indecent assault and battery on a child over 14, threatening to commit a crime and two counts of assault and battery on a child and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The Plymouth County District Attorney's office said family of the 5-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother called Randolph police on Jan. 22 and were concerned about their well-being after they had been missing from school.

Investigators learned the two juveniles were in East Bridgewater and responded to a 31 West Union St. apartment. The children were found inside the apartment with a family member.

"The female child had what were determined to be second-degree burns on the cheeks of her face below her eyes," the district attorney's office said. "The burns appeared to be in a stage of healing."

Authorities said LaBossiere and Hilaire, on two occasions, tied up the girl with elastics then burned the girl's face with some type of liquid. The child's skin was scratched with a needle until it bled, police said.

"The male victim told police LaBossiere inappropriately touched him and threatened to cut his head off with a large knife," the district attorney's office said.

The sisters are being held without bail after they were arraigned earlier in Brockton District Court. They will be arraigned in superior court at a later date.

NECN reports the girl's mother told police the sisters performed a voodoo ritual to get rid of an evil spirit inside the child.AMHERST - The University of Massachusetts Amherst 'Blarney' celebration Saturday resulted in one arrest and several people being hospitalized for intoxication, school officials said.

This year UMass and Amherst police again implemented protocols that were put in place after a March 8, 2014 melee that resulted in over 40 arrests and some hospitalizations.

Saturday's celebrations were, by comparison, relatively tame, though student participation in the event was fairly high.

Over 3,700 UMass students came out to enjoy the annual free concert at the school's Mullins Center, said UMass spokesperson Mary Dettloff in a statement.

During the festivities one person was arrested by Amherst police for assault and battery on a police officer and drunk and disorderly conduct, Dettloff said, though she could not provide details on whether the person arrested was a student.

Amherst police also did not provide additional details on the incident. The person's identity has not been released to the public.

UMass police also took two people into protective custody at the Mullins concert. Details on the incident were not available.

18 people were treated by medical personnel at the Mullins Center concert. Four were taken to Cooley Dickinson Hospital for intoxication, while another was taken to the hospital for hypothermic symptoms, Dettloff said.

Another student was later taken from a school dining area to Cooley Dickinson to be treated for intoxication.

Additionally, Dettloff said Amherst police responded to eight noise complaints and two reports of fights. Officers also dispersed a "large gathering" near South Prospect Street and Northampton Road.

"The objectives of the Town of Amherst, its police department and regional partners remain to ensure the safety of the community, safety of first responders and protection of private property," said Dettloff.

"Once again, the efforts of the town and university have maintained the safety of our community and prevented any significant issues during the course of the day," said Town Manager Paul Bockelman. "Our success in addressing this challenge underscores the importance of our partnership with the university."As clusters of people walked into morning services at the group of churches surrounding the common in West Brookfield Sunday morning, Massachusetts State Police detectives were busy down the road removing crime scene tape.

The tape may have been removed from the 10 Old Warren Road home, but the questions of what happened inside remain for people in this tight-knit community.

For some, the killings of 38-year-old Sara Bermudez and her children, Madison, 8, James, 6 and Michael, 2, are an isolated incident. For others, they want to know if a killer or group of killers is still roaming Central Massachusetts.

"I had a knife next to my bed," Deb Bishop said while grabbing coffee in her town. "What kind of animal is still out there?"

It's hard for some residents to see West Brookfield become the focal point of news. Some are critical of speculation on what happened inside the Old Warren Road home, other residents are speculating themselves.

There are already rumors and theories swirling around town, but no one really knows what happened. Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. has confirmed the mother and her three children are victims of homicide but declined to speak about any possible motives or suspects.

During a press conference Saturday, police asked for the public's help in locating a yellow diesel fuel can that went missing from the West Brookfield home.

A source told MassLive that the bodies were burned. Early also asked anyone in the West Brookfield area with active home or business surveillance cameras or dashboard-mounted cameras to contact authorities.

The bodies were discovered on Thursday at the family home at 10 Old Warren Road after a well-being check. Investigators said autopsies are being conducted.

Hearing the district attorney tell people to "remain vigilant and careful" didn't soothe some people in West Brookfield.

For Bishop, she wished authorities could say more.

Dave Whittemore, a 76-year-old resident of West Brookfield for 35 years, said when news broke of the horrific killings, he broke out a gun he barely used over the years.

"I slept with a gun under my pillow the other night," Whittemore said as he walked by the Bermudez home Sunday.

He believes those responsible are no longer in the area, however. It is all rumor, all speculation.

A peaceful community that has a mix of some longtime residents and others who moved to town but commute for work, West Brookfield already saw one tragedy a few months back.

Three Quaboag Regional School District teenagers were killed in a crash in West Brookfield in November.

Just a few houses down from the crime scene, Carol Haire said she wasn't worried. She's lived in town for 50 years and doesn't remember much about the Bermudez family. They were newer to town and been around for just a few years.

"It's really bad. I'd be glad when they catch who did it," she said, her cat sitting at her feet. "I believe it is an isolated incident."

And that's the same thought Arthur Falls had while he took his normal stroll around the common. The deaths are scary and disturbing, but Falls didn't believe he was in any danger.

The husband, Moses Bermudez, was in California on Thursday and could not reach his wife at home, his sister told the Boston Globe.

Comments on the West Brookfield Neighborhood Watch Facebook page involved people discussing the speculation in the media. Others asked the rumors to stop for the family's sake.

One commenter suggested people just needed to help investigators if they had information and trust police would do their jobs.

As Sunday morning ended, the church-goers went back to their cars and their homes. Whittemore noted it appeared a few more people attended services than normal.

"This is busier than most Sundays because the town has a lot to think about," Whittemore said. "It's scary to know something like this happened in this town."Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will meet with local officials in several communities in order to survey the massive flooding and damage caused by the Nor'easter.

Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will meet with local officials in Gloucester, Scituate, Quincy and Marshfield on Sunday.

More than 193,000 people remained without power as of 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Crews continue to work to restore power, but the high winds, downed trees and wires made restoration work difficult over the weekend.

Officials from National Grid said crews were prioritizing handling the downed trees and wires first. The company had about 117,141 customers without power as of 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

Wind gusts reached as much as 80 miles per hour on Cape Cod. Eversource crews continue to work on restoring power and have about 76,562 customers without power as of 8:30 a.m.

In Quincy, one of the areas hit hardest by the Nor'easter, police announced Sunday morning that all the road are open, but the southbound side of Quincy Shore Drive remained closed because of debris in the road.

Hundreds of people were rescued by first responders and the National Guard as people were trapped in the Quincy flooding.

Photographs shared on social media by police and fire departments in Cape Cod showed streets under water and others completed blocked by downed trees.Advertisement

Currently, acute infections are predominantly confirmed by detecting viral nucleic acid in blood and urine. All tests detect viral RNA (ribonucleic acid) by means of the so-called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which is a standard method for detecting nucleic acids. However, how reliably do these tests detect the Zika virus, i.e. do they also detect viral RNA in very low virus concentrations? Are infections with the virus always detected? These questions constituted central issues in an external quality assessment conducted by Drexler and his team together with Brazilian scientists at 15 laboratories in Brazil in 2017.15 laboratories in seven Brazilian states participated in the study. The most severely affected regions of the country were included. Each laboratory received twelve precisely defined samples that were to be investigated by means of the standard PCR methods used in the laboratory. The contents of the individual samples were unknown to the participating laboratories. Zika-positive and Zika-negative samples were included as well as samples that contained related viruses that cause, for example, dengue fever or yellow fever, in order to test the specificity of the results."We observed both false-positive and false-negative results in some of the laboratories," Drexler briefly summarises the results. More precisely: approximately a third of the laboratories attained perfect results whereas approximately two thirds of the laboratories demonstrated partially incorrect results. False-negative results showed insufficient test sensitivity, as they were unable to detect the existing viruses. Additionally, false-positive results occurred, suggesting contaminations or wrong handling of the tests. The scientists deem false-positive tests to be particularly critical as they may erroneously report infections in women. Additionally, viral load estimations, i.e. the amount of viral RNA in the blood or urine, showed very different results across the different laboratories.In conclusion, with regard to diagnostics, some of the participating laboratories urgently require improvements. "However, it must be said that assessments of Zika diagnostics in European laboratories demonstrated similar results, highlighting that Zika diagnostics is generally challenging" emphasizes Drexler. He considers further investments in reliable diagnostics essential. Renewed investigations have already been scheduled together with laboratory directors from the study with the aim of optimising processes. Beyond this, the scientists also recommend combining of mo-lecular with serological tests which determine infection by detecting the antibodies developed by an infected person a few days after the infection. Molecular methods remain the method of choice for early virus detection when first symptoms of the disease occur. "We need continuous global quality control for Zika virus diagnostics," emphasizes Drexler.Research teams led by Felix Drexler and Christian Drosten, formally University Hospital Bonn, now Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin, have developed novel Zika virus tests as well as a standard test for the MERS coronavirus (MERS for Middle East Res-piratory Syndrome), which is being used globally. At the DZIF, they are well equipped for emerging virus diagnostics. The Zika diagnostics project in Brazil was brought underway by the DZIF through a fast track grant procedure in order to appropriately tackle the danger of emerging infections.Source: EurekalertAdvertisement

In addition, patients at PEPP had rapid access to their first appointment with a psychiatrist and their psychiatrist visit rates were 33.2 per cent higher than the non-EPI user group. They also experienced an 8.7 per cent reduction in emergency department visits and fewer involuntary hospitalizations."The aim of our study was to examine the 'real-world' effectiveness of EPI programs in the context of the Ontario health care system," says Dr. Anderson. "Our results indicate a number of beneficial outcomes associated with EPI programs. Most importantly, the risk of mortality is significantly reduced."Previous research has shown that mortality is at least 24 times higher in the first year after diagnosis of a psychotic disorder when compared to the general population. Dangerous behaviours, medical co-morbidities and suicide are all potential factors.The study also found that patients being treated at PEPP had lower rates of primary care visits and higher hospitalization rates overall. The researchers point to a need for more collaboration with primary care providers to reduce risks of co-morbidities associated with psychotic illness and anti-psychotic medications, such as weight gain and sedentary behavior. They also point to the need for additional research to understand higher hospitalization rates."Hospitalizations are often a necessary therapeutic intervention for patients with psychotic illness," says co-author, Dr. Paul Kurdyak, a scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and ICES. "While our study suggests that overall hospitalization rates are higher among EPI users, it also suggests involuntary hospitalization rates are lower. It may be that EPI users have better access to in-patient care and are more willing to seek care when needed."In addition, the research team examined patient outcomes from three to five years post-admission, when patients have typically transitioned from intensive EPI services to management by their psychiatrist. Many of the benefits associated with EPI programs were not observed after three years when compared to patients who did not receive EPI services, although EPI patients were still more likely to see a psychiatrist."We may be seeing fewer benefits long-term for a number of reasons," adds Dr. Anderson. "While there is a reduction in intensity of EPI services at this time, there may also be improvements in individuals not treated through an EPI program due to the natural trajectory of psychotic illness. There are currently clinical trials being conducted worldwide to study whether the length of EPI programs should be extended."Dr. Anderson hopes to expand her research beyond London to confirm the findings across the province. "We're fortunate that the Government of Ontario has invested heavily in the EPI model of care," says Dr. Anderson.Source: EurekalertANN ARBOR, MI - Children were outside playing on a sunny Sunday afternoon last fall when gunshots rang out, killing a man in the parking lot of their Washtenaw County apartment complex.

What happened next in the story, as told by leaders of an informational forum held Tuesday, Feb. 27 by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, is one reason why the county has adopted a new program - Handle With Care.

In the days that followed the death of Deandr'e Willingham, a school administrator considered suspension for a young boy who had been acting out. Then, he recalled an email he'd gotten from the director of community engagement for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office, Derrick Jackson.

Multiple law enforcement agencies respond to a shooting of a young man at the Sycamore Meadow Apartments in Superior Township on Sunday, October 8, 2017. Matt Weigand | The Ann Arbor News

The email was a heads-up that students in the school had been exposed to a highly traumatic event, so the administrator asked the boy about it. The child broke down, and suddenly his outbursts made sense to his teachers. He hadn't had time to process and was grieving. The administrator made a new plan to handle his behavior.

Through the Handle With Care program, which launched at the beginning of February, police officers can send notices to schools when children are exposed to a traumatic incident. The hope is to make teachers and staff more cognizant that a student may need additional or different support than usual.

As of Tuesday, Washtenaw's Handle With Care program had been used to send five notifications regarding eight students in three school districts, said Ashley Kryscynski, program coordinator for the Washtenaw Alliance for Children and Youth and the Washtenaw Futures College Access Network.

All police departments with children in schools in Washtenaw and all school districts - private and public - have been given access to the program.

"Really, it's just creating a system of compassion," Kryscynski said.

Through an online system developed in the county, officers will input the names and schools for children at the scene of a traumatic incident, said Holly Heaviland, executive director of Washtenaw ISD's community and school partnerships. No details about the incident, or even the officer's name, are included, and teachers have been trained on how to approach students with Handle With Care notices.

"We don't want people to interrogate kids, but have a sense of empathy and understanding," she said.

If needed, and depending on the circumstances, that could mean simply offering the child a place to nap, some food or a study hall, she said.

Teachers also will receive a worksheet to document behavior, in case a referral to Washtenaw County Community Mental Health would be beneficial, leaders of the informational said.

Not all children will have an adverse response to traumatic incidents, but the system will provide support to those that may need it, said Elizabeth Spring-Nichols, program administrator.

The county mental health organization also can check names against current cases and reach out if a current client might need more support, she said.

The program was modeled after one of the same name in West Virginia, which was brought to Michigan's Jackson County in 2017. It's since been launched by Eaton County as well.

Locally, the initiative is part of an effort to become a more trauma-informed community and help children build resilience, said Washtenaw Success by 6 program manager Shannon Novara.

"Adverse childhood experiences are prevalent and they're more prevalent than we realize," Novara said. "... It can really make the difference between their success in life."

Washtenaw County adults ranked higher than the statewide average for some Adverse Childhood Experiences, as described by the CDC, in 2013, according to data from Washtenaw County Public Health, provided on the Washtenaw ISD's Handle with Care website

Novara pointed to the 1995-1997 CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, which showed that the more adverse experiences a child endures - abuse, neglect or circumstance - the higher the likelihood a child will have mental, physical or employment struggles later in life.

The study has been developed into a points system to evaluate childhood stress, and Washtenaw County ranked higher than the statewide average for Adverse Childhood Experiences in 2013 for adult respondents who, during childhood, experienced verbal abuse, lived with someone with a substance use disorder, suffered physical abuse or lived with someone with a mental illness. That's according to data from Washtenaw County Public Health, provided on the Washtenaw ISD's Handle with Care website.

Not all adverse experiences involve crime and violence, and those that can trigger a Handle With Care notice can vary from incidents as extreme as the Willingham homicide or domestic violence to the loss of a grandparent, a car crash or fire, presenters said at the forum.

Several attendees, all from different county organizations, questioned whether or not their organization could be given access to Handle With Care to alert schools to traumatic experiences unknown to police. That may be a next step in the program, Novara said.

Washtenaw ISD Superintendent Scott Menzel called the program a powerful partnership.

"The Handle With Care program is a logical step to maintaining helpful communications between police and school officials when a student has experienced a traumatic occurrence during non-school hours," he said in a statement. "When educators are aware of adverse experiences endured by students, they can add another layer of support."

It helps police further their mission of protecting the innocent, Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton said in the release.

"Every day our deputies are seeing children who have been affected by trauma and toxic stress," Clayton said. "That's why law enforcement is excited about the notification initiative. Handle With Care bridges the communication gap between schools and law enforcement to better support the children who need it most."YPSILANTI, MI - Police are investigating after a case of gunfire inside an Ypsilanti business Saturday, March 3.

Authorities were dispatched at 12:40 a.m. Saturday morning to the 600 block of North Huron Street in Ypsilanti for a report of a gunshot, according to police.

An employee advised that an unknown male became angry in the store, pointed a handgun at staff members and fired one shot into the ceiling before fleeing, police said.

The suspect fled the scene in a gray sedan, police said.

Evidence was collected from the scene and authorities are investigating.

Further details, including the exact location, were not immediately available.ANN ARBOR, MI - Kyle Bristow, the attorney for white nationalist Richard Spencer's speech organizer Cameron Padgett, has stepped away from his role as leader of an alt-right-based group ahead of Spencer's speech on Monday, March 5, at Michigan State University.

Bristow announced he was stepping away from the Foundation for the Marketplace of Ideas group he helped create in 2016, blaming the media for publishing "horrifically disparaging articles" about him that contained "acerbic, offensive, juvenile, and regrettable statements I mostly made over a decade ago."

Bristow sued MSU after it denied Spencer's request to speak at the university in July. The two parties eventually settled the lawsuit, allowing Spencer to speak at MSU's Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education.

"In light of the recent relentless and unjustifiable vilification of me, as well as the mischaracterizations of who I am as a person, I have unilaterally made the decision to provide this clarification and to withdraw from politics," Bristow wrote in a message to his supporters Saturday.

"I will not be in attendance at the upcoming Michigan State University event - which will happen as a result of the recent successful and high-profile lawsuit I filed on behalf of my client -, nor will I attend FMI's upcoming Detroit conference where attendees will merely dine on appetizers and drink beverages from an open bar as they mingle," he continued. "FMI will be transferred to the control of someone else to manage so its mission can be advanced, or else it will be dissolved."

Bristow's resignation is not the only recent shakeup to develop ahead of Spencer's visit to MSU Monday. A conference for Spencer's supporters scheduled for Sunday in metro-Detroit has been canceled, according to the Detroit Free Press, following pushback from the public and advisement from the Sterling Heights Police Department.

The Free Press reported that the Carpathia Club, an event hall in Sterling Heights that was meant to host the meet and greet and cocktail party for the alt-right group, canceled the agreement early Sunday after the police department shared concerns and information about the group with ownership.

In late January, the FMI, which claims to "educate the public about the freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution," announced it would hold the conference on March 4 and 5 in "Metropolitan Detroit," but kept the location of the event a secret, vetting those who wished to attend.

Bristow also defended Padgett in fighting for Spencer to speak on college campuses across the country, including the University of Michigan, which continues to evaluate if it will host the white nationalist on its campus.

UM announced in late January that it will continue to consider the request from representatives of Spencer to rent space to speak on the Ann Arbor campus, but no potential dates are being considered before the end of the academic year.MONROE TOWNSHIP, Mi - An Ohio man faces criminal charges after he was involved in several incidents involving theft, attempted assault and vehicle crashes in Monroe Township on Thursday, March 1.

The 31-year-old man was reportedly involved in multiple crashes, attempted to steal a pick-up truck and drove his vehicle at a pedestrian Thursday afternoon, according to a news release from Michigan State Police.

Troopers were dispatched about 3 p.m. Thursday to a report of a hit-and-run traffic crash on South Dixie Highway near Kay Drive in Monroe Township, police said.

Upon arrival, witnesses alerted troopers to the suspect vehicle, which was eventually stopped by officers and arrested on South Dixie Highway near Brookshire Drive.

Troopers also discovered that the suspect attempted to steal a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that was left parked and running in the parking lot of a KFC restaurant on South Dixie Highway near Dunbar Road, police said.

The suspect, police believe, opened the door, sat in the vehicle and attempted to place the vehicle in drive when the engine quit due to the remote start safety feature. The vehicle's owner was able to yell at the suspect, who then fled the scene.

The same suspect was also involved in another incident on Kay Drive in Monroe Township, where he drove his vehicle over several lawns and nearly struck a local resident who was clearing snow in front of his home, police said.

The suspect faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, attempted unlawful driving away of a vehicle and driving under the influence of drugs.

Upon further investigation, troopers determined that the suspect was under the influence of drugs and was involved in several traffic crashes that were investigated by the state Police and Monroe Police Department.

The Monroe Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff's Office assisted state police.ROSE TWP, MI -- A nationally syndicated TV crime show is set to air an episode focusing on the July 2016 shooting death of a 31-year-old female jogger in Oakland County.

Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen will air the episode "Who Killed Ally Brueger?" on Tuesday, March 6 detailing the case of Alexandra Nicolette Brueger who died after she was shot around 2:30 p.m. July 30, 2016, while jogging along Fish Lake Road in Rose Township.

Those interviewed for the show by Hansen -- airing at 2 p.m. on WEYI-TY and 4 p.m. on WMYD-TV -- include Michigan State Police Lt. Mike Shaw, Brueger's parents, and ex-boyfriend Wes Sutherland, according to a show release.

Shaw previously said a 911 call went out from a man that lives in the 11000 block of Fish Lake Road after he spotted Brueger fall down in his yard after sustaining four shots in the back.

The homeowner administered first aid to her, along with state police troopers from the Metro North Post before she was taken to the Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc Township and died later the same day.

Shaw also noted Michigan State Police have received hundreds of tips "but have not received that one that will solve this case" while not having ruled out anyone. Police have said they believe Brueger knew her killer.

Pleas have come from Brueger's family and thousands of dollars are being offered by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in reward money for an arrest and conviction in the murder case.

While Brueger -- described as a nurse with a passion for writing -- stood at 4'9" and weighed under 100 pounds, her father, Franz, said she had an "impact on everyone around her that was larger than life."

"When she wasn't taking care of others at the hospital, she was exercising her passion for writing," he said through tears at a Feb. 21, 2017 press conference. "Here I stand a grieving veteran, asking for your help. Who is this person, who took Alexandra from us? This criminal lives in our community and is capable of doing this again to some other family. If you know of something, anything, we beg of you to speak up."

Tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Michigan by dialing 1-800-SPEAK-UP (773-2587) or by texting "CSM" with a tip to 274637.GRANDVILLE, MI -- A driver was sent to the hospital early Sunday, March 4 after he was rescued from a flooded area.

Grandville Fire responded shortly after 2 a.m. to a report of an occupied vehicle in the water on I-196 near Chicago Drive, according to a news release.

The vehicle was located on Indian Mounds Drive, west of Market Avenue. It was partially off the roadway into flood waters in the wooded area between Indian Mounds Drive and I-196.

When crews arrived, they found the vehicle unoccupied. The area was searched by personnel from Grandville Fire, Grandville Police, Michigan State Police and Wyoming Police.

Police said around 2:45 a.m., personnel heard someone yelling for help. The driver and lone occupant of the vehicle was located on a small island in the middle of deep flood waters, approximately half of a mile from the initial scene.

Rescue authorities quickly reached the victim and began rendering aid. He was removed from the flood waters at 4:15 a.m. and taken to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital by LIFE EMS.

Additional resources were requested from Georgetown Township, Grand Rapids and Wyoming Fire Departments to assist with removing the victim.

Police said the man was not cooperative and in an area that was difficult to access due to the deep waters and rough terrain.GRAND RAPIDS, MI - In December 2012, the Grand Rapids School Board approved a Transformation Plan from Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal to make bold changes that would result in significant impact.

Five years ago, changes included the closure of 10 buildings to right-size and the elimination of programs deemed ineffective. New programs were created and those having some success enhanced to bolster student success.

Neal is now seeking guidance on Phase 3 of her Transformation Plan. Beginning March 14, she is launching a listening tour to get input from district parents and students, prospective families, and the community at large.

"I look forward to bringing everyone together to share their thoughts and ideas,'' said Neal, who embarked on her first listening tour in January 2012 to help shape her initial plan.

Neal will be seeking feedback specifically on four questions during the listening tour:

What is working?

What is not working?

What are the barriers?

What are suggested solutions?

In recent years, what's been most notable under the Transformation Plan is the opening of new theme schools that are achieving the goal of attracting and retaining families.

For example, GRPS opened its third Montessori campus in August, Ridgemoor Park Montessori.

When this school year started, around 300 students were attending new or expanded theme schools, including the popular Museum School and C.A. Frost Environmental Science Academy Middle/High School.

As part of the Transformation Plan, there are also efforts underway to reclaim, strengthen and grow neighborhood schools through public-private partnerships. Stocking and Congress elementary schools are still the most successful examples.

"From the moment I took over as superintendent, our students, staff, and community have been bringing us their thoughts and suggestions,'' said Neal, who will be vising four neighborhood schools all quadrants of the city.

"That insight is incredibly valuable as we move forward with the Transformation Plan.''

The West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology (WMCAT) will be facilitating the community meetings in a focus group like fashion. The below four meetings will all be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m.:

Wednesday, March 14

Thursday, March 15

Tuesday, March 20

Wednesday, March 21

District employees, parents, students, volunteers and community members who are not able to that one of the listening tour dates are encouraged to provide their feedback by completing an online survey.

As Neal engages the community, there are still two other planned theme schools on the horizon.

In response to parent requests, the district plans to open a new $20 million high school in 2020 on the Southwest Side. The high school will complement the current K-8 English/Spanish immersion program at Southwest Community Campus. The move is expected to retain and attract kids.

The school is one of the centerpieces of a project involving multiple partners to redevelop the Roovesevelt Park Neighborhood.

Partners unveil $40M redevelopment plan for 'Plaza Roosevelt'

The Museum School, located inside the Public Museum, high school is slated to open in August 2018 inside the historic museum, located at 54 Jefferson St.

A grade will be added each year after the incoming freshman class. The program currently serves 120 students in grades six through eight.As Michigan State University works to stem the fallout over the Larry Nassar sex-abuse scandal, another challenge is waiting in the not-too-distant future: launching a search for its next president.

What that search will look like - how long it's expected to last, who will lead the effort - is unclear for now, but faculty and students are pushing for a process that's transparent, inclusive and takes their voice into account.

"The search for the president is going to be a very significant search, it will set the tone and the tenor of this university for the future," Deborah Moriarty, a professor in the College of Music, said during a recent Faculty Senate meeting. "We need to have inclusion of the faculty and the students, and we need to have implementation of what the faculty and the students feel is important."

Former Gov. John Engler was appointed interim president on Jan. 31 following the resignation of Lou Anna Simon, who stepped down amid growing scrutiny over the university's response to the Nassar scandal.

The last time the university launched a nationwide presidential search was more than 25 years ago. Trustees selected Peter McPherson, a former Bank of America executive who served in the Ford and Regan administrations, after the finalist dropped out over remarks deemed racially insensitive.

The university now faces the challenge of attracting a candidate to an institution whose foundation has been shaken by Nassar, a former MSU doctor who has been accused of sexually abusing more than 250 women and girls under the guise of medical treatment. He's been sentenced to decades in prison on state and federal charges related to sexual abuse and child pornography.

Joseph Johnston, a senior consultant at AGB Search, which specializes in searches for college presidents, said MSU is in a challenging spot, but there's "excellent people out there that might be available."

Engler will play a key role in the process, not by participating in the search but by "rebuilding trust and a sense of direction" at MSU, he said.

Thus far, the Board of Trustees has not selected a search firm, but they have reached out to faculty liaisons to the board for examples of recent presidential searches that could serve as a model for MSU moving forward.

"We are at the very initial stages of this most important decision," according to a letter sent to the faculty liaisons on Feb. 26. "There will be numerous opportunities for faculty input throughout the process. And other stakeholders will have ideas and input as well."

One student says it's important that the board does more than listen.

Students, faculty and staff deserve a "voting voice" in the search process, said Natalie Rogers, a sophomore studying comparative cultures and politics.

"They need to make it very clear that they're not just going to be listening to us, they're going to be taking what we say and actually implementing it and not just shaking their heads and nodding as we speak to them," Rogers, a member of the group Reclaim MSU, said during a recent Faculty Senate meeting.

A timeline for when the board will launch its search has not yet been determined, but Trustee Dianne Byrum said her goal is to have one fully underway within the "coming months."

Despite MSU's challenges, Byrum said she's "completely confident that we will find an outstanding president as the next leader at Michigan State University."

And she, too, said Engler's actions to bring about change and lead the university through the numerous investigations in response to the Nassar scandal are key to a successful search.

"We need to move to the extent we can move beyond the investigation and the litigation," Byrum said. "So we need to make continued progress on both those fronts by fully cooperating, providing information and trying to bring resolution."

Trustee Brian Mosallam said the board's goal is to be "transparent and inclusive" in its presidential search.

"It is my goal that our next President makes student safety priority number one," he said. "Everything else is secondary"

Presidential searches generally average about five or six months, Johnston said. University of Michigan, for example, spent about six months on its search for current President Mark Schlissel, who was hired in 2014 to replace Mary Sue Coleman.

Others have taken longer.

Pennsylvania State University's search for a new president, following the Jerry Sandusky scandal child sex-abuse scandal, lasted nearly two years.

Larry Backer, a professor at Penn State's law school, sat on the 18-member search committee - comprised of students, faculty and staff - tasked with finding the new president. By the time the search was launched, the university had made most of the necessary "hard decisions" needed to move the university forward.

"We were very pleased with the pool of applicants received," he said.

As MSU begins to lay the groundwork for its search, the biggest challenge is developing a "comprehensive framework for reform, including a full and fair remediation of any harm for which it might or ought to bear responsibility," Backer said.

It's a tough task, he said, but doing so is necessary to find the "strong creative person who would be eager to undertake the task of moving the university forward."

"If Penn State's history is any guide, that is quite possible," Backer said.MT. PLEASANT, MI -- Central Michigan University President George E. Ross welcomed new members into the university's extended family following a double homicide in a residence hall that shook the campus and surrounding community.

James Eric Davis Jr., a 19-year-old Central Michigan University student is accused of fatally shooting his parents -- James Davis Sr. and Diva Davis -- on Friday, March 2 inside a dorm room in Campbell Hall with his father's gun.

In a statement released Saturday, March 3, Ross said the news "saddened all of us, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the Davis family."

An hours-long search for Davis Jr. by more than 100 law enforcement personnel unfolded on campus and in Mt. Pleasant that included more than 100 law enforcement personnel until he was captured during the early morning hours of March 3.

"As we have so often before, our campus and our community came together yesterday. I commend each of you for your actions to ensure campus safety, to apprehend the suspect and to support each other throughout the day," commented Ross. "We talk often about One CMU. Yesterday, we lived it."

He thanked law enforcement for their assistance, noting "you became part of our family yesterday," to those who provided support for others while a lockdown was in place, along with everyone that offered their best wishes to the university.

"Each of you, in your own way, upheld and expanded the strong sense of community that makes Central Michigan University and Mount Pleasant so special," said Ross. "Your responses have proven once again that communities have boundless strength ... which gives all of us hope for the future."

Ross, who announced in late January that he would step down on July 31 after eight years as CMU president, extended "comfort and care to each individual touched by this event" on behalf of the university.

"The support we have shared with each other since yesterday morning will be just as important in the days, weeks and months ahead," he said. "Together, we will begin to heal."

Counseling resources for students, staff, and faculty are available as follows:

Students seeking counseling services during Spring Break may contact the Listening Ear crisis line, a local, 24-hour referral line at 989-772-2918.

The CMU Counseling Center, in Foust 102, is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be contacted at 989-774-3381. Students can call or come to the center to make an appointment. Appointments are available daily for concerns requiring immediate attention.

Individuals who have concerns about the emotional well-being of a member of the CMU community may submit aVous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire []In Focus with Allison Walker is a 30-minute public affairs program, featuring a roundtable of newsmakers representing a range of perspectives, including local officials and expert analysts as they tackle topical issues of importance to Floridians.

In Focus airs Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., right after Political Connections.After last months devastating school shooting in south Florida, a local company is pitching in and raising money for Parkland families in the only way it knows how -- through good food.

"We truly do care, and we want to be a part of making someone's life a little easier, a little better given what these children have been through, said Brigid Kish.

Typically closed on a Sunday, 4Rivers Smokehouse is opening their doors in Coral Springs for four hours for the fundraiser.

The general manager down there, Gary, was like, This is what we need to do, said Steve Bunnell, the restaurants Winter Park location manager for the last five years.

Employees from Central Florida packed up early Sunday and headed to south Florida, helping their sister restaurant prepare for the event.

"I tried to organize a carpool to get us all down there safely, said Kish, who serves as dining room trainer.

4Rivers says theyll donate the net proceeds to Parkland families, as well as profits from a sandwich they featured all week -- the soaring eagle, the schools mascot namesake.

Even before I tell them what's on the sandwich, they want to buy it, said Kish.

The tragedy touched the company, from Parkland students working in south Florida, to one Winter Park employee who is from there.

Shes been tremendous through it, her friends are okay, said Bunnell. The moment this fundraiser came about she said, I want to be a part of it.

For the company that started as a barbecue ministry, raising funds for a child going through cancer treatment, this fundraiser was in the same vein; this is the third time they opened on a Sunday, after raising money following the officer shooting in Kissimmee last August and the Pulse nightclub tragedy.

For the Pulse benefit as well as the Kissimmee fallen officers, the line was out the door, down the sidewalk, explained Bunnell, who shared the company raised around $15,000 for the officers families, and even more for Pulse. With the love and everybody wanting to lend a hand, it was amazing.

Bunnell said that he hopes the community again shows up in full force, this time in Coral Springs, to support Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Its what needs to happen. We just want to do whatever we can to assist, he said. I think its just a time where anybody who is in a position to help with the healing process in that community needs to and should be a part of it, he said.

The 4Rivers Coral Springs location will be open from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday for the fundraiser.WALLINGFORD  Masonicare has sold its 45-acre nursing home and assisted living community in Newtown to Athena Health Care.

Masonicare, based in Wallingford, has notified the Department of Public Health of the sale, which was first announced last fall.

In a statement, Masonicare CEO Jon-Paul Venoit said the companys Newtown operations had losses in the millions of dollars over the last few years. Masonicare had owned the Newtown campus for 34 years.

Venoit attributed the losses to factors including cuts in government reimbursement and the rising cost of healthcare.

Unfortunately, Masonicare at Newtown has not been immune to the numerous challenges facing the industry, Venoit said. Over the past few years, our losses have been in the millions of dollars.

Masonicare sold the facility for $13.1 million, according to the companys filing with the Department of Public Health. At the time of the sale, the facility had 154 skilled nursing beds and 55 assisted living apartments.

Athena Healthcare has about 20 locations throughout Connecticut, along with several other locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. As part of the agreement, Athena committed to retain substantially all the Masonicare employees, according to a press release announcing the sale.

Masonicare is the states largest not-for-profit provider of senior health care and retirement living. Last April, the company opened a private care facility in Mystic with 179 independent and assisted-living apartments and in December Masonicare purchased a 105-unit senior living facility in Chester.

mzabierek@record-journal.com

203-317-2279

Twitter: @MatthewZabierekNP Posted

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Tim Mitchell is a reporter at The News-Gazette. His email is tmitchel@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@mitchell6).Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.The Reluctant Townie | Some things to think about before you voteColumnist

Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich).One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021'Undeniably, these offences are disturbing.' - Memo to Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale

The RCMP is taking issue with changes the Liberal government made to criminal background checks and the pardons system, pointing to cases of people with "disturbing" records applying to work with vulnerable individuals, CBC News has learned.The force's concerns were summarized in a briefing note prepared by public safety staff to update Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale on the changes to the system.The issue is how criminal background checks conducted by police for people applying to work with individuals considered "vulnerable"  children and the elderly, for example  are handled in cases where a person has received a record suspension, commonly known as a pardon.A record suspension helps give a past offender a clean slate when it comes to renting an apartment or applying for a job. But the offence isn't completely erased, just set aside. Criminal background checks required under vulnerable sector regulations do turn up those record suspensions, mainly previous sex offences.The federal public safety minister has the final say when it comes to disclosing someone's past criminal record under vulnerable sector regulations  even if they've had an offence suspended.The Criminal Records Act calls on the minister to take a number of factors into consideration in such cases, including whether the suspended offence involved violence, children or a breach of trust.If the disclosure is approved, a copy of the suspended record is returned to the applicant and the police service that oversaw the request. If it's denied, the background check is returned as having found "no record."Starting in 2016, the Liberal government made changes to the process to weigh the act's provisions alongside new evidence and research.Public safety officials prepared a briefing notefor Goodale on the status of the changes at the end of 2017. It says the government should take "into account current research findings demonstrating that sex offenders who have remained crime-free for 20 years or more have a similar or lower risk to reoffend than the general population."Research also shows that sex offenders who were 24 years old and younger "could be considered immature at the time and less likely to reoffend," says the briefing note.As a result of the changes, there have been fewer disclosures of pardoned criminal records under the Trudeau government.Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has called the criminal pardons system 'punitive.' (Justin Tang/Canadian Press)Former Conservative public safety minister Vic Toews delegated his signing power over to the department's director general of crime prevention in 2011."Between 2011 and 2015, almost all vulnerable sector requests seeking disclosure of a pardoned record were approved," the briefing note says. In 2015, for example, 95 per cent of all vulnerable sector disclosures were approved.But in 2016, the year changes were made, only 38 per cent of disclosure requests were approved."The RCMP has expressed their concern with this approach," Goodale was told in the briefing note.For months, the RCMP have been sending Public Safety information to support approving more disclosures of suspended records. At one point, RCMP flagged three cases up for disclosure.The details of the cases were redacted in the Access to Information Request, but Public Safety acknowledged their severity in the briefing note."Undeniably, these offences are disturbing and this information is important to have in assessing [vulnerable sector] disclosure requests," it reads.Kim Pate, who has spent most her life fighting for the rights of women in prison, says background checks aren't the only way to stop abuse. (Colin Perkel/Canadian Press)Despite flagging the issue to the department, the RCMP refused to comment on the specifics in the briefing note."The RCMP has provided Public Safety in the past further information on the nature of the offence with respect to individual cases. However, this type of information often does not reside in the RCMP's information holdings and may or may not still be held by the police service originally involved in the handling of the offence," said spokesperson Sgt. Marie Damian."The RCMP continues to work very closely with Public Safety to ensure the integrity of the vulnerable sector regime in the context of the privacy rights of Canadians and community safety."A spokesperson for Goodale said the government's decision process still sticks to the criteria laid out in the Criminal Records Act."Vulnerable sector checks provide essential information to employers, school administrators and others responsible for vulnerable groups so that they can make good decisions about potential employees and volunteers. These checks help keep our most vulnerable safe," Scott Bardsley said."The RCMP has been providing additional information to better support these determinations."Independent Sen. Kim Pate, the former head of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, said background checks aren't the only way to protect daycares and nursing homes from those wishing to do harm."Of course we want to see protections. What we know, though, is criminal record checks (are) not the most effective way to prevent those kinds of abuses," she said."The majority of people who have committed offences, whether it's sexual offences or others, are in fact not even sometimes reported, certainly not prosecuted."The Senate is reviewing Bill C-66, which gives the Parole Board of Canada jurisdiction to order, or refuse to order, the expungement of convictions for any of a list of past Criminal Code offences that includes gross indecency, buggery and anal intercourse. It was introduced when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized to LGBT Canadians for "systematic oppression."Pate said she's been talking about the need for a more robust conviction review scheme that would allow some convictions to expire.This is insane!The old system was bad enough.When I was trainer for an armoured car company, I returned from a delivery run one day to be handed a list of new trainees. To my horror, on it was a guy I had known in my past .........a thief, a drug dealer (unconvicted), a guy who had served prison time for manslaughter, a violent individual.He had obtained a pardon. He passed our background check.I consulted with my boss, told him I refused to train him. He asked for a letter explaining my reluctance, so I gave him one. I only remember the last line."It is not a question if XXXXX will rob us with violence, it is only a question of when".This is a job in which you are in contact with millions in cash, and always carry guns.Now they have increased the erasure of records for employment inquiries?Just insane.We have got to get rid of the Liberals in 2019.Danbones said:



like certain OTHER people suggested on all your threads about the Brown case eh? Yes MURPHY, all allegations should be dealt with that waylike certain OTHER people suggested on all your threads about the Brown case eh? Click to expand...

========================================================================================================Here is an article describing the dangerous antics of Antifa thugs! With some comments of my own in brackets):Antifa thugs attacking journalists is nothing newBy Lorrie Goldstein. Published: August 14, 2018. Updated: August 14, 2018 7:30 PM EDTFiled Under: Toronto SUN/ Opinion/ ColumnistsRelatedEditorialsEDITORIAL: Doug Ford won, deal with itColumnistsFATAH: Canada has no space for Sir John A, but plenty for JinnahColumnistsGUNTER: Let's explore the uselessness of handgun bansA protester attacks Toronto Sun photographer Stan Behal at a rally Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018 at Nathan Phillips Square.The unprovoked assault on my Toronto Sun colleague, photographer Stan Behal, at an anti-fascist rally on Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday is nothing new for so-called Antifa thugs.A day after the attack on Behal by a lone thug, the Washington Post reported on similar attacks on U.S. media at a Sunday, Washington, D.C. Antifa rally.In both cities, Antifa, who ostensibly came to battle with neo-Nazis, white supremacists and white nationalists, turned on the media when their intended targets didnt show up.As the Post headlined its story, Antifa protesters couldnt find any fascists at Unite the Right  and harassed the press instead.(I suggest that Antifa views many reporters as right wing supporters! Older Cdns who have read of the political machinations of Nazis during their rise to power will recognize the Antifa tactics! Nazi Brown Shirt thugs had two jobs- first- to beat the crap out of any anti Hitler heckler that showed up at a Nazi rally! In light of this- the recent shameless behaviour of Our idiot Boy in calling a Quebec woman a racist simply for asking an honest question about funding for illegals And then having security drag her away, should be seen as an ominous sign! Cdn democracy is under threat with LIE-berals using dirty tactics to silence critics- after all several provincial govts along with Toronto mayor Tory have ALREADY asked the same question about funding as that woman!)(LIE-berals want to control and limit our free speech using LIE-beral friendly media, private security to shut down hecklers and legal threats of arrest for LIE-beral defined hate crimes that will be judged by LIE-beral judges in Human Righrs Kangaroo Courts where the normal rules of evidence- including standard limits on search and seizure of private property DO NOT APPLY! The way LIE-berals are moving- it is to be expected they will soon start party meetings by shouting Sieg Heil at Our idiot Boy!)(Secondly, Nazi Brown Shirts were employed to break up meetings and rallies of opposing political parties! Our LIE-berals are not yet nearly so bold- but they seem quite happy to allow Antifa to do Brown Shirt dirty work on their behalf! LIE-berals have demonstrated that they DO BELIEVE that media such as Toronto Sun are deliberately provoking Antifa- in the same way that despised Jews and Poles provoked tolerant peace loving Nazis and Sun writers and others are seen as provoking LIE-berals as well by taking their editorial stance! Always arrogant LIE-berals figure that if you tease the cat you cannot complain about getting scratched- fair play is a ONE WAY street for them! Just like Nazis)(Lost in that vile LIE-beral policy is the ugly reality that Antifa are a collection of left wing aspiring dictators who will impose a Soviet style dictatorship on us- one spiced with hideous anti white values! Antifa goals are so vile they will erase our civil rights and destroy our economy- as Lenin and Stalin did to Russia- and then use OUR Money to tell us it is for our good in the best Soviet Pravda propaganda style! Anybody who thought Wynne-bag LIE-berals were insulting us with their press releases promoting our booming economy and balanced budgets will HATE Antifa style govt- and it will eventually become ILLEGAL to complain- just as anti Soviets went to jail under Stalin!)(Nobody should be surprised that it is easier for communication students at Wilfred Laurier U. to view the Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will- extolling the life and times of Adolf Hitler- than it is to bring a copy of Toronto Sun to class- or even examine the words of Psychologist Jordan Peterson in class! Our education system has been taken over by anti democratic, anti capitalist and anti white radicals- and they DO NOT want the likes of Peterson and the Sun exposing their creeping political coup!)In April, 2017, Antifa thugs attacked a Global TV crew covering a clash between left-wing and right-wing extremists in Quebec City, pushing one of them down a flight of stairs and smashing the television camera of another.(Smashing cameras is a favourite tactic of thugs the world over- no camera means no ability to identify attackers by photos! And of course no camera means no ability to later identify vandals who set fire to cars or smash shop windows etc! All these tactics were pioneered by Nazi and Soviet goons who were NOT WILLING to work within a democratic framework! That Antifa has adopted these vile bullying and intimidating tactics is damning!)Aside from Global, I was one of the few Canadian journalists who wrote about what had happened.(Yes- Nazis and Soviets share that love of a tame and friendly news media and Antifa expects the same friendly consideration from reporters with twisted LIE-beral values! Our media has mostly given up trying to report the news and is now trying to MANUFACTURE NEWS based on what will please LIE-berals and radicals! News media is profit driven and it must tell stories that people like- and conventional news media has apparently identified LIE-berals, civil service union Hogs and assorted Antifa style radicals as big consumers of their media product!)(Media need for sales and viewers without real regard for truth is now poisoning our democracy! And it does not help that the editorial slant at most media is so left wing that ONLY reporters in favour with LIE-berals and Antifa are acceptable at many media outlets- so No dissenting voices are allowed! In recent news the NDP govt of Alberta refused to recognize the credentials of reporters from Rebel Media -the online news outlet run by Ezra Levant! Levant is well known to many Cdns for his many years in Cdn news- and he is HATED by LIE-berals and their less intelligent NDP cousins- yet NDP sees nothing wrong with refusing to admit Rebel Media reporters to govt press conferences! Yhe messages issued from on high are only for the ears of the truly committed and blindly loyal!)The reason for the lack of media coverage at the time was that it didnt fit the then popular media narrative that it was only right-wing extremists who were violent, in the wake of the Charlottesville, Va., tragedy, where an innocent demonstrator was killed when she was run over by a car driven by a white supremacist supporter.(LIE-beral philosophy dictates that left wing violence maybe excused because Antifa has suffered socially in some un-defined fashion! LIE-beral values are so twisted they think it is okay for Antifa to be angry while the rest of us should shut up and sit down and quit complaining about how LIE-berals and Antifa are re-arranging the world to suit THEM! But then western media has a LONG HISTORY of excusing socialist crimes!)Canadian media were so enamoured by the so-called anti-fascists in the wake of that incident, that some disgracefully compared them to Allied soldiers fighting the Nazis during the Second World War.To be clear, these are not the majority of peaceful demonstrators who come to these protests sincerely opposed to fascism and racism.What were talking about is a smaller group of violent, uneducated losers, cowards who often attack in packs and who are typically incoherent when it comes to explaining what it is they want.(Oh- that is not entirely true- what IS CLEAR that Antifa wants their own way- at ANY PRICE!)To give you a general idea about what these protesters are like, a study released last year by Germanys Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution of 873 protesters arrested during political demonstrations from 2003 to 2013, found 85% identified with left-wing causes, 92% lived at home with their parents and a third were unemployed.(Lost in those numbers is the ugly reality that LIE-beral pllicy si so bad that it is beggaring a generation of kids! When the economic troubles of the PIGS -Portugal/ Ireland/ Greece and Spain became news- LIE-beral friendly media such as Toronto Red Star produced articles deploring the plight of unemployed kids who had such university education credentials as Chemical Engineer and other such skilled and- one would think- practical professions- yet there the kids were- a decade after graduation- still wondering if they could EVER find a job! Andn ow that Cdn kids are being loaded into the same economically sinking boat- Star reporters are defending LIE-beral policies and bigotry that are ruining us- with NOTHING said about the PIGS kids! Hypocrisy is the order of the day!)What was particularly disturbing about the unprovoked attack on Behal in Toronto is that it occurred right in front of police officers, who refused Behals request that the individual who had assaulted him be arrested, although police are now investigating after the fact.(Cops do what govt tells them to- and they are under order not to provoke the radicals! As previously stated apparently LIE-berals feel it is the fault of Sun reporters if they get attacked! Talk about blaming the messenger!)This has become common at these sorts of demonstrations, with police apparently instructed not to arrest anyone unless a major crime is committed in the interests of keeping the peace, a ridiculous policy in this case because the only people protesting were antifa, the right-wing extremists they were ostensibly targeting having never shown up.In the weeks leading up to the assault on Behal, who thankfully was not seriously hurt, articles in some of Torontos left-wing alternative media falsely accused several of my Sun colleagues of racism for objecting to federal policies on issues like terrorism and refugees.They did exactly what they accuse Donald Trump of doing in the U.S., smearing journalists and endangering their safety through incendiary rhetoric.I dont know if this was a factor in the attack on Behal, who is a photographer, not a columnist.I do know these so-called journalists who have been playing this dangerous game, are a disgrace to journalism.(I would go further and suggest that some Cdn journalists are enemies of free speech and democracy! And given the support given to civil service union Hogs- I say that some media are also enemies of capitalism as well!)MDC-T deputy president Dr Thokozani Khupe says she is yet to recover from the attempt on her life at the burial of the opposition partys late leader Morgan Tsvangirai in Buhera two weeks ago.



Appearing in public for the first time since the alleged arson attempt on a building in which she and two other senior party officials hid from a mob of MDC-T youths, Dr Khupe said her larynx was damaged.



She said this after failing to speak at a public lecture on ethnicity and politics in Zimbabwe, organised by a civil society organisation in Bulawayo on Friday. Tsvangirais death has plunged the MDC-T into leadership crisis with party organs declaring Advocate Nelson Chamisa the partys substantive president. Dr Khupe insists she MDC-T acting president.





At the lecture, she asked MDC-T organising secretary Mr Abednego Bhebhe to present on her behalf.





Unfortunately, I lost my voice as you know I stayed in that hut which was filled with smoke for three hours and my voice box was affected. I cannot speak so I will ask Bhebhe to speak on my behalf, she said.





Mr Bhebhe slammed the alleged arson attempt.  something happened in Buhera; it was bad. A lot of people want us to speak out and tell them what happened. uMaKhupe, Lovemore Moyo (national chairman) and Bhebhe will not tell you anything because what happened in reference to the region is not about them, it was never about them, its about all of you citizens, said Mr Bhebhe.





Mr Chamisas faction has given the three up to Friday to start performing party duties or risk disciplinary action.

Mr Bhebhe said Dr Khupe would not throw in the towel, likening her to the first wife in polygamous marriage who soldiers on.





She (could) have long back rejected her husband but she still stays put so that when she decides to leave, children, neighbours and relatives, will know that she was a woman of integrity, he said.





Because if you just walk away without explaining yourself to those around you, they will badmouth you, they will say you were sent away because of prostitution yet you wont be a prostitute.

They will say you were chased away because of witchcraft yet you were not a witch. But before you leave you should stand your ground.





On Mr Chamisas elevation, Mr Bhebhe said: A minority can respect the constitution better than the majority. The majority dont respect the constitution because they dont use the constitution but populism.





Which is what we are seeing happening here. The majority would not want to follow what the constitution says but because they want to use the numerical advantage, they will say lets make noise in our numbers that becomes law.





When somebody from the minority speaks constitutionalism, she or he is questioned for raising their voice. Sunday MailTEACHERS have threatened to go on strike to force Government to rescind a decision that was taken in 2016 to withdraw vacation leave for educators as formal efforts to come up with a solution have failed.



Vacation leave for teachers was cancelled in January 2016 as part of austerity measures by the Government. The two parties met over the matter in September last year, with the Government reportedly promising to come up with a final position on the matter within two months.

Four months later, teachers believe downing tools is their last resort, as the Government has failed to honour its promise.



Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said efforts to follow up on last years meeting have hit a snag. Mr Ndlovu said all the associations provinces, but one, had endorsed the job action and it was now left to the executive to decide on the date.

The ground is swelling with anger. We exhausted all channels of dialogue and our last resort is to strike.



We are waiting for one province to endorse. All the other provinces have.

The matter will be subjected to our conference in April. But it (the job action) may be as soon as possible. The executive will decide.



He said Zimta will present its position before the Apex Council with the hope to get a buy-in from

other civil servants.





We have not made consultations with other unions but it is our strong belief that we share similar sentiments on the matter, he said.





However, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou believes downing tools would not be the right option. Dr Zhou said the Apex Council needed to seek clarity first from the Government on whom to engage on civil servants labour issues following placement of the CSC under the Office of President and Cabinet.





He said that having been done, dialogue would be reopened between teachers and their employer on the matter.





Mr Zhou said PTUZ was putting pressure on the Apex Council to convene a meeting to discuss the issue of who civil servants report to. Apex Council chairperson Mrs Cecilia Alexander could not be reached for comment.





In the past teachers accrued one day for every 20 days worked, meaning in one year they accrue 18 days and at that rate they need seven years to accrue 126 days. The rest of the civil servants accrue one day for every 12 days worked, including weekends meaning, for one year worked, they accrue 30 days vacation leave.





According to recommendations of the 2015 Civil Service Audit Report, engaging relief teachers would cost the Government $2,565 million for the three months the substantive teachers would be on leave.





About 2 000 teachers who were supposed to be on leave at the beginning of the first term of 2016 were recalled following the withdrawal of vacation leave. Sunday NewsInstall the Newser News app

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The pendulum swings left and then right. Maybe some day it will settle in the center... maybe not. Indigenous peoples all over the world have good reason to be pissed at white settlers. Maybe some day in the distant future we will grow up and learn to get along.(Newser)  A white-collar crook is facing extra prison time for having his son shoot him in the legs with a 20-gauge shotgun, the BBC reports. Shannon Egeland, 43, was already facing 10 years for taking part in a vast mortgage-fraud scheme when he had his 17-year-old son shoot him by a road in Caldwell, Idaho, in an attempt to avoid prison. "The psychological and emotional destruction defendant caused this minor child is unimaginable," US attorney Scott Bradford wrote in a sentencing memo. Back in 2009, Egeland was co-owner of an Oregon development company that defrauded banks out of $20 million in loans that he and a partner used to fund a lavish lifestyle. Facing prison, Egeland took out disability insurance and had his son aim for his legs.

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Egeland told police he'd been attacked after stopping to assist a pregnant driver, but investigators got suspicious when his pricey BMW, his wallet, and his cellphone weren't taken, the Idaho Statesman reports. Then they learned about his recent insurance, and the whole thing unravelled. Now Egeland is facing an extra 3 years and 10 months for his roadside scheme and had his leg amputated from the shotgun blast. Bradford called him a "self-absorbed, opportunistic narcissist," the Oregonian reports, but Egelandwho is now on three medications for mental healthhas cast his own judgment. "What bothers me the most is my sonthe pain is on him,'' he says. "If I could take it all back, I would, but I can't. That will haunt me the rest of my life.'' (Read more fraud stories.)(Newser)  So nice, he said it twice: "President for life." In a closed-door meeting with donors on Saturday, President Trump expressed praise for his Chinese counterpart's ability to kill off term limits, reports CNN. "He's now president for life," Trump says of China's President Xi Jingping. "President for life. No, he's great. And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day." It's not clear whether he was kidding, Newsweek notes, and requests for comment from the White House were not returned. Trump also peppered his lengthy talk in the ballroom at Mar-a-Lago with a few political jabs:

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"It's a rigged system," he says of US politics. "And we don't have the right people in there yet. We have a lot of great people, but certain things, we don't have the right people."

"Is Hillary a happy person? Do you think she's happy? When she goes home at night, does she say, 'What a great life?' I don't think so. You never know. I hope she's happy."

He calls the Iraq invasion "the single worst decision ever made" and says it was like "throwing a big fat brick into a hornet's nest. That was Bush. Another real genius. That was Bush."

(An expert on China notes that "term limits ... are not usually found in dictatorships.")We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy(Newser)  Two Missouri teens were sentenced to jail time after being convicted of dragging a kitten behind a vehicle and posting a video of its torturous death. Kyle Wayne Williams, 18, and Jordan Hall, 19, were convicted of animal abuse and each was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday for the crime, which caused widespread outrage last June after it was reportedly posted to a Facebook group. According to the Kansas City Star, prosecutors alleged Williams posted the footage in a bid to get his followers to buy him pizza. We are satisfied with the sentences handed down today by the Judge for this senseless act of depravity against a helpless kitten," Taney County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Merrell said in a statement. Both men pleaded guilty to an animal abuse charge and received the maximum sentence. Williams was also sentenced to three years for armed criminal action. (Read more animal abuse stories.)Sorry!

This content is not available in your regionFairbanks, AK (99707)

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Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 31F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.The Fairbanks Fire Department is now distributing opioid overdose rescue kits, pictured here, as part of Alaska's Project Hope. Each kit includes two nasal administration devices, gloves, a CPR shield and instructions. They can be picked up at the fire department, 1101 Cushman Street, or by calling 450-6600. Photo courtesy city of FairbanksThe Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.

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Its still hard to believe that Bollywoods first ever female superstar Sridevi is no more. The diva who had a star-studded career in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films left for her heavenly abode on February 24.

The Nagina actress was cremated with full state honours on Wednesday in Mumbais Vile Parle crematorium. Thousands of people had flocked into Mumbai roads to pay their last respect to the veteran actress.

Boney Kapoor, husband of the late actress, immersed her ashes into the sea in Tamil Nadus Rameswaram on Saturday. The Mr. India producer was accompanied by his two daughters Janhvi and Khushi.

Popular photographer Manav Manglani shared a picture of the Kapoor family and a pandit in Rameswaram on Instagram. Boney Kapoor can be seen holding the urn which contained the ashes of Sridevi in the picture.

The Padma Shree awardees ashes were brought by Kapoor family in a special aircraft for immersion in the sea. The ashes were taken to holy town of Rameswaram on Saturday, where the immersion ritual took was conducted, according to news agency PTI.

Janhvi Kapoor, Sridevis eldest daughter recently penned an emotional and heart wrenching letter for her mother. Read the full letter right here.

Read- Janhvi Kapoor to her Best Friend Sridevi: I want to make you proud

Boney Kapoor also expressed his grief at the sudden demise of his lovely wife through a statement.

Boney who fondly used to call Sridevi Jaan recently opened up about the last moments he shared with his wife. The Judaai producer gave a heart-breaking account of the fateful night when the Himmatwala actress breathed her last.

Read- Boney Kapoor REVEALS the last moments of his JAAN Sridevi to Komal Nahta

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A couple was found dead in their bathroom under puzzling situation at Gyan Khand area of Indirapuram in Ghaziabad. Neeraj Singhania, an executive at a cellular services company, and his wife Ruchi, who was employed at an MNC in Noida, were found unconscious inside the bathroom without any clothes.

The event took place on Friday night, after a family get-together on the special occasion of Holi. The bodies of the couple were spotted by the family members when they went to knock them for dinner.

Despite continuous knocks, there was no answer. Then the womans brother in law tried to check on them through a gap in the window and saw the womans leg peeking out of the bathroom door.

ALSO READ: Pakistan People's Party appoints first ever Hindu Dalit woman as senator

The couple was hurried to a private hospital where the doctors declared them brought dead. The postmortem has put a question mark over the case and the cause of the death is termed as uncertain.

Neeraj's father Prem Prakash stated that the couple had returned to their room after Holi celebrations on March 2.

The police are investigating what led to this incident involving the two. No complaints have been filed regarding the matter yet. The viscera samples of the two have been preserved for further tests.

The couple were in their mid-30s and got married four years ago and had a five-year-old daughter.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that the armed forces are "proportio6nately" retaliating to Pakistani actions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and effectively containing cross-border infiltration.

She also said there was "no rethinking as of now" on the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which has been in force in Jammu and Kashmir and several insurgency-hit states in the Northeast.

The act gives the security forces special rights and immunity in carrying out various operations in disturbed areas. There has been a long-standing demand from various quarters in J-K and the Northeast to withdraw it.

On the situation at the, LOC Sitharaman said, We are able to contain the infiltrators and are able to retaliate (to Pakistani actions). It is not an exaggeration to say that we are not allowing them to come in. We are eliminating them at the border and are not letting them come in.

She, however, added that it would be not right to say that no one manages to infiltrate. The LoC has witnessed a surge in ceasefire violations since last year. According to official figures, 860 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops were reported in 2017 as against 221 the year before.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems from Russia is yet to be concluded mainly due to differences over price which India would look to sort out during Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's upcoming visit to Moscow, official sources said.

India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly when China has been ramping up its military manoeuvring along the nearly 4,000 km Sino-India border. In 2016, India and Russia had signed an agreement on Triumfinterceptor-based missile system which can destroy incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to 400 km.

S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of unknown number of the S-400 missile systems to China.

ALSO READ: Ghaziabad Couple found dead in naked state after Holi celebrations, Police investigation underway

The sources said Sitharaman will travel to Moscow within the next six weeks and she may push for sealing the long-pending deal at the earliest. "Sealing the S-400 deal will be a major focus of Sitharaman's visit to Russia," said a source familiar with the deal, which would be one of biggest with Russia in recent years. Negotiators from both countries have been in talks for over one and half years for the purchase of at least five systems of S-400 which are capable of firing three types of missiles, creating a layered defence.

The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile system is manufactured by Almaz-Antey and has been in service in Russia since 2007. The sources also said that no decision could be taken on the long-pending fifth-generation fighter jet project with Russia due to the high cost involved in it.

A high-level committee set up by the government to examine various aspects of the project had submitted its report last year and the defence ministry is likely to take a call on it soon. In 2007, India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project. In December 2010, India had agreed to pay USD 295 million (Rs 1,897 crore) towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called in India as the 'Perspective Multi-role Fighter'.

However, the negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years. In February 2016, India and Russia revived talks on the project after a clearance from the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar. The issue may also figure during Sitharaman's visit to Moscow.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

India and Vietnam will explore "substantive and practical measures" to achieve the bilateral trade target of USD 15 billion by 2020, according to a joint statement issued in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation level talks with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang on Saturday, who is on a three-day India visit.

The joint statement further said both the sides agreed to hold the next Meeting of the Joint Sub-Commission on Trade in Vietnam's capital city Hanoi in 2018 at the earliest. "In order to realize potential to both increase the volume of trade and diversify its composition, they (Modi and Tran) requested the relevant ministries and agencies on both sides to explore substantive and practical measures to achieve the trade target of USD 15 billion by 2020 including but not limited to utilising established mechanisms, strengthening exchanges of trade delegations, business-to-business contacts, regular organisation of trade fairs and events,".

ALSO READ: Syrian troops captures villages and towns in a rebel-held region

As per the statement, both the sides urged leaders of business and industry of both countries to explore new trade and investment opportunities in identified priority areas of cooperation. The Vietnamese president applauded Prime Minister Modi's efforts which improved India's ranking in the 'ease of doing business', it added.

Referring to defence cooperation, the joint statement pointed out that their cooperation in oil and gas exploration, thermal and hydroelectric power and renewable energy and energy conservation is registering remarkable progress. The Vietnamese president "welcomed Indian businesses to expand their oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities on land and in the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Vietnam," the joint statement said.

It also pointed out that the Vietnamese side took note of the request by India on actively considering signing the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance with a view to strengthening the cooperation in the renewable energy space.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Central Bureau of Investigation, on Sunday, flew with Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, to Mumbai for investigating further in connection with the INX Media money laundering case. He is being brought face-to-face with Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea separately.

Karti Chidambaram, who is the main suspect in the INX Media money laundering case, is accused of receiving Rs 10 lakh from the INX Media. The CBI had arrested Karti on Wednesday from the Chennai airport and brought him to Delhi.

On Thursday, Delhis Patiala House Court sent Karti to a five-day CBI custody, while allowing his lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi to meet him for one hour each in the morning and the evening.

The CBI had produced Karti before the court and sought a 14-day custody, saying he was being non-cooperative during the interrogation. The CBI said, Karti used his influence to manipulate a tax probe against INX Media in a case of violation of FIPB conditions to receive investment from Mauritius.

The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had carried out a series of raids on the properties of Karti. He was questioned several times by the ED. A lookout notice was issued against him, which prevented him from traveling abroad.

Also Read: INX Media money laundering case: SC to hear Karti Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea on Mar 6

In November, the Supreme Court allowed Karti Chidambaram to go to the UK for his daughter's admission to the Cambridge University. His father was not available for comments but he had earlier denied the involvement of his son in any case.

CBI had probed Karti twice in August last year for allegedly taking money from INX media then owned by businessman Peter Mukerjea and his wife Indrani Mukerjea with respect to influence public servants in the probe into foreign investments in the company from three Mauritius-based entities.

The INX Media case is one in which irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Karti Chidambaram's father was the Union finance minister came into light.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The Central Bureau of Investigation, on Sunday, flew with Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, to Mumbai for investigating further in connection with the INX Media money laundering case. He is being questioned with Indrani Mukerjea face-to-face and will be questioned with Peter Mukerjea separately.

Karti Chidambaram, who is the main suspect in the INX Media money laundering case, is accused of receiving Rs 10 lakh from the INX Media. The CBI had arrested Karti on Wednesday from the Chennai airport and brought him to Delhi.

The CBI had produced Karti before the court and sought a 14-day custody, saying he was being non-cooperative during the interrogation. The CBI said, Karti used his influence to manipulate a tax probe against INX Media in a case of violation of FIPB conditions to receive investment from Mauritius. On Thursday, Delhis Patiala House Court sent Karti to a five-day CBI custody, while allowing his lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi to meet him for one hour each in the morning and the evening.

The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had carried out a series of raids on the properties of Karti. He was questioned several times by the ED. A lookout notice was issued against him, which prevented him from traveling abroad.

Also Read: INX Media money laundering case: SC to hear Karti Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea on Mar 6

The INX Media case is one in which irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Karti Chidambaram's father was the Union finance minister came into light.

Here are the LIVE updates:

# 02:17 PM: Six CBI officers are questioning both Karti Chidambaram and Indrani Mukerjea in the Byculla jail, along with two female police constables and a male constable monitoring the situation from outside

# 11:18 AM: Karti Chidambaram brought to Byculla jail in Mumbai by CBI

INX Media Case: #KartiChidambaram at Byculla jail in Mumbai; he will be brought face-to-face with Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea, separately pic.twitter.com/zqtEn7GNQh  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

INX Media Case: #KartiChidambaram brought to Byculla jail in Mumbai by CBI, he will be brought face-to-face with Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea, separately, say CBI Sources. pic.twitter.com/aq5gU6624D  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

# 10:56 AM: Karti Chidambaram has been brought to Mumbai by CBI

INX Media Case: #KartiChidambaram has been brought to Mumbai by CBI, visuals from Mumbai Airport. pic.twitter.com/6jht8uoKuj  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

# 10:11 AM: Karti Chidambaram will be brought face-to-face with Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea

INX Media Case: #KartiChidambaram has been brought to Mumbai by CBI, he will be brought face-to-face with Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea, separately, say CBI Sources.  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

# 07:44 AM: Karti Chidambaram taken to Mumbai for further investigation

CBI has taken #KartiChidambaram to Mumbai for further investigation in the INX Media case. (File Pic) pic.twitter.com/ktruU9yfXD  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Four people, including a militant, were killed on Sunday night in Pohan area of Jammu and Kashmiras Shopian district after they opened fire at a Mobile Vehicle Check Post outside an Army camp.

The Army men were fired upon and they retaliated, in which a militant was killed, an Indian Army Spokesperson said.

"Militants attacked Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) of armyas 44A battalionA of the Rashtriya Rifles at Pahnoo village at around 20:00 hours. In retaliatory operation, one militant identified asA Shahid Ahmad DarA was killed," Army Spokesperson said.

The official said that when police were called, they found a car some distance away in which three youths were found dead.

Also, the three over ground workers/accomplices in the car who were accompanying the terrorist were found to be dead. Police have reached the spot and started legal formalities, Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.

No Army soldier has been reported injured in the attack.



The militant who was killed was seen with Naved Jhatt in the recently released photo. This indicates that Naveed may have been part of the attack and after his escape from Srinagar central jail, he may be helping Hizb to organise attacks in South Kashmir.

#JammuAndKashmir: Gunshots heard in Pinjoora area of Shopian district. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/FRxNC6afoS a ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Mumbai:

The Maharashtra government has given an administrative nod to release nearly Rs 313 crore from the state disaster response fund (SDRF) for farmers whose crops were damaged in the recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms.

A government resolution (GR) to this effect was issued recently, a revenue department official said.

According to figures of the revenue department, standing crops on 2,93,289 hectares of land, spread over 19 districts, were affected by the last months unseasonal rains and hailstorms.

The government has sent a memorandum to the Centre seeking a financial assistance of Rs 2,400 crore collectively for pink bollworm (a pest) attacks on cotton crops and damage to crops caused by hailstorms and unseasonal rains, Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar told PTI.

The Centre is yet to release any amount.

He said the amount (Rs 313 crore) sanctioned for farmers affected by hailstorms and unseasonal rains will be provided on an urgent basis and as per the SDRF norms.

Once the required funds are sanctioned by the Centre, this amount will be adjusted against the money taken from the SDRF, Fundkar said.

As per the data, Rs 139 crore would be required for affected farmers in Amravati division, Rs 130 crore in Aurangabad, Rs 42 crore in Nagpur and Rs 96.72 lakh in Nashik division.

The government has told the district collectors it will be mandatory for them to conduct panchnama (site inspection) for agricultural fields that have suffered losses of more than 33 per cent, the revenue department official said.

In such cases, the maximum compensation will be provided for two hectares, he said.

The collectors have also been directed to ensure the relief amount is directly deposited into the accounts of farmers and banks do not undertake any loan recovery exercise, the official said.

Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has said The BJP government has given the first right on the treasury to farmers.

He said 2.55 crore people in the state are directly or indirectly connected to the agriculture sector.

When farmers are in trouble, it is the governments responsibility to stand by them. We will leave no stone unturned to help them despite our financial constraints, said Mungantiwar

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will have to scale up production of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), asserting that the government has not "ditched" the project for any other fighter jet.

Sitharaman also said the government was eagerly awaiting the "Mark II" version of the Tejas and that a number of countries have shown interest in the aircraft indigenously developed by HAL.

"We are not ditching the LCA. We have not gone for anything instead of Tejas. The HAL has to increase production capacity of LCA," she told reporters.

Currently, the HAL is producing around eight Tejas, a single engine multi-role aircraft, annually and the defence ministry wants it to increase the number to 18 planes per year.

"We are very confident that Tejas Mark II will be a big leap forward to fulfil the single-engine fighter requirement of the forces," she said, adding the government was also considering the export potential of the aircraft.

Official sources said the government is likely to soon launch the process to float a global tender for procurement of a fleet of fighter jets to augment IAF's depleting fighter squadrons. The IAF currently has 31 fighter squadrons against the authorised strength of 42.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) had ordered 40 Tejas Mark-1 version.

Also Read: With eyes on China, India, Vietnam resolve to work for prosperous Indo-Pacific

A request for proposal (RFP) was issued to HAL by the IAF two months back for the procurement of 83 Tejas of the Mark-1A version at a cost of around Rs 50,000 crore.

Sitharaman said the government was examining how to increase the production of the LCA, adding a number of countries have shown interest in procuring the aircraft.

The defence minister's remarks came amid reports of a view in the defence establishment that Tejas was not enough to maintain IAF's combat readiness and it needed to quickly procure a fleet of foreign single-engine fighters to deal with any possible security challenges facing the country in the wake of the dwindling size of its fighter fleetThe HAL has been maintaining that Tejas is a world class fighter jet and can effectively play its "defined" role in securing Indian skies.

The HAL is investing Rs 1,300 crore to augment the existing infrastructure so that production of Tejas can be increased to 24 aircraft per year by 2021.

Official sources said no decision could be taken on the long-pending fifth-generation fighter jet project with Russia due to high-cost involved in it.

The cost of the project is very high. It is still under consideration, they said.

A high-level committee set up by the government to examine various aspects of the project had submitted its report last year and the defence ministry is likely to take a call on it soon.

Also Read: Assembly Election 2018 results: Congress single largest party in Meghalaya, to stake claim to form govt

In 2007, India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project. In December 2010, India had agreed to pay USD 295 million (Rs 1,897 crore) towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called in India as the 'Perspective Multi-role Fighter'.

However, the negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years. In February 2016, India and Russia revived talks on the project after a clearance from the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar.

The sources also said that Vietnam has shown interest in procuring Brahmos missiles.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Highly charged up after partys impressive show in North East Assembly elections, Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh on Sunday said the BJP is unstoppable no matter how many fronts come up.

Raman Singhs remark that sounds a little overconfident one came after Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao's about the need for a third front minus BJP and Congress.

The Telangana CM had Saturday said, In the last 70 years, the political system, whether ruled by Congress or BJP, has failedmiserably to bring a qualitative change in the lives of the people.

I have nothing against the BJP, but it has failed to deliver (and) that is why a third front may emerge which will unite like-minded people. This third front I am talking about will be minus the Congress and the BJP, he said.

Also Read | KCR can play pivotal role in 2019 Lok Sabha polls: Owaisi

Replying to KCRs remark, Singh said, Third Front? No power in this world can stop BJP now. Doesnt matter how many fronts come up.

However, KCR has also found some soothing voices as well and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi extended their support to his initiative.

I am of the opinion that Chandrashekar Rao will play an important role before and after Parliament elections. I am of the opinion that the country is looking towards regional parties. The country is looking towards those parties which are against the BJP and the Congress, Owaisi said.

Apart from Mamata and Owaisi, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemanth Soren also welcomed KCRs decision to play a key role in national politics.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.

Chinas Most Powerful Weapon in the Coming Trade War



by Nick Giambruno







When any market is down 90%, youre obligated to go and investigate.



Thats what Doug Casey often says. And its part of the reason I put my boots on the ground in China a few months ago.



As I told you yesterday, the country has a monopoly on a little-known resource market. For years, stocks in this sector only went down. The industry was left for dead until recently.



The last time this happened, the price of this resource skyrocketed over 10 times almost overnight.



And, as Ill show in a moment, I think theres a strong chance a similar mania will start son



Chinas Monopoly



Most people have never heard of the material China controls. But its essential to modern life.



Its used to make crucial components for advanced electronics like iPhones, electric cars, flat-screen TVs, computers, and sophisticated military equipmentlike guidance systems, drones, anti-missile systems, radars, and fighter jets.



The United States top-line fighter jet, the F-35, contains nearly 450 kilograms of this material.



Theres no substitute for this resource in these advanced electronics. The US military and US consumer depend on it.



The problem is that finding this material isnt cheap. And once you find it, mining it is expensive and messy. It takes about 40 tonnes of rock (40,000 kilograms) to get only about 250 kilograms of this valuable material.



The costs are even higher if you separate the material from the ore in an environmentally friendly way.



But China is willing to do the dirty work.



Beijing helps by subsidizing the industry. Meanwhile, many companies in other countriesoperating without hefty state subsidiesgo bankrupt.



Plus, China doesnt fret about the environmental fallout as much as other countries. This lets it produce the material at a much lower cost than its competitors.



Until recently, one company in the US still produced a small amount of this material. Then, after a spat with a neighboring country, China flooded the market with supply. This oversupply drove the last US company out of business.



According to a US Congressional report:



[China] flooded the market by more than tripling the previous world supply of the materials. During this time, [Chinese firms] were largely unprofitable but were allowed to survive through direct and indirect support by the Chinese government.



This backing enabled [Chinas industry] to continue to mine and export these materials at prices far below the actual costs of production



Mines in the United States and elsewhere, unable to remain profitable against cheap Chinese exports, went out of business.



This is how China undercut everyone else and came to dominate the industry. Today, China produces around 90% of global supplies of this material.



In short, no one poses a serious threat to Chinas monopoly. China can simply hold prices lower for longer than any competitor can stay solvent.







This unchallenged monopoly could quickly become a huge problem for the US. But the US government wont just sit on its hands



The US-China Trade War Is Heating Up



Regular readers know I think a full-blown trade war between the US and China is imminent.



And weve already heard the opening shot.



Let me explain



Early on in his presidency, Donald Trump indicated that he wouldnt handle China like the previous US presidents.



In January 2017, he became the first president in 40 years to speak with the leader of Taiwan, an island off the coast of China that Beijing considers a renegade province.



Even during the campaign, Trump famously threatened a 45% tariff on Chinese goods entering the US.



He also said China was sucking the blood out of the United States and we cant continue to allow China to rape our country, and thats what theyre doing.



Getting tough with China on trade is a campaign promise Trump can actually keep. He doesnt need anyones cooperation. Legally, he can implement the necessary policies on his own.



And last summer, Trump fired the first shot in the trade war.



His administration launched an investigation against China using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.



This rarely used provision allows Trump to take all appropriate action... to obtain removal of any [trade] practice that is unjustified, unreasonable, or discriminatory, and that burdens or restricts U.S. commerce.



The Chinese considered this a provocative move. Since the World Trade Organization (WTO) was founded in 1995, member countriesincluding China and the UShave traditionally settled trade disputes through it.



But Trump, using the Section 301 investigation, is taking a one-sided approach.



Chinas Not-So-Secret Weapon



As I mentioned yesterday, China has a big card to play now. It could easily restrict supplies of the special material again.



That would bring any countryincluding the USto its knees.



This isnt some wild speculation. Remember, China didnt hesitate to restrict supplies in the past.



Plus, if it restricts supplies again, I think the WTO will give its blessing. Thats because Chinas move would probably be in response to one-sided US trade penaltiessomething Trump has already shown hes willing to implement.



Theres no way around it. The Chinese are ready to use their monopoly in this market. Its their ultimate weapon in the trade war with the US.



The good news for investors is that we can use this crisis to make huge profits.



Prices of this special resource are still near their lows for this cycle. So before tensions between Washington and Beijing escalate further, we can buy a dollars worth of assets for a dime or less.



This way, well be positioned to profit before the war heats up and the next mania kicks in.Shillong:

NPP president Conrad Sangma met Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad on Sunday evening and staked claim to form the government in the state with the support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate on Saturday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the National Peoples Party (NPP), an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

We met the Governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs, 19 of the NPP, six of the the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), two each of the Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent, 40-year-old Sangma told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan Shillong.

The NPP leader is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker (L) P A Sangma who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from Tura constituency after his fathers death.

Also Read | Immature Rahul Gandhi announced govt formation without calculating seats: BJP

A delegation of three Congress leadersKamal Nath, Ahmed Patel and C P Joshihad Saturday staked a claim to form the government in the state at a meeting with the Governor.

We met the Governor and sought his invitation to the single largest party to be called first to form the government as per convention, former Union minister Nath told PTI.

"Opportunity must be given to the single largest party. If it can't prove majority then party at the 2nd position could be invited. They don't want democracy & want to create an environment of fear. It won't go on for long, people will understand this gradually," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said.

The Congress won 21 seats out the 59 that went to polls last month. The party is 10 seats short of a simple majority. The Congress has been in power in the state for the last 10 years.

Asked about the challenges of running a coalition government, Sangma today said, It is not an easy task. But the parties who are supporting us are committed to working for the welfare of the people and the state. We will work on a common agenda.

The Congress this time got eight seats less than in the last elections.

The BJP, which drew a blank in the last elections, bagged two seats.

The NPP won 19 seats, the UDP secured six seats while its alliance partner the HSPDP got two seats. The PDF bagged four seats while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and three Independents got one seat each.

Polling for 59 Assembly seats was held on February 27. A Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate was killed in an IED blast, resulting in countermanding of the polls in one seat.

Outgoing Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had contested and won the elections from two seats. He will have to give up one seat.

After heavy losses in Tripura and Nagaland, Nath, Patel and Joshi reached Meghalaya from Delhi in a bid to form a government.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Washington:

President Donald Trump says he thinks it's great that China's president now holds that office for life and muses that maybe the US will do the same someday.

Trump's remarks came during a luncheon for Republican donors on Sunday at his South Florida estate. CNN reported the remarks based on a recording it obtained.

Chinese President Xi Jinping recently consolidated power. Trump told the gathering: "He's now president for life. President for life. And he's great." Trump added: "I think it's great. Maybe we'll give that a shot someday."

Also Read | Man shoots himself to death near White House: Authorities

Trump criticized his Democratic presidential opponent Hillary Clinton, repeated his view about "a rigged system," and called the invasion of Iraq "the single worst decision ever made." He referred to former President George W. Bush as "another real genius."

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

As the alleged Rs 12,600-crore fraud at PNB appears to be spreading across various countries, Mauritius has promised "necessary regulatory action" against all entities found to be linked with any fraudulent practices.

The Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Mauritius said in a statement that it has taken cognizance of the media reports about the purported fraud allegations with regards to Punjab National Bank, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. "The FSC is assessing the reported information and is closely monitoring the matter in collaboration with the Bank of Mauritius, the Mauritius Revenue Authority and the Financial Intelligence Unit.

The FSC is also in constant communication with its international counterparts under existing exchange of information agreements," it said. The FSC, regulator of non-banking financial services and global business sectors in Mauritius, said it will take "necessary regulatory action" against any of its licensee, as also individuals or companies under its jurisdiction, "found to be linked with any illegal, harmful and/or fraudulent practices that may cause any prejudice to the good repute of Mauritius".

ALSO READ: Youngster in Maharashtra's Pune earns Rs 12 lakhs a month just by selling tea

The alleged loan fraud, said to be perpetrated by billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his associates including Mehul Choksi, came to light last month after state-run Punjab National Bank disclosed it has detected fraudulent issuance of LoUs (Letters of Undertaking) from a Mumbai branch.

The fraud is already being probed by multiple agencies in India which are also seeking details from their counterparts in various other countries including Mauritius and Hong Kong about the details of the financial transactions related to the case. The overseas branches of some Indian banks are said to have credited thousands of crores into the accounts linked to Modi on the basis of the LoUs, which serve as credit guarantees, obtained by Modi and Choksi.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Beirut:

Syrian troops and allied militias have captured a number of villages and towns in a rebel-held region near the capital, in the largest advance since a wide-scale offensive began last month, state media and activists reported on Sunday.

Syria's Central Military Media said government forces captured at least six villages and towns along the edge of eastern Ghouta in the advance that began late yesterday. A reporter from the state-run Al-Ikhbariyah TV, who accompanied the troops, broadcast from Nashabiyah, a village on the southeastern edge of eastern Ghouta.

The reporter said the Syrian troops had crossed a "moat" and seized around 12 square kms. The advance was backed by intense shelling and air strikes. Rebel factions said they launched a counter offensive on Sunday, sending fighters behind government lines in a series of attacks. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels regained control of at least one town, while fighting continues.

The Observatory and the Syrian Civil Defense said civilians fleeing the advancing troops were taking cover in underground shelters. "It is a scorched-earth policy," said Ghouta-based activist Nour Adam. "People are moving out because of the relentless bombing." Eastern Ghouta, home to some 400,000 people, has been under a crippling siege and daily bombardment for months.

More than 600 civilians have been killed in the last two weeks alone. Meanwhile, no civilians have exited through a humanitarian corridor set up by Russia and the Syrian government nearly a week ago. Russia has accused the rebels of preventing civilians from leaving, allegations denied by the insurgents.

The rebels say the humanitarian corridor is part of government efforts to forcibly displace the population, and have called on government forces to implement a full cease-fire adopted by the U.N. Security Council.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.A Nigerian man identified simply as, Odubela who has dual citizenship of Nigeria and USA and also serving in the United States Army, has shared his testimony online after he was promoted to the position of a Sergeant In United States Army.

He posted his photos on Twitter and wrote: "I'm Still Trying To Process What Happened Today, A Boy From Bariga/Lagos Promoted To A Sergeant In United States Army. I Pray For Wisdom To Lead Soldiers To Do Great Things. Deepest Gratitude... #BarigaForever."

See more photos below;Forbes as one of the worlds 100 richest people in 2007

Saudi Arabia authorities are preparing to auctionand his company as they look to hasten an end to one of the kingdoms longest-running debt disputes.The billionaire was arrested by Saudi authorities late last year for unpaid debt dating back to 2009 from his company, Saad Group, defaulting on debts. According to some, al-Seneas debt could be between 40 and 60 billion Saudi riyals, or $10.6 and $15.9 billion at todays exchange rates.The planned sale is the latest signal that Saudi Arabia is serious about holding its elites to account. In an anti-corruption crackdown last November, authorities detained scores of senior officials on charges of alleged graft. Most have been released after being exonerated or agreeing to give the state money, assets or real estate.The al-Sanea case is separate from the main anti-graft campaign. The businessman, ranked bywas detained by authorities late last year for unpaid debt dating back to 2009 when his company, Saad Group, defaulted on debts.Creditors have spent the past nine years pursuing Saad, which is based in the city of Khobar in Saudi Arabias Eastern Province.Investors see the case as a litmus test of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans commitment to reforms.Etqaan Alliance, the consortium appointed by Saudi authorities to liquidate assets owned by al-Sanea and the company in an effort to repay creditors, plans to begin selling the companys assets in Saudi Arabia.Ministry of Justice confirmed an auction would be launched this month to sell vehicles, equipment, a large quantity of building materials and some property before the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, which starts in May.Whats even more staggering is the fleet of vehicles owned by the Saad Group. There ares under its ownership, including trucks, buses, and cars. A furtherare registered under al-Saneas name,including aA 20-year-old Nigerian lady who just returned to the country from the dreaded Libya, has narrated her harrowing experience in the African, getting pregnant, being helpless and more. Some of the Nigerian victims of inhuman treatment who returned last year from Libya and were rehabilitated by the Edo state government through the Committee against Human Trafficking, may be back in Libya after they could not sustain themselves economically in Nigeria, according to Vanguard.

20-year-old Vivian Imunero, who is among the 65 who returned, penultimate week, lamented that her younger sister was recently sponsored to Libya by a kingpin, said to be a Nigerian woman residing in Italy.

As we speak, the same woman who took me to Libya sponsored my younger sisters trip to the country and she is over there now involved in prostitution. I am not happy about it. I understand how things work there and I know it is not good because they dont use condom there. I was raped in a place called Gatron in Libya, she said.

This happened when we were going to Saba. Our vehicle parked there and they said we were going to sleep there. These Libyan men will come to the section where they keep women; they will wake us up one after the other and rape us. They will put gun to your head and you must follow them. But I thank God I did not contract any disease after all.

Pregnant, helpless

Speaking on how she became pregnant for a Libyan man, Vivian said, He is a white man that pushes people to Italy. He saw me and told me he wanted to help me which he did even though he abandoned me later. When I went to prison, I was supposed to pay money before they freed me but I did not pay a dime because he came to free me.

"I travelled with the help of one guy called Biggy. He resided at Upper Sakponba Road here in Benin-City. Somebody in our village took me to him and he contacted one Madam operating from Italy. Biggy gave me N15, 000 that day. As we speak Madam is threatening to kill me because we took oath before I left Nigeria. Biggie and one other man took me to a native doctor on the orders of Madam to take the oath.

"We were two girls and we took oath that if we got there and ran away or slept with her husband or failed to pay her money, juju should kill us. They killed a chicken and gave us the heart raw to eat. Then they gave us water to bath and asked us to go. Biggy is the one taking girls to Italy through Libya and, from there, Madam will arrange how the girls get to their final destination.

"Madam is angry that I am supposed to wait in Libya until I could make it to Italy because she wanted me to come and be making money for her through prostitution. She didnt care how I fed while I was in Libya; she never sent me money to eat. I was even raped and she did not care.

She went on: I discovered I was pregnant on April 26, 2017 when I went for test. I felt bad because I knew I was young to have a baby, besides there was nobody on ground to help me. However, I decided to leave it because I remembered my mother always said a child is a blessing. I just prayed that God will help me and that is why I named the baby Treasure.

I spent two years in Libya. I once entered a boat heading to Italy but the boat was arrested on the high seas by some Libyans who took us back to Libya. I called Madam to inform him that they had taken me back to Libya. She started threatening that she was going to make trouble with my family and I in Nigeria. Then I met this man who was helping people to get to Italy. I had no option than to stay with him and he took care of my needs. He tried to help me to cross to Italy five times but those five times they arrested me. On the fifth occasion, May 5, 2017, when I was arrested, I was a month pregnant then.

"Those who arrested me took me to prison where I was ill-treated. All the guards there wanted to sleep with me even with my pregnancy. I refused. One particular man there insisted he must sleep with me but I told him that it is forbidden in my place for a man to sleep with a pregnant woman. Because of that, he starved me of food for several weeks and even beat me up. I never knew my baby will survive.

"I spent six months in the prison. My parents thought I had died because they were not hearing from me. On October 30, 2017, the father of my baby came to free me from the prison. I gave birth on December 20, 2017. Then I started having issues with the father of my baby and he left me. The only thing I can say I achieved in Libya is this baby girl. I left Nigeria because I had no helper.Two 19-year-olds from New Jersey and a puppy were killed and a 20-year-old man critically injured when their car drifted off the road and hit a tree in Delaware this morning, according to a report on delawareonline.com.

Driver Adrian Velazquez of Kearny and passenger Alfahtee Heuy of Hillside were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on U.S. 13, the New Journal website said, quoting the Delaware State Police.

The 20-year-old, a resident of Howell, was taken to Christiana Hospital in critical condition, the website said.

Master Cpl. Melissa Jaffe of the Delaware State Police told the website that Velazquez, who was wearing a seat belt, was driving north on U.S. 13 in the left lane when his car veered into the right lane, then off the road into the grass.

The car continued on the grass, hit "a small rise in the ground,'' went airborne, landed in thick brush and came to a stop when it struck a large tree, the website quoted Jaffe as saying.

Drugs or alcohol did not appear to have a role in the 10:15 a.m. crash, Jaffe said, adding that it was unclear why the car drifted from the left lane.

Huey and the injured passenger weren't wearing seat belts, according to the report. Huey was partially ejected from the car and the injured man was ejected and found a short distance away.Many families experience spousal abuse, parental abuse, flirting and favoritism. For the Bhatti family, throw in a mix of Islam to complicate matters.

Azeem Bhatti -- played excellently by Sanjit De Silva in the New York Theatre Workshop production of Hammaad Chaudry's "An Ordinary Muslim'' -- does everything to downplay his Muslim faith, except not imbibe and avoid non-halal meat, to fit into secular London. He knows that despite being born there, he is still an outsider.

For him, "a good Muslim is an invisible Muslim." Yet, he still feels he cannot advance in the corporate world because his brown skin is one giveaway he cannot hide.

Bhatti and his wife, Saima Khan (Purva Bedi), live with his parents uncomfortably because his father, Akeel Bhatti (Ranjit Chowdhry) has lived like a traditional Muslim man, who rules the roost.

"An Ordinary Muslim" assumes the audience knows the history of India's partition in 1947 when India split Pakistan for the Muslims and India for Hindus.

The readjustment was bloody and Akeel lost ancestral lands to relocate. He went to Great Britain when the country needed laborers to rebuild the infrastructure and economy after World War II's destruction.

Notes with the Playbill explain these geographical developments but, somehow, they need to be woven even more into the dialogue of the play for the unknowing. And it needs to be explained during the show that "Jamatt" refers to an Islamic religious retreat.

As the play unfolds there are many lifestyle conversions, which irritate Azeem because for him, it's like, "I told you so." So, when his wife begins to become bolder about wearing the hijab at work, it irritates Azeem and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Azeem confronts his sister, Javeria Bhatti-Mirza (Angel Desai), about her absence from the family; his father for mistreating his mother, Malika Bhatti (Rita Wolf); and his friend, Hamza Jameel (Sathya Sridhayan), the imam's son who works at the mosque.

While Azeem seems to have everything going for him, his inner demons cause his personal downfall. The ending is a very emotional scene between Azeem and his father, Akeel. And when the cast of eight came out for curtain calls, the actor DeSilva was still crying.

As I was interviewing a young Muslim couple afterward, De Silva happened to be the first actor to depart. I asked him about the curtain tears and he said that the emotion sometimes gets to him as well as acting with a cast of six other actors who are South Asians. He has done Broadway, off-Broadway and television since he graduated from NYU Drama School in 2004 and said that the play was originally four hours long and scaled back through workshops.

Famed playwright Tony Kushner, known for long works, helped playwright Chaudry shape the play and opened doors for the novice writer.

I noticed about a dozen Muslims mixed in with the mostly Caucasian audience. One woman, 29, who declined to use her name, is half-Indian and half-Pakistani.

"I loved (the play) because it dealt with the theme of respect," she said.

Her companion, Tariq Mahmoud, from Egypt, also 29, acknowledged that there is not much diversity in the workplace where "Muslims can be publicly profiled."

The woman said she wears the hijab but not every day as she knows it can be a source of prejudice. Still, she feels people today are more tolerant.

In a New York Times interview, Chaudry said there is no such thing as an ordinary Muslim.

"Out of eight characters, seven are Muslim,'' he said. "All seven are practicing. All seven express and embody a different kind of Islam."

And that reveals that the acculturation process is shaping a new kind of Muslim in the Western world.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, FAX: 201-659-5833; Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken.

If you go ...

"An Ordinary Muslim,'' by Hammaad Chaudry, continues through March 25 a the New York Theatre Workshop, 79 E. Fourth St., New York. For information, call 212-460-5475 or go to nytw.org.The Chinese company Rider University selected to buy its Westminster Choir College last month also builds and installs steel bridges, and until December had a corporate name that reflected that industry.

The company is now the Beijing Kaiwen Education Technology Co. Ltd., which Rider touted as running the Kaiwen Academies, two prominent K-12 international schools in Beijing when it announced the $40 million deal.

In December, though, the company changed its name from the Jiangsu Zhongtai Bridge Steel Structure Co. Ltd., according to public statements by the company, which is publicly traded in China.

Rider said in August it had identified a possible buyer, and in a Feb. 26 interview with the Rider News, university President Gregory Dell'Omo confirmed Kaiwen is the group the board of trustees has been negotiating with since August.

And all of it has the university's professors union skeptical and angry. They have been on the forefront of opposition to Rider wanting to shed the choir college, in Princeton.

"It is completely beyond belief that the buyer has the ability, not to mention the desire, to run a world-renowned choir college," Elizabeth Scheiber, a French and Italian professor and president of the union said in a statement.

The union, the college's chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), also said in a statement that Kaiwan wants Westminster to increase its own profitability, and they'll likely shutter the choir college.

"We believe that goal can only be accomplished by stripping Westminster of its assets, laying off faculty and administrators and then closing it and converting the land and buildings to other purposes, further evidence that Rider's administration, with approval of Rider's Board of Trustees, is acting in complete disregard of both its legal and moral obligations to Westminster Choir College," Jeffrey Halpern, a sociology professor and union officer said in the same statement.

Kaiwen Education did not immediately respond to an email from NJ Advance Media this week for comment.

But the union hasn't spoked to the company either.

Halpern, in an email about the union statements, said the union only learned who the buyer was a week ago, and it's "not a believable story" that a for-profit company wants to spend $40 million, "because they like schools."

And he said Rider itself cannot close Westminster because of the public relations impact. "A Chinese company does not have the same problem," Halpern said.

Rider spokeswoman Kristine Brown, though, said throughout the process, Kaiwen Education has exhibited a commitment to invest in and grow Westminster, and keep it in place.

And the university said in its announcement of the deal, the Kaiwen wants to keep current Westminster faculty and staffer and plans to offer them employement when the deal is conssumated.

"We firmly believe that Kaiwen Education is the best option for Westminster to prosper. This process remains a priority for the university and many individuals are working diligently to ensure a successful and long-lasting future for Westminster," she said.

"We will continue to take the necessary steps to make that a reality."

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.They're earning scuba diving certifications, DJ'ing at parties and playing bocce ball with their girlfriends on the weekends. A limb short.

These were some of the accomplishments shared last week at a support group for amputees, at its third "ampuversary." In the cafeteria of the Hackensack Meridian Health JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison, an inspirational story could be found by talking to anyone in the room.

Dr. Heikki Uustal, medical director, of the prosthetic/orthotic team, shows off the different types of prosthetics. (Sara Jerde | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

"The people here, they're so wonderful. They bring me back," said Janet Stubbs, who says she is "almost 76," though that might be difficult to believe once you hear her weekend plans, which include bocce ball and drumstick workouts.

"Me!" interjected her friend Joan Myers, who sat across the table from her, munching on some of the provided snacks.

"It's why I keep coming back," Stubbs said, who recently moved, but still makes the hour and 15 minute drive from her new home in Manchester.

Wearing a shirt that said, "Quit pulling my leg... seriously it comes off," Stubbs recounted how a MRSA diagnosis led to her decision to have her leg removed below the knee. It made her one of the "lucky" ones who got to choose what came off, Stubbs said, but it also made her the butt of the joke among her amputee friends. She's the "wannabe amputee."

The joke makes her smile.

"You can choose to stay down, or you can get up and say, 'I wanna live my life,'" Stubbs said.

She sat across from Myers, as they swapped jokes and showed pictures on their phones. Just a few minutes before a nosy reporter interrupted their conversation, Myers, 59, had been on the dance floor grooving to a Bee Gees remix.

She's a certified scuba diver and is working her way up to again using the brand new skis and snow boots that she only used once. She lost a leg after a complication brought on by diabetes.

"This group allows you to be with people who are the same, but different," Myers, of Edison, said. "You come to understand what happened to you and it challenges you, yet it allows you to be yourself."

Thousands of amputations are performed in New Jersey every year due to complications from health conditions that range from diabetes to peripheral arterial disease, according to data from the Amputee Coalition.

Those who came to the support group's event ranged in age, ethnicity, gender and profession.

"It allows patients to come together because they now get to share their stories, share their experiences, they learn from each other," said Dr. Heikki Uustal, medical director of the prosthetic/orthotic team at the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute.

"... We as the educators learn just as much from them because they tell us little tricks on how they do stuff because when you have two legs, two arms, you don't think about, 'how do I put my clothes on when I'm wearing a prosthesis.'"

Uustal said he works with his patients to determine the best prosthesis to fit their daily routine.

After trying dozens of sockets, Sam Ghatas, 37, of Edison, said he finally has found a leg that works. He was DJ'ing the event on Tuesday.

"Having a bad fit is not the best for me. It's reflected in everything you do," Ghatas said, after explaining how cancer took his leg. "But it feels good now, you can walk around like normal."

Margaret Anderson, 48 of Metuchen, also knows what it's like to go through some legs. She told the doctor that she liked to go to the beach, so she was outfitted with legs that allow her to walk on the sand.

With her children by her side on Tuesday, she remembered how septic shock required her to have a double amputation. At the time, her daughter was three months old.

"The running joke was 'who's gonna walk first?'" Anderson said. "I beat her!"

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

Have information about this story or something else we should be covering? Tell us: nj.com/tipsUnreleased police videos raise a host of additional allegations in the violent arrest of a Middlesex County teen last year and provide a pinhole view into the culture on the Carteret force where officers believed the mayor's police officer brother was protected, according to court documents.

Details of the videos emerged Wednesday in an amended lawsuit against officer Joseph Reiman regarding the May 31, 2017, arrest. However, the additional police body camera and dashboard videos have not been publicly released, and a judge has marked them confidential in the civil case.

NJ Advance Media has not viewed the videos but learned of their contents from the suit that describes at least four police recordings from the arrest and in the hours that followed.

"They know how he is, and they just let him continue," one of the officers can be heard saying about Reiman on one of the recordings, according to the complaint.

Carteret Police officer Joseph Reiman appears in Judge Joseph Paone's courtroom on charges of official misconduct at Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick on Friday, February 9, 2018.

Reiman, 31, the youngest brother of Carteret's longtime mayor, has been charged criminally in the incident in which the prosecutor's office says dashboard videos have confirmed the teen's account, who has not been named because he is juvenile.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office has since released recordings from two police cruisers -- Reiman's and from the second officer on scene, the middle Reiman brother, Charles.

The nighttime videos show much of the encounter, but portions are hard to make out and parts occur outside of the frame.

The pieces of unreleased videos described in the complaint, though, reveal more details of the incident and shed light on Reiman's reputation on the force through apparent candid conversations and statements by officers.

"[The teen] looked like he went 10 round with Mike Tyson," an officer can be heard saying on one of the recordings, according to the suit that alleges several officers participated in the "savage beating," including the other Reiman officer, Charles, and Antonio Dominguez.

Kevin Horn, a special law enforcement officer, allegedly held the teen's arms down as he was being punched, the suit says.

No other officers have been accused of wrongdoing in the arrest.

One officer can be heard on an unreleased video saying, "Joe is just punching the kid in the face and is not attempting at all to get control of his arms... If you look at this kid, this kid is not overpowering Joe," the suit says.

"He was face down in a rock bed. Blood all over the [expletive] place," another officer can be heard saying, according to the suit.

At one point, an officer says, the complaint states, "You're not getting those [expletive] facial injuries from a motor vehicle [accident]."

The lawsuit also alleges the videos capture several officers who "stood by and watched" out of fear that if they stepped in they'd face retribution from the mayor.

"There's people at the scene; you know all the neighbors come out, Joe's cursing and screaming at them," one officer can be heard saying, according to the complaint, which claims that no statements were taken from several witnesses.

In the hours after, officers can be heard discussing the arrest when they "implicate Joseph Reiman in criminal behavior in this incident and prior incidents," according to the lawsuit.

"What do you want to bet they are all sitting around the table . . . trying to get their [expletive] story straight," an officer can be heard saying in one of the unreleased dashboard videos that was still recording while the officers were at the hospital, according to the suit.

The new details in the lawsuit, which was first filed in federal court on June 14, also contradict Mayor Dan Reiman's statements about his involvement in any potential police discipline of his brother.

The mayor said via email Wednesday, despite the daily summary submitted to him detailing police activity and any actions taken by the deputy chief, he has never intervened in police matters for his brother and denied the suit's accusations.

In a statement, the mayor described the lawsuit as financially motivated and said: "This amended lawsuit names everybody and anybody from Donald Duck to Jane Doe and John Q. Public, and it is obviously part of the plaintiff's attorneys plan to extort money from the borough and its insurance company."

The suit says the mayor had referred to his brother as a "scapegoat" during an internal affairs investigation into officer Reiman's excessive force allegations in an attempt to influence both the internal and criminal investigation.

The civil suit alleges: "With the protection of the Carteret Police Department and the Mayor of the Borough of Carteret, Joseph Reiman was allowed to remain on the force, even in the face of multiple excessive force complaints."

Officer Reiman faces three other lawsuits over alleged excessive force during his 23 months on the police department, according to court records.

NJ Advance Media previously reviewed Reiman's use-of-force records and found the officer had accounted for more than a fifth of all arrests involving force. Two of the people featured in that investigation filed suit last year.

William Connell, Reiman's attorney in the civil case, did not return a call for comment.

The teen's attorney, Eric Pennington, confirmed the details in the videos but did not comment further.

NJ Advance Media has not obtained or been able to review the footage due to a judge's order. It previously requested all video records from the borough relating to the incident but was not told of the additional recordings, which only became known through the discovery process in the civil suit.

Charles Reiman and Dominguez used a compliance hold and his hands or fists during the arrest, according to their use-of-force forms obtained through a records request. Horn also responded and used a compliance hold during the encounter, the police records show.

Those officers, as well as six other officers, Mayor Reiman, two EMTs and the borough are named in the suit. A number of other officers had responded to the scene, according to a review of the released dashboard videos.

The suit also alleges the police and EMT documents were changed or not filed to cover up the incident.

The teen said in an interview with NJ Advance Media days after the arrest he was kicked by one of the officers as he was being cuffed. None of the published videos or videos described in the lawsuit capture a kick.

Joseph Reiman has since been suspended. His pay was reinstated last June after a hearing and is currently on the borough's payroll with an annual salary of $49,266. He is also working a job in Perth Amboy doing manual labor, according to his attorney.

Reiman faces charges of aggravated assault and official misconduct, which include accusations of records tampering and failing to turn on his body camera during the incident.

The officer's attorney in his criminal case, Charles Sciarra, has argued that the teenager's injuries occurred in the car crash that ended a brief police pursuit between the unlicensed teen and Reiman.

The state has said the teen's injuries were consistent with an assault, not an accident.

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsRINCON, Puerto Rico - Ever since I was a little kid, I've been listening to various experts telling me to never, under any circumstances, go near downed wires - even if you think they're not electrified.

Those experts need to take a trip to Puerto Rico.

I did last week. More than five months after Hurricane Maria hit the island, I saw so many wires lying in the streets than I couldn't keep track. They were everywhere, including in the gutter along a route where kids walk to school.

My guide was Bill Rosenblatt, a 70-year-old surfer/psychologist from Loch Arbour who has a winter home in Rincon, P.R. When I first asked Rosenblatt to show me some Maria damage, I thought we'd have to drive up into the hills to some isolated rural community.

Nope. There were plenty of downed wires to see just driving along the densely populated coastal strip. My favorite was a utility pole lying at a 45-degree angle across a busy street. That one offered a driver two potential ways to die - electrocution and getting hit with a falling telephone pole.

More than five months after Hurricane Maria, downed wires line a busy road in Puerto Rico.

A study by the CDC of hurricane-related fatalities showed that the No. 1 cause of storm-related deaths is contact with downed wires, so this is no joke. Even worse, there is absolutely no way for a layman to tell whether a wire connected to one of those failing poles is live.

The one across the street from Rosenblatt's house certainly is. He and his neighbors are getting power from it - even though it's listing so badly to starboard that it might fall any minute.

It probably won't though, because of one of the neighbors, Jose Moreno. "Cheo," as he's known, is a builder by trade. When he saw the pole leaning after Maria hit in September, he rigged a rope to a nearby tree to hold it up.

In New Jersey post-Sandy, no power company would have dared send juice through a pole that was channeling the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In Puerto Rico post-Maria, that's considered one of the more solid pieces of infrastructure.

When I got talking to Moreno, he told me the pole was the least of his problems. He and his wife and mother-in-law were lucky to survive the 150-mph winds, he said.

"Thirty-two hours it was blowing like crazy, man," he said. "I told my mother-in-law, 'This thing isn't going to stop.'"

They sheltered in a bathroom till the winds finally passed, but not before Maria deposited the metal roof of their house in the vacant lot next door, where it rests to this day. Debris pickup is lagging as well.

Moreno told how he spent the four months after Maria with no power, no water and half-mile lines to get gasoline to power his car and generator.

Eventually the power and water came back, but not for good. The storm did major damage to a reservoir and water service was again cut off as it was drained for repairs last month.

As for the power, it's been working in Moreno's neighborhood fairly well. But on Thursday a power outage struck all of San Juan, revealing just how poorly this recovery is going.

Who's at fault? Moreno assigned some of the blame to President Trump.

"Donald Trump came over here and I saw him on TV giving everybody paper towels," he said. "What do we need paper towels for? We got no water."

He's got a point., at least as concerns FEMA. As someone who lived at ground zero of Hurricane Sandy, I witnessed FEMA get the power restored and most the debris cleaned up within a few weeks.

But it's not all FEMA's fault. I learned that when I talked with a worker from a Virginia-based power company working on the lines.

Jose Moreno with one of the house jacks that supports the new cement roof he installed to replace the metal roof that blew away in Hurricane Maria.

The guy had also worked on Sandy clean-up in New Jersey. There was a big difference post-Maria, he said, thanks to the failure of the publicly run Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to do routine maintenance on the lines.

"They let trees grow up all around the wires," he said.

Meanwhile there's still a lack of new cable for repairs, he said. In January the feds raided a PREPA warehouse to confiscate wire the utility was hoarding. But the workers still don't have enough line. The worker said his crew is reusing lines that fell in September.

What we have here, it seems to me, is a perfect storm of federal and local incompetence.

As for Moreno, he gave up waiting for help from FEMA. He replaced his steel roof with a concrete roof that was still setting as I spoke with him. He did that while working full-time repairing the houses of others.

"What's gonna happen?" he asked. "I wanna know what's gonna happen to Puerto Rico."

So do a lot of people.

ADD: I notice that a lot of commenters argue that the U.S should just give Puerto Rico its independence.

That's fine. But do you have a time machine?

If the U.S. had done so 40 or 50 years ago, when there was a big Puerto Rican independence movement, then the island would have to solve its own problems.

Once the federal government decided to keep Puerto Rico, they then had the same obligation to provide storm clean-up as with places like Massachusetts, which was just socked by that big nor'easter.

There people are being told that power won't be back on for "a long time." By a long time they mean a week or two. I guarantee you that you won't see downed power lines in Massachusetts five months from now.

It's true that the government here is corrupt and incompetent. But it's FEMA that's in charge of the clean-up. If that means the feds have to straighten out the local government, then it's time to get to it.

Either that or invent a time machine.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.Bob Hugin, an ex-pharma executive, is attacking Sen. Robert Menendez on ethical grounds, as he should. New Jersey deserves better than Menendez, as he says.



But is Hugin, who is seeking the GOP nomination to face Menendez, the man to point the finger on ethics?

His stewardship of Celgene, the big pharmaceutical firm based in Summit, raises serious doubts.

It was under Hugin's leadership, after all, that Celgene waged a multi-year battle against legislative efforts to lower drug prices for the federal government and cancer patients.



Not only did Celgene hike the price of its blockbuster anti-cancer drug, Revlimid, aggressively; it fought to protect its monopoly at all costs.



The tactics it used were denounced by Scott Gottlieb, head of the federal agency that regulates drugmakers - and a former big pharma board member himself - as "shenanigans" that are "unfair and exploitative."



To be sure, Celgene wasn't the only bad actor. But companies that make cheaper generic versions of drugs say Celgene was a pioneer in this regard and has one of the best-known records of abuse.



Here's how it gamed the system: Once a patent on a drug expires, generic drug companies are supposed to be free to produce their own versions of the drug, driving down prices. To do that, the generic firms need to start cracking the code on a drug early. They usually start by buying a sample from the brand-name company for research.



But competitors say Celgene refused to sell samples of Revlimid, citing bogus safety concerns - essentially, that highly trained scientific teams in generics labs wouldn't be able to handle its drug properly; that some pregnant technician might swallow it without a prescription, for instance.



Silly as that sounds, it's enough to prevent a competitor from getting a sample, proving to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that its version is identical to the original drug, and getting that cheaper alternative certified for market. A generics company can't just cop a pill from a doctor or patient; it has to prove that it was obtained from the brand-name company.



As generic firms and consumer groups have pressed for reforms to expedite this process, Celgene has also done all it can to scuttle them. Last year, with Hugin as its CEO, it spent $2.8 million on lobbying - its most ever - on efforts like blocking a bill that would have helped end these "shenanigans," and sped up a cheaper version of Revlimid.



As a result, Revlimid now provides as much as two-thirds of Celgene's total revenue, and is the seventh costliest drug for taxpayers under Medicare.



All of which is why David Mitchell, a cancer patient who launched a class action lawsuit against Celgene, declares that "Bob Hugin used cancer patients and Medicare patients like a piggy bank."



Hugin earned himself $100 million in just three years, Mitchell says, thanks to this profitable misbehavior.



Hugin's campaign advisor, Chris Russell, denies any abuse, saying Celgene "consistently offers and has sold samples." A Celgene spokesman said it makes drug samples available to generic manufacturers "subject to reasonable safety-related requirements."



Here's what we know for certain: Celgene is currently being sued by one of the biggest generic drugmakers, Mylan, over its refusal to share samples of Revlimid, even after the FDA found Mylan's safety measures adequate.



And the Federal Trade Commission, which investigates antitrust and consumer protection violations, also called out Celgene's bad behavior.



"Celgene's view that it has a virtually absolute right to block access to the samples generic firms need to compete threatens to foreclose these cheaper alternatives, perhaps indefinitely," it said.



When asked about this credible charge, Hugin's campaign had no answers.



A top saleswoman at Celgene also filed a whistleblower lawsuit accusing the drugmaker of putting cancer patients in danger by hiding information about potentially fatal side effects. Celgene didn't contest those charges in court; it settled for an eye-popping $280 million.



So, yes, New Jersey needs an ethical alternative to Bob Menendez. But is that leader really Bob Hugin?By Carl Goldberg

New Jersey is known for many things, and not all of them are wonderful. With due respect to Bruce Springsteen and Tony Soprano, New Jersey's No. 1 claim to fame since World War II is that we are the most suburban state in the country.

The United States suburbanized rapidly in the years following the war and nowhere was that more true than in New Jersey. We produced rapid development and became a haven for millions of white-collar residents and their families, making New Jersey the wealthiest of the 50 states.

"What exit?" wasn't just a punchline, but a way of life.

It still is - but in a very different way. According to PlanSmart NJ, New Jersey is the most exited state in the nation, with owner-occupied home ownership down by 100,000 in the years since the Great Recession. We need a new policy approach, one prepared to grapple with the following realities: New Jersey has five new renters for every three homeowners; New Jersey has 14 million square feet of empty office space; New Jersey has seven million square feet of empty retail. At our current rate, it will take more than 20 years to re-tenant these stranded assets.

Jim Hughes, the dean at Rutgers University's Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, and co-author Joseph Seneca put it most succinctly in their recent work on New Jersey's postsuburban economy: "New Jersey's core advantage in the late 20th century - a suburban-dominated, automobile-dependent economy and lifestyle - is (now) regarded as a disadvantage."

Hughes and Seneca are proposing a challenge for the next administration when they write: "New Jersey will have to adapt and reinvent itself yet again - this time to a postsuburban digital economy that is being shaped by increasingly sophisticated mobile technology and the workforce that employs it."

According to the American Community Survey, telecommuting doubled from 2005 to 2014 and employers in 2017 were more likely to be looking for live-work-play communities that offer affordability as well as lifestyle benefits for their employees.

Our current stock of office buildings lacks the technological capabilities as well as the downtown amenities most sought-after by new corporations and entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, our municipalities and taxpayers are shouldering the burdens of these white elephants through continuing infrastructure maintenance as well as a diminished tax base, as empty buildings continue to receive tax appeals. They are the grayfields of New Jersey that will drag down our economy and make an already tax-expensive state more prohibitive to current and prospective residents.

Hughes and Seneca propose a solution, one that is backed up by the research of PlanSmart NJ and other groups: Huge suburban office and retail parks must be repurposed into new uses that match the changing economy. Among the key questions raised are: What to do with this vast inventory? What are acceptable models to maximize environmental benefits with effective re-use? What is the best way to attract, and keep, a new workforce in New Jersey to propel our economy forward?

Smart, creative planning builds on existing regional assets and transportation options; offers price point diversity and variety and choice of housing stock for all income levels; provides new open space opportunities for residents; and enhances a municipality's tax base.

So I am left with only one question: What is holding us back from repurposing?

Carl Goldberg serves as co-chair for the Center for Real Estate at Rutgers University and is nanaging member of Canoe Brook Investors.The latest head-count in the Senate offers sobering news for those working to legalize marijuana in New Jersey. Only five senators said yes, from a total of 40.

"We need to slow this thing down," says Sen. Ron Rice (D-Essex), chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus, who is holding public hearings to drum up more opposition.

Great. The criminal prohibition against weed is as crazy and destructive as the prohibition against alcohol in the 1920s, and we just may stick with it.

Both prohibitions taught millions of decent people to ignore the law of the land. They both allowed bad guys with guns to make a fortune. And today, we add a modern twist by imprisoning African-Americans for weed crimes at three times the rate of whites.

But voting to legalize marijuana is a big step, a political risk the tepid careerists in the Legislature might just pass up. The safer option is to dip a toe in the water by ending the criminal sanctions against possession of small amounts, while preserving the criminal ban on sales.

That's known as "decriminalization." And it's emerged as the chief threat to full legalization.

Rice, a former cop, is pushing that half-step. And so are some leading liberals, like Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex).

"I've spoken to colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are hard and fast no votes on legalization," Vitale says. "But when you say 'decriminalize' they say, 'Ok, maybe.' I think they acknowledge that having some marijuana in small quantities is not a hard-core crime. But they don't want to legalize it. They want to crawl before they walk."

On the surface, that sounds sensible. But let's take a closer look.

Decriminalization is the best news possible for gangs and dealers. They would continue to control the street trade in drugs. And business would boom since buyers would no longer have to worry about being arrested.

Imagine that in the 1920s, we decided to lift the ban on drinking booze, but left the trade to Al Capone, with all his guns. That's what decriminalization would do to the marijuana business in New Jersey.

"It keeps drug dealers on the street and gives them a better marketplace to make money," says Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), the sponsor of a bill to legalize and tax the trade. "Isn't that the biggest problem, that the corners are overrun by drug dealers? That's my biggest goal, to get rid of them."

Cops say that most drug violence centers on the cocaine and heroin trade, but that some spills over to the marijuana trade as well. If you want a heart-breaking example, read "The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace" (Scribner) by Jeff Hobbs, about a Newark kid who gets a full scholarship to Yale, and is later murdered while dealing marijuana in a Newark basement.

"Where there is a demand for drugs, there are territorial issues," says Newark's director of public safety, Anthony Ambrose. "With decriminalization, you still have the drug dealers, and you still have the territories, without a doubt."

What really grates on Ambrose is the time it takes to process all the marijuana arrests, for selling or possessing. That makes the city less safe, he says.

"Last year, we had about 600 arrests for marijuana," he said. "If you put in three hours on each, that's 1,800 man hours that I could have used for something else, like reducing violence, or interacting with the community more."

When his officers are busy with weed, they can't respond as quickly to reports of rapes, burglaries, and muggings.

Ask yourself: Is it worth it?

The Legislature is about to open formal hearings on this. Rice's first public hearing, in Jersey City during the day, was stacked against legalization. He picked the witnesses, selected to reinforce his view, and he says he didn't allow supporters of legalization in the audience to speak. "We ran out of time," he says.

Among his findings: Colorado is witnessing a surge in babies born with brain damage, due to marijuana. I asked him for his source: "You'll find it online, just research it," he said.

Here's hoping the full Legislature does better. We finally have a governor, Phil Murphy, with some common sense on this, so the opportunity is there. Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester), is fully supportive, and says he will block attempts to go just halfway.

"I'm not doing that," he says. "That just makes it easier for drug dealers to stay in business. That makes no sense."

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka favors legalization in principle but will support a bill only if it includes efforts to repair some of the damage done by the prohibition. He wants to expunge all marijuana crimes, to devote some of the $300 million to drug treatment and prisoner re-entry and ensure that common people in Newark can open dispensaries without facing barriers, like big fees.

"Newark is split down the middle on this," Baraka says. "There are a lot of people who have seen the effects of drugs who are not going to warm up to this immediately. We need to get to legalization, but there are issues we need to talk about first."

Let's hope the Legislature listens to that good advice and appreciates the damage this prohibition has caused to so many decent people.

Over the last decade, more than 200,000 New Jerseyans have been arrested for marijuana possession, and while few of them land in jail, they face serious sanctions, like fines, loss of jobs, loss of college scholarships, bans from public housing, and suspension of driver's licenses - even if the person was nowhere near a car at the time of the arrest.

The only winners are the dealers -- at least those who don't get caught. Marijuana sales amount to about $900 million a year in New Jersey, and they get all of it.

And who knows? With decriminalization, they may well break $1 billion before long.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.Gov. Phil Murphy's inauguration committee spent more than $1.1 million on January's Trenton swearing in and tented gala on the field at MetLife Stadium.

The affair was financed through $940,000 from the Democratic State Committee and individual donations of up to the legal maximum of $500, according to a finance report filed with the Election Law Enforcement Commission.

The Democratic former U.S. ambassador to Germany, first-time candidate and Goldman Sachs millionaire was sworn in Jan. 16 at the War Memorial in Trenton, following four days of pre-inaugural events around the state, including a millennial concert with Busta Rhymes, a mass transit tour of the state and interfaith prayer services.

Members of the state Legislature, Murphy's family and outgoing Gov. Chris Christie and Mary Pat Christie joined him on stage as he promised a new, progressive era for New Jersey.

That evening, Murphy and guests -- mostly lawmakers, lobbyists and supporters -- celebrated under a heated tent on-field at MetLife Stadium, serenaded by the Midtown Men.

Ninety percent, more than $1 million, of the $1.1 million spent went to a New York-based event production company, ESP Productions, according to the report.

Under a 2005 advisory opinion from the the Election Law Enforcement Commission, inaugural committees can accept uncapped donations from a state political committee. Democratic lawmakers, local officials, public employees, lobbyists and law firms also pitched in.

Christie took office in 2010 with a message of austerity, donating half of the more than $1 million raised by his inauguration fundraisers to charities chosen by the governor.

Christie's second inaugural ball, scheduled to be held on Ellis Island, was canceled due to weather. His second inaugural fundraising committee donated $225,000 to charities.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com . Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.Ben Cohen, one of the founders behind the Ben & Jerry's ice cream brand, was arrested Saturday (March 4) during a protest against basing F-35 fighter planes in Burlington, Vermont, The Burlington Free Press reports.

The Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc. co-founder had joined other activists to demonstrate opposition to plans for basing the fighter planes in the city, the report says. Cohen was booked for violating the city's noise ordinance while holding a public demonstration.

According to the newspaper, the activists played jet noise from speakers mounted on the bed of a pickup truck in downtown Burlington, "at a level they said simulated what it would be like to be underneath the flight path."

Two others were also arrested, The Free Press reports. A public hearing on the matter in Burlington is scheduled Tuesday (March 6).

Cohen sent tweets about the demonstration and his arrest on Saturday.

Read The Burlington Free Press' full report.Update: The NOPD on March 12 said investigators learned the robbery involving the woman an her dog was falsely reported and that the woman later told police she had experienced hallucinations.

--

New Orleans police said a 54-year-old woman was given an ultimatum by two men who robbed her while she was walking in Hollygrove early Saturday afternoon (March 3) -- hand over her dog or her purse.

The woman was walking her dog near the intersection of Live Oak and Fig streets around 1:06 p.m. when she was approached by the men, according to a preliminary police report. One of the men wore a black hoodie and the other had a black bandana on his face, the report said.

One of the men demanded the woman give him her dog. When the woman refused, he implied that he had a gun and "gave her a choice to hand over her dog or her purse," according to the report. The woman handed the men her purse.

The men told her to walk off and then fled on bicycle, the report said.

No additional information was immediately available.The National Weather Service is warning of potential flood conditions throughout southeast Louisiana as the Mississippi River approaches its annual spring crest. The river is expected to rise near flood stage in New Orleans on Tuesday, March 13.

The National Weather Service on Sunday (March 4) said a flood warning for New Orleans will be in place from Tuesday, March 13, through Thursday, March 22. A flood warning is currently in place or expected to be in place soon for areas along the Mississippi River throughout southeast Louisiana, including:

Red River Landing affecting East Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana parishes

Forecasters with the National Weather Service expect the Mississippi River "to rise to near flood stage," according to the latest projections. To that end, the flood warning for New Orleans was extended slightly Sunday to end March 22.

As of 10 a.m. Sunday, the Carrollton gauge measured 13.6 feet, according to the National Weather Service. The Carrollton gauge is located on the river near the Army Corps of Engineers building in Uptown, which sits at Millaudon Street and Leake Avenue. Flood stage is 17 feet, and the city is protected up to a height of 20 feet.

The corps started conducting regular patrols of area levees Feb. 26 after the Carrollton gauge hit 11 feet. Once water levels reach 17 feet, "the river level will continue making navigation and docking difficult," the National Weather Service warning advised, adding "strong eddies" will develop on parts of the river below the Carrollton gauge at the 13-foot mark.

The river crest projections and flood warnings take into account rain that has already fallen as well as rain forecast to fall over the next 24 hours. Rain is expected to arrive in the New Orleans area Monday night and early Tuesday after an exceptionally dry and mild weekend. Some locally heavy rainfall up to 2 inches is possible, mainly north of the Interstate 10 corridor, according to the forecast.Mardi Gras Indians representing different neighborhoods perform for the crowd during the Mardi Gras Indian "battle" at the Congo Square New World Rhythms Festival. The Wild Magnolias of Uptown, the Young Maasi Hunters of Downtown and the Mohawk Hunters of Algiers gathered in a show of unity.

The free festival continues Sunday at Congo Square from 11:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. with performances of African dance, brass bands, jazz, soul-funk, and Latin jazz.Alabamians are ready for restrictions on guns, including background checks and raising the age to buy assault rifles to 21, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., said Friday.

"People in Alabama love their guns, but they also love their children," Jones told CNN's Dana Bash during a discussion at Birmingham's Civil Rights Institute sponsored by the Faith and Politics Institute. "And they like to be safe in theaters, and they like to be safe in churches, and I think there is common ground."

Jones said he was making those comments as a proud gun owner, adding that his wife believes he has too many firearms. But he said there needs to be a balance between gun rights and gun safety, and called on his Democratic colleagues to side with incremental progress instead of being stubborn.

"I'm the kind of person that believes especially in an issue like this, if we can make any progress ...it opens the door to so many others," he said. "We got to get something done, don't get me a list of things that have to be done ... let's not cut our nose to spite our face. I went into the Senate with my eyes open about partisan politics ... but i think we are moving in a way that gets things done."

Jones likened the current gun control debate to the #MeToo movement that started during his Senate campaign against Republican Roy Moore in that young people are raising their voices in the same ways that women are.

"I think they're going have a huge impact. I felt like .. we may have reached that tipping point with not only regard to firearms but to school safety," Jones said. "People look at the tragedy and say its the tragedy that all of a sudden called us to action [but[ we've never had a group of students like we have at Parkland."

The Florida students are "going to get people talking," Jones said, "and their voices are going to be heard all the way to the election in 2018."The United States Postal Service said it is investigating a racial sign put up outside its Flemington, N.J., location.

USPS Postal Inspector Greg Kliemisch said Friday afternoon the sign, which read "March is national stop blaming white people month! Accept responsibility for your own bad choices. Hug a white person!," was put up sometime Thursday. It was taken down in the afternoon by employees, he said.

Kliemisch said posting signs on the building is strictly prohibited. He could not confirm whether or not the location had cameras outside the building that captured the incident.

The sign is similar to messages in memes that have been posted online over the past several years.

Flemington Councilwoman Betsy Driver chastised the sign on the "Flemington Forward" public Facebook group. Another resident had posted a photo of the sign on a private page, but later deleted the post, she said.

"The fact that somebody even put the sign up is just sad and not a reflection of our town," Driver said.

"Racism is not a laughing matter."

Kliemisch said Friday the investigation was in the early stages. It was not immediately clear what potential consequences the sign hanger might face if caught.President Donald Trump lauded China's President Xi Jinping during a private fundraiser Saturday (March 3) after the ruling Communist party there announced it was abolishing the two-term limit for the presidency, opening the door for Xi to serve indefinitely, CNN and Reuters report.

In audio first aired by CNN, Trump garnered cheers and applause from those gathered at the closed-door lunch and fundraiser in Florida as he reflected on Xi's move to consolidate power.

"He's now president for life, president for life. And he's great," Trump said. "And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great."

"Maybe we'll have to give that a shot someday," Trump added.

Reuters reports it was unclear whether Trump made the comment in jest. The White House did not respond to the news organization's request for comment.

China's Communist Party announced Feb. 25 it would abolish abolish term limits for the presidency.

Here in the United States, George Washington set the informal precedent for the two-term presidential limit, which prevailed until Franklin Roosevelt broke tradition with his four term presidency during World War II. The 22nd Amendment legally established the two-term limit in 1951.

The reports say Trump also said Xi treated him "tremendously well" during his November visit to China, though tensions between the two countries remain. On Friday, Trump declared that the US would slap punishing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, escalating tensions with China.The best of the best among North Shore first responders were honored Feb. 17 by Slidell Elks Lodge 2321. This was the 23rd year the Slidell community service organization has set aside a night to present a public forum spotlighting the efforts and achievements of local, parish and state law enforcement agencies.

Earning top awards at the program coordinated by Law and Order Chairman Pat Massarini with assistance from his wife, Carol, were: Deputy Chance Wood, St. Tammany Sheriff's Deputy of the Year; Sgt. Richard Walden, Slidell Police Officer of the Year; Christian Ruiz and Brett Gleason, sharing St. Tammany Fire Protection District 1 Firefighter of the Year honors; and Jason Boyet, Louisiana State Trooper of the Year.

Prior to the presentation of awards, representatives of each of the participating agencies provided status reports on their respective agencies.

Chief Randy Fandal said the Slidell Police Department has 106 full-time, 75 percent of whom are fully commissioned. Thirty-five reserve officers also work more than 100 events throughout the Slidell community each year. The largest city in the parish, Slidell also is home to a new Kids and Police (KAP) police mentoring program and the Slidell Regional Police Training Academy, which trains candidates from more than 30 agencies.

St. Tammany Parish Fire Protection District 1 Fire Chief Chris Kaufmann praised the efforts of each of the department's 168 firefighters and employees, who comprise the only internationally accredited fire department in the approximate 600 fire departments in the state of Louisiana. "We also made Fire Rating Class 2, which makes ours the only department in the state to have both of those honors. That's your fire department trying to deliver the best possible services." Kaufmann also reported that the District's new headquarters building on Robert Boulevard is scheduled to open in early July.

Louisiana State Police Captain John Riles said Troop L, which encompasses Washington, Tangipahoa, St. Helena and St. Tammany parishes, responded to approximately 5,700 wrecks last year. Clarence Powe, Deputy Director of St. Tammany Parish Homeland Security, reflected on the challenge of preparing for threats ranging from the annual hurricane season to public health crises such as the current flu outbreak.

Because the Parkland, Fla., school shooting had occurred only days earlier, the tragedy was referenced by several speakers. "We're not immune to it," St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith said. "We train on a regular basis. But all the agencies represented here tonight, we can't do it by ourselves. If you hear something, see something, say something."

St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Buck Henderson outlined the responsibilities of the FBI's various agency departments, while DEA ASAC Craig Wiles warned about the dangers associated with opioid abuse. "There's a death every 19 minutes in this country from drug overdose. That's roughly 144 every day. There were 494 deaths between St. Tammany, Orleans, St. Bernard and Jefferson parishes last year. But it's a credit to our first responders, that number would have been three times higher if it weren't for their efforts with Narcan," Wiles said. "This is an epidemic that we can get in front of. But it's going to take an effort from all of us... Listen, it's time to ensure these users and these addicts that it's OK to acknowledge that and seek help. If you have a family member or know a friend, tell them just that - stop being embarrassed about it. Pick up the phone, before one of these special responders arrives at their door and has to utilize Narcan to bring them back amongst the living."

Agency cooperation and professional dedication were subjects that earned hearty applause. Among that number was St. Tammany Assistant District Attorney Jay Adair, who praised the efforts of the St. Tammany first responders. "They seek to do the right thing the right way," Adair said.

Slidell City Court Judge James "Jim" Lamz relayed details about St. Tammany's No Refusal Initiative, a pilot program in which motorists refusing to take a breath test are required to submit a blood test. "My hope is to get the word out, and stop people from driving impaired," he said.

Judge Lamz also praised the local first responders, saying, "They're qualified. They're fit. They're trained. With 14 years on the bench, I've always been impressed by patience, the tolerance, and the restraint I've observed in our law enforcement officers, even when they're being abused by belligerent and combative people."

Slidell City Marshal Kevin Foltz, representing Wards 8 and 9, and Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan added to the accolades. "If there's ever been a time in our country when these men and women have needed to be recognized, it is certainly now in this country," Drennan said.

Carol Wolfram photographs and writes stories about the people and events of the Slidell community. To reach her, email carol.wolfram@yahoo.com.The question put to environment reporter Mark Schleifstein at our editorial advisory board meeting last month was pretty simple: "What do you hope to accomplish?"

His answer will tell you a lot about Schleifstein, the state of south Louisiana, and the heart of a journalist.

The question was in reference to "Our Drowning Coast," a special report by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune and The New York Times that explored the environmental and human impact of coastal land loss in southeast Louisiana. It was published last weekend at NOLA.com and NYTimes.com, and in special print sections in the Sunday Times-Picayune and New York Times.

Ten months in the making, it represented our attempt to reframe the local and national conversation about coastal erosion as an imminent national crisis rather than a future local and regional threat.

As I told media reporter Kristen Hare, who wrote about the partnership on Poynter.org last week: "We've been talking to our readers about this issue for more than a decade. At some point, it starts to look like 'another disappearing coastline' story. We wanted something big and dramatic to get people's attention, something that would allow us to restart the conversation with a renewed sense of urgency. The collaboration with the Times took it to another level."

Important, yes. A feel-good story, definitely not. The picture Schleifstein and fellow reporters Tristan Baurick, Sara Sneath, Kevin Sack and John Schwartz painted was pretty grim - a monumental problem worsening faster than originally projected, too little public money or political will to solve it, and no guarantee the proposed solutions would work, anyway.

And, as our Lucid | The Times-Picayune statewide public opinion survey showed, not everyone in Louisiana thinks this is their problem. Which is a problem.

So when our advisory group posed the question about desired outcome, I was as curious as anybody to hear Schleifstein's answer.

"I want people to know that New Orleans is still an amazing place to live, and that there are still important reasons for New Orleans to be here," he said. "It's a viable base for oil and gas industry, it's a top five cargo port, it's home to the largest commercial seafood industry in the continental U.S. The culture dates back to our founding, enriches our lives and attracts tourist from around the world.

"But we have to recognize the present and future risk that comes with all of that. And we have to find ways to reduce their toll if the city is going to survive to be 400."

We're committed to doing our part. Last year we added two new full-time coastal reporters, thanks to a Society of Environmental Journalists grant funded by the Walton Family Foundation. With the New York Times partnership, we hoped to make a powerful statement by combining our local expertise with NYT's resources and reach. But the coverage of "Our Drowning Coast" won't end there. Schleifstein, Baurick and Sneath will continue to report on the issue daily, and NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune will continue to use our powerful media platform as a bullhorn.

So, as Schleifstein so eloquently stated: By all means, keep loving New Orleans with all your heart. But love it with your eyes wide open. Because Louisiana has its work cut out for it.

Mark Lorando is the editor of NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune and vice president of content of NOLA Media Group. Subscribe to "Sunday Thoughts," a weekly personal note from the newsroom, at subscription.nola.com/newsletters/.The recommendations from a task force on sexual harassment appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards are straightforward and logical:

Louisiana should replace its patchwork of sexual harassment policies with a uniform approach for all state agencies to prevent abuses. Training in how to prevent and report harassment should be mandatory for employees, supervisors and agency heads.

The surprise is that Louisiana doesn't already do these things.

Lawmakers are doing their own review of the way the state handles sexual harassment, but they ought to incorporate the task force's recommendations into legislation. The task force was only charged with looking at the agencies and departments under the governor's control. But its report recommends consistent policies statewide.

There is compelling evidence that the current approach isn't working.

Gov. Edwards' deputy chief of staff resigned in November after sexual harassment allegations were made against him. Johnny Anderson had a history of harassment accusations involving him that dated back to 2006, when he worked for then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

Then 10 days ago, a lawsuit was filed against Secretary of State Tom Schedler accusing him of propositioning a woman in his department and describing a "sexually hostile and abusive working environment."

Records released last month show that government agencies have paid at least $3.9 million to state employees since 2004 in legal settlements for sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation for reporting abuse.

The list of accused harassers included three professors, three judges, three doctors, a former state legislator, a prison warden, a prison medical director and the former commissioner of the state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control.

That certainly isn't all because it only included the 66 payments made by the state Office of Risk Management, not settlements paid directly by state agencies and universities.

Mr. Anderson has denied he harassed anyone, but a judge found that he had violated the law. Mr. Schedler said he had a consensual relationship with the woman. She denies that, and as Gov. Edwards pointed out, Mr. Schedler's claim of a relationship with a subordinate is essentially an admission of sexual harassment.

The governor appointed the task force in December, after the accusations surfaced against Mr. Anderson. The group was asked to look at how existing policies could be modified but found that the state needed to start over with a single policy.

The new policy would provide "an unqualified assurance to state employees and the public we serve that complaints regarding such behavior will be handled expeditiously and consistently," the task force chairwoman said in a Feb. 28 letter to Gov. Edwards.

The policy would ensure a better understanding of behavior that is forbidden, standardize the complaint and investigative process, mandate training for employees and supervisors and create a culture that encourages reporting misbehavior, the task force letter said.

The group recommended two separate policies, one to prohibit sexual harassment and another to prohibit discrimination and harassment.

The report also recommends requiring one hour of training annually for every employee. New employees would be trained within the first month on the job, including a face-to-face discussion of the policy with their supervisor. Managers and agency heads also would be required to have ongoing training.

These recommendations seem to fit with what the Legislature is finding. Sen. Regina Barrow, a Baton Rouge Republican, said at a recent hearing that she is worried about the lack of consistency across state agencies.

Most agencies have policies on sexual harassment complaints, but they vary. The Legislature approved a resolution in 2012 providing for a "minimum of one hour of education and training on sexual harassment during each year." But that isn't binding, as a law would be.

As of mid-December, only about 23 percent of employees had viewed the hour-long video on sexual harassment prevention during the year.

The Legislature has an inconsistent approach, too. Senate policy prohibits sexual harassment, but House policies don't mention it. State and federal laws that prohibit gender discrimination and sexual harassment apply to the Legislature's employees. But it is unclear how part-time workers, lobbyists, journalists and others who work in and around the Legislature would be protected.

At a recent legislative hearing a former aide described being sexually harassed by a lawmaker in the 1980s. The legislator exposed himself to the young man in a first-floor restroom in the Capitol and made a "vulgar proposition."

The haphazard approach the state has taken to harassment still leaves employees vulnerable today. The Legislature must change that.Rico, a Louisiana State Police canine credited with helping officers seize more than $4 million in illegal drugs during his career, has retired, KSLA in Shreveport reports.

Rico, a Belgian Malinois, is trained to sniff out marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and methamphetamine and had a nine-year career with State Police Troop G in the northwest corner of the state, the television station reported.

Rico worked with Trooper First Class Paul Harris from 2009 to 2011, and with Master Trooper Rodger Cason from 2011 until his retirement, the story said.The people of Louisiana should know that when the Zombie apocalypse comes, Baton Rouge offers the best chance of survival in this state, according to an analysis of a report by the federal Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.LOS ANGELES, California -- Did the city make the movies or did the movies make the city?

It's all a blur driving down Sunset Boulevard.

Not just because the iconic road cuts through Los Angeles' tourist attractions, souvenir shops and billboards advertising the latest blockbuster movies. Or because it shares the same name as the 1950 classic by Billy Wilder  a Hollywood film about Hollywood that was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and captured three.

You see, there's something vaguely familiar about this place  the streets, the buildings, the blueish-purple skies overhead. Those winding rows of majestic palm trees swaying in the sun.

They've appeared in so many films and are so burned into our pop consciousness that they are more than "cinematic." They blur reality and film... Am I in a city or on a movie set?

Actually I'm sitting in L.A. traffic and not moving much, but you get the point.

I've visited L.A. dozens of times. With each trip I've increasingly come to see the city as some sort of living, breathing extension of the movies.

Yes, there are more than 2,600 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Tourists snapping photos and comparing their hands to the impressions of movie stars in the concrete around Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Bright lights and garish impersonators lording over Hollywood Boulevard.

But there is also that milieu created over decades with dozens of movies -- hyper-informed and loaded with images that reflect the city like some funhouse mirror.

Of course, there's the sing-song valentine known as "La La Land." There are countless others, including "The Big Lebowski," "Pulp Fiction," "Repo Man," "Mulholland Drive," "Swingers," "Boogie Nights," "Chinatown," "Double Indemnity," "The Long Goodbye."

L.A. is a studio, a set and a character all rolled into one. Actually, many sets and characters. The diversity of the terrain and environment allows Los Angeles to play a variety  concrete jungle, bucolic small-town America, post-apocalyptic wasteland and endless party of thrills.

I recently spent a week tracking down the real-life places in films that made L.A. famous... Or, perhaps, movies L.A. made famous.

Lest you think this is a meandering dash into Hollywood obscurity, many of the spots are located near other attractions most curious travelers would want to hit anyway: breathtaking beaches, stylish diners, glamorous hotels, scenic drives and iconic landmarks.

Many are close enough to one another that they make up six short mini tours you can take in anywhere from a few hours to a full day.

HOLLYWOOD 101

Hollywood Boulevard is the first stop for anyone visiting L.A. with a camera. There are the stars, the circus of impersonators on the street, the lights and the kitsch. Many head right to TCL Chinese Theatre (6925 Hollywood), or Grauman's as it was known during its Hollywood heyday. Opened in 1927, it's renowned for those celebrity hand and footprints in the concrete  not to mention premiering everything from Cecil B. DeMille's "The King of Kings" to "Star Wars." Movie buffs will also remember it as the backdrop for the opening scene of "Singin' in the Rain," the 1952 musical that is considered one of Hollywood's all-time classics. Across and down the street a bit is the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (7000 Hollywood) -- where the Academy Awards debuted in 1929; where Marilyn Monroe once lived and where countless films were shot, including "The Fabulous Baker Boys."

Just down the street and away from the crowds, you get a different piece of classic Hollywood with the El Capitan Theatre (6838 Hollywood), the 1926 movie palace that premiered "Citizen Kane" and was a stand-in for The Muppet Theater in "The Muppets." Don't forget to cross the street and check out Musso & Frank Grill (6667 Hollywood). This place might have a monopoly on Tinseltown allure, with its elegant bar and dining room, legendary literary and movie guests and servers in red coats. But it offers a slice of vintage Hollywood that make you feel like an extra in a movie. Oh yeah, it played backdrop to a meeting of Ed Wood Jr. and Orson Welles in "Ed Wood" and made cameos in "Mad Men." Follow it up with a shot and a beer at Frolic Room (6245 Hollywood), a vintage dive bar with Art Deco style that has been open since Prohibition. It attracts a shadowy set of Hollywood vampires, was one of author Charles Bukowski's favorites and appears in the noir classic, "L.A. Confidential."

Due north and a seven-minute walk away is the 101 Coffee Shop (6145 Franklin Ave.), a stylish 1960s-era diner that serves killer shakes and has appeared in "Swingers," "Entourage" and "Gilmore Girls." Fans of the L.A. noir will no doubt enjoy getting a glimpse of High Tower Court, (located a mile away, at 2178 High Tower Drive), the apartment block that plays a prominent role in Robert Altman's classic, "The Long Goodbye." Due east is another noir gem: Sowden House (5121 Franklin Ave.), an opulent 1926 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed mansion that appeared in "L.A. Confidential" (and hosts tours).

David Lynch and The Muppets paid homage to L.A. in very different ways. They come together at Pink's Hot Dogs (709 N La Brea Ave). A colorful legend since 1939, this retro blast serves two dozen foot-longs and has appeared in, whoa, "The Muppets" and "Mulholland Drive."

Another Hollywood institution, The Dresden (1760 N Vermont Ave.) rolls out a different kind of color  the kind that boasts vintage '50s decor, a campy musical troupe called Marty and Elayne and an appearance in "Swingers."

The Hollywood tour ends with "Sunset Boulevard," er, actually an homage to "Sunset Boulevard" on Melrose Avenue  Paramount Studios (5515 Melrose). Most of the locations, including Norma Desmond's glorious mansion, have been torn down. But Paramount  where she comes to visit Cecil B. DeMille in the hopes of jumpstarting her career -- remains. The studio still does movie tours.

HOLLYWOOD ON THE BEACH

Yes, the movie industry set up shop in Hollywood in the 1910s to evade movie patents held by Thomas Edison in New Jersey. But it also came for the blue skies and sun that guaranteed most days fine for filming. There are no better sunsets in America than those drifting over the Pacific Ocean  which makes these spots scenic on the screen and in person.

From Malibu, to the north, to San Pedro, 47 miles south, you can take in some of the country's most breathtaking vistas and views, and memorable movie scenes.

At the northern tip is El Matador Beach, a romantic getaway from the world that features dramatic sunsets and otherworldly rock formations. The beach is sandy and you will regret not bringing a bathing suit or a camera for his heavenly spot that played backdrop in the 2004 romance, "The Notebook."

Point Dume State Beach (five miles to the southeast in Malibu) is just as much a natural beauty. It shoehorns soft sand, still waters, rugged rocks and vicious waves on one coastline. It's also the site of the 1968 sci-fi classic, "Planet of the Apes." The one-hour walk up to Point Dume  where the Statue of Liberty was located in the film - takes you through desert shrubs, wildflowers and thick bushes and offers some of the most beautiful views anywhere.

The circa-1901 Santa Monica Pier (20 miles east along the coast) is a deep dive into humanity -- a jam-packed carnival of tourists and amusement park rides, including a charming carousel and a massive Ferris wheel. It's also the site of countless films, from "The Sting" to "Forrest Gump" to "Iron Man."

Venice Beach (less than two miles southeast away) boasts gorgeous views of the Pacific and a storied past. Jim Morrison used to hang out in this former hippie lair. So did Olivia Newton- John, who roller skates in the film "Xanadu." You can even stay at the Samesun Venice Beach, a hostel that appeared in the 1958 film noir classic "Touch of Evil."

Hungry? Lucky you, there are two famous movie eateries a short drive inland. Dinah's (6521 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles) is renowned for its stylish interior, cool lighting and that big bucket of chicken sign. The circa-1959 diner also played backdrop to a gang of German nihilists in "The Big Lebowski" and a weird job interview scene in "Nightcrawler." Since 1953, Randy's Donuts (805 W. Manchester Blvd, Inglewood) has wowed Angelinos with fried dough and that massive donut sign, not to mention appearances in "Dope," "Iron Man 2," "Get Shorty" and "Earth Girls are Easy."

The South Bay Beaches have also seen their share of roles  mostly for their sand and sun and piers. The Manhattan Beach Pier has appeared in "Point Break" and "Starsky and Hutch." The Hermosa Beach Pier starred in "La La Land" and its beach house community appeared in "Jackie Brown." The Redondo Beach Pier was a regular in "The OC."

California's vibrant port town San Pedro (15 miles southeast of Redondo) is home to Sunken City Trail, the site of the messy funeral in "The Big Lebowski" where The Dude and Walter try and scatter Donny's ashes over the Pacific Ocean. The area, a collection of rocks and trees sitting on a cliff, is beautiful, but also a popular suicide spot, which has resulted in the city limiting access.

BEVERLY HILLS & CENTRAL L.A.

Yes, it's closed. But Johnnie's Coffee Shop (on the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) is a museum piece: a historic landmark, a fine example of Googie architecture and the backdrop for "The Big Lebowski" and "American History X."

Johnnie's is less than a mile south of the Original Farmer's Market, a popular tourist attraction, and four miles east from Beverly Hills Hotel (9641 Sunset Blvd). "The pink palace," an Old Hollywood icon that played host to the Rat Pack, W.C. Fields, Elizabeth Taylor and appeared on the Eagles "Hotel California" album, was the filming location for "California Suite."

Of course, you can make a beeline to Rodeo Drive or pretend you're Eddie Murphy and go to Beverly Hills City Hall (455 North Rexford Drive), which doubled as the police department building in "Beverly Hills Cop."

Seventeen miles and a world away are the Watts Towers (1727 E 107th St.). Located in L.A.'s Watts neighborhood, the 99-foot towers were built out of concrete, steel, broken glass and found objects by an Italian immigrant, Sabato Rodia, from 1921 to 1954. They are so cinematic that they've appeared in countless films, from "Menace II Society" to "Colors," "Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde" and "La La Land."

DOWNTOWN L.A.

Downtown was the forgotten part of L.A. No more. The area has experienced a two-decade-long revival and has reclaimed its place as the center of life  and an important piece of movie history.

Check into the Millennium Biltmore Hotel (506 S. Grand Ave). The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded at this 1923 gem, which hosted many of the early Oscar ceremonies. It has also played a starring role on the screen, appearing in more than two dozen movies including "Chinatown," "True Lies," "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Ghostbusters."

Downtown is perfect for a walking tour that takes in the city's architecture and a number of movie locations.

The Bradbury Building (304 S. Broadway) is a dazzling architectural gem of ornate brick, wood and iron that has seen more roles than most A-list actors: "Blade Runner," "Double Indemnity" and "DOA." Across the street is the Grand Central Market (315 S. Broadway), a sprawling and buzzing market that was built in the late-1800s and which makes a cameo in "La La Land." Angels Flight (350 South Grand Ave), a circa-1901 railway lift that is one of the few remnants of the Bunker Hill neighborhood, also makes it into "La La Land," along with "The Muppets" and "Kiss Me Deadly."

For color, a three-mile drive into thriving Koreatown takes you to The Prince (3198 W 7th St). The colorful restaurant -- lots of reds and ornate decor  serves a stellar Korean-style chicken and boasts an appearance in "Chinatown." Speaking of Chinatown (four miles to the east), the bustling neighborhood rolls out shops and restaurants and movie roles in "Chinatown" and "Rush Hour."

SUPERSTAR LOCATIONS

No, the city didn't encase the Los Angeles River in concrete to make it hospitable to car chases. It was done to deal with a flood in 1938. But the effect was all the same: The river, which often looks more like a creek or a trickle, has played a major role in films such as "Repo Man," "Drive" and "Point Blank." Accessing the river can be difficult, but you can get to it between L.A.'s Los Feliz and Atwater Village neighborhoods along Fletcher Drive.

Along with stellar views and natural beauty, Griffith Park (located in Los Feliz, 1.7 miles northwest of the Fletcher Dr. river access) also offers the city's most famous filming location, appearing in everything from the 1915 D.W. Griffith classic "Birth of a Nation" to "Rebel Without a Cause' to "La La Land."

The grandiose Ennis House (a mile south) doesn't have as many credits, but the 1924 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed mansion has appeared in a dozen films, including "Blade Runner" and "House on Haunted Hill."

FROM FILM NOIR TO SMALL-TOWN AMERICA

Located far from the glitz and spotlight, places like Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank have played major roles in the movies because they seem more like "regular" America.

Glendale, three miles east of Griffith Park, has sleepy residential neighborhoods and 143 North Jackson Street offered the perfect location for the "Mildred Pierce" house in the 1945 Academy Award-winner. Glendale also supplied the "Double Indemnity" train station (400 W Cerritos Ave.) for the 1944 Billy Wilder film noir classic, which still functions as an Amtrak station.

One of modern cinema's most famous moments  the John Travolta and Uma Thurman dance scene in "Pulp Fiction"  is also a product of Glendale. Sadly, Rabbit Slim's, a former bowling alley that was dressed up as a diner, is no more. But you can still see the exterior, which is part of the Walt Disney Imagineering campus (1401 Flower St.). You can get inside and eat at another Quentin Tarantino location, however. The cozy Pat & Lorraine's diner (4720 Eagle Rock Blvd., in the Eagle Rock neighborhood) played host to the famous opening sequence of "Reservoir Dogs." It also serves a killer Mexican chicken plate.

Pasadena and South Pasadena, with their greenery and trees, provided many a Middle American home to the movies. There's the "Halloween" House (100 Mission St., South Pasadena) that replicates the Haddonfield, Illinois residence where Michael Myers murdered his sister in the 1978 film. It's an office building now, but still a popular stop for horror buffs. Three-tenths of a mile away is the tiny and modest "Pretty in Pink" house (1010 Hope St.), where Molly Ringwald and Harry Dean Stanton live, on the wrong side of the Chicago tracks (and, yes, there actually are train tracks at the end of the street here). Doc Brown's much grander "Back to the Future" house is a mere two-and-a-half miles away in Pasadena (4 Westmoreland Place).

"La La Land" brought romance to Pasadena's Colorado Street Bridge  a 1,486-foot Beaux Arts gem renowned for its arches and lights. Sadly, it is also notorious for being a "suicide bridge" that has been the jumping spot in countless deaths over the decades.

Thank god  and Hollywood  for romance.Interstate Meat Distributors is recalling 14,806 pounds of ground beef and pork after the company said its meat tested positive for E. coli through a third-party laboratory.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall Saturday night. Interstate Meat Distributors, a Clackamas-based company, reportedly distributes the ground meat to retail locations in Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

A company official reached Saturday night declined to comment or answer any questions about the recall. According to the release, the recalled meat has USDA number "965" on the packaging. The recall includes a variety of extra lean and ground chuck products.

The meat was produced and packaged Feb. 10 and Feb. 12, according to the government statement. If you've purchased any of the recalled meats, they may be contaminated and should be thrown away or brought back to the store.

The USDA has not yet identified the stores where the meat was sold. A Fred Meyer spokesman said the grocery chain doesn't carry meat from Interstate Meat Distributors.

The strain of E. coli, O157:H7, is potentially deadly, especially for children under the age of 5 and for the elderly. Stomach cramps, dehydration and diarrhea are all potential symptoms.

Most people who eat contaminated meat will start recovering within a week, but if symptoms worsen a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome can develop.

That condition can afflict anyone but is most dangerous for the young and old.

"There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products," the federal agency said in a press release.

The government runs a service called "Ask Karen," 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov, where consumers can get more information. A toll-free USDA hotline, 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish but is only available Monday through Friday.

Here's a breakdown of the recalled products:

2.25-lb. wrapped packages of fresh "ALL NATURAL EXTRA LEAN GROUND BEEF" containing package code 04118 and with 96% lean and 4% fat on the label.

2.25-lb. wrapped packages of fresh "ALL NATURAL GROUND BEEF CHUCK" containing package code 04118 and with 80% lean and 20% fat on the label.

2.25-lb. wrapped packages of fresh "GROUND BEEF AND PORK BLEND" containing package code 04118 and with 80% lean and 20% fat on the label.The Washington Legislature has passed a bill to ban licensed therapists from trying to change a minor's sexual orientation.

The Senate agreed on changes made in the House to Senate Bill 5722 and passed it on a 33-16 vote Saturday. It now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature.

The bill would deem it "unprofessional conduct" for a licensed health care provider to perform conversion therapy on a patient under the age of 18.

Under the measure, if the provider violates the law, they would face sanctions ranging from fines to license revocation or suspension. Changes made in the House include the measure applying to non-licensed counselors operating as part of a religious organization, religious denomination or church.

Oregon banned conversion therapy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in 2015.

-- The Associated PressBY HILLARY BORRUD AND GORDON R. FRIEDMAN

SALEM -- Oregon lawmakers finished their 2018 session Saturday afternoon, eight days before the constitutional deadline and without much of the partisan drama that marked the last short session two years ago.

The relative calm came at a price: Democrats went home without passing their top agenda item, a plan to cap greenhouse gas emissions and charge the state's largest polluters. They did achieve a handful of significant new policies, including a gun control measure, support for net neutrality, transparency for prescription drug pricing and more money to affordable housing construction.

Democratic leaders hailed the session as a success, while Republicans viewed it differently.

Gov. Kate Brown said she is "very pleased" with lawmakers' performance, and House Speaker Tina Kotek praised the Legislature's largely bipartisan spirit. Senate President Peter Courtney, a Democrat, also effused about lawmakers' productivity.

"I don't think there are many legislatures in the nation who can accomplish so much in 28 days," Courtney said. "That is remarkable in a time when Congress and many legislative bodies are fighting and breaking down."

House Republican Leader Mike McLane panned Democrats' work as "extreme" and issued a statement with Senate Republican Leader Jackie Winters saying Democrats abused the short session by pushing bills that were "impossible to properly vet."

Lawmakers' reckoning with sexual harassment amid the #MeToo movement gave a distinctive cast to the session. Sen. Jeff Kruse resigned in disgrace mid-session, after an independent investigator found he sexually harassed or groped many women at the Capitol, including at least four female lawmakers. Kruse, a Roseburg Republican, had faced mounting pressure to resign since last October, when The Oregonian/OregonLive published a story disclosing the first of what became a series of groping accusations.

Many of the 260 bills lawmakers introduced this year were noncontroversial and passed with little-to-no opposition. And there was little debate over a mid-budget omnibus bill that will allow the state to spend an additional $93 million by 2019.

Democrats, who control the House and Senate, fell short, however, not only on the carbon plan but also a bill to ask voters to make health care a universal right.

Lawmakers mostly avoided the partisan mudslinging that has soured previous sessions. Still, Democrats muscled some of their priority bills through despite opposition from Republicans and even some members of their own party, including a bill disconnecting Oregon from the rewritten federal tax code and the gun control measure.

A plan to prevent Oregon from copying into state law a new federal tax deduction for pass-through businesses, Senate Bill 1528, squeaked through the House and Senate. Sen. Brian Boquist, a Republican from Dallas, accused Democrats of creating only "the charade" of bipartisanship." Democrats who supported the bill said those businesses did not deserve a second state tax break, since they already pay lower rates under a 2013 law. Republicans argued much of the benefit would go to the smallest businesses.

Minutes before the Legislature adjourned Saturday, Courtney who has historically made a point of lining up at least one Republican vote, said Boquist's comments on the Senate floor were one of the more painful moments in the session.

"That hurt," Courtney said, referring to Boquist's public announcement he would resign in protest from an important committee that Courtney created to boost education policy and funding.

The tax plan's outlook remains in question even after it passed the House and Senate. Brown's administration previously raised concerns to The Register Guard about the bill, before Senate Democrats stripped out reforms to state corporate tax breaks and cuts targeted to low and middle-income earners. Brown said on Saturday she was still deciding whether to sign the bill.

Almost all Republicans -- and two Democrats -- opposed the session's gun control bill, which closes a loophole in existing law that allows convicted domestic abusers and stalkers who are not married to or living with their victims and didn't have children with them to buy guns. The bill, a priority for Brown, was the first passed by a state Legislature in the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida school shooting.

In her post-session press conference, Brown called on Congress to pass a nationwide ban on assault-style weapons, saying she fears bans by individual states may be ineffective at stopping semi-automatic rifles from flowing across state lines. "Congress needs to ban assault weapons," Brown said. "It is insane for us to have to do that at the local level." She urged President Trump to push Congress to act, calling addressing mass shootings the president's "Nixon goes to China moment."

While the session was largely calm on the surface, it was fractious behind the scenes for lobbyists and interest groups.

Industries that would have been subject to the pollution cap succeeded in pushing its consideration off to a future session. As a consolation prize, legislative leaders formed a joint committee to work on a carbon cap plan over the next year and come back with a bill they think could pass in 2019. And they gave Brown $1.5 million to create a Carbon Policy Office whose employees will help flesh out the plan.

Communication giants Comcast and Frontier managed to stave off a plan to end big tax breaks for the internet companies. The pharmaceutical industry attempted to kill a plan to require transparency in drug pricing, but lawmakers passed it anyway. That bill had support from consumer advocacy groups and several of Oregon's health insurers.

Realtors, one of the most powerful interest groups in Salem, convinced lawmakers to establish tax-sheltered savings accounts for first-time home buyers. They achieved that win in part by agreeing to increase fees for filing real estate documents, with the proceeds devoted to affordable housing projects.

Other bills failed because the more-conservative Senate decided not to advance them. House Democrats rammed through a proposal to amend the Oregon Constitution to make access to affordable health care a right, but senators would not take it up. Kotek, the House speaker, cited that bill's failure specifically when voicing frustration over senators' relative reluctance to pass progressive bills sent to them by the House.

Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, also let die a bill that would add Oregon to the states awarding Electoral College votes only to popular vote winners, despite House lawmakers' repeated support for such a plan and calls from constituents to pass it in the wake of Donald Trump's election. An unusual bill designed to oust a fiery critic of school governance from the state Board of Education also died in Burdick's powerful Senate committee after passing the House.

With the session adjourned, many legislators -- including the governor -- will turn their attention towards their re-election efforts. The entire House is up for re-election and so are many senators. Democrats are one vote shy of a supermajority in each chamber, so they will vie to hold all their seats and pick up another in each chamber during November voting. A supermajority would allow Democrats to increase taxes without Republican support.

Many Republicans are calling it quits. In the Senate, Kruse has resigned and Sen. Alan DeBoer of Ashland has announced he will not seek re-election, leaving open a critical swing seat. At least nine House Republicans have announced they will not run again, bringing major turnover to the 25-member caucus come the November 2018 election. Some of the House Republicans leaving office include longtime lawmakers Rep. Andy Olson of Albany, Rep. Bill Kennemer of Oregon City and Rep. Gene Whisnant of Sunriver. Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, will not seek another House term to run for governor.

-- Hillary Borrud

-- Gordon R. FriedmanStephanie Yao Long/Staff

Oregon lawmakers included money to cover last year's firefighting costs in a mid-budget appropriations bill passed on Saturday.

By Hillary Borrud

The Oregonian/OregonLive

SALEM  One of the final items Oregon lawmakers checked off their to-do list during the 2018 session was an omnibus budget bill to authorize a wide variety of mid-biennium spending, from paying 2017 wildfire fighting bills to establishing Gov. Kate Browns new Carbon Policy Office.

Lawmakers even managed to scrounge up at least $6.4 million for half a dozen special projects around the state, despite concerns they will face a budget crisis in 2019.

Altogether, House Bill 5201 will allow the state to spend an additional $93 million of general fund and lottery money by 2019 according to the Legislative Fiscal Office, if Brown signs it into law. The two-year budget is roughly $21 billion. These types of mid-budget changes are one of the reasons the Legislature meets for short sessions in even-numbered years.

The largest single item in the appropriations bill is an additional $27.5 million to cover the costs of fighting wildfires in 2017, according to the Legislative Fiscal Office. The bill will also allow the state's child welfare program to spend an additional $15.7 million to hire more caseworkers and other staff to help foster children and families, a change requested by Gov. Kate Brown.

There is $5.2 million from the general fund to pay for emergency winter housing and shelter around the state. Oregon State University's Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center netted $3 million for a wave energy test site. The state's environmental agency will get $1.9 million for a new data system and the state's emergency preparedness program will receive $1.6 million to repay federal funds it misspent.

Don't Edit

Oregonian file photo

Gov. Kate Brown.

One controversial line item is $1.4 million from the general fund to pay for a new Carbon Policy Office headed by the governor's current carbon policy adviser, Kristen Sheeran. It's supposed to help a joint legislative committee develop a plan to cap greenhouse gas pollution that can pass during next year's longer legislative session.

Do we have any idea what the purpose of this is for? Rep. Mike McLane, a Republican from Powell Butte and House Minority Leader, asked during a meeting of the Joint Ways and Means Committee on Friday.

Senate President Peter Courtney, a Salem Democrat and co-chair of the committee, acknowledged to McLane that this is an awkward moment. He then explained the role of the new office in developing the carbon cap and trade plan.

Don't Edit

Anna Marum | The Oregonian/OregonLive

House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland.

House Speaker Tina Kotek, a Democrat from North Portland, said during a meeting of a Ways and Means subcommittee on Friday that due to the difficult budget approaching in 2019, legislative leaders who developed the budget bill had to say no to many requests for money.

There are some disappointed people out there wanting to restore cuts and fund new programs, Kotek said. We are trying to be very strategic about what we do  We did our best, and I think people need to focus on how we deal with our major budget problems next year.

Kotek's staff anticipates the state will need $1.2 billion more in the next two-year budget than it is projected to take in just to continue current programs. The Legislature has increased spending on education, child welfare and other programs in recent years as the economy purred along and tax and lottery revenue increased. But governments from school districts to state agencies anticipate big cost increases because they will have to pay more to the state's public pension fund, which has a projected long-term shortfall of approximately $22 billion.

Don't Edit

Cash to cover the additional spending in the remainder of the current budget period largely comes from unspent funds in the last budget and higher-than-anticipated lottery revenues. Legislative economists estimate the state will gain an additional $140 million if a corporate tax plan, Senate Bill 1528, becomes law, but directions on how that money will be spent are not included in the budget adjustments approved Saturday.

Lawmakers allocated $3.3 million to cover the cost of the January special election on health care tax Measure 101. They directed $3 million in lottery bond proceeds to the construction of a secure adolescent inpatient facility at the Childrens Farm Home in Corvallis operated by Trillium Family Services and $2 million in lottery bond money to construction of a new treatment center to be operated by DePaul Treatment Centers.

Don't Edit

Courtesy of Google Street View

National Urban Housing & Economic Community Development Corporation is in Northeast Portland.

The bill also includes $6.4 million for projects around the state:

$1.1 million for a northeast Portland nonprofit founded in 2014, the National Urban Housing and Economic Community Development Corporation , to implement "an affordable homes, skills training and jobs program for unemployed prior offenders, at-risk youth and veterans"

$1.9 million for a Rogue River Valley Irrigation District canal

$1 million for the city of Maupin's civic center project and $500,000 for a fiber optic internet connection to Maupin

$300,000 to expand the public library in Milwaukie

$300,000 to help restore the Gem Theater , a 1901 building in Athena that started out as a saloon before transitioning to a theater

$200,000 to help Benton County make the transition to ranked choice voting this year, a change that voters approved in 2016

$100,000 for a study of the "Silvies River and its drainages." The stream system is located south of John Day, where Silvies Valley Ranch owner Scott Campbell "has been building artificial beaver dams and other water diversions" for more than a decade without seeking state and federal permits, Willamette Week reported

-- Hillary Borrud

hborrud@oregonian.com

503-294-4034; @hborrud

Don't EditA person who pulled over to help with what they believed was a broken-down SUV on Interstate 205 was seriously injured when a minivan crashed into the unoccupied vehicle, police said.

Three people were injured in all in the Southeast Portland crash, police said, which occurred on northbound I-205 near the Foster Road exit just before 11 a.m. on Sunday.

The right lane and shoulder of the freeway remained closed just after noon on Sunday as police investigated the crash. They were expected to remain closed for at least two hours.

Police said two people in a Toyota Tundra had pulled over to help the driver of a Dodge Durango that had stopped on the shoulder.

While they were outside of their vehicle, the driver of a Toyota Sienna minivan collided with the Durango, police said.

One of the people who stopped was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, while the other was treated at the scene by emergency responders. The driver of the Sienna suffered injuries police described as non-life-threatening and was also taken to a hospital.

Police don't believe anyone was inside the Durango.

It's not clear what led up to the crash, which occurred on the interstate's shoulder. Police asked that anyone with information about the crash contact the Portland Police Bureau's traffic division at 503-823-2103.

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjusWASHINGTON - The Trump administration sent mixed signals about its new aluminum and steel tariffs on Sunday, saying that any exceptions for allies are unlikely but also leaving room for an unpredictable president to change his mind.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro appeared to draw a firm line against case-by-case exemptions as he defended President Donald Trump's sudden imposition of new trade premiums, which are likely to hit Canada and Europe hardest.

"That's not his decision," Navarro said when asked about the possibility of exemptions. "As soon as he starts exempting countries, he has to raise the tariff on everybody else," the adviser said when asked about Canada and the European Union. "As soon as he exempts one country, his phone starts ringing with the heads of state of other countries."

In a separate interview on CNN, Navarro suggested that Trump could indeed grant exceptions if doing so would serve U.S. interests. And Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that although he does not expect Trump to change his mind, he does not rule it out.

Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, called the tariff decision wrongheaded and misdirected. Trump isn't even punishing China, the country that might deserve it, Graham said.

"Please reconsider," Graham said in a direct appeal to Trump on CBS' "Face the Nation."

The decision would hurt automobile manufacturing in his state while "letting China off the hook," Graham said.

"You're punishing the American taxpayers and you are making a huge mistake," the senator said.

British Prime Minister Theresa May was among the first to raise concerns directly with Trump, asking for a reconsideration of a policy opposed by many in Trump's own party and the White House, and that close allies say will start a global trade war.

May's office said she spoke with the president on Sunday morning and "raised our deep concern at the president's forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminum tariffs, noting that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity in all parties' interests."

The White House did not immediately release its own statement on the call.

In a contentious interview with "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace, Navarro insisted that other countries won't retaliate in a way that hurts U.S. consumers, something disputed by many economists and some Republican lawmakers.

"There are no downstream price effects on our industries that are significant," Navarro said on Fox, one of several interviews he did Sunday as the administration sought to promote and defend a decision that appears likely to start a global trade war.

In several interviews, Navarro asserted that the cost to U.S. consumers from any retaliatory actions would be a penny or two on a "six-pack of beer or Coke" and that Americans would be willing to pay a small penalty for the security of preserving domestic aluminum and steel production. He was challenged by interviewers on both his math and his premise.

Trump blurted out the trade tariff decision, including the percentage tariffs on both kinds of imports, during a White House meeting last week. A formal announcement is expected by the end of this week, administration officials said Sunday.

The biggest burden of Trump's new tariffs would be borne by Canada, the largest U.S. trading partner. Canada is the largest exporter of steel and aluminum to the United States, supplying $7.2 billion worth of aluminum and $4.3 billion of steel last year. Overall, the United States runs a trade surplus with Canada, which buys $48 billion worth of U.S. automobiles and $40 billion of machinery, in addition to agricultural products.

The steel and aluminum tariffs would also hit Britain, Germany, South Korea, Turkey and Japan, countries with which the United States has close national security ties.

The E.U. has threatened retaliatory tariffs on U.S. manufactured goods, including motorcycles and blue jeans, and the worry is that the tit-for-tat will harm American businesses that export, while raising costs for businesses that rely on a global supply chain.

Navarro said on Fox that the national security and economic security provision Trump cited in announcing the 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent on aluminum is "country-agnostic," meaning that it applies across the board.

But speaking on CNN, Navarro suggested that there could be exemptions in "particular cases where we need to have exemptions so that business can move forward."

In the same interview, he also pushed back on the Pentagon's argument that the new trade policy could have an adverse effect on national security, arguing against giving allies a pass on the tariffs because "as soon as you exempt one country, then you have to exempt another country."

Allies are concerned about the tariffs because they supply more steel directly to the United States than China - which dominates a major part of the global steel trade and Trump's rhetoric.

"If you exempt Canada, then you have to put big tariffs on everybody else," Navarro said on CNN.

Trump is facing criticism from members of his own party over his trade plan, including from some of the top economists who advised his campaign. Navarro brushed off the criticism, arguing that Trump was alone in the GOP on trade during the 2016 presidential campaign - and won anyway.

"All 16 of those candidates didn't agree with his policies, either," Navarro said on CNN. "They're dead wrong on the economics, there's no downstream effect here. There's only a president ... saving and defending our aluminum and steel industries."

Ross, appearing on ABC's "This Week," said he expects the formal rollout of the tariffs this week.

"I have not heard him describe particular exemptions," Ross said.

As for speculation that White House economic adviser Gary Cohn might quit over the new policy, with which he apparently disagrees, Ross said Trump likes to hear opposing views before he makes decisions.

"Gary Cohn, as far as I know, is certainly not going to walk out," Ross said on ABC.

In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Ross said he "has no reason to think" that Trump will reverse himself under pressure, but he did not rule it out.

"Whatever his final decision is, is what will happen," Ross said. "What he has said, he has said; if he says something different, it'll be something different."

Navarro cast the decision as a national security imperative to protect vital manufacturing industries at home and said Trump is acting to fulfill a campaign promise to U.S. workers.

Economists warn that any benefit in terms of jobs could be far outweighed by increased steel costs for U.S. automobiles, wind turbines, shale oil and gas drilling rigs, and more.

In Twitter posts on Saturday, Trump vowed to strike back at European leaders who said they would retaliate.

"If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!" he tweeted.

Navarro accused Wallace, the Fox host, of "fanning the flames" of a trade war, and he bristled when asked on CNN whether the Trump administration would consider pulling the United States out of the World Trade Organization.

"That's a provocative question," he said. "The best-case scenario here is that the World Trade Organization wakes up and realizes we're not going to take it anymore."

The Wall Street Journal has called the steel and aluminum tariffs the single-worst policy decision of Trump's young presidency.

Trump, however, got a boost Sunday from Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., who said on CNN that the president's tariff plan was "welcome."

"In West Virginia, we've lost thousands and thousands of jobs," Manchin said. "When you look at who produces the steel in the world, 50 percent of the steel comes from China ... connect the dots."

"Even if they're saying it might not come directly," he said. "The president has put this on the table, I welcome it. Let's look at it and see what they roll out."

On CBS, Manchin said trade should be "tit-for-tat."

"Free trade has't worked well for West Virginia," the senator said.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, also appearing on CNN, excoriated the president over the planned tariffs.

"You just don't do things like that off the cuff," Kasich argued. "Trade wars that divide us from our allies make no sense."

--The Washington PostUPDATE 3/6/18: @shitmodelmgmt has now taken down its "Blacklist" of those accused, citing growing pressure and threats to her personal safety and that of her loved ones.

While she specifies that many models reached out to thank her for her efforts, the Instagram account has also been labeled a "defamation machine" by various people named, many of whom are trying to figure out her identity in order to sue for libel.

In a lengthy statement posted to her Instagram story, @shitmodelmgmt explained the list's retraction:

"Blacklist going down at midnight  I'm getting too many death threats and threats to 'find my family' and 'make me sorry I did this,'" she wrote. "I'm still not sorry for protecting models from future negative experiences. Thank you so much to the thousands of people that supported me through this scary but important movement."

She continued: "Someone had to do this. I know it's crazy that a meme account ended up being the person to do it, but it was just time. What would you do if you had thousands of horrific stories? Would you just go to bed at night knowing you had a way to help? ...I'm not the kind of person to stay silent. And maybe I'm too bold. but I couldn't wait around for 'change.' Because it wasn't coming. Not until someone spoke out, no matter how scary it is."

The creator also addressed those who have sent her names of abusers that she had not yet uploaded to the list, saying she would be adding names until the list was unpublished, and asking them to screenshot.



Mario Testino. Bruce Weber. Terry Richardson. Names once championed by fashion's gatekeepers are now black-marked for their alleged longtime abuse of models. Over the past six months the media has diligently pursued stories of sexual assault survivors, but social media is frequently the one getting there first.

First, the "Shitty Media Men" list (a Google spreadsheet for journalists to anonymously share allegations of harassment), though never intended to be public, became an outlet for women to air the publishing industry's dirty laundry, and now a memes-for-models account, @shitmodelmgmt, is offering a similar platform with its "Blacklist." Its nameless founder, who's a former model herself, wants to provide a resource to survivors with a list of names of the accused (photographers, stylists, agents, designers) that she suggests models avoid.

In our post-Weinstein world, the list has exploded. Models are submitting their stories directly to @shitmodelmgmt, who reads and verifies others' claims via screenshots or gut instinct, and adds the names to her list. For those who have three or more accusations from separate people to their name, @shitmodelmgmt will add an asterisk. Some of the men, she says, have 30 or more accusers.

The legality of the list remains for now in a gray area. In the "Blacklist" introduction, the creator writes, "Every name on this list was sent to me by other people, and I am simply reporting what was said to me. This is not my personal opinion, I am reporting the experiences of others. Until proven, these names are simply allegations. This does not discredit any experiences shared with me; as I am reporting what was told to me over direct messages, I'm formally stating that the claims are allegations. Take from that what you will." She says that she's received numerous cease and desist letters, which she has ignored, saying, "I'm not afraid because I know that they are afraid."

The introduction adds, "Remember that YOU are the victim. Not the abuser. Not the predator. Not anyone else. And you have the right to be ANGRY. Coming out with your story is terrifying, but naming your abuser can help keep other potential victims safe."

In an interview with PAPER, the "Blacklist" creator speaks out:

Are your emails blowing up?

I'm getting thousands. It's insane. I feel like Justin Bieber. It's crazy.

Have you considered revealing your identity?

I was considering coming out on it a few times, but I'm so glad that I didn't because I would be scared. My mom is scared that people are going to come find me and stalk me and I'm like, "No, I don't think anyone knows." I mean I told a few people, but it's so much better like this.

Tell me about @shitmodelmgmt's inception.

I've been a model for so long, and [it's] the reason I started the account two years ago. I'm really shy, so people can walk all over me in my jobs, and I kind of let my agents tell me what to do all the time. I was always making jokes about my life on Twitter, [and] I wanted to make a meme account that other models could see. It wasn't even really anonymous, but then it started getting so much traction.

How did that evolve into creating the list?

Ever since I started it people were like, "Thank you for being a voice for models." So that's just been my thing, I guess. Slowly it became this place where I low key exposed people. People were so glad to see that, and agreeing with me. I would take really long hiatuses from it because I get anxiety, but I came back a few months ago and I put on my story, "I'm bored, let's gossip." I did not know this would happen. People started saying like, "Here's some gossip: this agent at my old agency tried to literally molest me." I felt responsible knowing, [and wanted to] do something about it. People were DMing me like, "Please put this on your story." That's when things really changed and I started outing people. All the angry photographers are telling me people are lying. But people don't make this up. This is not something to lie about. I've never met someone that lied about sexual assault in my entire life.

Have any of the guys on the list reached out to you directly or responded?



So many. Almost half of them probably. My entire email is full of these pretend lawsuits and I'm just ignoring them. It's funny because most of the ones that are the worst and most repeated names are the ones that are scared. So that's why I'm not afraid because I know that they are afraid.

You're sending the industry a message?

It's crazy because this hierarchy of people think they're safe because they're at the very top, and it's also designers that have all these employees who know, but they all want to work for that designer, so no one wants to say anything. It takes one brave person to stand up and then it starts crumbling down from there.

Have you ever been nervous to add a submission involving a big industry name?

Yeah, there were some people. There was this photographer that shoots for Victoria's Secret and we were actually friends on my account. Someone messaged me off the fake account with no followers or profile picture. So I asked if they had any screenshots or anything, because if it's someone that's being anonymous then I feel like I can't get back to them. She was like, "No, I don't have any proof or anything." The story kept changing, it was weird. And so I just didn't put them on the list at that point because it is serious to get accused of that. Sometimes there isn't a lot of proof, and I know I have to trust my gut. It's so scary because I have shot with so many of these photographers.

Has anyone come forward to defend one of the men on the list?

Yes. I think it's a little bit annoying to be honest, because everyone has a different experience. They're like, "Oh my god, that is my friend. I go hiking with him every weekend. He would never do that." It's like, I'm so happy that he hasn't assaulted you, but clearly he did someone to else. There's no excuse. You can't defend these people, especially when they have stars by their names... that's serious. Instead of trying to defend him and get him off the list, talk to him, find answers and question him. You shouldn't automatically defend someone. Maybe be a little skeptical, you know?

Everyone's experiences are different?

Exactly, it wasn't happening to you. It's funny because when I was exposing Testino and Weber a long time ago, all of these girls were like, "Oh my god, he's the nicest ever. I shot Abercrombie with him." Like, I'm sure he was respectful because you're not who he's after. This industry is full of enablers. Everyone in charge is an enabler. The agents are so bad about it.

It's a power dynamic?

It's literally this feeling of power. And that's why I hate people who are victim shaming because they have no idea how much power these people hold over you. They control your entire career. Everyone I know has some story, big or small, that happened in this industry. We don't have any regulations, so it's just this weird industry that doesn't get regulated by anything. There's no consequences. It's crazy and nobody understands or knows about it because the people in it get away with everything. It's this weird private thing going on in the world.

Do you see it changing?

I want it to change. It's taken forever and it's still so bad. [Many designers] are like, "We love women, we're such feminists," but you literally only cast size zero models and are promoting unhealthy body standards and eating disorders. That is not right. You're not a feminist, you're not an activist, you're actually the worst.

Have you encouraged anyone to go on record with their accusations?

Some are more open. I put one person on my story, and a model responded like, "Please just ask anyone or tell me anyone that has a story about him and tell him to contact me," because he was in a lawsuit with the person and getting blackmailed. That's the crazy part is they're still trying to get away with it. I've actually been referring models to each other with the same stories. If somebody keeps [getting] reported, I'll just type his name in my email and it'll come up dozens of times. Some of these people are literally serial assaulters, like it's awful. So that's why this is so important.

Image via Getty

Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has appealed to the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and all relevant stakeholders to extend pharmaceutical services to deprived communities in the country.



Speaking at the maiden edition of the Ghana Pharma Awards held at Movenpick Hotel Friday, the vice president said most rural communities do not have any means of having access to pharmaceutical services delivery unless they travel long distances.



He added that the unfortunate development impedes the objective of making healthcare delivery easily accessible to all Ghanaians, with ramifications for the attainment of the SDGs



Mr. Chairman, while acknowledging the support of the pharmaceutical society in helping improve healthcare delivery in the country, permit me to bemoan the fact that most of our rural communities do not have any means of having access to pharmaceutical services delivery unless they travel long distances. This development impedes the objective of making healthcare delivery easily accessible to all Ghanaians, with ramifications for the attainment of the SDGs, the vice president said.



Dr Bawumia also urged all the players in the Pharmaceutical sector, including the private sector, to pull resources together to turn Ghana into a vibrant pharmaceutical research and development and production hub not only to support healthcare delivery but also to provide jobs and its associated benefits to millions in Ghana.



It is about time we earmarked a zone within a suitable location to be developed into an industrial park exclusively for pharmaceutical industries. This will lead to a generation of modern pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities which would be in most competitive position to meet all current international Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards including the WHO-Prequalification standards and to produce high quality affordable medicines not only for local consumption, but also for export into the world market Dr Bawumia said.



The vice president disclosed that government was currently looking at the Ghana Pharmaceutical Sector Development Strategy document and will consider the proposal to set up a National Bio-equivalence Centre in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association and other stakeholders.



Dr Bawumia commended various stakeholders in the industry for working on reducing prices of medicines on the National Health Insurance Scheme medicine list by 30%.



I commend you for this noble effort and edge you to speed up with the process as His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana is in a hurry. It is believed that, this will help to ensure the financial sustainability of the Scheme and will also improve financial access to the citizenry, He said.

Source: atinkaonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoMr Ustaz Bawa, New Patriotic Party Tema East aspiring Nasara Coordinator has called on former President Mahama and his family to tell Ghanaians whether he would be contesting for the Presidential slot or not.



He said although the former Presidents family said several months back that he would not contest again, there were current signs that he could rescind his earlier decision.



As indications boldly point to the fact that former President John Mahama will likely contest the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer ship race in a bid to lead the NDC into the 2020 election, an earlier promise that had been made that he would not run for President again is beginning to look like a deliberate lie.



Was the announcement of retirement from election meant to make all of us complacent so that he would catch all of us unawares or it was a hasty and fitful conclusion that had been brought on by the humiliating defeat in 2016?



Mr Bawa who was speaking to Journalists after his vetting to contest the Nasara Post, further queried whether President Mahama deliberately set up his family to lie to Ghanaians.



It would be recalled that immediately after the 2016 election in which President Mahama lost by a margin of almost 1million votes to President Akufo-Addo, Ibrahim Mahama, President Mahamas younger brother said that his brother would not run for President again.



In a widely publicised interview, Ibrahim said that his family had impressed on President Mahama not to run again for the Presidency.



The announcement seemed to have emboldened many of the flagbearer hopefuls that are lacing their boots for the partys upcoming flagbearership race in November.



Ahead of that, former President Mahama is said to be on the ground preparing to run.



If President Mahama is really preparing to run, then it is dishonesty that he and his family had given the opposite indication immediately after the 2016 election. As a former President, its unbecoming to dabble in such trickeries, Mr. Bawa said.



Mr Bawa said President Mahama owed every Presidential aspirant in the NDC an apology because it was his indication of intent to walk away from the Presidency that encouraged them to come out and declare intent to run for the slot.



I dont expect President Mahama to run again because if he does, it will be such a demonstration of power lust. But if he has any intent of doing so, then he must apologise to all the people lacing up for the race and Ghanaians in general Mr. Bawa said.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoThe power is slowly coming back for thousands of PPL Electric and Met-Ed customers in central and eastern Pennsylvania. But more than 135,000 remain without power.

Around the Harrisburg area, more than PPL 1,000 customers remain without power as of 8 p.m. Saturday, according to the company's website.

More than 600 customers in Schuylkill County and about 250 in Dauphin County are still without power after Friday's storms.

More than 2,600 Met-Ed customers in Lebanon County are still without power.

About 69,000 PPL customers are still without electricity statewide, with most of that total being in Monroe County, where approximately 22,300 are still in the dark.

It's much the same story for Met-Ed customers in the eastern half of the state.

As of 8 p.m. Saturday, more than 68,000 Met-Ed customers were without power, with Northampton County having more than 23,000 and Monroe County having more than 16,000.

PPL has 1,300 linemen, tree workers, and other personnel working to restore power, according to the company's Twitter page. An additional 200 workers from outside of the area are also enroute to assist with restoring service.

"We are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power and bringing in additional resources," according to a tweet from the company.OXFORD, Pa. (AP) -- Officials say the winds from last week's storm were so severe that they blew train cars off the tracks just south of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania near the Maryland line.

Al Sauer, president and chief executive officer of East Penn Railroad, told the Daily Local News of West Chester that the gust took down two cars, and they dragged a locomotive with them.

Sauer said the train was loaded with cargo and heading west at the time Friday. The engineer and conductor weren't injured. Sauer says "We've never had anything like this happen."

A traffic control officer at the scene Saturday said the train was carrying piping material for natural gas line construction.

Sauer said it would probably be a few days before the tracks would be open again.band of masked vandals describing themselves as "ungovernables" roamed through a stretch of an Ontario city hurling rocks at small businesses and causing up to $100,000 in damage, local police said Sunday. A broken window is seen at Donut Monster, in Hamilton, Ont., on Saturday, March 3, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Reuben Vanderkwaak, *MANDATORY CREDIT*FILE - In this March 1, 2018 file photo, Parry Casto, a fifth grade teacher at the Explorer Academy in Huntington, W.Va., dressed in an Uncle Sam costume leads hundreds of teachers in chants outside the state Senate chambers at the Capitol in Charleston, W.Va The strike rolled into its second weekend with the state Senate planning to meet Saturday, March 3 after declining to take a vote on whether the teachers will get the 5 percent pay raise negotiated by Gov. Jim Justice and union leaders. (AP Photo/John Raby)As with your personal vehicle, when you rent a car you want to make sure you have adequate insurance coverage for damage to the rental, damage to the property of others, and liability lawsuits. Rental companies will happily sell you coverage, but it isn't cheap.

For example, for a compact car rental from Budget, we recently were quoted a base price of $45 per day (plus tax and the usual jumble of fees). Adding the "recommended" coverages pushed its total daily rate to $100.19  more than double the base rental rate.

Should you spring for this stuff? If you own and insure your own car, your personal policy likely protects you against big losses you might incur when renting, so the quick answer is "probably not." But detailed below are important exceptions and caveats. And if you don't own a car, there are even more issues to consider.

If you're covered as a driver under your or your family's personal auto insurance policy, and that policy includes collision and comprehensive coverage, it will pay claims for physical damage to cars you rent. Similarly, your own liability coverage continues when you rent. If you hit someone or something, your insurer will pay out and charge you your deductible.

Although most personal auto policies won't cover rentals outside the U.S. and Canada, check what you get before you pay the rental company extra for insurance. The automatic coverage you get in some countries is very high. For example, Hertz automatically includes coverage up to 1 million euros per person for rentals in Italy, and rentals in Spain automatically include unlimited liability coverage. But, as you might expect, the limits in many other foreign countries are far lower  for example, less than $2,000 per injured person in Thailand and $20,000 per accident in Nicaragua.

If you are an employee driving a rental car on company business, your employer's auto insurance policy might provide coverage  but only if your employer has paid extra for it. Also, these policies usually cover only liability, not physical damage.

If you rent using a credit card, you likely get free physical damage coverage  but not liability coverage  as a free perk. It's standard on all American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa cards. You get this protection only if you decline the rental company's physical damage coverage.

If you're still considering buying extra insurance protection from a rental car company, it's important to understand that the coverage is secondary insurance. This means that if you have an accident that your personal auto policy covers  which includes most accidents that occur in the U.S.  before you can collect from the rental company's insurance, you first have to file a claim with your own insurer. In other words, the extra insurance you bought from the rental car company for physical damage or liability really covers only your deductible.

During the checkout process, rental company reps often warn that coverage you get from your personal insurer and credit card doesn't cover you against loss-of-use fees. If you damage the car, the rental company will charge you for loss of use to theoretically recoup money from rentals the company can't make while the vehicles are in a body shop and out of commission. Although these penalties are usually excessive  even though you rent a car for $19/day, a rental company might charge you an undiscounted $45/day "rack rate" for the number of days it takes to repair it, even though the company rarely charges that full rate and even though it might not bother to repair the car  insuring against the risk of these fees doesn't make mathematical sense. Paying the rental companies hefty $20 $40 per day to cover the unlikely risk of losing $40 $100 per day for loss-of-use fees just doesn't add up.

If you don't have a personal auto policy or want extra insurance, consider buying coverage from a third party. Companies like Allianz and Insure My Rental Car sell primary insurance for rentals (if you have an accident, you don't have to file a claim with your personal auto insurance company). If you don't own a car, it's worth considering one of these plans, rather than paying what are usually higher rates offered by the rental companies. But, note that these policies don't include liability or loss-of-use coverage.

If you're an American Express cardholder, it's worth considering enrolling in its "Premium Car Rental" program. For a flat fee of $24.95 for each rental you charge to your card, you get primary insurance that offers coverage for rentals that's similar to what get for a personal car with a conventional auto insurer.

Apart from providing primary insurance, the American Express program is a better deal than what the rental companies offer in that you pay a (fairly low) flat fee for each rental (for up to 3042 consecutive days, depending on the state). The rental companies typically charge $30 or more per day. So, while the American Express fee for a one-day rental is not only less than what most rental companies offer, it's a screaming deal for longer durations.

Delaware Valley Consumers' Checkbook and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization that rates service providers to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. It is supported by individual members and takes no money from the service providers it evaluates. You can access all of Checkbook's ratings of local service providers free of charge until April 5 at www.checkbook.org/Inquirer/Rental-Insurance.In this Sept. 1, 2014, photo, Willow Short, 4-month-old, center, along with her parents Megan and Mark and sister Liana, 6, and brother Mark, 3, poses for a photo in Sinking Spring, Pa. Willow Short had a heart transplant at 6-days-old. Mark Short shot all of them and himself in August 2016. Days earlier his wife had called police to their Berks County home. (Susan L. Angstadt/Reading Eagle via AP) Read more

Imagine you were the mother in a Montgomery County courtroom a few days ago describing the terror of living with an abusive man. You and your two young children spent years "often praying for their own deaths in hopes of an escape," as Joseph Myhre's wife testified. Police find out about your brutal husband's violence only after you manage to sneak to the hospital one night with a fractured skull.

Or how about this: You're Megan Swingle Short, mother of three. You call police to your family's Berks County home in the summer of 2016 after an argument with your husband. The next day he buys a gun. A few weeks later, on the day you're planning to move out with the kids, he loads the gun with bullets and kills everyone, including the dog. Including himself.

You'd want to keep a gun out of the hands of men like these, no?

You'd want those guns stashed in a place so safe that he would never lay hands on the weapons until a judge said he could have them back.

Well, you'd have to live somewhere other than Pennsylvania for that. Because common sense in this state is no match for the gun lobby.

Despite horrific cases of hair-trigger abusers terrorizing girlfriends or spouses into silence or worse, Pennsylvania's elected officials have done more to protect gun-toting abusers than the rights of their victims to stay alive.

Send your Thank You cards to every state House and Senate member with the moral compass of an amoeba.

As we speak, Second Amendment ideologues are fighting efforts to change state law so that gun owners subjected to protection-from-abuse (PFA) orders can keep their options open when a judge orders their weapons confiscated.

What do these honorable defenders of the Constitution find so revolting? A bill introduced in early 2017 by Delaware County Republican Sen. Tom Killion, at the behest of domestic-violence advocates, would make suspected abusers forfeit their guns to only one of two entities: law enforcement or a licensed firearms dealer.

The law also currently lets abusers slapped with a three-year PFA stow their guns with a friend or family member.

Imagine your hothead spouse or ex-boyfriend being told to stay away  and then handing his Glock to a drinking buddy with the court's approval.

These are people one tantrum away from murder, and we're supposed to think they wouldn't demand back the weapons in a fit of rage?

"We have seen instances where weapons have been relinquished to friends or family members and the abuser is able to get the weapons back and then uses them to kill the victim," said Julie Bancroft, with the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

During a nauseating news conference I covered in 2016, grim-faced investigators in Berks County revealed all the ways the Short family had been exposed to the evil of a sick, sick man in their home. The youngest of Mark Short's children, Willow Short, had survived a CHOP heart transplant six days after birth, only to be blown away in her pajamas by her dad two years later.

"This was a very, very unfortunate incident," District Attorney John T. Adams said at the time. "I don't know that anything can be learned other than, when leaving an abusive relationship, it's often a very dangerous time for a victim."

That's no matter to lobbyist and Firearms Owners Against Crime founder Kim Stolfer, who proudly defended his group's efforts to oppose Killion's bill when we spoke Friday.

He said it's about due process and making sure that property isn't seized by a partner fabricating an abuse claim as part of a nefarious plot.

He tells me all this while also explaining the time he went to a sister-in-law's house and dismantled her abusive, alcoholic spouse's weapons himself before she got a PFA against him.

"I wasn't taking any chances," Stolfer told me. "He threatened to kill her.

When a judge later ordered the guns formally confiscated, they went to the sheriff's department.

I felt I was in the Twilight Zone.

Even Killion says only gun groups seem incapable of seeing reality here for what it is.

"I know lots of gun owners, and I haven't met anyone yet  other than the folks that are with these [gun lobbying] organizations  that doesn't think it's reasonable," Killion said. "It makes perfect sense."

This is a critical election year. Democrats are going after Republican seats like no one has seen in years. A spokeswoman for Senate leadership said they support eliminating the family and friends provision and predicted action on the bill soon.

Let's see who, when push comes to shove in the Senate and in the House, makes this bill law.

And who dares to go home with a story about why they voted "no."A man walks past a tree that fell onto a car across from the Overbrook train station on Saturday, March 3, 2018. Read more

The nor'easter "bomb" storm that tore through the Philadelphia region Friday executed a simple but efficient pattern of destruction as carving winds toppled trees that downed power lines, a repeated trinity of events that took out lights and cellphones and all manner of power, plunging a populace under siege into the 19th century.

When Saturday dawned, more than 300,000 Peco customers were without power. By the end of the day the number was around 165,000. Thousands were expected to remain in the dark for days.

Much of the damage was sustained in Delaware and Montgomery Counties, where older communities with mature trees and aboveground power lines saw the suburban landscape remade by a collapsing canopy of oaks, poplars, and other stately varieties that blocked roadways and smashed cars and houses.

At least one fatality was attributed to the storm, a 57-year-old Upper Merion man who suffered injuries after a large tree fell on his car Friday evening, according to Upper Merion Township police.

>> READ MORE: Why the storm stopped SEPTA in its tracks

Throughout Saturday, saw-wielding utility crews scrambled like lumberjacks cutting apart a horizontal forest, while their customers were compelled to do what most people can't do well: wait.

The storm, with maximum gusts reported at 59 mph and sustained winds of 35 mph, was a "meteorological bomb," said Al Cope, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. That's jargon for a rapidly developing storm, he said.

The event was not without surprises. There was more snow than meteorologists expected  as much as nine inches in Plymouth Meeting. And the mayhem that had been expected at the Jersey Shore hadn't materialized as of Saturday night.

Still, forecasters warned that the biggest flood threat lay with the high tides into Sunday. The ocean and bay both churned with ferocity, resulting in significant beach erosion, which is expected to worsen through Sunday.

On Saturday, Delaware County officials declared a disaster emergency. As of Saturday night, power was still out in nearly 58,000 households, down from a peak of 115,000, said John McBlain, chairman of the Delaware County Council.

"There were no fatalities here, thankfully," McBlain said in an interview. "It was a straight-wind event phenomenon, not only ripping branches off but pulling root balls wholly out of the ground."

The county set up warming centers where residents without power could gather and charge their phones.

Officials focused concern on twin, seven-story apartment buildings on State Road in Drexel Hill, where some 200 residents  most of them elderly and living alone  sat without power Saturday night after going dark around 5 p.m. Friday, according to superintendent Kirk Slade.

"People slide between calm and panic," he said, as confused apartment dwellers without elevator service gingerly stepped down seven floors to find out what was happening, only to realize that they were physically unable to climb back upstairs. As Slade awaited power to be restored, he watched as relatives picked up some of their elders from the lobby to take them elsewhere. Those who had no one to whisk them to light and warmth remained in the lobby, Slade said, puzzled about being stranded and cold.

As that drama played out in one building, the Narberth Ambulance corps logged hard miles shuttling between multiple residences across Delaware and Montgomery Counties. John Mick, the deputy chief, said the volume of emergency calls his crew responded to doubled, to 76 dispatches in 24 hours.

"Anything from slips and falls to respiratory issues to people on oxygen machines or anything requiring power, we handled," Mick said. "And down trees five feet in diameter made it tricky to get around."

At the four hospitals of Crozer-Keystone Health System, the largest health-care provider in Delaware County, the worst cases were minor injuries from car accidents, said spokesman Andrew Bastin. Medical personnel also cared for people whose home equipment was rendered useless by the storm.

SEPTA service was operating late Saturday with delays on the Trenton, Lansdale/Doylestown, Manayunk/Norristown, and Fox Chase lines. Service was suspended Saturday night for Chestnut Hill East and West, as well as West Trenton. Media/Elwyn service was suspended until further notice. And the Norristown High Speed Line was suspended as well.

Not surprisingly, the rugged weather wrecked plans and occasions.

Lori Klein Brennan, 43, a fund-raising consultant in Broomall, was to be a bridesmaid at a friend's wedding outside Atlanta.

After her 10:15 a.m. flight was canceled Friday, she waited two hours at the airport for her luggage, only to learn that it had been sent to Atlanta on another flight without her.

"I was so distraught not to be at this wedding," she said. "It's just heartbreaking."

By 4 p.m., she returned home with her husband and daughter only to discover that the power was out. So was her 74-year-old mother's, also a Broomall resident. The four went to Brennan's sister's house in Media, with "blow-up beds everywhere."

Indeed, as people sought shelter, the low roar of inflatable mattresses echoed up and down suburban streets Friday and Saturday nights, as relatives made ready to accept refugee aunts, grandfathers, and cousins, opening bottles of wine as hosts poured libations to help all cope.

Others without beckoning relatives found solace where they could. The Wegmans in King of Prussia, open 24 hours, was a welcome oasis for some who lingered over pastries while their cellphones charged.

At the Haverford YMCA, meanwhile, members were welcome to take showers and timeouts from the hardships of the storm.

In a sincere attempt to help, Steffie Buerk, 68, a Merion psychotherapist, posted on Facebook that she would offer free post-traumatic stress therapy, as well as a free room on the third floor of her home, to anyone who wanted it.

"No one has come yet," she said. "But the room is just sitting there. I'd be glad to have somebody come to stay."

Staff writer Mari A. Schaefer contributed to this reportThe Federalist Society at the University of Miami Law School proposed to bring in Charles Murray as part of a debate on free speech. Ironically enough, the university responded by charging the Federalist Society for the cost of security for the eventsecurity made necessary by liberals proclivity toward violence. The tab? Nearly $8,000, a prohibitive sum for most campus groups. Goodbye, debate on free speech!

The president and vice-president of the Federalist Society sent this letter to the Dean of Miami Law School:

Dean White,

We have just received the proposed security cost estimate from the UM Police Department. We are surprised and genuinely concerned about the implications that this request has for this event, the Federalist Society, and the law school. We ask that you quickly clarify (by March 6th) that no such fee will be required. Otherwise you will be censoring free speechmore precisely a debate on free speech.

The total cost listed for security is a minimum of $7,646, guaranteed to increase with the hiring of additional wanders and bag checkers. This is unprecedented and obviously unaffordable for any student group.

Just as one example, last year, the co-founder of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Alicia Garza, gave multiple stand-alone lectures at our University at the invitation of Osamudia James, a professor at Miami Law. At the time, the BLM movement was developing into one of the most powerful and controversial interest groups our nation has seen in decades. Their activities received national attention on a daily basis by virtually every major news source. By that time, the group had been responsible for numerous high profile demonstrations that inflamed passions across the nation and on both sides of the political aisle.

This all goes to say that the co-founder of the BLM Movement wasat the timea highly controversial figure in American politics. Her controversial nature is simply not debatable. Nonetheless, we are not aware of any security costs that were charged for her individual speaking events. That event was sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Division of Student Affairs, Student Life, Multicultural Student Affairs, and Housing and Residential Life. If security cost were in fact imposed, we would be very interested to find out the amount charged and who ultimately paid those fees.

This situation boils down to the following: The Miami Law Federalist Society is the only student organization on campus that has been required to furnish security fees prior to an event, and it is the most prominent libertarian/conservative organization on campus. The imposition of these security fees is sure to have a chilling effect on the Federalist Societys operations at UM.

Dr. Murray is an Emeritus Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a renowned political scientist, author, and public speaker. His groundbreaking scholarship was the catalyst that led to the comprehensive (and bipartisan) Welfare Reform Act signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton. Dr. Murray was a Peace Corps Volunteer, worked with US-AID in Thailand. He received his B.A. from Harvard and his Ph.D. from MIT. He is a decorated scholar, having been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Rhodes College and Universidad Francisco Marroquin. He has also been a recipient of the Irving Kristol Award, the Kistler Prize, and the Edmund Burke Award. He has published over 18 books and hundreds of academic articles. He is not a danger to the welfare of University students; he is not a speaker that warrants almost $8,000 in security costs. He is an elderly academic that poses no risk to the Universitys operations. The only risk he poses is upsetting the established norms of academic thought and behavior at the University of Miami. That alone does not justify levying these impossible costs on the Miami Law Federalist Society. These security fees are only setting a bad precedent at Miami Law that conservative/libertarian leaning organizations will have to pay to play whereas other organizations are entitled to explore ideas free of charge, indeed with support from the school.

This event is a debate on free speech and academic freedom. If it cannot be held at one of Floridas most prestigious law schools, where can it be held? By assessing unnecessary security fees against the inviting student organization in response to threats of disruption, you are effectively giving those who threaten the safety of campus a Hecklers Veto over any topic, speaker, or discussion that they are not comfortable with.

Rather than protecting your students, you are doing them a grave disservice by sheltering them from ideas that they have neither heard nor taken the time to fully understand. As future legal practitioners, students at Miami Law would behoove themselves to learn how to deal with unfamiliar and challenging ideas in a civil manner. We should not be encouraging our students to embrace emotional and intellectual frailty. Instead, we should be encouraging students to develop and exhibit mature adult traits, including the ability to listen and disagree courteously, or to simply exercise the choice not to attend events that may offend them.

If for any reason you cannot eliminate this fee, please let us know what the reason is for the fee and how this event differs from other events where no fee was charged.

Warm regards,

Stephen M. Smith

J.D. Candidate | 2018

Federalist Society | President

University of Miami School of Law

Alex Kiselev

J.D. Candidate | 2018

The Federalist Society | Vice President

University of Miami School of LawNew Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

A clear sky. Low near 70F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A clear sky. Low near 70F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.SADA Systems is a cloud consulting and technology services company.

Founded in 2000 in the U.S. by Hovig and Annie Safoian, its one of the fastest growing companies in Los Angeles. Since 2002, the company has been headed by their son, Tony Safoian, named a Finalist for the Ernst and Young 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year award.

President & CEO of SADA Systems Tony Safoian

Moving from Armenia to the United States in 1987, Annie Safoian worked as an accountant, then specialized in graphic design, then moving on to making websites. Hovig Safoian worked as a programmer. At a certain point, the couple started working together, and they decided to launch their own company, SADA Systems, which started by providing computer and software solutions for small businesses.

CO-founders of SADA Systems, Annie and Hovig Safoian

In 2007, Google came to SADA Systems, needing some help for their Google Apps. Google planned to sell Google Apps to more businesses and also wanted SADA to build a tool that would let its customers easily transfer their email and documents into the Google Apps cloud. SADA Systems agreed, and this partnership became the beginning of new proposals in the future.

Annie Safoian believes that the success of the company is conditioned by family values and the desire to develop rapidly. She notes that family business has both advantages and challenges: there are no restrictions and its up to you to make important decisions, but that also means working 24/7.

SADA Systems current gross revenue is $100 million and it has more than 200 employees. It is one of the main partners of large companies, including Google, Microsoft and Facebook.

Providing Tools for Telemedicine

In 2017, SADA Systems was named a recipient of Microsofts 2017 Health Innovation Awards.

Due to the collaboration between SADA and Microsoft companies and the Head of the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Dr. Thomas Lee, telemedicine has been performed in Armenia since 2017 to prevent retinopathy. The latter is typical for premature children, leading to complete loss of vision.

It all started with the partnership of Doctor Lee the and Armenian EyeCare Project (AECP), a US-based charity organization founded in 1992 by Armenian-American Ophthalmologist Dr. Roger Ohanesian. The mission of the organization is to prevent the acquired blindness in Armenia. For this, many qualified ophthalmologists have visited Armenia to share their experience and treat patients.

Since 2010, the AECP has collaborated with Dr. Thomas Lee, who visited Armenia several times to share his experience to doctors and students and to perform several surgeries. In 2014, the Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Blindness was established with the support of USAID. Armenian surgeons were trained by Thomas Lee and Chien Wong (Great Britain), a prominent ophthalmologist.

Despite the training, Armenian doctors still needed Thomas Lee to help with various emerging developments, but he could not come to Armenia for every surgery, which were usually performed within 48 hours after the diagnosis.

A possible solution to the problem was the introduction of modern telemedicine technologies that would monitoring surgeries remotely and intervene when needed.

At one of the gatherings, the founders of the SADA Company, the Safoian family, met Dr. Thomas Lee, got acquainted with the issue, and decided to join the initiative.

Since SADA is one of Microsoft's major partners, and its cloud computing solutions and information security compliance levels complied with Dr. Lee's requirements, SADA's founders decided to use Microsoft Cloud (Office 365, Skype for Business and OneDrive) solutions and Polycom equipment to provide distance training for doctors and to make live cooperation possible.

Thanks to SADA, it has become possible to establish contacts between Armenian doctors, Thomas Lee, Chien Wong and other doctors during surgeries. If necessary, Thomas Lee asks other doctors from different countries to offer their advice.

Thomas Lea (USA), Roger Ohanesian (USA) and Chien Wong (Great Britain) discuss the process of a premature child's eye surgery. Telemedicine is controlled by SADA Systems representative Christopher Smith (USA).

Dr. Lee says remote eye-care surgery seemed impossible, but technology solutions provided by SADA and Microsoft eliminated the obstacle. Thanks to the high quality of the video call, it is possible to see the eye, its performance, give advice and follow the course. The goal of the initiative is to convey the necessary knowledge and experience so that doctors working in Yerevan can independently perform surgeries and train doctors working in different provinces.

SADA Systems plans to continue collaborating with Dr. Thomas Le, using this technology for other countries, and offering new solutions for various healthcare issues.Arsinee Khanjian

I woke up this morning to a shameful news from Bourj Hamoud!

Raffi Doudaklian, director of the Tufenkian Foundation in Armenia, had been attacked and beaten by two unidentified men in his birthplace, Lebanon.

This act of violence took place in a parking lot, at the centre of the Armenian community, in Beirut, where our ancestors after escaping the genocide,- orphans of all ages, boys, girls, mothers and grandmothers, found refuge from the Turkish brutalities.

They too were beaten. They were doomed for annihilation and loss of culture. They were the ashes of the inferno. But we survived thanks to the institutions, political, religious and cultural that soon rebuilt an identity never to be forgotten by subsequent generations. We learned to serve our nation, each of us becoming the soldier and protector of a history that was ignored in full force by foreign interests. A history of tragedy and calamity that we addressed in spite of generational shame and humiliation. Yet, we survived because we were called upon as survivors and children of survivors, to use our education and to strive for excellence. We were encouraged to develop intellectual acumen and to become passionate defenders of our cause.

Raffi Doudaklian and I come from that background. We have been groomed to guard the nation. This responsibility was the backbone of our incentives in every achievement - professional, political, cultural.

And when the dream of an independent Armenia came true, when the dream became reality, good and bad, we continued to carry out the task of aspiring to preserve our homeland.

We made the emotional plea to connect with Hayasdan (Armenia). We provided the financial support we could gather as the incrementally successful children of bare feet grand-parents.

We remembered the imagined Yergir Terakhdavayr (Land of Paradise) in every way possible so that we prove to the world that it was not only a fantasy but instead a fact.

Armenia, from our faraway refuges, was instilled in us like the love of our parents; parents who often experienced no love from where they came from.

Many of us became members of the youth organizations, the scout clubs, the cultural and artistic associations, and some eventually the political parties. We pursued, as Armenians and for Armenians one obsessive quest: to be recognized for who we were and who we had become and who we shall remain. We are proud descendants of a small nation, but forever Armenian.

However, as I write this with tears in my eyes, I realize two things.

One, that we never succeeded in establishing the strong line of communication between our diasporas and the motherland, Armenia, especially since its independence.

Two, that the very people who taught us bravery, endurance, fearlessness, audacity, yes, audacity to speak, to always speak out against injustice, lies, exploitation, desecration of our identity, corruption, crime, ARE the same people who are now beating up one of their own. And this, because of his honest, caring, loving criticisms of what is wrong with us. All of us. Diaspora and Armenia.

Raffi Doudaklian is one of most devoted Armenian individuals I have come to know. He has had many lives across continents from Anjar, to Los Angeles, to Toronto to Yerevan. He has served our communities as a teacher, as a principle of Armenian schools, as a columnist, as a party member who's motto has been Azad, Angakh Hayasdan (Free and Independent Armenia) .

Then he has moved to Armenia to establish himself with his beautiful wife, Lara, and his children in Hayrenik (Fatherland).

When I talked to him in April 2017, he was trying to convince me that I should do the same. It's interesting that this invitation of a homecoming is always without irony or insult coming from my diasporan friends who have moved to Hayasdan.

Raffi's invaluable work at the Tufenkian Foundation both for Artsakh and Armenia is well known and highly respected.

His contribution through his smart, funny, pointed and closely observed editorials from Namag Yergren (Letter from Home) are informative but also critical of all that is majorly unacceptable and wrong in the country. He is the voice of hope to all of us to continue loving a home with all its shortcomings.

Raffi comes from the generation of Diasporan Armenians who were asked to have the eye of an eagle when our nation was in danger in the hands of ill wishing detractors and adversaries. So, he has continued to carry on the same attentive duty and onus when he returned to the homeland with his pen and intellectual vibrancy.

He never would shy away, and now even less then ever, to speak the truth. What he sees, what he feels, what he hears and mostly what he believes in: a better Armenia in the name of our people.

That he would be beaten up by some Armenian thugs, following orders of an off shoot of the very people who have taught us to serve the best interests of our nation is a shameful act of cowardice and gutlessness. That the organizations and political parties who run every corner of Bourj Hammoud as if it were a little Hayasdan could not seriously search, pursue and find the culprits is an indication of their inability to manage the affairs and wellbeing of their compatriots. That the Diaspora should follow on the path of violence and lack of respect for civil rights like the Armenian government today, is a blow not coming from outsiders,- from the "enemy" whomever we imagine them today to be, but from our very core.

Amot, hazar amot (Shame and shame again) on all the figures who have ordered this attack upon one of their shining voices, a radiant mind, a glowing Armenian heart, - Raffi Doudaklian.

My diaspora has every right to speak about my homeland, Armenia. No Armenians across the nation, in the motherland or abroad, would have to bare the price of bullying, silencing, or criminal acts in the hands of their compatriots.

This is not the lesson we need to learn from our own people.

This is not what the diaspora nor Armenia should tolerate.

MENK ANVAKH, PARTSRATSAYN RAZMIGNER ENK KORDZOGH I NEBASD MER AZKIN.

MER SOURE MER KHOSKI AZADOUTYOUNN E.

(We are fearless, outspoken soldiers serving our nation.

Our sword is freedom of speech.)

In the photograph: first right, Raffi Doudaklian with Atom Egoyan, middle, Arsinee Khanjian, and Eric Nazarian in Artsakh (April 2017). This trip was fully organized by the shared initiative of Raffi Doudaklian, director of the Tufenkian Foundation.Brussels, March 3 : Europe has warned US President Donald Trump to expect retaliatory strikes against American icons like Harley-Davidson, Levis jeans and Kentucky bourbon if he sparks a trade war by going ahead with the proposed tariffs on foreign steel.

On Friday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned that there would be consequences for the US if Trump's threat of a 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium imports takes effect, reports the Guardian.

"If the Americans impose tariffs on steel and aluminium, then we must treat American products the same way.

"We must show that we can also take measures. This cannot be a unilateral transatlantic action by the Americans... I'm not saying we have to shoot back, but we must take action.

"We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levi's," Juncker added.

His warning came as the International Monetary Fund said that Trump's plan would cause international damage and also harm America's own economy.

"The import restrictions announced by the US President are likely to cause damage not only outside the US, but also to the US economy itself, including to its manufacturing and construction sectors, which are major users of aluminium and steel," the IMF said.

Other world leaders also threatened retaliation. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the US tariffs would be "absolutely unacceptable" and China too expressed "grave concern" over the plans, the Guardian reported.

Canada has the largest share of steel imports to the US at 16 per cent, according to data from the Department of Commerce, followed by Brazil and South Korea, with steel imports from China down 5 per cent in the most recent period.

Japan's steel industry also urged Trump not to impose steep tariffs on imports, warning it would have "serious harmful effects" on trade worldwide.

Meanwhile, the US President on Friday night asserted that "trade wars are good".

In tweet Trump wrote: "When a country (the US) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don't trade anymore-we win big. It's easy!"

Trump's announcement sent stock markets around the world tumbling and could prompt other countries to take action.Cairo, March 4 : The Egyptian authorities said nine people were killed and eight others injured in a car crash on a desert highway linking the capital Cairo with the Suez Canal city of Ismailia on Saturday.

A passenger minibus collided with another vehicle on the Desert Cairo-Ismailia Highway in Ismailia Province, northeast of Cairo, Health Ministry's spokesman Khaled Megahed said in a statement, Xinhua reported.

A total of 14 ambulances rushed to the scene to carry victims to nearby hospitals, he added.

On Thursday, six people were killed and four others injured in a collision between a private car and a truck on a desert road in central province of Minya.

Also in Minya a deadly accident left 11 dead and 29 injured in February.

Egypt suffers a high rate of traffic accidents that kill thousands of people every year due to lack of highway monitoring systems, poor road maintenance and negligence of traffic rules.

In 2016, some 14,000 traffic accidents in Egypt killed more than 5,300 and injured over 18,600 others, according to a report from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.Washington, March 4 : US President Donald Trump escalated threats of a trade war, saying he would slap a new tax on European cars if the EU retaliated against his proposed steel and aluminium tariffs, the media reported.

Trump on Thursday called for tariffs of 25 per cent on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminium products, a move he said would bolster those industries domestically, reports CNN.

The announcement was met with strong criticism by international trading partners who said Trump's plan could spark a trade war. European Union officials said they would retaliate with new tariffs on US goods, including Harley-Davidson motorbikes, bourbon whiskey and Levi's jeans.

However, Trump fired back in a tweet on Saturday.

"If the EU (European Union) wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US," he wrote.

"They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there."

The US imported more than 1.2 million European cars from brands like BMW and Volkswagen in 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Trump's surprise vow to impose a new steel tariff rocked global markets. Economists have warned the tariffs could put US jobs and industries at risk, CNN reported.

Trump stoked further fears of international turmoil on Friday by claiming "trade wars are good" and "easy to win".

Trump also fired off a tweet on Saturday saying "very stupid" trade deals are holding America back.

"The US has an $800 Billion Dollar Yearly Trade Deficit because of our 'very stupid' trade deals and policies," he said.

"Our jobs and wealth are being given to other countries that have taken advantage of us for years. They laugh at what fools our leaders have been. No more!"Los Angeles, March 4 : Actor Bruce Willis says he truly believes that everything in life happens exactly the way it is meant to be.

"I truly believe, on a deep level, that everything happens exactly the way it's supposed to in life," Willis said in a statement.

Willis, whose performances have always contained a deep and layered understanding of his characters and the times they live in, is seen as Paul Kersey in "Death Wish".

He saw Kersey as a man who laid down and followed his own preordained path.

"Approaching this film, I thought it's clear that this character was on the path he was supposed to be on. To be a doctor, as Paul Kersey is, you have to want to help people. And then, though it came from a tragedy, after his family is attacked, Kersey gets to where he is because he's supposed to be there -- one way or the other. And all of that was there in the script," Willis said.

A remake of the 1974 action thriller with the same name, "Death Wish" is directed by Eli Roth. It tells the story of Kersey, a father, who when his wife is murdered and his daughter sexually assaulted, becomes a vigilante killer nicknamed "The Grim Reaper".

The Carnival Motion Pictures' project "Death Wish" released in India on March 2 in English, Hindi and Tamil languages.Seoul, March 4 : South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided to send a special delegation to the North Korea (DPRK) on Monday, senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said on Sunday.

Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidential National Security Office, will lead the five-member delegation to Pyongyang along with chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), reports Yonhap News Agency.

The delegation also includes Chun Hae-sung, vice minister of unification, Yun Kun-young, a top government official and Kim Sang-gyun, a senior NIS director.

The delegation will focus on talks on resuming dialogue between the North Korea and the US, the press secretary added.Beijing, March 4 : China on Sunday warned US President Donald Trump that there would be consequences if Washington launched a trade war.

"China does not want a trade war with the US, but if it takes actions to hurt China's interests, China will not sit by idly and will take necessary measures," Zhang Yesui, a spokesperson for China's National People's Congress, said in a press conference.

Zhang also warned Washington that policies based on "misjudgement or wrong presumptions will hurt relations and bring about consequences that neither side would want to see", reports Efe news.

These remarks come after Trump on Thursday announced that his administration will impose 25 per cent on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminium products and described trade wars as "good".

Zhang said that the total trade between the two economic powers reached more than $580 billion in 2017 so "it is natural that there are some frictions".

However, he insisted that cooperation was the only way to resolve those differences, citing the example of Chinese top economic adviser Liu He's visit to Washington this week for a series of meetings with US government officials.

"It is important for both sides to perceive each other's strategic intentions correctly and with a fair mind," Zhang said at the press conference preceding the annual plenary session of the National People's Congress, which will begin Monday.

Trump's announcement was met with strong criticism by international trading partners who said his plan could spark a trade war. European Union officials said they would retaliate with new tariffs on US goods, including Harley-Davidson motorbikes, bourbon whiskey and Levi's jeans.Shimla, March 4 : Caste discrimination continues to leave a bad taste among students savouring their midday meals in almost every rural government school of Himachal Pradesh, a state where the literacy rate is at a high of 82.8 per cent.

Lower caste students face social discrimination in all school activities, including partaking the midday meal. Even the chefs employed in 15,000-plus government schools for cooking meals are largely from the higher castes.

The latest instance of segregating Dalit students in a government school in Kullu district during a live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme has hogged the headlines.

But, claim social activists, that was not a stray incident.

They say centuries-old caste-based attitudes persist in almost every rural school despite India banning discrimination in 1955. The midday meal is a nationwide school programme of the Indian government to improve the nutritional status of school-age children.

Social activist Kuldeep Verma said caste-based discrimination during the serving of the midday meal is common in the state, more prominent in the extremely backward trans-Giri areas of Sirmaur district, and calls for dignity for the lower-caste community.

"You can visit any government school in the trans-Giri area and you will find separate queues for Dalit students during the midday meal. Even the head cook employed for preparing the meals is not from a lower caste," Verma, who runs the People's Action for People in Need (PAPN) NGO in Sirmaur, told IANS.

He said the students belonging to the higher castes are tutored by their parents against mingling with their peers belonging to the lower castes and to sit separately while in school.

Locals in the trans-Giri areas, mainly farmers cultivating ginger on small landholdings, have been fighting for decades to get the status of a Scheduled Tribe.

Himachal Pradesh has a population of over 6.8 million as per the Census for 2011, and Dalits comprise one fourth of the state's population. It says more than 90 percent people live in rural areas -- in 17,882 villages -- of the total 20,690 revenue villages.

An optimistic Ashwani Kumar Thakur, Principal of the Government Senior Secondary School at Chikhar Satlai, one of the remotest schools located some 50 km from the state capital, told IANS they are educating the students about caste discrimination laws.

"We are sensitising our students so that they change their behaviour and attitudes, but at times we face strong resistance from village elders," Thakur told IANS.

As per the guidelines of state education authorities, each student is asked to sit as per his roll number during all school activities, Thakur added.

Article 15 of the Constitution bars discrimination on the basis of caste and laws are in place to penalise it.

But sociologists believe the practice persists in the state as the most marginalised communities, including Dalits, are often barred from public places in villages like temples and water taps. Often students in schools across the state refuse to eat the midday meal because it was cooked by a Dalit.

They say such oral traditions and cultures are often practised in those areas where there is a culture of "devta" or deity worship.

"Old Himachal" areas that lie in Shimla, Sirmaur, Kullu, Mandi, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts are known for worshiping deities for centuries. Take the case of the picturesque Kullu Valley, where 534 gods and goddesses "live". They travel, play, get angry and demand penance. Each village or a cluster of hamlets has its own deity.

"Here in the land of gods, the devtas command and the people obey. The gods here are not idols enshrined in temples; they are alive," says a book compiled by the Kullu administration in 2014 after year-long research on local deities.

The book says the gods "live" with the people. They "speak" to their followers and tell them what to do. The conduit between the mortals and the deities are the "agur", the traditional shamans who form the core of the communities' spiritual sustenance. The agur mediates between the people and the gods.

Noted Shimla-based writer S.R. Harnot, who knocked on the state high court's door to end caste discrimination at a prominent Hindu temple near Bilaspur town, said the caste system is deeply entrenched in the state.

He said the "bajantris" (musicians) accompanying the deities largely belong to the lower castes.

"The bajantris can accompany the deity's palanquin but they are not allowed to touch it or sit with their fellow villagers during puja," Harnot told IANS.

"Discrimination on basis of caste is a striking reality. How can the state shirk its responsibility of creating a healthy society," asked Harnot, whose popular novel "Hidimb" brings to the fore the plight of suppressed people in the state's remote areas.

"The state must act pro-actively and begin the exercise in schools where a child learns his/her first lesson on the fundamental right to equality," he added.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)Panaji, March 4 : The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Goa unit on Sunday said it was incorrect to speculate about the health condition of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Parrikar, after one public appearance since February 15, has been hospitalised and is under medical care for ailments ranging from mild pancreatitis, dehydration and low blood pressure, according to official statements.

Addressing questions from the media for the first time about Parrikar's health since he was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on February 15, Goa BJP General Secretary Sadanand Shet Tanavade said: "When we met him, we spoke about organisational issues, he is routinely checking files, but he does not meet people, because doctors have advised him rest.

"We cannot indulge in detailed speculation. It is not right. It is not done to ask about personal life, is a wrong thing," he said.

Goa BJP President Vinay Tendulkar, who was also present at the press conference on Sunday, said it was only due to the prayers by Goans across communities and treatment by doctors, the Chief Minister could return briefly on February 22 and present the annual budget in the state legislative assembly.

"When he was admitted in Mumbai, at that time in Goa, Muslims, Hindus and Christians prayed for his health. Due to their prayers and efforts of doctors, on February 22, he came to Goa and he presented the Budget in the House," Tendulkar said.

Parrikar was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital on February 15, where according to the Chief Minister's Office, he was diagnosed for "mild pancreatitis".

The hospital, in a subsequent statement, while dismissing rumours about the Chief Minister's condition, had failed to specify the exact nature of his ailment.

Even as Parrikar was laid up at the Mumbai hospital, party workers and leaders in Goa were arranging 'Mahamrityunjay Jaap' (chants to defy death) session across the state, apart from organising prayer services in Goa's churches.

Parrikar returned on February 22 to deliver a truncated budget speech, two days after which he was shifted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital,near Panaji, for dehydration and low blood pressure.

He was discharged from the hospital on March 1 and has been recuperating at his private residence near Panaji.

Tanavade, however, told reporters that Parrikar was routinely checking government files and speaking to his cabinet colleagues from home and government business was unaffected.New Delhi, March 4 : A staggering 106 leopards have died in the first two months of this year in forest areas across the country -- a number that conservationists and officials said was alarmingly high for the "vulnerable" feline species in India.

According to the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), which compiled the data, the maximum number of deaths was due to poaching as evident from seizures of leopard hides and other body parts. Only 12 of the big cats died of natural causes.

Uttarakhand tops the list with 24 leopard deaths, followed by Maharashtra (18) and Rajashtan (11). The incidents of mortality were reported from 18 states.

According to official records, a total of 431 leopards died in 2017. These included 159 incidents of poaching. Some 450 big cats died in 2016 and 127 of them were found poached.

Leopards have been targeted by poachers for their expensive hides and other body parts. However, habitat loss, especially due to farming, has posed a new threat to them.

According to experts involved in tracking illegal wildlife trade, an animal skin changes lots of hands before it reaches a possible market in China where it can fetch around Rs 50 lakh -- sometimes even higher than that.

A poacher in India sells it to a procurer for about Rs 3-4 lakh. It reaches a trader in Nepal or other neighbouring countries where it is sold for Rs 8-10 lakh. The traders in Nepal and other countries then smuggle an animal hide to China -- notoriously considered the hub of wildlife blackmarketing. By the time it reaches the final trader in China, an animal hide can get Rs 40-50 lakh, experts told IANS.

The WPSI said there are 10 possible general causes for leopard deaths. Of 106 leopard deaths so far this year, 36 were without clarity on what caused the deaths.

There were 23 cases of seizure of hides, skulls and claws. But in such cases, it is usually not known if the animal died of a natural death or it was killed for some of its parts and then the body left behind.

However, there were 18 cases of clear poaching. The clarity on such deaths comes because there are clear signs of gun shot wounds or trap marks or poison found on an animal's body.

The WPSI said eight leopards died in road or train accidents in January and February this year; five were killed by villagers; seven of fighting with other leopards; five were killed by tigers or other animals.

Two of them died in rescue operations or treatments, and one due to electrocution -- and one was shot dead by a police official in Uttar Pradesh.

Beside this, four leopards were rescued alive from smugglers in Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, the WPSI said.

"The number is unusually high. We don't see such a large scale of killing or mortality in such a small span of time. It's a bad start in terms of wildlife conservation," Tito Joseph, a programme manager at the WPSI, told IANS.

Y.V. Jhala, a senior scientist at the Worldlife Institute of India (WII), said the number could actually be higher because the available figure is what could be detected or reported.

According to Dehradun-based WII, there are at least 9,000 leopards across 17 states where tigers are also found.

However, the actual leopard population is unknown as no assessment is done in other states like Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir where incidents of leopard sighting is random.

The Indian leopard is listed as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

(Kushagra Dixit can be reached at kushagra.d@ians.in)Agartala, March 4 : A day after the Tripura assembly election results were declared, efforts were on to form the first BJP-led government in one of India's last Left strongholds on Sunday.

"BJP Parliamentary Board on Saturday appointed Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Jual Oram as central observers. They are likely to meet the newly-elected MLAs on Tuesday to ascertain their views on government formation and to elect legislature group leader," Bharatiya Janata Party Tripura Pradesh President Biplab Kumar Deb told the media.

"The BJP ministry in Tripura would likely to assume office within this week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party President Amit Shah and many central leaders are likely to be present during the swearing-in ceremony, date of which would be finalised after getting the Prime Minister's schedule," he said.

Deb refused to name the probable Chief Ministerial candidate of the BJP.

"The party would decide everything," he added.

According to the BJP leader, a combined meeting of the newly elected legislators of the BJP and its ally -- the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) -- would also be held on Tuesday to discuss the government formation.

Many BJP leaders in the state said that Tripura Pradesh President Biplab Kumar Deb is the most favoured leader for the post of Chief Minister.

Deb, who defeated the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) nominee and the party's youth leader Amal Chakraborty in the Banamalipur constituency by a margin of 9,549 votes, won the electoral battle in his maiden attempt.

The BJP-IPFT coalition swept the February 18 polls, the results of which were declared on Saturday, winning 43 of the 59 seats for which elections were held.

The BJP secured 35 seats in the 60-member assembly while its ally IPFT, a tribal based party, won eight seats.

Elections were held for 59 seats and countermanded in one (tribal reserve Charilam seat) following the death of a CPI-M candidate a week before the polls.

"BJP leaders would try to accommodate women, tribal, schedule caste and youth leaders in its ministry. Regional representation would also be kept in mind," a BJP leader told IANS.

Earlier on Sunday, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar tendered his resignation to Governor Tathagata Roy, who asked him to continue in office till the next Chief Minister takes over.

"I have submitted my resignation to the Governor and he asked me to continue in office until the new Chief Minister took over the charge," Sarkar told the media after putting in his papers.

The CPI-M alleged that at least two people including a woman were killed and around 300 injured in attacks by rival party workers at more than a hundred places across Tripura since Saturday after the declaration of the poll results.

"BJP workers armed with lathis, sharp weapons and crude bombs attacked many CPI-M party offices, houses belonging to Left party supporters, small shops in more than 100 places across Tripura.

A woman and a youth were killed in Jirania areas of western Tripura and around 300 injured throughout the state after the rival party workers attacked them.

"Many of the injured were admitted to the hospital," CPI-M leader Haripada Das told the media.

He said that a delegation led by the CPI-M's west Tripura District Secretary Pabitra Kar and Lok Sabha Member Sankar Prasad Datta met Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla and apprised him about the "large-scale post-poll violence across the state by BJP members."

"We have asked the DGP to take adequate security measures all over the state to stop the post-poll violence," Kar told reporters.Mumbai, March 4 : Moving ahead in the INX Media alleged bribery case, the CBI brought Karti Chidambaram, son of ex-Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, face-to-face with murder accused Indrani Mukerjea, here on Sunday.

A special Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) six-member team brought the 46-year-old Karti Chidambaram from New Delhi to Mumbai this morning and took him to the Byculla Women's Jail, where Indrani Mukerjea is lodged.

The wife of former media tycoon Peter Mukerjea, Indrani is accused of killing Sheena Bora, her daughter from a previous husband. The couple is in custody in connection with Sheena Bora's sensational murder in 2012.

Shortly after landing in Mumbai, the CBI team whisked Karti Chidambaram to the jail around 11 a.m. and confronted him with Indrani Mukerjea after which they were subjected to interrogation for nearly four hours.

Besides the two and the CBI officers, nobody was permitted inside the interrogation venue and nothing is known of what transpired therein, according to official sources.

The CBI has charged Karti Chidambaram with using his father's clout to get a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX Media, then owned by the Mukerjeas.

Indrani Mukerjea spilled the beans on the deal involving Karti Chidambaram while recording her statement before a magistrate in New Delhi on February 17, including that he had allegedly taken bribes from her.

Among other things, she alleged that Karti received Rs 3.5 crore in kickbacks from INX Media, now renamed 9X Media, for securing the FIPB clearance in 2007 in which it received around Rs 305 crore funds from abroad.

She also said that Karti had met her in a hotel in New Delhi and allegedly demanded $1 million for the FIPB clearances.

Following the revelations, Karti was arrested from Chennai airport on February 28 when he arrived from London and sent to CBI custody till March 6.Srinagar, March 4 : One militant was killed on Sunday in a brief gunfight with the security forces in Kashmir's Shopian district.

Police said militants fired at a mobile vehicle check-post (MVCP) of the security forces in Pahnoo village of Shopian district this evening after which an encounter started.

Defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said: "A joint MVCP was fired at by terrorists in Pahnoo village in Shopian district at 8 p.m today (Sunday).

"In retaliatory operation, one terrorist was killed. Operation is in progress in the area."New Delhi, March 4 : The deadline for linking Aadhaar with all customer bank accounts by March 31, 2018, should be extended in view of the disruption to the banking system on account of the Rs 12,600 crore fraud on state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) by accused diamantaire Nirav Modi, industry chamber Assocham urged on Sunday.

Besides, customers face deadline pressure also from payment gateways companies, which may also cause a lot of disruption in the run-up to the deadline, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) said in a statement here.

"Following unearthing of alleged frauds in PNB and a few other banks, the public sector banks (PSBs) are anyway fire-fighting to protect their core business and are hard pressed for human and other resources, to take up the job of Aadhaar linkage. Should we not give them more time?" it said.

"Besides, the customers are also facing deadline pressure not only from the banks but also from payment gateways companies, which may also see a lot of disruption in the run-up to the deadline."

Noting that the economy has just about come out of the impact of the "vastly structural jerks" of demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Assocham said the country is not ready for another challenge by way of "any bank account becoming inoperative after March 31."

"As of now, even those having submitted Aadhaar details are getting KYC (Know Your Customer) reminders," it said.

"There is a lot of confusion which may lead to further problems as we approach the deadline. Banking and online operations, including the trading by retail stock investors, are the lifeline of the economy which is set to march ahead in the next fiscal. Thus we need to tread very cautiously," said Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat.

The industry body said the PSBs are smarting under the alleged frauds running into thousands of crores of rupees even as the pressure of non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, is increasing by the day.

"It is best advised that the banks be allowed to come out of the crisis-like situation before they are given the additional task of Aadhaar seeding to customer accounts," it added.

Besides PNB, several other government-owned banks, including Bank of Baroda, Oriental Bank of Commerce and Corporation Bank, have reported fraud in recent times.New Delhi, March 4 : The second half of the Budget Session of Parliament will commence on Monday with the government seeking to push its legislative agenda, including the bill for confiscation of properties of fugitives, and the opposition likely to target it on a range of issues including the multi-crore bank frauds.

The session begins two days after the election results in the northeast were announced that saw the BJP triumphing in Tripura and improving its performance in Nagaland and Meghalaya.

The BJP is expected to be in high spirits to take on a combative opposition that has been seeking to pin down the government over the Rs 12,600 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam involving diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

The government and the Congress are also likely to cross swords over the arrest of Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's son Karti by the CBI in the INX Media alleged bribery case. The Congress has termed the CBI action "political vendetta".

Though the government has taken several steps in the light of the massive bank fraud -- the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill; the directive to public sector banks to identify and report NPAs over Rs 50 crore to the CBI; nod to set up an authority to oversee auditing standards of large companies besides swift action by the CBI and the ED in the Nirav Modi case -- the opposition is likely to keep up its offensive and seek a response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, 2018, which will be introduced during the session, provides for confiscation of properties of people who flee the country after committing huge financial frauds.

It provides for giving an application before the Special Court for a declaration that an individual is a fugitive economic offender, attachment and confiscation of his property resulting from the proceeds of crime as also his other property in India and abroad, including benami properties.

The Finance Ministry on February 27 directed public-sector banks to scan their Non-performing Asset (NPA) accounts above Rs 50 crore for possible fraud and refer any such fraud cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The Ministry has also given these banks a 15-day window to identify gaps and brace for increasing operational and technical risks to the banking system.

The BJP, on its part, has been stating that the multi-crore PNB fraud has its genesis in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government's tenure.

A relief for the government is that the opposition is divided over suggestions for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the PNB fraud.

The Trinamool Congress does not appear favourably disposed to the idea, having said that previous JPCs have not yielded results.

The opposition is also likely to corner the government over the tussle between Prasar Bharti and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

It is likely to raise issues concerning farmers, the Rafale deal, Staff Selection Commission "job scam", loss of life and property due to ceasefire violations on the LoC and increase in cost of petroleum products.

Apart from the finance bill, the government may also push for passage of the pending triple talaq bill during the session that ends on April 6.

The first part of the budget session was held from January 29 to February 9.New Delhi, March 4 : Giving in to the demands of hundreds of job aspirants, the Staff Selection Commission Chairman on Sunday said he will request the department to reconduct the SSC examination and also request the CBI to launch a probe into the matter.

The standoff started after a weeklong demonstration by hundreds of job aspirants who picketed outside the Staff Selection Commission's (SSC) office, housed in CGO Complex at Lodhi Raod.

The SSC Chairman Ashim Khurana met a delegation of protesters on Sunday, reportedly after the intervention of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who ordered the commission to act on the demands of the protesters.

The job aspirants are protesting over an alleged paper leak which came to light during the exams on February 21. They are demanding that the exams should be reconducted and a probe be conducted by the top investigation agency.

Various leaders have openly supported the aspirants during their protest, asking the government to intervene. Social activist Anna Hazare, Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor and Delhi BJP leader Manoj Tiwari are a few of the people who came to meet the aspirants at their protest site.

"The Commission after having heard the delegation agreed for recommending to the Department of Personnel and Training to request the Government to conduct a CBI enquiry into all the allegations pertaining to conduct of CGL (Tier-II) Examination 2017 held from February 17 to February 22, 2018 including alleged leakage of questions, if any, alleged deficiencies observed in the conduct of the examinations by the service provider, if any, and other related issues.

"It was also agreed that all evidences of examination related malpractices submitted by the protesting candidates, including the screenshots of the questions taken during the examination from February 17 to February 22, 2018, will be handed over to the CBI for enquiry," read the Chairman's note.

However, the job aspirants have refused to disperse, demanding a more "unambiguous" directive from the government into the matter.

"This is just a tactic of the government to divert the attention and disperse the crowd. The Chairman is even now only 'requesting' a CBI probe and 'requesting' for re-examination, whereas he should be ordering for both unequivocally," Umesh Yadav, one of the protesters, told IANS over the phone.

"Chairman has tried to deceive again, He is not addressing the issues the way we demanded... We will not stop the protest. It continues," he said.You are affected by what goes on outside, wave heights, the sunrise, the sunset, the trees moving in the breeze, and you naturally become a keen observer.

Penelope Moore, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker of Saunders & Associates, announced that a distinctive Shelter Island modern, located at 179 North Ram Island Drive, with a connection to the history of Shelter Island has been listed for rent for the first time. It has seven bedrooms, a pool and pool house, over 6400 square feet with steps to a wide sandy beach, and is available for the 2018 summer season: Memorial Day to Labor Day for $150k, June for $30,000; July $60,000; and August to Labor Day $70,000.

"The home was built in 2009 by owners with modernist leanings who have an affinity for Shelter Island and wanted to build a fun, easy-to-live-in second home that optimizes the Ram Island bluff top site with unobstructed saltwater views on Gardiners Bay," Moore said. Ram Island is connected to Shelter Island by two causeways across Gardiners Bay and Coecles Harbor.

To learn more about the creative process and the logistics of the construction, Moore spoke with Los Angeles based architect Roger Bennett, who designed the one of a kind home. Although based on the west coast, Bennett was a natural choice; His great-great-grandfather, the Honorable Frederick A. Schroeder, played a key role in the development of Shelter Island Heights in the late 1800's. He had also been NY State Senator, New York City Comptroller and strung "the first wire for the Brooklyn Bridge" according to the "History of Long Island" published in 1905 by Peter Ross. Schroeder founded the Shelter Island Heights Association, which, the book continues, "largely under his direction, built up and beautified that very desirable section, for many years past, so favorite a residential place and summer resort, [which] involved large expenditures and close attention, but the ends accomplished fully justified his effort and expectation...He was greatly attached to his country home on Shelter Island."

After the initial meeting with the owners, Bennett said "it was the conclusion that we not only take advantage of the ocean views, but also have a peek at the woods, to acknowledge the animals and the trees, and this meant a lot of glass." The most compelling aspect of the home is the full wall of glass looking out onto the water without the views being interrupted by steel support beams. "We hired glass vendors who work on commercial projects for this, the first residential application in the US to have 900 square feet of vertical glass, utilizing fins, strengthened glass from the UK."

According to Enclos, a New York City company that provides design, fabrication and custom facade systems, "Glass fins represent the earliest form of structural glass facade, dating back to the 1950's when two-story glass plates were suspended and laterally stiffened by the use of glass fins, set perpendicular to the plates at the vertical joints between them. It was popularized in 1972 when multiple plates of reflective glass were suspended, resulting in one of the first examples of an entire building facade in frame-less glass...Glass fin-supported facades still represent one of the most transparent forms of structural glass facades."

The curved, nearly triangular shape of the structure was not planned. "Many creative people start out with one idea and let the creative process lead them organically," Bennett said. "Because of lot coverage and setback regulations, we carved out some of the square footage by making curves, and that is essentially how the long lines of the triangles became curves." In the triangular corners, glass was cut to replicate "the cheerfulness of lanterns" with light reflected in three directions.

"For the cladding, we went abroad to Switzerland, using cementicous board with rain screen air space behind it for double wall building" continued Bennett. The rich red panels are cement composite, coated with a mineral substance and natural raw materials for durability and vibrancy. Colorful homes along the water in Newport, RI and New England red barns were the inspiration for the color, which "I have always had a fondness for," Bennett said, "because it sits so well against the natural backdrop that includes blue water, snow, autumn leaves and spring and summer foliage."

The owners wanted as much natural light as possible. "We chose the second whitest hard wood in the world, English Sycamore, for the floors," Bennett said. "For the rails, steel is commonly used, but the owners wanted a sense of privacy too, so we chose clear resin for the rails and balconies that draw light in but are opaque. Traditional wood floors used on outdoor balconies tend to show dirt, but resin not only reflects light but also has a cleaner look." Being inside the house, "you are affected by what what goes on outside: wave heights, the sunrise, the sunset, the trees moving in the breeze, and you naturally become a keen observer."

A lighting designer from Chicago designed the the interior lighting. The goal was for it to be as unobtrusive as possible, to complement natural light, not distract from it. "The roof itself had to be designed so that lighting would fit into it," Bennett said. The curved ceiling replicates sand that has had waves washed up against it, with lighting insets. At night, the light is subtle enough to illuminate the house without overshadowing moonlight on the water.

For the approach to the house from the road, Bennett described how many vintage shingle style homes in Newport were built with a bridge that one passes under to get to the front entrance. "A bridge almost makes a home feel more private, more than just a house with lawn on the street, so we designed one from the front door that leads to an observation point with a built-in bench looking into the trees."

To support the observation point, the end of the bridge closest to the trees, a massive 16 ton boulder was brought over on the South Ferry from a quarry in Bridgehampton, NY. "A boulder might seem an odd thing to bring here," Bennett said, "but throughout Shelter Island there are boulders sitting on land, deposited thousands of years ago by glaciers, so it seemed natural to put it there." Originally, it was going to be sourced from the grounds of The Perlman Music Program, Itzak Perlman's music camp for gifted young students located on the north side of Shelter Island, "but when it was realized that a tree would have to be taken down, Itzak Perlman's people decided against it." Transporting and positioning the boulder began at 5:30 am and was not completed until nearly midnight, using riggers from Queens, NY whose specialty was working with high rise buildings in the city. "Getting it to the precise spot took thirty people, all of them tough, strong guys who turned into kids working with a big toy, with smiles all around," Bennett described, laughing. "When it was finally done, there was a great hurrah, clapping, cheering and high fives."

As the construction came to completion, there were "a couple of nice surprises," Bennett said. "When we were standing on the roof, we could see how the roof matches the curve of distant shores. And when you close the front door by the entry bridge and speak in a quiet voice, you can be heard across the room near the water view side of the home. You don't have to yell."

What would great-great grandfather Schroeder think of Bennett's modernist house? "In the 1870's he built seven or eight houses in Shelter Island Heights," Bennett said, "direct construction, dressed in black, with a top hat, atop a black horse! In a way, if people rely upon previous generations ideas they don't fully come into their own, and yet here, there are references to the past in a place that has remained remarkably constant. In designing this home, the owners were always very encouraging. Everything in the house has some meaning. There is nothing pretentious, or placed there for the sake of the 'wow' factor."

About Us:

Penelope Moore is a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker who heads up the Shelter Island office of real estate brokerage Saunders & Associates, which has offices in Bridgehampton and Southampton, NY. Moore has been the leading real estate broker in this Hamptons enclave since 1997.

Link to listing at 179 Ram Island Drive

https://www.hamptonsrealestate.com/eng/hampton-rentals/detail/524-l-526-393940/179-ram-island-drive-shelter-island-ny-11964

Saunders & Asssociates Website: http://www.ShelterIslandRealEstate.com

Penelope Moore Profile:

http://www.hamptonsrealestate.com/eng/associate/524-a-526-512496/penelope-moore

Shelter Island Historical Society: http://www.shelterislandhistorical.org/

Shelter Island Historic Information: http://www.shelter-island.org/

Contact: Steve Glick, Director of Marketing (631) 458-4923 SGlick(at)Saunders(dot)comTop-Rated Indianapolis medical malpractice lawyers, Charlie and Don Ward Medical malpractice laws in the state of Indiana are fluid

Ratings website, Three Best Rated, has named Don and Charlie Ward of five-star Ward & Ward Law Firm in Indianapolis, Top 3 Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Indianapolis, IN. Three Best Rated uses due diligence to find the three top cream of the crop local businesses, professionals, restaurants and health care providers across American cities. Three Best Rated uses a 50-Point Inspection which includes everything from checking reputation, history, complaints, ratings, satisfaction, nearness, trust and cost to the general excellence in their determination of the medical malpractice law firms that make their list. Three Best Rated spokeswoman, Melinda Crawford, states, Businesses do not pay us to list them ever. And they believe that local businesses provide much better personal services than corporations who maintain an office presence in a city.

Together, father and son legal partners, Don and Charlie Ward, have acquired more than 93 years of plaintiffs personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice legal experience in the state of Indiana. Medical malpractice laws in the state of Indiana are fluid and you have to stay current on court decisions and legislation to better serve your clients, stated Charlie Ward. Thats our job.

Don Ward, Recipient of the Indiana Bar Foundation Legendary Lawyer Award, graduated from Notre Dame Universitys Law School and served overseas in the military before opening his personal injury and malpractice law firm in Indianapolis. Son, Charlie Ward, a Super Lawyer Award Recipient each year since 2005, clerked for the Honorable Indiana Supreme Court Justice Richard M. Givan prior to launching Ward & Ward Law Firm in 1994 with his father, Don Ward. Medical malpractice and truck accident lawyer, Charlie Ward, has recently completed his first book written for potential clients about personal injury law in the state of Indiana and is looking forward to a release date in March of 2018.

The Indianapolis personal injury lawyers at Ward & Ward Law Firm practice across a broad spectrum of injury law, serving clients throughout the entire state of Indiana, including car accident, bicycle accident, motorcycle accident, trucking accident, bus accident, slip trip and fall, railroad and aviation accident claims, product liability in addition to wrongful death, nursing home neglect and medical malpractice claims. If you or someone you know has been injured or lost their life due to another persons negligence, call Indianapolis medical malpractice lawyer Charlie Ward today at (888) 639-9501 for a no obligation consultation."Arton's visionary government advisory practice has a reputation for trustworthiness and transparency, and it is an honor to be joining such a team," Ambassador Schultz.

Arton Capital, the leading global residency and citizenship advisory firm, strengthens its expertize by appointing former U.S. ambassador Eric Schultz and Kim Marsh, a veteran of the citizenship industry to its government advisory practice.

Over the years, Arton's government advisory practice has been very successful in landing consulting and advisory mandates, which have been instrumental in developing the industry. Arton's tremendous growth started with a single public-private partnership in Canada, and led to over a dozen more consulting and advisory work around the world. Past or current mandates related to advisory, promotion, processing and financial intermediary services include Antigua & Barbuda, Armenia, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Grenada, Hungary, Saint Lucia, and St Kitts and Nevis to name a few.

Ambassador Schultz served as the U.S. Ambassador to Zambia until November, 2017. Prior to this posting, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Counselor for Economic Affairs in Moscow Russia and Deputy Chief of Mission in the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Earlier in his career, he was Deputy Director in the State Department's Office of European Security and Political Affairs, which is responsible for U.S. relations with NATO and the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Prior to that assignment, Mr. Schultz served in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan as well as in the State Department as the Deputy Director for Ukrainian, Moldovan, and Belarusian Affairs.

"Arton's visionary government advisory practice has a reputation for trustworthiness and transparency, and it is an honor to be joining such a team," shared Ambassador Schultz.

Kim Marsh is a globally recognized expert on compliance in the Citizenship-by-Investment industry. He pioneered best practices for citizenship by investment units in The Caribbean, Europe and elsewhere while spearheading changes that have been adopted by the industry. Mr. Marsh was instrumental in the establishment of the professional compliance association for the Citizenship by Investment Units in The Caribbean.

Mr. Marsh's early experience in vetting of residence and citizenship applicants started when he was a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Kim completed 25 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, retiring as a Commander of an International Organized Crime Investigation Unit, where he was responsible for a large-scale, covert operation in Europe, Asia and North America. Mr. Marsh specializes in multi-jurisdictional corruption, bribery and due diligence investigations, as well as anti-money laundering assignments targeting onshore and offshore global tax havens.

"Arton Capital has set a new standard for government advisory personnel in the Citizenship-by-Investment industry with the inclusion of Eric Schultz and Kim Marsh," says Armand Arton, founder and president of Arton Capital. "Eric's 30 years with the U.S. State Department brings a new dimension to Arton's government advisory practice. His understanding of geopolitical issues in Eastern Europe, Africa and elsewhere has been acquired through on the ground experience for which there is no substitute," added Arton.

According to Arton, "Kim's experience is also second to none. He has a distinguished record of achievement in the areas of international financial crime and anti-money laundering. He brings 35 years of investigative experience to corporate, legal, financial, and government clients throughout Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, The Caribbean and Asia."

###

Media relations:

Mr. Rupert Wright, Ashbright, rw(at)ashbright(dot)com, T + 44 7557 371908Tonights honorees are continuing the exceptional legacy of the countless African-American men and women throughout history who have made a difference and built the fundamental bridges of respect and understanding that better us all.

Monroe College, a national leader in educating urban and international students, proudly honored five community and public service leaders at the Colleges Celebration of Excellence Awards held on Thursday, March 1.

The awards dinner is one of several Black History Month events held on campus each year. The theme of this year's program was Honoring Those Making History Every Day.

Monroe College President Marc Jerome led the evenings celebration of five accomplished individuals whose exemplary career achievements, integrity, passion, and public service serve to inspire others and contribute to the dynamic vitality of New York.

This year's honorees were:

-- Carl Heastie, the 100th Speaker of the New York State Assembly and the first African-American to serve in this position;

-- Benjamin B. Tucker, First Deputy Commissioner and second-highest-ranked officer in the New York City Police Department (NYPD);

-- Tonya Boyd, the first African-American woman to hold the position of Deputy Chief in the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY);

-- Jamaal Bailey, accomplished New York State Senator representing the 36th District in the Bronx; and

-- Ruel Stephenson, the decorated law enforcement leader elevated to Deputy Chief of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) last fall.

As Black History Month comes to a close, it is important that we recognize those working tirelessly today to make a difference in their local communities and beyond. In doing so, they continue the exceptional legacy of the countless African-American men and women throughout history who have made a difference and built the fundamental bridges of respect and understanding that better us all, said President Jerome.

He added: The College was so proud last Thursday to recognize our five esteemed honorees and celebrate their wonderful accomplishments together as a community.

The Black History Month Celebration of Excellence Awards event was held on the Colleges New Rochelle campus. Michele Rodney, Dean of Monroes School of Criminal Justice, served as the evenings co-host and emcee, as she has exceptionally done since first introducing this important program at the College years ago.

It was a wonderful, heartfelt event that inspired all in attendance, said Dean Rodney. I congratulate our honorees and once again echo the sentiments of the evening by applauding their countless personal and professional contributions.

The invocation was led by Reverend Frank I. Williams, Senior Pastor at Wake Eden Baptist Church and Bronx Baptist Church. Prior to the presentation of awards, Amara Douglas, a student in the Colleges School of Business and Accounting, gave a moving rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing.

ABOUT MONROE COLLEGE

Currently celebrating its 85th year, New York-based Monroe College is a recognized leader in urban and international education. The College is proud of its innovative programs to increase college access, affordability, and completion outcomes, especially among first-generation students. The College is ranked the top institution in New York State for granting undergraduate degrees to African-American and Hispanic students.

Monroe educates close to 7,000 students each year, offering Certificate, Associate, Bachelor's, and Master's degree programs from New York campuses in the Bronx and New Rochelle, as well as in the Caribbean nation of St. Lucia. Students may also take courses online.

Programs are offered through Schools of Allied Health Professions, Business & Accounting, Criminal Justice, Education, Hospitality Management and the Culinary Institute of New York (CINY), Information Technology, and Nursing. For more information, please visit http://www.monroecollege.edu.I have now launched the first electoral campaign against a senior AIPAC-affiliated member of Congress. If I beat him, it will show that concerted electoral challenges are the way to end the power of big money in America

Dr. Jerome "Jerry" Segal, President of the Jewish Peace Lobby, who is running against Senator Ben Cardin in the June 26th Maryland Primary, today linked the struggle against America's two most powerful lobbies.

Segal in a statement to the press said,

"Maryland is the test case. Ben Cardin was viewed as invincible, and this despite his having taken positions widely unpopular in the Democratic Party, such as voting against the Iran nuclear deal and his protecting expanded Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank."

"Just as in 1989, I created The Jewish Peace Lobby as an alternative to AIPAC, I have now launched the first electoral campaign against a senior AIPAC -affiliated member of Congress. If I beat him, it will show that concerted electoral challenges are the way to end the power of big money in America. In particular, it will inspire hundreds of challenges against those members of Congress who do the bidding of the NRA."

Segal, who like Bernie Sanders, is a left-wing New Yorker in his seventies, came from a socialist family and has been active in progressive politics since the Viet Nam era. He came to Washington, fifteen years before Sanders, and worked on the Hill for four years, including two years on the House Budget Committee and then ten years in the US Agency for International Development.

Then in 1988, following his skirting the edge of the prohibition of US officials from having contact with the PLO, he resigned from government to take a position at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.

With a doctorate in Philosophy and a strong background in economics, he laid out an alternative approach to socio-economic policy in his book: Graceful Simplicity: The Philosophy and Politics of the Alternative American Dream. Though more philosophical, in many ways this work anticipated the policies of both Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sanders.

Segal is expected to win the support of the Sanders voters in Maryland, which would give him a starting point of 34% of the Democratic electorate. He claims that closing that 16% gap is quite within reach since many voted for Hillary Clinton because she might have been the first woman President, because of Clinton's strong history of support from the black community, and because Clinton was viewed as more electable than Sanders.

When asked, "What happens if the NRA joins with AIPAC to defeat you in the June primary?" he responded, "Let them come. In the coming weeks, the Anti-AIPAC and the Anti-NRA forces will be coming together, and we will beat them both in Maryland."

Segal is currently (quietly) attending the AIPAC conference, and is available for interviews, at 301-675-3260.

You also can contact Allen Media Strategies at 4079277719 or 4076174918.

His website just went online at http://www.Segalforsenate.orgWelcome Guest! You Are Here:President Donald Trump in a private speech on Saturday praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for recently consolidating power, saying, "Maybe we'll give that a shot someday."

"He's now president for life. President for life. And he's great," Trump said, according to a recording obtained by CNN. "And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great."

Trump made the remarks during a closed-door lunch and fundraiser with Republican donors.

CNN reported that his speech was upbeat and joking at times, but added that Trump also complained about what he views as unfair treatment in the ongoing Russia investigation in comparison to his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton.

"I'm telling you, it's a rigged system, folks," Trump said, according to CNN. "I've been saying that for a long time. It's a rigged system. And we don't have the right people in there yet. We have a lot of great people, but certain things, we don't have the right people."

Trump also speculated at one point about Clinton's life after losing the presidential election.

"Is Hillary a happy person? Do you think she's happy?" Trump said. "When she goes home at night, does she say, 'What a great life?' I don't think so. You never know. I hope she's happy."

Trump also ripped into former President George W. Bush over the Iraq War, calling the invasion "the single worst decision ever made" and likening it to "throwing a big fat brick into a hornet's nest."

"That was Bush. Another real genius. That was Bush," Trump said. "That turned out to be wonderful intelligence. Great intelligence agency there."Preaching at the event, the founder of Perez Chapel International urged Christians to stay away from sin, so as to live curse-free lives.

He said some sins that bring curses on Christians include multiple sale of lands, disobedience of the word of God, idolatry, dishonouring of parents, unnatural sex (fornication, adultery, homosexuality, incest, rape, bestiality), dealing unjustly with the weak, shedding of blood, buying stolen items, stealing, armed robbery, abortion, acquisition of unjust wealth, failure to pay tithe, failure to honour vows made to God amongst others.

To break curses, Bishop Agyinasare urged Christians to repent of their sins.

The Festival of Wonders comes a few weeks after the Festival of Miracles which was held in February at the Independence Square in Accra.In a short speech before he would inaugurate the ATWAG executive committee, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr Akwasi Agyemang urged them to be bold in leading the group to achieve the objectives for which it was formed.

Also a past President of the Ghana Independent Broadcaster Association (GIBA), Mr Agyemang noted that there would be difficult times for such an association, but the executive should not give up.

There was also induction of the executive committee, which was elected on in December. The swearing of oath of office was led and administered by a judge of the Circuit Court, Her Honour Ruby Aryeetey.

The following people took the oath and were inducted into office as executive of ATWAG:

William Asiedu (Managing Editor, Daily Heritage Newspaper)  President

Francis Doku (General Manager, MG Digital Limited at Media General Group)  Vice President

Mic Yamoah (Flex newspaper)  Secretary

Frank Owusu (Hitz FM)  Treasurer

Mustapha Nii Okai Inusah (Attractivemustapha.com)  Organiser

Kwame Dadzie (Citi FM)  Public Relations Officer

David Mawuli (Pulse.com.gh)  Research Officer

Sandra Ankobiah (Broadcaster and Lawyer)  Legal Adviser

Makeba Boateng (Media and PR Practitioner)  Womens Commissioner

The ATWAG Executive Committee has a four-year mandate to run the association after which elections will be held.

The President of the association, Mr William Asiedu, in his speech thanked the members for reposing trust in him and promised to work conscientiously towards the well-being of the association.

Nanabanyin Dadson, former Editor of Graphic Showbiz and chairman for the occasion expressed his joy at the formation of ATWAG and urged the executive and members to work with other allied associations and groups to meet the objectives for which it was formed.

Also present at the programme were ace music producer Fred Kyei Mensah, gospel artiste Dr. Wegeiwor Asewer, reps from the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) and a representative of the Rector of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

The Arts and Tourism Writers Association of Ghana (ATWAG) is an association of Ghanaian arts writers/journalists and media workers. ATWAG seeks to promote arts, tourism and culture reporting in Ghana while developing the professional capacity and the welfare of its members.Prior to his arrival, he intervened in the Togo crisis, addressed the National Governors Association (NGA) Winter Meeting, in Washington and also delivered the keynote address at the 5th German-African Economic Forum, in Dortmund, Germany.

Last Friday, the Vice President convened an emergency meeting of the all heads of security agencies, service commanders and ministers responsible for the Interior, Defence and National Security and also the Senior Minister to deliberate on the recent spate of armed robberies in the country.

Shop Owners Near Akufo-Addos Nima Residence Asked To Vacate

A number of measures was announced to forestall the menace and ensure a better protection of lives and properties.Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM's The Big Issues Saturday, Capt. Koomson noted that the robbers are in the minority and the only way for the police to deal with them is to match them "boot-for-boot."

"These armed robbers are never in the majority, it is a small group that has to be taken on rather with bold action by the security agencies. You dont go to them with kids gloves. I will preach for bold action, take them on, boot for boot," he said.Pulse.com.gh understands that the tipper trucks and the excavators were being used for sand winning activities and that several warnings from the National Security to the sand winners to stop have been ignored.

Hours after the destruction of the trucks, Ras Mubarak took to Facebook to lash out at the military, accusing the soldiers of behaving in a lawless manner.

He vowed to ensure that the soldiers are punished and compensation paid to the victims.

He said: A contingent of soldiers went on a rampage in my constituency this afternoon, burning down several tipper trucks and an excavator in the name of protecting the white White Volta.

"When people are suspected of breaking the law, you arrest and take them through due process. You do not take the laws into your hands because u are in uniform and burn down everything in sight.At the same time, Netanyahu is grappling with a spreading governmental crisis that could lead to early elections.

But he will find a warm welcome at the White House from a president who has pursued a policy of unswerving support for Israel and its government.

The two leaders are not only friendly, they use some of the same populist arguments and appeals.

Netanyahu has embraced the Trumpian tactic of denouncing as "fake news" the corruption allegations hanging over his head, while insisting he is the target of a politically motivated smear campaign.

"I think they are partners in ideology, and the ideology is a populist, conservative ideology which says that the old liberal elites are against us," said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Jerusalem's Hebrew University.

'A boost' for Netanyahu

"I think from that perspective it is a boost" for Netanyahu.

Netanyahu will also take part, during his four-day visit, in the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the influential pro-Israeli lobbying group.

The two leaders are certain to discuss Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital -- a move warmly embraced by Netanyahu though widely denounced in most capitals -- as well as the struggle to curb Iran's regional influence.

Breaking with his predecessors and defying warnings, Trump on December 6 announced his intention to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The White House plans to open the new facility on May 14, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Israel's creation.

Netanyahu said late Saturday as he was preparing to leave for the US that he hoped Trump could attend the ceremony.

"I'm very grateful to him for this historic decision," he said.

In another move strongly supported by Netanyahu, Trump froze tens of millions of dollars in aid payments to the Palestinian Authority.

Countering Iran

Those two actions drew an angry response from Palestinian leaders, who accused Trump of blatantly favoring Israel and said the United States had lost the ability to serve as an honest broker in any Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

The peace process grew even more complicated recently after Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and one of his senior advisers, lost his top-secret security clearance.

That will greatly complicate Kushner's efforts to negotiate an "ultimate" peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, as Trump commissioned him to do.

That task has eluded far more experienced diplomats in previous administrations.

Analysts say it is hard to see how progress can be made when the Palestinians feel abandoned by the United States and Netanyahu faces pressure from hard-liners in his coalition to accelerate settlement construction in -- even the annexation of -- the occupied West Bank.

Meantime, a deep divide over Israel and the Palestinians has emerged in the US. Poll results early this year from the Pew Research Center show 79 percent of Republicans sympathize more with Israel than with the Palestinians, while only 27 percent of Democrats say the same.

But Netanyahu is not thought to be overly concerned about any delay in restarting the peace talks.

In his encounters with Trump and at the AIPAC conference, he is expected to focus mainly on Iran as Israel's greatest enemy, and one he says seeks a permanent military presence in neighboring Syria.

The prime minister is also expected to call again for changes to, or the cancellation of, the nuclear accord between world powers and Iran, said Zalman Shoval, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington.

"Israel, I think, is hoping that there will be a more active American role in trying to block, trying to stem, the Iranian advances in Syria," where Tehran backs the Assad government, he said.In recent weeks, Muellers investigators have questioned Nader and have pressed witnesses for information about any possible attempts by the Emiratis to buy political influence by directing money to support Trump during the presidential campaign, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

The investigators have also asked about Naders role in White House policymaking, those people said, suggesting that the special counsel investigation has broadened beyond Russian election meddling to include Emirati influence on the Trump administration.

The focus on Nader could also prompt an examination of how money from multiple countries has flowed through and influenced Washington during the Trump era.

In one example of Naders influential connections, which has not been previously reported, last fall he received a detailed report from a top Trump fundraiser, Elliott Broidy, about a private meeting with the president in the Oval Office.

Broidy owns a private security company with hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with the United Arab Emirates, and he extolled to Trump a paramilitary force that his company was developing for the country.

He also lobbied the president to meet privately in an informal setting with the Emirates military commander and de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; to back the UAEs hawkish policies in the region; and to fire Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

A copy of Broidys memorandum about the meeting was provided to The New York Times by someone critical of the Emirati influence in Washington.

Reached by phone last month, Nader, 58, said he had dinner guests and would call back. He did not, and attempts to reach him over several weeks were unsuccessful. Naders lawyer did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, a spokesman for Broidy said his memorandum had been stolen through sophisticated hacking.

Yousef al-Otaiba, the Emirati ambassador to the United States, declined to comment. Axios first reported Muellers questioning of Nader.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.The source of the drama? The businessman who recently purchased a majority stake in the hotel wants the Trumps out. And the Trumps, who have a long-term contract to manage the property, are refusing to go.

In a letter marked Private & Confidential to the hotels other owners, the businessman, Orestes Fintiklis, likened the Trumps to leeches who had attached to the property, draining our last drops of blood, according to a copy reviewed by The New York Times. He has also filed legal actions accusing the Trump family business, the Trump Organization, of mismanaging the hotel.

The Trump Organization, in turn, has accused Fintiklis of using thug-like, mob-style tactics in trying to force his way into the hotels administrative offices, which prompted the physical and verbal altercations, and of engaging in a fraudulent scheme to strip the property of its Trump management and branding. Fintiklis criticisms of the companys management are a complete sham and a fraud, the company said in a court filing.

This past week, Panamas Public Ministry said it was looking into whether there had been any punishable conduct in the dispute  which means that an arm of a foreign government finds itself in the extraordinary position of investigating a business owned by the U.S. president.

Just seven years ago, at the hotels grand opening, the president of Panama at the time joined Trump in extolling the property. Panama City was then awash with international investors and a booming economy, earning it the nickname, Dubai of Latin America.

Alan Garten, the Trump Organizations chief legal officer, said Trump had no role in the current dispute. This has absolutely nothing to do with the president of the United States, he said. It is purely a commercial dispute, adding that It is simply getting more attention, obviously.

All indications point to business, not politics, as the source of the tensions, and at any other moment, the Trump Organization and its army of lawyers might have relished this sort of pitched battle.

But the Panamanian misadventure has become the family businesss biggest headache at a time when its founder is in the White House and every move and woe is magnified across the planet. The business is also showing other signs of receding: The Trump Organization last year agreed to buyout deals that removed the Trump name from once-prized properties in New York and Toronto.

With those stresses and strains, the company is reluctant to walk away from the Panama property and possibly invite other partners to challenge their agreements, according to people close to the company who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The Trumps also believe the law is on their side, according to their lawyers, who argue that their management agreement prevents Fintiklis from terminating the contract without an arbitrators order. The contract to manage the hotel extends through 2031, and the Trumps say they want to stand behind their employees, several of whom Fintiklis has sought to fire, for the duration of the deal.

The dispute comes as the Trumps property  like many Panamanian hotels  is struggling.

The hotel lost more than $1 million last year, according to the hotels confidential financial documents reviewed by The Times, after turning a gross operating profit of more than $800,000 in 2016. (The results are unaudited and may improve somewhat once they are finalized).

Fintiklis, 39, declined to comment, but he has made several notable  and provocative  appearances at the hotel in recent days. On one evening, after a verbal confrontation with Trump employees, he and his entourage of about a dozen people retired to the lobby and had pizza delivered from a restaurant on the property. Then Fintiklis played music from Zorba the Greek on the lobbys baby grand piano while his friends sang along.

Born in Cyprus, Fintiklis served as an officer in the countrys military before studying law at Oxford University. He now lives in South Florida and runs his own investment firm, Ithaca Capital Partners.

Hes a very smart individual, and he worked with us for 10 years so hes very well trained, said Pierre Charalambides, a co-founder of Dolphin Capital Partners, a real estate private equity firm where Fintiklis previously worked. This battle with Trump, it fits him perfectly.

In 2017, Fintiklis agreed to buy 202 of the hotels 369 units for about $25 million, making him the controlling owner of the hotel. The 70-story tower also includes a casino and a separate condominium development, which are not part of the dispute between the Trumps and Fintiklis.

The Trumps say they blessed the transaction, on the condition that Fintiklis not interfere with their management of the hotel.

When the purchase was finalized in August, the Trump-Fintiklis partnership initially seemed promising. Fintiklis hailed the hotel as an iconic property and said he looked forward to working with the Trumps.

But soon after closing on the purchase, he tried to remove them.

His campaign began in earnest in October. He arranged for the hotels unit owners to meet  the Trumps say he falsely portrayed the session as a meet and greet  and it voted to declare the Trumps in default of their management agreement. The dispute soon spilled into the legal system, with Fintiklis seeking arbitration to remove the Trumps.

The Trumps say that the rapid-fire nature of Fintiklis legal efforts show that he never intended to cooperate, and that he had been planning an attack from the get-go.

We just want to run the hotel peacefully, and without interference, said Garten, the Trump Organization lawyer. But I look forward to litigating this, and have no doubt we will prevail.

The president continues to own the company through a trust but has turned over day-to day management to his eldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric.

More than a decade ago  long before Fintiklis came into the picture  the Trumps began their foray into Panama when they teamed up with developer Roger Khafif and his firm, Newland International Properties, as well as another partner.

Newland signed an agreement with the Trump Organization, which would brand and manage the property. In a 2007 bond offering, Newland said the Trump name would be a boon to the project: We benefit from the international prestige and name recognition associated with the Trump brand name.

The project united the Trumps with influential political figures, including Ricardo Martinelli, Panamas president at the time. Youre my friend. Great honor, Trump said to the president at the grand opening in July 2011.

After his presidency, Martinelli fled to the United States in 2015 as Panamanian authorities opened an investigation into allegations of corruption and illegal surveillance. He is currently in the Federal Detention Center in Miami, fighting extradition.

During the 2008 financial crisis, the project encountered financial difficulties during the development phase. Newland defaulted on its debt soon after the building opened and later filed for bankruptcy.

When Fintiklis became majority owner last year, the hotel was struggling, a fact he soon blamed on the Trumps.

Withering in his criticism, he said in one court filing that abysmal management of the hotel, along with material breaches of its management contract and fiduciary duties, had dramatically driven down profits and the condition of the building. The hotel has been virtually empty, the filing said, a claim the Trumps dispute.

The Trump Organization declined to reveal the hotels occupancy rates, but in a letter to hotel unit owners, the company argued that the hotel continues to outperform the market by a wide margin, despite a weakening hotel market in Panama. The Trumps say that Fintiklis was aware of the hotels performance, and the broader hotel market woes, when he signed the deal.

A hotel building boom over the past decade has tripled the number of hotel rooms in the country, according to Armando Rodriguez, president of the Panamanian Hotel Association. During the same period, however, occupancy rates have steadily fallen  to about 47 percent last year from about double that rate in 2008, Rodriguez said.

Algerd Monstavicius, who bought one of the hotels penthouses as an investment in 2007, four years before the building opened, said he had seen revenues from his unit plummet in the past year. He attributes the falloff in part to Trumps hard-line stance on immigration and antipathy toward him across much of Latin America.

The perception is: Trump is anti-Latino, said Monstavicius, 78, a retired pathologist living in Incline Village, Nevada. And thats reflected in the occupancy.

Lawyers and executives from both sides of the dispute said the Panamanian government, at least so far, appeared to be showing no favoritism in either direction. At various times during the past week, delegations of government investigators and ministry officials, often accompanied by armed security forces, have spilled from the elevators into the hotels elegant sky lobby, as perplexed hotel guests looked on.

As if the standoff were not bizarre enough, a number of apparent coincidences embellish the tale even further.

For one, Dolphin Capital Partners, where Fintiklis worked for 10 years, was founded in 2004 by a pair of investors who once worked at George Soros real estate investment arm.

There is no evidence that Soros, a huge Democratic donor and critic of Trump, played any role in the turmoil here, or that partisan U.S. politics are a factor in the effort to remove the Trumps. Charalambides, the Dolphin co-founder, said his firm had no current business connection to Soros.

In addition, Fintiklis New York lawyers operate out of 666 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, the financially troubled office tower owned by the family of Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser.

And Fintiklis filed the registration papers for his company, Ithaca Capital Partners, in Delaware on Nov. 9, 2016  the day after Trump won the election.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.Just a day earlier, eight Turkish soldiers were killed, Turkeys Defense Ministry said in a statement, and more were wounded.

Soldiers loyal to President Bashar Assad of Syria had entered Afrin, a Kurdish stronghold, last week to support the Kurdish militia known as the YPG.

Turkey and its allied Syrian rebel fighters say the YPG is the focus of their operation, which began in January. That has put them at odds with forces loyal to Assad.

Saturdays airstrike hit a camp in Kafr Jina, according to a spokesman for YPG forces in the area and a Kurdish reporter on the ground.

The reporter, Firhad Shami, who was in Kafr Jina, said that at least 40 fighters were killed in the airstrikes, though the exact number could not be confirmed.

We managed to pull out 23 bodies. The rest are still in the bunker; the Kurdish Red Crescent couldnt pull them all because of the shelling, he said in a message.

It was the third time in 48 hours that Turkish warplanes had struck pro-government forces in Afrin.

By Saturday evening, the Syrian state news agency Sana had not confirmed that any pro-government forces had been killed in the region, only civilians who had died in an earlier strike.

Forces of the Turkish regime and its mercenaries of the terrorist groups on Friday night targeted the Afrin area with all types of weapons, leaving 20 civilians martyred or injured, Sana reported, calling the attack a violation of a new U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire.

Despite that, clashes have continued in Afrin and in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta where Syrian government forces are conducting airstrikes on residential neighborhoods, home to 400,000 civilians.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed alliance, said in a statement that Turkish airstrikes had targeted positions held by the Syrian armys popular forces.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim of Turkey said Saturday that his countrys forces had captured the strategically important town of Rajo from Kurdish forces.

Afrin is surrounded, Yildirim said, according to local news outlet Hurriyet. We have cleared all nearby border areas of terror nests.

Turkey views the YPGs forces as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party, a group that has fought a decadeslong insurgency in Turkey. The Kurdistan Workers Party is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. But the YPG has been an important ally of the United States in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.The Global General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) turned 76 on March 2, 2018.

The founder of Omega Fire Ministries took to Twitter to pay tribute to the popular Man of God.

He wrote:

Governor Aregbesola celebrate RCCG G.O

The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has also shared a hearty birthday message to Pastor Adeboye.

The Nation reports that he released a statement through his Media Adviser, Mr. Sola Fasure.

In it, he described Pastor Adeboye as a beacon of hope and a voice of peace.

The statement read: Some individuals, very few of them, are specially chosen by the creator to be a blessing to their generation. One of such is Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the Global General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), who clocked 76 years.

Pastor Adeboye is a well-educated man who gave up his brilliant academic career to do the work of God. He is a man of deep faith with apostolic fervor who has taken Christian evangelism to the nooks and crannies of this nation and the uttermost parts of the world."

There is virtually no community in Nigeria where his church is not firmly established or any part of the world where there is no parish of the RCCG.

He is also a man of prodigious energy. Even at 76, he doesnt appear to be slowing down, but his light continues to shine brighter and brighter. He is personally a very humble and meek man. He radiates love and deep affectation, always welcoming all and generous to a fault. He played a fatherly role to all.

His accommodation knows no bound, transcending, religious, ethnic and class lines. I have found his calming words very assuring even at my most challenging times, whenever I am privileged to meet him."

He is a voice of peace and comfort in a troubled and edgy world; bringing hope to the hopeless and reconciliation with God to the faithless, through his sermons and evangelical engagements all over the world.

He is the essential Omoluabi, a gift from our state, Osun, to the world. He has brought honor and glory to our state, indeed the Yoruba race, in particular, his Ijesa homestead. He deserves, therefore, to be celebrated and honored. I congratulate this great man of God on this very special occasion.

On behalf of my family, the government and the good people of Osun, I wish this invaluable jewel a very happy birthday and many more decades of service to humanity.Independent reports that the Governor shared this information at the closing ceremony of the 32nd National Quranic Recitation Competition in Katsina state.

According to the Katsina State governor, the religion has no place for street begging by children.

Hence, he urged Muslims to stop street begging and find other ways to make a living.

In his words, The practice of the Almajiri is far from being a reflection of Islamic ideals. The Almajiri are erroneously linked to Islamic education. Aged between four and 15 years, the Almajiri are engaged more in seeking sustenance for themselves than in learning the Quran.

They are exposed, exploited and abused and many of them become involved in crimes. Islam does not encourage begging. The religion of Islam is a comprehensive way of life and it is dynamic in its approach to birth spiritual and mundane affairs. Islam encourages scholarship and entrepreneurship and frowns at laziness and idleness as exemplified by itinerant Almajiri."

Current statistics show that there are about 13 million out-of-school children in Nigeria and 10 million of them are Almajirai.

We must go beyond rhetoric and find a permanent solution to the Almajirai issue and the solution is not in abolishing it but in reforming it to meet present-day realities.

ALSO READ: The child beggars of northern Nigeria will come back to kill us all

Alhaji Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto was also at the event.We really don't need to go to these universities to understand what being a student in some schools means, because the students and graduates of these schools are already serving us the gist on Twitter.

It's believed that the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA is one of the best University of technology in Nigeria. You might not know much about this university, but #Lifeofafutarian tells us some funny things about the students and lecturers of the school.

1. When there is mass carryover in a course

You know students react to carryovers differently and this happens in all schools, but when mass carryovers become a tradition, you'll only see some students laughing it off.

2. And when a student give testimony in church because he passed an exam

Going to church to give testimony after passing the test or exam you were literally expecting a carryover is popular culture among FUTA students. That's why the testimony is done with so much energy.

3. How some lecturers like to surprise their students.

Missing a test could get you frustrated. This is FUTA, when your fellow students say a lecturer is not coming to conduct test again, don't believe them wait till you are certain the lecturer is not coming again.

4. There is a certain Prof Alese no student can mess with

We get to know about one certain Prof Alese, you can't just mess around him. Prof Alese from the tweets must be a no non-sense lecturer. Do you know Prof Alese?

5. The plight of students who forget to bring their ID card to exam hall

The moment this happens to a student, carryover is already staring at such student because no matter how good you are at pleading, if you don't have your ID card, there is no exam for you.

6 And how FUTA students get bombarded with handouts before exam

When you have too many handouts to read for a course, and you hear of another set of handouts to read for the same course few minutes to exam. That is life in FUTA for you.

ALSO READ: 5 apps every science students will find very useful

7. When your exam effort and the result do not look alike

And after going through night classes, study groups, tutorials and cram sessions to make sure you pass, the exam result came out and it looks like you've only gathered EFCC.

8. Students election campaign also have slogans and reactions

The popular slogan in FUTA among student-politician is THIS IS THE VOICE OF YOUR BOY....but hey, not every student is interested in this line again campus politicians.

9. The life saving foods in FUTA featured in the #Lifeofafutarian

So, FUTA has a bakery and sachet water factory, now you should know that FUTA is more than a university of technology.

10. Students off campus and the Nigeria electricity issue

Away from the campus, students living off campus are not enjoying consistent power supply like those on campus and this is understandable because this is Nigeria.

11. How student commits their exam in the hand of the Lord

Yea, exam is coming and everyone just have to go to the Lord to ask for better understanding and assimilation to pass the exam. It's a spiritual something.

12. How a difficult exam could make you confess your sin

This is FUTA don't forget and your exam is like a trial. When you see some exam questions, you'll think God is angry at you or trying to punish you for some sins you can't remember.

13. Something about FUTA boys

To tell you how cordial the relationship between FUTA guys and starch is, someone said some students also starch their boxers (underpant) Ask a FUTA guy.

14. How the student of the university address themselves.

You know, it is university of technology and it is expected to produce engineering graduates. So, at FUTA every student sees him/herself as an engineer.

15. You can't but feel like this after graduationScheduled for premiere in Lagos in August 2018, the original songs written for the "Sade" project feature King Sunny Ade, Cobhams Asuquo, Deola Adebiyi, Omolara Ayodele and productions from some of the hottest producers on the scene, including Young John, Ini Dminstrel, CobhamsAsuquo, Kent Edunjobi and others.

Speaking on the movie, Jazz musician and filmmaker, Miller Luwoye said: If anyone knows about animation here, its a journey; its a big journey so I started watching CBeebies, Toy Story series to get some ideas. And I thought it would be good for SADE to be a melting point of culture and great value.

Its a privilege to have the amount of people we worked with on this project. I thought there has to be a marriage of music and animation. When Hollywood wants to pass a message across, they do it through movie and for the first time, you would hear Bata sound in animation. As a matter of fact, one track in SADE features 10 drummers.

On his part, the casting director/production manager, Abiodun Aleja said: When I saw the script I was wowed. We came together and made some inputs, and when it was time for casting, he said he wanted the best, and I promised well get the best. Well, this is about voicing, and I can tell you that the actors we have in SADE are some of the best in the Nigerian film industry.

Also speaking, popular actress, Kate Adepegba whose role on the project resonated so well with the cast members recalled that she met Miller on a film location in the UK where they talked about film prospects in Nigeria.

And in 2013, he came back with the SADE project, and I keyed into it, and like Biodun said, we had the finest on that set. They are highly opinionated people, but on that set we were all in accord. SADE is going to make it big because its huge.

On his part, Pastor Olukayode Owolabi, the Executive Producer of "Sade" said: As a pastor, I thought of the Bible as a big book with different segments that can be scripted and adapted into a movie. For me its about giving back to the people. When Miller came along, we began to look into things we can do together, and then this idea of a family oriented movie came. Not only is it full of action, it will also teach you how to treat people. If Nigerians can treat their dogs and cats very well, they will treat their neighbours very well."

Gabriel Afolayan said that he feels honoured and blessed to be a part of the project which he considers a landmark, a game changer and a reference point in the history of Nigerian filmmaking.The suspects were arrested by the Ghanaian police authorities, Citi News reports.

ALSO READ: How Emmanuel Nwude sold an imaginary airport for 242 million dollars

Instablog9ja reports that, among the suspects, there was a Ghanaian taxi driver, believed to have been an accomplice.

They were rounded up at their hideout at Oyarifa in Accra. The suspects are reportedly being repatriated in the next few days.

According to the police, the repatriation is the right step to take in the face of the situation and the hope is that it will help reduce the crime level in the country.

Internet fraud and Yahoo boys

Circa 2002, a new class of young Nigerians started appearing in our social ecosystem. They were flashy, rich and stylish.

In universities, this new crop of young guys (and babes) quickly displaced club boys at the apex of the social ladder. Their flashy cars lit up the parking spaces of several female hostels. Guys wanted to be their friends. Babes wanted to date them.

14 years after the Internet opened up the world to Nigerian youths, Yahoo Boys (or G-Boys as they are also called these days) are still much visible. Gone are the heady days of the yahoo-yahoo golden era when young men involved in Internet fraud will spend millions of Naira in the clubs, buy G-wagons, Range Rovers and own houses in the most expensive states with reckless abandon.

G-Boys still make a lot of money (and spend a lot of money) but not with so much brazen attitude. America has drug dealers. South Americans have the narco trafficantes. Italians have the mob and the Japanese have the yakuza.What is certain, however, is that Nigerian women and children get sexually assaulted nearly on daily basis and they dared not speak out for fear of stigmatization and prejudice.

All that is changing now, as more Nigerian women and other victims across the world are speaking out, boldly.

According to a national survey carried out in 2014 (which is believed to be underestimated), one in four girls experience sexual violence before the age of 18.

The survey reported that of those who experienced sexual violence in childhood, only 38% told someone about it - and as few as 5% sought help.

The #Metoo movement, a viral hashtag used on social media to help demonstrate the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment of women, has played a major role in the 'speaking out' development.

In Nigeria, where many victims suffer in silence, the women are using the opportunity to tell their horror stories.

Rape stories

Brenda Uphopho, a festival producer from Lagos is one of the five women who shared their sexual abuse stories with CNN.

According to her, she was assaulted three times by three different men but she never found the nerve to tell anyone until it was dawn on her that her teenage daughter was fast growing up in the same world that soiled her purity.

One day, she was walking up the stairs in her office when she suddenly felt someone's hand reaching underneath her skirt. She turned around and it was her boss.

"I screamed, and he was shocked at my scream. And I was shocked that he was shocked," Uphopho told CNN.

She was just five years old when she was first abused by a man who worked for her family - the man had forced her to touch him.

Uphopho said she did not understand how serious the situation was at that age, so she kept quiet.

ALSO READ: Father, young son jointly rape little daughter in Calabar

When it happened again she was 18, and old enough to know she had been violated.

"During a party, I found myself alone with a stranger who wanted to force me to have sex with him. He beat me up when I refused and sexually assaulted me. I was too ashamed to tell anyone about it," she said.

She added that: "I just felt if I was going to tell anybody ... they would ask me ... 'What did you wear? What were you doing there? How did you end up alone with this person?'".

So she believed it was her fault.

"I could be walking on the street and I would get my butt slapped by a bike rider. My coworkers would make unsolicited sexual comments to me and I wouldn't think it was out of place," she said.

Uphoho and her husband have co-produced a play called "Shattered," which seeks to encourage victims of sexual violence to speak up about their experiences.

Also recalling her ordeal, 22-year-old Eurel Nwafor said she was raped in August 2017 after some opposition union members stormed her former place of work.

She was working as a personal assistant at a market in Lagos at the time of the incident.

"There was a lot of chaos outside the office. On opening the door to see what was happening, I received a slap from a man and before I could recover, he dragged me outside," she said.

The man ripped her clothes off and forced himself on her.

"He didn't listen, though I begged him to stop," Nwafor said.

She said she has been making frantic efforts to file charges against the rapist, despite her family's disapproval.

"My mom wants me to leave everything in God's hands, likewise ... other family members, but I refuse to suffer in silence," she said.

She then shared a video on Instagram, where she pleaded for help - it went viral and caught the attention of support group Stand To End Rape, which offered her counseling and legal advice.

"I cannot wake up every morning, knowing that the person that did this to me is out there going about his daily activities like nothing happened," Nwafor said.

Chichi Ogbonnaya, another victim, was defiled at 10 years old by an 'uncle'.

"This man was respected in our church and I called him 'uncle,'" she said.

Ogbonnaya was sent to live with the man by her mother, who could not afford to take care of her.

"He made me lie on top of him while his wife was away. He tried to penetrate me but when he could not, he went to get something that looked like a lubricant," she recalled the first incident with the man.

"He told me to stay calm and be quiet. I didn't know what was happening," Ogbonnaya said.

Ogbonnaya told CNN she remembers him handing her "the blood-soaked sheet to wash before his wife returned."

The abuse continued for five years until she was 15.

She is also speaking out about the assaults for the first time.

Ogbonnaya said the man even forced her to have an abortion, which was badly done, and this made her bleed alone in her bedroom.

"Even after I left the house, the act still continued and I just felt it was too late. I was too exposed to a whole lot of things ... I didn't have that sort of relationship with my mum to start telling her this happened to me," she said.

She now works as a program manager for Women at Risk International Foundation, a rape crisis center.

In 2010, Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, now 27, was working as a volunteer in a local election when she was asked to register underage voters. Her refusal to carry out the illegal request landed her in trouble.

She said one of the candidates in the election tried to make her juicy offers just to make her budge.

"He said 'You are a young girl, after service, what is next for you? You want to get a job? I will give you money, get you a car, give you employment and make your life better,'" she told CNN.

Osowobi said she turned down the offers still.

"Nobody was kind except this young man who came to my polling center to register," She said.

He offered her a ride home, saying it was not safe for her to walk by herself at night.

"He made advances at me. When I declined, his countenance changed and I knew I was in danger. I struggled to get out of the car but he chased after me and dragged me on the floor with my braids. He assaulted me while I pleaded with him that I was a virgin. I felt worthless after," she said.

Osowobi said she was able to move past the traumatic experience with the support and counseling she got from her parents.

"I told my parents and apologized because I felt I had disappointed them. My mother said to me: 'Your worth is not in your vagina; your worth lies in your capacity as a human being to think, work and impact your generation,'" she said.

Osowobi said the experience inspired her to start Stand to End Rape - one of the two rape centers in Lagos.

At age 6 years old, another victim, Omodasola Omibeku, was first abused by a distant relative.

"Anytime we were alone, he brought out his penis and asked if I knew what it was and wanted to touch it? He would put it in my hand or mouth," she told CNN.

The man lived with them in her family house, which she said was full of "aunties and uncles, some not even blood relatives."

"I was in a lot of pain when he raped me some months after. I still feel the pain any time I talk about it. It was like trying to force a huge spiky rock into a tiny hole."

The second incident was her first year in the University.

Omibeku said she was attacked while walking home to her hostel after lectures.

"I thought I was being robbed, so I offered him my bag and phone but he didn't want any of that.

"He pushed me to the ground, grabbed my right knee and raped me," she said.

ALSO READ: 5 reasons men rape women

According to her, the two experiences has messed up her sexual life.

"How am I supposed to enjoy sex without having to think about how someone forcefully raped me? It gives me the idea that that is what sex is supposed to be. It messed up my first knowledge of sex," she said.

Omibeku said she began to rise above the trauma after she met other victims of sexual abuse at Osowobi's Stand to End Rape center.

"Up until then, I thought I was the only person that had been raped in the world. I thought I was the only person carrying this pain," Omibeku said.

She has since volunteered at the center to offer support to other victims.And should we open ourselves for once to see with the eyes of our mind, we will be amazed by the boundless beauty that surrounds us.

Yankari Game Reserve is a large wildlife park located in the south-central part of Bauchi State, Nigeria. It covers an area of about 2,244 square kilometres (866 sq mi) and is home to several natural warm water springs, as well as a wide variety of flora and fauna.

The reserve is also a vast village to animals such as primates, waterbucks, bushbucks, oribi, crocodiles, hippopotamus, roan gazelle, wild ox and countless species of monkeys.

Unarguably one of the country's richest reserve, Yankari Game Reserve also contains one of the largest surviving elephant population in West Africa.

Estimated at 350 individuals, this population of elephants is perhaps the only viable population remaining in Nigeria.

The reserve also contain important populations of lion, buffalo, hippo, roan and hartebeest.

Protected by a ranger force of around eighty in number, Yankari Game Reserve stands out as one of the most popular tourist destination in Nigeria.

When is the best time to visit Yankari Game Reserve?

Though the reserve host visitors all year round, but November to May are considered the best time to visit. Because this is when more amusement would be experience since the vegetation has dried out and animals begin to parade the waterways.

Another interesting feature of the reserve is the Wikki Warm Spring, which is great spot to unwind and cool oneself.

Of course, this area is a no-go area for animals; and it is definitely safe for visitors. Except a variety of winged creatures, offering their benediction from the sky.

Hotel around Yankari Game Reserve

The Yankari Game Reserve and Resort has rooms that come in the categories of Student Hostel, Studio Suite, Luxury Double, VIP, Corporate Villa, and the Marshall Suite.

Their prizes ranges from 2,500, to 23,600.NAN reports that NAHCON had fixed March 31, as the deadline for the closure of registration of the 2018 intending pilgrims.

Muhammad observed that less than 30 days to the deadline many states pilgrims boards are yet to register 40 per cent of the Hajj allocations given to Nigeria by the Saudi Authority.

The national coordinator said granting extension would give intending pilgrims enough time to pay for the hajj seats.

He expressed concern that failure to utilise 95, 000 hajj seats quota allocated to Nigeria by Saudi could lead to further reduction of Nigerias seats allocation by Saudi Arabia.

Though, we understand that the deadline set by NAHCON was at the instance of Saudi Arabia 2018 hajj plan of concluding all hajj preparations before the commencement of Ramadan.

 Part of the Saudi 2018 hajj guideline mandated hajj missions to meet its financial obligations to hajj service providers for numbers of allocation given to them to enable the kingdom perfect plans for 2018 hajj.

For the sake of the comfort of the Muslim, who want to fulfill their religious obligations, we urge Saudi authority and NAHCON to extend the timeframe provided for the payment of 2018 hajj fare

 This will allow our dear pilgrims to heed the call of Almighty Allah, Muhammad said.

The coordinator said 80 to 85 per cent of Nigerian pilgrims are farmers, who cannot afford to harvest all the farm produce at once to pay for hajj seat.

This, according to him, is the reason why the 2018 hajj seat is experiencing slow patronage.

He stressed the need for hajj authorities to extend its ongoing sensitisation on hajj payment to grassroots by involving community leaders, Islamic related NGOs, market union leaders, youth associations for maximum awareness.Ezekwesili has constantly criticised the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, especially over the remaining abducted Chibok girls still in captivity.

Ahead of the 2019 election, the ex-minister had launched a campaign called 'Red Card', which she said is aimed at getting rid of the two major political parties - PDP and APC - from Nigeria's political space.

According to her, leaders of the two parties who have ruled Nigeria for over 20 years have failed the country, a view many Nigerians also share.

ALSO READ: Ezekwesili questions Buhari's silence over 94 missing girls in Yobe

Speaking in an interview on Channel TV, she said she is thinking about running for a political office but did not specify which position she might be interested in.The victim, Hauwa Leman was said to have sent the audio to one of her male friends, telling him to inform her parents that she was in trouble and that they should pray for her.

Leman, 24, who spoke in Hausa in the unverified audio, was still speaking when a male voice believed to be one of the terrorists' was heard telling her to keep quiet and not to move an inch.

"We are under attack in Rann. They are shooting everywhere please pray for me; please go and tell my parents that I am in trouble.

"Please, look for Fatima and tell her they are taking us away. They have entered here now", the victim, who was panting said.

This was the last time anyone heard from Leman, a Health Education student at the University of Maiduguri.

Boko Haram attacks Rann

Last Thursday, the terrorists stormed Rann, a remote town in Kala Balge local government area of Borno, killing at least four soldiers, four policemen, and three humanitarian workers.

The insurgents were said to have abducted a yet-to-be ascertained number of people, including Leman.

Some media reports also claimed that the nurse was contracted by an international organisation to work in Rann for a period of three months.

Leman lied about her posting

According to a journalist friend of Leman, Abdulhameed Algarzali, she lied about her posting.

He said Leman visited him a night before the incident, and told him that she was going to spend two weeks in Gamboru-Ngala, headquarters of Ngala local government area of Borno.

ALSO READ: A timeline of terror group's attacks in 2017

So her family and friends thought she was working in Gamboru-Ngala.

Algarzali said, "It seems she did not disclose that she was posted to Rann why she refused to do so is not clear.

"I did not believe the story at first because the Hauwa I met a day to her journey told me she was going to Gamboru Ngala for just two weeks.

"It is surprising therefore that this happened to her in Rann. I mean how did she get there?

"It's possible she did it deliberately to avoid causing unnecessary panic, considering the situation in Rann, or to avoid being stopped by her family. But another possibility is that her employer, an international humanitarian organisation providing medical assistance to over 40,000 displaced persons, misinformed her of the true posting."

Pulse reached out to Algarzali to confirm if it was indeed Leman's voice in the audio and to shed more light on the situation but he has not responded to our queries as at the time of filing this report.

United Nations reactsTheres no question that e-commerce is the future, said Yvan Benbanaste, the gregarious 46-year-old founder and creative director of Society Room, but ultimately I wanted to give my friends a good reason to get out of the house and shop.

Located in a 19th-century brick maisonette tucked in a courtyard near the Madeleine, the store, for want of a better word, initially appears to be just an enviably appointed Parisian home, with a 1980s Italian gold and glass console in the foyer, custom-made alabaster light fixtures by Ruben Glustin in the stairwell and, in the living room, a black-and-white portrait of Naomi Campbell by photographer Albert Watson.

Except everything is for sale. And along with the flea market finds, the art dealer loaners and the Pierre Frey curtains, there are the tailored suits, little black dresses and cocktail jumpsuits designed by Benbanaste.

And it all is refreshed about every six months.

Opened quietly last October, this is not the kind of shop where you can just drop by on a whim and browse. As its name implies, Society Room is for friends and friends-of-friends by a degree or two of separation. You cant make a reservation the way you do at a restaurant, either. Shopping is by invitation only.

That invitation often includes cocktails, maybe dinner, served on the oval table that seats 12 in a mallard blue dining room tucked between a tiny design studio and the kitchen

The business plan (such as it is) is to throw people together and see what happens, Benbanaste said. And at any gathering, you might meet professionals from the film industry, publishing, art, fashion, management, finance or law.

Had Benbanaste lived in another era, he would have been the host of a literary salon. As it is, when he hit a professional crossroads a year ago, the self-described textile geek decided to funnel his experience at the Italian luxury menswear brands A. Testoni and Pal Zileri into what he called real life dressing for women and men, at a reasonable price, in a place where people feel at home.

The details didnt come into focus until Fabrice Pinchart-Deny, his business partner, came up with the concept of an actual home.

A friend of Benbanastes from high school, Pinchart-Deny had been an equity trader in London and then briefly worked in real estate in Paris before joining the business full time. (It was his wifes reaction to the clothes that convinced him of the projects commercial potential.)

As someone who loves Parisian style, I had to admit that I no longer recognized it in what I was seeing in shop windows, particularly abroad, Benbanaste said. What really got to him was what he called the Las Vegas aspect of fashion, as seen on social media.

Yet Benbanaste enjoys the kind of lifestyle seemingly made for Instagram. His feed is filled with glamorous gatherings in Paris and exotic locales, be it a birthday weekend on Mykonos, a bash in London or a winter break in Tulum, Mexico, which may help explain his womenswear aesthetic: Jane Birkin steals Serge Gainsbourgs wardrobe.

That translates into a tightly edited collection of chic workhorse basics including crisp poplin shirts (starting at 140 euros, or $174) and silk blouses, jackets in stretch cotton micro-jacquard, wool and mohair tuxedos (suits range from 500 to 2,500 euros), and coats in chocolate suede and shearling.

There are pajama-style separates in Indian silk and cotton jumpsuits that offer a poolside alternative to the sarong. Delivery for tailored pieces, produced in Europe, takes three to four weeks.

Jewelry by friends such as Marie Gas of Gas Bijoux and Franco-Mexican designer Sophie Simone Cortina, and flat sandals by Lorine Driot, the founder of the sandal brand Nupie, rounded out the shops mix last month. Their wares will continue to be showcased, and Benbanaste will add other brands as he sees fit.

On the mens side, Christmas gift certificates for 150 euros bespoke shirts proved a hit, he said, as did the wrinkle-resistant travel jackets. Theyve also logged numerous orders for tuxedos for the Cannes Film Festival in May.

My friends look at fashion in a classical way, but with a touch of whimsy, Benbanaste said. They have a kind of uniform, and theyre looking for something beautiful and sober that will let them stand out. And theyre done with having to find the time, then standing in line to try clothes on or pay for them.

Ad hoc as it sounds, he and Pinchart-Deny are already fielding inquiries: A pop-up space is to appear in September in Lisbon, and trunk shows are being planned in London and New York.

At home in France, Society Room has begun building out its concept: On Thursday, it will host an exhibition by photographer Stephane Bisseuil at the restaurant Alcazar on the Left Bank.

And a fabric discovery/wine tasting event is planned for April at the headquarters of the Chateau de Ladoucette wine group, in the 16th Arrondissement.

So, how does a stranger join the party?

For events, prospective guests will be able to register on the Society Rooms website. As for the home shopping experience, after a moments thought, Benbanaste suggested: They could always email and ask to drop by for tea.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.Some Twitter users reacted with surprise and others with messages that implied Hariri was performing. But the selfie was an indication that relations between the leaders, at least on the surface, had normalized.

The smiling image reflected a drastic change in tone from Hariris last trip to the Saudi capital, when he was summoned to the royal offices, stripped of his cellphones and separated from most of his bodyguards before being given a prewritten resignation speech to read on Saudi television.

His strange resignation was orchestrated by Saudi authorities, officials revealed in the weeks that followed. After a few weeks  and some French intervention  Hariri eventually returned to Lebanon and reclaimed his position in the Lebanese government. This past weeks visit was his first to Saudi Arabia since his strange sojourn there.

Hariri arrived Wednesday at the invitation of the royal family and met with King Salman. The two appeared together in state media reports smiling and shaking hands at Al-Yamamah Palace.

Saudi media steered clear of mentioning the prime ministers earlier resignation, and both sides focused on the path forward for the two nations.

And then Friday, Hariri met with the kingdoms 32-year-old crown prince, Mohammed.

Saudi Arabia has seen drastic changes under the influence of the young, assertive heir. He has ordered the arrest of princes and business elites, given women the right to drive and blockaded neighboring Qatar.

The Saudi Press Agency reported that the leaders reviewed the bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed developments in the region.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.Earlier this week a section of Jubilee MPs led by Tiaty MP William Kamket had proposed a constitutional amendment to create the position of Prime minister.

Endebess MP Robert Pukose led MPs allied to Jubilee party in declaring that they would have no problem with Kenyatta serving in the position and fronted him for the same.

Speaking in Machakos on Saturday, the president made it clear that he is not interested I serving in any plum post once his current term ends in 2022.

Kenyatta stated that the time of politics is over, now what remains is to implement development projects in every corner of the country. Those interested in 2022 seats will battle it out among themselves, I will be at home.

The proposal by Kamket sought met resistance from different quarters including from his own Jubilee party leaders who outrightly dismissed it.

Jubilee party leaders have expressed a desire to keep Uhuru active in politics beyond 2022 with different ideas and posts being fronted.

The partys Vice Chairman David Murathe disclosed in Gatanga that Kenyatta will stay on as the party chairman even after his second term ends in 2022.Opinion

Ryan Bridge: The Govt's COVID-19 messaging is all over the shop - do lockdowns stop when enough Kiwis are vaccinated?Newshub News Desk

Newshub welcomes your news tips and information.

Please email us: news@newshub.co.nz or

call the news team on 0800 Newshub.

The network news centre is in Auckland, with journalists in Wellington and Christchurch, as well as the Press Gallery office at Parliament, combined with a team of freelance reporters around the country.



Newshub supplies news and sport to all 140 MediaWorks radio stations, making it the most listened-to commercial radio news service in New Zealand.

Newshub is owned by Discovery New Zealand.Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

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Nearby OwnerThe JD-U legislator from Satakha and Independent MLA Tongpang Ozukum have announced that they will join the BJP-NDPP alliance, taking its tally to the magic figure of 31.

Breaking the 15-year-old reign of the ruling Naga Peoples Front, the Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party alliance, with three-time former chief minister Neiphiu Rio as its leader, is all set to form the new government in Nagaland.

The BJP, which had won only one seat in the 2013 state assembly polls, bagged 12 seats this year, while its ally, the newly-formed NDDP, won 17 seats in the 60-member House.

While the NPF won 27 seats, 11 less than its 2013 tally, as per the alliance agreement, it has the support of the Nationalist Peoples Party and Janata Dal-United, which have won two seats and one seat respectively.

The only Independent candidate to win this time is former Naga Students Federation president Tongpang Ozukum from Angetyongpang in Mokokchung district.

Nonetheless, the single largest party, the NPF, is facing an issue in staking a claim to form the government as G Kaito Aye, the JD-U nominee who won from Satakha, and Independent Tongpang Ozukum have announced that they will join the BJP-NDPP alliance, taking its tally to the magic figure of 31.

Expressing confidence about forming the government in the state, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said, "We have 29 seats and need only two more. There are letters of support coming from smaller parties."

Image: Three-time former chief minister Neiphiu Rio is all set to return to power in Nagaland.Kirshna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan's Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, according to a media report on Sunday.

Kolhi, 39, from Thar is a member of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led Pakistan Peoples Party.

She won the election for the reserved seat for women from Sindh province, Dawn News reported.

Her election represents a major milestone for women and minority rights in Pakistan.

Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party had elected first Hindu woman named Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla as a senator.

Kolhi belongs to a remote village in Nagarparkar district of Thar in Sindh province.

Born to a poor peasant, Jugno Kolhi, in February 1979, Kolhi and her family members spent nearly three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district.

She was a Class 3 student at the time when held captive.

She was married to Lalchand at the age of 16, when she was studying in Class 9. However, she pursued her studies and in 2013 she did masters in sociology from the Sindh University.

She had joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother, who was later elected as Chairman of Union Council Berano.

Kolhi also actively participated and worked for the rights of downtrodden people of marginalised communities living in Thar and other areas.

She is from the family of the valiant freedom fighter Rooplo Kolhi, who had waged a war against the invading British colonialist forces when they had attacked Sindh from Nagarparkar side in 1857.

Subsequently, he was arrested and hanged by the British on August 22, 1858.

Pakistan's ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday won 15 seats in Senate and became the largest party in the upper house of Parliament, according to the provisional results.

Provincial and federal lawmakers voted to elect 52 Senators in the Senate elections, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Twelve seats each from Punjab and Sindh, 11 each from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, four from tribal region and two from federal capital territory were up for grab due to retirement of 52 senators this month.

More than 130 candidates, including those nominated by political parties and independent candidates were in the contest.Karti Chidambaram, arrested in the INX Media case, was on Sunday brought to the Byculla prison in Mumbai and confronted with Indrani Mukerjea as part of the Central Bureau of Investigation's probe into the matter, a senior official said.

Karti Chidambaram, the son of senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram, was brought to the jail in central Mumbai around 11.15 am by a six-member team of the CBI, he said.

The official said Karti Chidambaram and Mukerjea were brought face-to-face and questioned by the CBI team for about four hours.

Mukerjea, a former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, is lodged in the jail in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case.

After the questioning, the CBI team left the prison along with Karti Chidambaram and headed towards the Mumbai airport.

While entering the prison, Karti Chidambaram waved at the media persons who had assembled outside the high security prison.

Karti and Mukerjea were questioned by the CBI as a part of its probe in the INX Media deal in which the former allegedly received kickbacks.

The doors of the prisons were shut and no other person from outside was allowed to enter the premises when the two were questioned, the official said.

The CBI team came out of the prison around 3.15 pm and a smiling Karti Chidambaram waved again at the media persons while standing on the footboard of a car being used by the agency.

He was asked by the CBI officials to get down from the footboard before they left the jail premises.

Karti was arrested by the CBI on February 28 after a confessional statement was given by Mukerjea before a magistrate.

He was sent in a five-day CBI custody on March 1.

Karti 46, was arrested at Chennai airport on his return from the United Kingdom, in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds worth about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the Union finance minister.

It is alleged that Karti had received funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case, officials had earlier said.

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered his arrest, was based on the statement of Mukerjea, who recorded it under section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

The CBI alleged that Karti Chidambaram also received money from INX media to scuttle a tax probe. The firm was owned at the time by former media baron Peter Mukerjea and Indrani, who are currently in jail on charges of murdering Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora.

The Enforcement Directorate has also registered a money laundering case.

The CBI and the ED had carried out a series of searches at the houses and offices owned by the Chidambarams. Karti Chidambaram was questioned several times by the ED.

A Delhi court had on March 1 allowed the custodial interrogation of Karti Chidambaram by the CBI for five days, saying there was a need to unearth the larger conspiracy in the INX Media case and his presence would serve some important purposes connected with the investigation.

The court had said his CBI custody was necessary to confront him with documents and the co-accused, as well as to probe the role of others involved in the case.The second part of Parliament's Budget Session is likely to begin on a stormy note with the Congress and other opposition parties set to raise the issue of multi-crore financial scams involving public-sector banks in both the Houses.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet on Monday after a month-long recess in the session.

Opposition parties would seek answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other banking scams took place under his watch and how the government failed to stop them.

The government, on its part, is seeking to counter the opposition's offensive by bringing the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill.

The legislation, once passed, will grant powers to the government to attach assets of persons declared fugitive. This will include benami assets too.

While the Opposition has not planned any joint strategy so far, it is likely to meet in a day or two to chalk out a plan for the Parliament session.

Sources said that while the financial sector and banking scams would dominate the proceedings in both Houses, issues related to crime against Dalits and women, farmers, the economy and unemployment would also be raised by the opposition benches.

The Congress will also raise the issue of 'vendetta' at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government aimed at targeting its political opponents.

This comes in the wake of the Central Bureau of Investigation arresting Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Union finance minister and Congress leader, P Chidambaram, in connection with the INX Media case. He is currently in custody of the probe agency for five days till March 6.

The second part of the session would primarily see discussions on the demand for grants for various ministries.

The Opposition would also press for a debate on a number of contentious matters and important issues confronting the country.

The government has listed a few bills for consideration and passage in both Houses.

In the Lok Sabha, it intends to bring The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2017, on Monday, and The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017, on Tuesday.

In the Rajya Sabha, the government has listed The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017, for the first day of the session.

The government also is likely to press for the passage of a bill to ban instant triple talaq.

Congress leaders said that they would soon be holding a meeting with other opposition parties to chalk out a joint strategy for the session.

The aim is to corner the government unitedly and demand answers from it on various issues which it has evaded in the past, a leader from the party said. Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, has given a notice for a discussion under Rule 267 of the House on the bank fraud issue.

"We will demand answers from the government on the bank fraud scam. We will also demand answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the scam happened right under his watch," he said.

Sharma said the party is also set to raise the issue of 'selective vendetta' at the hands of investigative agencies by the BJP-led government to target key political opponents.

Communist Party of India leader D Raja said the issue of PNB fraud will be taken up and the new bills that the government proposes to bring would also be discussed.

"We will demand answers from the government on how the fraud happened. The banking sector is in a deep crisis and its credibility is under stake," he told PTI.

Raja also said that issues pertaining to atrocities and crimes against Dalits and women would also be taken up.

The Left leader claimed that such crimes were on the rise. He, however, said the financial crimes would be the highlight of the session.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said his party is for a debate and a discussion in Parliament, and would evolve a joint opposition strategy soon.

"We will coordinate with other opposition parties to expose this BJP government that has not delivered on their promises. I don't want to name any particular issue as there are many. We have issues for every day in Parliament,"he said

O'Brien also claimed that the BJP had gone 'overboard' with its victory in Tripura.

"If you look at the bypoll results of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha, it is very clear that their tally will come down," he said.

The TMC leader claimed that Prime Minister Modi will not deliver his address from the Red Fort in 2019.

"If their target is West Bengal out target is Red Fort. BJP did not win Tripura, the Left surrendered it," he said.The bypolls were necessitated after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated their seats following their election to the Uttar Pradesh legislative council.

Image: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with his deputies Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya and BJP state president Mahendra Nath Pandey. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo.

With a week left for voting for the crucial by-elections to Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies, political parties in Uttar Pradesh are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that they emerge victorious in the Lok Sabha bypolls which are being viewed as a "rehearsal" for the 2019 general elections.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which had registered an overwhelming win in the 2017 UP assembly polls bagging 325 out of 403 seats along with its allies, will be attempting to retain both the seats and register victory with a bigger margin, while the focus of the opposition political parties will be to topple the BJP's apple cart.

The bypolls were necessitated after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats respectively, following their election to the Uttar Pradesh legislative council.

For the BJP, Gorakhpur is significant as it is the bastion of the chief minister, who has represented the seat in the Lok Sabha five times. Prior to Yogi Adityanath, the seat was thrice represented in Parliament by his mentor Yogi Avaidyanath.

Phulpur was once the bastion of the Congress and represented by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. It had, for the first time, witnessed a saffron surge in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, when Maurya won the seat.

The by-elections are expected to witness a triangular contest among the ruling BJP, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.

The saffron party has fielded Kaushalendra Singh Patel from Phulpur and Upendra Dutt Shukla from Gorakhpur against the SP's Pravin Nishad and Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel respectively. Sureetha Kareem is the Congress candidate from Gorakhpur, while it has fielded Manish Mishra from Phulpur.

Exuding confidence that the BJP will sweep the March 11 bypolls in the state, UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla told PTI, "BJP is fighting the elections on the issue of development. We are confident that not only will we win the bypolls, but also widen the victory margin as compared to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections."

He added, March 11 is a significant date for us, as it was on this day in 2017 that the BJP and its allies bagged 325 out of the 403 assembly seats in UP.

"In 2017, we had banked on the performance of Modi government only. Now, we have the achievements of Yogi and Modi governments (to show to the people of the state)," Shukla said.

UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who had represented Phulpur in Lok Sabha and was also a former chief of UP BJP, in an earlier interview to PTI had said, "The lotus (BJP's poll symbol) will bloom in both the seats. I have no doubt about this. The very fact that people are talking mostly about the BJP's winning margin is itself an indicator that the party is going to win. You can be rest assured that we are going to improve our margin in both the seats."

He added, "As soon as the bye-elections were announced, the opposition parties started discussing the victory margin. This is a clear indication that the lotus will bloom in Gorakhpur and Phulpur."

Maurya also said as far as the vote-share is concerned, "60 per cent is ours and the rest is for the others to share".

UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh, however, was of the view that winning the Lok Sabha bypolls will rather be a difficult task for the BJP.

He said, "People in UP are looking for a change. I am confident that voters in the by-elections will give a befitting reply to the BJP for their anti-people policies."BJP strategists know it may not repeat its 2014 performance in its traditionally strong bases in the north and the west.

This is where the success in the north east and east is so important.

Archis Mohan reports.



IMAGE: Narendra D Modi, with Shivraj Chauhan, Nitin Gadkari, Amit A Shah and Arun Jaitley, celebrate the Bharatiya Janata Party victories in the north east, March 3, 2018. Photgraph: PTI Photo

The Bharatiya Janata Party victories in three north east states would help it not only in achieving its ambition of a Congress-mukt (free) India but also to counter the law of diminishing returns it fears it might face in other regions of the country in the Lok Sabha election.

Party strategists are aware it might not be able to repeat its performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, especially in its traditionally strong bases in the north and the west, in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

This is where the success in the north east and east is so important.

In September last year, at a meeting of the North-East Development Alliance that the BJP leads, party chief Amit A Shah said it would have governments in all the eight states in the region.

Prime Minister Narendra D Modi also instructed that one minister from his ministerial council should visit the region every fortnight. His office prepared a roster.

After the BJP won Assam in 2016 -- establishing its first-ever government in the north east -- Shah asked his lieutenants to identify Lok Sabha seats across the country that the party had never won.

They came up with a list of 115, mostly in the north east, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

Shah asked the party leadership to focus on these seats.

In 2014, the BJP had won all the 25 seats in Rajasthan, all 26 in Gujarat, 27 out of 29 in Madhya Pradesh, and 10 out of 11 in Chhattisgarh.

In Uttar Pradesh, it had won 71 of 80 seats; its ally Apna Dal won two seats.

The National Democratic Alliance captured 32 of Bihar's 40 Lok Sabha seats.

In Haryana, Delhi, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra, it had performed impressively.

Repeating such a superlative performance will not be easy.

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh go to the polls in November-December, and in each state, the fight might be tough.

In Rajasthan, the BJP government has faced farmer protests, and there is a perception of its popularity eroding.

Farmer protests had also affected the popularity of its governments in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Gujarat, which went to polls in December last year, showed how farmer unrest could affect the BJP's performance.

Though it still managed to form the government, its tally went down by 16 seats to 99. The Congress, on the other hand, gained 16 seats, to raise its tally to 77.

Sources in the Opposition claim there is a strong possibility of an 'index of Opposition unity', even though they might not all come to the same platform. Not everyone in the NDA is happy either.

Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Party left the coalition on February 28 and joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress alliance in the state.

The Congress hopes to have an electoral understanding with the Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

BJP strategists obviously have all these factors in mind as they go about carving a new cache for themselves in the north east.

The Seven Sisters and Sikkim have a total of 25 Lok Sabha seats: 14 from Assam, two each from Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh, and one each from Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim.

The BJP already has governments in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur. After Saturday's results, it will have a government in Tripura and be part of a ruling coalition in Nagaland. Its vote share improved significantly in Meghalaya.

The party owes much of its success to the good work done in the region for years by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, especially the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram in the tribal regions of Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.

After the results were declared on Saturday, Amit A Shah said the golden age of his party would be when it won West Bengal, Odisha, and Karnataka as well. The Congress now has government only in Karnataka, Punjab, and Mizoram.

Elections to Mizoram will happen at the end of the year, but before that Karnataka is expected to be a big fight in April-May, with significant impact on national politics.

Missing convenor: NDA's alliance partners to step-up demand for a full time convenor

The demand for a National Democratic Alliance convener had already been voiced earlier.

However, after the BJP's defeat in two by-elections in Madhya Pradesh, it is likely that alliance partners will step up the heat and demand a full time convenor. It used to be Sharad Yadav. But after Nitish Kumar went into the NDA, Yadav was turfed out.

The NDA has 16 parties in Parliament. However, the NDA also has 32 more parties that do not have any representation in Parliament.

In the Lok Sabha, among the NDA partners, the Shiv Sena has the maximum members, 18, after the BJP, followed by the Telugu Desam Party, 16.

Currently, BJP President Amit A Shah carries out the job of reaching out to alliance partners.

The post of NDA convener used to be crucial during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee era. Samata Party leader George Fernandes remained NDA convenor for a long time.Protesters gathered at the State House Wednesday to oppose the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management proposal to lift the long-standing ban on offshore fossil fuel drilling in large swaths of US coastal waters.A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.FRESH OYSTER CHAUD-FROID

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CREME CAULIFLOWER

UNI, SCALLOP WITH KONPU GELEE

GRATINATED ONION SOUP

PAN-FRIED LOBSTER IN TOM YUM SOUP

ROASTED LAMB IN HERB PICCATA

PANNA COTTA WITH PINEAPPLE & ORANGE SOUP

CHESTNUT CHANTILLY TIRAMISU

Greater China Club have invited celebrated Japanese Chef Masahito Kawabata to create his mouthwatering contemporary French recipes here in HK by preparing a unique French Bistro Menu available at Cadenza until March 7th. Chef Masahito honed his skills at the Michelin Two-starred kitchens of Saint-Honore and Barbacan, and Michelin One-starred restaurants La Caunette, Faucet, and Master Chef Hubert Kellers celebrated Fleur de Lys. Chef Masahito has used his knowledge of French culinary techniques and well loved Japanese flavoures to impress diners with delicate, beautiful, and delicious recipes. We were instantly drawn to the modern display, use of fresh ingredients, and exceptional execution. Favourites dishes of the night included the decadent Fresh Oysters Chaud-froid with Seawater Gelee and Aosa Seaweed with Caviar, the refreshing Creme Cauliflower with Uni and Scallop with Konpu Gelee, the sweet, fragrant Pan-fried Lobster in Tom Yum Soup, and the insanely tender and flavourful Roasted Lamb in Herb Piccata. Make sure to pair your meal with wines from Cadenzas varied list and enjoy a night in the sophisticated and chic dining environment. The menu is only available until March 7th and seats are limited, so book now to not miss out on Chef Masahitos menu.

http://www.greaterchinaclub.com/

10/F, D2 Place, 9 Cheung Yee Street, Lai Chi Kok

Tel: (+852) 2743 8055And then, the heights grew and field dropped to eight, then, six, and then, there were two.

The high jump had one jump by a women jumper, then a man.

Seb Coe, the President of the IAAF, told @runblogrun that they took the field event feature from Portland 2016. "It was a great feature from Portland, and we used that idea." noted the smiling President, after two days of great performances (watch for our exclusive blog video with Lord Coe).

At 2.36 meters, Mutaz Essa Barshim was flawless. Danil Lysenko, the 20 year old ANA athlete, had a miss. But, as we know, our sport is all about performance. Mutaz missed at 2.36 meters, then Danil missed at the same height. Mutaz then missed on his second attempt, and so did Danil.

On the third attempt, Mutaz Essa Barshim missed at 2.36 meters. If Danil Lysenko missed at the third attempt, then there would be a jump off.

On the third attempt, Danil Lysenko cleared 2.36 meters, and he became the gold medalist.

Mutaz Essa Barshim became the silver medalist.

Mutaz won the London 2017 Outdoor World Champs and his silver medal here will be added to the collection.

What makes Mutaz Essa Barshim tick? This man is a superstar in Qatar, his homeland. His ability to jump is a rarefied skill and he wants big heights. Last summer he saved the cross bar from his two big clearances, one at 2.38 meters and one at 2.40 meters. Mutaz is a tough competitor, but he knows, that there are moments that are his, and there are moments that are not.

Here is our inteview of this man who defies gravity!On the front page of yesterdays Samoa Observer the headline screamed: Social Media Policy tells public servants to defend Govt. reputation.

Now the questions are: What government reputation that needs to be defended are we talking about here?

Indeed, if the government has such a reputation, why is it entrusting the job of defending it to only public servants?

In other words, is it fair to say the government does not trust those citizens of Samoa who are not public servants, with the task of defending its reputation?

In any case, the policy we are talking about here is distributed by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

A 15-page document, it is titled The Governments Social Media Policy for 2017, and on its front page are the words:

If it is online - it can be found.

If you delete it - it can still be found.

Even if you secure it, it can still be accessed.

Tim Scully.

So what is Tim Scully telling us now?

Well, the simple answer to that question, is: Hes saying that with online word technology today, every word thats inserted in the web is capable of being found, no matter what?

So who is Tim Scully*?

Well there are many Tim Scullys. We dont know at this stage, which Tim Scully the Governments policy is referring to.

But a quick search on the internet leads us to the website The Verge. It reveals that Tim Scully is the underground chemist, who planned to save the world using the drug LSD, and he was jailed as a result.

Indeed, he managed to get acid behind the Iron Curtain.

And yet today, here in Samoa, it appears that this mans ideas are being used by the Samoan government to defend, or is it to punish - public officials under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologys Social Media Policy, for the year 2017?

The guidelines for personal government officials say: When you are using social media for personal use, public servants should also consider the following - could what you are doing harm the reputation of your organisation and the Government of Samoa?

Are you disclosing organisation material that you are not specifically authorised to disclose.

Have you made it clear to others when your contribution is as a private individual and not as a representative of your organisation?

Are you willing to defend what you post to your manager?

Are you using Government owned infrastructure and if so, do you have permission to use it in this way?

Are you behaving with integrity, respect and accountability?

Government employees must use a private email address rather than their Government e-mail addresses when theyre engaging in social media activities for personal use.

Personal use of social media must never interfere with work duties.

Now the question that would just not go away, is: But then why are these polices being introduced all of a sudden?

Employees may not engage in online communications activities which could bring the Government into disrepute.

Personal details of yourself, if or other Government employees, should be given out, only the official details (office telephone, email or fax) for reference purposes.

Down below the policy warns: Employees may not engage in online communications activities which could bring the Government into disrepute.

Now the question are: What are some examples of such online communications activities? How could they get the government into disrepute?

It would be good to know.

Now heres another wonderful idea; it says: This policy supports the idea of achieving an improved quality of life for all as envisioned in the Strategy for the Development of Samoa.

It also says that while there can be challenges, there are also undeniable benefits of using social media for government outreach and citizen engagement.

Wonderful!

Now in case youve forgotten, lets take a quick look at our Constitution and remind ourselves of our basic freedoms, that are enshrined in there.

Article 13 reminds that all citizens of Samoa shall have the right:

. To freedom of speech and expression;

. To assemble peaceably and without arms;

. To form associations or unions; and

. To move freely throughout Samoa and to reside in any part thereof.

And now theres the Fourth Estate.

When you're referring to fourth estate, you are referring to journalists as a whole. The fourth estate encompasses all of those who report the news.

The first use of the term was by Edmund Burke in 1787 during a debate in parliament.

It is used to accentuate the freedom of the press, not to be confused with the term "fourth branch" which proposes that they are not free from the government.

The press is called the fourth estate in the United States usually because they observe the political process.

They do this to make sure the participants do not exploit the democratic system. They play a crucial role in the outcome of political issues and candidates.

This is where the media is often called the fourth branch of the government instead of the fourth estate. I

The term fourth estate is often attributed to the British politician, Edmund Burke.

Burke said there were three Estates in Parliament, but in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a fourth Estate more important than them all.

In the United States, the term fourth estate is sometimes used to place the press alongside, the three branches of government: legislative, executive and judicial.

The fourth estate refers to the watchdog role of the press, one that is important to a functioning democracy.

And finally, theres the law of Criminal Libel that is continuing to be banged about by the mighty and the powerful today, and yet it is still refusing to go away.

So let us remind that any law thats aimed at gagging freedom of expression in Samoa is bound to fail.

Indeed, lets think of Sir John Acton who coined the words: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely in such manner, that great men are almost always bad men.

Now isnt that sad!

Indeed, it would be a terrible shame if Sir Johns words would continue to be ignored by those great men who are running the Samoan government today. It surely would.

Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa God bless.

*Editorial has been altered from the printed version to reflect the fact there are many Tim Scullys and that we dont know which Tim Scully the Government policy is referring to.



A proposed Bill on the Rights of the Child by the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development could ban children under 14 years old from being street vendors.

The proposed Bill is part of the Ministrys plan to address core issues that deal directly with child labour and street vendors in Samoa.

This was confirmed by the outgoing C.E.O, Fuimapoao Beth Onesemo-Tuilaepa, during an interview with the Samoa Observer.

Last week, the United States Bureau of International Labour Affairs, named Samoa as one of the countries with some of the worst forms of child labour.

A copy of the report obtained by the Samoa Observer highlights the fact that children in Samoa perform dangerous tasks such as street vending at all hours of night and day.

In 2016, Samoa made a moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour, the report reads.

Fuimapoao told the Samoa Observer the issue is difficult and challenging.

We have put emphasis on putting together a comprehensive legal framework which looks at the childrens care, but ultimately the aim is for the parents to have the ability to support their children in areas they are not at risk, she said.

We piloted a programme in 2016 called the Samoa Supporting Children initiative; this is all part of addressing core issues of child labor.

These programs we have worked with 11 families in giving them pathways to create their own businesses and for the children to return to school.

The first thing we have set aside is being judgmental and to be quite honest, unless you have walked in the shoes of these parents or mothers, you cannot pass judgement.

We dont want our parents to feel stigmatised because that can draw different reactions and most of them are negative and we also dont want to stigmatise these children because if you talk to them, they see it as their duty to help their parents out.

I know everyone is concerned about this issue, but please dont judge because we dont want to stigmatise them.

We need to be looking at what is the root courses of these issues and a lot is around economic opportunities.

Also sometimes these parents they go back to educational opportunities they themselves had.

So part of what we are working is to develop different pathways either for the parents or the children to get back into businesses and educational opportunities.

But ultimately the aim is for the parents to have the ability to support their children in areas they are not at risk.

Our approach is that we are trying to change the mindset of parents as they need to place value on education, said Fuimapoao.

The C.E.O. places emphasis on working with the families to have a change of perspective.

While we have proposed the Bill and programs in place, but also what should be equally important too are the practical opportunities.

It is all very well we can say that to parents, but their practical reality is that they see no opportunities and this is the only way to meet their daily needs, street vending, and then unless you walked in their shoes, you cannot say what theyre doing is a bad thing.

She told the Samoa Observer there is a Bill drafted by the committee on the Rights of the Child and its a comprehensive framework to protect our children.

So this Bill it is the legal framework which looks at the childrens care and how we address it from a legal perspective.

The Bill is like any other Bill, it is there to guarantee rights of the children and it is a solution.

It also sticks to ensure that standard for care of children are deemed to be safe in their homes and in any environment.

The proposed child Bill introduced sets restrictions on a child to sell goods; a person must not allow a child aged 14 years and below, to sell goods on the streets or in any public place.

A person must not sell or provide goods to a child under the age of 14 for the purpose of sale of goods by the child on a street or in another public place, said Fuimapoao.

The outgoing C.E.O. believes while the Bill is a good start, there should also be standards that should be met as to what are the arrangements that is in the best interest of a child.

Another gap in the law is that a girl can get married at the age of 16 while the boy can legally get married at 18. This current law was left over from the old Act that we have and just ensuring that it is standardized at the age of 18.

All included in the Bill, Child Care and protection Bill which looks at the comprehensive issues that is needed for children. Not just child vending issue, she said.

The Bill is there as a safety net to address issues pertaining to children, but equally important is addressing root courses.

It means that what will happen is that every time that a cop finds a 14-year-old child selling, they can charge the parents or guardian.

Now if we were to do that without giving any assistance via programs, we would struggle to enforce that law.

So if you prosecute the parents and they will go to jail, what happens to the child and that is why we need to implement the ongoing program we have to again address core issues within homes, said Fuimapoao.Its finally happening.

Digicel has switched on the Tui Samoa Cable; meaning customers should now experience the most reliable and efficient data services with Digicel, the first company to provide internet on the Tui Samoa Cable.

Founder and Chairman of the Digicel Group, Denis OBrien, was in Samoa to mark the launch.

First of all, I am delighted to be back in Samoa, he said. This is a special moment as we have invested in modern technology as partners in the Tui Samoa cable. Today is a historical occasion as our customers get to enjoy the best in data services.

Mr. OBrien went on to congratulate the Government for doing a great job.

As investors and partners in the Tui Samoa cable, this is a historical moment, he said. We value our customers who are at the forefront of all decisions we make, we know that majority of our customers are frequent data users and this new revolution in technology fits well into the Digicel 2030 goals.

We have spent millions of US dollars in upgrading our network to see the full benefits of the Tui Samoa cable and I am proud to say that more than 90% of the population will have 4G coverage to take advantage of the world class service the cable will provide.

Samoa now has access to high-speed broadband which is crucial innovation for economic development as well as new technologies, and I am encouraged that the Tui Samoa cable will enhance this process.

This initiative will help the business, education and health sectors which would positively affect the lives of all Samoan people. I often hear that broadband really is the electricity of the modern age.

Digicels investment and the broadband service via Tui Samoa cable once again depicts the commitment by the company for the island state.

I am also saddened by the destruction left behind by Cyclone Gita which ravaged the island earlier this month, my well wishes are with the people of Samoa as they work hard to recover and continue with life and business.

As part of the launch, Digicel Samoa will also be unveiling simplified data plans in the market and fully utilise this amazing technological advancement for Samoa. Customers will now have zero outages with improved end user experience.Samoa can officially begin exporting fresh banana and plantains to New Zealand again.

The breakthrough comes under a new export plan the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries have agreed upon.

The good news for banana farmers come after a long hiatus since Samoa stopped exporting fresh bananas to New Zealand because of issues concerning pests and diseases as well as inconsistencies with supplies.

This resulted in other Asian, Australian and South American countries stepping in to meet the demands of the New Zealand market.

In the past two years, the M.A.F. have been in discussions with the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries through its bilateral Quarantine Agreement meetings with an outcome that will see Samoas banana exports developing and growing again, but under strict import bio security requirements from New Zealand.

According to a press release from M.A.F, the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries will conduct audit visits of both pathways and will work closely with the M.A.F. as part of the Bilateral Quarantine Agreement within one and a half years of trade commencement. A formal signing of the export plan will take place during the next bilateral meeting.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer, C.E.O of M.A.F. Tilafono David Hunter said they expected the number of banana growers to increase given the market opportunity.

He also stressed that the nascent stages of this bilateral trade is crucial and their Ministry will work to ensure that they support banana growers to pursue their full potential.

The banana market in New Zealand is huge and our Ministry will support our banana growers and exporters to penetrate it and ensure sustainability of quality and supply, and most of all ensure compliance to New Zealands biosecurity requirements.

With our strong support provided to our recently established banana association of 35 registered members, which may expand subject to interest shown for this market opportunity, our Quarantine Services will be stringent in the monitoring of the compliance by our banana growers and exporters as per our agreed production, postharvest handling, packaging, and labelling with New Zealand M.P.I.

Tilafono also said it is vital that farmers and exporters understand that New Zealand Biosecurity standards must be met and there will be no tolerance of any violations.

It is important for all our farmers and exporters to remember that New Zealand Biosecurity is not negotiable, period, he said.

And when we are given their blessings in terms of market access for our agricultural produce/products after long periods of negotiations, everyone has to play their respective roles to ensure that we don't destroy it. Not just our Ministry.

Tilafono emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will be taking a hard stance when it comes to their Quarantine Services policies, but they are also confident in the skills and experience of the Banana Association and its members.

In short, if some of our banana growers and exporters don't comply then our Quarantine Services will not issue relevant biosecurity export documentations, said Tilafono. But our Minister and Ministry are confident that we will succeed, given the skills and experience of the highly distinguished members of the banana association and we will be on standby to play our role and support them as per our mandate.

Through the re-commencement of export bananas and plantains in New Zealand, Samoa is the first country in the Pacific to have a Commodity Export Plan approved under the Ministry of Primary Industries update Import Health Standards system.New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, touched down in Samoa last night, marking a historical first visit for the Labour Party leader.

The youngest woman to have held the Prime Ministership portfolio arrived on a Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules with her partner, Clarke Gayford.

Ms. Ardern and her delegation including New Zealands Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters, were greeted on the tarmac at the Faleolo International Airport by Deputy Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa.

Fiame was accompanied by the Associate Minister of the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Peseta Vaifou Tevaga and Miss Samoa, Papalii Alexandra Iakopo.

Ms. Ardern could not be interviewed.

But she took the time to acknowledge a small crowd that had gathered there and representatives of the local media before she was whisked away by her security officials.

She spent last night at Taumeasina Island Resort.

Samoa is the first stop of Ms. Arderns Pacific tour, which also includes a visit to Tonga, Niue and the Cook Islands.

Among the New Zealand delegation are other Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament including Carmel Sepuloni, Aupito William Sio, Fletcher Tabuteau, and National MPs Gerry Brownlee and Alfred Ngaro. They are being followed by a huge media delegation from New Zealand.

The visit comes after Foreign Minister Vaovasa promised to boost aid and embark on a new strategy with New Zealand's Pacific neighbours.

During a speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney last week, Vaovasa raised concerns about the Pacific "attracting an increasing number of external actors."

China is no doubt on the agenda.

But in terms of priorities, Ms. Ardern will be more concerned about climate change and the devastation caused by Cyclone Gita recently.

"Seeing the scale of the disruption to kids' education, I imagine that will probably really hit home to us when we see it," she is quoted as saying by Radio New Zealand.

"We'll be needing to make sure we carefully balance that though with also the kind of relationship we have, what business links we can build, [and] ways we can enhance economic development for the Pacific as well.

New Zealands Climate Change Minister, James Shaw, is also on the trip. Ms. Arderns first official appearance today will be the inspection of the Guard of honour, kicking off a busy day (see schedule on left)

About Jacinda Ardern

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was born in the city of Hamilton, New Zealand, and grew up rurally.

She attended high school before graduating from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Communication Studies in Politics and Public Relations.

Post-university, she worked as an advisor in the office of then-Prime Minister Helen Clark, in London for the Government Cabinet Office and as an Assistant Director in the Department for Business and Enterprise, and on a review of Policing in England and Wales.

The Prime Minister joined the New Zealand Labour Party at age 18 and entered New Zealands Parliament in 2008.

Over her nine years as a representative she has been a strong advocate for children, women, and the right of every New Zealander to have meaningful work.

She became the MP for the Auckland electorate Mt Albert in early 2017, and the Leader of the Labour Party in August 2017.

As well as Prime Minister, she holds the roles of Minister for National Security and Intelligence, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, and Minister for Child Poverty Reduction, an issue particularly close to her heart.New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern inspected the Guard of Honour in front of the Government Building this morning as her first official duty in Samoa.

Ms. Ardern arrived last night and is in the country for a day. It is her first official visit as New Zealands Prime Minister on a tour that includes stops in Tonga, Niue and the Cook Islands.

The Prime Minister and her delegation  including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vaovasa Winston Peters - has a full day ahead, starting with joint media conference with Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

The following is her list of activities today:

10.15 am: SBEC Event

10.30 am: Moata'a Mangrove Walkway

10.40 am: Habitat for Humanity site visit (Magiagi)

11.30 am: National University of Samoa visit and roundtable

12.30 pm: Climate Change Luncheon

3.30 pm: Marist St Joseph's Sports Club visit

6.30 pm: Official Pacific Mission 2018 ReceptionThink a minuteWhen was the last time you cried? Crying can surprise us. But in those moments of sadness, joy, relief, or fear, our tears can help us see the truth of what is important in life. Tears are the language of the heart. They express our deepest needs, hurts, loves, and joys that words cannot say.

A wise person said: Let your tears water your soul What soap is for the body, tears are for the soulEvery tear should fulfill its purpose, so dont wipe the reason for them away.

My two sons are men now; but recently I was looking at old photos of them when they were small. Seeing them again so little and dependent on my wife and me brought back such powerful memories and feelings that suddenly tears came to my eyes. I realized that I can never turn back the clock to experience their childhood again. My tears reminded me how short life is. Its true that while raising our children, The days are long, but the years are short.

I remember in those early years we were so busy with our childrens schedules and needs, sometimes we failed to fully feel and be grateful for all the joy, love and meaning of each moment together. Our memories and tears can teach us what life is all about.

Tears of compassion help us see and understand each other. At the end of World War II an American army colonel was riding in his vehicle. Along the sides of the dusty road were long lines of German soldiers slowly walking with their heads down in defeat on the long road home to Germany.

This American colonel said: Before that moment, I hated them. A few weeks earlier they were killing us. I assumed most of them were confirmed Nazis. Yet suddenly I saw them as human beings, heading home after years away from their families. I found myself crying before I could help it.

The tears of this tough, battle-hardened soldier suddenly helped him see his enemy as his fellow man, with the exact same pain, fears and hopes he had. His tears of compassion began to wash out the anger and hate from his heart.

Jesus perfectly understands your deepest feelings and the reason for your tears. He has felt it all Himself! Wont you ask Him to come in to your heart, and to start healing your hurts and restoring your hopes today? Just think a minuteThe 2018 edition of the La Jolla Music Societys annual SummerFest chamber music festival will be an era-ending landmark for its music director, Cho-Liang Jimmy Lin, who has guided the annual August event for the past 18 of its 32 years.

I wanted all my favorite musicians, my best friends, to come and celebrate my farewell with me and have a last season I can proudly say is a good one, said Lin, speaking from his home in Houston, where he is a professor of violin studies at Rice University.

The star-packed lineup Lin has assembled  which includes Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman and San Diegos Wu Man and Steven Schick  affirms he has achieved his goal. Starting in the summer of 2019, Lin will launch the nonprofit Taipei Festival & Academy in his native Taiwan. SummerFests new music director, Inon Barnatan, will take the mantle next year.

SummerFest 2018 concert schedule and ticket information

SummerFest 2018 season ticket packages go on sale April 12. Standard season subscription ticket packages are priced from $470 to $790 for 12 concerts. Standard-plus season ticket packages are priced from $595 to $1,030 for all 16 concerts. Subscription renewals begin March 8 and run through April 11. Single concert tickets, for which prices are not yet available, go on sale June 11. More information is available from the La Jolla Music Society ticket services office at (858) 459-3728 and online at LJMS.org. All concerts are at 8 p.m. at UC San Diegos Conrad Prebys Concert Hall, unless otherwise indicated.

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Friday, Aug. 3: Opening Night: Carnival!  Bartok, Villa-Lobos & Saint-Saens

Saturday, Aug. 4: An Evening with Yefim Bronfman

Sunday, Aug. 5 (3 p.m.): An Afternoon with the Emerson String Quartet

Tuesday, Aug. 7: Music from the Heart  Khachaturian, Mendelssohn & Rachmaninoff

Wednesday, Aug. 8: Late Night with Leonard Bernstein

Thursday, Aug. 9: 49 Minutes on the Edge  An Exploration with FLUX Quartet

Friday, Aug. 10: Across Oceans  Ichiyanagi, Bruch & Dvorak

Saturday, Aug. 11: SummerFest Gala at Audrey Geisels home

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Tuesday, Aug. 14: My Favorite Playlist, curated by Cho-Liang Lin  Debussy, Lei Liang, Mahler & Ginestera

Wednesday, Aug. 15: An Evening with Adele Anthony & Gil Shaham

Thursday, Aug. 16: 49 Minutes on the Edge  Piano Focus

Friday, Aug. 17: Johannes, Clara & Robert

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Saturday, Aug. 18: A Night of Jazz with The John Pizzarelli Trio

Sunday, Aug. 19 (3 p.m.): The Glory of Cremona  Stradivari, Guarneri & Amati

Tuesday, Aug. 21: Midnight in Paris  Gounod, Ravel & Chausson

Wednesday, Aug. 22: An Evening with Emanuel Ax

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Friday, Aug. 24: Finale concert at Balboa Theater with David Zinman, Emanuel Ax & the San Diego Master Chorale

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george.varga@sduniontribune.com

Twitter @georgevarga

UPDATES:

9:51 p.m., March 4: The name of the Taipei Festival & Academy was incorrectly referred to as the Taipei Chamber Music Festival & Academy in the original version of this article.Last summer, Dominos began testing new self-driving Ford vehicles in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the pizza chain is headquartered. Now these cars are making their way to warmer climates for a two-month trial in a larger city: Miami, Florida. But this time around, things are going to be a little different.

Down in the Sunshine State each Ford Fusion Hybrid vehicle will appear to be delivery boy-less, but will actually be manually driven. Miamians participating in the second round of testing can track their order via GPS and receive text messages as the vehicle approaches. This includes a four-digit code needed to unlock the heat-wave compartment in which steamy pizzas await.

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Were a brand that believes in innovation, continuous improvement and rigorous testing to benefit our customers, Dominos executive vice president Kevin Vasconi said in a press release. As the automotive world evolves towards self-driving vehicles, we hope to put ourselves in a leading position by bringing our customers the delivery option that best meets their needs, now and in the future.

If all goes according to plan, Ford plans to begin large-scale production of self-driving vehicles in 2021. Perhaps more of Americas 35 favorite pizza chains will follow Dominos lead.

View slideshow

more pizza storiesAn art instructor noticed that Manuelita Browns charcoal sketches were more focused on form than perspective, which was unusual for painters or sketch artists. Youre a sculptor, arent you? she asked Brown. Turns out she was right.

Brown spent decades teaching mathematics and as a wife and mother before making the switch to full-time visual artist. Specializing in bronze figurative and portrait sculptures, shes accepted all sorts of commission projects that include life-sized dolphins in La Jolla; the Encinitas Child; an eight-foot statue of the Triton, a life-sized statue of Sojourner Truth, and a bust of Thurgood Marshall, all on the campus of UC San Diego (where she earned a masters degree in psychology in the 1970s).

Through April 15, her work will be on display at the Legacy in Black exhibit, curated by the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art in collaboration with the San Diego History Center. The exhibit features the work of black artists who are either from San Diego or have a significant connection to San Diego.

Brown, 77, lives in Encinitas with her husband Willie, and they have two adult sons. She took some time to discuss her work, the contributions she wants to make with her art, and who she was rooting for in a more recently lauded work of black art, Marvels Black Panther.

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Q: How did your transition from a career in mathematics to visual art take place?

A: Over several decades, while working as a mathematics teacher and director of a collaborative learning program for math and science students at UC San Diego, my art-making took different forms of expression that included sewing, knitting, supervising the design and construction of two homes, making furniture and designing landscapes. A friend and colleague served on a citizens board that was considering a remodel of the UTC mall. He heard that they were looking for a sculptor, and he suggested me. I submitted a proposal and was selected to create the dolphins for UTC. I used all my vacation time from my job to complete the project. When it ended, I decided that I needed more time for sculpting and decided to leave education and become a full-time sculptor.

Q: Tell us about the Legacy in Black exhibit at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park.

A: The exhibit features eight visual artists that have a connection to San Diego (Ernest Eugene Barnes Jr., Jean Cornwell Wheat, Albert Fennell, Kadir Nelson, Faith Ringgold, Charles Rucker, Rossie Wade and myself). Its purpose is to celebrate these black artists and call attention to their work. I created four public works in San Diego County that are landmark pieces: the dolphins at UTC (Almas del Mar), King Triton and Sojourner Truth at UC San Diego and the welcoming Encinitas Child.

Q: What does it mean to you to be selected as someone whose work is important and is worth preserving in this way?

A: To be included in this exhibit is a step toward fulfilling my mission as an artist. Most of the time, when a photo of public art is featured in an article, magazine or newspaper, the photographer is cited and the artist is not. This exhibit offered me the opportunity to have San Diegans know who I am. In a museum exhibit, the artist is cited for each work, thus my work and my name will gain recognition. This is a necessary step to fulfilling my mission of developing a sculpture park for figurative works; I must be much better known.

What I love about Encinitas ...

My neighbors are friendly and caring (if there are some that are not, I dont know them). The sheriffs in Encinitas and the local merchants have been supportive of my son, whos dealing with mental illness. I love the relative closeness of everything that I need in Encinitas, which is within walking distance to all essentials.

Q: Which pieces of yours are on display at Legacy in Black?

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A: With the exception of Ms. Claiborne Can Siiing!, which is terracotta, the pieces are cast bronze. The concept for Ill Fly Away began with an enslaved family searching for a safe haven. However, as I worked on it, I thought of people  refugees around the globe, then and now, that are searching for safety  often fleeing with only the clothes on their backs. Dreamin is a woman thinking of the future she may find beyond her doorstep. Ms. Claiborne was a person I encountered at an octogenarians birthday party and she sang a solo for him, confident and stately even though she may have been a bit past her prime. Les Croisees was conceived and partially sculpted as my response to feeling alone, but exposed in a crowd; thus, she is nude, sitting with legs and arms crossed. I was at an art show early in my career, and sitting in my booth was isolating and I wanted to hide. Agape exhibits an expression of self-love, which is necessary if one is to love others.

Q: When you go to museums or galleries to look at art, what are you drawn to?

A: I am drawn to sculpture. I am looking for expressions of emotion and what I can learn from the examples that I see. With limited formal training in sculpture, I depend heavily on analyzing the work of master sculptors and learning from my observation.

Q: What inspires you in your artwork?

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A: People inspire me: my family, people in the news, historical characters that I read about and even fictional characters. The most inspiring persons today are among the teens from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, especially Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg.

Q: What do you want to communicate through that work?

A: That we were and are HERE and that we everyday people accomplish monumental tasks, and that we also sustain the events of everyday life by the many smaller, but meaningful tasks we do. I think they all deserve recognition and I hope that it is communicated through my work.

Q: Do you consider what you create to be black art and how would you define that?

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A: I do not make black art and I cannot define it. I make art that reflects my experience. I am an American, descendant of African and Irish slaves and probably some slave owner(s), as well. I lived with the degradation and humiliation of segregation, lynching, Jim Crow laws and discrimination. To the degree that my art is successful, it reflects that experience and testifies to the pride I have in my fellow black Americans and the African diaspora.

Q: Speaking of the African diaspora, have you seen the Marvel movie Black Panther yet?

A: Yes. My thoughts as I left the theater were about the beauty of the people, the marvel of the imagery and technology that it must take to make such a film. Action movies are not my thing, and I have seen very few; none in the last few years. As I thought about it later, it seemed to be a classic melodrama: a corrupt/greedy man attempting to steal resources; brother kills brother and the fall-out; cousins competing for power; progressive philosophy versus a vengeful one; and the hero gets the girl.

Q: From the movie: Shuri, Okoye or Nakia?

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A: No preference! All are powerful women: the scientist/inventor, the faithful warrior, and the fighter for ideals.

Q: TChalla or Killmonger?

A: I rooted for TChalla. I applauded his final global philosophy as a rebuttal to our current administration. The mindset of Killmonger is an anathema to me. I could not have remained productive if I identified with or adopted his mindset.

Q: Whats been challenging about your work as an artist?

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A: As a figurative artist in a classical vein, my work is often viewed by collectors and patrons as skillful replicas of the human form with little or no meaning. Seemingly, their preference is for edgy abstract or conceptual expressions and they are often not willing to look for the conceptual messages embedded in figurative art.

Q: Whats been rewarding about that work?

A: The response of viewers brings the greatest reward. For example, a woman told me that she could not shop for long without experiencing serious anxiety at UTC. There were too many people and too much noise. But after the dolphins were installed, she could sit by them and relax a few minutes, then continue shopping. To have a calming effect was part of the goal in creating them. It is also gratifying to realize in 3-D, something that I imagined.

Q: What is the best advice youve ever received?

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A: This above all: to thine own self be true, which my third grade teacher, Mrs. Pleasants, wrote in a card to me as I completed seventh grade (which comes from Hamlet by Shakespeare).

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: That I am quite reserved, but I smile easily and often, and most people think I am more gregarious. However, give me a quiet moment and I can get lost in a corner with a book or in the studio with lump of clay.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

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A: A Saturday morning walk with my husband through our neighborhood and down to the beach, time in my studio, a bowl of soup, TV or a movie with my husband and then church on Sunday where we sit holding hands in the same pew with the same friends.

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Email: lisa.deaderick@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @lisadeaderickA drug-dealing sailor from Naval Air Station Lemoore lost her appeal and will be dishonorably discharged from the military. The woman said that she cleaned up her act in jail but military appellate judges were not swayed.

In a decision issued Monday, the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., upheld the sentence meted out to Aviation Structural Mechanic Airman Jasmine N. McClendon on May 11 after her court-martial in San Diego.

As part of a plea deal with Navy prosecutors that capped her prison sentence at 14 months, McClendon admitted to distributing narcotics at Lemoore, near Fresno, violating the terms of a previous administrative punishment and multiple drug abuse charges tied to her drug addiction.

The military judge ordered her reduced to the Navys lowest rank and removed from the service on a dishonorable discharge.

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That type of discharge is reserved for the most serious military crimes and can only be dished out at a general court-martial proceeding. Despite previously meritorious conduct, a sailor exiting the Navy with a dishonorable discharge triggers a wide range of other sanctions, including the loss of veterans benefits and the right to possess firearms.

McClendons attorneys argued that the discharge was too severe and cited her struggles with addiction, difficulty adjusting to Navy life after enlisting at the age of 17, her rehabilitation efforts during 127 days of pretrial confinement and later helping Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents crack down on illicit drug sales.

Coming to the brig was definitely the best thing thats ever happened to me, McClendon said during her sentencing hearing, according to court documents.

While incarcerated, McClendon began to study Buddhism, took courses to control her addiction and stayed sober. Her attorneys requested a less-severe bad conduct discharge, but the tribunal unanimously disagreed.

Writing for the panel, Navy Senior Judge Capt. Frank D. Hutchison pointed out that McClendon committed her crimes while serving 60 days of restriction following non-judicial punishment for abusing cocaine.

Termed a Captains Mast in the Navy, this punishment typically involves restricting service members to quarters, imposing extra duties and cell phone confiscation, plus other forms of discipline designed to correct misconduct instead of sending a sailor to a court-martial trial.

While living in a restricted barracks, however, McClendon kept drug paraphernalia and introduced cocaine, methamphetamines, psilocybin mushrooms, LSD and marijuana products to fellow sailors there, using her banned cell phone to facilitate the delivery of the drugs, court records show.

Her brazen misconduct while on restriction, her inclusion of other sailors in her crimes, and her intent to distribute drugs to other sailors far outweigh her extenuating and mitigating circumstances, Hutchinson wrote.

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McClendon can appeal the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C., but her case has yet to be added to its docket. She remains on the Navys rolls until all appeals are exhausted.

NCIS did not return messages seeking comments about the assistance she apparently provided to agents.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics counted 1,084 military members behind bars at the end of 2016, the last year publicly available. One of out every 10 convicted sailors is behind bars because of drug charges, according to the Pentagon.

During the same week as McClendons sentencing, Petty Officer 3rd Class Taylor N. Brown pleaded guilty in San Diego to multiple charges of conspiracy, drug distribution and abuse of a controlled substance and also garnered a dishonorable discharge for his role in the Lemoore narcotics ring.

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In an unrelated San Diego court-martial, Petty Officer 2nd Class Heather M. Andrews drew a three-month prison term for possessing drug paraphernalia, abusing a controlled substance, tampering with a drug test, uttering a false official statement and unauthorized absence from her her duties at Southwest Regional Maintenance Center.

Seaman Vashawn T. Crittenden served 97 days in the brig and was given a bad conduct discharge after admitting to carrying a banned air pistol, substance abuse and distributing drugs. He had served aboard the San Diego-based cruiser Lake Champlain.

The Navys policy on drug abuse is simple and clear, zero tolerance, said Navy Region Southwest spokesman Brian ORourke.

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cprine@sduniontribune.comRep. Duncan Hunter marches on, even as Republicans on both coasts tighten the screws.

He has filed for re-election and outwardly seems unfazed by the prospect of high-profile election opponents.

Despite continued reports about investigations and titillating details of his behavior, nobody yet is counting the East County Republican out for re-election.

And recently, hes been getting attention for something different  acting like a congressman.

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Hunter was the first locally elected official who actually sought to do something to reverse the seemingly inevitable Broadcom takeover of Qualcomm, the San Diego-based tech giant.

Late last week he sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking that the prospective sale be suspended until it could be reviewed for national security implications.

Mr. President, should a deal materialize, I request that you block this sale pending a full security review and investigation, Hunter said in the letter, according to The Street. The growing Chinese connection by Broadcom creates the opportunity for Chinas security agencies to access and utilize Qualcomms technology in defense-critical situations.

Shortly after Hunter urged that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States scrutinize the Singapore-based Broadcoms bid, Reuters broke the story that some in the agency had been considering it, though its not at all clear Hunters action had anything to do with that.

The congressman also sent a similar letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, made similar requests. It appears the panel has yet to take up a formal review, but at least Hunter and the others pointed to a potential roadblock to a deal many believe would be detrimental to the country, and to San Diegos economy and psyche.

Just days later, Hunter took to social media to note that he went to the border to examine the prototypes for Trumps proposed extended border wall, and to get firsthand look at a festering environmental problem.

Great tour of border last week, got full update on wall prototypes and new border enforcement technology, also viewed ongoing problems with Tijuana River sewage spill. Will keep working with @POTUS to make the border wall happen and thanks to our Border Patrol for all they do. Hunter said Monday on Twitter.

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He posted that just as plans were revealed for Trump to visit the prototypes later this month and the day before federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel ruled against a lawsuit that could have delayed the wall.

Keep in mind that Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in Hunters 50th district by 15 points. And while at least one poll shows more than two-thirds of Californians are against the extended border wall, its a fair assumption that the project either has support in Hunters district or is not so greatly opposed.

Hunter, an early supporter of Trump, might be one of the few politicians in the county who could benefit politically by being seen with the president during his visit.

All that could take some of the focus off what Hunter is now mostly known for: a criminal investigation into his campaign finances, his drinking, his questionable relationships with women and his aggressive advocacy of smoking e-cigarettes, or vaping.

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Anything would help. His political problems are getting worse. The GOP establishment in Washington has been growing increasingly impatient with Hunter and, according to Politico, has given the greenlight to consultants to work with Republican candidates opposing him.

El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells became the first Republican with any public profile to challenge Hunter. Former San Diego councilman turned radio talk show host Carl DeMaio has been telling people hes going to run and plans to make an announcement in the coming days.

A little-known Republican, businessman Shamus Sayed, has already signaled he will use his personal wealth to try to carve a path to victory in the district. Hes seeking to stake out middle ground between the conservatives (Hunter, Wells, DeMaio) and two Democrats, former Labor Department spokesman Ammar Campa-Najjar and school board member Josh Butner.

Significantly, longtime county Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who you could consider the mayor of East County, recently came out in favor of Wells  and strongly against Hunter.

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We need a choice and its time for a change, she said. Duncan, Im sorry to say, has lost the publics trust.

She suggested her concern wasnt just the legal concerns.Its a character issue, she said.

She said Wells has shown leadership in El Cajon, is an upstanding citizen and his background in clinical psychology gives him unique insight into mental health issues, homelessness and mass shootings  some of the big issues of the day.

It remains to be seen whether Hunters flaws and election opponents will overcome his past popularity and strong stands in favor of the military and against illegal immigration.

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But Wells, while popular in his city, isnt a big figure outside it. DeMaio is known throughout the region and his profile has only grown with what appears to be a successful statewide initiative drive to repeal the states recent gas tax hike. His lead in overhauling San Diegos troubled pension system had already cemented his image as a conservative populist.

However, he does not live in the 50th district, and while that does not prohibit him from running, it does open him up to carpetbagger accusations.

DeMaio has been a favorite of the Republican Party of San Diego County, which backed him in campaigns for San Diego mayor and a different congressional seat. But earlier this month, the party reiterated its support for Hunter, and expressed confidence that the very red district will remain in the Republican column.

The Republican Party of San Diego County has endorsed and stands by its endorsement of @Rep_Hunter, the party tweeted on Feb. 20, the day Wells announced. If Democrats believe they can take #CA50 they must be smoking something.

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Hunter has taken on water, but is banking on the decades of local support he and his congressman father before him have built to keep him afloat.

If he survives his legal problems, a tough primary challenge and possibly tougher November challenge, then hell be able to blow all the vape smoke he wants in the faces of national GOP leaders.

Tweet of the Week

Goes to Lyndsay Winkley (@LAWinkley) of the Union-Tribune.

When you get a letter that begins, Dear King Arthur and the brights at the Vacaville prison roundtable, you know its gonna be an interesting day. #jailmailCITY COUNCILS

CARLSBAD

The Carlsbad City Council met in closed session Tuesday to discuss property negotiation and labor negotiations. In regular session, the council held a hearing and approved construction of a mixed-use building with 943 square feet of commercial space and six residential condominium units at Madison Street and Oak Avenue. The council heard reports on the results of the 2017 Resident Public Opinion Survey, and on the progress of its council goals. Steven Sobieraj and Joy Evans were appointed to the citys Community Development Block Grant Funding Advisory Committee, and Roy Meenes and Carolyn Luna were appointed to the Planning Commission.

ENCINITAS

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The Encinitas City Council canceled its regular meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

OCEANSIDE

The Oceanside City Council met Wednesday in closed session to discuss litigation and property negotiations. In regular session, the council agreed to start an IRS trust to offset the costs of the citys CalPERS pension obligations; held a hearing and agreed to raise the citys junior lifeguard program fees from $310 to $330; and approved a resolution opposing oil drilling along the citys coastline.

SAN MARCOS

The San Marcos City Council met Tuesday and adopted a resolution modifying terms on the declarations of restrictive covenants for deed-restricted manufactured home lots upon foreclosure. The council also awarded a contract to Convergint Technologies for $290,000 to install access control systems at all four fire stations, and the Emergency Training Center, Public Works and Community Services buildings.

SOLANA BEACH

The Solana Beach City Council met in closed session Wednesday to discuss litigation. In special session, the council held a hearing and approved permits to do habitat restoration and to build public trail improvements, an extension of the Solana Beach Coastal Rail Trail, and trail amenities on a vacant property at 640 Highway 101. The council also approved and directed staff to begin the process of implementing Community Choice Aggregation, an independent energy program. Council members took no action on a proposal to raise their compensation. Jeffrey McMillan was appointed to the Public Arts Commission.

VISTA

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The Vista City Council met Tuesday to hold a hearing on a request to the Local Agency Formation Commission for the Annexation/Reorganization of 29.5 acres east of Buena Vista Drive, south of Mar Vista Drive, and north of Park Hill Road, in order to resolve sewage issues. Josh Williams of BW Research Partnership, Inc. presented the results of a community survey, which indicated that traffic congestion and road maintenance were the highest concerns for residents, and that 3/4 of residents were still satisfied with the citys quality of life.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

CARLSBAD

The Carlsbad Unified School District board met in closed session Wednesday to discuss student discipline and personnel. In regular session, the board received new contract proposals with the Laborers International Union of North America Local 777, and heard a presentation on local funding measure campaigns and bond finances to support its Facility Master Plan. Campus safety and security were discussed and district staff are meeting with Carlsbad Police and Fire, Department of Homeland Security and Sandy Hook Promise as they review site safety plans.

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DEL MAR

The Del Mar Union School District board met in closed session Wednesday to discuss labor negotiations and personnel. In regular session, the board heard a report on the first of its Community Collaboration: Generations of Knowledge Innovate Forward Series meetings, and on its District Design 2022 Parent Events. The board also voted to raise tuition at the Early Childhood Development Center for the 2018-2019 academic year by 3 percent across all categories except infants, which would be raised 6 percent, and an increase from $100 to $150 in the registration fee, which becomes a registration and materials fee.

ESCONDIDO

The Escondido Union School District board met for a board study session Feb. 22 at the district office, 2310 Aldergrove Ave., to discuss the 2018-19 projected district budget and the LCAP re-prioritization.

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OCEANSIDE

The Oceanside Unified School District board met Tuesday for a board workshop on the California School Dashboard and the Local Control and Accountability Plan. The board also directed staff to prepare a request for proposals for an executive search firm to help hire a new superintendent. The board then went into closed session to discuss personnel and labor negotiations.

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laura.groch@sduniontribune.comSan Diego has roughly $100 million to spend on projects in University City because of the decision not to build the Regents Road bridge.

The money will likely be spent on smart stoplights, expanded libraries, new fire stations and park upgrades.

The city will soon create a list of priority projects based on community input.

San Diegos decision not to build the Regents Road connector bridge frees up roughly $100 million for nearby projects in University City including smart stoplights, expanded libraries, new fire stations and park upgrades.

Now that litigation that aimed to revive the bridge was dismissed last month by a judge, city officials say they must decide how to spend developer fees that would have paid for the connector bridge and a related widening of Genesee Avenue.

The city only has about $5 million in cash set aside for the two projects, but many more millions in developer fees that will be collected in coming years would have been devoted to their construction  money that can now be used for other priorities.

Theres a pot of money and it would be re-allocated and prioritized to what the community groups want, said Janay Kruger, chairwoman of the University Community Planning Group.

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The relatively large price tags of the $68 million bridge and the Genesee widening costing at least $24 million have cast a shadow for many years over the use of those accumulating developer fees.

Community leaders couldnt plausibly suggest ambitious projects like library expansions and new fire stations when two expensive road projects were on the list of community priorities for the money, resident Debby Knight said.

We can now have a modern, 21st century look at what we need, said Knight, who leads an environmental group that opposed the bridge. What kind of infrastructure do we need that can be paid for with this money?

Kruger said priorities should include smart stoplight systems, a new fire station on Governor Drive and expansions of the North University Community Library on Nobel Drive and the University Community Library on Governor Drive.

The fees have been collected since 1987 from developers based on how significantly their projects worsen traffic in University City, a notoriously congested area that includes the University of California San Diego and three freeways  state Route 52 and Interstates 5 and 805.

Some residents have speculated that developers would get their money back because the city decided not to build the bridge, but the money is not collected for specific projects.

The bridge and widening of Genesee had been conceived as projects that would reduce congestion by providing a crucial north-south route through the community.

But the City Council voted 6-2 in late 2016 to remove them from planning maps, citing environmental concerns and doubts the two projects would truly reduce congestion.

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The developer fees, called facilities benefit assessments, have generated more than $215 million for community projects over the years, and the city has spent or committed $193 million.

That leaves nearly $22 million, a number that will steadily grow as more development takes place in University City.

City officials have a list of priority projects for the money called a public facilities financing plan, which hasnt been updated since 2013  before the bridge and widening of Genesee were removed from planning maps.

City spokesman Arian Collins said that its time to amend and update the plan now that litigation over the bridge has concluded.

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Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal ruled in early February that the states environmental law  the California Environmental Quality Act  doesnt apply to the councils decision to remove the bridge and the widening of Genesee from the University Community Plan.

The lawsuit, filed by residents in favor of the bridge in January 2017, contended San Diego officials violated CEQA when an environmental report they prepared didnt consider the regional and long-term impacts of not building the bridge.

The process of updating the priority project list will include multiple public hearings and eventually a City Council vote.

Kruger said the communitys No. 1 priority should be smart stoplights, which memorize traffic patterns, communicate with each other and adjust the timing of green and red lights to improve traffic flow.

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Formally known as adaptive traffic signals, the stoplights have already been installed by the city in Point Loma, La Jolla, Mission Valley, Mira Mesa and Sorrento Valley.

The councils decision to bail on the bridge and widening of Genesee included a plan to add such stoplights along the full length of Nobel Drive, La Jolla Village Drive and Genesee Avenue from state Route 52 to North Torrey Pines Road.

They can have a substantial impact on reducing traffic, Kruger said.

Kruger said other priorities should be expanding both of the communitys library branches.

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They are both bursting at the seams, she said, adding that the communitys population has grown faster than its library capacity.

The list should also include half the cost of building a fire station somewhere along Governor Drive, she said. The developer fees can only cover half the cost because the station would also serve parts of Clairemont.

The station would be in addition to fire stations planned on Nobel Drive and on the UCSD campus.

Kruger said parks upgrades are also possible, but characterized them as more difficult because the developer fees can only be used for new construction  like tot lots and bathrooms  not some badly needed maintenance projects.

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david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrickEver since methadone clinics began curbing the cravings of heroin addicts in the 1960s, the treatment has held onto its seedy stigma. But that could be changing in light of the nations opioid epidemic, killing tens of thousands of people each year.

Quick read

Public health campaigns have recently been looking to methadone and similar medications, such as Suboxone, to help stem the fatalities from prescription opioids, heroin and fentanyl.

In San Diego County, many publicly-funded drug treatment programs have not accepted methadone patients. But new Medi-Cal rules mean they will soon have to.

The change will be a cultural shift for many treatment programs, which have favored abstinence-based methods over medication.

Full story

Tucked in an Oceanside medical park  among offices for an optometrist, a pediatric dentist and family physicians  is a nondescript clinic where a steady stream of heroin addicts shows up once a day, seven days a week.

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They come for methadone, a potent cherry-red liquid that keeps away the cravings and helps them to be functioning members of society. For many, that daily dose is a matter of life and death.

The location in a medical plaza was extremely important to Dr. Laura Rossi when she and her father opened SOAP MAT methadone clinic in 2012. It communicates that addiction should be treated as any other disease, and that these patients are no different than the ones visiting medical specialists down the hall.

If we choose to try to keep this disease in the shadows, the addiction for opioids is going to grow and manifest in the shadows, Rossi, a forensic and clinical psychologist, said.

Methadone has been used to treat heroin addicts since the 1960s, with a track record of saving generations of users and a lot of science to back it up, yet it has held onto its seedy stigma.

That could be changing as the nation grapples with an opioid epidemic that continues to claim tens of thousands of lives each year.

Methadone and newer medications that block opioid cravings are gaining wider acceptance in public health campaigns as tools to stem the fatal overdoses brought on by prescription pills, heroin and its deadly synthetic cousin, fentanyl.

The development is forcing a cultural shift in addiction treatment that has traditionally favored abstinence-based recovery programs and dismissed methadone as replacing one drug with another.

Its an adjustment that many of San Diegos publicly-funded treatment programs have been reluctant to embrace. Now they will have to.

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County-contracted drug recovery centers that have largely shunned treatment of methadone patients will soon be required to accept them under new Medi-Cal rules.

As the addiction field is coming into the 21st century  kicking and screaming  the science of addiction in regards to these medicines is undeniably clear, said Richard Rawson, a Vermont researcher and professor emeritus at UCLA School of Medicine who is helping California expand access to such treatment. These medicines, from a public health point of view, are essential parts of the response to the opioid epidemic.

Highly regulated

Methadone works by attaching to receptors in the brain, fully blocking symptoms of opioid withdrawal and easing cravings without creating a euphoric high.

Licensed methadone clinics such as SOAP MAT  which stands for Stop Opiate Addiction Program Medication-Assisted Treatment and uses the motto Get clean with SOAP!  are the only places the medication is legally available. This clinic, one of 10 in the county, has about 650 active patients.

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On a recent Thursday morning, the clinic is packed with patients waiting for their methadone doses.

The small lobby looks like any other doctors office, although the sometimes rough-around-the-edges clientele hints at the reason they are here.

Once signed in, one-by-one they are buzzed through a series of doors to a dosing room, where they take their medication privately.

A nurse sitting at a window verifies who they are, then asks the computer to dispense the correct dose of cherry-flavored methadone into a little disposable cup. Water washes down the bitter liquid. The process takes only a few minutes.

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The patient then exits out another unmarked door.

It is a highly monitored environment, regulated strictly by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the state of California.

More closely than anybody would imagine, said Rossi.

New patients undergo a comprehensive physical exam and must come every day for their dose, although patients who show success with the treatment after a while earn take-home privileges, from weekend doses to several weeks worth.

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Patients dont rely on methadone alone. All clinics are mandated to provide regular counseling to treat root causes of the addiction and help patients rebuild their lives. At SOAP MAT, the counseling offices are in a separate suite down the breezeway.

Rossi said she has seen lives dramatically transformed combining methadone with counseling.

Its enabling a person to function, commit fewer crimes, live a happy, healthy life, be a taxpayer, work, Rossi said.

She pointed to data cited by the California Society of Addiction Medicine that says abstinence models produce a 5 to 10 percent success rate for heroin addicts, whereas methadone maintenance treatment  the practice of keeping a patient on a steady-state daily dose of methadone so they can function normally  has shown success rates of 60 to 90 percent.

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While methadone is the pioneering drug when it comes to medication-assisted treatment for addiction, other drugs  namely buprenorphine, often marketed as Suboxone  have grown in popularity and helped push such treatments more into the mainstream.

Suboxone can be prescribed by primary care physicians  helping erase some of the stigma and inconvenience of going to a methadone clinic  can be taken at home, and in some ways is safer because the buprenorphine is mixed with naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of overdose.

But experts say Suboxone isnt better, just different, and it has its limits.

Methadone completely covers the receptor sites and can be taken safely even if someone is in partial withdrawal from an opioid.

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Suboxone is more potent than methadone, offers partial coverage of the receptors and can make users sick if they havent detoxified from opioids beforehand.

Methadone is encouraged for patients who need close monitoring, whereas Suboxone is for more high-functioning patients. There is also Vivitrol, a monthly injectable also used for opioid dependence.

Some people metabolize one medication better than the other and just feel better, Rossi said.

Life saver

Methadone is what worked for one of Rossis patients, in particular.

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The 27-year-old San Diegan, whose name is being withheld to protect his privacy, started smoking marijuana at 13 and by 15 was taking a friends relatives prescription painkillers and benzodiazepines.

Back then, OxyContin was formulated in a way that made it possible to smoke like heroin, which was his preferred method. When the pharmaceutical company reformulated the drug, and it became prohibitively expensive to buy, he turned to heroin.

From age 15 on, he was in and out of detox facilities and 12-step rehab programs, but the drugs always called him back. Hed be crashing on couches or living on the streets. He has been revived with naloxone about 10 times, he said, and was brought back to life on the floor of a gas station bathroom with defibrillation paddles once. He tried Saboxone but he didnt like the side effects and couldnt stay on it.

Out of money, homeless in Los Angeles, he called his mom for a train ticket back to San Diego. She had recently heard Rossi speak about methadone, and she encouraged him to try it.

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It eliminated cravings completely, he said.

He doesnt knock the 12-step method, but said it clearly wasnt working for him.

Ive seen miracles, kids as bad as me turn around and AA works for them, he said. I have given it my f*****g best three, four, five times. Im such a rational person and this is such an irrational f*****g thing.

He has been attending SOAP MAT since last March, and has since gotten a job as a mechanic.

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Im sitting in a car that belongs to me, its titled and insured, he said in a recent interview, surveying how far hes come. Im staying with my grandma but Im going to move out as soon as I have decent savings.

The most important thing to me is not shooting heroin, he added. It has saved my life so far.

Not accepted

Methadone was first developed by German scientists in the 1930s and put into wider use during World War II as a substitute for the highly-addictive painkiller morphine.

The United States inherited methadone after the war and began to realize its ability to stop drug cravings.

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Methadone clinics started popping up in the U.S. in the 1960s as a way to keep New York City heroin addicts from committing crimes.

The treatment method was given a boost in 1971 by then-President Richard Nixon, who acknowledged the large number of heroin-addicted troops returning from Vietnam and called drug addiction public enemy No. 1. He called for the first federal methadone treatment program.

Dr. Bruce Pevney, medical director of SOAP MAT in Oceanside, partly blames methadones roots in the criminal justice system for its stigma.

It was never accepted by mainstream medicine because of its origins, he said.

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The notion of treating drug addiction with a drug also didnt  and still doesnt  sit well with many in the addiction and medical field.

About the same time methadone was being discovered, Alcoholics Anonymous and the legendary 12-step recovery program was being born in Ohio. The program teaches a set of principles to live by, through which sobriety is possible.

The abstinence formula was soon copied to treat other addictions, including drugs. Narcotics Anonymous today holds nearly 67,000 weekly meetings around the globe.

In a pamphlet directed at addicts undergoing medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, the message encourages people to check out meetings and warns that some members have stronger opinions on the issue than others. But the literature also gently reminds that MAT does not align with the groups abstinence model.

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The same abstinence model is practiced in most of the drug treatment programs that contract with the county, and they have traditionally not accepted patients on methadone. Most of the addicts who are seeking treatment through county programs have been ordered there by a judge  either in the criminal justice system or child welfare system.

White-knuckling it through the detoxification process without access to methadone has been a huge barrier for many opioid addicts, Rossi said. And even if they can get clean and are admitted to a publicly-funded residential or outpatient treatment program, the abstinence method does not work for many, making it hard for them to comply with court-ordered treatment. As a result, the court sanctions can get worse.

If someone is unable to physically participate in a program they will continue to use and not get treatment, Rossi said.

Publicly-funded health programs have been chided recently for apparent biases against methadone and buprenorphine, and the Trump administration has recently called for increased access to such treatment.

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The California Society of Addiction Medicine points out that methadone maintenance was included in approved treatment options in Proposition 36, the 2000 law that allows defendants convicted of nonviolent drug possession offenses to receive drug treatment on probation rather then get jail time.

However, we have had very poor incorporation of methadone into the mix of treatment programs throughout the state, the professional group says. Bias against methadone in many jurisdictions has resulted in dismal recovery rates for heroin addicts in drug court programs.

Shifting attitudes

In San Diego County, a host of recovery programs, including residential facilities, are expected to soon open up for current methadone patients. And for new clients, medication-assisted treatment including methadone will have to be offered as an option to an addicts recovery plan, according to Alfredo Aguirre, director of the countys Behavioral Health Services.

These are clinically complex problems that need complex solutions, said Dr. Nicole Esposito, assistant clinical director for the countys Behavioral Health Services. We need all the tools in the toolbox and cant ascribe to only one methodology. We have to look at clients individually and see what their needs are.

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For now, the change will pertain only to those receiving insurance benefits through Medi-Cal, although many see it as opening the door to wider change.

The final plan for the countys new treatment system, which includes other advances in managing care, will be presented to the county Board of Supervisors on March 13, with implementation to begin July 1.

Its a transition that Heartland House, a 28-bed mens residential facility, started making a few years ago.

We had to open our vision up to the real history of what were doing, said Robert Cook, executive director of the Redwood Village facility. We were at one time an abstinence-based program. The facility just recently hired a medical director, he said.

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This (shift in treatment) gives us an opportunity to help a group of people who traditionally have not been served, and we have to remember that.

The state is also implementing a grant-funded program  modeled after one in Vermont  that hopes to expand medication-assisted treatment, including methadone, to more than 20,000 opioid addicts across the state. Several treatment providers are participating in San Diego.

Deaths

Methadone has its dark side, however.

The drug has been blamed for numerous overdose deaths over the years  although the majority of the deaths dont happen under the watchful eye of licensed methadone clinics but stem from doctors prescribing the drug as a painkiller, or from addicts obtaining the drug illegally and trying to self-medicate, experts say.

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In the early to mid-2000s, when knowledge of the dangers of oxycodone became more widespread, many physicians turned to methadone as a painkiller. But these prescribers werent pain specialists and many didnt fully understand the medication.

Methadone stays in a persons system long after the pain-relieving effects have subsided, and it can cause slow or shallow breathing and dangerous changes to heartbeat that patients might not notice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By 2009, methadone was contributing to nearly 1 in 3 prescription painkiller overdose deaths, but accounted for only 2 percent of painkiller prescriptions, the CDC reported.

That number has since fallen off dramatically as warnings helped change prescribing patterns.

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In San Diego methadone is still found on toxicology reports in overdose deaths; last year it was involved in 36 deaths, often in combination with other drugs.

In cases where a victim overdoses on methadone alone, that suggests to Rossi that the victims were trying to be free from illicit opioids, dangerously self-medicating rather than trying to chase a high.

Tracing the sources of methadone involved in deaths can be difficult. A state prescription database tracks when physicians prescribe it as a painkiller. But when it comes to addiction treatment, federal law protects the anonymity of methadone patients. Methadone is also easy to get illegally on the street or in Mexico.

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kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

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Twitter: @kristinadavis

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.Press Release

March 4, 2018 Win wants "friendly" housing package for Marawi residents Senator Win Gatchalian is calling on the National Housing Authority (NHA) to devise a "friendly" house rebuilding package for more than 8,000 displaced families in the Most Affected Area (MAA) of the war-torn city of Marawi. "The government, through the NHA, should open a window of opportunity for all of our brothers and sister in Marawi to rebuild their homes through a friendly housing package. Its payment terms should be longer, maybe around 10 to 15 years, with interest of 2-3%, or even lower depending on the availability of funds," said Gatchalian, a member of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation and Reconstruction The senator also said that national government agencies should aid Local Government Units (LGUs) in assessing the damage done to houses at ground zero, and in determining whether the structures are still worthy of habitation. From these assessments, NHA could then present a suitable financing package so that settlers could start repairing and renovating their houses. "Nauunawaan ko po na ang mga bahay na ito ay mula sa luha, dugo at pawis ng ating mga kababayan. Masakit po talaga kung itong mga bahay ay agad-agad nating ide-demolish. Kaya po mahalaga na i-assess muna natin kung pwede pa nilang ayusin at mula doon ay mabibigyan sila ng gobyerno ng tulong pinansiyal," he said. ("I understand these houses are made of their tears, blood and sweat. It would really be painful for any owner to see his house torn down in an instant. That's why we need to assess if these structures can still be repaired and from there the government should provide the necessary financial aid," he said.) According to Undersecretary Falconi Millar of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) there are 6,400 temporary shelter units under construction in Brgy. Sagonsongan. They are expected to be completed before the end of the year. Different modalities, Millar added, were being applied to fast-track the construction, including partnerships with LGUs for the construction of 2,000 more shelters, and with other benefactor organizations through donations. Construction of 2,700 permanent shelters, on the other hand, shall commence as soon as the Task Force Bangon Marawi identifies the location where these new units will rise. Meanwhile Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario, Task Force Bangon Marawi Chairman, said the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) is scheduled to present before President Rodrigo Duterte the Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Plan (CRRP) on March 12. The CRRP is a detailed plan of the government with respect to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi City, based on the Post-Conflict Needs Assessment (PCNA) completed December last year. This will also include the budgetary requirements for the implementation the plan, as well as a timetable of target deliverables.Press Release

March 4, 2018 POE WANTS TO PUT AN END TO ABUSIVE PRACTICES OF DEBT COLLECTORS Sen. Grace Poe today said debt collectors that engage in unfair collection practices must be punished to put an end to their prevalent abusive behavior and protect consumers. In filing Senate Resolution No. 655 that directs the Senate committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies to look into the implementation of Republic Act 10870 or the Philippine Credit Card Industry Regulation Act, Poe said her office recently received complaints that collecting agencies "continue to harass borrowers in a threatening and offensive move to collect money" on behalf of issuing banks despite the recent passage of the law. "The lack of clear guidelines and dedicated implementation of existing laws and regulations that would punish debt collectors gives them a wide latitude to harass, bombard borrowers with calls and text messages bordering on criminal acts, and engage in other unfair collection practices," said Poe. Consumers who make purchases using their "plastic money" but soon find themselves debt-saddled are often hounded by debt collectors. Poe emphasized that debtors should pay their outstanding debts but denounced abusive collectors that use the poor financial standing of credit card holders as a license to harass, resort to name-calling and threaten consumers with delinquent accounts to compel them to pay. "For many years, credit card debt collectors put pressure and use crooked ploys on the defaulter to collect money," said Poe. The senator enumerated the "most notorious" and "crooked" ways of collecting money such as threatening the debtor that a case has already been filed in court and that the same was being handled by a supposed law firm, using barangay (village) tanod and men in uniform to force the borrower to pay, and entering the cardholder's house in the guise of delivering a package but will soon tell the cardholder that they will garnish the property in exchange of the outstanding debt. Other "dirty tactics" also include someone calling the debtor's employer with the intent to smear the reputation of the defaulter, which, in some cases, lead to firing of the employee, bombarding the debtor with text messages that there is an alleged warrant of arrest due to the unpaid account, and telling the cardholder that there is a hold departure order issued. Poe said these illegal practices must be stopped to protect consumers from emotional and mental attacks and sleepless nights. The senator said debtors often do not complain about the harassment they receive for fear of reprisal or humiliation over their unpaid obligations. "The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas should immediately issue the necessary guidelines that would govern credit card companies and debt collectors as to what constitutes criminal acts punishable under existing laws and policies," Poe added.Xero chief executive and co-founder Rod Drury will next month hand over the day-to-day running of the company to veteran tech executive Steve Vamos, who's been tasked with transforming the software firm to a multi-national organisation.

The handover will be effective from April, leaving Drury to focus on innovation and strategy as a non-executive director, with the board placing a high priority on the accounting software company's succession planning, it said in a statement. Vamos is a former head of Microsoft Australia and Apple Computer Australia and New Zealand and is currently a director of Telstra and Fletcher Building. He said he plans to keep those directorships but will consult with the chairs of both organisations and see how things play out in the future.

Chair Graham Smith told a conference call the appointment offers a smooth succession for Wellington-based Xero to transform from a founder-led company to a multi-national entity, with the scaling up of the business requiring a different set of skills. The board had been discussing succession over the past year, and that "came to a head towards the end of the year".

Vamos had been a consultant to Xero for the past 18 months on developing its leadership structures for that transition. His availability was one of the factors the board considered, Smith said.

"Success of the next phase relies very much on leadership alignment and continuing to hire the very best talent for global execution," Smith said. "We did look at internal candidates - there are certainly several people internal to the company, but at this point, we felt we needed Steve's skills, particularly that he's gained over many years from large multi-national corporates, so that's where we ended up."

The board chose to keep its succession planning confidential to avoid creating "a huge amount of uncertainty both inside and outside the company", he said.

Drury helped set up Xero nearly 11 years ago, listing at an early stage of the business's life and gaining momentum as the company attracted customers. The Wellington-headquartered, shifted its listing from the NZX to the ASX last year to boost global fund managers' ability to hold Xero as it heads towards profitability. The company has more than 1.2 million subscribers, operates in more than 180 countries and employs more than 2,000 people in 17 offices. It is valued at A$4.55 billion by market capitalisation.

Sydney-based Vamos said he doesn't plan to make any changes immediately to the company's Wellington base and that he'll be spending a great deal of time in both Australia and New Zealand.

"I"ll take my time, but I'm open to moving and place myself to where I think I can best serve the business," he said.

Drury told the conference call he doesn't have the skill-set to transform Xero into a multi-national entity from what he described as a product company and said he's been thinking about succession for the last few years.

Xero has a "very, very clear" innovation roadmap in place and now needs to prepare for the next five-to-10 years, wit the aim to generate revenue of $100 million monthly rather than quarterly.

"We're moving from an Australasian company with good success in the UK and US to a business with pretty complex operations across a number of territories," Drury said. "It's clear we needed the next set of skills from someone who knows how to take this business from a great foundation and really get international connectivity."

Vamos officially starts on April 1 and won't join the board of directors.

Xero's shares fell 4.5 percent to A$31.39 on the ASX, having gained 15 percent so far this year. The stock listed on the NZX at $1 apiece in 2007 and only shifted to a sole listing in Australia this year.

(BusinessDesk)

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are searching for a man wanted for questioning in connection to a shots fired in Mariners Harbor on Feb. 25.

At about 11 p.m. on Feb. 25, police received a report of possible gunshots in the vicinity of Northfield Avenue. Upon arrival, police discovered several shell casings at the location.

Pursuant to an investigation, it was determined that an unidentified male began knocking on the doors of several residences in the area inquiring about the whereabouts of a female known to the male, said police.

Soon afterward, the male allegedly fired several rounds into the air and fled the location on foot in unknown direction, police said. No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.

The man wanted for questions was described by police as black, between the ages of 20 and 30, about 6-feet tall and 250 pounds. He was last seen wearing a gray hooded shirt and jeans, police said.

Police released the above surveillance video of the man wanted for questioning in connection to the incident.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782)

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

All calls are kept strictly confidential.

FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTERSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y.--Boat rides during a barbecue and arranging for children with serious illnesses to watch NYPD training is far from the bribery scandal a retired cop from Staten Island was once embroiled in.

Ex-Deputy Chief Michael J. Harrington, 52, of Westerleigh, pleaded guilty to one count of misapplication of NYPD property Thursday in Manhattan Federal Court, nearly two years after the former cop was accused of receiving lavish gifts and expensive dinners in the FBI corruption probe.

"The single new charge to which Mr. Harrington pled guilty involving the misapplication of NYPD property is obviously a horse of a different color compared to the bribery-based offenses with which he was originally charged," said his lawyer, Andrew Weinstein.

During his court appearance, Harrington admitted he diverted $5,000 of police resources to benefit prominent Brooklyn businessman Jeremy Reichberg.

The retired officer said he arranged for the NYPD's Counter Terrorism Squad to provide coverage for a midtown synagogue during and around certain Jewish holidays, and had an NYPD helicopter do a "fly over" above a party that Reichberg was hosting on a boat in the East River.

Harrington also had the NYPD Harbor provide rides for Reichberg and other guests during a barbecue, and arranged for a group of children with cancer and blood disorders to visit the NYPD training grounds at Floyd Bennett Field.

Harrington's plea deal with prosecutors recommends he be sentenced to no more than six months in prison, if at all.

He will be sentenced June 11.

Those bribery-based charges will be dismissed, Weinstein said.

"Mr. Harrington is a highly decorated police officer who put his life on the line for 30 years serving the citizens of New York City," said the lawyer. "We look forward to sentencing where we intend to present the court with a wealth of information regarding Mr. Harrington's well-known dedication to his career, family and community."

Harrington and Deputy Inspector James Grant were accused last year of exchanging lavish gifts for special favors with Reichberg, according to federal court documents.

Prosecutors previously said Reichberg allegedly took Harrington to dinner at expensive restaurants in Manhattan, gave him tickets to numerous sporting events and paid for a trip to Chicago.

Reichberg also delivered a video game system to Harrington's house on Christmas Day 2013, authorities originally said.

Grant and Reichberg are set to go to trial on April 30.

Last year, Grant, who also lives on Staten Island, and Harrington were stripped of their badges and guns and reassigned.

Grant was the boss at the 19th Precinct on the Upper East Side, and Harrington was the deputy chief of the Housing Bureau and former deputy chief of Manhattan North, Advance records show.

Harrington comes from a long line of police officers, with 11 family members having served or currently serving in the NYPD throughout the city.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A state audit concluded that the Staten Island Railway (SIR) doesn't have sufficient documentation to show its operators have been trained properly or have undergone routine medical testing.

The purpose of the audit -- conducted by the Office of the State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli -- was to determine whether the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and SIR "established and implemented training and retraining programs for train crews to ensure safe train operations."

In addition, the audit aimed to determine "whether SIR ensured that train crews are medically fit and periodically monitored for continued medical fitness."

"We found that SIR's records were insufficient to document that training was satisfactorily completed. For example, our testing found that, for our randomly selected sample of conductors who underwent Induction Training during our audit period, 61 percent (55 of 90) of test papers were either not graded or missing," says the audit report.

"In addition, for our randomly selected sample of engineers, 81.7 percent (49 of 60) of test papers for those newly hired and 41.7 percent (30 of 72) of test papers for those promoted were either not graded or missing."

Other audit findings include:

SIR's conductors and engineers are required to take Refresher Training courses that help ensure safe procedures. Five of the 10 conductors randomly sampled were required to take Refresher Training during the audit scope period. "However, only two of the five had training records that supported satisfactory completion of all exams. We found similar results for the Signals Refresher Training, with only two of eight conductors having records to support satisfactory completion," the audit says.

Train crews were not in compliance with medical assessment requirements. "For example, for two of the 10 conductors sampled, their periodic examinations were late: one by 209 days and the other by 79 days," says the audit report.

SAFETY "NO.1 PRIORITY"

In response to the audit, Shams Tarek, an MTA spokesperson said: "Safety is the number-one priority at New York City Transit, and accordingly the accident and injury rates are extremely low for both customers and employees. We're proud of our employees and take extensive measures to make sure that the transit system is safe and records are kept to support that."

Sources told the Advance that the MTA has more than 3,300 conductors and 3,500 train operators.

Sources also said the audit calls any medical exam not held on an employee's exact anniversary date to be not in compliance.

FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTERSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Build the Block neighborhood policing and safety meetings are planned for the NYPD's 120th and 122nd Precincts.

On Tuesday, representatives from the 122nd Precinct will be at Great Kills Friendship Club in Great Kills, at 7 p.m., for sector A, which covers Eltingville, Great Kills and Oakwood.

Officers from the 120th Precinct will be at NYC Family Justice Center of Staten Island on Wednesday, at 7 p.m., for residents of New Brighton and St. George.

On March 8, officers from the 122 will have a sector C meeting, which covers South Beach, Arrochar, Todt Hill, Iron Hills, Emerson Hill, and Grasmere. The meeting will be at Holy Rosary Church at 7 p.m.

On Friday, officers from the 120th precinct will be at the Gerard Carter Community Center, for the Stapleton Houses, at 7 p.m.

The events are being held for the public to discuss public safety problems and needs with NYPD officers in order for residents to feel safe, police said.

There will be an open forum for residents to address any issues.

NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING

In neighborhood policing, the neighborhood coordinator officers (NCOs)and the sector officers who work with them, focus on collaborating with residents. The events are designed to give the officers the chance to learn the neighborhood, its challenges and the people who call it home.

The events are hosted by the NCOs from both precincts and sponsored by New York City Councilwoman Deborah Rose (D-North Shore) and Councilman Joseph Borelli (R-South Shore). All are welcome to attend.

The Great Kills Friendship Club is located at 11 Sampson Ave.

The NYC Family Justice Center of Staten Island is located at 126 Stuyvesant Pl.

Holy Rosary Church is located at 85 Jerome Ave.

The Gerard Carter Community Center is located at 230 Broad St.4 soldiers, 10 jihadists killed in Egypt Sinai campaign



Cairo, March 4 (AFP) Mar 04, 2018



Egypt's military said on Sunday four soldiers and 10 jihadists were killed in a military operation in Sinai against Islamic State group jihadists.

The deaths raise military casualties to at least 16 dead, along with more than 100 jihadists, since the start of the operation on February 9, according to previous army tolls.

The army launched the campaign after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is standing in elections for his second term this month, gave them a three month deadline to crush IS in Sinai.

Sisi issued his ultimatum in November after suspected Islamic State gunmen massacred more than 300 worshippers in a Sinai mosque associated with Muslim Sufi mystics.

IS in Sinai has been among the group's most resilient affiliates, killing hundreds of soldiers, policemen and civilians in Sinai and elsewhere in Egypt.

It has killed scores of Christians in church bombings and shootings, and bombed a Russian airliner carrying tourists from an Egyptian resort in 2015, killing all 224 people on board.

The military says it has evidence IS has sought to move members to Sinai following its defeats in Iraq and Syria.Iraq government urged to seize assets of Saddam cronies



Baghdad, March 4 (AFP) Mar 04, 2018



The Iraqi government has been urged to seize the assets of dozens of relatives and cronies of executed dictator Saddam Hussein, in a letter seen Sunday by AFP.

The letter from the Accountability and Justice Committee was sent to the prime minister's office as well as to the ministries of finance, justice and agriculture.

It lists Saddam-era government ministers and officials from his Baath Party, including some who are in prison, who have been executed or have died, as well as the names of their wives, children, grandchildren and other relatives.

Among those named is Ali Hassan al-Majid, a cousin of Saddam better known as "Chemical Ali", who was hanged in 2010 for ordering the 1988 gassing of thousands of Kurds.

Tareq Aziz, a veteran foreign minister who held the post of deputy prime minister before Saddam was ousted in the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, is also named in the letter.

Sentenced to death in 2013, Aziz, the only Christian in Saddam's inner circle, died two years later in prison.

His son Ziad, who lives in Jordan, condemned the letter as nothing more than "a stunt to win votes" in Iraq's May 12 legislative election.

"We've been subjected to pressure and injustice for 15 years, it's enough," he told AFP in a telephone interview. "When will the spite of this so-called government end?"

Ziad Aziz denied his family had any assets, saying his father's house in Baghdad had already been seized by prominent Shiite politician Ammar al-Hakim.

In February, Iraqi authorities published lists of names of people wanted on suspicion of belonging to the Baath Party, the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda.

It included the name of Saddam's daughter Raghad, who lives in Jordan.The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy StatementBlog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (880) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (473)Michael Reynolds - Pool/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Escalating the trade war rhetoric, President Donald Trump took aim at European automakers on Saturday.

The president took to Twitter to threaten the European Union with higher taxes, saying there was a "big trade imbalance. Trump said the U.S. would order a tax on European imported cars if the EU responded to the tariffs he announced on Thursday with their own.

If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!

Trump said the U.S. will impose a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum and a 25 percent tariff on imported steel.

His latest tweet was an apparent response to the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU that draws up proposals for new legislation, whose president wrote in a statement on Thursday the EU would "react firmly and commensurately to defend our interests."

"The EU has been a close security ally of the US for decades," President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker said. "We will not sit idly while our industry is hit with unfair measures that put thousands of European jobs at risk."

On Friday, Trump tweeted that "trade wars are good, and easy to win," but thousands of workers in the U.S. are employed by European automakers, including Volkswagen and BMW. A BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, employs 10,000 workers.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain.

Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.Japan to roll out the red carpet for President Abe looks to support Sirisena as a counterweight to Beijing View(s): View(s):

Japan is expected to reaffirm its commitment to bolstering bilateral ties with Sri Lanka during an official visit by the Indian Ocean nations leader this month in an effort to forestall Chinese encroachment in the region, Japan-based Nikkei Asian Review has reported.

President Maithripala Sirisena will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his March 12-15 trip. His itinerary also includes meeting with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.

When meeting with Mr. Sirisena, the news magazine said, Abe would likely confirm closer collaboration in such areas as the economy and stress the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Occupying a strategic spot in a sea lane connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans, Sri Lanka is an important piece of the puzzle in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, a grand project to create a sweeping economic zone encompassing Asia and Europe. China has for this reason launched a diplomatic offensive targeting Sri Lanka and the Maldives, another strategic country in the Indian Ocean, the Nikkei Asian Review said.

Japan is expected to try to keep Sri Lanka from leaning back toward Beijing by improving cooperation with Mr. Sirisena and supporting his administrations diplomatic strategy, the news magazine said.

It added: Mr. Sirisena advocates a balanced diplomacy including Japan, India, Europe and the U.S. But he is facing a challenge from former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a pro-Beijing political figure vying to return to power. His party won a landslide victory in local elections last month.Sri Lankas China envoy condemns Western imperialists, gloats over belt and road From Kapila Bandara in Hong Kong View(s): View(s):

Sri Lankas envoy to China has denounced Western imperialists for exploiting countries they occupied and drawn a sharp contrast with Beijings honourable behaviour as a great world benefactor.

In an exclusive interview with Communist Chinas state news agency, Xinhua, Dr Karunasena Kodituwakku, said this week, Chinas belt and road initiative for shared prosperity is worthy of admiration by Sri Lankans.

We admire it, we must support it, and we must cooperate with it, he told Xinhua on Tuesday.

If you look at the history of the past two to three centuries the imperial powers of the West exploited occupied countries, whatever they could gain from those countries were used only to improve the living conditions of their own people, Xinhua cited him as saying. But the contrast in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative is that it is a shared future. China is interested not only in the Chinese economy and its people but also the other economies and peoples of those countries.

Xinhua said that the remarkable vision of building a community with shared future for mankind proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping means sharing the prosperity among countries and peoples. This message gives a new hope to many developing countries, said Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku.

Xinhua said Kodituwakku spoke highly of the belt and road initiative which helps translate Xis broad vision into practice by providing opportunities in investment, technology transfer and access to global market (sic).

No other global power was prepared to come forward to provide such opportunities in this magnitude. Under the belt and road Initiative, President Xi Jinping has come forward to do that, he stressed, Xinhua reports.

Regardless of Kodituwakkus glowing praise, the worlds leading economies, the United States, Canada, Japan and India have not joined the Chinese initiative.

Distrust of the plan has been rising. Australia, a strong US ally, is wary. There are doubts about transparency and the commercial viability of projects and there are suspicions about phony deals.

Many nations are also suspicious that Beijing is merely advancing its geopolitical interests and growing its economic leverage through the belt and road  in effect, a smokescreen for pushing its self-interest.

India has criticised Beijngs projects for overriding sovereignty of other countries.

There are suspicions that the idea is a ruse to export Chinas polluting industries and overcapacity in some sectors.

Referring to creditor Chinas influence in Sri Lanka, Kodituwakku tells Xinhua:

Now China has become the most important development partner for us in investment, foreign trade, and tourism and even in the field of technology transfer.

Xinhua says that according to him, China has been creating two important development hubs in Sri Lanka under the Belt and Road Initiative, one in Colombo, the other in Hambantota.

Xinhua also says: The project under construction in Colombo will elevate the port city into an international service hub not only for Sri Lanka, but also for South Asia, mainly focusing as an international financial city such as Hong Kong and Dubai.

Xinhua adds: With Chinas participation in building the industrial hub at Hambantota Port, Sri Lanka will become an important logistic platform for South Asia, Southeast Asia and even to serve East Africa and the Middle East.

The ambassador also mentioned the free-trade agreement currently under negotiation between Sri Lanka and China, Xinhua reports.

By signing a free-trade agreement, we hope that we will be able to have continuously sustainable trade between the two countries, he said.

In addition, the ambassador is very happy to see Sri Lanka growing increasingly popular among Chinese tourists, Xinhua says.

He promised that Sri Lanka could provide good beaches, wildlife, cultural tourism, shopping and leisure, meditation and spas for overseas tourists.

Xinhua says the ambassador conveyed his best wishes for the annual sessions of the National Peoples Congress on Monday, and looked forward to seeing how China plans to further share prosperity and create a better world for all of us.Created by world renowned designer Derek McLane, the archway in front of the curtain was augmented with the 45 crystals to create a truly stunning backdrop.

Featuring mirrored arches, crystal chandeliers and other details, the design was inspired by light and reflection and draws elements of Hollywood Regency and even Egyptian Deco.

A major feature of the stage was also a giant LED screen displaying digital projections inspired by McLanes sketches and designs for the stage.

The TV audience was able to admire projections with a three-dimensional quality and a more realistic look.

Derek McLane is no newcomer to stage decor at all and has previously won a Tony and an Emmy award for his work. This year he designed the Oscars stage for the sixth year in a row.

Swarovski was founded in Austria in 1895. In 2017 the company announced an on-going collaboration with German fashion brand Karl Lagerfeld, with two collections promised each year.This feature is coordinated by The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com and InterFaith Works of CNY. Follow this theme and author posted Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Rev. Suzi Harriff

In 1998, although the Rwandan genocide had ended four years earlier, genocide killers still made border raids from Congo. 15-year old Frederick Ndabaramiye was riding on a bus that was stopped by the militia, and he was ordered to kill the other passengers. He refused, saying "My G-d will not allow me to do that." In response, the soldiers bound him tightly then hacked off his arms and left him to die. Two sisters found the dying teenager and got him to a hospital. Frederick's great heart and courageous spirit helped him to survive - and ironically, so did those tight ropes which bound him, staunching the flow of blood. (Frederick quotes the words of Joseph from the Bible - "You meant to harm me, but G-d intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20).



Frederick has written his story in his autobiography, Frederick (W Publishing Group/Thomas Nelson), and today, in partnership with the naturalist Jack Hanna and the Cincinnati Zoo, Frederick runs a clinic for those with a variety of different abilities, appropriately called Ubumwe Community Center (ubumwe means "unity"). He lives with his beautiful new bride, Gordelive, next door to one of the men who maimed him 20 years ago, where they share a commitment to rebuilding their community and their country.



Last month I sat beside this real-life hero as he autographed a copy of his book for me after we had shared lunch in his home. This is Rwanda today - a place of miraculous healing and hope. In the words of the Dalai Lama, "The world does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds." The world needs more Fredericks. What an honor to call him my friend. This is Rwanda.



The Rev. Suzi Harriff, an American Baptist pastor and music minister, serves churches in Syracuse and Otter Lake, and teaches preaching, worship and Biblical studies at Bethel Bible Institute and Rabagirana Bible College in Rwanda.

ALBANY -- Former Western New York state Sen. George Maziarz pleaded guilty in Albany County Court Friday to a misdemeanor charge of filing a false instrument in connection with hidden payments he made to a former staffer.

Maziarz pleaded guilty as part of a deal to settle a criminal case in which he initially had been charged with five felony election law violations by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

The investigation of Maziarz's campaign accounts originated with the Moreland Commission to investigate public corruption which Gov. Andrew Cuomo had created but later abruptly shut down amid criticism his office meddled in its operations.

Long considered a political rainmaker in Niagara County politics, Maziarz was in the senate between 1995 and 2015. He was also among the GOP Senators who devised and carried out the 2009 "Senate Coup" in which then-minority Republicans took control of the chamber through parliamentary procedures and with a group of breakaway Democrats.

His trial was set to begin later this month.

Instead, Maziarz, 64, admitted to Albany County Court Judge Peter Lynch that he knowingly concealed $95,000 in payments through an intermediary to former staffer Glenn S. Aronow, who left his job amid sexual harassment allegations. Maziarz was fined $1,000 plus court costs.

The charges alleged that Maziarz between 2012 and 2014 made a series of payments through intermediaries including an organization known as Synor Marketing, structuring the payments so they wouldn't turn up in his state elections filings.

"You cannot use your campaign account as a slush fund to avoid public scrutiny," Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement after Maziarz's plea.

Maziarz's lawyer, E. Stewart Jones, said his client had simply wanted to help his friend and that staffers had actually made the Board of Elections filings. "He depended on others for that," said Jones, who added that he believes Maziarz was charged because of his political stature.

"He was the guy with the bullseye on his back," Jones said. "Politics plays a large role in the decision-making process."

Until his indictment, Maziarz had been the sole player in a core of participants in the GOP coup who hadn't run into legal problems.

Former Senate GOP Leader Dean Skelos was arrested and convicted on federal corruption charges. He conviction was overturned on appeal but he faces a second trial this year. Another former senator, Tom Libous, was convicted of lying to an FBI agent. Libous later died of cancer and his conviction was vacated.

Former Democratic Sen. Pedro Espada, who was among those who switched sides, was sentenced to prison on a federal corruption conviction related to a health services organization he ran. Another Democratic senator who joined the fray, Hiram Monserrate, served a prison term for federal mail fraud violations.

--By Rick Karlin, Times Union, Albany, N.Y.ALBANY -- A surgical center affiliated with St. Peter's Hospital has been hit by the second-largest computer breach of patient records in New York state since 2016.

On Friday, St. Peter's Surgery & Endoscopy Center revealed that hackers potentially compromised medical records of about 135,000 patients earlier this year. The breach has been reported as required under law to the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Hackers from an "unknown and unauthorized third party" installed malware on computer servers for the center, located at 1375 Washington Ave., which was discovered Jan. 8, according to a statement from the center issued Friday.

A subsequent inquiry by the center was unable to determine whether any records had been copied or not. Patients were advised to check insurance statements for suspicious activity or "charges for services they did not receive," according to a statement from the center. Letters have been mailed to patients affected by the breach.

Computer servers for the center that were compromised included patients' names, dates of birth, addresses, dates of service, diagnosis codes, procedure codes, insurance information and, in some instances, Medicare information, which includes Social Security numbers. The servers did not contain credit card or banking information, according to the statement.

The breach did not compromise computer servers for St. Peter's Hospital or Albany Gastroenterology Consultants, according to the statement.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we are offering individuals whose Medicare information was contained on the affected servers a complimentary one-year membership to fraud detection and identity theft protection tools," the statement continued.

Security experts have warned that information in medical records, particularly Social Security numbers, can be used in identity theft.

This medical records break-in at the St. Peter's center is the second largest in the state since 2016, exceeded only by an August 2016 breach of 3.4 million patient records from Albany-based Newkirk Products Inc.

Newkirk issues identification cards for health insurance plans including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, HealthNow New York Inc., BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, BlueShield of Northeastern New York, and Capital District Physicians' Health Plan, Inc. (CDPHP).

Other recent medical records breaches in the Capital Region included data for some 4,600 patients at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany in October 2017, and records of about 950 patients of MVP Health Care Inc. in April 2017, according to online records at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In August 2016, hackers compromised records for nearly 22,000 patients at the state Office of Mental Health. That data included names, addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers, email addresses, and, in some cases, Social Security numbers, driver's license or state identification numbers, and coded health-related information from interviews or questionnaires.

In a prepared statement, the St. Peter's center said it was "implementing even more stringent information security standards, increasing staff training, and investigating the purchase of additional and more elaborate anti-fraud and virus protection software."

The center is a joint venture established by AGC Associates LLC and St. Peter's Hospital of the City of Albany, a corporation that dates to 1871, according to records from the state Department of State.

The center "has its own board and operating structure, separate and apart from the two members of the joint venture," according to the statement.

Hackers hit patient records at St. Peter's center - Hackers hit patient records at St. Peter's center Albany Times UnionFull coverage https://t.co/XmRGHJrveF  CyberThreat (@TheCyberThreat) March 2, 2018

Health companies have been viewed in recent years as lagging in computer security compared to financial institutions and retail operations. In 2014, the FBI issued a warning to health companies that stronger computer security would be needed to deter hacking.

In 2015, Anthem, the nation's second-largest health insurance company, was hit by hackers who broke into a database storing information on 80 million people, including Social Security numbers.

Last fall, the company reached a class-action settlement with its customers that provided for a $115 million fund to cover potential losses or the cost of enhanced credit protection services to protect against potential identity theft.

Anthem serves its medical members through fourteen Blue Cross Blue Shield entities, as well as numerous non-Blue Cross Blue Shield entities, such as Amerigroup Corporation, CareMore Health Group, Inc., HealthLink, and UniCare.

--By Brian Nearing Times Union, Albany, N.Y.James A. McCarthy hasn't seen the Rev. Norbert F. Orsolits in years.

But the face of the priest still creeps into his mind anytime he enters a Catholic church, he said.

McCarthy, 69, says a short prayer to make the image go away: "Lord, help me to do the right thing and let this pass."

It gets him past the awful memory of the sexual abuse that McCarthy said he endured from Orsolits in his childhood bedroom some 50 years ago.

Orsolits, now 78, made the startling admission on Tuesday that he had molested "probably dozens" of boys prior to entering a Canadian facility for treatment in the early 1980s.

On Friday, McCarthy and his younger brother became the second and third men to publicly accuse Orsolits of sexually abusing them as adolescents while he worked as a Catholic Diocese of Buffalo priest.

Orsolits' abuses span more than decade and date back to the earliest years of his priesthood, according to the accounts of the McCarthy brothers and a third victim, Michael F. Whalen.

McCarthy said he was about 17 years old when Orsolits sexually abused him in 1966 or 1967, while Orsolits was assigned to St. John the Baptist Church in Alden.

His younger brother, who asked that his first name be withheld, said he was 12 or 13 when he was abused by Orsolits.

Orsolits admitted in an interview with The News in his home Saturday that he molested both McCarthy brothers. But Orsolits expressed little remorse for his crimes. Instead, he maintained that he was reformed after his second visit to Southdown Institute for psychological therapy, in 1988.

"I haven't been involved in anything at all since I left Southdown," Orsolits said.

At a news conference Thursday, Bishop Richard J. Malone said the diocese sent Orsolits to the treatment facility near Toronto, after it received an allegation that Orsolits had sexually abused a child. Diocesan officials declined to say when the diocese first received complaints about Orsolits and when he was sent for counseling. Malone said he was surprised to hear that Orsolits claimed to have abused dozens of children.

The diocese removed Orsolits from active ministry in 2003 to adhere to a new national policy for handling clergy accused of sexual abuse.

By many accounts, Orsolits was a charismatic young priest -- newly ordained in 1965 -- who drove a hot car, played the guitar in church and liked to party when he met the McCarthy brothers. He lived in the rectory of St. John the Baptist Church in Alden and befriended the large Irish-Catholic McCarthy family, who lived just down the street.

Diocesan records show that Orsolits served as an assistant pastor at St. John the Baptist from January 1967 to September 1967, according to diocesan spokesman George Richert.

James McCarthy said his sexual abuse began one night after Orsolits had dinner and drinks at the McCarthy home. Daniel and Marion McCarthy invited the trusted priest to spend the night, and they pointed him to their eldest son's room, where the two could share a bed, James McCarthy said.

There, Orsolits sodomized the stunned teenager, according to McCarthy.

"It is so foreign, you don't know what's going on at first," he recalled.

He said the abuse happened up to a dozen times in all, under similar circumstances, with McCarthy too afraid and too ashamed to say anything to anybody about it. Orsolits suggested in a brief interview with The News on Tuesday that his sexual contact with boys was consensual, and he said he didn't force himself upon any boys.

But McCarthy disputed that, saying he tossed and turned to try and escape the priest's clutches.

"I would lay awake at night and not sleep because I wouldn't know what was happening next," he said.

Orsolits admitted on Saturday that his sexual advances on James McCarthy were not welcomed.

To avoid the advances, McCarthy said he moved from his bedroom to the living room couch.

McCarthy didn't tell anyone what happened until years later. He confided in his younger brother, who revealed that he, too, had been molested twice by Orsolits inside the rectory of St. John the Baptist Church.

"It wasn't consensual in my mind. It wasn't something where I offered myself to him," said the younger McCarthy. "It happened. There's really nothing I can do about it. I just want it to go away. But it can never go away."

Orsolits took the boy on an outing to Holland Speedway on a Saturday night, as they had done other times before.

"It was before the days of Saturday afternoon Masses. But a lot of times Norb would have to hear confessions and as soon as he was done, we would hop in the car and go to the races," said the younger McCarthy.

Orsolits, he said, drove a bright red 1965 Mercury Comet Cyclone.

The parish pastor, the Rev. Irwin Spahn, was on vacation for a few weeks. When they returned from the speedway, Orsolits called the McCarthy home and asked if the boy could spend the night, the younger McCarthy said.

Orsolits forced him to perform oral sex, he said. The same thing happened the following Saturday night, he said, but never again after that. Orsolits told him not to say anything, he said.

Both McCarthy brothers said the priest acted as if nothing had happened.

When asked if he remembered abusing the younger McCarthy, Orsolits said: "I can vaguely recall it."

"I may have touched him," he said. "I don't know if there was definite activity."

Ken Burzynski remembers Orsolits and his car, too. "It was a pretty sharp car," said Burzynski, a friend of James McCarthy since their days at Alden High School. Burzynski grew up on Four Rod Road but hung out at the McCarthy home quite a bit, he said. The priest would let young people borrow the car, and he often filled it with teenage boys to take trips into the city, said Burzynski.

Orsolits, he recalled, "was at a lot of parties."

"The McCarthys were real active in the church," said Burzynski. "I remember him being around a lot. I know he was quite close to the McCarthys."

Burzynski recalled his own encounter with the priest, late at night at a neighborhood party on Sandridge Road, after everyone had been drinking. The priest began rubbing Burzynski's chest until his hand drifted down below his waist, he said. "All of a sudden, his hand went down and started rubbing my crotch. I just pulled away."

"Do I think I was molested? No. He was making an attempt and I stopped it right in its place," said Burzynski, who now lives in the Tampa area.

Burzynski said he remembers James McCarthy mentioning to him a few years ago that Orsolits had "tried something with him" when he was a kid, but the two friends didn't discuss the specifics.

James McCarthy said he cut off ties with the priest after he graduated from high school. But the younger McCarthy continued to hang out with Orsolits. He served as an altar boy for the priest. Orsolits was the chaplain to the younger McCarthy's Boy Scout troop.

"There were a lot of good times with Norb, a lot of fun times," he said.

For young people, Orsolits was a breath of fresh air in the priesthood. The Catholic Church was in the midst of a radical transformation in the late 1960s as dioceses implemented changes dictated by the Second Vatican Council, including a new Mass celebration in English, as opposed to Latin. Orsolits, fresh out of seminary, was on the cutting edge of the changes.

"With the Catholic religion, making it more modern than it used to be, Norb was very into that," said the younger McCarthy. "At the time, that was what a lot of young people needed."

"Norb brought guitars to the church and rock music. That was unheard of," he said.

Added the elder McCarthy: "He was the anti-Latin Mass Catholic. He was the epitome of the young, vibrant, dynamic priest."

Even later on, the younger McCarthy said he maintained a cordial relationship with Orsolits. The priest baptized his fiancee when she converted to Catholicism in 1973. Years later, he baptized the married couple's two children. As Buffalo General Hospital chaplain in the late 1980s, Orsolits regularly visited Dan McCarthy, the father of the McCarthy brothers, in his hospital room as he suffered from emphysema and lung cancer, said the younger McCarthy.

Orsolits celebrated the funeral Mass for Dan McCarthy, at the behest of the younger McCarthy.

"I had the impression, at that time, that he kind of forgave me. I don't know if he really did, but I didn't pick up anything negative from him," said Orsolits.

Orsolits' admissions this week brought raw emotions to the surface again for the brothers.

"It is about time!" James McCarthy said in an email to News reporters who wrote about the admissions.

"You opened the door now," said the younger McCarthy. "You wonder how many other priests whose names haven't been brought out, have done the same things."

The elder McCarthy said he was grateful to Whalen for stepping forward with his allegations against Orsolits. It was Whalen on Tuesday who accused Orsolits of molesting him at the priest's cottage in the Town of Ashford on a weekend ski trip in 1979 or 1980, while Orsolits was serving as an assistant pastor at St. John Vianney parish in Orchard Park.

McCarthy said he was never really able to confront Orsolits about what he had done. The situation, he said, was complicated by the fact that he has an uncle who is a priest and an aunt who is a Sister of St. Joseph. The aunt, Sister Ellen McCarthy, said in a phone interview she was not aware that her nephews were sexually abused by Orsolits.

"I'm saddened that my own family was involved with this priest," she said. "I'm just saddened that something wasn't taken care of with Father Norb long ago."

James McCarthy now lives in Evansville, Ind., and works in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. He's married and has two grown children.

He didn't start discussing his molestation experience until receiving treatment at VA hospital for post-traumatic stress disorder, he said. In 2010, he wrote to the Buffalo diocese about the alleged abuse, he said. Richert, the diocesan spokesman, said he doesn't deny that McCarthy reached out to the diocese in 2010 regarding Orsolits. But he said he could not comment further about the correspondence.

McCarthy also got in contact with the Surviviors Network for those Abused by Priests, a national organization.

The diocese offered to pay for counseling -- at a facility that was a six-hour drive north of Evansville, he said.

The younger McCarthy said he did not report anything to the diocese. "How do I prove something like that? There are no witnesses," he said.

James McCarthy said he's not really looking for any money, and if he received a settlement from the diocese's new settlement fund, he would donate it to a charitable organization. What diocesan officials refused to offer were any answers, he said.

"I was a victim and they wouldn't tell me anything about what's being done. That's the thing that bothered me the most," he said. "I looked at that as just being a big cover up. The church, in every situation that they could, there was always an intention to cover it up as much as possible."

McCarthy said he wasn't even made aware that the diocese had removed Orsolits from active ministry.

He decided to talk publicly about his abuse out of a sense that it was the right thing to do -- as his prayer reminds him and as his father had always instructed.

"He would say, 'Do the right thing for the right reasons and things will turn out OK,'" he said.

--By Jay Tokasz, The Buffalo News, N.Y.STC musical to be featured at Iowa Thespian Festival

Into the woods, its time, and so I must begin my journey. Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. And so, the STC Music ...











Students from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth(UMass Dartmouth,) will speak with NASA astronaut and alumnus Scott Tingle , who is living and working aboard the International Space Station , at 12:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, March 6. The 20 minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website Students from the university, and area K-12 schools, will make the call to the Expedition 55 flight engineer, posing questions about life aboard the space station, NASA's deep space exploration plans, doing science in space, and how to apply their degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers.Media interested in attending the event should contact John Hoey at 508-999-8071 or jhoey@umassd.edu . The event will take place in the main auditorium of the Campus Center at UMass Dartmouth, located at 285 Old Westport Road.Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This in-flight education downlink is an integral component of NASA's Year of Education on Station, which provides extensive space station-related resources and opportunities to students and educators.Astronauts living on the orbiting laboratory are able to participate in these educational calls, and communicate 24 hours a day with the Mission Control Center at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, through the agency Space Network 's Tracking and Data Relay Satellites.Get videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at:A supercolony of about 1.5 million Adelie penguins was discovered in the Danger Islands. Why weren't they discovered before, and how did the scientists determine the number of birds on the islands?

Adelie Penguin Supercolony Discovered

The global Adelie penguin population has been believed to be continuously declining in the last decades, sparking concern and worry for the species. In fact, just last October, disaster struck a colony of Adelie penguins when only two out of 40,000 chicks survived starvation. The incidence was so devastating that some have called it "Tarantino does Happy Feet" because of the sheer number of penguin deaths.

Now, in contrast to devastating news of animal deaths and population decline, researchers announced the discovery of a previously unknown Adelie penguin colony of about 1.5 million birds. The rediscovery was made thanks to 2014 NASA satellite imagery of extensive guano stains in the islands, suggesting that the islands hosted a large number of penguins.

Since 2015, a team of researchers have been studying the massive penguin population in the islands, which is said to have 751,527 pairs of Adelie penguins. That is more than the rest of the Antarctic Peninsula combined. In total, the researchers surmise that the islands host a population of about 1.5 million Adelie penguins plus several population of gentoo penguins in Brash Island and 27 nests of chinstrap penguins at Heroina Island.

What Took So Long To Make The Discovery?

The Danger Islands are so named for a good reason. It's not easily accessible. It is made up of nine islands which stretch to about 35 kilometers in the northernmost tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Although the islands aren't exactly remote, the currents brought in by the Weddell Sea moves sea ice northward, making access to the islands quite difficult. In fact, even its most accessible island, Heroina Island, only sees one ship docking per year.

Furthermore, even though a previous geological survey captured images of Adelie penguins on all the islands before, it was only when the satellite survey hinted the possibility of a large penguin population that their presence went noticed.

How Did Researchers Count The Penguins?

It wouldn't have been easy to track 1.5 million penguins on nine islands, so how did the researchers count them? The researchers combined good old manual labor with technology. In their land surveys, researchers manually counted the nests they saw, counted the nests in the captured panoramic photographs, and counted the individual penguins from the images captured by the quadcopter.

The quadcopter was flown above the islands no higher than 45 meters to maintain the image quality for individual penguin identification. It took pictures of the island once per second, and the researchers combined the photographs into a collage which displayed the islands in both 2D and 3D. With the available images, researchers then used a neural network software to analyze the images by the pixel in search of penguin nests.

The Importance Of Danger Islands

Until this discovery, the Danger Islands were not known to be an important penguin habitat. Now, however, it is considered a hotspot. Apart from the fact that the islands host a large population of penguins that are declining in numbers elsewhere, the importance also lies not just in how many penguins there are, but also in how they have thrived in such large numbers in that particular area.

"The population of Adelies on the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula is different from what we see on the west side, for example. We want to understand why. Is it linked to the extended sea ice condition over there? Food availability? That's something we don't know," said Michael Polito of Louisiana State University, coauthor of the paper.

The paper is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.Scientists believe that the Tesla Roadster now floating in deep space was not sterilized. In this case, Elon Musk's car could contaminate Mars with bacteria it brought from Earth.

The red convertible that was launched into space from SpaceX Falcon Heavy, was not intended to land on Mars, so it was not covered by the regulations of NASA's Planetary Protection Office.

Preventing Contamination In The Solar System

There is a unit within NASA that is devoted to the promotion of responsible exploration of the solar system  the Office of Planetary Protection, which is part of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance.

The OPP is tasked to implement and develop efforts to protect the science, explored environments, and Earth in every NASA mission.

It is also responsible for preserving NASA's ability to study other worlds as they exist in their natural states; avoiding the biological contamination of explored environments; and ensuring that prudent precautions are undertaken to protect Earth's biosphere just in case life does exist elsewhere.

History Of Planetary Protection

Planet protection started in the 1960s around the same time when countries started exploring outer space. The first planetary protection program was initiated by the Committee on Space Research after the first Earth-origin satellite, Sputnik, was launched in 1957.

A decade after, the signing of the Outer Space Treaty has formed the basis of international space laws and served as the guideline for nations engaging in outer space exploration.

The treaty was signed by the United States, United Kingdom, and the then Soviet Union. The main objective of the treaty is to ensure that biological contamination is avoided at all cost in all space missions launched from Earth.

The rule of thumb of planetary protection is to prevent the contamination of places and frontiers explored in the solar system.

"We would find it very difficult to identify Mars life if we already contaminated the planet with Earth life," says Catharine Conley, NASA's Planetary Protection officer.

Protect All Missions

Compliance with planetary protection requirements is mandatory for all NASA missions to avoid forward contamination or contamination when microbes from Earth are transported on an outbound spacecraft to other planetary bodies.

Protection procedures are based on the mission type  landers, rovers flyers and orbiters, the mission destination, and planetary bodies that may be encountered.

Likewise, missions are also required to follow specific design and planning processes.

The OPP's first directive is for missions to avoid impact of target bodies and minimize the probability of contamination through launching of pre- and post-launch protocols.

Spacecraft traveling to target bodies with the potential to support Earth life are required to undergo stringent cleaning and sterilization processes, and higher operating restrictions. These include category IV and V missions to Mars and Europa. Missions to asteroids and the moon are not as strict.

Other approaches are also used such as cleanroom usage, aseptic assembly of aircraft, and sterilization of spacecraft components.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.Google is being sued by a former employee for allegedly discriminating against job applicants of Caucasian and Asian descent. He further alleges that the company retaliated against him when he refused to comply.

Diversity Hiring

Arne Wilberg was a recruiter for YouTube for seven years when his employment was terminated by its parent company, Google. Now, Wilberg is suing Google for allegedly discriminating against job applicants who are Caucasian or Asian males. According to the lawsuit, Google's "diversity hiring" policies were discriminatory, and that Wilberg was retaliated against when he refused to comply.

The lawsuit states that for several years, Google has been making efforts to favor Hispanic, African American, and female job applicants and discriminate against Caucasian and Asian male applicants. The said efforts to achieve diversity in the company were written in memos, bulletins, and documents.

For instance, in March of 2017, an email from YouTube's Tech Staffing Management Team, Allison Alogna, tells the team to only accept candidates from historically underrepresented groups and again in an April email wherein she instructed the team to cancel interviews with applicants who were not Hispanic, Black, or women.

According to the lawsuit, when Wilberg voiced out his concerns over the practice, he was given poor performance reviews and was ultimately fired. Furthermore, the lawsuit also claims that the company's hiring practices are unlawful as it is the company's job to prevent discrimination and retaliation.

In a statement, Google said that its policy is clear on hiring candidates based on merit and not identity, and that it is constantly working to unapologetically hire a diverse pool of qualified individuals.

Google Lawsuits

Is Google struggling with the pursuance of its diversity hiring goals? It would seem so. This is not the first time that the company has been sued by former employees. Last August, James Damore, a former Google employee filed a lawsuit against the company for discriminating against conservative white men after he was fired because of a controversial memo wherein he stated that the underrepresentation of women in the tech industry isn't because of sexism, but because men are simply more biologically suited to work in the field.

In the same memo, he mentioned the memes and posts of a coworker, Tim Chevalier, who is transgender and disabled, as an example of how Google has allowed liberals to speak out without any consequences.

However, just last February, Google was then sued by Chevalier because the company allegedly fired him after he made pro-diversity posts defending women and people of color.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

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Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.The likelihood of people being arrested and facing jail time if caught smoking marijuana in Baton Rouge will now depend, in large part, on whether they are inside city limits and which law enforcement agency catches them.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council on Feb. 28 eliminated jail time as a possible penalty for people convicted of possessing less than 14 grams of marijuana. They also changed local law to direct police to issue a summons to appear in court, rather than an arrest, when they find someone with marijuana and pursue city charges.

Those convicted in City Court will pay a fine ranging from $40 to $100, depending on how many previous marijuana offenses they have. The law in Baton Rouge closely matches a New Orleans law change in 2016.

But the Baton Rouge ordinance doesn't create a uniform policy across the parish. It does not apply in Baker, Central and Zachary. And the Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office and State Police have different marching orders for following city versus state law when it comes to marijuana possession cases.

City Court had 1,481 possession of marijuana filings last year, which includes outstanding warrants and marijuana counts connected to other charges as well, according to the clerk of court. Most of the cases sent to City Court are handled by the Baton Rouge Police Department.

The 19th Judicial District Court had 1,961 marijuana case filings last year, including bonds and affidavits. The 19th JDC handles marijuana possession cases when law enforcement officers book the offender under state law.

Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul told Metro Council members that BRPD would continue its regular practice of issuing a summons to someone with a small amount of marijuana and opt for the city charges unless the person is being accused of other criminal behavior, won't reveal their identity or the officer doesnt believe they will show up in court. In those cases, officers can choose to book someone into jail under state law, he said.

Ordinance proposal seeks to curb marijuana possession-related arrests, soften laws in Baton Rouge People found with small amounts of marijuana by police in Baton Rouge soon could avoid arrest and jail if local government officials approve a

BRPD data from last year shows that of 983 cases for possession of under 14 grams marijuana, just one included an arrest. The remainder received a summons for marijuana, though they may have had other counts that resulted in an arrest.

Like in Baton Rouge, issuing a summons rather than an arrest was already standard practice for the New Orleans Police Department before New Orleans lawmakers changed their marijuana ordinance, according to Rafael Goyeneche, president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission in New Orleans.

Goyeneche said that if Baton Rouge police were already issuing a summons rather than an arrest in most marijuana cases, the ordinance change in the capital city probably will not have a profound impact on the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison population.

There was a lot of misinformation that the New Orleans jail was full of marijuana users, he said. His nonprofits analysis of the New Orleans prison population showed that just 6 percent of inmates in the jail between January and June 2015  before the law changed there  were being held on misdemeanor charges. Another analysis that ran in August 2017 showed that just five inmates, or less than 1 percent of the prison population, were awaiting trials on misdemeanor drug charges.

+6 Pot's new piddly punishment: New Orleans police chief discusses new marijuana ordinance enforcement The New Orleans Police Department plans to take full advantage of a city ordinance going into effect Wednesday that allows cops to issue a tic

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Another issue that could affect how widespread the usage of the new ordinance is in Baton Rouge is that the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office and State Police are not bound by it. State Police follow state law for marijuana possession, and a conviction under state law for under 14 grams can include up to $300 in fines and up to 15 days in jail.

Sheriffs Office spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks said the agency usually books people under state law, but deputies can use city ordinances if they desire. They also have the option of issuing a summons rather than making an arrest, but Hicks said there is not necessarily a policy directive to guide deputies on which one to use.

Typically for us, its at the deputys discretion whether they feel like the person needs to be booked, she said.

Hicks said the Sheriffs Office was not closely involved in conversations about the marijuana penalty changes and that it would seek guidance from the District Attorneys Office about whether it changes much for the agency.

Though New Orleans police also have the legal authority to make marijuana arrests under state law, its uncommon for them to use it, said John Wool, the director of justice policy at the Vera Institute in New Orleans.

Wool applauded the law change in Baton Rouge.

+2 Gov. John Bel Edwards to President Trump: Don't prosecute medical marijuana Louisiana's governor Tuesday asked President Donald Trump to shield states' medical marijuana programs from federal prosecutors, urging him to

Police departments should use the least intrusive interactions that fit the alleged offense, Wool said. And when they go beyond that, it leads to the sorts of tensions and distrust and animosity. Its a good step, but its certainly only one of many needed steps.

While the Sheriffs Office patrols outside of Baton Rouges city limits and in Central, both Baker and Zachary have laws that differ from the Baton Rouges new marijuana ordinance. Bakers City Council recently voted to make its marijuana ordinance match state law, and Zachary uses state law as well.

Baker Police Chief Carl Dunn said officers usually issue a summons for a small possession of marijuana, but they have the option of arresting and booking depending on the incident. Zachary City Prosecutor Trae Welch, who also sits on the Metro Council, pointed out that people can face mild penalties for marijuana possession under state law, but the judge over the case has more discretion.

Louisiana agencies moving ahead with medical marijuana programs despite DOJ move BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Louisiana officials are trying to understand what U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' dictate on federal marijuana pr

Welch opposed the changes to Baton Rouges marijuana laws for a number of reasons, one of which was that the new penalties tie the hands of the judiciary." He also said people fail to understand that just because the penalty for marijuana possession could be as low as $40, pleading guilty and paying the fine still result in a drug conviction on someones criminal record.

It costs more money to speed now in the city of Baton Rouge than it does to get a marijuana charge, Welch said.The American Red Cross is asking people to volunteer their time and help save lives at the Sound the Alarm home fire safety and smoke alarm inDENHAM SPRINGS  Tom Jester and his wife, Bobbie, left the Denham Springs-Walker library feeling optimistic last month.

Program officers from Restore Louisiana, the couple said, advised them that their application was complete and they could expect a call from a damage inspector any day. That's the last step in the process before flood victims find out if they are eligible for money.

But three weeks later they're still waiting on that phone call.

"It's been slow, slow, slow," Tom Jester said in an interview at his house last week.

While people who have received assistance are grateful to the state's household disaster recovery program, the $1.3 billion program has left others wondering if the government even wants to give them a dollar.

Long waits, personnel confusion and seemingly endless demands for paperwork, even among those designated as highest need, have created frustration among flood victims requesting help, as the state continues to work on determining grant awards for 16,200 of the nearly 27,000 applicants more than a year and half after the 2016 floods.

Can't see the video below? Click here.

Of applicants in the top two phases, who are low to moderate income and have someone elderly or disabled in their household, only half have gotten word from Restore Louisiana about whether they are eligible for money.

But when they get a decision, it is usually positive: Seventy-eight percent of the 4,639 Phase 1 and 2 applicants for whom Restore has calculated an award were told they were eligible. The average award is about $34,000, Restore statistics say.

Households in Phases 3 to 6 are somewhat more likely to be denied any funds after their award is calculated than the top two phases are  37 percent versus 22 percent of the applications reviewed so far. When these people, who are of all income levels, did get awarded money, the average amount was $22,000.

Overall, Restore Louisiana has awarded $207 million of the $1.3 billion allotment from the federal government to homeowners. State officials say the amount represents a doubling since Dec. 1, when $101 million had been awarded. The state has meanwhile paid $75 million to IEM, the contracted program administrator, for environmental reviews and program management.

"We think its going well, compared to how long this usually takes, but it is still not fast enough," said Pat Forbes, director of the Louisiana Office of Community Development, which oversees the program.

Done by end of 2019

IEM deferred comment to the Office of Community Development. OCD officials defended the costs of the program, saying a significant chunk of the money paid out to IEM was for inspections mandated by the federal government, some of which the state opposed. The rest was necessary upfront spending to get the program started, they said.

Restore numbers show that $39 million has been paid so far to do federally required environmental and lead inspections and IEM received another $35 million in program management fees.

Over the course of IEM's $308 million contract, around $100 million is projected to be flow-through dollars designated for reconstruction of people's flooded homes by Restore's contractors. So far, $1.8 million of that money has been spent on program-managed building costs.

About 30 percent of the $207 million awarded to homeowners so far has been doled out and actually gone to pay them back for work already done or to pay contractors still working, roughly $61 million. The reason for the gap in awards versus expenditures, according to Restore officials, is that the vast majority of applicants choose to manage their own construction.

In that case, the homeowner has the responsibility to find contractors, and the money isn't paid out all at once but in installments as the contractor completes the work.

While Forbes acknowledged his words of relative progress aren't enough for people still out of their homes after the 2016 floods, he struck an optimistic note on the program's future trajectory.

He said he expects the program will have worked through all remaining applications and made funding awards by the fall and hopes to the see the program finished distributing its funds and home reconstruction essentially done by the end of 2019.

"I will tell you in New York and in New Jersey, they're still running their housing program up there. In fact, they just kicked a new one off, from Hurricane Sandy (in 2012). We dont expect to do that," he said.

Forbes said his office is trying to speed the process for people, including a recent change that will streamline verifying people's income  a hurdle that often lengthens the period between when homeowners apply online and when the program determines their potential award.

In general, he said, supplying paperwork and documentation is a big reason for slowdowns between the time someone clicks submit on their online profile and when Restore Louisiana determines if they will get an award.

Moving through phases

In the Jesters' case, they were at the local library for a Restore Louisiana outreach event to hand over Bobbie's tax returns. The elderly couple  Tom is 76 and Bobbie is 78  married shortly after the August 2016 flood. They were longtime friends and married just a couple months after Bobbie responded to a Facebook post Tom wrote saying he was lonely.

After they married, Bobbie moved into Tom's FEMA trailer as a contractor slowly finished repairing his home.

"We didn't understand, because we'd only been married for a year," she said at the library of having to supply her tax returns.

Since they received a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the couple had also been confused about whether they were eligible at all.

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Dianne and Renae Townsend had a better experience after they left the Restore outreach event at the Denham-Walker library event last month.

The elderly couple, who were denied an SBA loan and moved back into their house over the summer, said they got a call from a damage inspector a few days after the meeting, and a man came out to see their construction work last week.

"He was really nice and everything," Dianne said. "Were not holding our breath. If we get it, well be happy and surprised."

The average span for people between when they click submit on their online applications to when they get an award calculation is 87 days, according to figures provided by Restore Louisiana.

U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, criticized the program because of this, saying there is "excessive documentation and lack of preparation by the state and their contractors."

"The excruciating level of detail the Restore program is going through, everything from literally documenting every electrical socket that has been flooded," Graves said. "I think that's a flawed approach.

The lion's share of money has been distributed to people in the first three phases. While the earliest phases targeted those with the greatest need, people in Phase 3 are of any income, live outside the floodplain and have not completed all their repairs.

Forbes said more people in the initial phases have been awarded money because Restore Louisiana invited them to apply earlier and thus processed their applications first. Once people are in the pipeline, there is no priority given by phase. The program only finished inviting the last phases of households to fill out their applications in December, though new households also continue to enter the program.

In all, of the 39,804 households that filled out the initial survey for the Restore program, 26,898 have submitted their full applications. The remaining 12,906 households have yet to submit their applications to start key inspections for the award evaluation, Restore statistics say.

People in Phases 1 and 2 who have gotten through the process are awarded on average $11,000 more than people in Phase 3. Restore officials said people in those earlier phases are low to moderate income, meaning they were less likely to get an SBA loan and also to carry flood insurance.

Under federal duplication of benefits policies, Restore must subtract the total of any award from what households had already received in SBA loans, flood insurance, FEMA awards or other grants. Restore officials said the policy is the main reason people are denied help from the state recovery program.

Households in the program's later phases were more likely to have access to the loans or flood insurance and so were more likely to see those funds counted against any award from Restore, Forbes said.

'I'm just so thankful'

Legislation recently adopted by Congress to fund the post-disaster recovery in Texas and other states should ease the duplication of benefits requirements for some Louisiana flood victims who were deemed eligible for SBA loans but did not take any or all of the money.

Forbes said his office is waiting to hear how the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will interpret the new law.

When asked, Forbes expressed little concern that the recovery program would be able to spend all the funding available, noting that it has eligibility and spending limits that could be opened up if funds were available. He added that HUD's interpretation on SBA loans also could greatly affect how many people can be aided.

While state officials fight to open up program eligibility, many homeowner complaints had more to do with how people were handled in the program.

Rick Bueche, of Baton Rouge, said he made 19 trips to Restore's office, signed three right of entry forms for inspectors to come to his house, brought his drivers license and tax returns to the offices three times and watched three inspectors make the same measurements in his house.

"That is a waste. That is money that could have gone to somebody, said Bueche, who was denied due to an SBA loan he took out to pay off and renovate the house he shares with his 71-year-old sister. He is is appealing on the basis that he was defrauded by his contractor.

"I can accept the flood. It was an act of God. What these people are doing to us is not. Its just making it difficult to make it difficult," he said.

State Sen. J. Rogers Pope, R-Denham Springs, said he thinks people in the earlier phases, who have put the effort into completing their applications, have received some satisfaction from the program.

"They're making some strides in making awards to some people," Pope said. "I just don't know if it's been in the timely manner that I would have liked to have seen."

He said a common gripe from constituents is they work with one case manager for months, and then that person leaves and they are assigned to someone else.

"They work out a relationship with them, and then the people move on for whatever reason and then they have to start the process over," Pope said. "It becomes an act of frustration for the people that are dealing with it."

For Peggy Ott, 84, Restore Louisiana wasn't a frustration, but a godsend.

Ott said she was still basically camping in her home  with a utility sink and some open walls  when she was approved for Restore Louisiana last fall.

A local contractor had scammed her, she said, and she fired him before the house was complete.

"I just thought I was gonna have to live like I was, forever," Ott said.

The Restore Louisiana process was slow, in part because she had to dig up documentation that the house was hers, she said. Everything was in her deceased husband's name.

But she said the officials were accommodating, staying late to help her close on her award and allowing her to live in her house while they did the renovations, since she could not afford to rent.

"I'm just so thankful to get what I got," she said. "They did such a good job."Malcolm Alexander sat in the jury box Tuesday morning at 24th Judicial District courtroom smiling and offering quiet words of encouragement to the dozen family members gathered in the gallery to hear District Judge June Berry Darensburg order his release from Angola State Penitentiary.

Darensburg ordered Alexander "immediately released" from custody on Tuesday after 38 years on the basis that he had received "ineffective assistance of counsel" during his 1980 trial for the rape of a Gretna shop owner.East Baton Rouges planning director says hes ready for people to be disappointed with the revised building rules hes set to propose in the wake of the flood disaster of 2016.

Planning Director Frank Duke was tasked after the flood with re-examining local rules intended to ensure that new construction and development doesnt expose people to flood risk. City-parish staff have submitted their revised rules to the Metro Council, which is scheduled to discuss and vote on the changes on March 14.

"Do I think anyone is going to be happy with it? No," Duke said in a recent interview.

Metro Council to consider requirements for higher building elevations, more green spaces for new construction in the floodplain In the future, new houses in Baton Rouge may need to be built higher, new neighborhoods could face additional drainage requirements, and const

He and Director of Development Carey Chauvin said they lack the data to make sweeping changes to the city's ordinances. More information should be coming in over the next year or two but, for now, the changes are about 90 percent cleaning up garbled language, Duke said.

A copy provided to The Advocate shows mostly minor clarifications, grammatical improvements and updated formatting.

+3 Metro Council tightens building standards in flood plain, increases fines for blighted properties East Baton Rouge raised its building standards Wednesday, demanding that new developments be more flood-proof and turning up the heat on bligh

There are a few more substantive edits, Duke said, often enshrining practices that had been taken for granted but are now written down. These include holding mobile homes to the same elevation requirements as houses and demanding that building additions not be allowed to displace water onto a neighboring property, he said.

Chauvin said it's all planning officials feel like they can do until they have more data.

+7 Baton Rouge Metro Council rejects temporary 'time-out' on new construction in high-risk floodplain The Metro Council on Wednesday defeated a proposal to temporarily cease new construction in the high-risk floodplain in East Baton Rouge.

The city-parish has hired an engineering firm to create a storm water master plan which will have several applications, including to serve as a guide for floodplain ordinance revisions.

Transportation and Drainage director Fred Raiford said hopes by the end of the year to have enough modeling to start recommending areas to consider updating. The entire plan probably won't be finished until mid- to late-2019, he said.

Until more information comes in, Duke will wait. The planning director said he knows people are worried about their flood exposure and looking for a long-term solution, but he also doesn't want to over-correct, since 2016 was such a statistical anomaly.

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"I don't have data, so anything I do is a guess," he said.

In the past week, Metro Council members said they have not yet had a chance to thoroughly examine the floodplain ordinance  a dense and technical document  to comment on the proposed revisions.

+4 25-year storm vs. 10-year storm? More proposals emerge to change post-flood Baton Rouge development Local lawmakers will soon face three decisions that could affect how developers build in Baton Rouge and the propensity for homes flooding her

Some groups involved in the effort, though, have already voiced their displeasure.

The Federation of Greater Baton Rouge Civic Associations wants a board of professional engineers to review drainage issues and advise local politicians.

"There's no one on the Metro Council that's qualified" to evaluate engineering proposals, said Nancy Curry, president of the civic association group.

The city-parish has engineers and planners on staff, but Curry said an outside board might be more experienced and appropriate for the task. The Federation has not yet determined out how such a board might work.

A citizen appeals board could possibly work, Duke allowed, but if they tried to review every plan that comes through the city-parish it would grind development to a halt.

The local Sierra Club chapter, meanwhile, is pessimistic that the city-parish will ever enact meaningful measures to safeguard people and their property.

Following the lead of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, East Baton Rouge determines who's at higher and lower flood risk based on the so-called 100-year-floodplain. That binary delineation has been criticized, including by Sierra Club member Willie Fontenot.

Building more nuanced risk data is an essential step for work that will follow, he said.

"Whatever they propose is going to be totally inadequate," Fontenot said.For more than a week, state legislators have been battling fiercely in public and negotiating furiously behind the scenes to try to overcome their partisan differences over taxes to approve a plan to address the states $1 billion shortfall.

Republicans and Democrats in the Louisiana House failed to find common ground once again on Friday and will make one last effort on Sunday night. Lawmakers narrowly defeated the only tax bill that came to a vote on Friday.

Whats been lost in the tumult is the question of who would pay more under the different plans  and especially how much.

Amid the polarizing speeches in Baton Rouge, no one has noted that none of the measures would cost any taxpayers more than 1 percent of their income per year.

Instead, the most vocal legislators have denounced the other side while trying to score political points by using generalities to argue that their plan is fairest.

Hanging in the balance at the State Capitol: whether lawmakers will raise enough money to stave off deep cuts in programs that serve students on TOPS, kids with disabilities, hospitals that serve the poor and prisons that have the highest number of inmates in the country on a per-capita basis.

Lawmakers have to fill the budget gap by Wednesday, when the special session ends, or return in June for another special session, this time with less than four weeks before the new budget year begins on July 1. By law, legislators cannot raise taxes during this years regular session, which commences on March 12.

Democrats have pushed to close the shortfall by changing the income-tax system, saying thats fairer because it would make higher-income taxpayers dig deeper. Republicans have steadfastly opposed income tax changes as a drag on those who invest and create jobs.

Republicans have said they are reluctantly willing to support a partial renewal of a sales tax increase, but only because they believe its the best option to raise more revenue. Republicans believe raising the sales tax is the fairest way to boost revenue because all taxpayers pay at the same rate when they make purchases.

Democrats complain, however, that sales tax increases take a bigger bite out of the poor, and they note that Louisiana currently has the highest combined local and state sales tax rate of 10 percent. Some Democrats have indicated that they would go along with the sales-tax plan, but on the condition that at least one of the income tax measures wins passage.

This years developments are not a surprise to those who remember that Republicans in 2017 shot down the recommendations of a blue-ribbon tax panel, which would have shifted the tax burden somewhat from the poor toward upper-income taxpayers as a way to solve the states budget problems.

Unnoted in this years debate is that Louisiana has what economists call a regressive tax system, meaning that the poor pay a greater percentage of their income in state and local taxes than the wealthy.

In 2015, families that earned $32,000 or less  who represent 40 percent of Louisiana households  paid an average of 10 percent of their income in taxes. By comparison, families that earned at least $470,000 per year  who represent the top 1 percent of households in Louisiana  paid an average of just 4.2 percent of their income in taxes, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-of-center interest group in Washington, D.C.

Our tax system is unfair now, said Jan Moller, director of the Louisiana Budget Project, a Baton Rouge-based group that is associated with the institute.

Legislators have been meeting since Feb. 19 to address what Gov. John Bel Edwards has said is a $1 billion shortfall to balance the budget that takes effect on July 1.

Of that $1 billion, the tax cut passed by Congress and President Donald Trump could, ironically, reduce that gap by an estimated $300 million in Louisiana. Thats because of a quirk in state law that causes a reduction in federal income taxes to generate more tax dollars for the state treasury. So that could put the shortfall at about $700 million.

State Rep. Stephen Dwight, R-Lake Charles, is sponsoring House Bill 23, which would renew one-fourth of the 1-cent sales tax increase that legislators approved in 2016 but that will expire on June 30. The partial renewal, which would last only until mid-2021, would raise $220 million.

Dwights bill would raise another $80 million by not permitting a number of sales tax breaks to go into effect on June 30. So in total, HB23 would raise $300 million next year.

House members defeated Dwights bill on Wednesday night, 38-67, with a narrow majority of Republicans voting for it and nearly all Democrats against it to protest the Republicans unwillingness to move forward with income tax measures. Because the bill would increase taxes, if it is voted on again on Sunday night, HB23 would need at least 70 votes  a two-thirds majority  to pass and advance to the state Senate for consideration. If nothing else changes, some 35 members of the 41-member Democratic caucus would have to vote yes for it to pass.

Mark Ballard: Huey Long (yes, Huey Long) becomes scapegoat in stalemate at the Louisiana Legislature While Louisiana legislators milled around the State Capitol last week doing nothing more than accusing members of the other party of sidetrack

Unless Dwights measure is revived, the entirety of a 1-cent sales tax increase stands to expire on June 30, producing a savings to taxpayers of $880 million next year  and a corresponding revenue loss to the treasury that would cause devastating cuts, according to everyone but the most ardent anti-tax conservatives.

So who would pay more with a .25 percent increase in the state sales, as envisioned in Dwights bill, and how much?

It would cost a family earning $25,000 about $40 in higher sales taxes per year, according to a calculation by Jim Richardson, a professor at LSU who is the states top public-affairs economist and who co-chaired the blue-ribbon panel on taxes.

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It would cost a family earning $100,000 to $125,000 per year about $65 more in sales tax per year, Richardson said. About 5 percent of families fall in this group.

One alternative pushed by Democrats is House Bill 8, by state Rep. Walt Leger III, D-New Orleans. It would no longer allow taxpayers to deduct, on their state tax returns, the state and local tax payments they made during the previous tax year. It would raise $79 million per year.

Legers proposal would almost exclusively impact taxpayers who itemize on their federal tax returns and earn at least $200,000 per year, or about 4 percent of households, Richardson said. Their tax bill would be $400 to $600 higher per year. So Legers proposal would affect the wealthy.

On Friday, the House narrowly defeated Legers bill, 50-51, with an additional three votes, or 53, needed for passage. (This measure needs only 53 votes because it does not levy a new tax or increase tax rates.)

Leger will likely make another effort to pass it Sunday night since five Democratic state representatives  Jimmy Harris, of New Orleans; Gary Carter, of New Orleans; Denise Marcelle, of Baton Rouge; Cedric Glover, of Shreveport; and Mike Danahay, of Sulphur  voted against it and might be persuaded to vote yes.

Members of the Legislative Black Caucus  who are Democrats  have insisted on passage of another measure that would make Louisiana taxpayers who have a taxable income of at least $50,000 per year pay more in income taxes. Taxable income is the income, after deductions, that taxpayers note on their tax returns; $50,000 in taxable income is equivalent to $70,000 to $75,000 in earned income, Richardson said.

In the Capitol, this measure is known as compressing the brackets, because under it taxpayers with a lower level of income would pay a higher tax rate.

In 2008, the Legislature and Gov. Bobby Jindal raised the amount of taxable income a family must earn from $37,500 to $100,000 before the top 6 percent income tax rate would kick in. This amounted to a windfall for the wealthier, although it also was a break for the middle class.

If legislators mandated a return to the 6 percent rate at $50,000 of taxable income, a household earning $50,000 per year would pay no more, Richardson calculated. A family with $75,000 of taxable income would pay about $500 more per year, and a family with $100,000 of taxable income would pay $1,000 more per year.

The 35 percent of families that earn more than $50,000 per year would pay more under compressing the brackets. Republicans have said they are dead-set against this measure, which would raise about $350 million per year.

Who would pay more

Different plans yet to be approved by the state Legislature seek to address a looming $1 billion budget shortfall. None of the measures would cost any taxpayers more than 1 percent of their income per year.

0.25 percent increase in the state sales tax

Families earning less than $25,000 per year would pay: $40

Families earning $100,000 to $125,000 per year would pay: $60

Ending the state and local tax deduction

Most families earning less than $200,000 per year would pay: $0

Families earning more than $200,000 per year would pay: $400 to $600

Compressing tax brackets

Families earning less than $50,000 per year in taxable income would pay: $0

Families earning $75,000 per year in taxable income would pay: $500

Families earning $100,000 per year in taxable income would pay: $1,000

Source: LSU professor Jim RichardsonPurchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commissionWhile Louisiana legislators milled around the State Capitol last week doing nothing more than accusing members of the other party of sidetracking the latest stab at fixing the states ongoing fiscal crisis, U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise put the blame squarely on Huey Long.

We're still operating a lot of the vestiges of Huey Long. You look at the other Southern states around us, and they have changed to meet the new environment and have thrived because of it," Scalise told The Advocate of his view of the situation in Baton Rouge.

Pointing the finger at someone who took office 90 years ago seems a little audacious. But get used to it. Its Hueys fault looks like a catch phrase going into the 2019 elections.

State Sen. Conrad Appel, the Metairie Republican who has taken a side job as conservative philosopher on right-wing blog sites, wrote on Feb. 19, the first day of the special session focused on fixing a nearly $1 billion deficit: I agree that without doubt our predicament is caused by poverty, but it is a poverty of the spirit resultant from a political establishment at all levels that has mastered the art of operating under a philosophy of government that dates to Huey Long.

Back in September, Dan Richey, a Baton Rouge political consultant, chronicled the political genealogy from Huey Long to Senate President John Alario for a group of businessmen active in conservative causes. He painted the 2019 elections as historic because the last vestige of Huey will go when the 74-year-old Alario has to step down because of term limits.

Its a compelling, if flawed, storyline.

Upon taking office in May 1928, Long wrested political control from the planter class that had run the state since Reconstruction. He pushed the Legislature to fund construction of roads, bridges, hospitals, and infrastructure that put the unemployed to work during the Depression, opened up trade, and sent children to school, often for the first time. The projects helped usher in an industrial boom still evident in the manufacturing facilities that line the Mississippi River.

But Longs most lasting legacy is a top-down administrative system, which puts the governors hands on an array of levers so powerful that parish and municipal officials are required to come to Baton Rouge on bended knee for funding and permission to do what in another state would be purely a local matter  such as paying prosecutors or deciding from whom to collect property taxes.

This is the flaw in the GOP narrative to hang Democrats with Hueys legacy. When Alario, R-Westwego, steps down at the end of 2019, 24 of his 47 years in the Legislature will have been served under Republican governors who saw no need to change that power dynamic that Huey put in place nine decades ago.

Still, the narrative could be more prescient than has been articulated.

A deep philosophical difference divides Louisiana Democrats and Republicans. Its the reason for the difficulty in agreeing on how to repair a fiscal structure that cant raise enough money to pay for state services.

The Democrats see the responsibility of funding government as being shared in proportion to a persons ability to pay. Republicans see it more as a number that most everyone should pay.

Hence, Democratic representatives have balked at a sales tax-only solution that the GOP favors. And Republican House members reject Democrats plan of increasing income taxes.

Last weekend both sides gave a little bit. That compromise fell apart when Republicans, at the last minute, changed the deal by insisting on keeping 25 percent of a sales tax penny set to expire June 30. The deal had been to keep a half-cent.

Gov. John Bel Edwards, who no doubt wishes he could command the obedience Huey mustered, told The Advocate Thursday the switch not only angered Democrats but it opened up a hole that had to be filled. So then you had some members, particularly among the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, who went back to demanding that income tax be put more into play.

+3 'I'm tired of the blame game,' GOP lawmaker says as La. House rejects key tax proposal The state House shot down a crucial piece of tax legislation Wednesday night after a tense debate and airing of grievances that have mired the

State Rep. Stephen Dwight, R-Lake Charles, said the change in percentage was to reach the 70 votes necessary for passage. Other Republicans blamed the Black Caucus for resurrecting an income tax plan that had been off the table.

+3 'I'm tired of the blame game,' GOP lawmaker says as La. House rejects key tax proposal The state House shot down a crucial piece of tax legislation Wednesday night after a tense debate and airing of grievances that have mired the

GateHouse Media columnist Rick Holmes wrote in the Nebraska City News Press on Feb. 22 that a display near Hueys office in the Old State Capitol pointed out that when Long became governor, Louisiana ranked at the bottom of every measure of social and economic progress. A U.S. News and World Report survey two weeks ago ranked the state at the bottom in metrics like crime, opportunity, economy, education and government.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.Minority- and woman-owned firms still struggle to compete for private-sector jobs in New Orleans, although their chances of getting public work have improved in recent years under Mayor Mitch Landrieus administration, a recent study shows.

At the same time, the study, which was commissioned by Landrieu, proposes ways in which the city can improve its efforts, such as denying the disadvantaged label to firms that are doing well financially and by making prompt city payments to contractors.

The Keen Independent Research review, which examines whether racial or gender disparities exist in the awarding of lucrative public and private contracts, fulfills a promise Landrieu made at the start of his administration to look into that matter.

It examined more than $1 billion worth of city contracts over four years, and at least $15.6 billion in non-city contracts over that same time.

Its results are unlikely to surprise critics who have long said that discrimination against certain businesses persists in New Orleans, despite city efforts to ensure everyone has a fair shake.

Notably, it underscores that government set-asides alone will not be enough to improve peoples economic prospects, for public work is only a small portion of the overall economic activity in the New Orleans area.

The report told us an uncomfortable truth: that progressive government policies and practices can be impactful, but without full buy-in and partnership from the private community ... it is not going to have an economic impact, Landrieu said Wednesday as he announced the study's findings at the Peoples Health New Orleans Jazz Market in Central City.

Among the key points in the draft study, which is expected to be finalized later this spring:

An examination of more than 2,000 non-city construction contracts totaling $15.6 billion over four years revealed that general contracting firms owned by minorities received less than 3 percent of total contract dollars. However, they could have received nearly six times that amount, based on how many of them were qualified for and interested in the work. (To determine qualifications, researchers asked about firms' largest contract awards, their staff size and similar information.)

Of the less than 3 percent of dollars that minorities received, only 1 percent went to black-owned firms. Nearly 10 times that amount could have gone to those companies.

Construction design firms owned by white women received more than 3 percent of the more than 1,400 non-city construction design contracts available over a four-year period, although they could have received more than three times that amount.

Meanwhile, the city in recent years has paid minority- and women-owned firms even more public dollars  47 percent of $538 million in government contract dollars  than researchers would have expected, based on those firms availability for the work. That percentage is up 18 points since 2013.

The data on the citys efforts are a win for Landrieu, who has prioritized economic opportunity for minorities throughout his tenure and who signed executive orders in 2010 to look into whether public contracts were reaching disadvantaged businesses, amid complaints that the citys DBE program wasnt working as intended.

Those orders also made contract awards more transparent in a bid to ensure awards were made based on merit not connections.

Landrieu's team also stepped up enforcement of a city goal to steer 35 percent of public work toward DBEs and later enacted a hiring policy to ensure that still more city work goes to local and disadvantaged residents, among other reforms.

Even with those policies, researchers found some disparities when examining public dollars going to DBEs, particularly when they segregated the data on disadvantaged firms by race, gender or contract type.

Although nearly half of all government dollars over a recent two-year period went to DBEs, for example, only 11 percent of public construction contract dollars went to black-owned firms. Those firms could have gotten more than twice that amount, based on their qualifications and interest, researchers said. Firms owned by white women, meanwhile, were overutilized in that area.

Black-owned firms received close to what might be expected in professional services contracts but far less in supplying goods. They were significantly overutilized in other kinds of contracts.

Meanwhile, white women, Latinos and Asian-Americans could have gotten slightly more of certain kinds of contracts than they did, the data show.

Still, the work seems to point to more problems in the private sector than in city contracts. Annette Keen, a lead researcher for the study, said women contractors her team interviewed described struggling to find work in a mans world, and minority contractors believe they were denied jobs in the private sector because of their skin color.

For women-owned firms ... sometimes they are the secretary in the room, rather than the business owner, even when they are the business owner, Keen said.

The work also referenced societal discrimination that has worked to hold minority contractors back, such as banks that more frequently deny business or home loans to black applicants, and unequal advancement opportunities for black, Latino and white construction workers, among other issues.

The Keen firm, which the city paid nearly $500,000 to produce the report, recommended that officials change the eligibility criteria for disadvantaged businesses to more closely mirror those of the federal government, which examines a businesss economic standing before giving it a disadvantaged label.

Such economic reviews could prevent a scenario in which a minority- or woman-owned firm is certified as a DBE but has substantial financial resources and does not actually need the program, the consultants said. On the flip side, the city should move to ensure that firms owned by white men who are economically or socially disadvantaged can continue to benefit.

The city also should consider speeding up the average time it takes to pay a prime contractor or a subcontractor so that DBEs  already burdened by limited resources  arent waiting months to get paid, the study said.

Although the study offered opinions on potential improvements only to the city's DBE program, Landrieu himself had some pointed words for private firms that havent made more opportunities available for minorities and women.

Some may view an inclusionary contracting process as burdensome, as something that might weigh them down when they need to be agile, he said. To those people, I would say look at the facts. There has been no drop-off in the quality of the work since we beefed up our DBE program.

Moreover, this is not about charity, he said. We are helping people to realize the potential that they already had, and that which makes them valuable to the community.Ashton Ryan Jr. ran his fledgling real estate business the same way he ran First NBC Bank  controlling "virtually every decision," a lawsuit alleges.

Now, as a federal grand jury continues to probe the New Orleans-based community bank's $1 billion collapse  with an eye toward potentially bringing criminal charges  investigators have turned their attention to a 161-acre Mandeville land deal that Ryan has worked to develop since the early 2000s.

According to a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed in November, Ryan allegedly stiffed a Slidell construction firm, Phoenix Civil Contractors, for nearly $5.5 million he owed them. Instead, he set up a loan and credit line for Phoenix at First NBC, keeping it active for seven years.

The lawsuit alleges that Ryan essentially used the bank's money as a personal kitty to, at the very least, stave off his own obligations. Each time Phoenix's loan from the bank became due, he referenced his own debt in bank paperwork to justify the loan's creditworthiness and extend it.

Court records show that the grand jury is now investigating the arrangement, apparently to determine whether it violated state and federal banking regulations and whether Ryan intended to benefit from such violations.

The Phoenix lawsuit, filed in 22nd Judicial District Court in St. Tammany Parish, lists as defendants Wadsworth Estates, a limited-liability corporation that shares Ryan's Kenner address, as well as Ryan and his business partner, Metairie developer Warren Treme. The lawsuit alleges fraud, unjust enrichment and unfair trade practices.

Almost as striking is the admission by Ryan's attorney, Eddie Castaing, that the claims have drawn the scrutiny of federal investigators. Castaing made the admission  a rare public acknowledgement of a secretive legal proceeding  in a subsequent court filing in which he requested a stay in the civil case, citing the grand jury proceeding.

"The U.S. Attorney's Office (in New Orleans) is conducting a pending, ongoing and active grand jury investigation of Ryan, Treme and Wadsworth Estates and related companies regarding the development of the St. Tammany property owned by Wadsworth Estates, and the related acts of Ryan and Treme," Castaing's motion says in part.

It warns that if the civil case proceeds while the grand jury's work is ongoing, Ryan's and Treme's "risk of self-incrimination is real and immediate."

A hearing on Castaing's motion is scheduled for later this month. It is common for civil proceedings to be put on hold when they are overtaken by criminal investigations.

In a separate filing, both Ryan and Treme have denied the allegations against them.

Reached by phone Friday, Castaing declined comment.

Treme did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Phoenix's attorney, Paul Harrison of Mandeville, did not return a call.

The Advocate reported in September that federal prosecutors had convened a grand jury to investigate potential charges related to First NBC's collapse. The step, though significant, was hardly a surprise to most legal observers, given the size of the bank's losses, which came at a time when bank failures are increasingly rare. The collapse was the costliest failure of an American bank since 2010.

However, until now, it's been unclear what potential crimes prosecutors might be looking at, though Ryan's alleged recklessness has always seemed to be at the forefront. Earlier internal and external reviews of First NBC concluded that Ryan, the bank's founder and longtime CEO, had an unusual appetite for risk and exerted a dominant influence over its operations.

Castaing's motion suggests that the probe is looking into the possibility the bank's failure can't be chalked up only to some bad loans. His filing suggests that prosecutors are evaluating whether Ryan or other bank executives and directors were negligent, failed in their fiduciary duty to oversee the business or benefited personally from a business relationship, like extending the line of credit.

That's a key question for prosecutors as they consider bringing charges. Bank directors, in particular, are typically given considerable latitude to use their best business judgment, experts say. If they can plausibly argue they were acting in good faith on an informed basis, their exposure tends to be limited.

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The grand jury has also explored First NBC's dealings with Gregory St. Angelo, who served as the bank's attorney and took out multiple loans from the bank. In a 2014 deposition in a civil case, he estimated his loans from the bank totaled about $20 million, though he said he was not the lone guarantor on some of that debt.

It's all part of a larger pattern of aggressive and risky loan-making by Ryan. He issued or renewed loans to numerous distressed clients even after their long-term prospects were exposed as questionable, in some cases for larger amounts and easier terms than other banks would have granted.

By the end of 2016, Ryan had been ousted as CEO of First NBC but remained as president of the bank and its parent company. He resigned altogether in April 2017, weeks before First NBC failed.

In the wake of the collapse, Phoenix isn't the first borrower to file a suit arguing it shouldn't be responsible for its debts to the bank. Among the reasons Phoenix and others have said they should get relief: They borrowed more than they could handle at Ryan's urging, and First NBC's loan underwriting and risk selection were substandard.

What's potentially unique in this case may be Ryan's alleged personal ties to the loan recipient. "In other words, Mr. Ryan would extend Phoenix's loan/line of credit because the defendants failed to pay Phoenix under the terms of the subject construction contract," the lawsuit alleges.

Phoenix's work on the Mandeville project, which spanned seven years beginning in 2009, included utility work as well as installing drainage, roadways and other infrastructure to develop the property, located on La. 1088.

Although Phoenix largely went unpaid, it regularly mailed invoices or delivered them to Treme.

"When questioned as to why Phoenix was not being paid, Mr. Treme constantly stated that he would have to check with 'Ashton,' " the lawsuit states.

Treme made only one partial payment for the work: $156,143.

Phoenix is now facing bankruptcy because it cannot afford its loan and interest payments, the lawsuit contends, noting that the debt was subsequently taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which became the receiver of First NBC after it failed.

Ryan had extended the financing until mid-2016, the lawsuit says, which coincides with a point when the bank's operations had come under increasing scrutiny as it began uncovering issues with its internal controls.

The Mandeville project, known as Wadsworth Estates, initially included a planned mix of single-family homes, townhouses and a 36-acre mixed-use commercial area, but the residential component was scrapped about five years ago in favor of plans to turn the site into a high-end business park and commercial development.

The project included the Azby Fund, a New Orleans-based philanthropic foundation that was the site's primary landholder.

Patrick Fitzmorris, assistant managing director of the foundation, declined comment on Phoenix's lawsuit, to which his foundation is not a party. He would not say whether the foundation has received a grand jury subpoena for information.

Despite the litigation, the 161-acre tract is now "probably the prime shovel-ready site in St. Tammany Parish," according to Fitzmorris, who said the foundation would use the property's proceeds to help support its charitable giving.

Though it's likely to be be split up and resubdivided, the entire 161 acres could carry a price tag of $30 million to $50 million, he said.

From a banker's perspective, the lawsuit's allegations raise several questions, according to Paul Bonitatibus, a former president of First Metropolitan Bank in Metairie, which was acquired by Hibernia National Bank in 1985.

On the one hand, Bonitatibus speculated as to whether Ryan's relationship with Phoenix was properly disclosed to other First NBC executives as the loan was being issued and renewed. If not, it could have run afoul of federal banking regulations that govern insider loans, which include transactions involving bank officers, directors or entities to which they are linked.

But Bonitatibus also noted that Phoenix wasn't obligated to accept the loan instead of forcing the payment in the first place.

Regardless, he pointed to a common theme that runs through the case and others that have emerged since the bank failed. "That claim of Ashton (Ryan) using undue influence to make loans was the common one," he said.The building that houses Alice M. Harte Elementary Charter School in Algiers, which opened just a few years ago, is ringed by a tall, black metal fence.

During school hours, every entrance is locked down except the one in front, where an armed security guard asks visitors to state their business on campus and provide a drivers license that he scans into a computer.

He sits in front of two screens displaying feeds from more than a dozen surveillance cameras trained on every entrance and hallway, zooming in on any one in particular with the click of a button.

To get past the door nearby that leads to a suite of administrative offices, Jamar McKneely, the CEO of the charter group that runs Harte, swipes a security card with a bar code that lets him inside.

The shooting that took 17 lives at a high school in Parkland, Florida, last month has given new life to the debate about how to keep students safe, but school buildings and policies have been evolving along these lines now for decades.

Since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, since Virginia Tech, since Sandy Hook, school administrators and law enforcement have been thinking about how to prevent or at least mitigate the unthinkable, with features like electronic locks, surveillance cameras and annual training for staff.

A lot of our parents will ask us when they see these national stories, Is my child safe at school? What sort of protection are you providing?  McKneely said.

Each new high-profile shooting provides a further impetus to rethink safety protocols.

In St. Tammany Parish, Superintendent Trey Folse held a meeting last week with the heads of local police agencies to discuss safety efforts, though a district spokeswoman said Folse was not available to discuss any particular proposals.

The recent spike in arrests around the metro area for school-related threats  thanks to copycat behavior on the part of some students or stepped-up vigilance from others  seems to have heightened the urgency to get a handle on potential dangers.

Since the Florida massacre, a half-dozen students have been booked by law enforcement in St. Tammany for threatening schools. The school board in St. John the Baptist Parish scheduled a special meeting to discuss how officials should respond to a similar uptick in threats there.

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Some local officials seem open to embracing the idea being pushed by President Donald Trump: arming teachers with guns so they can fight back, a step that would take a change in state law.

James Hufft, the executive director of emergency and risk assessment for Jefferson Parish schools, noted that many districts in Ohio already provide teachers with guns.

And he pointed to the principal at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, who was killed running toward Adam Lanza as he began his shooting rampage inside the school in 2012. If she had been armed, it may have been a different story, Hufft said.

That idea aside, Jefferson has already taken steps recently to improve security. After Sandy Hook," Hufft said, "we realized that we could not have soft campuses, if you will, like a typical store where you can just walk in.

He said Jefferson public schools now have a single point of entrance, instructions directing visitors to sign in after theyve been buzzed through the door and cameras that can be monitored from the districts central office, as well as by law enforcement.

Hufft said every threat over social media is taken seriously and discussed with police.

Every year, administrators go through a two-day training program put on by a company called Safariland Group on how to handle different hazards and threats. Schools do drills with students and staff on their crisis plans, the details of which typically arent publicized to avoid giving potential intruders any advantage.

Thats a requirement at every Louisiana public school since the Legislature passed Act 50 in 2013, requiring administrators to have contingency plans for a shooting or similar emergency.

The opposite danger, as some educators see it, is that schools may start to feel more like prisons than places to learn. Thats why McKneely, the charter group's CEO, would like to see lawmakers do something to take assault weapons off the street, rather than arm teachers.

We dont want the school to have the feel of an incarceration center, McKneely said. We dont want the first thing our students to see is a teacher with a gun on their side.New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu took some jabs at President Donald Trump at the annual Gridiron Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night  while also using self-deprecating humor to find a few similarities between himself and the president.

Landrieu, a Democrat, said that were both a little overweight and balding  I just have had an easier time admitting it, the Washington Post reported. The dinner, a white-tie event that attracted about 660 journalists, media executives, lawmakers, administration officials and military officers, is off the record, so the Post relied on prepared remarks and accounts of those at the event, according to its report.

The mayor also said that he could understand the loneliness of Trumps job: I understand lonely because Im a Democrat from the South. And he also observed, No matter how many times we say it, we dont drain the swamps either.

The Post reported that Landrieu, in the spirit of the bipartisan event, not only roasted Trumps Cabinet, but also former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

I feel kinda out of place here, Landrieu said, according to the Post. More out of place than Mike Pence at a mens figure skating competition. More out of place than Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin. More out of place than the Mnuchins in a Waffle House. More out of place than Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice. More out of place than John Kelly. Period.

USA Today's account of the evening says Landrieu joked that Trump could reign as "King Chaos" of a New Orleans parade.

The annual dinner of the Gridiron Club and Foundation, now in its 133rd year, traces its history to 1885, the year President Grover Cleveland refused to attend. Every president since has come to at least one Gridiron.

Trump, who skipped last years dinner, dished out sharp one-liners throughout his comments Saturday night, occasionally lapsing into recurring themes about the 2016 election and media bias.

"Nobody does self-deprecating humor better than I do. It's not even close," said Trump, who skipped last year's dinner. He also said: "I was very excited to receive this invitation and ruin your evening in person. That's why I accepted."

A sampling of Trump's comments:

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

On his son-in-law: "We were late tonight because Jared could not get through security."

On Vice President Mike Pence: "He is one of the best straight men you're ever going to meet ... he is straight. Man." Trump also said, "I really am proud to call him the apprentice "

On Attorney General Jeff Sessions: "I offered him a ride over and he recused himself. What are you going to do?"

On The New York Times: "I'm a New York icon. You're a New York icon. And the only difference is I still own my buildings."

On former chief strategist Steven Bannon: "That guy leaked more than the Titanic."

On the first lady: Trump said he doesn't understand why everyone says #freemelania. He said she's actually having a great time.

Toward the end of his comments, Trump couldn't resist some of his favorite themes, revisiting his election night victory and chiding reporters to be fair.

He closed by saying: "I just want to say this, this is one of the best times I've had with the media  this might be the most fun I've had since watching your faces on election night."

Read the full Washington Post report here.

The Associated Press contributed to this reportWhy Randy Smith is faking it is by no means clear, but nobody should be fooled.

Smith has been a cop for around 30 years, and, when he was sworn in as St. Tammany Parish Sheriff in 2016, received extravagant praise from then-U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite.

He can't possibly be as dumb as he makes out. Louisiana sheriffs are not always great legal scholars, but the rawest deputy from the backwoods will know it is against the law to falsify public records. Yet, when it turned out that one of his deputies had submitted a report full of lies to justify a DWI arrest, Smith said no crime had been committed.

State law prescribes up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine for filing a document containing a false statement or false representation of a material fact. Deputy Ricky Steinert should therefore have been charged with a felony when he decided to frame Ryan Heyd on a drunk-driving rap. In fact, when he was finally found out, and prosecutors refused charges against Heyd, Steinert was allowed to resign last year and move out of town.

Steinert would usually have gotten away with his story that Heyd had failed a field sobriety test, because St. Tammany is not one of those high-tech, modern departments with dashboard and body cameras. That doesn't matter in the vast majority of cases, because a breathalyzer reading will settle the issue and induce a plea from the guilty. But sometimes it's a cop's word against an alleged drunk driver's, and the courts tend not to agonize over that call. Thus, a rogue such as Steinert pretty much has carte blanche. When Heyd, who already had a DWI, refused to blow and took the field sobriety test, Steinert must have figured he didn't have a leg to stand on.

Sure enough, according to Steinert's report, Heyd lost his balance three times, failed to walk a line and did a great deal of swaying. But it was evidently Steinert who didn't have his wits about him, for he failed to notice that Heyd had a friend on the scene who whipped out his cell phone video camera. After that video, on which Heyd showed no signs of intoxication, was forwarded to prosecutors, Steinert admitted that his damning words had been copied and pasted from another report.

Steinert made at least 117 arrests since 2015, and it will presumably take some time to establish how many more of them were frame-ups. One conviction secured with Steinert's testimony has already been vacated.

Smith called Steinert a good cop, when it is glaringly obvious that he was a thoroughly rotten one, and explains he should not have been arrested because he did not break the law for personal gain. Filing a false report is illegal regardless of motive. If it is absurd for Smith to pretend he doesn't know that, ignorance of the law can never be an excuse for District Attorney Warren Montgomery. Yet Montgomery had made no move to bring charges, and the possibility of prosecution would never have arisen if The Advocate and WWL-TV had not started asking questions recently.

A false public record charge may not have been the only option available. Any scheme to convict the innocent with falsified evidence surely constitutes perversion of the course of justice, and an enterprising prosecutor could have ensured Steinert received the treatment appropriate for a crooked officer of the law.

Once Steinert's caper was reported in the paper, Smith and Montgomery were finally forced to take action, although their response could hardly have been more pathetic. They punted to state Attorney General Jeff Landry. Since Steinert has admitted falsifying a police report, Landry won't need to call on his top legal brains to figure out whether to file charges. Steinert would have to be pretty reckless to fight them; the evidence is overwhelming.

But Landry's office should never have been saddled with the case. Taxpayers are stuck with extra expenses because Smith and Montgomery have failed to do their jobs. A sheriff who really was too dumb to read the law could not have made a bigger mess of things.

Email James Gill at Gill1407@bellsouth.net.More and more batik businesses in Yogyakarta are using natural dyes for their production. Among the eco-friendly Yogyakarta batik brands are Jolawe and Marenggo Natural Dyes.

As reported by tempo.co, Marenggo Natural Dyes Batik established by Yogyakartan artisan Nuri Ningsih Hidayati uses various natural materials for dyes, from mango, rambutan and marenggo leaves to mahogany, jackfruit, kesumba and teak wood.

All the materials are obtained from around Nuri's home in Berbah, Sleman, Central Java. "Batik that uses natural dyes is healthy for your skin and has a softer color," she told tempo.co.

Natural dyes are also said to make fabric softer to the touch and do not pollute the environment.

Nuri said such batik had its own market, such as shoppers from Jakarta and foreign tourists who are aware of its positive effect on the preservation of the environment.

The artisan added that creating batik tulis (hand-drawn batik) with natural dyes took longer and the craftsmen had to pay more attention to the pattern details on the fabric.

Read also: Differences between printed batik and authentic batik 'tulis

Prior to being used, the materials must undergo a fermentation process, which is why this type of batik costs more than the synthetic-colored kind.

Another endorser of natural-dyed batik is Paguyuban Batik Tulis Giriloyo in Wukirsari, Imogiri, Bantul, which also collaborates with students of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta. "Our lecturers often visit Giriloyo tourist village to conduct research," said one of the students, Sri Utami.

Nur Ahmadi, the head of Giriloyo Batik Tulis Community, said materials for natural-dyed batik were eco-friendly and could be easily obtained from around the artisans' hometown. Nur himself uses a mixture of natural dye ingredients from various plants, such as krungkungan leaves, jolawe fruit skin, mango leaves, indigo leaves and mahogany.

Blue and green moss colors, for instance, are said to come from indigo leaves and jolawe fruit skin, respectively.

Nur said such batik had its own market as it boasted a more complicated level of production. It also takes at least one week to make, while synthetic-colored batik only needs 1-2 days.

Through good quality fashion shows involving designers, Nur is hopeful that natural-dyed batik will become more popular among batik enthusiasts. (kes)Many are willing to go to great lengths for beauty, sticking to the motto that beauty is pain. They are willing to undergo painful procedures for good looks. Among those procedures is the vampire facial, a beauty treatment favored by many women.

Reality television personality Kim Kardashian has reportedly received such a treatment.

Vampire facials are a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) facial in which blood is drawn from the patient, and then processed in a centrifuge to extract the plasma that contains platelets and growth factors. The processed blood is then reinjected into the patients face.

According to kompas.com, when the platelets are injected into the face, the body is tricked into thinking that there has been an injury. Hence it triggers growth factors to aid new collagen formation. The newly formed collagen will then result in fresh and rejuvenated skin.

PRP procedure vector illustration (Shutterstock/Eduards Normaals)

The procedure is nevertheless painful, with some women, including Kardashian, vowing to never undergo it again. She admitted that it was rough and painful, especially since she could not use numbing cream or pain killers, as she was pregnant.

Kim went on to write that she understands the treatment may be better suited for different people.

Meanwhile, Dr. Munir Somji -a leading cosmetic surgeon and CMO of Dr MediSpa in England- who was quoted by kompas.com as saying that he uses the treatment for facials and also after surgery to speed up healing. Being a center of regenerative medicine, Dr MediSpa uses PRP mixed with a filler to reduce complications.

Read also: Foreo launches 'UFO' for easy beauty face masks

PRP treatment is no less popular in Indonesia. It is on the menu of leading aesthetic clinics such as The Aesthetics Dental and Skin Clinic, ZAP Clinic and Madeline Beauty Center. Heni Jeniwati, CEO of Madeline, told The Jakarta Post that many clients favored the treatment as the result was very satisfying.

More than just rejuvenating the skin, PRP treatment could also address uneven skin, acne and hair-fall problems. (mut)Massoumeh Attaie does not want to be defined only by the evil that drove her father-in-law to blind her with acid in her face. She wants to be known as an artist.

The 35-year-old Iranian never got justice for the brutal attack eight years ago that left her permanently disfigured.

Her father-in-law threw acid in her face because she had sought a divorce, but under Iran's Islamic law, her two eyes were worth only one of his.

And in the end, the family threatened that the same punishment would befall her son if she pressed charges.

"I chose my son over justice," she said - a terrible choice she says she has put behind her and refuses to let crush her spirit.

This week she joined a group of other victims of acid attacks presenting their work at the Ashianeh gallery in Tehran to raise awareness and money.

"I don't want to be known as a victim, I want to be known as an artist," she said.

Attaie makes pottery, sculpted bowls and statuettes.

She now lives in Tehran with her 12-year-old son, having fled her family in Iran's third city of Isfahan, gives art classes to other blind people and proudly says she is "totally independent".

"I hope this exhibition is encouraging for others like us to give them a bit of morale to come out from hiding away in their house and come back to society," she said.

There have been repeated outbreaks of acid attacks in Iran.

A spate of attacks in 2014 triggered protests and claims the culprits were targeting women wearing "immodest" clothing.

The most infamous case came in 2011 when a young woman, Ameneh Bahrami, was blinded by a man after rejecting his offer of marriage.

Public pressure meant the courts granted her full retribution, ordering him to be blinded in both eyes, though she spared him at the last moment.

Read also: Lesson from women and revolution in Iran

- 'Hear our cry' -

Not all of the attacks have targeted women.

Also presenting his work at the Tehran gallery was Mohsen Mortazavi, who was disfigured by a jealous colleague.

His artwork is a highly intricate type of portrait known as moaragh, made from wood offcuts.

Half of his self-portrait is how he once looked, the other half is obliterated by a dark blotch.

"I wanted to show the moment it happened," he said.

"We wanted the public to hear our voice, our cry, the cry of those who have been burned like us. The best way we could find was with art," he said.

"It's great to see how this show has brought people back to the world," said Zahra Safari, a visitor at the exhibition this week.

"The fact that they can use their hands to express their feelings and the fact they express their interior strength and that their face becomes less significant  that they are enjoying themselves."

Money raised by the show went to Iran's Association of Support of Acid Attack Victims.The Jakarta Tourism and Culture Agency will organize the 2018 edition of Gerebek Museum, a movement that encourages people to visit museums by facilitating them.

According to Antara, the movement was directly instructed by Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan to increase the amount of museum visitors.

Tinia Budiati, the head of the Jakarta Tourism and Culture Agency, explained that one of the facilities that will be offered is transportation. Provided for free, it will take people to the museum every weekend. It is scheduled to be implemented in May.

Read also: Noteworthy art museums named after Indonesian painters

We will manage the visit, Tinia said. For example, we will provide transportation for those who live in Senen [and] want to visit Setu Babakan. So people who dont have private vehicles still can go.

The schedule will be shared via an app and the official website of the Jakarta government.

During the implementation, we will involve the Jakarta Transportation Agency to prepare the routes and vehicles, Tinia said. We hope the movement can be beneficial for people to improve their knowledge. (wir/wen)President Joko Jokowi Widodo visited sneakers exhibition Jakarta Sneaker Day at Senayan City mall, Central Jakarta, on Saturday.

Head of the presidential press bureau, Bey Machmudin, said Jokowi intended to check out the latest developments in the local shoe industry and market.

I am checking out the trends. What are the market trends like, or what kinds of shoes are in trend, said Jokowi.

Though the exhibition was dominated by international brands, Jokowi was certain Indonesian-made sneakers were better and could do well in the international market.

Some are handmade and the production details are exquisite, he added.

Read also: Adidas to release 'Cookies and Cream' sneakers

Other than the shoe quality, Jokowi said the economical prices of Indonesian-made sneakers meant they had more added-value.

Market trends are important, to see what kinds of designs are popular. Also, what colors are in now. Sneakerheads are willing to pay any price for the shoes they got their eyes on, said Jokowi.

He also encouraged Indonesians to support and appreciate locally made products.

Jokowi then showed his recent purchase at the exhibition, a pair of sneakers bought for Rp 380,000. This is from Bandung, very well-made, he said.

The President was accompanied by First Lady Iriana and family. Aside from sneakers, the group also purchased jackets. (wen)SRINAGAR: Four persons including a alleged militant was killed when Indian forces opened fire on a car at Pahnoo in Shopian district of south Kashmir this evening.

One of four slain people was identified as Shahid Ahmad Dar of Jamnagri.



After the killings there were massive clashes going on with the forces in the near by areas and the cordon and search operation was going on.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Balikpapan  Sat, March 3 2018

A resident has reportedly been killed in a crocodile attack in Marukangan village, Sandaran subdistrict, East Kutai, East Kalimantan. The remains of the mans body, identified as Andi Aso Erang, 36, were later found inside a crocodile caught on Thursday by local residents in Kabuyahan River near the village.



Aso Erang was reported missing on Wednesday after he told his family he wanted to search for clams in the river. Accompanied by several villagers, Aso Erangs wife Annisa went looking for him at the river on Wednesday evening, finding his flip-flops and motorcycle on the riverbank.



Aso Erangs body was found on the riverbank at around 3 a.m. local time on Thursday, with no legs or left arm. The residents later brought the body to his parents home in Sandaran.



Continuing the search, Sangkulirang Police officer Eko Supraptono spotted a six-meter long c...Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 4, 2018 15:40 1294 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c84abdf 2 Business antam,capital-expenditure,plants,ferronickel,alumina Free

State-owned diversified miner PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) is seeking to increase its capital expenditure (capex) by 133 percent annually to Rp 3.23 trillion (US$235.15 million) this year in a bid to support the construction of its processing facilities.

Antam intends to use the largest part of the expenditure, 73.1 percent, on the first development phase of a new ferronickel plant in East Halmahera, North Maluku, according to its 2018 Work Plan and Budget.

The facility is expected to have an annual capacity of 13,500 tons of nickel in ferronickel (TNi) once it is completed by the end of 2018.

Antam, in cooperation with its parent company PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum), will also kick off construction of a new smelter-grade alumina refinery in Mempawah, West Kalimantan, in the second half of this year. The $1.8 billion will generate alumina, the raw material to produce aluminum.

Antam will focus on expanding its core business and maintaining its financial strength in order to ensure long-term profitability, Antam finance director Dimas Wikan Pramudhito recently said.

In order to boost its financial health, Antam last year sold its entire 20 percent stake in PT Dairi Prima Mineral (DPM), the operator of lead and zinc mines in North Sumatra, to the latters majority owner, PT Bumi Resources Minerals (BRMS). Following the $57.3-million transaction, BRMS now holds full control over DPM.

Last year, Antams revenue surged by 38 percent year-on-year to Rp 12.55 trillion, 58.7 percent of which came from its gold sales. (lnd)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 4, 2018 19:48 1294 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c84fbba 2 City National-Police,Jakarta-police,driving,mobile-phones Free

After canceling the controversial plan to fine motorists listening to music or smoking while driving, the Jakarta Polices traffic division chief Sr. Comr. Halim Pagarra said on Sunday the police would instead crack down on drivers using their cell phones.

Halim said the practise violated Article 106 of the Traffic Law, which says anyone driving a motorized vehicle must do so with full care and concentration.

He said, as quoted by kompas.com, that enforcement would apply to online ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers who often use cell phones while driving to check their maps.

Halims subordinate, Adj. Sr. Comr. Budiyanto said last week that a survey showed listening to music and smoking a cigarette could break concentration and said the Jakarta Police would start disseminating information about fining those listening to music. His statement caused uproar among the many motorists who listen to the radio and music while driving.

The following day, the National Polices director of law enforcement at the Traffic Corps, Brig. Gen. Pujiono Dulrahman, said as quoted by kompas.com that listening to the music and smoking while driving were allowed.

Our interpretation of [Article 106] includes being tired, sick, sleepy, using cellphones or watching TV while driving, he said.

Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono reiterated Pujionos statement, saying they had no plans to fine those listening to music or smoking. The wrong thing to do is smoking and throwing lit cigarettes at other drivers, he said. (evi)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 4, 2018 16:17 1294 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c84baa5 2 National sharia,aceh,#PostScript,religion,Islam Free

The latest news coming from Aceh is hardly comforting for foreign tourists and investors looking to spend their time and money in the province: A Christian couple were publicly flogged after being found guilty of using a childrens game for gambling, which is a crime under sharia.

Local officials claimed the Christians had the option of being prosecuted under the nations Criminal Code, but they willingly chose sharia. So they took eight and seven lashes in exchange for six and seven months imprisonment, respectively.

Human rights activists doubt such a claim, saying non-Muslim offenders are mostly deprived of legal assistance and thus pressured to be tried under sharia.

The news about the flogging of the couple, identified as David Silitonga, 61, and Tjia Nyu Hwa, 45, is by no means the first of its kind. At least five non-Muslims in Aceh have been caned for breaching Acehs jinayat (Islamic criminal law), which was fully implemented about three years ago.

Sharia in Aceh has been controversial ever since it was first introduced shortly after the downfall of Soeharto in 1998, when Jakarta was struggling to cope with an armed insurgency there. But what type of sharia is implemented in Aceh? And how does a sharia-based legal system work there?

Below are a few things you need to know about the legal system.

Terpidana pelanggar hukum Syariat Islam menjalani uqubat (hukuman) cambuk di Banda Aceh, Aceh, Senin (11/9). Mahkamah syariah Kota Banda Aceh menvonis 10 hingga 28 kali cambuk dengan menggunakan rotan setelah dipotong masa tahanan karena melanggar Qanun (peraturan daerah) Nomor 6/2014 tentang hukum jinayat. (Antara/Irwansyah Putra)

When did Aceh implement sharia, and why?

Aceh was once a major Islamic sultanate in Southeast Asia. Islamic values, therefore, are incorporated in Acehs hukum adat (customary law). The history of sharia in modern Aceh, however, goes back to the early days of the Reform Era, when Jakarta decided to grant the province a special status.

The conventional wisdom is that sharia in Aceh was a concession given by Jakarta under former president Abdurrahman Gus Dur Wahid to Acehnese leaders to weaken the armed insurgency led by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

It is no surprise that GAM leaders initially rejected the formalization of sharia on the grounds that Islam has long been an integral part of Acehs culture, and that their struggle was driven more by political grievances than religious zeal. Only after a peace agreement was signed by Jakarta and GAM leaders in Helsinki, Finland, in 2005 did GAM accept the implementation of sharia law.

For GAM, sharia in Aceh was a gift from Jakarta, served on a silver platter for the Acehnese people. The gift [of sharia] was placed at our parliaments door, Malik Mahmud, a former GAM prime minister, told BBC Indonesia.

Under the 1999 law on Acehs status as a special region, coupled with the 2001 law on special autonomy for Aceh and Papua, Aceh was the only region in the country given the authority to formally implement sharia law.

However, only in 2003 did Aceh formally introduce sharia as the law of the land through the enactment of three bylaws banning the consumption of alcohol, gambling and khalwat (dating in secluded places).

A year earlier, Aceh established Dinas Syariat Islam (Sharia Agency). The agency is tasked with coordinating three core sharia institutions: Mahkamah Syariah (Sharia Courts), Majelis Permusyawaratan Ulama (Ulema Consultation Council) and the Wilayatul Hisba (Sharia Police).

In 2009, Acehs councillors enacted their first fully pledged qanun jinayat, which included new jarimah (crimes) such as adultery and homosexuality. The bylaw stipulated that adulterers could be sentenced to death by stoning. In 2014, the councillors revised the 2009 jinayat, scrapping the provision on stoning.

The 2014 jinayat took effect in October 2015.

Helsinki Cathedral, also known as the St. Nicholas Cathedral, is a distinctive landmark of the Finland's capital. The historic Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) was signed on Aug. 15, 2005 in Helsinki. (Shutterstock/File)

What is khalwat? And how harsh is Acehs sharia law?

It is a crime for a man and a woman who are not married to be in a secluded place together in Aceh. This is called khalwat and it is punishable by up to nine lashes, a fine of 150 grams of gold or 15 months imprisonment.

Alongside khalwat, maysir (gambling) and khamar (consuming alcohol) are also illegal under sharia.

Under the 2014 jinayat, zina (adultery and pre-marital sex), liwath (gay sex), musahaqah (lesbianism) and qadzaf (falsely accusing other people of adultery) are also classified as crimes. Those found guilty of such crimes could face up to 100 lashes or 1,000 grams of gold or 100 months in prison.

In countries where sharia is the law of the land such as Saudi Arabia and Brunei Darussalam, adultery and homosexuality are punishable by death.

According to historian Michel Feener, who has conducted extensive research on Aceh, the implementation of sharia was never driven by a nostalgic utopian yearning for a return to seventh-century Arabia.

In his 2013 paper, Social Engineering Through Sharia: Islamic Law and State-Directed Dawa in Contemporary Aceh, Feener argues that sharia in Aceh is more of a social engineering attempt to rebuild Aceh following the Indonesian Military-GAM conflict and the 2004 tsunami that hit the region.

To support his argument, he cited the fact that only a few jinayat cases were handled by sharia courts each year. The Sharia Agency, he said, dakwah (campaigned) more than it focused on law enforcement. His study, however, did not examine the implementation of sharia after the enactment of the 2014 jinayat.

Does Acehs sharia apply to non-Muslims?

It does, but only for crimes that are not regulated under the Criminal Code such as khalwat, premarital sex or homosexuality. Non-Muslim offenders, however, could be prosecuted under sharia if they are willing to do so (the legal term for this is menundukan diri, which loosely translates to submitting).

Female dancers  who perform the Bines dance, a traditional dance from Gayo, Aceh take a selfie during the event. JP/Hotli Simanjuntak (JP/Hotli Simanjuntak)

Is Acehs sharia legal? And can it be repealed?

Acehs lawmakers believe it is legal, as the 2001 law on Acehs autonomy and the 2006 law on Acehs administration, they claim, clearly gives the province the authority to devise its own legislation.

But human rights activists disagree, saying the bylaws enacted by Acehs council should not contradict the 1945 Constitution and national laws. They argue that the caning punishment goes against the 1999 law on human rights and the UN convention on torture, which Indonesia has ratified.

The adultery provision in jinayat, they say, overlaps with the morality provisions in the Criminal Code, which are also considered discriminatory. In many cases, the morality articles in jinayat tend to victimize women.

Activists grouped under the Civil Society Network for the Advocacy of Qanun Jinayat called on the government to review the Islamic bylaw and repeal it for going against the higher laws. But the Home Ministry said in 2015 that under the 2006 law on Acehs administration, it did not have the authority to do so and asked the activists to bring their fight to the Supreme Court.

The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform and the Solidarity for Women activist group have taken up the challenge by filing a judicial review request against jinayat at the Surpreme Court. The court, however, has suspended its examination as the House of Representatives is still deliberating revisions of the Criminal Code.

The House has said that it will pass the Criminal Code bill into law soon. The bill reportedly includes provisions criminalizing pre-marital sex and homosexuality. It is unclear how the new Criminal Code, which has become more like jinayat, will affect the implementation of jinayat. (srs/ahw)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 4, 2018 23:23 1294 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c85051d 1 National tiger Free

A male Sumatran tiger was killed on Sunday with a spear in Hatupangan village of Batang Natal subdistrict, North Sumatra, and its disemboweled body hung from the public hall's ceiling on Sunday morning, after residents thought it was a siluman (shapeshifter).

It is not only lack of awareness and a lack of rangers that the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) have to deal with to preserve the endangered Sumatran tiger, but they must also eradicate the siluman superstition.

"The tiger was sleeping under a resident's stilt house when the people struck him repeatedly in the abdomen with a spear," said Batang Natal subdistrict head Lion Muslim Nasution on Sunday to The Jakarta Post.

Lion added that the residents were actually aware of its endangered status; however, they had heard rumors and feared that a siluman had been lingering in the village for over a month.

North Sumatra BKSDA head Hotmauli Sianturi said her agency had tried to prevent the killing days before. "We had talked to them [the residents], even involving the National Army [TNI] officers, but they still won't listen to us," she said.

Meanwhile, Gunung Gea, the executive director of the Scorpion Foundation regretted the incident, saying it was barbaric behavior from the residents to kill and hang the remains in the public hall.

"The case must be handled as soon as possible by the authorities," said Gea on Sunday.

The Sumatran tiger population currently stands no more than 600, according to the official estimate from the Environment and Forestry Ministry. Meanwhile, a report in Nature Communication Journal estimated that there were 618 adults in 2012, or a 20 percent drop from the 742 in 2000. (srs/swd)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Dhaka  Sun, March 4, 2018 07:03 1295 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9c840251 2 World Dhaka,blogger,attack Free

One of Bangladesh's top writers was stabbed in the back of the head during a seminar in the northern city of Sylhet on Saturday, police said, the latest in a series of attacks on authors and bloggers.

Police said Zafar Iqbal, a celebrated secular activist and bestselling science fiction writer, was rushed to hospital in Sylhet after the attack.

"He was hit on the back of his head and he was bleeding," a police constable posted at the hospital told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Abdul Wahab, a spokesman for the Sylhet city police, confirmed the incident, saying police suspect he was attacked with a knife.

"He was in a seminar when he was stabbed on the back of his head. His gunman caught an attacker," he told AFP, referring to Iqbal's police guard.

Bangladesh's government has provided security for the country's top secular writers and activists since suspected Islamist extremists named them in a several lists of targets.

Police do not know how many people were involved in the attack nor whether they belonged to any Islamist extremist groups, he said.

"He has been taken to the operating theatre," he said, adding he would be flown to a military hospital in Dhaka for better treatment.

Iqbal, who teaches at a state-run university in Sylhet, is a longstanding a champion of free speech and secularism in Bangladesh.

He is also a top selling author and celebrity speaker who regularly appears at university campuses nationwide.

The attack was swiftly condemned by protesters in Dhaka and Sylhet.

In Dhaka's Shahbagh Square, which became famous for massive 2013 protests against Islamist war criminals, hundreds of people carried torches to protest against the attack and demand swift justice.

"It is an ominous sign. He is a guardian of progressive movement in Bangladesh. His attack is an attack against progressive Bangladesh," said Imran Sarker, head of one of the top secular groups.

"He was in the hit-list by militant and other groups in the past. The government can't avoid its responsibility," he told AFP.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina strongly condemned the attack and ordered security forces to track down the culprits, her press secretary Ihsanul Karim said.

Suspected Islamist extremists have carried out a series of attacks on secular and atheist writers and bloggers in the last four years, killing around a dozen of them including an American atheist blogger of Bangladeshi origin.

Police have blamed homegrown Islamist extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), also known as Ansar al Islam, which is linked with Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent for most of the attacks.

Bangladesh has been waging a war against homegrown extremism in the wake of numerous attacks by radical groups in recent years.

In July 2016 militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group.

Security forces have shot dead more than 70 alleged militants in a severe crackdown since the cafe carnage.

Late last year police arrested an alleged militant from ABT over the 2015 murder of the American blogger in Dhaka.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, March 5 2018

Marketing director of Grab Indonesia, an app-based motorcycle ride-hailing company, Mediko Azwar, said the company would punish Grab drivers found to have been involved in vandalizing a car in an underpass in Senen, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.



On behalf of the company, I apologize for the inconvenience to all road users when the incident took place, Mediko said as quoted by tempo.co.



Mediko went on to say that the company was currently investigating the incident and deliberating the sanctions to be imposed on the drivers involved in the disorderly and disruptive behavior. We probably will suspend, or might well fire them, Mediko added.

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...The Tourism Ministry, along with tourist business entities from top local destinations, participated in the biggest international tourism exhibition, Jeddah International Tourism & Travel Exhibition (JITTE). Located in Saudi Arabia, the event took place at the Jeddah Hiltons convention center from Feb. 28 to March 2.

The ministrys public relations bureau stated through a press release that Indonesian delegations participated in the event with the mission of promoting Wonderful Indonesia. They also hoped for an increase in tourist arrivals from Saudi Arabia, from last years 166,111.

Indonesia promoted its top destinations that have gathered interest from Saudi Arabian tourists as well as from other Middle Eastern countries. They are Jakarta, West Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, with new destinations such as Central Java and East Java. The delegations were equipped with complete information on the destinations, products and travel packages to attract future tourists.

Read also: Seven lesser-known dive areas in Indonesia

Saudi Arabias tourist numbers in Indonesia are the highest in the Middle Eastern market. This year, we are hoping for an increase, said the ministrys undersecretary for development and marketing, I Gde Pitana.

He also said that in addition to the increasing numbers of Saudi Arabian tourists, they also contributed to the high foreign exchange income as Saudi Arabian tourists spent twice as much as tourists from other countries.

On average, a Saudi Arabian tourist spends US$ 2,200 per visit in Indonesia, while tourists from other countries spend roughly half of that, said I Gde Pitana.

After participating in the JITTE exhibition, the ministry also organized a table top session as a meeting place for the Indonesian sellers and 80 buyers from Saudi Arabia. (wen)SRINAGAR: A militant and three civilians were killed in a firing incident in Shopian district of south Kashmir late Sunday evening.

An army spokesperson claimed that a joint Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) was attacked by militants travelling in a vehicle at Pohan in south Kashmir district of Shopian at 2000 hrs. During the retaliation they were killed.

In the troops firing militant and three civilians were killed.

The slain militant was identified as Shahid Ahmad Dar, son of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, resident of Jamnagri, Shopian.

The three deceased civilians havebeen identified as Suhail Khaleel Wagay of Pinjoora, Mohammad Shahid Khan of Malikgund, Shahnawaz Ahmad Wagay of Trenz, all from Shopian district.

However, locals contested the army claim, saying the three slain youth were civilians who were travelling in a car.

Meanwhile, clashes erupted as soon as the news spread in the area.

In the meantime JRL has called a shutdown against the killings on Monday.The 90th Academy Awards arrive this year at a time of socio-political upheaval, practically and in social consciousness: the #MeToo and Times Up movements, #NeverAgain, issues of racial tensions, and divisive bipartisan politics, with a misogynist and racist White House at its centre.

The Oscars have a long tradition as a platform for presenters, hosts, and winners to make politically-charged statements, though mostly these were exceptions to the rule and were often badly received both by the Academy itself and its audiences. Throughout most of its history, the superficial and political have remained separate. Now however, using the Oscars as a platform isnt unusual, surprising, or proof of a lack of decorum. Its expected.

In the age of Trump, it seems that everything is a statement on identity, and the Academy Awards arent exempt from this trend. The Oscars ceremony appears as a referendum on what identity Hollywood will choose for itself, whether it be more reflective of its true values, or of how it wants to be perceived.

Yet simultaneously, the people behind the Oscars telecast have expressed wanting the show to focus on the films, not the cultural movements around them. Jennifer Todd, one of the lead producers of the Academy Awards, expressed that the Oscars should be a spectacle. Fun and funny and great performances. She noted the show would emphasise its 90th anniversary milestone, and that it should also be a giant commercial for the movie business, which we all need to keep going.

I somehow doubt that the ceremony attendees will feel the same way, given Hollywood celebrities have been the most vocal in the #MeToo and Times Up campaigns. Whats left to be seen is the degree of politicisation that will be deemed acceptable.

Yet how sincere are Hollywood politics, anyway? The Academy body is still dominated by rich, older white men, despite attempts to diversify the bodys demographic in the past year. They nominated more diverse stories, actors, and filmmakers than ever before in the Oscars history, and so now can bask in self-congratulation for their progressiveness and wokeness, and can view themselves as apart from the crimes and injustices perpetuated by their own industries.

They get to congratulate themselves for being vaguely self-aware, but never have to acknowledge themselves as the perpetrators or benefactors of those inequalities systemic of their industry. The films they choose to be nominated only tell the stories of how the moneyed interests of Hollywood want to be viewed.

Some may deem this view overly cynical, but I see their nominations as a reflection of what they perceive to be good for business, a response to clamours for diversity and representation. What can they lose from being championed as bastions of progressiveness and leftist ideologies?

A topical example was last years Oscar for Best Picture, in which Moonlight and La La Land were pitted directly against one another. Their competition reflects two ideas forced to coexist: Hollywoods overwhelming and historical bias towards whiteness and its fitful progress towards diversity.

If the romantic film that avoids politics wins Best Picture, the Academy Awards are frivolous and irrelevant. If the difficult and moving portrayal of a doubly marginalised black life earns the award, suddenly the Academy is crucial in reigning in a new era of equality. Pessimism thus views the Academy bodys motivations as ones of self-interest; they are about preserving the Oscars relevance and smoke-screening the industrys problematic treatments (and exclusion) of women and under-represented groups.

Do motives matter? In the end, the outcome is positive. The 90th Oscars nominations are the most diverse the Academy has ever had, and marginalised groups are finally being brought into the fold. But the real concern is, what happens to Oscars diversity when public pressures for it die down, when society has become so desensitised to constant arguing about equality and representation that they become fatigued with the debate altogether?

The Academy will go back to its old ways, and progress will regress. Theyll point back to these years and say, Well, we are inclusive, look at all the stories of women, LGBT communities, and black culture that were represented those years!. Sincere politics with principled motives are the only way to ensure progress is continuous, even after vocal public scrutiny quietens.

A crucial way to combat this is to remove the white male hold on the Academys voting body, and to opt instead for proportional representation. Only then can it be insured both that nominations are diverse and inclusive, and that there is a pressure on filmmakers and producers to create representational movies. After all, the renowned Oscar bump suggests filmmakers seeking to make their reputation will create content catered to the Academys demographic. Thus diversity in the Academy means diversity in Hollywoods content.

The second drive for authentic politicisation and inclusivity lies in the celebrity element. These days more attention is placed on speech soundbites and headline-grabbing statements made by actors and actresses at the awards show than to the films themselves, and its what remains talked about days and weeks after the show airs.

With Trump in office and responding to every slight provocation and celebrity statement condemning his actions, politics has invited celebrities to be on its ideological front lines. The issue there is that neither side is directly engaging with the other; its a contest of who can shout loudest. Screaming into these political echo chambers only contributes to further demarcations along bipartisan lines of the political landscape, rather than an active conversation.

The value of celebrity activism is therefore not in its power to change the minds of those on the other side of the political fence. Its in its ability to bring attention to political and social issues, in publicising rallying cries, like it did with Times Up. Celebrities have been politically weaponised, and though their attempting to change minds is futile, they are arguably the most powerful tool for expressing socio-political solidarity.

Theres longevity to celebrities calls for change, because those who speak out, those who are most vocal, are also those who suffer at the hands of the status quo. They have a platform, and they have the motivation to see through real change. Celebrities arent the silver bullet solution to solving injustices and misrepresentations, but their voices are loud enough to be heard and received by large enough swathes of society to affect real change.

For people to see themselves represented and treated fairly in film, and in Hollywood, one of the most powerful industries, and to have their issues voiced by powerful individuals, is to empower real change at a societal level. The Oscars are the moment when the film industry declares which stories are to be its most lasting contributions to society. Its responsibility is not to affect political change, but social transformation, to bring systemic inequalities into the limelight. Once they have a voice and a platform, people can take over from there.

The 90th Academy Awards will take place on March 4th.saviourism

Oxford PPE student, Freddie Hayward, published a controversial article in The Oxford Student claiming the "rising prevalence of political correctness" in Britain was "leaving those who campaign for equal rights, reason and justice with less publicity, less support and less legitimacy."In the article, he argued that British liberal values were "better" than the cultural values of places like Thailand, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. In the Middle East, in particular, women were "treated like pieces of property," and this was "protected under the veil" (an allusion to Islam) of culture and religion. As such, British people were in his view obliged to take on the burden of promoting "liberal values" in countries which lacked them, because this aspect of their culture was "better than aspects of others". The article provoked strong negative reactions from students and has since been deleted. Speaking to TNS, international Oxford student Guo Sheng Liu said:"It's an article beyond egregious that stinks of whiteand a Western superiority complex. It is incumbent on The Oxford Student to publicly recognise this as well as offer an apology for its publication, rather than quietly delete it to shy away from controversy." Liu who is an ex-committee member of the Campaign for Racial Awareness and Equality further added that the university must provide diversity training for its editorial team. "Given how Oxford is a centre of neocolonialism, it is all the more imperative that The Oxford Student must be a bulwark against neocolonial mindsets and improve on internal equality and diversity training for its editorial team to avoid similar blunders in the future." Miriam Nemmaoui, a Moroccan 3rd year undergrad at Oxford, said she was "incredibly frustrated that neocolonialist views are being given a platform in a newspaper which is supposed to represent Oxford students," and that it was "ridiculous that the article was deleted, meaning that the author and editor could not be held accountable." It has been revealed that the piece was published online and shared on social media because of an automatic process. The article was withdrawn online and in print before publication date because of the nature of the piece. Their systems have been changed in light of this. A spokesperson for Oxford SU said "This article was published online in error, it was not due to be published at all. It does not represent the wider views of The Oxford Student editorial team. We would like to apologise for any offence caused by the erroneous publication of it.Bicameral parliament in two decades

Three months after elections, members of the federal parliament are taking their oath on Sunday, prior to convention of the first bicameral parliament in nearly two decades. President Bidya Devi Bhandari has summoned the parliament meeting on Monday.I recently led @OccupyElephant against @UALs complicity in gentrification. Now, UAL management are dragging me through a disciplinary process. What is so sad to say is that the victimisation has now extended and despite being an elected officer @ArtsSU_ are now trying to sack me pic.twitter.com/NC8SYx7F1h  Sahaya James (@TheOtherSahaya) March 2, 2018

"There is no sanction on students who took part in the recent occupation of London College of Communication, UAL. This took place with UALs permission under the occupation protocol.

"A sabbatical officer of the Students Union has been asked by UAL to explain actions which put student health and safety at risk during the permitted occupation. UAL is bound to investigate such matters, as with any student.

"Without anticipating the findings, similar previous investigations have resulted in a warning rather than a sanction. This is without prejudice to the sabbatical officers right to protest."Crossword puzzles. Probably a section of the newspaper you either benignly flick over, or obsessively complete. But do you ever stop to think how they are created?

A niche industry from its conception, the art of crossword creation is work to a select few known as compilers that have been supplying newspapers and their readers with crosswords since 1922. Since its conception, the world has seen a rapid digital revolution through the 20th century and shows no sign of stopping in the 21st. This is not good news for those compiling crosswords, due to a burgeoning breakthrough in artificial intelligence and computer programming that will eventually take their place.

Using a computer program to construct standard crossword puzzles as opposed to a human will be a much more cost-effective process, allowing for more puzzles to be created and processed subject to demand. This runs the risk of human creativity falling victim to the digital age and the penultimate rise of the machines.

Esteemed compiler Marc Breman, whose crosswords have featured in a variety of popular newspapers (London Evening Standard, Daily Mirror, Daily Express and the Sunday Telegraph), fears that advances in artificial intelligence  and the development of artificial personality  will render the last 100 or so compilers in Britain obsolete within 15  20 years. Putting it into numbers like that is jarring and highlights the advancements that are already taking place to prepare a world run more so by robots than human beings.

Whilst innovation and exploration within technology are vital, the human spirit and personality  which can be seen in the clues written by prolific compilers crossword puzzles  are integral to keep the world sane. We have enough examples of worlds run by machines to sway ourselves not to go down the same path. It only must start with one trivial thing to become a nightmare, which could easily happen via robots taking over the crossword industry.

Breman shows no sign of bowing down to the robot elite just yet; publishing his first book The Foggiest Nation this week as an alternative way of completing crossword puzzles. The clues to the classic 15x15 grid are presented to the characters of the novel, and the reader must read the narrative to fully complete the crossword.Chinas top political advisory body starts annual session

Chinas top political advisory body started its annual session Saturday afternoon in Beijing with the aim to propel the country towards a great modern socialist country.No Deja Vu for Watertown: Andrew Czech's late field goal, stopped Hail Mary lift Arrows past Huron

HURON  For the second time in three weeks, a Watertown High School football game came down to a Hail Mary pass.Contempt of court against Kantipur: SC begins recording statements

The Supreme Court has begun recording the defendants' statements in a contempt of court case against Kantipur Publications. The apex court on Sunday heard the statement of Director Swastika Sirohiya.Contractors set to go for controlled blasting

Narayangadh-Muglin Road Project has planned controlled blasting at Chepangdanda to expand the road section.Organization: Jefferson Solutions

Duty Station: USAID/Uganda Economic Growth Office,

Vulnerable Populations Unit, Kampala, Uganda

About US:

Jefferson Solutions, the government consulting company of Jefferson

Consulting Group, a well-respected, small government consulting firm founded in the United States. Jefferson Solutions is a woman-owned small business that enables federal agencies to achieve success through strategic and operational acquisition, human capital, and program management services. They are

recruiting for the USAID/Uganda Mission.

Job Summary: The Food

Security Monitor will ensure effective management and targeting of Food for

Peace (FFP) resources in Uganda, particularly in the refugee settlements. His/her primary responsibilities are to

monitor the food response in Uganda, the need for food assistance, and the

effectiveness and quality of implementation of various FFP programs, and to

prepare reports to inform the USAID/Uganda Mission, FFP/Washington and the

regional FFP Office in Nairobi. The Food Security Monitor will regularly assess

the needs of chronically vulnerable populations (specifically the refugees) and

will provide reports to USAID to inform decisions. As needed, the Food Security Monitor will

also monitor the food security situation in other parts of Uganda as needed

including the Karamoja sub-region. These positions are indefinitely required. The FoodSecurity Monitor will ensure effective management and targeting of Food forPeace (FFP) resources in Uganda, particularly in the refugee settlements.His/her primary responsibilities are tomonitor the food response in Uganda, the need for food assistance, and theeffectiveness and quality of implementation of various FFP programs, and toprepare reports to inform the USAID/Uganda Mission, FFP/Washington and theregional FFP Office in Nairobi. The Food Security Monitor will regularly assessthe needs of chronically vulnerable populations (specifically the refugees) andwill provide reports to USAID to inform decisions.As needed, the Food Security Monitor willalso monitor the food security situation in other parts of Uganda as neededincluding the Karamoja sub-region. These positions are indefinitely required.

2. Hiring Preference It

is expected that these positions will be filled by qualified Ugandans. The positions are to be graded at low to

mid-level.

3. Geographic Location:

The monitors will spend at least 50% of her/his time working in the field in

rural Uganda. The rest of his/her time will be spent in the USAID/Uganda Office

of Economic Growth.

4. Logistics Support :

During the time the monitor is working within USAID/Uganda, he/she will be

provided with an office space, computer, printer and necessary offices supplies

and equipment. If she/he works remotely, then this logistic support would be

provided by the contractor.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The Food Security Monitors will support the Vulnerable Populations Unit (VPU)

in understanding the refugees food security situation in Uganda.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

a. In

regular field monitoring visits, collects primary and secondary data about (50%)



i.

Food security and underlying factors, including

the role of food assistance in refugeehouseholds.



ii.

The quality of implementation of USG supported

food assistance including food aid, vouchers and/or cash, especially the

effectiveness and accuracy of targeting, efficiency of distribution, and evidence

of actual or potential for diversion of food assistance.



iii.

Nature, prevalence, and outcome of prominent

household livelihood pursuits and factors that enable or constrain their

success.



iv.

Market prices, to monitor if cash-based transfer

(CBT) recipients are able to purchase a diverse food basket and ensure they are

food secure as well as understand the effects of the CBT on the market prices

and thus people accessing those market and not receiving a transfer. This

market monitoring should occur at the settlement markets as well as the bigger

markets near and feeding into the settlements.

This will be

achieved by spending on average, 10-15 working days per month in rural Uganda

interviewing men and women who engage in various livelihood pursuits:

b. These

interviews are conducted in homes, in community meetings, at sites of income

generating activities, and at sites of food assistance or other relief or

development activities.



i.

Care is taken to include interviews with both

beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of food assistance, to include both

refugees and host community members, as appropriate.



ii.

Interviews cover points outlined by a general

interview guide, but the Monitor engages interviewees using an informal,

conversational style to gain the interviewees trust, and gather and

cross-check accurate information in a non-threatening manner.



iii.

Monitors often join multi-agency assessments led

by the government or another agency, especially WFP and FAO.



iv.

Monitors work closely with FEWS NET so that the

monitoring activities are complementary, and not redundant.

The monitor will

devise monthly or quarterly monitoring plans, selecting the sites or areas to

be visited, in collaboration with the team.

c. Reports

findings of field monitoring visits and meetings with other experts to

USAID/Uganda including recommendations to resolve issues that need to be

addressed and other ways to improve programming (25%)



i.

The Monitor submits written reports at least

monthly to VPU about observations and interpretations from that months visits,

highlighting evidence showing improvement or deterioration in food security,

changes in needs for or targeting of food assistance, factors that constrain or

enable the effectiveness of food assistance programs, and evidence that

programming other than food assistance might be more appropriate.



ii.

The Monitor triangulates the information they

observed and collected in the field with other existing reports including

market price monitoring.

d. Meets

with relevant USAID, UN, NGO, and consultant experts to share, receive, and

discuss information related to household food security and the targeting and

use of food assistance. (15%)



i.

Participate at monthly and extraordinary UN- or

GOU- led inter-agency meetings at Kampala and field level, coordinating relief

and development activities in: food assistance, food security and livelihoods,

nutrition, and agriculture.



ii.

Seek out experts in these relevant fields and

engage with them for information exchange and in-depth discussion about needs

for appropriate intervention.



iii.

Regularly meet with those involved in

implementing food assistance activities, including USAIDs direct partner, WFP

and their implementing partners.



iv.

Participates, as needed, in multi-agency

assessments of food security, markets and food assistance, and other

humanitarian needs.

e. Meets

with other USAID/Uganda staff and accesses other professional sources to

improve knowledge about the use of food assistance to improve food security and

conditions that boost or limit its effectiveness (7%)



i.

Approximately monthly or as needed, meet with

the full VPU team to exchange, discuss, and interpret information gathered from

the various locations by the Monitors.



ii.

To expand his/her capacity, each Monitor

independently accesses academic and journalistic sources regarding food

security and the targeting and distribution of food assistance, in general and

in Uganda, including nutritional or food security reports prepared by

government, UN, NGO or FEWS NET teams.

f.

Participates in USAID planning and strategy

sessions regarding food assistance and food security and advise about food

assistance needs.(3%)

6.

Oversight:

The Food Security Monitor will report to the Senior FFP Officer

responsible for the refugee portfolio.

7.

Post

Entry Training : On-the-job

training will be provided relating to USG-specific and FFP procedures,

regulations, and methods. The Monitor shall attend mandatory annual Ethics

training conducted at USAID/Uganda by the Resident Legal Officer.

8.

Available

Guidelines : USAID regulations (including the Automated Directives

System) provide broad guidelines as to the conduct of work related to the

duties described above. Since FFP provides the most significant amount of

resources to food security in Uganda, s/he is expected to become familiar with

regular and more specific guidance on FFPs strategies, procedures, and

requirements. The Monitor will also be

required to be familiar with and operate in accordance with USAID/Ugandas

Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and the Missions

Collaborating, Learning and Adapting culture USAID regulations (including the Automated DirectivesSystem) provide broad guidelines as to the conduct of work related to theduties described above. Since FFP provides the most significant amount ofresources to food security in Uganda, s/he is expected to become familiar withregular and more specific guidance on FFPs strategies, procedures, andrequirements.The Monitor will also berequired to be familiar with and operate in accordance with USAID/UgandasCountry Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) and the MissionsCollaborating, Learning and Adapting culture .

9. Exercise of Judgment : The Monitor must be able to work with a high

level of independence in keeping USAID informed of the food security situation

as well as making recommendations when the situation changes and a response is

needed.

10. Authority to Make Commitments and

Decisions : The Food Security

Monitor has no authority to make commitments on behalf of USAID or the

USG. The Monitor must communicate all

information back to Kampala and Washington including their recommendations, but

the decisions will be made by Activity Managers, Agreement Officers

Representative (AOR), or Agreement Officer (AO) as appropriate.

11. Nature, Level and Purpose of Contacts : Contacts will be maintained with Mission

personnel, USAID Implementing Partners, AID/Washington (as requested), and the

Government of Uganda under the guidance of the Senior FFP Officer.

12. Supervision Exercised : No supervision of USAID staff will be

exercised.

Qualifications,

Skills and Experience: The Food Security Monitor will have:







degree in a discipline pertinent to food security and food aid program

management, such as international development, agriculture, nutrition, or

agricultural economics. Bachelorsdegree in a discipline pertinent to food security and food aid programmanagement, such as international development, agriculture, nutrition, oragricultural economics.



least five years of progressively responsible experience related to food

security, including at least one (1) year of on-the-ground field

experience in humanitarian needs assessment and/or assistance and one (1)

year in implementation of food aid programs. This experience must show

significant engagement with rural communities and the application of

qualitative and/or participatory methods of inquiry. Atleast five years of progressively responsible experience related to foodsecurity, including at least one (1) year of on-the-ground fieldexperience in humanitarian needs assessment and/or assistance and one (1)year in implementation of food aid programs. This experience must showsignificant engagement with rural communities and the application ofqualitative and/or participatory methods of inquiry.



with coordinating and liaising with stakeholders. Experiencewith coordinating and liaising with stakeholders.



to provide rapid, concise, and accurate reporting, both verbally and in

written English. Abilityto provide rapid, concise, and accurate reporting, both verbally and inwritten English.



to grasp and theorize the complexities of food security, the wide variety

of dynamic influencing factors and the potential influence of

international food assistance. Abilityto grasp and theorize the complexities of food security, the wide varietyof dynamic influencing factors and the potential influence ofinternational food assistance.



in basic computer skills, to include knowledge of Microsoft Word and

Excel, e-mail, and internet, is required. Abilityin basic computer skills, to include knowledge of Microsoft Word andExcel, e-mail, and internet, is required.



working in a harsh environment with limited supervision and guidance. Experienceworking in a harsh environment with limited supervision and guidance.



to regularly undertake extensive field work assignments for weeks at a

time. Monitor should anticipate spending approximately 50% of the time in

the field and outside of Kampala. Willingnessto regularly undertake extensive field work assignments for weeks at atime. Monitor should anticipate spending approximately 50% of the time inthe field and outside of Kampala.

Strong

analytical, communication, and leadership/engagement skills. More specifically, the position

requires: (i) strong interpersonal skills; (ii) experience implementing,

monitoring and reporting on emergencies and markets

communication skills; (iv) the ability to engage with host country

counterparts, donor partners, and USAID staff constructively and

productively; and (v) the ability to work in team setting. ; (iii) strong writing and oralcommunication skills; (iv) the ability to engage with host countrycounterparts, donor partners, and USAID staff constructively andproductively; and (v) the ability to work in team setting. emergencies and markets

How to Apply:



updated CV and cover letter to ugandafsm2018@gmail.com All candidates who wish to join the USAID project should send anupdated CV and cover lettertoWhen President Donald Trump decreed that no transgender persons would be allowed to serve openly in the military, Hollywood collectively raised its voice in protest. Celebrities like Lena Dunham, Olivia Munn, James Corden and Demi Lovato tweeted their support for the community. I just want to tell the transgender community that I love you and you ARE supported no matter what, said Lovato.

I wish that the support extended onscreen as well. Unfortunately, very few Hollywood movies have treated transgender issues in an empathetic and objective manner. In essence, most movies have tilted toward one of two stands  theyve either been outrightly transphobic (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Silence of the Lambs, The 40-year-old virgin) or theyve exoticised the experience of being transgender in films like Dallas Buyers Club. In it, Jared Letos character, a drug addict and a prostitute, reinforced every stereotype there ever has been about being transgender. In The Danish Girl, Eddy Redmayne portrays Lili Elbe, a transgender person whose life is dominated by the number of surgeries she has to do to become a woman. The real Lili Elbe, critics have pointed out, was so much more than just her trans-ness.

Trans men and women have also asked for more representation in Hollywood, especially when it comes to roles depicting their community. The industry loves to cast cis men and women in trans roles. Actors jump at such opportunities because its their best bet at bagging an Oscar. Leto won it for the best supporting actor in the Dallas Buyers Club and Hillary Swank for her portrayal of a trans person in Boys Dont Cry. Redmayne missed it narrowly to Leonardo DiCaprio.

According to a 2015 survey by GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), only 22 of the 126 releases from the major studios in 2015 included characters identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Transgender representation is shockingly low with only one character in the mainstream releases of 2015whose brief appearance served as a punchline to laugh at when her identity is released, it said.

Thats why its a big deal that this year, two films, one made by a transgender and another starring one, have been nominated for the Oscars. Transgender director Yance Fords Strong Island, nominated for best documentary, is about the murder of Fords brother. Best foreign film nominee A Fantastic Woman stars Chilean transgender actor Daniela Vega. The great thing about these films is that they go beyond mere questions of identity. In his film, Ford does not explore his own identity as a transgender person. Instead, Strong Island, through interviews and archival material, tells the story of his brothers murder by a white man in 1992. A Fantastic Woman is more about love and loss than about being transgender. It is about the romance between Vega and Orlando, her lover played by Francisco Reyes, and having to prove her right to mourn him when Orlando dies.

Sebastian Lelio, the director of A Fantastic Woman, said the film is about the limits to our empathy. About what we are willing to allow from others, where we draw the line in terms of which people are legitimate or which acts of love are legitimate or not, he said.

The visibility of transgender people in the US is at an all-time high with people like the Wachowsky siblings (of the Matrix fame) and Caitlyn Jenner coming out as transgender. Despite this, violence against transgender persons have been on the rise in the country. The Human Rights Campaign (a civil rights organisation working for LGBTQ rights) documented the murder of 25 members of the transgender community in 2017, a rise from the 21 in 2015 and 23 in 2016. In this climate of hate, its important that the media, which has an incredible power to influence mindsets and opinions, portray the nuances and complexities of being transgender. Hollywood needs to go beyond coming-of-age and formulaic stories of teens transitioning from one gender to another. The relative strangeness of this theme ensures theres high possibility it is misused for mere sensationalising of transgender identity. We also need to move away from stereotypes; transgender persons are not all sex workers who wear tawdry wigs and speak with an exaggerated accent.

Its hard to say whether Strong Island and A Fantastic Woman will play any significant role in changing common perceptions about transness. Whether they win an Oscar or not, they have set the standard for how trans issues should be represented in the media.At the funeral pyre of the Roman general Hephaestion, Emperor Alexander wept. According to Greek historian Arrian, the death of his closest deputy had such an effect that the great emperor neither tasted food nor paid any attention to his personal appearance for three days. Going by the writings of biographer Plutarch, Alexander was intimately close to the soldier, and the latter had access to even the letters the emperor received. The exact nature of their relationship remains unclear; while many have argued that it may have extended to the romantic and the sexual, available historical records cannot confirm the hypothesis. Their love remains forever an enigma.

Like Hephaestion who died,

Alexanders lover,

Now my riverbed has dried,

Shall I find no other?

At the Oscar Award Ceremony, Sufjan Stevens broke out a piercing rendition of Mystery of Love, the soundtrack from Luca Guadagninos Call Me By Your Name--a tender, emotionally overwhelming movie on homosexual loveflanked by an enviable ensemble of St Vincent, Chris Thile, Moses Sumney and James McAlister. The live performance closely shadowed the original stripped down studio recordingfingerpicked banjos tinkling over Stevens ghostly whisper. In his voice there is wonderment, a dissonant brushstroke in a canvas of love, anguish and loss.

Who is Stevens? The 42-year-old indie-folk sensation, a multi-instrumentalist and one of the finest songwriters of his generation, cannot be pigeonholed. His maiden solo album A Sun Came (2000) was ambitious in its scope, but marred by cacophony. With influences ranging from Middle Eastern to the Celtic and Indian, the songs ranged from the bewildering, nonsensical Satans Saxophone to (my personal favourite) Demetrius, where wooden flutes segue into a Middle Eastern outro punctuated by Arabic vocals.

Reach for the archer,

He chose an offer,

You are only a redeemer,

You are holy, like Demetrius

His next album Enjoy Your Rabbit (on Chinese zodiac years like tiger, monkey and rat) turned out heavy and electronic. Then came Seven Swans, a fare that was deeply rooted in traditional folk, Stevens own Christian faith (plethora of Bibilical references and questions of god) and a love for the epics that would remain a mainstay throughout his career. In his later album Illinois, a tribute to his home state, shaken faith is again a backdrop; Casimir Pulaski Day captures the sob of a man grappling with the death of a close one.

But it is in his latest album Carrie and Lowell (2015), the portrait of a man teetering on the brink of existential despair, that we find the real Stevensthe man and the artist. The album is a tribute to Carrie, his alcoholic, schizophrenic mother who succumbed to stomach cancer in 2012. The album was unflinchingly minimalist (down to strings and the occasional piano) and exceedingly dark, suicidal. The songs have an ethereal connectan anchor that goes beyond the recurring single notes and instrumental drones. He reminisces in Should Have Known Better (When I was three, Three maybe four, She left us at that video store), struggles with his grief in Fourth of July (We are all gonna die), and attempts to reconcile his conflicting emotions in Death with Dignity (I forgive you mother, I can hear you, and I long to be near you). His latest Mystery of Love is in the same tradition, but within a different frameworkfixated on mortality, Bacon-esque views on the inherent futility of life, and the many, many absurdities of love. According to historians, Alexander had embarked on a bloody military campaign to ease the pain of Hephaestions death.

There is even inter-album connecting tissue, as the bard narrates his tale informed by life experiences. In Should Have Known (Carrie and Lowell), he sings:

My brother had a daughter,

The beauty that she brings, illumination

In subsequent interviews, he has spoken about how much he adored his niece. In Mystery of Love, she again becomes a motif for the pain and fear of loss that is ingrained in love:

Cursed by the love that I received

From my brothers daughter

Redemption, for Stevens, seems nowhere near.If anything happens to me, please tell my story. This was...The Army headquarters' decision to turn down the plea for promotion of the military secretary to President Ram Nath Kovind has led to a row.

Major General Anil Khosla, who retired last month after Army headquarters refused to consider him to the rank of lieutenant general, has now approached the Armed Forces Tribunal seeking promotional benefits, which he claimed to have been 'deprived of'. Following his petition, a notice was sent to Army headquarters early this week.

In December 2017, barely days before his scheduled retirement, Khosla approached the Army headquarters seeking an extension for his service along with an appeal to set up a special review board to consider him to the next rank.

Due to the heavy workload associated with celebrations of Republic Day and the arrival of 10 heads of states of ASEAN countries for the event, the government gave Khosla a one-month extension of service. As per the order issued by the Union government dated December 29,The competent authority has approved extension of service of Major General Anil Khosla for a period of one month beyond his retirement date of Dec 31, 2017.

But later on, his appeal for promotion was rejected by the Army headquarters, which eventually led to his retirement on January 31.

Upset over the rejection, Khosla has now knocked the doors of the Armed Forces Tribunal.

Khosla, who was commissioned into the Kumaon Regiment in 1979, was not considered for promotion to the rank of Lt general by three consecutive selection boards of the Army.

Citing irregularities in his appraisal, Khosla had sought a special promotional board to consider him for the next rank.

"Army headquarters has turned down his appeal for a special promotion board. He was given only a month-long extension in service due to hectic engagements of the president's office," said a source privy to the development.

Recalling a previous instance where the then military secretary of the president was given preferential treatment, a senior officer said a major general was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general by creating a special post for him.

That was a very famous case in military circles. He was promoted by giving 'special treatment'," an officer recalled.

Major General C.P. Cariappa has now taken over as the new military secretary to the president.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called the BJP's impressive performance in Tripura Assembly polls people's answer to "fear, lies and confusion" being spread against his government, and targeted the Congress, saying it was never so diminished as a party as it is now.

In an address to party workers at the BJP's newly constructed headquarters following the announcement of the polls results in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, Modi also took an apparent dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying some people grow in designation but shrink in stature.

In contrast, he said, BJP chief Amit Shah was marching ahead by leading the party to victories in many states.

The prime minister described Shah as the architect of the party's victories.

In remarks laced with sarcasm, Modi said he had recently told Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy that the Congress leader was lucky as he would soon become a "specimen of a Congress chief minister" after the party loses Karnataka, which goes to polls in April-May.

"I told him you are a most lucky person in the Congress. I told him that after June you will be a specimen for the Congress to highlight what it used to be. That it also used to have chief ministers and was in power. You will be such a specimen that they will carry you on their shoulders and dance saying it also has a chief minister," Modi said amid laughter.

Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who heads the Congress government in the state, he said neither he nor they (Congress) consider each other their own. "He is a 'swatantra fauji' (independent soldier)," Modi said of Singh.

The prime minister said the people of the northeast had a sense of alienation but his government worked overtime to remove it.

Central ministers have spent more nights in one of these states to deal with their problems in the last four years than they did all the years earlier, he said.

"Fear, lies and confusion were being spread," he said, an apparent reference to the opposition's criticism of his government over a host of issues, and added now people have answered it through their votes.

When his government takes some actions, it is dubbed as vendetta, he said, apparently referring to criminal cases against some opposition leaders and their kin in corruption and other matters. But it is in fact "mandetta" as the people have given the mandate to act, he said.

In 'vastu shastra', Modi said, it is believed that the northeast corner is the most important part of a land and with his party now in power in most of this region, these states are leading the country on the path to development.

The prime minister charted his party's phenomenal rise in different parts of the country as from "no one to won".

With the Left accusing the BJP of using money and muscle power in its bastion of Tripura, Modi said opposition parties often did not concede defeats in a sportsman's spirit.

Amid a "disinformation" campaign, stories about the BJP's and its government's good works had reached far corners, he claimed, and asked its leaders to work with a 360-degree approach for all-round development.

He also attributed the party's performance to its organisational work and local leaders, who, he said, are not highlighted in the media as they are not known much.

Modi took a brief pause when there was a call for prayers from a nearby mosque, and also paid respect along with the audience to deceased party workers, allegedly victims of political violence, by keeping silence for a while.

He said the BJP's win in Tripura was no ordinary victory and it was a journey from "shoonya to shikhara" (zero to peak).

The people of the Northeast supported his government's "Act East policy" and "politics of performance", he said.

He said BJP workers were victims of political violence in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and now in Odisha too.

He was felicitated by senior party functionaries, including members of the BJP Parliamentary Board, headed by Shah.

The board also took stock of the party's performance in three states.

Shah has said that the board will meet soon to take a call on chief ministership of Tripura. Its state chief Biplab Kumar Deb is being seen as a front-runner for the job.

The CPI(M) lost in the polls in Tripura , where it was in power for the last 25 years.Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday credited the BJP's "historic" performance in north eastern states to "development-oriented" policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "organisational skills" of Amit Shah and said the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

The chief minister was addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here after the party's good show in assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

"The BJP's sterling performance in northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people," he said.

Adityanath said for the first time after Independence, these northeastern states will get chance to join the national mainstream and enjoy fruits of development.

The UP chief minister, who had campaigned for the saffron party in these assembly elections, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development oriented policies and organisational skills of BJP President Amit Shah led to his party's "sterling performance".

He said the 'lotus' will now bloom in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, thanks to the development-oriented policies of the prime minister and his good governance, and the guidance of the party chief Amit Shah.

"That day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir down to Kanyakumari," he said.

He also exuded confidence that the BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

Continuing its winning streak, the BJP wrested Tripura, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.Fire destroys 30 houses in Humla

A fire destroyed 30 houses at Gharbana settlement in Tajakot Rural Municipality-1, Humla, on Friday night. There were no human casualties, said police.US President Donald Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping Saturday after the ruling Communist party announced it was eliminating the two-term limit for the presidency, paving the way for Xi to serve indefinitely, according to audio aired by CNN.

Hes now president for life, president for life. And hes great, Trump said, according to audio of excerpts of Trumps remarks at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida aired by CNN. And look, he was able to do that. I think its great. Maybe well have to give that a shot someday, Trump said to cheers and applause from supporters.

It is not clear if Trump, 71, was making the comment about extending presidential service in jest. The White House did not respond to a request for comment late Saturday.

US Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat, said on Twitter that whether this was a joke or not, talking about being President for life like Xi Jinping is the most un-American sentiment expressed by an American President. George Washington would roll over in his grave.

US presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932. An amendment to the US Constitution approved in 1951 limits presidents to two terms in office.

In order to change the current prohibition, it would require initial support of two-thirds of both houses of Congress or support of two-thirds of state legislaturesand then would need to be ratified by three-quarters of the states.

Chinas annual parliament gathering kicks off on Monday as Xi presses ahead with efforts to ward off financial risks without undermining the economy. The Communist party announced on February 25 the end of the two-term limit for the presidentand the parliament is expected to ratify the move.

During the remarks, Trump praised Xi as a great gentleman and added: Hes the most powerful (Chinese) president in a hundred years. Trump said Xi had treated him tremendously well during his visit in November.

Trump has often praised Xi, but in January Trump told Reuters the United States was considering a big fine as part of a probe into Chinas alleged theft of intellectual property. He has been critical of Chinas trade policies.

Trump told The New York Times in December that because of North Korea he had been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war.

ReutersWhile Royal Enfield is now a very popular brand, a decade and half ago it wasnt as big a brand then as it is now. The Bullet model along with its many variants werent good enough. When launched in 2002, Thunderbird was a different breed, targeting the urban audience. The cruiser theme, a new territory for the brand and also us, became a big hit and the gamble paid off. Thunderbird sold in thousands and now Royal Enfield has given it a refresh in the form of Thunderbird X, which comes in two variants  500X and 350X. Is the X series just a paint job or does the Thunderbird has anything more up its sleeves?

From afar, many could think that the 500X is Thunderbird's Redditch series and we cant really blame them. Get closer and 500X starts showing its colours, pun intended. In typical RE fashion, the company has decided to make the 500X available in Getaway Orange and Drifter Blue colour options while the 350X will come in Roving Red and Whimsical White. You cannot mix and match. So, the X series get new colours with matching wheel stripes. The colours, though only limited to the tank, do pop beautifully and the rest of the bike is finished in black. New 9-spoke alloy wheels, flat handle bars, new single seat unit and new grab rails make up the new features of 500X. The features may not look much but they do make an impact.

Mount the bike and the flatter handle bar makes for a much sportier sitting position. Its not just for aesthetics purpose as the low handle bar also helps in better handling in traffic jams. The single piece seat features a central patch of fabric that promises more comfort and wont leave you with a wet bottom. There are no changes to the instrument cluster.

Mechanically, Royal Enfield didnt mess around with the engine of the Thunderbird. The power and torque output remain same at 27.2 bhp and 41.3 Nm respectively and as the kerb weight of the bike also remains the same, theres no change in the performance. The engine has got strong pulling power from the low end and the going is smooth till about 4,000 rpm. Post that, you will feel the tell-tale vibrations in the handlebars and foot pegs that we have come to accustom with REs. Go fast and leave the world in your rear view mirror in a blur; not because of the speed but the vibrations make it impossible to view the world behind. The typical Bullet thump is there, albeit in a muffled manner.

Ride quality is as good as ever and the lower handle bar makes it easier to manage the bike. Though the pillion backrest is missing, the new tail end gives the Thunderbird 500X a neat finish. The grab rails too compliment the rear end with its integration.

So, if you have been thinking of buying a Royal Enfield or a Thunderbird, the 500X offers a good combination of style and stature. The additional features, though not many, has made the Thunderbird 500X sportier, younger and cooler to ride this summer.I haven't gone into hiding, claims wanted lawmaker Silwal

Former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) and newly elected lawmaker of CPN-UML Nawaraj Silwal has claimed that he was not on the run, and rather was with the people all the time.Sir,



It is really sickening to see our good King being surrounded by wolves in sheep skin. They laugh with him and tell him lies and yet they are sharpening their machetes to make sure they destroy him.



This is really bad. Our Majesties are very good at heart and if anything all they want is peace and nothing else. The people surrounding them are hell bent on making sure that they set their Majesties against the people.

Their Majesties instruct something to be done but those around him make sure that they do the opposite and feed him lies that everything has been done as he has said.

His Majesty instructed that the Elderly grants be raised but cabinet decided that it will not do so. What do you make of that?



The three arms of government have really let down the King and citizens. The traditional authorities have also contributed big time.

The recent case of the Asian who forged the Kings signature speaks volumes about the people surrounding the King.

If they could assist the Asian to forge the Kings signature, what can stop them from forging the signature and claiming that the whole country has been sold to the Asians?? Bekunene heads must sincerely roll in this case because it is very serious. How safe is our loving King with such people around him?? Chiefs who are supposed to be an extension to the Monarch are now demy gods.



They allow Asians to run businesses in the rural area and compete with Swazis. I can almost swear that in every chiefdom, there is bound to be an Asian running some grocery business.

This is pure corruption by the Chiefs who condone such. Kantsi Igwenyama seyitawetsemba bani if even the traditional structures are corrupt?



We who speak the truth and tell it as it is, are labelled dissidents. Right now their Majesties will be flooded with a great number of grovelers who will be offering gifts in favour of political appointments. Need I warn their Majesties to be wary of such people? Myself I will be contributing a cow towards the 50/50 celebrations but it wont be for the purpose of appointments because I dont need that. tsine lentsandzane ye live siyayitsandza and we are all out to protect him from these rogues  our contribution will be that of telling the truth and making him aware that the people around him are so cruel and they dont deserve to be next to him. Its about time new and incorruptible people surround the King.



We are really tired as a nation of all these people who are letting down our Majesties and pretend to love them and yet deep inside they harbour hatred for him. As we prepare for the festive season, may I warn all the corrupt people in the system to repent and accept Christ. As for me I pledge to be a loyal servant of their Majesties.



By Khokhumncadvo Dlamini

Ebutsini Ka- ZondwakoLOBAMBA  Most of His Majesty King Mswati IIIs directives communicated to government from the Throne have not been implemented, the Times SUNDAY has observed.



The projects initiated by the King were neither mentioned by Minister of Finance Martin Dlamini nor reflected in the government estimates for the 2018/2019 financial year.

The King issued about 22 directives when he officially opened the fifth session of the 11th Parliament three weeks ago.



Most of the directives were the responsibility of the government to include in the 2018/2019 budget tabled by the minister of Finance.

According to the Oxford dictionary, a directive is an authoritative instruction/direction or special order.

A directive is equivalent to a command.



There is no specific project for the Greater Sikhuphe project, no budget for youth based job creation programmes, no budget for setting up of new industries, except the construction of the Sidvokodvo Industrial Estate.

Martin Dlamini, the Minister of Finance, was not available to shed light on this issue as his phone appeared to have been switched off.



Percy Simelane, the Government Press Secretary, said the Speech from the Throne was a master directive, adding that every ministry was expected to base its operations on it.

He said the speed at which government implemented projects was determined by the availability of financial resources.

He said the Speech from the Throne did not leave out anyone as all facets of interests were covered.MBABANE  The recently-launched fixed wireless project by Swazi MTN is now the subject of an intense investigation by the Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC), investigations have revealed.



The Times SUNDAY understands that the SPTC Board and Management want an explanation from the corporations representatives in Swazi MTN Board on how they agreed to the fixed wireless project yet they knew that it would offer direct competition to the corporations core business.



SPTC is carrying out the probe alongside ongoing negotiations with Swazi MTN on the fixed wireless project that the latter launched on January 26, 2018 after having unveiled it last December.

SPTC is negotiating for Swazi MTN to withdraw the project but the latter is resolute in continuing with it because it believes it has broken no rule, including the joint venture agreement (JVA) that exists between the two entities. The JVA is a shareholder agreement between Swazi MTN and Swaziland Post and Telecommunications (SPTC). Swazi MTN holds a technology neutral licence and therefore believes it was within its scope to venture into the recently-launched fixed wireless and broadband solution.



Pertaining to the investigation, this publication can reveal that each of the four SPTC representatives have been ordered to write letters explaining their roles and how they voted on the matter when it came before the Swazi MTN Board. Further, SPTC is looking to lay hands on minutes of the Swazi MTN Board meeting where the issue of the fixed wireless project was possibly discussed and approved.



SPTC holds a majority 41 per cent shares in Swazi MTN and, therefore, has majority representation of four people in the Board, which makes the Corporation to believe that decisions seen to be unfavourable to it should be vetoed.

MTN International holds 30 per cent shares and has three representatives in the Board, while Swaziland Empowerment Limited, which holds 19 per cent shares, has one representative and the Esteemed shareholder, who holds a 10 per cent has one representative. It is believed that since the Esteemed shareholder bought his shareholding from SPTC, an agreement was struck that his vote will always be alongside that of the corporation, tipping the scales in favour of the latter when it came to voting within the Board. However, this view had not been verified at the time of publication.



Senior sources within SPTC revealed that it therefore came as a surprise when Swazi MTN announced the fixed wireless project without the corporations expressed consent. SPTC also claims they received no heads-up, or feedback from its representatives.

According to the sources, when the representatives were questioned on the project, they claimed to be also in the dark about it, and further said it was never presented to the Board.

According to an expert, who preferred to remain anonymous, Board of directors generally have bigger policy-related issues to look at and approve, and this does not include approval of products.



The narrative by SPTC Board representatives that they dont recall the issue put to a vote is most likely true, opined the expert.

However, the SPTC Board and management are reportedly not convinced by this narrative.







MBABANE  Parliament staff is up in arms against Speaker Themba Msibi - again. Similar to the altercation that almost cost Msibi his job a little over two years ago, promotion of a female staff member is once more at the centre of the squabble.

This time, the Speaker, Senate President Gelane Zwane, Clerk to Parliament Ndvuna Dlamini and other members of the Parliamentary Service Board are said to have facilitated the promotion of Parliament cook Olga Mkhwanazi to a pay grade held by the Assistant Clerk at Table.



Other members of the Board are Senator Chief Kusa Dlamini and former Nkilongo Member of Parliament Trusty Gina.

Olga Mkhwanazi, whose official title -as enshrined in the Government Establishment Register- is that of Catering Officer, has been promoted from a C3 grade to D4.

The new pay scale for the D4 grade has five notches and carries a maximum monthly salary of E20 344.00 and a minimum of E18 075.42.



The new pay scale for Mkhwanazis previous C3 grade carries a maximum monthly salary E10 835.00 and a minimum of E9 626.67.

This in effect means that with the new promotion, Mkhwanazi has doubled her salary by having skipped five other grades, namely C4, C5, D1, D2 and D3.

By having jumped to D4 grade, Mkhwanazis new pay scale is now above her superiors, including the senior human resources officer, human resources officer, editor, network engineer i, accountant i, senior accountant ii, senior hansard transcriber, assistant accountant i and the technician.



The cook is now in the same salary grade as a deputy head teacher (senior secondary) and a head teacher (higher primary). She will now earn more than teachers who hold degrees as they are on C5 grade together with Secondary Teacher I.

Mkhwanazi will also earn more than nurses, staff nurses, social welfare officers and counselors.

When compared to the security forces, the cook will be earning in the bracket of assistant superintendents, police chaplains and band masters if she was in the Royal Swaziland Police and assistant superintendent if she was in His Majestys Correctional Services.



Colleagues not happy



Mkhwanazis promotion has infuriated other parliament employees, especially because they were reportedly told that staff promotions had been put on hold for over two years now.

What has also angered them further is that the grade to which Mkhwanazi has been elevated requires one to hold a bachelors degree and she does not possess one.



This person is only a cook and we do not understand what criterion was used to promote her and to make matters worse, place her in this pay grade. This is an insult to assistant clerks at table, one furious employee said.

Responsibilities of an assistant clerk at table include serving as a secretary in parliamentary sessions or proceedings for both Senate and Assembly Houses, compiling parliamentary reports and Bills for both Houses, facilitating and serving as a secretary in parliamentary committees meetings and compiling relevant reports for the various government ministries.Lack of staff affects service delivery in Province 3: CM

Chief Minister of the Province 3 Dormani Poudel has said that service delivery to the general people, work execution and law making tasks were affected due to lack of officials.A group representing public television stations honored U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand last week.

America's Public Television Stations presented its Champion of Public Broadcasting Award to Gillibrand, D-N.Y., at its Public Media Summit Wednesday. According to a news release, the award is given to leaders who "safeguard the ability of local public television stations to provide education, public safety and civic leadership services to their communities."

Patrick Butler, president and CEO of America's Public Television Stations, recalled when his organization received a call from Gillibrand's office seven years ago informing them that she was circulating a "Dear Colleague" letter in support of federal funding for public broadcasting.

That letter started an annual campaign spearheaded by Gillibrand to support public broadcasting.

"When our funding has been threatened, Senator Gillibrand has been among the first to come to our defense," Butler said.

There are 170 licensees operating more than 350 public television stations across the country, according to America's Public Television Stations. These TV stations serve more than 98 percent of Americans.No compromise

Attempt to compromise on rape cases is an attack on dignity of women[March 03, 2018] DoraHacks Successfully Launched "2018 Global Hackathon Programme"

BEIJING, March 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DoraHacks is the largest hackathon organizer and hacker community in China, expanding to 10 countries in 2018. Over three years, DoraHacks has organized more than 100 hackathons globally, operating in 7 cities, 5000+ core hackers and 200k+ developers in community. DoraHacks has produced more than 1000 applications in its hackathons and incubated more than 20 successful startups (including blockchains) in China. In February, DoraHacks (www.dorahacks.com) launched its global hackathon programme, planning to host hackathons in more than 10 countries, including South Korea, Japan, UK, India and Switzerland,etc. DoraHacks has organized more than a hundred successful hackathons around China, each of which attracted between 100 and 200 participants. In January 2018, DoraHacks successfully hosted its first US hackathon in San Francisco. What's DoraHacks? DoraHacks is an international hacker community founded in 2014, with support from Open Wisdom Lab at Tsinghua University. As the biggest hacker organization in China, DoraHacks' mission is to connect the most talented hackers around the world to solve the greatest problems we facein different industries and to overcome practical issues from our diversiform society.



DoraHacks has formed a unique and irreplaceable "Hacker Brain" for the society. Thanks for DoraHacks' standardized and professional event organization teams stationed in 10 countries among the world, hundreds of hackathons have been successfully hosted over the past two years. DoraHacks' Hackathons bring together the world's top universities' outstanding researchers and technology firms' practitioners to create a Technology Utopia, where cooperation and teamwork between hackers are more efficient and innovative ideas may be generated. Hackers have successfully solved 1000+ problems in DoraHacks' 100+ hackathons. With such high frequency of activities, DoraHacks has now successfully become the most professional and the front-running hacker organization in China.

In DoraHacks' Hackathons, hackers will need to solve practical or industry-specific problems within 24 hours using their solid expertise, knowledge and creativity. About half of the problems will be real problems that the sponsors are facing, while the rest will be problems that are raised by hackers and worth solving. Hackers will be divided in teams of 3 to 6, in which members are experts in different aspects, varying from AI technology, UI design to front-end development, etc. Interaction with fellow hackers is a key reason why hackers love DoraHacks. As preeminent hackers are gathered together by DoraHacks, most of them got out of a hackathon feeling they have learned new skills and made some great new friends. The problem-oriented hackathons DoraHacks hosts have generated many ready-to-use solutions for DoraHacks' sponsors and partners. Therefore it has attracted a number of front-running AI, Fintech and blockchain companies as its sponsors. DoraHacks also initiated a DoraHacker Support Program where more technology firms are welcomed to join the program, providing job opportunities and mentoring directly to DoraHacks' hackers. DoraHacks is also frequently featured on major Chinese media platforms such as Sohu and iFeng. DoraHacks (www.dorahacks.com), with a mission to connect the most talented hackers around the world, will continue to host outstanding hackathons for hackers, so that every hacker can grow better through interaction and collaboration, and be able to creatively solve real-world problems our industries and society face today. Media Contact: hi@dorahacks.com

Wechat ID: naodongmao Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180304/2070434-1-a

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180304/2070434-1-b SOURCE DoraHacks

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][March 04, 2018] Atmospheric Water Generation of Heaven Springs Dynasty Harvest Shined Again at Green Industrial Policy Trilogy Presentation

HONG KONG, March 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Feb 22, Green Industrial Policy Trilogy Presentation was held by the UN Environment and Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland. Dato' Sri Prof. Ng, Tat-yung, Founder of Heaven Springs Dynasty Harvest Group (HSDHG) and Steering Committee Member of UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on Environment was invited to attend the event together with Government representatives, the UN's officials and experts to discuss the future plan on industrial transformation and greener development. The UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development consists of 17 Goals and the issue of water resources is the key to achieve all SDGs. At the 3rd UN Environment Assembly held in Dec 2017, HSDHG, as an official partner and Steering Committee Member of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on Environment, presented its world's pioneer technology on Atmospheric Water Generation. It has become the most popular and focused project on sustainable innovation and was acknowledged by President of the UN General Assembly, the President of the UN Environment Assembly as well as politicians and scientists of various countries. Claudia Assmann, Programme Officer of Economy and Fiscal Policy Unit of the UNEP hosted the meeting. Steven Stone, Chief of Resources and Markets Branch of the UNEP chaired the meeting and delivered an opening speech. The trilogy reports were distributed to provide data, theoretical information and specific advice to policymakers to help countries to pilot projects and to achieve transformation.



At the meeting, Frank Van Rompaey, Head of the UNIDO Office of Geneva; Tilman Altenbury of German Development Institution; Jorge E. Vinuales, Professor of Cambridge University and Editor of the "Green Industrial Policy and Trade: A Toolbox"; H.E. Alvaro Cedeno, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the World Trade Organization, respectively addressed on stage.

Dr. Johnny Ip, Vice President of HSDHG has introduced the integration of atmospheric water generation projects for sustainable development on water resources and green industries. The Atmospheric Water Generation Technology invented by Dato' Sri Prof. Ng, Tat-yung has been adopted to more than 80 international patents within PCT System of 152 Contracting States in WIPO. It converts air into safe drinking water efficiently with no water consumption, no pollution, no additive and its water quality meets WHO's guideline for drinking water and other international standards. Series of Heaven Springs Atmospheric Water Generator can produce 30 litres to 5 tons of water daily. A typical water generation plant that produces 100 tons of water daily would provide drinking water for tens of thousands of people. Its process does not produce waste water meanwhile purifies the air. This "black technology" could ease the water scarcity and pollution problems. It can be used in military, agricultural, industrial and domestic areas. For more details, visit: www.heavensprings.com Dato' Sri Prof. Ng, Tat-yung travels a lot all over the world and has lived in South Korea for 10 years, United States for 7 years and Australia for 5 years. He is dedicated to international charity and public diplomacy. He has received more than 120 honor titles and awards granted by the US Congress, California State Senate, and various cities of the US since 2013 and has been invited to National Day Reception of PRC for continuously 8 years. Dato' Sri Prof. Ng, Tat-yung is a Visiting Professor & Honorary Fellow at The Canadian Chartered Institute of Business Administration and Honorary President of Board of Directors at Asian College of Knowledge; Executive Vice-President at West China Economic and Trade Research Institute of The Association for Promotion of West China Research and Development, Committee member of the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum on Environment; Founders of World Trade United Foundation and Member of the US President Club. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atmospheric-water-generation-of-heaven-springs-dynasty-harvest-shined-again-at-green-industrial-policy-trilogy-presentation-300607835.html SOURCE Heaven Springs

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]NVC orders action against officials over faulty app

The National Vigilance Centre has instructed the Deposit and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DCGC) to take action against the officials responsible for accepting a software application without confirming its functionality.On the SE Messinia, at the first leg of the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, there are two beautiful little towns: picturesque Methoni overlooking the Ionian Sea and the island comlex of Oinousses, and colourful Koroni, a place with insular atmosphere. Thanks to their strategic position, they have been important trade and marine centres. But for the very same reason, they have always been coveted by the powerful of the times. That explains the need for building huge fortresses.

The castle of Methoni

Constructed by the Venetians in the early 13th century on a rocky promontory, the castle is among the largest ones in the Mediterranean. Youll be astonished at the bridge stone of 14 arches which connects the castle to the shore instead of the timber one that used to stand in its place before the Venetians ever got there. The celebrated symbol of Venice, the lion of St Marc, dominates the gate of the castle where immured reliefs, emblems, blazons, inscriptions, the huge gates especially the main gate, above the moat  and the relics of two Ottoman bathhouses have survived.

At the south edge of the castle a fortified islet floats. Bourtzi, as it is called, a prison and place of executions during the Turkish Occupation, was built in 1500 and is connected to the Sea Gate of the castle with a paved tiny road.

Dont forget to:

Stroll in the scenic town of Methoni and marvel at the local well preserved architecture.

Visit the built-in-the-rocks catacombs of St Onoufrios (2km N of Methoni) and the catholic monastery of St Leon.

Swim at the beautiful beach by the castle, as well as at the beaches of Mavrovouni, Amenomylos, Loutsa and Akritika.

Pay a visit to Sapientza Island, a significant wetland habitat nestling the kri kri wild sheep, birds etc in a protected forest with arbutus trees. A 19th century stone lighthouse and an exceptional sandy beach are no less of an attraction too.

The castle of Koroni

One of the greatest examples of the Venetian fortress architecture and amongst the few of each kind to encompass houses and churches, the castle of Koroni dominates Akritas cape, on the southern edge of the Messinian Gulf. It was built by the Venetians in the 13th century and revamped by the Ottomans in the 16th.

Leaving the beach to walk uphill will feel like travelling back in time. Narrow passages will lead you to the gate of the castle. Cross it to find just a few inhabited of the many houses once seeking refuge from the pirates here. Apart from the breathtaking view to the Sea, in the castle you can see immured tombs, underground arched tanks for the rain, the octagon tower peculiar to ottoman architecture- and the churches of St Sofia (a 12th century Byzantine one) and St Charalambos (an old mosque).

Special tips:

 The church dedicated to Panagia Eleistra below the castle in a palm tree grove.

 The Historical and Archaeological collection with the regions excavated findings, housed in a small building on the site of the grove.

 The Venetian islet opposite cape Akrita with a marvellous sea bed for diving and fishing.

 The secluded coves and the beaches (Paroulia, Gargarou, Zagga, Agia Triada, Agios Ioannis).

How to get there

By plane or car to Kalamata. Methoni is 21km SW of Kalamata, whereas Koroni is 52km to the same direction. Local buses will help you get there. Contact them at: www.ktelmessinias.gr

Source: visitgreece

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: Flyax License: CC-BY-SADeloitte, a leading provider of provides audit, tax, consulting, financial advisory and risk advisory services, has announced plans to build a state-of-the art Deloitte Digital Center (DDC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.



When complete, the DDC will support the growing focus on digital initiatives by businesses and the public sector in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East, by enabling the delivery of end-to-end innovative digital solutions at scale  from strategy and design through to implementation. The DDC will provide employment and training opportunities for hundreds of Saudi nationals, as well as attracting the best digital talent from abroad.



The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) joined Deloitte in a signing ceremony on March 4, 2018 in Riyadh, which was attended by senior officials.



Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics and cloud computing are going to change life as we know it, said Renjen, CEO, Deloitte Global. Deloittes investment in the digital infrastructure of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will contribute to building a thriving economy and vibrant innovative society with new job opportunities for many Saudi citizens.



The significant investment in building the new DDC and the associated talent development programmes clearly demonstrates Deloittes commitment to supporting the Kingdoms Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Programme.



The DDC will be the first Deloitte digital delivery centre in the region and is expected to support the digital skills development for Saudi youth, foster technology-driven entrepreneurship and advance the delivery of consulting services within the Kingdom and throughout the Middle East.



The Deloitte Middle East Consulting business, supported by investment and resources from the UK and Deloitte North West Europe, will form alliances with the Saudi government and businesses to help ensure alignment to their key strategic objectives. By bringing together the best of the Deloitte networks experience globally in digital transformation and change we will support a market that increasingly needs expertise in the delivery of large scale transformation programmes, added David Sproul, CEO, Deloitte UK and North West Europe.  TradeArabia News ServicePolice recover body of missing man from Lahan

Police have recovered the charred body of Sanam Shakya from the boot of a vehicle during security check in Lahan in Siraha district in the Sagarmatha Zone of south-eastern Nepal.Prospects of consensus parliament leader fade as Congress blocs spar

Nepali Congress factions are in a huddle, planning strategies to strengthen their positions for Parliamentary Party (PP) leaders election scheduled Monday.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 4

A day after the arrest of Lakhwinder Singh of Kandu Khehra village, Muktsar, the police, after interrogating him, recovered three scooters and two bikes today. He was nabbed by the police yesterday from Ranjit Avenue. The police had confiscated a pistol from his possession while his accomplice Baljinder Singh, alias Baba, who was riding pillion managed to escape.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Lakhbir Singh said Lakhwinder was a murder accused and was out on parole a few days ago. He along with Baljinder had come to Amritsar to form a gang of robbers. His interrogation led to the seizure three scooters and more bikes while raids were on to nab Baljinder Baba.

The accused was nabbed at a naka (checkpoint) installed near Vishal Megamart in Ranjit Avenue. A case under Sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC and 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered against them.ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Patiala, March 4

The first edition of two-day Punjab Panorama, an international contemporary art forum, concluded at the historic Qila Mubarak here today.

On the concluding day, former Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur, along with Ambassador of Greece to India Panos Kalogeropoulos and Consul General of Canada Christopher Gibbons, attended the event.

Sarah Singh, the founder-director of Panorama Punjab, said the event had brought together international artists, museum directors, musicians, historians, and curators. Participants from Greece, Canada, Swiss Arts Council, Goethe Institute and Asia Society took part in the two-day event.

She said panel discussions and presentations that explore Punjabs culture and history through artifacts, films and architecture, in the framework of Punjab as Protagonist and Hybrid Aesthetics marked the event.

It saw the representation of five major world museums (Denmark, Greece, UK, USA, and Canada), 11 international film artistes, three international performance artistes and three Indian performance artists, Sarah added.

The event was aimed at showcasing Punjabs hybrid history through a blend of international, regional and local art, the innovative event was a holistic package, carrying the stamp of various globally renowned cultural organisations.

She said Susan Stronge, senior curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, gave a presentation on Arts of Punjab, while Elisavet Tsigarida, director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Pella Museum in Greece, made a presentation on When the Greeks Met the Indians which traced the cultural impact and legacy of Alexander the Great. Besides, there was a special conversation on fashion, dedicated to Patialvi Parmeshwar Godrej, conducted among fashion designer JJ Valaya and Jill Spalding, a legendary journalist, and editor who had worked with Vogue for nearly 40 years.

The event witnessed the concert of Bossa Nova Jazz, artistes from Belgium, on the concluding day.

Famous director Sudhir Misra, who had stayed in Patiala from 1968 to 69, said people of Patiala should not forget Om Puri and should start an art entity in his name. Preneet Kaur congratulated Sarah Singh for holding a rich cultural fest and bringing international artistes together on a stage to perform.  TNSRJP-N lawmaker Chaudhary starts indefinite hunger strike behind bars

Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) lawmaker Resham Chaudhary, the main accused in Tikapur incident, and 24 others accused have begun an indefinite hunger strike at Kailali District Prison starting Sunday.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 3

As many as 1,017 persons were issued tickets for various traffic violations on Holi  a quantum jump from 742 challans last year.

As per a press release issued by the traffic police, 140 of them were caught driving drunk and 100 were found creating noise pollution by riding vehicles with modified silencers. Last year, 90 persons were issued challan for drunken driving. This year, as many as 1,394 people have been challaned for drunken driving.

As many as 638 challans were issued to persons riding without helmet while 104 were challaned for triple-riding. As many 86 people were penalised for driving without wearing a seatbelt and 24 for driving at a speed above the permissible limit.

The traffic police informed that 319 vehicles were impounded for violations as compared to 198 cases last year. They would recommend cancellation of 170 licences. This year, the police have recommended suspension of driving licences in 1,216 cases.

Meanwhile, the UT police received as many as 615 calls on Holi.

550 violators caught on camera

The traffic police will issue a total of 550 challans for violations of traffic rules. The incidents were caught on camera. Out of these, 400 will be issued on the basis of videorecording done at 20 different locations. Besides, around 150 will be penalised on the basis of CCTV footage and pictures of violators sent by citizens on the social media accounts of the Chandigarh traffic police.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 3

The festival of colours proved injurious to as many as 232 persons who reported at the three major hospitals in the city.

According to information available, 96 persons, who were injured in various mishaps, reached the Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH) in Sector 16 here yesterday. While 17 of them met with road accidents, 30 fell accidentally while playing Holi. Over 30 persons sustained injuries in scuffles and three sustained burn injuries.

As many as 89 injured persons reported at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Sector 32. Out of them, 39 were discharged while 50 are still undergoing treatment.

Besides, 35 persons were rushed to the trauma centre at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) yesterday. Majority of them had suffered injuries in accidents. Two of them were injured in separate scuffles that took place while playing Holi. One of the injured, a Dhanas resident, had sustained a stab injury while the other, who belonged to Maloya, was thrashed and suffered serious wounds.

Meanwhile, as many as 12 persons suffered eye injuries while playing with colours. Seven of them had reported at the GMSH-16 while five were rushed to the Advanced Eye Centre at the PGIMER.

They were discharged after treatment.ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 4

As many as 884 students received their degrees at the 67th convocation at Panjab University, Chandigarh, while 326 students got cash awards and medals, here today.

A total of 324 students were awarded PhD degrees. There were 34 endowment gold medals, 11 silver medals, 198 university gold medals, five university silver medals, 21 cash prizes, 18 declamation cash prizes and 39 merit certificates.

Prof Arun K Grover, Vice-Chancellor, in his address said the PU campus in contemporary times comprises over 75 closely-knit university departments and institutes. The 1904 Act had enjoined all the then five Universities of India to nucleate university departments, create faculty structure for academic administration and concurrently appoint lecturers and professors who would engage in research and nurture chosen students to emerge as leaders in different disciplines.

He further added that the report of planning commission advocated that university faculties and researchers should be enabled to work in areas which would improve the competitiveness of the Indian corporate sector vis a vis their counterparts globally. Taking a cue from other recommendations enshrined in that report, the PU took the initiative to nucleate the Chandigarh Region Innovation and Knowledge Cluster (CRIKC). The CII signed a MoU with CRIKC, which has interfaced similar clusters operating on behalf of good universities in the UK, Canada and Australia.

He further said the university reached out to the alumni abroad to promote PUs interests. The PU has signed the MoU with IC-IMPACTS, a conglomerate of high ranking universities in Canada and Canadian Industries operating from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Highlightseditorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 3

Apart from around 65 injury cases, mostly minor ones in nature, reported at the Mohali Civil Hospital at Phase 6, Holi, the festival of colours festival, passed off peacefully here yesterday. The police could catch only one person for drunken driving on Holi, while a total of 69 challans were issued for other traffic violations yesterday.

According to staff at the Mohali Civil Hospital, around 65 persons, most of whom had sustained minor injuries, had turned up for treatment.

Most of the injured persons had sustained injuries in minor tiffs that had taken place at different places across the district, said a hospital staff, adding mostly injured persons were migrants.

Mohali SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal confirmed that the festival passed off peacefully in Mohali. We got reports of minor tiffs from various places, but none of those was of serious nature, said SSP Chahal.

He said 14 vehicles were impounded for various offences. As per police statistics, a total of 69 challans were issued for offences, including helmetless driving (37), red-light jumping (8) and triple-riding (18).

The police got around 65 distress calls from different locations. The PCR also got 11 calls against two-wheeler riders who had detached the silencers of their motorbikes during Holi festivities. However, no challan was issued in this regard here.

The SSP claimed that around 700 policemen were deputed in the district and special nakas were laid at all sensitive points to check hooliganism here.MK Bhadrakumar

MK Bhadrakumar

INDIA lost no time to welcome the Afghan governments call on February 28 to armed groups to cease violence and join national peace and reconciliation process. India also added the caveat that there can be no compromise with terrorism and action must be taken against those who continue down the path of violence and those who finance them and provide safe havens and sanctuaries. The caveat is well grounded. However, there is also the big picture sailing into view, which India cannot ignore.

If a timeline is needed, it could be mid-January when US Acting Assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells and a three-member team of Taliban negotiators headed by Shahabuddin Dilawar landed in Islamabad for consultations simultaneously. Some evidence is available in the testimony last week in Washington by Gen Joseph Votel, Commander, US Central Command, before the House Armed Forces Committee that behind the cloud cover of nationalist rhetoric, Pakistani army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had begun delivering. Gen Votel noted, Recently we have started to see an increase in communication, information sharing, and actions on the ground (by Pakistan) in response to our specific requests  these are positive indicators.

The progress must have been appreciable because the Taliban switched to public diplomacy on February 14 with a letter of the Islamic Emirate to the American people, making a passionate appeal to the logic and conscience of the great American people that the Taliban can solve its problems with every side through healthy politics and dialogueand can play a constructive role. On February 23, the Taliban reaffirmed this by welcoming as good news the commencement of work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. Curiously, the Taliban claimed TAPI as its legacy  a pointed reminder of the Faustian deal between the Taliban regime and Unocal in the mid-90s with patronage from the Bill Clinton administration.

On February 26, the Taliban followed up with a formal proposal to hold direct talks with the US. Interestingly, this proposal coincided with the arrival in Islamabad of the Deputy Assistant to the US President and the National Security Councils senior director for South and Central Asia, Lisa Curtis, on an overnight visit. According to the US embassy readout, Curtis expressed interest to move toward a new relationship with Pakistan and emphasised the opportunity to work together.

Clearly, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani did not conjure up from thin air his peace initiative of February 27 offering Taliban a ceasefire and release of prisoners, recognition of the group as a political party, constitutional review and unconditional negotiations  plus an overture to Islamabad to forget the past and start a new chapter. The US imprimatur is self-evident. Ghani is in a beleaguered position and lacks a base in the Pashtun heartland. The weariness and anger coursing through the country is palpable. The Trump administration understands the futility of waging a war under an Afghan government whose legitimacy is wearing thin. Elections are needed urgently, but cannot be held unless there is ceasefire, since insurgents are active in 70 per cent of the country and continue to expand their reach. The best American hope lies in co-opting the Taliban under a new leadership in Kabul where the US retains influence.

Suffice to say, the moment of truth is approaching for the Indian policymakers. Ghanis unconditional peace offer didnt differentiate the Haqqanis who constitute Talibans steel frame. On the other hand, Ghani skipped the other contentious issue  the US occupation of Afghanistan. In the American scheme of things, the non-negotiable part narrows down to a single point  the military bases in Afghanistan. A tradeoff is entirely conceivable. The US is willing to concede that Islamic legitimacy is essential for any Afghan government. Evidently, the US regards it to be imperative that the Taliban do not gravitate to the Russian and Iranian orbit. Again, Pakistans cooperation being vital, its interests need to be accommodated. But then, the US views China to be a benign partner and Beijing has influence over Pakistan. Significantly, China has highly appreciated Ghanis peace offer and urged the Taliban (relevant parties) to address differences through consultation and dialogue. Arguably, the US and Chinese interests can be congruent apropos the economic rise of continental and South Asia  that is, in securing investments in connectivity and integrating Afghanistan into the connective networks.

To be sure, Pakistan has managed the relationship with the US through a trying period. The Pakistani elite is determined to have a relationship with the US, notwithstanding the longstanding ties with China and the warming up with Russia. A relationship with Russia cannot substitute for the far more important diplomatic, economic and security relationship with the US. Of course, there are significant hurdles to overcome, but international recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate Afghan entity has been an elusive objective that Pakistan keenly sought through the past three decades. Being the best organised and cohesive group by far in the highly fragmented Afghan polity, the Taliban can aspire for a leadership role in a broad-based government under a new constitution. Pakistan also holds the permanent advantage of its unique geography, which attracts big powers without exception.

However, peace can only come with all the major powers and neighbours of Afghanistan on board. And cooperation in Afghanistan between big powers is necessary. The conference in Tashkent in March, mentored by Washington, creates a regional platform for consensus-building. Russia can contribute massively to peace in Afghanistan. So can Iran. Hopefully, the Tashkent process can break the vicious cycle  Taliban seeking talks with Americans while taking instructions from Islamabad, and the Kabul government seeking peace talks under tutelage from Washington.

No doubt, the US terms of engagement with Pakistan impact Indian interests. Coinciding with Ghanis olive branch to Taliban (and Pakistan) and Curtis arrival in Islamabad, US State Department spokesperson stressed last Tuesday that India and Pakistan should sit down and have talks regarding issues relating to their border tensions. The bottom line is that while it may appear that a paradigm shift is under way, in reality, maximalist definitions still motivate Pakistans approach. Therefore, Washingtons expectations will put pressure on India. But then, with a crucial election year looming ahead, will the Modi government be in a position to show flexibility? Certainly, while Indias articulation of support for Ghanis peace offer to the Taliban makes a goodwill gesture, difficult decisions are needed in Delhi by way of making adjustments in Indias regional policies. A leap of faith is needed for turning challenges into opportunities to improve Indias relations with both China and Pakistan.

The writer is a former ambassadorvinaymishra188@gmail.com

Keki Daruwalla

I t has been a bad fortnight. First the Delhi government and the Aam Aadmi Party, in which some of us had reposed hopes, did something unforgivable. They roughed up the Chief Secretary, Anshu Prakash. Such a thing is unimaginable even in the badlands of UP and Madhya Pradesh.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)



How can a party sink so low? And the event occurred at the Chief Minister's residence. Hospitality has priority in Indian culture. What happened to Mr Arvind Kejriwal's culture that he permitted such a thing to happen? And he hasn't tweeted or said a word in apology. He is on a sticky wicket. Does he let his MLAs down by supporting the Chief Secretary? How does he explain not acting when MLAs Prakash Jarwal and Amanatullah Khan roughed up the seniormost civil servant in the Delhi government? Kejriwal is in a quandary and lacks the moral fibre to come out openly and state the facts.

I have always been a little wary of people who wear their honesty on their sleeves. They tend to become self-righteous, start thinking that they alone monopolise global integrity, and they think they are above norms. How can you call a Chief Secretary for a meeting at midnight over a matter of advertising or ration shops? Can't these issues be discussed during office hours? One realises that the AAP government has had a raw deal from the Centre, as also the previous Lieutenant Governor. But the AAP has behaved irresponsibly like streetfighters; sometimes, as in the present case, like street goons. Much of the blame has to lie with the party and the Chief Minister, who shot his mouth off against the Prime Minister on numerous occasions, and later the Finance Minister. It will be difficult for him to wriggle out of the defamation suit filed by the Finance Minister, Mr Jaitley. There is recklessness about Kejriwal and the party which does not bode well for governance. There are even innuendos now that the party was not too averse to the Khalistanis in Punjab. It is intriguing that neither of the two persons around Anna Hazare during his agitation has added anything to their already mediocre reputations. Rural politicians and activists like Hazare attract mass appeal for a while and fizzle out. The modern world is a bit too complex for them to manoeuvre.

The gulf between the civil service and the politicians in power has never been so wide. Part of the problem is the unique and unsatisfactory status of the Delhi Sarkar, with the police not placed under it, and the L-G being a super Chief Minister, and answerable to the Centre, which has its own axe to grind. The Delhi Police, of course, wants to please its masters in the Home Ministry. Observe its record in charging JNU students with sedition. The Delhi Police Commissioner was rewarded with a sinecure in the UPSC for six years. The AAP was let down initially by sundry ministers with fudged degrees, but watch with what alacrity the police arrested them. The party needs to sober down and work. Less demagoguery please.

Apology for TV

The most disappointing feature of the past few days was the Indian television. It really let the country down. For three full days, if not four, it just went on and on about Sridevi. However fine an actress she was, and her sudden death was tragic, you couldn't stand hour on hour, day on day of this. Yes, the viewer could have been given news of this from time to time, in 10-minute slots. But this was almost as bad as the Doordarshan coverage of Mrs Indira Gandhi's death. If that death coverage had been shortened, less people would have died in 1984. It brings up the question  are we a people who suffer from Necrophilia by any chance? What prompted sensitive channels like NDTV and India Today to succumb? Why must we cater to only the sentiments of film fans?

The TV went lachrymose, weepy, in ineffectual attempts to play on sentiments. One nobody after the other from the film world came up and spoke for the poor lady. I am not taking on the despicable speculation on her death and TV guys lolling in bathtubs, or even the image of the wine glass.

Just the long drawn teary focus got me. What about the newsy bits? Would any husband want a wifes post-mortem report splashed across papers? Would a daughter want it? Wasn't this worse? Poor show, Television India. And meanwhile, three big elections, with no coverage, took place in the North-East. North-East is side-stream, isnt it? It is not Haryana or UP.shalender@tribune.com

The Narendra Modi governments abrupt reversal of its China containment policy is a welcome and realistic acceptance of Indias lack of capacity to sustain muscularity in foreign policy for long. For four years, South Block has deluded itself with the belief that an unspoken alliance with the US and occasional laundering of the Tibetan cause were adequate bulwarks against a rising China. But a government note last month asking all senior officials to avoid functions marking 60 years of Dalai Lamas exile is perhaps the first time India has so visibly distanced itself from the Tibetan cause.

The situation obviously is direr than South Block is letting it out to be. For, Tibet and Buddhism (along with yoga) are PM Modis preferred soft foreign policy tools. PM Modi made it a point to be always accompanied by a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree as if to underline Indias spiritual pre-eminence over competitor China during his visits to the Buddhist-dominated Sri Lanka, Mongolia, South Korea and Japan. India ought to have realised the limited utility of the Dalai Lama when it egged him to visit Mongolia. The move spectacularly backfired after Mongolia apologised to China and promised not to repeat the mistake. The bell for course correction since then has been ringing loudly: China wrested Maldives away from Indian influence, Sri Lanka is seeing the political reemergence of a former President disdained as pro-China while the Communists won the Nepal elections on an anti-India plank. Donald Trumps baiting of Narendra Modi on social media has reinforced the folly of putting all strategic eggs in one superpowers basket.

Indias slipping foothold in the neighbourhood is a stark testimony to the short shelf life of a foreign policy pivoted solely on aggressive nationalism and bluster that conceal the systemic weaknesses and the absence of an overall foreign policy framework. Time will tell whether Modis walk back on Tibet will act as an ice-breaker or whet Chinas appetite for extracting more concessions. But the self-realisation about the limitations of a one-trick pony circus in conducting foreign policy could not have been more dramatic  and, more timely.amansharma@tribunemail.com

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, March 4

Social crusader Anna Hazare on Sunday demanded an independent Central Agriculture Price Commission with a pro-farmer mandate to fix minimum rates for various farm produces.

Hazare, whose Satyagraha Jan Jagran Yatra was here to muster support for his agitation scheduled to be held in Delhi on March 23, showed his deep concern over deteriorating financial condition of the farming community.

He said in a span of 22 years from 1995-2017, 20 lakh farmers have committed suicide.

"This is because government is more focused on entrepreneurs and not on those who provide food for the country. Now, the country needs an autonomous agriculture body to make farming a profit-making avocation," he said.

State authorities submit their suggestions to the Centre to determine prices for various agricultural commodities. But the Union government ignores for unspecified reasons, he said.

He said the formation of a price fixation commission, pension scheme for farmers and labourers and a competent Lokpal were the key demands for the satyagraha.

"Following our persistent efforts, the Union government has announced a minimum support price (MSP) at 50 per cent of the cost of production. But it failed to announce how the cost would be calculated. The announcement is an eyewash and the movement will pressurise the government to adopt a formula to benefit the farmers," he said.

He said like the previous UPA government, the Narendra Modi-led NDA regime was also maintaining the stagnancy around the Lokpal Act.

Corruption was rampant in the absence of any check on it, he added.

The 80-year-old crusader said in the last three months he had convened 40 public meetings in various parts of the country for the satyagraha.

He said the Delhi authorities have yet to give permission for a space to be used for agitation for demands.

"I am getting tremendous public support. I urge you all to join the peaceful agitation in Delhi later this month. If the authorities do not allow us space, jail premises will be our place for satyagraha," he added.

Hazare told reporters that he had developed a mechanism to ensure that his platform was not misused by the power-hungry.

"Before joining our apolitical front, one has to give an affidavit declaring that she or he will not join any political party or contest elections as a party candidate. Nearly 5,000 persons have furnished undertakings. It is done to ensure that the movement is not misused as by my previous team, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and several others," he said.

However, he clarified that his supporters may contest as Independent, but he or his movement would not support such electoral candidatures.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 4

The Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha which begins tomorrow is likely to be a stormy affair with the INLD and Congress gearing up to corner Manohar Lal Khattar government on a number of issues, including the SYL canal, registration of cases against farmers and deteriorating law and order situation.

While the session will begin with the Governors address tomorrow and proceedings for the day will conclude with obituary references, action is likely on March 6 when the INLD and Congress present their adjournment motions on non-implementation of the court order on the SYL, seeking suspension of work and discussion on the issue.

Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala said the government was deliberately dragging its feet on implementation of the court order and the INLD would take the government to task for failing to bring in water.

Our adjournment motion is on the SYL, the Mewat canal and scrapping of the Dadupur-Nalvi project. We have 15 calling-attention motions on subjects ranging from agrarian crisis and paucity of doctors and other health staff to rising cancer cases, rising cases of crime against women and report card of CM announcements, he said.

Maintaining that land was given away at throwaway prices to Swami Gyananand in Kurukshetra in the name of the Bhagavad Gita, Abhay said a calling-attention motion had been submitted on the matter and an alleged scam involving purchase of tiles in municipalities.

For the non-official day, we have given resolutions on law and order, plight of farmers, non-implementation of Swaminathan report and rising unemployment, said the Leader of Opposition.

Meanwhile, the Congress decided to take up the recent lathi charge on farmers and subsequent registration of cases, the SYL issue, law and order and the cause of sugarcane growers. The farmers were forced to sell their produce in Uttar Pradesh at half the price. The government has failed the state and its people on all fronts and we will take its leaders to task for doing so. The Congress is not going to spare the government for letting down farmers, employees, anganwari workers and the common man, said Congress Legislature Party leader Kiran Choudhry.

Though former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda would not attend the session on account of a fracture in his foot, Choudhry said the party meeting was held at his residence on his request. This would be the first session after registration of an FIR against Hooda in the Manesar land case and the Congress was likely to rake up land release by Khattar government.editorial@tribune.com

Jhajjar, March 4

Blaming the BJP government of playing with the emotions of the common man by not fulfilling poll promises, Deepender Hooda, Member of Parliament (MP) from Rohtak, said the Congress would seek reply from the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha session on the issues of farmers plight, SSC scam, rising unemployment and corruption.

Deepender was interacting with mediapersons here, after addressing a series of social functions in the city today. Geeta Bhukkal, Jhajjar MLA and former Education Minister, was also present. Since, it is the last year of the BJP in power at the Centre, hence it should present its performance report before the people so that everyone knows what they have done during its tenure, he said.

He said the situation had gone from bad to worse during the BJP regime. Anganwari workers, teachers, farmers, traders, youths and other employees were on a warpath against illogical policies of the BJP government, which was doing everything except development to fulfill its vested political interest.

The super flop Jind rally of BJP Chief Amit Shah and the huge turnout at Bhupinder Hoodas Jan Kranti Yatra in Hodal are the clear indications that the people have made up their mind to bring Congress back to power in the coming elections, he said.  TNSSilwal spotted in parliament

Former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Nepal Police and newly-elected lawmaker Nawaraj Silwal, who is in the most wanted list of police for a document forgery case, was spotted at the parliament building premises in New Baneshwor on Saturday.uttara@tribuneindia.com

Shimla, March 4

Caste discrimination continues to leave a bad taste among students savouring their midday meals in almost every rural government school of Himachal Pradesh, a state where the literacy rate is at a high of 82.8 per cent.

Lower caste students face social discrimination in all school activities, including partaking the midday meal. Even the chefs employed in 15,000-plus government schools for cooking meals are largely from the higher castes.

The latest instance of segregating Dalit students in a government school in Kullu district during a live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme has hogged the headlines.

Social activists claim it was not a stray incident: centuries old caste-based attitudes persist in almost every rural school despite India banning discrimination in 1955.

The midday meal is a nationwide school programme of the Indian government to improve the nutritional status of school-age children.

Social activist Kuldeep Verma said caste-based discrimination during the serving of the midday meal is common in the state, more prominent in the extremely backward trans-Giri areas of Sirmaur district, and calls for dignity for the lower-caste community.

"You can visit any government school in the trans-Giri area and you will find separate queues for Dalit students during the midday meal. Even the head cook employed for preparing the meals is not from a lower caste," Verma, who runs the People's Action for People in Need (PAPN) NGO in Sirmaur, told IANS.

He said the students belonging to the higher castes are tutored by their parents against mingling with their peers belonging to the lower castes and to sit separately while in school.

Locals in the trans-Giri areas, mainly farmers cultivating ginger on small landholdings, have been fighting for decades to get the status of a Scheduled Tribe.

Himachal Pradesh has a population of over 6.8 million as per the Census for 2011, and Dalits comprise one fourth of the state's population. It says more than 90 per cent people live in rural areasin 17,882 villagesof the total 20,690 revenue villages.

An optimistic Ashwani Kumar Thakur, Principal of the Government Senior Secondary School at Chikhar Satlai, one of the remotest schools located some 50 km from the state capital, said they are educating the students about caste discrimination laws.

"We are sensitising our students so that they change their behaviour and attitudes, but at times we face strong resistance from village elders," Thakur said.

According to guidelines of state education authorities, each student is asked to sit as per his roll number during all school activities, Thakur added.

Article 15 of the Constitution bars discrimination on the basis of caste and laws are in place to penalise it.

But sociologists believe the practice persists in the state as the most marginalised communities, including Dalits, are often barred from public places in villages like temples and water taps. Often students in schools across the state refuse to eat the midday meal because it was cooked by a Dalit.

They say such oral traditions and cultures are often practised in those areas where there is a culture of "devta" or deity worship.

"Old Himachal" areas that lie in Shimla, Sirmaur, Kullu, Mandi, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts are known for worshiping deities for centuries. Take the case of the picturesque Kullu Valley, where 534 gods and goddesses "live". They travel, play, get angry and demand penance. Each village or a cluster of hamlets has its own deity.

"Here in the land of gods, the devtas command and the people obey. The gods here are not idols enshrined in temples; they are alive," says a book compiled by the Kullu administration in 2014 after yearlong research on local deities.

The book says the gods "live" with the people. They "speak" to their followers and tell them what to do. The conduit between the mortals and the deities are the "agur", the traditional shamans who form the core of the communities' spiritual sustenance. The agur mediates between the people and the gods.

Noted Shimla-based writer SR Harnot, who knocked on the state high court's door to end caste discrimination at a prominent Hindu temple near Bilaspur town, said the caste system is deeply entrenched in the state.

He said the "bajantris" (musicians) accompanying the deities largely belong to the lower castes.

"The bajantris can accompany the deity's palanquin but they are not allowed to touch it or sit with their fellow villagers during puja," Harnot told IANS.

"Discrimination on basis of caste is a striking reality. How can the state shirk its responsibility of creating a healthy society," asked Harnot, whose popular novel "Hidimb" brings to the fore the plight of suppressed people in the state's remote areas.

"The state must act pro-actively and begin the exercise in schools where a child learns his/her first lesson on the fundamental right to equality," he added. IANSeditorial@tribune.com

Arun Joshi

Afghan President Ashraf Ghanis talks offer to the Taliban to bring about a negotiated settlement in his trouble-torn country is a typical paradox of pragmatism and compulsion. The problem in Afghanistan is that the government is not in control of more than 56 per cent of its territory, and the Pakistan-backed Taliban cannot take Kabul. It is very difficult to find the middle ground, but optimists are looking for a bright spot in the initiative.

The outcome of the talks, if held at all  so far the Taliban has not responded, will depend much on Pakistan. This time around Pakistan has a reason to welcome the talks for three reasons. One, it wants to avert getting blacklisted by Finance Action Task Force, as it already is set to figure in its grey list from June. Second, it wants to mend its ties with the Trump administration that doesnt trust it. Third, it wants to maintain peace and order on its border with Afghanistan to fulfil its obligations to China that has invested $56 billion in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

But, Pakistan is unable to shake off its frozen mindset that has invested in terrorism to have strategic depth in Afghanistan. It will never allow its leverage to go unless pushed to the wall but what no one can change is the strategic geographical location that it enjoys. Had it not been the transit route for the American troops and supplies to the landlocked Afghanistan, the international community would have declared it enabler and incubator of terrorism long ago.

It is for Pakistan to make the Taliban talk. Its intent would be tested soon. India will have to watch each and every move on this front very carefully, while mounting a high-pitched diplomatic offensive to ensure that Pakistan doesnt dictate its agenda in Afghan talks through the Taliban. India needs to take care of its interests in Afghanistan for Pakistan has targeted these in Kabul and elsewhere through the Taliban. The international community may think that the dismantling of the Haqqani network and making the Taliban behave form sufficient grounds to look at Pakistan in a positive way. But unless Pakistan dismantles all terror networks, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, and stops exporting terrorism to India, particularly in J&K, it should not be let off the hook. Even if peace is restored in Afghanistan, the stability will not dawn in South Asia. For overall peace in the region where Pakistan often threatens to use its nuclear weapons against India, Islamabad must eliminate all sources and promotion of terrorism. Kashmir is bleeding because of the terrorism emanating from Pakistani soil. It has invested a lot in the misinformation campaign through the social media and other communication channels that it will take years to bring J&K back on the path of normalcy. At the moment because of Pakistans continuation with its pro-terrorism policy in Kashmir, as it is doing in Kabul, the return of normalcy appears to be a difficult goal to accomplish.

India and Pakistan must hold talks and resolve their issues. However, Delhi should not be expected to pay a premium on the Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. This should be made clear to the world community and to the loud-mouthed politicians within the country. Pakistan should be made to take back its terror machines not only from Afghanistan but also from India, particularly J&K. Pakistan continues to provide safe haven and sanctuaries to terrorists. That is the real threat to the peace in region. With regard to India, it justifies its terror and murderous campaign by claiming that the unresolved Kashmir issue is at the root of the conflict. That is what makes it justify terrorists unleashing atrocities on the innocent.

The problem needs to be dealt with in a holistic manner, Afghan-centric measures will not help in obtaining peace and order in South Asia. Kabul initiative is just half a step.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 4

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti attended a youth convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) here today.

As some political parties and fringe groups are politicising the rape and murder of eight-year-old girl in Kathua, Mehbooba, in a veiled attack on her coalition partner BJP, said the gruesome act was being given a communal colour.

In Kathua, a big incident happened when an eight-year-old was raped and killed. However, unfortunately today that is being given a religious colour, Mehbooba said.

She asked the youth to defeat the nefarious designs of the people who were hell bent upon hurting the peace in Jammu. I am hopeful that the people of Jammu will continue to maintain the peace, Mehbooba added.

The Sunjuwan attack was also an attack on the peace and harmony between the Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs of Jammu. The youth should be aware of all these acts of divisions, the CM said.

Meanwhile, commenting on the situation in the state, the she said despite being rich in resources, J&K continues to lag behind in development and other sectors. We want to open schools and colleges in border areas but due to shelling we have to construct bunkers. Similarly, we want development in the Valley but due to infiltration we have to deal with militancy first, she added. However, there is only one solution to this problem and that is to open all borders so that J&K is exposed to other parts of the world, she said, adding, No one can take or give land and opening routes is the only solution.editorial@tribune.com

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 4

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the state youth had demonstrated unprecedented resilience amid the disturbed andgeographically disadvantaged environment.

He was addressing the 17th convocation of the University of Jammu (JU) at the Zorawar Singh auditorium complex here today.

The minister said J&K was a challenging state to govern as it required determination and statesmanship to face criticism while making a stable and peaceful society. Students from across the state have been demonstrating unprecedented resilience amid turbulence. Despite all odds, they are excelling in academics. Its quite likely that ultimately this resilience will end up bringing peace in the state, Jaitley added.

Governor NN Vohra, who is the Chancellor of the university; Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, university Pro-Chancellor, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in PMO, cabinet ministers in the J&K Government, bureaucrats and senioracademicians attendedthe convocation.

Jaitley, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said Jammu and Kashmir, having been gifted with handicraft, good agriculture, beautiful spots and best of pilgrimages could have been the most affluent part of India, but insurgency ruined all chances.

I have had opportunities to interact with students from Kashmir over the last 20 years and they were highly impressive, he said.

Stressing the changing economic situation in theworld, Jaitley said, In the last few years, India has made a mark in the world and we are being looked at as one of the brightest spots.

Jaitley also said the economy today was market-determined and the trend was likely to grow.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 4

Governor NN Vohra, who is the Chancellor of the University of Jammu, today asked the faculty and scholars in the institutions of higher learning to get meaningfully involved in research and finding pragmatic solutions to major problems of society.

He was speaking at the 17th convocation of University of Jammu.

Institutions of higher learning assume relevance only when their faculty and scholars get involved in research and find solutions to major problems being faced by people, said the Governor.

He said the passing-out scholars should use their knowledge and skills for the welfare of the less privileged segments of society. He exhorted them to devote their time and resources in spreading literacy and undertake any task, no matter how small, to alleviate poverty.

For members of the faculty, convocation is an occasion when they feel rightly proud and satisfied that their sustained endeavours to impart knowledge to their pupils have borne fruit, said the Governor.

Lauding the achievements of the university, he noted that in the area of sciences, particularly physics, electronics and biotechnology, the university had earned international recognition. He appreciated the biotechnology department of the university for undertaking a research work on certain problems being faced by horticulturists of Jammu and Kashmir and other states where apples were grown. He observed that the culmination of the ongoing research project would engender a revolutionary outcome in increasing the productivity of apple cultivation across the country.

Every good scholar must strive to be a good human and must work to build a prosperous India, said the Governor.

He awarded 214 degrees, including 155 PhD degrees, while Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was the chief guest, gave away 59 gold medals, cash awards and medals.

Earlier, Prof RD Sharma, Vice Chancellor, highlighted the achievements of the university and its future plan of action. He thanked the Governor for taking keen interest in the growth and development of the university.Sumit Paul

Sumit Paul

IN 2002, I was in Pakistan for six months to finish my doctorate on (Raghupati Sahay) Firaq Gorakhpuris poetry from the University of Punjab, Lahore. Holi was round the corner and I was missing its infectious bonhomie. On the eve of Holi, I got a call from the professor of philosophy, Dr Rahil Abbas, to come to the department to celebrate Holi. It was a surprise! Holi in Pakistan! I went to the department; it was a colourful spectacle to behold. There were colours everywhere. Students and professors were playing Holi. The moment I entered the department, all greeted me with Holi mubarak ho in chorus. Dr Abbas told me that the university had been celebrating Holi right from its inception in 1882 and the tradition was never broken, even during and after Partition. The three wars also did not affect it. He quoted Urdu poet and critic Kalidas Gupta Raza  Rang nahin dekhte Hindu ya Musalmaan/Baras jaate hain sab pe ek samaan. Holi had the shared history and heritage of India and Pakistan. It belongs to all. Dr Abbas words still echo in my mind.

This unforgettable experience enthralled me. I left Pakistan after the completion of my PhD degree, but I still get the invite from the department of humanities on the occasion of Holi. They havent forgotten to invite me since 2002. This year too, I got the invitation well in advance. Alack, times have changed. Yet, the feelings are intact in the hearts of the common people of both countries. This cordiality can be further consolidated through the universality of festivals because they all do not belong to a specific community or faith. Diwali or Holi is as much a festival of Muslims as of Hindus, just like Eid is celebrated by all, not just by Muslims. I remember, I had sheer-khurma on Eid at the place of a Christian friend of mine from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh. His parents were Roman Catholics, but they were brought up in Lucknow and had the inter-cultural ethos in their blood, nay in their consciousness. My friends parents spoke impeccable Urdu and his mother did her Masters in Urdu literature from Lucknow University!

This is what we all urgently need at this hour of increasing rancour. We need to imbibe the universal spirit of festivity to live happily with one another like a very big family. To quote Pakistani Urdu poet Aurangzeb Khan Qateel Shifai  Holi na teri hai, na meri/Eid jaise hai sabki, humari-tumhari/Rasmon aur tyoharon ko na baant, mere yaar/Sirf ada-e-tyohar ko dekh, jo hai sabse pyari (Holi doesnt belong to you or me/Just like Eid belongs to all/My friend, dont discriminate among festivals/Just look at the beauty of it, which is of paramount importance).

Wish, we all understood this!vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune news service

Agartala, March 3

The BJP and its ally IPFT (Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura) today pulled off a historic victory in Tripura, sweeping 43 of the 59 seats for which elections were held and ousting the Left Front government  in power for 25 years.

The Congress could not win a single seat. The BJP, on its own, managed a majority with its candidates winning in at least 33 constituencies in the 60-member Assembly. It is a journey from no one to number one, from shoonya to shikhar (zero to pinnacle), Prime Minister Narendra Modi told BJP workers in New Delhi. He described BJP president Amit Shah as the sculptor of the partys victory march.

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Voters apparently fell for the tall promises made by the BJP to speed up development in the state, one of the last Left bastions in the country under CM Manik Sarkar. Even as the elections saw many CPI-M bigwigs biting the dust, a large number of greenhorns in the BJP, including state party chief Biplab Deb, were victorious.

Clearly, the people of Tripura decided to discard Manik (gem) for HIRA (higways, I-way, roadways and airway) promised to them by PM Narendra Modi. A virtual political non-entity in the Left citadel, where it drew a blank in terms of seats and secured only 1.5 per cent of votes in the elections five years ago, the BJP and its ally secured a two-third majority.

Elections were held for 59 seats and countermanded in one (tribal reserve Charilam seat) following the death of a CPI-M candidate a week prior to the February 18 polls. In the 2013 elections, the LF had secured 50 seats, and the Congress 10.

Significantly, all seven Congress MLAs who had defected to the BJP last year won from their respective constituencies. IPFT candidates, including party president Narendra Chandra Debbarma (Takarjala), general secretary Mevar Kumar Jamatia (Asharambari) and Prashanta Debbarma (Ramchandraghat), were elected for the first time.

Among the prominent losers were Tribal Welfare Minister Aghore Debbarma (Asharambari), Transport and Power Minister Manik Dey (Majlispur), Forest and Rural Development Minister Naresh Chandra Jamatia (Bagma), Fisheries and Cooperatives Minister Khagendra Jamatia (who died of cancer on Friday), Deputy Speaker Pabitra Kar (Khayerpur) and Left Fronts Chief Whip Basudeb Majumder (Belonia).

Over 92 per cent (excluding 50,700 postal ballots) voters cast their vote on February 18, setting a record in Indias electoral history.

(With PTI inputs)pardeepdhull@gmail.com

New Delhi, March 4

With the BJP toppling the Left in Tripura and likely to be a part of ruling alliances in Nagaland and Meghalaya, the party is set to lead or be a partner in 21 of Indias 31 state governments, underlining a saffron dominance of the national political map like no other time.

What is more telling is that the main opposition party, the Congress, is in power in only four states  its lowest-ever tally  and that include Mizoram and Puducherry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah had on Saturday picked Karnataka  the only Congress-ruled state which sends 20 or more MPs to the Lok Sabha  as their next target, with Modi asserting that the opposition party will not be in power following elections there, likely in April-May.

The BJP has had a spectacular rise under Modi and Shah in the last four years as the tally of states ruled by it before it stormed to power at the Centre in May 2014 has risen from seven to 21. It will have 17 chief ministers after its elected legislature party leader takes oath in Tripura.

The states ruled alone or in alliance by the BJP include Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar, Goa and Maharashtra.

With the next Lok Sabha elections barely a year away, BJP leaders have underlined the significance of its performance in the three northeast states, with Shah claiming that it is an indication of the verdict expected not only in Karnataka Assembly but also the next parliamentary polls.

The timing of its unprecedented performance in states of Tripura, where it will form its maiden government, and Nagaland, where it has for the first time won 12 seats, has also come handy for it at a time when opposition parties have sought to corner it over a host of issues, including banking scams and perceived farm crisis.

BJP sources said the energy and motivation which the Congress might have drawn from its strong fight against their party in Gujarat and its win in recent bypolls will dissipate and the message to its cadre and the masses is that people continue to back Modi and his party.

Shah had on Saturday pointed out that in three recent state polls, including Gujaarat, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura, his party has received close to 50 per cent of votes which underscored its popular appeal. PTIshalender@tribune.com

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 5

The Budget Session of Parliament is likely to resume on a disruptive note as the Opposition prepares to question the government for multi-crore bank frauds that began with the scamming of Punjab National Bank by jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi. Both subsequently fled India.

Congress leaders will demand adjournment of proceedings in both Houses to discuss the bank loot scam and ask questions directly of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He is unlikely to oblige, especially after BJPs electoral sweep of the northeast where the Congress was reduced to dust in Tripura and Nagaland while it struggled with government formation in Meghalaya despite winning the highest seats.

That notwithstanding, deputy leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma today gave an adjournment notice over bank fraud with similar notices expected in Lok Sabha tomorrow. Congress president Rahul Gandhi may personally lead the offensive on the matter having been vocal on the issue for days. Gandhi is, however, yet to return from Italy where he is visiting his grandmother.

The Congress-led Opposition, including the TMC and Left, will also accuse the government of political vendetta against rivals with the arrest of former Finance Minister P Chidambarams son Karti being the case in point. Even though sections in the party are still uncertain over how the Karti arrest will play out politically, the decision as of today is to defend Chidambaram and his son.

Privately some Congress leaders say the party is still weighing the political repercussions of the developments and whether Karti Chidambarams arrest has blunted the partys attack on PM Modi over bank loot by fraudsters.

The government, for its part, is geared to return the Opposition fire on the PNB issue by piloting the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill to confiscate domestic assets of scamsters.

Besides, the BJP will come into Parliament on a psychological high having trounced the CPM in Tripura and Nagaland and having laid the ground for government formation in Meghalaya.

BJPs defence on PNB scam will be the same as before  these scams originated in UPAs times and the NDA is only clearing the old mess. The government will be equally keen to pass the anti instant triple talaq Bill as Parliament resumes tomorrow after recess.

Modi, Choksi barred from selling assetsvinaymishra188@gmail.com

Kohima, March 3

Nagaland saw a hung Assembly with no party or pre-poll alliance winning a majority. However, the BJP received an invitation from NPF leader and Chief Minister TR Zeliang on government formation. The NPF alliance was leading on 29 seats and the NDPP alliance also on 29.

The BJP had parted ways with the NPF ahead of the polls and joined hands with the newly launched Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) of Neiphiu Rio, the first politician in Nagaland to be elected CM for three consecutive terms.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)



Zeliang said the NPF continued to be a part of the North-East Democratic Alliance led by the BJP and hoped the saffron party would form the new government along with it. For a party seen to be inextricably linked to Hindutva, the outcome in Tripura coupled with improved performance in Christian-majority Nagaland and Meghalaya has come as a morale-booster for the BJP. The North-East has 25 LS seats. An angry Congress Nagaland unit chief Kewe Khape Therie complained that its candidates were on an abandoned ship and sought the resignation of AICC general secretary incharge CP Joshi for the poor show.

The poll outcome seems to have interrupted the momentum that the Congress was building against the Modi government following its improved performance in Gujarat and the bypoll victories in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. If the Congress is unable to cobble a majority in Meghalaya, it will be left in power in only Punjab, Karnataka, Mizoram and Puducherry.

The party has the onerous task of defending Karnataka, with the BJP likely to focus its energies there.  PTIshalender@tribune.com

Aditi Tandon

Tribune news Service

New Delhi, March 4

The road ahead is tough but it sure looks like the journey of a lifetime, was the abiding message Javed Abidi, head of the Disability Peoples International (DPI), gave to the global disability rights movement as long as he lived.

When Abidi breathed his last today, the value of his message returned to inspire those who gathered to see this relentless crusader off to his final journey.

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Abidi encountered sudden death from severe respiratory failure and could not be resuscitated at a private hospital. Burial is scheduled for tomorrow morning.

As curtains fell on an illustrious life, Abidis many victories in the face of odds streamed back and forth in the recesses of the mind. Diagnosed with spinal bifida as a child and confined to the wheel chair ever since, Abidi went to study in the US and returned to lead the nascent disability rights movement.

He was in the forefront of the campaign for Indias first disability rights law  Persons with Disabilities Act 1995 and then to redo it as the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill 2016 in line with the UN Convention which India ratified in 2007.

As director of the National Centre for Employment for Persons with Disabilities, founder of the Disabilities Rights Group and chair, DPI, the worlds first successful cross disabilities endeavour, Abidi epitomised the popular disability movement message  nothing about us without us.

He used every possible forum to ensure that governments engaged the differently abled when framing policies for them. Most recently Abidi was working to determine how accessible Indias universities are. His early life too was dedicated to accessibility issues. Many would recall that polling booths were made accessible following Javed Abidis petition to the SC.

His efforts at simplifying the procedures for acquiring disability certificates; his constant struggles for dignity of the dis and his successful engagement with corporates to deliver jobs for the specially-abled are legendary.

Everyone remembers how Abidi went out of his way to flag the alleged harassment UN Special Rapporteur for Disability Shuaib Chalken, himself differently abled, faced as an Indigo passenger in 2012. He wrote to the Aviation Ministry demanding accountability of the airline, which later apologised. Speaking truth to power was a habit with Javed Abidi. His demise deals a severe blow to the global disability rights movement in general and the Indian struggle in particular.shalender@tribune.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, March 4

Karti Chidambaram, son of former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram was today brought to Mumbai by the CBI and confronted with Indrani Mukerjea. Karti, who has been arrested for allegedly receiving bribes from Mukerjea in the INX Media case, said that all the allegations against him were politically motivated.

All allegations against me are false and politically motivated, a composed-looking Karti punched his fist in the air and shouted out to reporters while being escorted out of the Byculla jail here by the CBI officials.

Both Indrani and her husband Peter Mukerjea are under arrest for the murder of the formers daughter Sheena Bora in 2012.

According to sources, Karti was brought to Mumbai by a six-member CBI team from Delhi. Nobody was allowed to enter the jail as long as Karti was in. Officials refused to comment whether Karti was confronted with Peter Mukerjea as well on the occasion.

Karti was arrested at Chennai airport shortly after he returned from the United Kingdom and produced before a CBI court. He was sent to five-day CBI custody on March 1. Karti is alleged to have received bribes in 2007 from the Mukerjeas for facilitating the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media.vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Mumbai, March 3

A special court issued today non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in the alleged Rs 12,700-crore Punjab National Bank scam.

The court, set up under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), issued the NBWs on applications filed by the Enforcement Directorate.

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The ED had earlier issued summons to Modi and Choksi, both key accused in the scam cases. However, the two diamond traders, who are said to have left the country before criminal cases were registered, had failed to appear before the ED, promoting the agency to move the PMLA court.

On February 27, the ED had moved the court seeking an NBW against Modi.  PTIshalender@tribune.com

Karachi, March 4

Kirshna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistans Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman senator in the Muslim-majority country, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has said.

Kolhi, 39, who belongs to the remote Dhana Gam village in Nagarparkar in the interior Sindh province, is a member of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led PPP.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Bhutto said Kolhis election on a minority seat from Sindh showed minorities had rights in Pakistan and that she could play an effective role in countrys politics.

Kolhi said she was happy that the PPP had reposed faith in her and in her work.

Known as Kishoo Bai by her parents and friends for her fiery temper and activism, Kolhi said a lot of work needed to be done for the oppressed and poor in the interior areas.

I, my family and relatives were in bonded labour in a private jail owned by an influential landlord in Umerkot district and we were only freed during a police raid, she said.

Noting that she was a little girl when the incident took place, Kolhi said it prompted her to fight for the rights of women and children belonging to the minority communities.

My husband and family supported me a lot in my studies and work and it allowed me to get required education despite my Dalit background, she said.

Kolhis election represents a major milestone for women and minority rights in Pakistan. Earlier, the PPP had elected first Hindu woman Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla as a senator.

While Chawla belonged to a well-known Hindu family in Sindh, Kolhi is the first lower caste woman to come to the senate.

Born to a poor peasant Jugno Kolhi in February 1979, Kolhi and her family spent nearly three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district. She was a grade 3 student at the time.

She was married to Lalchand at the age of 16, when she was studying in grade 9. However, she pursued her studies and in 2013 did her Masters in Sociology from the Sindh University.

Kolhi had joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother, who was later elected as chairman of Union Council Berano. She also actively participated and worked for the rights of the marginalised communities living in Thar district and other areas.

Pakistans ruling PML-N of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday won 15 seats in senate and became the largest party in the upper house of Parliament, according to the provisional results.

Provincial and federal lawmakers voted to elect 52 senators in the senate elections, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). More than 130 candidates, including those nominated by political parties and independent candidates were in the contest.

Hindus makeup just two per cent of the total population of Pakistan and have long complained of victimisation.  PTIvinaymishra188@gmail.com

Shillong, March 3

Meghalaya threw up a fractured verdict today with the ruling Congress emerging as the single largest party, winning 21 seats of the 59 that went to the polls on February 27. The National Peoples Party (NPP), a BJP ally at the Centre and in Manipur, was second with 19 seats. The BJP, which contested 47 seats, could win only two.

An NCP candidate was killed in an IED blast following which election in one constituency was countermanded. The Congress has no pre-poll arrangement with any party. Nor does the BJP, which made a serious bid to dethrone the 10-year-old Mukul Sangma government.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)



NPP chief Conrad Sangma said, We are hopeful of forming the government. People are fed up with the Congress.

All eyes are now on regional parties and Independents.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) won six seats, the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) four and the Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP) two. The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement and the NCP won a seat each. Independents won three seats. The UDF and HSPDP have a pre-poll alliance.

The Congress rushed senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath to explore the possibility of forming a government. The Congress was caught napping in Goa and Manipur where despite being the single largest party, it failed to form a government.

BJP state incharge Nalin Kohli said an anti-Congress alliance was possible, given that NDA partners NPP (19 seats), UDP (6) and BJP (2) together had more seats than the Congress (21).  TNSshalender@tribune.com

New Delhi, March 4

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC), which conducts examination for subordinate services, today decided to recommend a CBI inquiry into the alleged paper leaks in one of its tests held on February 21.

In a statement, SSC chairman Ashim Khurana said a delegation of candidates, who were protesting against the alleged paper leaks, met him along with BJP Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari and handed over a memorandum.

They demanded a CBI enquiry into the allegations of leak of questions of the Combined Graduate Level (Tier-II) Examination 2017 held from February 17 to 22.

The commission agreed recommending to the Department of Personnel and Training to request the government to conduct a CBI enquiry into the allegations of leak of questions of Paper-I on February 21, and other related issues, the statement said.

Earlier Tiwari, along with the protesting students, met Union Home minister Rajnath Singh and apprised him about the concerns raised by the protesting SSC aspirants.

The students have been protesting outside the SSC office at CGO complex here since February 27, seeking a CBI probe into the alleged paper leak in the Combined Graduate-Level (CGL) exam.

The SSC conducts examinations for recruitment to lower categories of posts in the Central Government.

Meanwhile, social activist Anna Hazare met students protesting outside the Staff Selection Commission's office at Lodhi Road, and supported their demand for a CBI probe. Hazare said though the protest was justified, it should be held peacefully.  PTIshalender@tribune.com

Suresh Dharur

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, March 4

Widely regarded as the architect of Telangana statehood movement, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is gearing up for a new role in national politics  to forge a third front as an alternative to the Congress and the BJP.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is known, gave a call for building a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative, claiming the people were yearning for a qualitative change in governance. Significantly, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) founder president said he was willing to lead the efforts to stitch an alliance of regional and like-minded parties.

Support has begun pouring in from several regional players, from West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. Mamata called up KCR today. According to official sources, the Trinamool Congress leader said she would work with KCR in forging an alternative front. Former CM of Jharkhand Hemanth Soren also expressed solidarity with KCR. Popular Telugu filmstar and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan welcomed the idea too.

KCRs surprise move comes against the backdrop of growing resentment in the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over inadequate flow of funds from the Centre. Both KCR and his AP counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu have aired their displeasure over the "raw deal" being meted out by the NDA government, alleging that several key promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, had not been met so far.

Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is the biggest southern ally of the BJP, has even hinted at ending the alliance over the "injustice" to the state, grappling with the bifurcation blues. There is speculation that KCR and Naidu could come together to play a key role forging an alliance of regional parties ahead of the General Election. In the last 70 years, the political system, whether ruled by the Congress or the BJP, has failed miserably to bring a qualitative change in the lives of the people. There is a need to bring in qualitative change in governance, KCR said on the sidelines of the TRS parliamentary committee meeting here.

I have nothing against the BJP, but it has failed to deliver and that is why a third front is needed to unite like-minded people. I am against the slow progress that this country is making. For how long will we keep giving examples of the US and China? This third front I am talking about will be minus the Congress and the BJP, he said.amansharma@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, March 4

The idea was neat, so to speak. A young man from Switzerland was suffering from a tummy bug in Mumbai when an Indian friend told him how to deal with it.

The world's largest whisky bar has to thank the friend for the remedy he suggested. It was this bit of advice  quite possibly proposed as a little joke  that set the idea rolling.

Today, with a collection of 2,500 types of whiskies, Devil's Place in the quaint little town of St Moritz in Switzerland is known as the largest whisky bar in the world for the sheer variety on offer.

But in the late 80s, when Claudio Bernasconi visited India with an eye on setting up his own business after he had failed to get a loan from Swiss banks, whisky was not on his mind.

"India was among the many countries my dad visited," his son Sandro recollected.

Claudio, however, soon developed a severe stomach infection while in Mumbai, the son said.

"I guess safe drinking water was an issue those days. Then an Indian friend of his told him: 'Claudio, there's only one solution. Brush your teeth with whisky every morning!," Sandro said, laughing.

The suggestion honed an interest  and led to the setting up of the bar. My father was naive enough to believe that he wasn't being taken for a ride. What happened next was even more interesting. He took a liking for Indian made whisky. The next thing he knew was that he wanted to own a whisky bar," Sandro said.

An idle brain may or may not be a devil's workshop, but it certainly led to 'Devil's Place', which Claudio opened back home after doing a series of odd jobs and collecting money. Now in his early sixties, he keeps busy with the bar, travelling across the world for the choicest of liquors.

A visit to the bar was made possible during a recent visit by reporters to the scenic town, courtesy Switzerland Tourism.

The bar is now 22 years old and has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for its collection that ranges from blended whisky and Scotch to bourbon and single malts. And, yes, there's Indian whisky, too.

"Every year we buy 12 different casks (the taste depends largely on the wood of the cask). We have a vintage collection that dates back to 1940. Our collection is diverse and the premium whisky bottles can sometimes cost up to 30,000 Swiss Francs (Rs 20.85 lakh)," Sandro told visiting reporters.

So would you like to taste some, he asked.

It was not an offer that could be refused. And the Scottish distillery Macallan's 1940 vintage Speymalt was as smooth as silk.

Apart from their collection of whiskies, two other aspects of the bar stand out.

First, the underground cellar with a bright red 200-kg iron door, constructed during World War II.

The room was used as an air raid shelter by soldiers during the war.

"The door still remains although the area has undergone a major revamp," Sandro said.

The second is a collection of photographs of 50-odd people on what the owners call the 'Wall of Fame'.

"It's our way of paying a tribute to the connoisseurs of whisky. We have photographs of all those who have tasted more than 100 brands of whisky at our bar." As one left the bar after a couple of hours, Mark Twain's epic comment on whisky came to mind.

"Too much of anything is bad," he had said, "but too much good whisky is barely enough.  PTIshalender@tribune.com

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, March 4

Three civilians, who the Army claimed were Over-Ground Workers of terror outfits, and a militant were killed tonight in a brief exchange of fire between the security forces and militants in south Kashmirs Shopian district.

The incident triggered clashes between locals and security forces in several parts of the district as the Army was accused of killing the civilians in cold blood.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The Army, on the other hand, maintained that the civilians were OGWs (Over-Ground Workers) of militant outfits and were travelling in a car along with the slain ultra, identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Dar of Jamnagri in Shopian. The identity of the civilians was yet to be ascertained, a police official said.

A defence statement said a mobile vehicle check post of the Armys 44 Rashtriya Rifles came under fire from militants in the Pahnoo area of Shopian. The incident occurred at about 8 pm, said Army spokesperson Rajesh Kalia.

The militants fired from the car. In retaliatory firing by the Army, a militant was killed and a weapon was found on him. Three OGWs/accomplices accompanying the militant were also found dead, said Kalia.

The spokesperson said the police had reached the spot and legal proceedings were on. The Army has rushed additional troops to the spot and the entire area has been cordoned off.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, March 4

Cutting short the excitement around the likely BSP and Samajwadi Party alliance, BSP national president Mayawati has clarified that it was no alliance but merely support for the SP candidates in the forthcoming Lok Sabha bypolls for Gorakhpur and Phulpur scheduled for March 11.

Speaking to a news agency, she said all rumours of a BSP-SP alliance are false and baseless. "As the BSP has not put up candidates in the Lok Sabha byelections, our party workers and voters were asking for a directive. So I have asked them to vote for a party that can defeat the BJP and in this case it is the SP. It is not an alliance but a mere transfer of votes."

According to the BSP supremo, her party had not entered into an alliance with any party anywhere in the country, except in Karnataka where it has entered into an electoral alliance with H D Dewe Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular).

Hitting out at the media for putting out speculative reports of a SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati said, "If there is ever an alliance we will be the first to announce it to the media and leave no scope for speculation."

The BSP president said if the SP agreed to send one BSP candidate to the Rajya Sabha she would help SP win in the Vidhan Parishad.

Similarly, if the Congress wanted BSP votes in Madhya Pradesh to send its candidate to the Rajya Sabha it would have to support the BSP for Rajya Sabha in UP, she pointed out.

The BSP has only 19 members in the UP assembly and a minimum of 37 votes are required for Rajya Sabha election that is scheduled later this month. The SP has 47 members and the Congress has seven.

With Mayawati's clarification the possibility of Uttar Pradesh's two regional parties burying the hatchet more than 23 years after they bitterly parted ways appears to have come to a naught.editorial@tribune.com

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 4

The first batch of youths from England, under the Connect with your roots programme for non-resident Punjabi youths settled in foreign countries, is expected to arrive at the end of this month.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had launched the programme in September last year at London.

The tour programme will be finalised based on the confirmation of the dates of visitors, said a senior officer in the state government.

Being rolled out by the Department of NRI Affairs and Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board, the state government has proposed a 10-day programme for the first batch.

Foreign-born youths, who are into second, third and fourth generation of Punjabis and have never travelled to Punjab are the focus of the programme. The aim is to help youths aged between 16 and 22 years, especially those who have never visited India, to discover their identity.

Officials said depending on the success of this programme, the government would replicate it in North American countries  the US, Canada, Europe and other nations where Punjabis are settled in large numbers.

Visit to Punjab will enable the young men and women to go to places where their parents or grandparents were born and grew up. It also incorporates a home-stay element in a Punjab village and visits to historic and cultural sites and tourist attractions such as the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, Wagah border, Bhagat Singh Memorial at Banga and Khalsa Heritage Memorial among others.editorial@tribune.com

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, March 4

The state Rural Development and Panchayat Department has suspended the sarpanch of Janer village Malwinder Singh and panchayat secretary Harcharan Singh on the charge of illegal mining on 25 acres of panchayat land.

The action follows news reports published in The Tribune Illegal mining on panchayat land threatens ecology at Moga village on November 7, 2017, and In Moga, drug mafia takes to sand mining on December 2, 2017.

The Tribune had highlighted illegal extraction of top soil (earth) and sand from 25 acres of panchayat land at Janer village in Dharamkot, causing financial loss of Rs 64 lakh to the state exchequer. The top soil was allegedly sold to the nearby brick kilns.

Following the news reports, the Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa had ordered a probe in January.

The department has asked the district authorities to register a criminal case against the duo and recover the financial loss to the state exchequer.

Legal/departmental action has also been recommended against former Block Development and Panchayat Officer of Dharamkot sub-division Jagir Singh who retired some months back.

A senior official said proceedings are also being initiated to recover Rs 64 lakh from the sarpanch and the panchayat secretary. Departmental proceedings will also be initiated to dismiss the sarpanch and panchayat secretary.editorial@tribune.com

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, March 4

Unusual construction activity is being observed along the 550-km-long India-Pakistan border in Punjab. At several locations, the Pakistani Rangers have started strengthening their defence by building observation towers along the zero line.

In the Ferozepur sector alone, several pucca observation posts are being constructed along the International Border (IB) close to the Indian side. BSF officials say the development was normal as the Pakistani authorities can construct anything on their side. Sources say the matter has been brought to the notice of higher officials in New Delhi.

As per information, those manning the towers can observe every movement till several kms in the Indian territory. Earlier, the Pakistani security forces had made concrete bunkers and new border posts along the border. Alarmed by the construction activity close to their fields, farmers in Jama Rakhiya Hithar and other villages close to the IB said they felt vulnerable and insecure.

Sources say that in the Mamdot area, Pakistani border outposts, including Shere Jawan, Mehfooz Khan, Khalid Shahid and Jalle Khan, are situated away from the zero line, while BSF posts such as Jalloke and Raja Mohtam are right on the zero line. Maybe for this reason, they say, the Pakistani Rangers want their posts be relocated close to the border for tactical purposes.

The BSF, meanwhile, is reportedly enhancing surveillance along sensitive areas. BSF officials said smart fencing was being installed. More observation towers, ambush and patrol shelters, and laser walls will come up subsequently.

To check spurt in cross-border drug smuggling and to prevent intrusion attempts, the BSF is in the process of erecting anti-cutting and anti-climbing fence.editorial@tribune.com

Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, March 4

The Vidhan Sabha Committee to review suicide by farmers and landless labourers will present its report in the Assembly during the Budget session scheduled later this month.

Committee chairman Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and member Nathu Ram, Balluana MLA, recently toured Gujarat to gather facts on how to increase the income of farmers. They said the committee had prepared the report and it would be tabled in the House during the upcoming Budget session.

Besides Sarkaria and Nathu Ram, MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia, OSD to CM Gurkirat Singh Ghuman, Fazilkas progressive horticulturist Ravi Dhingra and some government officials visited Kutch district in Gujarat to acquaint themselves with new techniques of cultivation and diversification.

Talking to The Tribune, Nathu Ram said the committee members were surprised to see a 35-acre stone surface farmhouse where the farmer had cultivated dates after digging 5-6 feet deep pits. They also monitored the fields of pomegranate and kesari mango. The farmers in Gujarat have been earning a minimum profit of Rs3-4 lakh per acre by opting for cash crops despite paucity of water.

The farmers are left with no alternative, but to diversify to cash crops and horticulture to prevent situations that could lead them to distress, said Nathu Ram. The committee, however, refused to divulge the details of the outcome and recommendations.

The committee members had visited Gujarat on the recommendation of progressive farmer Dhingra during the committees tour to his agriculture fields at Mohammad Pira village last month.

The members had also visited the families of debt-ridden farmers who had committed suicide in Punjab in the last few months.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

London, March 4

A British tribunal will rule on a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for classified UK Cabinet Office files that are believed to hold information on Britains involvement in Operation Bluestar in 1984.

A three-day hearing of the First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) will open in London on Tuesday to determine if the UKs Information Commissioner was right to uphold a Cabinet Office decision not to allow the files being made public.

The appeal is being handled by KRW Law on behalf of freelance journalist Phil Miller, who has been investigating the exact nature of the then Margaret Thatcher led governments assistance to the Indian Army operation on the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The FOI request should be granted because there is overwhelming public interest in understanding the extent of UK involvement in the tragic events of 1984. Disclosing documents from three decades ago will not harm diplomatic relations  politicians in the UK and India have embraced right to information laws and recognise the importance of public access to national archives, Miller told PTI.

In 2014, UK government documents declassified under the 30-year rule to make such material public had revealed that British military advice was given to Indian forces prior to Operation Bluestar.

The then British Prime Minister, David Cameron, had ordered a review into this discovery, which led to a statement in Parliament declaring that Britains role had been purely advisory and the Special Air Service (SAS) advice had limited impact.

But Miller, the author of Sacrificing Sikhs: The need for an investigation report released last year, says many documents from the incident remain classified and only full transparency would reveal the exact nature of Britains involvement.

A public inquiry would allow us to understand how much Margaret Thatchers decision to send a military adviser to Amritsar in 1984 was motivated by trade and arms deals worth billions of pounds. It would also establish whether the UK military advice was really a one off or whether in fact it continued throughout the period, even after the tragic events of June 1984, he said.

The tribunal next week will hear evidence from senior civil servants from the UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and assess evidence in closed session in addition to hearing arguments from all sides to determine whether the documents can be declassified.

The UK Cabinet Office has declined to release the files on the grounds of national security and safeguarding international relations with India.

The UKs Information Commissioner, who was referred the case in August 2015, supported the Cabinet Office position. An appeal over that decision was lodged in September 2016 and was to be heard in April last year but was delayed and will now begin on March 6.

The Opposition Labour party has backed some British Sikh groups in their call for an independent public inquiry into Britains links with the then Indira Gandhi led government in the lead up to the Indian para-military operation on the Sikh holy shrine in June 1984.

Last year, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May, calling for an independent inquiry and his party has since included the issue as an election pledge in its manifesto for the June 2017 General Election.

There has been a massive cover-up and Parliament and the public have been disturbingly misled. An independent public inquiry to get to the truth is the only way forward, said Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), which has been campaigning for an inquiry.

It is supported by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Sikhs, chaired by Labour MP Preet Kaur Gill. PTIeditorial@tribune.com

London, March 4

A British tribunal will rule on a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for classified UK Cabinet Office files that are believed to hold information on Britains involvement in Operation Bluestar in 1984.

A three-day hearing of the First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) will open in London on Tuesday to determine if UKs Information Commissioner was right to uphold a Cabinet Office decision not to allow the files being made public. The appeal is being handled by KRW Law on behalf of freelance journalist Phil Miller, who has been investigating the exact nature of the then Margaret Thatcher-led governments assistance to the Indian Army operation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The FOI request should be granted because there is public interest in understanding the extent of UK involvement in the tragic events of 1984. Disclosing documents from three decades ago will not harm diplomatic relations  politicians in the UK and India have embraced right to information laws and recognise the importance of public access to national archives, Miller said.

In 2014, UK government documents declassified under the 30-year rule to make such material public had revealed that British military advice was given to Indian forces prior to Bluestar.

Then British PM David Cameron had ordered a review into this discovery, which led to a statement in Parliament declaring that Britains role had been purely advisory and the Special Air Service advice had limited impact.

But Miller, author of Sacrificing Sikhs: The need for an investigation report released last year, says many documents from the incident remain classified and only full transparency would reveal the exact nature of Britains involvement.

A public inquiry will allow us to understand how much Thatchers decision to send a military adviser to Amritsar in 1984 was motivated by trade and arms deals worth billions of pounds. It will also establish whether the UK military advice was really a one-off or in fact it continued throughout the period, even after the tragic events of June 1984, he said.

The UK Cabinet Office has declined to release the files on the grounds of national security and safeguarding international relations with India. PTIrajivbhatia82@gmail.com

Pushpa Girimaji

Following repudiation of a claim under an overseas mediclaim policy, I had approached the Insurance Ombudsman for relief. Even though the Ombudsman gave an oral order accepting my entire claim amount, this was not communicated in writing. Subsequently, he called for re-hearing of the case and awarded only partial claim amount. My question is whether the Insurance Ombudsman has the power to review or revise his own order, communicated orally?

The Insurance Ombudsman does not have the power to review his own order. In Rajeev Hitendra Pathak Vs Achyut Kashinath Karekar (CA NO 4307 of 2007) and another, the Supreme Court dealt with the question of whether the consumer courts at the state and the district level have the power to review their orders and its verdict was that they do not have such a power. The Supreme Court said: On careful analysis of the provisions of the Act (the Consumer Protection Act of 1986), it is abundantly clear that the tribunals are creatures of the Statute and derive their power from the express provisions of the Statute. The District Forums and the State Commissions have not been given any power to set aside ex-pare orders and power of review and the powers which have not been expressly given by the Statute cannot be exercised. So applying the same logic, one can say that as there is no provision under the Insurance Ombudsman Rules for review of the Award, they do not have such power.

However, having said that, I must point out that in your case, the first decision came orally and it was not communicated in writing at all, as required under the Rules governing the Ombudsman Scheme. Rule 16 of the Redressal of Public Grievances Rules, 1998 says that An Award shall be in writing  Similarly, Rule 17 of the Insurance Ombudsman Rules, 1977 , which has replaced the earlier Rules, also says that: The Award shall be in writing and shall sate the reasons on which the award is based.

So, technically, the oral order pronounced by the Ombudsman may not be considered an Award as it was not in writing, as required under the Rules. Of course, these are only general observations because I do not know the full details of your case, nor have I read the Award of the Ombudsman.

My second question is: Can the Insurance Ombudsman ask the insured to accept his partial award as full and final payment? Can one file a petition before the consumer court after giving such consent?

The Ombudsman may seek your consent for the award, however, you are not bound to accept it and have every right to reject it if the award is unacceptable to you. You are then free to approach any other forum, including the consumer courts for justice. In fact, the insurance regulator clearly says that in case a complainant is not satisfied with the Award of an Insurance Ombudsman, he can exercise his right to take recourse to the normal process of law against the insurance company.

However, having accepted the award as full and final payment, it would be difficult for you to seek the help of the consumer court, unless, of course, you can convincingly argue that you were forced to accept the partial award because of the financial difficulties caused on account of the repudiation of the claim and later the delay in the Ombudsmans decision, particularly on account of the review. An Ombudsman is supposed to give an award within three months.

I must mention here that the Supreme Court, in United India Insurance Vs Ajmer Singh Cotton and General Mills, held that an insured can approach the consumer forum for relief even after signing the full and final voucher, if he can prove that his signature on the voucher was obtained by the insurer by fraud, misrepresentation, undue influence, or coercive bargaining compelled by circumstances.

But, subsequently, in United India Insurance Vs Gurbachan Kaur, the apex consumer court said: When an insurance company decides to settle a widows claim after a delay of two years and asks her to sign the printed voucher before handing over the cheque, it could be said that it (signature) was obtained by coercion.

This applies to the settlement of claims by insurance companies, but you can use the same argument here and the consumer court may well accept your case for the remaining claim amount. It all depends on the strength of your case and your arguments.editorial@tribune.com

Aditi Garg

Women authors have been at the forefront of literary creation since eons. The Rig Vedas, looked upon as revered texts, have as many as 20 women attributed with the composition of many of their hymns. In the recent times, we have had works by the likes of Mahasweta Devi, Amrita Pritam, Ismat Chugtai and Arundhati Roy to chew on and boast of. Female voice wasnt always suppressed in India. In fact, in the ancient times, women were an integral part of decision-making in homes and kingdoms alike. With time, as the scales tipped against them and they were relegated to the sidelines, so was literature by them.

However, their voices may have been marginalised but could never be silenced. Women are raising their voices again and making themselves heard through poetry and prose alike, spanning genres, once considered beyond their purview. They are writing unapologetically and boldly, stirring up debates, settling them and just being themselves. Acclaimed author Kamala Das, who was recently honoured with a Google Doodle, had always questioned male supremacy through her works and refused to be bound by regressive boundaries for women. She used to say, Like other women writers of my class, I am expected to tame my talent to suit the comfort of my family. It is this pressure to fit in and be tamed that has killed many a writing career in the womb, yet she persevered and thrived to become one of the most recognised names in Indian literature.

Women authors are exploring genres new and old, and owning them. Reading womens writings gives you an insight into the times and they are a changing indeed. Simar Puneet, executive commissioning editor at Aleph Book Company, recommends comedian Radhika Vazs memoir, Unladylike, as must for anyone growing up in India. The style maybe humorous but her writings touch many taboo topics.

While Vaz writes about present issues, Annie Zaidis anthology of 5,000 years of womens writing in India, Unbound, and Amrita Narayanans The Parrots of Desire, a selection from 3,000 years of Indian erotica, are treasures about an ancient past that should be on everyones bookshelf.

While society may make their life difficult in the mainstream, in publishing world, they are welcome with open arms. A sizeable number of women writers are writing on a variety of topics  from history to politics  and selling in large numbers too.

In the coming months, there is Seema Anands The Art of Seduction (her Ted talk got over seven million views); Sanam Mahers The Sensational Life and Death of Qandeel Baloch, which is a revealing look into Pakistan through the murder of model and social-media celebrity Qandeel Baloch; Ira Mukhotys Daughters of the Sun: Empresses, Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire about the women of the Mughal court, to look forward to.

The world has become a stage for women and they are effortlessly commanding the spotlight. Rupi Kaur, author of Milk and Honey, echoes the thought, Theres this idea that theres no stage for all of us, but there is. The stage is limitless. Ajay Arora of Capital Book Depot, Chandigarh, says that when she recently visited the city, Rupi was greeted by a packed house at Tagore Theatre, such is her following. He says, Topical books sell the most. It is evident from the sale of books by Twinkle Khanna, Shobha De, Soha Ali Khan and the likes. Although they are celebrities, their lives are just like those of their readers.

Anil Sharma, sales manager of Browser, Chandigarh, says that Sudha Murthys works are one of the hottest selling books. Her books connect with people and her repertoire is vast and impressive.

Another Indian author, who is popular, is Preeti Shenoy, author of A Hundred Little Flames, It Happens for a Reason and Its all in the Planets, among others. The instant connect is largely because she says that her characters are based on real people, and so are their struggles.

This recurrent theme of being grounded in reality makes many a female authors so widely read and loved. Anuja Chauhan, author of Zoya Factor, The Pricey Thakur Girls and Baaz, who is dubbed the best chick lit writer in India, says she likes to write about cool things, and nothing is cooler than real life.

If there was ever a time to assert your voice as a female writer, it is now.sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 4

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu yesterday explained several benefits of yoga while participating in the ongoing International Yoga Festival in Rishkesh.

The practice of yogic kriyas regularly keeps one fit and healthy and helps us in elevating our thoughts, said Naidu, addressing the participants at the festival.

Naidu said yoga was not the property of one particular community or religion, it was for every one. Those who try to limit it to one particular religion are unaware that it is a way of life. Along with yoga, India has tried to give the message of peace to all whosoever comes in its contact. We are a peace-loving nation and yoga is our gift to humanity, he said.

Naidu said he was privileged to be in Rishikesh and see several practitioners of different countries participating in it.

Governor KK Paul said the Prime Ministers efforts to popularise yoga were bearing fruits. Yoga has become an international movement, he said.

Earlier, on his arrival at the Jolly Grant airport, Naidu was received by Governor KK Paul, CM TS Rawat and Union minister KJ Alphons. A total of 1,500 participants from 94 countries are participating in the yoga festival.pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Tehran, March 4

A senior Iranian military official said here on Saturday that Iran will not negotiate its missile programme unless Europe and the US destroy their nuclear weapons and missiles.

What Americans say out of desperation about exerting restrictions on Irans missile capabilities is their unreachable dream, Deputy Chief of Staff of Irans Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said on Saturday, Xinhua reported.

The US concerns about Irans nuclear power stems from their failures and defeats in the region, Jazayeri said.

Besides, development of Irans defence power has put the United States in a weaker position, he said, urging the US forces to leave the region.

The precondition for talks on Irans missiles program is the dismantle of the US and Europes nuclear weapons and long-range missiles, Jazayeri stressed.

Under the US pressures, Europe has stepped up pressures on Iran to start negotiations on the countrys developing missile programme.

Iran has reiterated that its military forces will keep boosting defence capabilities and deterrent power.

Also, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that Iran does not allow any interference in its domestic affairs and defensive policies, especially its missile programme.  IANS1. Yes. COVID-19 can only be stopped through vaccinations. A mandate is needed.

2. Yes. This is a major step, but were facing a national emergency. It is a justifiable move.

3. No. The government is right to promote vaccinations, but not to require them.

4. No. This is government overreach and legally questionable. A mandate is wrong.

5. Unsure. Its in the publics interest, but mandates infringe on individuals rights.

Vote

View Resultspardeepdhull@gmail.com

Nouakchott, March 4

The jihadist Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) has claimed responsibility for the twin attacks in Burkina Faso, in a message cited on Sunday by Mauritanias Al-Akhbar news agency.

The group, led by the Malian jihadist Iyad Ag Ghaly, said it carried out the attacks on the French embassy and Burkina Fasos military HQ in the capital Ouagadougou on Friday, which left eight soldiers dead.

GSIM said it took the action in response to the deaths of some of its leaders in a French army raid in northern Mali two weeks ago, the private news agency reported.

According to French military sources, some 20 jihadists were killed or captured in the action.

GSIM had already claimed responsibility for a February 21 attack near the border with Niger which left two French soldiers dead and a third injured in an area which is believes to shelter jihadists.

Fridays attacks in Ouagadougou on the French embassy and the countrys military HQ left 12 people seriously injured according to an official toll while eight assailants were killed, along with the soldiers.

The coordinated attacks coincided with a meeting of the G5 Sahel regional anti-jihadist force under French command.  AFPpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Washington, March 4

A white male shot himself dead near the north fence line of the White House, the Secret Service said on Sunday.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were in Florida at the time of the incident which took place on Saturday when the man, standing in a crowd of more than 100 people near the White House, shot himself.

According to the Secret Service, the individual, who has been identified but his name kept under wraps, approached the vicinity of the north fence line and removed a concealed handgun and fired several rounds.

None of these shots appear to have been directed towards the White House, the Secret Service said.

No other persons were injured.

The Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department is the lead investigative organisation for this shooting, supported by the Secret Service Washington Field Office and other law enforcement organisations. PTIpardeepdhull@gmail.com

Warsaw, March 4

A Polish campaign group is suing an Argentine newspaper it says breached a new law that makes it a criminal offence to suggest Poland was complicit in the Holocaust.

In what appeared to be the first legal action under the so-called Holocaust law, just hours after it took effect, the Polish League Against Defamation said it filed a complaint against Argentinas Pagina 12 daily. The paper said it had not received formal notice of the lawsuit.

A minister from Polands conservative government applauded the move to invoke the law which Warsaw says will protect it from slander, but which the United States and Israel said would suppress authentic historic research and free speech.

The League, a non-governmental group that campaigns to protect Polands historical reputation abroad, said that in December 2017 Pagina 12 used a photograph of Polish so-called doomed soldiers who fought against communists after the war to illustrate an article on the Jedwabne pogrom of 1941 in which Nazi occupiers and local inhabitants colluded in the massacre of at least 340 Jews.

The combination of these two threads: information about the crime on Jews in Jedwabne during the German occupation and the presentation of fallen soldiers of the independence underground is manipulation, an act to the detriment of the Polish nation, the organization said in a statement.

The ruling Law and Justice party has praised the doomed soldiers. While many are seen as national heroes in the struggle against Soviet domination, some led killings of Jews, Belarusians and other minorities.

In an article posted on its website on Saturday evening, Pagina 12 said, this newspaper did not receive any legal communication and only learned of the information through international news agency reports.

If successful, this attempt at international censorship could threaten freedom of expression worldwide, the article read.

Deputy Justice Minister Michal Wojcik said he hoped the case would go to court.

The organization has a right to submit such a notice. If the court decides the complaint is admissible - and it should do sothen there will be a court case, he told private radio station Zet.

Jews from across Europe were sent to be killed at death camps built and operated by Germans in occupied Polandhome to Europes biggest Jewish community at the timeincluding Auschwitz, Treblinka, Belzec and Sobibor.

Some 3 million Jews who lived in pre-war Poland were murdered by the Nazis, accounting for about half of all Jews killed in the Holocaust.

Thousands of Poles risked their lives to protect Jewish neighbors during the war. But research published since the fall of communism in 1989 showed that thousands also killed Jews or denounced those who hid them to the Nazi occupiers, challenging the national narrative that Poland was solely a victim.

According to figures from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Nazis, who invaded Poland in 1939, also killed at least 1.9 million non-Jewish Polish civilians. ReutersDana introduced its new Spicer S172 series single drive axle. Photo: Dana

Dana introduced its new Spicer S172 series single drive axle for Class 7 and 8 vehicles during a press conference at the Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting in Atlanta. According to Dana, the new axles retains the robustness and strength of the existing S170 drive axle while reducing weight by more than 60 pounds.

The axle is crafted for 4x2, 6x2, and 8x2 applications up to 25,000 pounds gross axle weight rating. It offers a broad range of gear ratios, from 3.07 to 6.14, and features a low hypoid offset with High-Power Density AdvanTek gearing to optimize efficiency. The high-strength pinion bearings allow for greater lifespan under heavy loads, improving durability and overall performance, the company says. In addition, a passive lube management system has been added that requires less lubricant overall while maintain optimum lobe flow.

"It uses a venturi-cover design to optimize the lube flow in the axle and to make better use of the available lubricant, so we require less lubricant that a standard axle," said Steve Slesinski, director of Dana's global product planning. "We coupled the venturi-cover with a patented lube meter that controls the amount of lubricant going in between the bearing system of the pinion. That helps reduce spin losses due to churning and thus improves axle efficiency."

The single drive axle can also be paired with the Dana tag axle as part of the Spicer EconoTrek tandem axle, a durable, lightweight 6x2 configuration that offers increased fuel economy, improved performance, and reduced maintenance for heavy-duty linehaul tractors. This system is up to 3% more efficient and up to 380 pounds lighter than typical 6x4 offerings.

The tandem version is more than 60 pounds lighter than existing D170 series tandem axles, and it's available in a broad range of gear ratios, from 3.07 to 6.14, to serve a variety of needs, especially heavy-haul applications such as the Canadian logging sector with GWV up to 160,000 pounds and 50,000-pound gross axle weight ratings.

Dana engineers are continuously examining innovative ways to improve our existing products, said Mark Wallace, president of Dana Commercial Driveline Technologies. We were able to build upon the advanced features of the S170 and make it lighter without sacrificing its industry-proven durability and efficiency. We remain a company committed to finding a better way to address the needs of our customers and the commercial-vehicle market.The names of the drivers and passengers involved in a fatal two-car crash in the town of Fleming Saturday night have been released by police.

The crash occurred at about 9:33 p.m. The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office said a 2007 Ford Taurus driven by Travis Manwaring, of Auburn, was traveling southbound on Route 34. A 2016 Honda Accord driven by Stephen S. Landon, of Skaneateles, was heading north on Route 34 when it crossed over the center line and collided with Manwaring's vehicle.

Police said Manwaring was unable to avoid the collision, which occurred in the southbound lane at the intersection of Route 34 and Fleming-Scipio Townline Road.

Manwaring was pronounced dead at the scene. Three passengers in his vehicle, Jessica Bohall, Matthew McIntosh and Zachary McIntosh, were transported by either ambulance or helicopter to Upstate University Hospital. They suffered non-life threatening injuries in the crash, according to police.

Landon was also transported to Upstate University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The Cayuga County Scene Reconstruction Team responded to the scene. The sheriff's office said the cause of the crash is under investigation. More information will be released once the investigation is finished.

Several agencies assisted the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office with the response to the crash, including the Auburn Police Department, Cayuga County 911, Cayuga County Coroner's Office, the New York State Police and numerous EMS and fire departments.Though the tourism sector in ong Nai Province has achieved positive results, additional measures should be done to further boost tourism. - VNA/VNS Photo An Hieu

The southern province of ong Nai has multiple destinations, including Cat Tien National Park, Giang ien Waterfall, Mo Waterfall, and Tri An Lake, that haveattracted attention from local and international tourists.

Though there were 3.4 million visitors in 2017, up 10 per cent year-on-year, the figure could be higher if ong Nai adds more quality tourism products, experts have said.

This can be seen in Buu Long, one of the first established resorts in the centre of Bien Hoa City.

Buu Long Resort is beautiful, and my family very much enjoyed its green surroundings; however, its service was poor. We could hardly find anything to eat here, Nguyen Thi Hai, a visitor told Nhan Dan (People) Newspaper.

Xuan Loc District, which has substantial ecotourism potential, has also been unable to gain popularity due to poor infrastructure planning.

Pham Van Thuan, Party Secretary of Xuan Loc District, said that visitors complained that though their journey to Xuan Truong Communes Chua Chan Mountain via the cable system was pleasant, other tourism products on the mountain have not had sufficient investments, causing inconvenience for visitors.

Duong Thi Ngoc Phuong, representative of Wild World Company, said that more road expansion projects should be considered to promote tourism.

Overall, ong Nai has multiple opportunities to thrive, but due to lack of capital and effective incentives for privatisation, the province has not reached its full potential.

Ecotourism

While foreign visitors from Germany, Britain, France, the US, Holland and Denmark often choose Cat Tien National Park as their desired destination, local tourists prefer ecotourism tours along the ong Nai River.

As more people become interested in ecotourism, provincial authorities have taken measures to improve services by investing in quality infrastructure, and have called for more investment, encouraging collaboration between provinces and upgrading existing tourism sites.

Tran Van Mui, director of ong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve, said that tours have been organized for about 100 labour union officials and representatives of companies in an effort to encourage their colleagues to visit the area.

Meanwhile, ecotours departing from HCM Citys Bach ang Wharf to Nam Cat Tien National Park are about to be completed, according to authorities.

Nguyen Hoang Cuong, head of one ecotourism project, said that tourists would be inclined to purchase souvenirs along their journey.

Acknowledging the potential of riverway tourism, many restaurant and eatery owners in Bien Hoa City have bought more boats in case of a surge in demand.

In the time to come, ong Nai Province plans to carry out 28 tourism projects with total investment of VN19,700 billion.An apartment building in Ho Chi Minh City.

In the future, the figure is expected to rise to match the citys socio-economic conditions.

The department based the figure on similar regulations in Hanoi, Can Tho and Danang.

According to the Department of Construction, the proposed area is four times higher than the current area per person of 5 square metres for people with permanent residence status.

The new regulation will be submitted to the city Peoples Council in mid-March if the city Peoples Committee approves.

By 2020, the city aims to have an average floor area per person of 19.8sq.m.

The city has faced an increasing population, mostly due to migrants, which has raised the number of registrations for permanent residence status.

The Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper cited Ho Chi Minh City Polices figures which showed that the city has more than 43,000 people living in one district who have permanent residence status at a house that they rent in another district.

Nearly 45,000 people from other provinces have registered for permanent residence status at houses in Ho Chi Minh City which they rent or have borrowed from others to live.

Online newspaper Vietnamnet quoted the city Peoples Committee as saying that people from other provinces moving to the city for work have created pressure on infrastructure.

The population increase has led to traffic jams and overcrowding at hospitals and schools, affecting the quality of life of residents.

More new apartment building projects have been allowed in other areas to relieve population density in the city centre.Minh Phu Seafood Corporation will put the issue of listing to its upcoming annual general shareholders' meeting

An awaited return

The upcoming annual general shareholders meeting of Minh Phu Corporation scheduled to take place on March 9 will cast vote on whether to list the corporation. The exact date for the firms return to the Vietnamese public market remains undecided.

Minh Phu, one of Vietnams top seafood firms, voluntarily left the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange on March 31, 2015, stating that it needs time to restructure its business and find suitable foreign partners. According to the firm, its listed stock price at the time did not reflect the true value of the company, making it a prudent decision to quit the public market.

The biggest risks to Minh Phus activities include increasing competition from neighbouring countries, such as India and Indonesia, as well as protectionist policies from major markets, most notably the US.

At the time of leaving, Minh Phus stock stood at VND122,000 ($5.36), meaning the firms capitalisation was VND700 billion ($30.8 million).

To prepare for the official comeback, Minh Phu has floated its shares on the Unlisted Public Company Market last October, quoting prices at VND79,000 ($3.47) apiece. The stock has been consistently rising since its listing, reaching VND101,600 ($4.47) on March 3.

Minh Phu's founder and CEO Le Van Quang is known in Vietnam as the "King of Shrimp" thanks to his long-term success in the business.

Minh Phu suffered from two years of losses before bouncing back in 2017

Future plans

The seafood firm is also planning to increase its charter capital to VND2 trillion ($88 million) via a series of private placements to existing shareholders, employees, and strategic partners in 2018 and 2019. According to representatives, the new capital will boost the firms financial health and support its expansion ambitions.

In 2018, Minh Phu aims to reach VND18.2 trillion ($800 million) of gross revenue and VND990 billion ($43.5 million) of consolidated post-tax profit. Production capacity is expected to reach 63 trillion tonnes of finished prawn products.

The biggest risks to Minh Phus activities include increasing competition from neighbouring countries, such as India and Indonesia, as well as protectionist policies from major markets, most notably the US.

In related news, Minh Phus deputy CEO Chu Thi Binh recently fell victim to a massive bank fraud in which VND245 billion ($10.7 million) was stolen from her savings account at Eximbank. The culprit, identified as the deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh branch of Eximbank, remains at loose.

As the news broke out, Eximbank has offered to pay VND14.8 billion ($650,000) of up-front compensation to Binh, which the businesswoman refused. The investigation is still going, with the State Bank of Vietnam getting involved.Washington (CNN)The national debate over gun control has thrown a new dynamic into this year's top Senate races.

For the five Democrats defending seats in states President Donald Trump won in 2016 by double-digits, the issue is complicated: Their national party and donors want gun restrictions, but the right-of-center, exurban and rural voters they'll need to win have historically opposed tighter gun laws. They'll have to decide how far they can go, and how they can sell it.

For some Republicans, particularly Florida Gov. Rick Scott, it's a different problem: They'll be accused of ignoring opportunities to act on gun violence before the shooting in Parkland, Florida.

As we wait to see how the gun debate evolves in statehouses and on Capitol Hill, here's our March edition of the 10 Senate seats most likely to switch parties in November.

Remember: The current balance of power in the Senate is 51 Republicans, 49 Democrats (and independents who caucus with them). That means Democrats need a net gain of two seats to take control of the chamber. That's a tough task on a map where Democrats are defending 26 seats and Republicans just have to hold eight.

1. Nevada

Incumbent: Republican Sen. Dean Heller

Primary date: June 12

Heller tops this list for two reasons: He's the only Republican up for re-election in a state Hillary Clinton won in 2016, and unlike the split fields we see in other states, he has dangerous one-on-one matchups in both the primary (against Danny Tarkanian) and the general election (against Rep. Jacky Rosen).

The good news for Heller: President Donald Trump wants to help him. Trump told Republican National Committee members he'll go to Nevada to campaign for Heller ahead of the primary. (And if Trump forgets that promise, the fact that Tarkanian used Ivanka Trump against Heller will probably serve as a strong reminder.)

The bad news: Cozying up to Trump is a problem in a general election.

2. Arizona

Incumbent: Open seat (Republican Sen. Jeff Flake is retiring)

Primary date: August 28

In a year of Republican primaries all over the map, this one has the makings to be the nation's most chaotic.

Rep. Martha McSally spent much of the last month backing away from her 2016 criticism of Trump. Former state Sen. Kelli Ward was in Washington for CPAC courting major donors and organizations for a well-financed brawl. And former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio is a wild card who could spoil the entire race for Republicans if he wins the primary.

With the primary still months away, Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema is watching and waiting.

Flake, meanwhile, is off to New Hampshire for an event later this month, kicking up 2020 presidential speculation.

3. Missouri

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill

Primary date: August 7

Republican attorney general Josh Hawley has played the scandal surrounding indicted Gov. Eric Greitens carefully, breaking with the Missouri GOP in calling for an investigation and tweeting that there is "no place for party or partisanship."



A felony indictment by a grand jury is a serious matter. There is no place for party or partisanship. The criminal justice system must be allowed to work. I am confident the House's investigation will be thorough and swift, and will proceed without regard to party.

Still, Greitens' seemingly inevitable downfall is bad for the party's brand. Navigating those choppy waters -- ideally as quickly as possible -- is important for Hawley's Senate prospects in a state Trump won by 19 points in 2016.

4. Indiana

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly

Primary date: May 8

In the three-way Republican primary between Reps. Todd Rokita and Luke Messer and former state Rep. Mike Braun, it's Rokita who wields the sharpest knife.

His opening line in their first debate got at both Braun's past participation in Democratic primaries and questions surrounding Messer's residency. "Mike, welcome to the Republican Party," Rokita said. "Luke, welcome back to Indiana."

Rokita's all-base, all-the-time strategy was on vivid display in his first TV ad:

5. West Virginia

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin

Primary date: May 8

Manchin tried an odd idea last month: He urged other senators to sign a pledge not to campaign against each other.

It seemed like a self-serving proposal by a former governor who, while in that job, was chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, an organization with the sole job of defeating Republican governors.

Even if senators stay out of it, others are willing to wade in. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker endorsed attorney general Patrick Morrisey, who along with Rep. Evan Jenkins and coal CEO Don Blankenship are running to oppose Manchin.

6. North Dakota

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp

Primary date: June 12

Republicans got good news when Rep. Kevin Cramer changed his mind and decided he'd run against Heitkamp after all.

The cherry on top: There won't be a GOP primary. State Sen. Tom Campbell, who was also in the race, is instead running for Cramer's House seat.

Heitkamp will benefit from footage of Trump extending a handshake and calling her a "good woman" on stage at a September event. But there are good reasons Republicans consider this a top target: Trump won the state by 36 points in 2016. And Heitkamp won her seat by less than a point in 2012.

Heitkamp is still well-funded and hasn't had to cast many tough votes (with tax reform being a possible exception), and there remain questions about Cramer's strength as a candidate. But this race looks better for Republicans now than it did a month ago.

7. Montana

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Jon Tester

Primary date: June 5

Last in a string of five straight Democratic-held seats in states Trump won by double digits, Tester is watching and waiting to see how the GOP primary develops.

State auditor Matt Rosendale, the other Senate candidate with a flat-top, appears to be the Republican front-runner, with businessman Troy Downing, former judge Russell Fagg and state Sen. Al Olszewski are also in the race.

8. Wisconsin

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin

Primary date: August 14

Many families dislike the political life. But rarely do you see the parents of a candidate -- Republican businessman Kevin Nicholson -- give the maximum possible donations to his Democratic opponent, Baldwin.

Nicholson has challenged state Sen. Leah Vukmir to six debates in a primary that is still developing. Businessman Eric Hovde is also exploring a run.

The first debate is set for March 28 hosted by WTMJ-AM and being broadcast on the radio.

9. Ohio

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown

Primary date: May 8

Here's the counterintuitive case for Republicans having a shot here:

When state treasurer Josh Mandel dropped out, the assumption was that Brown probably had this race in the bag. But the truth about Mandel was that Republicans never believed he'd win. They'd already seen Brown beat him once, in their 2012 head-to-head.

At least Rep. Jim Renacci, the front-runner for the nomination, gives the GOP a bit of a clean slate. He's capable of self-funding at least partially in an expensive state, too.

As Ohio drifts rightward, it's possible this one will be harder for Democrats to put away than they'd like.

10. Florida

Incumbent: Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson

Primary date: August 28

In the wake of the Parkland shooting, Nelson is showing that he's ready for a fight against Gov. Rick Scott, the Republican who is widely expected to announce a Senate run in the near future.

In a CNN town hall on guns, Nelson linked Scott's inaction in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando to the Parkland shooting.

"Two years ago, when 49 lives were taken in the Pulse nightclub, and nothing was done -- not in Washington, not in Tallahassee, not one thing offered by the administration in Tallahassee," he said. "And here we are, going through this again. And it's going to unfortunately very possibly continue unless we get some common-sense laws on the books."Tonight, a WAAY 31 I-Team Instant Investigation.

The bankruptcy of a Priceville used car dealership exposed questionable connections between Morgan Countys sheriff and a key person inside the business who is on the wrong side of the law.

Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin has been accused of loaning $150,000 to a felon. Franklin is on record claiming she didn't know the felon had a stake in Priceville Partners, LLC.

Greg Steenson is an ex-con. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and conspiracy. The felon owned 40% of Priceville Partners, LLC. Greg Steenson is an ex-con. He pleaded guilty to bank fraud and conspiracy. The felon owned 40% of Priceville Partners, LLC.

Steve Ziaja is Sheriff Franklin's ex-boyfriend. Ziaja is one of the creditors listed in Priceville Partners bankruptcy filing. Ziaja is in trouble with the law. He's charged with 11 felony counts of computer tampering and one count of using his job as an Steve Ziaja is Sheriff Franklin's ex-boyfriend. Ziaja is one of the creditors listed in Priceville Partners bankruptcy filing. Ziaja is in trouble with the law. He's charged with 11 felony counts of computer tampering and one count of using his job as an Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin has been accused of loaning $150,000 to a felon. Franklin is on record claiming she didn't know the felon had a stake in Priceville Partners, LLC.

When the used car lot filed for bankruptcy, it left creditors holding the bag for nearly five and half million dollars.

The latest complaints in the Chapter 11 filing point fingers at Priceville Partners owners, managers, employees and investors.

One of those investors is Sheriff Ana Franklin.

WAAY 31 obtained the latest in a series of bankruptcy complaints. The court filings state Sheriff Franklins connection to Performance Auto Sales which was located on Point Mallard Parkway.

The sheriffs involvement began with a $150,000 cashiers check dated June, 5th 2015.

The complaints claim Franklin used your tax money for the loan to Priceville Partners, LLC.

She eventually paid that money back to replenish the jail food account.

Creditors want to know why Sheriff Franklin invested in a business partly owned by someone with a criminal record.

WAAY 31 contacted Franklin. She told us she cant talk about a pending legal matter.

That matter involves felon Greg Steenson.

Steenson pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bank fraud and was sentenced in 2002. The ex-con owned 40 percent of the business and now faces additional theft and forgery charges.

Franklin insists she never knew Steenson was involved and thought Harold Jeffereys was the sole owner of Priceville Partners.

Jeffereys owned only 60 percent of the business after buying out his sons stake. Ben Jeffreys had owned 40 percent.

The bankruptcy trustee, attorney Stuart Maples, complains when Priceville Partners started to collapse in 2016, people inside and outside the business violated bankruptcy laws by transferring assets.

Among the violations: embezzeling money, giving cash and cars to family and friends, even giving lavish gifts like homes and a lakeside condo.

The bankruptcy suit also points at Sheriff Franklins daughter, Alyssa.

She worked for Priceville Partners and is accused of giving below market auto loans and cancelling debts owed by her husband.

Documents also reveal one more connection to the sheriff: an ex- boyfriend. Steven Ziaja is an Alabama Alcohol Beverage Control officer. Hes also one of the creditors listed in the bankruptcy filing.

He faces 11 felony charges of computer tampering and one count of using his job as a state agent for personal gain.

Earlier this month, Franklin announced she wont seek re-election.BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - A former attorney has been found guilty of kidnapping a man and threatening to cut off his fingers and genitals.

AL.com reports a jury found 52-year-old James William Woolley guilty of robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder in a 2016 incident in which a man says he was lured to the basement of a Birmingham home, robbed and beaten.

Prosecutor John Hensley said that Woolley and another man attacked the victim with a machete and gun and put cigarettes out on him, threatening to kill him and his family.

Defense attorney Lois Beasley-Carlisle called the victim a "doper" who probably fabricated the incident because he owed Woolley money.

Co-defendants Monique Antoine Roscoe and Kimberly Murphy have pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the incident.

Woolley will be sentenced in April.

___

Information from: The Birmingham News, http://www.al.com/birminghamnews

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

3/2/2018 4:18:05 PM (GMT -6:00)New details: the man who killed himself in front of the White House Saturday is from Alabama.

That new information from police IDs the man as 26-year-old Cameron Ross Burgess from Maylene, Alabama. Maylene is in Shelby County just outside of Birmingham.



The man who shot himself in front of the White House, Saturday, is from Alabama. Police have identified him as Camerson Ross Burgess of Maylene, Alabama. The man who shot himself in front of the White House, Saturday, is from Alabama. Police have identified him as Camerson Ross Burgess of Maylene, Alabama.

Police says Burgess fired several bullets from a handgun as he approached the fence along the north side of the White House.

That was just before noon Saturday.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were in Florida at the time.

The Secret Service says no one from the first family was at the White House when Burgess started shooting.

And Burgess did not appear to be directing his gunfire at the White House.Clean Up Australia Day has ended for another year with more than half a million community groups, locals and politicians banding together on Sunday to help the environment by picking up countless pieces of rubbish.

The volunteers combed beaches, rivers, wetlands, parks and schools, finding bottles, containers, cans and plastic bags throughout the day.

Snorkellers help to clear rubbish off the shores of North Wollongong beach. Credit:Sylvia Liber

Some volunteers used kayaks and canoes to scour the waterways while snorkellers went below the waves at Wollongong to assist in the nationwide clean-up.

Some volunteers were seen picking up old traffic signs while others recovered multiple supermarket trollies.The ailing state of the Darling River has been traced to man-made water extraction, according to a leaked report by the agency charged with overseeing its health.

The "hydrologic investigation", dated last November and obtained by Fairfax Media, analysed more than 2000 low-flow events from 1990-2017 on the Barwon-Darling River between Mungindi near the NSW-Queensland border down to Wilcannia in far-western NSW .

Lower Darling pastoralists have faced increasing bouts of dry times - even outside droughts.

The draft report  a version of which was sent to the NSW government  comes days after WaterNSW issued a red alert for blue-green algae on the Lower Darling River at Pooncarie and Burtundy.

Bourke is among towns also on stage-two water restrictions as the Darling dries up in places.Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce is not certain he is the biological father of Vikki Campion's baby. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Joyce claimed he was never asked by the Daily Telegraph - which revealed in early February that the couple were expecting a child - if the child was his. The story was widely followed by other media outlets, including the The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and ultimately led to his resignation from cabinet.

In an interview that calls into question a key factor in Mr Joyce losing the second-highest political office in the country, the Nationals MP told Fairfax Media the baby boy he and Ms Campion are expecting in April would be raised as mine but conceded the identity of the biological father was "a grey area".

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has slammed the initial reporting of his relationship with Vikki Campion, saying he was never asked if he was the father of his former staffer's unborn child and that the issue of paternity is not certain.

The backbencher said journalists did not check the apparent fact" he was the babys father against the pair's respective travel to see if Mr Joyce, 50, and Ms Campion, 33, were geographically together around the time of conception.

Mr Joyce conceded that the fact they were physically apart for almost all of the critical period in which conception occurred, meant the question of paternity remained "a bit of a grey area".

Mr Joyce said he had no intention of getting a paternity test.

His comments were volunteered on Saturday at his initiative with Ms Campion present for some of the interview. They followed an article in Saturdays Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, which reported the question of the babys paternity was part of the Parliament House rumour mill.

Mr Joyce said it was outrageous that a newspaper could breach the privacy of the pregnant Ms Campion by photographing her "crossing the road", and then splash her picture on the front page with the headline "Bundle of Joyce". He claims neither he nor Ms Campion were asked about the paternity at the time the photograph was taken and says no other questions about it were put to the pair.The United States is attacking the world's trading system on multiple fronts, former trade minister Craig Emerson has declared, warning that the benefits of the Turnbull government's efforts to establish a close relationship with the administration are limited when even President Donald Trump's inner circle are uncertain about his intentions.

As Trade Minister Steve Ciobo conceded a conversation with the President's top trade official had produced no clarity on whether newly announced steel and aluminium tariffs would apply to Australia, Dr Emerson and prominent business leader Tony Shepherd said the Australian government would have to "wait and see" how the situation pans out.

The announcement of the taxes on imports to the US  25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium  has shaken political leaders and markets around the world, quickly triggering threats of retaliatory tariffs and the President claiming "trade wars are good, and easy to win".

On Sunday, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pushed back against Trump's moves, criticising protectionism as a "dead end" and declaring that the Australian government would continue to stand up for free trade, a view Mr Turnbull said he had conveyed directly to the US administration.A 11-year-old girl is in a critical but stable condition after receiving an apparent "electric shock" at a home in Perth's northern suburbs.

Neighbours reported hearing a "massive bang" at the home on the corner of Eddystone Avenue and Sandalford Drive in Beldon, just after 10pm.

Emergency services on scene. Credit:Hannah Barry

It's understood the girl was discovered unconscious, and St John Ambulance officers attended the home.

Neighbours said the incident sparked a massive presence of emergency services on the street, with around four ambulances, multiple police vehicles and Western Power officers called to the scene.Beijing: China doesnt want a trade war with the United States but will act to protect its interests, a senior Chinese official said on Sunday, as other major US trading partners smarted at looming steel tariffs.

Chinas response to Mr Trumps announcement of 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium has been muted compared to the reaction of the EU and Canada because China doesnt rank in the top 10 steel suppliers to the US.

"China does not want to fight a trade war with the United States, but we absolutely will not sit by and watch as China's interests are damaged," said vice foreign minister Zhang Yesui, the parliaments spokesman on Sunday.

Zhang is a former ambassador to the United States.Seoul: A high-level delegation of South Korean officials will travel to North Korea on Monday to discuss improving relations on the peninsula and possible talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

South Korea's presidential Blue House said in a statement that National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Suh Hoon, a veteran of past negotiations with the North, would be among the 10-member South Korean delegation visiting Pyongyang.

During a joke-filled monologue at a dinner with journalists in Washington on Saturday, US President Donald Trump suggested that the United States would be meeting with North Korea but had told Pyongyang it must first "denuke."

"We will be meeting and we'll see if anything positive happens," he added.Washington: US President Donald Trump has praised his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for his recent move to consolidate his grip on power.

"He's now President for life. President for life. And he's great," Trump said in a speech to Republican donors in Florida on Saturday, according to broadcaster CNN.

The US broadcaster said it had obtained a recording of the closed-door remarks made at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

"And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll give that a shot some day."Before that showing, show newcomer Beth Plocharczyk brushed the coat of her Finnish spitz, Gull, as the puppy's head darted around the room, occasionally releasing a bark while moving around his owner. At one point, Gull laid on the floor when Plocharczyk prepared to give the dog some bits of chicken.

Plocharczyk said the bog's breeder mentioned they hoped Gull would compete, so she decided to give dog shows a shot. She said she had done a little research into shows beforehand but generally was just having a good time with her "best friend" Gull. In the showing for puppies, Gull stayed silent but moved around while Plocharczyk used her leash to stop the dog from getting too far. Gull earned a fourth-place ribbon. Plocharczyk said that while shows are new terrain for her, she still felt she did well.

Henry and Kathy Clark came to play with their Great Danes, Gracie and Cleo. While Henry took Cleo, who is two months old, up into a competition for younger pups. Kathy said she and Henry have been going to shows for a few months, taking the dogs to obedience classes and handling classes twice a week.

Henry and Cleo came back to Kathy with a pink first-place ribbon. Kathy darted the first-time show dog's face with kisses. Kathy said training and shows allows the humans and animals alike to learn.

"It's not just just about training the dogs, it's about training the person to train the dog," Kathy Clark said.

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

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Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Stinging rebuke for Biden's "boosters for all" planSALUDA HAS A "SISTER CITY"---IN ITALY!

ITALIANS ARE VISITING SALUDA IN MARCH

SALUDA, NC--Saludas sister city is Carunchio, located in the province of Abruzzo on the Adriatic side of Italy. Its Mayor, Gianfranco DIsabella and his wife, Paola, will be in Saluda from March 19-25. They will be accompanied and guided by Cristina Criscio who speaks both Italian and English.

Saluda has planned a special welcome for the Mayor and his party and hopes Saluda citizens will join in the festivities. Below is a daily schedule. Please come to the City Commission Special event on the 20th and the Southern Covered Dish Dinner on Friday the 23rd.

We are working with our Saluda school principal, Cari Maneen, to emphasize the relations between our elementary students here in the Saluda school and the students in Italy. We have applied for a grant to help purchase Italy-related maps and Italian language books and hope to initiate a regular dialogue between the students with the goal of learning about each others culture and eventual summer exchange visits by the students.

Join us in welcoming the Mayor and please thank all our businesses that are donating accommodations, food, and gifts to our visitors. The Oaks Bed & Breakfast and Orchard Inn are providing the accommodations and breakfast free of charge.

Here is the schedule:

Tuesday 3/20: Day to relax and get an overview of the town. Host is Judy Thompson. Staying again at The Oaks B&B.

Tuesday evening at 5:30: Official Welcome by City Commission and Saludas Mayor upstairs at the Library. After a short ceremony, there will be a reception catered by the Green River Barbeque, Saluda Grade Cafe and Wildflour Bakery, each offering a signature nibble or two. To help us determine how much food is needed, if you plan to attend, please email your RSVP to Saluda City Hall at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 828-749-2581. Mayor DIsabella and his party will be treated to dinner afterwards at the Purple Onion. Feel free to come along, Dutch treat, of course!!

Wednesday 3/21: Bruce & Varian Hunt will host the visitors today for a tour of Saluda, its shops and historic places. The Saluda Historic Depot is presenting the visitors with complementary Depot sweatshirts. The Wildflour Bakery is hosting them for lunch. After lunch, the Mayor will meet with Cari Maneen at Saluda Elementary School to share ideas about connections between the schools via the internet and projects. In the late afternoon, Bill and Anne Jameson are opening their art studio to the Mayor for a wine and cheese event to share information about art in this area. There will be several invited guests including a contingent from the Hendersonville Sister City Group. That evening, Hendersonville Sister City will entertain our visitors. The visitors will overnight at The Oaks B&B again.

Thursday 3/22: They will tour commercial development in Henderson County followed by a complimentary dinner at Renzos Italian restaurant in Hendersonville. The host is the Hendersonville Sister City Italy Committee. The nights accommodations and breakfast will be at the Orchard Inn.

Friday 3/23: Our guests will have a commercial tour of Polk County organized by Polk County Economic Development and hosted by Lynn Cass. They will stay at the Orchard Inn.

Friday night at 6:30, we will have a southern style welcome with a Covered Dish Dinner at the Saluda Senior Center. Everyone is welcome. Ole Timey Music and a Carunchio video will entertain. Advance tickets are required at only $20 which will include roasted chicken, pork tenderloins cooked by Thompsons Store and 2 beverage tickets. Any extra funds will go to help Saluda Schools Italian Connection to the Carunchio School. Tickets are available at Saluda City Hall. Everyone please bring a dish based upon the first letter of your last name: A-H substantial appetizer; I-R salads & veggies; S-Z desserts.

Saturday 3/24: The Gorge Zipline is donating three zipline tours of the Gorge for our guests. Afterwards, they will enjoy an early Southern Supper hosted by Glenn Franklin followed by a trip to hear Blue Grass Music at Feed & Seed in Fletcher. Night at Orchard Inn.

Sunday, 3/25: Farewell after breakfast.

PLEASE come out to the Tuesday and Friday evening events and watch for the Italians on the street and say (welcome and good day) Benvenuto and Buon Giorno!!!

For questions contact Judy Thompson at 828-489-6578 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .WiGBits Headline News Would you like to receive our WiGBits? Signup today!

WiG Entertainment News Would you like to receive our WiG Entertainment News? Signup today!

Digital Issue Would you like to receive our Digital Issue? Signup today!NEW HARTFORD- Congresswoman Claudia Tenney announced she will be running for re-election in 2018. On Saturday Tenney hosted a rally for her supporters at her hometown restaurant Cavallos.

During the rally, she addressed her supporters with what her campaign will entail. Her main focal points include second amendment gun laws, reviving local farms, and supporting the mental health issue.

We continue to work with veterans every day, said Tenney. They continue to have issues that are just unfair on how they have to wait to receive health care.

The congresswoman also addresses her accolades since she has been in office. They include lowering the unemployment to record lows and reforming the tax plan.

"First of all, we are going to continue the progress that we have already made on the tax plan, said Tenney. The big issue is to make the tax reform permanent and get some bipartisan support from the Democrats.

Tenneys opponent Anthony Brindisi said in a statement, We are looking forward to a spirited debate on who the best candidate will be to protect middle-class families, their health insurance and their Social Security and Medicare.

After the rally, the media was able to ask the congresswoman some questions. Before media started to ask questions Tenneys campaign manager made it clear that any questions asked must be on topic. A reporter from Syracuse questioned Tenney on her comments which were made last week on an Albany radio show pertaining to mass shootings. That video is attached.NEW HARTFORD- More than 60 protesters lined Genesee Street outside of Cavallo's in New Hartford to rally in opposition to Congresswoman Claudia Tenney's re-election announcement.

The protest was put on by a group called Indivisible Mohawk Valley. People carried signs that said "#onetermtenney" and "Repeal and Replace Tenney."

Some of the protesters said they were surprised about the announcement and also said there needs to be a change.

"We are very excited about Anthony Brindisi being a candidate and we definitely will be engaging in political activism to get Claudia Tenney out and replace her with him," said organizer, Sarah Reeske.

They also said they would be holding more events in the future.LEBANON, Ind. (WISH)  Anthony Baumgardt, the man police say shot and mortally wounded Boone County Sheriffs Deputy Jacob Pickett, was transferred from St. Vincent Hospital to Boone County Jail on Saturday afternoon.

Boone County Sheriff Mike Nielsen personally arrested Baumgardt and booked him into jail, according to a release from the Boone County Sheriffs Office.

The suspect will be moved from Boone County Jail to another countys facility, Conley said.

Online records show preliminary charges against Baumgardt include murder, resisting law enforcement, carrying a handgun without a license, possession of marijuana and possession of methamphetamine.

John Baldwin Jr. was also listed as held in the Boone County Jail with a note to Hold to Other Co(unty). Baldwin Jr. was ordered to stop and comply with authorities on Friday morning in Lebanon but instead got into a car and drove away with his father, 55-year-old John Baldwin Sr., and 21-year-old Anthony Baumgardt.

That turned into a police pursuit, which Pickett joined to assist Lebanon police. After Baldwin Sr. and Baumgardt bailed from the car and ran, Pickett continued the pursuit on foot and ran after Baumgardt.

While chasing him, Pickett rounded a corner. Thats when state police say Baumgardt shot Pickett in the head.

On Friday night, Boone County Sheriff Mike Nielsen announced that Pickett would not survive his injuries and that his organs would be donated.

The Boone County Sheriffs Office released a statement on Saturday night regarding Baumgardts arrest and the status of Pickett, who remained at St. Vincent as the organ donation process continued:

Currently the medical staff at St. Vincent Hospital is sustaining his body functions so that Jake can continue to give life to others even after his death. This process takes time, and we pray for peace for Jake and his family.

Sheriff Nielsen met with Jen, Jacobs wife, and the FOP Memorial Team to talk about arrangements for the service and burial. We are currently in the process of working side by side with the Indiana Sheriffs Association, the Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police Memorial Team and many others to make sure that Jake is honored and recognized for the hero and warrior that he is. This process also takes time. As soon the details are arranged we will immediately notify everyone.

Today, Sheriff Nielsen also personally arrested and booked in Anthony Louis Baumgardt, DOB 10/17/1996 from Lebanon, Indiana for the following charges. Murder, Resisting Law Enforcement, Possession of Marijuana, 2 counts of Possession of Methamphetamine and Carrying a handgun without a license.

Sheriff Mike Nielsen released a statement explaining the work hes done over the last two days to plan for honoring Pickett and to arrange for officer wellness meetings, as well as caring for staff and Picketts wife and family. Nielsen said he would be releasing an open letter to staff and citizens on Saturday night with more information.

"Please accept my apologies for not being more prompt on my media releases and social media posts. I hope everyone can understand that my priority is taking care of my staff, Jakes family, and Brik who have witnessed or been part of the tragic events that unfolded the morning of March 2nd. Today we started pre-planning for Jakes final arrangements, crisis intervention teams, and continual officer wellness meetings. I also created today a core team of command staff and others to assist me in planning the events for the next several days. Tonight, I will release to the public an open letter to my staff and to the citizens of this county addressing the last two days. We will begin to post media releases and social media posts daily from this point forward. I personally wish to thank everyone for the overwhelming support that you have shown for the Boone County Sheriffs Office and for Jake. I also want to thank my fellow brothers and sisters in public safety that have come forward to assist us in our day to day operations so that we can still maintain civility in the county. Please continue to pray for strength and guidance as we face a very hard week ahead.



China News on Women





Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home pageA California police lieutenant who called for stricter gun control was caught selling illegal weapons to criminals, according to police.

The lieutenant in the Pasadena Police Department was taken into custody on federal charges related to the illegal sale of approximately 100 firearms.

Vasken Kenneth Gourdikian, 48, of Sierra Madre, who is currently on administrative leave, surrendered to federal authorities.

Gourdikian was named by a federal grand jury in a four-count indictment that accuses him of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, making false statements on ATF Forms, and possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle.

According to the police investigation, over a three year period, Gourdikian sold over 100 firearms without a license.

Gourdikian allegedly used his official status as a police officer to purchase firearms that were not available to the general public and then sold the firearms through third-party transfers to members of the public, according to the indictment.

Gourdikianas status as a police officer also enabled him to purchase more than one handgun in a 30-day period.

Moreover, upon obtaining the requisite authorizations from his employer, Gourdikianas status as a police officer allowed him to take possession of a firearm before the otherwise applicable ten-day waiting period lapsed.

aIn these days of escalating gun violence, it is important to enforce our firearms laws vigorously,a said United States Attorney Nicola T. Hanna.

aThose who sell guns illegally need to be held accountable, especially those who abuse a position of public trust, Hanna added.

Gourdikian is also charged with twice having falsely certified on ATF forms that he was the actual buyer of a firearm when at the time of the certification he had already agreed to sell the firearm to another person.

Special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) executed a federal search warrant at Gourdikianas residence in Sierra Madre and seized approximately 62 firearms, including an unregistered short-barreled rifle.

The indictment further charges Gourdikian with illegally possessing this unregistered weapon.

aThis investigation started through routine analysis of multiple sales and trace reports by ATFas LA Crime Gun Intelligence Center,a said Bill McMullan, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Los Angeles Field Division.

If convicted, he faces 35 years in prison.Police were called after someone spotted a couple having sex in their backyard.

Officers who arrived at the home in Panama City, Florida, discovered that the lovemaking couple was a father and his daughter.

Police arrested the father, 39-year-old Justin Bunn, and his

19-year-old daughter, Taylor Bunn, after the witness told police that the two were having sex in a missionary position

in the backyard of a home.

According to the police report, the yard where the father and daughter were caught having sex is about 3 miles from the home they share.

Justin Bunn allegedly confessed to having sex with his daughter, but he insisted that this was an isolated incident.

Taylor Bunn also admitted to having consensual sex with her father, police said.

The father and daughter were arrested for incest.

Bail for Justin Bunn was set at $5,000 while bail for his daughter was set at $1,000.

The judge also ordered the pair not to have contact in any way once they are released from the Bay County jail.A man violated the trust of soldiers after he broke into their homes and stole their electronics while they were protecting their country.

Police have finally tracked down the man from Lower Gweru, Zimbabwe, for breaking into 12 houses in Lookout Masuku Barracks on the outskirts of Bulawayo and stealing over $7,000 worth of property

22-year-old Ashton Lovewell Moyo robbed the soldiers over a period of 11 months before he was finally caught.

According to Prosecutor Kudakwashe Jaravaza, Moyo stole 18 cell phones, six laptops, and three televisions, all valued at $7,192, from nine soldiers, two policemen, and a teacher who all reside on the army base.

In court, Moyo pleaded guilty to 11 counts of unlawful entry and theft before Bulawayo Judge Gladmore Mushove.

The judge ordered Moyo to be remanded into custody until sentencing.For the first time since the end of the Vietnam War more than four decades ago, a US Navy aircraft carrier will set anchor in the country Monday.

Publicly, the United States has portrayed the four-day visit by the USS Carl Vinson and its contingent of 5,000 sailors and aviators as an historic opportunity to enhance the budding friendship that has emerged between the two former foes.

But, it's far from a standard port call.

Analysts say the visit by the aircraft carrier to Vietnam is a clear shot at Beijing, designed to counter China's aggressive island building and militarization in the South China Sea.

"Vietnam has been deeply concerned about China's pugilistic and aggressive moves in the South China Sea," said John Kirby, a retired US Navy rear admiral and CNN military and diplomatic analyst.

"They are worried about where China is going, and they have wanted for years now to have a better relationship with the United States."

The 95,000-ton carrier is expected to anchor two nautical miles off the port of Danang, which was a key battleground during the war that ended in 1975.

Cultural exchanges, including culinary and sporting activities, will take place between some of the US military personnel on board and their Vietnamese counterparts. Some US sailors will also visit a center for victims of Agent Orange, the toxic chemical compound used by the US during the conflict to destroy jungle and forest.

Island fortresses

The subject of China, and Chinese activity in the South China Sea, is likely to loom large over the visit.

Since 2014, China has forged ahead with island building in the disputed waters, despite a landmark ruling in 2016 by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which said there was no legal basis for China's maritime claims.

China's claims to the South China Sea stretch roughly 1,000 miles from its southern shores, pitting it against Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

High-resolution aerial images of China's reclamation efforts in the Spratly Islands, recently obtained by the Philippine Inquirer newspaper, show that the reefs and sandbars have been turned into island fortresses, with ports, air strips, lighthouses, hangars and multistory buildings.

Vietnam is the among the claimants that has stood up most publicly against China, after the Philippines -- long one of most ardent critics of Chinese expansion in the area -- reversed course under President Rodrigo Duterte.

In June 2017, Vietnam refused Chinese demands to cease drilling on Vanguard Bank, an area that belongs to Vietnam under international law. Vietnam had granted a subsidiary of Spanish company Repsol drilling rights to the bank. China claims the area is part of its territory.

Vietnam eventually backed down a month later, under pressure from China.

Vietnam has also urged its fellow ASEAN nations to take a stronger stance against China in the South China Sea, though the body has largely chosen not to forcefully challenge Beijing.

"This is obviously a game of balance of power, and China is flexing its muscle in the South China Sea," said Le Honh Hiep, a fellow at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute.

"Other countries will need to do more to counteract China."

US role

The United States has long had a robust naval presence in Southeast Asia, in part to ensure the openness of the South China Sea trading routes. Some $5 trillion in goods pass through those waters each year.

Under US President Donald Trump and his predecessor, President Barack Obama, the US has conducted "freedom of navigation" operations, sailing military vessels and flying planes close to islands China controls, often triggering heated warnings from Chinese patrols.

But it has done little to rein in China's expansionism in the South China Sea.

"The US does need to take a consistent and perhaps more assertive approach to how to deal with this advancement," said Kirby.

"I do not think it's too late to forestall further militarization, but I think we need to have a comprehensive -- and not just a military -- strategy for how to deal with this."

In Vietnam, the United States sees an opportunity to join forces over a common problem and push back against China's growing influence in Asia.

US military ties with Vietnam have deepened since 2016, when Obama lifted the decades-old embargo on US arms sales to the country as part of his Asia pivot.

Under Trump, military cooperation with Hanoi has continued.

Despite pulling the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a regional trade deal that Vietnam was a key part of, Trump has maintained strong ties with Hanoi.

In November, Trump visited Vietnam as part of his inaugural Asia trip aimed at reassuring allies that the US was still committed to the region, and in January, the US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also visited, laying the groundwork for this week's visit by the USS Carl Vinson.

US message: We're here to stay

In addition to Vietnam, the US is also tightening military cooperation with long-standing allies Australia, Japan and India.

The nomination of Adm. Harry Harris, the highest commander of US forces in Asia Pacific region, as US ambassador to Australia is expected to further enhance cooperation between Canberra and Washington in issues relating to the South China Sea.

US warships have visited Vietnam several times since November 2003, when a US frigate, the USS Vandegrift, made the first port call to the country since the Vietnam War ended. However, a visit by an aircraft carrier is of a different level and something that government officials in Beijing will be paying close attention to.

On Friday, a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said that she hoped that the visit can "play a constructive role for the region instead of making the regional countries feel worried."

Kirby said the carrier's arrival in Vietnam sent a clear signal:

"It's a message to Vietnam, about how much we care about that relationship, it's a message to China, about what they're doing in the region, but it's also a broader message to everyone in the Pacific region, that the United States is here and we're here to stay," Kirby said.At least eight people were killed and more than 80 injured in two attacks in Burkina Faso's capital, one of them targeting the French embassy, security officials said.

Those killed were all security personnel, Security Minister Clement Sawadogo said during a Friday news conference in Ouagadougou.

The injured were being treated at local civilian and military hospitals, he said, adding that dozens were in "quite serious conditions" and three were "considered very serious."

Sawadogo confirmed there were two coordinated attacks: one against the French embassy, the other against the national army headquarters, and said assailants used a "vehicle packed with explosives" against the latter.

Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba on Saturday visited both attack sites, according to local media reports.

Remi Dandjinou, Burkina Faso's minister of communication, told CNN on Friday that six attackers had been "neutralized" across the two sites.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks.

Speaking in Paris, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France was targeted because it is "Burkina Faso's ally in its fight against terrorism."

The UN Security Council issued a statement condemning "in the strongest terms the barbaric and cowardly terrorist attacks" in Ouagadougou.

Its members "expressed their solidarity with Burkina Faso in its fight against terrorism and stressed the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism, which may be conducive to terrorism."

This is the third major assault on Ouagadougou in the past two years. Previous attacks were carried out by al Qaeda allies in the region.

An attack by gunmen last year on a restaurant in the capital left at least 18 people dead, including two attackers. The victims were of several different nationalities.

A similar assault in 2016 on a cafe and hotel popular with Western diplomats in the same district of the city left 29 dead.

The West, particularly France, considers Burkina Faso a key ally in the fight against al Qaeda in the region.

France has a military presence in Burkina Faso as part of Operation Barkhane, which was launched in 2014 to combat jihadist activity across the Sahel region.

The country was formerly known as the Republic of Upper Volta when it was established in 1958 as a self-governing colony under France. It gained full independence in 1960.UPDATE 7:45 P.M. - The statewide Silver Alert for Shainna R. Meadows has been cancelled.

For more information, you can contact the Tipton County Sheriff's Office at 765-675-2111

TIPTON COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - A statewide Silver Alert has been declared in Indiana.

The Tipton County Sheriff's Office is investigating the disappearance of a woman from Tipton, Indiana, about 51 miles north of Indianapolis.

Police report Shainna R. Meadows, 27, is a white woman, 5 feet 4 inches tall, 200 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black blouse, blue jeans and flip flops.

Officials say she was last seen driving a black 2017 Nissan Versa with Indiana License Plate 940TDP.

Police say Meadows was last seen on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 1:45 p.m. in Tipton, Indiana.

Officials say she is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical attention.

If you have any information on Meadows or her whereabouts, contact the Tipton County Sheriff's Department 765-675-2111 or call 911.Four men are charged with capital murder after a north Mississippi man was found dead.

The Lafayette County sheriff on Friday arrested four Oxford residents and charged each with capital murder in the death of Abbeville resident Dewayne Willis Jones Sr. He was found shot to death Wednesday morning on a road on the outskirts of Oxford.

Local media report that the sheriff's department says the men were trying to rob Jones. Charged are 24-year-old Melvin "Scooby" Johnson; 23-year-old Learica Harris; 19-year-old Keontae Harris; and 16-year-old Kentarious Kirkwood, who is being charged as an adult.

Each man is being held on $2 million bail at the Lafayette County jail. It's unclear if any of them have lawyers to speak for them.In the two weeks since the shooting that claimed 17 lives at a high school in Parkland, Florida, hundreds across the globe have come together to pledge funds and support to the students documenting the tragedy and its aftermath for the school's newspaper and yearbook.

A GoFundMe campaign created on the day of the shooting to benefit the student journalism program at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has raised more than $15,000, half its $30,000 goal, as of Friday. The campaign is "trending" on GoFundMe and has been shared 1,300 times on social media.

Funds raised will go towards printing an ad-free commemorative issue of The Eagle Eye, the quarterly student newspaper, and an additional opener, closer, and memorial pages for The Aerie, the student yearbook. The publications do not receive funding from the state or the district, newspaper adviser Melissa Falkowski said. Leftover money will go towards buying new computers and cameras.

The campaign was started by a high school yearbook adviser several states away. Allison Miller said news of the shooting hit particularly hard, as her school in Flower Mound, Texas, shares similar demographics with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. "It's not like a case of flooding, where they need money to replace things," she said. "What can we do to even help?"

Miller explained that both Marjory Stoneman Douglas and her high school, Marcus High School, are located in areas with similar socio-economic status and contain about the same numbers of students. (U.S. News & World Report lists Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's total enrollment as 2,972 and Marcus High School's as 2,439.)

Miller originally wanted to finance a yearbook for every Marjory Stoneman Douglas student. Like The Aerie, her publication is printed by Walsworth Publishing Company. Miller reached out to Walsworth to coordinate the initiative, and the publisher served as the liaison between Miller and Marjory Stoneman Douglas. After some consideration, the campaign was expanded to benefit the newspaper as well.

"Journalism doesn't take a break in the face of tragedy, so they have to carry on," Miller said. "We decided to start this to help raise the funds for these students to pursue any avenue that they choose to pursue and to use their voices without the fear of the costs and the fear of the repercussions."

Rebecca Schneid, 16, a survivor of the February 14 shooting and one of the editors in chief of The Eagle Eye, said every issue of the paper costs about $3,800 to print, "but more for this one, obviously, because we want it to be in every single student and faculty member's hands." The GoFundMe has been amazing in helping to cover the costs, she said, and the support her paper has received has bolstered her drive to continue telling her high school's story.

"There's so much outreach from across the country, and I think that feeds my journalistic ambitions to want to continue to write, because there's so much support," Schneid told CNN over the phone. "Because even though this has strengthened my love for journalism, it could have easily squashed somebody else's. You never know how you're going to react to this kind of trauma, to this kind of change in your life, so I think that the support around the country has really, really helped me in that."

The show of support appears to be flooding in from all over the world, including many who are associated with media and journalism. "This donation is on behalf of the Colorado Student Media Association," reads one comment, while another pledges support from The Arrowhead, the newspaper of Souderton Area High School in Pennsylvania.

"Solidarity and love from someone who was a high school and college journalist and news editor. Stay strong," reads another comment.

Jake Palenske, an instructor with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association who teaches sessions on digital media and fake news, is among those who donated to the campaign.

"Every time I see a student organization that's a journalism organization doing great work and needing some financial support, I always try and chip in," Palenske told CNN in an interview. "But in this case, if there was ever a point where students needed to be able to have their own outlets to tell the story of the school and to tell the story of an event, it's this."

Sarah Lerner, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School's yearbook adviser, is taking her students to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association conference in the coming weeks. She said the trip was planned before the tragedy, but events that celebrate student journalism are even more important in light of recent events.

"Using your student voice, whether it's through pictures, through your words, through design, it means so much more now because they're seeing how much of a difference they can make," Lerner said.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Florida Senate is held a rare Saturday session, discussing legislation aimed at making schools safer following the February 14th mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 14 students and three faculty members dead.

The sweeping proposal, as currently drawn, would raise the age to 21 for the purchase of rifles and other long guns, create a three-day waiting period on purchases of rifles and address school-hardening and mental health issues. Additionally, it would create what is being called a school marshal program that would allow specially trained teachers and other school workers, who are deputized by local law enforcement authorities, to carry guns to school.

The legislation is drawing criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, with gun-control advocates saying the bill does not do enough and gun-rights supporters saying the measure would penalize law-abiding gun owners.

Senator Bill Galvano is sponsoring the measure, which he calls a good compromise.

We have to start somewhere. We have to take more seriously than ever before the issue of security in our schools, the safety in our schools. This bill really is unprecedented," said State Sen. Bill Galvanon, R- Bradenton.

Democrats proposed several amendments to the bill Saturday, including an outright ban on AR-15 rifles like the one used in the school shooting, as well as a two-year moratorium on sales. Both amendments failed.

Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon says the high-powered rifle is the one common thread in many recent mass shootings.

What you can say about all of them is that they had an AR-15. So, we can do a lot of things, but this is kind of the one thing that is consistent," said State Sen. Oscar Braynon, D- Senate Minority Leader.

The final version of the Senate bill is expected to be debated and voted on Monday. If passed by the Senate, the House would then debate the legislation during the final week of the 2018 legislative session.

Any bill that comes from the legislature would ultimately have to be approved by Governor Rick Scott, who has said that he opposes the school marshal portion of the bill.MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - Rap superstar Rick Ross is hooked up to a machine that has taken over the function of his heart and lungs, according to a report from TMZ.

Ross, who's real name is William Leonard Roberts, was taken to the hospital after being found unresponsive and "slobbing at the mouth," TMZ reports.

In 2014, then-Mayor A C Wharton gave Ross a key to the city of Memphis for opening up several area Wingstop locations and bringing jobs to the Mid-South.

That same year, Ross--who was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi but raised in Florida--released a song called "Elvis Presley Blvd" featuring Memphis rapper Project Pat, which paid homage to the historic Memphis street.

According to TMZ, Ross is at a Miami area hospital in the cardio unit.

Copyright 2018 WMC Action News 5. All rights reserved.Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-14 17:57:54|Editor: Yamei

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Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela delivers a speech in Panama city, Panama, June 12, 2017. Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced on Monday that the Republic of Panama and the People's Republic of China have established diplomatic relations. (Xinhua/Panama's Presidency)

PANAMA CITY/BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- China and Panama on Tuesday established formal diplomatic relations in a historic move that will herald a new chapter for comprehensive and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela announced the move in the nationally televised address Monday, saying he is convinced that this is "the correct path" for his country.

"The People's Republic of China has always played a relevant role in Panama's economy," he said.

China is the second-biggest user of the Panama Canal and the leading provider of merchandise to a free-commerce zone in the Panamanian city of Colon, according to the president.

During a press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Panama is an important Latin American country, and the Chinese people value the traditional friendship with the Panamanian people.

He said the political decision made by President Varela and the Panamanian government meets the fundamental interests of the country.

"We both agreed that the establishment of bilateral ties will bring broad prospects for us to expand the comprehensive cooperation of mutual benefits," he said.

The two sides will engage in friendly exchanges of various levels and areas, and deepen political mutual trust, Wang said, adding that China welcomes Panama's active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The establishment of diplomatic relations did not come as a surprise for Wu Hongying, director of the Latin America office of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

"Both the politicians and business people in Panama have witnessed China's increasing influence and regard it as an active and responsible power," Wu said.

The establishment of diplomatic ties was also interpreted by some analysts in Panama as a historic move which will open up a promising prospect for the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Julio Yao, a professor of international law at the University of Panama, said that the decision has great significance for both Panama and China.

During an interview with Xinhua, Yao congratulated the Varela administration for taking the step of establishing diplomatic relations with China, which, he stressed, was not easy.

The expert, who helped negotiate the 1977 Panama Canal handover treaty, said that the move can be seen a gesture of independence in the country's diplomatic decision-making.

Meanwhile, Yao said that the move opens a wide range of cooperation opportunities between Panama and a major global economic power.

"It will give a boost to Panama's trade growth, revenue increase as well as scientific and technological development," Yao said.

He believes that China can contribute a lot to Panama's technological innovation, especially as far as the Panama Canal is concerned.

"It's a decision, in which Panama has much to gain and nothing to lose," Yao said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 07:39:23|Editor: Mengjie

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A video mapping work about China is projected on the facade of Gellert Hotel to celebrate the China-EU 2018 Tourism Year in Budapest, Hungary, March 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

BUDAPEST, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The Gellert Hotel, one of Hungary's most famous hotels, got painted by lights in the colors of China and the European Union here on Saturday evening to celebrate the EU-China 2018 Tourism Year.

The light show was part of a ceremony co-sponsored by China's Tourism Office in Budapest and the department of international tourism relations of Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The event also featured lion and dragon dances and Chinese tea making.

"The Chinese are fond of the Chinese red, which covers the building," China's Ambassador to Hungary Duan Jielong said at the event. "The red color not only represents the culture of China, but also symbolizes the eagerness of Chinese people to develop their country, in unity and it also stands for the harmony and the momentum of our people, as well as the joy of our festivities," he added.

Hailing the EU-China 2018 Tourism Year, Duan said that tourism is not only an important bridge for promoting people-to-people friendship, but also a new industry that drives economic growth. He expressed China's willingness to continuously strengthen tourism cooperation with Hungary.

Addressing the event, Emese Boros, Ministerial Commissioner for International Tourism Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary said Hungary obtained a special role in Europe regarding the presence of Chinese tourism, as the permanent regional tourism representation of China -- dealing with the 16 Central and Eastern European countries -- has been based in Budapest since 2016.

"The objective of the EU-China 2018 Tourism Year is also to learn one another's culture, gastronomy and landscapes," she said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 09:39:39|Editor: pengying

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TRIPOLI, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Up to 120 families in Libya's southern city of Sabha were displaced due to the undergoing tribal fighting beginning last week, the city government revealed on Saturday.

"120 families from the Tyuri neighborhood were displaced from their homes into the city as a result of the clashes and the deteriorating security situation at the southern entrance to the city," the government of Sabha said in a statement.

"The total number of displaced civilians was 700 plus 200 children," the statement added.

It also said a committee was formed to identify the displaced, meet their needs and provide them with urgent assistance.

Located some 800 km southwest of the capital Tripoli, Sabha has suffered tribal fighting for days.

The clashes have killed six people and injured 12 others, according to the Sabha Medical Center.

The city has witnessed unprecedented insecurity due to the rise in crimes and kidnappings by armed groups, as well as frequent tribal clashes.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Thursday expressed concerns about the violence in the city, demanding an end to the "indiscriminate use of weapons in densely populated areas."

The UN-backed government in Tripoli called for an immediate ceasefire in Sabha and confirmed that a committee was formed to "establish truce and restore stability to the south."YANGON, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will receive refugees who fled the Rakhine conflict to neighboring Bangladesh based on a list provided by the Bangladeshi side as the first batch, but the list will be converted into Myanmar format, Myanmar News Agency reported Sunday.

"The Bangladesh side had provided a list of more than 8,000 people from 1,600 households who will be sent back as the first batch. However, the list is not according to our format and our immigration department is converting the list into our format," Spokesman of the Presidential Office Director-General U Zaw Htay said on Saturday following a battalion commander level meeting held in the two countries' border.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed issues relating to people remaining illegally near the border, arrangement of joint patrol, and exchange of information on occurrences along the border on a real time basis, among others, the report said.

As of end of February, no refugee who fled the Rakhine conflict has returned from Bangladesh despite the announcement by the Myanmar authorities to receive them starting from Jan. 23.

The refugees were arranged to come back through some designated receiving camps, such as Taung Pyo Letwe and Nga Khu Ya reception centers set up at Maungtaw, while Hla Pho Kaung was added as a transit camp for the returnees.

Myanmar authorities blamed some unscrupulous groups for persuading the refugees not to return with the aim of making the matter more complicated to draw international attention and to invite pressure.

In the midst of the repatriation process, some refugees were reported to be stranded at zero line zone, prompting the authorities of the two countries to resolve matter of displaced people in such status.

Both sides vowed at their border authorities' meeting to offer assistance in sending the refugees camping at the zero line back to their homes.

Known as no man's land, the zero line is an undeveloped, formerly uninhabited area on the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh that has recently become homes for refugees who rejected to participate in the repatriation.

Rakhine state officials said the action of the displaced people at zero line are politically motivated to create international pressure.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an arrangement in November last year on the return of displaced persons from Bangladesh, based on the joint statement signed by foreign ministers of the two countries in 1992 which guides the systematic verification and acceptance of displaced persons from Rakhine state.

Despite the fact that no movement was seen since the designated day of starting to return, the Myanmar authorities insisted that coordination will continue with the other side's working group on the repatriation process for further action.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army extremist terrorists launched attacks on police outposts in Rakhine on Aug. 25 last year, displacing residents from a number of areas in Maungtaw district.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 11:12:26|Editor: pengying

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Police officers dip into the water to raise fund for athletes to participate in the Special Olympics during the 3rd annual Polar Plunge event in Vancouver, Canada, March 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Liang Sen)by Raimundo Urrechaga

HAVANA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Rolling cigars completely by hand is an art that has been passed down from generation to generation in Cuba.

Jose Alvarez, a Cuban cigar roller with over 25 years of experience, has transmitted his passion and professional knowledge about rolling cigars to the rest of his family.

Now at La Corona, one of the four largest cigar factories in Havana, he works along with his son and granddaughter. "I always feel so proud to work together with my son and my granddaughter and they are willing to continue the tradition. They learn from my experience and listen to my advice about this job," Alvarez told Xinhua.

"In my family, cigars are a tradition. Since I was a kid, my parents worked as cigar rollers in Cienfuegos (a city on the southern coast of Cuba) and I visited factories where tobaccos were made to learn about this world," Alvarez said.

According to the cigar maker, it was his wife who introduced him to this sector as she was already a cigar roller when they met.

On each working day, Alvarez rolls about 120 cigars on average, which is "exhausting, but rewarding at the same time," he said.

"Cigars are a symbol of Cuba. Cultivated and made exclusively in this Caribbean nation, cigars are an authentic Cuban product," Alvarez said, adding: "We make a product that is the best in the world and we must maintain its quality."

Thousands of cigars are produced daily and then sold worldwide. Last year, cigars brought an income of 500 million U.S. dollars for Habanos S.A, the company that sells the exclusive Cuban cigars.

"I think tobacco is very important for our country and arduous efforts must be made to continue increasing incomes in the sector, because I know we can make more and better cigars," said the experienced roller.

There are 640 workers at La Corona factory, 280 of whom are cigar rollers. Among them is Ivan Alvarez, Jose's son.

"Apparently this profession is in our family's genes. I started at 16 and now I am 40 years old. It is still a very satisfying job and I owe much of what I have learned to my parents," Ivan told Xinhua.

Every day, this man rolls more than 100 "Robustos" cigars that later bear the famous brand Cohiba, something that makes Ivan proud of his profession.

"I feel that from my hands comes out a product that gives life to the factory and to Cuba. I'm proud to be a cigar roller," he said.

Very close to her uncle Ivan and her grandfather Jose, Sheyla Estrada Alvarez is dedicating herself to rolling the difficult "Maravilla 2" cigar. The young woman with eight years of experience is known as one of the best rollers in the factory now.

"I started so young because of the family tradition, my grandparents encouraged me and I passed a course to become a cigar roller. I began at the Partagas factory and then I came to work with them here," Sheyla told Xinhua.

With great enthusiasm and confidence, the 25-year-old girl said she produces high-quality cigars even though she is young and she treats cigar rolling as a life-long profession.

"I know I do it well and I will continue doing it," she said.H The Habanos S.A. group is a joint venture between the state-owned Tabacuba and the Spanish company Altadis belonging to England's Imperial Tobacco Group.

In 2017, Habanos S.A. recorded a 12-percent growth in global sales of Cuban premium cigars and it is currently bent on diversifying its markets.

According to data provided by the company, Europe remains the largest market for Cuban cigars, with 54 percent of sales, followed by America with17 percent, Asia Pacific with 15 percent and Africa and the Middle East with 14 percent.

Sheyla, Ivan and Jose said their hope is the industry could grow and benefit the national economy.

"I think this sector has a promising future," Jose said at the end of the interview with Xinhua.S.Korean president to send special delegation to DPRK on March 5 Source: Xinhua 2018-03-04 13:10:19 SEOUL, March 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided to send a special delegation, led by Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor for Moon, to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on March 5, senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said Sunday in a televised press briefing. Editor: pengyingSource: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 13:30:22|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China's national legislature will hear and deliberate on the institutional reform plan of the State Council, or the country's cabinet, a spokesperson said Sunday.

Zhang Yesui, spokesman of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), said the plan, an important part of the reform program regarding the Party and state institutions, will be deliberated on March 13 at the fourth plenary meeting of the NPC session.

"The goal of reform is to establish a Party and state institutional function system that is well conceived, fully built, procedure based, and efficiently functioning," Zhang said at a press conference.SEOUL, March 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided to send his special envoys to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on March 5, after top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's dispatch of a special delegation to South Korea last month.

The South Korean special delegation will be led by Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor to President Moon, Yoon Young-chan, senior presidential press secretary, told a televised press briefing.

Also included in the delegation are Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service, and Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung.

It would be the return visit to Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of the DPRK leader. The younger Kim made a three-day visit to South Korea to attend the Winter Olympics last month.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 14:05:30|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States share more mutual benefits than differences and cooperation is the only right option for both countries, said a spokesman for the annual session of China's national legislature Sunday.

The stable development of Sino-U.S. ties serves the fundamental interests of people of both countries and is much anticipated by the international community, Zhang Yesui, former Chinese ambassador to the United States and spokesperson for the first session of the 13th National People's Congress, told a press conference.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States would impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent for aluminum, raising concerns of escalating trade tension between the two countries.

"China doesn't want a trade war with the United States, but if any U.S. moves hurt China's interests, we will not sit idle," said Zhang.

Zhang pointed out that certain frictions are natural given the huge bilateral trading volume, while economic and trade ties between the countries are essentially mutually beneficial.

It's normal for China and the United States to have different ideas on certain issues, but such differences do not necessarily lead to confrontation, Zhang said.

The right approach is to open up market to each other, make the pie of cooperation bigger and work together to find solutions acceptable to both parties through dialogue and consultation, Zhang added.

Liu He, a senior Chinese economic and financial official met with U.S. counterparts this week and they have agreed that the two countries should settle their trade disputes by cooperation rather than confrontation.

The two sides also agreed to talk about related issues in Beijing in the near future, in a bid to create conditions for further cooperation.

It's imperative for two countries to perceive each other's strategic intentions objectively and accurately. Policies formed by misjudgment or wrong presumption will hurt the relations and bring about consequences neither side wants to see, he said.

China stands ready to work with the United States to follow through the consensus and outcomes reached by the two countries' leaders last year and work with mutual respect and strategic trust to properly handle differences and keep bilateral ties on track, Zhang added.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 14:15:32|Editor: Jiaxin

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A policeman shoots during the graduation ceremony in Ghazni Province, east Afghanistan, March 3, 2018. A total of 99 people on Saturday joined the National Police in Ghazni after a four-week training. (Xinhua/Sayed Mominzadah)

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, March 4 (Xinhua) -- A total of 99 people after completion of a four-week training course and receiving certificates joined the National Police in Afghanistan's eastern Ghazni province on Saturday, provincial police chief General Mohammad Zaman said Sunday.

During the training course, all the 99 persons had learned how to use weapons, search houses, behave suspected persons and discharge duties, the police official said.

The newly graduated police personnel would be deployed in different districts of the relatively troubled Ghazni province to serve the nation, Zaman said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 14:15:33|Editor: Mengjie

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HOUSTON, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese students, scholars and alumni in the greater Houston area Saturday enjoyed a multicultural performing arts event designed to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Organized by the United Associations of Chinese Alumni in Houston, the event featured dance, music, and martial arts performances.

Other than Chinese students and alumni, American students who are studying Chinese also participated in the show. Singing Chinese songs and performing short stage plays, their excellent Chinese drew rounds of applause from the audience.

Delivering a speech at the ceremony, Chinese Deputy Consul General in Houston Wang Yu said China's development and opening-up have created more opportunities for overseas Chinese students.

He hoped that Chinese students and alumni will give a full play of their professional knowledge and skills, and build a bridge for the exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States.

Established in 1997, the United Associations of Chinese Alumni in Houston is a non-profit and non-partisan organization aiming to coordinate all Chinese alumni in the greater Houston area for friendship, networking, and cultural promotion.

The organization is a union of 47 Chinese alumni associations and Chinese students and scholars associations in Houston with over 7,000 members. It is one of the largest organizations in the Chinese community in the greater Houston area.SEOUL, March 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided to send his special envoys to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on March 5, after top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's dispatch of a special delegation to South Korea last month.

The South Korean special delegation, composed of five envoys and five working-level officials, will be led by Chung Eui-yong, a top national security adviser for Moon and head of the National Security Office of the Blue House, Yoon Young-chan, Moon's senior press secretary, told a press briefing on Sunday.

Four other special envoys are Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the country's spy agency, Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung, Second Deputy NIS Director Kim Sang-gyun, and Yun Kun-young, a senior Blue House official.

The special delegation will travel via a western direct route to the DPRK on a special plane Monday afternoon for a two-day visit to Pyongyang.

During their stay in Pyongyang, the South Korean delegation will hold dialogues with senior-level DPRK officials to build peace on the Korean Peninsula and improve inter-Korean relations, the Blue House press secretary said.

It would be the return visit to Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of the DPRK leader. The younger Kim made a three-day visit to South Korea to attend the Winter Olympics last month.

The younger Kim met with Moon in Seoul, conveying the DPRK leader's invitation to the South Korean president to visit Pyongyang at a convenient time.

The Blue House press secretary said the special delegation will make a comprehensive discussion with DPRK officials on issues including conditions to be created for talks between the DPRK and the United States to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, and improved inter-Korean relations such as more exchanges between the two Koreas.

On returning to South Korea Tuesday afternoon, the special delegation will report to President Moon on their visit and visit the United States to explain the result of its dialogues with the DPRK side.

South Korea will closely cooperate with China and Japan, the Blue House press secretary said.KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police have arrested six Taliban militants in the northern Kunduz province on Saturday night, security forces spokesman Ghulam Hazrat Karimi said Sunday.

"A group of Taliban rebels were attempting to cross a main road late night in Khan Abad district for subversive activities but security forces, acting upon intelligence report, attacked the group and arrested six of them on the spot," Karimi told Xinhua.

All the arrested militants are being investigated, the official said.

Taliban militants are yet to make comment on the report.SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Up to 13 militants were killed as Afghan government forces aircrafts pounded the hideout of Islamic State (IS) group in Darzab district of northern Jawzjan province on Saturday, army spokesman in the northern region Nasratullah Jamshidi said Sunday.

"Acting upon intelligence report, the government forces' war planes struck the hideout of IS commander Qari Hekmatullah in Chakan area of Darzab district yesterday afternoon, killing 13 rebels on the spot," Jamshidi told Xinhua.

Two of those killed in the strikes were foreigners, the official said without identifying their nationalities.

The government forces war planes would continue to target IS militants in Darzab district, the official asserted.

IS outfit has yet to make comment on the report.ISLAMABAD, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered a ban on the sale, import and export of monosodium glutamate salt declaring it is hazardous for health, local media reported on Sunday.

The monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid and is popularly known as Aji-No-Moto in Pakistan. The salt gradually has become an essential product in Pakistani kitchens and it is used in a number of dishes to increase their taste.

According to the reports, a three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, while hearing a case against the commodity Saturday, ordered all the top responsible authorities to implement the court's orders immediately.

The chief justice also urged prime minister of the country to take up the issue in the cabinet.

The court was told that the country's three provinces including eastern Punjab, northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Sindh have already banned the condiment and are taking measures against its selling.

The court took a Suo Motu notice of the issue after reports about its hazardous effects on human health were surfaced.

In January, the food authority of Punjab had banned the salt after its scientific panel conducted laboratory tests on the commodity and found it hazardous to health.

According to the findings of the panel, monosodium glutamate or Aji-No-Moto is extremely hazardous for pregnant women and it can cause headaches, fatigue, palpitations, nausea and vomiting, sweating, flushing and numbness of the face and hypertension.

The scientific panel recommended banning the usage of the salt in all eateries, frozen foods and all other food products in the country.BELGRADE, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Citizens of Belgrade will vote on Sunday to decide on the composition of the city assembly that will choose the next mayor.

Around 1,200 polling stations opened here at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT), while according to the City of Belgrade Election Commission, a total of 1,606,931 people are eligible to vote at local elections.

Only parties that win more than 5 percent of votes will enter the city assembly, and at one of the first city assembly sessions a new mayor will be elected with a minimum of 56 votes out of the 110 parliament seats.

A recent research published three days ago by Ipsos marketing agency shows that 44 percent people will vote for the ruling Progressive Party of Serbia promoted by current Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic who is also the party's chairman.

Around 13.4 percent of respondents said they would vote for former Belgrade mayor Dragan Dilas's Demokratska Stranka, the nation's main opposition party, while 7.9 percent would opt for the list of Aleksandar Sapic, president of New Belgrade municipality.

Among the topics that marked the campaign so far were ways to improve life of citizens through advancing city transportation and building a subway network or to subsidize families' expenses for kindergartens and schoolbooks.

Current Belgrade mayor Sinisa Mali from the Progressive party was elected on April 24, 2014, and his four-year mandate is about to expire.

Besides Belgrade, local elections take place in the cities of Sevojno, Arandjelovac and Bor, where people will also elect representatives in their local parliaments. All polling stations close at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) when the counting of ballots starts.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 15:55:50|Editor: Lifang

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BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers are planning to combine the country's three foreign investment laws and work on a new basic law to promote and protect foreign investment, a spokesperson for the annual session of China's top legislature said Sunday.

Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), revealed the move at a press conference prior to the yearly meeting.

The new legislation will stick to policies of high-standard liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and significantly ease market access for foreign companies, Zhang said.

It will create a transparent, stable and predictable business environment for foreign investors and protect their rights and interests, ensuring that they enjoy national treatment and a fair market, he said.

Chinese leadership has pledged at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last October that "China will not close its door to the world, and it will only become more and more open."

The lawmakers are planning to introduce or modify more than 20 laws this year, including compiling the individual books of a civil code and formulating laws on specific taxes, according to Zhang.

A five-year legislative plan for the 13th NPC Standing Committee is also underway, which will be formulated on the basis of extensive consultation and thorough study, he said.WASHINGTON, March 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to levy tariffs on steel and aluminum imports has received worldwide criticism and retaliatory intentions from some of its closest allies.

On Thursday, Trump announced his plan to impose penalties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on imported aluminum, which will come into effect next week.

Trump's planned tariffs have sparked anger from Canada and the European Union (EU).

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Trump's plan will have "significant and serious" economic ramifications on the two nations.

"The United States has a two-billion Canadian dollar surplus on steel with us, so we regard the imposition of any new tariffs or any tariffs on steel or aluminum between our two countries as absolutely unacceptable," Trudeau told a news conference on Friday.

"Should restrictions be imposed on Canadian steel and aluminum products, Canada will take responsive measures to defend its trade interests and workers," Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement Thursday.

Canada is the largest steel exporter to the U.S. market, with steel imports from Canada accounting for 16.1 percent of the U.S. total steel imports in 2017, according to U.S. Commerce Department data.

Meanwhile, the EU has vowed to take retaliatory measures.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Trump's decision was "regrettable," while adding that the European Union would not stand idly by.

"We will now impose duties on motorbikes, Harley Davidsons, on jeans, Levi's, on bourbon," Juncker said during a speech late Friday in the northern German city of Hamburg, adding that it was "stupid" but necessary behavior.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel added her voice to a chorus of political and industry leaders slamming the proposed import duties.

"The federal government rejects such tariffs," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said, "These tariffs would hit the international trade streams of our steel and aluminum industry severely."

"Someone who talks so much about fair trade like President Trump should not resort to such unfair methods," German Economics Minister Brigitte Zypries said, warning that the tariffs could set off "tectonic shifts in world trade."

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said the outlook for the steel and aluminum sectors was already "fragile."

"All the options are on the table" if the new tariffs went into effect, he said, adding that "a trade war between Europe and the United States will have only losers."

Overall, the 28 EU nations make up nearly 21 percent of the steel imports of the United States, the world's largest steel importer, according to the German Steel Federation.

World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Roberto Azevedo has expressed too the organization's concern over U.S. tariff plans in a brief statement.

"The WTO is clearly concerned at the announcement of U.S. plans for tariffs on steel and aluminum," Azevedo said on Friday, warning that "the potential for escalation is real, as we have seen from the initial responses of others."

"A trade war is in no-one's interests. The WTO will be watching the situation very closely," he added.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also said that the import restrictions would not only hurt the U.S., but also other economies.

"The import restrictions announced by the U.S. president are likely to cause damage not only outside the U.S., but also to the U.S. economy itself, including to its manufacturing and construction sectors, which are major users of aluminum and steel," said IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice in a statement on Friday.

Ed Hirs, who teaches energy economics at the University of Houston, told local media that Houston's oil and gas sector and the Gulf Coast region might be impacted the most by the tariffs, as the area consumes thousands of tons of steel in drilling, pipeline and refining operations.

Houston is known as the oil and gas capital of the world as well as home to one of the largest petrochemical manufacturing centers in the world. The Gulf Coast is an area in the southern United States along the northern portion of the Gulf of Mexico.by Xu Haijing, Zhao Bo

CANBERRA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Australian media should be responsible when covering China-Australia relationship to avoid causing misunderstanding and distrust, Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Forrest, who is the founder and chairman of Fortescue Metals Group, one of the world's leading iron ore producers, said Australian media had "overreacted" to some small events in China-Australian relations with sensationalized reports.

He also asked China to "take headlines in Australian media report with a big dose of humor because that's all they deserve."

Forrest had made a powerful speech earlier last week at a Chinese New Year function co-hosted by the Australian China Business Council and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Australia.

He said Australia has disregarded its friendship with China "that defines Australian modernity, and our shared humanity in the coming future."

"We have listened too much to immature alarmists and not enough to each other. We have neglected the nourishment of our greatest friendship -- China and Australia must nourish that friendship," Forrest said.

In his interview with Xinhua, Forrest said that both Australia and China need to appreciate their friendship and long shared history of "over 100 years old."

Forrest noted in his earlier speech that China has made great contribution to the defeat of the military Japan and suffered huge losses in the Second World War, calling China "an ally in war, an ally in business, and an ally in Australia's history and future destiny."

He said Australia's excellent fiscal relationship with China, one built on decades of trust, helped Australia to achieve 27 years' of uninterrupted economic growth, a world record in modern history.

"I'm very proud of the huge relationship which developed between China and Australia. I'm very proud of where it comes from, which is a base of trust. And certainly most proud of our future together," he told Xinhua. ( "All we -- government, media, business people -- have to do is to recognize it. We got way more in common than we do have in differences," he said.

He called for a stop to the "distrust, paranoia and a loss of respect" fueled by current debate in Australia on bilateral relations.

"If we act with maturity, strength and respect, Australia's relationship with China will prosper," he said in the speech.

Forrest asked Australians to stand with him and "respect and celebrate the Chinese community's deep roots in Australia, and the vital role China has played in the strength and cultural richness of Australia."

"We need to stop only focusing on what separates us ... Government, business and commentators all have a role to play in our future and mature engagement," he said.

"I am hopeful that 2018 will mark a turning point in the China-Australia relationship and, from my own experience, there is plenty to celebrate," he added.By Yoo Seungki

SEOUL, March 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided Sunday to send his special envoys to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in an effort to mediate direct talks between the DPRK and the United States.

Yoon Young-chan, senior presidential press secretary, told a press briefing that Moon's special delegation, composed of five emissaries and five working-level officials, will make a two-day visit to Pyongyang starting March 5 for talks with senior DPRK officials.

The delegation will be led by Chung Eui-yong, top national security adviser for Moon and head of the National Security Office of the Blue House.

Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the country's spy agency, is included in the delegation along with Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung, Second Deputy NIS Director Kim Sang-gyun, and Yun Kun-young, a senior Blue House official.

The special delegation will travel via a western direct route to the DPRK on a special plane Monday afternoon, and will stay in Pyongyang before returning to South Korea Tuesday afternoon.

On coming back to Seoul, the special envoys will report to President Moon on their trip to the DPRK, and then will visit the United States to explain the result of dialogues with the DPRK side, said Yoon who noted that South Korea will also closely cooperate with China and Japan.

Yoon said the envoys will make a comprehensive discussion with the DPRK side about issues especially on necessary conditions to be created for a dialogue between the DPRK and the United States.

Moon's plan to send his envoys to Pyongyang and Washington in succession is part of his efforts to play a mediating role in bringing the two countries to a dialogue table to peacefully resolve the peninsula's nuclear issue.

When he met with Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, Moon called on Pyongyang to more actively engage in a dialogue with Washington.

The younger Kim came here last month as a special envoy. She conveyed the DPRK leader's invitation to Moon to visit Pyongyang at a convenient time, and the South Korean president stressed the need for talks between the DPRK and the United States before the first summit between Moon and Kim.

In response, the DPRK leader delivered his message through Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea who led a high-ranking DPRK delegation to the Olympic closing ceremony.

During his three-day stay here through Tuesday, the chief DPRK delegate said his country was open to a dialogue with the United States.

On Thursday, Moon had a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, telling Trump about his plan to dispatch his special envoy to Pyongyang.

During a phone conversation in January, Moon agreed with Trump to delay the joint annual South Korea-U.S. war games during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic period after the DPRK showed its willingness to participate in the Winter Olympics. Pyongyang has denounced the war games as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.

The delayed military exercises between South Korea and the United States could be conducted after the end of Winter Paralympics on March 18.

Chung, the chief South Korean delegate to Pyongyang, is the highest official on security and foreign affairs, except Moon. He is known to have a direct, close dialogue channel with senior White House officials.SEOUL, March 4 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided Sunday to dispatch his special envoys to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on March 5, the first such dispatch in 11 years.

Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor for Moon, will lead the special delegation, composed of five delegates and five working-level officials. Suh Hoon, director of the country's intelligence agency, was included in the delegation.

The delegation will make a two-day trip to Pyongyang for dialogues with senior DPRK officials on issues to improve inter-Korean relations and denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, according to the Blue House of South Korea.

South Korean leaders had sent special envoys to Pyongyang, mostly secretly and made known later, before reaching any historically significant agreement with the DPRK and holding the two inter-Korean summit talks.

The first known emissary was Lee Hu-rak, former intelligence agency chief who was sent in 1972 to the DPRK by then South Korean President Park Chung-hee to meet with the late DPRK founder Kim Il Sung, grandfather of the current leader Kim Jong Un.

Two months after his secret visit to Pyongyang, South Korea and the DPRK announced the joint communique on July 4, 1972, on three principles of the reunification of the two Koreas: independence, peaceful reunification, and great national unity.

It was the first communique to be agreed upon and jointly announced by the two Koreas since the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945.

Since then, South Korea had reportedly dispatched secret envoys to Pyongyang for communication with the DPRK side.

Before the historic inter-Korean summit meeting was held in Pyongyang in 2000, then liberal South Korean President Kim Dae-jung ordered his special envoys to meet with DPRK officials to discuss the first-ever summit talks since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended.

The Korean Peninsula remains technically in a state of war as the fratricidal war ended in armistice, not peace treaty.

Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, Kim Dae-jung's successor, secretly dispatched then intelligence agency chief to the DPRK as a special envoy to arrange the second inter-Korean summit meeting.

Months after the dispatch, Roh and Kim Jong Il, then DPRK leader and father of the current leader, met in Pyongyang in October 2007.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 17:16:08|Editor: Jiaxin

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PYONGYANG, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The inter-Korean rapprochement remained unabated as South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday decided to send his special envoys to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) soon.

This followed the visits of two special delegations sent by DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un to South Korea last month, whose members included his sister, Kim Yo Jong.

The trip to Pyongyang by 10 South Korean envoys and officials, led by Chung Eui-yong, presidential security adviser and head of the National Security Office of the Blue House, will be the first high-level visit by South Korean officials to the DPRK for nearly a decade.

During their stay in Pyongyang, the South Korean delegation will hold dialogue with senior DPRK officials on furthering peace on the Korean Peninsula.

They will also discuss how to create conditions for dialogue between the DPRK and the Untied States, after the DPRK announced readiness to hold dialogue with Washington.

POST-PYEONGCHANG INTER-KOREAN PEACE PROCESS

While the PyeongChang Winter Olympics had resulted in significant improvement of inter-Korean relations, it remains to be seen whether the momentum of the peace process can be maintained.

Both the DPRK and South Korea have shown great enthusiasm and sincerity in improving relations and attaining reconciliation in the past two months.

Many have expected that a "Korean Spring" will follow after the winter games.

DPRK official media have hailed it as "hard-won achievement" made by the two sides so far in creating a good atmosphere for improving bilateral ties, but warned against any move which could derail the process, such as a resumption of U.S.-South Korean joint military drills.

DPRK-U.S. DIALOGUE BECOMES POSSIBLE

When its high-level delegations visited South Korea, the DPRK expressed intention to hold dialogue with the United States.

Pyongyang reaffirmed on Saturday that bilateral talks with Washington are possible and Pyongyang prioritizes diplomatic and peaceful means to solve the conflict with the United States rather than military confrontation.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK said the dialogue the DPRK wants is one "designed to discuss and resolve the issue of mutual concern on an equal footing between states."

The overture of talks by the DPRK is welcomed as a significant step forward as dialogue will dramatically change the situation on the peninsula and even regional geopolitics.

TRILATERAL TALKS IN SIGHT?

Up to now, the United States has insisted that it will keep watching if the DPRK has intention to abandon nuclear weapons and missiles.

But mixed message emerged during the Winter Olympics indicating that Washington did not rule out dialogue with the DPRK in the near future and was keeping diplomatic channels open.

U.S. media reported that the DPRK cancelled at the last minute a meeting with the U.S. side during the opening ceremony of the winter games on Feb. 9, since Pyongyang was angry about the U.S. decision to keep maximum pressure through sanctions on it.

The DPRK has not responded to the report, but has claimed that the United States has itself "knocked on the door" for dialogue.

After their visit to Pyongyang in the coming days, the South Korean envoys will also travel to the United States to brief American officials of the results of their Pyongyang trip.

U.S. URGED TO SEIZE CHANCE FOR PEACE

Many members of the international community expect the DPRK and the United States to start dialogue as soon as possible amid a warmer atmosphere on the Korean peninsula.

At the Munich security conference last month, a senior Chinese official called on the United States to seize this peace-opportunity by opening diplomatic communications with the DPRK.

Fu Ying, a veteran Chinese diplomat and chairperson of the foreign affairs committee of the National People's Congress, said that the crux of the Korean Peninsula issue is security, which can only be tackled through talks by Washington and Pyongyang.

Whether the inter-Korean rapprochement could evolve into a trilateral interaction involving the United States is being closely watched.KHOST, Afghanistan, March 4 (Xinhua) -- A clash between security forces and anti-government militants claimed the lives of four civilians in Nadir Shahkot district of Afghanistan's eastern Khost province on Saturday night, deputy to provincial police chief, Abdul Hanan said Sunday.

The clash, according to the official, erupted in Zini Khilzari village Saturday night during which four civilians including two women were killed.

To register their protest, the villagers took the coffins of the murdered civilians to provincial capital Khost city and asked the government to bring to justice those behind the murder.

Parts of Khost province have been the scene of Taliban-led militancy over the past few years.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 18:16:21|Editor: Jiaxin

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RAMALLAH, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Palestinians are counting on an active role of the European Union (EU) to create a multilateral sponsorship for Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

It was believed to be part of the Palestinians' response to the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last year.

According to Palestinian Ambassador to the EU Abdel Rahim al-Farra, Palestinians and Arabs hoped that Europe would help in establishing an international mechanism to oversee the stalled peace process.

They also yearned for a European recognition of a Palestinian state on the territories occupied in 1967, said Farra.

"Palestinian-European and European-Arab intensive meetings have recently been held... They focused on recognizing the state of Palestine and creating a multilateral sponsorship for the peace process," Farra revealed.

He explained that the Palestinian position is based on the fact that Washington can no longer take care of the peace process after its recognition in December of the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move overwhelmingly rejected by the EU members.

"Our stance is also based on the need for a multiple international sponsorship, where the EU should be a key player," he said.

The Palestinian diplomat highlighted the importance of the European role in view of the geographical link between Europe and the Mideast region, citing that the EU is the largest economic supporter of Palestine.

"We have also discussed several proposals, including the expansion of the International Quartet for peace," Farra pointed out.

A European-Arab meeting was held last week in Brussels after meetings of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Jan. 20 with European Union foreign ministers in Brussels.

Meanwhile, Information and Communication Officer Shadi Othman said the European position on the peace process is founded on the need to launch a credible process within a specific framework and clear terms of reference based on the resolutions of international legitimacy and within a clear timetable.

"The EU believes it cannot assume this role alone... we would rather believe that there is a need for an international and regional partnership including the United States, to achieve what everyone yearns for; a two-state solution according to international legitimacy resolutions and a clear timetable," he told Xinhua.

"The Palestinians are stepping up their moves with all their diplomatic might to create a new multilateral framework that breaks the U.S. monopoly over peace negotiations which lasted for a quarter century," Ramallah-based political analyst and writer, Khalil Shahin, told Xinhua.

Shahin believed that the Palestinian move is meant to secure an international cover that can withstand the pressure that is expected to increase as Trump approaches his plan to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

"The Palestinian bets are based mainly on Russian, Chinese and European understandings, which are based primarily on supporting the Palestinian position with regard to adherence to the two-state solution and the resolutions of international legitimacy to achieve peace," he pointed out.

However, Shahin stressed that international players still insist that the U.S. administration remains the key actor in any political process, even if there is a multilateral framework such as expanding the Quartet.

The Palestinian observer said that more important than defining peace sponsors is the Palestinian need to adhere to the references based on international law and United Nations resolutions to face the de facto reference that Washington is trying to impose.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 18:31:22|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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by Julia Pierrepont III

LOS ANGELES, March 3 (Xinhua) -- In a festive white carnival tent reminiscent of beach parties and bar mitzvahs, 400 of Hollywood's talented and progressive independent (non-studio) filmmakers gathered Saturday in the pouring rain to honor their top picks for the most talented and innovative films and filmmakers in the world.

Jordan Peele's horror film "Get Out" was this year's big winner, sweeping up two out three of his nominations for Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture, leaving only Best Screenplay unclaimed.

Groundbreaking director, Spike Lee, who won Best First-time Director himself at the Spirit Awards in 1986 and who teaches a masterclass in film direction at New York University, presented Peele with the Best Director statue.

In his acceptance speech, Peele said: "Our truths are the most powerful weapons we have against the lies in this world. I didn't think it could ever get made, but I knew (this film) had to exist."

He went on to say: "Its clear we are at the beginning of a renaissance right now, where stories from the outsiders, stories from the people in this room, the same stories that independent filmmakers have been telling for years are being honored and recognized and celebrated."

For the last 33 years, the Independent Spirit Awards have been an important part of the motion picture industry, shining a spotlight on the world's most poignant, insightful and politically active films and filmmakers each year.

The mission statement of Film Independent, who hosts the awards, is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling and support a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision.

Comedian hosts, Nick Kroll, who voices Netflix' "Big Mouth" and John Mulaney, from the Broadway hit, "Oh Hello on Broadway," opened the show by addressing the topical elephant in the room: the #TimesUp movement to stop sexual misconduct and exploitation.

Activist Producer, Effie Brown, took to the stage to speak passionately about Film Independent's successful mentorship program, Project Involve, extorting the attendees to get involved in mentoring, hiring and funding the hundreds of new filmmakers they have mentored over the years.

The Best Supporting Female Actor Award went to multi-Award-winner Allison Janney, for her "eats-her-own-young" mom in "I, Tonya."

Janney told Xinhua that "can-do" spirit of "I, Tonya" that enabled them to get it done, "represents the best in independent cinema."

Best Supporting Actor went to the reigning favorite, Sam Rockwell, who has a big chance in wining at the Oscars tomorrow as well.

Best Female Lead went to Francis McDormand, who wore her bedroom slippers up on stage and expressed relief that she was allowed to swear at the Spirit Awards.

"Martin McDonagh knows that a well-placed (expletive) makes a sentence sing like nothing else," she explained.

Best Male Lead went to youngster, Timothee Chalamet, for "Call Me By Your Name," who promised that "Things are going to change" in the industry.

Women and minorities walked away with the majority of the awards on Saturday, including Tatiana Riegel, the first woman to be nominated for a Best Editing Award, who took home the prize for her tight, compelling edit of "I, Tonya." When asked if her win might put her in a position to get equal pay to male editors, she replied: "There is a discrepancy. I hope to get parity, but it may take time."

"Mudbound" won the Robert Altman prize, which is presented to the director, ensemble cast and casting director of the top film by Film Independent, the sponsor of the Independent Spirit Awards.

"Mudbound" director, Dee Reese, told Xinhua: "This film is a powerful reminder that although our nation's painful past is woven into the present, we can move into a better future."

The Best First Screenplay Award went to Pakistani-American, Kumail Nanjiani, of "Silicon Valley," and his wife and writing partner, Emily V. Gordon, for their hit, comedy biopic, "The Big Sick," about an interracial couple who confront illness and parents resistant to their daughter's ethnic suitor. The two are also nominated for an Oscar in the same category.

First Feature Award went to "Ingrid Goes West" and Best Documentary went to "Faces Places," by noted French director, Agnes Varda and Kiehl's Someone to Watch Award went to Korean-American writer/director, Justin Chon, for "Gook."

Best Screenplay went to a very surprised Greta Gerwig, who later told Xinhua, "It was 350 pages, but I managed to pare it down to the more interesting, manageable parts." She is also up for an Oscar tomorrow.

Chloe Zhao, a Beijing native who immigrated to the United States with her folks when she was 15, was nominated for Best Feature, Best Director, Best Editing and Best Cinematography for her latest film, "The Rider." She was awarded the newly-vested Bonnie Award, an award given to women filmmakers in mid-career, rather than first-timers.

Multiple Emmy Award-winning and Academy nominated director, Ava DuVernay, raved about Zhao: "Her work burns so bright, it hurts my eyes." DuVernay is a leader in the #TimesUp movement and recently directed Oprah Winfrey's film adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's young adult classic, "Wrinkle In Time."

After accepting her award, Zhao told Xinhua: "This isn't about one person. I have an amazing team. Working with my gifted cinematographer is like a dance. And to Ava and all the strong women out there, thank you for being great role models." Zhao is now planning a Sci Fi film which she intends to shoot in China.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 18:51:26|Editor: Lifang

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China's Consul General in Chiang Mai Ren Yisheng (2nd R, rear) visits a Chinese tourist injured in a bus accident in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on March 4, 2018. A van veered off and crashed into a convenience store in northern Thailand's Chiang Mai on Saturday afternoon, injuring nine Chinese tourists. (Xinhua)

BANGKOK, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Two out of four severely injured Chinese tourists have undertaken surgeries in local hospitals while the remaining two await taking surgeries later, China's consulate general in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand said on Sunday.

Another five Chinese tourists, who suffered minor injuries, have been treated properly in local hospitals and could be discharged from hospital soon, the consulate general said.

Consul General Ren Yisheng paid a visit to the injured tourists and urged police and tourism authority to investigate the case and find out the cause soon.

A van veered off and crashed into a convenience store in northern Thailand's Chiang Mai on Saturday afternoon, injuring nine Chinese tourists.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 20:05:15|Editor: Jiaxin

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ADEN, Yemen, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Saudi-led coalition carried out 10 airstrikes against positions controlled by the Shiite Houthi group in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday, residents told Xinhua.

According to residents based in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, "a series of airstrikes by Saudi-led warplanes hit military sites manned by Houthis in different areas of the city, causing frightening loud explosions."

The Saudi-led warplanes continued swooping low and hovering over Sanaa airspace for hours, creating panic among students in schools, the residents said.

A military official, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Xinhua by phone saying that "more than ten airstrikes apparently struck arms caches belonging to Houthis in the mountain of Oyban."

Houthi-run media outlets confirmed that several Saudi-led airstrikes pounded Sanaa, leading to broadcasting interruption of local radio station after targeting its aerials.

There were no immediate reports of casualties caused by the Saudi-led airstrikes against Houthis in Sanaa.

Meanwhile, large protests were organized in Sanaa against Houthi authorities as a result of skyrocketing prices of basic commodities and extreme shortage of gas.

"Cooking gas is unavailable in Sanaa and people stand in long queues for days not knowing when it'll arrive," one of the protesters said.

The Saudi-led coalition has intensified military air campaign against Houthi positions in and around the Houthi rebels-held capital Sanaa and other northern provinces since Houthis killed former President Ali Abdullah Saleh on Dec. 4.

The coalition has intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to roll back Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels, and backed internationally recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi whom Houthis forced into exile in Saudi Arabia.

The war has killed over 10,000 Yemenis, mostly children, displaced 3 million, and triggered the world's most humanitarian catastrophe.

Tensions have escalated in Sanaa and other northern provinces after Houthis killed their top ally strongman Saleh after he changed alliance and backed the anti-Houthi coalition.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 20:10:16|Editor: Jiaxin

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TEHRAN, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Aviation Organization on Sunday confirmed the discovery of black boxes of crashed passenger plane which crashed last month with all 66 on board killed.

Reza Jafarzadeh, the manager of public relation of the organization, told reporters on Sunday that the black boxes were found on Saturday by Iran's rescue operators on the heights of Dena Mountain.

The boxes were ascended and "its authenticity is officially confirmed," Jafarzadeh said.

FDR and CDR boxes wer delivered to the judiciary officials and, after legal processes, they will be availed to the Iranian Aviation Organization for decoding their data, he added.

Bahram Parsaee, a senior Iranian lawmaker, on Saturday said that the representative of the Iranian Majlis (parliament) would monitor the data decoding in the box.

On Feb. 18, an ATR 72 turboprop aircraft belonging to Iran Aseman Airlines took off from the capital Tehran to Yasuj city in central Iran at 5:00 a.m. (0130 GMT), and later crashed near Bideh village of the central city of Semirom.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 21:35:24|Editor: Jiaxin

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DAMASCUS, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Syria's national TV said Sunday that the rebels in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta area are "collapsing" as a result of the Syrian military offensive in that area.

The state TV announced the Syrian army's capture of the town of Nashabiyeh and other towns in Eastern Ghouta, which had been under the control of the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee, or the Nusra Front.

The army has also captured the strategic Tal Ferzat hilltop, after isolating the rebels' tunnels in that area, said the report, adding that the Syrian army is carrying out a tactic of splitting the areas in Eastern Ghouta into sectors to capture them one at a time.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian government forces' have captured 10 percent of Eastern Ghouta as part of the wide-scale military assault on the rebel-held areas in the sprawling Eastern Ghouta in the eastern countryside of Damascus.

The UK-based watchdog group said the Syrian warplanes are heavily targeting the town of Mesraba, as a prelude to launching an assault to capture that area in Eastern Ghouta.

Other activists reported airstrikes by the Syrian warplanes on areas in Eastern Ghouta, quoting the commanders of the Islam Army rebels as saying that the rebels in Eastern Ghouta carried out overnight operations in the Marj area in Eastern Ghouta against the advancing Syrian troops, killing 150 of them.

This comes as the Russian-supported partial humanitarian pause in Eastern Ghouta has entered its sixth day with no civilians leaving, with the state media in Syria blaming the rebels for preventing the civilians from leaving.

Also, no humanitarian aid convoys entered Eastern Ghouta during the six-day-long humanitarian pause.

A day earlier, Major General Vladimir Zolotukhin, a representative of the Russian center for reconciliation of opposing sides in Syria, said that a report of the Syrian intelligence had revealed that the Nusra Front is plotting a provocation in East Ghouta through preparing to attack a UN relief convoy, which was scheduled to enter the Duma district in the northern part of the East Ghouta pocket on Sunday.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 21:40:25|Editor: Jiaxin

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DAMASCUS, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian forces are targeting the rebel-held areas in Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus out of the designated times of the daily ceasefire in that area, said a statement on Sunday.

The military operations in Eastern Ghouta in the eastern countryside of Damascus came as a response to the rebels' mortar attacks and sniper fire on civilian areas in Damascus and its countryside, said the statement, adding that the army units captured several areas, including military bases, in Eastern Ghouta.

The army captured the areas of Otaya, Housh Salhiyeh, Housh Kharabo, Nashabiyeh, Herzammah, the Air Defense Battalion, the Transportation Regiment, the Elab Farms, and the Beit Nayem area.

The statement added that the Syrian forces are advancing in towns and farms toward the districts of Harasta and Douma in that area.

Meanwhile, the statement stressed that preparations are underway for the delivery of food aid to the civilians in Eastern Ghouta.

Syria's national TV said Sunday that the rebels in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta area were "collapsing."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian government forces' have captured 10 percent of Eastern Ghouta as part of the wide-scale military assault on the rebel-held areas in the sprawling Eastern Ghouta in the eastern countryside of Damascus.

Also, no humanitarian aid convoys entered Eastern Ghouta during the six-day-long humanitarian pause that was demanded by Russia, with the Syrian army accusing the rebels of preventing the exit of civilians through the Wafidin crossing northeast of Damascus.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 21:45:26|Editor: Lifang

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BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- On a wall of the administrative service center in Handan, Hebei Province, 2,894 out-of-use official seals are displayed to show visitors how much authorities have done to cut red tape.

They are an epitome of the progress China has made in streamlining administrative approvals and delegating power to lower levels, a key reform aimed at boosting market vitality in a slower economy.

China was ranked the 78th out of 190 economies in ease of doing business, according to a 2017 report by the World Bank, up from the 96th in 2013.

Though there remains room for improvement, the pace of the reform to cut red tape has been fast in the past five years.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in late 2012, more than 40 percent of administrative approvals at the central government level have been canceled or delegated to lower levels. At the local level, the ratio exceeded 70 percent in many regions.

The State Council has slashed the items of approvals and accreditations for professional qualifications by over 70 percent.

Both domestic and foreign investors have benefited from the reform. The number of projects that require central government approval have been reduced by 90 percent, while over 95 percent of foreign-invested projects now need only registry instead of approval.

Last month, the China Banking Regulatory Commission revised rules for foreign banks, scrapping approval procedures for four business items including overseas wealth management products and portfolio investment funds.

In particular, it now takes much less time and effort to start new businesses as authorities have reduced procedures.

In northeast China's Jilin Province, the time needed to start a business was shortened by three to six months on average after the government eased market entry last year.

Technology has also been applied to make administrative services more efficient. In some cities, business owners can pay taxes faster through mobile apps or face recognition.

The reform has paid off. In 2017, 16,600 new businesses were set up each day on average, up from 6,900 in 2013, proof that entrepreneurship is on the rise.

New market entities contributed to more than 40 percent of new urban employment in 2016, according to Zhang Mao, head of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

A string of new growth engines such as the sharing and digital economies have been established. In 2017, online sales of goods increased by 28 percent and express delivery volume grew by nearly 30 percent.

"The reform has fostered a better business environment and laid a solid foundation for economic growth," said Song Gang, an official with the Jilin provincial government.

Last year, the number of new businesses registered in Jilin rose 8.1 percent, while the province's private enterprises saw their revenue from primary business increase 7 percent, according to Song.

By letting the market play a larger role, the reform to cut red tape is part of the government's plan to speed up the shift to high-quality development and a modernized economy.

"The more progress is made in the reform to cut red tape and delegate power to lower levels, the more vibrant and strong the economy is," said Zhang Yansheng, a researcher with the China Center for International Economic Exchange.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 21:50:26|Editor: Jiaxin

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Israeli security forces work at the scene of the car-ramming attack in Acre, Israel, on March 4, 2018. Israel's police said Sunday that the car ramming accident on Sunday was a "terror attack" carried out by an Arab citizen of Israel, which wounded three Israeli troops. (Xinhua/JINI)

JERUSALEM, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel's police said Sunday that the car ramming accident on Sunday was a "terror attack" carried out by an Arab citizen of Israel, which wounded three Israeli troops.

The police identified the driver as a resident of Shfar'am, an Arab city in Israel's northern coast.

A police statement said that following an assessment of the findings from the scene and CCTV video footages, the incident "appears to be a terror attack with a nationalistic background."

The driver attempted to run over security officers "in several different scenes" in the northern city of Acre, targeting "policemen and soldiers on uniforms," the statement read.

The investigation, which was launched right after the incident, is still ongoing, the police said.

In the incident, near the train station of Acre, the driver rammed his jeep at a Border Police officer before he drove away, stirring his vehicle to a sidewalk, where he hit two soldiers.

The troops sustained light injuries and were taken to hospital, a spokesperson with the medical emergency service said.

The driver was shot by one of the troops and was taken to hospital in a moderate-to-severe condition, the spokesperson added.

A relative of the driver told the Hebrew-language Ynet news site that he "found it hard to believe that this was a nationalistic incident."

He added the incident might have been a result of a 1,000-shekel (about 290 U.S. dollars) fine parking report that the driver received just before the incident and infuriated him. "He never thought of hurting people, he has no such thoughts," said the relative.

Israeli Arabs are Palestinians who stayed put during the 1948 Israel's Independence War. They often complain lack of job opportunities, racism, and are discriminated against in health, transportation, and education services.

They make up about 20 percent of the Israeli population and are rarely involved in attacks.MANDERA, Kenya, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police have stepped up search for the Somali extremists who attacked two camps in northeast Mandera county and stole a huge cache of arms after the two raids in which five police officers were killed.

A police report released on Sunday said the terrorists blamed for sporadic attacks along Somalia border also looted the armory during the attacks, escaping with 16 G3 rifles, 26 AK47 rifles, 5 FN rifles, one F3 rifle, one M60 machine gun, one commando mortar 60mm and one base plate mortar 60mm.

The police report which was released two days after the raid by the Al-Shabaab militants says unknown number of ammunitions were also looted in the incident that left 12 police officers injured.

The police said on Friday they have launched a major manhunt for Al-Shabaab group leader that attacked two police camps in Mandera County.

Police spokesman Charles Owino said Jamaa Nuh Abdille, who fled to Somalia with others after the Friday dawn attack in Fino, was behind the killing of five police officers.

"We have since identified the leader of the group that carried out the attack as Jamaa Nuh Abdille who fled with others after the attack to Somalia and we are hot on their trail," Owino said.

According to police report, the terrorists also destroyed a communication mast in the area affecting communication in general. Preliminary findings show the terrorists used Improvised Explosive Devises and other forms of explosives in the attack.

Northeastern Regional Coordinator Mohamud Saleh said they are pursuing various leads into the attack in efforts to recover the stolen ammunition.

"We have mobilized to ensure the area is safe," Saleh said on Sunday. On Wednesday, security agents repulsed Al-Shabaab terrorists who tried to attack two police stations in Wajir.

Three suspects were arrested after they were chased by security forces from Ijara camps in the failed incident.

Police on the ground said the group had fired into the camps before officers there fired back in an exchange that lasted almost 20 minutes.

The area has been experiencing a rise of terror related attacks in the past months in which almost a dozen communication masts have been destroyed. Ijara police station was also destroyed in a similar attack last month.KATHMANDU, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Nepal's Federal Parliament were sworn in here on Sunday, three months after the country held the elections in November and December last year.

Mahantha Thakur, a senior parliamentarian, administered the oath of office and secrecy to the parliamentarians of the 275-member House of Representatives or Lower House of the Federal Parliament, at 4:00 p.m. local time.

Tara Devi Bhatta, another senior parliamentarian, administered the oath of office and secrecy to the members of the 59-member National Assembly or the Upper House of the Federal Parliament, an hour later.

The oath-taking ceremony took place a day before convening the first meeting of the bicameral parliament in nearly two decades in the Himalayan nation, officials said.

Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari is scheduled to address the first session of the Federal Parliament on Monday, according to a spokesman of the parliament.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 22:00:28|Editor: Jiaxin

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RAMALLAH, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Foreign Ministry slammed on Sunday a new Israeli plan to expand settlements in East Jerusalem, calling it part of "a plan to change the reality of the city."

"The ministry condemns, in the strongest terms, the unprecedented escalation of settlements construction along the occupied Palestinian territory and in Jerusalem," said the statement.

The ministry said it believed that the U.S. declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has encouraged the Israeli government to accelerate their attempt to resolve the future of Jerusalem.

The statement came against the backdrop of a new Israeli announcement to build 11 settlement projects in Jerusalem, supported and funded by the Israeli government and the Jerusalem municipality.

The ministry said that the move "constitutes a fundamental threat to the chances of achieving a just and viable peace based on the principle of a two-state solution."

It also urged the UN Security Council to hold up its responsibilities towards the Palestinians, and to "act swiftly and effectively to implement its relevant resolutions, thus protecting the peace process and the chances of achieving it."

The ministry's statement specifically called on U.S. President Donald Trump to preserve the opportunity of achieving peace provided by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Security Council, and to adopt a peace process through international meetings which would give rise to a continuous multilateral negotiations.

The last round of U.S.-sponsored negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel was in March 2014 after nine months of talks without achieving any breakthrough.

On Dec. 6, 2017, almost one year after Trump took office, he recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ordered the U.S. state department to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the city.

As a result, the Palestinians disqualified the United States from being the sole sponsor of the peace negotiations with Israel and called for a multilateral peace mechanism.

On Feb. 20, Abbas presented a peace initiative in a speech before the UN Security Council, proposing to hold an international peace conference in mid-2018 to jumpstart final status negotiation based on two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 22:00:28|Editor: Lifang

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BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping Sunday called the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) "a great contribution to political civilization of humanity."

It is "a new type of party system growing from China's soil," said Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, when attending a joint panel discussion with political advisors from two non-communist parties, those without party affiliation and those from the sector of returned overseas Chinese.SAN FRANCISCO, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Intel Vice President of Strategy Innovation and Planning of Programmable Solutions Group Vincent Hu said Saturday that he is very much impressed about artificial intelligence (AI) research in China in recent years.

China was investing heavily in AI, and the United States and China were probably the two leading countries in such research, Hu told Xinhua in an interview during the 2018 Spring Symposium on AI and semiconductor fusion, sponsored by Chinese American Semiconductor Professional Association (CASPA) in Cupertino, south of San Francisco in the U.S. state of California.

The annual CASPA symposium intends to go deeper on the theme of AI that has seen resurgence in recent years fueled by the advance in computational power, algorithms and large amount of data, which are propelled by the semiconductor chip technology.

"I think one of the assets that China has is a very strong university program. And that is where most of the research in AI and machine learning is occurring today, which has been led by universities, just like in the United States," he said.

Citing the research in quantum computing right now in China, he said, "I think that's where I've been impressed about what the Chinese universities are doing out there."

China has many very creative and imaginative people, and Intel always hires talents from many countries, including a lot of Chinese nationals, because there are very large facilities at Intel in Shanghai and Shenzhen in southern China, he added.

He said Intel has invested heavily in building the semiconductor infrastructure in China.

"We put in somewhere around 3 billion (U.S.) dollars of investment in building a new memory factory in China," he said.

Collaboration like that with the industry is going to help speed up the advancement of the semiconductor industry, he suggested.

Hu, who is responsible for the programmable solutions arm at Intel, said the field-programmable gate array (FPGA) will be a key enabler of AI because "we provide flexibility to AI developers to deploy quickly."

"But the flexibility also allows them to modify their solutions as they learn more about the problems they're trying to solve for particular customer," he added.

The FPGA is an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturing -- hence "field-programmable".

"Because we can support arbitrary dataset types, data precision and dataset sizes, we are very good for future proof in your implementation. I think the FPGA can be a key enabler for AI applications today for many companies ad applications," Hu said.OUAGADOUGOU, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin' (JNIM) has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attacks in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, according to Mauritanian private agency "Al Akhbar" Saturday.

The group JNIM, founed in 2017, has declared their allegiance to Al-Qaeda. They have claimed that the attacks in Ouagadougou Friday is in response to the death of several of their leaders in a raid in northern Mali two weeks ago.

As of now, a least 16 people were killed including eight Burkinabe soldiers, and another 80 were injured after the Friday attacks that targeted the French embassy and the headquarters of the army.

At least two people suspected to be linked to the attacks have been arrested and investigations are ongoing, a judicial source told Xinhua.CAIRO, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Four Egyptian troops were killed and three others wounded in anti-terror raids in the restive North Sinai province, the army said in a statement on Sunday.

Ten terrorists were killed in the anti-terror raids, said the military spokesman in a statement.

"The forces destroyed 145 terrorist dens, hideouts and storehouses and busted and destroyed a workshop for making explosives as well as 39 explosive devices planted to target the forces," it added.

The raids are part of Egypt's recently launched "Sinai 2018" comprehensive anti-terror campaign, which have killed 105 terrorists, arrested about 3,200 suspects half of whom have been released after investigation and destroyed more than 1,400 terrorist hideouts and weapon storehouses since it started on Feb. 9.

At least 14 soldiers were killed and 16 injured in the raids so far.

Adjacent to the Palestinian Gaza Strip, Egypt's North Sinai province has been the center of terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the military ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

Attacks later expanded to reach several other provinces including Cairo and started to target the Coptic minority via church bombings and shootings.

The terrorists further targeted a mosque in North Sinai's Arish city last November, killing at least 310 Muslim worshippers and injuring more than 120 others, which marks the deadliest terror attack and the first against a mosque in Egypt's modern history.

The Sinai-based branch of the Islamic State (IS) regional terrorist group claimed responsibility for most of the terror operations in Egypt over the past few years.

Following the mosque attack, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered the army to restore security and stability in North Sinai within three months.

The Egyptian security forces killed hundreds of terrorists and arrested thousands of suspects during the country's anti-terror war declared by Sisi, the army chief then, following Morsi's ouster in 2013.

"Sinai 2018" came weeks ahead of Egypt's presidential elections scheduled for late March, where incumbent President Sisi is expected to make an easy win for a second four-year term due to the lack of strong challengers in the race.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-04 22:55:40|Editor: Chengcheng

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An eagle hunter attends the Spring Golden Eagle Festival near the Mongolian capital city of Ulan Bator on March 4, 2018. The Spring Golden Eagle Festival, a traditional Mongolian festival, opened near the capital city of Ulan Bator on Sunday, with the aim to promote ethnic Kazakh cultures and boost tourism. Twenty eagle hunters aged 14-86 are competing in the 11th edition of the two-day festival. (Xinhua/Asigang)

ULAN BATOR, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The Spring Golden Eagle Festival, a traditional Mongolian festival, opened near the capital city of Ulan Bator on Sunday, with the aim to promote ethnic Kazakh cultures and boost tourism.

Twenty eagle hunters aged 14-86 are competing in the 11th edition of the two-day festival to catch small animals, such as foxes and hares, with specially trained golden eagles, showing off the skills of both the birds and their trainers, according to the Mongolian Eagle Hunter's Association.

Prizes will be awarded for speed, agility and accuracy, as well as for the best traditional Kazakh dress, and more.

One of the participants, Aisholpan Nurgaiv, is a contributor to the promotion of the tradition of hunting with eagles. When Aisholpan was 13, she became popular for her hobby of hunting with eagles. She was trained by her father to hunt on horseback with a golden eagle, traditionally a male pursuit.

Israeli photographer Asher Svidensky became the first to discover the girl in 2013 and published a series of jaw-dropping photos of the brave eagle huntress. Inspired by these bright pictures, British Director Otto Bell shot a documentary "The Eagle Huntress" where Aisholpan starred together with her eagle.

"I have been hunting with golden eagle since the age of 10. The birds are taken from their nests as chicks to be trained. Currently, there are over 400 people hunting with eagles in Bayan-Ulgii province in western Mongolia. Only six of them are female," Aisholpan said.

Mongolia is home to the thousand year-old tradition of hunting with trained Golden Eagles. This unique tradition has been passed from generation to generation among the Kazakh nomads.

The Golden Eagle Festival is held twice a year in the spring and autumn season in Mongolia. The autumn festival is held in the Bayan-Ulgii province.

The festival, one of the most interesting tourism activities in Mongolia, is estimated to attract 3,000 domestic and foreign visitors this year. The last spring festival attracted over 2,000 visitors.MOSCOW, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Russia registered 12 truce breaches in three Syrian provinces over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday.

One case of violation was recorded in the northern Aleppo governorate, five in Latakia, and six in Damascus, the ministry said in its daily bulletin on the Syrian truce regime.

Turkey registered three cases of violations in the Syrian capital Damascus during the same period of time, the statement said.

Most of the mortar and small arms firings were registered in areas controlled by terrorist groups, it added.

The United Nations Security Council on Feb. 24 unanimously adopted Resolution 2401, demanding a ceasefire of at least 30 days across Syria to allow humanitarian access and urgent medical evacuations.

However, violations were recorded every day in the war-torn country, according to the Russian military.WARSAW, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and over 20 others injured after an apartment building collapsed in Poland's western city of Poznan, officials said Sunday.

Tomasz Stube, spokesperson of the governor of Wielkopolska province, told Polish News Agency (PAP) on Sunday that four people died and 21 others were injured. Shelters and food were provided to the victims of the incident, he added.

PAP reported that the incident, which happened at around 8 a.m. local time, was probably caused by a gas explosion.

There are about 150 rescuers, including three search and rescue groups working on site. Firefighters are trying to reach people who may still be under the rubble.

Chief Commandant of the State Fire Service, Leszek Suski, said that there were 40 people in the building at the time of the incident, with 24 people injured. Among the injured people, three are in serious conditions.

Suski said that rescue is difficult. "Part of the five-storied building has been demolished, some of the structures are in danger of collapsing, and we have to be very cautious," he said.JOHANNESBURG, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The South African foreign minister on Sunday appealed to the international community not to panic over proposed changes to the country's land reform policy.

"There is no need to panic or be alarmist," International Relations Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said, responding to comments on parliamentary processes in relation to land distribution.

All stakeholders must respect parliamentary processes, Sisulu said in a statement.

"The international community played an important role in the fight against apartheid and all its repressive and discriminatory policies," Sisulu said. "We invite members of the international community to continue supporting our efforts to reverse the legacy of apartheid."

The South African national assembly recently passed a motion to review a section of the constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation.

"All stakeholders, domestic and international, must respect the process and also take advantage of that process to make input," Sisulu said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-05 00:30:54|Editor: Chengcheng

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Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni casts his vote at a polling station in Rome, Italy, March 4, 2018. Italians started to cast their ballots Sunday morning leading to the election of a prime minister, two days after politicians made their final campaign for the general election. (Xinhua/Jin Yu)

ROME, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Italian voters headed to the voting booth Sunday to elect their representatives in parliament for a five-year term under the country's brand-new electoral law.

This closely-watched election has been described in international media as the next big test for the European Union (EU) due to rising populist and nationalist sentiment in Italy, which has borne the brunt of the migrant crisis while grappling with a sluggish economic recovery and persistent high unemployment hovering at 11 percent.

As of 12:00 noon local time, 19.38 percent of some 46 million voters had turned out, according to a running tally on the interior ministry website. A further 4 million Italians residing abroad also have the right to vote, electing 12 members of the Lower House and 6 senators.

Voters told TV reporters they had to wait up to an hour in line due to a new anti-voter fraud system, which slowed down operations at the polls in Italy's 7,958 municipalities.

Italians are being called on to choose their representatives in the 315-member Senate and the 630-seat Lower House under a new system that is one-third majority and two-thirds proportional -- meaning that no single party or coalition is likely to win enough seats to claim an absolute majority.

This means that after Sunday's vote, the different political forces will have to work together to reach a compromise and form a government. This may be a tough call, as the major players have taken pains to assure their potential voters they will never make deals with parties whose positions differ from their own.

The contest is among three main forces: the populist Five Star Movement, a center-right coalition led by media mogul and ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi, and the center-left Democratic Party of outgoing Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

Italy's last general election was held in February 2013, when over 75 percent of 46.9 million voters turned out to hand a victory to the center-left Democratic Party in the Lower House and a slim majority in the Senate.

During the Sunday election, polls opened from 7am until 11pm across the Italy. The first exit polls are expected to be published around midnight and the votes will be fully counted in the early Monday morning local time.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-05 00:30:54|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a joint panel discussion with political advisors from the China Democratic League and the China Zhi Gong Party, those without party affiliation and those from the sector of returned overseas Chinese, at the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 4, 2018. Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the discussion. (Xinhua/Sheng Jiapeng)

BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping Sunday called the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) "a great contribution to political civilization of humanity."

It is "a new type of party system growing from China's soil," said Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, when attending a joint panel discussion with political advisors from the China Democratic League and the China Zhi Gong Party, those without party affiliation and those from the sector of returned overseas Chinese, at the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Xi said the system is new because it combines Marxist political party theories with China's reality, and truly, extensively and in the long term represents fundamental interests of all people and all ethnic groups and fulfills their aspiration, avoiding the defects of the old-fashioned party system which represents only a selective few or the vested interest.

The Chinese system is new, Xi said, because it unites all political parties and people without party affiliation toward a common goal, effectively preventing the flaws of the absence of oversight in one-party rule, or power rotation and nasty competition among multiple political parties.

The Chinese system is new, Xi said, also because it pools ideas and suggestions through institutional, procedural, and standardized arrangements and develops a scientific and democratic decision making mechanism.

It steers away from another weakness of the old-fashioned party system, in which decision making and governance, confined by interests of different political parties, classes, regions and groups, tears the society apart, he said.

Fitting China's reality and fine traditional culture, it is "a great contribution to political civilization of humanity," he said.

Xi said upholding the CPC leadership was not meant to do away with democracy.

Instead, it aims to create a form of democracy that is broader and more effective, he said.

The CPC-led system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation stresses both the CPC leadership and socialist democracy which features political consultation, participation in the deliberation of state affairs, and democratic supervision, he said.

Acknowledging their contribution to achievements made in the past five years, Xi called on non-communist parties and people without party affiliation to enhance confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, consolidate political orientation and actively offer their suggestions.

Non-communist parties and people without party affiliation should act as good consultants, aides, and co-workers of the CPC while improving their capability of consultation, he said.

He urged intellectuals to set the example of upholding socialist core values and organizations of returned overseas Chinese to unite and mobilize overseas Chinese.

Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the discussion.

Related:

Chinese leaders highlight Party's leadership in discussions with political advisors

BEIJING, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang and other senior leaders on Sunday joined political advisors in their panel discussions, highlighting Party's leadership and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Full storySource: Xinhua| 2018-03-05 00:40:58|Editor: Yamei

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British Prime Minister Theresa May (Xinhua/Luo Huanhuan)

LONDON, March 4 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday told U.S. President Donald Trump that she has "deep concern" at his decision to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum.

A Downing Street spokesperson said May had a telephone call with Trump earlier Sunday, in which May also said that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem.

"The prime minister raised our deep concern at the president's forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminum tariffs, noting that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity in all parties' interests," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Trump has said he plans to slap a 25-percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum next week. He has also threatened to increase taxes on European cars if the EU retaliates against his steel and aluminum tariffs.

May's Cabinet Office minister, David Lidington, also rebuked Trump when speaking on BBC One's Sunday Politics program.

"I just think that the United States is not taking an advisable course in threatening a trade war," Lidington said.

Lidington suggested the American authorities could overrule any tariffs, as they did in the case of aircraft manufacturer Bombardier when the Trump administration threatened huge duties on its C-wing planes, but his plan won't work.

May and Trump also discussed the "appalling humanitarian situation" in Eastern Ghouta in Syria. They said that Russia and others with influence over the Syrian government must act to cease their campaign of violence and to protect civilians.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-05 00:40:58|Editor: Chengcheng

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SHANGHAI, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The 28th East China Fair held in Shanghai saw slight growth in export contracts although it was shortened from five to four days.

Nearly 4,000 Chinese companies reached export transactions worth 2.3 billion U.S. dollars in total during the annual fair, which closed on Sunday, according to organizers.

The exports of Chinese firms to Asia increased 14.3 percent from the fair last year to reach 1.5 billion dollars, accounting for 65 percent of the total transactions.

More than 22,000 overseas businessmen from 109 countries and regions attended the fair, which had an exhibition area of 123,600 square meters.PARIS, March 4 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday urged Iran to put "necessary pressure" on the Syrian government to halt military actions in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

Macron made his remarks during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rohani, according to a statement released by the French presidency.

Macron said France expected "a constructive contribution by Iran to regional de-escalation and the resolution of crises in the Middle East", said the statement.

On Sunday, the Syrian forces were targeting the rebel-held areas in Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus out of the designated times of the daily ceasefire in that area.

The military operations in Eastern Ghouta in the eastern countryside of Damascus came as a response to the rebels' mortar attacks and sniper fire on civilian areas in Damascus and its countryside, the Syrian authorities said in the statement.

The statement also claimed that preparations were underway for the delivery of food aid to the civilians in Eastern Ghouta. Syria's national TV said Sunday that the rebels in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta area were "collapsing".

Macron also reiterated his support of the 2015 deal to limit Iran's nuclear activities, signed by Tehran and six world powers, according to the statement.ALGIERS, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Sunday condemned the terrorist attacks that targeted Burkina Faso's military headquarters and French embassy in Ouagadougou.

In a statement to APS news agency, spokesman for Algerian Foreign Ministry, Abdelaziz Benali Cherif, stressed that his country "firmly and unequivocally condemns terrorism under all its forms."

Benali expressed Algeria's solidarity with the people and the government of Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso's Army Chief of Staff Headquarters and French embassy in Ouagadougou on Friday were hit by car bomb attacks, which left 16 people dead and over 90 injured, the Minister of Security Clement Sawadogo was quoted as saying.

He further added that the attack might has been planned to target a meeting of the G5 Sahel which was underway in the military headquarters.

The G5 Sahel is a coalition of Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Mauritania and Chad, of which the main goal is fighting terrorist groups in the region.CHICAGO, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The citywide celebrations of the Chinese lunar New Year in the U.S. city of Chicago culminated with a lantern procession this weekend, making the traditional Lantern Festival.

A special event called "Lantern Celebration" is co-organized Saturday by Art Institute of Chicago (AIC), Chinese Fine Arts Society and Maggie Daley Park. Attendees of the activities learned to make Chinese lanterns, watched Chinese ancient story telling and Chinese music, and joined a lion dance-led lantern procession.

In the modern wing of AIC, dozens of children with their parents crowded the small stage as the host Norman Garcy Yap was telling the origin of Chinese Lantern Festival, while a local Chinese artist played traditional Chinese instrument "Erhu".

Three kids were invited to perform with the story told by host, and the interaction was echoed with laughter and applause.

In the Ryan Learning Center of AIC, hundreds of American parents made Chinese lanterns with their children. Moreover, the museum also provided visitors with Chinese language tour, and offered Chinese festival food at the museum's restaurant.

A wonderful lion dance-led lantern procession brought the celebration to climax, as hundreds of people marched from Millennium Park to Maggie Daley Park, where dozens of children in Chinese traditional costume performed figure skating in the ice rink.

Apart from lantern celebration, AIC opened an exhibition titled "Mirroring China's Past: Emperors and their Bronzes" which began on Feb. 25 and lasts till May 13.

AIC keeps a close relationship with China, and it has organized many exhibitions of its collection from China, held several events to introduce Chinese culture, such as Chinese lunar festival celebration, including Lunar New Year and Mid Autumn Day.

Chicago is the first U.S. city to launch Chinese New Year celebration in the name of city government, and 2018 will be the fifth year for the City of Chicago to mark Chinese New Year.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-05 01:11:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, March 4 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian automaker is set to expand its presence in the Iraqi market by exporting vehicles equipped with automatic transmission, Financial Tribune daily reported on Sunday.

By the end of current Iranian calendar year, March 20, Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) will send 300 units of locally manufactured Peugeot 405 with automatic gearbox to Iraq, the report said.

Iraq is one of the major export destinations of IKCO, Hassan Golchubian, IKCO's exports director for the Middle East and Africa, was quoted as saying.

The company seeks to gain a foothold in the Iraqi competitive market; however, the government in Baghdad has imposed import tariffs on motor vehicles at 8-10 percent and auto parts at 15 percent. In the past, importing car and parts into Iraq was tariff-free.

Golchubian said talks are being held between IKCO and Iraqi officials on tariff rates, and he is optimistic that the Iraqi government will agree to reduce the tariffs.CAIRO, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's foreign exchange reserves exceeded 42.5 billion U.S. dollars by the end of February, the highest in the country's modern history, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) said in a statement on Sunday.

"Egypt's forex reserves reached 42.52 billion dollars by the end of February 2018," said the CBE.

At the end of January, the country's forex reserves exceeded 38.2 billion dollars from about 37 billion dollars a month before.

Egypt's forex kept declining from 36 billion dollars in January 2011, just before the uprising that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak, until the figure dropped to an alarming level of 13.5 billion dollars in February 2013, a few months before the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Over the past few years, Egypt has been suffering an economic recession due to political instability and relevant security issues that led to the decline of tourism and foreign investments, two major sources for Egypt's foreign currency reserves.

The situation started to pick up under President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who, as the army chief then, led Morsi's ouster in response to mass protests and was supported by billions of dollars from oil-rich Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Since then, improving security conditions, and increasing remittances of Egyptian expatriates, in addition to foreign loans and deposits, have gradually refilled the CBE with foreign funds.

"The recent forex rise is attributed to the finance ministry's sale of international bonds of 4 billion dollars in February," Ehab al-Desouki, the head of the Economy Department of Cairo-based Sadat Academy, told Xinhua on Sunday.

"The forex rise is a good step that gives confidence in the Egyptian economy, helps it face pressures, and reassures the world economic community about its abilities," the expert noted.

According to al-Desouki, Egypt has a lot of chances to improve its economic conditions, particularly after the approval of the new investment law that encourages business and facilitates investment.

Egypt's foreign debts rose to 81 billion dollars, according to a statement from Finance Minister Amr al-Garhy in mid-January.

A CBE official said in January that Egypt paid off about 30 billion dollars of financial dues and foreign debts in 2017 and the country commits itself to paying back more than 12 billion dollars in 2018.

The repayments cover bonds and foreign debts to regional and international banks, deposits and loans from countries like Saudi Arabia, Libya and Turkey, commitments by government bodies to world companies, as well as dues to the Paris Club.

In order to boost economy, bolster forex reserves and deal with dollar shortage, Egypt started in late 2016 a strict three-year economic reform program including austerity measures, energy subsidy cuts and tax increases, in addition to currency floatation, which led to nationwide price hikes though.

Egypt's reform program is encouraged by a 12-billion-dollar loan from the International Monetary Fund, half of which has already been delivered to the most populous Arab country.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-05 01:41:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said in a statement Sunday that it's planning to deliver humanitarian assistance to the rebel-held Douma district in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside.

In a statement, the UN said the aid convoy will consist of 46 truckloads of health and nutrition supplies, along with food for 27,500 people in need and will be led by Ali Al-Za'tari, the UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator.

"We hope that the convoy may proceed as planned and will be followed by other convoys. Our teams on the ground are ready to do all that is needed to make this happen," stated al-Za'tari, according to the statement.

The UN said it had received approval to deliver assistance for 70,000 people in need in Douma, adding that assurances were made that the remaining supplies for all approved people in need will be delivered on March 8.

The only UN delivery of assistance to Eastern Ghouta in 2018 was on Feb. 14, when a convoy with assistance for 7,200 people reached Nashabiyeh, said the statement.

Meanwhile, Syria' Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said the Syrian government is ready to send aid to Eastern Ghouta, noting that the rebels have targeted the crossing point into Eastern Ghouta.

This comes as the Syrian forces have made notable progress in the fight against the rebels in Eastern Ghouta.

The Syrian army said in a statement Sunday that the fighting is ongoing in Eastern Ghouta out of the time of the partial daily humanitarian pause, which has so far failed to allow people to evacuate, with the government blaming the rebels of targeting those who want to flee Eastern Ghouta.BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo, March 4 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed Sunday in an ambush by suspected Ugandan rebels in Beni, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), security sources said.

Suspected rebels of the Ugandan Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) also kidnapped eight others in the ambush on the Eringeti road, according to the sources, who requested anonymity.

Ugandan rebels are active on several roads in Beni territory where they regularly attack civilian transport vehicles.

Active for more than 20 years in this part of the country, ADF rebels have killed thousands in the province of North Kivu.

The DRC military recently started a large-scale operation against the rebel group.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-05 01:51:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Sunday dismissed the recent terror allegations by Bahrain as "baseless."

"Such repetitive and baseless allegations will not resolve the Bahraini government's problems," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said in a statement.

A day earlier, the Bahraini government said its security forces arrested 116 Iranian-linked suspected terrorists in an operation to "combat terrorism and external interference in the country's internal affairs."

The suspects were arrested for a wide range of crimes, including planning and executing terror attacks as well as manufacturing, storing and transporting explosive devices, the government said in a statement.

"Pinning the blame on others and repeating outdated scenarios and baseless accusations against others will not help the Bahraini government resolve its problems with citizens," Qasemi said.

"We once again advise Bahraini officials to prepare the ground for engagement and dialogue with their own people instead of beefing up security and police arrangements," he added.CAIRO, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi received a phone call from his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump where the latter expressed his country's support for Egypt's ongoing anti-terror war, the Egyptian presidency said Sunday.

"The two leaders also discussed a number of regional issues and relevant developments, particularly in the light of the deteriorating regional situation, to reach political settlements for the current crises," Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement.

The call comes amid ongoing crises in different parts of the Middle East region including Syria, Libya, Yemen and Iraq, in addition to the chronic Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Although Egypt is a main regional ally to the United States, ties between the two countries were cold under former U.S. President Barack Obama after the Egyptian military ousted former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

However, the bilateral relations later improved when Trump assumed the White House and exchanged expressions of praise and cooperation with the Egyptian president.

Egypt, like most world states, rejects Trump's recent decisions to recognize the Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to relocate Washington's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the debated holy city.

Cairo receives annual military aid of 1.3 billion U.S. dollars from Washington since it signed the 1979 U.S.-sponsored peace treaty with Israel, the U.S. number one regional ally and the top recipient of U.S. aid.TRIPOLI, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj said on Saturday that the unification of the army is crucial for the security of the country.

Serraj made the remarks during his meeting with the government's military dialogue committee on the unification of the army.

"The unification of the military institution is absolutely necessary to secure the borders and face the challenges in the country," he was cited by a statement by the media office of the prime minister as saying.

"This is what all parties must realize to work hard and have a national responsibility to ensure the success of the political consensus process," Serraj added.

The committee briefed the prime minister on the recent talks in Cairo that aimed to unite Libya's divided armed forces.

Following the 2011 uprising which toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, Libya has been suffering insecurity and political division, with divided authorities in the east and the west, including the army.

Since October 2017, Egypt's capital Cairo has hosted extensive meetings that brought together a number of Libyan military officers to establish a united army.

Serraj and Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the eastern-based army, met twice in 2017, respectively in May in the United Arab Emirates and in June in France, in order to develop a strategy to unify the Libyan army and integrate the military institution under civilian authority.DAR ES SALAAM, March 4 (Xinhua) -- A senior Tanzanian government official on Sunday voiced concerns over Lake Manyara's diminishing water levels, calling for more efforts to save the key tourist attraction from drying up.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Gaudence Milanzi said a balance between wildlife conservation and human activities should be achieved as water level in the lake, which is home to flamingoes and hippopotamus, continued to diminish at an alarming rate.

"Lake Manyara National Park is drying up fast, at 5 percent every year, caused by human activities," Milanzi told 13 permanent secretaries from different ministries on a visit to Lake Manyara National Park to assess the effects of human activities on the lake.

"This task calls for the attention of more than one ministry," he said. "That is why we have come together to find ways of saving the lake."

Milanzi said each of the 13 ministries has a role to play in saving the lake, which is home to a diverse set of landscapes and wildlife.

Yustina Kiwango, an ecologist with Lake Manyara National Park, said water level in the lake has dropped from 20 meters to 5 centimeters over the years.

"You can actually drive across the lake," she said.

According to Kiwango, the effects of human activities in the lake have resulted in the disappearance of some water species, including the flamingoes.

The situation inside the lake has also made it difficult for the survival of the hippopotamus, Kiwango added.KHARTOUM, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese authorities on Sunday freed 177 foreigners held by a human trafficking group in a neighborhood east of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, official SUNA news agency reported.

"A joint force of the central reserve police, emergency and operations administration, the criminal investigation and the police of the locality cracked down on the area and arrested the main defendant," Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Abdel-Rahim, Director of Khartoum State Police, was quoted as saying.

He added that the force has managed to free the foreigners, who had been hidden in six houses, and seized a vehicle the defendant used in his operations.

He noted that the victims have been hidden for more than 21 days at Alwan area in the eastern Nile neighborhood, east of Khartoum.

Sudan has witnessed an increase in organized activities in the human trafficking and illegal immigration fields.

Khartoum says it is maintaining high-level coordination with Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia from Africa, and Europe's Italy, Spain, France and Britain to tackle the problem.

Sudan is considered as one of the cross-points for human trafficking and illegal immigration.

Earlier, European countries vowed support for Sudan in combating human trafficking after Khartoum asked for air and sea support to pursue multinational human smugglers.HELSINKI, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Leading Finnish politicians showed relief on Sunday following a political breakthrough in Germany which ended the five-month-long stalemate and would lead to the establishment a new German government.

Both Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila and Foreign Minister Timo Soini expressed hope that current German policies towards the European Union (EU) would continue under the upcoming new government led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Sipila said on national broadcaster Yle he had been in contact with Merkel on several occasions during the talks to form a new government, and Merkel had assured Sipila that the policy of Germany would not change.

"Our stands are fairly close to each other on the progress towards a banking union and towards correcting the faults that were behind the banking crisis", said Sipila. "Joint responsibility must not grow uncontrollably", Sipila added.

Soini told Yle he is "fairly confident" that Germany will not change the economic policies now, but he added that it remains to be seen "how large the impact of the pressure from the Social Democrats is".

Antti Rinne, leader of Finnish Social Democratic Party, which is in opposition in the Finnish parliament, dismissed the joint responsibility on debts, but he expressed backing towards more unified economic policies for the EU. He mentioned a possible minimum corporate tax level.

Yle European affairs correspondent Suvi Turtiainen noted that the German government program is not very concrete about the vision for the development of the euro zone, and the joint responsibility in the euro zone may be chosen as a breakaway from the traditional hard discipline policies Germany has applied so far.

Turtiainen noted that the German ruling parties have already indicated they could be prepared to increase the share of German financial contribution after Brexit and that would likely increase the burden on other member states as well.

Both Sipila and Soini said the loss of revenue caused by the departure of Britain, should not be compensated through increasing the share of burden. Sipila said, however, that through the economic growth in the EU the actual payment from member countries may increase, but the percentage should remain the same, at one percent of the gross national income.

Rinne said focus should be on how the EU spending is used. Rinne stressed the needs for education and for investments that boost the growth.KHARTOUM, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector on Sunday accused the Sudanese government of violating the cease-fire in Blue Nile State.

"The government violated the cease-fire once again and attacked the movement's positions in Blue Nile," said Mubarak Ardol, the spokesman of the SPLM/northern sector, in a statement.

Ardol said the movement's forces repulsed the government troops on Saturday morning in a one-hour battle in Al-Rum area in Blue Nile.

The Sudanese army wasn't immediately available for comment on the claim.

The SPLM/northern sector has been fighting the Khartoum government in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011 despite an extended cease-fire between them.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-05 06:16:53|Editor: Jiaxin

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Photo taken on March 5, 2018 shows the exterior view of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. The U.S. embassy to Turkey said in a statement on Sunday that it will be closed to public on March 5 because of a security threat, without specifying what security threat had prompted the closure decision. (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)

ANKARA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. embassy to Turkey said in a statement on Sunday that it will be closed to public on March 5 because of a security threat.

The embassy, however, did not specify what security threat had prompted the closure decision.

It advised U.S. citizens in Turkey to be aware of their own security when visiting popular tourist sites and crowded places.

According to the statement, only emergency services will be provided on Monday, while visa interviews and other routine services will be cancelled.

The U.S. embassy will announce its reopening once it resumes services, the statement added.Source: Xinhua| 2018-03-05 06:26:54|Editor: Chengcheng

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A Syrian soldier stands guard in the recently liberated Nashabiyeh town in the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region, eastern countryside of Damascus, capital of Syria, on March 4, 2018. Syria's national TV said Sunday that the rebels in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta area are "collapsing" as a result of the Syrian military offensive in that area. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

DAMASCUS, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Sunday that the offensive against the rebels in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside will continue in tandem with allowing civilians to leave toward government-controlled areas in Damascus, as the Syrian army has made significant progress, capturing 36 percent of the areas held by the rebels.

Assad said most of the civilians in Eastern Ghouta want to leave the rebel-held areas toward government areas, noting that there is no contradiction between establishing cease-fire in that area to allow the civilians to leave and the military operation against the "terrorists."

Assad made the remarks as a Russian-backed partial humanitarian pause has been taking place in Eastern Ghouta to allow the civilians to leave that area since last week, while military operations continue after the end of the daily five-hour-long pause.

No civilians have left and no humanitarian convoys entered that area, with the government accusing the rebels of preventing the civilians from leaving.

In his Sunday comments, Assad said the Russian-proposed humanitarian pause balances between giving a space to the humanitarian work and at the same time achieving the goal of striking the "terrorists."

"This is why we must continue in this operation in tandem with giving the civilians the opportunity to leave toward the state areas (government-controlled)," he said.

He hailed the progress made by the Syrian army in that sprawling rebel-held enclave in the eastern countryside of Damascus.

Meanwhile, the War Media, the media wing of the Syrian army, said in a statement late on Sunday that the Syrian forces have made important progress in Eastern Ghouta over the past few days, capturing large swathes of areas in the eastern part of Eastern Ghouta, reaching the central sector of that area.

It said the Syrian army forces have captured 38 square km, or 36 percent of Eastern Ghouta, which is estimated at 105 square km.

The Syrian forces that are advancing from the eastern side are only 3 km from the military units in the western part of that rebel-held enclave.

When the two units meet, Eastern Ghouta would be split in half, the statement said.

As Assad has said that the military operations against the rebels in Eastern Ghouta, mainly the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee (LLC), otherwise known as the Nusra Front, the humanitarian work, which has been hindered during the past days, is expected to continue as of Monday.

The United Nations said in a statement Sunday that it's planning to deliver humanitarian assistance to the rebel-held Douma district in Eastern Ghouta.

In a statement, the UN said the aid convoy will consist of 46 truckloads of health and nutrition supplies, along with food for 27,500 people in need and will be led by Ali Al-Za'tari, the UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator.

"We hope that the convoy may proceed as planned and will be followed by other convoys. Our teams on the ground are ready to do all that is needed to make this happen," stated al-Za'tari, according to the statement.

The UN said it had received approval to deliver assistance for 70,000 people in need in Douma, adding that assurances were made that the remaining supplies for all approved people in need will be delivered on March 8.

The only UN delivery of assistance to Eastern Ghouta in 2018 was on Feb. 14, when a convoy with assistance for 7,200 people reached Nashabiyeh, said the statement.

Meanwhile, Syria' Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said the Syrian government is ready to send aid to Eastern Ghouta, noting that the rebels have targeted the crossing point into Eastern Ghouta.

Eastern Ghouta has been the major threat to Damascus since the rebels took hold in that area in 2012, with armed militants keeping launching attacks on the capital with mortar shells and in some instance through implementing incursion attempts.

Four major rebel groups are currently positioned inside Eastern Ghouta, namely the Islam Army, Failaq al-Rahman, Ahrar al-Sham and the LLC.

Eastern Ghouta has grabbed international attention recently since the military showdown started to gain momentum on Feb. 18.

The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2401 on Feb. 24, which requires all parties in Syria to immediately cease clashes and provides a sustained humanitarian break for at least 30 days across Syria.

Two days later, the Russians demanded a daily humanitarian pause for five hours in Eastern Ghouta specifically.

But those initiatives have slightly reduced the number of rebels' mortar shells on the capital and the Syrian airstrikes and bombardment on Eastern Ghouta.

During the five-hour-long truce, the situation becomes calm, but the military confrontation continues right afterward.

The oppositional Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the government forces' bombardment and airstrikes on Eastern Ghouta have killed over 600 people since the situation started flaring last month.They come to Bessie Wilsons house in rural Harrah every Wednesday, some right around 6 p.m.

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Emily Washines created Native Friends (www.nativefriends.com), a website that connects language and culture in a meaningful and fun way. She also has a Facebook page.

Washines blogs about language, among other subjects. Learn more about Ichiskiin here.Arizona News

Phoenix, Arizona - Arizona has become the home for testing of self-driving vehicles, and Governor Ducey updated his 2015 executive order to advance our states position as a national leader for the development on this technology while continuing to protect public safety.

In 2015, Governor Ducey signed an executive order that outlined the process for self-driving vehicle testing in the state of Arizona. The executive order established safety guidelines for the testing and operation of self-driving vehicles, but also instructed the state to eliminate unnecessary regulations and hurdles to the new technology. As a result, Arizona is recognized as a leader in welcoming new technology and innovations. Since the enactment of the executive order, Arizona has become home to testing for many of the technology and automotive companies that are leading the innovation into the new frontier, including General Motors, Waymo, Uber, and Intel. The New York Times even said Arizona is where self-driving cars go to learn.

With advancements in technology and testing, todays order:

Includes updates to keep pace with emerging technology, including advancements toward fully autonomous vehicles.

Requires all automated driving systems to be in compliance with all federal and state safety standards, including:

The vehicle must achieve a reasonably safe state, such as bringing the vehicle to a complete stop, upon experiencing a failure of the vehicles automated driving system.



Complying with all Arizona traffic and safety laws.



Meeting all applicable certificate, title registration, and licensing and insurance requirements.



Instructs the Departments of Public Safety to work with other relevant law enforcement agencies to develop protocols on how first responders shall interact with a fully autonomous vehicle in emergency and traffic enforcement situations.



In addition, the vehicle must meet all applicable certificate, title registration, and licensing and insurance requirements.

As technology advances, our policies and priorities must adapt to remain competitive in todays economy, said Governor Ducey. This executive order embraces new technologies by creating an environment that supports autonomous vehicle innovation and maintains a focus on public safety.Arizona News

Phoenix, Arizona - In coordination with the Presidential Proclamation, Governor Doug Ducey ordered that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff, Friday, March 2nd for the interment of Reverend Billy Graham.

Today, flags at all state buildings will fly at half-staff to honor the life of Reverend Billy Graham," said Governor Ducey. "His ministry was very special and he touched millions of lives around the world, while leaving an unmistakable mark on our country and its history. He was only the fourth civilian and first religious leader to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol this week. Undoubtedly, his legacy will be celebrated for generations to come.Latest News

Memphis, Tennessee - Two former Memphis staffing company owners were sentenced to prison today for payroll tax fraud, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Departments Tax Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee.

Mark Stinson, who was convicted in December 2017 at trial of conspiring to defraud the United States, failing to pay over payroll taxes, filing false tax documents, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft, was sentenced to 75 months in prison. His wife, Jayton Stinson, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States, and was sentenced to one year in prison.

According to court documents and trial testimony, from 2005 through 2015, Mark and Jayton Stinson operated a temporary staffing company in Memphis that provided services to businesses in Tennessee and elsewhere. The staffing companys standard contract with its customers provided that the staffing company was responsible for withholding employment tax from its employees wages and paying over the amounts withheld to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The Stinsons failed to pay over $2.8 million in withholdings and other employment taxes due to IRS, failed to timely file employment tax returns and filed false employment tax returns. In an effort to avoid making payments to the IRS, the Stinsons changed the name and structure of the company multiple times after accumulating employment tax liabilities, operating as Jayton Stinson Connex Staffing & Janitorial Service, Connexx Staffing Services LLC, Connexx Staffing Services Inc., and Complete Employment Agency.

The Stinsons also conspired to impede efforts by the IRS to collect on the employment tax liabilities owed by their companies. For example, the Stinsons made false representations to the IRS about their control of the staffing company and their knowledge of the requirement to truthfully account for and pay over the employment taxes, falsely identified multiple family members as company executives, placed the staffing company in the names of nominees who did not have control over the business operations, and established payment arrangements intended to impede an IRS levy placed on their customer payments. The Stinsons used the withheld funds to pay for personal expenses, including a Mercedes-Benz, a Cadillac Escalade, mortgage payments, and private school tuition for their children.

Mark Stinson also filed a fraudulent tax return for a relative that included a false dependent seeking a refund to which the relative was not entitled. Stinson received a substantial portion of the fraudulent refund.

In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. ordered the Stinsons to serve terms of supervised release and to pay restitution of $ 2.8 million.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Dunavant commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Damon Griffin and Trial Attorney Nathan Brooks, who prosecuted the case.Latest News

Tampa, Florida - A Middleburg, Florida man who used an infant and a toddler to produce child pornography was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison Thursday, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Tampa, made the announcement.

Andrew Leslie, 23, a former software engineer, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis on October 21, 2017.

Andrew Leslie committed unspeakable crimes against the most vulnerable of victims, children so young that they literally cannot speak for themselves said Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan. Our prosecutors and law enforcement partners are committed to identifying and prosecuting offenders like Andrew Leslie and securing sentences like todays, which ensures that he will never harm another child.

Yesterdays sentence demonstrates the severity of the crimes committed in this case, said U.S. Attorney Lopez. We intend to continue our pursuit in prosecuting such egregious crimes as this, in hopes that justice will be served for the victims.

This predator has committed atrocities that are beyond comprehension, said Special Agent in Charge Spero. We hope yesterdays sentencing can bring some solace to the victims in their recovery process.

According to admissions made in conjunction with the guilty plea, during the execution of a federal search warrant at Leslies Middleburg residence, agents located a digital camera next to Leslies bed. Inside of the camera was a memory card that contained a series of images depicting Leslie sexually abusing two children, one of which was an infant child and the second who was approximately two years old. The two-year-old child, whom Leslie admitted was in bed with Leslie at the time law enforcement agents entered the residence, was found in the residence and rescued. Forensic analysis of other digital devices seized from the residence revealed that Leslie had produced, received, distributed, and possessed numerous images and videos depicting child pornography.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations and the Clay County Sheriffs Office.

Trial Attorney Lauren E. Britsch of the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Rodney Brown of the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.WASHINGTON: The authorities on Sunday confirmed the death of the gunman, who had shot himself in front of the White House on Saturday.

The gunman has been identified by the Secret service and the Metropolitan Police Department, but his name has not been disclosed citing security reasons.

The Secret service, deployed to ensure the safety of White House, confirmed that there were no other injuries on the body of the gunman apart from the bullet injury, confirming that the Gunman did not target any shot towards the White House.

The authorities are now 'working to notify next of kin'.

According to the Washington Post, the gunman committed suicide amidst a group of 100 people.

Post the incident, the White House went on a lockdown while US President Donald Trump was away on a visit to Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.Mumbai: Katrina Kaif is busy shooting for Aanand L Rais Zero, a film also starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma. The gorgeous diva took to her Instagram account to post a picture from the sets of the film Saturday night.

And O boy, she looks dayum pretty.

In the picture, we see Katrina wearing a peach lehenga - choli with zardosi work. A long necklace with green beads, a choker, jhumkas, maang tika and the nath (nose ring) compliment her attire. Going by the pic, it looks likely that theres a wedding scene in the film, or maybe a scene for a film within the film!

For the unversed, Katrina plays an actress in the film which will see Shah Rukh essaying a dwarf. Zero will bring the Jab Tak Hai Jaan trio back on screen and it would be interesting to see what each of SRK, Katrina and Anushka have in store for us. Katrina also shared another pic from the sets of the film. And it has SRK in the frame.

by meeeeee A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on Mar 3, 2018 at 8:37am PST

According to a report in Bollywoodlife.com, Anushka and Katrina will be essaying characters they have never played in the past.

While everyone thinks that only Shah Rukh Khan has a special role in the film with a disability, they will be surprised to know that Anushka and Katrinas characters also face various challenges. While everyone knows Katrina plays a diva, nobody knows that she is also an alcoholic in the movie. She battles with alcoholism, which affects her life in various ways. Anushka, on the other hand plays a struggling scientist. The makers are trying to keep these details a secret because they dont want to give out too much information, Bollywoodlife quoted a source as saying.

However, initial reports suggested that Anushka would be playing the role of a mentally challenged girl. Nonetheless, since the makers are tight-lipped about the plot and the characters in the film, we can only wait to know what they have in store for us.

The film is slated to release on 21 December.Mumbai: Aanand L Rai believes Shah Rukh Khan may have become a superstar but the actor still is the same Delhi boy at heart with humble beginnings and it was this quality that made him even more endearing for the filmmaker's next Zero.

In Zero, the 52-year-old actor, popular for portraying characters in love stories set abroad, plays a vertically challenged man who travels from Meerut to New York.

"I always felt he is a very basic Delhi boy. Whenever I saw him in those valleys of Switzerland, I felt 'Oh Delhi boy wahan tak pahuch gaya' (the Delhi boy has achieved great heights). I never felt he didn't belong there.

"That is the reason why I think he has a great connect in our country because he represents a basic middle class boy who has achieved it," Aanand told PTI when asked how does he see this transformation of the actor.

The movie reunites the cast of Jab Tak Hai Jaan with SRK, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif featuring in the film.

For the first time, Aanand has teamed up with a star like Shah Rukh. Asked if the stakes have become higher, the 46-year-old director says, "There were bright chances."

He is, however, relieved to have SRK on board.

"Shah Rukh makes me feel so comfortable and makes you feel like he is the most obedient actor you have ever worked with. I have found a friend, a big brother in him. I am enjoying the process and he is letting me fly," he says.

As of now, Aanand is gearing up for the Christmas release of the film which, he says, is "shaping up great" and is a "lifetime of experiences".

Besides direction, Aanand is backing a string of new films under his company Colour Yellow Productions - from the sequel of Happy Bhaag Jayegi, Anurag Kashyap's next Manmarziyan to a project helmed by Rajkumar Santoshi.

Talking about his production spree, he says, "I will never do a film just for the sake of it. If I have nothing to contribute, I won't do it. If I don't have anything to bring on the table something which will make it easier for the director or the team, there is no reason to make it."

"I am not doing films to make money. If you make a good film, you will make money but that is not the prime reason to go for a film. My prime reason is what am I bringing new for my audience," he adds.

For the Raanjhanaa director, the success or failure of a film does not account to much, but what matters is the intention with which it was made.

Aanand's turn as a producer happened with the hit Tanu Weds Manu and he says the decision was largely driven by the idea to back the content he believes in.

"Producing a film was not to make money but only to get the freedom to make the kind of films I want to. I don't look at my bank (balance) in terms of what I am getting or not getting," he says.

"I am just enjoying the process of telling the stories I always wanted to be a part of. As a director I know I can do very few, but as a production house, I can tell more stories, which is fun," he says.Mumbai: In what can impact the exim trade, the Rs 12,700-crore Nirav Modi scam at Punjab National Bank (PNB) has affected trade finance activities as lenders have become extra cautious, while the premium on Indian paper has shot up by 10-50 bps, say bankers.

"The PNB fraud has already affected trade financing. No bank is now prepared to extend letters of understanding (LoUs). The ability of a company to raise money through LoUs from abroad has been affected badly," a senior official from a state-run bank told news agency Press Trust of India.

A private sector banker closely associated with the activity echoed the same, saying lenders have taken a "cautious" approach in the aftermath of the largest financial fraud in the history of the nation.

Despite the immediate setback, bankers, however, feel that there will not be a complete freeze so that a genuine businessman's operations are affected.

The fraud unearthed at the Brady House branch of PNB had diamantaire Nirav Modi and his various company officials colluding with senior officials of the state-run lender, wherein LoUs were issued without proper checks and securities. The fraud went undetected for many years as the SWIFT, the financial transaction messaging system, was not linked to PNB's core banking system. As a result of this, the issues LoUs were not shown in the bank's books.

A LoU is a guarantee by a bank to pay another lender for import by companies and is considered very crucial for cross-border trade which helps the importer access funds at lower costs.

Meanwhile, bankers said the cost of funds for domestic exporters/importers has gone up considerably following the scam, as for the LoUs already issued, a "risk premium" has already been set in for any Indian paper.

While one private sector banker said the trade is availing of the same, LoU-based short-term loans are coming in at a premium of 10-30 basis points, another private banker said in some cases it has gone up to even 50 bps.

One of the two bankers cited above said calls are being made to the issuer bank for re-confirming the genuineness even though it is not supposed to be done, because a LoU is generally taken at face value.

"Historically, there has been no default on buyer's credit, as it is guaranteed by another bank, and so we take it as 100 percent safe business. This is for the first time that we saw a problem. We are building some mechanisms to strengthen it," Union Bank of India Managing Director and Chief Executive Rajkiran Rai G told news agency Press Trust of India.

"In the Nirav Modi case, our people got carried away by the PNB guarantee and they took that risk. Now, we are taking care of that and even though it is a guarantee from a government-run bank, we'll evaluate counter-parties. We are putting certain limits in place so that in future such things do not happen again," Rai added.

The scam, came to light only on February 14, has also dented the country's profile at the world stage, said some other bankers who spoke off-the-record, adding the delay in finding a resolution will further dent the image.

"If PNB does not honour the commitment of paying up as newer LoUs mature, it will affect the country us a lot as it may not be only Indian lenders which will be having exposures to Modi's firms through PNB issued LoUs," said another banker.

Although PNB managing director and chief executive Sunil Mehta had said the bank would honour all bonafide commitments under the LoUs, there are reports about some disputes between PNB and other lenders on repayment.

Bankers say more than the interest income, they look at trade finance as a source of fee income. This results in many banks using a vibrant secondary market to pass on their dollar exposure to other lenders, including foreign ones too.

"This is a business that we cannot stop. In foreign branches, 60-70 percent business happens through letters of credit, buyer's credit and bill discounting. We are not slowing down but checks will be tougher," Rai said.

It can be noted that as of now, Modi has already defaulted on loans of over Rs 280 crore but more loans will be coming up for repayment as months pass by.

Another state-run banker said demand for LoUs has also come down following the scam. "It's not the time that companies will choose to raise money through LoUs. They will wait for sometime till the Modi issue settles down," the official said.

Lenders have also begun a process to improve their own practices so that a similar incident does not reoccur, say another banker.

Rai said UBI has improved monitoring mechanisms at its foreign branches, and has also mandated a monthly training module to the staff and will be careful about the quality of staff being sent on overseas assignments from now on.

(With PTI inputs)Mumbai: Axis Bank chief Shikha Sharma has said called for creating a better credit culture for the long-term benefits and opined that one way to achieve that is to debar defaulting promoters from bidding for their assets during insolvency proceedings.

With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) doing away with all the past dispensations to resolve the bad loan problem, and voting for initiation of insolvency proceedings against erring borrowers, there is a need to strengthen the National Company Law Tribunals (NCLTs), she said.

"Certainly a lot more cases are going to go to the NCLT; so it is important that their capacity is expanded so that they can deal with all cases," the managing director and chief executive of the third largest private sector lender told Press Trust of India in an interview recently.

Sharma said there is "some conversation" on this aspect already and added the RBI would have kept such a requirement in mind already.

She said the promoters of companies against whom banks have initiated insolvency proceedings should be kept out of the bidding process for the same assets for the long-term benefit of improving credit culture.

A short-term goal for banks would be to look at maximising the value from the assets which are being put up for bidding and that can happen by allowing the promoters to bid for the assets, while from a longer-term perspective getting the right credit culture where every borrower repays is more important, she said.

"I believe in the long-term as opposed to the short- term. You can take some pains in the short-term as long as the right things are happening in the long-term," Sharma said.

She said the NCLT-based resolution mechanism is aimed at "doing the right things for the medium- to long-term".

Axis Bank's strategy is also aligned with the same thought of ensuring gains in the long-term, she added.

The comments come even as reports say that in case of Essar Steel, one of the earliest and the largest accounts mandated by the RBI to be resolved through the NCLT, the promoter Ruia family has teamed up with the Russian lender VTB to wrest back the company through the bidding.

Essar Steel has a debt of over Rs 45,000 crore and a joint venture of Arcelor Mittal and Japanese alloy major Nippon Steel is the lone competitor for the Ruias' bid being done through a firm called Neumetal in which a Ruia family member owns 25 percent through a Mauritius-based trust.

When asked if promoters are getting a backdoor entry by teaming up with other investors and where does that leave the concerns on credit culture, Sharma said, "I think we are jumping the gun."

Sharma also welcomed the NCLT process as a very strong and responsive mechanism which has shown a willingness to change if there is a need.

"One should recognise NCLTs for the fact that it is seldom that you see that a legislation gets written and implemented as quickly as NCLT...In the next three-four months we'll have a better idea of exactly how the whole NCLT process has worked," she said.

When asked about the loss of credit culture through farm loan waivers across various states, Sharma acknowledged about the difficulties but declined to elaborate.

"Every time there is a talk of farm loan waiver, there is an increase in defaults on agricultural loans because people feel they don't need to pay up. We live in a complex economy," she said.

"There is a big debate out there on growth versus inclusion. I don't know whether anybody has the right answers. You have had Communism, Socialism, capitalism...I don't think if we have a clear winner yet."Paris: Judges are investigating whether French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her party illegally took more EU parliament money to pay for France-based staff than previously thought, a report said Sunday.

If confirmed, the claims could cast a pall over the National Front congress next weekend aimed at recasting the party`s image after a series of setbacks since Le Pen lost to Emmanuel Macron in last year`s presidential race.

The party is suspected of using money from Brussels earmarked for parliamentary assistants to pay staff for party work in France.

The Journal du Dimanche newspaper said the two French judges looking into the suspected EU funding scandal now think it may have been carried out from July 2009 to 2012.

That would mean nearly seven million euros ($8.6 million) was potentially misused, up from a previous estimate of some five million euros.

Le Pen was charged last June with breach of trust over the salaries paid to her chief of staff Catherine Griset and her bodyguard Thierry Legier, and for complicity in breach of trust as FN leader.

She is one of 17 National Front lawmakers -- along with her estranged father Jean-Marie Le Pen -- being investigated over salaries paid to around 40 parliamentary assistants.

If tried and convicted, she faces up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to 375,000 euros, though it is unlikely she would receive a custodial sentence.

Le Pen is running unopposed for a third term as the National Front leader at a congress in Lille, northern France, on March 10 and 11. She will propose changing the party`s name in a bid to break with its past association with overt racism and anti-Semitism.

Last week she was charged with posting on Twitter gruesome images of purported atrocities by Islamic State jihadists just a few weeks after the Paris terror attacks in November 2015.Bonn: Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday vowed to work with the Social Democrats for the "good of Germany" as the centre-left party agreed to join her new coalition, but the veteran leader will go into her fourth term with weaker cards than before.

Two in three of the SPD`s rank and file voting in a crunch referendum backed a new partnership with Merkel`s conservatives, heralding an end to the political stalemate that has plagued Europe`s biggest economy since September`s inconclusive elections.

But the chancellor, in power for 12 years, has had to pay a high price to coax the reluctant Social Democratic Party (SPD) back into another loveless "grand coalition".

Congratulating the SPD for its "clear result", Merkel said she was looking forward to "further cooperation for the good of our country," according to a tweet attributed to her on her CDU party`s account.

Stung by their worst post-war results, the SPD had initially ruled out another four years under Merkel`s shadow.

But after Merkel`s attempt to cobble together a government with two smaller parties failed, the SPD relented.

With the party riven over the way forward, the leadership promised its more than 460,000 members the final say on any coalition deal.

"We now have clarity. The SPD will be in the next government," said SPD`s caretaker chairman Olaf Scholz, adding his party plans to send three male and three female ministers to the cabinet.

European partners waiting impatiently for Germany to end its longest stretch of coalition haggling since the end of the war heaved a sigh of relief, with French President Emmanuel Macron calling the SPD decision "good news for Europe."

In a nod to the "GroKo" as the grand right-left coalition is known in Germany, European Commission vice president Frans Timmermans wrote on Twitter: "GroGO! For solidarity in Germany and EU!"Merkel is expected to launch her fourth government by mid-March. But the long-serving leader faces a far rockier road ahead.

A crushing majority enjoyed by her conservatives and the SPD in the last coalition has been trimmed to a slim 56 percent (399 out of total 709) of seats in parliament this time round.

Both sides had been weakened as voters angry about the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers in Germany since 2015 turned to the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

The AfD, which would be the biggest opposition party in Germany as the SPD joins the government, vowed to go after Merkel`s CDU over its "continuation of the immigration policy without imposing a limit."

The party`s parliamentary group leader Alice Weidel predicted that "the bill will come at the latest in 2021."

Wary of ceding further ground to the far-right Islamophobic outfit, Merkel`s conservatives and the SPD have agreed to review their cooperation in two years.

Dissenting voices in the SPD also promise to keep the long-time partners on their toes.

The SPD`s youth chief Kevin Kuehnert, who ran an impassioned campaign against the planned coalition known as "GroKo", expressed disappointment at Sunday`s vote result.

"When criticism is necessary, then it will come from us," he vowed, adding that young Social Democrats won`t rest until there is a "fundamental renewal" in the party.

The tension within the party over its partnership with Merkel was illustrated by the silence that met news that the "yes"-camp prevailed, prompting Spiegel Online to headline its story "Hardly any rejoicing".

Within the ranks too, Merkel, who once seemed invincible, is looking increasingly vulnerable as calls grow louder for change.

Opponents of her liberal refugee policy have grown more outspoken, while the conservative wing of her party is seething at having lost control of the powerful finance ministry to the Social Democrats as part of the coalition deal.

For the chancellor, who is under pressure within her party to rejuvenate the ranks, the clock is essentially ticking to groom her successor.

In a bid to tamp down criticism, Merkel has brought one of her most outspoken CDU critics, Jens Spahn, into her next cabinet as health minister.

Spahn, 37, a former deputy to hardliner Wolfgang Schaeuble at the finance ministry, has repeatedly slammed Merkel`s centrist policies, particularly on immigration.

He has also advocated a sharp conservative shift in a bid to woo back voters from the AfD, which garnered nearly 13 percent in the September election.

But crucially, at a congress this week, her party also formally appointed its new general secretary, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, tapped by Merkel to kickstart the renewal process.

Sueddeutsche daily noted that "she is the one who has made it clear that the CDU is now no longer without a successor for Merkel".New Delhi: Amid a global outcry over the Rohingya crisis, intelligence agencies have now warned of a conspiracy to settle down thousands of Rohingyas in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts respectively.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority group, are fleeing persecution in Myanmar's western Rakhine State, fuelling a historic migration crisis.

According to a report sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), nearly 40,000 thousand Rohingyas, who are currently staying in various parts of the country, have been reportedly instructed to settle down in Trinamool Congress-ruled state.

The intelligence report, accessed by Zee Media, claims that as many as 40 organisations have been identified, which are allegedly involved in the business of settling down these Rohingyas illegally, and are even collecting money from all over the country.

These 40 organisations, currently under the scanner, have organised more than 50 secret meetings in different parts of the country in the last few days, the report claimed.

It further stated that at least 29 Rohingyas have started living in the 24 Parganas, and in order to settle them, the construction of new homes have already begun.

These organisations, in question, have reportedly asked the people living in nearby villages to donate their land to Rohingyas so that they can be settled permanently in West Bengal.

In September last year, the Centre told the Supreme Court that Rohingyas posed a serious threat to national security with links to terror outfits, including the Islamic State.

The Centres affidavit, filed in the apex court registry said, "Many of the Rohingyas figure in the suspected sinister designs of ISI/ISIS and other extremists groups who want to achieve their ulterior motives in India including that of flaring up communal and sectarian violence in sensitive areas of the country."

(With inputs from Manish Shukla, Zee News)NEW DELHI: After a massive sweep in Tripura Assembly elections 2018, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday will celebrate 'Vijay Diwas' across the country.

On Saturday, the BJP decimated the CPI-M in Tripura - one of the last remaining Left bastions, ousting the party from power after 25 long years.

Pulling off a historic victory, the BJP and its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), a tribal-dominated party, together won 43 out of 59 Tripura constituencies. The BJP on its own won 35 seats, four more than the half-way mark, while its ally IPFT won eight seats. In a remarkable performance, the alliance swept all the 20 seats reserved for tribals.

The BJP, which had no MLAs in the outgoing Assembly and polled just 1.5 percent votes in the 2013 elections, losing deposits in 49 of the 50 constituencies it contested, secured over 42 percent of votes in the February 18, 2018, Tripura elections.

The CPI-M which headed the ruling Left Front was reduced to just 15 seats - down from 50 in the last elections. None of its partners, including the CPI, Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party, could open their account.

The Congress, which had 10 members in the outgoing Assembly, drew a blank this time.

The saffron outfit was a virtual political non-entity all these years in the tiny state, where it had drawn a blank in terms of seats and secured only 1.5 percent of votes in the Assembly polls five years back.

Tripura went to polls on February 18 and the elections were held for 59 seats. In the last Assembly elections in 2013, the Left Front had secured 50 seats while remaining 10 seats went to the Congress, which this time seems unlikely to open its account.

A total of 290 candidates, including 23 women, of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist, CPI, BJP and Congress and many independents, were in the fray.

Balloting in Charilam (reserved for the tribals) has been deferred to March 12, 2018, after CPI-M candidate Ramendra Narayan Debbarma died a week before the polls.

Over 92 per cent (excluding 50,700 postal ballots) of Tripura's 2,536,589 voters cast their votes on February 18 in a peaceful election, setting a new record in India's electoral history.New Delhi: The second part of Parliament's Budget Session, beginning from Monday, is likely to start on a stormy note with the Congress giving an adjournment notice on nearly Rs 12700 crore PNB scam.

Congress-led Opposition is set to raise the issue of multi-crore financial scams involving public-sector banks in both the Houses of Parliament, said reports.

The two Houses of Parliament will meet on Monday after a month-long recess in the session.

Opposition parties would seek an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other banking scams took place and how the government failed to stop them.

The government, on its part, is seeking to counter the Opposition's offensive by bringing the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill.

The legislation, once passed, will grant powers to the government to attach assets of persons declared fugitive. This will include benami assets too.

While the Opposition has not planned any joint strategy so far, it is likely to meet in a day or two to chalk out a plan for the remaining Budget Session of Parliament.

Sources said that while the financial sector and banking scams would dominate the proceedings in both Houses, issues related to crime against Dalits and women, farmers, the economy and unemployment would also be raised by the opposition benches.

The second part of the session would primarily see discussions on the demand for grants for various ministries.

The Opposition would also press for a debate on a number of contentious matters and important issues confronting the country.

The government has, meanwhile, listed a few bills for consideration and passage in both Houses.

In the Lok Sabha, it intends to bring The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2017, tomorrow, and The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017, on Tuesday.

In the Rajya Sabha, the government has listed The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017, for the first day of the session.

Congress leaders said that they would soon be holding a meeting with other opposition parties to chalk out a joint strategy for the session.

The aim is to corner the government and demand answers from it on various issues which it has evaded in the past, a leader from the party said.

CPI leader D Raja said the issue of PNB fraud will be taken up and the new bills that the government proposes to bring would also be discussed.

"We will demand answers from the government on how the fraud happened. The banking sector is in a deep crisis and its credibility is at stake," he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Raja also said that issues pertaining to atrocities and crimes against Dalits and women, which he claimed were on the rise, would also be taken up.

He, however, said the financial crimes will be the highlight of the session.

TMC leader Derek O'Brien said his party is for a debate and a discussion in Parliament and would evolve a joint opposition strategy soon.

"We will coordinate with other opposition parties to expose this BJP government that has not delivered on their promises. I don't want to name any particular issue as there are many. We have issues for every day in Parliament," he said.

O'Brien also claimed that the BJP had gone "overboard" with its victory in Tripura.

"If you look at the bypoll results of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha, it is very clear that their tally will come down," he said.

The TMC leader claimed that Prime Minister Modi will not deliver his address from the Red Fort in 2019.

"If their target is West Bengal, our target is Red Fort. BJP did not win Tripura, the Left surrendered it," he said.

(With PTI inputs)Hyderabad: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren have now backed TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao's (KCR) call for forming a third front

ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The two leaders today called on KCR and expressed their support to his proposal for stitching up a third front with like-minded parties as an alternative to the BJP and Congress.

Both Mamata and Soren backed the Telangana Chief Minister's statement on bringing a 'qualitative change in Indian politics', IANS reported.

The Trinamool Congress leader spoke to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief to convey that she is with him in bringing like-minded parties together.

According to the West Bengal Chief Minister's Office, Mamata told him that she fully agrees with him and is ready to work with him.

''I am in agreement with you. I will work with you," the West Bengal CM's office quoted Mamata as saying.

KCR, as the TRS chief is popularly known, had on Saturday said that there is a need for a qualitative change in the Indian politics and declared that he is ready to bring together like-minded parties.

"There is a serious need for qualitative change in the national politics. People are vexed now. No qualitative change is seen by the people even after 70 years of exercise of democracy. It is very unfortunate. People are looking for a change. Can we expect something new to happen if Congress comes to power after BJP," the Telangana Chief Minister had said.

He said that the new platform could be a third front or any other front and he will not mind being a part of the change."It can be a third front or any front. Discussions are going on the same. I am trying to `bring change` in politics and I don't mind to be a part of the change," he said.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren too telephoned KCR and expressed his solidarity. He welcomed KCR's decision to play a key role in national politics.

Two MPs from Maharashtra and prominent persons from different walks of life also spoke to KCR over the phone and expressed their support.

Similarly, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi too backed KCR's proposal for a third front before 2019 polls.

The country is fed up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, and it's time to go for a third front, the AIMIM chief said.

"I welcome Telangana CM`s statement and he rightly stated that people of the country are fed up with BJP governance and Congress is not a viable option, neither it can become one," said Owaisi.

The Hyderabad MP's statement came a day after KCR said that he was in consultation with top political leaders for forming a common platform with likeminded political parties.

The AIMIM chief further praised the Chief Minister for his governance in Telangana.

The TRS chief has been receiving support from people belonging to different walks of life.

People from all parts of Telangana are reaching Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence of the Chief Minister, to express their support.

Pundits from different temples, representatives of the Brahmin community, maulvis from different mosques, representatives of Muslim organisations, Fathers from churches, Christian religious representatives, Sikh religious representatives, employees from RTC, Singareni, electricity department, Banjaras, tribals, backward classes representatives and others are reaching Pragathi Bhavan in large numbers to express solidarity with KCR.

(With IANS inputs)NEW DELHI: The Indian Medical Association and the district court bar associations in Delhi today extended their support to the DCW's 'Rape Roko' campaign, launched after the brutal rape of an eight-month-old baby in January.

Through the movement, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) is demanding the completion of trials of sexual crimes cases against women and children by fast-track courts within six months and the death penalty to child rapists.

In a letter addressed to DCW chief Swati Maliwal, the IMA said: "We strongly support the people's movement 'Rape Roko' launched by DCW chief to demand a robust criminal justice system which ensures cases of sexual crimes against women and children are tried by fast-track courts within six months and rapists of children are essentially accorded death penalty as a strong deterrent for others against such crimes".

The IMA has requested their state and local branches in Delhi to join the movement.

The co-ordination committee of all district court bar associations in Delhi have also supported the movement, a senior DCW official said.

In a letter addressed to the DCW chief, they said that the movement initiated by her is the need of the hour.

The associations also said that the unspent Nirbhaya Fund should be immediately utilised for the welfare of women and girls.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal is on a Satyagraha since January 31 after the brutal rape of an eight-month-old baby earlier that month and has pledged not to return home until March 8 - the day celebrated as the International Women's Day.NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday took Karti Chidambaram to Mumbai for further investigation in connection with the INX Media bribery case. Karti left for Mumbai at around 8 AM, in an Air India flight, said a CBI official.

The junior Chidambaram has been taken to Mumbai's Byculla jail and will be brought face-to-face with Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea, separately in Mumbai, revealed a CBI source.

On March 1, the Patiala House Court in Delhi had sent Karti Chidambaram to CBI custody for five days in the INX Media case, involving the Mukerjea couple. As per Zee News, Karti was questioned for nearly seven hours by the CBI.

In a dramatic development in the INX Media case, senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram's son Karti was arrested by the CBI from Chennai airport on February 28 on his return from abroad. Later in the evening, he was remanded to a one-day custody of the CBI by a Delhi court.

The arrest of Karti came nine months after the CBI registered an FIR against him on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, accepting gratification by corrupt or illegal means, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.

After his arrest in Chennai, CBI officials took him to Delhi by Wednesday afternoon. He was taken to the CBI headquarters and then produced before a Duty Magistrate.

Karti allegedly received Rs 3.5 crore from the Mumbai-based INX Media, now known as 9X Media, for helping it get Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance in 2007 when it was run by Peter and Indrani Mukerjea, both accused in the Sheena Bora murder case.

The FIR does not mention of Chidambaram senior, though it said he cleared the FIPB approval for Rs 4.62 crore FDI in the firm at an FIPB meeting on May 18, 2007.

(With inputs from agencies)NEW DELHI: A 45-year-old man who worked as a night watchman at a school in Seempauri area here was found dead today, police said.

The body of Devi Dayal bore head injuries inflicted by a blunt object, they added.

Dayal's body was found inside a room in the school at around 9 am, an officer said, adding that an empty liquor bottle, two glasses and food were also lying nearby.

There were no signs of forced entry, he said.

Dayal worked in the accounts unit of a transporter, and stayed in the school as a guard at night, the police said.

CCTV footage from around the school was being scanned, they added.Here is what is making headlines today:

1. Karti Chidambaram taken to Mumbai, will be brought face-to-face with Indrani, Peter Mukerjea

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday took Karti Chidambaram to Mumbai for further investigation in connection with the INX Media bribery case. Karti left for Mumbai at around 8 AM, in an Air India flight, said a CBI official. Read full report

2. PNB official received gold, diamond jewellery as bribe from Nirav Modi: CBI

An official of Punjab National Bank received gold and diamond jewellery from a billionaire jeweller accused of being involved in a $2 billion bank fraud, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)told a court on Saturday. Read full report

3. UP byelections: Rivals SP and BSP may join hands for Gorakhpur, Phulpur bypolls

To take on the BJP, arch-rivals Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) are likely to enter into an alliance for the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls in Uttar Pradesh. Read full report

4. SSC exam paper leak: Anna Hazare meets protestors; Cong dubs it another Vyapam scam

As the protest by SSC aspirants against the alleged leak of examination paper for the combined graduate level exam  SSC CGL tier 2 exam intensified, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Sunday met the candidates in Delhi. Hazare joined the protestors at around 8 o' clock in the morning. Read full report

5. Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumars 2.0 teaser leaked online, video goes viral

Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson starrer 2.0 teaser has been leaked online. The video surfaced on Twitter Sunday morning and instantly grabbed users attention. Read full report

6. Dinesh Karthik to captain Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2018

The suspense around who will captain Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after Gautam Gambhir's exit ended on Sunday when the franchise's CEO, Venky Mysore, announced that Dinesh Karthik will lead the side in the eleventh season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Read full reportNEW DELHI: Dismissing allegations of corruption in the contract for 36 Rafale jets, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman today asserted there can be no comparison between the scam-hit Bofors gun deal and the procurement of the fighter aircraft.

"Do not even compare it (Rafale deal) with Bofors. There is no scam here," Sitharaman told reporters when asked whether Rafale deal will go the Bofors way.

Sitharaman said she would welcome if the Congress raises the issue of procurement of Rafale jets when the budget session of the Parliament reconvenes from Monday.

"I will welcome it (if Congress raises it)," she said.

The Congress has been ramping up attack on the government over the Rafale issue, claiming that the deal negotiated under its rule was much cheaper than the contract signed by the Modi government to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore.

Official sources claimed the original deal to procure 126 fighter jet could not go through during the UPA rule despite reaching the final stage due to an intervention by the then defence minister A K Antony as he felt something wrong in the process.

They said the government selected Rafale for procurement of the 36 fighter jets not because of the price arrived at during the UPA tenure but due to the "overarching" assessment of the jet.

There were allegations that payoffs were made in the procurement of the artillery guns from Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors in the late 1980s during the then Congress government.

The allegations and its subsequent political ramifications had severely crippled the Indian Army's procurement of artillery guns.

Alleging corruption, the Congress has been asking the government whether the per aircraft price of Rafale, according to international bids opened on December 12, 2012, comes to USD 80.95 million (Rs 526.1 crore) as against the Modi government's per aircraft negotiated price of USD 241.66 Million (Rs 1,570.8 crore) as per current exchange rates.

The UPA government floated a tender in 2007 for the purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for the Air Force and, post negotiations, two of them--Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon -- remained in the reckoning.

However, the deal could not be finalised by the UPA regime.

The Congress had also claimed that Qatar had purchased 12 Rafale fighter jets in November 2017 for USD 108.33 million per aircraft (Rs 694.80 crore), noting that the per aircraft rate at which the Gulf nation is buying the jet is much lower than the rate at which India will procure them.

The government has refused to give details of the price break up of each rafale aircraft, citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact.

In a detailed statement, the defence ministry last month had termed as "unfounded" allegations made by the Congress about the Rafale deal, asserting that the demand to disclose details such as its value was "unrealistic" as doing so might compromise India's national security.

It had said giving an item-wise cost and other information would reveal details about weapons systems and customisation of the jet.

The ministry had said that in 2012, the then defence minister exercised an unprecedented personal veto on the laid down institutional process then underway for the procurement of the 126 jets.ALLAHABAD: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for proposing Ram Nath Kovind's name as the President of the country. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it possible for a Dalit to become a President," he said in Pritam Nagar in Allahabad.

He also hit out at the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party and said that what those two parties could not do for Dalit, PM Modi has done. "BSP could not make a Dalit the President nor could the SP but PM Modi made it possible," Yogi Adityanath said.

Earlier in the day, he credited the BJP's "historic" performance in north eastern states to "development-oriented" policies of the Prime Minister and "organisational skills" of party president Amit Shah. He added that the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

"The BJP's sterling performance in northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people," he said.

He said the 'lotus' will now bloom in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, thanks to the development-oriented policies of the prime minister and his good governance, and the guidance of the party chief Amit Shah. "That day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir down to Kanyakumari," he said.

Adityanath also exuded confidence that the BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. He took potshots at arch-rivals SP and BSP on reports that they might join hands to take on the BJP in the next week's Lok Sabha bye-elections in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

"Who doesn't know the guest house episode? Can one forget who had threatened to damage statues (of Dalit icons)," he said without elaborating. His reference was to an attack allegedly engineered by SP supporters on then chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati in the Meerabai Road state guest house in the state capital over two decades back.NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will have to scale up production of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), asserting that the government has not "ditched" the project for any other fighter jet.

Sitharaman also said the government was eagerly awaiting the "Mark II" version of the Tejas and that a number of countries have shown interest in the aircraft indigenously developed by HAL. "We are not ditching the LCA. We have not gone for anything instead of Tejas. The HAL has to increase production capacity of LCA," she told reporters.

Currently, the HAL is producing around eight Tejas, a single engine multi-role aircraft, annually and the defence ministry wants it to increase the number to 18 planes per year. "We are very confident that Tejas Mark II will be a big leap forward to fulfil the single-engine fighter requirement of the forces," she said, adding the government was also considering export potential of the aircraft.

Official sources said the government is likely to soon launch the process to float a global tender for procurement of a fleet of fighter jets to augment IAF's depleting fighter squadrons. The IAF currently has 31 fighter squadrons against the authorised strength of 42.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) had ordered 40 Tejas Mark-1 version. A request for proposal (RFP) was issued to HAL by the IAF two months back for the procurement of 83 Tejas of the Mark-1A version at a cost of around Rs 50,000 crore.

Sitharaman said the government was examining how to increase the production of the LCA, adding a number of countries have shown interest in procuring the aircraft.

The defence minister's remarks came amid reports of a view in the defence establishment that Tejas was not enough to maintain IAF's combat readiness and it needed to quickly procure a fleet of foreign single engine fighters to deal with any possible security challenges facing the country in the wake of the dwindling size of its fighter fleet.

The HAL has been maintaining that Tejas is a world class fighter jet and can effectively play its "defined" role in securing Indian skies.

The HAL is investing Rs 1,300 crore to augment the existing infrastructure so that production of Tejas can be increased to 24 aircraft per year by 2021.

Official sources said no decision could be taken on the long-pending fifth-generation fighter jet project with Russia due to high cost involved in it. The cost of the project is very high. It is still under consideration, they said.

A high-level committee set up by the government to examine various aspects of the project had submitted its report last year and the defence ministry is likely to take a call on it soon.

In 2007, India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project. In December 2010, India had agreed to pay USD 295 million (Rs 1,897 crore) towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called in India as the 'Perspective Multi-role Fighter'.

However, the negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years. In February 2016, India and Russia revived talks on the project after a clearance from the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar. The sources also said that Vietnam has shown interest in procuring Brahmos missiles.BARIPADA: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has chalked out a plan to bring the Cheetah from Africa pending clearance from the Supreme Court, an NTCA official said.

The Cheetah, a large cat of the sub-family Felinae, which runs at the speed of 110 to 120 km per hour, is now extinct in India, Dr Debabrata Swain, member secretary of NTCA, said while addressing the state level celebration of world wildlife day here yesterday.

"The NTCA now attempts to re-introduce the Cheetah in Madhya Pradesh forests.

All arrangements have been made to bring the Cheetah from Africa," Swain said adding that of the six different species of big cats, five were seen in India except the Cheetah.

The Cheetah is found in southern, north and east Africa and a few localities in Iran.

Replying to a question, Swain said that the NTCA was waiting for a judgement from the Supreme Court before bringing the Cheetah from Africa.

"The Apex court has been hearing a petition which opposes re-introduction of the Cheetah in India," Swain said.

This apart, Swain said to increase the population of big cats in Odisha, a proposal was mooted to expand the territory of the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) with the inclusion of the Hadgarh and the Kuldhia sanctuaries area.

He said that the NTCA had already initiated several plans for the protection and conservation of the Royal Bengal Tigers.

Out of 3,800 big cats alive across the globe, 2,226 tigers were counted in different sanctuaries and tiger reserves in India, he said.

Swain said that the Similipal Tiger Reserve which had 26 big cats required the utmost attention to prevent poaching, mass-hunting with the cooperation of local villagers.

The population of deer and wild boar also dwindled coupled with the disappearance of bamboo plants inside the tiger habitats, he said.

NTCA is committed to protect and increase the population of the big cats in 50 tiger reserves for which annually Rs 350 crore is being spent, Swain said.

Besides, the Special Tiger Reserve Force watch is being deployed in 13 tiger reserves in the country to improve the tiger monitoring system with the aid of mobile app system, Swain said.MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has taken Karti Chidambaram to the Byculla jail in Mumbai to grill him in connection with the INX media alleged bribery case. The agency will quiz former finance minister P Chidambaram's son in an interrogation which will possibly be conducted in four rounds.

In the first round, Karti will be brought face to face with Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, the then owners of Mumbai-based INX Media, now known as 9X Media. Karti allegedly received Rs 3.5 crore from INX media for helping it get Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance in 2007.

The Mukhejeas are already lodged in Byculla jail in connection with the murder of Sheena Bora, Indrani's daughter from her previous marriage with Sanjeev Khanna.

The CBI is planning on confronting Karti with Indrani and Peter separately. The agency has also prepared a list of over 120 questions which it is likely to ask him on Sunday.

INX Media Case: #KartiChidambaram at Byculla jail in Mumbai; he will be brought face-to-face with Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea, separately pic.twitter.com/zqtEn7GNQh  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

He is likely to be asked nearly 35 questions in the first three rounds and more in the final round of questioning of the trio.

Indrani, who is also an accused in the case INX media alleged bribery case, had told a magistrate that Karti had met her at a hotel in Delhi and demanded $1 million in bribe for the FIPB clearance.

On March 1, the Patiala House Court in Delhi had sent Karti to CBI custody for five days in the INX Media case. He questioned for nearly seven hours by the CBI.

He was arrested by the CBI from Chennai airport on February 28 on his return from a foreign trip. The arrest of Karti came nine months after the CBI registered an FIR against him on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, accepting gratification by corrupt or illegal means, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.HYDERABAD: The country is fed up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, and it's time to go for a third front, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi said on Sunday.

The Hyderabad MP's statement comes a day after Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) said that he was in consultation with top political leaders for forming a common platform with likeminded political parties.

"I welcome Telangana CM`s statement and he rightly stated that people of the country are fed up with BJP governance and Congress is not a viable option, neither it can become one," said Owaisi.

The AIMIM chief further praised the Chief Minister for his governance in Telangana.

"Rao has given exemplary governance to Telangana in the last 4 years," he said.

Last month, Owaisi blamed the BJP-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alliance for failing to tackle terror attacks. He further said that religion should not be made a criterion to brand people as nationalist or anti-nationalist.

The Hyderabad lawmaker also said that anyone calling Indian Muslims 'Pakistani' should be jailed. Owaisi suggested a three-year jail term to punish people who make such statements.

KCR on Saturday expressed his interest to participate in the national politics."I am keen to participate in national politics to change the political fabric of the country as the current political system has `miserably failed`," Rao said.

The Chief Minister said he was in consultation with other leaders on the possibility of forming a common platform with likeminded political parties.

"There is a serious need for qualitative change in the national politics. People are vexed now. No qualitative change is seen by the people even after 70 years of exercise of democracy. It is very unfortunate. People are looking for a change. Can we expect something new to happen if Congress comes to power after BJP," the Chief Minister said.

He said that the new platform could be a third front or any other front and he will not mind being a part of the change."It can be a third front or any front. Discussions are going on the same. I am trying to `bring change` in politics and I don`t mind to be a part of the change," he said.

With ANI InputsThiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had undergone a medical check-up at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, returned here on Sunday and said that he was perfectly healthy.

"This was a routine check-up that I have been undergoing for the past 15 years and contrary to a section who are against me and give wrong news, I am perfectly healthy and I have no health issues," Pinarayi Vijayan told the media at the airport here soon after he arrived.

He was accompanied by his wife Kamala Vijayan. The Kerala Chief Minister was discharged on Saturday evening.

Eyebrows were raised when TV channels here had flashed the news that Vijayan was hospitalised on March 2.

Vijayan's office, which is otherwise very active in the social media by giving instant updates on his programmes, speeches and Facebook posts, was , however, tight-lipped about his admission to the hospital.

Later on, the chief ministers office had issued a statement which said that Pinarayi and wife Kamala undergo check-ups at Apollo Hospital in Chennai every three months. "There is nothing unusual in the latest check-up," it said.

Meanwhile, the medical bulletin from Apollo Hospital also said that the CM Vijayan had visited the hospital for a regular check-up.

CM Vijayan had shifted to the government guest house at Chepauk in Chennai from the hospital on Saturday evening, where actor Kamal Haasan called on him.

(With IANS inputs)New Delhi: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Sunday sanctioned the prosecution of absconding diamond trader Nirav Modi and his three firms in connection with billion dollar Punjab National Bank fraud case.

According to ANI, the decision in this regard was taken as per the guidelines of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) on the prosecution of persons in duty evasion cases.

As per the guidelines of Central Board of Excise and Customs, Ministry of Finance, Gov of India on prosecution of persons in duty evasion cases, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has sanctioned prosecution for #NiravModi and his three firms.  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

Nirav Modi will be prosecuted for wrong declaration of value and quantity of the imported Cut and Polished Diamonds, Pearls to Customs and diversion of the Duty Exempted goods to the domestic tariff area clandestinely, the report said.

He will also be questioned for the falsification of documentation and submission of the same to Customs.

Furthermore, he will be prosecuted for violation of the rules of "authorised operations" of the special economic zones (SEZ) and causing loss of Customs Duty to the government.

Modi and his three firms Firestar Diamond International, Firestar International Private Limited, and Radhashir Jewellery Company Limited have been found to be fit to be prosecuted under Sections 132, 135(1)(a), 135(1)(b), 135(1)(i) of Customs Act, 1962 and Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860.

#NiravModi & his 3 firms Firestar Diamond International, Firestar International Pvt Limited and Radhashir Jewellery Company Limited have been found to be fit to be prosecuted under Sections 132, 135(1)(a), 135(1)(b), 135(1)(i) of Customs Act, 1962 and Section 120-B of IPC, 1860.  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

If convicted, the quantum of punishment as per Section 135 (i) (D) of the Customs Act, 1962 for Modi will be up to seven years.

If convicted, the quantum of punishment as per Section 135(i)(D) of the Customs Act, 1962 is upto 7 years imprisonment. Trial is expected to be launched shortly. #NiravModi  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

The trial in the case is expected to be launched shortly.

A special court in Mumbai had on Saturday issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in the alleged Rs 12,700-crore Punjab National Bank scam.

The court, set up under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), issued the NBWs on applications filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), one of the agencies probing the bank fraud cases registered last month.

The court also allowed the ED's application seeking Letters of Rogatory (LR) to seven countries - Malaysia, Armenia, France, China, Japan, Russia and Belgium - in connection with the case.

The ED had earlier issued summonses to Modi and Choksi, both key accused in the scam cases, asking them to appear before the central agency.

However, the two diamond traders, who are said to have left the country before criminal cases were registered, had failed to appear before the ED, prompting the agency to move the PMLA court for issuance of NBWs against them.

On February 27, the ED had moved the court seeking an NBW against Modi.

The agency had told the court that it had issued three summonses to Modi to appear before it.

The agency said it received replies from Nirav Modi for two summonses.

In response to the second summons, Nirav Modi said he cannot appear before the agency owing to his business commitments.

In reply to the third summons, the businessman raised the issue of his security, the ED counsel said.

"We issued three summonses to Choksi. He neither responded to those summonses nor appeared before the agency," special ED prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar had told the special court presided over by Judge M S Azmi here on March 1.

The CBI has also arrested Vipul Ambani, president (finance) of Nirav Modi's Firestar Diamond; Kavita Mankikar (executive assistant and authorised signatory of three firms -- Diamond R US, Stellar Diamond, Solar Exports), Arjun Patil (senior executive, Firestar group) and Rajesh Jindal, then head of the Brady House branch of PNB.

Among those arrested in connection with Choksi's firms are Nakshatra group and Gitanjali group CFO Kapil Khandelwal and Gitanjali group manager Niten Shahi.

The PNB detected a 1.77 billion dollar scam in which Modi acquired fraudulent letters of undertaking from one of its branches for overseas credit from other Indian lenders.

The scam was started in 2011 and was detected in the third week of January this year, after which the PNB officials reported it to the concerned agencies.

(With Agency inputs)NEW DELHI: As the protest by SSC aspirants against the alleged leak of examination paper for the combined graduate level exam  SSC CGL tier 2 exam  held for nearly 9,372 vacancies intensified, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Sunday met the candidates in Delhi. Hazare joined the protestors at around 8 o' clock in the morning.

Delhi: Anna Hazare met Staff Selection Commission (SSC) aspirants who are protesting against the alleged paper leak of #SSC & are demanding a CBI investigation pic.twitter.com/KSdr0M1v3C  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

The students have been protesting outside the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) office at CGO complex in Lodhi Road since February 27, 2018, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the alleged paper leak in the examination held from February 17 to 21, 2018.

Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, the Congress on Saturday dubbed the SSC paper leak scandal as another Vyapam scam and demanded a thorough CBI probe into the matter.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said the government should immediately agree to all the demands of the agitating students and order a CBI probe into the paper leak.

In a statement, he said students from across the country were protesting on the streets of Delhi for days to highlight the corruption in the SSC recruitment exam. Surjewala also asked whether the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was selling jobs, instead of providing job opportunities to the youth.

The SSC had cancelled the exam that was slated to be held on February 21, 2018. The commission later said that this exam will be re-conducted on March 9, 2018.

Screenshots of the question paper of the exam along with answers were found circulating on social media.

Taking note of it, the SSC had issued a statement saying, "The commission has received a few screenshots in the afternoon of 23.2.2018 of quantitative ability (paper-1) apparently taken on 21.2.2018 at around 12.30 pm belonging to a candidate namely Sachin Chouhan (roll number 2201281955). These snapshots are being circulated after about 48 hours of completion of the CGLE (Tier-II) Examination, 2017 and appear to be manipulated and would have no significance on the sanctity of the examination. Earlier also, at around 10.15 am on 21.2.2018, the commission received an information that some of the answer keys of paper I, to be held at 10.30 am on that day of the examination, were being circulated on the social media/e-mails. The commission investigated into the matter and found that the claims were absolutely bogus and baseless."

Exams for recruitment of non-gazetted staff for various central ministries and subordinate departments is conducted by the SSC. Lakhs of aspirants take various examination held by the commission.

SSC chairman Ashim Khurana, in an official statement, later said, "In continuation with the earlier discussions held with the protesting candidates of CGLE 2017, a delegation of the candidates met with the Minister of State, Ministry of Personnel, Pension and Public Grievances... After hearing the delegation, it was directed by the Honble minister that though the paper 1 of 21.2.2018 was cancelled by the SSC on account of technical issues, to inquire into the allegation of leakage of this cancelled paper, the evidence being provided by the candidates be taken on record and if found substantiated, the matter will be referred to CBI for further enquiry."

The statement further said, "Else, the crime branch of Delhi Police which is already seized of the matter upon a referral by the commission, shall complete its inquiry in a time-bound manner and submit its report for further necessary action."

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari had also met the protestors and said he would take up the issue with the minister concerned. He spent an hour with the candidates, who are demanding a CBI inquiry into the matter, to listen to their grievances, read a Delhi BJP statement.

Tiwari said the agitating candidates belong to various states and he met them on 'humanitarian' grounds. Tiwari assured the aspirants of taking up the issue with the minister concerned, and a fair inquiry and action, it read.

(With inputs from agencies)Eighty-year-old Asalappa breathed his last while walking on a hilly road from near Mangalore in Karnataka. Many people around the area saw Asalappa but no one came for help. Even after he died, his son kept crying for help, but no one, not even his close relatives extended any help.

The reason for staying away from the body was a ritual for the local deities in Tulunadu. The locals of Koila had organised a Nema festival and as per customs, touching a body during Nema is regarded to be 'sootaka'. As per the custom, devotees are not allowed to enter the temple or daivasthana if they touch a body or even if someone in the family dies.

Caught in a fix, the bystanders and well as the family members of Asalappa refrained from touching his mortal remains.

His son could not carry his father's body alone as their house was located atop a hill. Seeing the son helpless, the police pitched in. Police sub-inspector Prakash, assistant sub-inspector Ravi and a home guard Sandesh reached the spot and carried Asalappa's body on their shoulders to his house, the Times of India reported.

Social media users hailed the police officers for pitching in for help.Lucknow: The 'lotus' will now bloom from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) stellar performance in Tripura and Nagaland bypolls.

The states which doesn't have Bharatiya Janata Party government, such as Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Odisha, will also see BJP governance in the coming days, said Adityanath.

That day won't be far when one party will be in power in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, added the UP CM.

On Saturday, the BJP demolished the communist citadel of Tripura, winning a two-thirds majority with ally IPFT and ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front. The party is also well on it's way to be part of the next government in Nagaland. In Meghalaya, the BJP will be looking to form an alliance with the National Peoples Party (NPP) to take power.

Terming BJP's performance in the Northeast as historic, Adityanath said, The BJP's sterling performance in the northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people.

He further credited BJP's "historic" performance in northeastern states to "development-oriented" policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "organisational skills" of Amit Shah.

The chief minister was addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Lucknow after the party's good show in assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

Adityanath said for the first time after Independence, these northeastern states will get chance to join the national mainstream and enjoy fruits of development.

The BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, he said.Mumbai: 1990s Bollywood diva Urmila Matondkar, who tied the nuptial knot with Mohsin Akhtar Mir, a Kashmir-based businessman and model on March 3, 2016, celebrated her second wedding anniversary on Saturday.

Urmila took to her Instagram page to post: Life is truly about moments that take your breath away..sharing one of such with all of you..thanking d #almighty for millions of these n pray for many more #happyanniversary my love (sic).

Mohsin too expressed his love for his wife in the sweetest way possible.

He wrote: No one can ever replace you

From the morning I wake up

Til I lay my head beside you

The comfort and love that I feel when I am with you

Those are irreplaceable

I love you and Happy Anniversary! (sic).

Urmila and Mohsins wedding was solemnised as per Hindu rituals at Urmila's residence and the ceremony was attended by family and close friends.

Unlike other Bollywood shaadis, Urmilas wedding was simple. Ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra was the only Bollywood celebrity to be a part of the marriage celebrations. Explaining why she chose a simple marriage ceremony, Urmila, in a statement after wedding said, We kept it an exclusive wedding with just family and friends at the celebration. Since our families wanted the wedding to be a low-key affair, we mutually decided to keep it private. We seek your blessings on embarking this new journey of our lives.Gorakhpur: A bus carrying foreign tourists was allegedly attacked with stones by unidentified persons on Holi in Shahpur area of the city on Saturday.

A Chinese national suffered minor injuries in the attack, the police said.

The tourists were on a pilgrimage tour to Buddhist circuit when they came under the attack yesterday(on Friday), according to reports.

"The crime was apparently committed by some bike-borne men who were returning after playing Holi. A case has been registered against unidentified people under relevant sections of IPC following a complaint by bus driver, Zaheer Ahmed," Om Hari Vajpayee, SHO, Shahpur, said.

As per reports, the vehicle was attacked near 26 PAC battalion, Bichhia, around 1.30 pm when it was on its way to Kushinagar from Lumbini.

The driver said the tourists, mostly from Australia and China, began their tour from Delhi last week. They were to visit the Buddhist circuit, including Shravasti, Sarnath, Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and end their journey at Varanasi.

"Two youths on motorcycle came from behind and started pelting stones. When I tried to speed the vehicle, they chased us upto 100 meters and also used foul language," the driver alleged.Lucknow: Putting all speculations to rest, Bahajun Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday ruled out any alliance between her party and the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a press briefing in the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow, Mayawati said, ''I want to clarify that BSP has not allied with any political party.''

''All rumours about BSP and SP alliance in UP for 2019 Lok Sabha elections are false and baseless,'' the BSP supremo said.

I want to clarify that BSP has not allied with any political party. All rumors about BSP & SP alliance in UP for 2019 Lok Sabha elctions are false and baseless: Mayawati, BSP chief in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/xLggZDWijO  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018

However, she said that both BSP and SP have entered into an arrangement wherein the former will support the latter's candidate for the upcoming bypolls in Phulpur Lok Sabha and Gorakhpur assembly constituencies.

''We have not floated any candidate for Lok Sabha Phulpur and Gorakhpur by-polls. Our party members will exercise their vote to defeat BJP candidate,'' Mayawati said.

We have not floated any candidate for Lok Sabha Phulpur & Gorakhpur by-polls. Our party members will exercise their vote to defeat BJP candidate: Mayawati, BSP chief in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/FubsWfsyXF  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018

Hinting at a deal with Akhilesh Yadav's party, Mayawati said, ''We have spoken to SP and have decided that we will support their Lok Sabha candidate during the voting and SP will support our Rajya Sabha candidate in return, she said.

''Transfer of votes from SP to BSP and the vice-versa for Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishad elections to decimate BJP does not imply any electoral alliance between the two parties,'' Mayawati said.

UP mein haal hi mein Rajya Sabha aur Vidhan Parishad mein hone wale chunaav mein BJP ko harane ke liye SP aur BSP ke dwara ek dusre ko vote transfer kar diya jata hai toh yeh koi chunavi gathbandhan nahi: BSP Chief Mayawati pic.twitter.com/JLVHfmgBfs  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 4, 2018

The clarification from Mayawati came at a time when there was an intense speculation that her party BSP has extended its support to Samajwadi Party (SP) for the upcoming by-polls in both Phulpur and Gorakhpur constituencies.

Earlier this morning, BSP in-charge Ghanshyam Chandra Kharwar declared support to Gorakhpur SP candidate Praveen Kumar Nishad and Phulpur SP candidate Nagendra Singh Patel.

"Our workers want to eliminate Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) and that is why the members of BSP have decided to extend support and vote for SP candidate Nagendra Singh Patel in Phulpur by-poll," Ashok Gautam, BSP Zonal Coordinator, Allahabad was quoted as saying by ANI.

However, earlier in the day, SP leader Sunil Singh Yadav said that the Mayawati-led party does not contest by-polls.

"All I know is BSP does not contest by-elections. At both places where by-elections are being held, SP will give a strong fight to defeat the BJP," Yadav said.

Given their present strength, BSP, SP and Congress, at present, can send two candidates to the Rajya Sabha from UP.

BSP has 19 seats, SP 47 and Congress six. After the SP ensures that one of its candidates makes it to the Upper House, the party will be left with a surplus of 13-14 votes, which adding to BSPs could make sure of Mayawatis Parliamentary re-entry.

The move is also indicative of a fresh attempt to form an anti-BJP alliance in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In Gorakhpur  a seat represented by Yogi Adityanath for five consecutive terms  the Samajwadi Party has fielded Praveen Kumar Nishad, the son of Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad, as its candidate. Nishad will take on the BJPs Upendra Shukla and Congress leader Surhita Chatterjee Karim.

In Phulphur, the Samajwadi Party has fielded Nagendra Singh Patel, an OBC leader. Patel will contest against BJP candidate and fellow OBC leader Kaushlendra Singh Patel, who has also been Varanasi mayor. The Congress has fielded Manish Mishra for this seat.

Voting for both bypolls will be held on March 11, while counting of votes will be held on March 14.

(With ANI inputs)LUCKNOW: Cadres of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) seem to be excited about the party's new alliance with Samajwadi Party (SP).

Our workers want to eliminate BJP and that is why the members of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have decided to extend support and vote for Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Nagendra Singh Patel in Phulpur bypoll, said Ashok Gautam, BSP Zonal Coordinator, Allahabad

BSP Gorakhpur in-charge Ghanshyam Chandra Kharwar also declared his support to SP candidate Praveen Kumar Nishad in upcoming Gorakhpur bypolls.

Earlier on Sunday, sources told Zee News that arch-rivals Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) are likely to enter into an alliance for the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls in Uttar Pradesh.

An official announcement is likely soon, sources in the two political parties told Zee News. The decision was taken to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP in upcoming UP bypolls and Lok Sabha elections 2019.

Voting for Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls will be held on March 11 and the votes will be counted on March 14.

The two seats in Uttar Pradesh fell vacant after UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya resigned from the Lok Sabha to take up the new responsibilities last year.DHAKA: A 21-year-old man was arrested today in Bangladesh for allegedly stabbing a secular writer multiple times during a university seminar, deeming him an "enemy of Islam", police said.

Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, 64, a renowned science fiction writer and professor at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in the northern city of Sylhet, was stabbed in his head and neck yesterday, local media reported.

Iqbal, an outspoken opponent of militancy and communalism, was rushed to a local hospital and later airlifted to a military hospital in Dhaka, bdnews24 reported.

Police said they have detained the attacker, identified as Faizur Rahman alias Faizul, a resident of an area adjacent to the Shahjalal University.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has "strongly" condemned the attack and ordered officials to bring the attacker to justice.

The attack took place during a festival organised by the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department where Iqbal was the chief guest. Rahman struck Iqbal from behind and stabbed him in the head, the report said.

The students and the policemen guarding the professor held Rahman immediately after he launched the assault on Iqbal. The students also beat Faizur up before handing him over to police, according to the report.

Iqbal had recently criticised ragging on campus and said that five students punished for ragging had gotten off easy and should have been handed over to police, it said.

Iqbal has been provided police protection since 2015 when militants threatened to kill him.

There were six to seven policemen guarding him when the attack took place, the report said.

Lt Colonel Ali Haider Azad Ahmed from the Rapid Action Battalion of the police said Rahman told them he was a student of Alia Madrasa in Sylhet. But the law enforcers could not confirm the information, according to the report.

Rahman also told the law enforcers that he carried out the attack on the professor "to kill him because he was an enemy of Islam", the official was quoted as saying by bdnews24.

He was further being quizzed for links to any radical group.

Rahman's maternal uncle Fazlur Rahman was also arrested from Sheikhparha area late last night, a police official said.

In the last couple of years, Bangladesh has seen a spate of gruesome attacks on secular activists, religious minorities, bloggers and foreigners, many of whom have been hacked to death with machetes.

A 40-year-old secular Bangladeshi blogger was hacked to death at his flat in Dhaka in 2015 by five machete-wielding unidentified assailants.

The attack drew international condemnation and led to widespread protests.BEIJING: China on Sunday claimed that terming the grand Belt and Road Initiative a geo-strategic tool is a misinterpretation. A spokesperson for the annual session of China's top legislature also claimed that the project had made a considerable progress.

"Five years ago, President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past five years, thanks to joint efforts from all parties, this initiative is being turned into actions from a concept, and it is being translated into reality from a vision," spokesman Zhang Yesui was quoted in Xinhua.

"A lot of progress has been made, for example, infrastructure connectivity building has yielded a lot of early harvests, policy communication is going deeper, cooperation mechanisms are being strengthened, and collaboration on the ground is unfolding across the board," Zhang added.

He said that these results show that the initiative has done well in terms of the trend for win-win cooperation, and the shared aspiration for common development.

"To say that the Belt and Road Initiative is a geo-strategic tool, in my view, this is a misinterpretation of the initiative." Zhang said.

China aims to connect Asia, Africa and Europe through a network of highways, railways, sea lanes and ports under the Belt and Road project. However, many countries including India suspect that China has geostrategic designs behind the project, which Beijing calls purely an economic one.

China has committed billions of dollars under the dream project of all-powerful Chinese President Xi Jinping. Although many countries have voiced concern over the project, Beijing claims that more than 60 nations have already pledged to participate in the initiative.

China has invested over $50 billion in Pakistan to build the artery of Belt and Road that aims to connect its restive province Xinjiang with Pakistani region Balochistan.

India has lodged its opposition against the route proposed in the project which goes through the Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

China has also doled out sops like scholarships to students from partner countries in the project.

(With agency inputs)BEIJING: China will "take necessary measures" if the United States harms the country`s economic interests, a Chinese official said Sunday, as President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium.

"China doesn`t want a trade war with the United States," Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National People`s Congress, told a news conference on the eve of the rubber-stamp parliament`s annual session.

"But if the US takes actions that hurt Chinese interests, China will not sit idly by and will take necessary measures," Zhang said in China`s strongest reaction yet since Trump announced the levies on Friday.

President Xi Jinping`s top economic aide, Liu He, met with US officials at the White House this week to discuss the fraught economic relationship.

Trump`s announcement has sparked a flurry of counter threats from other nations, sparking fears that it will trigger a tit-for-tat trade conflict around the globe.

Trump has shrugged off the threat, boasting on Friday that "trade wars are good and easy to win".

The Trump administration plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminium.

China has been in Trump`s crosshairs over its trade practices since his presidential campaign, but its steel and aluminium exports to the United States are minimal.

While China is the world`s largest steel producer, it accounts for less than one percent of US imports and sells only 10 percent of its wrought aluminium abroad.

Steel producers in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey rely far more heavily on the US market.

"The American action to put sanctions on other countries` reasonable steel and aluminium exports in the name of harming national security is groundless," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.ROME: Italy is used to living with political uncertainty thanks to the more than 60 governments it has piled through since the republic was established after the Second World War.

The country heads to the polls on Sunday to elect its representatives in the lower house Chamber of Deputies and upper house Senate.

But with a fragmented political landscape and a complicated new electoral law in place that mixes proportional representation with first-past-the-post, the country could wake up on Monday to any one of a variety of scenarios.

Here are the three main possible outcomes:"It is unlikely that any of the three main contenders will be able to obtain a majority, but there is only one that can, and it`s the right," said Roberto D`Alimonte, Director of the Political Science Department of Rome`s Luiss University.

The right-wing coalition brings together four parties, the biggest of which is Silvio Berlusconi`s centre-right Forza Italia (Go Italy) and the far-right League headed up by Matteo Salvini.

An agreement between Berlusconi and Salvini says that whoever comes first of the two parties will lead the government, should the coalition win a majority.

Banned from public office thanks to a tax fraud investigation, Berlusconi has said that if the coalition wins a majority and his party comes first he would like to see European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, his former protege, lead the government.

If the League comes out on top, Salvini will be premier, assuming that Berlusconi keeps his word and lines up behind him.Brussels is betting on a German-style grand coalition between Forza Italia and the centre-left Democratic Party, both pro-EU parties.

Neither Berlusconi nor Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi has dared suggest that they might enter into such an agreement during the campaign, but it is exactly what happened after the last general election in 2013.

The website Votewatch Europe notes that Forza Italia`s representatives in the European Parliament have voted with the Democratic Party 76 percent of the time, but only 36 percent of the time with the League.

However, there is no guarantee that the two parties and their Europhile allies -- perhaps even boosted by defectors from the League who have little taste for their party`s recent nationalist rebrand -- will obtain enough votes to gain a majority in the upper and lower houses.

Another hypothesis and one denied even more vigorously is a eurosceptic alliance between the League and anti-establishment Five Star Movement.

But that partnership would also not be guaranteed to pick up enough votes and would be subject to fierce internal opposition from within both parties.

It would also run counter to the conciliatory tone recently offered towards the EU by Five Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio, a shift from the instinctive Euroscepticism of party founder Beppe Grillo.

The last available polls from mid-February gave the right-wing coalition 37 percent of voting intentions, of which 17 percent for Forza Italia and 13 percent for the League.

The Five Star Movement was predicted to get 28 percent, followed by 27 percent for the centre-left coalition led by the Democratic Party, but with millions still undecided.

If there is no new majority in parliament, Paolo Gentiloni of the Democratic Party would remain as prime minister.

In the meantime, President Sergio Mattarella will consult the various parliamentary groups to see if there is a figure who can command a majority, and if not, new elections could be called.

Regardless of the outcome, the procedure will take time. The two chambers will meet for the first time on March 23 to form groups and elect speakers for both the Chamber of Deputies and Senate.ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will embark on a two-day visit to Nepal from March 5, as a part of the country`s pro-active and outreach efforts to engage with regional countries.

Prime Minister Abbasi will convey felicitations to the Nepalese leadership on the successful conclusion of its democratic process, resulting in the formation of the new Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) (CPN-UML) government.

During his visit, he will also congratulate the newly elected Prime Minister of Nepal, Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and will call on the President of Nepal, Bidhya Devi Bhandari.Nepal`s Ambassador to Pakistan, Sewa Lamsal Adhikari called on Prime Minister Abbasi on Friday and conveyed him the message of welcome from the Nepalese leadership.

She also discussed on how to further strengthen bilateral relations between Nepal and Pakistan."Nepal is an important regional country and a close friend.

Our ties with Nepal are characterized by cordiality, mutual respect and commonality of interests.

Our support to each other at bilateral and multilateral fora has remained indispensable for both the sides," a spokesperson said.

The Pakistan Prime Minister`s visit to Nepal will provide an opportunity to further expand and strengthen bilateral relations across all areas of mutual interest including trade, education, tourism, defence and people-to-people contacts.

Ways of invigorating SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) as an important regional organisation will also be discussed during the visit.JERUSALEM: Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah urged the Islamic movement Hamas on Saturday to allow the empowerment of the national unity government in the Gaza Strip as a necessity for attaining internal reconciliation.

Hamdallah said in a statement that President Mahmoud Abbas and the government were ready to shoulder all necessary responsibilities toward the Gaza Strip as the government has been enabled to take over powers there, Xinhua reported.

He made the remarks during an event in Anbata, near Nablus in northern West Bank.

Up to 20,000 employees from Hamas have been enlisted in the 2018 budget, he said, and an approach is underway to resolve all stalled issues that are hindering smooth handover processes of the administrative jurisdictions from Hamas to the Palestinian National Authority.

The prime minister called on the Islamic group to enable the government to collect tax-related fees, impose full control on the crossings and allow the domestic police to enforce public order in the coastal enclave.

Meanwhile, Hamas movement said it had handed over all the governments departments to the Palestinian government following the agreement reached on Oct. 20, 2017 in Cairo, Egypt.The militants did not stop provocations and firings towards Ukrainian positions

None of Ukrainian soldiers was injured over past 24 hours. Maksym Prauta, Defense Ministry spokesperson said it during the briefing in Ukraine crisis media center 112.ua reports.

The spokesperson added that the militants did not stop provocations and firings towards Ukrainian positions. They used mortars of various calibers, banned by Minsk Agreements.

It was reported earlier, that the militants violated ceasefire eight times.Illegal armed formations fired Ukrainian support points in Donbas four times from the beginning of the day, using weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements.

This is reported by the press center of Donbas conflict headquarters on the Facebook page.





"In general, since the beginning of the day, the invaders carried out 4 shellings of our fortifications, and no Ukrainian servicemen was injured due to enemy fire," the report says.





In the Donetsk direction, the seaside area became the epicenter of instability.







"Near Pavlopil, the enemy repeatedly fired from 120-mm mortars, armament of a tank, infantry fighting vehicles and small arms, and near the Shyrokine enemy used heavy mortars, and 120-mm mortar shells fired in the suburbs of Marinka," the bulletin says.



112 Agency

Slovak President Andrej Kiska said that early elections could be an option for the resumption of public confidence in connection with the murder of an investigative journalist that shocked the nation. This is reported by Reuters.



On Sunday, March 4, Kiska announced the need for negotiations with political parties in connection with the current situation.



Investigative journalist Jan Kuchak was killed along with his girlfriend Monika Kusnirova in her own house in the village of Velka Macha near the town of Trnava. Law enforcers suggest that the murder occurred between February 22 and 25. Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico said that the government is ready to pay 1 million euros for information that will help the investigation.



The motive of the crime could be the professional activity of a journalist, in particular his investigation of the activities of the Italian mafia in the east of the country.



Later, the Slovak police reported the detention of a suspect in the murder of journalist Jan Kuchak.



The Slovak police released six of the seven suspects detained in the investigation into the murder of journalist Jan Kuchak and his bride.

Related: Candidate for presidency of Russia Ksenia Sobchak attacked in MoscowThe reason of the lawsuit was the article on Jedwabne pogrom

Open source

Argentinean newspaper Pagina 12 became a victim of scandalous Polish Law on Institute of National Remembrance, AFP reports.

Polish League against Defamation (RDI), a non-commercial organization, close to Polish conservative authorities, filed a lawsuit against Pagina 12 web site.

Polish League against Defamation stated, that there was a photo of anti-Communist Polish resistance fighters of the Second World War in the article about Jedwabne pogrom, massacre in 1941, when Polish killed more than 300 Jewish people.

RDI accused the newspaper and its journalist Federico Pavlovsky of actions aimed at damaging of Polish nation and solid reputation of Polish soldiers.

They filed a lawsuit on Friday, a couple of hours before the law came into force.

The law on the Institute of National Remembrance that extends the authorities of the establishment in the investigation of the crimes committed against the Poles came into force in Poland on March 1.

The law provides the criminal penalty for the public accusation of Poland in the crimes committed during the Holocaust, in the aiding to Nazi Germany, military crimes or the crimes against humanity. The draft law forbids using the phrase Polish death camp for the description of the concentration camp existed in the territory of occupied Poland. Any citizen of the country or foreigner who violated the law will be sentenced to the payment of the fine or imprisonment up to three years.He also noted that only the contract soldiers fight in Donbas

The Armed Forces of Ukraine back in 2014 were nothing like what Ukraine had in 2017, Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak said, according to the Ministrys website.

Poltorak said that in these three years, the number of troops increased from 150,000 to 255,000.

The Defense Minister said that the state of the Ukrainian military in 2014 was catastrophic.

We didnt have the clothes to put on people, there were no spare parts for the equipment, there was no ammunition, no system of training, the fighters and the pilots were not trained. Overall, the situation was catastrophic and de-facto, there were some 5-6,000 people actually ready to conduct the military activity. But we managed to promptly solve these issues, moreover - succeed, Poltorak said.

He noted that now only contract soldiers fight in Donbas. In 2016-2017, 110,000 people became contract soldiers in Ukraines Armed Forces.

The army reserve comprises about 150,000 experienced soldiers.The Law on amendments in certain laws of Ukraine concerning formation of Ukraines National Bank Credit Registry came into force on March 4. The Parliament will impose the Law, despite some norms, in two months.

The Law on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine concerning formation and introduction of Ukraines National Bank Credit Registry and improvement of managing of credit risks came into force today. The Parliament will impose the Law, despite some norms, in two months.

It should be mentioned that the Government adopted this Law on February 6, 2018. Ukraines President signed it on March 1.

To reduce the level of credit risk, provide security of bank operations, increase reliability and sustainability of the bank system, protect interests of depositors and creditors the Law provides formation and introduction of the Credit Registry. It is an informational system, which gathers, saves, changes, uses and distributes information on credit operations and on execution of obligations of this operations, analyses the credit level.

If the register has data on the creditor, the creditor has access to their information and requests for it. The NBU has to provide the creditor with the information within 8 working days after the bank receives a request. Besides, the creditor has a right to ask NBU to correct or delete their data.

The bank puts the information on operations concerning the obligator to the Credit Registry, if the debt is equal or over a hundred minimum salaries. As to banks considered to be bankrupts or without bank license, such data is to be provided by the Individual Deposits Assurance Fund.

The bank has to obtain permission to put data into the registry, when it gives a loan. If a person refuses, the bank cannot give a loan. Speaking about a legal entity, the bank is allowed to put the information into the registry without permission. It has to inform the legal entity about it.

Ukraines National Bank gives banks access to the Credit Registry online and for free.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!)J.L. Greger discusses and signs her academic thriller.

J.L. Greger discusses & signs her academic thriller "She Didn't Know Her Place" on Sunday, March 4 from 12:00 to 3:00 PM at Treasure House Books & Gifts, 2012 South Plaza NW in Old Town, Albuquerque, NM. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 505-242-7204,

Would you rather be fired or face criminal charges? Dana Richardson faces that dilemma in her new job at a university in New England. A research center, which reports to her, is falsifying data to help industrial clients meet federal pollution standards, and the last woman who tried to investigate the problem died under suspicious circumstances.

J. L. Greger, a past professor and research administrator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, likes to include tidbits of science in her novels. She has written six thrillers and medical mysteries in her Science Traveler series, which features Sara Almquist, a globe-trotting scientist, and her dog Bug. They are: Riddled with Clues (2017 finalist for a NM/Arizona Book Award), I Saw You in Beirut, MurderA Way to Lose Weight (1st prize in the 2016 Public Safety Writers [PSWA] completion and 2016 finalist for a NM/Arizona Book Award), Malignancy (1st prize in the 2015 PSWA competition), Ignore the Pain, and Coming Flu. Her collections of short stories, Other Peoples Mothers (2017 finalist for a NM/Arizona Book Award) and The Good Old Days? focus on families. She Didnt Know Her Place is an academic mystery but doesnt reflect events at any specific university. Her website http://www.jlgreger.com provides more details on her books.Lawmakers ask series of new questions about pipeline fund raised by what they call inadequate response from governor's chief of staff

Exactly when in 2017 did pipeline negotiations begin?

How does Jones' statement that Cooper was never expected to be in charge of the fund square with the clear language of the agreement, which places the governor or his proxies in control?

Have the pipeline operators threatened to withdraw from the fund, or would Cooper get the money and choose not to spend it on poor, rural school districts?

Why doesn't the governor think boosting education spending in poor counties would eventually help economic development there?

Did anyone connected to the governor or the executive branch ask Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, to retract an earlier statement that the funding deal was connected to approving permits for the pipeline?

Why did Cooper suggest the Rural Infrastructure Authority and the Clean Water Management Trust Fund as models to distribute the pipeline money when he has named both agencies in court filings as unconstitutional because they do not give the governor enough appointment powers?

Who does Cooper expect to pay for the pipeline fund: shareholders or ratepayers? Lawmakers say he has suggested either may be on the hook.

The exchange of letters between legislative leaders and Gov. Roy Cooper over the Atlantic Coast Pipeline continued Friday as lawmakers expressed exasperation with a response provided a day earlier by the governor's chief of staff.Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, and Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, chairmen of the House and Senate rules committees, respectively, resubmitted questions to Chief of Staff Kristi Jones and added a few more. The lawmakers said Jones had failed to respond adequately to queries they posed Feb. 12 to Lee Lilley, Cooper's legislative liaison.the letter said.The agreement , signed Jan. 25 by Cooper attorney William McKinney, set the framework for a $57.8-million payment from the four utilities operating the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to an escrow fund controlled by Cooper. According to the deal, the fund would pay for environmental mitigation, economic development, and renewable energy projects in the eight counties affected by the massive natural gas pipeline.But that agreement included few details. And it raised a host of questions from lawmakers, outside experts, and the media about a discretionary fund, controlled by the governor and handled outside the normal legislative spending process.Lilley, a former lobbyist for pipeline operator Dominion Power, had faced a barrage of questions related to the pipeline deal during a Feb. 8 meeting of the House and Senate appropriations committees. Jones sent her response Thursday on Cooper's behalf, largely restating positions he had offered piecemeal through spokesmen and in a Feb. 14 press conference.Jones said the pipeline fund was not connected to the approval of permits for the pipeline. The fund wouldn't be controlled by Cooper but instead administered by a board similar to the ones managing two other state grantmaking agencies, the Rural Infrastructure Authority and the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, she added. And, in a swipe at the legislature, she said the passage of House Bill 90 , a measure diverting the $57.8-million offer from the pipeline to school districts in the affected counties, may wind up killing the agreement.The General Assembly's Friday reaction was pointed. The Lewis-Rabon letter broke out quotes from Jones' letter that seemed to respond to individual questions and left others Jones did not address blank.Then they posed seven new queries:The Lewis-Rabon letter demanded a full response no later than Monday, Feb. 19.Student Activism and the Parkland School Shooting

High school students at a handful of North Carolina schools staged walkouts to protest gun violence and demand stronger gun laws in the wake of the Parkland school shooting. Nationwide walkouts are planned for March 14 and March 20.For decades, public school students in communities across the nation have exercised their First Amendment right to stage walkouts and protests designed to bring attention to perceived injustices and social problems. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed their right to do so in the 1969 case, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District . As Justice Abe Fortas famously wrote for the majority in the 7-2 decision,That said, the ACLU points out that students can still be punished if the activity "disrupts the functioning of the school" during the regular school day.With the notable exception of the civil rights movement, seldom do elected officials pass meaningful legislation or intervene in ways desired by these young adults. In most cases, such demonstrations are only useful ways to attract media attention and, of course, rattle parents' nerves.Indeed, some parents question whether public schools with a politically-active faculty or student population are suitable for impressionable children. Consider parents or students whose values do not align with students demanding stronger gun laws, for example. These may be families who use firearms responsibly or favor stronger Second Amendment protections. Perhaps they worry that school staff, who sometimes cultivate student radicalism, will be antagonistic toward those who maintain opinions that are contrary to their own. Perhaps they worry that students who refuse to participate in protests will be harassed by their peers. Perhaps they just want their child to receive an education that focuses on the rigorous acquisition of knowledge and skills, rather than the inculcation of ideology. Perhaps they want schools to be a respite from the " politicization of everything ."Student activism in middle and high schools has both benefits and costs. Without a doubt, students learn from their participation in politics. They see the real-world application of concepts learned in history, economics, and civics courses. They hone communication skills, such as rhetorical strategies used to persuade others. In short, political activity can serve as a useful extension of classroom instruction.On the other hand, walkouts and demonstrations disrupt the normal operations of the instructional day. The time outside of the classroom may be less educationally valuable than what the student would otherwise learn in the classroom. And schools that do not encourage students to air opposing views or, at a minimum, insist on civil dialogue between them may cultivate an educational environment that marginalizes students based on sincere and deeply-held beliefs simply because they do not conform to the prevailing ideology. At worst, they are simply an excuse for young adults to cut class and enjoy some fresh air with friends.As Ben Kirshner points out in his book, Youth Activism in an Era of Education Inequality , there is a growing movement for schools toBut that raises key questions. What if parents don't want their schools to focus on public work? What if they just want their schools to be places where students acquire the intellectual foundations for postsecondary education and productive careers?I am pleased to see that public school officials are urging parents to discuss school safety, student activism, and related concerns with their children. In conversations with our middle-schoolers, my wife and I found that they do not have a clear understanding of the social, constitutional, and legal issues that underlie the call for changes to gun control laws. We were not surprised. If their peers also lack sufficient background knowledge to make an informed decision about the walkout, then I question its educational value.This week my daughter's school decided to treat her as a political pawn as part of Durham's "Walk-Out" in favor of gun restrictions. Parents only learned today via a phone message today. However, it appears that students were being prepared to participate over the past week for a "walk-out" or "march-out" to support gun restrictions in solidarity with the events that sadly transpired in Florida. My heart goes out to those families. However, I really resent the fact that my daughter is being treated like a political pawn to push someone else's political agenda- seeking to restrict gun rights. That needs to be worked out in the political arena, not by a captive audience of minors pressured to participate (without parental knowledge). A Durham Police officer was there to lecture students on the benefits of gun restrictions. He asked students to raise their hands if they planned on participating. (No pressure there!) Most of the students participated (according to my daughter) because they just wanted to get out of class. For whatever reason, the athletes were explicitly told to not participate.

Last week, students who attend Jordan High School in Durham staged a walkout to protest gun violence and demand stronger gun laws in the wake of the Parkland school shooting. According to WNCN If this estimate is correct, it means that as many as 1,000 students participated. The school has over 400 seniors alone.Three months earlier, students from Hillside High School in Durham staged a walkout to bring attention to the deportation of brothers who were in the country illegally. The Herald-Sun reported that a daughter of one brotherwhile her cousin coordinated a walkout at a high school in Wake County.Clearly, student protests are not unique to Durham County Schools (DPS), but the district appears to be more politically active than most . What happens, then, when parents simply do not want their child to participate in an activity that they believe is not appropriate for a public school or believe that students are being used as pawns to advance a political agenda that is not consistent with their values?An exasperated parent of a Jordan High School student contacted me after the Jordan High School walkout. She wrote,These parents justifiably feel blindsided by school officials, and I suspect that they are not alone. They believe that the district did an inadequate job of informing parents of the walkout. And the school appeared to be more interested in accommodating activist students and student-athletes than those who disagreed with the protest.Protests and related activities consume valuable classroom time, which students and teachers cannot afford to lose. Last year, 37.4 percent of Jordan High School students were proficient in math, 54.5 percent were proficient in reading, and 55.7 percent were proficient in Biology.Their counterparts at Hillside High School fared worse. Only 27.3 percent of students were proficient in math, 40.4 percent were proficient in reading, and 30.8 percent were proficient in Biology. While more than half of Jordan students met the UNC system admissions minimum requirement on the ACT, fewer than one-third did at Hillside. These are not stellar results.To be sure, these outcomes cannot be blamed solely on the political activity of students and staff. But they add to the many distractions that shift the focus of students and teachers from academics to what can charitably be called "extracurricular activities."Moreover, student activism and politicking are among the many reasons why parents pursue educational options for their children.Last year, DPS enrolled nearly 33,000 students, while charter schools in the county enrolled around 6,400. The market share for charters was approximately 16 percent last year, one of the highest in the state. Because charter school students are permitted to cross county lines to attend a charter, that enrollment figure may underestimate the number of Durham County students who chose a non-DPS public school.At a meeting last month, Durham Public Schools superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga remarked that charter schools "are not serving students well" and will "segregate our schools" if charters continue to expand in the county. Certainly, Dr. Mubenga's comments played well with the anti-charter DPS school board, parents who remain loyal to the district, and public school advocacy organizations. Indeed, DPS has been at war with charter schools for at least a decade. School officials complain that there is a disproportionate share of charter seats for a county of its size, and they would like nothing more than the state legislature to prohibit the expansion of charters in their county.But students are not just flocking to charter schools. Nearly 7,000 children attended non-public schools in Durham County last year. There were an estimated 2,122 home-schoolers and 4,837 private school students opting for these alternatives. All told, approximately 29 percent of Durham County children were enrolled in schools of choice during the 2016-17 school year.If DPS officials truly want to know why are so many Durham County families opting for schools of choice, they should consider the ways that their schools alienate families who do not tow the party line. Without a doubt, the parent quoted above is not the only one in Durham County who is not sympathetic to student and staff activism. Some parents simply want the district to focus on their core mission of improving academic outcomes for all students.I donated to Democrats in 2016, so that means that the DCCC calls me about once a week to ask for money. I always tell them no, because I support Democratic candidates through organizations like Our Revolution  the kinds of Democrats who stand up for working people, universal health care, a $15 minimum wage, investment in renewables and curbs on the finance industry.



The DCCC, on the other hand, spends its donors' money running smear campaigns against the likes of Laura Moser, who wants to challenge a flippable seat in Texas once held by George Bush I  a Sanders Democrat who founded Daily Action, an SMS service for activists that suggests a meaningful way to resist Trumpism to 300,000 subscribers every day. Instead of Moser, the DCCC is backing corporate lawyer Lizzie Pannill Fletcher whose most notable achievement is security a $5.3M judgment against the SEIU over their Justice for Janitors campaign. Fletcher is opposed by the AFL-CIO, who described her as "undermining the rights and efforts of predominantly immigrant janitorial workers."

In the second district of Virginia, the DCCC has endorsed a former Republican, Elaine Luria, who voted twice for Scott Taylor, the Republican she's hoping to unseat on behalf of the Democrats; she's not the only "former Republican" whose campaign you'll be supporting if you donate to the DCCC  there's also Nebraska's Brad Ashford. Both secured the DCCC endorsement over progressive Democrats, who were shunned by the party establishment.



Describing the DCCC as a revolving door that raises money to pay political consultants whose ultimate loyalty is to the corporate donors who pay their salaries, Cohen, who also serves as vice chair of the Democratic Party's Unity Reform Commission, said that the long-term answer was to build a Democratic party that could hold candidates accountable. Next weekend, the party's Rules and Bylaws Committee meets to consider the commission's proposalsa key indication of whether the Sanders supporters have made any headway in pulling the party to the left, or are merely being taken for a ride. For now though, progressives should simply hang up on those DCCC robocalls. The best way to support progressive Democrats is to know the candidates you're supporting. Groups like Our Revolution, Justice Democrats, and the Working Families Party offer a far more reliable guide to Democrats who aren't beholden to corporate interests than the DCCC or it's senatorial counterpart the DSCC. Voters concerned with a particular issue would do better to consult groups like 350.org or Planned Parenthood. Because right now the label "Democrat"at least as interpreted by the DCCCdoesn't seem to stand for anything at all.

When DCCC Calls, Hang Up the Phone [D.D. Guttenplan/The Nation]





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HARARE - At a time frustration at Zimbabwe's political class is running high, Nelson Chamisa (NC) who has emerged as the MDC's presidential candidate is hoping to tap into a desire for wholesale change in the way the country is governing should the MDC Alliance, which he will front, emerges victorious at the forthcoming polls.Daily News Editor Gift Phiri (GP) had the opportunity to sit down for a wide-ranging interview with Chamisa, and below are excerpts of the interview.Congratulations on your election as MDC president and MDC Alliance presidential candidate.Thank you.President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said as part of building political consensus in the country ahead of the harmonised elections, he shall soon be inviting leaders of all 83 political parties for a day-long consultative meeting. Have you received this invitation?No we haven't. And we don't believe (we) have all those parties. They have formed (some of those) parties so they will say there are many parties. But most those are Zanu PF-sponsored parties. They are Zanu PF in many forms. The multiplicity of Zanu PF in other forms does not make parties that many, we know that.Your party has been advocating comprehensive electoral reforms in order to have free and fair elections. Are you making headway?Reforms are very important. There can't be elections without reforms. ED must stop paying lip service and giving political rhetoric to free and fair elections.But the president has promised free and fair elections.He has been calling for free and fair elections but he has been doing nothing about free and fair polls. Free and fair elections is not a slogan but practical substance on the ground. What legislative reforms have been put in place; what institutional reforms have been put in place; what structural reforms have been put in place; what about habitual and cultural reforms (that) have been instituted? This madness has shot off the roof.The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)'s Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) mop up exercise has closed with more than 5,3 million people having registered to vote. Zec says it now awaits the issuance of a proclamation for the 2018 harmonised elections and is now seized with the processes of decrypting data from the BVR exercise and preliminary cleaning of data collected during the blitz phases as it awaits the delivery of the de-duplication or voter register audit software. Are you happy with this process so far?We need a forensic BVR audit of the voters roll by our own experts as players and stakeholders. We are dealing with people who have a reason to fidget with figures and massaging the will of the people.Have you been furnished with an election timetable. Do you know when elections will be held?There is guesswork and conjecture on when elections will be held. We managed a celebrated guerrilla warfare against our oppressors for the liberation of our country and should we continue with guerrilla tactics and ambush antics in a post-independent Zimbabwe? It tells you one thing, that our independence has been emptied of its meaning. Our otherwise hard-won independence has been reduced into fluke independence.Let's suppose you don't get the reforms you are pushing for, what will you do?We will never accept an election where we don't know where ballot papers are printed. Polling material to be used and the ballot printing are key issues that we are not going to leave to conjecture like we did in 2013. In terms of reforms, the ED regime is rabid in media muzzling and partisan reporting. The situation has gotten worse. If there is an area where there is a classical dramatisation that ours is a new error not a new era, it's in the State media. You don't see any other parties.Zec chairwoman Justice Priscilla Chigumba has acknowledged that the commission's secretariat is manned by ex or rather retired members of the army or State security forces. But she says its only 15 percent of the secretariat and they are no longer in State employ, so does this settle your long-standing query that for the de-militarisation and total independence of the Zec?No. We need to chlorinate the Zec secretariat. The software is the biggest challenge. It has some viral load in it and it must be debugged. We have one of the best armies in the world and we are proud of our boys and girls in uniform. But that pride must not be turned into a shame on account of abuse by unpopular and selfish politicians who are not only a threat to the nation but to the future generation.The Zec chairperson has also told the parliamentary committee on Justice and Legal Affairs that of the 5,3 million-plus number of registered voters, 60 percent of them are between the ages of 18 and 40 years. She has actually said this means this is a vote of young people.' While your supporters believe this a voter bloc that backs you, Zanu PF supporters claim these are youths they mobilised during the presidential youth interface rallies. What's your take?They were not registered during the presidential youth interface rallies. Zanu PF is not capable of mobilising young people because it is not young. Its language and its campaign strategy are analogue and this is a digital generation. Its language is out of sync with the digital generation. It can't be their vote.What mechanism have you devised to vaccinate the election against ballot fraud and fudging of numbers?They may be entertaining the idea on how to rig elections, they must abandon such hazardous thoughts. We will not entertain another deceitful election. Four generations have squandered our time as a generation, consumed all opportunities and liquidated all chances of prosperity. Look at the number of Zimbabweans in the diaspora! We want them back to rejoin their families and rebuild their country. Our colleagues in government are clueless, idea-less and energy-less. Their life mileage clock has ticked. We have retirees in government who want to retire us as a young people. Why should retirees in government be prime actors when we have prime actors on forced and imposed retirement? It's time up, it's game on. It's not about the MDC, it's about Team Zimbabwe. People should forget about parties and think about the future.Chief Musarurwa told a meeting of Zanu PF Mashonaland East Women's League in Marondera on Monday that they will never allow "pwere ine mukaka pamhuno" or an infant like you to rule the country.He is very young yet I saw him saying young people must not be in charge. He must begin by dethroning himself. Why should Zanu PF reduce Chief Musarurwa into a political mujibha or commissar? These are some of the things that cause our climatic challenges and unpredictable episodes in life.You turned 40 last month and you are set to be the youngest presidential candidate in Zimbabwean history - breaking the mould, battling conventions and breaking with traditions. Of course you have served in all three arms of government, in the Executive as a Cabinet minister during the GNU, in Parliament as Kuwadzana East MP, in the Judiciary as an advocate of the High Court. What would you say to those why say you are too young to run for president?Age is not a badge of maturity. Yes they say age comes with wisdom but at times age comes alone. We have many people who have grown old without growing up. So don't read much into old age. If anything, old age is a disadvantage because you have expended a lot of energy. As young people, we have the age-advantage. We can never have an old person being an instrument of change. The world waits for no late bloomers.What about those who say you are too inexperienced to have serious presidential ambitions?I have been in the struggle for 18 years under the able mentorship of one of the most illustrious sons of this country, Dr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai. Whereas at a university you need four years, I can't be young and inexperienced after an 18-year internship to attain multiple degrees from the school of leadership. This is precisely the generational problem we must resolve. Young people have been considered to be outliers and peripheral to national development. Young people have been promised to be leaders of tomorrow when the older generation is busy jeopardizing tomorrow to an extent that there is no tomorrow to celebrate. For a long time, young people have been regarded with derision and suspicion as snake-holders when in fact they are stake-holders. What is clear is that yesterday's people cannot solve today's problems. Today's problems require today's people and we are here today as today's people.There is suspicion that you are a "military project" and that you are in bed with Zanu PF. What do you have to say about this?People mistake my patriotism and love for the country for being an extension of comrades across the river. I am a believer in new politics, fresh politics, politics of respecting and honouring our collective diversity without losing our individual identities. ED is Zanu PF, I am MDC but we are both Zimbabweans. At no point should our partisan numerator identities diminish our universal denominator character being Zimbabweans. We relate as Zimbabweans but differ in style, beliefs and substance. They celebrate what we abhor and abhor what we celebrate. They celebrate corruption, we abhor it, they celebrate entitlement, we abhor it; they celebrate division, revenge and vindictiveness, we abhor it; they celebrate dictatorship, we abhor it; they celebrate command economics, command politics and command elections, we abhor it; they celebrate big government, runaway and galloping appetite for state resources, regularly raiding state coffers, we abhor it; they celebrate state-party conflation, we abhor it. On the other hand, we celebrate inclusive smart politics, smart economics and smart elections, they abhor it; we celebrate diversity and mosaic manifestation and beauty of our different tribes, regions and races, they abhor it; we celebrate a genuine new Zimbabwe and real change, they abhor it. Right now they are celebrating fake change.Some claim you were too cosy with President Mnangagwa, and this was apparent when he was still VP, doubling up as Parliamentary Affairs minister and leader of government business in Parliament. You had some 'bromance' going on in Parliament. What kind of relationship do you have with President ED?ED is a liberator, I am a transformer. We are already liberated, so this task is done. The outstanding issue is now transformation and its our turn as the young generation. In my whole life and before God, I have not met ED outside Parliament or outside Cabinet. Further, I have never had a discussion or dialogue with him on issues political or personal. Remember, I have been allocated to G40, been allocated to Gushungo, been allocated to Lacoste. Perhaps it's because I am that inclusive because I don't segregate on the basis of political inclusion. In a new Zimbabwe, we must be able to cast our eyes beyond just parties in search of good men and women who are good for Zimbabwe.Critics and the ruling party have accused you of having a propensity to lie, pointing to your claim that US President Donald Trump had promised the MDC $15 billion if it came to power, a claim denied by US embassy spokesperson David Macguire who said "we do not make such promises to individuals or political parties.I know what I am talking about. They should be able to distinguish between a lie and what they cannot achieve. I sympathise with them. We need $14,9 billion for infrastructure rehabilitation, according to the African Development Bank report of 2013. What is clear is that their capacity to associate with $15bn is only limited to disappearing it, not raising it. That's why I told you they celebrate what we abhor. If our colleagues in Zanu PF cannot believe good news that we have such phenomenal goodwill as a people and as a nation, they must be four months patient and see the stewardship of our administration. As president Tsvangirai said, 'we have the keys.' Those who locked without the keys can never understand that Zimbabwe will be genuinely open for business.News / National

by Staff reporter

OPPOSITION Zimbabwe Partnership for Prosperity (ZIPP) has taken its campaign for the 2018 elections to the ruling Zanu-PF's rural strongholds with the party last week holding a series of rallies in Kariba, Mashonaland Central.ZIPP leader Blessing Kasiyamhuru said he had lined up more rallies in rural Matabeleland South as his party seeks to consolidate its support ahead of the elections."Today (yesterday) we are going to Umzingwane after successful rallies in Kariba on Friday and other rural areas of Mashonaland Central," he said."We are done with urban areas. We are now targeting the rural vote."If the election is called tomorrow, we are confident of sweeping clean Bulawayo and the whole of Manicaland."There is no part that we have not hit in urban areas. We are now sweeping rural areas. The reception so far in rural areas has been exceptional and very wonderful. We are sure of winning this election as ZIPP."Kasiyamhuru also disclosed that his party would field candidates for all contested constituencies.News / National

by Staff reporter

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government has started withdrawing offer letters for a number of commercial farms, especially those that had horticulture and dairy projects before they were parcelled out to black farmers under the controversial land reform programme, it has been revealed.The farms would be restored to the previous white farmers unceremoniously kicked out of their properties by former president Robert Mugabe in 2000.According to sources, the Lands ministry is sitting on piles of letters to "new farmers" informing them about the reversal of the land allocations.A group of 18 soldiers led by Colonel Morris Masunungure has reportedly been deployed at the Lands ministry's offices in Harare to implement the evictions of the affected farmers.The source said the affected farms were those whose previous owners were engaged in horticulture, potato and dairy farming."Several offer letters have been withdrawn while more are on notices to pave way for white farmers to reoccupy their land," a government official who refused to be named said.Some farmers also confirmed receiving the letters."Since [Agriculture] minister [Perrance] Shiri was appointed, he has not signed any offer letter for indigenous farmers, but several withdrawals and notices of withdrawals," the official said."The white commercial farmers are coming back and reclaiming their land."Eighteen soldiers led by Colonel Masunungure have been deployed at the Lands office and more are coming."Last month, they were introduced to the staff by Mr Mumba, the director of human resources, who was accompanied by Marius Dzinoreva, director of acquisition and valuation."The official said it was the first time since independence to have soldiers deployed at the ministry's offices.However, Shiri said he had not signed any document withdrawing offer letters for new farmers, save for four people from Donavale Farm in Marondera.He said the offer letters were withdrawn after the government realised the allocations were not above board."Those are pure lies," he said. "In fact, we have only written to them [stating] some intention to withdraw. The president has said the land reform is irreversible."Shiri said soldiers had been roped in as reinforcement to protect staff when they go out to solve disputes."They have been beaten before while on a mission to solve land disputes and we have roped in the soldiers to protect them," he said."There is a committee that oversees land disputes. In terms of the logistics, they ask for reinforcement from security institutions."As you know there is the land inspectorate that was headed by police commissioner-general Godwin Matanga to protect lands staff."I have asked the soldiers to assist in reinforcements so that my staff will not be abused."We have a case now where the staff from Lands were beaten up when they had gone out to resolve a dispute."However, insiders insisted security was always provided by the police who formed the Lands Inspectorate while the Zimbabwe Lands Commission (ZLC), made up of civilians and headed by Danisile Sibanda Hikwa, was there to resolve disputes.The ZLC has arresting powers and relies on the police from the Lands Inspectorate.Meanwhile, one of the farmers who has lost out his piece of land at Donavale Farm denied ever giving land to a relative as alleged by Shiri.The farmer said he had been given offer letters, which were withdrawn nine times.News / National

by Staff reporter

The MDC Alliance on Friday was forced to abandon Harvest House for fear of violence after some youths at the MDC-T headquarters threatened to assault journalists.Journalists had been invited to a press conference where the Alliance principals announced their support for Nelson Chamisa as the party's substantive leader on Thursday.Chamisa apologised to the scribes during the briefing, which was eventually held at the Media Centre.He promised to investigate what happened with a view to putting an end to the violence."We are very sorry for what happened," Chamisa said. "I am going to look into it. I think there is a bigger problem than I thought."Last week, journalists complained about the militant youths who are accused of also targeting senior party leaders for victimisation.Opinion / Columnist

It is a great pity that President Mnangagwa continues to behave like a thug contrary to his own repeated assertions that the country has moved on from lawless and unstable Zimbabwe of Mugabe's 37 years of ruinous and tyrannical rule."I will soon be meeting political party leaders to deliberate and advise that we should have no violence pre, during and post elections," he said in his latest attempt to assure investors and Zimbabweans alike on his commitment to hold free, fair and credible elections."Responsible authorities have undertaken the biometric voter registration (BVR) to ensure that all interested voters exercise their democratic right to choose their leaders.""To that end, your investment decisions should not be affected or influenced by political uncertainty or obscurity; we are confident of having free, fair and credible elections in line with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) principles and guidelines governing democratic elections," he said."We would like to assure investors, domestic and foreign, that Zimbabwe is not only ready for business, but is politically stable. You should ignore, kuvukura kunenge kuchingoitika munyika (You should ignore some idle chatters in the country)," said the President.The President's remarks raises a number of key issues:1) First and most important of all, the President keeps promising "free, fair and credible elections in line with SADC principles and guidelines governing democratic elections" and yet keeps ignoring SADC's explicit instructions. Following the blatant cheating and wanton violence in Zimbabwe's 2008 elections; SADC instructed the parties in the GNU which included Zanu PF to implement a raft of democratic reforms all the parties involved agree were necessary for free, fair and credible elections.When SADC leaders realised that not even one reform had been implemented during the GNU, they instructed both Zanu PF and MDC to postpone the 2013 elections until the reforms were implemented. Both Zanu PF and MDC ignored SADC's instruction and lo behold Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the elections, as SADC leaders had warned would happen.No meaningful reforms have been implemented since the rigged July 2013 elections. If President Mnangagwa is serious about holding free and fair elections then he MUST heed SADC's instructions and implement the reforms.2) The meeting of all political parties which President Mnangagwa is proposing is a waste of time, money and worst of all a sinister diversionary side show. Everyone with any brain will tell you Zimbabwe's political culture of violence has flourished because the Police, Judiciary and other State institutions have been rendered powerless to stamp it out because the political hooligans and thugs are above the law. Every so often the Zanu PF leaders felt the need to deploy these political thugs to harass, beat, rape and even murder innocent people to drive home the message that the Zanu PF will not accept defeat.The Police have since learned to stay out of such politically motived cases. Indeed, the Police have even been known to take Zanu PF's side or worse still commit the acts violence themselves.The real reason President Mnangagwa want to hold a political party meeting instead of implementing the democratic reforms giving the Police, Judges, etc. the power and confidence to stamp out political violence is because Zanu PF retain the option to use violence if the need should arise.3) The suggestion that violence is the only impediment to the holding of free and fair elections is nonsense. There other concerns such as free media, failure to produce verifiable voters' roll, Zanu PF's unfettered access to state resources included looted diamond, etc.The concerns would have been dealt with if the raft of democratic reforms proposed in the GPA were implemented.4) It is not as if you and your friends in the junta do not know it is impossible to have free, fair and credible elections without reform; you do. If was none other than you, gentlemen who did the dirty work of the vote rigging and directing the violence these last 38 years.You do not want to implement the reforms because the carte blanche powers to rig the elections are the party's guarantee to its no-regime-change mantra. "You can't expect us to reform ourselves out of power," boasted Professor Jonathan Moyo during his happier Zanu PF years!The people of Zimbabwe have been denied the freedoms and basic human rights including the right to a meaningful vote and even the right to life by the white colonialists and now by the very people who claim to be their liberators. Zanu PF does not have the right to oppress the people and therefore the party's stubborn refusal to implement the democratic reforms to restore every one's freedoms and rights is preposterous and an insult to the victims and reason!Opinion / Columnist

Zimbabwe always prides itself on having one of the best education systems in Africa, but recent revelations of massive examination paper leakages could be an indication that the wheels are coming off.The integrity of the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (Zimsec) was brought into question last month when the government ordered candidates who sat for the November 2017 English Paper 2 to retake the examination.Zimsec said it had discovered that the paper was leaked and a number of candidates had access to the examination before they sat for it, hence the cancellation.However, the government order was reversed by the High Court, which compelled Zimsec to use the English Paper 1 to come up with the final marks for the examination.The implications for that court ruling as far as the integrity of that examination and the pass rate is concerned are yet to be unpacked, but it goes without saying that they are far-reaching.Seven senior Zimsec executives, including the director Esau Nhandara, were suspended pending investigations into how they handled the leakage of the examination papers.Subsequent investigations by this paper revealed that the leakage was not confined to the English Language Paper 2 as the Mathematics and Science papers also found their way into the hands of candidates ahead of the sittings.According to a report titled "Enquiry into Zimsec questions leakage during 2017 examinations" obtained from the Primary and Secondary Education ministry, Mathematics had the highest number of papers that were leaked last year.English had the second highest number of papers that found their way into the hands of the candidates before the examination date followed by Science.The investigators discovered that systems at Zimsec were lax, hence the leakages that have become a common occurrence.There are some obvious problems that are not covered in the report that could be pointed out as reasons for the poor standards at Zimsec, which include poor funding.Since the High Court ruling and the suspension of the Zimsec directors, the government has not shown any seriousness in addressing the rot once and for all.It worries us that it remains business as usual for the authorities when they should be taking practical steps in restoring confidence in the examination system.The O'Level results that were recently released by Zimsec have sent tongues wagging because of the high number of As scored by candidates, which have seen children with as many as 9As failing to secure A'Level places.Although the 2017 pass rate fell marginally to 26,3% from 27,92% the previous year, the quality of the grades has raised eyebrows especially in light of the reports of widespread cheating.The government must move with speed in dealing with the rot at Zimsec so as to restore confidence, not only in local examinations, but in the country's entire education system.Opinion / National

My People, The recent death and funeral of former prime minister Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai was a big eye-opener and exposed that political differences were very superficial as Zimbabweans are not averse to marrying across political boundaries.The biggest exponent of that philosophy was no less than the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Tsvangirai, who was married to the daughter of a senior Zanu-PF official.The intrigue was taken further when presidential spokesman George Charamba reportedly told the state-controlled media that he was related to the late Morgan Tsvangirai.But he had more to tell.He added that he was a father-in-law to the acting president of the Movement for Democratic Change, Advocate Honourable pastor Nelson Chamisa.Actually as Dr Amai Stopit! I have always known from my network of informers that Joji was one of family fathers to "inspect" the prospective future son-in-law  Chamisa  when he was unveiled.Who can forget those awkward moments when MDC chairman Lovemore Moyo tied the knot with the daughter of Zanu-PF senior official Sithembiso Nyoni?Awkward moments indeed, but they helped to unite Zimbabweans.Of course, young Chamisa will have to convince his supporters, some of them workers, that his role in the Zuva case in which thousands of workers subsequently lost their jobs was purely professional as a lawyer.That is already being used as a weapon against him by his opponents.Others point at real or imagined contracts with our loss-making dairy company, Gushungo Dairies.As you know, we don't mention our suppliers in public. But if he wins the presidential elections, the $15 billion which he told people he had been promised by the Americans should be enough to restore the jobs lost as a result of the Zuva judgement.A few have pointed out that while he happily came to the rescue of Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who was being booed at the funeral in Buhera, it would have sent the right signals to defend Thokozani Khupe from the rowdy MDC youths.After all, both women are beautiful and genuine yellow-bones!Meanwhile, my friends in the diplomatic community tell me that if the young leader is defeated at the elections, the West is lining up a candidate that they are describing as "mature and a unifier' in the name of Wellington Chibhebhe, whose stock has been rising quietly on the international scene in Belgium and has now been re-assigned to the International Labour Organisation.That would also pacify trade union hawks who now argue that the MDC, far from being the workers' party at its inception, has been captured by capitalists who fight for the rights of employers and not the workers.Hamheno!Doing what in DRC, Ngwena?One of the questions that many Zimbabweans were asking themselves last week was why Lizard Ngwena and his advisors found it necessary to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] to explain the Zimbabwean situation to Joseph Kabila.Kabila has plunged his country into a civil war because for two years he has refused to stand down following the expiration of his term.Now what do you explain to such a megalomaniac and what do you consult him on? How to defy the Constitution and refuse to leave office?Others suggested maybe Kabila, like his father, had requested the intervention of "brotherly and friendly" forces from within the region and that the modalities of the deployments were being worked out.However, others argued that the junta still had mining interests in that country which attracted the attention of the United Nations during the first DRC war intervention over unethical conduct.What better opportunity to assess your investments than cooking up a trip to pay a visit to a dictator who is no longer a president.It is such unhelpful decisions that are beginning to generate subjects to lampoon the administration of #kutongakwaro Could Oxiria remove that hideous scarf from around his neck, especially when it is hot?The trending joke is: Chamisa has the people. Khupe has the constitution. ED has, well, a scarf.Doing business with BelarusIt was good to see the General Colonel from Belarus signing some MoUs with industry minister Mike Bimha.Is that the same country which sold us equipment to extract coal in Hwange, which equipment broke down after a few weeks?Is that the same Belarus which stands accused of systematic electoral fraud, persecutes non-governmental organisations, independent journalists, minorities and political parties?Condoleezza Rice described the country as one of the six outposts of tyranny, alongside Zimbabwe, Cuba, Iran, Burma and North Korea.Munhuwese kuna Amai!Jonso woyeee!Zhuwao woyee!Dr Amai Stopit! (Fake PhD)l Feedback: Doctorstopit@gmail.comFrom families who have lived in the community for generations to new immigrants and young professionals looking for a change from the big city, there's more to Smiths Falls than you might think.

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RELATED: Smiths Falls: By the numbers

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RELATED: Angle parking survives in downtown Smiths Falls

Here's a look at some of the faces of Smiths Falls.

Angela Jenner and her son, Kieran

"Everybody knows everybody. If anything happens, it's nice to know that somebody has your back.

"I have friends who work in the city. I've worked in the city. The demand for child care in the city is a lot. In the city, you're dealing with 'there [go] my wages.'

"Here, you have that opportunity to do home daycare or not send your kids to a big elaborate daycare."

Roger Sands

"I think the biggest misconception is that [Smiths Falls is] a down-on-its-luck, hard-done-by town. I've been here for 40 years and I see it as kind of rising from the ashes after Hershey left and a few other large employers left. But it's coming back. It really is on the upswing.

"I think it's a great place. I grew up in Toronto and when I go back to Toronto, I can't wait to get back here."

Emma Schellingerhoud

"I think it's a misunderstood town.

"There [are] a lot of issues here  and poverty. But I know that I have worked in emergency rooms in Peterborough, Perth and Smiths Falls, and I can see that their issues at the heart are the same. It's just that Smiths Falls wears its heart on its sleeve."

Jasmin Haviland

"I feel that a lot of people are more optimistic than I've seen in a long time. Especially after the [Hershey] factory closed, everybody got so sad and demoralized.

"Getting to see the community bloom is really nice."

Laura Porter

"My family has been here since 1906 at a farm just outside of Smiths Falls in Montague.... Just growing up here I know a lot of people. I like that feeling of community. I like knowing people. I don't want to start over.

Story continues

"I joke with friends in Toronto about the commute. You can get anywhere [here] in probably five minutes, maybe seven minutes if you get the lights."

John Maloney

"Everybody talks about this friction that comes with change. I don't see it as friction; I see it as discussion.

"If you don't have a conversation about anything, things are rubber-stamped and they just go through. Having all the different types of people on council creates a conversation and that's how you get the best balance.

"I've been here for seven years and I've seen some great changes. I saw jobs disappear, but I've seen some great jobs come back.... With things going down, there's always things coming up."

Come visit us in Smiths Falls

CBC is in Smiths Falls from Friday, March 2 to Tuesday, March 6, looking for people who want to share the story of their community.

Contact community reporters Elyse Skura and Matthew Kupfer, or drop by our office hours at 18 Russell Street.Bloc Quebecois Leader Martine Ouellet is not budging from her insistence on promoting sovereignty at every turn, despite it having cost her the support of most of her caucus and a long list of former MPs.

Ouellet emerged from a seven-hour emergency meeting of party executives on Saturday appearing dumbfounded that anyone within the party would question her desire to aggressively talk up Quebec's independence.

"How can MPs tell me that they think as a chief of the Bloc Quebecois, which is an independentist party, I talk too much about independence. I don't understand," Ouellet said at a late afternoon news conference, where she vowed to stay on as leader.

But her approach to the sovereignty question has split the party. Seven of its 10 MPs bolted from caucus on Wednesday. They likened Ouellet's leadership to driving a car into a wall at 200 km/h.

"The loyalty of the co-pilot is in saying, 'If we continue like this we're going to crash,'" the rebel MPs said in an open letter published Saturday in the Journal de Montreal, Quebec's largest circulation daily.

They believe sovereignty promotion is best handled by the Parti Quebecois, a party that Ouellet has twice campaigned to lead, both times unsuccessfully.

No support from former leader, MPs

The breakaway faction is backed by a group of 21 former Bloc MPs  including ex-leader Gilles Duceppe  who also called on Ouellet to step down in a separate open letter.

Duceppe led the party to a series of impressive electoral results in the early 2000s by focusing on defending Quebec's interests in Ottawa. He accused Ouellet of imperiling the party's future with her hardline strategy.

"Ouellet weakened the voice of Quebec in Ottawa at the very moment that it needs a strong voice," said the open letter, which Duceppe wrote.

There was little in what Ouellet said Saturday to indicate she was willing to compromise with her critics. She pointed out she was acclaimed as the party's leader last year and said she has the unanimous support of the party executive.

Story continues

Ouellet was surrounded at the news conference by members of the executive, including chair Mario Beaulieu, the party's former leader. He stepped down just ahead of the 2015 federal election when it appeared the Bloc was risking extinction.

Duceppe returned temporarily, and helped the party win the 10 seats it now holds, most in the suburban areas around Montreal.

'Door remains open'

The breakaway faction now sits as a separate parliamentary group. After Ouellet's news conference on Saturday, they issued a statement of their own saying "nothing has changed."

"We will meet in the coming days to evaluate our options and see how we can serve Quebecers to the best of our abilities," the statement said.

Ouellet, for her part, said she still hopes the rebel MPs will return to caucus. As a sign of good faith, the Bloc's executive decided not to strip them of their party memberships, a possibility that had been invoked earlier.

"The door remains open," said Ouellet.

Her current leadership woes can be traced to a speech she gave last month to a party convention, during which she called out Bloc MPs for their "resistance" to her new goals for the party.

She also blamed them for leaking information about her demands for a $95,000 annual salary from the party.

Ouellet herself does not have a seat in the House of Commons, which complicated her efforts to impose her will on the caucus.

A former Parti Quebecois MNA, she now sits as an independent in the provincial legislature and does not intend to run in Quebec's fall election.Canada must be proactive to curb fallout from U.S. steel tariffs, stakeholders say

The Canadian government needs to decide on a proactive response to U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminum, according to politicians and industry experts.

"This can cause significant economic damage which will make [fiscal] deficits even bigger," Conservative party leader Andrew Scheer told CBC Radio's The House on Friday.

Trump announced new trade restrictions Thursday, including a 25 per cent tariff on steel imports and 10 per cent duty on aluminum, but didn't say whether Canada would be exempt.

With so much cooperation between the two countries on the defence file, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was "absolutely unacceptable" to highlight Canadian steel or aluminum as a security threat. Trump is justifying the tariffs in part on national security grounds.

The United States imported 26.9 million tonnes of steel in 2017; more than four million tonnes of it, came from Canada.

Canada buys more American steel than any other country, accounting for 50 per cent of U.S. exports, according to the Canadian Steel Producers Association.

Significant damage in a short period of time

Canada is now seeking an exemption and is vowing to retaliate if it's slapped with any new tariffs, but the new trade restrictions are something Scheer said the government should have anticipated.

"They know that this individual, this government, is far more protectionist and we are at risk."

The Conservatives, Scheer said, were disappointed that this year's budget included no concrete plan to deal with growing trade tensions with the United States.

Politicians aren't the only ones worries about what these tariffs could mean for Canada's economy.

"This is going to be a scenario that turns quickly, and the harm that can be done to the domestic industry is significant in a very short period of time," said Joseph Galimberti, president of the Canadian Steel Producers Association.

Story continues

The tariffs are going to cost Canada jobs and threaten Canadian business investments, he said.

The tariffs also could force other countries to divert their steel away from the U.S. to other markets, threatening Canada's ability to remain competitive.

Looking to the government to be 'creative'

To combat the threat, both Scheer and Galimberti said the Liberals need to use the influence they have to try to get through to Trump.

"It's troubling to see an American administration revert to some of the failed policies of the past that not just discourages growth, but punishes [it]," Scheer said.

The cross-border trade file under Trump  including the NAFTA talks  has been challenging for Canadian government representatives. Adding tariffs to the mix will only make it harder.

"This kind of 25-per-cent-across-the-board tariff is extraordinary and not something that the traditional Canadian policy framework is set up to deal with," Galimberti said.

"I think we're going to look to the government to be creative."

On Friday, CBC News learned Minister of Transport Mark Garneau had spoken to Wilbur Ross, the U.S. secretary of commerce, and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland will be speaking to U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer on Monday.

The Prime Minister's Office has also reached out to the White House in the last 24 hours.By Rod Nickel and Nia Williams CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Canada's First Nations are boosting investments and leveraging their clout with regulators to gain stakes in oil and gas projects as they seek greater returns on energy produced or transported across their territory. Aboriginal groups in Canada have traditionally played a more passive role in the energy industry, collecting royalties from oil and gas output. That model is changing as some indigenous groups buy oil wells and negotiate ownership stakes in proposed pipelines and storage projects. "It's assets that create cash flow," said Joe Dion, Chief Executive of First Nations-owned Frog Lake Energy Resources Corp, which produces 2,000 barrels of oil per day. "We get a piece of the action." First Nations, also called bands, play a pivotal role in Canada's oil industry because governments and companies have a legal duty to consult and accommodate them before proceeding with resource projects affecting their territories. The law gives bands "pretty close to an effective veto," said University of Saskatchewan professor Ken Coates. Some aboriginal groups have used that leverage to stop or delay oil projects, as when Enbridge Inc's proposed Northern Gateway pipeline was rejected by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2016 after bands raised environmental concerns. Other indigenous groups, however, are increasingly using the same power to negotiate ownership stakes in projects. A bigger financial role for First Nations in the sector could help unlock oil and gas reserves in Canada, the world's fifth largest producer, that might otherwise stay in the ground because of objections from environmental or aboriginal rights groups. Their experience parallels that of Native American tribes, who are also deeply split on whether and how to develop the vast resources on tribal lands. Indigenous Canadians make up about 5 percent of the nation's population and face higher levels of poverty and violence, giving bands a powerful incentive to maximize energy revenues to raise living standards. "It's so polarized," said Stephen Buffalo, chief executive of the advocacy group Indian Resource Council. "Some want to see the benefit, others think it's going to kill the earth." Frog Lake, a firm owned by Alberta's Frog Lake First Nation, is looking to buy more oil-producing properties outside of its territory along with stakes in tank farms and pipelines, said Dion, who is a member of the neighboring Kehewin Cree Nation. Dion said aboriginal groups have traditionally settled for "the smaller stuff" - royalties from outside energy firms. "The revenue-sharing piece is here now," Dion said. "That is where we have to go." Aboriginal groups have a legal say in projects on their lands, which are held in trust by the Canadian government for band members, and also those that might impact them indirectly. First Nations' support gives energy firms better odds of overcoming any concerns from other aboriginal groups. Ottawa on Feb. 8 unveiled draft legislation for resource projects that places greater emphasis on considering their impact on aboriginal communities. Under the rules for assessing major projects, to take effect next year, such concerns will be heard by the new Canadian Energy Regulator and Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. BUYING AND FINANCING Examples of First Nations taking bigger roles in energy projects are mounting. RBC Capital Markets' North American head of project finance Mark Saar said the bank is seeing more pipeline and storage companies seeking financial partnerships with aboriginals. RBC in December completed a C$545 million bond issue for the Fort McKay and Mikisew Cree bands - the largest ever private investment by a First Nation - allowing them to buy a 49 percent stake in a Suncor Energy storage facility. "The deal was oversubscribed," Saar said. "We think there would be appetite for further similar deals." Some investors find aboriginals' involvement in energy projects appealing given that their support is often critical for regulatory approvals, Saar said. Others, however, worry about being tied to First Nations' finances because of historic mismanagement by some bands. Investors and lenders are displaying "greater acceptance of First Nations as players," said David Sharpe, a Mohawk aboriginal and Chief Executive of Toronto-based debt firm Bridging Finance, referring to RBC's bond issue. Bridging Finance last year financed an unnamed First Nation's C$11 million purchase of stakes in producing oil wells and is working on four more similar deals, Sharpe said. Investment bank AltaCorp Capital is raising funds for a C$16 billion ($12.85 billion) oil pipeline, proposed to run from Alberta to the northern British Columbia coast. The project has modest financial backing from one of Canada's richest families, the Aquilini Group, and support from 35 First Nations to use their land. In exchange for allowing that access, the bands will own at least 35 percent of the pipeline and a corresponding share of the profits. If built, Eagle Spirit would be a crucial second outlet to the Pacific Ocean for crude from the oil sands, which currently sells at a steep discount because of transportation constraints. Eagle Spirit Energy Holdings' proposed oil pipeline has strong interest from energy companies and investors, said Eagle Spirit president and chairman Calvin Helin, who is aboriginal. The firm's main roadblock is a proposed government moratorium against oil tankers along the ecologically sensitive northern B.C. coast. Two other private investor groups, A2A and G7G - with the political support of some First Nations - are proposing to build railways running from Alberta's oil sands to Alaska, avoiding the coastline of British Columbia because of the pipeline opposition there. Matt Vickers, head of G7G, declined to detail the investors' financial arrangements with the bands. New railways could provide an alternative to Kinder Morgan Canada's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion from Alberta to British Columbia, which has been delayed by one year due to the environmental concerns of the B.C. government, some aboriginals and municipalities. 'A REAL AWAKENING' When Chief Isaac Laboucan-Avirom became leader of Alberta's Woodland Cree Nation in 2013, he was struck by the contrast between his band's precarious finances and the hydrocarbon wealth surrounding its territory. Three years later, Laboucan-Avirom signed an agreement allowing Baytex Energy Corp to drill in exchange for modest royalties and jobs. Now, the Woodland Cree are granting permission for Eagle Spirit pipeline to use its land - in exchange for an undisclosed ownership stake. Such opportunities have won over some groups trying to balance economic prosperity with environmental protection. "There's been a real awakening," said Laboucan-Avirom, who is looking for further investment in oil and gas assets. "Everything in our world is touched by oil and gas, whether we like it or not." (Additional reporting by Valerie Volcovici in Washington; Editing by Simon Webb and Brian Thevenot)A Canadian who was convicted of plotting a terror attack targeting Times Square and the subway system in New York City is asking a judge for a second chance ahead of a sentencing hearing in April.

In a 24-page handwritten submission before his sentencing, Abdulrahman El-Bahnasawy said frustration with how the West treated Islam turned him toward extremism.

The 20-year-old, a Mississauga, Ont., resident, described anger at the U.S. and its allies for "disrupting our life (sic) and murdering our civilians with reckless airstrikes ...," writing later that it was appropriate to use similar methods back. He wrote he was not trying to justify his actions, but just wanted to explain his thought process at the time.

He was 18 when he was arrested in New Jersey on a family trip, accused of conspiring to attack New York City in the name of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Agent communicated with Canadian, 2 others

El-Bahnasawy had shipped bomb-making materials to a contact in the U.S. who turned out to be an undercover FBI agent. The agent had been communicating electronically with El-Bahnasawy and two others in the months leading up to the failed attack.

Two other men  Talha Haroon, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen living in Pakistan, and Russell Salic, a 37-year-old Philippine citizen  were arrested outside of the U.S. for the plot.

El Bahnasawy pleaded guilty to numerous terrorism charges in October 2016, but his case was sealed for a year until the other two suspects were arrested.

In his letter to the judge, El-Bahnasawy apologizes for his behaviour, writing, "I want to experience life away from drugs and away from war and violence."

He describes growing up in Kuwait feeling isolated because of his Egyptian heritage and that after moving to Canada, he became enamoured with and eventually addicted to drugs. Letters from his parents describe various ways the family attempted to get him help, including moving back to the Middle East and seeking treatment at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto. There was also a trip to a psychiatric hospital and another rehab facility along the way.

Story continues

But El-Bahnasawy relapsed after months at CAMH and his family sent him to an Islamic school, where, he describes in the letter, how initially, he didn't identify as a Muslim, but soon became interested in the religion.

El-Bahnasawy describes his realization that "Islam would fix all the problems in society or the world in general, and that its system and lifestyle would have prevented the life I lived."

He doesn't go into detail about the plot he was convicted of or his interactions with the undercover agent, except to describe a time when he forgot the code he used to talk to his contacts and thought it was a message from God to walk away. He eventually remembered he had written it backwards.

"I wonder where my life would be if my memory just hadn't worked that day," he writes to Judge Richard Berman.

Lawyers argue for release

In their submissions, his lawyers argue that El-Bahnasawy was not a hardened and trained ISIS fighter, but a socially isolated teenager, struggling with self-esteem issues, who was arrested three days before an appointment with a doctor to seek further treatment.

His lawyers wrote that his turn towards violence and extremism came during "a pause in treatment and prescribed medications."

"We think he should be set free and allowed to go home  he was an 18-year-old that Canada could have and should have saved," his legal team said in a statement to CBC. "Instead, Canada handed him over to the United States and the United States should let him go home."

They say he has a long history of mental illness and a long battle with drugs. Both El-Bahnasawy and his lawyers describe difficult conditions he has faced while in the U.S. prison system.

He faces the possibility of life in prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 9.BEIJING (Reuters) - China wants to deepen friendship with Taiwan, the ruling Communist Party's fourth-ranked leader said on Saturday, a day after state media warned China could go to war over Taiwan if a U.S. bill promoting closer ties with the island becomes law. China has been infuriated over the bill, telling Taiwan on Friday it would only get burnt if it sought to rely on foreigners, adding to the warnings from state media about the risk of war. The legislation, which only needs President Donald Trump's signature to become law, says it should be U.S. policy to allow officials at all levels to travel to Taiwan to meet their Taiwanese counterparts, permit high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the United States "under respectful conditions" and meet with U.S. officials. Yu Zhengsheng, the Communist Party's fourth most senior official, put on a friendlier face at the opening session of a largely ceremonial advisory body to parliament which he heads, making no direct mention of the bill. "We will deepen solidarity and friendship with our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as well as overseas Chinese," Yu told the 2,000-odd delegates to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing. The body will "mobilize all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to work together for the greater national interests and realization of the Chinese Dream", Yu added, referring to President Xi Jinping's aspiration to restore a rejuvenated China to its full standing globally. Hong Kong has been another troublesome area for China's leadership, especially after students organized weeks of protests in late 2014 to push for full democracy. Young activists in both Hong Kong and Taiwan have irked Beijing in recent years by pushing for greater autonomy or even independence and by organizing protests against China's influence. Hong Kong and Macau were former European colonial outposts that returned to Chinese rule in the 1990s. China's hostility towards Taiwan has risen since the election to president of Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party in 2016. China suspects Tsai wants to push for formal independence, which would cross a red line for Communist Party leaders in Beijing, though Tsai has said she wants to maintain the status quo and is committed to ensuring peace. Beijing considers democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province and integral part of "one China", ineligible for state-to-state relations, and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)Canada has hit an interesting milestone.

Edmonton will be hosting the country's first flat Earth conference.

Yes. You read that correctly.

"History will be made in Canada this year and Edmonton will be put on the flat map! Look forward to seeing you all there," according to a Facebook post for the Flat Earth International Conference Canada.

The event at the West Edmonton Mall in August features speakers from "all over the Flat Earth."

Conspiracy theory

Flat Earthers believe that the Earth isn't spherical and that all depictions of it as a sphere are all part of a massive NASA conspiracy.

"The leading flat-earther theory holds that Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the center and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall wall of ice, around the rim. NASA employees, they say, guard this ice wall to prevent people from climbing over and falling off the disc," Livescience reported.

Robbie Davidson, an Edmonton native who is organizing the conference, told Global News that he thinks a lot more people believe in the conspiracy than many realize.

A lot of science has moved away from what science is supposed to be, it's very theoretical. What experiment do you actually do to prove the curvature of the Earth? Robbie Davidson, Flat Earther

He went on to explain that flat Earthers are not anti-science.

"A lot of science has moved away from what science is supposed to be, it's very theoretical. What experiment do you actually do to prove the curvature of the Earth?"

Tickets for the event range from $130 to nearly $300. Online access to conference sessions start at $28.

While many people have marked themselves as "interested" in the event, the page has been the target of online ridicule since it went up.

"Will there be a meet and great [sic] thing? Id love to get my globe signed," one person posted on the page.

Others have tried to reason with the event's supporters.

Story continues

Davidson is expecting more than 300 people to attend the conference, according to the Edmonton Journal.

He told the newspaper that the conspiracy is about more than just the shape of the Earth itself.

"Hypothetically, if this is true, there probably is no greater lie. There probably is no bigger conspiracy. We're being lied to by the upper echelon."

Also on HuffPost:DURBAN (Reuters) - An unbeaten 60 from Mitchell Marsh and a quickfire 35 from Mitchell Starc helped Australia to reach 300 for eight at lunch on the second day of the first test against South Africa. Marsh brought up his third test 50 in 125 balls and is now top scorer for the Australians in their first innings as he weathered the second new ball with a circumspect approach. He and Tim Paine resumed on Friday with Australia on 225-5 but once South Africa took the second new ball, it took just four deliveries for Paine to edge a full delivery from Kagiso Rabada behind to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock for 25. Pat Cummins batted patiently before being undone by the spin of Keshav Maharaj, who bowled him through the gate for three, leaving Australia 251-7. But Starc scuppered home hopes of restricting Australia to under 300 on a slow, batting-friendly wicket, hitting some lusty blows for a rapidfire 35 runs off 25 balls before Maharaj bowled him in the last over before lunch. Maharaj now has four wickets for 103 runs off 30.4 overs and will resume at the start of the second session as South Africa look to finish off the tail. Captain Steve Smith (56) and David Warner (51) contributed runs on the opening day with Vernon Philander taking two wickets for the home team. Warner said after the first day's play that any total over 300 would be considered "a crucial lead". (Reporting by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee cites the appointment of the first Indigenous judge in Quebec as one of her political accomplishments.

But in a province where more than 182,000 people identify as Aboriginal, Judge Mark Philippe, who sits on the bench of the Quebec court in Gatineau, is the only one who is Indigenous. There is also one Indigenous Crown prosecutor.

With the Viens commission underway, examining ways of improving government services for Indigenous citizens  and with mounting calls for judicial reforms in light of not-guilty verdicts in two recent high-profile murder cases elsewhere in Canada  Vallee knows the province must do better.

"We have to recruit," said Vallee.

Retired prosecutor: 'Legal system a failure'

Quebec's Justice Ministry has already adopted alternative measures such as piloting Community Justice Committees in seven Indigenous communities, and Vallee is looking into creating two posts for permanent judges in northern Quebec.

A retired Crown prosecutor who spent years in the north say those initiatives are a promising start but says justice will never fully be served if the legal system doesn't undergo more radical changes.

"It's not by tinkering with it that you will find that it's going to work," said Pierre Rousseau, who travelled from Sooke, B.C., to appear before the Viens commission in Val-d'Or last month.

Rousseau worked with Cree and Inuit communities in northern Quebec in the late 1980s.

At the time, he says, he thought he was helping people make their way through the court system. But he later realized he was reinforcing mainstream ways that were alien to those communities.

He found that Quebec court workers, with the exception of lawyers in Kuujjuaq, had little knowledge of the communities they were serving.

Rousseau later worked in the Northwest Territories and found more emphasis there on meeting the needs of Aboriginal people caught up in the judicial system. There were, for example, more interpreters to help victims and the accused understand court proceedings.

Story continues

However, he says little has changed for Indigenous people, as evidenced by incarceration rates.

'Decolonization necessary for reconciliation'

Indigenous men represent 25.2 per cent of all men in custody in Canada, while Indigenous women represent 36.1 per cent of all women behind bars, according to a 2016 report.

By comparison, census data from that year shows that five per cent of Canadians are Indigenous.

Rousseau says since 1988, various jurisdictions across Canada have produced more than half a dozen reports and commissions which show the many ways that the criminal justice system is failing Indigenous people.

"The court system is foreign. It is not something that matches their culture," he said.

He said the adversarial nature of the justice system runs against the focus of Indigenous cultures, which is on restoring relationships.

"They are trying to restore peace, but the system is dividing people again," said Rousseau.

Rousseau told the Viens commission that Indigenous communities must be allowed to develop their own system with their own legal traditions.

He said unless that happens, simply adding more judges to the roster in northern Quebec won't change anything.

"Decolonization is necessary for reconciliation, and more judges and more of the same courts is anything but decolonization," he said.

Rousseau believes things get more complicated in cases like the trial of white farmer Gerald Stanley, who was charged and acquitted in the death of an Aboriginal man, Colton Boushie, in Saskatchewan.

In such cases, Rousseau believes a hybrid system could work, and he says it's been done in countries such as Greenland, where legal systems incorporate Indigenous traditions.CAIRO (Reuters) - Sudan will send its ambassador back to neighboring Egypt on Monday, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said, two months after withdrawing him amid heightened tensions. Khartoum has not explained why it recalled Abdel Mahmoud Abdel Halim early in January. But disputes over the ownership of the Halayeb Triangle border area and Egyptian suspicion of a Sudan-Turkey naval agreement have strained ties. "Relations between our people and our countries are historic and maintaining them is a responsibility. Setting them on the right path is a duty," Ghandour told Reuters on Saturday. A committee including the foreign ministers and heads of intelligence from both countries met in Cairo last month in an attempt to cool tensions. Sudan has accused Cairo of political meddling and banned imports of Egyptian agricultural products last year. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Andrew Heavens)In 2017, Gran Habano cigars brought its the latest installment under its S.T.K. brand, the Gran Habano S.T.K. Black Dahlia by George Rico into widespread distribution. Gran Habano Cigars is a fourth generation company that today is run by the father and son team of Guillermo and George Rico. S.T.K. stands for Stay True Kid and its a small batch production brand in the Gran Habano portfolio spearheaded by George Rico. For a while the S.T.K. releases were being produced in Miami, Florida, but Gran Habano has lately been consolidating its production in Honduras. Today we take a closer look at the S.T.K. Black Dahlia in the Robusto size.

Black Dahlia is best known as the name of a flower. Black Dahlia is a name that was given posthumously to 1940s murder victim Elizabeth Short. There were also a book and film with the name about Short. The title has also be used in several songs and musical compositions. The S.T.K. Black Dahlia joins other releases in the S.T.K. line that includes the G.A.R. Opium S.T.K, S.T.K. Barracuda, S.T.K. Barracuda Maduro, STK Zulu Zulu, S.T.K. Zulu Zulu Mas Paz., and S.T.K. American Puro releases.

Without further ado, lets break down the S.T.K. Dahlia Robusto and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile

The blend of the S.T.K. Black Dahlia is a multi-national blend that is Nicaraguan centric. The wrapper is Nicaraguan Corojo that is shade grown. The blend also features a double binder and incorporates Colombian and Costa Rican tobaccos with Nicaraguan tobaccos in the filler. The S.T.K. Black Dahlia is produced at the companys G.R. Tabacaleras Unidas S.A. in Honduras.

Wrapper: Corojo Shade Grown Nicaraguan

Binder: Habano and Nicaraguan

Filler: Habano, Nicaraguan Cubita, Colombian, Costa Rican

Country of Origin: Honduras (G.R. Tabacaleras Unidas S.A.)

Vitolas Available

The S.T.K. Black Dahlia by George Rico is available in three sizes. Each is presented in 20-count boxes.

Corona Gorda 5 5/8 x 46

Robusto 5 x 52

Gran Robusto 6 x 54

Appearance

While the name Black Dahlia might imply this cigar would have a dark wrapper, this is not the case. This is a shade-grown layer, so its no surprise this wrapper is on the lighter side. I considered the wrapper of the S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto to have a toffee color to it. There was a light coating of oil on the wrapper. This cigar had several prominent veins and pretty much bordered to having some toothy wrapper portions. Most of the wrapper seams were on the thin side. The cigar also featured a Cuban style flat cap.

The band of the Gran Habano S.T.K. Black Dahlia features a white, gold, black, gray, and pale pink color scheme. This is highlighted by a black and gray design the resembles the Black Dahlia flower on the front. Above the flower design is the text S.T.K. in small gold font. To the left and right of the flower is the text BLACK and DAHLIA respectively in gold font.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up the Gran Habano S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto, I used a straight cut to remove the cap. Once the cap was removed, I proceeded with the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered a mix of coffee, natural tobacco sweetness, classic wood, and cedar. I was quite pleased and considered this cigar to have a very good pre-light draw. At this point, I was ready to light up the S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The start to the Gran Habano S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto picked up right where the pre-light draw left off as I detected notes of classic wood, sweet natural tobacco, coffee, and cedar. Early on, the classic wood notes moved to the forefront where they were quickly joined by a creamy component. The coffee and cedar notes settled in the background. The natural tobacco sweetness was also a secondary note, but was more prominent and at times showed up in the forefront. Meanwhile, the retro-hale produced notes of cedar and a slight fruit-like sweetness.

Later in the first third of the S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto, some white pepper notes also settled into the background. During the second third, the creamy wood combination that dominated the first third slowly morphed into what I would describe as more of a creamy earth note. The natural tobacco sweetness diminished while the cedar notes increased in intensity and the coffee notes dissipated.

The last third saw a slight increase in spice. The cedar notes made their way into the forefront joining the creamy earth notes. There was another increase of the white pepper notes. By this point, the natural tobacco sweetness was a distant note. This is the way the S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto finished up. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

The S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto had no problem maintaining a straight burn path. There were a few points where the burn line was jagged, but this was remedied with some touch-ups. The resulting ash had a salt and pepper color scheme. This wasnt an overly firm ash, but it wasnt a loose or flaky ash either. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both were ideal.

The draw to the S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto was what I describe as open, but not loose. This was a low maintenance cigar to derive flavor from. It also was a cigar the produced a significant amount of smoke.

Strength and Body

The intensity levels of the S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto started out on the lower end of medium. There was a slight increase in these levels as the cigar experience progressed, however by the end of the cigar, I still assessed this as a medium strength, medium-bodied cigar.

In terms of strength versus body, I found both attributes balanced each other very nicely with neither one overshadowing the other.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I found the S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto to deliver an enjoyable smoking experience. It delivered excellent flavor and there was enough complexity to keep me interesting in the cigar. The best part is that the S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto is a cigar that I found could be enjoyed any time of the day. When we think boutique/small batch, many times Gran Habano is not a brand doesnt come to mind, but one should definitely give the S.T.K. brand some attention.

The S.T.K. Black Dahlia Robusto is a cigar I would recommend to either a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again  and its one Id buy multiples for my humidor.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Cream,. Classic Wood, Cedar, White Pepper, Coffee

Burn: Very Good

Draw: Excellent

Complexity: Medium Plus

Strength: Medium

Body: Medium

Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy Multiples

Score: 90

References

News: Gran Habano Releases S.T.K. Black Dahlia by George Rico

Price: $8.50

Source: Gran Habano

Brand Reference: Gran Habano

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where notedIndia, Bangladesh and Russia have signed tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in construction of Rooppur nuclear power plant near Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is first initiative under India-Russia nuclear deal to undertake atomic energy projects in third countries. It will also be Indias first atomic energy venture abroad.

Rooppur nuclear power plant

Rooppur Nuclear project is having capacity of 2*1200 MWs. It is Bangladeshs first atomic energy project. It is being built with Russias help near Dhaka. After commissioning of this plant, Bangladesh will become third South Asian country after India and Pakistan to harness atomic energy for energy purpose.

Russia will build nuclear power plant for this plant on a turnkey basis. It means that contractor will complete whole project and they will be liable for any problems that arise in plant. Russias scope of work includes design, production and supply of equipment, construction, installation, start-up and commissioning.

India being not member of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) will not participate directly in construction of atomic power reactors. But, Indian companies will be involved in construction and installation works and in supply of equipment of non-critical category.

Background

In December 2014, India and Russia had signed Strategic Vision for Strengthening Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy to explore opportunities for sourcing materials, equipment and services from Indian industry for construction of Russian-designed nuclear power plants in third countries. Moreover, India had signed a civil nuclear cooperation deal, along with two more agreements, with Bangladesh in April 2017 under which two sides can supply and manufacture equipment, material for atomic power plant.

The nuclear deal with Bangladesh allows Indian nuclear establishment to grow, internationally as for years it was not been able to grow due to sanctions imposed on New Delhi post 1974 Pokhran tests. However, it is not clear what kind of nuclear collaboration India is having with Bangladesh since both countries are not members of Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), an elite grouping of 48 members that prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A Utah lawmaker on Friday abandoned his effort to repeal the death penalty, saying the measure didn't have quite enough support.





With five days remaining before legislators adjourn, Republican Rep. Gage Froerer said it wasn't worth taking up time to debate the emotional subject.





"I was hopeful that Utah would be one of the first red states to take this, because the trend obviously is to do away with the death penalty," he said. "I'm convinced whether its next year or five or 10 years from now the death penalty will go away."





It's the second time in recent years that a GOP-backed effort to end capital punishment in the state has fizzled. Among the biggest hurdles were crime victims who wanted the option to seek capital punishment.





He and House Speaker Greg Hughes, also a Republican, argued that ending the death penalty should be a conservative position because conservatives are "Pro-Life," believe the government is imperfect and should be limited.





Utah came close to repealing the death penalty two years ago but the measure didn't have enough support in the House. This year, Froerer said he believes about 34 members of the 75-member House would have voted for repeal, and a debate may have swayed a few more votes but the tally would have been razor-thin.





Across the U.S., 19 states and the District of Columbia have overturned or banned the death penalty.





Froerer's proposed ban would not have applied to cases where the death penalty has already been sought and the nine men on Utah's death row still would have been facing execution.





Gov. Gary Herbert said last month that he believes society has the right to "eradicate" people who commit egregious crimes, but because appeals from death row inmates can drag on for decades, he said capital punishment can be unfair to the families of victims.





The move to end capital punishment in the conservative state came three years after Utah voted to reinstate the firing squad as a backup method for executions.





Hughes, who voted to reinstate the firing squad, says that if the government is going to execute people, there's no need to "sanitize" a brutal act by relying solely on lethal injections.

 | 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 Associated Press, Lindsay Whitehurst and Michelle L. Price, March 2, 2018The lack of pressure forced Ukraine to spend more energy to keep the gas flowing to Europe since the pressure wasn't coming from the Russian side.

Ukraine did everything possible to prevent an artificial gas crisis Russia was trying to create.

"For Europe the risk is gone," CEO of Naftogaz of Ukraine Andriy Kobolyev told The Wall Street Journal on March 3. "We did everything possible to make sure that the artificial crisis Russia was trying to create would not happen."

Meanwhile, all Russian gas bound for Europe across Ukraine continued to flow uninterrupted. Gazprom, which is heavily reliant on exports to Europe and is trying to expand them, only cut off contracts with Ukraine.

Read alsoReuters: Russia's Gazprom says has started ending gas contracts with Ukraine"Still, the actions undercut the image Russia has tried to cultivate as a reliable supplier and sparked fears of escalation across Europe in the midst of cold stretch," the Wall Street Journal wrote.

Kobolyev said Russia cut pipeline pressure for transit supplies to Europe by as much as 20%. The lack of pressure forced Ukraine to spend more energy to keep the gas flowing to Europe since the pressure wasn't coming from the Russian side.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine faced a temporary shortage of natural gas due to Russian Gazprom's refusal to import contracted gas to Ukraine. What is more, it lowered pressure at the entry point to the Ukrainian gas transport pipeline from Russia.

To handle the situation, Naftogaz considerably boosted gas purchases from Europe, while the Ukrainian government introduced an action plan to reduce gas consumption.All existing commitments to supply and transit gas to the EU are being fulfilled.

The European Commission says it is ready to engage and mediate in the trilateral settlement of the Ukraine-Russia gas crisis.

"The European Commission stands ready to engage and mediate in a trilateral process, which in the past proved to be effective in bridging differences between the parties," Vice-President of the EU Commission in charge of Energy Union Maros Sefcovic said in a statement posted on the EC's website on March 4.

Read alsoNaftogaz CEO: Ukraine did everything possible to prevent artificial gas crisis"Due to the complexity and sensitivity of the issue, we will further explore the possibility of such process bilaterally. Both Ukraine and Russia have confirmed their readiness to stay in close contact with the European Commission. I will follow the situation closely in order to ensure that the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine to the EU  as it remains our priority  is safeguarded at all times," he said.

Following the contact by the Ukrainian authorities at the end of the week regarding the situation of the Ukrainian gas system and the gas imports from Russia, Vice-President Sefcovic reached out to both the Ukrainian and Russian authorities.

Over the past days, Vice-President Sefcovic spoke to Ukraine's Prime Minister Groysman, to Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev and to Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak.

"The conversations focused on Ukraine's concern regarding pressure levels in gas supply from Russia, on gas for the transit to the European Union as well as on the recent decision of the Stockholm Arbitration Tribunal," the EC informed.

"All existing commitments to supply and transit gas to the EU are being honoured," it said.

Sefcovic has been informed by Naftogaz that today the situation is under control and managed well, following the adoption, by the Ukrainian authorities, of special measures and Naftogaz contracting additional volumes of gas from Poland, hence ensuring stable gas supply for domestic purposes.

For his part, Russian Energy Minister Novak gave reassurances that the transit of gas to the EU Member States is not endangered and remains reliable.

"Regarding the Stockholm Arbitration decision Vice-President Sefcovic has been informed that Gazprom remains set to terminate its contracts with Naftogaz. This procedure may, however, take some time and will not have immediate consequences on the gas flows," the EC said.

As was reported, PJSC Ukrtransgaz, the operator of Ukraine's gas transport system, said on March 1 that Russia's Gazprom had failed to ensure the required pipeline pressure since the beginning of 2018.

Gazprom also sent back the advance payment made by Naftogaz under a Stockholm arbitration court ruling and refused to sell natural gas to Ukraine. Kyiv said this could be regarded as the refusal to implement the ruling.

On March 3, Gazprom announced it had initiated the procedure to terminate gas supply and transit contracts with Naftogaz.The people must partner with government leaders to end corruption. Just as leaders have a duty to establish and enforce the rules, citizens must hold these leaders to their duty, wrote U.S. Ambassador to Nepal Alaina Teplitz.

In an op-ed published in The Kathmandu Post on February 20th the Ambassador noted:

Democratic accountability is more critical as Nepal transitions to federalism and the first government elected under the new constitution takes office. Local administrators can be lured into the shadows where corrupt networks already scheme, or they can serve as examples of integrity, shining a light with transparent governance. Citizen pressure makes a decisive difference.

Nepal is not alone in having a history of shadowy governance and self-serving cartels, wrote Ambassador Teplitz. The United States faced cartels in the early 20th century when President Theodore Roosevelt spoke of the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics.He set out to destroy what he called an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people.

The Ambassador wrote that Nepal can also confront and destroy these cartels and push governance into the light to be accountable to the people, citing Nepals electricity supply as example of success.

Load shedding did immeasurable damage to Nepals economy, and literally kept Nepalis in the dark, she said.Tragically, it was unnecessary because, according to the work of numerous investigative journalists, the electricity shortage was artificial and designed to enrich a few...One person was credited with breaking up that cartel and the corrupt practices impacting residents.

As authorities in Nepal draft and debate new regulations, Ambassador Teplitz urged citizens to call for their public release in order to have insight into and protection against new laws and regulations that might further protect vested interests at the publics expense.

The United States is working with Nepal to help eliminate corruption, and supports Nepal citizens in this effort, said Ambassador Teplitz.

The Ambassador concluded by sharing her desire to see the emergence of a culture that rejects the invisible government, destroys the unholy alliances of cartels, and builds a society that is fair and functional for all Nepalis.Nearly ninety civil rights and political activists inside Iran have issued a statement raising concern over unpleasant reports concerning the health condition of the detained Gonabadi dervishes and their situation behind bars.

The statement published in several websites, including pro Green Movement Kalemeh.com, has called for a fair legal procedure concerning indictments filed against the detained Sufis.

Describing the news about out of turn and urgent trial of the detained dervishes as an unacceptable sign of unfairness, the signatories have called upon judiciary officials to respect Tehrans commitments to local penal codes and international conventions.

The statement, published on Saturday, March 3, has also demanded the release of the detainees on bail to show the impartiality of the Islamic Republics judicial system.

Nevertheless, several judiciary officials have already declared that the detained dervishes will be tried urgently.

Furthermore, Tehrans Police Chief, IRGC commander Hossein Rahimi has announced that the driver of a bus, who allegedly ran over three police officers and killed them in Pasdaran avenue, will be executed before the next Iranian new year (beginning March 21).

A gathering in front of Police Station 102 in north Tehran on February 19 triggered a protest move by members of the Gonabadi order of Iranian dervishes, after one of its members, Nematollah Riahi was arrested by the security police and detained at the precinct.

Riahi, 72, from the city of Shahr-e Kord near Isfahan, had come to Tehran to defend the house of the leader of the Gonabadi order against a probable attack by the police and plain-clothes vigilante groups.

Kasra Nouri, one of the dervishes taking part in the gathering told Radio Farda, Some 100 policemen attacked the dervishes and shot at them. We are worried about our security in the area, while we are defending our leader, Dr. Nour Ali Tabandeh. Our resolve is to defend him up to the last drop of our blood.

Tabandehs house is located in Tehrans Passdaran Avenue, which was the site of clashes between the police and the dervishes twice before, in late December 2017 and early January.

The signatories to the recent statement, who are mainly pro-reformist activists as well as former and current political prisoners, have insisted that the detained dervishes who have been battered, need urgent medical treatment.

Images of dervishes with broken heads, jaws and teeth have been widely circulated in social media in recent days.

Furthermore, there have been reports about the death of three detained dervishes in hospitals. The death of at least one of the dervishes has been confirmed by judiciarys spokesman.

However, in a statement attributed to 91-year old leader of the Gonabadi dervishes, Nour Ali Tabandeh, he has called upon his followers to stay calm, exercise self-restraint and avoid any violence.

Tabandeh, a France educated lawyer, was appointed as the Qutb (Pivot) of the Gonabadi dervishes replacing his father, Mahboob Ali Shah who died in 1996.

The Islamic Republic intensified its campaign against the Gonabadi dervishes in 2005 by arresting scores of them and demolishing their Hussainiyehs.

The Gonabadi dervishes belong to the Sufi order known as Nematollahi Sultan Ali Shahi that believes in the principles and teachings of the 12-Imamite Shii Islam.

Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been seriously suppressing the Sufi order for some of their other beliefs.

Dervishes are members of a Muslim (specifically Sufi) religious order who have taken vows of poverty and austerity. Dervishes first appeared in the 12th century; they were noted for their wild or ecstatic rituals and were known as dancing, whirling, or howling dervishes according to the practice of their order.

There are various orders of dervishes, almost all of which trace their origins to various Muslim saints and teachers, especially first Shiites Imam Ali bin Abi Talib. Dervishes spread into North Africa, Afghanistan, Balkans, Caucasus, India, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkey.In an interview with Radio Farda, daughter of a detained Gonabadi dervish has confirmed his fathers death behind bars.

The police forces have announced that my father went into coma after being hit and later died, Tayyebeh Raji told Radio Farda on Sunday, March 4.

According to Ms. Raji, her dervish father, Mohammad Raji, was seriously battered and in a critical condition when arrested on Tuesday, February 20. The family was allowed to see him in detention.

My father moved his hand, but, we do not know what happened to him afterward since they never gave us a chance to see him again. Said Ms. Raji.

The bereaved daughter also noted, If my father had really gone into coma, we were entitled to immediately be informed and allowed to visit him; thats the least right a citizen expects to be respected by the authorities.

Meanwhile, Ms. Raji lamented that her fathers body has not been delivered to his relatives, yet.

Earlier, a website covering dervish related news, Majzooban Nour (Enchanted by Light) had reported that Mohammad Raji died in Police custody while being beaten up under interrogation.

Nevertheless, Tehrans Public and Revolutionary Court Prosecutor-General, Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi confirmed on Sunday that one of the detained dervishes has died in custody, but he denied that he died under interrogation.

Reportedly, Mohammad Raji was a former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and an Iran-Iraq war veteran who was suffering from an Iraqi chemical attack.

According to Majzooban Nour, Raji left IRGC in 2005 and looked after a farm in the village of Mazraeh Abad near Aligoudarz in Lorestan Province, western Iran.

Furthermore, Tayyebeh Raji told Radio Farda that his 22-year old brother who had gone to look after his father, a victim of chemical attack, was also detained in Pasdaran avenue, the scene of recent clashes between dervishes and police forces supported by plainclothesmen.Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on March 1 praised Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and said Tehran will continue to support him, despite an international outcry over civilian deaths in eastern Ghouta.

Khamenei's statement comes a day after the European Union urged Iran and Russia to pressure their ally Assad to halt Syria's offensive and heed a UN-declared cease-fire in the Damascus suburb, where more than 500 civilians have been reported killed by bombing.

"Iran will continue to support the Syrian government," Khamenei said, according to his official website. "Syria is on the front lines today; it is our duty to defend the Syrian resistance."

Khamenei called Assad "a great example of resistance and a fighting image," saying "he never hesitated and stood strong: This is extremely important for a nation."

Khamenei said Iran also has persevered against global opposition since the Islamic republic was founded some 40 years ago.

"From day one, all major world powers united and acted against us: the United States, U.S.S.R., NATO, Arab, and regional reactionaries -- they all united. But we survived and prospered," he said.

Addressing Assad, Khamenei said, "If you and we, and other elements of resistance, stay determined, the enemy cannot accomplish a single thing."

On February 24, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution calling for a 30-day cease-fire in Ghouta, but violence has continued with the government and rebels blaming each other.

Russia on February 26 declared that it would enforce a five-hour cease-fire each day to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered in stricken areas of Ghouta and allow civilians to leave the battlefield.

But UN officials have said the pause in fighting is not long enough for them to deliver aid, while Russia's "humanitarian corridor" has gone largely unused, according to independent observers in Ghouta.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 98 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said March 4.

Armenias armed forces were using heavy machine guns.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4

By Samir Ali  Trend:

Confession by one of the leaders of the Armenian lobby on the Khojaly genocide during hearings on the 30th anniversary of the Sumgait events at the California State Senate, organized by the radical Armenian lobby in the US, demonstrates Armenians realization of their responsibility for the events in Khojaly, Azerbaijani MP Aydin Mirzazada told Trend March 4.

During the hearings, Western Region Director of the Armenian Assembly of America, Mihran Toumajan, said in his speech that Armenia committed massacre against the peaceful Azerbaijani population in Khojaly.

Mirzazada said that this fact should be recognized sooner or later.

Armenian nationalists are already beginning to realize how much responsibility they took upon themselves when they committed the tragedy in Khojaly. The Azerbaijani people will never forget the tragedy in Khojaly. This genocide will always be a heavy charge for Armenians, the MP noted.

Mirzazada also said that Armenians can not mislead the world community regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh issue with the same success as before.

The world community already knows the truth about these events. Moreover, there are Azerbaijani patriots who are able to oppose the Armenian speculations with facts and evidences before any audience, he added.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4

Trend:

The Azerbaijani delegation led by the minister of economy, chairman of the Coordinating Council for Transit Freight Shahin Mustafayev is on a visit to Kars, Turkey, said a message from the ministry.

The Azerbaijani delegation first visited the monument of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and laid flowers.

Then, at a meeting with the Minister of Transport, Navigation and Communications of Turkey Ahmed Arslan, the sides discussed the possibilities of developing cooperation in all spheres, including in the transport and transit area. It was noted that the number of trucks moving from Turkey to Central Asia and vice versa has increased in transit traffic. The infrastructure (railway, the international sea trade port of Alat) opens wide opportunities for further increasing cargo transportation. The sides stressed the importance of promoting the Trans-Caspian transit and trade corridor East-West. They also discussed expansion of economic relations between the two countries, in particular, in the sphere of transport and transit.

Then the Azerbaijani delegation will visit Georgia, where they will hold a series of meetings with the country's officials. The meetings will focus on economic cooperation, as well as prospects for expanding relations in the transport and transit sphere.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4

By Azad Hasanli - Trend:

Azerbaijan intends to help entrepreneurs connect to global value chains, a source in the Azerbaijani government told Trend.

"To this end, the government is developing a new program, as part of which three main directions may be distinguished," the source said. "Firstly, we want to help establish the supply of Azerbaijani intermediate products to global producers. We are already negotiating with big foreign companies. For example, oil companies purchase uniform for their employees. Azerbaijan manufactures such products and we want companies to buy it from us. If a foreign company produces electric locomotives, we might supply cables necessary for their production."

"The second direction involves attracting investments for the manufacture of intermediate products in Azerbaijan," the source noted. "For example, a local Azerbaijani company produces furniture and needs a number of components that arent produced in the country. We want to attract investors so that they start producing those components in Azerbaijan."

The third direction involves working with foreign investors who already operate in the Azerbaijani market, the source added.

"We want to expand the use of Azerbaijani products by local companies," the source said. "Of course, we arent going to force anyone to buy local products. However, often foreign companies simply dont know that the products they buy abroad are manufactured in Azerbaijan as well. Using local products is also beneficial for foreign companies, because they can cut their expenses, since the imports of goods and services are more expensive than purchasing local products."

Cooperation with foreign companies allows Azerbaijani business to raise its level of work to international standards, according to the source.

Subscribers of Trend News Agency can read this and other exclusive materials before they are published in open access.

More information on Trends news products can be found here.Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 4

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

A number of Azerbaijani tourists visiting Turkey exceeded 1.974 million in the last three years (20152017), the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB) said in its report.

In 2015, 602,488 Azerbaijani tourists visited Turkey, in 2016  606,223, in 2017  765,514, the report noted.

According to the report, the Azerbaijani visitors accounted for 1.66 percent of the total number of tourists in Turkey, 2.39 percent in 2016 and 2.36 percent in 2017.

Turkeys revenues from tourism increased by 18.9 percent and totaled $26.283 billion in 2017 as compared to 2016, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) said earlier.

The message said that 77.4 percent of total volume of revenues accounted for the share of foreign tourists, and 22.6 percent  for the share of Turkish citizens living abroad.

The number of tourists who visited Turkey in 4Q17 rose by 23.1 percent as compared to the same period of 2016.

In 2017, 32.4 million tourists visited Turkey, 27.84 percent higher than in 2016.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluBaku, Azerbaijan, March. 4

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar-Zanganeh has said that his country and India have already reached agreement on the outlines of a deal on the development of Farzad B field, expressing hope that the sides would conclude an agreement on the details of the possible deal.

The oil minister has said that the initial agreement was made during Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis recent visit to India, IRNA news agency reported.

Earlier Indian oil and gas company ONGC Videsh presented a $3 billion plan for developing Farzad B field but Iran has proposed amendments.

Barzad B field has an in-place gas reserve of 21.7 trillion cubic feet (tcf), of which 12.5 tcf are believed to be recoverable. It has high sulfur content and separate facility would be needed to separate gas from it.Tehran, Iran, March 4

By Kamyar Eghbalnejad  Trend:

An Iranian deputy oil minister has called for boosting the countrys oil output, adding that a possible snap back of sanctions on the Islamic Republic would impose hurdles to the industry.

The US is posing a threat to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, aka nuclear deal) which may leave a negative impact. We should wait and see the outcome of politic developments. In case the sanctions snap back, we will face difficulties. However, there is no sanction on Iranian oil industry in the current situation and we cannot comment on the issue in the current situation, Roknodin Javadi told Trend on the sidelines of the 2nd Iran International Exploration & Production Congress and Exhibition (Iran E&P 2018).

He further touched upon Irans production of crude and said the country in order to hit its marketing targets must boost its annual capacity for producing oil by 600,000 barrels.

Iran, under the countrys sixth development plan, needs to boost its production capacity up to 4.7 million barrels of oil per day by 2021, he added.

Saying that Iran hold a share of 4.3 percent from the global oil production, he added that the countrys share form OPEC output stands at 13 percent.

Following the implementation of the nuclear deal in January 2016, Irans overall crude output has reached about 3.8 million barrels per day and the country currently exports about 2.6 million barrels of crude and condensate.

Under the nuclear deal, Tehran agreed to restrict its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions that have crippled its economy.

However, Tehran says the nuclear deal hasnt fully benefited Iran due to the US approach to the nuclear pact. The leading European banks and companies appearing reluctant to do business with Tehran due to concerns over running afoul of the US regulations.

US President Donald Trump has told the Europeans that they must agree to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal or he would re-impose the sanctions that Washington lifted as part of the pact.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says that the countrys banks have failed to keep pace with the international financial systems over the past years, calling for transparency in banks and financial institutions.

Banks and financial institutions must all become transparent Transparency is in the favor of all of us, he told the 57th annual meeting of the General Assembly of the Central Bank of Iran on March 4.

Saying that the transparency would protect the long-term interests of the nation, he urged the Iranian bankers to bring transparency to the countrys banking system.

The president further added that the countrys banks must take measures to meet the both purposes, becoming modern and observing the Islamic regulations.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in a late February announcement said that the Islamic Republic risks new penalties in June if it doesnt bolster oversight of terrorism financing and money laundering within its borders.

The official announcement of the organization reads that in June 2016, the FATF welcomed Irans high-level political commitment to address its strategic AML/CFT (anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism) deficiencies, and its decision to seek technical assistance in the implementation of the Action Plan. Given that Iran provided that political commitment and the relevant steps it has taken, the FATF decided in November 2017 to continue the suspension of counter-measures.

Since November 2017 Iran has established a cash declaration regime and introduced draft amendments to its AML and CFT laws. However, Irans action plan has now expired with a majority of the action items remaining incomplete. Iran should fully address its remaining action items, including by: (1) adequately criminalising terrorist financing, including by removing the exemption for designated groups attempting to end foreign occupation, colonialism and racism; (2) identifying and freezing terrorist assets in line with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions; (3) ensuring an adequate and enforceable customer due diligence regime; (4) ensuring the full independence of the Financial Intelligence Unit and requiring the submission of STRs for attempted transactions; (5) demonstrating how authorities are identifying and sanctioning unlicensed money/value transfer service providers; (6) ratifying and implementing the Palermo and TF Conventions and clarifying the capability to provide mutual legal assistance; (7) ensuring that financial institutions verify that wire transfers contain complete originator and beneficiary information; (8) establishing a broader range of penalties for violations of the ML offense; and (9) ensuring adequate legislation and procedures to provide for confiscation of property of corresponding value.

Given that Iran has draft legislation currently before Parliament, the FATF decided at its meeting in February to continue the suspension of counter-measures.

The FATF urgently expects Iran to proceed swiftly in the reform path to ensure that it addresses all of the remaining items in its Action Plan by completing and implementing the necessary AML/CFT reforms, in particular passing the necessary legislation.

Iran will remain on the FATF Public Statement until the full Action Plan has been completed. Until Iran implements the measures required to address the deficiencies identified in the Action Plan, the FATF will remain concerned with the terrorist financing risk emanating from Iran and the threat this poses to the international financial system.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4

By Gazenfer Hamidov  Trend:

The National Iranian Drilling Company (NIDC) and Iraqi Drilling Company (IDC) discussed opportunities and fields for mutual cooperation.

An Iranian delegation, headed by the NIDCs Managing Director Sepehr Sepehri, visited Iraqs Basra city with the aim of expanding cooperation in the field of oil and gas drilling, the NIDC said.

During the meeting, the two sides underlined enjoying the two companies capabilities to increase the two countries drilling cooperation.

The Iranian side expressed readiness to provide specialized drilling training to Iraqi experts in various fields including courses of the International Well Control Forum (IWCF).

The NIDC delegation also met with Ahmed Mohammed Adham, deputy head of Basra Oil Company (BOC), the biggest oil producer in southern Iraq and negotiated bilateral cooperation.

Italys oil giant Eni has invited the National Iranian Drilling Company to participate in its international tenders in Iraq, Sepehr Sepehri said.

Eni has invited the NIDC to take part in three drilling tenders that the Italian company plans to hold in Iraq, which includes the drilling of 12, 15 and six oil wells.

Earlier this year, Sepehri said that the NIDC is negotiating with IDC to carry out drilling operations in the countrys southern areas of Basra.Tehran, Iran, March. 3

By Kamyar Eghbalnejad  Trend:

Concerns over the fate of the nuclear deal have cast shadow on efforts to bolster cooperation with leading international companies to develop Irans aged oil industry.

It appears that the international community including the US has realized that the nuclear deal must remain intact. Therefore, it appears that Iran would enjoy a proper situation regarding the nuclear deal. However, the leading international companies may remain reluctant to cooperate with Iran, if the other threats that the US is speaking about become true and deprive Iran of benefiting from the nuclear deal, Mehdi Mirmoezi, CEO of Pasargad Energy Development Company (PEDC), told Trend.

Ahead of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drians controversial visit to Iran, Paris has said that the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile program was a major concern. The ministry added that it wanted Iran to contribute in a positive manner to solve crises in the Middle-East.

In this regard, the crisis in Syria and the humanitarian situation there will particularly be discussed along with other regional issues where Iran is involved (Yemen, Libya, Iraq), the ministry added.

In an early March report, Reuters reported that European powers and Iran have started talks over Tehrans role in the Middle East and will meet again this month in Italy as part of efforts to prove to US President Donald Trump that they are meeting his concerns over the 2015 nuclear deal.

However, Tehran denies conducting any negotiation on the countrys influence in the region with the Europeans.

With Trump warning of a last chance for the worst deal ever negotiated, UK, France, and Germany have been working with US officials to draw up a strategy to improve the Iran nuclear deal in return for Trump keeping the pact alive by renewing US sanctions relief on May 12.

Under the nuclear deal, Tehran agreed to restrict its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions that have crippled its economy.

However, Tehran says the nuclear deal hasn't fully benefited Iran due to the US approach to the nuclear pact. The leading European banks and companies appear reluctant to do business with Tehran due to concerns over running afoul of the US regulations.

US President Donald Trump has told the Europeans that they must agree to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal or he would re-impose the sanctions that Washington lifted as part of the pact.

Earlier in February, Totals CEO Patrick Pouyanne urged Donald Trump to stick with the nuclear deal with Iran, where it has investments.

Following the removal of international sanctions, Total became the first major western company to ink an energy deal with Tehran to develop phase 11 of Irans South Pars field with an initial investment of $1 billion.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4

By Gazenfer Hamidov  Trend:

Iran and Turkey started 2018 with a tiny increase in their bilateral trade.

Trade turnover between the two countries reached $839.56 million in January, which is not significantly different compared to the first month of preceding year, when the mutual trade value accounted to $837.39 million.

The latest statistics released by the Turkish Statistical Institute indicates that the exports of Turkey to Iran in January 2018 were valued at about $262.023 million, 4.5 percent less compared to $274.47 million in January 2017.

Meanwhile, the country imported goods worth $577.54 million from Iran in the same month, compared to $562.92 million worth of imports in January 2017(2.6 percent more).

The trade turnover between Iran and Turkey stood at $10.75 billion during the January-December 2017. The figure indicates a rise by 11.2 percent compared to the same period of the preceding year ($9.67 billion).

Turkey's exports to Iran in the period amounted to $3.26 billion, compared to $4.97 billion in the 12-month period of 2016.

The trade turnover between the two countries was $13.71 billion in 2014, which stood at $9.76 billion in 2015, indicating a 29-percent plunge.Tehran, Iran, March. 3

By Kamyar Eghbalnejad  Trend:

Irans North Drilling Company (NDC) has held talks with three companies to explore ways for expansion of cooperation in developing the Middle Eastern nations oil fields.

The Ernst & Young's (EY) is interested in both, investing in Irans oil industry and developing oil fields, Hasanad Shirinpour, a senior official with the NDC, told Trend on the sidelines of the 2nd Iran International Exploration & Production Congress & Exhibition (Iran E&P 2018).

In addition to EY, the Iranian company is also in talks with PetroNeft as well as Well Services of Iran and the sides have reached initial agreements to cooperate.

The official further expressed hope that the NDC would finalize a $500-million deal with one the mentioned companies in further.

Following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA aka nuclear deal), the Islamic Republic, freed from crippling sanctions, has sought to develop the countrys oil and gas fields.

Tehran, immediately after removing the countrys oil sanctions in 2016, introduced the Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) in a move to replace the old buyback model.

National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) later said it launched serious talks with potential foreign suitors in order to hold tenders to hand out the development projects.

The countrys shared fields, including West Karoun region, which has five major fields of North Azadegan, South Azadegan, North Yaran, South Yaran and Yadavaran, were among the prioritized projects to be developed in the framework of the new IPC tenders.

Iranian oil ministry plans to boost the output of the region to 700,000 barrels per day by March 2019. However, the oil ministry has been slow in fulfilling the plans and no serious improvement has been reported on holding any tenders within the IPC model.

Irans overall crude output has reached about 3.8 million barrels per day and the country currently exports about 2.6 million barrels of crude and condensate.Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who leads a high-ranking delegation, is expected to arrive in the Iranian capital city of Tehran this evening for talks with senior officials, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi told reporters March 4.

The French minister will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif and other senior officials during the two-day visit, the spokesperson added.

The ways to broaden bilateral ties, the latest regional and international developments are on the agenda, local media reported.

According to the French Treasury, bilateral trade between the two countries hit 3.8 billion euros last year, making France the second biggest European partner of the Islamic Republic.

The visit is taking place as concerns over the fate of Iran nuclear deal are growing. In an early March report, Reuters reported that European powers and Iran have started talks over Tehrans role in the Middle East and will meet again this month in Italy as part of efforts to prove to US President Donald Trump that they are meeting his concerns over the 2015 nuclear deal.

With Trump warning of a last chance for the worst deal ever negotiated, UK, France and Germany have been working with US officials to draw up a strategy to improve the Iran nuclear deal in return for Trump keeping the pact alive by renewing US sanctions relief on May 12.

Under the nuclear deal, Tehran agreed to restrict its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions that have crippled its economy.

However, Tehran says the nuclear deal hasn't fully benefited Iran due to the US approach to the nuclear pact. The leading European banks and companies appear reluctant to do business with Tehran due to concerns over running afoul of the US regulations.

US President Donald Trump has told the Europeans that they must agree to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal or he would re-impose the sanctions that Washington lifted as part of the pact.Frances foreign ministry said on Sunday that Irans ballistic missile program was a major concern, a day before foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was due to visit Tehran, Reuters reported.

The ministry said it wanted Iran to contribute in apositive manner to solving crises in the Middle-East.

In this regard the crisis in Syria and the humanitarian situation there will particularly be discussed along with other regional issues where Iran is involved (Yemen, Libya, Iraq), the ministry added.A Polish campaign group is suing an Argentine newspaper it says breached a new law that makes it a criminal offence to suggest Poland was complicit in the Holocaust, Reuters reports.

In what appeared to be the first legal action under the so-called Holocaust law, just hours after it took effect, the Polish League Against Defamation said it filed a complaint against Argentinas Pagina 12 daily. The paper said it had not received formal notice of the lawsuit.

A minister from Polands conservative government applauded the move to invoke the law which Warsaw says will protect it from slander, but which the United States and Israel said would suppress authentic historic research and free speech.

The League, a non-governmental group that campaigns to protect Polands historical reputation abroad, said that in December 2017 Pagina 12 used a photograph of Polish so-calleddoomed soldiers who fought against communists after the war to illustrate an article on the Jedwabne pogrom of 1941 in which Nazi occupiers and local inhabitants colluded in the massacre of at least 340 Jews.

The combination of these two threads: information about the crime on Jews in Jedwabne during the German occupation and the presentation of fallen soldiers of the independence underground is manipulation, an act to the detriment of the Polish nation, the organization said in a statement.Four soldiers were killed in Egypts Sinai Peninsula as part of an ongoing military operation in the restive area, according to a military spokesman, Anadolu reported.

In a statement on Sunday, Col. Tamer Rifai said warplanes attacked six militant targets in northern and central Sinai and the Nile Delta.

Ten militants were killed in the North Sinai city of Arish and 245 suspected militants detained during the operation, the spokesman said.

According to the military spokesman, four troops were killed during the offensive. An army officer and three soldiers were also injured.

Sundays fatalities bring to 16 soldiers killed since the security operation against militants blamed for a string of attacks across the country began on Feb. 9.

More than 3,048 people have also been detained.French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by telephone with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday to discuss Syria, notably the humanitarian situation in the besieged eastern Ghouta region, the French presidency said in a statement, according to Reuters.

The statement said Macronspoke of his deep concern and of immediate measures to be taken, notably by Iran and Russia, so that Damascus finally accepts the U.N resolution, gives access to humanitarian aid convoys and for a truce be implemented under U.N control.

The two presidents will continue to seek a political solution to the Syrian crisis within the framework of the inclusive Geneva process with all involved partners and representatives of the Syrian opposition, the presidency said.Washington, DC police have confirmed a man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following an incident at 11:46 am at the north fence of the White House. Authorities are contacting the mans next of kin, RT reports.

Adult male has been declared deceased. We are working to notify next of kin, the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD) posted in a tweet on Saturday afternoon, two hours after initial reports from the US Secret Service of a shooting incident. A security cordon was established at the scene immediately after it was secured.

Footage circulating in the US media appeared to show an adult male lying on the ground at the scene. The Secret Service confirmed that there were no other injuries apart from the shooter, who reportedly died from a single gunshot wound despite firing multiple rounds from a handgun, according to a Secret Service statement. Officers did not fire any shots when responding to the incident. The Secret Service confirmed that no one else was injured in the shooting.

The MPD will be the lead investigative organization for this shooting, supported by the US Secret Service Washington Field Office and other law enforcement organizations.

"We are aware of the incident," White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said, as quoted by CNN. "The president has been briefed. I refer you to the Secret Service for any more information."

The incident prompted increased security at the White House, with reporters being temporarily sent to the basement, according to CBS News. The outlet posted photos of witnesses talking to law enforcement.

The man took his own life just two hours before President Donald Trump was scheduled to return to the White House following a trip to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, this weekend. Trump has yet to officially comment on the incident.The emotional fault lines that have divided the state since the school shooting in Parkland were on display in the Florida Senate on Saturday as lawmakers passionately rejected an assault weapons ban and moved forward with a voluntary plan to arm teachers in schools, Tampa Bay Times reports.

The votes came in a rare weekend floor session as the Senate spent the day on legislation aimed at responding to the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

The bill, SB 7026, would inject millions of dollars into mental health and school safety programs that lawmakers have long ignored and do something unseen in Florida for decades: impose new limits on gun access.

"If anything has come out of that tragedy, it is the realization that we have not done enough to this point comprehensively to have mechanisms in place  to prevent this from occurring," said Sen. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, as he introduced a new draft of the Senate plan.

The Senate had planned to take up its version of the legislation Friday, but with dozens of amendments drafted by Democrats, Senate leaders decided to spend nearly eight hours Saturday debating the issue. Galvano also revised the proposal to include some components sought by House leaders.

The Senate is expected to approve the measure Monday and send it to the House, where leaders there hope to approve it in time for it to reach the governor's desk before the session ends on March 9.

Despite the additional time, Democrats accomplished little in their efforts to modify the plan produced by conservative Republicans.

The Senate rejected nearly four dozen Democratic amendments  from banning assault weapons, creating a registry for guns, allowing local governments to pass stronger gun laws and requiring background checks for gun purchases outside of the state, to prohibiting the sale and transfer of large-capacity magazines.

The assault weapons ban was rejected 20-17 with two Republicans, Sen. Anitere Flores of Miami and Rene Garcia of Hialeah, joining all 15 Democrats to support the ban. Republican Sen. Dana Young of Tampa missed the vote.KYODO NEWS - Mar 4, 2018 - 09:20 | Feature, All, Japan

A major cactus-producing city in central Japan is developing food products using locally grown edible cactus in hope of raising its profile amid a decline in the number of farmers.

Broiled pork and cactus on skewers, Madeleine cake made using cactus powder, and ramen noodles made with cactus are just a few of the recipes created under a project in the city of Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture.

Cactus is abundant in calcium and other nutrition and commonly eaten in Mexico. But in Japan, it is mainly grown for ornamental purposes.

Local farmer Hiromitsu Goto, 36, has set up a special greenhouse for edible cactus to support the Kasugai Saboten (Cactus) Project, launched by the city's chamber of commerce and farmers in 2006.

"Since we are seeing a boom in cactus and other succulents in recent years again, we hope the number of young farmers will increase with the trend," Goto said.

The city with a population of some 300,000 currently grows about 200 different types of cactus. The widespread plant production began after super typhoon Vera devastated its peach and apple orchards in 1959, leading their owners to switch to cacti they had been growing on the side.

When Japan saw a cactus boom in the 1960s, the city had more than 50 farmers producing the plant, but the number has since dropped to only a handful due to aging.

Fearing cactus farmers would disappear from the city, the promotional project was launched in cooperation with local restaurants to develop food products using prickly pear.

The latest product released under the project is the "Saboten Sui" carbonated drink, which has a slight grassy taste of prickly pear.

Masaya Takagi, 39, of the Kasugai chamber of commerce, recommends mixing the drink with fruit juice or alcoholic beverages. The city aims to sell the cactus drink nationwide.25 NEW FACES OF INDEPENDENT FILM 2002

PHOTO: MIGUEL VILLALOBOS

16/17 M. Stark & Jacob Meszaros

16/17 M. Stark & Jacob MeszarosM. STARK AND JACOB MESZAROS met in 1996 while they were both attending UCLA. Stark was an undergraduate studying film and television and Meszaros was finishing his MFA in screenwriting and was awarded the Marty Klein Comedy Writing Award. They made a couple of digital shorts together and quickly found out that opposites do, in fact, attract  as they are now living and working together.

"We are a very odd couple because our tastes are so different," says Stark." Strangely enough it keeps us balanced," Jacob adds. "I am so associative and can be easily distracted and M. is very precise and logical  we actually work really well together."

While attending school, Meszaros won the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) screenwriting internship for a Homicide TV spec he wrote, and then gained work experience on The Simpsons. "It had such a creative influence on me," says Meszaros. "And I was lucky to get a few jokes in too."

Stark had worked as a child actor for 10 years in TV commercials and 80s sitcoms and, ironically enough, won an ATAS internship in childrens programming.

Citing such diverse influences as Welcome to the Dollhouse, The Bad News Bears and Village of the Damned, Stark says she wanted to present "girls who werent boring." With that in mind, they developed an idea for a short film based on the honest, raw humor both she and Meszaros identify with.

Reminiscent of Alexander Paynes short film, The Passion of Martin Stark, their hilarious dark comedy, P.E., depicts three precocious foul-mouthed junior-high-school girls who do battle with their gym teacher. It was ambitiously shot on 35mm, widescreen, with Dolby Surround sound.

"We decided to shoot big," says Meszaros. "We wanted to appeal to the studios, as well as the independent companies  we just thought it would be a well-rounded calling card." Stark adds, "The response from studios has been really encouraging. We wanted to prove that people can trust us with their money because it doesnt look like its shot on toilet paper."

They signed for representation with Endeavor after P.E. screened at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in February. The duo is currently planning a dark comedic feature for their follow-up as a writer/director team.  Liz Ogilvie

Contact: www.pe-themovie.com

PHOTO: MIGUEL VILLALOBOS

18 Coleman Hough

COLEMAN HOUGH was working as a publicists assistant at Disney and staging plays at theaters, like L.A.s Theater of Note, when Steven Soderbergh came to one of her productions, Angel and Mr. Charm. "He told me, You are really good," Hough recounts, "but you should get out of this town."

Soderberghs advice propelled her cross country to a writers colony in Massachusetts, then to a farm in West Virginia. (She left after she realized, "I am too young to be living by a lake with ducks." She finally settled in New York, where she got a job writing a romance advice column for lovetrack.com.

In New York, Hough also began performing monologues and poetry at Dixon Place, eventually developing the material that would form the basis of her first screenplay, Full Frontal, which Steven Soderbergh would direct.

"I wrote a couple of scenes," she said, "about a 40th birthday gift I had given a friend  alphabets for the bath. She was upset because she thought I had just had it lying around." (In the film, this incident becomes a painful conversation between two sisters over the birthday gift of a dildo.)

Full Frontal is not Houghs first work for Soderbergh. In 1996 she did a "modern adaptation of Julius Caesar, set in Hollywood and with all women," for the director. But on this latest script she had what she calls a dream experience working with him. "Steven imposed a La Ronde-ish structure on the [initial script]," she says. "I wrote nine 10-minute scenes. Then he gave me notes, and I added a visual component. I would go to his hotel and read the script to him. He would pace and talk, and I would take notes. Finally, he said, Why dont we put these scenes on film? I didnt know if he was serious."

The result, of course, is Soderberghs wonderful new film, in which Houghs southern ear for idiosyncratic dialogue and truthful character moments are dramatically intact. Next up, Hough is writing the Katherine Graham story for HBO.  Scott Macaulay

Contact: Richard Arlook, The Gersh Agency (310) 274-6611.

PHOTO: MIGUEL VILLALOBOS

19 Grace Lee

GRACE LEE is bringing new meaning to the Shakespearean adage, "Whats in a name?" She is currently at work on The Grace Lee Project, a documentary on women who bear this prototypical Asian-American name. With 30-plus registered "Grace Lees" on her Web site thus far, Lee aims to deconstruct the stereotypes of collective female identity that exist on the hyphen between Asian and Western cultures.

"Growing up in the Midwest, where there arent many people who look like you," she says, "gives you this false sense that you are different. When I started living in places with bigger Asian populations, I kept meeting people who were telling me about these other Grace Lees  describing the kind of person that people think I am or a lot of Asian-American women are perceived to be. The name was already sending out this image of perfect, quiet, submissive, docile creatures  an image I didnt feel comfortable being."

There certainly isnt anything docile about the main character in her two-minute short, Girl Meets Boy, produced in UCLAs MFA program in film directing. Her self-proclaimed "response to those who have questioned my ability to speak loudly and in English," the film demonstrates that sometimes actions really do speak louder than words. It features an unassuming Asian-American woman who releases a volatility that rivals an infuriated Jackie Chan when confronted by an overbearing passerby. Her thesis film, Barrier Device, however, is a more poignant portrayal of Lees conviction that "the most important conflicts are happening on the inside."

Barrier Device, a national winner at this years Student Academy Awards, follows the unexpected relationship between Audrey (Sandra Oh) and one of the subjects in her research study on the female condom, who also happens to be her ex-fiances unbearably perfect new girlfriend, Serena (Suzy Nakamura). While her classmates egged her on to develop the films revenge theme and to make it funnier, Lee opted against such notions. "This film is about how characters develop over time," she argues, "and how the two women really become missing parts of the other."

Her intuition paid off, as evidenced by the films prolific appearance on the fest circuit, including the San Francisco Asian-American Film Festival and the inaugural Tribeca Film Festival. If you dont catch her making the upcoming festival rounds on the West Coast, perhaps shell come looking for a Grace Lee near you.  Jennifer Manno

Contact: www.gracelee.net

20 Justin Haythe

ON ITS surface, Justin Haythes screenplay, The Clearing, is a terse thriller about a kidnapping that goes, like all kidnappings do, horribly wrong. But whats remarkable about this young New Yorkbased writers script, which was developed from a story by producer Pieter Jan Brugge (Pelican Brief, Bulworth, The Insider) and Haythe, is its psychological acuity and keen emotional resonance. Like In the Bedroom, the script lures you in with crime drama while finishing you off with the way it lays bare the devastated life of a married couple. "It has the engine of a thriller, but its really about the people," Haythe comments.

For the London-born Haythe, who has previously worked in fiction (his first novel, The Honeymoon, will be published by Penguin-Viking U.K. and his short work has appeared in Harpers), the chance to work with a pro like Brugge was a remarkable learning experience. "It was amazing  heres a guy at the top of his game, and he wanted to go off and develop this script with me," Haythe remarks. Haythe met Brugge through a friend who told him that the Netherlands-born but L.A.based producer was looking for a young screenwriter to develop a script. Brugge told Haythe the basic idea, and then the two entered into the two-year process of honing the script.

"He allowed me to approach the script in some of the same ways I approach fiction writing," Haythe says. "I wrote prose which then became raw material for the script. Sometimes [Brugge] provided great collaborative ideas and vision, and at other times he was simply a great editor."

Brugge plans to make his directorial debut with The Clearing, which will be co-financed by Thousand Words. Haythe has just written another script for the New Yorkbased company and is now slated to write a script for Sam Mendes and DreamWorks.  Scott Macaulay

Contact: CAA, (310) 288-4545 / Elizabeth Sheinkman, Elaine Markson Literary Agency.





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Chipotle Mexican Grill's (NYSE: CMG) star continues to lose its luster. The burrito chain said it would close its only Tasty Made location just 15 months after it opened as its performance has been underwhelming. Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold told the Lancaster Eagle Gazette, "While we liked the concept and the delicious food at Tasty Made, the economics were not what we wanted them to be so we decided to close that restaurant."

For Chipotle, it marks the second of three alternative concepts that the company has shut down, following the closure of all 15 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen locations a year ago. Only Pizzeria Locale now remains from those three seed brands, and that concept has been growing at a snail's pace with only seven locations across the country, after Chipotle took a stake in the restaurant more than four years ago.

Founder and outgoing CEO Steve Ells has long believed that the Chipotle model would be transferable to other kinds of cuisines, but with the failure of two new concepts and Pizzeria Locale's slow growth, he seems to be abandoning that idea. Alternatively, competition in the fast casual space has simply caught up, and Chipotle's assembly line format of serving fresh, organic food is no longer unique.

The Tasty Made location, itself, suffered from a lukewarm response to its food and initial problems with pricing. The chain actually switched from organic to conventional beef in order to lower prices, but even that move was not enough to bring customers in. Recruiting celebrity chef Richard Blais to boost the brand was also not enough to make a difference.

On Yelp, Tasty Made received just three stars from 85 reviews with some customers comparing the burgers to ordinary fast food from McDonald's or Wendy's. Still, pulling the plug on Tasty Made now, before wasting more money on it is probably the right move. Here are three reasons why.

A Chipotle burrito and a side of guacamole

Image source: Chipotle.

Story continues

1. The burger biz is already crowded

No corner of the fast casual sector is more crowded than the burger space. Recent years have seen IPOs from Shake Shack and Habit Burger, the expansion of privately held better-burger chains like Five Guys, In-N-Out Burger, and Smashburger, as well as attempts by McDonald's and Wendy's to go more upscale. However, as many new fast casual entrants have found, opening new stores isn't necessarily a road to riches. Habit stock is trading near an all-time low, and Shake Shack reported a comparable sales decline last year.

Considering that level of competition, Chipotle's former ambitions to open hundreds of its own better-burger joints seem misguided as an attempt to fill a market that's already saturated.

2. New leadership is coming in

With new CEO Brian Niccol set to take the reins on Mar. 5, Chipotle would do best to eliminate unnecessary distractions for its new leader. The core burrito chain, with more than 2,300 locations, is much more deserving of his focus than a single burger outpost. Shutting down Tasty Made removes a potential distraction for new management and allows Chipotle to reallocate resources to rehabilitating the burrito chain, which is the best way for the company to revive its stock price.

3. The timing was never right

Chipotle got hammered by the 2015 E. coli crisis, which prompted a customer exodus that the burrito chain never really recovered from as comparable sales were down by as much 36% in the immediate aftermath of the crisis. While Chipotle was struggling to recover it lost sales, it still went ahead with the Tasty Made launch in Oct. 2016. Coming on the heels of Chipotle's announcement that it was pulling the plug on ShopHouse, Tasty Made seemed to hold promise. However, with challenges continuing in its core burrito chain, and Ells even admitting that many of the individual restaurants receive just "C" grades operationally, it's become clear that 100% of the company's focus needs to be on Chipotle itself, not secondary concepts.

Closing Tasty Made looks like one step to getting the company back on track.

More From The Motley Fool

Jeremy Bowman owns shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Habit Restaurants, and Shake Shack. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool is short shares of Shake Shack. The Motley Fool recommends Yelp. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.By Lesley Wroughton and David Ljunggren MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - An influential U.S. lawmaker said on Sunday all fairly traded steel and aluminum, especially from Canada and Mexico, should be excluded from President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs, as he sought to calm tensions at major trade talks in Mexico. Kevin Brady, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over U.S. trade policy, was speaking on the sidelines of the latest round of NAFTA talks among the United States, Canada and Mexico, where he said there had been progress in reworking the 24-year-old trade deal. The prospect of a trade war being sparked by the imposition of Trump's proposed tariffs rattled financial markets last week. Canada and Mexico have threatened retaliation, and the European Union said it would apply 25 percent tariffs on about $3.5 billion of imports from the United States if Trump carried out his plan. Trump says the tariffs are needed to protect domestic industries against unfair competition from China and elsewhere. There has been no indication any countries will be spared, although Peter Navarro, director of the White House National Trade Council, said on Sunday there would be a mechanism to exempt some businesses from the metals tariffs. "There will be an exemption procedure for particular cases where we need to have exemptions, so that business can move forward," Navarro said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. Asked whether the United States' two North American Free Trade Agreement allies should be exempted, Brady told reporters in Mexico City: "Yes, and going further, excluding all fairly traded steel and aluminum, not just from these two countries." "I think we can make a very strong case for other countries as well," said the Republican lawmaker, adding he hoped Trump could be persuaded to step back. "We're going to continue to make the case to the White House," added Brady, who met with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland at the Canadian embassy later in the afternoon. Freeland did not make any comments and her office said it could not immediately give details of the talks. The tariffs would likely be "front and center" during a meeting on Monday among Freeland, Trump's trade envoy, Robert Lighthizer, and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo, Brady said. Salvador Behar, Mexico's deputy chief negotiator, said his negotiating team had made clear Mexico would need to react to any tariffs "independently of the (NAFTA) negotiation." "It hasn't contaminated the mood, although obviously it is an irritation for Mexico and for many other countries," he told reporters. Behar added that he expected the next round of NAFTA talks could take place during the first half of April. EXEMPTION PROCEDURES Trump's announcement on Thursday has overshadowed the NAFTA meetings as automakers worry that more expensive imports could raise the cost of manufacturing in North America and U.S. farm groups fret over retaliatory measures. Auto parts manufacturers, especially small companies, worry they would be pushed out of business by costlier imports. The NAFTA talks have moved slowly since they began in August, in part because of U.S. demands ranging from changes to automotive content origin rules and dispute resolution mechanisms to imposing a clause that could automatically kill NAFTA after five years. Trump has repeatedly threatened to dump the treaty, and the tension surrounding steel tariffs has stirred new doubts. In order to remove uncertainty, Brady urged the administration to exempt current steel and aluminum contracts. "I believe there should be a quick and timely inclusion process for existing contracts as well as for existing businesses," he said, and added he hoped the three countries would stay focused on concluding the NAFTA talks. Canada, the single largest supplier of both steel and aluminum to the United States, says any tariffs would be totally unacceptable. U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, the senior Democrat on the Ways and Means trade subcommittee, said he was skeptical about the merits of imposing tariffs. "We don't have a major trade deficit with Canada. What are we doing?" he told reporters. "If you look at all the products that are coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico, this is an ally. If we can't make an exception there, then how are we going to get a NAFTA deal?" (Additional reporting by Dave Graham and Sharay Angulo; Editing by Phil Berlowitz and Peter Cooney)FILE PHOTO: A Caterpillar excavator is displayed at the China Coal and Mining Expo 2013 in Beijing, China October 22, 2013. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

By Rajesh Kumar Singh and Brenda Goh

CHICAGO/NANTONG, China (Reuters) - At a Caterpillar facility in the eastern Chinese city of Nantong, an array of excavators, earth movers and road-making machinery is displayed on slopes and in mud pits.

The audience is Caterpillar's local network of dealers, who inspect the machines for the latest technological innovations to help make their sales pitches to buyers in China.

However, much of the heavy equipment could find its way to construction and mining projects in places like Pakistan or Kazakhstan, or as far away as Africa.

Caterpillar has been investing heavily in China  the Nantong facility is one of 25 similar ones it has set up across the country  in the hopes of cracking the largest construction and mining equipment market in the world.

Helping fuel the growth of that market, Caterpillar executives and analysts say, is China's Belt and Road initiative, a huge infrastructure spending spree that builds on the old Silk Road trading routes. The ambitious and ever-growing $1 trillion initiative now includes projects spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

"Belt and Road is becoming a very important driver for Caterpillar's development," said Chen Qihua, head of Caterpillar China, at the Nantong facility.

The world's biggest equipment maker doesn't reveal its sales tied directly to Belt and Road projects, or break out its China revenues.

But analysts say its Asia-Pacific sales figures reflect demand for machines destined for Belt and Road projects as contractors buy most of their equipment in China to take advantage of tax rebates handed out for the initiative. Chen said contractors prefer to buy machines in China to take advantage of the rebates.

Asia-Pacific sales increased 22 percent in the last quarter of 2017 over the previous year, with construction demand in China accounting for about half that increase, Caterpillar said in January. It said it expected demand to remain strong at least through the first half of 2018.

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(Graphic on Caterpillar's sales: http://tmsnrt.rs/2ExfXqr)

Once purchased in China, the equipment is shipped off to projects across the vast geography of the initiative and put to work building power plants in Pakistan, constructing highways in Belarus or developing new mines in Africa. Most of the equipment sent is made in China, Chen said.

Lawrence Poh, executive director at Caterpillar's largest dealer in China, told Reuters at his office in Kunshan, just outside Shanghai, that orders had increased due to demand from Belt and Road projects. He did not provide details.

COMPETITION

While China has been a bright spot for Caterpillar, it is facing competition from cheaper construction equipment made by Chinese companies, particularly in China. Other Western companies such as General Electric, Honeywell and Maersk are also vying for orders, particularly in the energy and transportation segment.

Joshua Yau, a Hong Kong-based Belt and Road analyst at Strategy&, an arm of the PwC consultancy, says Chinese construction equipment companies like Zoomlion and Sany Heavy Industries dominate sales inside China.

But Yau said that outside China, Caterpillar's advanced technology and global network made it a better option.

"Caterpillar is mostly getting the orders where Chinese equipment suppliers are not competitive," said Yau. He added that Chinese products were generally viewed as inferior in terms of quality and technology.

Caterpillar's sales pitch is that its machines use less fuel and help construction teams work faster. Advanced software helps track the machines' performance, and when things go wrong it has a network of more than 170 dealers and 2,000 branches around the world to help with repairs.

"In the geographies where they are newcomers, Chinese contractors can leverage CAT's overseas network to help compete and win projects," Yau said.

In Africa, for instance, a piece of equipment sold by a China-based dealer for a project in Kenya or Algeria could be serviced by a Caterpillar dealer on the continent.

"It's very easy for us to align with other dealers," Poh said. "Once our equipment goes abroad, they will need to provide good maintenance and upkeep for the customer in order to allow the equipment to perform at their best."

Analysts said a lack of overseas dealer networks and a perceived shortfall in quality meant Chinese rivals were struggling to expand their share of the global market.

"The low-labour cost advantage associated with these Chinese companies will hold less sway as products become increasingly complex and quality standards significantly increase," analysts at Morningstar wrote in a recent note.

Caterpillar is also deploying its financing arm to spur Belt and Road sales, company executives said. Since the launch of the initiative, the financing arm has started lending to Chinese companies, including state-owned enterprises, to help bridge their funding gaps. Caterpillar does not disclose specific data for such lending.

MULTI-YEAR BOOST

Still, Belt and Road is also providing opportunities for Chinese construction companies.

A study by Off-Highway Research found that countries along the Belt and Road accounted for 30 percent of Sany's overall sales in 2016-2017. At XCMG Construction Machinery, 75 percent of overseas sales came from countries associated with the initiative. Sales figures were not provided.

Analysts and Caterpillar executives say Belt and Road, on which Beijing says it wants to spend as much as $150 billion a year outside China, offers ample opportunities for all manufacturers.

"As government funding for the BRI projects improves, this is expected to result in higher demand throughout the industry," said Jeff Hardee, director of Asia-Pacific government & corporate affairs at Caterpillar in Singapore, referring to the initiative.

(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in CHICAGO and Brenda Goh in SHANGHAI; Editing by Joe White, Adam Jourdan and Philip McClellan)Elon Musk took to Twitter this week to bemoan comments, made by Harvard professor Steven Pinker, that were dismissive of Musk's many warnings about the dangers of artificial intelligence.

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Musk's smackdown came in response to statements Pinker made on a Wired podcast released a few days prior. At one point Pinker said that "if Elon Musk was really serious about the AI threat he'd stop building those self-driving cars, which are the first kind of advanced AI that we're going to see." He then pointed out that Musk isn't worried about his cars deciding to "make a beeline across sidewalks and parks, mowing people down".

Pinker's statement was off-the-cuff, but deeply silly on the face of it. Musk's frequent warnings about the dangers of artificial intelligence have touched on their possible use to control weapons or manipulate information to gin up global conflict. The physicist Steven Hawking, in a similar vein, has warned that AI could "supersede" humans when they exceed our biological intelligence.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune's technology newsletter.

Those concerns are about what's known as "general" artificial intelligence - systems able to replicate all human decision making. Systems like Tesla's Autopilot, the AlphaGo gaming bot, and Facebook's newsfeed algorithm are something quite different  "narrow" AI systems designed to handle one discrete task.

Developing Autopilot might make some contributions to developing general A.I., and it certainly raises moral questions about how we train machines. But, as Musk points out, even a completely perfect self-driving car would have nothing remotely resembling a fully enabled 'mind' that could decide to either marginalize or hurt humans.

So the fact that a self-driving Tesla is specifically designed not to murder people isn't very relevant to the question of whether a machine intelligence might someday decide to. Further, it does nothing to dispense with the worries of organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation that limited A.I. systems designed for hacking and social manipulation are no more than a few years away.

Story continues

Pinker, it must be pointed out, is not a technologist, but a psychologist and linguist. His early work developed the idea that language is an innate human ability forged by evolution - a position that itself has recently come under renewed scrutiny. Pinker's more recent work has praised science, reason, and the march of technology - but he might want to take a harder look at some of the risks.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.comGerman space firm PT Scientists, along with Finnish network equipment-maker Nokia and U.K. mobile carrier Vodafone, are gearing up to launch a telecoms network on the moon in 2019.

Two Audi rovers and a base station for 4G mobile internet will be taken to the moon by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The rovers would explore the landing site of NASA's Apollo 17 mission when humans last set foot on the moon in 1972, and send back images over the mobile network.

When people start taking a vacation to the moon, there might be a mobile network to let them post their pictures on social media.

German space firm PT Scientists, along with Finnish network equipment-maker Nokia NOKIA-FI and British mobile carrier Vodafone VOD-GB , are gearing up to launch a telecoms network on the moon in 2019.

It would mark the first private space mission to the moon, if successful. The group of companies is aiming to send Audi NSU-DE lunar quattro rovers to the landing site of NASA's Apollo 17 mission  when man last set foot on the moon in 1972.

A so-called base station that will be the basis of the mobile network will be launched as well. It will allow the rovers to connect to the 4G mobile network and live-stream images back to Earth.

The rovers will explore the Apollo 17 site, but the spacecraft will land about three to five kilometers away, so a mobile signal is needed.

Past missions by NASA have allowed rovers to transmit images back to Earth, but not in a continuous stream. Instead, they explore, gather images and video, stop, then send them to Earth.

But that is inefficient, said Robert Bohme, the CEO of PT Scientists.

"First of all, the bandwidth is really, really low, it takes really a lot of energy... you don't have enough energy," Bohme told CNBC in an interview earlier this week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The CEO explained that it would drain the battery of the rovers very quickly.

"With LTE, you have a technology which transmits data over just a couple of watts of energy over multi megabits over very great distance," Bohme said. LTE is a standard of 4G mobile internet.

Story continues

PT Scientists is aiming to launch the mission with a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk space exploration company SpaceX in the first quarter of 2019, according to Bohme.

The rovers will be operational for about 11 Earth days. At night on the moon, temperatures plummet to about minus 180 degrees Celsius.

The aim of setting up a mobile network is to have infrastructure in place for future missions. Musk has previously said there needs to be a base on the moon . The PT Scientists mission could help achieve that.

"If Elon Musk really wants to send humans to the moon... if he sends them to Apollo 17, these guys can probably check in on Facebook using the Vodafone network," Bohme said.





More From CNBC

PARIS (Reuters) - The European Union this month will unveil plans to tax large global tech companies' revenue at a rate in the 2-to-6-percent range, though more likely closer to 2 than to 6 percent, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in a newspaper interview.

" A European directive will be disclosed in the coming weeks. It will be a considerable step. The (tax rate) range is 2 percent to 6 percent, we will be closer to 2 percent than 6 percent", Le Maire told Le Journal du Dimanche.

To those who might say the measure is too modest, Le Maire said his answer was: "It's a starting point. I prefer a text that will be implemented very quickly rather than endless negotiations. We will fine tune it later".

A draft European Commission document seen by Reuters last month and subject to changes before its publication, proposed a levy based on where the customer  rather than the company - is located. The charge would be based on 1 percent to 5 percent of the company's "aggregated gross revenues".

The proposal aims at increasing the tax bill of firms like Amazon.com, Alphabet's Google and Facebook, which are accused by large EU states of paying too little by rerouting their EU profits to low-tax countries such as Luxembourg and Ireland.

President Emmanuel Macron's government has proposed taxing the tech giants on revenues rather than profits, to get around the problem that the companies shift the profits from where they are earned to low tax jurisdictions.

Italy, Germany and Spain, together with France, are spearheading the push for tax reform. They face resistance from smaller nations like Ireland who are a hub for those firms' investments and fear changes could hurt their economies.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, editing by G Crosse)U.S. President Donald Trump announces that the United States will impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on imported aluminum during a meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 1, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

By Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The firm response Europe has pledged to planned U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium imports is likely to stop short of triggering the trade war that open market supporters fear.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States would apply duties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminium to protect U.S. producers.

The European Commission called the step a blatant intervention that amounted to protectionism. However, while promising to act "firmly", it made no mention of retaliation but instead spoke of counter-measures that conformed to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

Trump tweeted on Friday that trade wars are good and "easy to win".

"When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win," his tweet read. "Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, dont trade anymore-we win big. Its easy!"

Brussels will join other countries in challenging the measures at the WTO and says it will also look into safeguards.

Safeguard measures, last deployed in 2002 in response to steel import duties set by then U.S. President George W. Bush, would be designed to guard against a flood of imports resulting from the U.S. tariffs set to formally announced next week.

However, they would have to apply to selected steel grades from all countries and so would hit producers from China, India, Russia, South Korea or Turkey.

U.S. steel makes up less than 1 percent of EU steel imports.

The European Union sees itself as a global counterweight to a protectionism-leaning Trump, sealing a trade deal with Japan, which had been part of a planned trans-Pacific trade alliance Trump withdrew from on his first day in office.

The EU is also seeking to conclude free trade deals with Mexico, now in talks with the United States to save the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the Mercosur countries Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Story continues

Retaliation would go against its long-standing message that global trade should be free - as well as fair.

Data from European steel association Eurofer shows the United States was the destination of about 15 percent of Europe's steel exports in 2017, second behind Turkey with a 20 percent share.

The 3.4 million tonnes crossing the Atlantic to the United States is about 2 percent of EU steel production. Including tubes, the figure is 5 million tonnes, which Eurofer warned could be cut in half by the U.S. measures.

ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steelmaker with sizeable European and U.S. operations, said it was assessing the likely impact, although adding governments were right to take a tough approach to unfair trade.

Turkey's steel exporters association said it did not expect a major impact on their exports to the United States. They make up more than 5 percent of U.S. steel imports.

Analysts from Jefferies said the actual measures announced next week could be more nuanced than an across-the-board 25 percent tariff for steel, which it said was politically unfeasible and viewed as a direct tax on U.S. consumers.

Europe, they said, was likely to respond quickly with safeguard measures - it took just 20 days to act in 2002 - and EU producers could secure more open access to the United States than rivals.

BSC analysts said the short-term impact for Russian steel stocks should be limited and said the measures were a "zero issue" for aluminium producer Rusal, which could easily send its products elsewhere at virtually no cost.

The Thomson Reuters European steel equities index fell 1.7 percent on Friday, while London Metal Exchange aluminium prices were trading largely flat at around $2,150 a tonne.

Commerzbank said that even if the United States achieves its goal of reducing imports by implementing steep trade tariffs, the impact on steel and aluminium prices in the rest of the world should be limited.

"This is because the planned reduction in U.S. imports accounts for only just shy of 3 percent of global imports in the case of aluminium. The equivalent figure for steel is only roughly 1.5 percent of global trade," said the bank.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Ceyda Caglayan in Istanbul, Robert-Jan Bartunek in Brussels, Sujata Rao-Coverley and Maytaal Angel in London, Polina Devitt in Moscow; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Toby Chopra)Photo credit: Jay Bennett

From Popular Mechanics

"If that thing goes up 200 feet and explodes, I'm jumping in the water," says one of the tens of thousands of spectators who made the pilgrimage to NASA's Kennedy Space Center. We're looking across one of the ponds of Cape Canaveral's marshy wetlands, where Elon Musk's Falcon Heavy rocket stands on pad about three miles away, awaiting its maiden voyage.

It's a nervy day. The launch window was to open at 1:30 p.m. Then it slips an hour, and another hour after that as SpaceX waits for winds to die down in the upper atmosphere. Finally, a liftoff time is set for 3:45 p.m. The day's window closes for good at 4. People start to murmur the word "scrub."

But then SpaceX starts to fuel the rocket. First comes the RP-1 kerosene rocket fuel, then the LOX with its distinctive venting. Falcon Heavy snarls on the pad. At 3:45 on the money, an enormous plume erupts from under the rocket, and it starts to climb. At first, actually, it crawls. The upward propulsion must equal the force of gravity pulling down on the 3-million-pound rocket before it will budge. The first inches take the longest.



Photo credit: SpaceX

Your eyes perceive liftoff first as the sound races to catch up, like a bolt of lightning and the following thunderclap. A low rumble rises from Falcon Heavy, peppered by popcorn snaps, until the bleachers vibrate and the window panes rattle. The rocket continues burning fuel, getting lighter by the second, and starts to accelerate up into the sky, ultimately reaching speeds above 20,000 kilometers per hour.

The launch is a smashing success. Falcon Heavy's two side boosters returned to Kennedy to land in unison (though the other stage didn't stick its landing), and Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster went flying out into space. All of us watching knew we'd just seen history, but no one knew just what comes next. Excitement swirled about large new satellites, payloads to Mars, experimental military spacecraft, and perhaps a chance, one day, to fly aboard a SpaceX rocket yourself.

Story continues

But as I watched Falcon Heavy arc to the east over the Atlantic, burning rocket fuel as well as my eyes, all I saw were flights to Neptune.

The Next Wave

Not too long ago, perhaps just 20 years, the prevailing view in planetary science was that the small, distant bodies of the solar system, like Saturn's moon Enceladus, must be cold, hard, and desolate. The opposite turned out to be true. Active geology and flowing liquid are found not only on intriguing worlds like Enceladus and Jupiter's moon Europa, but on virtually every rocky body all the way to Pluto. It has become clear that life could exist on another world right here in the solar system.



Photo credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE

So when are we going? Consider that NASA has three Solar System Programs to launch spacecraft to other planets. There is Discovery, which manages relatively low-cost missions like the MESSENGER probe to Mercury and the upcoming InSight Mars lander. There is New Frontiers, a program that includes New Horizons' historic flight to Pluto and the Juno probe now orbiting Jupiter. And there are NASA's Flagship missions - the big-money endeavors such as the Voyager probes, the Cassini mission to Saturn, and the Mars Curiosity rover.

In the first half of the 2020s, we should see two Discovery missions launch, a New Frontiers mission, and an interplanetary Flagship. The Discovery missions are Lucy and Psyche. Lucy will explore the poorly understood Trojan asteroids that orbit along with Jupiter, while Psyche will look at a metal asteroid in the belt that's thought to be a leftover from a destroyed protoplanet.



The New Frontiers mission for 2025 has yet to be selected, but NASA has narrowed it down to two options. The first is CAESAR, a comet sample-return mission to 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko (the same comet visited by ESA's Rosetta spacecraft). The second possible mission is Dragonfly, an eight-propellor rotorcraft to fly in the thick methane atmosphere of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. It would become the first human craft to fly in the atmosphere of another planetary body.

Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute

NASA's next interplanetary Flagship mission is the Europa Clipper. The Clipper will orbit Jupiter and make 45 close passes of its fourth-largest moon, Europa, flying as low as 16 miles from the surface. The icy moon likely harbors a global subsurface ocean with more water than Earth, and Europa may be the most likely place in the solar system to find extraterrestrial life.

These four missions - Lucy, Psyche, Europa Clipper, and either CAESAR or Dragonfly - represent the next wave of robotic solar system exploration. But it's tempting to dream of the other worlds that will, for now, go unvisited. A growing group of scientists are pushing for a new lander or rover to explore the surface of Venus. Since the end of the Cassini mission in September 2017, astrobiologists have been clamoring to get back to Saturn's watery moon Enceladus. And the two ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, lurk in the far reaches of the system, visited but once by Voyager 2 thirty years ago.

Perhaps a little fire on the launch pad can get us on our way to these tantalizing worlds.

Pick Your Rocket

Falcon Heavy, with its great lifting capability and low cost, could prove a handy vehicle for interplanetary missions. "You can imagine a number of possibilities that are only in the drawing board phase," says Jack Burns, an astrophysics professor at the University of Colorado and recent member of the NASA transition team. "This could include a mission to orbit Pluto which requires a more massive spacecraft than New Horizons, missions to the moons of Saturn, [and] sample return from Mars, [which] requires multiple launches."

Photo credit: Jay Bennett

As you might imagine, though, it's not that easy to fly multi-million or billion-dollar missions for NASA. The first big hurdle to consider is the meticulous approval process. You can read all about it here, but in a nutshell, it breaks down like this: there are three Launch Vehicle Risk Categories from Category 1 (most risky) to Category 3 (least risky). The spacecraft itself is assigned a Payload Class from A to D, with A assigned to the most important spacecraft and D the least.

The process makes sure the most important spacecraft, like Europa Clipper, can launch only on the most proven rockets. As a result, the space missions of the early 2020s are unlikely to fly on Falcon Heavy simply because there isn't enough time, according to Casey Dreier, director of space policy at the Planetary Society. The Europa Clipper needs to commit to a launch vehicle by next year, Dreier says, and it's "very unlikely" that Falcon Heavy flies the mission.

The Clipper is an interesting case, however. NASA is hoping to launch the mission on the Space Launch System (SLS), its enormous rocket for crewed missions to the moon and possibly Mars. As NASA's own launch vehicle, the SLS does not need to go through the same certification process that commercial rockets do - but the giant rocket could cost more than a billion dollars to launch. "I suspect there may be some political pressure to launch the Clipper on the SLS, but thats hard to say right now," says Burns.

The big advantage of launching Europa Clipper on SLS is that it would only take about 2.5 years to fly directly to Jupiter, while the private options - Falcon Heavy and United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy - would need to send the 4,000-kg Clipper on a tour of the inner solar system, performing multiple gravity assists at Earth and Venus on a journey of more than seven years to Europa. However, the SLS's two-and-a-half year flight time to Jupiter is worthless if the Clipper is ready by 2022 but the rocket is not - which seems like a real possibility. Delta IV Heavy already has Category 3 certification, so if the mission launches in 2022, Delta could get the Clipper.

The New Frontiers mission launching in 2025, CAESAR or Dragonfly, "is more feasible, timing-wise," said Dreier when asked if the mission could launch on Falcon Heavy. But to achieve certification in time, the rocket will most likely need at least 14 consecutive successful launches, per NASA's policy.

Photo credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE

Falcon Heavy has two more missions lined up for this year: Arabsat 6A, a communications satellite for Arabsat of Saudi Arabia, and Space Test Program-2 (STP-2), a launch for the Air Force carrying a batch of small military and science satellites. SpaceX says it has additional customers for Falcon Heavy as well. At a rate of 3 launches per year, the Heavy will have chalked up 15 launches by the end of 2022 - plenty of time to position itself as the rocket for New Frontiers.

So I'm going to make a wager, based on nothing more than hopes and dreams: Dragonfly launches on Falcon Heavy in 2025 to begin its journey to Titan, where it will fly in the orange haze skies of a moon that's bigger than Mercury, exploring the methane seas and water ice mountains on the alien world.

Whether I'm right about Dragonfly or not (and that mission might not even be selected), the spacecraft that will launch on Falcon Heavy are only a small part of what the rocket represents: a new era of affordable, reusable, commercial launch vehicles that could transform how we access space - and how we probe the depths of a planetary neighborhood we are only just beginning to understand.



Space Race

"We want a new space race," Musk said at a press conference after the Falcon Heavy Launch. "Space races are exciting."

He's going to get one. SpaceX might be king of the hill right now, with the most cost-effective and sexiest rockets on the market, but you better believe other companies have the front runner in their crosshairs.

Photo credit: SpaceX

"Remember that Blue Origin expects to have its New Glenn vehicle operational within a year or so and it is also [doing] a heavy lift rocket," Burns tells Popular Mechanics. "In addition, ULA is quickly progressing with its Vulcan that will be similar to the Falcon Heavy. So, SpaceX may have a run for its money."

Falcon Heavy is first out of the gate in a new class of rockets capable of launching craft beyond Earth orbit, but Vulcan and New Glenn should be able to fling things to the far reaches of the solar system as well. "From the perspective of the space science community, this is wonderful because competition will continue to lower launch costs," Burns says.



SpaceX's biggest competitor at the moment is the United Launch Alliance, the cooperative effort of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, two of the biggest aerospace contractors in the world with extensive connections and deep coffers. A lot has been made of how Falcon Heavy outclasses ULA's two workhorse rockets: Atlas V and Delta IV. But things are about to change. ULA is preparing to replace both Atlas and Delta with the new, more efficient Vulcan rocket. The company enjoyed a virtual monopoly of the U.S. launch market for years - until SpaceX showed up and undercut its costs. ULA's response is a cheaper, partially reusable rocket.

Photo credit: United Launch Alliance

"The Atlas and Delta are going away, so we are looking at all new rockets with comparable history and reliability," says Burns. "The commercial sector has pressed the reset button."

Vulcan is slated to debut in 2020, according to ULA CEO Tory Bruno, and would replace both Atlas and Delta. ULA plans to recover the main engines of Vulan after every launch using a parachute to slow them down and a helicopter to snatch them out of the sky. According to ULA, this method will save 90 percent of the cost of Vulcan first stage boosters. Mid-flight capture is a proven and cost effective way to recover things that have left the ground, and Boeing and Lockheed have plenty of helicopters kicking around.

Then there's the wild card, Blue Origin, lurking in its absolutely enormous rocket factory just outside of Kennedy Space Center. Blue Origin, founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, is building the main engine for ULA's Vulcan, the methane-burning BE-4, so some of ULA's hopes hinge on whether Blue Origin can deliver (although ULA also has a backup plan to use a kerosene-burning engine from Aerojet Rocketdyne if the BE-4 falls through).

Photo credit: Blue Origin

Bezos' rocket company isn't going to sit on the ground while SpaceX and ULA duke it out in the sky, though. In the coming year, the company plans to debut New Glenn, a heavy-lift rocket with 3.85 million lbs. of thrust, making it only slightly less powerful than Falcon Heavy. Like Blue Origin's suborbital New Shepard rocket, New Glenn is designed to be largely reusable thanks to vertical propulsive landings. It's hard to say if Blue Origin will meet its timeline goals, but monsters have emerged from their lairs before, and with Bezos' backing, New Glenn could surprise us all.

These three rockets will fuel a new space race, one fought between engineering firms rather than superpowers, and the possibilities for exploration have never looked brighter. Everything from internet satellites to lunar infrastructure to space telescopes to Mars habitats to flights to Jupiter and beyond will be more readily available thanks to the launch competition.



Spurred by the new class of affordable rocket, deep space exploration probes, like Earth-orbiting satellites, could see spacecraft get smaller, cheaper, and less risk-averse, allowing the rockets to launch missions to the giant planets early and often. Perhaps a new NASA Solar System Program, with a smaller budget than Discovery, could pump out small, single-purpose spacecraft to fling to all ends of the system, extending humanity's footing in the small part of the cosmos that surrounds our little blue world.

There are hundreds of ways to determine which company is leading the race, including costs, performance, flight frequency, past successes and future prospects. But in my book, the first rocket to launch an orbiter to Neptune wins.

Photo credit: NASA

You Might Also LikeFILE PHOTO: Meatpacking company BRF SA's logo, which is one of the biggest food companies in the world, is pictured in Lucas do Rio Verde, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, July 27, 2017. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

By Tatiana Bautzer

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Two pension funds that are the largest shareholders in Brazilian food processor BRF SA (BRFS3.SA) presented on Saturday a list of ten candidates for seats to the company's board that excludes the current chairman, according to a joint statement.

Pension funds Previ and Petros, which represent employees of state-controlled companies Banco do Brasil SA and Petroleo Brasileiro SA and hold a joint 22 percent stake in the food processor, a major producer of pork and chicken products.

The funds are proposing Augusto da Cruz Filho as BRF's new chairman, replacing retail tycoon Abilio Diniz.

The overhaul in BRF's board and management was requested by the funds after the company last year reported its worst results ever, posting a 1.2 billion reais ($371 million) loss.

Among the 10 candidates supported by the funds is Luiz Fernando Furlan, a former Brazil's Development and Foreign Trade minister which is a member of one of the families that founded Sadia, one of the two companies in the merger that created BRF SA almost ten years ago.

There is no candidate on the list representing investment firm Tarpon Investimentos SA (TRPN3.SA), an ally of Diniz which holds a 7.3 percent stake in BRF.

"We are presenting a group of experienced executives to lead BRF's recovery," said Petros director Daniel Lima.

BRF's board will meet on Monday to discuss the funds' request for a shareholder assembly to vote on a new board.

(Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer, editing by G Crosse)Michelle Obama

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The former first lady Michelle Obama isn't particularly interested in running for president.

Obama, 54, is instead interested in "creating thousands of mes" by working with younger leaders.

"As an older leader, I think an important part of leadership is stepping out of the way and making room," she said at a conference on Tuesday.

Michelle Obama is hopeful about the next generation of leaders in the US.

The former first lady has been meeting many younger leaders through her work with the Obama Foundation. She says it has given her a lot of optimism about their approach to leading the country.

"They're tired of watching us do the same old thing and expect different results," Obama, 54, said at Klick Health's Muse event in New York on Tuesday. "So I'm optimistic about the future. There are some bright young people out there doing some amazing things."

Those interactions have helped to solidify her plans, which aren't likely to involve running for office.

"This is why I'm not going to run for president," she said. "Because I think it's a better investment to invest in creating thousands of mes."

Rather than having one "Michelle Obama" vying for the presidency, she hopes to help more people get into leadership positions.

"We don't need just one  we need thousands and thousands," Obama said.

Obama spent eight years in the White House as the first lady. The idea of swapping spots with her husband, former President Barack Obama, doesn't appeal to her.

"As an older leader, I think an important part of leadership is stepping out of the way and making room," Michelle Obama said.

If she were to decide to run for office, it would limit the country, she said.

"We're not finding that new energy out there," she said.

NOW WATCH: The Obamas just shelled out $8.1 million for the DC mansion they've been renting since leaving the White House

Story continues

See Also:

SEE ALSO: Michelle Obama explains how she made time for date nights and workouts as first lady  and why President Obama never missed a parent-teacher conferenceWatch news, TV and more on Yahoo View.



By David Shepardson and Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump kept up pressure on trading partners on Saturday, threatening European automakers with a tax on imports if the European Union retaliates against his plan to slap tariffs on aluminum and steel.

Trump's tweet suggested he is refusing to yield to U.S. business interests and foreign trading partners alarmed at the prospect of a trade war that rattled financial markets this week.

"If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S.," Trump wrote on Twitter. "They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!"

The United States imposes a 2.5-percent tariff on cars assembled in Europe and a 25-percent tariff on European-built vans and pickup trucks. Europe imposes a 10-percent tariff on U.S.-built cars.

Trump criticized Europe in remarks at a fundraiser, according to video posted online Saturday, and suggested they would not increase tariffs.

"The European Union: brutal. They've been brutal to us," Trump said at a Florida fundraiser. "They've banded together in order to beat the United States in trade."

Trump did not respond to questions about tariffs or other topics upon returning to the White House Saturday.

In a speech Friday night at Harvard University, European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager said the EU will respond to the tariffs "to defend European industry, and the world trading system," according to a copy of her remarks. She called the Trump action "one-sided protectionist measures, which hurt, not just jobs, but the whole system of rules that makes our global economy work."

German automakers Volkswagen AG <VOWG_p.DE>, Daimler AG and BMW AG build vehicles at plants in the United States. BMW employs more than 9,000 workers in South Carolina and is one of the state's largest employers.

Story continues

The United States accounts for about 15 percent of worldwide Mercedes-Benz and BMW brand sales, while it accounts for 5 percent of VW brand sales and 12 percent of Audi sales.

The United States had a $22.3 billion automotive vehicle and parts trade deficit with Germany in 2017 and a $7 billion deficit with the United Kingdom, according to U.S. government data.

Last year, Germany's automotive trade association said "the United States would be shooting itself in the foot by imposing tariffs or other trade barriers."

Trump's threat comes amid mounting transatlantic tension on trade.

On Thursday, Trump said the United States would apply duties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum to protect domestic producers. [nL2N1QK016]

Major automakers say the move will hike the cost of cars and trucks.

The next day, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told German television that "We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson (motorcycles), on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levis." [nL8N1QK2SZ]

Canada also has said it will retaliate for any tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Trump had tweeted on Friday that trade wars are good and "easy to win," roiling U.S. financial markets. [nL2N1QK1R4]

In January 2017, Trump warned German car companies he would impose a border tax of 35 percent on vehicles imported to the U.S. market. [nL5N1F61VQ]

(Reporting by Mike Stone and David Shepardson; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Daniel Wallis)TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index slipped to a two-week low on Friday, ending the week with a 1.6 percent decline, as the threat of a global trade war weighed on energy and industrial shares. * The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index ended down 9.36 points, or 0.06 percent, at 15,384.59, its lowest close since Feb. 14. * The energy group retreated 0.4 percent, with Suncor Energy down 2.1 percent at $40.85. * U.S. crude oil settled 0.4 percent higher but posted its first weekly fall in three weeks on fears U.S. plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum could squeeze economic growth and jitters about rising U.S. crude production. * U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled the tariffs on Thursday but did not make clear whether they would apply to Canada, which is the largest supplier of both steel and aluminum to the United States. * Canada's economy could also be impacted by talks with the United States and Mexico to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement. Canada sends 75 percent of its exports to the United States. * Shares of trade-sensitive auto parts and railroad companies added to Thursday's declines. Magna International Inc fell 1.6 percent to C$67.60 and Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd retreated nearly 1 percent to C$224.75. * The overall industrials group slipped 0.4 percent, while the financials group, which accounts for more than one-third of the weight of the TSX, declined 0.2 percent. * The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, added 0.2 percent. * Gold futures rose 1.2 percent to $1,318.9 an ounce, boosted by investor demand for safer investments. [GOL/] * The largest percentage gainer on the TSX was Sleep Country, which rose 15.4 percent after it reported fourth-quarter results after the close on Thursday. * The TSX posted 4 new 52-week highs and 12 new lows, while five of the index's 10 main groups ended lower. (Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Diane Craft)Reports from Pakistan say the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party gained control of parliament's upper house in a secret ballot on March 3.

Pakistans national and provincial parliaments were voting on March 3 in Senate elections that are seen as a test of the PML-N party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistans Geo TV and other local media report that candidates backed by the PML-N won 15 of the 52 Senate seats up for grabs, overtaking the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as the largest group in the upper house.

PPP candidates reportedly won 12 seats.

"PMLN now the single largest party in Senate as well," tweeted Sharif's daughter and presumed political heir, Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed, who won a seat in the capital, Islamabad, said the senate victory vindicates Sharif's political "narrative" with voters.

Pakistani political analysts say that by working with allied politicians in the Senate, PML-N should have de facto control of the 104-seat chamber.

However, official results will not immediately show how well PML-N has done because some candidates were barred from running under the party's banner.

PML-N party officials say those candidates, running as "independents," are expected to pledge their allegiance to PML-N if they are elected to the Senate.

Lawmakers in the countrys four provincial assemblies  Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Baluchistan -- and the National Assembly were electing the 52 senators from among more than 130 candidates.

The vote came as Sharifs PML-N is in disarray after the Supreme Court in July 2017 disqualified Sharif from office due to corruption charges.

His party then changed the country's laws to allow him to resume his role as its leader.

Pakistan's election commission (ECP) rejected his nomination as head of the party but said that the party's lawmakers could contest the March 3 vote by lawmakers as independent candidates.

PML-N's leaders have been beset by corruption allegations, including against Sharif's younger brother, Shahbaz Sharif.

With reporting by dpa and geo.tvavohden wrote:

A recent study of Las Vegas clubs showed that out of a large group of club-goers surveyed, those who visited clubs more than three times a week typically drank significantly more alcoholic beverages per club visit than those who attended clubs three times a week or less. Therefore, people trying to cut back on alcohol consumption in Las Vegas should limit their club-going to three times a week maximum.



Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the authors conclusion?

A. Las Vegas clubs offer drink specials to customers who frequent their clubs more than 3+ times a week.



B. The studys results only held up for Las Vegas clubs, not for clubs in other major cities in Nevada.



C. Many recovering alcoholics in Las Vegas formerly frequented clubs more than three times a week.



D. The study also showed that club-goers who attend clubs 3+ times a week, unlike those who attend less than three times a week, typically choose to visit upscale clubs which require two-drink minimums.



E. Drink coupons are extremely popular in Las Vegas clubs, and are typically distributed evenly to all patrons in Las Vegas clubs, though they must be used within a week of being distributed.



OE to follow

avohden

who attended clubs three times a week or less

who attended clubs three times a week or fewer

(B)

(C)

(E)

(A)

(D)

(D)

(D)

(A)

(D)

(A)



Magoosh Test Prep





Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.  William Butler Yeats (1865  1939) Mike McGarryEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.  William Butler Yeats (1865  1939) Signature Read More

DearIs this a question? Usually, their material is very high quality. This question has an egregious grammar mistake ---"...."should be"...."Such a blatant grammar mistake would never appear in a real GMAT question, and the higher quality test prep sources tend to adhere to this standard.I must say, in this questionare easy to eliminate. Choicesare both strong weakeners. I suppose one could make an argument thatis more compelling --- required drink purchases, as opposed to discounted prices encouraging drink purchases ---- but then again, one could make the argument that two drinks is not a lot of alcohol, but the clubs that offer specials encourage vast amounts of drinking, much more than two drinks per evening. I don't know. Ifis the OA, thenis not clearly and obviously incorrect: in other words, ifwere not here,easily could be the answer. That's just not the way GMAT CR works. On the real GMAT, there is one clearly correct answer and four choices that can be eliminated for unambiguously clear reasons. Overall, I am not happy with the quality of this question. If this really is a question, then I am surprised.Does all this make sense?Mike_________________New Delhi, Mar 4 (IBNS): President of India Ram Nath Kovind received Tran Dai Quang, the President of Vietnam at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday.

He also hosted a banquet in his honour.

Welcoming the Vietnamese President to India, the President thanked Vietnam for the crucial role it played as coordinator country in ensuring substantive outcomes at the ASEAN India Commemorative Summit held in New Delhi in January 2018.

The President said India and Vietnam enjoy a civilisational relationship going back 2000 years.

Buddhism, the Hindu Champa civilisation and our shared philosophy have strengthened our common bonds.

He stated that our economic engagement has seen a remarkable growth. Our leaders have set a trade target of US $ 15 billion by 2020.

"We need to redouble our efforts to reach this target," the President said.

The President said that India and Vietnam have common perspectives on peace, stability and security in the Indo-pacific region. Both are committed to the centrality of ASEAN in a regional architecture that should be inclusive, open and based on the principles of international law.

Subsequently, in his banquet speech, President Kovind said the great leaders of our respective freedom struggles, Mahatma Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh, energised our link in the modern era. We have today built our close friendship on the path shown by them.

The President said that we firmly believe that a strong India-Vietnam partnership would lead to peace and prosperity for our people and for the wider region.

To this end, Indian and Vietnamese economic growth must complement each other.

He expressed confidence that this visit will contribute to strengthening our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and lay the roadmap for enhanced engagement.



Kabul, Mar 4 (IBNS): At least four Taliban militants have been killed in an operation launched by Afghan forces in the country's Helmand province, local media reports said.

The operation was conducted on Saturday in the province's Gereshk district.

Additionally, at least five other insurgents were wounded.

Weapons belonging to the Taliban militants were also seized by the Afghan forces.



Chakwal, Mar 4 (IBNS): At least four people were killed when a car in which they were traveling overturned on the motorway in Chakwal area of Pakistan on Sunday, media reports said.

The mishap left one person hurt.

"The car was on its way to Rawalpindi, according to law enforcement agencies," Geo News reported.

The injured person was taken to hospital for treatment.

The identity of the deceased is still not known.As the U.S. military and intelligence services are assessing the most potent cyber-threats to America, this represents a major escalation by the Iranian regime.

Leaders of the CIA, NSA and other agencies testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee last month, alleging that North Korea posed the highest threat, followed by Russia and China.

In his article for the New York Daily News, Tom Ridge, who served as U.S. secretary of homeland security and is a former governor of Pennsylvania writes, In a dictatorship, repression tends to move in tandem with the regimes sense of vulnerability. In this context, Irans potential for cyber-attack and repression is worrisome indeed.

At the turn of this year, street protests raged across cities in Iran, as the Iranian people who are angry with the stagnant economy and lifestyle restrictions, shouted slogans that called for regime change. The protests that occurred in 2009 and in 2011-12 were also over concerns about declining standards of living, government corruption, and its meddling in the electoral process.

The regime blocked apps like Telegram during the protests. Now, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Intelligence and Security are developing a new domestic cyber warfare. The main opposition to the regime, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran, has established that the regime used mass surveillance through codes embedded in IRGC-sponsored mobile apps to actively monitor and disrupt the communication of protesters and dissidents.

Cafe Bazaar, modeled after Google Play, is said to be established by IRGC as a homegrown marketplace of domestic mobile apps to spread spyware. Some of these spyware-enabled apps are also available on Google Play, the Apple Store, and GitHub. This makes millions of users worldwide vulnerable to the IRGCs spyware and surveillance activities.

The IRGC is believed to be recruiting cyber warfare personnel from Irans universities. Recruits are hired through front companies that often engage in research activities with a few of the IRGCs handpicked professors.

The NCRI report is a wake-up call to not only the nearly 48 million Iranians have smartphones, and 70% of Iranians have access to the Internet, but to rest of the world.

The international community could assist the Iranian people in their call for regime change and democracy by implementing effective measures to curb and confront the regimes cyberspace repression.

U.S. intelligence officials must understand that the threat of cyber-surveillance of the Iranian people is also a threat to the U.S. as this spyware is readily available on Western app platforms. Millions of Americans are potentially exposed to information breaches.Irans objectives in Syria appear to be focused on creating a land bridge that will provide a route from Tehran to the Mediterranean, and align Syria and Lebanon to them, thereby ensuring launching points for a war against Israel.

As the United States completed its withdrawal from Iraq in 2011, Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime was under increasing pressure from the facing an uprising after its suppression of protests that spring. The Iraqi government then allowed Iranian aircraft to use their airspace to get to Syria.

Via this air corridor, Tehran built Hezbollahs arsenal to be more heavily armed than it was on the eve of its 2006 war against Israel. Iran has also assisted Hezbollah with the technology to establish missile factories. The air corridor has also given Iran the mean to transport Shiite militia fighters and their families to Syria.

According to Emanuele Ottolenghi, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, over the years, Iran has supporting the Assad regimes ethnic cleansing of the Sunni countryside, and, Most importantly, through its steadfast and successful support of the Assad regime, Tehran has secured its hegemony over Damascus, making it possible for its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, to permanently deploy within shooting range of Israels border with Syria.

The air corridor to Syria and Lebanon is preferred over maritime routes, as ships leaving from Iranian ports take a long time to reach Syria due to an ongoing U.N. arms embargo against Iran. These ships are at constant risk of interdiction in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. In fact, in 2002, Israel seized an Iranian shipment of 50 tons of arms to the Palestinian Liberation Organization during the Second Intifada, and in 2009, U.S. forces seized arctic cargo ship MV Monceghorsk in the Red Sea, which was carrying 2,000 tons of weapons to Syria. As well, during that same year, Israel intercepted 500 tons of weapons destined for Hezbollah, on the ship MV Francop.

Prior to Baghad opening its airspace in 2011, Iran sent cargos by plane to regional airports, then transported the cargo by truck across the Iraq-Syria border. Sometimes shipments traveled by sea to Sudanese ports and then by truck to where they could cross into the Sinai Peninsula on small ships. Israel, however, disrupted those routes with bombing convoys. Iran was happy to take advantage of the newly opened airspace, and launched an airlift that continues to this day.

The U.S. Department of Treasury sanctioned Iran Air and Mahan Air, two of Irans largest airlines, for their shipments of weapons to Irans proxies abroad. The planes continued to fly, despite the sanctions.

The airlift escalated in 2015, when rebel forces stood up to Assads army and Irans. IRGC Quds Force Commander Qassem Suleimani, flew to Moscow to coordinate a strategy that would reverse the course of Syrias civil war. A massive increase of weapons and military personnel were necessary, that would be transported via hundreds of flights a year by Iranian and Syrian aircraft, many of which were commercial airliners. Iran Air participated in the airlift, and Mahan continues to fly. Almost 1,500 flights have been logged, since the airlift began.

Last year, the Washington Institute for Near East Policys Farzin Nadimi assessed that during a two-month period, the airlift brought 21,000 passengers and 5,000 tons of supplies to Damascus.

President Donald Trump has not yet taken action to disrupt Tehrans airlift, but new sanctions may be the best alternative.

With the implementation of the JCPOA, known as the nuclear deal, three decades of U.S. sanctions against Iran came to an end. Tehran began signing deals with Boeing and Airbus. Nine new aircraft have already been delivered to Iran Air, with hundreds more expected. It is reported that Iranian carriers have negotiated and signed deals for more than 300 aircraft, plus spare parts, technical assistance, and maintenance, with the worlds two largest aircraft manufacturers  Airbus and Boeing  as well as smaller producers such as Canadas Bombardier and Brazils Embraer.

These deals cannot proceed without export licenses from the US Treasury Department, and there is good reason to believe that cancelling the deals would disrupt the air corridor.

The nuclear deal is currently on shaky ground, and with the international business community waiting to hear the US presidents May 12th decision on whether to stay or abandon it, credit lines to Tehran have been slow to materialize. The deals with Airbus and Boeing will signal the global financial market that Iran is open for business. If the Trump administration cancels those deals, Iranian prospects of real economic dividends will evaporate.Thanks for signing up!

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Sign UpThis is a personal blog. My other stuff: bookWriter Helen Thorpe spent one school year in a classroom in Denver, Colorado. There, she observed immigrant and refugee students who had come from different cultures. All the students were just learning to speak English.

Thorpe saw the young people deal with problems and work hard to succeed at Denvers South High School. She shares their stories in a new book called The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in an American Classroom.

Tearing down barriers

Sitting in room 142 at the high school, Thorpe had a chance to meet students from all over the world. She said the class included 22 foreign students. They came from countries such as Mozambique, Burma, El Salvador and Iraq.

"They had the ordinary struggles of teenagers everywhere, plus this extra added burden of being in a new country and trying to figure out a new culture and trying to figure out a new language, all at the same time."

The 22 students spoke 14 different languages.

"Many of the students were the only one in the room who spoke a certain language," Thorpe noted.

"The majority of the students were very isolated in the classroom and just in general, in their new life in America. They weren't able yet to make friends because they were just starting out learning English. And so that loneliness was something that they all were struggling to overcome."

But as time went by, the students were able to overcome it.

I watched that loneliness  go away as they figured out they could use Google Translate to send text messages back and forth from their home languages to another person's home language," Thorpe said.

What these students were hungry for, she said, was to learn how to speak, to feel they were accepted at their new high school, and to feel that they belonged to a community.

Comfortable in their own identity

In her book, Thorpe writes about some of the issues many of these students faced.

Iraqi sisters Jakleen and Mariam struggled with difficult memories. Thorpe learned they had witnessed a car bombing.

"When their family fled Iraq, they went to Syria and they survived the Syrian civil war as well as the Iraq war. Their father vanished during that time. Their mother became a single parent, and then she struggled to keep the girls safe. They fled to Turkey. And then she got the chance to resettle here in the United States.

Coming to the U.S. was the first chance the sisters had in 10 years to live in a safe home. However, they had a problem: how to define their identity.

One of the two girls covered up her hair with a headscarf, and because of that she faced prejudice, Thorpe said. However, as her classmates got to know her, they started to understand, accept and respect her, which helped her to express her identity.

Second chance at education

Many students in The Newcomers class had missed a lot of school before moving to Denver. So, they had to work hard to succeed now that they were back in a classroom.

Solomon and his brother Methusella grew up in the eastern side of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Armed conflicts forced their family to flee to a refugee settlement in Uganda.

"They stayed there for seven years," Thorpe remembered. Then the whole extended family joined them in Uganda, she said. Solomon, Methusella, their siblings and their parents were the only members of the family to get an invitation to go to the United States. They were excited and happy for a chance to stay in school, Thorpe said. But they felt guilty that the rest of their family didn't get the same chance they were given."

Methusella is expected to complete his high school studies next year. He gives thanks to classmates and his own willpower for his success.

His brother Solomon says that wasn't easy. "I wasn't speaking any English. I couldn't even say, 'Hi,' Solomon recalled.

A gifted teacher

Solomon says one of their teachers, Eddie Williams, was friendly, patient, and kept them interested in school. Williams is an English Language Acquisition teacher and a very special teacher, Thorpe said. "His greatest skill was working one-on-one with individual students."

In her book, she explains how Williams kept each student interested in learning.

"He really wanted to make sure that all the kids in his care understood that if they didn't know English when they walked into his room, that was perfectly OK with him." She added, "And he understood that they, nonetheless, were highly intelligent and possibly speaking other languages and he would appreciate them and show them respect and dignity."

Thorpe notes that South High School gave the newcomers the chance to gain knowledge. In return, the newcomers gave their classmates the chance to learn about the world.

I'm Alice Bryant.

And I'm Lucija Millonig.

Faiza Elmasry reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted the report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

__________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

ordinary  adj. usual or normal

burden  n. something oppressive or hard to take

figure out  v. to discover or solve

isolate  v. to set apart from others; to keep separate from others

overcome  v. to defeat or successfully deal with

vanish  v. to disappear

headscarf  n. a piece of cloth worn over a woman's or girl's head

sibling  n. a brother or sister

appreciate  v. to recognize the worth or importance of something

dignity  n. the state of being worthy or honored

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.American veteran Jeff Harris was one of the first people to ask for acupuncture when veterans hospital in Providence, Rhode Island began to offer it.

"I don't like taking pain medication. I don't like the way it makes me feel," he said.

Harris also did not want to risk getting addicted to painkilling drugs.

The use of acupuncture has increased among patients and doctors in America over the years. The effectiveness of the treatment remains disputed in western medicine.

However, some consider it better than powerful painkillers that are blamed for the crisis of opioid drug use in America.

The Veterans Affairs medical system has been offering acupuncture to treat pain for several years. Some insurance companies cover it. Now, some states have started to offer acupuncture to patients who have Medicaid, an insurance program for the poor. The states are mainly ones where many people have become sick or died from overdosing on opioid drugs.

Ohio's Medicaid program added acupuncture after opioid experts asked state officials to find other ways to treat pain.

"We have a really serious problem here," said Dr. Mary Applegate who is medical director for Ohio's Medicaid department. Applegate says that, if acupuncture is effective in easing pain and stopping opioid addiction, it must be made available.

The opioid crisis is believed to have started with the misuse of painkilling drugs prescribed by doctors.

Many people became addicted to opioid drugs after seeking help to relieve pain. Acupuncture could be a way to help keep some patients from using opioids in the first place.

For a long time in the U.S., acupuncture was considered unstudied and unproven. There has now been a lot of research on acupuncture use for different kinds of pain. However, results of the studies have been unclear.

Federal researchers say there is evidence that acupuncture can help some patients deal with some forms of pain. But they have described the benefits of acupuncture as small and say more research is needed.

Among doctors, there are questions about how much of any benefit is caused by a patients belief that a treatment will work. This is the so-called "placebo effect."

"There may be a certain amount of placebo effect. Having said that, it is still quite effective as compared to no treatment," said Dr. Ankit Maheshwari. He is a pain medicine specialist at Case Western Reserve University. He believes acupuncture is effective for neck pain, migraines and a few other kinds of pain problems.

Many doctors are undecided about acupuncture but are willing to let patients give it a try.

Dr. Steven Novella is a neurologist at Yale University and editor of a website that is against non-traditional medicine. He does not think acupuncture works.

Those who believe in acupuncture are using Americas opioid problems to try to promote acupuncture as an alternative treatment," he said. "But promoting a treatment that doesn't work is not going to help.

Acupuncture has been practiced in China for thousands of years. Acupuncturists put thin metal needles into specific spots in the ears or other parts of the body. They say needles put in these spots restore the flow of energy  called "qi"  through the body. This heals the body and eases pain.

In government studies, 1 in 67 U.S. adults say they get acupuncture every year, up from 1 in 91 in 2008. Most patients pay for acupuncture themselves. Only 25 percent of adults getting acupuncture had insurance that covered the cost.

The largest American government insurance program, Medicare, does not pay for acupuncture. Tricare, the insurance program for active duty and retired military personnel and their families, does not pay for it either. But VA hospitals offer it for a small fee.

Jeff Harris began acupuncture two years ago. The 50-year-old Marine Corp veteran said he hurt his back while training in the military in the 1980s. Today, he has pain down his legs and deadness of feeling in his feet.

Acupuncture "helped settle his pain," said Harris.

Another veteran, Harry Garcia of Connecticut tried acupuncture for his back pain after years of using pain medications.

Acupuncture keeps pain down for up to 10 days, said Garcia.

About ten years ago, the military and Veterans Affairs began using several different ways to treat pain, including acupuncture and yoga.

A recent study says now two-thirds of military hospitals and other treatment centers offer acupuncture.

Emmeline Edwards of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a federal research agency, says the military is more open to try new methods because the need is so great there.

Her agency is working with the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs to spend $81 million on research projects. The agency wants to study the effectiveness of many treatments for pain that do not use drugs.

While research continues, the willingness of medical insurance companies to pay for acupuncture is growing.

California, Massachusetts, Oregon and Rhode Island pay for acupuncture for pain through their Medicaid insurance programs. Massachusetts and Oregon also pay for acupuncture as a treatment for drug abuse although scientists question its effectiveness.

Im Dorothy Gundy. And Im Susan Shand.

Susan Shand adapted this story for Learning English based on an AP story. Mario Ritter was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

benefits n. good results that come from some action or treatment

prescribe v. to officially permit someone to use a medicine or treatment as directed by a doctor, etc.

acupuncture  n. a method of relieving pain or curing illness by placing needles into a person's skin at particular points on the body

addicted  adj. unable to stop using a harmful substance

opioid  n. a drug that has the same effect as opium

insurance  n. an agreement in which a person makes regular payments to a company and the company promises to pay money if the person is injured or dies,

placebo  n. a pill or substance that is given to a patient like a drug but that has no physical effect on the patient

migraine  n. a very bad headache

neurologist  n. one who studies the nervous system and the diseases that affect it

specific - adj. special or particular

yoga n. a system of exercises for mental and physical healthElephants have had a rich history in Myanmar, the country also known as Burma. Throughout the countrys past, the animals have been used for everything, including transportation, agriculture and warfare.

The white elephant was a symbol of power for the military that ruled the country for more than 50 years until it gave power to a civilian government in 2016.

But the survival of elephants is under threat. There are about 2,000 wild elephants left in Myanmar today, plus about 5,000 that are captive. But conservationists warn that elephants are losing their natural places to live in.

They say increased conflict with humans and the illegal sale of elephants and their parts could result in the extinction of the Asian Elephant in Myanmar.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation published the Myanmar Elephant Conservation Plan (MECAP). The plan was produced with several wildlife groups. It aims to guide policies on the survival of elephants in Myanmar for the next 100 years or more.

Anthony Lynam is a senior advisor for the Wildlife Conservation Society. He told VOA by email that the Government of Myanmar decided to ask for a study of the threats to elephants.

He added that the MECAP plan will need bold action on the part of the government and supporting agencies for it to succeed.

MECAP includes a series of 10-year plans and an overall strategy for elephant conservation in Myanmar.

One of the biggest threats to the survival of elephants in Myanmar is the illegal killing of the animals, especially for their skin.

It has been argued that poaching is aminor threat to Asian Elephants because some males and all females lack tusks, the report said. But, the report also said that elephants are poached for meat and leather as well as for their tusks.

Christy Williams is the country director for the World Wildlife Fund, or WWF, in Myanmar. She told VOA there had been an increase in the number of elephants being killed for their skin in Myanmar in recent years.

Elephants being targeted for their skin was unusual, he said, but then in 2016 or 2017 we started seeing that about one elephant was being killed every week.

Williams said when WWF researchers traveled to border towns in 2016, only a few markets were selling elephant skins. But when they returned about a year later, about 80 percent [of shops] were selling elephant skin, he said.

One of the major difficulties in combating the illegal sale of elephant parts, said Williams, was the small staff and a lack of money. Also, many of the border towns where elephant skins are being sold are not under government control.

The plan asks for an increase in staff and for education efforts to show people that selling elephant parts is illegal.

Another problem was the increase in conflict between humans and elephants. Mark Grinley is a project manager for the non-governmental group Fauna & Flora International Myanmar. He says the elephants natural habitat is shrinking.

The natural habitat is being lost, Grinley told VOA, to large, industrial farms and to the demand for palm oil.

The effects of the increased interaction between humans and elephants has led to injuries and death for both.

Suggestions for dealing with the issue include establishing a national management plan and supporting existing elephants. Other ideas include building a warning system so that people know when elephants are nearby.

As the country of Myanmar continues to develop, the issue of elephant protection will not go away, said Grinley.

"As the forest habitat is shrinking, Im afraid these problems are going to be more common, he said.

Im Dorothy Gundy. And Im Susan Shand.

Oliver Slow reported this story for VOA News. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

Symbol  n. an action, object, event, etc., that expresses or represents a particular idea or quality

Conservationist  n. one who protects animals, plants, and natural resources

Extinction  n. the state or situation that results when something (such as a plant or animal species) has died out completely

Strategy  n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period ofWall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Sweden ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI Sweden ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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SAS, CisBio US Inc., Cisbio Asia Pacific Ltd, Cisbio Bioassays SAS, Cisbio China Ltd., Cisbio Group SAS, Cisbio KK, Cisbio.com, DNA Laboratories Sdn. Bhd., Dani Analitica S.r.l., Dexela, EUROIMMUN (Hangzhou) Medical Laboratory Diagnostics Co. Ltd., EUROIMMUN (South East Asia) Pte Ltd., EUROIMMUN (Tianjin) Medical Diagnostic Technology Co. Ltd., EUROIMMUN AG, EUROIMMUN Brasil Medicina Diagnostica Ltda., EUROIMMUN Diagnostics Espana S.L.U., EUROIMMUN France SAS, EUROIMMUN Italia Diagnostica Medica S.r.l., EUROIMMUN Japan Co. Ltd., EUROIMMUN Medical Diagnostics (China) Co. 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Ltd., PerkinElmer (UK) Holdings Ltd., PerkinElmer Analytical Solutions B.V., PerkinElmer Automotive Research Inc., PerkinElmer BVBA, PerkinElmer CV Holdings LLC, PerkinElmer Cellular Technologies Germany GmbH, PerkinElmer Danmark A/S, PerkinElmer Diagnostics Global Holdings S.a r.l., PerkinElmer Diagnostics Holdings Inc., PerkinElmer Espana S.L., PerkinElmer Finance Luxembourg S.a r.l., PerkinElmer Finland Oy, PerkinElmer Genetics Inc., PerkinElmer Germany Diagnostics GmbH, PerkinElmer Global Diagnostics S.a r.l., PerkinElmer Global Financing S.a r.l., PerkinElmer Global Holdings S.a r.l., PerkinElmer Health Sciences (Australia) Pty. Ltd., PerkinElmer Health Sciences B.V., PerkinElmer Health Sciences Canada Inc., PerkinElmer Health Sciences FZ-LLC, PerkinElmer Health Sciences Inc., PerkinElmer Health Sciences Pvt Ltd., PerkinElmer Healthcare Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PerkinElmer Holding Luxembourg S.a r.l., PerkinElmer Holdings Inc., PerkinElmer Holdings Pty. Ltd., PerkinElmer IVD Pte Ltd., PerkinElmer Inc., PerkinElmer Informatics Inc., PerkinElmer Instruments (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PerkinElmer International C.V., PerkinElmer Investments Ky, PerkinElmer Israel Ltd., PerkinElmer Japan Co. Ltd., PerkinElmer LAS (Germany) GmbH, PerkinElmer LAS (UK) Ltd., PerkinElmer Life Sciences International Holdings, PerkinElmer Limited, PerkinElmer Ltd., PerkinElmer Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PerkinElmer Nederland B.V., PerkinElmer Norge AS, PerkinElmer Oy, PerkinElmer Polska Sp z o.o., PerkinElmer Pty. Ltd., PerkinElmer SAS, PerkinElmer Saglk ve Cevre Bilimleri Ltd., PerkinElmer Shared Services Sp z o.o., PerkinElmer Singapore Pte Ltd., PerkinElmer South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PerkinElmer Sverige AB, PerkinElmer Sweden Health Sciences Holdings AB, PerkinElmer Taiwan Corporation, PerkinElmer VertriebsgmbH, PerkinElmer chemagen Technologie GmbH, PerkinElmer do Brasil Ltda., Perten Instruments, Perten Instruments (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Perten Instruments AB, Perten Instruments France SASU, Perten Instruments GmbH, Perten Instruments Italia S.r.l., Perten Instruments of Australia Pty Ltd., RHS Ltd, RayAl Ltd., Shandong Meizheng Bio-Tech Co. Ltd., Shanghai Haoyuan Biotech Co. Ltd., Shanghai Spectrum Instruments Co. Ltd., Shanghai Spectrum Instruments Co. Ltd., Signature Genomic Laboratories, Solus Scientific Solutions Inc., Solus Scientific Solutions Ltd., Surendra Genetic Labs, Suzhou PerkinElmer Medical Laboratory Co. Ltd., Suzhou Sym-Bio LifeScience, Suzhou Sym-Bio Lifescience Co. Ltd., Tulip Diagnostics, Tulip Diagnostics Pvt Ltd., Vanadis Diagnostics, Vanadis Diagnostics AB, ViaCell, ViaCord LLC, VisEn Medical, VisEn Medical Inc., Wallac Oy, Wellesley B.V., Xenogen Corporation, ZeLab SAS, and chemagen Biopolymer-Technologie AG.Bitauto Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides internet content and marketing services, and transaction services for the automobile industry in the People's Republic of China. It operates in three segments: Advertising and Subscription Business, Transaction Services Business, and Digital Marketing Solutions Business. The Advertising and Subscription Business segment offers advertising services, including automobile pricing and promotional information, specifications, reviews, and consumer feedback to automakers through its bitauto.com Website. It also provides transaction-focused online advertisement and promotional services for automakers, automobile dealers, auto finance partners, and insurance companies; and Web-based and mobile-based integrated digital marketing solutions to automobile dealers. The Transaction Services Business segment offers transaction platform and self-operated financing services. The Digital Marketing Solutions Business segment offers one-stop digital marketing solutions, including website creation and maintenance, online public relation, online marketing campaign, advertising agency, big data application, and digital image creation services. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.

Read MoreLincoln National Corp. is a holding company, which operates multiple insurance and retirement businesses through its subsidiary companies. It provides advice and solutions that help empower people to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. The company operates through the following segments: Annuities, Retirement Plan Services, Life Insurance, Group Protection, and Other Operations. The Annuities segment provides tax-deferred investment growth and lifetime income opportunities for its clients by offering fixed and variable annuities. The Retirement Plan Services segment includes employers with retirement plan products and services, primarily in the defined contribution retirement plan marketplaces. The Life Insurance segment focuses on the creation and protection of wealth for its clients by providing life insurance products, including term insurance, both single and survivorship versions of universal life insurance, variable universal life insurance, and indexed universal life insurance products. The Group Protection segment offers group non-medical insurance products, which includes term life, disability, dental, vision and accident and critical illness

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given CGI Group a "Buy" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but CGI Group wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.Wall Street analysts have given Enel Generacion Chile a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Enel Generacion Chile wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.The following companies are subsidiares of CVS Health: @Credentials Inc., ACS ACQCO CORP., ADMINCO Inc., AE Fourteen Incorporated, AHP Holdings Inc., AMC - Tennessee LLC, APS Acquisition LLC, ASCO HealthCare LLC, ASI Wings LLC, AUSHC Holdings Inc., Accendo Insurance Company, Accordant Health Services L.L.C., Active Health Management Inc., Administrative Enterprises Inc., AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx LLC, AdvanceRx.com L.L.C., Advanced Care Scripts Inc., Aetna, Aetna (Beijing) Enterprise Management Services Co. Ltd., Aetna (Shanghai) Enterprise Services Co. Ltd., Aetna ACO Holdings Inc., Aetna Asset Advisors LLC, Aetna Behavioral Health LLC, Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health of California Inc., Aetna Better Health of Florida Inc., Aetna Better Health of Kansas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Better Health of Missouri LLC, Aetna Better Health of Nevada Inc., Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma Inc., Aetna Better Health of Texas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Washington Inc., Aetna Capital Management LLC, Aetna Card Solutions LLC, Aetna Corporate Services LLC, Aetna Dental Inc., Aetna Dental of California Inc., Aetna Financial Holdings LLC, Aetna Florida Inc., Aetna Global Benefits (Asia Pacific) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bahamas) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bermuda) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Europe) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Middle East) LLC, Aetna Global Benefits (Singapore) PTE. LTD., Aetna Global Benefits (UK) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits Limited (DIFC UAE), Aetna Global Holdings Limited, Aetna Health Holdings LLC, Aetna Health Inc., Aetna Health Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company of Europe DAC, Aetna Health Management LLC, Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., Aetna Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Health of Ohio Inc., Aetna Health of Utah Inc., Aetna HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Aetna Holdco (UK) Limited, Aetna Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Inc., Aetna Insurance (Hong Kong) Limite, Aetna Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Aetna Insurance Company Limited, Aetna Integrated Informatics Inc., Aetna International Inc., Aetna Ireland Inc., Aetna Korea Ltd., Aetna Life & Casualty (Bermuda) Ltd., Aetna Life Assignment Company, Aetna Life Insurance Company, Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC, Aetna Multi-Strategy 1099 Fund LLC, Aetna Network Services LLC, Aetna Partners Diversified Fund LLC, Aetna Pharmacy Management Services LLC, Aetna Resources LLC, Aetna Risk Assurance Company of Connecticut Inc., Aetna Rx Home Delivery LLC, Aetna Services (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Aetna Student Health Agency Inc., Aetna Ventures LLC, Aetna Workers Comp Access LLC, Alabama CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Alaska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, American Continental Insurance Company, American Drug Stores Delaware L.L.C., American Health Holding Inc., Arbor Drugs, Arizona CVS Stores L.L.C., Arkansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Badger Acquisition LLC, Badger Acquisition of Kentucky LLC, Badger Acquisition of Minnesota LLC, Badger Acquisition of Ohio LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Company, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Beauty Holdings L.L.C., Best Care LTC Acquisition Company LLC, Busse CVS L.L.C., CCI Foreign S.a R.L. (R.C.S. Luxembourg), CCRx Holdings LLC, CCRx of North Carolina LLC, CHP Acquisition LLC, CP Acquisition LLC, CVS 2948 Henderson L.L.C., CVS 3268 Gilbert L.L.C., CVS 3745 Peoria L.L.C., CVS AL Distribution L.L.C., CVS AOC Corporation, CVS AOC Services L.L.C., CVS Albany L.L.C., CVS Bellmore Avenue L.L.C., CVS Care Concierge LLC, CVS Caremark Advanced Technology Pharmacy L.L.C., CVS Caremark Indemnity Ltd., CVS Caremark Part D Services L.L.C., CVS Caremark TN SUTA LLC, CVS Foreign Inc., CVS Gilbert 3272 L.L.C., CVS Health Solutions LLC, CVS Indiana L.L.C., CVS International L.L.C., CVS Kidney Care Advanced Technologies LLC, CVS Kidney Care Health Services LLC, CVS Kidney Care Home Dialysis LLC, CVS Kidney Care LLC, CVS Manchester NH L.L.C., CVS Media Exchange LLC, CVS Michigan L.L.C., CVS Orlando FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS PA Distribution L.L.C., CVS PR Center Inc., CVS Pharmacy Inc., CVS RS Arizona L.L.C., CVS Rx Services Inc., CVS SC Distribution L.L.C., CVS State Capital L.L.C., CVS TN Distribution L.L.C., CVS Transportation L.L.C., CVS Vero FL Distribution L.L.C., Campos Medical Pharmacy LLC, Canal Place LLC, Care Pharmaceutical Services LP, CareCenter Pharmacy L.L.C., Carefree Insurance Services Inc., Caremark Arizona Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Arizona Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark California Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Florida Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Florida Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Hawaii Mail Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Hawaii Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark IPA L.L.C., Caremark Illinois Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Illinois Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Irving Resource Center LLC, Caremark Kansas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark L.L.C., Caremark Logistics LLC, Caremark Louisiana Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Maryland Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Massachusetts Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Michigan Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Minnesota Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark New Jersey Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark North Carolina Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ohio Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Pennsylvania Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark PhC L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Redlands Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Repack LLC, Caremark Rx L.L.C., Caremark Tennessee Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ulysses Holding Corp., Caremark Washington Specialty Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Alabama Mail Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Health L.L.C., CaremarkPCS L.L.C., Central Rx Services LLC, Claims Administration Corp., Cofinity Inc., Compscript LLC, Connecticut CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood Tennessee, Continuing Care Rx LLC, Coram Alternate Site Services Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Alabama, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater D.C., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater New York, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Indiana, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Massachusetts, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Mississippi, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Nevada, Coram Healthcare Corporation of North Texas, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Northern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Utah, Coram LLC, Coram Rx LLC, Coram Specialty Infusion, Coram Specialty Infusion Services L.L.C., Coventry Consumer Advantage Inc., Coventry Health Care National Accounts Inc., Coventry Health Care National Network Inc., Coventry Health Care Workers Compensation Inc., Coventry Health Care of Illinois Inc., Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc., Coventry Health Care of Missouri Inc., Coventry Health Care of Nebraska Inc., Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Care of West Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Plan of Florida Inc., Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, Coventry HealthCare Management Corporation, Coventry Prescription Management Services Inc., Coventry Rehabilitation Services Inc., Coventry Transplant Network Inc., D & R Pharmaceutical Services LLC, D.A.W. LLC, Delaware CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Delaware Physicians Care Incorporated, Digital eHealth LLC, District of Columbia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., E.T.B. INC., Echo Merger Sub Inc., Eckerd Corporation of Florida Inc., Employee Assistance Services LLC, Enloe Drugs LLC, Enterprise Patient Safety Organization LLC, EntrustRX, Evergreen Pharmaceutical LLC, Evergreen Pharmaceutical of California Inc., Express Pharmacy Services of PA L.L.C., FOCUS HealthCare Management Inc., First Health Group Corp., First Health Life & Health Insurance Company, First Script Network Services Inc., Florida Health Plan Administrators LLC, Garfield Beach CVS L.L.C., Generation Health L.L.C., Geneva Woods Health Services LLC, Geneva Woods LTC Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Management LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Alaska LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Washington LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Wyoming LLC, Geneva Woods Retail Pharmacy LLC, Georgia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., German Dobson CVS L.L.C., Goodhealth Worldwide (Asia) Limited, Goodhealth Worldwide (Global) Limited, Goodyear CVS L.L.C., Grand St. Paul CVS L.L.C., Grandview Pharmacy LLC, Group Dental Service Inc., Group Dental Service of Maryland Inc., Health Care Management Co. Ltd., Health Data & Management Solutions Inc., Health Re Inc., Health and Human Resource Center Inc., HealthAssuance Pennsylvania Inc., Healthagen LLC, Highland Park CVS L.L.C., Holiday CVS L.L.C., Home Care Pharmacy LLC, Home Pharmacy Services LLC, Hook-SupeRx L.L.C., Horizon Behavioral Services LLC, Idaho CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., IlliniCare Health, Indian Health Organisation Private Limited, Innovation Health Holdings LLC, Innovation Health Insurance Company, Innovation Health Plan Inc., Interlock Pharmacy Systems LLC, Iowa CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., JHC Acquisition LLC, Kansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Kentucky CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., LCPS Acquisition LLC, Langsam Health Services LLC, Lo-Med Prescription Services LLC, Lobos Acquisition LLC, Longs Drug Stores, Longs Drug Stores California L.L.C., Louisiana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., MHHP Acquisition Company LLC, MHNet Life and Health Insurance Company, MHNet Specialty Services LLC, MHNet of Florida Inc., Managed Care Coordinators Inc., Managed Healthcare LLC, Martin Health Services LLC, Maryland CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Med World Acquisition Corp., Medical Arts Health Care LLC, Medical Examinations of New York P.C., Melville Realty Company Inc., MemberHealth LLC, Mental Health Associates Inc., Mental Health Network of New York IPA Inc., Meritain Health Inc., Merwin Long Term Care LLC, MetraComp Inc., Minor Health Enterprise Co Ltd., MinuteClinic, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Alabama L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arizona LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Florida LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Georgia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Hawaii L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Illinois LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Kentucky L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Louisiana L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maine L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maryland LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Nebraska L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Hampshire L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Mexico L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Ohio LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oklahoma LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oregon LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Pennsylvania LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Rhode Island LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of South Carolina L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Texas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Utah L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Virginia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Washington LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Wisconsin L.L.C., MinuteClinic L.L.C., MinuteClinic Online Diagnostic Services LLC, MinuteClinic Physician Practice of Texas, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services LLC, Mississippi CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Missouri CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Montana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NCS Healthcare LLC, NCS Healthcare of Illinois LLC, NCS Healthcare of Iowa LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kansas LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kentucky Inc. (Oh, NCS Healthcare of Montana LLC, NCS Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, NCS Healthcare of Ohio LLC, NCS Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, NCS Healthcare of Tennessee LLC, NCS Healthcare of Wisconsin LLC, NIV Acquisition LLC, Navarro Discount Pharmacy, Nebraska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NeighborCare Holdings Inc., NeighborCare Inc., NeighborCare Pharmacy Services Inc., NeighborCare Services Corporation, NeighborCare of Indiana LLC, NeighborCare of Virginia LLC, New Jersey CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Niagara Re Inc., North Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., North Shore Pharmacy Services LLC, NovoLogix LLC, OCR Services LLC, Ocean Acquisition Sub L.L.C., Ohio CVS Stores L.L.C., Oklahoma CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Omnicare, Omnicare Holding Company, Omnicare Inc., Omnicare Indiana Partnership Holding Company LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania East LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania West LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of the Great Plains Holding LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy and Supply Services LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of Tennessee LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of the Midwest LLC, Omnicare Property Management LLC, Omnicare of Nebraska LLC, Omnicare of Nevada LLC, Omnicare of New York LLC, Oregon CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., PE Holdings LLC, PHPSNE Parent Corporation, PP Acquisition Company LLC, PRN Pharmaceutical Services LP, PT Aetna Management Consulting, Pamplona Saude e Beleza LTDA, Part D Holding Company L.L.C., PayFlex Holdings Inc., PayFlex Systems USA Inc., Pennsylvania CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Performax Inc., Pharmacy Associates of Glenn Falls LLC, Pharmacy Consultants LLC, Phoenix Data Solutions LLC, Precision Benefit Services Inc., Prime Net Inc., ProCare Pharmacy Direct L.L.C., ProCare Pharmacy L.L.C., Prodigy Health Group Inc., Professional Risk Management Inc., Pt. Aetna Global Benefits Indonesia, Puerto Rico CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Red Oak Sourcing LLC, Resources for Living LLC, Rhode Island CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Roeschens Healthcare LLC, RxAmerica, Schaller Anderson Medical Administrators Incorporated, Scrip World LLC, Sheffield Avenue CVS L.L.C., Shore Pharmaceutical Providers LLC, Silverscript Insurance Company, Soma Intimates, South Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., South Wabash CVS L.L.C., Specialized Pharmacy Services LLC, Spinnaker Bidco Limited, Spinnaker Topco Limited, Stadtlander Drug Company, Stadtlander Pharmacy, Sterling Healthcare Services LLC, Superior Care Pharmacy LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Administrative Services LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, T2 Medical Inc., TCPI Acquisition LLC, TargetPharmacy, Tennessee CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Company, Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Texas Health + Aetna Health Plan Inc., The Vasquez Group Inc., Thomas Phoenix CVS L.L.C., Three Forks Apothecary LLC, U.S Healthcare Holdings LLC, U.S. Healthcare Properties Inc., UAC Holding Inc., UC Acquisition LLC, UNI-Care Health Services of Maine LLC, Universal American - Medicare Part D Business, Utah CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., VAPS Acquisition Company LLC, Value Health Care Services LLC, Vermont CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virtual Home Healthcare L.L.C., Warm Springs Road CVS L.L.C., Washington CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Washington Lamb CVS L.L.C., Weber Medical Systems LLC, Wellpartner LLC, West Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Westhaven Services Co LLC, Williamson Drug Company LLC, Wisconsin CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Woodward Detroit CVS L.L.C., Work and Family Benefits Inc., ZS Acquisition Company LLC, Zinc Health Services LLC, Zinc Health Ventures LLC, bSwift LLC, and iTriage LLC.Derwent London plc owns 83 buildings in a commercial real estate portfolio predominantly in central London valued at A5.4 billion (including joint ventures) as at 30 June 2020, making it the largest London-focused real estate investment trust (REIT). Our experienced team has a long track record of creating value throughout the property cycle by regenerating our buildings via development or refurbishment, effective asset management and capital recycling. We typically acquire central London properties off-market with low capital values and modest rents in improving locations, most of which are either in the West End or the Tech Belt. We capitalise on the unique qualities of each of our properties - taking a fresh approach to the regeneration of every building with a focus on anticipating tenant requirements and an emphasis on design. Reflecting and supporting our long-term success, the business has a strong balance sheet with modest leverage, a robust income stream and flexible financing. As part of our commitment to lead the industry in mitigating climate change, in October 2019, Derwent London became the first UK REIT to sign a Green Revolving Credit Facility. At the same time, we also launched our Green Finance Framework and signed the Better Buildings Partnership's climate change commitment. The Group is a member of the 'RE100' which recognises Derwent London as an influential company, committed to 100% renewable power by purchasing renewable energy, a key step in becoming a net zero carbon business. Derwent London is one of only a few property companies worldwide to have science-based carbon targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Landmark schemes in our 5.6 million sq ft portfolio include 80 Charlotte Street W1, Brunel Building W2, White Collar Factory EC1, Angel Building EC1, 1-2 Stephen Street W1, Horseferry House SW1 and Tea Building E1. In 2019, the Group won several awards including EG Offices Company of the Year, the CoStar West End Deal of the Year for Brunel Building, Westminster Business Council's Best Achievement in Sustainability award and topped the real estate sector and was placed ninth overall in the Management Today 2019 awards for 'Britain's Most Admired Companies'. In 2013 the Company launched a voluntary Community Fund and has to date supported over 100 community projects in the West End and the Tech Belt. The Company is a public limited company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange and incorporated and domiciled in the UK. The address of its registered office is 25 Savile Row, London,

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Rite Aid: 1515 West State Street Boise Idaho LLC, 1740 Associates LLC, 4042 Warrensville Center RoadWarrensville Ohio Inc., 5277 Associates Inc., 5600 Superior Properties Inc., Advance Benefits LLC, Apex Drug Stores Inc., Ascend Health Technology LLC, Bartell Drugs, Broadview and WallingsBroadview Heights Ohio Inc., Design Rx Holdings LLC, Design Rx LLC, Design Rxclusives LLC, Drug Palace Inc., EDC Drug Stores Inc., Eckerd Corporation, Edgehill Drugs, Elixir Insurance Company, Elixir Pharmacy LLC, Elixir Rx Options LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions of Nevada LLC, Elixir Savings LLC, Envision Pharmaceutical, Envision Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, EnvisionRx Puerto Rico Inc., First Florida Insurers of Tampa LLC, GDF Inc., Genovese Drug Stores Inc., Gettysburg and Hoover-Dayton Ohio LLC, Grand River & Fenkell LLC, Harco, Harco Inc., Health Dialog, Health Dialog Services Corporation, Hunter Lane LLC, ILG  90 B Avenue Lake Oswego LLC, JCG (PJC) USA LLC, JCG Holdings (USA) Inc., K&B Alabama Corporation, K&B Incorporated, K&B Industries, K&B Louisiana Corporation, K&B Mississippi Corporation, K&B Services Incorporated, K&B Tennessee Corporation, K&B Texas Corporation, LMW  90B Avenue Lake Oswego Inc., Lakehurst and Broadway Corporation, Laker Software LLC, Maxi Drug Inc., Maxi Drug North Inc., Maxi Drug South L.P., Maxi Green Inc., Munson & Andrews LLC, Name Rite LLC, P.J.C. Distribution Inc., P.J.C. Realty Co. Inc., PCS Health Systems, PDS-1 Michigan Inc., PJC Lease Holdings Inc., PJC Manchester Realty LLC, PJC Peterborough Realty LLC, PJC Realty MA Inc., PJC Revere Realty LLC, PJC Special Realty Holdings Inc., PJC of Massachusetts Inc., PJC of Rhode Island Inc., PJC of Vermont Inc., Perry Distributors Inc., Perry Drug Stores Inc., RCMH LLC, RDS Detroit Inc., READs Inc., RediClinic, RediClinic Associates Inc., RediClinic LLC, RediClinic US LLC, RediClinic of DC LLC, RediClinic of DE LLC, RediClinic of Dallas Forth-Worth LLC, RediClinic of MD LLC, RediClinic of PA LLC, RediClinic of VA LLC, Richfield Road  Flint Michigan LLC, Rite Aid Drug Palace Inc., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Corp., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Funding Inc., Rite Aid Lease Management Company, Rite Aid Online Store Inc., Rite Aid Payroll Management Inc., Rite Aid Realty Corp., Rite Aid Rome Distribution Center Inc., Rite Aid Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Rite Aid Transport Inc., Rite Aid of Connecticut Inc., Rite Aid of Delaware Inc., Rite Aid of Georgia Inc., Rite Aid of Indiana Inc., Rite Aid of Kentucky Inc., Rite Aid of Maine Inc., Rite Aid of Maryland Inc., Rite Aid of Michigan Inc., Rite Aid of New Hampshire Inc., Rite Aid of New Jersey Inc., Rite Aid of New York Inc., Rite Aid of North Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Ohio Inc., Rite Aid of Pennsylvania LLC, Rite Aid of South Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Tennessee Inc., Rite Aid of Vermont Inc., Rite Aid of Virginia Inc., Rite Aid of Washington D.C. Inc., Rite Aid of West Virginia Inc., Rite Investments Corp., Rite Investments Corp. LLC, Rx Choice Inc., Rx Initiatives LLC, Rx USA Inc., The Bartell Drug Company, The Jean Coutu Group (PJC) USA Inc., The Lane Drug Company, Thrift Drug Inc., Thrifty Corporation, and Thrifty PayLess Inc..Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV.

Read More18 hours ago

3 Stocks Close to Record Highs to Buy Now

Although the market has been pulling back over the past few weeks, the good news is that there are still pockets of strength that stand out as potential buying opportunities. In fact, some stocks are trading close to their all-time highs and have barely budged during the recent market weakness, which tells us that there is heavy demand for their shares.

Read ArticleWall Street analysts have given RAIT Financial Trust a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but RAIT Financial Trust wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.Australia on Saturday urged Indonesia against any leniency toward the ideological leader of the Bali bombers as the government considers house arrest or other forms of clemency for the ailing radical cleric who is now in prison.

Wiranto, Indonesias top security minister, said Friday that a meeting of security ministers and police will make a recommendation on Abu Bakar Bashirs treatment to President Joko Jokowi Widodo.

Clemency, pardon, house arrest or just hospital treatment. It will be discussed in the near future and will be reported to the president, said Wiranto, who uses a single name.

Bashir, who turns 80 in August, was treated in a Jakarta hospital on Thursday for pooling of blood in the legs, a common condition in the elderly known as chronic venous insufficiency, and later returned to prison.

Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said on Thursday that the government plans to place Bashir under house arrest so he can be cared for by his family or transfer him to a prison near his hometown, Solo in Central Java, according to local media.

His numerous sympathizers hope Jokowi will grant him a permanent release due to his poor health, a move that would help mend fences between hard-line Muslims and Jokowi ahead of a presidential election in 2019 but alarm allies such as the United States and Australia. Jokowis approval ratings remain high with the broader Indonesian public.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishops office on Saturday described Bashir as the mastermind behind the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreigners including 88 Australians.

Bishops office said in a statement that Australians expected justice to continue to be served to the full extent that Indonesian law allows.

Abu Bakar Bashir should never be allowed to incite others to carry other future attacks against innocent civilians, the statement added.

Bashir was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2011 for supporting a military-style training camp for Islamic militants.

The firebrand cleric was arrested almost immediately after the Bali bombing. But prosecutors were unable to prove a string of terrorism-related allegations. He was instead sentenced to 18 months in prison for immigration violations.

Jokowis spokesman, Johan Budi, said the president will review the case, and house arrest is possible under the law.

He said a suggestion to pardon Bashir came from Indonesian Ulema Council chairman Maruf Amin and would require Bashir to apply for clemency.

That appears unlikely as it would involve Bashir recognizing secular authority. After being sentenced in 2011, he said he rejected the conviction because it was based on infidel law. Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, APHONG KONG An Indian man sought in his home country for a long list of alleged offenses including terrorism appeared in a Hong Kong court on robbery charges.

THAILAND At least 42 prospective political parties have submitted registrations to Thailands Election Commission after the military government that has run the country since 2014 allowed new parties to form ahead of polls supposed to be held by next February.

MALAYSIA The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 by a U.S. company will likely end in June, a Malaysian official said, as families of passengers marked the fourth anniversary of the planes disappearance on the weekend.

KOREA South Koreas president will send a delegation led by his national security director to North Korea this week for talks on how to ease nuclear tensions and help arrange the restart of dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington. More on p13

THE MALDIVES government has disputed claims by the Japanese foreign ministry that a Maldivian-flagged ship transferred goods to a North Korean-flagged tanker at sea in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution.

INDIA Prime Minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist party ended 25 years of uninterrupted communist party rule in a northeastern state and consolidated its position in two other states in key provincial elections.

SYRIA Troops and allied militias have captured a number of villages and towns in a rebel-held region near the capital, in the largest advance since a wide-scale offensive began last month, state media and activists reported yesterday.

SLOVAKIA Authorities have renewed their investigation into threats by a businessman against an investigative journalist who was shot dead last week with his fiancee, the countrys prosecutor general said yesterday.

GERMANY Chancellor Angela Merkel cleared the last major hurdle on her path to a fourth term yesterday, after members of the center-left Social Democrats voted in favor of continuing their governing coalition with her conservative bloc.

VENEZUELAs government has agreed to delay presidential elections by a month as part of a last-minute deal with a few of the political parties seeking to unseat President Nicolas Maduro.

US Local governments are suing a U.S. agency demanding a fix to a decades-old problem of sewage flowing downhill from Mexico and spilling onto U.S. wetlands and beaches.Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life!Advertise Here

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YEREVAN.  The Armenian government reacted to the rumors on possible impact of the American sanctions, but the answer hardly brought any clarity.

The information about new U.S. sanctions against Russian companies, in particular in the defense area, are not new. It is logical to suppose that this can impact the Armenian side. Haykakan Zhamank newspaper addressed the U.S. embassy to explain to what extent the situation will affect Armenia. In response to the request of the newspaper, the American diplomatic mission reported that there was a warning to the governments of the countries and private companies that in the event of material transactions with listed Russian companies the sanctions are possible. "We do not discuss our sanctions in advance. We declare sanctions when they are and if there are any."



In fact, the Armenian government is not directly pointed out in the reply of the embassy, which did not prevent the newspaper from writing about a warning to the government. Given that there was no refutation, the diplomatic hint was perceived correctly.

In this regard, the correspondent of Armenian News-NEWS.am appealed directly to the Armenian government to clarify the issue. The response to an inquiry from government's press service is as follows: The list of companies and departments of the defense and intelligence spheres of the government of the Russian Federation that are subject to sanctions is published on the websites of the US State Department and the US Treasury and is accessible to a wide audience. We also consider it necessary to note that in Armenia every specific decision is discussed and adopted in the context of ensuring improvment in complex security.Several hundred people go on protest action at US Congress

France: One person dies in a fight with participation of 150 bikers

Nuclear Chief of Iran does not plan to negotiate nuclear transaction in Vienna

US Capitol is preparing for rally of Trump supporters

21 people detained in Yerevan protests

Armenia Parliament Speaker on yesterday's incident with children of Artsakh on Goris-Kapan road

8 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Artsakh

Karabakh President receives Deputy Director of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund

Presidents of Tajikistan and Iran sign Memorandum of Cooperation

Situation at Charles Aznavour Square in Yerevan is tense, police are apprehending demonstrators

Yerevan citizens hold demonstration demanding cancelation of Independence Day event

Veterans of 44-day Karabakh war awarded

Erdogan to visit discuss situation in Idlib with Putin during visit to Russia

Opposition "Armenia" faction says authorities are leading session devoted to Syunik situation to failure

Explosion in Afghanistan's Jalalabad leaves at least 3 dead

Russia citizen breaks window of Yerevan bank and enters, police disarm him (PHOTOS)

Armenia police chief signs orders

Displaced residents of Karabakh's Shushi discuss Artsakh status and other issues during consultation

1,011 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Karabakh Parliament Speaker receives acting Rector of Yerevan State University

US Embassy in Armenia: Former Ambassador John Ordway is in Yerevan

Mined car explodes in Kabul

Karabakh President receives acting Rector of Yerevan State University

The Taliban draft new Constitution of Afghanistan

Thousands of Haitians are amassed near US borders

Azeri policeman threatens Armenian children on Goris-Kapan road - "There is no more Nagorno-Karabakh"

Turkey expects construction of first reactor of Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant to end in May 2023

Armenia PM's assistant and daughter of deceased serviceman get into dispute

Taliban forcing young Afghans to go to war

Karabakh National Security Service says news about Azerbaijanis working with Iranian passports is false

Armenia high-tech industry minister receives UK Ambassador

Opposition "Armenia" alliance cancels Robert Kocharyan's visit to Moscow due to court decision

Relatives of deceased Armenian soldiers demand that Independence Day event be canceled

Assistant to Armenia PM: There is no Turkish equipment at Republic Square

Azerbaijanis stop microbus transporting children of Artsakh, very obscenely tell them to get off

Digest: Karabakh soldier injured near border, Azerbaijanis stop car carrying bread to Armenia soldiers

Armenia PM's assistant to relatives of fallen soldiers: 30th anniversary of Independence Day event must be held

Deceased Armenian officer's daughter: Pashinyan is causing relatives of the fallen servicemen pain again

Armenia Freedom of Information Center hosts discussion on transparency of real owners

Parent of deceased Armenian soldier: There won't be a vivid fireworks display

Karabakh emergency situations service: Searches for remains of Armenian servicemen fruitless for 2 days

Armenian cross-stone consecrated in Mariupol

Armenia President at Summit of Minds: War was not only against Azerbaijan

Armenia official: No company with dominant position in countrys liquefied gas market

Kremlin assesses need for summit of "five" of UN Security Council

Fallen soldiers families protesting at Republic Square in Yerevan

Iran President: Countries of region need to create conditions for Afghanistan's development

Armenia, France FMs discuss Karabakh conflict

US Department of State approves defense treaty with Saudi Arabia

Putin to vote in Russian State Duma elections online

Armenia air defense trainings kick off

Dollar still going down in Armenia

Russia defense minister becomes a grandfather

Putin: Russia supports process of Iran's accession to Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Russian peacekeepers ensure safety during construction of road leading to mobile phone tower in Karabakh

Ombudsman briefs Baroness Caroline Cox on Azerbaijan violations against Armenia border residents

Armenia Deputy PM: I hope natural gas price stays the same

Pashinyan: Armenia interested in effective restraint of threat of terrorism in CSTO, SCO regions

Prosperous Armenia Party leader on upcoming local self-government elections

Artsakh MOD: Azerbaijan violated ceasefire, Defense Army soldier wounded

Russia company holding arms supply negotiations with Armenia

Azerbaijan nominates occupied Armenian Shushi for cultural capital of Turkic world

Armenia State Committee of Science has new General Secretary

Deputy PM: Armenia is considering possibility of importing natural gas from other countries, but...

Eurasian Economic Union minister: Armenia sees 19% growth of exports to EEU countries, 12% growth of trade

Armenia deputy PM is for starting border demarcation, delimitation with Azerbaijan

Azerbaijanis stop car carrying bread to Armenia soldiers

Armenia opposition MP: Border demarcation occurs when countries have no problems with each other

Armenia legislature majority faction: Yerevan, Baku must finally begin border delimitation, demarcation phase

Opposition Armenia Faction MP: Lawsuit filed with UN against Azerbaijan was correct, logical

Armenia deputy premier: Solution for unblocking regional communications more visible in terms of railways

GeoProMining announces completion of 2nd stage of Agarak Copper-Molybdenum Combine modernization project

Armenia deputy PM: Situation on Goris-Kapan road may affect economy

Opposition Armenia Faction in parliament: Security crisis in country not overcome yet

Armenia Police, Europol sign collaboration agreement (PHOTOS)

Azerbaijan to also petition to UN International Court of Justice in response to Armenia appeal

OSCE PA chair: Despite ceasefire in Karabakh much more needs to be done to guarantee durable peace

759 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Those displaced in Artsakh stage protest outside Armenia government

Russia Central Electoral Commission info center launches Duma voting and other elections

World oil prices dropping

Armenias Pashinyan to Irans Raisi. Our two governments activities started at same time, this is very good nuance

Armenia, India FMs discuss Karabakh conflict

Newspaper: Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement details known

Newspaper: Opposition Armenia Faction 2 MPs at focus of authorities attention

Newspaper: Laborers with Iran passports are brought to Artsakh

Armenia PM, Iran President meeting in Tajikistan

Trump predicts disappearance of US

Armenia institutes proceedings against Azerbaijan before International Court of Justice

3,000 French medical workers dismissed for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19

Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan affirm need to achieve national reconciliation in Afghanistan

Armenia State Revenue Committee chief and Russian counterpart discuss cooperation in taxation sector

Members of opposition "Armenia" parliamentary faction meet with delegation led by Baroness Caroline Cox

Armenia Deputy PM: Gyumri's Shirak International Airport has everything to serve European low-costers

Ambassador: I don't believe Belarus gives preference to Yerevan or Baku when it comes to relations

Taliban's ad hoc government holds first session

Armenia President appoints Chief of Staff of Special Army Corps-Deputy Commander of Corps

Zakharova: Russia has told Baku about its position on the Turkish-Azerbaijani joint military exercises

Armenia high-tech industry minister receives Head of EU Delegation Andrea Wiktorin

Digest: Armenia assumes CSTO chairmanship, Armenian COVID-19 situation is tenseEgypt's top court on Saturday dismissed all outstanding legal challenges to a deal transferring two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, a day before a visit by its crown prince, NY Times reported quoting Reuters.

The plan to cede the islands to Riyadh, an ally which has given billions of dollars in aid to Egypt, was announced in 2016 and became mired in political protest and legal action.

The Supreme Court ruled that no other court had jurisdiction over the matter, blocking two opposing verdicts - one by the Supreme Administrative Court, which was against ceding control of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, the other by the Court of Urgent Matters, which looked to void that decision.

"The signature of the representative of the Egyptian state on the maritime borders agreement between the governments of Egypt and Saudi Arabia is undoubtedly an act of sovereignty," the Supreme Court said in a statement, adding that approving the deal was down to Egypt's legislative body.The statement of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that any use of nuclear weapon against Russia and its allies will be considered as attack is just a warning to the West, Anatoly Tsyganok, head of the Center of Military Prognosis, Russian military expert, told Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent.

So, according to him, if someone attacks any of the CSTO member countries, let's say Armenia, Moscow will react to this and take appropriate measures to protect its allies.

"In that case it will be almost comparable to the attack on Russia. It is approximately the same situation, as with NATO. If someone attacks one of member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, then all other member countries of this organization will surely support the ally which has been subjected to aggression," Tsyganok explained.

On the specifying question that the Russian President spoke not so much about usual attack, but, directly, about use of nuclear weapon against allies of Russia the military expert noted that Americans constantly said that, if necessary, they would be ready to use even tactical ammunition with a nuclear stuffing. At the same time, as Tsyganok noted, agreements between Russia and the US on bilateral disarmament and the disposal of tactical ammunition have been reached in due time, however the American side hasn't fulfilled these requirements and its part of the obligations, which subsequently compelled the Russian political leadership to draw the appropriate conclusions.

Besides, according to the expert, the situation became even more aggravated also because Washington, together with its allies, broke the promise to the Russian side and began to expand the North Atlantic Alliance, including countries of Eastern Europe which, earlier, were members of the Warsaw pact.

At the same time, head of the Center of Military Prognosis emphasized that there were about 200 tactical ammunition with a nuclear stuffing left in Europe, which hasn't been utilized by Americans. Over 30 of them were in Turkey. But after the coup attempt and removal of the president Recep Tayyip Erdogan from office, this ammunition has been taken out by Americans from the territory of Turkey as Washington as Tsyganok noted, ever particularly trusted Ankara on this issue. And after the coup attempt, the mistrust to Turkey and Erdogan has increased even more which caused certain tensions between the two allied bloc states.

On March 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that any use of nuclear weapon against Russia and its allies will be considered as attack.Shabaab Claims Killing Over 50 AMISOM Troops in Bay and Middle Shabelle, 6 Kenyan Soldiers in ManderaHome | Latest Addition | It is unfair to call female politicians promiscuous Fateema Muhammed

Why I Want To Serve Ifako-Ijaiye In House of Reps

By Lekan Bilesanmi

Hon. Fateema Muhammed is a woman politician. In this interview, Muhammed speaks on her ambition to represent Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency, Lagos in the House of Representatives in 2019 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), among other issues.

Hon. Fateema Muhammed

How long have you been nursing the ambition of going into public office and who and what actually encouraged you to go into active politics?

A whole lot of factors spurred me into taking part in active politics or perhaps participating in politics. The first and which I would describe as the major was when I was driving by and saw where a woman was abused by a man. When I say abuse I dont mean verbal abuse but physical. I had to stop and mediate but to my greatest surprise, she never had anyone to support her, and the said man was also her husband. This gave me a pulse that there is the need for women to brace up and speak yet maintaining decency. Stand for their rights and demand for it not minding whose ox is gored. Another reason for participating was to clear this impression that women politicians are promiscuous and not assertive when it comes to governance.

Would you say you had leadership traits from childhood?

There is a popular saying that goes that everyone is born a leader, but it now depends on what role and purpose you are created for. Leadership has been an inborn right from my childhood, though my university days and to this moment.

As a grassroots politician, what exactly do you think is the main challenge confronting this country?

The main problem I would say we have as a nation is being selfish and not compassionate as individuals. Nigeria is naturally endowed to provide basic, infrastructural needs of its citizenry and also make every Nigerian gets the basic amenities but we would rather enrich ourselves than the nation. I pray for a Nigeria that will look at the national pledge and act accordingly; development does not rest on the shoulder of a particular peer group, nor respects age and agility, but rather bows to a man who possesses rejuvenated mind-set about development and growth. Based on the question, we also have the issue of trust; the inability of one group to see the other just as it sees itself. Lets trust others just exactly the way we want them to trust us.

You are aspiring for the House of Representatives. Would you like to share the developmental programmes you have in plan for your constituents?

There is nothing I had ever wished to do politically that I have never done, only that there will certainly be an increase in the quality and size. I have always been a woman who loves to give back to the society. I am passionate about cushioning the effect of poverty. I have a comprehensive growth and development induced programs to embark on in no distant time. Whether I win or not, our women must be empowered with the basic and necessary tools so as to thrive in whatever environment they find themselves. The men are not also left out in my plans.

Do you think politics is really a dirty game?

Like I said earlier, everything in life is all about mind-set. Whats your mind-set about money, marriage, friendship, business, religion and politics? Your mind-set is the determining factor in the whole process of life. Some people might see politics to be dirty and ungodly, but for me, I see politics as a profession meant for people with mature leadership in correcting the anomalies embedded in the national structure.

If elected to the House, what is going to be your main focus in legislation?

One of my concerns so far has been gender equity and not gender equality. Obviously we cant match the men when it comes to strength and wit but we can contribute our own quota in the society not forgetting that we are the mothers of the nation. My federal constituency is the second largest in Lagos and one of the least developed. But let me assure the good people of Ifako Ijaiye that I am here to change the narrative God willing when I become their representative. I would also step up my empowerment programmes and my community development would be taken to another level.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Latest AdditionGovt alleges sabotage of clean initiative

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos State government is battling to restore sanity into wastes management in the state.

13,000 metric tons of wastes were generated daily in Lagos but the volume has, of recent, increased.

Consequently, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, in 2017, signed the Environmental Management Protection Law to sanitise the environment.

The law limits governments role to wastes regulation. The wastes management aspect has been left for an environmental utility company, Visionscape Sanitation Services Limited, VSS, to handle under a 10-year franchise.

The VSS, a multinational company with the reputation for rendering innovative environmental solutions, is to manage wastes in line with global best practices and commenced full commercial operation on March 1, 2018.

The contract was to initially handle wastes in residential areas. But this did not go down well with Private Sector Participants, PSP, operators who had been in charge of wastes management in Lagos. They dragged the state government to court. The matter lasted one year and ended only when the parties in the suit reached an out-of-court-settlement. While the matter went on in court, the resources of Visionscape, which were initially meant for collecting domestic wastes, had to be stretched because they were also deployed for managing commercial wastes in public areas that had been abandoned by the PSPs.

The PSPs, now called Wastes Collectors, WCOs, have over 400 approved wastes collection operators. They concentrate on collecting commercial wastes from schools, churches, industries, hospitals and other businesses, while Visionscape focuses on residential wastes collection.

To underscore the readiness of Visionscape to fulfil its mandate, its CEO, John Irvine, in an interview with Vanguard, articulated a roadmap at the end of which he said Lagos residents would be able to appreciate the Cleaner Lagos Initiative, CLI, fully.

Irvine further stated, In line with the CLI framework, wastes gathered by the community sanitation workers will be segregated, recycled and sent away and will be made into brushes, shovels and bins to come back into the state to be used in the environment.

In January 2018, the state government announced a total ban on cart pushers and wheel barrow operators in the state, saying their activities were inimical to environmental cleanliness.

The Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr. Tunji Bello, announcing the ban, said that with the flag off of the CLI, the continuous activities of cart pushers would pose a threat to the success of the initiative.

Bello said that investigations had also revealed that the cart pushers were responsible for most of the dumping of wastes in canals and road medians at night which causes flooding, adding that, aside constituting environmental nuisance, they were also sources of security threats.

He explained that government had discovered that those set of people used the night to perpetrate all sorts of dastardly acts. They dump refuse indiscriminately on the median of major roads and highways. They also pose serious security threats because they use those carts to hide arms and ammunitions and hide under the guise of carrying refuse to rob unsuspecting residents.

The state government, therefore, declared zero tolerance for the activities of cart pushers and wheel barrow operators and directed security agencies to ensure that those found still operating are arrested and prosecuted according to the State Environmental Laws.

As part of the steps to tackle the menace, the state government arrested some suspects allegedly caught in the act. The state government, on Tuesday, said it had concluded plans to arraign four officials of some PSP operators arrested for dumping wastes on the streets in the middle of the night along the Central Business District, CBD, of Lagos Island.

Also, four cart pushers, Yusuf Saheed, Abubakar Lawal, Bashiru Umar and Amira Abdul, who were arrested in Moshalasi Alhaja in Agege area of the state, for dumping refuse in unauthorised spots, were to be arraigned in court.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, said the PSP operators were arrested by security operatives in the early hours of Tuesday, in the process of using their compactor to dump refuse on the street.

Bamigbetan said the latest arrest brought the number of PSP operators arrested for similar offence in the last one week to five, while hundreds of cart pushers and wheel barrow operators had equally been arrested for dumping wastes in public places and canals in various parts of the state.

The commissioner maintained that the arrest was a clear confirmation of the suspicion of government that the new environmental waste management policy encapsulated in CLI was being sabotaged by vested interests.

He said: A PSP operator was caught along Lagos Island Central Business District discharging refuse on the street. He was arrested by security operatives in the middle of the night which shows the institutional corruption that has been lingering in the sector which the state government intends to fight with the reforms put in place.

The arrest of the PSP operator is a clear example of the deliberate efforts to sabotage what the State Government is doing. The PSP operators are not being driven out of their businesses with the reforms as they are making the public to believe.

Under CLI, the government has made provision for the PSP operators to handle collection of commercial waste and there are over 15,000 companies in Lagos that can serve the over 200 PSP operators in the State. So far, the CLI has been able to get over 50,000 new employees out of the labour market.

The government has also stressed itself by getting N2.5billion loan to enable the PSP operators buy equipment to be more competitive. These are the things they can key into than blackmailing government. The whole idea is to build local capacity in order to employ more of our unemployed youth, Bamigbetan said.

Meanwhile, a PSP operator arrested in Mushin has been charged to court, while the latest suspect would also be charged to court by the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, LAGESC.

The PSP operators are being used by those fighting against the reforms the government is putting in place. The CLI is part of the measures to fight institutional corruption in the system which the government is determined to eradicate, the Information Commissioner said.

Government will not be blackmailed into abandoning the right thing for the people. The state government is committed to ensuring that the corruption in the waste management system is stamped out.

Any PSP operator henceforth caught will be dealt with using the full weight of the law. No government will fold its arms and allow few vested interests whose interests are inimical to the majority of the people and aimed at sabotaging governments policies and programmes to have a field day.

He urged residents to exercise a little more patience as the current challenges with waste disposal would soon be over, just as he advised the PSP operators to support government by embracing the new initiative.

Commissioner for Environment, Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, at media briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, said, What we are currently experiencing across the state is temporary. It would soon disappear. All we want is for residents to bear with the state government on the refuse found across the state.

I am not a cart pusher  Suspect

Meantime, one of the suspects, Abubakar Lawal, who claimed to be a bus driver employed by a private school, said that he was on his way to school when he was apprehended by environment officials, even as he alleged that no fewer than 15 persons were arrested but released after negotiations.

He said: I was on my way to the school where I was employed as a driver when the state government officials arrested me. I do not know the reason for their action. And later they told me that I was found dumping refuse at unauthorized locations.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: Latest AdditionHome | News | General | Chi speaks on indegenous origin of chapman

Chi Limited, manufacturers of Chapman Happy Hour, says the drink has built affinity with consumers through distinct refreshment Nigerian style.

Chivita

The company said consumers now consider the drink an indispensable feature, turning their every moment into special occasions

The Marketing Director of Chi Limited, Probal Bhattacharya, Chapman Happy Hour is an indigenous drink guaranteed to provide Nigerians with ultimate refreshment they would love.

Chapman Happy Hour by Chivitais unique in its own way in that it truly speaks to the Nigerian way of refreshment with its indigenous taste and fruity blend, which connects with our distinctstyle of celebration and culture. We believe consumers can take pride in Chapman Happy Hour by Chivita and what it offers, he added.

Yewande Busayo, a boutique owner, stated that she was introduced to Chapman Happy Hour by Chivita by a friend, and since then, it has become her go-to drink for refreshment.

Thomas Maduko, a brand analyst, reiterated that even though chapman drink is a local Nigerian drink, not many have openly projected its indigenous origin and association with Nigeria like Chapman Happy Hour by Chivita has done.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General

Loading...Home | News | General | UBN receives PCI DSS recertification, ISO 27001 certification

Union Bank of Nigeria, UBN, has announced its attainment of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 3.2 recertification and the International Organisation for Standardisation ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification.

Union Bank

The bank was awarded by Panacea Infosec, Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) in conjunction with their local partner- Digital Encode, having successfully met the security requirements needed to achieve the PCI DSS version 3.2 certification.

The PCI DSS is an international data security standard which all organisations must adhere to in order to accept payment cards, and to handle or transmit cardholder data. This standard ensures secure processing of card payments and the reduction of card fraud.

The information security management system ISO/IEC 27001:2013 is an internationally recognised standard which specifies the requirements for the establishment of an effective information management security system. These certifications enable the bank offer its customers improved data security against card fraud, identity theft, insider threats, cybercrime, hacking and other security exposures.

Commenting on the attainment, Executive Director and Head of Service and Technology at Union Bank, NathUde, said: The banks compliance with international best practices, certified by an independent third-party audit, confirms our ability to build, implement and maintain best security practices. We assure our customers of our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of information security as we continue to provide them with simpler, smarter services.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General

Loading...Home | News | General | All Animals Are Not Equal

By Chioma Gabriel

My kids last Thursday went on excursion to Lekki Conservation Centre and came back very excited. In fact, they couldnt wait for me to settle down after work to share their experience. In their innocence, they didnt know when they passed a key information that typified what has been going on in Nigeria. A pupil from another school which also came on excursion , a white girl was eating biscuit and a monkey in the conservation centre begged to be given. When the girl was not forthcoming with sharing her biscuit with the monkey, the animal wanted to take it by force and the duo began to drag the biscuit. Unknown to the girl, another monkey hanging on a tree was watching. At a stage, having noticed how stingy the white girl was, the monkey on a tree jumped on the girl, collected the biscuit forcefully and jumped back on the tree.

The girl fainted.

After narrating their story, they burst into laughter and said the guide told them monkeys eat everything a human eats.

But I was thinking about other things.

Do you think that Animal Farm , an allegorical novella by George Orwell had Nigeria in mind ? We have heard all manner of stories about animals dealing with us as a people. Nigerians were told that a snake and a monkey stole huge sums of money belonging to the people and many took it with a pinch of salt. They didnt know that monkeys can eat anything humans can eat, even snakes. They can spend naira and dollars too just like the rest of us.

Nigerians have been lamenting the rate at which animals are gradually creeping into national conversation with regards to funds.

When the story broke that some persons spiritually stole public funds kept in JAMB office through a mysterious snake that always crawled into the office to swallow the money from the vault, Nigerians doubted it. How come?

But just in case this story was true, a good senator, Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna central took a snake charmer to JAMB office to see the possibility of getting the snake to vomit the money but that was not to be.

Shortly after the snake incident, the same Senator Sani revealed that N70 million belonging to northern senators was carted away by monkeys at Senator Adamu farm in Nasarawa State.

Nigerians have been expressing mixed reactions to the news of animals stealing money in the country, Nigerians dont believe in anything anymore. They dont even know what to believe.

We simply dont understand how animals are being used by unscrupulous persons as a ploy to cover up their evil deeds as corruption seems to be taking bolder steps in the country.

Nigeria is gradually turning into the Animal Kingdom. One day, the tortoise will come out of nowhere and cunningly collect the money from the monkey and the snake and then turn all the other animals against each other.

For those of us who dont believe these tales by the moonlight, let us at least enjoy the steady source of comic relief and fountain of ridicule coming from the animal kingdom.

What do Nigerian politicians take us for? Do they think we are that gullible?

From the time president Buhari went on medical tourism, animals have been dealing with Nigeria. It was the same Senator Sani who posted on social media during Buharis absence that jackals and hyenas were tramping on the weaker animals, in the absence of the lion, in the belief that the lion would not come back. He said that it was the prayer of the weaker animals that the lion should come back soon.

And the presidents wife, Aisha Buhari had responded metaphorically to the posting saying: God has answered the prayers of the weaker animals. The hyenas and the jackals will soon be sent out of the kingdom. We strongly believe in the prayers and support of the weaker animals.

And the lion returned.

First, it was a rat in the lions den that him out of his den, making him to operate from the house.

Currently, Nigerians are battling with the issue of cattle sacking communities and herders killing off the farmers. Now, where pupils ought to be in school, cattle have taken over the classrooms, the universities, government houses and the highways.

What is going on in Nigeria? Are we really serious? Or dont we appreciate the depth of the damage animals is causing us?

When will Nigeria be done with animal business? When will that lunacy come to an end? When will animals cease to be blamed for all the woes of Nigeria?

What are the cause of animal madness and addiction to money? Nigerians have made enough fun of these incidents. We should get serious and tell ourselves the human truth.

We seem to be in the era of animals greater than man.

Mais les Nigerians peuvent-ils jamais vivre a labri de la tyrannie de leurs maitres des animaux? (But can Nigerians ever live free from the tyranny of their animal masters?)

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General

Loading...Home | News | General | Go, get your voters card to elect your choice of leader, Sultan tells Nigerians

By Bashir Bello

KATSINA  The Sultan of Sokoto and President General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III, has on Saturday told Nigerians to go, get their voters card ready to elect leaders of their choice in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.



The Sultan made the call during the Closing Ceremony of the 32nd National Quranic Recitation competition organized by Centre for Islamic Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and hosted by the Katsina State.

Alhaji Saad Abubakar said it is only by getting their voters card that they can have a say in what their leaders do.

The Sultan of Sokoto, urged Nigerians to ensure they register in order to participate in the voting process during the scheduled 2019 general elections.

It is only through your voters card that you can challenge your leaders and also have a say in what they do, the Sultan said.

In his remarks, Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, said the prevalent Almajiranci system has no basis in Islam.

The practice of the Almajirai is far from being a reflection of Islamic ideals.

The Almajirai are erroneously linked to Islamic education. Aged between four and 15 years, the Almajirai are engaged more in seeking sustenance for themselves than in learning the Quran. They are exposed, exploited and abused and many of them become involved in crimes. Islam does not encourage begging, Governor Masari said.

Meanwhile, about 250 reciters participated in the competition.

The event also saw Amina Aliyu Mohd from Borno state and Amiru Yunus Guru from Bauchi state emerging as the overall winners and got awards such as brand new cars, Hajj seats and other cash donations.

However, hosting of the 33rd edition of the competition slated for next year has been handed to Gombe state after they were announced the winner.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM: General

Loading...By Denrele Animasaun

When there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do you no harm.-African proverb

Terror once again visited a female only boarding school and leaving in its wake, devastation and distraught families and school mates. In a run down, dilapidated school compound, it is evidently telling in the aftermath, what was left were only traces of footprints and items of clothing of the abduction, the footprints left of the girls, indicated that the girls struggled and fled in all directions. These school girls, 11-19 years old, ran for their lives, some towards the bushes, others mistakenly in to the hands of their abductors, with relief that they were the members of the army. They were dressed in military fatigues with one significant difference; as one of the escaped girls observed. This might have very well have saved her life; she noticed that they were wearing flip flops and she deduced in all the kerfuffle that army dont wear flip flops. Those that escaped were also helped by their brave teachers who helped them escape by assisting them to scale fences,hide in the bushes or in nearby homes until it was safe to come out. 110 girls are missing,110 children whose parents and relatives are grieving, inconsolable and beside themselves with dread of what will become of their children in the coming months or years  (some Chibok girls have been missing since 2014). We can only imagine what their parents are going through; no parent deserves this ordeal or nightmare of not knowing where your child is and no one is able to give you answers or reassurances of the safe return of your child. Dapchi, like Chibok has become synonymous with the abduction of school girls by the nefarious militants, Boko Haram.

The government has failed to address the vulnerability and security of such seat of learning robustly and they should have continued to offer security immediately after the Chibok abduction until the threats are no longer evident. Despite what the military said, after this current event they left a couple of days prior to the abduction, there recognizance was way off and it is little comfort to the parents of the abducted girls in particular and the community as a whole. In the armys defence, they said that they had evaluated the risks and had assumed that the school was safe from attack hence no further security was needed. Well, they evaluated wrongly and as a result 110 girls are missing. How do you tell parents and reassure them that their children are safe to go to school after this mass abduction? How do you say to them that they have been let down because they trusted that the powers that be have made the place safe for their children to go to a place of learning without the fear of abduction, rape and worse?. Any well-meaning parents will do what comes naturally, keep their respective children safe from harm and they will keep them away from schools. This is a disaster and it is playing into the hands of the deplorable and despicable murderers without a cause. The tragedy is that these parents despite, the hardship and sacrifices they made to send their children to schools, now wish they had not done so; but they did so, that their girls can be educated and lift their whole family out of poverty. The illiteracy rate in the north for women is far higher compared to the south and the surrounding regions and this latest abduction will play well into the hands of people who are vehemently opposed to educating girls.

The BKs insurgency in the north, according to UNICEF, has forced and kept more than 11 million children out of formal education. About 1,400 schools have been destroyed in Borno State and many in the surrounding states.

Right now, these parents are experiencing a living nightmare and the coming days will be torturous and traumatic every single day the girls remain missing. This loss and absence is not theirs alone to carry, we should as Nigerians know that, we all should help support them in their time of need and we hope and pray to God for the safe return of these young girls.

One of the parents said, My demand now is to see our children back. That is our demand. We are pleading, for every single community, whether it is international, Nigerian, whoever, to rescue our children in a civil manner.

The federal government has since provided details of the missing girls; Of the 110 missing girls, eight are in JSS1, 17 in JSS2, 12 in JSS3, 40 in SS1, 19 in SS2 and 14 in SS3. The girls ages range from 11 to 19 years.

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, issued a statement providing further details on the missing girls.

Mr Mohammed said the Nigerian Air Force had flown 200 hours while conducting the search at 6.00 p.m. on Monday but they are yet to locate the missing girls. We cannot afford for the missing girls to become another hash tag, neither can we let these hoodlums create fear and terror that perpetuate the region and set back the progress for females back decades.

CNN undercover report

CNN undercover report unveiled the underbelly of human trafficking hub in Edo state and it is very revealing and shocking that after the recent exposure of the slave markets in Libya of black Africans, including Nigerians, that the miserable trade continues to flourish in spite of the dangers is beyond normal comprehension. It shows clearly that many criminals are profiting from this human tragedy. The reporter was able to pose as potential illegal immigrant, looking for a way to leave the country. Clandestinely met with a trafficker who was to arrange a route to smuggle her out of the country. Of course for many, it is their way out of Africa and into Europe. The meeting was in a bordello, dark and dingy as the trade itself, the arranger was intimidating and he asked for $1,400 for the first leg of the journey to Libya and he warned that he did not want any undercover reporter to waste his time, that this was serious business. It was painful to watch.On embarking the bus, the arrangers called her aside and ask her if she had golden circle or Kiss kiss which were apparently condoms. He more than one way implied that she was going to be raped and it was in her best interest to carry protection and not resist when these men come forward to assist her.

Edo State is now dubbed Nigerias trafficking hub and one of Africas largest departure points. Each year, tens of thousands of migrants are illegally smuggled to North Africa and through to Europe, most are escaping hardship in Nigeria and others are being trafficked for the sex market in Europe. Most if not all, will be traumatised by this journey and some will die as a result of human trafficking.

From my archive Trouble with Dino

So here we are again in 2016, if it is to be believed, a senator using language that is unbecoming of the high office. There is no justification to threaten a woman with rape! No justification. What followed for Melaye, supposedly a damage control to put his own side of the story which failed spectacularly? I am appalled that some of the people reacted as if it was nothing or that he was justified. Melaye recounted that Remi Tinubu called him a thug and then, he called her stupid! Wow! It was a case of he said, she said. And she called him a dog, and he stood up and told her that this was not Bourdillion and as he was not one of those senators who normally come to prostrate to them, I am from Kogi and not from Lagos So he did not deny anything but he said I am not a coward

Can someone tell him that it is not what they call you but what you respond to? This is not the way any person should behave talk less a senator. So he charged towards the female senator and had to be held back by other senators, who remonstrated with him to let peace reign. Why did they not tell him that he misbehaved nor are they saying that his behaviour was acceptable?

Dino has got his temper which gets the better of him all the time. He is erratic and out of control. No man should be allowed to get away with such behaviour and it is a conduct not becoming of a senator. He has a bully mentality and does not know how to hold a civil conversation and resorts to use his fist and potty mouth. He threatened to beat Tinubu up and impregnate her on the floor of the Senate and he boasted that nothing will happen! Why this man is still allowed to walk free?

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Loading...Home | News | General | Callous herdsmen attacked butcher, raped woman Taiga, Urhobo leader

Says over 300 cattle-rearers occupy two communities in Ughelli LGA

By Dapo Akinrefon, Dep. Regional Editor, South West

Olorogun Moses Taiga is the President General, Urhobo Progress Union, UPU. In this interview, Taiga advocates a return to the 1960 and 1963 constitutions, which he believes would move the country forward. He also bares his mind on the activities of herdsmen in Urhoboland even as he insists that no single inch of Urhoboland land would be allocated for cattle colony.

Taiga

Attacks by herdsmen on their host communities, especially farmers, across the country pose threat to the unity of Nigeria. How can this menace be addressed?

Nigeria must first look inwards, if it must address the challenge; otherwise we will continue to make noise and, at the end of the day, nothing concrete will come out. It is a critical issue that deserves serious attention from all stakeholders in the Nigeria project. As it is currently, herdsmen activities across the country have raised tensions and our various governments must be very proactive in addressing the issue as soon as possible. We need to go back to the automation system whereby we used rail and trucks to transport cattle to the South. For example, in Sagamu, they used to bring cattle by train and take kolanut to the North through the same means. We need to reactive that. I learned that Ajaokuta-Warri rail line would be commissioned before the end of the year. They are also working on the Lagos-Ibadan rail line. With pockets of such projects, I believe the situation will improve. Besides, the roads are not too bad for trucks to bring cattle down to the South. During Christmas, I used to send people as far as Sokoto to buy cows for me to distribute to my communities, which they bring in trucks. So, we cannot abandon what worked for us before. There are trucks coming to buy diesel and petrol all the way from the North. They are there in Apapa, Warri and Port Harcourt to carry the products up North. So, what is the problem using the rail and roads for cattle transportation? We also need to start planting trees so that we can reclaim the land that has been lost to desertification. Recently, the Economic Intelligent Unit published by the London Economist said that 57 per cent of our arable land is gone. Togo is the worst with 79 per cent. We need to develop land for grazing by planting trees that will create foliage.

Do you agree with the argument that the killer herdsmen are not the real Fulani herdsmen living in the communities, but migrant Bororo who are very elusive to track?

I really dont know whether the attackers are the Bororo or whatever name you call them. Recently, I attended a meeting of Southern Leaders Conference held in Lagos. And the South-West zone, which has been keeping statistics, noted that up to 2015, there were only about 50 cattle herdsmens settlements in the region. But suddenly between 2016 and 2017, the figure grew to 127. That is an increment of about three folds in one year. It is possible they have an objective for coming, but we do not know what their objective is. What we do know is that their land in the North has become bare as a result of deforestation. When the land becomes bare, they try to move down South. That is why I am suggesting that the Federal Government should reverse that trend. If at all they have to come with their cattle, they should move them by rail and road. I dont buy the excuse that the attackers are difficult to track. I also dont buy the excuse that they are foreigners from Niger. This is a problem that was not there before and has now become a real problem.

Government seems to be insisting on establishing cattle colony across the country as the best solution to the crisis. Do you subscribe to a cattle colony in Urhoboland?

No inch of Urhoboland will be ceded to any colony. Are there cassava colonies or poultry colonies in the North? Why is the Federal Government segregating and selecting a particular type of people? Cattle-rearing is a private matter and individuals should make their private arrangement, just as crop farmers do, in that regard. Has government established cassava, yam, cocoa or plantain colonies? These squatters are trespassers and have to stop. I am speaking on behalf of my people; no inch of Urhoboland will be ceded to a colony. And I am on the same page with my governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, on this. He has even made a statement on the matter. So, we are speaking with one voice in Delta. I dont know of any other place, but for the Urhobo on whose behalf I am speaking, we are one and united. I want to use this opportunity to inform the Federal Government that Urhobo nation is against the proposed cattle colony and the Urhobo will not cede an inch of their land for the purpose of establishing a cattle colony.

Could you narrate the threat posed to the Urhobo nation by herdsmen and steps you are taking to protect your people?

I am saying this with a heavy heart that the activities of herdsmen in some communities in our land are already creating fears among the locals. In recent times, persistent herdsmen killings across the country have become a problem that demands special attention and I am using this medium to raise the alarm that many atrocities are being perpetrated by armed herdsmen in Urhoboland. The Urhobos in Delta State face a clear and present danger. You would have been reading about the incessant attacks of Urhobo people by Fulani herdsmen in their towns and villages for some time now. Our men are being killed and our wives and daughters are raped. The attacks are going on in Abraka, Uwheru Kingdoms and towns, Ovwor and many other towns and villages in Urhoboland.

Recently, they struck in Ovwor, attacking three men and raping one woman. Ironically one of the men they attacked is a butcher going to his place of work very early in the morning. These herdsmen are very daring and callous. Even a butcher, who patronises them by buying their cows, is not spared of the attacks.

While we call on President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, dislodge herdsmen from the land, I want to state that, at present, over 300 herdsmen are illegally occupying shops in an ultra-modern market not in use between Otovwodo and Ogor towns in Ughelli North Local Government Area. There are fears that the number of the herdsmen might double in no time. As I speak, most Urhobo people live in perpetual anxiety and trepidation in their homeland and the onus is on the security authorities to dislodge these hoodlums before they wreak further havoc. We must not allow the recent disaster in Benue State, where 73 people were killed by herdsmen, to occur in Urhoboland or any other place for that matter, again, in Nigeria.

Do you agree that communities should start arming themselves for self-defense?

Urhobo are peace-loving; we have never been involved in any intertribal war. We are not to arm ourselves to fight back. If we are going to do that, we will not be calling on government to take care of the situation. Urhobo do not think that the solution to the problem is to arm ourselves for war.

What are you telling your people so that they will not be victims of attacks?

Our people are farmers, they grow cassava, they produce yam. Now, they are being told not to go to farm. That is why we are shouting. In the case of Ughelli, some women went to the farm and they were driven back. They have virtually taken over a town called Agadama. So, it is a serious issue. I want to implore my people to be patient. We are crying hard to let the government know that it is not peace as usual and that they need to do something. It is not a one-day affair. We are hoping that the authorities will do the needful. There is already hunger in the land and we must not compound the situation. As we speak, our women can no longer go to farm to produce yams, cassava, and garri, which they bring to market to sell. Government should know that we are close to the precipice and it is very dangerous. They need to make sure that peace comes back to the land because we are peace-loving people.

As the President-General of UPU, you have expressed concern on the effects on your people but the issue cannot be addressed in isolation. How can Nigeria get out of the crisis?

Genuine cattlemen are leading their cattle through farmlands down to the South, destroying the crops along the way because there is no green vegetation for them in the North anymore. As they do this, they are stopping our people from going to farm. The trend portends hunger in the land. There is urgent need for government to stop the hunger. They should stop these people from marching down South. One way to stop it is to start planting trees and provide more irrigation waters. We should also go back to automation. That is, using railway and road to transport cattle to the South rather allowing the Fulani to troop down like an army of occupation.

Like I said earlier, we need to re-examine the old system. There is the need for a return to the 1960 Constitution where regions managed their resources and only contributed a percentage to the Federal Government. That is one of the ways to achieve lasting peace in Nigeria. It will also bring back healthy competition among regions, which helped to speed up growth and development in those days.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Origho, retired NAPIMS chief, @ 60: Yes, I love women!

IT was triple celebrations for Mr. Peter Oghenovo Origho, a retired management staff of National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, as family members held a programme to mark the retirement, birthday and 30th marriage anniversary in his honour on February 24 at the Alliance Insurance Plc Event Centre, Lekki, Lagos.

Ogheneovo Origho with wife, Phina

Origho, visibly overwhelmed by the show of love, said: Today, I feel great that my family is celebrating my birthday and retirement. This is what everyone prays for and, luckily, God has granted me the grace to witness this day.

I grew up as a child, went through service and then retired honourably after 35 years and now I am aging gracefully. It is something I should thank God for and the secret is just that I am charting the will of God.

The highlight of the days event was when his wife, Phina, came up with surprises to mark their 30 years of marriage. This, she did in a very romantic manner with artistic stage lighting, which came along with a dreamy stage dance with her husband of 30 years. She also unloaded a surprise birthday cake for their marriage anniversary apart from the gigantic cake that was already placed on podium for her husbands birthday/retirement party.

Orighos lovely children were not left out as they presented him a with life size art work with a motif of a man surrounded by women.

The retired NAPIMS chief, however, humorously explained that it does not mean he was surrounded by women in the negative sense. Yes, I love women. I dont have a choice because I have four girls and, the last, a boy. I have just one boy, so that is why they said I am surrounded by women and I have been enjoying the women folk, he stated.

Speaking further, he said, Again when you talk about gender sensitivity, you would appreciate the fact that you need a man that loves women, but it might not be on negative perspective.

Origho is currently a co-owner of the franchise called PLAMJ Hotels and Catering Services and the CEO of Rukena Energy Servicing Company.

His daughter, Mabel Origho, described her father as a man of numerous words who constantly dispenses pearls of wisdom whenever he has the opportunity.

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Loading...Home | News | General | DANGEROUS LOVE: Disagreement over dating brings mayhem to Kaduna town

Ugwuanyi loses N7m in three hours

By BEN AGANDE, KADUNA

Before Monday, last week, Emmanuel Ugwuanyi was a successful wholesaler and hotelier in Kasuwan-Magani, a bustling semi urban settlement 30 kilometers away from Kaduna city on the busy Kaduna-Kachin highway. He owned one of the best watering holes in the town and was the biggest wholesaler of alcoholic drinks. But within three hours, his investment of over six years were reduced to ashes. He lost a truck that he purchased barely a week earlier for N3.8 million; he also lost about N6 million in cash, being sales that he made over the weekend which his manager had planned to deposit in the bank in near-by Kaduna city, that fateful Monday.

When Sunday Vanguard met him in the ruined remains of his once bubbling shop, Ugwuanyi, who hails from Enugu, was a distraught and an obviously inconsolable man. I cannot believe that my investment just went up in flames because of no fault of mine. I am a victim of a violent disagreement over romance. It is very painful, he told Sunday Vanguard while fighting back tears.

What started as a mere disagreement between some youths in the town over whether people from a different religious group should date ladies from a different religion from theirs quickly escalated to an orgy of violence and arson with devastating consequences. By the time security reinforcement from nearby Kaduna city moved in to restore sanity, 11 people had died and almost all shops in the settlement had been torched.

So, what actually triggered the violence? Investigations by Sunday Vanguard indicated that though tension between the majority Christian population and the minority, economically more empowered Muslims had been simmering for a while, what served as a trigger was the decision of Christian youths in the area to discipline Christian girls who were found to be dating Muslim boys, against the decree passed by the Christian youths.

One of the punishments prescribed by the Christian youths against any Christian girl found to be dating any Muslim guy is 20 lashes of the cane.

According to the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the area, Rev. Makama Danjuma, I was away to Kaduna when I received a call that there was tension in Kasuwa Magani. I rushed back and I was ambushed by some young men  obviously, these were Muslims. Some of them said I should be killed but majority of them rejected the idea because, according to them, there was no need for the trouble in the land. I went round to dissuade people from making trouble.

But before this issue, there had been a problem. I was called by the chief of Kajuru on a Sunday for a meeting. When I went, I saw a lady in Hijab. He told me that I was invited as the chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria because the lady I saw in Hijab wanted to convert from Christianity to Islam and as the leader of Christians, I needed to be informed. I told him that I was not going to be part of it. I told him that he should allow me to hold a meeting with the girl and her parents before they go ahead with the planned conversion but he insisted so I left.

This is one problem that has lingered, the issue of Muslim guys dating Christian girls and to worsen the case, they would be boasting that we will sleep with your mothers and your daughters and you cannot do anything because we have the economic wherewithal to do so. It is this provocation that is at the root of this latest crisis he said.

Though purveyors of violence in the area tried to give it a religious slant, what happened was more of an economic crisis, with an economically less empowered group resisting what they saw as an oppression by an economically advantaged group, that just happened a different religion.

According to Ugwuanyi, what happened was mere criminality that people used religion to justify.

I have been doing business here for six years. There is nothing like religious crisis because it is criminal gangs who are made up of Christians and Muslims. The people who burnt this place went straight to my managers room because they know that that is where money is kept. I lost over N7 million because we did not go to the bank for three days he said.

The Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Austin Iwar, who led a security team to the area for an assessment vowed that no stone will be left unturned to identify perpetrators of the violence and bring them to book.

It is unfortunate. As we can see the level of destruction is very high, some people were killed and properties were destroyed. This is not what we wished for our state, Kaduna. Let me say that we will not leave any stone unturned in investigating the remote and the immediate causes of this problem. We will talk to the stakeholders here and try to find out what the problem is and through civil problem-solving approach and conflict resolution, we will deal with that. We will also look at the criminal aspect of it. So far, we have arrested 18 people that we suspect were involved in the crisis. We are working round the clock to ensure that we get to the root of the matter. We have recovered a number of dangerous items, including petrol bombs. We believe this is a planned thing and we will get to the root of the matter. We will do a thorough investigation to ensure that it does not happen again he said.

Though peace has been restored in the area, as long as the root cause of the crisis is papered over, there is no guarantee that some criminals may not resort to religion to wreak havoc on innocent people. The security agencies must work hard to ensure that those who use religion to perpetrate violence are brought to book.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Re: 2019: Atiku to formally declare in two weeks

The National Chairman, Atiku Care Foundation and National Youth Leader, Friends of Waziri Atiku, Amb. Aliyu Bin Abbas, has refuted some statements credited to him by an online medium (Not Vanguard) in a report with headline: 2019: Atiku to formally declare in two weeks, saying he was misquoted.

Atiku-Abubakar

According to him, All I said was that Atiku, as a Nigerian, has the right to contest for any political office, be it President or otherwise, and Nigerian Youths are ready for him now more than ever before. And when it is time for him to officially declare, he will certainly make it public any time soon and if he fails to declare, Nigerian youths are planning a nationwide rally in two weeks time to call for him to come and rescue Nigeria from its current stage of mess.

Also, Amb. Aliyu who said, although he represented the former VP at the event wherein he was misquoted, that what he said there was his own views and not that of the former Vice President.

Amb. Aliyu also said that He nearly shed tears when he (Atiku) asked me to reschedule another engagement to represent him here as he was overwhelmed by the massive support given to him by Nigerians especially the youths in his 24-year experience of being a politician. He has suffered a lot from the hands of politicians but is consoled by the increasing support by Nigerians.

He also said that Note: We as young people that truly believe in his policies, capacity and capability will rally round the six geopolitical zones.

However, he gave what was the message of Atiku Abubakar as thus: His message is that it is high time for Nigerians to vote out those in government due to their failure of helping the country out of its predicament, he said.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Dont forget us, Ogun community begs Amosun

By Emmanuel Okogba

Residents of Itele/Awori community in Ogun State have appealed to the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to remember their community as he distributes the dividends of democracy to the people of the state.

This was made known at the monthly meeting of all the Community Development Associations (CDAs) in the area held recently. Speaking on some of the challenges facing the community, the Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman of Itele/Awori Area Development Committee, Prince Olatunji Abdulrazaq Onolapo said absence of road remained the major problem of the community among others.

He noted that electricity used to be a major problem in the area until residents pooled resources together and tackled it. We used to have electricity problem, until 2014, when we fixed it through communal efforts. As at 2015, we have spent about N700 million to bring electricity to the entire community. Every individual CDA embarked on the electricity project, including the purchase of transformers, poles, cables and everything. We were connected to the national grid in September 2014, and until then we did not have light in the community, he said.

On what the community needs, he said: Our major priority now is road. We also need additional transformers, but most importantly, we need roads. You can see that all the CDAs are involved in gutter construction. We excavate sand from the gutter and use them to fill the road; so that they could be passable.

We have spent over N4 million between December last year and January this year to construct the road from Ayobo to Itele.

We are calling on Governor Amosun to come to our aid. We are pleading with him not to forget his promise.

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Loading...Home | News | General | PDP lies dangerous, APC warns

By Kunle Oyatomi

All Progressives Congress in Osun State has warned against what it described as dangerous lies of the PDP, spread through the internet about events in the state.

In this election year, the PDP will get beyond itself in telling outright lies to confuse, deceive or mislead those who have limited access to authentic information in order to demonize the state government and attempt to win peoples sympathy, the party said.

APC & PDP

I a press release from the APC Directorate of Publicity, Research and Strategy, and signed by its Director, Kunle Oyatomi, the party said that whatever information put out there in the social or regular media by the PDP should be regarded as a cocktail of distorted information, outright lies and disinformation materials, should be taken with a grain of salt.

The APC was particularly peeved by stories inserted in the depraved social media used by PDP trolls to the effect that only about 100 people loyal to the party were paid backlog of pensioners entitlement, which the government started disbursing on Monday.

But the truth, according to the APC, is that 2006 people have had disbursements totalling N1.2 billion, either in gratuity or contributory pension and another N150 million has again been approved during the week for the same purpose. And we confirm that the payments were made without discrimination.

So for the PDP media of lies and wickedly made-up stories to diminish the impact of this exercise on the fake news outlets, is disgraceful, and unbecoming of a party that seeks political power in Osun.

The APC said that the marvelous achievements of the Aregbesola-led APC government, even at a time of limited resources on the home-stretch of his tenure, will get the PDP into desperation and resort to lies and made-up stories from their factories of lies.

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Loading...Home | News | General | As it was for PDP

How unbridled egocentrism pours faeces on the faces of party leaders

Oyeguns tenure elongation runs into legal hitch

By Jide Ajani

With scornful disdain, they threw their party constitution out of the window.

Leaders of the the All Progressives Congress, APC, last Tuesday, at its National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting, began its own march down the valley of discontent, just as the now vexed and vexatious leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, did some four years ago, starting from 2014.

Oyegun, Tinubu and Buhari

Again, just as then President Goodluck Jonathan presided over a NEC meeting of the PDP where he disclosed that beleaguered chairman of the party, Bamaga Tukur, had resigned, but that he did no wrong, President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the APC NEC meeting where it decided to elongate the crises in the party by elongating the tenure of John Odigie Oyegun-led National Working Committee, NWC. The tenure was extended by one year starting from June this year. This was a NEC meeting that did not enjoy the complement of the presence of both Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

Caucus after the caucus

Like a carefully orchestrated coup, some right-wing leaders of the party, who had held a national caucus meting the night before, did not as much hint at such a move.

At the caucus meeting the previous night, according to information made available to Sunday Vanguard by usually dependable Aso Rock insiders, President Buhari was said to have played the democrat by calling for congresses which would then lead to a national convention. That was in the open.

However, another caucus after the caucus held and repudiated the earlier position, say, consensus, at the earlier official meeting.

Sunday Vanguard was made to understand that some leaders of the party, including but not limited to Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi; Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State; Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo State; and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State spearheaded the move to extend the tenure of the NWC.

Earlier schemes

Indeed, some scheming that had been going on behind the scene saw a situation where state chairmen of the APC had endorsed a two-year tenure extension for the Oyegun NWC. The catch in their move was self-preservatory as an extension of the NWCs tenure would automatically drill down an extension for state chairmen too. That way, perquisites and benefits derivable from and which go along with the prosperity-generating atmosphere of electioneering would be theirs. That is just one leg of it. The other leg would seek to engender an entitlement mentality which would see the NWC members and state chairmen laying claims to whatever success the APC is able to muster at the 2019 general elections. Both ways, the NWC and state chairmen saw victory in the horizon.

Muddying the waters

The flipped, however, is that the crises of many shades presently rocking the party may not be about to abate on account of the further exacerbation of an already poisoned environment.

In fact, those who hailed President Buharis appointment of the former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to help reconcile warring leaders of the party, saw in that move the wisdom of the old.

Unfortunately, events immediately after the appointment and commenced,went of reconciliation moves and events immediately before the caucus meeting appear to be tending towards pouring cold water on the peace initiatives. Mind you, as at the last conservative count, the APC has ignominiously generated over more than 27crises in its under three years of taking over as the ruling party [See box: APC CRISES, 2015  2017 (Dec)].

For instance, while Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State went on a bulldozing mission, demolishing the building of his opposition leader, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo advanced the cause of nepotism by saying he would endorse his son-in-law to take over from him as state governor.

NEC(k)-deep in crises

It was some of these built-up tension that the NEC meeting was expected to create an ambience of resolution for and not create an environment which would make others dig-in, while some feel betrayed.

But as it turned out, even the NEC meeting insinuated the party neck-deep in crises.

When the motion for the tenure extension was moved, no counter motion was allowed despite the spirited efforts of Governor Yari of Zamfara State and the partys Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Lawan Shuaibu, to raise objection. As the drama played out, President Buhari, whose position was to be assailed by that motion kept mum. Bola Tinubu, whose job of reconciliation would appear to be in jeopardy, also kept mum.

The elongation of the tenure only seems to point to one fact: That a section of the party leadership appears to be comfortable with Oyegun and the NWC and, therefore, did not want to rock the boat. This appears reasonable. Pursuing the line further, some believe  and rightly so  that going for a national convention before a general election at the door comes with dangerous possibilities that may lead to unintended consequences which may be too grave for the party. But the undemocratic foundation that has been laid by whimsically extending the tenure, in the estimation of right-thinking leaders of the party would only seek to further polarise and has actually further polarised the party because the only signal it has sent out is that the reconciliation may not really be necessary since the party has rewarded one side of the battle with tenure elongation.

Position of the law

Tenure elongation is not backed by APC Constitution and 1999 Constitution.

Tenure extension would have required an amendment to the partys constitution.

The much-quoted Article 13 of the APC Constitution rightly states that NEC can assume powers of convention in between two conventions.

But the much-sidelined Article 30 says constitution amendment can only be done at convention and states processes for it.

Article 17 talks about 4-year tenure for elected executives, which is renewable. But no where did it envisage tenure extension.

The move also offends Section 223 of the constitution which talks about periodic elections.

Article 13.3(ii) of the constitution empowers NEC to: Discharge all functions of the National Conventions as constituted in between Conventions.

Article 30(i) states that: This Constitution and Schedules hereto can be amended only by the National Convention of the Party

(ii) Notice of any proposed amendment by any member or organ of the Party shall be given to the National Secretary at least twenty-one (21) days before the date of the National Convention. The notice, which shall be in writing, shall contain a clear statement of the proposed amendment and reasons thereof.

(iii) Notice of proposed amendment(s) shall be served on the members of the National Convention at least fourteen (14) days before the date of the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be considered. Publication of the notice of the proposed amendments in a National Newspaper shall be deemed to be sufficient Notice.

(iv)The Constitution or any part thereof shall stand amended if a proposed amendment is supported by at least two thirds of the delegates present and voting.

(v) Where new positions and Offices are created as a result of the amendment of this Constitution, the relevant Executive Committee shall until the next Convention or Congress fill such positions and office in an interim capacity

Article 17 (i) of the partys constitution provides for the tenure of office of the party elected or appointed;

Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, all officers of the Party elected or appointed into the Partys organs shall serve in such organs for a period of four (4) years and shall be eligible for re-election or re-appointment for another period of four years only, provided that an officer elected or appointed to fill a vacancy arising from death, resignation or otherwise shall notwithstanding be eligible for election to the same office for two terms.

Already, one Okere Uzochukwu, who claims to be a member of the party in Imo State and an aspirant to the chairmanship seat in the state, feels the tenure elongation would injure his aspiration.

Power, wealth and politics

It was Andrew Chua who wrote that some have said that Wealth is Power. But it is equally well-known that Power brings Wealth. So what is the relationship between these two objects of desire? Which brings which? Which is the chicken and which is the egg?

When we combine the definitions of Wealth and Power, we get the correct perspective to view these two subjects. The truth is, Wealth is ONE TYPE of Power. Wealth itself can also be traded for other types of power. You can use wealth to influence those in positions of authority, through both legitimate lobbying and corruption. So the question of Do you want wealth or power? is in itself faulty. Wealth is one type of power. Its like asking if you prefer apples or fruits. A better question would be Do you prefer Wealth or Authority? Maybe this is what people really mean when they ask the afore-mentioned famous question. Now we are correctly asking if you prefer apples or oranges. And of course, like choosing between two different species of fruits, the answer comes down to personal preference.

For those who own the APC, they want all. And any which way, the one brings the other. But which one first! Both; depending on the status at the point of entry.

And because they want all, they create all manner of confusion in their bid to get all. Even the simple matter of laid down procedure by their own hand is treated with disdain.

Today, intrigues and surfeit of distractive tendencies to good governance have become the hallmarks of APC. Not that the other political parties conform to a modicum of decent conduct in their activities too, the one-chance problem Nigeria has found itself in, and which is the APC vehicle, needs soul searching.

What happens next? If any party member goes to court, anything done by that executives for the period of the extension becomes null and void. This may affect primaries and party decisions.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Libya: The only thing I achieved in trip is this baby girl  Vivian, 20-yr-old returnee

By Simon Ebegbulem, Benin City

The battle to end human trafficking in Edo State is far from over following stories told by some natives who returned from Libya. About 2, 500 natives stranded in the North African country had returned home since August 2017. But despite the fact that they were helped back home by the Federal Government after their inhuman treatment in that country, the cartel involved in the illicit trade seems to have continued to sponsor natives to Europe through Libya. Sunday Vanguard gathered that even some of the victims who returned last year and were rehabilitated by the state government through the Committee against Human Trafficking may be back in Libya after they could not sustain themselves economically in Nigeria. As a matter of fact, 20-year-old Vivian Imunero, who is among the 65 who returned, penultimate week, lamented that her younger sister was recently sponsored to Libya by a kingpin, said to be a Nigerian woman residing in Italy. As we speak, the same woman who took me to Libya sponsored my younger sisters trip to the country and she is over there now involved in prostitution. I am not happy about it. I understand how things work there and I know it is not good because they dont use condom there. I was raped in a place called Gatron in Libya, she told Sunday Vanguard.

Vivian Imunero

This happened when we were going to Saba. Our vehicle parked there and they said we were going to sleep there. These Libyan men will come to the section where they keep women; they will wake us up one after the other and rape us. They will put gun to your head and you must follow them. But I thank God I did not contract any disease after all.

Pregnant, helpless

Saying she became pregnant for a Libyan man, Vivian said, He is a white man that pushes people to Italy. He saw me and told me he wanted to help me which he did even though he abandoned me later. When I went to prison, I was supposed to pay money before they freed me but I did not pay a dime because he came to free me. I travelled with the help of one guy called Biggy. He resided at Upper Sakponba Road here in Benin-City. Somebody in our village took me to him and he contacted one Madam operating from Italy. Biggy gave me N15, 000 that day. As we speak Madam is threatening to kill me because we took oath before I left Nigeria. Biggie and one other man took me to a native doctor on the orders of Madam to take the oath. We were two girls and we took oath that if we got there and ran away or slept with her husband or failed to pay her money, juju should kill us. They killed a chicken and gave us the heart raw to eat. Then they gave us water to bath and asked us to go. Biggy is the one taking girls to Italy through Libya and, from there, Madam will arrange how the girls get to their final destination. Madam is angry that I am supposed to wait in Libya until I could make it to Italy because she wanted me to come and be making money for her through prostitution. She didnt care how I fed while I was in Libya; she never sent me money to eat. I was even raped and she did not care.

She went on: I discovered I was pregnant on April 26, 2017 when I went for test. I felt bad because I knew I was young to have a baby, besides there was nobody on ground to help me. However, I decided to leave it because I remembered my mother always said a child is a blessing. I just prayed that God will help me and that is why I named the baby Treasure.

I spent two years in Libya. I once entered a boat heading to Italy but the boat was arrested on the high seas by some Libyans who took us back to Libya. I called Madam to inform him that they had taken me back to Libya. She started threatening that she was going to make trouble with my family and I in Nigeria. Then I met this man who was helping people to get to Italy. I had no option than to stay with him and he took care of my needs. He tried to help me to cross to Italy five times but those five times they arrested me. On the fifth occasion, May 5, 2017, when I was arrested, I was a month pregnant then. Those who arrested me took me to prison where I was ill-treated. All the guards there wanted to sleep with me even with my pregnancy. I refused. One particular man there insisted he must sleep with me but I told him that it is forbidden in my place for a man to sleep with a pregnant woman. Because of that, he starved me of food for several weeks and even beat me up. I never knew my baby will survive. I spent six months in the prison. My parents thought I had died because they were not hearing from me. On October 30, 2017, the father of my baby came to free me from the prison. I gave birth on December 20, 2017. Then I started having issues with the father of my baby and he left me. The only thing I can say I achieved in Libya is this baby girl. I left Nigeria because I had no helper.

I will avenge

Another returnee, 20-year-old Igbinosu Jennifer, narrated her ordeal. I headed to Libya on February 9, 2017 through my Madam called Mama Gift who lived in Akpata Street, Egor, she told Sunday Vanguard.

She said I should go and meet her sister in Italy. But when I got to Libya, it was hell for me. I was arrested and sent to prison.

I was calling my Madam to help me out but she said she had no money. I spent four months and three weeks in prison. My boyfriend, a Gambian, helped me out of prison. After that he tried to help me cross to Italy but it did not work and I decided to come back to Nigeria. I will avenge what this woman (Madam) did to me. They deceived me to travel and abandoned me. But the funny thing is that when some of my people heard that I was coming back, they asked what I was coming to do in Nigeria as there is no money here. They didnt know what I went through. If not for the Gambian man that assisted me, I probably will not be alive today.

Asked whether she took oath like other girls who went to Libya, she replied, Yes we took an oath before leaving. We went to a village outside Benin-City, about three hours drive. The native doctor was a woman, they called the village Usen. I took an oath that I will never try to escape or call the police to arrest the Madam in case of any problem in Italy. I was forced to eat a life chicken in the process and drank something I didnt even know.

Meanwhile, Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is tackling the problem of human trafficking from Edo head on, is not finding it easy due to the financial burden of catering for the returnees and the battle against the cartel perpetrating this evil. The governor recently told Sunday Vanguard, The first thing we did was accepting that there was a problem. Even in our political debates and conversations everybody pretended about it. Again you have to understand the economics of migration; they are people who support their families at home from what they get over there, so politicians dont want to talk about it to avoid a backlash. So the first thing we did was that we accepted there was a problem, illegal migration has taken a new dimension. It was not just about the girls going to Europe, it has become more serious, so many people were getting involved, so many people were losing their lives and, as a government, we have a responsibility to deal with it. That acceptance led us to all other things we did, like setting up a Task Force to deal with the situation. We domesticated national laws to make penalties for trafficking stiffer and that Task Force began to develop more responses to the problem. First, how do you deal with the returnees, how do you resettle them, how do you reintegrate them? And the Task Force has done very well, you can verify the progresses from the IOM and I believe it is only Edo that has a Task Force.

The other issue is that we never expected that the repatriations would bring a large number of returnees very quickly. So we were not really prepared financially for that but we are coping. Though we have been stretched and that is why we are reaching out to the Federal Government and donor partners to see how we can get resources to deal with the size of the problem. And the way we see it, the first thing is advocacy, trying to make potential victims see the hazards associated with being trafficking. We have a team at the airport any time we have Edo natives coming back; we welcome them, transport them back to Benin, run a medical check on them, counsel them, give them stipends and put them in skill programmes to help them rebuild self-confidence and open up opportunities for them for jobs.

Mafia

It was not in my consciousness. I did not appreciate it until we went to Rome, where we had a session with the Italian parliament and the security forces, and, in their briefings, they narrated how Nigerian confraternities got involved, that there is actually a Nigerian mafia that runs the trade in collaboration with the Italian mafia. For us as a government, it is just to focus on law and order and strengthen the institutions such as the police, the judiciary, the prison system, just to ensure that these institutions work. So we dont single out any special group for special action. Just strengthen the institutions and people will respect themselves.

Stressing the need for stakeholders to fight human trafficking in the state, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr Taiwo Akerele, said, Often times, the governor does not sleep well after seeing the mayhem against our people in Libya. It is really sad and that is why he is determined to make the economy of Edo the best in Africa, not just in Nigeria.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Why it is dangerous to delay Nigerias restructuring till 2019 or beyond Guy Ikokwu

Chief Guy Ikokwu, the President of PNF and member, Southern Leaders/Middle Belt Forum, in this piece, analyses the report of the APC Committee on True Federalism.

THE APC Committee on True Federalism submitted its report on the 25th of January 2018 to the National Working Committee of the party.

Guy Ikokwu

Surprisingly over the past two years, members of the ruling APC, despite the inclusion of true federalism in the partys manifesto for the 2015 elections, have denied the restructuring of Nigeria. Some of the APC notables confessed publicly that they needed to be educated on the true meaning of restructuring. There has been a nationwide debate on the lateness of the admission by the APC that Nigerias system of governance and constitution needs to be rejigged and modernized structurally in order to purposefully meet the obligations of good governance.

The APC manifesto for the 2015 elections had pledged to devolve more revenue and powers to the states and local governments so that decision making is closer to the people and emphasized the need for political decentralization including local policing. Against this background, one is amazed at the furore and the lethargy of the party leadership and especially President Muhamadu Buhari who promised to change the Nigerian infrastructure.

It was even more amazing that Buhari himself had consigned the 2014 confab report which was handed over to him to the archives!

However, this report by the APC committee indicated that it was necessary for the party to listen,and to deliver what it owes as a duty to the people of Nigeria.

There were about nine key issues and matters which the committee in its public outreach looked into.

It also looked at various reports including the 1994/1995 Obasanjo constitutional conference; the 2005 Abacha national political reform conference and the 2014 Jonathan Abuja national conference in order to see how they compare and what ingredients in the reports might materially benefit an urgently reformed polity of Nigeria.

The APC committee made several recommendations on germane issues in the polity.

1. Creations of State: The committee noted in its recommendation that the creation of new states would weaken rather than strengthen true federalism by denying the federating unit enough resources to discharge additional responsibilities that may be thrust on them. But that in the case of the South East Zone which requires a new state in equity with other geopolitical zones may be attended to through existing constitutional avenues if found necessary.

2. Merger of States: The committee found that the opposition to the merger of states is very strong in the 3 northern zones and it viewed the growing regional economic cooperation amongst states as a way of merging their economic potentials.

3. Derivation Principles: The committee feels that the federal government should expeditiously review the current derivation formula upwardly in favour of solid minerals and hydro-power. That the REVENUE MOBILIZATION and Fiscal Allocation Commission Act 2004 should be amended to vest the commission with the power and responsibility to periodically review the derivation formulas and make proposals to the President who shall then table same to the National Assembly for necessary legislation.

4. Fiscal Federalism and Revenue Allocation: Some of the zones preferred maintenance of the status quo, while others preferred an upward review as a better developmental option. The committee observed that the constitution presently provides for the principle of derivation of not less than 13% in Section 162(2) of the Constitution but there is clearly room for its upward review but did not state the extent. Some of the proponents of upward review have in the last years proposed a return to our 1960 independence position of 60% derivation of resource control to the resource owners while the rest is shared among the federal government and the other states. It should be noted that the current formula for sharing revenue is 56% to the Federal Government, 24% to the State Governments, and 20% to the Local Governments. Many contributors nationally have felt that with the devolution of a lot of the present powers of the Federal Government, its share should be greatly reduced in line with its exclusive responsibilities reduction.

5. Devolution of Powers: The committee felt that more than 30 items had been variously identified across the 6 zones for devolution from the Federal Government to the State Governments. The items variously mentioned for devolution include the Police and Community Policing, Education, Prisons, Health, Roads, Security, Agriculture, Railway, Mineral Resources, Trades and Commerce and Housing. On an issue like Roads, which should be ceded to the State, it was generally agreed that the Federal Government should on this subject be limited to only a few cross country interstate roads.

This issue of devolution of powers has been the most contentious among the various proponents and opponents. The committee quite rightly observed that the major issue with the Nigerian Federation is the enormous exclusive legislative powers of the Federal Government with resultant over  centralization of power and authority.

It is generally believed that a further decentralization of some of these powers by devolving more powers, autonomy, and resources to the federating units will foster efficiency and sub-national responsiveness and local accountability.

The committee, therefore, recommended that this would entail the transfer of various items on the exclusive legislative list, some to the concurrent list and others to the residual list of the States.

The major problem which the APC committee then had as shown in the report was the non-itemization sufficiently of the items to be transferred from the exclusive list to the other lists. Indeed it only mentioned 2 items for the exclusive list which are the narcotics and psychotropic substances on the one hand and the registration of businesses operating beyond the state.

Other few items listed as food, fingerprints, labour and industrial relations, police, prisons, public holidays, railways were placed on the concurrent list. It should be noted that in the 1999 Constitution, the exclusive list was composed of about 68 items and one of the national pressure groups the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum in its own contribution to the national debate listed about 11 items only which should be reserved in the exclusive list of the Federal Government and other items to the residual list so as to increase the capacity of the states or coordinating regions/zones to carry out the fundamental developmental programs with adequate financial resources in order to make Nigeria TRULY FEDERAL. It has been observed that in the last 50 years the military had bastardized the Nigerian constitutional requirements into an over centralized command and control militaristic system of governance.

It has continuously told a lie to the world that the Nigerian constitution is federal whereas it is truly unitary. This is the reason why Nigerias governance system has been dysfunctional, unproductive, and economically comatose.

In the present constitutional set up where the federal and state tiers have joint responsibilities in the concurrent list, the present constitution affirms the superiority of the central government where it attempts to assume any of the responsibilities, in the concurrent list to the disadvantage of the states or regional tiers of government.

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum feels that apart from the exclusive legislative list of the central government the other items should be in the residual list under the control of the states/regional or zonal tiers with the primary responsibilities which they can at their own discretion cede to the federal government to be coordinated in the general interest of the Nigerian nation.

To this end, the above leaders affirm their stand on the point that since Federalism is a system of government founded on democratic principles and institutions in which the power to govern is shared between the national and federating units, such federating units should have control over their own affairs and be treated as equals in status with their own constitutions which should be consistent with federal constitution.

To be continued

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Loading...Home | News | General | Nigeria and the curse of Sisyphus (6)

By Douglas Anele

The main issue that has not received adequate attention from Nigerians is the necessity to compel Gen. Babangida and all those who sabotaged his governments transition programme after an incredible quantum of human resources and billions of naira had been expended on it to give an account of their grave injustice against millions of Nigerian who despite inconveniences and challenges voted in the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

That this has not been done by successive administrations prove beyond any scintilla of doubt that there are sacred cows in Nigeria that can do whatever they please without any accountability, which implies that the country is still very far from what a genuine civil society ought to be. In an earlier essay, I had discussed the main reasons why Gen. Babangida annulled the June 12 election according to late Prof. Omo Omoruyi, as reported by the maverick writer Chinweizu in his little book, Caliphate Colonialism: The Taproot of the Trouble with Nigeria; namely, to placate northern caliphate colonialists who vehemently opposed the possibility of a southern President they cannot control and pay back the existential debt he owed to Gen. Sani Abacha. Therefore, the best description of Babangidas regime is: a monumental waste.

Chief Ernest Shonekans tenure as interim President was so brief and episodic that one can justifiably describe it as a caricature. Karl Maier correctly notes that Abacha, being head of the joint chiefs of staff and defense minister, was the true power in the interim government. Consequently, it was not surprising that within three months, Shonekan was forced out of office and Abacha assumed leadership of the Provisional Ruling Council. Abacha applied the Machiavellian strategy of his predecessors by initially courting the support of some prominent civilians, most of whom were dismissed within a short period. Interestingly, at the initial stage Ken Saro-Wiwa and several pro-democracy campaigners in Lagos misguidedly supported Abachas removal of Shonekan, an action that ultimately proved fatal for Saro-Wiwa because he was hanged by the regime alongside eight other Ogoni activists.

It must be admitted that the Abacha years in power were not five long years of unbroken negativity and darkness. For instance, he stabilised the official exchange rate at twenty-two naira per dollar, although the unofficial rate was around eighty naira for one dollar. He increased fuel price only once while in office. The 1995 constitutional conference he set up in 1995 recommended division of the country politically into six-geopolitical zones and thirteen percent derivation for oil-producing states, two important economic and political frameworks still in use till date. Most Nigerians have forgotten that the National Hospital, originally named National Hospital for Women and Children, was upgraded to its present status by Abachas government. These and other modest achievements notwithstanding, there is no doubt that Abacha headed one of the most brutal dictatorships in Nigerian history.

He used the instruments of state to crackdown on the media, civil rights groups, pro-democracy campaigners and trade unions. Dependence on importation of refined petroleum products worsened between 1993 and 1998, such that at some point very low grade foul-smelling fuel was imported, which damaged car engines and generators. Abacha cloned Buharis WAI campaign by launching an ineffectual anti-corruption programme called War Against Indiscipline and Corruption (WAIC). Not surprisingly, as subsequent revelations have shown, Abachas regime was a larcenous dictatorship, never mind Muhammadu Buharis misleading and patently false claim that the late dictator did not steal any money. With the benefit of hindsight almost twenty years afterwards, one can confidently affirm that under Abacha, Nigeria took three steps forward and ten backwards.

The controversial (some say providential) deaths of Gen. Abacha and Chief M.K.O. Abiola paved the way for Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar to become head of state. Abubakars greatest achievement was handing over power to an elected government in 1999 through a programmed election intended to produce retired Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo as head of state. But as chief of army staff to Abacha, he held the third most powerful position in Abachas government and, therefore, is partly culpable for the brutality of that government. Maier reports that during the brief tenure of Gen. Abubakar, Nigerias foreign reserves decreased by not less than three billion dollars in less than six months, a testament to the fact that for our military rulers their major preoccupation in government was to enrich themselves, their families and cronies.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo became the first military leader to return as civilian President in May, 29, 1999. As a former military dictator, he had cognate experience relevant to the challenges of his office, and given that background, his supporters projected him as the leader Nigerians have been waiting for to transform the country. Obasanjo deserves credit for important achievements in the economy, infrastructural development and debt relief. He set up the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). When Obasanjo was President, several highly placed Nigerians, notably Tafa Balogun (former Inspector General of Police) and Sunday Afolabi (Minister of Interior) among others were prosecuted for corruption. Aside from debt relief, late Prof. Dora Akunyili brought a lot of prestige to the Obasanjo administration through her impressive exploits as director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Nevertheless, Obasanjos presidency was marred by several needless conflicts with members of the National Assembly, corrupt and sloppy execution of federal government projects particularly in the power sector, and the infamous third term agenda. When Alhaji Umaru Musa YarAdua was elected president in 2007, it was clear to keen observers of events in Nigeria that he had huge problems that must be tackled with wisdom, sincerity of purpose, and strong political will.

Now, although plagued by ill-health while in office as President, YarAdua introduced the concept of servant-leader in Nigerias political lexicon, announced a seven-point agenda of socio-economic cum political engineering, and managed to achieve some encouraging results. He was the first Nigerian leader to publish details of his assets and liabilities before assuming office as stipulated by the 1999 constitution. He appointed two members of an opposition party as ministers and initiated the amnesty programme which brought relative calm to the restive Niger Delta region.

He also reversed the fraudulent sale of some national assets carried out under the privatisation programme of his predecessor, Obasanjo, and paid the local government funds of Lagos state withheld by the latter for political reasons. Important projects such as the dredging of River Niger, construction of the Abuja metro line, Abuja-Kaduna and Abuja-Kano rail lines were initiated by YarAduas government. Unfortunately, in spite of the general impression that the late President was a decent urbane gentleman relatively uncontaminated by the virus of malignant corruption, his lacklustre attitude to fighting corruption at the highest level negatively affected the country. Perhaps, YarAdua underestimated the negative impact the stresses of the office of President would have on his fragile health which undoubtedly jeopardised his ability to discharge the functions of that office. When he died on May 5, 2010, the baton of leadership was handed to the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Jonathan was the first Nigerian leader to rise from the position of deputy governor and governor of a state, through the vice presidency to become the President. On assumption of office, he promised to continue with the seven-point agenda of his immediate predecessor. Pursuant to that pledge, in August 2, 2010, he launched the roadmap for power sector reforms aimed at achieving stable electricity nationwide. A year later, he introduced the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YOUWIN) to harness the creative energies of young people between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five years so that they can establish their own businesses. Goodluck Jonathan also continued the infrastructural projects and amnesty programme he inherited from YarAdua, converted the seven-point agenda into the transformation agenda, and introduced some important reforms in the public, banking and agricultural sectors to curb corruption. Nigeria got her best rating in the corruption perception index of Transparency International (TI) during Jonathans presidency.

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Loading...Home | News | General | It is difficult to choose between Oshiomhole and Obaseki Orbih, Edo PDP Chairman

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

Chief Dan Orbih is the Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. In this interview, Orbih reviews the 15-month stewardship of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the governance of the state, explaining why the PDP decided to lift its self-imposed moratorium on its criticism of the Obaseki administration.

Excerpts:

Chief Dan Osi Orbih

How is governance in Edo State?

In Edo State, I must say that Governor Obaseki assumed office after the end of the tenure of Adams Oshiomhole. For us, in the PDP we said we would give him adequate time to settle down to the job. So, you would have noticed that for about one year that we deliberately did not speak, for we decided to give him enough time to do the job he asked Edo people to give him the opportunity to do. However, we discovered that it was not in the interest of our people and the state to keep quiet in the face of failure on his part to address the very issues he promised that he was going to address if given the opportunity. First, there was this issue to engage 200,000 graduates. After one year, I will tell you quite frankly that the man has refused to provide jobs for these people and I can also say quite frankly that if you look at the statistics of those who had been repatriated from Libya, Edo State has taken the number one position and most of these people are people who were frustrated after looking forward eagerly to Obasekis electioneering promise that he was going to give them jobs. They became frustrated, no jobs and they decided to troop out in large numbers to Libya.

So you insist that it is the failure of the government that drove them out of the country?

Yes, the failure of Obaseki to fulfill his campaign promise to provide them with 200,000 jobs drove them out from Edo State and Nigeria.

But this problem was there even before Obaseki came?

But the number has increased. It is the increase in the number of Libya returnees that is worrisome.

Are you now saying that Governor Adams Oshiomhole managed the situation better than Governor Obaseki?

A lot of people left during the time of Oshiomhole, but the number has increased under Obaseki.

So, you are saying that Oshiomhole was a better governor than Obaseki?

I have not said so. Adams Oshiomhole was a total failure in the governance of Edo State; that is not the issue now. But now that you have brought it up, Adams came with the populist programme wanting to do things differently from what the average politician would do in government and a lot of people thought that he was speaking the truth, but they discovered after four years in office that there was nothing remarkable different from what others were doing. Things came to a head when I exposed his famous Go and Die encounter with a widow, and that was able to show that he was a preacher who was not practicing what he was preaching. I think Adams has gone and that page is full of regrets and disappointments.

So who do you say is a better governor of Edo State better between Oshiomhole and Obaseki?

That is a very broad question. I am talking about the Libya returnees.

Okay on the issue of youth employment?

That is ok. All I am trying to say is that not that Adams did very well, but that we have two different persons, one came on a populist agenda, I would do things differently and the other said, look I am a technocrat, give me an opportunity, I will take the youths off the streets, I will give them 200,000 jobs. One year of his administration, he has not created 1,000 jobs. So, if you say lets say he will create one or two thousand jobs every year, you will find out that at the end of four years he may not be able to create 4,000 jobs

So, what I am saying is that you dont raise the hopes of people only to make them discover too early in the day that all that was political gimmicks. So, you will find out that there is an increase in the number of Edo people who are now coming back as returnees from Libya and it is a reflection of what Obaseki has done in office; he has failed the people. He promised them jobs, and he failed to deliver.

You have lately accused the Edo government of not being forthright in the supply of rice to IDPs in the state and been challenged by the government to show proof?

I have the official letter from the Customs Service conveying the message that the Federal Government has instructed it to make available to the IDP camps, seized consignment of rice, vegetable oil, clothes, and shoes. These things were conveyed in a letter to the state government. It would interest you to know that this letter was written in November 2017 but these people kept this information to themselves. Then the state government decided to go to the IDP Camp, in December during the festivity and they made some donations, and we have the evidence in the news report in Vanguard. They gave the impression that what they brought was from the state government even, hiding information that these items were donated by the Federal Government. Those of us who knew what was going on started giving serious information to the relevant people concerned that you have a right to demand for what was sent to you. The government only responded when they now knew that it had become public knowledge and that was when they now decided to take some items to the camp  things that they got as far back as November last year. And the governments defence cannot hold water, and it is very clear now that the information is in the public domain; they are now cooking up stories to cover up. These people were given a consignment of 6,822 bags and instead of delivering that quantity to the camp, what they took altogether was 2,101 bags. What they donated during the festive period, they pretended that it was the state government that gave it. So, if you really want to take their defence seriously, it means that what they took there in December was the state governments own donation to the camp; so it means that as at date, what they have actually taken to the place is 1,000 bags; not the 2,101 bags which is what you get when you add what they took in December and what they took in February.

How are you sure that the government is not taking these things in phases?

No, no. You need to read their statement. What they are now saying is that the rice was meant for Internally Displaced Persons and that they understand that there are some in one village, there are some in another village. We have taken pains to go and do our investigation; there are no IDPs in the places the government has mentioned. The letter was very explicit; the Federal Government mentioned the IDP camp where the consignment should be taken to and what the government has done is that they did not even follow the instructions of the Federal Government; they diverted goods meant for a particular camp. The truth which I must not fail to tell you is that members of the APC government took this rice and shared it among themselves for their personal use. It is painful that items meant for people who should naturally attract our sympathies and support are now being denied of items that are legitimately what rightly belongs to them. If they can do this, they can take anything. These are not people who should be entrusted with the right of managing our resources. The letter from the Federal Government did not mention orphanages. They have also come up with the explanation that the vegetable oil sent from Customs has expired. I am aware that the vegetable sent was in good condition and was certified good for human consumption. They did not even take one gallon to the IDPs. I think this is totally unacceptable and shows the level of corruption under the administration of Governor Obaseki. They want to trivialise it by saying that the police should investigate Dan Orbihs claims, these are not allegations; these are facts. For somebody to say I gave some to one orphanage here and there, the instruction was specific; send them to the IDP camp.

Beyond the media, have you taken this issue to the government or the police?

Let me say that with all seriousness, I thought that with what I did that the governor should have written me, commending me and apologizing to the people of Edo State for this daylight robbery. Instead of them to render a public apology, they are trying to trivialise the issue by saying that the police should apologise. They are also saying that they discovered that some bags of rice were bad. They talk as if they are talking to people who dont reason. You were asked to give something to Mr. A; is it your responsibility to say what you were asked to give to Mr. A is bad? It is for Mr. A to receive what was sent and he is the one in position to say that I have received it; this was bad, this was good. What this means is that on your own you were opening the bags which were not meant for you and checked them!

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Loading...Home | News | General | Nowhere to live and worship because of Boko Haram Anglican Bishop Morris

By Ndahi Marama

Reverend Emmanuel Morris, the Bishop of Anglican Communion, Maiduguri Diocese, took charge of the Diocese on October 22, 2017 after the demise of his predecessor, the Most Rev. Emmanuel Kana Mani, earlier in February. In this interview, Morris bares his mind on Boko Haram and other issues in the polity.

Borno State is obviously challenged by insecurity. How do you assess the situation?

I came into the state last year at a time when there was a relative peace, and the peace has continued to improve.

Which areas do you think the state government needs to improve in order to impact positively on the lives of the people, especially the vulnerable groups?

Let everybody work for peace; let us understand that something has gone wrong; we need to stop shifting blames. Let us identify where the problem lies and solve it. And to the insurgents, we must appeal to them to lay down their arms because killing and destruction of properties is not the ideal thing; they must join us in the path of peace. They are our brothers and sisters. I also appeal to people who might have been hurt in the course of this insurgency to forgive, let us put behind what has happened and let us forge ahead. Without forgiveness, we can never progress. When we talk about peace, we are not talking about religion. In Islam they say Asallamalaikum. In Christianity we say Peace be unto you. What does that suggest to us? And in Judaism they say Shalom which is peace; so peace is a concept of life and not something which is limited to religion. Even as a Muslim, if you say Assalamalaikum, it is not only to your fellow Muslims; it is to anybody you see around you that such person should have peace, meaning you are praying for that person to have peace and you want him to exist. So in these religions, peace is very important, and, honesty, I must tell you that I was really impressed when I came to Borno and I saw Muslims and Christians going to the same filling stations, recreation centres, markets; we use the same highways, we eat food in the same restaurants, we use the same hotels, banks, we do almost everything together. And so, how can you wake up and tell me that Borno is not peaceful? This state was a peaceful state until 2009 or thereabouts when the issue of Boko Haram came up; so let us identify that something has gone wrong and let us address the problem irrespective of religion, ethnic or political inclination. When you go into history, the first three places of worship that were burnt were churches. And the last three places that were burnt were mosques. This insurgency crisis affected both Muslims and Christians. It is something that has come to disorganize us, and we should understand that and try to resolve it collectively.

You must have been watching at a distance the Boko Haram scenario as it unfolded in the past. Now that you are in Borno, how do you describe the efforts of government to contain it and care for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)?

Let us put politics aside and analyze things as they were. When I came on board, I discovered that Governor Kashim Shettima and the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai Elkanemi, were doing their best. Regrettably, when you are outside Borno, you will think the state is a no-go-area, but when I came here, I discovered that shops and business places remained open from 6am to 10pm every day. I really want to commend the efforts of the governor because I have always seen that street lights are on from 6pm to 6am daily, keeping everywhere bright to the extent that, even if you drive in the night in Maiduguri metropolis and Jere Local Government Area, you will not bother to put on your headlights as everywhere is bright, and that is part of the security, because, if something is happening, you will see. But they must find some new ways to calm the situation absolutely with assistance from our gallant troops and other security agencies. This is because, as I speak, there are still bombings and soft target attacks on the outskirts of Maiduguri metropolis whereas Gwoza and Bama, Abadam Local Government Areas still experience soft target attacks. Therefore government and our security forces should do the needful to ensure that all our villages and communities are safe for IDPs to return.

Are you aware that the state government has started rebuilding the communities destroyed by insurgents for IDPs to return home?

I am quite aware that not only individuals houses, but churches also were built and rebuilt; so also mosques that were destroyed during the peak of the crisis. So it is a good thing to help the people recover their lives, and that is what democracy is all about.

But, ordinarily, government is not supposed to be involved in the building of churches and mosques?

Government is supposed to be involved directly. Churches and mosques are public buildings. School is a public building, church or mosque also is a public building; and, if government has the resources, it should assist in rebuilding the places of worship that were destroyed. It is the right thing to do because the people dont have the resources as their economy has been destroyed, their homes have been destroyed and they dont have anywhere to live and worship; so you cannot say that the places of worship that have been destroyed should not be rebuilt by a responsible government.

What is your take on the issue of herdsmen and farmers clashes in some parts of the country?

When you talk about herdsmen, let us define what herdsmen means in the Nigerian context. Do you know if these people are actually herdsmen or they are something else? Herdsmen in the early Nigerian context were Fulani people that carried sticks and followed their cows and controlled them. But in this case, when you see the so-called herdsman carrying AK47 rifles and you call them herdsmen., is it because you see them herding cows that you qualify them to be herdsmen? Well, you may be right to call them herdsmen when you see them with cows around, but what will you call them when you see them carrying AK47? I am not saying that those people killing farmers across the country were herdsmen or not, but let us define them in the Nigerian context.

So are you trying to say the issue of herdsmen has no religious connotation?

When some people talk about herdsmen and relate it to religion, it is very unfortunate. I dont think the issue of herdsmen has anything to do with religion or politics. Because I know that herdsmen that existed before could even go to other herdsmen, take their cows and add to their own and take them away, and remember, all of them were in the same religion. So we cannot typically say it is a religious issue. Although, some people will interpret it to mean something else, we should look critically into what is happening nowadays. We have different people with different motives. But I strongly condemn whatever has to do with killings. The Church does not condone killings whether of herdsmen or farmers because it is barbaric, evil, it is sin. It is written in the Bible clearly in EXODUS 20: Thou Shall Not Kill.

What is your advice to government on these killings?

Government at all levels should live up to its responsibility of protecting lives and property. Let government wake up from its slumber and ensure that farmers are adequately protected from herdsmen attacks and vice versa. Government must stop this madness.

What is your take on the governments decision to establish cattle colonies?

We have been living with herdsmen in peace before; let us go back to the traditional way of living. And let us be realistic, we need the cattle. Farmers eat meat while herdsmen also eat food. So it is a matter of understanding. So let us go back to the old tradition, where you see people farming while herdsmen were busy grazing their animals in the same environment without chaos.

Coming back to Borno State, how do you describe the relationship between government and the Christian community?

It is cordial. We dont have any problem with the governor. Honestly, since I came on board, I have been looking for an opportunity to meet with the governor and commend his foresight and doggedness. We as a Church and people have not seen anything in the governor discriminatory.

You said you want to meet with the governor. What do you tell him?

I want to help the governor particularly in the area of peace. I am an Ambassador of Peace and I have the duty to preach and advocate for peace. I also want to continue to talk to the Muslim and Christian communities on the need to live in peace. My position as a bishop is an institution that has influence on the society. Very soon you will see people coming into the Bishops Court; Muslims and Christians come here and we talk, so we can help the governor and government to promote peace and religious harmony. Government can also help us in terms of keeping to its promises. You know it is one thing for the bishop to tell the people that the governor will do this for you, and when the governor does not do it, it becomes something else. And government has to also to be fair to the people, not just Muslims and Christians, by giving everybody the opportunity to practice his/her religion without hindrance. The issue of saying that people should not go to the mosque or church because of insecurity should not arise, because the people are always praying for peace and government to succeed. So my appeal to government is to always provide security for people, be it in the mosque or in the church or any other place of worship.

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Loading...Home | News | General | DAPCHI SCHOOLGIRLS: Confusion over Boko Haram negotiator

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

As desperate search for the Dapchi schoolgirls, believed to have been captured by Boko Haram continued, yesterday, two sets of people with knowledge of how terrorists operate, differed on the claim by a self-acclaimed female negotiator, Aisha Wakil, that she had been contacted by the terror group on the girls.

An aid worker with an international mission working in the North-East, who spoke with Sunday Vanguard, said it was plausible that the terrorists had actually contacted Wakil given the fact that she is respected by the group.

A mediator, who is known to have been part of the negotiations for the release of some of the Chibok girls, however, dismissed Wakils claim as attention-seeking.

The aid worker, who declined to be quoted, said Wakil remained a credible source of contact with the group.

According to her, the selfacclaimed negotiator appeared to have earned Boko Harams confidence.

She said, I believe that they have made contact with her because those who took the girls are those who are desperately looking for credible persons to negotiate the release of the girls in exchange for cash, which they desperately need to continue to prosecute the war with government.

Over the years, the guys must have run out of cash and they picked the girls so as to use them as bargaining chip with government for cash.

The mediator, credited with being part of the negotiations for the release of the two sets of Chibok girls with the Federal Government, in her counter position, dismissed Wakils claim as attention-seeking and aimed at getting government to recognise her as one who could help find the missing girls.

AISHA WAKIL

I dont think any Boko Haram element from the Abubakar Shekau faction or the Benawi faction ever called her about the abduction and the location of the victims. I would advise that government just ignores the woman, the mediator said.

Prsident Buhari and Dapchi school girls

Meanwhile, the Presidency, yesterday, distanced itself from the claim by Wakil, saying only the military and other security agencies could respond to her statement.

Special Adviser on Media to the President, Femi Adesina, told one of our correspondents that the Presidency had no comment to make on Wakils claim.

It is clear therefore that the Boko Haram insurgents are really launching a new and more ferocious phase of offensive against civilians and military with a view to diminishing the gains already made.

The aid worker disclosed further that the claim in certain quarters that there was a major disagreement between the two factions of the Boko Haram insurgents was misplaced as the foot soldiers loyal to Shekau and Benawhi were working together for their common interests.

It is true that while Shekau is more interested in fighting government to install its form of government in Nigeria, the other faction is made up of people who want pecuniary gains and are ready to kidnap for ransom.

This may explain why kidnapping of young schoolgirls has become rampant in recent years.

She lamented that the insurgents swooped on the Dapchi Science College and took the girls away in four trucks without any challenge from any security outfit.

It is possible that the insurgents and the girls are still being holed up within Nigerian territory since they could not have crossed over to any country in those trucks within the few days, the aid worker said.

Wakil, aka Mama Boko Haram, had, while saying she had been contacted by the Boko Haram faction holding the Dapchi girls, on Friday, said: They were even the ones that called me, and said `Mama, we heard what you have said and told me that they were with the girls and they were going to release them.

She had continued: I begged of them and said please let this not be another 1,000-plus days of Chibok girls, and they laughed and said no. I asked them where I can come and stay with them (girls) for two days, but they did not say anything.

I can assure Nigerians that so far they are with my son Habib and his friends; Habib is a nice guy, he is very nice boy. He will not harm them, he will not touch them, and he will not kill them.

Ajara: Our principal was crying and Fatima doesnt want to go to school anymore

He is going to listen to us, and so far he indicated interest that he loves peace. And I love them for that and believe what they said on this.

They will definitely give us the girls. All I am begging Nigerians is to calm down, be prayerful, everything will be over in God grace (sic).

In a related development, insight into how aid workers and soldiers were slaughtered by rampaging Boko Haram terrorists in the Internally Displaced Persons Camp, IDP, in Rahn, Borno State, was given by the aid worker who spoke to Sunday Vanguard.

The official, who claimed to have been in Borno at the time of the attack, revealed that over 120 Boko Haram fighters overran the military post in the town and killed four soldiers and riot policemen on duty, before making away with their arms and ammunition.

Sadly, despite clearly identifying themselves as aid workers, the terrorists still shot them dead in their respective apartments, she said.

Also, yesterday, former President Goodluck Jonathan and erstwhile governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, condemned the spate of killings in the country, particularly the attack that killed international aid workers in Rann.

Jonathan, in a post on his Facebook wall, called for international co-operation in the war against terrorism, noting that an attack on the aid workers is an attack on all nations of the world.

Sandals are strewn in the yard of the Government Girls Science and Technical College staff quarters in Dapchi, Nigeria, on February 22, 2018.

I condemn the killings of members of staff of the United Nations (UN) and other humanitarian and aid workers in Rann by Boko Haram terrorists. My thoughts and prayers are with the UN and the families of the victims as well as those injured in the dastardly and cowardly attack, he said.

In a statement signed by his spokesman, Mukhtar Sirajo, Makarfi also offered his condolences to the families of victims of another bomb explosion in Bumi Yadi and Madagali on Saturday stressing that until terrorists are chased out of the nation, the fight against insurgency cannot be said to have been won in the true sense of the word.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC equally reportedly deployed hundreds of special forces across schools in the North-East to forestall more kidnappings..

Commandant General of the Corps, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, disclosed this in a statement signed by his Media Assistant, DCC Soji Alabi.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Governor Obaseki and the virtue of simplicity

By Tonnie Iredia

The basic difference between a Governor in a service organization like Rotary International and a Governor in a typical Nigerian State is that whereas a Rotary Governor seeks office with a commitment to serve humanity, a Nigerian Governor on the other hand gets into office to be served. This seems to explain why the election of a Rotary Governor engenders no acrimony while in the case of a governorship election; some people have to die for a particular contestant to win and for his opponent to lose. So, while the Rotary Governor has no one to compensate for his election, there is usually a large retinue of supporters who would make governance virtually impossible if they are not well compensated by the State Governor presumably installed by them. Interestingly, such supporters are not bothered about how far the Governor is able to develop the state and improve the living conditions of the people; what appears to matter is what supporters are able to gain even if by corrupt methods. If so, why should we not pity a Governor?

This was the question which first occurred to me last week Friday when aboard a flight to Benin from Abuja, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki suddenly appeared on board. To start with, I was shocked that he was neither the last to board nor were other passengers kept on board for long to await His Excellencys arrival as in the old order. Second, he didnt occupy any of the first four front seats and there were no uniform men around him purporting to be in charge of his security which in essence was in the hands of the pilot. I was seeing him for the first time since he became Governor in 2016 almost making me doubt if it was him or a look alike. I became assured after he greeted me as well as compliments paid to him by the airhostess at the point of take off. I observed he did not as in the past; opt for a chartered aircraft which could drain state resources. He also left the airport on arrival in Benin without any grandstanding; I was impressed.

Being on a one-day visit to attend a family function, I had no opportunity to take a look at the impact of his simplicity on governance but one of my cousins who is a strong APC stalwart answered a few of my questions which easily filled some gaps. Asked how Obaseki was fairing, my cousin said he was doing fairly well but that they who fought to install him were hungry because they were yet to be settled. To make matters worse, my cousin continued, the man has banned party men from Government House insisting that all party matters should be resolved at the party secretariat. I was thrilled to hear this because one of our greatest problems in Nigeria has been our inability to draw a line between electioneering and governance. In other civilized societies, as soon as the winner of an election is inaugurated, he becomes a statesman whose interest would centre on the progress of society rather than the narrow and partisan interests of members of his political party. In Nigeria, there is the inexplicable trend whereby a hitherto ordinary party member sponsored by a party to contest an election suddenly takes over not only the running of the office to which he was elected but also the party he never led before his election.

Obasekis posture of allowing Caesar to hold-on to what belongs to him would no doubt make him look rather simplistic but that is a virtue with innumerable gains. First, it makes it easy for him to focus on his mandate rather than being dragged into the politicisation of governance. By so doing, the boundaries of his functions are clearly delineated making it easy for the implementation of projects to be itemized, organized and coordinated. Otherwise, he could be overwhelmed with managing such ungovernable elements as party thugs and gangsters. Besides, without party pressures, managing public policy would enable him to fully partake in policy formulation rather than being made to execute defective policies which he could have detected and ensured were redressed at inception.

More importantly, he would have time for personal assessments of issues. There was the story of a governor who handed over a letter from his son to his personal assistant (PA) to treat. A few days later, he wanted to know the details in his sons letter and the PA told him the son had many grievances. The governor directed the PA to tell his son to put the grievances in writing which was promptly communicated as follows. His Excellency has directed that you should kindly document your grievances! On receiving the letter, the Governors son collapsed thinking his father had gone mad not knowing that his own letter was a document and that it appropriately contained not grievances but requests!! A man who gives himself the opportunity to be himself cannot fall victim to that type of scenario. Consequently, Obaseki should put his tenure in proper perspective by occasionally reading newspapers or listening to radio and watching television by himself to learn at first hand, the pulse of the nation. Otherwise, he would never get to hear what a so- called critical article contained. He would only be told by his aides not to mind the writer who according to them is an unrepentant critic.

About two years ago, I wrote an article admonishing Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State not to inherit wasteful spending concerning uncommon Christmas carols when salaries of doctors in the state were in arrears. Rejoinders which were organized to condemn me merely argued that I had earlier praised the former governor. My response was that a man who is commended for doing well today should be ready to lose the commendation when he stops doing well. That is the beauty of being a columnist, the ability to change an opinion if what informed previous position changes. In other words, I commend Governor Obaseki for what I saw and heard last week about him but if any of them turns out not to be a true reflection of his average disposition, I reserve the right to reverse myself. Meanwhile, I wish the Governor success while asking him to consummate the best virtue of simplicity which is listening more than talking.

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Loading...Home | News | General | A Mothers cancer story: My only child died in my hands on Christmas Day

By Chioma Obinna

Mrs. Modupe Janet Oyedele lost her only child on Christmas Day to leukaemia (cancer of the blood cells) at the age of eight and a half years. Oyedele held Sunday Vanguard spellbound as she narrated how her challenge has become a source of strength to encourage others.

Modupe

It was a Saturday of Red when family members, friends, co-workers, well-wishers, and parents of children living with leukaemia gathered at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja to voluntarily donate blood to save the lives of children with leukaemia in memory of Timilehin Oyedele who lost the fight to cancer.

To some listeners, their stories may sound incredible but for these helpless mothers, it was a day they found their voices and relived their battles.

Their accounts may have seemed similar, but that of Modupe, an employee of the National Union of Textile Garment Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, was the most gripping. One after the other, the mothers took turns to narrate their cancer stories.

It was a big trial. He was our only child. We had him two years after our marriage, Modupe told Sunday Vanguard.

According to her, all was well with the almost nine-year-old until December 2010 when he complained of pain on his left leg. He was taken to a private hospital where he was treated for malaria twice. Meanwhile, the pain refused to go away. The mother then took him to LASUTH where he was diagnosed of leukaemia, a malignancy (cancer) of blood cells. She continued: I lived in LASUTH for four months. I was going to office from the hospital throughout the period. You can imagine the condition we were in then? You know in hospital you are not allowed to sleep on the bed. You can only lay your head on the childs bed and, if you are found putting your head on the child, you are sent out. I slept on the chair throughout the four months. It was not funny. We later moved him to Ife to continue the treatment.

Search for treatment and the challenges of blood

Naturally, Modupes world was nearly shattered on hearing that her only child was suffering from a deadly disease. We were too close to imagine that one of us could die, she said.

And she had not heard about leukaemia before. So the mother went to the internet to learn about the ailment. I quickly browsed the internet to understand what it is and other issues concerning anaemia.

Apart from the financial implications, the search for cure was not easy as it involves constant replacement of blood. This is because scientists say that leukaemia cells continue to grow and divide, eventually crowding out the normal blood cells, resulting in difficulty for the body to fight infections, control bleeding and transport oxygen.

At this point, Modupe and the family felt the impact of the acute shortage of voluntary blood donation in Nigeria as, every day, Timilehin required a blood product known as platelets apart from normal blood transfusion.

Sustaining blood transfusion and other blood products required by the child was not funny. This is because, in Nigeria, blood donation remains a topic not many are comfortable with and this has made 100 per cent voluntary blood donation in the country a tall dream.

The child was placed on chemotherapy treatment while doctors advised he should take not less than four platelets a day to prevent him from bleeding.

Getting blood the first time for him was not easy. Modupe was forced to donate blood for Timilehin after she was told a pint of blood cost N15, 000.

He took his first blood precisely on January 4, 2010 in LASUTH when I went to the blood bank and met a huge man in suit and I told him I needed blood for my child. He asked me the blood group and I said B positive. I asked how much, he said N15, 000.00. I begged him to take N10, 000 but he refused. I had to donate blood for him, the mother stated.

The amount you spend treating leukaemia children cannot be quantified because, when you are treating a child with leukaemia, infections will come in which is not part of the treatment regime. Then you have to get blood and platelets because he needs to take a lot of them.

Modupe told the story of how she fainted one day after she had donated blood for the child. I can still remember one day when I donated for him. On my way going, I fainted because I have to rush to drop the blood at the laboratory for screening. I was revived by a Good Samaritan, the mother said.

My husband and I prayed and I donated blood for Timilehin more than 10 times while taking care of him in hospital.

At a point, the doctor will get medical students to donate for him. I cannot tell you this is the number of pints of blood or platelets he took. Sometimes in a day, he took up to four platelets at N10, 000 each. And the following day they will tell you your child is short of blood again. The child came out of leukaemia two years after.

However, while Modupe and her family were rejoicing and following doctors advice on the kind of food and further treatments and check-ups, two years after, the cancer relapsed.

For five years I was battling with leukaemia. My child came out of leukaemia and was well for two years but, in August, 2014, everything changed again. He began to complain of pain. By the time we went back to LASUTH, we were told there was a relapse.

Devastated, the mother, who could not control her emotions, began to ask questions: What caused the relapse? We dont have the money but with my family and office support, we were able to do what we should for him as parents, so why the relapse?

Still wondering what went wrong, Timilehin died. Her questions remained unanswered even today as doctors still do not have answer to the question on why cancer sometimes relapses.

Before we knew it, my child died in my hands on a Christmas Day. Christmas is a day the whole world celebrates. I gave birth to him on the 25th and lost him on the 25th, she lamented.

Imagine when he was dying on that Christmas Day in 2014, he left a message. He told me he wanted to rest. He called mummy, God will take care of you; continue the good work.

I refused to accept it. I told him I was not going to accept his thank you until he was married with children. But he woke up again from his sleep while we were praying and said: Mum! Mum! That was how he left me. I was shattered. I begged him not to give me another shame so that people will not begin to ask if I had God

Expressing what many parents go through while taking care of a child with leukaemia or any other cancer, she explained that following the death of the child, she decided to set up Timilehin Leukaemia Foundation in his memory.

According to her, the sons death has given her the strength to help others like her.

I know what mothers go through in hospitals taking care of these children. Even some mothers do not have money to buy syringes not to talk of paying for chemotherapy. And doctors cannot tell you the exact amount it will take to treat a child with leukaemia. Todays blood donation is for children living with leukaemia in LASUTH. We intend to do this thrice annually, she said.

She told Sunday Vanguard that Timilehin Foundation was founded on seven points agenda as follows: Create awareness about leukaemia, give support to families, establish research centres, laboratories and blood banks which patients can access, grant scholarship to medical students abroad who will like to specialise in the field, influence government health policies, organise voluntary blood donation and undertake, and provide medical treatment for about 10 patients annually.

Further, Modupe, who lamented scarcity of blood in the blood banks, urged Nigerians to embrace voluntary blood donation as it has been proven safe if an individual is taking enough water and vegetables.

To parents who are yet to understand that even children suffer cancer, she said: When they told me that my child had leukaemia, I did not know what it was then. I had to go to the internet to read about it. But now that I know, I want to go to the nooks and crannies of the country to create awareness because some people will bring the children to hospital and when doctors say it is cancer, they will run away. When I went to UK with my son, the doctor that attended to us was a Nigerian. Each hospital should have laboratories where children can be tested at the early stage.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Britains EU Exit Is No Easy Picking

By Morak Babajide-Alabi

Last Week Friday, the United Kingdoms Prime Minister Theresa May took to the podium to address the concerns of British citizens on how the negotiations of exit from the European Union are unfolding. On this day we saw a woman who wants the world to believe she is confident and clear-headed enough to lead the country to a profitable post-EU exit Britain.

To be fair, she was a completely different May unlike the train wreck that we saw some months back at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. This time around she was more emphatic and practically showing off as one who knows her onions. To the relief of all in the hall, no one showed up to hand her a P45, and there were no missteps.

You could see the fighter in May struggling to come out, as she addressed the various concerns of the citizens. There was no disputing the fact that May had chosen this occasion to let the public know that she has finally found the voice she lost in Manchester and a platform to fight back and attempt to take control. It was not hard to see her confidence in a week that was supposed to be very hard for her. She was riding the cloud knowing that she had made it to Friday and another opportunity to lay her plans down to the public.

It was not a particularly good week for residents in the UK too. The Beast from the East touched down last week Wednesday, bringing in its wake, snows and icy conditions, which caused travel chaos, power cuts, deaths and school closures from Scotland to England, Northern Ireland to Wales. It is recorded last weeks weather in the country was the worst snowstorm in fifty years. It was so bad that members of the armed forces had to be called in as hospitals and police were struggling to cope.

As the Beast was touching down in the UK, the European Commission officials also published the draft Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and the UK, thereby adding more woes to the PMs miseries. Despite the minus zero weather, May was visibly hot under the collar. This was because there were a few points in the draft agreement that do not sit well with various sections of the public.

The most topical issue in the draft was the common market. This is of great concern and turning out to be a hard nut to crack in this exit negotiations. While the Irish are concerned that a total divorce from the EU will bring back the hard borders as in the past, the hard-core Brexiters are pushing that the UK leave the single market. Leaving the European single market will invariably bring back immigration and border controls with the Irish.

There is no doubt that the PM and her people are not highly regarded as being capable of negotiating a good EU exit deal for the country. Opinion polls suggest that citizens think the government is not doing enough to protect their interests. This is understandable, as Mays government has been shifting goal posts and conceding on certain issues in regards to the exit. Of recent, one of the topics that her government regarded as red lines was craftily sidestepped when it said: EU citizens and their family members will be able to move to the UK during the implementation period on the same basis as they do today.

It is probably the unpredictability of Mays government that angered two of her predecessors, Tony Blair and Sir John Major, to come out against her. You wouldnt think these two have anything in common other than they were at one time or the other occupants of 10 Downing Street. This as far as the comparison will go. Blair is a leading figure in the Labour party while Major was in power as a Conservative Party Prime Minister.

You would expect them to have polarised ideas, but in recent times they have found a common denominator as they share thoughts on two particular issues  BREXIT and Mays leadership. It is no secret that, given the opportunity, these two wish the referendum vote of June 23, 2016 be reversed. They have several times raised the idea of a second referendum in the hope that the electorates will think rightly and vote to stay in the union.

Blair in Brussels last week declared that Prime Minister May was incapable of getting the best for UK. He said Some in Britain believe that therefore Europe will bend in its negotiating stance and allow Britain largely unfettered access to Europes single market without the necessity of abiding by Europes rules. This wont happen because quite simply it cant.

It was not Mays plan either, as she said on Friday that If we want good access to each others markets, it has to be on fair terms. As with any trade agreement, we must accept the need for binding commitments  for example, we may choose to commit some areas of our regulations like state aid and competition to remain in step with the EUs.

For once, May admitted what the EU bureaucrats have been saying since 2016 that Britain cannot eat its cake and still have it. We all know this, but May seized another opportunity to remind us what the conditions of negotiations are. It is obvious that some shifting here and there have to be made to arrive at solutions that may not particularly be beneficial for all the parties concerned. We all know as this is why it is called negotiations.

It was clear that Mays speech was to debunk views that her government is being run by few people. As she set out the five steps towards future economic partnership between her country and the EU, she seized the opportunity to make a pledge to the people that I serve: I know youre working around the clock, I know youre doing your best, and I know that sometimes life can be a struggle. The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours.

This is assuring, as Sir Major had earlier in the week raised concerns over the hard path the government was toeing. He had said: For the moment, our self-imposed red lines have boxed the Government into a corner. They are so tilted to the ultra Brexit opinion, even the Cabinet cannot agree on them  and a majority in both Houses of Parliament oppose them. If maintained in full, it will be impossible to reach a favourable trade outcome.

May is still not clear on what Britain wants from post-EU, but there is no doubt there are difficult days ahead for the UK. She might have survived this speech; there are many explanations she would have to brace up for in the future. Soon, she might be singing another tune apart from you cannot eat your cake and have it when British people demand a detailed future plan.

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Loading...Home | News | General | 2019: Nigeria cannot contain the bandwagon effect of presidential poll coming first  Willy Ezegwu, CNPP leader

Secretary General of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Chief Willy Ezugwu, is a first class traditional ruler. The CNPP, as led by Alhaji Balarabe Musa, is the umbrella body of all the registered political parties and political associations in the country.

The Convener of Save Enugu Group (SEG) and National Coordinator of the South East Revival Group (SERG), in this interview, speaks on the restructuring debate, the presidential ambition of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, preparations ahead of the 2019 general elections among other national issues.

Ezugwu

One of the issues that will shape the 2019 political campaign is the restructuring debate. Recently, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which initially rejected restructuring, came up with their own version of restructuring. What do you have to say on this issue?

It is quite interesting that the APC returned to restructuring though their idea of restructuring is far from that of the rest of us. But it means that restructuring is the way to go to keep Nigeria united. At least, the grand advocate of restructuring in recent time, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will heave a sigh of relief. He was the one who brought back restructuring to the discussion table ahead of 2019 elections. Without mincing words, Nigeria, as it is today, is not working and we can only get it to work by going back to true federalism. The unitary presidential system we are running will continue to create distrust among Nigerians because of growing sense of injustice. Like Alhaji Atiku said in Nsukka in 2017, the rising tension and agitations in the country can only be checked with a restructured country that engages her people on productive activities instead of all these killings going on. So, we need to restructure if we are serious about making progress as a country.

You mentioned Atiku Abubakar and though you are not a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as a CNPP leader, whose membership cuts across all political parties, how do you assess the quality of those who have expressed interest to contest for president on the PDP platform?

Im a Board of Trustees member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and I can tell you that my party will do everything possible to field a credible presidential candidate in 2019. However, to answer your question, I can tell you that the PDP has only two presidential aspirants: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and others. If you are talking of a candidate that is sellable across the country on the platform of the PDP, in the North and the South, Atiku is the man.

Nigeria needs a successful business man to run. We have tested military generals like Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari. We have tried politicians like the late Umaru YarAdua and Goodluck Jonathan. It is time to try business men. Nigeria needs to be restructured and reorganised for greatness. Nigeria needs to achieve its full potentials and a business-minded person is needed at this time that our economy is at the lowest ebb.

It is believed in some quarters that Atiku is corrupt. His sources of income have been questioned. He has come out several times to challenge anyone that has evidence of corruption against him to come forward?

(Cuts in) Today, we have a man assumed to be Mr Integrity as President. How has that brought about better life for the people? When political cabals dont like any ones face, they will tag you as corrupt because they know that Nigerians are suffering and they will see anyone with the tag of corruption as an enemy of the people. Today, Nigerians are suffering. With 100 per cent increment in the pump price of petroleum products, we still experience fuel scarcity. It means that there is more to it than shouting Mr Integrity. What Nigeria needs at the moment is leadership. In the world today, business men are taking over political leadership. American President, Donald Trump, is a businessman, and in Africa, we are following the trend. The new South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, is a business man. We cannot afford as a country to flow against the trend. If we are the giant of Africa, we must get our leadership right ahead of other African countries. From the little I know about Atiku, all the allegations against him are the imaginations of people who dont wish Nigeria well. They are the same people who packaged a lie and sold it to us as change. Has any government taken Atiku to court, let alone convict him? This means all the allegations are made in order to make sure that Nigeria is denied good leaders. Now, lets look at Atikus businesses: he started transport business in 1971. He has told the story of how he was posted to Idi-Iroko border as a young Customs officer and how he became a distributor of SCOA, and bought four pick-up Peugeot cars and gave them to drivers who made daily returns.

He grew his businesses cutting across education, maritime, manufacturing among others. He has shown leadership in business and politics. He has remained the most outstanding Vice President Nigeria has ever had.

According to research, one of the major problems of under-development in Africa is poor leadership and Nigeria has few good and selfless leaders. What is your perspective?

When we talk of leadership, we are talking of a call to service, a call to put others first in decision making. It will be an expensive mistake at this stage of our political life if we do not look for men of impeccable character, a strong-willed Nigerian who has succeeded in many sectors, who is also a nationalist that can unite Nigeria. Atiku is a bridge-builder who is at home in the six geographical zones of the country. Today, there is obvious leadership vacuum as a result of the lack of purposeful leadership by the President Buhari administration, with its fruitless policies. And the country has continued to go round a vicious cycle of stagnation, poverty and hopelessness. This is because of lack of leadership. There is corruption in other parts of the world, yet they are making progress. So, we need a leader who has succeeded in business like Atiku has.

The National Assembly just reordered the 2019 general elections schedule. What is your take on the matter?

The truth of the 2019 general elections is that the presidential election should come last to save Nigerian democracy and the country from nose-diving into a one-party state and, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should cooperate with the National Assembly because, if the elections were not reordered, the party that wins the Presidential election will sweep the polls at all level. This is dangerous for democracy.

I have heard some civil society organizations (CSOs) who kick against the presidential election coming last and I will advise them to retrace their steps because they are unwittingly trying to aide a rigging formula that will turn the country into a one-party state.

If INEC wants to conduct elections devoid of rigging, the Commission should listen to the voice of the representatives of the people, who are working hard to reduce bandwagon effect in voting. The members of the National Assembly should remain united in reordering the elections as experienced politicians and major stakeholders in the outcome of elections.

We should not be deceived; the issue is not about President Muhammadu Buharis re-election bid. It is about Nigeria after President Buhari. INEC must do everything to ensure free, fair and very credible 2019 elections

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Loading...Home | News | General | Death for hate speech: Civil society groups kick against bill, call it draconian

- Civil society groups have lent their voices against a bill at the Senate which recommends death sentence for any person found guilty of hate speech

- According to the groups, capital punishment was becoming unpopular all over the world

- It noted that there were provisions in the law to duly prosecute perpetrators of hate speech rather than a death sentence

A bill at the Senate that recommends death sentence for any person found guilty of hate speech has been condemned by civil society groups.

The bill has been described as draconian by the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), The Punch reports.

The president of the CDHR, Malachy Ugwummadu, said: I think there have been very desperate and sinister moves on the part of the Senate, hiding under the cloak of a nebulous term such as hate speech, to whittle down and undermine the fundamental rights of Nigerians. The first challenge about that bill is to know who defines hate speech. Is it the senators or the people?

You will certainly harvest abuses if we go by the Senates definition of hate speech. Every Nigerian, including those who are alleged to have indulged in hate speech, enjoys a constitutional right to freedom of expression. It will only take a court to take away those rights in specific circumstances. Anything short of that will amount to a breach of that right.

Also, there are still bodies of legislation on defamation, slander and libel which carry their own punishments and penalties, but not the death penalty. They, more often than not, attract payment of damages. The Senate must not tamper with this arrangement. We recommend that the bill on capital punishment be abolished.

READ ALSO: David Mark ends Ekiti PDP crisis, reconciles warring factions

Also speaking, the director of CACOL, Debo Adeniran, said, most of the laws being put forward by the Senate are self-serving. According to him, Nigerian senators are the worst culprits when it comes to hate speech.

Hate speech must not attract the death penalty because we cannot be sure of the prosecution leading to it. The bill is unwarranted and self-serving, he said.

On its part, the national coordinator of HURIWA said the bill was designed to criminalise independent voices that are critical and vocal about the gross misgovernance that has become the hallmark of the current federal government and most state governments.

He warned the National Assembly against using subterranean tactics of sponsoring tyrannical legislation that could strengthen the dictatorial tendencies of the present government.

The group added that the National Assembly was working together with enemies of democracy who were bent on destroying civil rule.

HURIWA is of the position that the draconian bill before the national legislature purportedly meant to check hate speech is aimed at destroying freedom of speech and media rights. It is one of the latest weapons being used by haters of free speech to demonise and attack perceived political opponents, he said.

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The bill, sponsored by Senate spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi (APC-Niger), recommends the death penalty for any hate speech that result in the death of a person. The bill passed the first reading at the Senate on Wednesday.

In defence of the bill, he said he sponsored it to correct the failures of existing laws. According to him, the existing laws on defamation and public conduct had failed to check hate speech among Nigerians.

Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yusuf Ali, said the bill should not be totally discarded because hate speech had led to very grievous consequences in the country.

In an earlier report by NAIJ.com, the federal government warned that it would prosecute those who indulge in the practice of hate speech in accordance with the 2011 terrorism act.

The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, who gave the warning on Monday, February 19, at the second national conference of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kano, noted that offenders of dangerous comments would henceforth be prosecuted by the federal government.

Mohammed who described the media as a moulder of the public view, noted the federal government has continued to promote ethical standard and the core responsibility of the journalism profession.

Street gist: Should the Nigerian senate be scrapped? on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | 2019: Sultan of Sokoto sends message to Nigerians, tells them what to do

- As the 2019 election approaches, Nigerians have been urged by the Sultan of Sokoto to ensure they register in order to participate in the voting process

- He said it is only through voters card that the people can challenge the leaders

The Sultan of Sokoto and president general of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III, has called on Nigerians to go get their voters card ready to elect leaders of their choice in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

According to the sultan, people can only have a say in what the leaders do, only by getting their voters card, Vanguard reports.

Speaking on Saturday, March 3, during the closing ceremony of the 32nd National Quranic Recitation competition organized by Centre for Islamic Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and hosted by the Katsina state, Alhaji Saad Abubakar said: It is only through your voters card that you can challenge your leaders and also have a say in what they do.

READ ALSO: If anybody jubilates over Dapchi girls abduction, that person is an enemy of Nigeria - Presidency

Also speaking, the governor of Katsina state, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, faulted the Almajiranci system. He said it has no basis in Islam.

The practice of the Almajirai is far from being a reflection of Islamic ideals. The Almajirai are erroneously linked to Islamic education. Aged between four and 15 years, the Almajirai are engaged more in seeking sustenance for themselves than in learning the Quran. They are exposed, exploited and abused and many of them become involved in crimes. Islam does not encourage begging, Governor Masari said.

Amina Aliyu Mohd from Borno state and Amiru Yunus Guru from Bauchi state emerged as the overall winners in the competition which had about 250 reciters. They were awarded with brand new cars, Hajj seats and other cash donations.

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Gombe state will be hosting the the 33rd edition of the competition slated for next year.

In an earlier report by NAIJ.com, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) decried the lack of commitment by Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs). The Kogi state chapter of the association said it is worrisome that about eight million Nigerians are yet to collect their PVCs from many collection centres across Nigeria.

Daily Trust reports that the CAN chairman of the state chapter, Bishop John Ibenu, there is need for Independent National Electoral Commission to step up sensitisation campaign and enlightenment for the people.

What is the problem with Nigeria? on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | NIHORT trains farmers in Oyo

By Ola Ajayi, Ibadan

IN its effort to boost food production, the Nigeria Institute of Horticulture, NIHORT, in conjunction with Projektlink Konsult, has organised a three-day capacity building training for select farmers in Oyo State.

Farmers

The Value chain capacity building training for select farmers in Oyo State was organinsed in order to encourage farmers to work harder for better productivity as well as enlighten participants on various uses of plantain, banana and tomatoes.

Dr Abayomi Afolayan, the acting Executive Director, NIHORT, encouraged farmers on ways to boost their incomes through the planting of the crops.

During his presentation, Dr Kunle Adepeju, a resource person said, what we are trying to do is to reduce hunger and improve knowledge.

According to him, due to lack of adequate knowledge on how to preserve the perishable crops, farmers in the country lose their farm produce.

He added that the seminar would help the participants minimize waste and also reduce over-dependence on tomatoes from the North.

We want to be self sufficient in tomatoes. Many companies are coming up to buy the produce.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, Mr Oyewole Oyewumi said the government would put all machinery in motion to empower farmers in the state.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Akwa Ibom speaker, others unveil project NN19

Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Oniofiok Akpan Luke and Chima Desmond Anyaso, Saturday, led other youth leaders in Nigeria to unveil project NN19, a platform to encourage active youth participation in governance and leadership.

Edangs Eradiri former president IYC, Moses Siloko Siasia, Dr Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso Convener NN19, Rt Hon. Luke Onofiok speaker Akwa Ibom state house of assembly, Hon. Chima Obieze member Enugu state house of Assembly, Oscar Obi P. A to Senate president on Youth

The event which held at the Base Landmark Conference center in Enugu on the sidelines of the Southern Young Leaders Conference had in attendance prominent traditional rulers, youths and business leaders from across Nigeria.

In his remarks, speaker of Akwa Ibom State House Assembly charged Nigerian youths to rise up to the demands of todays leadership by taking charge and participating actively in governance and policy making process, say that the youths should be involved and aware of issues around them, and must set high ethical standards so as to be taken serious in critical national debates. He raised concerns over the current situation where Nigerian youths only complain about poor governance but do nothing to improve the state of affairs of the country.

Chima Anyaso, Vice Chairman South of Nigeria Young Professionals said that NN19 is a youth movement brought about to help galvanize and mobilize young people in Nigeria into active political participation.

In his words we are worried that things will go out of control soon if the critical masses of Nigerian youths fail to engage actively in the political process.

We are concerned that things will get worse and we may not be able to build the kind of country that we all desire for the next generation, if the youths refuse to be involved actively.

NN19 is a movement and a platform for active political participation, a platform that will help close the current leadership gap. We want to support young vibrant Nigerians who are interested and ready to participate in the political process and in leadership roles.

On his part, Moses Siloko Siasia who is the Chairman of Nigeria Young Professionals urged youths of Nigeria to get in involved by first joining the movement NN19 which stands for New Nigeria.

He said the platform is open and will be available to all interested and enthusiastic young Nigerians, male and female.

Oscar Obi, personal assistant to the senate president on youth matters urged youths to set high -standards with a well spelt-out moral code built on the foundation of excellence to enable them contribute effectively to national development

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Loading...Home | News | General | Govt admits fraud in SIP: Matters arising

By Dele Sobowale

If you shut up truth and bury it underground, it will but grow and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through, it will blow up everything in its way. Emile Zola, 1840-1902.

One unpleasant truth has recently blown up in the faces of President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo. On May 29, 2015, President Buhari announced the Social Intervention Programme, SIP, which was called the most audacious attempt by any government in Nigeria to address the issues of poverty and joblessness. The four components of SIP included: employment of 500,000 teachers; payment of N5000 per month to five million poor Nigerians; ICT Training designed to turn trainees into entrepreneurs and employers of others and the feeding of 5 million school children. If it had succeeded, it would have been Buharis legacy project which would have also made him Nigerias greatest leader of all time.

Unfortunately, for Buhari and Nigeria, SIP was a product of more wishful thinking than effective planning. It never had a chance for success as conceived. But, Buhari, appointing people based on sentiments rather than competence, planned the seeds of failure and fraud even as he sent in the first budget in 2016 to kick-start the SIP. In the 2016 Budget, SIP was allocated a mind-boggling N500bn; it was the largest allocation. It was even bigger than what Fashola got as Super Minister of Power, Housing and Works. Few people, except Senator Danjuma Goje and I questioned the allocation of so much money to a totally new programme whose detains were still to be worked out.

Buhari did not fall into this trap all by himself. Perhaps knowing his own limitations when it comes to understanding complex programmes, the President relied on the Vice President  a Professor of Law. Osinbajo also was keenly aware of his own deficiencies in such matters. So, he turned to one Mr Laolu Akande  his Senior Special Adviser  whose tissue of lies on SIP has finally blown up in everybodys faces.

When the 2016 Budget estimates reached the Joint Appropriation Committee, Senator Goje made this observation.

There is no detailed and clear-cut structure being laid down for the implementation of this project because what we have in the budget is N300bn recurrent and N200bn capital. We had to push hard to get some details which were not convincing. For instance, the explanation we got is that N5000 will be given to one million Nigerians. Who will choose the one million? (Sen. Goje, March3, 2016).

The Joint Appropriation Committee, at first deleted that amount from the 2016 budget and advised the Federal Government to go and do its homework before re-presenting the SIP in the 2017 budget. But, those who were hell-bent on taking Nigeria to the cleaners would have none of that patriotic advice. They must have their scam ratified by the National Assembly. Pressure was brought to bear on the NASS and N500bn was appropriated for a project that has never been tried. That was almost double what was allocated to Education or Health  the operations of which were well-known to all. It never made sense and will never make sense. In no country does a good government allocate more funds to an untried project.

Senator Danjuma was not alone in raising alarm. In August of 2016, I wrote as follows about SIP. 

That was the first of at least twelve articles written about SIP warning Nigerians that SIP, under VP Osinbajo has become a den of corruption. On each occasion, I had challenged Mr Laolu Akande and the VP to substantiate their claims that SIP was achieving results. For instance, the article  Fooling Nigerians on N5000 payment  was written in January 2017, after traveling to nine states and finding no single official recipient of the money. Questions on FGs School Feeding appeared in August. It detailed all the lies which were being reported from the VPs office, refusal to disclose the list of schools benefiting from the School Feeding Programme. All to no avail.

Just as I was about to give up; thinking the wicked have done their worst about SIP and Nigerians dont seem to care about the swindles involved in SIP, Mrs Maryam Uwais, Senior Special Adviser to the VP and the person directly in charge of SIP suddenly opens up and vindicates me. On February 16, 2018, a national newspaper published on page 10: NEC: Social Investment Programme Marred by Fraud, Corruption. Another made it front page news. Govt Admits Fraud in N1t Social Investment Fund. Mrs Uwais, tired of the cover-up of monumental fraud under the SIP, located in the VPs office is letting us into the dark secrets which had characterized Buharis pet project. Mr Laolu Akande, predictably, is now difficult to reach by media

To be continued

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Loading...Home | News | General | VC calls on Nigerian youths to shun violence

Babcock Universitys President/Vice Chancellor, Professor Ademola Tayo, has called on youths to shun thuggery.

He made this call while declaring open the third edition of the youth empowerment programme attended by 18 Secondary Schools drawn from Ogun, Lagos and Oyo states on Tuesday.

Nigerian youths

Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Services, Professor Sunday Owolabi, he said the essence of the programme was to bring to the fore the missing values in Nigerian youths.

He said the idea was also to let them know that academic success alone does not translate to success in life.

According to him, success is not free but earned, pointing out that in everything they do, they should understand that there was always a prize to pay for success.

According to him, Babcock University was not only a faith-based university but also a place where there was zero tolerance for cultism, drugs and examination misconduct.

Managing director/ chief executive officer, Image Doctors Services Group, Rev. Funke Irabor, on her part urged the students not to take the success in the secondary school lightly because it was the foundation of success in life.

Also, 500 level medical student, Nwachukwu Olusegun, and 400 level student, Mercy Familusi, gave firsthand experience about the university to the students.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of prizes to schools whose students performed brilliantly well during the question and answer session. These were Vinecrest College Iperu-Remo, Classic Royal Academy, Ikene and Jextoban Secondary School, Ibafo, all in Ogun State.

An SS3 student of Babcock Academy, Abeokuta, Favour Ogunji also received a book, Abundance of Heart, donated by the author, Olusegun Nwachukwu for his contribution during the question and answer session.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Exercise Ayam Akptuma: Troops arrest herdsmen destroying farmlands in Nasarawa state

- The Nigerian army has been recording successes in its ongoing Exercise Cat Race

- Three herdsmen have been arrested for deliberately grazing their cattle on a farmland

- They have been handed over to the police for further action

In continuation of the Nigerian army's Exercise Cat Race, troops on patrol to Yeas, Kaseyo and Ukaa villages in Nasarawa state came across abandoned cattle crazing on a farm land.

The cattle were driven out of the farm into custody in Awe local government area of the state, a statement by the director, army public relations, Brigadier-General Texas Chukwu said.

The arrested herdsmen will be handed over to the police according to the army. Photo credit: Nigerian Army

READ ALSO: Benue Youth Forum expresses concerns over Exercise Cat Race

Similarly, troops while on patrol along road Ayilamo, Tomata and Kwantan Sule settlements accosted 3 herdsmen, armed with machetes deliberately grazing their cattle on a farmland thereby destroying it.

Suspects were arrested and handed over to the police for further action.

The patrol continues to protect communities and deny armed herdsmen / militia freedom of movement and action, the statement said.

Last week, the troops recovered locally made weapons in some villages in Taraba state.

The recovery was made during a conduct of cordon and search operations at Kwesati and Tati villages across Ussa and Takum local government areas of the state.

During the process of the condon and search ,the alerted troops recovered 5 weapons and have been back loaded. Troops continue to make progress as the exercise proceeds at pace, a statement by Brigadier General Chukwu, said.

READ ALSO: Exercise Cat Race: Troops arrest herdsmen while setting ablaze Gwamba village

Victims of herdsmen killing buried in Benue state on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | We wont create ranches to enforce anti-grazing laws - Governors react to police IG's directive

- Some state governors have challenged police chief Ibrahim Idris to go to court if he has a problem with the anti-grazing law

- Governor Ortom said it would be wrong for anyone to advocate that government should establish ranches for herdsmen as it was a lucrative private business

- Taraba state governor maintained that his anti-grazing law was not the cause of the killings being perpetrated by the herdsmen in the state

The governors of Benue, Ekiti, and Taraba states have asked the inspector general of police, Ibrahim Idris to implement the anti-grazing law instead of giving them lectures on how to pacify the herdsmen.

The governors said the police chief has no right to direct them on how to make the anti-grazing law implemented in their states work, The Punch reports.

This was in reaction to a statement by Idris that state governors should establish cattle ranches before implementing anti-grazing laws to avert conflict between farmers and herdsmen.

Governor Samuel Ortom who spoke through the commissioner for information and orientation, Lawrence Onoja Jr., challenged the police chief to approach the court if he was not comfortable with the implementation of the anti-grazing law in Benue state.

READ ALSO: 2019: It is only through your voters card that you can challenge your leaders - Sultan of Sokoto

According to him, the directive if Idris to governors to establish ranches before operating grazing laws is totally against the Nigerian constitution.

He said: It is not his duty and he does not have power to direct governors. The police are not to interpret the law but to enforce it. Therefore, it is not for the IG to determine whether a law is right or wrong. It is the duty of the judiciary to interpret laws. If a law is passed and the IG feels it is not good enough, the best thing to do is to challenge the law in the court for interpretation.

Onoja said it was wrong for anyone to advocate that government should establish ranches for herdsmen, maintaining that ranching was a lucrative private business.

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state who is the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum said his state would not heed the advice of the police IG.

The governors special assistant on public communications and new media, Lere Olayinka said: The inspector general of police has no choice than to obey the laws made by any state. It is the duty of the police to enforce the law. Cattle rearing is regarded as a private business and it is not the duty of the governors to provide land for the herders. The real cattle owners are rich people who can afford land; they are not the nomads you see following cattle from the North to the South.

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Also speaking, Governor Darius Ishaku of Traba state maintained that the anti-grazing law remained one of the solutions to end the unwarranted clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the state. He said the law was put in place to stop incessant attacks and killings by the herders.

Speaking through his senior special assistant on public affairs, Emmanuel Bello, the governor said: We have already enacted a law, but we are still prepared to listen to any good idea that brings about peace and mutual understanding among stakeholders.

NAIJ.com reported that Idris, on Wednesday, February 28, advised state governors to prioritise the establishment of cattle ranches before enacting anti-grazing laws, to avert conflict between farmers and herdsmen.

The IGP gave the advice at the Northern States Stakeholders Security Summit, with the theme, `National Building: Security Challenges and the Need for Inclusive Approach, held in Kaduna.

It is my humble suggestion that to reduce the incidence of clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria, state governments should endeavour to establish grazing ranches in their various states before enacting laws to prohibit open rearing and grazing," he said.

Nigerian herdsmen vs Nigerian farmers - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Killing of UN humanitarian workers in Rann: Jonathan reacts, reveals the only way terror can be defeated

- The killing of United Nation staff by Boko Haram insurgents has been condemned by Goodluck Jonathan

- Reacting to the incident that took place in Rann, the former president said an attack on one nation must be seen as an attack on all nations

- Following the attack in Rann on March 1, about four aid workers were reportedly killed

Former president Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday, March 3, condemned the killings of four Nigerian humanitarian workers during a Boko Haram attack on an Internally Displaced Persons camp at Rann, Borno state, on Thursday, March 1.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, the former president said the that the war on terror must be treated as a global war. He said his prayers are with the families of the victims as well as to those injured in the attack.

READ ALSO: Presidency reacts as criticisms trail Buharis presence at wedding of governors children

The statement read: I condemn the killings of members of staff of the United Nations and other humanitarian and aid workers in Rann by Boko Haram terrorists. My thoughts and prayers are with the UN and the families of the victims as well as to those injured in the dastardly and cowardly attack. The UN and other humanitarian and aid groups such as Medecins Sans Frontieres have been friends of Nigeria and deserve hailing not killing. I therefore repeat the call I made while in office-that the war on terror must be treated as a global war. There must be full and total cooperation amongst the nations of the world. An attack on one nation must be seen as an attack on all nations. That is the only way we can defeat terror. Together. Not apart.

NAIJ.com earlier reported that about four aid workers were killed in a Boko Haram attack in Rann in the latest violence that hit the remote town.

The United Nation on Friday, March 2, confirmed the attack which happened after dark outside a camp housing some 55,000 people displaced by the Boko Haram conflict and appeared to target the military.

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A civilian militia source in Rann, which is some 175 kilometres (110 miles) from the Borno state capital of Maiduguri, and a senior military source gave an identical death toll. They also said eight soldiers were killed in the attack but there was no immediate official confirmation.

In reaction, President Muhammadu Buhari said the attack on humanitarian workers in Rann, Borno state, more than ever shows Boko Haram insurgents as godless, brutish, and utterly to be despised.

"As I have always maintained, no true religion advocates hurting the innocent. To now further attack and kill those offering humanitarian aid is the height of depraved behaviour. It is odious before both God and man," the president said, while sympathizing with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies working at Rann, and in the country generally.

Obasanjo and Jonathan are good on Naij.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Nigerians criticise Buhari for attending wedding of governors children in Kano, presidency reacts

- President Muhammadu Buhari has been criticised for attending a wedding ceremony in Kano

- Those attacking the president are angry that he has not visited Benue, Taraba, Borno and states where killings and abductions have been recorded this year

- In his defence, Lauretta Onochie said the president is an adult and can decide where he wants to visit

The presidency has reacted to criticisms trailing President Muhammadu Buharis presence at the wedding ceremony of the daughter of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state, Hajiya Fatima, and the son of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state, Idris Ajimobi, on Saturday, March 3.

Defending her boss, the special assistant on social media to the president, Lauretta Onochie, said Buhari was an adult who can decide where to go.

President @MBuhari is an adult. He decides where he goes. He decided its Kano today. And to Kano he went, she wrote on Twitter.

Some of those who had criticized the president accused him of not visiting Benue, Taraba, Borno and states where killings and abductions have been recorded this year.

Some cited the case of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan who was castigated for visiting Kano after a bomb blast.

Buhari and 22 governors were in attendance at the wedding ceremony .Senate president Bukola Saraki and the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were also present.

The president handed over the bride price of N50,000 to the Gandujes family on behalf of the groom, after which, the union was formalised by the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II. Buhari reportedly headed back to Abuja immediately after the wedding.

How long should it take between a proposal and the actual wedding? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Tension in Imo, as Okorochas son-in-law, Uche Nwosu declares for guber

APC does not belong to one man  Senator Araraume

 Imo Deputy insist on contesting

Uche Nwosu

By Chinonso Alozie, Owerri

Mr. Uche Nwosu, son in-law to Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has reportedly declared to run for the 2019 gubernatorial election in the state.

Vanguard, gathered, Sunday, in Owerri, that Nwosus declaration took place at his country home, in Eziama Obire, Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo state.

This was even as a governorship aspirant Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, said that ,APC, in the state, cannot be under the control of just one man.

While the Imo Deputy governor, Prince Eze Madumere, was said to have insisted he would contest for the plum governorship position.

This is coming weeks after, Okorocha said he was going to contest for Imo West senatorial District, with the son in law, contesting for governorship in 2019.

An arrangement, said did not go down well with the Deputy, as well as rejected the Senate offer. Insisting, he is in the race for the interest of Imo people.

It will be recalled that the drama started with an unrestricted endorsements by different groups for Nwosu as well as Madumere.

At a point, a planned endorsement for Nwosu, in Madumeres local government area, Mbaitoli, was disrupted by scores of angry youths of the area, a scuffle which was said to have left some people injured.

In another development, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, while speaking to his supporters at his Destiny Foundation office, in Owerri, said that one man cannot control ,APC, in the state.

According to Araraume, No one man owns the party. The party belongs to all of you. And whatever will happen in Imo state, will be decided by you.

There is no one man, no matter who the person is that owns this party. This party belongs to all of us. You must work hard to ensure that this party is strong in your area.

There is no any other party that will win Imo state. Our President will be voted again to continue from 2019. So, no one man will decide what will happen in Imo.

Recalling that, When they were moving around telling people that they will change our elected executives and I told them that nobody can change our elected executives. That is not democracy, we are not in the period of dictatorship. We have long passed that, it is now history.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Drama as Ajimobi expresses shock over N50,000 dowry in the North

By AbdulSalam Muhammad

KANO- Intra cultural marriage between the Fulanis and the Yorubas in Kano weekend thrown up an engaging drama between Governor Isiaka Ajimobi, and his Governor in-law Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over the amount set as dowry.

President Buhari with Father of the Bride and Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Emir of Kano H.H. Muhammadu Sanusi II, Father of the Groom and Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Groom Idris Abiola Ajimobi and Jigawa State Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar as he attends Wedding Fatiha of Idris Abiola Ajimobi and Fatima Umar Ganduje at the Mallam Aminu International Airport Kano State on 3rd Mar 2018

Ganduje who was overwhelmed by turn out the creme and dela creme within and outside the shore of Nigeria fired the first salvo when he ordered his in-law to pay N50.000 as dowry

Ganduje had ordered Ajimobi your son will pay N50.000 as dowry my brother.

Ajimobi who was taken aback by the token against the backdrop of stupendous wealth at his disposal glorified God while still in shock.

He thereafter retorted in pleasant surprise thus Laailaha Ilalahu (there is no God save Allah), na so marriage cheap for instance side? Abeg add one more for Idris.

Ajimobis request was however shut down by a general laughter as the emir of Kano, Malam Muhammad Sanusi who consummated the marriage in line with Islamic principles flagged off the marriage.

President Buhari who was physically present at the Kano Central mosque served as the Guardian to the groom, while the APC national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu stood for Idris Ajimobi as Guardian and paid N50.000 dowry that was handed over to President Buhari .

Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu had earlier sought the hand of the bride , Fatima Ganduje on behalf of bridegrooms family from President Buhari the guardian of the bride , .

The high society weeding was formalised by Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, after the payment of N50,000 dowry.

Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum, Governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari led other 20 state governors, senators, top fight politicians grace the weeding that shut down commercial activities in Kano.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Aregbesola pays tribute to Pastor Adeboye at 76

Says hes voice of peace in troubled world

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has described the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, as the voice of peace and comfort in a troubled and edgy world and harbinger of hope to millions of souls across the world.

Adeboye



Aregbesola said this in a message commemorating the 76th birthday of the foremost man of God yesterday.

The Governor, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Mr. Sola Fasure, described Pastor Adeboye as a beacon of hope for the numerous hopeless souls, reconciling them with God through his sermons and evangelical engagements all over the world.

Aregbesola said few people are chosen by God for this kind of evangelical assignment in a generation, saying such chosen few are rare breed and special creation, who sparingly graces this earthly terrain.

He noted that Pastor Adeboye is an epitome and embodiment of knowledge, deep faith and a messenger who spread the word of God across the globe untiringly despite his graceful old age.

According to the Governor, the arrival of the man of God at the threshold of 76 years is an august occasion, which is very special to his congregation across the globe, Nigeria, Osun state, friend and well-wishers across other faiths.

The statement read: Some individuals, very few of them, are specially chosen by the creator to be a blessing to their generation. One of such is Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), who clocked 76 years today.

Pastor Adeboye is a well educated man who gave up his brilliant academic career to do the work of God. He is a man of deep faith with apostolic fervour who has taken Christian evangelism to the nooks and crannies of this nation and the uttermost parts of the world.

There is virtually no community in Nigeria where his church is not firmly established or any part of the world where there is no parish of the RCCG.

He is also a man of prodigious energy. Even at 76, he doesnt appear to be slowing down, but his light continues to shine brighter and brighter. He is personally a very humble and meek man. He radiates love and deep affectation, always welcoming all and generous to a fault. He played fatherly role to all.

His accommodation knows no bound, transcending, religious, ethnic and class lines. I have found his calming words very assuring even at my most challenging times, whenever I am privileged to meet him.

He is a voice of peace and comfort in a troubled and edgy world; bringing hope to the hopeless and reconciliation with God to the faithless, through his sermons and evangelical engagements all over the world.

He is the essential Omoluabi, a gift from our state, Osun, to the world. He has brought honour and glory to our state, indeed the Yoruba race, in particular his Ijesa homestead. He deserves therefore to be celebrated and honoured. I congratulate this great man of God on this very special occasion.

On behalf of my family, the government and the good people of Osun, I wish this invaluable jewel a very happy birthday and many more decades of service to humanity., the statement read.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Division in Imo as Okorochas son-in-law, Uche Nwosu declares his governorship ambition

- The declaration by Governor Rochas Okorocha's son in-law, Uche Nwosu, to contest the 2019 gubernatorial election in Imo state is causing tension in the state

- Nwosu reportedly declared his governorship ambition at Nkwerre local government area of the state

- The deputy governor of Imo, Prince Eze Madumere, was said to have insisted that he would run for the governorship position

Son-in-law to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, Uche Nwosu, has reportedly declared to run for the 2019 gubernatorial election in the state.

Nwosu's declaration took place at his country home in Eziama Obire, Nkwerre local government area of Imo state, Vanguard reports.

We gathered that a governorship aspirant, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state cannot be under the control of just one man, while the Imo deputy governor, Prince Eze Madumere, reportedly insisted that he would contest for the governorship position.

Okorocha had earlier stated that he would be contesting for Imo West senatorial district while his son in-law would be contesting for governorship in 2019.

Speaking with supporters at his Destiny Foundation office, Owerri, Senator Araraume said: No one man owns the party. The party belongs to all of you. And whatever will happen in Imo state, will be decided by you.

There is no one man, no matter who the person is that owns this party. This party belongs to all of us. You must work hard to ensure that this party is strong in your area. There is no any other party that will win Imo state. Our President will be voted again to continue from 2019. So, no one man will decide what will happen in Imo.

When they were moving around telling people that they will change our elected executives and I told them that nobody can change our elected executives. That is not democracy, we are not in the period of dictatorship. We have long passed that, it is now history."

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the speaker of the Imo state House of Assembly, Dr Acho Ihim, denied the claim that the state lawmakers endorsed Governor Rochas Okorochas son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as the next governor of the state by 2019.

Ezediaro, the house committee chairman on petroleum, representing Oguta state constituency, had earlier claimed that the House had endorsed Nwosu, who is also the chief of staff to the governor, as the best person to succeed Okorocha in 2019.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Those criticising Buhari want him to be in the right place at the right time as a our leader - Shehu Sani

- President Buhari's presence at the wedding ceremony of the children of Governors Ganduje and Ajimobi is still gathering criticisms

- In his reaction, Senator Shehu Sani said those criticising Buhari are people who want him to be in the right place at the right time

The senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani has lent his voice to the criticisms trailing President Muhammadu Buhari's visit to Kano for the wedding ceremony of the daughter of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state, Hajiya Fatima, and the son of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state, Idris Ajimobi, on Saturday, March 3.

NAIJ.com gathered that Senator Sani applauded those who asking the resident to visit Benue, Taraba, Borno and other states that have been experiencing killings and abductions. According to him, the critics are not enemies of President Buhari.

Those telling the President to visit Dapchi, Taraba, Rann & Benue are not enemies of the President, they are people who want him to be in the right place at the right time as a our leader, as a human being, as a father; for history and for morality," he rote on Twitter.

READ ALSO: It is not the duty of governors to provide land for the herdsmen - Governors challenge police IG

President Buhari and 22 governors and other dignitaries were in Kano to celebrate with Governors Ganduje and Ajimobi as their children got married.

The president handed over the bride price of N50,000 to the Gandujes family on behalf of the groom, after which, the union was formalised by the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II. Buhari reportedly headed back to Abuja immediately after the wedding.

This has sparked reactions from Nigerians who are angry that he has not visited Benue, Taraba, Borno and states where killings and abductions have been recorded this year.

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Defending her boss, the special assistant on social media to the president, Lauretta Onochie, said Buhari was an adult who can decide where to go. President @MBuhari is an adult. He decides where he goes. He decided its Kano today. And to Kano he went, she wrote on Twitter.

Will Buhari bring back Dapchi Girls? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | What religious leaders can do to help Buhari in the fight against corruption - Imam Fuad

- Religious leaders have been urged by Imam Fuad Adeyemi to get involved in the anti-corruption war by President Buhari

- He said without the help of the people, government cannot succeed in the fight

- According to him, we need all hands linked in the fight against corruption

The executive director of the Just Foundation of Al-Habibiyyah, Imam Fuad Adeyemi, has called on religious leaders across the country to get involved in the anti-corruption efforts of the federal government.

He said without the support and input of religious leaders, government cannot succeed alone in the war. He said religious leaders command respect and followership across the larger segments of the citizenry.

Speaking in Abuja on Saturday, March 3, at the official launch of the Project EAT-FIn (Encouraging Accountability and Transparency through Faith-based Intervention) organised by the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society (AIS) and the MacArthur Foundation, he said Nigerians need to come together to fight against corruption, Daily Trust reports.

READ ALSO: Presidency reacts as criticisms trail Buharis presence at wedding of governors children

Adeyemi said: As a nation, we cant continue to live in a country where snake swallowed N36m while hardworking men cannot spend two hundred naira on food at once. We cant continue to celebrate and honour thieves who stole our commonwealth while ignoring the poor who perform noble acts. Since government has taken the fight from the top, we should support it from below, such that we make it difficult for those who stole our collective treasure to find space with us.

"The corruption and mad acquisition for wealth is what I refer to as Digital Stealing and Scientific Corruption as some Nigerians have continually devised new approaches just as government is reigning them in. We believe that we need all hands linked in the fight against corruption, so that those who hitherto used to celebrate those who gained wealth and fame through corruption would abhor corruption and so withdraw their patronage of such corrupt elements in the society."

Also speaking, the coordinator of the Project EAT-Fin Dr Rekiya Momoh-Abaji, said due to the importance of anti-corruption fight championed by President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the AIS is collaborating with the MacArthur Foundation on the three-year project.

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Lending his voice to the discussion, the Africa director of MacArthur Foundation, Dr Kole Shettima, said for the anti-corruption effort to succeed, every citizen must be involved.

In his goodwill message, the secretary of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Usman Abubakar, said fighting corruption is religious obligation as no religion condones corruption.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration is winning the war against corruption and also enforcing the rule of law. He said this has resulted in significant growth in the non-oil sector which is creating thousands of jobs across the country.

NAIJ.com gathered that the president made the statement on Thursday, March 1, when he spoke at a meeting with a Qatari business delegation led by the former Emir, Sheikh Hamad Al-Thani, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, a statement by his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said.

Buhari said his administrations economic agenda has always been to move away from over reliance on crude oil and food importation.

Top 5 the Richest People of Nigeria: The Luxury of Corruption - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | How Python Dance 2, Crocodile Smile 2 operations help in fighting criminal activities - Nigerian army

- The General Officer Commanding, 81 Division, Nigerian army, Maj.-Gen. Emabong Udoh, said Python Dance 2 and Crocodile Smile 2 exercises were successful

- He said the operations helped in fighting criminal activities in the country

- He urged the Nigerian soldiers to remain committed and be ready to give their best in the new training year

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Nigerian army, Maj.-Gen. Emabong Udoh, said Python Dance 2 and Crocodile Smile 2 exercises were successfully conducted.

Udoh added that the exercises, which were part of training activities of the army in 2017, helped to curtail criminal activities and other crimes in the country, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that Udoh stated this at the 2018 West Africa Social Activities (WASA) celebration of the army, which ended late on Saturday, March 3, in Dodan Barracks, Lagos.

READ ALSO: Nigerians criticise Buhari for attending wedding of governors children in Kano, presidency reacts

He said that WASA was one of the ways of keeping the traditions of the army, explaining that it was usually organised to mark the end of a training year and beginning of another one.

The 2017 training activities, though challenging, were very intensive in the Nigerian army and in 81 Division for that matter.

All the exercises programmed for the year were successfully held as scheduled. Exercises like Python Dance 2 and Crocodile Smile 2 were successfully conducted, he said.

The GOC, therefore, urged personnel to remain committed and be ready to give their best in the new training year.

This is in line with the Chief of Army Staffs vision which is to have a responsive Nigerian army in the discharge of its constitutional roles, he said.

He urged officers and men of the division to remain focused, dedicated and resilient in order to consolidate on the achievements so far recorded.

I also pay my tribute to our fallen heroes, who paid the supreme price to keep the country safe, he added.

In his remarks, a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Alexander Ogomudia (retd.), urged army officers and men to remain resilient in the discharge of their duties to ensure peace and stability in the country.

Ogomudia said you are all aware of the security challenges confronting the nation and the roles each and every one of us have to play to increase the level of security.

The Nigerian army has been actively involved in the fight against all forms of insecurity and it has made substantial gains in this fight.

This has been made possible by your commitment, dedication, sacrifices and synergy with other security agencies.

I urge you not to rest on your oars but work assiduously with other security agencies towards maintaining and improving the security in the country.

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He said that Operation Crocodile Smile 2 was one of the success stories of the army in 2017 and commended the personnel for the sacrifice and achievement.

I commend the army for their collaboration with members of other security agencies in contributing to the successes recorded in the various internal security operations in Lagos and the country, Ogomudia said.

He pointed out that WASA was aimed at fostering unity among army personnel, their families as well as improving civilian-military relations.

The event featured Tug of War contest, dances by cultural groups as well as presentation of gifts and awards to distinguished soldiers and guests.

Top serving and retired military officers and captains of industries attended the occasion.

NAIJ.com previously reported that in continuation of the Nigerian army's Exercise Cat Race, troops on patrol to Yeas, Kaseyo and Ukaa villages in Nasarawa state came across abandoned cattle crazing on a farm land.

The cattle were driven out of the farm into custody in Awe local government area of the state, a statement by the director, army public relations, Brigadier-General Texas Chukwu said.

Similarly, troops while on patrol along road Ayilamo, Tomata and Kwantan Sule settlements accosted 3 herdsmen, armed with machetes deliberately grazing their cattle on a farmland thereby destroying it.

STREET GIST: Is Operation "Crocodile smile II" necessary? - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | Federal Government spends N771 million to build 80 houses in Plateau state - Official

- The federal government is investing N771 million into building 80 houses in Plateau state

- The initiative is under the Federal Housing Programmed (FHP)

- The housing project is located at Laminga village in Jos, the state capital

The federal government is investing N771 million into building 80 houses in Plateau state under the Federal Housing Programme (FHP), according to Mr Julius Olurinola, FHP zonal coordinator (north-central).

Olurinola, who inspected work on the housing project located at Laminga village in Jos on Sunday, March 4, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he was very impressed with the quality of work at the site.

File photo of the minister of power, works and hosing commissioning one of the housing projects in the country. Source: Twitter

READ ALSO: FG invests N16.6bn Sukuk bond on road repair in southeast

He commended the Plateau state government for donating the 5.04 hectares of land for the project, and particularly lauded its collaboration with the federal government to execute the project.

Olurinola urged the handlers of the project to keep up the good work, and also encouraged them to strive to meet the deadline for the completion of every unit.

He said that the housing scheme was a collective dream that must be supported to minimise the shortage of houses in Plateau state.

The official said that infrastructural facilities were already being provided to the estate, saying that special attention was being paid to road construction which had been the major challenge for the handlers.

A representative of the contractors, Mohammed Jalige, commended the Lamingo community for being hospitable, and attributed the speed of the job and its good quality to the peaceful working environment in the area.

Jalige said that the handlers had employed more than 1,500 youths and trained many of them on various skills.

A food vendor, Mrs. Rebecca Yamg, who spoke with NAN, said that she makes N7,000 daily, from the site.

Business has been good since the building project took off. There are many workers which has enhanced patronage, she said. (NAN)

Meanwhile, the federal government says it has generated about 64,000 jobs across the nation through the 2016 National Housing Programme.

This was disclosed by the minister of works, power and housing, Babatunde Fashola, during an inspection tour of the site of Federal Housing Programme for Osun state on Wednesday, February 28.

According to the minister, the present administration has succeeded in reducing unemployment across the nation by injecting over 2,000 housing units in the country.

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Otodo Gbame: I lost four children to the demolition on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | If El-Rufai is for peace, we are for peace - Shehu Sani

- Senator Shehu Sani of the All Progressives Congress has stated that he would support any effort aimed at resolving the crisis in Kaduna state chapter of the party

- Sani was summoned by the leader of the party's fact-finding committee on crisis, Segun Oni

- The lawmaker, however, said that if Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state is for peace, he is also for peace, and if the governor is for war, then he is also for war and a bigger war

The lawmaker representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, Shehu Sani, has stated that he would support any effort at resolving the crisis rocking Kaduna state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Sani gave the assurance on Sunday, March 4 in Abuja while speaking with newsmen after meeting with Segun Oni, leader of the partys fact-finding committee on crisis, NAN reports.

NAIJ.com gathered that Sani was summoned by Oni as his faction of the party could not meet with members of the committee when they visited Kaduna.

READ ALSO: They are blackmailing my son-in-law because they know he will succeed me in 2019 - Okorocha blows hot

Sani maintained that he was in support of any effort that would restore peace, unity and stability within the party in the state and the country.

He, however, added that it was in the interest of the party not to defer its problems and crises, but to solve them.

According to him, there is no problem in the APC that cannot be solved, so long as the contending parties are ready for settlement.

If one person is ready and the other person is not ready, certainly we are not going to make any headway. So, I very much identify myself with any effort that is aimed at bringing peace.

Our position is this, if the governor of Kaduna state is for peace, we are for peace. If hes for war, we are also for war and a bigger war."

The lawmaker, however, said that it was the desire of everyone to come together and work to heal wounds.

This, he said, was critical to restore confidence and hope in the minds of millions of Nigerians that voted for the APC in 2015.

He added that a situation where some people within the party were treated as outcasts would not augur well for it.

Sani also said that it was wrong for some people to be categorized as pro-Buhari and others as anti-Buhari within the party.

He said that everyone who is in the APC was pro-Buhari, explaining that the difference was that while some were not sycophants, others were.

He, however, pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to personally intervene in the crisis in the party in Kaduna, saying that Buhari is the glue that binds the members.

He said: I still see President Muhammadu Buhari as the glue of APC; if we dont have Buhari in the APC, everyone will find his way to his home. So, as he remains the glue, he must also be up and doing in addressing these crises."

According to him, the president`s philosophy of being for everybody and for nobody has led the party to nowhere.

He said that addressing the crisis in Kaduna chapter was critical to avert the tragedy that may befall the party in upcoming elections.

The lawmaker added: "As far as I am concerned, the success of this party in the upcoming elections is dependent on how it would be able to manage the crisis and solve the problems.

The Segun Oni committee came to Kaduna and requested that we should all sheath our sword and bury our hatchet. For now, we only covered our hatchet with leaves."

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, described the administration of Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state as a failure.

Sani, who has been in a long-standing battle with El-Rufai, urged the governor to shelve his presidential ambition for 2019 since he has failed as a governor.

In a widely reported statement on Wednesday, June 21, Sani slammed El-Rufai for sitting as governor and allowing insecurity to fester in the state.

APC official tells why his party could be voted out in 2019 - on NAIJ.com TV

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Loading...Home | News | General | President Buhari travels to Ghana Monday, March 5

- President Buhari will be travelling to Accra, Ghana on Monday, March 5

- He will be in Accra to attend Ghanas 61st independence anniversary holding on Tuesday, March 6

- President Buhari is reportedly the only foreign leader invited to the event

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday, March 5, depart for Accra, Ghana to attend the countrys 61st independence anniversary scheduled for Tuesday, March 6.

According to a statement on Sunday, March 4, by his special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the president is the only foreign leader invited to the event holding at the Independence Square as Special Guest of Honour.

READ ALSO: Nigerians criticise Buhari for attending wedding of governors children in Kano, presidency reacts

The statement read:It is noteworthy that the President is the only foreign leader invited to the historic event as the Special Guest of Honour.

Similarly, other than his host, President Nana Akufo-Addo, the Nigerian leader is the only foreign guest scheduled to address the august gathering.

President Buhari will use the unique opportunity to reaffirm the long-standing warm relations between the peoples and governments of both brotherly nations.

He will also underscore Nigerias commitment to strengthening the bilateral ties in furtherance of democracy, good governance and overall development not only in the West African sub-region, but also in the African continent.

PAY ATTENTION: Presidency reacts as criticisms trail Buharis presence at wedding of governors children

Adesina said President Buhari and members of his delegation which include the minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; and the national security adviser, Babagana Monguno, will return to Abuja after the celebrations on Tuesday, March 6.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that Senate President, Bukola Saraki Sunday evening, March 4, departed Abuja, Nigeria to Accra, Ghana aboard an Arik Air commercial flight.

Saraki has been invited by the Speaker of Ghanas parliament, Rt. Hon Aaron Mike Ocquaye, to address the parliament on the commemoration of the countrys parliaments celebration of 25 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy.

Saraki deliberately flew Arik Air to promote bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Ghana.

APC chieftain give reasons why his party could be voted out in 2019 on NAIJ.com TV

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Source: Naija.ng

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Loading...Home | News | General | Saraki leaves Nigeria aboard Arik Air, to address Ghanaian parliament

- Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki left the country this evening, Sunday, March 4

- Saraki departed Abuja, Nigeria to Accra, Ghana aboard an Arik Air commercial flight

- He is billed to address the Ghanaian parliament

Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki Sunday evening, March 4, departed Abuja, Nigeria to Accra, Ghana aboard an Arik Air commercial flight.

Saraki has been invited by the Speaker of Ghanas parliament, Rt. Hon Aaron Mike Ocquaye, to address the parliament on the commemoration of the countrys parliaments celebration of 25 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy.

Seante President, Bukola Saraki departing Nigeria aboard Arik Air, to address the Ghanaian parliament. Photo credit: SP media office

READ ALSO: Fight against corruption: Senate passes Federal Audit Services bill

NAIJ.com gathered that Saraki deliberately flew Arik Air to promote bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Ghana.

The Senate President who usually commutes with the presidential air fleet chose to fly a Nigerian operated commercial flight to encourage trade between both countries.

Senate President, Saraki with other presiding officers of the Nigerian Senate inside the plane preparing for take-off. Photo credit: SP media office

Saraki will speak on the topic: The Future of Good Governance in Africa at the event.

Meanwhile, after many queries and concerns, Dr Saraki has given reasons why he was absent at Monday nights national caucus and Tuesday mornings NEC meeting of the APC.

A statement sent to NAIJ.com by his special adviser on media and publicity, Alhaji Yusuf Olaniyonu clarified the Senate president's itinerary on those days, which made it difficult for him to attend both meetings.

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APC chieftain give reasons why his party could be voted out in 2019 on NAIJ.com TV

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Source: Naija.ng

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Loading...Home | News | General | Nigerias desire of becoming regional maritime hub under threat  expert

Lagos  Mr Obinna Okoafor, a maritime expert, says Nigerias desire of becoming a regional port hub for freight in the West and Central Africa Region may no longer be achieved.

Maritime

Okoafor, a Licensed Customs Broker, made the observation while reacting to the Port of Dakar Senegal-Belgium partnership agreement signed on Friday.

He said that with the agreement, Nigerias desire of becoming a regional maritime hub was under threat.

The maritime expert told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday that the two ports were working to collaborate closely in the years ahead.

According to him, the Port of Antwerp, the second-largest port in Europe, seeks to reinforce its historic position as leader on the coast of West Africa by partnering Dakar Port.

The Dakar port, on its part, is leveraging on the collaboration as a way to position itself as the main regional hub for freight for the region, a position Nigeria is eyeing.

By the time all necessary formalities are put in place by the two countries while Nigeria ports are still contending with lack of desired infrastructure, the port of Dakar will take the status of the regional maritime hub.

It is not in Nigerias interest to lose the regional maritime hub status to another country going by its efforts and contributions to peace process in the region, Okoafor said.

He said it would amount to exporting the much needed jobs to Senegal, while Nigerian youths walloped in joblessness.

He called on port managers to fast track policies aimed at port development to make the Nigerian ports attractive to shippers.

NAN reports that with an annual freight volume of 17 million tonnes, Dakar is one of the largest ports on the coast of West Africa.

The port city occupies a uniquely strong position on the world.

The signing ceremony was attended by Belgian First Minister, Charles Michel and its Deputy First Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation, Alexander De Croo, both on a working visit to Senegal.(NAN)

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Loading...Home | News | General | 2019: Southern youths to join mass movement, mobilise for PVCs

BY CHARLES KUMOLU

SOUTHERN Young Leaders have called on governors of southern states to close ranks irrespective of political affiliations, saying that young people in the region would support a mass movement aimed at solving key challenges in Nigeria.

They also said that plans have been concluded to sensitise youths in the Southern part of the country on the need to get their Permanent Voters Card, PVC, in order to have a robust participation of young people in the 2019 general election.

This position was contained in a communique issued at the Southern Young Leaders summit held in Enugu.

The communique reads: All young leaders from Southern Nigeria are hereby put on notice that mobilisation would cut across higher institutions, religious establishments, women groups, and youth advocacy groups for the collection of Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) for a robust participation in the 2019 election.

We also call for a more sustainable strategy for democratic inclusion of young people in Nigerias current political process and structure ahead of 2019 general election.

Southern governors must come together irrespective of their political affiliations to redefine and rejuvenate economic integration in Southern Nigeria

The Southern Young Leaders have decided to arise and strengthen the relationship with Rex Tillerson, the United States Secretary of State, who served in Southern Nigerian during his days at Exxon Mobile and understands the challenges in the region.

Those at the event include Speaker of Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly, Mr. Luke Onofiok; a former governorship candidate in Bayelsa State and Chairman of Nigerian Young Professionals Forum, Mr.Moses Siasia; and immediate past President of Ijaw Youth Council, Mr. Udengs Eradiri among others.

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Loading...Home | News | General | 2019: Group begins mobilization of Lagos residents to get PVCs

Endorses Ambode For Second Term

A non-governmental organization, Lagos Development Initiative (LDI) has commenced mobilizing eligible voters in the State to register and collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2019 general elections.

INEC PVCs

The group has equally endorsed the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode for a second term in office citing massive infrastructural renewal projects and giant strides across the State.

Speaking at a press conference at the weekend in Epe, Lagos State Chairman of the group, Alhaji Saulabiu Omolola Shittu, said the group would be supporting Governor Ambode all the way for re-election to continue his good works in the State.

He said: We are here today in furtherance of our support for our amiable Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode. LDI has been in existence since 2014 to support the aspiration of our Governor since then and we thank God he won the election in 2015 and he has been leading us well.

We are based in all the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State. LDI, being a non-governmental organization, has been giving support to so many people especially on empowerment and training for the less-privileged to learn vocational jobs which can sustain them such as tailoring, hair dressing, computer appreciation and so on.

We have been to Epe severally and today, we are coming out to support Governor Ambode in his aspiration in 2019. We are happy that what the Governor is doing for us in Lagos State is highly appreciated; the infrastructural development, the roads not only in Epe but all over Lagos State, among other areas are well appreciated and we are supporting him to continue to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.

Shittu said aside the empowerment programmes, the group had severally been involved in public enlightenment advocacy on government projects and civic engagement, a development he said necessitated the mobilization of Lagos residents to collect their voters cards

This group was formed basically to help people and support government in terms of dissemination of information and advising the people where and when necessary. It is for this reason that we are asking eligible voters to come out and register and collect their PVcs so as to exercise their franchise in 2019.

We are urging them to come out and vote for Governor Ambode again in 2019 to ensure continuity of the laudable projects across the State, Shittu said.

Also speaking, Monitoring Coordinator of the group for all the 57 councils, Hon Adesanya Ademola said the decision of LDI to support the Governor for re-election was borne out of the fact that the present administration in the State had been working hard to make life comfortable and easier for the people.

He thanked the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the vision to support Governor Ambode, saying the decision had turned out to be a thing of pride to the State and Nigeria.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Tell my parents Im in trouble, cries nurse abducted in Rann attack

Hauwa Mohammed, a 25-year-old midwife who sent out a WhatsApp voice message from Rann that Boko Haram had invaded their camp was not lucky to escape the attack that officially claimed the lives of at least 11 persons.

Hauwa Mohammed



The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has confirmed that two of its midwives were missing, indicating they may have been abducted by the Boko Haram gunmen.

Hauwas WhatsApp messages may explain how the attack took place.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Ms. Mohammed is a trained midwife recently employment by ICRC and posted to Rann mid-February.

Her friends and family members confirmed that after getting her new job, the midwife was flown to Rann in Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State on February 19.

Hauwa Mohammed in her WhatsApp voice message

Please go and tell my parents they dont know the situation that their daughter is in now. For God sake, go and tell them. Call Fatima to go and meet my parents, but she shouldnt tell them now.

We are now in the barracks and the gunmen have come back again. Oh inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun

There they are, Boko Haram have entered where I am now; please dont tell anyone yet, I beg you in the name of God.

Inna lillahi wa inna..

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons Sunday condemned the gruesome murder of aid workers working for the United Nations to carry out humanitarian service in Rann, Kalabalge Local Government area of Borno State.

This condemnation was contained in a statement signed and released to the media by the Special Assistant on Media to the Federal Commissioner, Hajia Halima Musa.

According to Musa in the statement, The National Commission for Refugees,Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons has expressed shock and sadness over the killing of United Nations humanitarian workers in Rann,Kalabalge local Government area of Borno State.

The Federal Commissioner,Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq,in a statement condemns the heinous act as callous bearing in mind the sacrifices aid workers make to serve humanity.

She stressed that on no account should humanitarian personnel be targets of any sort of attack.

Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq condoles with the United Nations,the International Organisation for Migration,IOM and the Nigerian Government over the loss describing it as irreplaceable.

The National Commission for Refugees,Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons she says,remains resolute in discharging its responsibilities if providing assistance and support for its Persons Of Concern.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Facebook flags down 30,000-year-old artwork as pornographic

Venus of Willendorf nude statue is now the latest artwork to be censored as inappropriate by the social media giant, Facebook.

Venus of Willendorf is a 30,000-year-old nude part of the Naturhistorisches Museum (NHM) collection in Vienna. An image of the work posted on Facebook by Laura Ghianda, a self-described artivist, was removed as inappropriate content despite four attempts to appeal the decision.

The early Stone Age statue, which depicts a voluptuous woman with prominent labia, was discovered in Austria in 1908 and is famed for its detailed carving and realism. Ghiandas post denouncing Facebooks censorship in December last year was shared over 7,000 times.

A case on Facebooks censorship of art was heard in a Paris court earlier this month. Frederic Durand-Baissas, a French teacher, has been trying to sue the social media giant since 2011 for closing his account after he posted a photograph of Gustave Courbets 1866 painting, LOrigine du monde (Origin of the world), a realistic depiction of a womans genitals. Despite Facebook changing its policy on nudity to allow photographs of paintings, sculptures, and other art that depicts nude figures, instances of art censorship persist.

The NHM reacted to Ghiandas Facebook post in January, requesting that Facebook allow the Venus to remain naked. There has never been a complaint by visitors concerning the nakedness of the figurine, says Christian Koeberl, the director-general of NHM. There is no reason to cover the Venus of Willendorf and hide her nudity, neither in the museum nor on social media.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Affinities between Diops Vanity and Ecclesiastes

By John Chukwuma Ajakah

Senegalese legendary poet, Birago Diop, in the didactic poem, Vanity, agrees with the preacher, King Solomon, as he makes a passionate plea to a rebellious generation to heed ancestral warnings and avert an impending doom. The poem, resonating a pervading mood of despair, is reminiscent of Solomons Vanity (Ecclesiastes12:8), which decries mans insatiable quest for vain glory:

Diop

Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity

As the Preacher warns of the dreadful consequences of mans arrogant disposition, the poet bemoans the rascality of his generation who ignore ancestral safe guards, preferring to tread on a destructive path. The psalmist, King David expresses a similar view about man:

Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in a balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity (Psalm 62:9)

Poetic Devices

Biblical allusion is the dormant device in the poem. Diop deploys imagery, personification, simile, hyperbole, euphemism, rhetorical questions, repetition, etc. in the presentation. The poet depicts the image of a disobedient and perverse generation, using some of the techniques to achieve emphasis and other special effects. The poem evokes a mood of lamentation. It creates resonant images of adults, wallowing in self-pity and agony as they are buffeted with traumatic experiences. After abdicating their obligations to the ancestors, the personae find themselves trapped in a pathetic squalor. They become objects of mockery and rejects. Their blatant disregard to tradition, culture and values pitches them against the ancestors. Consequently, they experience self-inflicted suffering, humiliation and neglect. The first stanza of Vanity aptly reveals a gloomy future:

If we tell, gently, gently

All that we shall one day have to tell,

Who then will hear our voices without laughter?

Sad complaining voices of beggars

Who indeed will hear them without laughter?

In the same vain that King Solomon warns of the repercussions of flippant disregard for divine injunctions, Diop chides his people, warning that the ancestors would turn their backs on them when they begin to experience self-imposed hardship due to their irreverent disposition:

When our Dead come with their Dead

When they have spoken to us with their clumsy voices;

Just as our ears were deaf

To their cries, to their wild appeal

They have left on the earth their cries,

In the air, on the water, where they have traced their signs.

The sentiments expressed in these lines are in tandem with the Preachers admonition in Proverbs 1: 22-32(abridged):

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity fools hate knowledge? Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded; But ye would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your calamity cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you; Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me  but they shall not find me they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: They would none of my counsel: they despise all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own wayFor the turning away of the simple shall slay themthe prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

Thematic Treatment

Vanity portrays themes of neglect of traditional heritage, retributive justice, self-inflicted pain, rebellion, cultural alienation, civilisation, etc. The theme of neglect is depicted through the clarion call on the present generation to acknowledge the presence of the ancestors in their midst and accept the ancient pathways provided by their progenitors for a fulfilling lifestyle. The persona warns of the dire consequences of ignoring the ancestors. The iconoclasts holistically embrace civilisation, endangering the continual existence of their heritage. This provokes the personas apprehension in stanza 2:

If we cry roughly of our torments

Ever increasing from the start of things,

What eyes will watch our large mouths

Shaped by the laughter of big children

What eyes will watch our large mouths?

The palpable fear is reinforced in subsequent stanzas as the persona envisages the mockery of scorners. The last stanza reveals the aftermath of their regrettable choice.

And since we did not understand our dead

Since we have never listened to their cries

If we weep, gently, gently

If we cry roughly of our torments

What heart will listen to our clamouring,

What ear to our sobbing hearts?

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Loading...Home | News | General | Akinwunmi Isola: Life & times of pioneer Yoruba classical literature

By Prisca Sam-Duru

Saturday 17th, 2018 will remain an unforgettable day for family, friends and the Yoruba theatre due to the passing on of popular Yoruba playwright and Scholar, Professor Akinwunmi Isola.

Professor Akinwunmi Isola

A renowned playwright, actor, culture activist and scholar, who lived a fulfilled life, the award-winning writer spent his life time producing works that promoted the Yoruba language. Prof Isola died at the age of 79 in his Akobo home in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The late renowned scholar who was visiting Professor at the University of Georgia, was married with four children. Before his death, Akinwumi Isola was a Propagator of Yoruba language, culture, and progenitor of Yoruba literature who made Yoruba history popular beyond the shores of Africa.

Prof. Isola, one of the most respected writers Africa has ever produced, left a legacy of excellent performance and was very relevant to his generation. He was extraordinarily gifted in imaginary literalism and as a cultural icon as well as a dedicated teacher; he impacted morally, culturally and socially on the lives of his audience.

Author of O Leku and Efunsetan Aniwura, Isola was born in Ibadan in 1939 and attended Labode Methodist School and Wesley College, before proceeding to the University of Ibadan where he earned a B. A. in French.

He later bagged an M.A. in Yoruba literature from the University of Lagos in 1978. After his obtaining his Masters in Yoruba Literature, he commenced academic work as a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he was appointed professor in 1991.

Isola wrote his first play, Efunsetan Aniwura, between 1961 and 1962 while still a student at the University of Ibadan. This was followed by the novel, O Leku, which was later turned into a movie. He also wrote a play entitled, Olu Omo, published in May 1983 by Onibonoje Press & Book Industries (Nig.) Ltd.

In 1986, he wrote and composed the college anthem for Wesley College, Ibadan.

Prior to his demise, he delved into broadcasting and created a production company that turned a number of his plays into television dramas and films.

His career as a writer began very early in life. The renown Yoruba stage play titled: Efunsetan Aniwura was written by him when he was still a student at the University of Ibadan. Fortunately, the play became popular in Ibadan and subsequently, attracted the attention of over 40,000 people in a single performance.

Efunsetan Aniwura was followed by the novel Oleku. Though he claimed his target audience was Yorubas, he also wrote some plays and novels in English which were translated into Yoruba. His works, Oleku, Koseegbe, Saworoide, Agogo Eewo and Campus Queen, were adopted into films by veteran movie maker, Tunde Kelani.

Furthermore, he was recognised for his immense contributions to the promotion of both literature and theatre with the award of the National Merit Award and the Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.

Prof. Isola worked closely with Kelani as a member of a trio of the late Adebayo Faleti and the late Larinde Akinleye.

The legendary writer made history when he surprisingly delivered a university convocation lecture in Yoruba at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State. That spoke eloquently of his firm belief in the promotion of the Yoruba language as well as ones mother tongue.

Aside Efunsetan Aniwura, Oleku, his other popular works include; Iyalode Ibadan, and Tinuubu, Iyalode gba  1970; Madam Tinubu 1998; Ogun ImIde  1990; Belly Bellows  2009; and Herbert Macaulay and the Spirit of Lagos  2009.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Bida Market fire: IGP commiserates with Etsu Nupe, Bida traders

The Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, has sympathised with Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar and traders of the Bida old market in Niger over a fire that destroyed over 600 shops on Thursday.

Idris spoke through the Commissioner of Police, Mr Paul Yakadi, who paid a courtesy visit on Etsu Nupe on Sunday.

IGP Idris K. Ibrahim,

The police boss expressed regret over the devastation caused by the inferno and its effects on the victims.

He said the loss of properties to the disaster was a huge setback to the traders, Nupe community, the state and the country in general.

The police boss urged the management of the market as well as the traders to always adhere to safety measures and avoid acts that could lead to fire outbreak.

Idris lamented the huge losses incurred by the shop owners and appealed to well meaning people to assist the victims of the inferno through donations.

He also appealed to the state government to establish a fire station at the market to avert a recurrence.

He explained that people should take it as an act of God and prayed to God against reccurrence of the unfortunate incident.

The IGP also appealed to shop owners to  always switch off their electrical appliances before closing from work.

Responding, the Etsu Nupe, Abubakar, commended the IGP for the prompt intervention of police in calming the situation.

He said the police quick intervention minimised the scale of looting and helped to restore law and order.

The Etsu Nupe also appealed to those who allegedly looted goods from the market during the fire to have the fear God and return them.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Breaking: Buhari to attend Ghanas 61st Independence anniversary

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA  PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is expected to depart for Accra, Ghana Monday to attend the countrys 61st Independence Anniversary celebrations holding at the Independence Square Tuesday.

PRESIDENT BUHARI host FMR GHANA PRESIDENT MAHAMA to a Dinner File Photos

According to the statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, President Buhari is the only foreign leader invited to the historic event as the Special Guest of Honour.

Besides, apart from his host, President Nana Akufo-Addo, the Nigerian leader is the only foreign guest scheduled to address the august gathering.

President Buhari is expected to use the opportunity to reaffirm the long-standing warm relations between the peoples and governments of both brotherly nations.

He will also underscore Nigerias commitment to strengthening the bilateral ties in furtherance of democracy, good governance and overall development not only in the West African sub-region, but also the African continent.

The President and his delegation which includes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, will return to Abuja after the celebrations tomorrow.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Nigerian Maritime University takes off April 2018VC

Academic staff recruitment interview conducted weekend

By Etop Ekanem



The Vice Chancellor of Nigerian Maritime University, NMU, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Etebu, has said academic activities will commence in mid-April 2018.

Prof. Etebu made the disclosure at the Kurutie take-off campus of NMU, where about 1,300 prospective academic staff shortlisted from over 6,000 applications, were interviewed for recruitment, at the weekend.

Seventeen panellists, who are dons drawn from various universities in the country conducted the interview at Kurutie with a representative of the Federal Character Commission, FCC, Mr. Owojaiye Samson being on ground to ensure national distribution in the eventual recruitments.

Deputy Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, also said in Kurutie: We are here to see the smooth conduct of the interview of prospective academic staff for the take off of the Maritime University, which the Federal Government has directed. I am delighted that despite the riverine nature of the environment, people from across the nation indicated interest and came for interview in bid to contribute their quota to the advancement of education.

The vice chancellor, who stressed that academic session will commence mid-April said: We are 100 per cent set for the take-off of academic activities. The Federalk Government has graciously given us funds and all facilities are in place. We dont have any challenges thus far. The Federal Government is solidly behind us, so we are good to commence academic activities.

Prof. Etebu, who thanked JAMB for one week extension to enable the Maritime University send its students admission list, appreciated the Federal Government for approving the institution which she said will establish foundation/open up the area and Nigeria, for growth, economically and in all ramifications.

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Loading...Home | News | General | Umahism: Correcting civil disobedience with filial love

The name, Okpufu, may not ring a bell in anyones ear. Okpufu is the name of the pastoral village in Ntsurakpa autonomous community of Ebonyi State wherein the permanent site of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki situates.

Until 27th February 2018, the people of Okpufu village had serially and successfully exploited the lack of political will of previous administrations in Ebonyi state until the village acquired the notorious and unenviable profile of being the headquarters of civil disobedience in Ebonyi state! The issue was the refusal of Okpufu people to relocate from the permanent site of Ebonyi State University Abakaliki.

The history of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki began in 1982 when the the bill to amend the Anambra State University of Science and Technology, ASUTECH, law was passed to provide for the Abakaliki campus of the university known as College of Agricultural Science, CAS, campus.

The administration of Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo in the old Anambra state acquired the land for the university campus even though the campus took off at a temporal site near Abakaliki Rice mill which is still known as CAS even as I write this piece.

Between 1991 and 1993 when Dr. Icha Ituma, an indigene of Ohaukwu, became SSG and later Deputy Governor of old Enugu state, the people of Okpufu were paid compensation over the land.

This payment was facilitated through the efforts of an Ntsurakpa son, Late Prof. Ozo Nweke Ozo, who was by then the Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor of Enugu state, His Excellency, Dr. Icha Ituma. On creation of Ebonyi state in 1996, the College of Agricultural Science campus of what had become Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, metamorphosed into a full-fledged university known as Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.

In the first democratic process of Ebonyi state in 1999, the pioneer Commissioner for Education in Ebonyi state and an illustrious son of Ntsurakpa from the village of Umuebe, His Excellency, Dr. Sam Ominyi Egwu, emerged as the pioneer elected Executive Governor of Ebonyi state.

In his administration which lasted for eight solid years, the President of Ntsurakpa Town Union who had facilitated the payment of compensation to Okpufu people of Ntsurakpa community over the university land in the old Enugu state held various positions including the Secretary to the Government of Ebonyi State.

Given his positions as the Town Union president of Ntsurakpa community and a critical stakeholder in the administration of a fellow Ntsurakpa man, Prof. Ozo Nweke Ozo went to work again influencing the approval of another round of compensation to the tune of two hundred million naira which was paid to the villagers as compensation. After receiving this second round of compensation, Okpufu villagers snubbed the Government of Ebonyi State under the leadership of their brother, Dr. Sam Egwu by refusing to vacate the said land. Governor Egwu was equally restrained by both filial and political compunctions from invoking the necessary powers to eject his recalcitrant kin from the University land.

This lack of political will on the part of Ebonyi State Government under Egwu emboldened Okpufu villagers to stay on and squander the compensation funds they received on frivolities and other base projects.

The trespass and unlawful occupation of Ebonyi State University land by Okpufu villagers continued unabated till 2011 when the second civilian administration decided to implement its resolution to make EBSU a single-campus world-class university. The Okpufu villagers unlawful occupation of the university became an impediment to the implementation of that beautiful resolution.

The State Government returned to the roundtable with the illegal occupants of the university land. An agreement was reached for Ebonyi State Government to pay another round of compensation to the illegal occupants of Ebonyi State University land even when they have destroyed both the chattels and the environment of Ebonyi State University.

The sum of thirty-six million naira was paid to the illegal occupants who agreed to vacate the university land, while another sum of sixty-four million naira was paid to the university as damages for the injuries suffered by the university in the hands of the illegal occupants.

For the third time, Okpufu villagers who have become notorious for disobedience to lawful instructions refused to vacate the university land. Rather than vacate, they accentuated their trespass on the university premises by defacing it and putting up mud huts and shrines around the vice-chancellors office complex, the plant house as well as the administrative office block.

This went on till 2016 when the third executive governor of Ebony state Chief David Nweze Umahi took his development arsenals to the pioneer university in Ebonyi state and was confronted by the repulsive activities of the illegal occupants of the university premises which robbed the citadel of learning of the necessary conduciveness.

Pursuant to the principles of natural justice, Governor Umahi convoked yet another roundtable discussion with the Okpufu villagers who had become notorious for disobedience to lawful orders.

In the meeting, the illegal occupants of the university land were confronted with records of the many compensation funds disbursed to them by the Government of the old Enugu state and previous administrations in Ebonyi state as well as the concomitant agreements by Okpufu people to vacate the university land all of which they had breached! Through the intervention of Senator Sam Egwu and Prof. Ozo Nweke Ozo, the State Government which wanted instant vacation acquiesced to an extension of the vacation date till 31st December, 2016.

In his magnanimity, Governor Umahi equally doled out the sum of ten million naira to the illegal occupants to facilitate their relocation. This fund was disbursed to the villagers by the current Secretary to the Government of Ebonyi state, Prof. Ben Odo, at the residence of the Town Union President of Ntsurakpa community, Prof. Ozo Nweke Ozo of blessed memory.

By 31st December 2016, Okpufu villagers for the umpteenth time observed this agreement in breach and thereby qualified as champions of civil disobedience and made the land they illegally occupied the headquarters of civil disobedience in Ebonyi state!

Faced with the incorrigible stance of these illegal occupants of the university land and the need to bring all citizens of Ebonyi state within the precincts of law, Governor Umahi approached the court of law for an order to eject the illegal occupants.

Armed with a valid court order authorizing the forceful ejection of the illegal occupants from the University land; and ignoring the serial provocations and disobedience to lawful orders by these villagers, Governor Umahi infused an overdose of filial love in the execution of the eviction order: He doled out a whopping sum of N10.5 million to the illegal occupants to enable them absorb the shock of resettlement.

According to Governor Umahi, Because of the children and women whom I have seen here, I am releasing the sum of five hundred thousand naira to enable you hire vehicles to move your properties away before the demolition and another ten million naira to enable you rent houses.

This is the David Umahi difference, and it entails putting the leadership in the masses shoes while taking decisions or drawing up public policies. It equally involves exercising political will in a humane way.

It is called Umahism, and it is the best form of democracy. Those who monitored the eviction of people from the land on which the Centenary city now stands will understand the difference I am talking about here.

As I condemn the attitude of Okpufu  Nturakpa people as aforestated, I hereby appreciate Governor Umahi for his steadfastness to his character as a true leader even in the face of unwarranted provocations. Through Umahis show of maturity and restraint, he has made an omelette out of the university land imbroglio without breaking an egg!

It is well with Ebonyi state.

By Monday Eze

Monday Eze is the Technical Assistant on Social Media to the Governor of Ebonyi state.

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Loading...Home | World | Africa | King of Matabeleland or King of the Ndebele: does Matabeleland even need a king?

The last few months, the land erroneously named "Matebeleland" (Land of the Ndebele) by the British Colonialists has witnessed much activity and talk surrounding the installation of a King. Two things need to be made clear right from the beginning: an affirmation has to be made that the Ndebele have a right to a King (if indeed in their customary practices their Traditional Leader is a King); and secondly, the Land called Matebeleland is NOT Land of the Ndebele ONLY, there are other Ethnolinguistic Nations that are not of Ndebele stock.

With the above affirmations, there are few questions that I believe the proponents of the King need to answer, be they followers of Bulelani Khumalo, Stanley Khu(Tshu)malo or Zwide Khumalo. I don't purport to effectively answer these questions, but only hope to contribute to the debate, and perhaps, instigate more debate and thinking around this matter to help us as a society more clearly diagnose our regional problems, and as a result, take hopefully the right steps to solve the real ailments plaguing the region. I shall ask the following seven questions:

1. Is this king supposed to be "King of Matebeleland" or "King of the Ndebele"?

2. Who are the Ndebele anyway?

3. What will be the Demographic and Territorial Jurisdiction of this King?

4. Was a survey ever done to establish if the majority of the Peoples of Matebeleland want a King?

5. What happens to those who don't recognize this King?

6. How does he promote, protect and preserve the Cultures and Languages of the non-Ndebele?

7. Does Matebeleland need a King or a Powerful Regional Political Coalition?

Is this king supposed to be "King of Matebeleland" or "King of the Ndebele"?

As previously indicated in the affirmation in the introductory paragraph, the land called "Matebeleland" was so named by the British Colonialists, cooperating with the Ndebele Indunas who were then the rulers since the violent conquests of the Kalanga, Nambya, Venda and Tonga in the mid- to late-1800s after successive onslaughts by no less than 4 Nguni Impis fleeing Shaka's Mfecane in the East Coast of South Africa. As things stand, the name Matebeleland remains a contested one, the same way the name Botswana (Land of the Tswana) is contested by BaKalanga, BaYeyi and others in that country.

Found in Matebeleland and the majority population are the Kalanga, Nambya, Sotho, Tonga and Tjoa and Venda. These are Peoples whose Chiefs, Cultures and Languages were decimated over the last 100 years at the hands of the Ndebele Impis, Ndebele Indunas, British Colonialists and the Gukurahundist Zanu Government of Mugabe. In the process they were deliberately minoritized and villagized, their languages barred from the Schools, Government, the public media, etc.

The question that anyone member of these Nations is faced with now is: if the Mzilikazian-Lobengulan enterprise of rapine and murder initiated the destruction of our Peoplehood and Nationhood, what does the revival of the same mean to us? What are the chances of survival of our Languages and Cultures in the face of a revived, caste-system Ndebele Kingdom which recognized the Ndebele as the upper-class Zansi and the rest of us as the lower-class Hole?

If Ndebele Indunas imposed by the British on the Kalanga and Nambya remained at the forefront of the destruction of our Languages and Cultures, what's there to make us think that all of a sudden, we will have an egalitarian Ndebele King who will promote, preserve and protect our languages and culture?

As such, the big question remains: will this be a "King of Matebeleland" (ruling over the Ndebele, Kalanga, Venda, Nambya, Tonga, Sotho, etc) or, will he be "King of the Ndebele", which brings us to our second question.

Who are the Ndebele anyway?

What we have come to learn thus far from proponents of the Ndebele King and Mthwakazi Project in general is that they label everyone from Matebeleland "a Ndebele", supposedly because if you were once conquered by Mzilikazi and his Impis, you are therefore a Ndebele subject and shouldn't think otherwise.

This of course begs the question: why did the Ndebele themselves at some point rebel against Rhodes? Why are they themselves not Rhodesians? Or why are they not Shonas? And does being conquered in the past mean that one has to live in perpetual servitude? If so then what was the point of the anti-Slavery, anti-Colonial and anti-Apartheid, and indeed the modern anti-Gukurahundist liberation struggles?

Let's make no mistake, that the Ndebele (properly the Nguni who crossed the Limpopo already called Matebele) are fellow Black Africans (who we are proud of and love) doesn't exonerate them from the fact that they are as equally colonialists as the Europeans when it comes to the land now called Matebeleland. European Colonialists first set foot in Southern Africa (particularly in the land now called Zimbabwe) in the 1500s, and the Ndebele in the 1800s. This simply leaves both in the same bracket: they settled through Colonialism, and Colonialism is an evil that had to be defeated.

If it was right to fight off British/Rhodesian Colonialism because it was wrong, then surely there is nothing right about accepting Ndebele Colonialism (or Shona Colonialism for that matter) as being right. Colonialism remains Colonialism, whether practiced by Black or White!

Now, lest we misinterpret what I am saying above, the Ndebele, like the British, coming in as Colonialists, are now FULL CITIZENS OF ZIMBABWE, just as those of originally British or European stock are. But that does not give them the right to seek to perpetually impose upon us a societal order from the 1800s arising from colonial conquests. As such, the Ndebele must, to all intentions and purposes, be allowed to preserve, protect and promote their Language and Cultural Customs, but they DO NOT have a similar right to impose the same upon the Kalanga, Nambya, Sotho, Tonga, Tjoa and Venda.

We thus submit that the Ndebele are those people of Nguni stock who crossed the Limpopo already called "Matebele", who are largely identified by non-animal and non-body part surnames such as Khumalo, Tshabalala, Sithole, Mthethwa, Ndiweni, Dlamini, Dlodlo, etc. Only these can be legitimately expected, if at all they so wish, to submit to the Ndebele King, for indeed, he can only be "King of the Ndebele", not "King of Matebeleland".

What will be the Demographic and Territorial Jurisdiction of this King?

In a sense this question has already been answered in previous paragraph, but it still needs separate treatment. Whether King of the Ndebele or King of Matebeleland, the question has to be asked, are the Kalanga, Nambya, Tjoa, Tonga, Sotho and Venda expected to bow to this king? Will his supposed rule reach Bulilima-Mangwe, Matobo and Tjolotjo (remaining Kalanga Areas), Binga (Tongaland), Hwange (Nambyaland) or Beitbridge (Venda)? And how about cosmopolitan Bulawayo? Once again, the question is asked: what happens to those who in these territories refuse to recognize, let alone bow down, to this King?

Or shall it now dawn upon the Kalanga, Nambya, Venda and Tonga to invoke the constitutional provision allowing for the changing of provincial names and redrawing of the maps thereof to have their own provinces? Is it time for the Tonga and Nambya to pursue their idea of a Kasambabezi Province on the Zambezi Valley, and the Kalanga, Sotho and Venda to seize Matebeleland South and Tjolotjo and rename it to something more representative of themselves? Afterall, if there is a Matebeleland, Mashonaland, Manicaland Provinces, why should there be no BuKalanga, Tongaland, Shango Lya BaNambya, Shango La Venda, etc? We therefore continue to ask: over what territories and peoples will this king rule?

Was a survey ever done to establish if the majority of the Peoples of Matebeleland want a King?

In a 21st Century world as opposed to the 19th Century world, one expects that a matter of this nature ought to at least be backed by scientific evidence. We therefore ask the proponents of the King Project: have you ever done any kind of survey to determine if indeed the majority of the Peoples of Matebeleland, and indeed of the Ndebele themselves, in this 21st Century, really want a King? Or is this just a project of a few driven by nostalgia from past times?

Do the kids growing up in an Internet-driven society of the Computer Age in which Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp and Google dominate world communications and TV screens are blurring images 24/7, in which some kids' launch multibillion dollar companies like Facebook, Twitter, etc, and Elon Musk launches an electric Tesla Car into space, really want an archaic institution of the 19th century, one which hasn't existed for over 100 years? Have these been consulted? Are there any survey results somewhere that can be referred to?

What happens to those who don't recognize this King?

As already seen above, the majority of the Peoples of Matebeleland are not Ndebele, and reading the temperature on social media, one can see that, excepting the fervent proponents of the King Project themselves, there is a lot of derision of the whole idea of a king in this 21st Century. This of course raises the question: assuming the King is successfully enthroned, presumably over a certain demographic and territorial space, what will happen to those who don't recognize or bow down to this king?

Oh yes, in the 19th century the solution was easy  bekunyakaz' Umkhonto  as the song still says today. But how about in a 21st century world where democracy is the aspiration of all, and there are Bills of Rights enshrined in Constitutions? Can potential for civil conflict, if not outright civil war, be completely ruled out in Matebeleland if and when at some point in the future this king begins to assert his authority over those who don't recognize a kingship? That is an important question all of us ought to think about.

How does he promote, protect and preserve the culture and languages of the non-Ndebele?

Speaking to the institution of Traditional Leaders, the Constitution clearly states that part of their role is to protect, preserve and indeed promote the Culture (and presumably Languages) of their constituents. Not to mention that one of the contenders to the Ndebele throne is Xhosa speaking and a Xhosa in every respect, the question has to be asked, how will he promote and preserve Ndebele Culture and Language, or Kalanga, Nambya, Venda and Tonga Culture and Language, for that matter, assuming, as the proponents thereof want it, that he were King of Matebeleland?

Does Matebeleland need a King or a Powerful Regional Political Coalition?

I have previously posted on my Facebook and Twitter feed that I believe the whole King Project is digressing Matebeleland from the important business of capturing and retaining REAL REGIONAL POLITICAL POWER. The proponents of the king themselves keep repeating that he will be a CEREMONIAL, CULTURAL HEAD, and yet Matebeleland is now consumed in this fracas. Meanwhile, per the Constitution of the land as it is today, REAL POLITICAL POWER can only be contested, captured and exercised by POLITICAL PARTIES.

Whilst Matebeleland is busy consumed by questions surrounding an allegedly ceremonial, cultural king, REAL POLITICAL POWER is slipping away, to the benefit of Gukurahundist Colonialist both in Zanu and MDCT. By the time we wake up from this nostalgic slumber, there will be no Matebeleland to talk of as the Gukurahundist Shonalization train plows ahead in Matebeleland.

I therefore submit, as I have argued in the past, that what Matebeleland needs is a POWERFUL, ETHNOLINGUISTICALLY NEUTRAL, REGIONAL COALITION OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND CIVIL SOCIETY that can effectively contest, capture and retain REAL POLITICAL POWER, and UNITE the Peoples of Matebeleland IN THEIR DIVERSITY.

This power has to be derived from the vote of the Peoples of Matebeleland and the Constitution, and the Coalition will exercise the same to the Economic, Political and Cultural Freedom and Prosperity of the Peoples of Matebeleland. What is the point of having a CEREMONIAL, CULTURAL King if he is not going to exercise POLITICAL and ECONOMIC POWER? How does that benefit the average person in Matebeleland?

Kotjidzani kuti tibe na He usina masimba othamila tjimwe bagali bekuVenda, kuBuKalanga, kuHwange, kuBaTonga, kene pakati kwa ibo Matebele? Atitongobani siriyasi banhu be Matebeleland tiletjedze zana matope. Ndaboka, ndili Ndzimu-unami Emmanuel Moyo Ben-Yehuda, n'Kalanga we Bulilima-Mangwe.

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Loading...Ignorance will cost the opposition once again

The Military factor

With the present government continuously strengthening its grip on power each passing day and second, one tends to ask! What is it that the EDM led government and Zanu Pf is over so confidence that it will win the upcoming elections? With the retired Rugeje occupying a critical position in Zanu Pf which is the commissariat, which will be overseeing all issues related to the upcoming elections, it is now crystal clear that the military will be campaigning for Zanu Pf, love it or hate it, the opposition should be braced for this as it has become more clearer than before that the Zimbabwean army top brass is just an extension of Zanu Pf and to prove that those who orchestrated the coup were rewarded with good government posts including the one of the vice president. This new Zanu Pf commissariat is just like the head of army representing Zanu Pf wearing civilian clothes. The problem with the people of Zimbabwe is that we are too quick to hope and that we easily forget that the same military guys who are now in power including Rugeje, they are the one who were behind operation 'wakavhotera pasiripo' (you voted for the wrong person) in which opposition supporters were tortured and murdered in rural Zimbabwe such as Mutoko where the election violent was at its best. How then will the army play a part in supporting EDM? The equation is very simple the gentlemen in the barracks will be forced to vote for EDM and his murderous regime and the suffering will continue. There is nothing new hear elections won't be free as purported by the president cause a free election will dismantle Zanu Pf out of power.

Infiltration of ZEC

Joseph Stalin wants said "the people who cast the vote's decide nothing, the people who count the votes decide everything". The Zimbabwe Election Commission is like 'old wine in new bottles'. The 100 day old president and his government has managed to get rid of Justice Rita Makarau who resigned under unclear circumstances while the former election chief officer Constantine Chigwamba was also shown the exit door. With this new leadership of Justice Chigumba critical staff in office it is probably arguable that ED has brought his own winning team. With the previous elections results having been declared null and void by the MDCT because of serious irregularities, the same problems will continue as they has been no major critical changes at ZEC in terms of the secretariat that oversees the election results. Those that have been following political events in Kenya that led to the swearing in of Raila Odinga as the peoples president, will remember the nullifying of the August 8 results by the Kenya constitutional court citing many irregularities, in fact when it comes to the election management in Zimbabwe, Zanu Pf have tightened its grip on the election body thereby influencing election results that favors them. It is however of important to note that by virtue of changing of the guard at ZEC that doesn't approve that the elections will be free actually rather the rigging fiasco will continue as in the days of Mugabe hence the body will play a pivotal role in retaining the crocodile into power again.

The Rural vote and the Traditional leaders

Bates and Block have argued in their (2009) work electoral competition and the fact that the rural population is larger thereby meaning that incumbents have power to give more priority to the interests of the rural population which is easily bought by gifts. In their research, Boone & Wahman found that while rural bias pre-dates the arrival of multi-party politics in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 1990s, it has persisted even after opposition parties have assumed power. The persistence of rural bias after a change of the ruling party is an interesting phenomenon, which demonstrates that there are incentives for incumbents to preserve the favours towards rural constituencies. In recent years the chiefs through their gigantic spokesperson Charumbira they have declared their allegiance to Zanu Pf and with more than 50 percent of the consistency voters residing in rural areas, EDM and his government may use the traditional leaders whom were given cars recently to campaign for them.

Urban hostility

Without doubt Nelson Chamisa will sweep majority of the votes in major cities while the NPP leader Joice Mujuru will also try and gunner some votes in Harare and Matabeleland. With the recent Facebook election pointing on Chamisa to win the upcoming election by 65 percent the people of Zimbabwe should not be fooled as this also once happened to MRT prior to (2013) elections. Emmerson Mnangagwa will be dismantled in tows but the hostility between the opposition forces will split the vote in favor of Zanu PF.While most of the election observers will be in towns Zanu Pf will take the advantage of manipulating the rural vote by means of focusing more on the outskirts than major tows towns

Regional endorsement

President Mnanagagwa has managed to consolidate state power so quick that in his first 100 days he has managed to get endorsement from SADC leaders as well as AU chairman Moussa Faki. When the two met earlier in February Faki praised the EDM government, Mnangagwa also briefed Mahamat on the peaceful political transition that took place in the southern African country last year. A News Day report quoted Mahammad as saying that Africa was "satisfied that the transition was peaceful".In politics these engagements are critical as these regional bodies play a pivotal roles in endorsing whatever government that tries to maintain peace. While the president was recently in DRC It is however arguable that the crocodile has managed to charm SADC leaders with his offensive style of leadership.

Knowledge Hakata is a political analyst who can be contacted on knowledgehakata@yaho.comMy People, The recent death and funeral of former prime minister Dr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai was a big eye-opener and exposed that political differences were very superficial as Zimbabweans are not averse to marrying across political boundaries.

The biggest exponent of that philosophy was no less than the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Tsvangirai, who was married to the daughter of a senior Zanu-PF official.

The intrigue was taken further when presidential spokesman George Charamba reportedly told the state-controlled media that he was related to the late Morgan Tsvangirai.

But he had more to tell.

He added that he was a father-in-law to the acting president of the Movement for Democratic Change, Advocate Honourable pastor Nelson Chamisa.

Actually as Dr Amai Stopit! I have always known from my network of informers that Joji was one of family fathers to "inspect" the prospective future son-in-law  Chamisa  when he was unveiled.

Who can forget those awkward moments when MDC chairman Lovemore Moyo tied the knot with the daughter of Zanu-PF senior official Sithembiso Nyoni?

Awkward moments indeed, but they helped to unite Zimbabweans.

Of course, young Chamisa will have to convince his supporters, some of them workers, that his role in the Zuva case in which thousands of workers subsequently lost their jobs was purely professional as a lawyer.

That is already being used as a weapon against him by his opponents.

Others point at real or imagined contracts with our loss-making dairy company, Gushungo Dairies.

As you know, we don't mention our suppliers in public. But if he wins the presidential elections, the $15 billion which he told people he had been promised by the Americans should be enough to restore the jobs lost as a result of the Zuva judgement.

A few have pointed out that while he happily came to the rescue of Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who was being booed at the funeral in Buhera, it would have sent the right signals to defend Thokozani Khupe from the rowdy MDC youths.

After all, both women are beautiful and genuine yellow-bones!

Meanwhile, my friends in the diplomatic community tell me that if the young leader is defeated at the elections, the West is lining up a candidate that they are describing as "mature and a unifier' in the name of Wellington Chibhebhe, whose stock has been rising quietly on the international scene in Belgium and has now been re-assigned to the International Labour Organisation.

That would also pacify trade union hawks who now argue that the MDC, far from being the workers' party at its inception, has been captured by capitalists who fight for the rights of employers and not the workers.

Hamheno!

Doing what in DRC, Ngwena?

One of the questions that many Zimbabweans were asking themselves last week was why Lizard Ngwena and his advisors found it necessary to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] to explain the Zimbabwean situation to Joseph Kabila.

Kabila has plunged his country into a civil war because for two years he has refused to stand down following the expiration of his term.

Now what do you explain to such a megalomaniac and what do you consult him on? How to defy the Constitution and refuse to leave office?

Others suggested maybe Kabila, like his father, had requested the intervention of "brotherly and friendly" forces from within the region and that the modalities of the deployments were being worked out.

However, others argued that the junta still had mining interests in that country which attracted the attention of the United Nations during the first DRC war intervention over unethical conduct.

What better opportunity to assess your investments than cooking up a trip to pay a visit to a dictator who is no longer a president.

It is such unhelpful decisions that are beginning to generate subjects to lampoon the administration of #kutongakwaro.

Could Oxiria remove that hideous scarf from around his neck, especially when it is hot?

The trending joke is: Chamisa has the people. Khupe has the constitution. ED has, well, a scarf.

Doing business with Belarus

It was good to see the General Colonel from Belarus signing some MoUs with industry minister Mike Bimha.

Is that the same country which sold us equipment to extract coal in Hwange, which equipment broke down after a few weeks?

Is that the same Belarus which stands accused of systematic electoral fraud, persecutes non-governmental organisations, independent journalists, minorities and political parties?

Condoleezza Rice described the country as one of the six outposts of tyranny, alongside Zimbabwe, Cuba, Iran, Burma and North Korea.

Munhuwese kuna Amai!

Jonso woyeee!

Zhuwao woyee!

Dr Amai Stopit! (Fake PhD)

l Feedback: Doctorstopit@gmail.com#Oscars nominee 'Three Billboards' is for people who want to feel better about their racist family members, says @NifMuhammad https://t.co/55ljZQTrEl  NBC News THINK (@NBCNewsTHINK) March 3, 2018

 Writer Hanif Abdurraqib went on NBC News THINK to talk about the clumsy and unnecessary racism in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missisouri. He makes a comparison of it to Crash, which has haunted all of our lives since March 5th, 2006 8:00 PM EST.

 Abdurraqib posits that the racism in the film is completely pointless to the story. Sam Rockwell's character Dixon is a police officer who is known around town and among the precint for torturing black suspects, but it's only purpose is to let us know he's a violent asshole. The actual story is supposedly about Frances seeking justice for her daughter being assaulted and murdered.

 There are no actual black characters in Three Billboards. The only one with any presence in the film is the Good Police Chief  played by Clarke Peters who fires Dixon for beating a man and throwing him out a window. Like Woody Harrelson, who didn't fire Dixon or anyone else for torturing black inmates, Peters is just there to assure viewers that most cops are good guys and the bad ones can learn to forgive themselves or something.If Three Billboards snatches original screenplay from Get Out I'm gonna be so mad. That and picture are basically the only two major categories that aren't totally locked and it's sf boring.

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Original Screenplay is the only category I care about at this point.

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I think Jordan is gonna get that for sure because the academy will want to not sound racist by shutting it out completely. Screenplay is where it has its best shot. And what a great screenplay it is, so much better than its competitors. I hope it pulls it out.

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especially because even people who like the movie agree that the script was the worst part.

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I wish you'd made this a "Who Will Win" and "Who Do You Want to Win" but I'm guessing ONTD would probably pick Get Out for the latter.



Literally one of my own main category picks is gonna win, smh.

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sis if that dying of consummation one facial expression twink in your icon manages to snatch gary oldman's lock i might actually stan that boring movie a bit tbqfh

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lol, well in that case, get ready to keep not stanning!

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I like Frances a lot but I really wish Saoirse or Sally were the frontrunners. I know I say this in literally every post but this is probably the last time I'll get to say it before she collects her award. Great actress but I just wasn't a huge fan of Three Billboards.



I'm hoping TimOT, Daniel or really anyone upsets Oldman but I doubt that will happen either. Just like Laurie is going to be robbed by Allison Janney, who I do love but come on...such a hammy performance.

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I wish someone ran a campaign against Oldman for being an abuser. DDL should have done it before retiring lmao

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I feel the same way about Saoirse and Sally.

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IA on Frances - Margot, Sally, and Saoirse gave more compelling performances imho.

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ia about frances. i don't see any upsets against oldman or allison.

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outside of supporting actor (because i thought sam did a fantastic job despite the stupid movie), i truly hope for an upset, ANYWHERE, but especially in lead actor

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Frances was great but I think Sally and Saoirse's roles had a lot more complexity, especially Sally's given she had to learn Sign Language.

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Yes to this entire comment!

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SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2017



when Three Billboards wins anything tonight

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It is such a trash film. I just watched it last week and was fuming at how trash it is. Blue lives matter bullshit

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I was saying in another post how I am not much of a movie buff and like a lot of bad movies, but I watched Three Billboards and was like ???? Everything about it was trash and it's clearly a film designed to make white people feel better about being racist trash. And compared to something like Get Out which is so appropriate rn Three Billboards felt so dated in many ways. Aside from all that I also hate these types of films where a shitty person attempts to be redeemed. I know there's lots of debate about that aspect but that alone turned me off majorly too.



Edited at 2018-03-04 09:08 pm (UTC)

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Me when 3BB wins anything tonight:

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Ugh the acting categories are so disappointing. If there is any justice, it should be Timmy-Daniel tie for best actor (although if I had to pick one, I might give this to Daniel since I rewatched it yesterday, what a tricky performance to get right), Vicky Kreips (who sadly isn't even nommed), Alison Williams (so good and not even nommed) and Willem Dafoe who was so so much better than Rockwell.

Let's hope Jordan Peele gets to give a speech and CMBYN gets at least a single Oscar to take home.

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The big extravagant performance for Mystery of Love has me thinking it might actually win, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

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It would be much better than any of the songs nommed in the history of the Oscars which are all about bombast and ballads. That's exactly why I think it won't win. But I think James Ivory is 100% winning, hope he gives a shout-out to his partner Ismail Merchant.

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Visions of Gideon shouldve been nommed tbh. Its phenomenal.

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Daniel was so good in Get Out. I have yet to see CMBYN. Ill prob watch it tonight before the awards show.

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call me by your name's got adapted screenplay on lock.



i said this before in another post, but excluding 'the post' (which must have a record low nods for a best picture nominee), the only bp nominee i see going empty handed tonight is lady bird, which is fucking ridiculous since laurie should get the oscar

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how is Vicky Krieps not nominated? HOW?

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I'm rooting for Del Toro to win big tonight



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I wanted to love The Shape of Water because I adore GDT but I just couldn't... Sally was amazing but her character's relationship with the fishman felt underdeveloped... they bonded and fell in love so quickly. Also, the Cold war aspect was so out of place. They should've left it out of the story.

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i hated it tbh. i won't be upset if del toro wins best director but i will be upset if the movie wins best picture.

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It's such a terrible movie and I wish GDT won for one of his older movies

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Mte on everything. Pan's Labyrinth is one of my all time favourites and I really wanted this to be a return to form for GDT but the story was just so lacking in depth and development.

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Pan's Labyrinth is my favourite movie. It's The One for me and I will forever love GDT for making it. The Shape of Water was just disappointing.

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I really did not like it at all, and I can't understand why so many other people do. Great performances, great cinematography, terrible everything else.

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This is exactly how I felt about it!

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i agree with everything. i was completely underwhelmed

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Same, I wanted to love it but like you say their relationship was underdeveloped and that means the whole movie was underdeveloped because it revolves around the relationship. Without the relationship it's just a movie with a generic plot.



Also I can't be the only one who felt a bit unease with their relationship too. I felt like we didn't get enough insight into how the fishman's mind worked and that he wasn't proactive enough. Maybe I'm being ridiculous but it's not so far-fetched that she could be taking advantage of him if he doesn't understand what's happening. Obviously we know that's not what we're intended to be thinking but it still crosses my mind when I think about the movie.

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Yeeeep. It was marketed as this strange, beautiful love story and ended up just being so narratively conventional. It was put together impressively, but the actual arc of the story was as generic as they come if you strip away its quirky elements.

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I'm placing my bets on Three Billboards winning Best Picture so I won't be so upset when The Shape of Water and Get Out are robbed of their rightful glory.

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i'm truly shocked gary oldman has this on lock. i would've thought voters would've been super into giving DDL his last award.

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Three Oscars in ten years would be too much for DDL. I do wonder what would have happened if he aggressively campaigned like he did for Lincoln

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I think its the we-should've-given-you-this-years-ago award.

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i feel like his retirement is actually working against him, for some reason

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I think this is a "career award" for Oldman.

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idek how embarrassing it is that i'm invested in this sham of an award, i'm just prayin there's an upset and he doesnt win 

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You never know. There could be an upset like there was for Meryl Streep as Thatcher.

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I just watched Get Out. I cant believe it is actually nominated for best picture. I mean I really enjoyed it but LOL its not the typical Oscar movie. Its more like a snatched and straight to Netflix before Halloween kind of movie



Edited at 2018-03-04 09:07 pm (UTC)

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yeah it's not a typical oscar movie because it's original and creative and not a tired biopic of a crusty white. as to that last part of your comment... sis...

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I like the movie but I get what you mean. I kept thinking it'll be the cheapest production for a Best Pic nominee



buuuuuuuut I'm not mad about that and am kinda rooting it pulls a dark horse and wins Best Pic lol.

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Moonlight was the BP nominee with the lowest budget (a million compared to Get Out's 4.5 million).

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you're right, the criteria for what should be considered an "oscar movie" should never change and always stay the same

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You need to take your bad opinions about Moonlight and Get Out somewhere else because it's really nagl for you.

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r u yt?

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Same I just watched it too and I'm looking at all the comments here like

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Heard a rumor that this year's Oscar show is going to be absurdly long. (IE much longer than usual)  Will Mavity (@mavericksmovies) March 4, 2018





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idk how that'd even be possible tbh, it normally goes until almost midnight EST

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If that's true then I'm screwed because I barely slept last night and I have to get up for work at 5 am.

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Noooo, I have to return a rental car, and I already extended the duration of my rental

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Very long shot, but I want Logan to win best adapted screenplay. I'll pretend it won either way

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i still didn't see it, is it really that good? what made it so special?

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It's amazing imo. It's very character-driven and emotional. Their acting was fantastic, and not just for a superhero movie.

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Logan would be a great win but I think James Ivory deserves ir

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same. I also wish Patrick Stewart would've gotten a Best Supporting Nod too :/



Honestly both Hugh and Patrick came for me with that movie.

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all y'all who voted for get out, you know the question was who will win and not who you want to win, right? *negative and resigned af*

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i think it will win! bookmark me!

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I dont want GDT to win Director but hes a lock for sure.

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same

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LinkA young engineer works on making a drone entirely built in Cameroon at the Will & Brothers company premises in Douala

Talking fast and dreaming big, William Elong shows off the first "made in Cameroon" drone at his sixth-floor workshop in downtown Douala, minutes from the economic capital's Atlantic seafront.

The 25-year-old, known as a high-flyer after being named one of Forbes' most promising young Africans under 30, is enthusing about his new unmanned aerial drones and keen to promote his company and Africa as a place where IT and new tech can flourish.

We must "get out of the Afro-centric vision of business" to "understand that when one has a global vision, worldwide, this includes Africa," Elong says in a discussion of future technologies.

Elong has no degree in IT or robotics but studied strategy and competitive intelligence in France, becoming the youngest-ever graduate from Paris' Economic Warfare School.

He founded his startup Will & Brothers in 2015 with a main project called Drone Africa, which aims to provide drones for civil purposes to businesses, the state in Cameroon and elsewhere.

With a top range of up to 20 kilometres (12 miles), the drones can be used for purposes as different as cartography, media coverage, support for agriculture and detecting gas in mines to reduce the risk of accidents.

"The know-how is here, in Cameroon," says Elong, who is aware young African talent often seeks employment in Europe and elsewhere. He says at this stage his firm's capital of $200,000 (162,400 euros) has come from Western backers.

Also supported by the government of President Paul Biya, Elong hopes eventually to raise $2 million to expand the business but he regrets that "not many Africans are involved" in the project, which features two airborne types of drone and one terrestrial model.

The commercial market in Africa is expanding with unmanned aircraft already whizzing across the skies delivering items like medicine and food, and even helping farmers sow seeds.

'Flying wing'

In Rwanda, drones get medical supplies such as blood and vaccines to remote areas. Tanzania is launching a similar programme. And drones equipped with night-vision cameras help to detect and track poachers in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Elong presents the two airborne prototype models on a table inside his assembly shop. The first "flying wing that we've baptised Algo" has the furthest range and could prove an economical solution to the costly task of making maps, he suggests.

Three drone makers at work in the plant run by William Elong, 25, who aims for a Cameroonian entry into the market for pilotless aircraft

The second type, known as Logarythm, has four arms forming a propeller, can reach an altitude of up to 500 metres (1,640 feet) and is fitted with high-definition cameras, which would be useful in high-risk zones and for precision work, Elong adds.

Crucially, he argues, manufacturing costs are lower than those of foreign manufacturers, so the drones produced will be priced competitively across the African marketplace.

He envisages "selling drones to Vietnam, to Venezuela, to Denmark for example, and becoming one of the biggest global enterprises in this sector."

Elsewhere, two young engineers in white lab coats are carefully building a prototype. "When all the components are available, we are able to assemble a drone like this in 24 hours," says engineer Louis Ekani.

Some of the parts are made in Cameroon, while others are supplied from abroad.

'The pride of Cameroon'

"The start was extremely complicated," says young technical director Yves Tamu, who is described on the company website as an entrepreneur, digital champion and inventor. "But we have a dynamic, autonomous and state-of-the-art team thanks to which we found the solution (to assembling drones)."

The average age of employees is barely 22 and the team comprises mainly engineers and developers who have spent two years building airworthy drones.

"Will & Brothers is the pride of Cameroon," gushed Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Libom Li Likeng at a government ceremony to present the drones in early February.

Their design demonstrates "the innovative capacity of Cameroonian youth", she added.

Elong's firm is represented in Ivory Coast and plans to open offices in France and the United States, but he stresses the development of artificial intelligence is his primary goal.

Will & Brothers has worked on an AI known as Cyclops, which enables drones to detect people, objects and vehicles and to identify different types of animal at specific sites.

"Artificial intelligence is the future of humanity," Elong says, confident that Africa can at least try to compete with the big tech giants in California. "It knocks me out that so many people here take no interest in technology."

Explore further Video: Footage shows how drones can boost turtle conservation

 2018 AFPLuxury carmakers will show off their wares at the Geneva Motor Show - but healthy profits cannot fully ease concerns over the future as the trend to electric and self-driving cars accelerates

This year's Geneva Motor Show comes at a curious time for an auto world enjoying record profits yet also gripped by doubt midway through the grand transition from diesel to electric and self-driving vehicles.

"Geneva really ought to have been a lovely salon," says, with heavy irony, Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of German-based Center Automotive Research of a Europe's first major car show of the year running from March 8 to 18.

"The luxury car makers continue to present their new models and worldwide sales set new records in 2017.

"But behind the glamour and the finery are plenty of worry wrinkles."

Number one overriding concern is the increasing slide in diesel sales, a blow for European constructors who had essentially sought to bet the house on diesel as they strove for years to cut CO2 emissions with the support of public authorities.

The emissions cheating scandal, which blew up at Volkswagen in 2015, has heaped discredit on a technology criticised for belching out nitrogen oxide and harmful particulates.

Major cities including Paris have announced their intention to ban diesel progressively while a top German court last month opened the way to banning older diesel cars from the streets on air quality grounds.

Diesel's fall from grace has pushed constructors to turn their attention to production of more-in-demand models running either on petrol, dubbed "dinosaur juice", or else make the jump to electric or at least hybrid.

Are future friends electric?

The top global constructors have earmarked investments worth tens of billions of euros (dollars) over the past few years to accelerate their push to electric. Yet the commercial upshot of the strategy remains unclear.

This year's Show, the 88th edition, will see the unveiling of several new electric models and concepts at Tuesday and Wednesday's media days, before opening its doors to the general public on Thursday.

Among new potential star turns are Jaguar's first all-electric model as it shows off the production version of its I-Pace, as well as Hyundai's Kona, advertised as the world#s first fully electric subcompact SUV.

Constructors also have to contend with the fact that where fuel engines are concerned, their greater emissions of CO2 will render a tough challenge compliance with future European norms.

They will have to cut CO2 emissions to an average 95 grams per kilometre across the board by 2021 from 130 grams in 2015, or else face swingeing fines.

Auto makers are bound to continue investing, furthermore, to ensure improved performance of their combustion engines as these still make up the bulk of sales. And yet they will prove progressively less of an earner as volumes inexorably fall off.

Traditional constructors also have a wary eye on sector newcomers, led by those in the electric vanguard such as Tesla, as well as giants from the high-tech such as Apple or Google and would-be Chinese rivals all seeking their slice of a "smart car" cake.

The future belongs to those whose vehicles enjoy ever more autonomy through increasing recourse to artificial intelligence and telecommunications.

Such qualities are not the preserve of the traditional automobile constructor.

Square the circle

The last few weeks have seen a slew of carmakers post record profitsbut the question is the degree to which that will act as a springboard to paying for the switch to a new auto-tech world.

Eric Kirstetter of the Roland Berger consultancy told AFP that, currently, some constructors are doing "very well," yet their "future is very complicated".

They must "reduce costs in such as way as to make savings allowing them to achieve their R&D plans," said Kirstetter, adding this will involve surmounting "a problem of squaring the financial circle."

That, he says, is "an equation extremely difficult to resolve in order to make the necessary investments to develop new generations of vehicles while continuing to invest massively in improving the combustion engine" in the shorter term.

The task may be more readily surmountable for pioneers in the development of alternatives to diesel, including the Renault-Nissan alliance, with both leaders in the move towards electrification, while Toyota has the early jump on the hybrid market.

However the future of a metamorphosing industry ultimately pans out, the 700,000 Salon visitors expected to descend on Geneva's Palexpo in the coming days will be able to cast their eyes over some 900 vehicles.

Monday will see the car of the year unveiled from seven finalists for the accolade.

The contenders are the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi A8, BMW series 5, Citroen C3 Aircross, Kia Stinger, Seat Ibiza and Volvo XC40.

Explore further Daimler struggling with European emissions standards

 2018 AFPQualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf, seen at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, has said he sees no path to value in a tie-up with rival chipmaker Broadcom

With a potential for the biggest-ever deal in the tech sector at stake, Qualcomm shareholders will have their say on a hostile bid for the US mobile chip giant by Singapore-based rival Broadcom.

Qualcomm shareholders at an annual gathering Tuesday will get to vote whether to replace six of the California company's 11 board members with candidates backed by Broadcom, essentially endorsing the deal estimated to be worth $117 billion.

Weeks of parries and thrusts, along with tactical public statements, have left the companies' boards at odds over the unsolicited offer.

Qualcomm's board on Thursday sent a letter to shareholders urging them to re-elect its current members, making a statement against Broadcom's offer.

"The Qualcomm board believes it is not in the best interest of Qualcomm's stockholders to elect Broadcom's nominees," the directors said.

Qualcomm, which is the dominant maker of microprocessors for smartphones, says it has a bright future on its own, especially ahead of a transition to fifth-generation (5G) wireless communications networks.

The Qualcomm board has also expressed concern that any deal with Broadcom could be delayed or blocked by antitrust regulators around the world.

Broadcom meanwhile fired off a letter of its own, urging Qualcomm shareholders to elect all six of its nominees to the board, sending "a clear signal" supporting the takeover bid which would provide a handsome gain to shareholders of the US firm.

The hostile offer "provides greater value and certainty to Qualcomm stockholders, with less risk, than any other available alternative," Broadcom said in its appeal to shareholders.

Broadcom CEO Hock Tan announced a bid for Qualcomm days after a White House meeting with President Donald Trump, where he pledged to move the company back from Singapore to the United States

Value and risk

Broadcom made its first offer in November, and subsequently raised it to $121 billion but then lowered it, arguing that Qualcomm had effectively agreed to "transfer" value by raising its takeover offer for Dutch-based tech firm NXP.

The Broadcom offer "undervalues" the US firm, Qualcomm has said, while opening the door to talks if Broadcom boosts its price.

Qualcomm chairman Paul Jacobs said the company is willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement that would allow Broadcom to view confidential business information from its US rival, suggesting this would enable Broadcom to get a better picture of Qualcomm's true value.

Any tie-up of the two giants could reshape the fast-evolving sector of chips for smartphones and connected devices. But it would have to pass regulatory muster in several countries.

Qualcomm has cited "regulatory risk" as a factor in rebuffing the Broadcom bid but has also said the offer "undervalues" Qualcomm in view of its prospects in mobile technology.

Broadcom has accused Qualcomm's of "engagement theater" designed to ease pressure at the US firm's annual shareholder meeting March 6.

"Rather than acting as true fiduciaries with a responsibility to act in the best interests of Qualcomm's stockholders, the Qualcomm board has done nothing more than feign engagement with Broadcom," the Singapore-based company said in its letter.

Broadcom's original offer for Qualcomm came days after chief executive Hock Tan visited the White House last November and told President Donald Trump the company would be moving back to the United States.

Qualcomm chairman Paul Jacobs said the US chipmaker may be open to a deal if Broadcom raises its offer worth $117 billion

'Oil and water'

Analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategies questioned the wisdom of the tie-up.

While they are rival chip companies, Broadcom and Qualcomm they are very different in their approaches to the market, according to Moorhead.

Qualcomm is known for mobile chip innovations that set industry standards, for example in new superfast 5G wireless connection technology, the analyst noted.

Meanwhile, he said Broadcom is adept at using intellectual property developed by others and making products at low cost, referring to them as "implementors."

Qualcomm innovations seem to be giving it a lead in competition with Broadcom, particularly with 5G, which could be among reasons for the hostile takeover campaign, according to Moorhead.

"I understand why Broadcom is doing this; it is just oil and water," the analyst said of putting the companies together.

And, such a merger would likely get tied up by regulators for a long time, he added.

"I get the sense that the vote is going to be close," Moorhead said of the coming Qualcomm board election.

"Wall Street is driven by short term gain."

Explore further Broadcom lowers offer for Qualcomm as takeover saga continues

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(3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (1) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (6) Dec 14 (4) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (5) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (3) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (4) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (6) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (3) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (5) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (6) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (2) Aug 06 (2) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (6) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (2) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (2) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (1) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (2) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (4) May 13 (9) May 12 (4) May 11 (5) May 10 (5) May 09 (4) May 08 (3) May 07 (5) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (1) May 02 (5) May 01 (7) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (3) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (3) Apr 14 (4) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (4) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (6) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (5) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (2) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (2) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (4) Nov 15 (6) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (2) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (2) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (2) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (4) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (7) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (2) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (2) May 29 (2) May 28 (2) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (2) May 18 (3) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (3) May 10 (4) May 09 (4) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (2) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (2) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (7) Apr 06 (4) 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Jun 14 (2) Jun 11 (1) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (1) Jun 07 (1) Jun 06 (1) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (1) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (1) May 31 (3) May 30 (1) May 29 (1) May 28 (2) May 26 (1) May 25 (1) May 18 (1) May 17 (1) May 15 (1) May 09 (1) May 07 (2) May 02 (1) May 01 (1) Apr 30 (1) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (2) Apr 23 (1) Apr 22 (1) Apr 19 (1) Apr 18 (1) Apr 12 (1) Apr 11 (1) Apr 09 (1) Apr 07 (1) Apr 05 (1) Apr 01 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 27 (1) Mar 25 (1) Mar 22 (2) Mar 19 (1) Mar 18 (1) Mar 16 (1) Mar 15 (2) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (1) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (1)North Carolina and Georgia share a border and many doctors.

But they couldnt be farther apart when it comes to reporting doctor transgressions.

North Carolina has a 52-person staff, paid out of licensing fees, and maintains one of the most detailed medical board websites in the nation.

In Georgia, the medical board is supported by the states general fund, a scenario that pits it against other priorities whenever it comes time to cut the budget. It has a staff of 31.

Explore medical board websites across the U.S.

Explore medical board websites across the U.S.

While Georgias website purports to include any discipline from any state, doctors themselves are charged with reporting information about out-of-state discipline  though they could face discipline if they do not.

That is their responsibility, said Patricia Sherman, manager of the Office of Investigations & Enforcement for the states medical board. And, yes, it's our responsibility to police that, but we don't have the staff to do that. We don't have the staff to look at 44,000 profiles on a regular basis.

The result: 26 doctors who hold licenses in both states were held accountable in North Carolina but received no public action in Georgia.

Thats the biggest imbalance between any two states, according to an analysis by MedPage Today and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that found at least 500 doctors have been publicly chastized in one state while able to practice free and clear in another.

Consider:

On North Carolinas web site, the profile for one orthopedic surgeon includes details of a malpractice lawsuit stemming from a surgery he performed on an 87-year-old woman. The doctor inserted a nail designed for the patients right side into her left hip, causing pain and requiring a follow-up surgery.

His profile includes a copy of a letter of concern from the medical board, which notes that the state fined him $1,000 for the mistake.

For the same doctor, Georgias site lists nothing.

Instead, it reads:

This physician has indicated that he/she has NO medical settlements against his/her license.

And:

This physician has indicated that he/she has NOT had any final public disciplinary action or second subsequent final private reprimand taken against him/her by a licensing board regulating his/her medical or any other license in this state or any other state.

The discrepancy doesnt sit right with Carol Cronin, executive director of the Informed Patient Institute, a Maryland-based nonprofit group that produces its own doctor report cards from various sources, including state medical boards.

Given that state medical boards are supposed to protect the public, it is truly concerning that where you live shapes what you can learn about dangerous doctors, she said.Special counsel Robert Mueller appears to have expanded his probe beyond looking at Moscows efforts to meddle in the presidential campaign toward the Middle East. Investigators are questioning witnesses about any efforts by the United Arab Emirates to gain political influence by funneling money to Donald Trumps presidential campaign, reports the New York Times. Investigators appear to be focusing their attention on George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman who is an adviser to the de facto ruler of the U.A.E. and has been a frequent visitor to the White House since Trump moved in.

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Muellers team has already questioned Nader, who met with senior adviser Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon and talked about U.S. policy toward Persian Gulf states ahead of Trumps trip to Saudi Arabia in May 2017. The Times sources disagree whether it was Bannon or Kushner who supported his efforts to gain access to policymakers at the White House.

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The key question that the Times piece cant answer quite yet is how much of this new line of questioning is related to the first goal of Muellers investigation into any collusion between Trumps campaign and Russia. But it could be a sign that Muellers probe will investigate how money from multiple countries has flowed through and influenced Washington during the Trump era.

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The Times isnt the first to report on Muellers interest in Nader. In January, Axios Jonathan Swan wrote about how Muellers team had been talking to Nader, a little-known Bannon associate who boasts of his well-placed connections in the Middle East. In his reporting, Swan was a lot more skeptical about Naders actually influence with the U.A.E.s political leadership.

What does seem clear though is that at a time when Nader seemed to be an influential voice in the White House, Trump has emerged as a key ally of the Emiratis. That unity has even expanded to a confrontational approach toward Qatar, which is host to a major U.S. military base and put Trump at odds with his secretary of stateas well as with years of American policy, details the Times.

The Times reached Nader by phone but he never followed through with the promise to call back. The White House also didnt respond to the newspapers request for comment.President Donald Trump got dressed up Saturday night to participate in one of those typical Washington traditions he usually loves to hate. Mere hours after sending a tweet in which he said that the media in the United States have gone CRAZY! Trump participated in an evening filled with charm and self-deprecationat least for the most part.

The president had refused to participate in all of these types of Washington traditions in his first year in office, but on Saturday decided to take part in the Gridiron Club and Foundations 2018 spring dinner. Unlike the higher profile White House Correspondents Dinner, no cameras are allowed at this event that includes journalists and Washington power brokers making fun of each other. But a pool report by Yahoo News Hunter Walker and a few disparate stories from inside the room give us a pretty clear idea of the highlights from the presidents address.

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President Trump and First Lady arrive at #GridironDinner pic.twitter.com/VxzSUI1VRh  Jerry Micco (@PG_JerryMicco) March 4, 2018

Trumps remarks were a bit all over the place, but he did manage to land some funny jokes. Even at his own expense. My staff was concerned that I couldnt do self-deprecating humor, Trump said. And I told them not to worry, nobody does self-deprecating humor better than I do. He also included Sen. Orrin Hatch on a joke that was really about him. Orrin said that Donald Trump is the best at self-deprecation in the history of America. Better than Washington and better than Lincoln, Trump said in a clear reference to how he had said Hatch called him the best president in history, which the senator denies.

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By far the funniest jokes of the night concerned his own staff and allies.

On son-in-law Jared Kushner and his security-clearance woes: Before I get started, I wanted to apologize for arriving a little bit late. You know, were late tonight because Jared could not get through the security. I will tell you he is a good guy. And he has suffered. He is a great guy.

On Attorney General Jeff Sessions: I offered him a ride over and he recused himself. What are you going to do?

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On former chief strategist Steve Bannon: That guy leaked more than the Titanic. He also called Bannon one of CNNs true stars, the guy who got you the most scoops and inside info.

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On the staff changes at the White House: So many people have been leaving the White House. Its actually been really exciting and invigorating cause you want new thought. So, I like turnover. I like chaos. It really is good. Now the question everyone keeps asking is, Who is going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller or Melania? When the audience gasped, Trump said to his wife, That is terrible, honeybut you love me, right?

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On Mike Pences interest in the news lately: He wakes up every morning and asks, has he been impeached yet. I dont like that, Trump said while also calling Pence his apprentice at one point.

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Trump also told a bit of a funny joke on North Korea but it was so convoluted people cant quite decide whether he was announcing a serious policy issue. I wont rule out direct talks with Kim Jong UnI just wont. As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine, he said in the amusing part of the bit. But Trump later went on to suggest that North Korea had actually approached Washington recently with offers to talk but Trump said they first have to denuke, without explaining what he meant by that unique choice of wording. Now we are talking and they, by the way, called up a couple of days ago. They said that we would like to talk. And I said So would we, but you have to denuke, you have to denuke, Trump said.

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Although the rules of the Gridiron Club is to singe, not burn as Gridiron President David Lightman said at the start of the night, Trump seemingly couldnt help himself when talking about Democrats:

On former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Man, shes crazy.

On former Vice President Joe Biden: Trust me, I would kick his ass, Trump said. Boy, would he be easy. Oh, would he be easy.

On Rep. Maxine Waters: He must be impeached! Thats all she knows how to say, Trump said. And I sayand I get in trouble for thisshe has to immediately take an IQ test, and people go crazy.

On Sen. Elizabeth Warren: She said that Rex Tillerson and I should sit down with the leaders of Iran and North Korea and smoke a peace pipe, Trump said. I didnt like that Pocahontas.

On Democrats failing to give him a standing ovation during his State of the Union speech: I was not going to include a salute to Fidel Castro. They would have stood up. They would have cheered.

Trump did end with a funny joke directed at the reporters in the room: I just want to say this, this is one of the best times Ive had with the mediathis might be the most fun Ive had since watching your faces on election night.More concerns about independence of Kuciak murder investigation

General Prosecutor demands the police request their approval before they release any more information about the investigation.

General Prosecutor Jaromir Ciznar hopes the police will only inform about the progress that is "objectively documented". (Source: SITA)

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The police, including their president, Tibor Gaspar, should be more cautious when making statements about the investigation of the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak, and his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova.

General Prosecutor Jaromir Ciznar complained on the TA3 news channel earlier on Sunday that the police should not publish a possible motive for the murder one day just to say it's not confirmed the following day.

"It throws doubts at the whole work of the people who intensively, really intensively work on it," the General Prosecutor said, adding that people will "either think that we are at a loose end or that there are attempts to mislead".

Ciznar stressed that he wants to inform the public about the case, but only once he has "objectively documented" information.

On Thursday, Ciznar issued an order that the police are only to inform about the case with the approval of the prosecutor who oversees the case. Ciznar, however, admitted that he cannot give a direct order to the police and only hopes that they will respect his demands, the Sme daily wrote. Ciznar stated he receives information about the progress of the investigation once every two days, while politicians do not obtain such information, Sme added.

Police asks drivers for help

The police meanwhile suggested that the murders probably took place earlier than originally thought. The first estimates pointed to Thursday night.

The mother of Kusnirova told the tabloid daily Novy Cas that she had not been able to reach her daughter by phone since Wednesday.

On Sunday, the police called on people from the districts of Galanta, Sala, Dunajska Streda and all those who passed through the districts to save the data from their car cameras from Wednesday, February 21, particularly between 17:00 and 22:00.

Those who have such data available are requested to share them with the police via the e-mail address velkamaca@minv.sk.

Questions about NAKA head surround investigation

The opposition accuses the police of unusual proceedings in the investigation. Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) MP, Lucia Duris Nicholsonova, alleged on the Sunday noon political debate show of the public-service, RTVS, that Gaspar was the only one among police leaders to get reports about the investigation. Normally his vice-presidents get the reports too, she alleged, citing her discussion with one of the vice-presidents.

Nicholsonova insists that it is a manipulation of the investigation. Her counterpart in the debate, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, told her she did not understand the investigation at all.

Kalinak also reacted to the allegations reported by the Trend weekly who wrote that the head of the national anti-corruption unit NAKA, Robert Krajmer, was among the first people to appear at the crime scene even though investigation of murders does not fall under his office.

Kalinak argued that it was Krajmer and his team who in November proposed that charges be pressed in five corruption cases concerning the Vadala family that was also featured in the last article by Jan Kuciak, Sme daily noted.

However, Trend reporter Zuzana Petkova dismissed Kalinak's explanation, pointing out that when Krajmer arrived on the crime scene, it was not yet known that Kuciak was writing about Vadala.

In November 2017, Kuciak also wrote about Krajmer, alleging his indirect connections with the businessman Norbert Bodor, who reportedly is linked with Smer. Aktuality.sk reported earlier that Krajmer's wife has links with Bodor, Sme daily noted.

4. Mar 2018 at 20:52 | Compiled by Spectator staffThe following companies are subsidiares of Tenet Healthcare: 1 Subsidiaries of this entity in which Tenet Healthcare Corporation directly and indirectly held a 95% ownership interest at December 31 2020 are set forth in the table below., 25 East Same Day Surgery L.L.C., 300 PBL Development LLC, 45th Street MOB LLC, 601 N 30th Street I L.L.C., 601 N 30th Street II L.L.C., 601 N 30th Street III Inc., AHM Acquisition Co. Inc., AIG Holdings LLC, AIGB Global LLC, AIGB Group Inc., AIGB Holdings Inc., AIGB Management Services LLC, AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #1 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #2 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #3 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #4 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #5 L.L.C., AMI Information Systems Group Inc., AMI/HTI Tarzana Encino Joint Venture, APN, ARC Worcester Center L.P., ASC Old Co. LP, ASC of New Jersey LLC, ASJH Joint Venture LLC, Abrazo Health Network EP Clinical Services LLC, Abrazo Surgical Outpatient Center LLC, Advanced Ambulatory Surgical Care L.P., Advanced Center for Surgery  Vero Beach LLC, Advanced Regional Surgery Center LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Metairie LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Sarasota LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Tampa LLC, Advanced Surgical Care of St Louis LLC, Advanced Surgical Concepts LLC, Advantage Health Care Management Company LLC, Advantage Health Network Inc., AdventHealth Surgery Center Celebration LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Center Mills Park LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Center Wellswood LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Center Winter Garden LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Centers Central Florida LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Centers West Florida LLC, Adventist Midwest Health/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Alabama Cardiovascular Associates L.L.C., Alabama Digestive Health Endoscopy Center L.L.C., Alabama Hand and Sports Medicine L.L.C., Alamo Heights Surgicare L.P., All Star MOB LLC, Allegian Insurance Company, Alliance Surgery Birmingham LLC, Alliance Surgery Inc., Alvarado Hospital Medical Center Inc., Ambulatory Surgical Associates LLC, Ambulatory Surgical Center of Somerville LLC, American Institute of Gastric Banding Ltd., American Institute of Gastric Banding Phoenix Limited Partnership, American Medical (Central) Inc., Amisub (Heights) Inc., Amisub (Hilton Head) Inc., Amisub (North Ridge Hospital) Inc., Amisub (SFH) Inc., Amisub (Twelve Oaks) Inc., Amisub of California Inc., Amisub of North Carolina Inc., Amisub of South Carolina Inc., Amisub of Texas Inc., Anaheim Hills Medical Imaging L.L.C., Anaheim MRI Holding Inc., Anesthesia Partners of Gallatin LLC, Arizona Care Network  Next L.L.C., Arizona Health Partners LLC, Arlington Orthopedic and Spine Hospital LLC, Arrowhead Endoscopy and Pain Management Center LLC, Asia Outsourcing US Inc., Aspen Healthcare, Atlanta Medical Center Inc., Atlanta Medical Center Interventional Neurology Associates L.L.C., Atlanta Medical Center Neurosurgical & Spine Specialists L.L.C., Atlanta Medical Center Physician Group L.L.C., Atlantic Coast Surgical Suites LLC, Atlantic Health-USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Avita/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., BBH BMC LLC, BBH CBMC LLC, BBH DevelopmentCo LLC, BBH Imaging Jasper LLC, BBH NP Clinicians Inc., BBH PBMC LLC, BBH SBMC LLC, BBH WBMC LLC, BCDC EmployeeCO LLC, BHC-Talladega Pediatrics LLC, BHS Accountable Care LLC, BHS Affinity LLC, BHS Integrated Physician Partners LLC, BHS Physician Performance Network LLC, BHS Physicians Alliance for ACE LLC, BHS Physicians Network Inc., BHS Specialty Network Inc., BT East Dallas JV LLP, BW Cardiology LLC, BW Cyberknife LLC, BW Hand Practice LLC, BW Office Buildings LLC, BW Parking Decks LLC, BW Physician Practices LLC, BW Retail Pharmacy LLC, BW Sports Practice LLC, Bagley Holdings LLC, Baptist Accountable Care LLC, Baptist Diagnostics LLC, Baptist Health Centers LLC, Baptist Physician Alliance ACO LLC, Baptist Physician Alliance LLC, Baptist Plaza Surgicare L.P., Baptist Surgery Center L.P., Baptist Womens Health Center LLC, Baptist/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Bartlett ASC LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Baylor Plano LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Blue Star LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Granbury LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Mansfield LLC, Baylor Surgicare at North Dallas LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Plano LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Plano Parkway LLC, Bear Creek Surgery Center LLC, Beaumont Surgical Affiliates Ltd., Bellaire Outpatient Surgery Center L.L.P., Berkshire Eye LLC, Bloomington ASC LLC, Blue Ridge/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Bluffton Okatie Primary Care L.L.C., Bluffton Okatie Surgery Center L.L.C., Bon Secours Surgery Center at Harbour View LLC, Bon Secours Surgery Center at Virginia Beach LLC, Bozeman Health/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Bozeman MOB LLC, Briarcliff Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Bristol Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Broad River Primary Care L.L.C., Brookwood - Maternal Fetal Medicine L.L.C., Brookwood Ancillary Holdings Inc., Brookwood Baptist Health 1 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Health 2 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Health 3 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Imaging LLC, Brookwood Center Development Corporation, Brookwood Development Inc., Brookwood Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Brookwood Garages L.L.C., Brookwood Health Services Inc., Brookwood Home Health LLC, Brookwood Occupational Health Clinic L.L.C., Brookwood Parking Associates Ltd., Brookwood Primary Care - Homewood L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Inverness L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Mountain Brook L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Oak Mountain L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Vestavia L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Cahaba Heights L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Hoover L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care The Narrows L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Network Care Inc., Brookwood Specialty Care - Endocrinology L.L.C., Brookwood Sports and Orthopedics L.L.C., Brookwood Womens Care L.L.C., Brookwood Womens Diagnostic Center LLC, C7 Technologies LLC, CGH Hospital Ltd., CHIC/USP Surgery Centers LLC, CHN Holdings LLC, CHRISTUS Cabrini Surgery Center L.L.C., CHVI Tucson Holdings LLC, CML-Chicago Market Labs Inc., CRNAs of Michigan, CS/USP General Partner LLC, CS/USP Surgery Centers LP, California Joint & Spine LLC, Camp Creek Urgent Care L.L.C., Camp Lowell Surgery Center L.L.C., Captive Insurance Services Inc., Cardiology Physicians Associates L.L.C., Cardiology Physicians Corporation L.L.C., Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Associates L.L.C., Cardiovascular Clinical Excellence at Sierra Providence LLC, CareSpot of Austin LLC, CareSpot of Memphis LLC, CareSpot of Orlando/HSI Urgent Care LLC, Carmel Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Carondelet St. Marys-Northwest L.L.C., Cascade Spine Center LLC, Castle Rock Surgery Center LLC, Catawba-Piedmont Cardiothoracic Surgery L.L.C., Cedar Hill Primary Care L.L.C., Cedar Park Surgery Center L.L.P., Centennial ASC LLC, Center for Advanced Research Excellence L.L.C., Center for the Urban Child Inc., Central California Healthcare Holdings LLC, Central Carolina Physicians - Sandhills L.L.C., Central Carolina-IMA L.L.C., Central Jersey Surgery Center LLC, Central Texas Corridor Hospital Company LLC, Central Valley Quality Alliance LLC, Central Virginia Surgi-Center L.P., Centura Ventures Surgery Centers LLC, Centura/USP Colorado Springs Surgery Centers L.L.C., Chalon Living Inc., Chandler Endoscopy Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Charlotte Endoscopic Surgery Center LLC, Chattanooga Pain Management Center LLC, Chesterfield Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Chesterfield Anesthesia Associates of Missouri LLC, Chico Surgery Center L.P., Childrens Hospital of Michigan Premier Network Inc., Citrus Heights ASC RE LLC, Clarkston ASC Partners LLC, Clarksville Surgery Center LLC, Coast Healthcare Management LLC, Coast Surgery Center L.P., Coastal Carolina Medical Center, Coastal Carolina Medical Center Inc., Coastal Carolina Physician Practices LLC, Coastal Carolina Pro Fee Billing L.L.C., Coastal Endo LLC, Colorado GI Centers LLC, Commonwealth Continental Health Care Inc., Community Connection Health Plan Inc., Community Hospital LLC, Community Hospital of Los Gatos Inc., Conifer Care Continuum Solutions LLC, Conifer Ethics and Compliance Inc., Conifer Global Business Center Inc., Conifer Global Holdings Inc., Conifer Health Solutions LLC, Conifer Holdings Inc., Conifer Patient Communications LLC, Conifer Physician Services Holdings Inc., Conifer Physician Services Inc., Conifer Revenue Cycle Solutions LLC, Conifer Value-Based Care LLC, Conroe Surgery Center 2 LLC, Coral Gables Hospital Inc., Coral Ridge Outpatient Center LLC, Corpus Christi Surgicare Ltd., Covenant/USP Surgery Centers LLC, CreAtiv Management Company Inc., Creekwood Investors LLC, Creekwood Surgery Center L.P., Crown Point Surgery Center LLC, DH/USP SJOSC Investment Company L.L.C., DH/USP Sacramento Pain GP LLC, DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital Premier Clinical Co-Management Services LLC, DMC Education & Research, DMC Harper University Hospital Premier Clinical Co-Management Services LLC, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Premier Clinical Management Services LLC, DMC Imaging L.L.C., Dallas Surgical Partners LLC, DeTar/USP Surgery Center LLC, Delray Beach ASC LLC, Delray Medical Center Inc., Delray Medical Physician Services L.L.C., Denton Surgicare Partners Ltd., Denton Surgicare Real Estate Ltd., Denville Surgery Center LLC, Des Peres Physician Network LLC, Desert Cove MOB LLC, Desert Regional Medical Center Inc., Desert Ridge Outpatient Surgery LLC, Desoto Surgicare Partners Ltd., Destin ASC RE LLC, Destin Surgery Center LLC, Detroit Education & Research, DigitalMed Inc., Dignity/Abrazo Health Network LLC, Dignity/USP Folsom GP LLC, Dignity/USP Grass Valley GP LLC, Dignity/USP Las Vegas Surgery Centers LLC, Dignity/USP Metro Surgery Center LLC, Dignity/USP NorCal Surgery Centers LLC, Dignity/USP Phoenix Surgery Centers II LLC, Dignity/USP Phoenix Surgery Centers LLC, Dignity/USP Redding GP LLC, Dignity/USP Roseville GP LLC, Dignity/USP/John Muir East Bay Surgery Centers LLC, Doctors Hospital of Manteca Inc., Doctors Medical Center Neurosciences Clinical Co-Management LLC, Doctors Medical Center Orthopedics Clinical Co-Management LLC, Doctors Medical Center of Modesto Inc., Doctors Outpatient Center for Surgery LLC, Doctors Outpatient Surgery Center of Jupiter L.L.C., EPHC Inc., EPIC ASC LLC, East Atlanta Endoscopy Centers LLC, East Cobb Urgent Care LLC, East Cooper Coastal Family Physicians L.L.C., East Cooper Community Hospital Inc., East Cooper Hyperbarics L.L.C., East Cooper OB/GYN L.L.C., East Cooper Physician Network LLC, East Cooper Primary Care Physicians L.L.C., East Portland Surgery Center LLC, East West Surgery Center L.P., Eastgate Building Center L.L.C., Effingham Surgical Partners LLC, Einstein Montgomery Surgery Center LLC, Einstein/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., El Mirador Surgery Center L.L.C., El Paso Center for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy LLC, El Paso Day Surgery LLC, El Paso Urology Surgery Center Curie LLC, Emanate/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Emanuel Medical Center, Emerson Surgery Center LLC, Encinitas Endoscopy Center LLC, Endoscopy Center of Hackensack LLC, Endoscopy Center of South Sacramento LLC, Endoscopy Consultants LLC, European Surgical Partners Ltd., Eye Center of Nashville UAP LLC, Eye Surgery Center of Nashville LLC, FMC Medical Inc., FMCC Network Contracting L.L.C., FPN  Frisco Physicians Network, FREH Real Estate L.L.C., FRS Imaging Services L.L.C., FSC Hospital LLC, FSH IT Services LP, First Choice Physician Partners, Flatirons Surgery Center LLC, Folsom Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Fort Bend Clinical Services Inc., Fort Worth Hospital Real Estate LP, Fort Worth Surgicare Partners Ltd., Foundation Bariatric Hospital of San Antonio LLC, Foundation San Antonio Borrower Sub LLC, Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, Fountain Valley Surgery Center LLC, Franklin Endo UAP LLC, Franklin Endoscopy Center LLC, Fresno Surgery Center L.P., Frisco Medical Center L.L.P., Frontenac Ambulatory Surgery & Spine Care Center L.P., Frye Regional Medical Center Inc., FryeCare Boone L.L.C., FryeCare Morganton L.L.C., FryeCare Physicians L.L.C., FryeCare Valdese L.L.C., FryeCare Watauga L.L.C., FryeCare Womens Services L.L.C., GCSA Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Gamma Surgery Center LLC, Gardendale Surgical Associates LLC, Garland Surgicare Partners Ltd., Gastric Health Institute L.L.C., Genesis ASC Partners LLC, Geneva Surgical Suites LLC, Georgia Endoscopy Center LLC, Georgia Gifts From Grace L.L.C., Georgia Musculoskeletal Network Inc., Georgia North Fulton Healthcare Associates L.L.C., Georgia Northside Ear Nose and Throat L.L.C., Georgia Physicians of Cardiology L.L.C., Georgia Spectrum Neurosurgical Specialists L.L.C., Georgia Spine Surgery Center LLC, Glen Echo Surgery Center LLC, Golden Ridge ASC LLC, Good Samaritan Medical Center Inc., Good Samaritan Surgery L.L.C., Grapevine Surgicare Partners Ltd., Grass Valley Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Graystone Family Healthcare - Tenet North Carolina L.L.C., Great Lakes Surgical Suites LLC, Greater Dallas Healthcare Enterprises, Greater Northwest Houston Enterprises, Greenville Physicians Surgery Center LLP, Greenwood ASC LLC, Greystone Internal Medicine - Brookwood L.L.C., Gulf Coast Community Hospital Inc., HCH Tucson Holdings LLC, HCN Emerus Management Sub LLC, HCN Emerus Texas LLC, HCN Laboratories Inc., HCN Physicians Inc., HCN Sunnyvale Holdings LLC, HCN Surgery Center Holdings Inc., HDMC Holdings L.L.C., HMA/Solantic Joint Venture LLC, HMH-USP Surgery Centers LLC, HMHP/USP Surgery Centers LLC, HNMC Inc., HNW GP Inc., HNW LP Inc., HPI Holdings LLC, HPI North LLC, HPI Physicians LLC, HSRM International Inc., HSS Palm Beach Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, HSS/USP Surgery Center LLC, HUG Services Inc., HUMC/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Hacienda Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Hagerstown Surgery Center LLC, Hardeeville Medical Group L.L.C., Hardeeville Primary Care L.L.C., Harlingen Physician Network Inc., Harper-Hutzel AHP Services Inc., Harvard Park Surgery Center LLC, Haymarket Surgery Center LLC, Hazelwood Endoscopy Center LLC, Health & Wellness Surgery Center L.P., Health Horizons of Kansas City Inc., Health Horizons of Murfreesboro Inc., Health Horizons/Piedmont Joint Venture LLC, Health Services CFMC Inc., Health Services HNMC Inc., Health Services Network Care Inc., Health Services Network Hospitals Inc., Health Services Network Texas Inc., HealthCorp Network Inc., Healthcare Compliance LLC, Healthcare Network Alabama Inc., Healthcare Network CFMC Inc., Healthcare Network DPH Inc., Healthcare Network Georgia Inc., Healthcare Network Holdings Inc., Healthcare Network Hospitals (Dallas) Inc., Healthcare Network Hospitals Inc., Healthcare Network Louisiana Inc., Healthcare Network Missouri Inc., Healthcare Network North Carolina Inc., Healthcare Network South Carolina Inc., Healthcare Network Tennessee Inc., Healthcare Network Texas Inc., Healthcare Partners Investments LLC, Healthmark Partners Inc., Healthpoint of North Carolina L.L.C., Heart and Vascular Institute of Michigan, Heritage Park Surgical Hospital LLC, Hershey Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Hialeah Hospital Inc., Hialeah Real Properties Inc., Hickory Family Practice Associates - Tenet North Carolina L.L.C., Hill Country ASC Partners LLC, Hill Country Surgery Center LLC, Hilton Head Health System L.P., Hilton Head Regional Healthcare L.L.C., Hilton Head Regional OB/GYN Partners L.L.C., Hilton Head Regional Physician Network LLC, Hilton Head Regional Physician Network  Georgia L.L.C., Hinsdale Surgical Center LLC, Hitchcock State Street Real Estate Inc., Holston Valley Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Holy Cross Hospital Inc., Home Health Partners of San Antonio LLC, Hoover Doctors Group Inc., Hoover Land LLC, Horizon Ridge Surgery Center LLC, Hospital Development of West Phoenix Inc., Hospital RCM Services LLC, Hospital Underwriting Group Inc., Houston Northwest Partners Ltd., Houston PSC L.P., Houston Specialty Hospital Inc., Houston Sunrise Investors Inc., Hyde Park Surgery Center LLC, ICNU Rockford LLC, Imaging Center at Baxter Village L.L.C., InforMed Insurance Services LLC, Integris/USP Health Ventures LLC, International Health and Wellness Inc., Irving-Coppell Surgical Hospital L.L.P., JFK Memorial Hospital Inc., JFP UAP Sugarland LLC, Jackson Surgical Center LLC, Jacksonville Endoscopy Centers LLC, Journey Home Healthcare of San Antonio LLC, KHS Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, KHS/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Kingsport Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Laguna Medical Systems Inc., Lake Endoscopy Center LLC, Lake Health Care Facilities Inc., Lake Lansing ASC Partners LLC, Lake Surgical Hospital Slidell LLC, LakeFront Medical Associates LLC, Lakewood Regional Medical Center Inc., Lakewood Surgery Center LLC, Lancaster Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Lansing ASC Partners LLC, Lawrenceville Surgery Center L.L.C., Lebanon Endoscopy Center LLC, Legacy Warren Partners L.P., Legacy/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Leonardtown Surgery Center LLC, Liberty Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Lifemark Hospitals Inc., Lifemark Hospitals of Florida Inc., Lifemark Hospitals of Louisiana Inc., Lone Star Endoscopy Center LLC, Longleaf Surgery Center LLC, Los Alamitos Medical Center Inc., Lubbock ASC Holding Co LLC, MASC Partners LLC, MCSH Real Estate Investors Ltd., MH Memorial City Surgery LLC, MH/USP Bay Area LLC, MH/USP Brazoria LLC, MH/USP Kingsland LLC, MH/USP Kingwood LLC, MH/USP Kirby LLC, MH/USP Main Street LLC, MH/USP North Freeway LLC, MH/USP North Houston LLC, MH/USP Richmond LLC, MH/USP Sugar Land LLC, MH/USP TMC Endoscopy LLC, MH/USP West Houston L.L.C., MH/USP Woodlands Parkway LLC, MSH Partners LLC, MSV Health/USP Surgery Centers LLC, MVH/USP Surgery Centers LLC, MacNeal Management Services Inc., MacNeal Medical Records Inc., MacNeal Physicians Group LLC, Magnetic Resonance Imaging of San Luis Obispo Inc., Magnolia Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Manchester Ambulatory Surgery Center LP, Maple Lawn Surgery Center LLC, Marion Surgery Center LLC, Mary Immaculate Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Mason Ridge Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Mayfield Spine Surgery Center LLC, McLaren ASC of Flint LLC, Meadowcrest Hospital LLC, Medical House Staffing LLC, Medical Park Tower Surgery Center LLC, Medplex Outpatient Medical Centers Inc., Medplex Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Memorial Hermann Bay Area Endoscopy Center LLC, Memorial Hermann Endoscopy & Surgery Center North Houston L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Endoscopy Center North Freeway LLC, Memorial Hermann Specialty Hospital Kingwood L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Surgical Hospital L.L.P., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Brazoria LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Cypress LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Katy LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Kingsland L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Kirby LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Main Street LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Memorial City L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Northwest LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Pinecroft LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Preston Road Ltd., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Richmond LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Southwest L.L.P., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Sugar Land LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Texas Medical Center LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Woodlands Parkway LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center  The Woodlands LLP, Memorial Hermann Texas International Endoscopy Center LLC, Memorial Hermann West Houston Surgery Center LLC, Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers II L.P., Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers III LLP, Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers IV LLP, Memorial Surgery Center LLC, Memphis Urgent Care #1 L.L.C., Memphis Urgent Care #2 L.L.C., Merced Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Mercy/USP Health Ventures L.L.C., Metro Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Metro Surgery Center LLC, MetroWest HomeCare & Hospice LLC, Metrocrest Surgery Center L.P., Metropolitan New Jersey LLC, Michigan ASC Partners L.L.C., Michigan Pioneer ACO LLC, Michigan Regional Imaging LLC, Mid Rivers Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Mid State Endo UAP LLC, Mid-State Endoscopy Center LLC, Mid-TSC Development LP, Middle Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Midland Memorial/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Midland Texas Surgical Center LLC, Midwest Digestive Health Center LLC, Midwest Pharmacies Inc., Midwest Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Millennium Surgical Center LLC, Mobile Imaging Management LLC, Mobile Technology Management LLC, Modesto Radiology Imaging Inc., Monocacy Surgery Center LLC, Mountain Empire Surgery Center L.P., Munster Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Murdock Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, NHSC Holdings LLC, NICH GP Holdings LLC, NKCH/USP Briarcliff GP LLC, NKCH/USP Liberty GP LLC, NKCH/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., NKCH/USP Surgery Centers LLC, NMC Lessor L.P., NMC Surgery Center L.P., NME Headquarters Inc., NME Properties Corp., NME Properties Inc., NME Property Holding Co. Inc., NME Psychiatric Hospitals Inc., NME Rehabilitation Properties Inc., NSCH GP Holdings LLC, NSCH/USP Desert Surgery Centers L.L.C., NUCH of Georgia L.L.C., NUCH of Massachusetts LLC, NUCH of Michigan Inc., NUCH of Texas, Nacogdoches ASC-LP Inc., Name of Entity, National ASC Inc., National Ancillary Inc., National Diagnostic Imaging Centers Inc., National HHC Inc., National Home Health Holdings Inc., National ICN Inc., National Imaging Center Holdings Inc., National Medical Services II Inc., National Outpatient Services Holdings Inc., National Surgery Center Holdings Inc., National Urgent Care Holdings Inc., National Urgent Care Inc., Network Management Associates Inc., New Dimensions LLC, New England Physician Performance Network LLC, New H Acute Inc., New Horizons Surgery Center LLC, New Medical Horizons II Ltd., New Mexico Orthopaedic Surgery Center LLC, New Salem ASC RE LLC, Newhope Imaging Center Inc., North Anaheim Surgery Center LLC, North Atlantic Surgical Suites LLC, North Campus Surgery Center LLC, North Carolina Community Family Medicine L.L.C., North Central Surgical Center L.L.P., North Denver Musculoskeletal Surgical Partners LLC, North Fulton Cardiovascular Medicine L.L.C., North Fulton Hospitalist Group L.L.C., North Fulton Medical Center Inc., North Fulton Primary Care - Willeo Rd. L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care - Windward Parkway L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care - Wylie Bridge L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care Associates L.L.C., North Fulton Pulmonary Specialists L.L.C., North Fulton Womens Consultants L.L.C., North Garland Surgery Center L.L.P., North Haven Surgery Center LLC, North Miami Medical Center Ltd., North Shore Medical Billing Center L.L.C., North Shore Medical Center Inc., North Shore Same Day Surgery L.L.C., North Shore Surgical Suites LLC, North State Surgery Centers L.P., NorthPointe Surgical Suites LLC, NorthShore/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., Northern Monmouth Regional Surgery Center L.L.C., Northridge ASC RE LLC, Northridge Surgery Center L.P., Northwest Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Georgia Orthopaedic Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Regional ASC LLC, Northwest Regional Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgery Center LLP, Northwest Surgery Center Ltd., Novant Health/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Novant/UVA/USP Surgery Centers LLC, OCOMS Imaging LLC, OCOMS Professional Services LLC, OLOL/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Okatie Surgical Partners L.L.C., Oklahoma Center for Orthopedic and Multi-Specialty Surgery LLC, Old Tesson Surgery Center L.P., Olive Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Olive Branch Urgent Care #1 LLC, Ophthalmology Anesthesia Services LLC, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Orlando LLC, Optimum Spine Center LLC, OrNda Healthcorp, OrNda Hospital Corporation, Orlando Health/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., OrthoArizona Surgery Center Gilbert LLC, OrthoLink ASC Corporation, OrthoLink Physicians Corporation, OrthoLink Radiology Services Corporation, OrthoLink/ Georgia ASC Inc., OrthoLink/Baptist ASC LLC, OrthoLink/New Mexico ASC Inc., Orthopedic Associates of the Lowcountry L.L.C., Orthopedic South Surgical Partners LLC, Orthopedic and Surgical Specialty Company LLC, PAHS/USP Surgery Centers LLC, PDN L.L.C., PHPS Inc., PHPS-CHM Acquisition Inc., PHS/USP Health Ventures LLC, PM CyFair Land Partners LLC, PMC Physician Network L.L.C., PPRE LLC, PSS Patient Solution Services LLC, Pacific Endo-Surgical Center L.P., Pacific Endoscopy and Surgery Center LLC, Pain Diagnostic and Treatment Center L.P., Paley Institute Global LLC, Palm Beach Gardens Community Hospital Inc., Palm Beach International Surgery Center LLC, Palm Valley Medical Center Campus Association, Palos Health Surgery Center LLC, Paramus Endoscopy LLC, Park Cities Surgery Center LLC, Park Plaza Hospital Billing Center L.L.C., ParkCreek ASC LLC, Parkway Recovery Care Center LLC, Parkwest Surgery Center L.P., Patient Partners LLC, Peak Gastroenterology ASC LLC, Pediatric Surgery Center  Odessa LLC, Pediatric Surgery Centers LLC, Physician Performance Network L.L.C., Physician Performance Network of Arizona LLC, Physician Performance Network of Detroit, Physician Performance Network of South Carolina LLC, Physician Performance Network of Tucson LLC, Physicians Performance Network of Houston, Physicians Performance Network of North Texas, Physicians Surgery Center at Good Samaritan LLC, Physicians Surgery Center of Tempe LLC, Physicians Surgical Center of Ft. Worth LLP, Physicians Surgery Center of Chattanooga L.L.C., Physicians Surgery Center of Knoxville LLC, Piccard Surgery Center LLC, Piedmont ASC LLC, Piedmont Behavioral Medicine Associates LLC, Piedmont Cardiovascular Physicians L.L.C., Piedmont Carolina OB/GYN of York County L.L.C., Piedmont Carolina Vascular Surgery L.L.C., Piedmont East Urgent Care Center L.L.C., Piedmont Express Care at Sutton Road L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Rock Hill L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Tega Cay L.L.C., Piedmont General Surgery Associates L.L.C., Piedmont Internal Medicine at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Physician Network LLC, Piedmont Pulmonology L.L.C., Piedmont Surgical Specialists L.L.C., Piedmont Urgent Care Center at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Urgent Care and Industrial Health Centers Inc., Piedmont/Carolinas Radiation Therapy LLC, Placentia-Linda Hospital Inc., Pleasanton Diagnostic Imaging Inc., Point of Rocks Surgery Center LLC, Practice Partners Management L.P., Premier ACO Physicians Network LLC, Premier ASC LLC, Premier Adult and Childrens Surgery Center LLC, Premier Endoscopy ASC LLC, Premier Health Plan Services Inc., Premier Medical Specialists L.L.C., Prince William Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Professional Anesthesia Services LLC, Professional Liability Insurance Company, Pros Temporary Staffing Inc., Providence/UCLA/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Providence/USP Santa Clarita GP LLC, Providence/USP South Bay Surgery Centers L.L.C., Providence/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Pueblo Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, R.H.S.C. El Paso Inc., RE Plano Med Inc., RHC Parkway Inc., RLC LLC, Reading Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Reading Endoscopy Center LLC, Reagan Street Surgery Center LLC, Redmond Surgery Center LLC, Renaissance Surgery Center LLC, Republic Health Corporation of Rockwall County, Resolute Health Physicians Network Inc., Resolute Hospital Company LLC, Resurgens East Surgery Center LLC, Resurgens Fayette Surgery Center LLC, Resurgens Surgery Center LLC, Rheumatology Associates of Atlanta Medical Center L.L.C., Richmond ASC Leasing Company LLC, Rio Grande Valley Indigent Health Care Corporation, River North Same Day Surgery L.L.C., Riverside Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Rock Bridge Surgical Institute L.L.C., Rock Hill Surgery Center LLC, Rockwall Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.P., Rocky Mountain Endoscopy Centers LLC, Roseville Surgery Center L.P., Roswell Surgery Center L.L.C., SCNRE LLC, SFMP Inc., SFMPE - Crittenden L.L.C., SL-HLC Inc., SLH Physicians L.L.C., SLH Vista Inc., SLPA ACO LLC, SLUH Anesthesia Physicians L.L.C., SMSJ Imaging Company LLC, SMSJ Tucson Holdings LLC, SPC at the Star LLC, SRRMC Management Inc., SSI Holdings Inc., Sacramento Midtown Endoscopy Center LLC, Safety Harbor ASC Company LLC, Saint Agnes/Dignity/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Saint Agnes/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Saint Francis Cardiology Associates L.L.C., Saint Francis Cardiovascular Surgery L.L.C., Saint Francis Center for Surgical Weight Loss L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital Billing Center L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital Medicare ACO LLC, Saint Francis Hospital Pro Fee Billing L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett Inc., Saint Francis Medical Partners East L.L.C., Saint Francis Medical Partners General Surgery L.L.C., Saint Francis Physician Network LLC, Saint Francis Quality Alliance LLC, Saint Francis Surgery Center L.L.C., Saint Francis Surgical Associates L.L.C., Saint Francis-Arkansas Physician Network LLC, Saint Francis-Bartlett Physician Network LLC, Saint Thomas Campus Surgicare L.P., Saint Thomas Surgery Center New Salem LLC, Saint Thomas/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., Saint Thomas/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Saint Thomas/USP  Baptist Plaza L.L.C., Saint Vincent Physician Services Inc., Salmon Surgery Center LLC, Same Day Management L.L.C., Same Day SC of Central NJ LLC, Same Day Surgery L.L.C., San Antonio Endoscopy L.P., San Fernando Valley Surgery Center L.P., San Gabriel Valley Surgical Center L.P., San Martin Surgery Center LLC, San Ramon ASC L. P., San Ramon Ambulatory Care LLC, San Ramon Network Joint Venture LLC, San Ramon Regional Medical Center LLC, San Ramon Surgery Center L.L.C., Santa Barbara Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Santa Clarita Surgery Center L.P., Savannah Endoscopy Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Schertz Surgery Center LLC, Scripps Encinitas Surgery Center LLC, Scripps/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Seaside Surgery Center LLC, Shands/Solantic Joint Venture LLC, Shelby Baptist Affinity LLC, Shelby Baptist Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Shore Outpatient Surgicenter L.L.C., Shoreline Real Estate Partnership LLP, Shoreline Surgery Center LLP, Shrewsbury Surgery Center LLC, Sierra Pacific Surgery Center LLC, Sierra Providence Health Network Inc., Sierra Providence Healthcare Enterprises, Sierra Vista Hospital Inc., Silicon Valley Outpatient Surgery Centers LLC, Silver Cross Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Silver Cross/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Sinai-Grace Premier Clinical Management Services LLC, Siouxland Surgery Center Limited Liability Partnership, Solantic Corporation, Solantic Development LLC, Solantic Holdings Corporation, Solantic of Jacksonville LLC, Solantic of Orlando LLC, Solantic/South Florida LLC, South Carolina East Cooper Surgical Specialists L.L.C., South Carolina Health Services Inc., South Carolina SeWee Family Medicine L.L.C., South County Outpatient Endoscopy Services L.P., South Denver Musculoskeletal Surgical Partners LLC, South Florida Ambulatory Surgical Center LLC, South Fulton Health Care Centers Inc., SouthCare Physicians Group Neurology L.L.C., SouthCare Physicians Group Obstetrics & Gynecology L.L.C., Southeast Ohio Surgical Suites LLC, Southern Orthopedics and Sports Medicine L.L.C., Southern States Physician Operations Inc., Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., Southwest Childrens Hospital LLC, Southwest Endoscopy LLC, Southwest Orthopedic and Spine Hospital LLC, Southwest Orthopedic and Spine Hospital Real Estate LLC, Southwestern Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Spalding Regional Medical Center Inc., Spalding Regional OB/GYN L.L.C., Spalding Regional Physician Services L.L.C., Specialty Surgery Center of Fort Worth L.P., Specialty Surgicenters Inc., Spinal Diagnostics and Treatment Centers L.L.C., Spine & Joint Physician Associates, Springfield Service Holding Corporation, St. Augustine Endoscopy Center LLC, St. Christophers Pediatric Urgent Care Center - Allentown L.L.C, St. Josephs Hospital Surgical Co-Management LLC, St. Josephs Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, St. Josephs Surgery Center L.P., St. Louis Physician Alliance LLC, St. Louis Surgical Center LLC, St. Louis Urology Center LLC, St. Lukes/USP Surgery Centers LLC, St. Marys Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, St. Marys Hospital Cardiovascular Co-Management LLC, St. Marys Hospital Surgical Co-Management LLC, St. Marys Levee Company LLC, St. Marys Medical Center Inc., St. Vincent Health/USP LLC, St. Vincent/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Stockton Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Subsidiaries of USPI Holding Company Inc., Suburban Endoscopy Center LLC, Summit View Surgery Center LLC, Sun View Imaging L.L.C., Sunrise Medical Group I L.L.C., Sunrise Medical Group II L.L.C., Sunrise Medical Group IV L.L.C., SurgCenter Camelback LLC, SurgCenter Northeast LLC, SurgCenter Pinellas LLC, SurgCenter Tucson LLC, SurgCenter at Paradise Valley LLC, SurgCenter of Deer Valley LLC, SurgCenter of Glen Burnie LLC, SurgCenter of Palm Beach Gardens LLC, SurgCenter of Plano LLC, SurgCenter of Southern Maryland LLC, SurgCenter of St. Lucie LLC, SurgCenter of White Marsh LLC, Surgery Affiliate of El Paso LLC, Surgery Center at Mount Pleasant LLC, Surgery Center at University Park LLC, Surgery Center of Atlanta LLC, Surgery Center of Canfield LLC, Surgery Center of Columbia L.P., Surgery Center of Coral Gables LLC, Surgery Center of Okeechobee LLC, Surgery Center of Pembroke Pines L.L.C., Surgery Center of Peoria L.L.C., Surgery Center of Richardson Physician Partnership L.P., Surgery Center of Santa Barbara LLC, Surgery Center of Scottsdale LLC, Surgery Center of Tempe Real Estate II L.L.C., Surgery Center of Tempe Real Estate L.L.C., Surgery Centers of America II L.L.C., Surgery Centre of SW Florida LLC, Surgical & Bariatric Associates of Atlanta Medical Center L.L.C., Surgical Clinical Excellence at Desert Regional LLC, Surgical Elite of Avondale L.L.C., Surgical Health Partners LLC, Surgical Institute Management LLC, Surgical Institute of Reading LLC, Surgical Specialists at Princeton LLC, Surgicare of Miramar L.L.C., Surginet Inc., Surgis Inc., Surgis Management Services Inc., Surgis of Chico Inc., Surgis of Phoenix Inc., Surgis of Redding Inc., Surgis of Victoria Inc., Sutton Road Pediatrics L.L.C., Sylvan Grove Hospital Inc., TENN SM LLC, TFPS IV L.L.C., TH Healthcare Ltd., TH International Services Florida LLC, THV Park Cities LLC, THVG Arlington GP LLC, THVG Bariatric GP LLC, THVG Bariatric L.L.C., THVG Bedford GP LLC, THVG Bellaire GP LLC, THVG DSP GP LLC, THVG DeSoto GP LLC, THVG Denton GP LLC, THVG Fort Worth GP LLC, THVG Frisco GP LLC, THVG Garland GP LLC, THVG Grapevine GP LLC, THVG Irving-Coppell GP LLC, THVG Lewisville GP LLC, THVG North Garland GP LLC, THVG Park Cities/Trophy Club GP LLC, THVG Rockwall 2 GP LLC, THVG Valley View GP LLC, TLC ASC LLC, TMC Holding Company LLC, TOPS Specialty Hospital Ltd., TPG Hospital LLC, TPR Practice Management LLC, TPS VI of PA L.L.C., TRMC Holdings LLC, TSPE LLC, Tamarac Surgery Center LLC, Tempe New Day Surgery Center LP, Templeton Imaging Inc., Tenet Business Services Corporation, Tenet California Inc., Tenet Central Carolina Physicians Inc., Tenet EKG Inc., Tenet El Paso Ltd., Tenet Employment Inc., Tenet Finance Corp., Tenet Florida Inc., Tenet Florida Physician Services II L.L.C., Tenet Florida Physician Services III L.L.C., Tenet Florida Physician Services L.L.C., Tenet Fort Mill Inc., Tenet Global Business Center Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Bucks County L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Graduate L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Hahnemann L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Medical Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Nacogdoches ASC GP Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Philadelphia Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Roxborough LLC, Tenet HealthSystem St. Christophers Hospital for Children L.L.C., Tenet Hilton Head Heart L.L.C., Tenet Hospitals Limited, Tenet Network Management Inc., Tenet Patient Safety Organization LLC, Tenet Physician Resources LLC, Tenet Physician Services - Hilton Head Inc., Tenet Rehab Piedmont Inc., Tenet Relocation Services L.L.C., Tenet SC East Cooper Hospitalists L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Gastrointestinal Surgical Specialists L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Island Medical L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Lowcountry OB/GYN L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Mt. Pleasant OB/GYN L.L.C., Tenet Unifour Urgent Care Center L.L.C., Tenet Ventures Inc., TenetCare Frisco Inc., Terre Haute Surgical Center LLC, Teton Outpatient Services LLC, Texan Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Texas Endoscopy Centers LLC, Texas Health Venture Arlington Hospital LLC, Texas Health Venture Baylor Plano LLC, Texas Health Venture Carrollton LLC, Texas Health Venture Centennial LLC, Texas Health Venture Ennis LLC, Texas Health Venture Fort Worth L.L.C., Texas Health Venture Granbury LLC, Texas Health Venture Heritage Park LLC, Texas Health Venture Keller LLC, Texas Health Venture Las Colinas LLC, Texas Health Venture Mansfield LLC, Texas Health Venture Plano Endo LLC, Texas Health Venture Plano LLC, Texas Health Venture Plano Parkway LLC, Texas Health Venture Texas Spine LLC, Texas Health Ventures Group L.L.C., Texas Orthopedics Surgery Center LLC, Texas Regional Medical Center LLC, Texas Regional Medical in Sunnyvale, Texas Spine and Joint Hospital LLC, The 6300 West Roosevelt Partnership, The Ambulatory Surgical Center of St. Louis L.P., The Healthcare Insurance Corporation, The Healthcare Underwriting Company a Risk Retention Group, The Huron Corporation, The Outpatient Center LLC, The Southeastern Spine Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., The Surgery Center at Jensen Beach LLC, The Surgery Center at Williamson LLC, The Tresanti Surgical Center LLC, Theda Oaks Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Center LLC, Titan Health Corporation, Titan Health of Chattanooga Inc., Titan Health of Hershey Inc., Titan Health of Mount Laurel LLC, Titan Health of North Haven Inc., Titan Health of Pittsburgh Inc., Titan Health of Pleasant Hills Inc., Titan Health of Princeton Inc., Titan Health of Sacramento Inc., Titan Health of Saginaw Inc., Titan Health of Titusville Inc., Titan Health of West Penn Inc., Titan Health of Westminster Inc., Titan Management Corporation, Titusville Center for Surgical Excellence LLC, Toms River Surgery Center L.L.C., Total Joint Center of the Northland LLC, Tower Road Real Estate LLC, Tower/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Treasure Coast ASC LLC, Trophy Club Medical Center L.P., True Medical Weight Loss L.P., True Medical Wellness LP, True Results Georgia Inc., True Results HoldCo LLC, True Results Missouri LLC, Tucson Digestive Institute LLC, Tucson Hospital Holdings Inc., Tucson Physician Group Holdings LLC, Turlock Imaging Services LLC, Turlock Land Company LLC, Tuscan Surgery Center at Las Colinas LLC, Twin Cities Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Twin Cities Community Hospital Inc., UAP Las Colinas Endo LLC, UAP Lebanon Endo LLC, UAP Nashville Endoscopy LLC, UAP Scopes LLC, UAP of Arizona Inc., UAP of California Inc., UAP of Missouri Inc., UAP of New Jersey Inc., UAP of Oklahoma Inc., UAP of Tennessee Inc., UAP of Texas Inc., UCC Tucson Holdings LLC, UMC Surgery Center Lubbock LLC, UMC-USP Surgery Centers LLC, USC/Norris Cancer Hospital, USP 12th Ave Real Estate Inc., USP Acquisition Corporation, USP Alexandria Inc., USP Assurance Company, USP Athens Inc., USP Atlanta Inc., USP Austin Inc., USP Bariatric LLC, USP Beaumont Inc., USP Bergen Inc., USP Bloomington Inc., USP Bridgeton Inc., USP Cedar Park Inc., USP Chesterfield Inc., USP Chicago Inc., USP Cincinnati Inc., USP Coast Inc., USP Columbia Inc., USP Connecticut Inc., USP Corpus Christi Inc., USP Creve Coeur Inc., USP Denver Inc., USP Des Peres Inc., USP Destin Inc., USP Domestic Holdings Inc., USP Effingham Inc., USP Encinitas Endoscopy Inc., USP Fenton Inc., USP Festus Inc., USP Florissant Inc., USP Fort Lauderdale Inc., USP Fort Worth Hospital Real Estate Inc., USP Fredericksburg Inc., USP Fresno Inc., USP Frontenac Inc., USP Gateway Inc., USP HMH Surgery Center at Shore LLC, USP Harbour View Inc., USP Houston Inc., USP Indiana Inc., USP International Holdings Inc., USP Jersey City Inc., USP Kansas City Inc., USP Knoxville Inc., USP Little Rock Inc., USP Long Island Inc., USP Louisiana Inc., USP Lubbock Inc., USP Maryland Inc., USP Mason Ridge Inc., USP Mattis Inc., USP Michigan Inc., USP Midland Inc., USP Midland Real Estate Inc., USP Midwest Inc., USP Mission Hills Inc., USP Montana Inc., USP Morris Inc., USP Mt. Vernon Inc., USP Nevada Holdings LLC, USP Nevada Inc., USP New Hampshire Inc., USP New Jersey Inc., USP Newport News Inc., USP North Carolina Inc., USP North Kansas City Inc., USP North Texas Inc., USP Northwest Arkansas Inc., USP OKC Inc., USP OKC Manager Inc., USP Office Parkway Inc., USP Ohio RE Inc., USP Oklahoma Inc., USP Olive Inc., USP Orlando Inc., USP Philadelphia Inc., USP Phoenix Inc., USP Portland Inc., USP Reading Inc., USP Richmond II Inc., USP Richmond Inc., USP Sacramento Inc., USP San Antonio Inc., USP Santa Barbara Surgery Centers Inc., USP Securities Corporation, USP Silver Cross Inc., USP Siouxland Inc., USP Somerset Inc., USP South Carolina Inc., USP Southlake RE Inc., USP St. Louis Inc., USP St. Louis Urology Inc., USP St. Peters Inc., USP Sunset Hills Inc., USP TJ STL Inc., USP Tennessee Inc., USP Texas Air L.L.C., USP Texas L.P., USP Torrance Inc., USP Tucson Inc., USP Turnersville Inc., USP Virginia Beach Inc., USP Washington Inc., USP Waxahachie Management L.L.C., USP Webster Groves Inc., USP West Covina Inc., USP Westwood Inc., USP Winter Park Inc., USP Wisconsin Inc., USP-HMH Surgery Center at Central Jersey LLC, USP/Carondelet Tucson Surgery Centers LLC, USP/SOS Joint Venture LLC, USPI Group Holdings Inc., USPI Holding Company Inc.1, USPI Holdings Inc., USPI Physician Strategy Group LLC, USPI San Diego Inc., USPI Stockton Inc., USPI Surgical Services Inc., Ulysses True Results NewCo LLC, Underwood Surgery Center LLC, United Anesthesia Partners Inc., United Real Estate Development Inc., United Real Estate Holdings Inc., United Surgical Partners Holdings Inc., United Surgical Partners International, United Surgical Partners International Inc., Universal Medical Care Center L.L.C., University Surgery Center Ltd., University Surgical Partners of Dallas L.L.P., Upper Bay Surgery Center LLC, Upper Cumberland Physicians Surgery Center LLC, Urgent Care Centers of Arizona LLC, Utica ASC Partners LLC, Utica/USP Tulsa L.L.C., VB Brownsville LTACH LLC, VBOA ASC GP LLC, VBOA ASC Partners L.L.C., VHM Services Inc., VHS Acquisition Corporation, VHS Acquisition Partnership Number 1 L.P, VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 1 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 11 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 12 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 3 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 4 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 5 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 6 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 7 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 8 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 9 Inc., VHS Arizona Heart Institute Inc., VHS Brownsville Hospital Company LLC, VHS Chicago Market Procurement LLC, VHS Childrens Hospital of Michigan Inc., VHS Detroit Businesses Inc., VHS Detroit Receiving Hospital Inc., VHS Detroit Ventures Inc., VHS Harlingen Hospital Company LLC, VHS Harper-Hutzel Hospital Inc., VHS Holding Company Inc., VHS Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Inc., VHS Imaging Centers Inc., VHS New England Holding Company I Inc., VHS Outpatient Clinics Inc., VHS Phoenix Health Plan Inc., VHS Physicians of Michigan, VHS Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Inc., VHS San Antonio Imaging Partners L.P., VHS San Antonio Partners LLC, VHS Sinai-Grace Hospital Inc., VHS University Laboratories Inc., VHS Valley Health System LLC, VHS Valley Holdings LLC, VHS Valley Management Company Inc., VHS West Suburban Medical Center Inc., VHS Westlake Hospital Inc., VHS of Anaheim Inc., VHS of Arrowhead Inc., VHS of Huntington Beach Inc., VHS of Illinois Inc., VHS of Michigan Inc., VHS of Michigan Staffing Inc., VHS of Orange County Inc., VHS of Phoenix Inc., VHS of South Phoenix Inc., Valley Baptist Lab Services LLC, Valley Baptist Physician Performance Network, Valley Baptist Realty Company LLC, Valley Baptist Wellness Center LLC, Valley Health Care Network, Vanguard ASC LLC, Vanguard Health Financial Company LLC, Vanguard Health Holding Company I LLC, Vanguard Health Holding Company II LLC, Vanguard Health Management Inc., Vanguard Health Systems, Vanguard Health Systems Inc., Vanguard Holding Company I Inc., Vanguard Holding Company II Inc., Vanguard Medical Specialists LLC, Vanguard Physician Services LLC, Ventana Surgical Center LLC, Veroscan Inc., Victoria Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Virtua-USP Princeton LLC, WHASA L.C., Walker Baptist Affinity LLC, Walker Street Imaging Care Inc., Warner Park Surgery Center LLC, Watermark Physician Services Inc., Webster Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Wellington Endo LLC, Wellstar/USP Joint Venture I LLC, Wellstar/USP Joint Venture II LLC, West Boca Health Services L.L.C., West Boca Medical Center Inc., West Boynton Urgent Care L.L.C., West Bozeman Surgery Center LLC, West Palm Healthcare Real Estate Inc., West Suburban Radiation Therapy Center LLC, Westgate Surgery Center LLC, Westlake Hospital LLC, Westlawn Surgery Center LLC, Westminster Surgery Center LLC, Westminster Surgery Centers LLC, White Fence Surgical Suites LLC, Willamette Spine Center Ambulatory Surgery LLC, Wilmington Endoscopy Center LLC, Wilshire Rental Corp., Winter Haven Ambulatory Surgical Center L.L.C., Wisconsin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Wymark Surgery Center LLC, and YNHHSC/USP Surgery Centers LLC.Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. provides technical, professional, and construction services. The company's Aerospace, Technology, Environmental and Nuclear segment offers scientific, engineering, construction, nuclear, environmental, and technical support services to the aerospace, defense, technical, and automotive industries. Its Buildings, Infrastructure and Advanced Facilities segment develops/rehabilitates plans for highways, bridges, transit, tunnels, airports, railroads, intermodal facilities, and maritime or port projects; develops or rehabilitates critical water resource systems, water/wastewater conveyance systems, and flood defense projects; and provides engineering design, construction management, design build, and operations and maintenance. This segment also designs and constructs buildings; offers consulting, engineering, procurement, construction management, and delivery services for life sciences clients; and provides services relating to modular construction and other consulting and strategic planning services, as well as offers services in containment, barrier technology, locally controlled environments, building systems automation, off-the-site design, and fabrication of facility modules. The company's Energy, Chemicals and Resources segment offers services relating to onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities, processing facilities, gathering systems, and transmission pipelines and terminals; feasibility/economic studies, technology evaluation, conceptual engineering, front end loading, detailed engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and commissioning services; and engineering, procurement, and construction solutions. This segment also provides services, such as manufacturing complex, expansions, modifications, and management of plant relocations; construction management and field construction services; and services to operate and maintain facilities. The company was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Read MoreMasTec, Inc. engages in the provision of infrastructure construction services. It operates through the following segments: Communications; Oil and Gas; Electrical Transmissions; Clean Energy and Infrastructure; and Other. The Communications segment performs engineering, construction, maintenance and customer fulfillment activities related to communications infrastructure, primarily for wireless and wireline/fiber communications, and install-to-the-home customers. The Oil and Gas segment offers services on oil and natural gas pipelines and processing facilities for the energy, and utilities industries. The Electrical Transmission segment deals with the energy and utility industries. The Clean Energy and Infrastructure segment serves energy, utility and other end-markets through the installation and construction of power generation facilities, including from clean energy and renewable sources such as wind, solar and biomass, as well as various types of heavy civil and industrial infrastructure. The Other segment comprises of equity investees, other small business units that perform construction, and other services for a variety of international end-markets. The company was founded by

Read MoreCantel Medical Corp. provides infection prevention and control products and services for the healthcare market. The company's Medical segment offers automated endoscope reprocessing systems; disinfectants and sterilants; detergents; leak testing and manual cleaning products; storage cabinets and transport systems; manual cleaning products; endoscope process tracking products; other consumables, accessories, and supplies for use in disinfect rigid endoscopes, flexible endoscopes, and other instrumentation; and technical maintenance services. Its Life Sciences segment provides dialysis water purification and bicarbonate mixing systems; hollow fiber filters, and other filtration and separation products; liquid disinfectants and cold sterilization products; dry fog products; room temperature sterilization equipment and services; and clean-room certification and decontamination services for the dialysis and other healthcare, research laboratories, food and beverage, and commercial industrial customers, as well as microbiological testing services. The company's Dental segment offers hand and powered dental instruments, instrument reprocessing and sterility assurance products, towels, bibs, tray liners, sponges, nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation equipment and related single-use disposable nasal masks, face masks, and shields. It also provides hand sanitizers, germicidal wipes, disinfectants, surface disinfectants, waterline treatment products, saliva ejectors, evacuator tips, plastic cups, prophy angles, and prophy paste. The company's Dialysis segment provides hemodialysis concentrates and other ancillary supplies; medical device reprocessing systems; and sterilants and disinfectants. The company sells its products through its direct distribution network in the United States; and directly or under various third-party distribution agreements internationally. Cantel Medical Corp. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Little Falls, New Jersey.

Read MoreJPMorgan Chase & Co. is a financial holding company. It provides financial and investment banking services. The firm offers a range of investment banking products and services in all capital markets, including advising on corporate strategy and structure, capital raising in equity and debt markets, risk management, market making in cash securities and derivative instruments, and brokerage and research. It operates through the following segments: Consumer and Community Banking, Corporate and Investment Bank, Commercial Banking, and Asset and Wealth Management. The Consumer and Community Banking segment serves consumers and businesses through personal service at bank branches and through automated teller machine, online, mobile, and telephone banking. The Corporate and Investment Bank segment offers a suite of investment banking, market-making, prime brokerage, and treasury and securities products and services to a global client base of corporations, investors, financial institutions, government and municipal entities. The Commercial Banking segment delivers services to U.S. and its multinational clients, including corporations, municipalities, financial institutions, and non profit

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of The Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc..A young Vietnamese man has designed a new machine which can automatically feed shrimp, one of Vietnam's lifeline food exports.

Vietnam was the worlds third-largest exporters of shrimp in 2017, and these aquatic animals are kept aplenty in the Mekong Delta, especially its member regions of Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Kien Giang and Ben Tre Provinces.

Living in Dam Doi District, Ca Mau Province, Nguyen Hai Dang, 27, has been able to produce automatic shrimp feeding machines which are purchased locally, nationally and internationally, with orders from Chinese and Korean customers.

Five years ago, he germinated the idea of the food-providing equipment after seeing farmers manually prepare and scatter food for shrimp over a wide lake used for keeping the creatures.

His machine is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the practice and saving the keepers effort, partly by its function of timed feeding.

After spending six months of experiencing multiple failures and learning technology and experience in many places, he successfully created the prototype of an automatic shrimp feeding machine, which can be remotely controlled.

The first model, completed in August 2013, weighed around 20 kilograms and could hold as many as 60 kilograms of food.

Food is moved downward from a container to a centrifugal processing system. The resultant pieces are cast in many directions by a device placed at the bottom that can adjust the throwing reach.

The machine also has the advantages of selling at a competitive price and being simple in operation.

Dang encountered difficulty persuading farmers to use his product.

At first he begged them to accept it for a trial period after which they might return the machine if it was unsatisfactory, but later many have realized the benefits it provides.

He sold more than 100 feeding machines after several months from the creation of the original design.

In 2016, he was honored as a young man with an impressive achievement in business and technology.

Now Dang owns a 2,000 square meter workshop to make on a large scale the machines, which are advertised and offered on his own website.

It may come as a surprise that he did not finish his higher education.

As a second-year student, he stopped studying business administration at a university in Ho Chi Minh City in 2010, for he wished to tread a different pathway.

He decided to travel across Vietnam to broaden his horizons.

At that time I was only over twenty, didnt know much about life, and didnt know how my future would be. I felt the desire to embark on journeys and have more experience in life. The more I traveled, the more I recognized valuable things in life, Dang recalled.

He returned to his home town in Ca Mau Province to start making his earnings, and shrimp feeding machines came into existence subsequently.

My strongest wish is forming a group of like-minded peers to develop agriculture, he said.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!A group of four Vietnamese students have designed a text reader for people with visual disabilities which was honored in a technology competition held by foreign organizations.

The devices creators are Nguyen Thai Hoang, Nguyen Khanh Trinh, Ta Sinh Phuc and Bui Le Dat, students from the University of Science and Technology in Da Nang.

The finger reader, considered highly practical, has helped them bring home the first prize in ASU/AWS EduHackathon 2017, jointly organized by Arizona State University, Amazon Web Services  a business unit of Amazon.com, and a collective project known as Building University  Industry Learning and Development through Innovation and Technology Alliance (BUILD-IT Alliance).

The wearable prototype is simple in design, built upon the cloud computing formed by Amazon Web Services, and consists of three primary components: a camera, a processor and a speaker.

When a user moves the finger on which the device is mounted along a line of a text and presses its button, the camera takes photos of the characters; the resultant images are then converted into a suitable digital format before being sent to the processor.

This unit releases an audio track which can then be played on the speaker on headphones.

In this vein, people with handicap in sight can read all types of books and newspapers, without resorting to the Braille character system.

The idea of a finger reader occurred to the group when they recognized a common difficulty by the visually impaired.

As far as I know, lots of people have made products teaching Braille to unsighted people, but many newspapers and books dont use Braille and a number of these people are unable to read it. Theyll be put at a disadvantage as a result, said Hoang, a member of the group.

The students were not deterred by multiple problems they faced within one year since the conception of the plan.

The most difficult thing was that programming was quite challenging because we all major in automation, Hoang said.

The creators had to repeatedly make a simulated finger to wear the text reader, which was time- and effort-consuming, he said.

Some people with visual impairment wished to use the device after it was completed.

I really like reading books and newspapers, and hope to have a small simple device sold at a reasonable price for the purpose, said Vo Van Nhat, one of the people who asked for help from the students.

The group has been trying to produce a Vietnamese version for the finger reader before it is used in a pilot test.

They are also replacing the current processor with a smaller, cheaper but equally effective one so that the wearable reader is offered at lower prices, around US$10-20.

They also said the device is expected to receive more functions like recognizing items of goods in the supermarket to ease the shopping experience of people with visual disabilities.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!KUALA LUMPUR -- A search by a U.S. firm for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is expected to complete its survey by mid-June, the Southeast Asian nation said on Saturday, as families marked the fourth anniversary of one of aviations greatest mysteries.

Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, disappeared on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

Australia, China and Malaysia ended an unsuccessful A$200-million (112.5 million pounds) search across a 120,000 square-kilometre area in the Indian Ocean in January 2017, despite investigators urging authorities to extend the operation 25,000 sq km north of the search area.

Earlier this year, Malaysia agreed to pay U.S. firm Ocean Infinity up to $70 million if it found the plane within 90 days. The search vessel, the Seabed Constructor, began its search on Jan. 23.

The 90-day agreement, however, did not include days for the search vessel to travel to a port for refuelling, Civil Aviation Authority chairman Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said.

The vessel has a working cycle of 26 days before it needs to refuel and resupply, Azharuddin said at a memorial event marking the fourth year of the planes disappearance.

Plans to recover the Boeing 777s wreckage or its flight recorders, in the event the aircraft is found, will be finalised in two weeks, and will involve several Malaysian and Australian agencies, he said.

Malaysia will take custody of any parts recovered from the seabed, he said.

The Seabed Constructor has completed the first part of its search, covering 8,200 sq km, and has now moved into a new area, Ocean Infinity said in its weekly update on Tuesday.

It has not yet made any significant findings, the firm said.

Saturdays memorial event featured talks and musical performances, as families paid tributes to the passengers and crew aboard the aircraft.

We want to remind everyone that MH370 is not history, its the future, said Grace Nathan, a lawyer whose mother, Anne Daisy, was on the plane.

Its very important in the interests of aviation safety that we find MH370, so that we can prevent something like this from happening again, she said.

Investigators are divided on whether the aircraft suffered a mechanical failure or whether it was deliberately diverted over the southern Indian Ocean.

Debris has been collected from Indian Ocean islands and Africas east coast and at least three pieces have been confirmed as coming from the missing plane.Vietnam and India have agreed to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership and strive for US$15 billion worth of bilateral trade turnover by the year 2020.

Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quang joined talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday, as part of his state visit to India from March 2 to 4, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

During their conversation, the two leaders praised the development of the Vietnam-India relationship in the past 45 years, since the two countries officially set up their diplomatic relations.

They agreed to fully implement the high-level political commitments and the approved documents on political ties, increasing mutual visits at all levels and enhancing cooperation between Parties, states, governments, parliaments, and localities.

Both sides established the goal to reach $15 billion worth of bilateral trade turnover by 2020, agreeing to carry out breakthrough solutions, including diversifying export goods, minimizing trade barriers, improving trade policies, and expanding aviation and navigation connectivity.

Focus will also be directed to cooperation in infrastructure, human resources, and science and technology.

Vietnam welcomes investment from Indian businesses in such fields as energy, infrastructure, education, and information technology, President Quang remarked.

The Vietnamese leader looked for the upcoming visit to his country by the Indian defense minister, expressing his appreciation for Indias contribution to defense ties and support for Vietnam in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

President Quang and PM Modi consented to underline the importance of maintaining peace and stability, and peaceful solutions of disputes, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also underscored the need to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC) and the establishment of a Code of Conduct (COC) for the maritime area.

India will continue to promote the implementation of its Act East Policy to boost its cooperation with the Asian-Pacific region, noting that Vietnam plays a key role in the policy, Modi said.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Vietnam is keen to enhance the collaboration with India in various areas, said Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang during his visit to India in early March.

The statement was made on March 3 at the India-Vietnam Business Forum in New Delhi, a meeting attended by enterprises of the two countries in a number of fields such as information technology, communications, real estate, and garment.

Quang said Vietnam expects to boost and heighten the effectiveness of investment cooperation with India in activities in which the latters strengths lie, and Vietnam considers as necessary, like information technology, bio-technology, renewable energy and mechanical engineering.

The leader expressed his belief that India will rapidly become one of Vietnams largest investment partners thanks to the increasing interest in the Southeast Asian country from Indian companies, especially major corporations, over recent times.

He underlined that the Make in India economic development campaign initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will provide Vietnamese businesses with more opportunities and favorable conditions when they invest or work in India.

He also emphasized that the goal of achieving the two-way trade of US$15 billion by 2020 is completely achievable, based on the two countries determination and their enterprises enthusiasm.

We hope India becomes Vietnams supplier of materials for the industries of apparel, footwear, and machine building, and facilitates the penetration into its market by Vietnams goods, including agricultural products, seafood, wood products and footwear, Quang said.

The president added Vietnam is willing to foster bilateral cooperation in tourism, especially spiritual and cultural tourism, with India, and step up promotional activities regarding the countries tourist potential.

India is one of Vietnams ten leading business partners, and Vietnam is Indias fourth-largest business partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Vietnam is a member.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and India has always increased since the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement was signed in 2009.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Authorities in Vietnams Mekong Delta are scratching their heads over a proper way to manage mushrooming bird nest farming across many localities in the region.

As local residents can easily take part in the lucrative bird nest business by just making some adjustments to their houses, the activity has become so common that it is negatively impacting peoples lives and urban development.

Nguyen Thi Tuyen, who lives in Soc Trang City in the namesake province, complained about the constant noise coming from bird nest farming activities of her next-door neighbor.

They have a machine that produces sound to lure the swiftlets into the house, which keep us awake all night, Tuyen said. I have an 11-year-old daughter and its very difficult for her to focus on her homework.

Many residents in Soc Trang, as well as many other provinces in the Mekong Delta, are suffering a similar situation, after swiftlet farming operations started booming in the region a few years ago.

Complaints and opposition have been brought up during regular meetings of the Peoples Councils in these localities, but no changes have seemed to be made.

In Rach Gia City, Kien Giang Province, an online forum was established just to object to the business.

According to Nguyen Hieu, a bird nest farmer in Go Cong town, Tien Giang Province, swiftlet nests cost about VND35 million (US$1,537) per kilogram.

A 100-square-meter facility can yield up to five kilograms of bird nest, Hieu added.

It is a very profitable business. You just need to fix the top floor of your house, lure the birds inside, and can earn a few million dong a month [VND1 million = $44], said Tran Minh Hoang, deputy head of the economic office in Go Cong.

A bird nest farming facility in Rach Gia City, Kien Giang Province. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Management

In order to manage bird nest farming in Rach Gia City, authorities only allow locals to lure swiftlets by using sound from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm.

According to Nguyen Van Hon, vice-chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee, about 30 houses, which were built for the business operation, have been pulled down in the past three months.

Owners of these facilities only applied for a permit to renovate their houses, not for farming swiftlet nests, Hon elaborated.

In Tien Giang Province, the administration has seemed to be powerless to manage the activities despite enforcing several rules.

While the regulations only allow bird nest farming to be carried out in certain areas in the province, a lot of facilities are still operating against the rules in many neighborhoods.

Nguyen Thi Thu Anh, an official from the economic office in My Tho City, Tien Giang, said it is hard to control the situation.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Van Trung, deputy head of the citys agricultural office, attributed the problem to the lack of specific law that determines the penalty for violators in the field of business.

Authorities in several Mekong Delta provinces have asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to promulgate particular regulations for bird nest farming activities.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Here are todays leading new stories:

Politics

-- Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quang addressed multi-faceted bilateral cooperation during the India-Vietnam Business Forum in New Delhi on Saturday, as part of his ongoing state visit to India from March 2 to 4.

Society

-- Many national and provincial highways in Ho Chi Minh City have been encroached on by local houses, posing serious threats to traffic safety.

-- A fisherman was brought to the central city of Da Nang on Saturday night for treatment after suffering serious injuries while working on his fishing boat.

-- Local authorities are scratching their heads over a proper way to manage mushrooming bird nest farming across the Mekong Delta.

-- Le The Anh, a 21-year-old overseas Vietnamese student, has been found dead after going missing for several days in Moscow, Russia. Security camera footage showed that the young man had fallen off the 15th floor of an apartment building.

-- A man in the northern province of Quang Ninh was arrested on Saturday after setting his 15-year-old son and 14-year-old nephew on fire, as the two young boys had dyed their hair red. The victims suffered multiple burns and are being treated at a local medical center.

-- Police in the south-central province of Binh Thuan are hunting for a vehicle that collided with a motorcyclist, causing him to die instantly on Saturday morning.

Business

-- During a conference on Saturday evening, many Japanese investors have expressed their interest in projects on urban development and infrastructure in Ho Chi Minh City.

-- A variety of promotions have been offered at local supermarkets to mark International Womens Day.

Lifestyle

-- Ho Chi Minh Citys fifth annual Ao Dai Festival officially commenced during a ceremony at Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street on Saturday evening. A series of activities and events are scheduled to take place at multiple locations across the southern hub until March 25.

Sports

-- Nguyen Thi Huyen, the Vietnamese runner who has won six SEA Games gold medals, has recently announced her retirement after discovering her pregnancy a few weeks ago. The sudden decision is thought to affect Vietnams preparations for the 2018 Asian Games, which will take place in Indonesia this August.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!Violence has continued in all of at least four conflicts raging concurrently in Syria, inflating the death toll of a seven-year war that showed little signs of calming down anytime soon.

The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported Friday that military helicopters dropped leaflets with instructions on how civilians could exit the besieged Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta, which has been under the control of rebels and jihadis opposed to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since 2013. Backed by Russia and Shiite Muslim militias supported by Iran, the Syrian troops have steadily gained on one of the few pockets of control remaining from the 2011 uprising against Assad.

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"What is happening at present is biting and taking some villages from the eastern side," a Syrian military commander told Reuters.

Western powers have blamed Russia, Syria and Iran for the growing death toll in eastern Ghouta, but the three have pointed the finger at insurgents shelling nearby Damascus and refusing to leave. This standoff at the United Nations, and others before it, have left world powers at a standstill as what began in March 2011 as a series of mass, sectarian demonstrations against Assad in Syria devolved into a multinational conflict with the U.S., Russia, Iran and Turkey among the top foreign forces behind local forces vying for power.

RTX50W67

Omar Sanadiki/Reuters

Syria

The Middle Eastern, Mediterranean country has an Arab Sunni Muslim majority with ethnic minorities that included Kurds, Armenians and Turkmen, while Shiite Muslims, Christians and Druze made up the religious minorities. Since 1972, Syria has been headed by the Assad family, members of the Alawite Shiite Muslim sect. After his father's death in 2000, Assad ascended to the head of the country's Baathist government and, for a while, appeared to court the West.

Story continues

As unrest swept the region in 2011, however, Assad cracked down on protests in Syria. Clashes broke out between security forces and an opposition that took up arms. Violence worsened and the Syrian military was forced to cede large parts of the country to rebels and jihadi groups, but these gains have been largely recovered in recent years thanks to assistance from within and without.

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The United States

The U.S. worked closely with Syria to end the civil war in Lebanon in 1990 and in the initial stages of the Iraq War and so-called "War on Terror," but relations have generally been poor. The U.S. and Syria have accused one another of sponsoring terrorism and, when the 2011 protests started, former President Barack Obama backed the opposition. Soon after, the CIA began training and arming rebel groups such as the Free Syrian Army. Turkey and Gulf Arab states, such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia also backed various armed groups.

As the Syrian opposition splintered and extremist groups began to dominate, U.S. support waned and recalibrated to independent Kurdish fighters battling a new foe, the Islamic State militant group (ISIS). The U.S. formed an international coalition and began bombing ISIS in 2014. The following year, the Pentagon established the Syrian Democratic Forces, a mostly Kurdish alliance that included Arabs and ethnic minorities.

The U.S.-led coalition and Syrian Democratic Forces swept through ISIS territory and claimed victory in October over the jihadi's de facto capital of Raqqa. The U.S.-Kurd relationship has become strained, however, as U.S. NATO ally Turkey invaded the northwestern, Kurd-held Syrian district of Afrin, and the U.S. has not moved to stop it.

GettyImages-672804948

DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images

Russia

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Syria was a Cold War ally of the Soviet Union, buying Russian arms and giving Moscow a warm water port in the Mediterranean. In 2015, Russia staged a military intervention at Assad's request, ultimately shifting the momentum in the Syrian leader's favor. As the U.S.-led coalition battled ISIS in the north, Russian warplanes helped Syrian troops and pro-Syrian government militias retake key cities from insurgents, including the former commercial capital of Aleppo in late 2016, a development that compelled pro-opposition Turkey to join Russia and Iran's peace efforts the following year.

The Russian military also helped Syria reclaim huge chunks of desert from ISIS. The separate offensives of the Russia-backed Syrian military and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces battling ISIS met in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. The tense boundaries of control erupted into violence last month when U.S. airstrikes killed up to 100 pro-Syrian government forces, including Russian fighters, in an incident that both sides blamed on one another.

Iran

Syria and Iran have been close allies since Damascus backed Tehran in the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. Fellow enemies of both Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and Israel, they continued to forge ties into the new millennium and the Syrian government became particularly close to Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah.

Hezbollah mobilized in support of Assad shortly after violence broke out in Syria and Iran has summoned a number of other Shiite Muslim militias from local fighters as well as foreigners from Afghanistan and Iraq. These irregular forces have been on the frontlines against ISIS and rebels, including in eastern Ghouta, but the U.S. has also accused them of being proxies of Iran's growing footprint in the region.

GettyImages-913060690

OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images

Turkey

Syria sought to improve its relationship with northern neighbor Turkey in 1998 when it arrested and extradited Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocallan, whose group has waged a decades-long separatist insurgency against Turkey. These ties soon fell out as war erupted in 2011 and Turkey sided with opposition forces. It continued to do so as the U.S. switched support to Kurdish groups such as the People's Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey considered to be a PKK-linked terrorist organization.

Turkey has supported the once U.S.-sponsored Free Syrian Army in clashes with the Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, of which the YPG was the dominant faction. In January, Turkey launched its so-called "Operation Olive Branch" sending troops and allied Free Syrian Army forces to oust the YPG from the northwestern Syrian border district of Afrin.

As the U.S. and Russia chose not to allow mutual partner Turkey to attack, Kurdish forces requested Assad's help in defending Syrian territory and convoys of pro-Syrian government fighters arrived in Afrin last month, forming an unlikely, perhaps temporary alliance of Syrian forces and complicating both the U.S. and Russia's interests in the war-torn country.

Syria Control of Terrain - 22 FEB 2018-page-001

Institute for the Study of War

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekMaybe you've seen the news: Not one but two asteroids are flying by Earth in the next few days. That seems like a lot, so what the heck is happening? Are we having a week of cosmically bad luck? Is the solar system angry at us? Are we all going to go the way of the dinosaurs before we even get to pull out the flip-flops again? And what even are asteroids anyway?

Asteroids are basically space debris, hunks of metal, clay, rock and water floating around the solar system. They're all much smaller than a planet or our Moon, no more than a couple hundred miles across. That means their gravity isn't strong enough to give them a smooth, round shape, so they are lumpy and lopsided instead. Most of them, tens of thouands all told, are tucked away in the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, but there are plenty of strays wandering around the solar systemthat's how we get asteroids making these close approaches to Earth, within just tens of thousands of miles of us.

03_02_asteroid

NASA

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Naturally, astronomers are pretty interested in these asteroids that sneak by us, since they are well aware that collisions can be deadly. That's why since 1998, NASA has funded a special program dedicated to tracking down what are formally called "near-Earth objects." If you feel like you've seen a sharp uptick in coverage of asteroid flybys, this is why: Astronomers are finding and tracking more near-Earth objects than ever before. (None of the asteroids large enough to cause a global disaster like the impact that wiped out the dinosaurs are on track to collide with Earth any time soon.)

But that isn't just a matter of self-preservation that has scientists studying asteroids: These rocks may also hold the secrets of the birth of the solar systemand perhaps even of how life on Earth began. That's because scientists believe they haven't changed much in the past 4.6 billion years ago or so, since they never got lumped in to form planets. (If they had, or if they were somehow all smushed together now, they would be smaller than our Moon.) So studying asteroids can give us a better sense of what the early solar system looked like.

Story continues

Read more: Record-Breaking 2,000 New Asteroids Approached Earth in 2017 and Astronomers Expect to Spot Even More in 2018

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We have two main options for studying asteroids: staying here and going to them. It's a great year for asteroid visits, with Japanese and American spacecraft landing on two different asteroids and bringing tiny pieces of them home for scientists to study in the lab. But we can also study them as they pass by, shooting invisible radar beams at them and studying the reflection that returns to Earth.

And scientists aren't going to stop trying to spot new asteroids flying past Earth any time soon. "Asteroid discovery is just a fun project to be involved with," Eric Christensen, who leads the Catalina Sky Survey, an asteroid-hunting project at the University of Arizona, told Newsweek. "There's a lot of undiscovered asteroids to be found."

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekBelgian Finance Minister Johan Van Overtveldt attends European Union finance ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium February 21, 2017.

REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Belgian finance minister tells BI: "Thousands and thousands of jobs depend on the business done with the UK."

He wants a quick trade deal with the UK after Brexit to avoid a "tipping point where all of a sudden things get very bad."

The minister was visiting London to meet finance companies and try to convince them to set up EU subsidiaries in Brussels.



LONDON  Belgium's finance minister wants the EU to strike a quick trade deal with Britain after Brexit in order to protect jobs in his country.

Johan Van Overtveldt told Business Insider in an interview this week: "Belgium is the fourth exporter, in nominal amounts, into the UK, on a par with France which is a much bigger country. And so, if Brexit goes the wrong way, in terms of the hard Brexit, it will hurt the Belgian economy seriously."

"Were talking about thousands and thousands of jobs depending on the business done with the UK."

Van Overtveldt called for the EU to strike a quick trade deal with the UK after it leaves the EU in order to protect jobs.

"My fear is that these negotiations might drag on and on," he said. "The longer the process continues, the more it will drag down the economy.

"I think you have the danger of reaching a tipping point where all of a sudden things get very bad. Were not there yet, and hopefully, we never get there, but the longer the discussion continues and the more hostile it becomes, if it goes that way, you will get to a trigger point that might be dangerous, certainly for the UK but also for the European economy."

Van Overtveldt said that the UK government has "not been that coherent" in negotiations, but said: "I fully understand these are difficult issues and the democratic process runs its way and you have a lot of discussions, a lot of adjusting positions."

He was speaking to BI in London during a visit to meet with finance companies and try to convince them to open offices in Brussels.

Story continues

"According to my humble opinion London will be a major financial centre as far as the eye can see  full stop," he said. "What we try to do is offer Brussels as something that is, can be, should be, complementary to London."

Britain's future trading relationship with the EU is up in the air due to Brexit and many companies are opening up new subsidiaries in the EU to ensure they continue to have a license to sell goods and services to the 27 country bloc whatever happens. Major cities across Europe have been attempting to woo businesses ever since Britain voted to leave the EU in June 2016.

Insurance marketplace Lloyd's of London is the biggest business so far to choose Brussels as its new European headquarters. Van Overtveldt said: "We immediately had the impression that a lot of the insurance industry would be interested as well, which indeed seems to be the case. One thing leads to another and were just trying to surf on the tide that has been developing."

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SEE ALSO: London's 329-year-old insurance market is setting up in Brussels to counter Brexit effects

DON'T MISS: 'It's a big opportunity': Lithuania has a plan to benefit from BrexitThis article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Supermassive black holes, which lurk at the heart of most galaxies, are often described as beasts or monsters. But despite this, they are pretty much invisible. To show that they are there at all, astronomers typically have to measure the speed of the clouds of gas orbiting those regions.

But these objects can sometimes make their presence felt through the creation of powerful jets, which carry so much energy that they are able to outshine all the light emitted by the stars of the host galaxy. We know that these relativistic jets are two streams of plasma (matter made up of electrically charged particles despite having no overall charge), travelling in opposite directions at velocities very close to the speed of light.

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The physics governing these cosmic fountains, however, has long been a bit of a mystery. Now our new paper, published in Nature Astronomy, has shed some light on the causes of their extraordinary appearance.

3_2_Centaurus A

A Weiss et al/R Kraft et al/ESO/WFI/MPIfR/ESO/APEX/NASA/CXC/CfA/CC BY-SA

What makes relativistic jets exceptional is their impressive stability: they emerge from a region as big as the event horizon (the point of no return) of the supermassive black hole and propagate far enough to break out from their host galaxy while maintaining their shape for a long time. This corresponds to a length that is a billion times their initial radiusto put this in perspective, imagine a water fountain coming out of a 0.4 inch wide hose pipe and remaining undisrupted for 6,200 miles.

Once the jets propagate at great distances from their origin, though, they lose their coherence and develop extended structures which often resemble plumes or lobes. This indicates that the jets undergo some sort of instability, strong enough to completely change their appearance.

Story continues

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A jet dichotomy

The first astrophysical jet was discovered in 1918 by the American astronomer Heber Curtis, who noticed a curious straight ray  apparently connected with the nucleus by a thin line of matter in giant elliptical galaxy M87.

In the 1970s, two astronomers at the University of Cambridge, Bernie Fanaroff and Julia Riley, studied a large ensemble of jets. They found that they could be split into two classes: those containing jets whose brightness decreases with distance from their origin, and those that become brighter at their edges. Overall, the latter type is about 100 times more luminous than the former. They both have slightly different shape at the endthe first is like a flaring plume and the second resembles a thin turbulent stream. Exactly why there are two different kinds of jets is still an area of active research.

2_3_Black Hole Jets

NASA

As jet material gets accelerated by the black hole, it reaches velocities up to 99.9 percent of the speed of light. When an object moves so fast, time dilatesin other words, the flow of time at the jet, measured by an external observer slows down as predicted by Einsteins special relativity. Because of this, it takes longer for the different parts of the jet to communicate with each otheras in interacting or influencing each otherwhile traveling away from their source. This, effectively, protects the jet from being disrupted.

However, this loss of communication does not last forever. When the jet is ejected from the black hole, it expands sideways. This expansion makes the pressure inside the jet drop, while the pressure of the gas surrounding the jet does not decrease as much. Eventually, the external gas pressure overtakes the pressure inside the jet and makes the flow contract by squeezing it. At this point, the parts of the jet come so close that they can communicate again. If some parts of the jet have become unstable in the meantime, they can now exchange this information and instabilities can spread to affect the entire beam.

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The process of expansion and contraction of the jets has another important consequence: the flow is no longer along straight lines but on curved paths. Curved flows are likely to suffer from centrifugal instability which means they start creating whirlpool-like structures called vortices. This was not considered to be critical for astrophysical jets until recently.

Indeed, our detailed computer simulations show that relativistic jets become unstable because of the centrifugal instability, which initially only affects their interface with the galactic gas. Once they have contracted due to external pressure though, this instability spreads throughout the entire jet. The instability is so catastrophic that the jet does not survive beyond this point and gives place to a turbulent plume.

Putting this result in perspective we get a better insight of the impressive stability of astrophysical jets. It can also help explain the enigmatic two classes of jets discovered by Fanaroff and Rileyit all depends on how far from its galaxy a jet becomes unstable. We made computer simulations of what these jets would look like based on our new understanding of the physics of these cosmic beams, and they very much resemble the two classes we see in astronomical observations.

Theres a lot more to learn about the gigantic, wild beasts residing at the centre of galaxies. But little by little, we are unraveling their mystery and showing that they are indeed perfectly law-abiding and predictable.

Konstantinos N. Gourgouliatos, Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics, Durham University

The Conversation

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekA student at Central Michigan University suspected of shooting to death his parents inside a campus dormitory during a domestic dispute was arrested on Saturday, the school said, after a daylong manhunt.

The suspect was seen by a bystander on a train passing through the north end of campus in Mount Pleasant, about 125 miles northwest of Detroit, shortly after midnight and taken into custody without incident, said Heather Smith, a university spokeswoman, in a statement.

The suspect was identified as James Eric Davis Jr., 19, after the two victims were found inside a residence hall at the university, police said.

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It was an isolated incident, but we had two people that were killed in a residence facility. Thats traumatic, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder said at a news conference hours after the Friday morning shooting.

The shooting led authorities to order a lockdown of the campus, which has more than 20,000 students, and police also warned Mount Pleasant residents to be on guard.

Police in helicopters and patrol cars spent Friday scouring the locked down campus and the area for the suspect, local media reported. Police escorted people leaving the campus, as university events were canceled and Saturday classes were called off, university officials said in a statement.

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Suspect in Central Michigan

City of Mount Pleasant

Davis had been taken to a local hospital on Thursday night after an apparent overdose or bad reaction to drugs, Klaus told reporters.

The two victims were James Davis Sr. and Diva Davis, both 47, university officials said on Twitter.

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James Davis Sr. was a police officer in Bellwood, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, Emanuel Chris Welch, an Illinois state lawmaker, said in a post on Twitter.

Story continues

The incident came just over two weeks after 17 students and educators were killed by a 19-year-old gunman with an assault-style rifle at a Florida high school.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekChilean president elect Sebastian Pinera attends a news conference in Santiago, Chile, December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

Thomson Reuters

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Conservative Chilean President-Elect Sebastian Pinera will present a proposal to reform the country's pension system to Congress in the first half of 2018, one of his future ministers said in an interview published on Saturday.

Nicolas Monckeberg, who will assume the role of Labor and Social Security minister when Pinera and his cabinet take office on March 11, told newspaper La Tercera that low pension payments and an aging population meant the private system, which has served as a model for many countries, requires urgent changes.

"It is an obligation and a moral duty to present a pension reform," Monckeberg said. "We expect to do it in the first half of this year."

During last year's campaign, Pinera - a billionaire who served as president from 2010-2014 - promised to strengthen the system through a $700 million boost to the state's annual contributions, along with increases in employer contributions and incentives for workers to delay retirement.

Monckeberg said the proposal would incorporate some elements of a reform plan presented by outgoing socialist President Michelle Bachelet, including measures to increase competition between private pension fund administrators, known as AFPs.

The pension system of individual contributions through AFPs was launched during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in the 1980s, and many retirees complain that payments are too small.

Chileans took to the streets on numerous occasions during Bachelet's administration to demand improvements, and some advocated for the elimination of the private system through the "No More AFP" movement.

"The era of the 'No More' has passed and we should move on to the stage of 'Yes More' with positive proposals to increase pensions," said Monckeberg, who said he was open to creating a state-run AFP to help boost competition.

(Reporting by Felipe Iturrieta; Writing by Luc Cohen; Editing by Bill Trott)

See Also:By Stephen Eisenhammer

LUANDA (Reuters) - Angola has offered investors diamond exploration licenses that previously belonged to Isabel dos Santos, daughter of the former president, according to a video clip of a closed-door meeting with mining companies seen by Reuters.

During the meeting at a mining conference in Cape Town last month, president of state diamond company Endiama, Jose Manuel Ganga Junior, said the licenses had expired and were now available for new exploration partners.

Isabel dos Santos is Africa's richest woman with assets across multiple sectors in Angola and Portugal from jewellery to supermarkets. Her family has been a powerful force in Angola for four decades but her star has faded since her father, President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, stepped down last year.

His successor President Joao Lourenco promised to tackle family monopolies and make Angola more attractive to investors. He dismissed her as chair of state oil company Sonangol, Angola's most important firm, in November.

The licenses for primary deposits mentioned in slides accompanying the presentation, a copy of which Reuters has also seen, were for Camafuca-Camazambo, Mulepe, Sangamina, Chiri, and Tchiegi. All are located in the north-eastern diamond producing provinces of Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul.

A source in the Angolan diamond industry told Reuters the Camafuca-Camazambo and Chiri licenses had previously been in the hands of Isabel dos Santos.

Representatives for Isabel dos Santos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"It is true that these kimberlites (a geological formation of igneous rock in which diamonds are sometimes found) we presented to promote and offer for exploration were already granted as licenses in the past, many years ago," Ganga Junior said in the video.

A spokesman at Endiama confirmed the video was authentic and that the licenses were offered to investors. The Ministry of Natural Resources directed questions to the state company.

Story continues

"These licenses have expired ... At this time, we don't have any commitment with any former owners of these projects," Ganga Junior said.

Angola is one of the world's top 5 diamond producers, but much of the territory remains under-explored due to 27 years of civil war and a closed, difficult business environment since fighting ended in 2002.

Lourenco took power in September and says he wants to shed Angola's image as an opaque oil economy with rampant corruption. He wants to attract international investors and has made changes to wrest power from dos Santos, pushing out some of his key allies.

Russia's Alrosa is the only major diamond company currently producing in Angola via its stake in the Catoca mine - one of the world's largest.

"We are ready to start from zero to negotiate in the best conditions, the best possibilities for the good of Endiama, our country and potential shareholders," Ganga Junior said.

"Apart from Endiama which has to be a partner by law, the rest is open."

(Editing by Ed Stoddard and Anna Willard)FILE PHOTO: A display featuring missiles and a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran September 27, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS

Thomson Reuters

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will not negotiate over its ballistic missiles until the United States and Europe dismantle their nuclear weapons, a top Iranian military official said on Saturday, keeping up the Islamic republic's tough stance on the issue.

While Iran has accepted curbs on its nuclear work - which it says is for purely peaceful purposes - it has repeatedly refused to discuss its missile program, something the United States and the Europeans have called for.

"The condition for negotiating Iran's missiles is the destruction of the nuclear weapons and long-range missiles of the United States and Europe," Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Masoud Jazayeri was quoted by the state news agency IRNA as saying.

Iran says its nuclear program is defensive because of its deterrent nature, and that it is not related to Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers which led to the lifting of sanctions against the country.

European powers and Iran have started talks over Tehrans role in the Middle East and will meet again this month in Italy as part of efforts to prove to U.S. President Donald Trump that they are meeting his concerns over the 2015 nuclear deal.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Stephen Powell)

See Also:Political parties in Italy have been claiming their right to form the next government following the election stalemate.

The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement saw its support soar to become Italy's largest single party, with approximately 31% of the vote.

A coalition of the far-right League party and ex-prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia is set to win the most seats in the lower house of parliament.

Despite overseeing a modest economic recovery, the ruling centre-left coalition came a distant third, polling at around 23% of the vote.

The centre-left was hit by widespread anger over persistent poverty, high unemployment and an influx of more than 600,000 migrants over the past four years.

Luigi Di Maio, leader of the 5-Star Movement, said on Monday his party's strong showing throughout the country means that it should run the next government.

Just half an hour earlier Matteo Salvini, leader of League, made the same claim on the part of the centre-right coalition which collectively has more votes than 5-Star.

It means a political headache for President Sergio Mattarella who has to choose someone to form a government when neither of the blocs have enough to govern alone.

Mr Di Maio said: "We are a political force that represents the entire nation. We represent the whole boot, from Val D'Aosta to Sicily."

He said the successes of the other groups were more regional and called the vote "post-ideological - it goes beyond the left and the right".

The 5-Star movement tripled its number of parliamentarians over the last election in 2013, when it was also the first party but only by a whisker and the government was formed by the Democratic Party.

Mr Salvini said his party's surge at the polls was due to its economic proposals, not its anti-immigration stance.

He said the migrant issue was just "one problem" facing Italy and that League has clear ideas on how to resolve it.

Voteres were attracted by "the idea that Italy recovers, works, that every once in a while stays home on Sunday to enjoy its own children, have grandparents who don't die in assembly lines", he added.

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His group captured nearly 18% of the Italian national vote on Sunday, and the right-wing bloc of parties allied with League won 37% overall.

The surge of populist and eurosceptic movements in the eurozone's third-largest economy will worry Europe, though neither 5-Stars nor League are advocating an exit from the European Union.

:: Analysis: Italian coalition dealing won't be pretty

:: What you need to know about Italy's election

The Democratic Party's Michele Martina, a minister in the outgoing government, said the result was a "very clear defeat".

According to Rai TV, the coalition would win between 225 and 265 seats in the lower house, far short of the 316 needed for a majority.

Five-Star would get between 195 and 235 seats.

:: Italy's election marred by voter confusion

During the voting, a topless protester leapt on to a table in front of Mr Berlusconi as he was about to vote .

The election was held amid a weak economy, widespread distrust of the political class and growing anxiety over migration.

Euroscepticism has also been rising in Italy, a country where pro-EU sentiment used to be rock-solid.

Election turnout was 71.48%, the Interior Ministry said, a slight drop from the 75% of eligible voters who participated in the 2013 election.North Korea has threatened to "counter the US" if it holds joint military exercises with South Korea.

The US is due to start joint exercises in April, the latest in a series of drills that Pyongyang has regularly described as a threat.

North Korea's official KCNA news agency said: "If the US finally holds joint military exercises while keeping sanctions on the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), the DPRK will counter the US by its own mode of counteraction and the US will be made to own all responsibilities for the ensuing consequences."

It said the drills would harm reconciliation efforts on the peninsula.

On 23 February, the US said it was imposing its largest package of sanctions to pressure Pyongyang into giving up its nuclear and missile programmes.

Donald Trump warned of a phase two that could be "very, very unfortunate for the world" if the sanctions did not work.

North Korea has attacked Mr Trump's unilateral sanctions, but said it was open to talks with the US when senior officials from the isolated state visited South Korea for the Winter Olympics earlier this month.

The White House said any talks with North Korea must lead to the end of its nuclear programme.

North Korea has reiterated that it is willing to talk to the US but said it would not accept preconditions.

A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman, speaking to the country's state-run news agency, said: "We will neither beg for dialogue nor evade the military option claimed by the US.

"Whether peace desired by our nation and the rest of the world settles on the Korean peninsula or a situation that no one desires is developed in the vicious cycle of confrontation depends entirely on the attitude of the US."

South Korea plans to send a special envoy to North Korea in response to an invitation from leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told President Trump in a phone call on Thursday.

The Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang last month gave a boost to recent engagement between the two Koreas after sharply rising tensions over the North's missile programme.A chef in New Orleans is conducting a social experiment at the Roux Carre market which encourages customers of different races to acknowledge the city's racial wealth disparity.

Diners hoping to grab a bite at Saartj, a lunch counter that sells authentic Nigerian food, first get a lesson from Chef Tunde Wey about race and money in New Orleans, The Independent reported. The median income among African American households in the city is $25,806well below that of white households at $64,377.

Screen Shot 2018-03-02 at 5

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Wey begins by sharing stats with his customers and gives them the price of their lunch. People of color are charged $12 for their meal, while white customers are given the choice to either pay $12 or $30, which reflects the wealth disparity.

Profits from the $30 meals will be redistributed to people of color who want it, regardless of their income.

When I tell black folks whats happening, 90 percent of them start laughing, like, For real? Theyre tickled, Wey told The Washington Post. White folks, theres this blank, he said amid laughter, this blank look. Theyre like, Huh, okay.

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After customers make their decision, Wey asks them a series of survey questions that were created with the help of a Tulane University student. Some white customers have walked away.

In an interview with Civil Eats, Wey said he has seen positive social pressure with white customers. He claims 78 percent have opted to pay $30 to right the wealth disparity.

Refusing to pay more comes off as anti-social and people dont want to be judged for that, he said. People look on the other side of the till and see me standing there and theyre thinking that Im judging them.

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When white customers cannot or refuse to pay the $30, they typically give him a litany of reasons why, Wey said. The chef added that opposite appeared to be true with his minority customers. Many refused to take the $18 offered or have attempted to pay the $30.

Wey told the Washington Post that when he tallies up the profits, he expects customers who chose to receive money will get around $75 each. He does not plan to keep any profit.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek(Reuters) - The long-serving mayor of Pennsylvania's third-most populous city was convicted on Thursday on federal charges he shook down vendors for campaign funds, a U.S. prosecutor and local media reported.

Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski, who took office in 2006 and was re-elected last year while under indictment, was convicted of 47 charges in the "pay-to-play" scheme and not guilty of seven, the Allentown Morning Call and the lehighvalleylive.com website reported.

The jury has held Mayor Pawlowski accountable for selling his office to the highest bidder to fund his personal ambitions," U.S. Attorney Louis Lappen said in a statement.

During a six-week trial in Allentown, prosecutors portrayed Pawlowski as an ambitious manipulator who forced city vendors to pay for his plans to make a 2016 run for the U.S. Senate.

Pawlowski's attorneys attempted to show him as a dedicated public servant brought down by corrupt aides. Evidence at the trial included FBI phone taps as well as recordings made by Pawlowski aides who wore hidden microphones and cameras to record conversations for federal investigators.

The lehighvalleylive.com website reported that Pawlowski would forfeit his office and no sentencing date had been set. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney could not be reached for comment.

Pawlowski was convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud, making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and multiple counts of bribery, attempted extortion, mail fraud, wire fraud.

He was acquitted of attempted extortion, three counts of bribery and three counts of mail fraud, lehighvalleylive.com said.

His convictions for conspiracy, lying to the FBI and one of his bribery convictions each carries a five-year maximum prison sentence. Each of his remaining bribery convictions carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Each of his remaining convictions of mail fraud and wire fraud carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence, the website said.

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(Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Michael Perry)

See Also:A memorial for late Carinthia governor Joerg Haider is seen in Lambichl A memorial for late Carinthia governor Joerg Haider is seen in Lambichl, Austria, March 2, 2018. Picture taken March 2, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Murphy

By Francois Murphy

KLAGENFURT, Austria (Reuters) - Austria's far-right Freedom Party is set to come a distant second when its former stronghold of Carinthia votes on Sunday, the third provincial election to suggest a slide in support for the party since it entered government less than three months ago.

Carinthia was the fiefdom of Joerg Haider, who first led the Freedom Party (FPO) to mainstream success and died in a car crash in 2008. The southernmost of Austria's nine provinces, bordering Italy and Slovenia, it is the only one the FPO won in October's parliamentary election, with 32 percent of the vote.

But being in power, then and now, has not helped. The national coalition government's struggles and a financial crisis dating back to Haider's tenure as governor of the province have hurt the party's image.

"We're still paying for it! I'm furious," Claudia Schwaerzli, a 49-year-old librarian, said of the crisis caused by the collapse of a local bank, Hypo Alpe Adria, whose rapid growth was encouraged under Haider.

A 2016 settlement with creditors left the province saddled with the most debt per capita in Austria.

Local issues and personalities are sharply in focus. But in two other provincial elections in recent weeks, in Lower Austria in the east and Tirol in the west, the FPO has failed to match its score in the national parliamentary election.

An anti-Semitism scandal involving its top candidate in Lower Austria erupted days before the vote there, and more than 460,000 people have now signed a petition against the FPO's flagship policy of allowing smoking in bars and restaurants -- an embarrassment for a party committed to direct democracy.

Together, those issues raise the question of whether there is a limit to the appeal a protest party like the anti-immigration FPO can have once it has entered government.

"There is most definitely a connection and that is of course not only a provincial trend but also a national trend," political analyst Thomas Hofer said.

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"We also saw this in Lower Austria and Tyrol - that potential Freedom Party voters ... when they basically feel 'Well, the Freedom Party in power don't do it dramatically differently or better than the others', they stay at home," he added.

Few doubt that Governor Peter Kaiser's Social Democrats, who head a three-way coalition with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's conservatives and the Greens, will win on Sunday. Kaiser has built a reputation for seriousness and stability in stark contrast to Haider's populist charisma.

SMOKESCREEN?

There is little polling available but one survey last week by pollster OGM for the Kleine Zeitung newspaper put the Social Democrats on 42 percent to the FPO's 22 percent, with a margin of error of 3.5 points.

The head of the FPO in Carinthia, Gernot Darmann, has set himself a target of "clearly above 25 percent", he told Reuters.

Last week he broke ranks with his party leader, Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, by calling for a referendum on a smoking ban in bars and restaurants. He sought to shift the debate back to the core FPO issues like immigration.

"The next 100,000 people are waiting in North Africa to cross the Mediterranean and everyone is talking about smoking," he said, sitting down for a hamburger between campaign stops. "It is a transparent distraction effort by the leftists."

(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Edting by Stephen Powell)BERLIN (Reuters) - Senior German conservative Volker Bouffier welcomed a vote by Social Democrat (SPD) members in favour of joining another coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, saying it was good for people in Germany and the country's future.

"I'm pleased about the result of the SPD members' vote," he said in an emailed statement. "Today is a good day for the people in our country and positive for the future of Germany," Bouffier, a member of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), said.

He said a stable government under Merkel should now be formed quickly.

(Reporting by Michelle Martin, editing by Thomas Escritt)Dr Glen MacPherson works in Vancouver (Rex)

Tens of thousands of people around the world hear The Hum  a mysterious, low, rumbling noise which can be so intense it keeps people awake at night.

The Hum has been featured on the X-Files, and became a tabloid news story in Britain, with people in Bristol claiming they suffered nosebleeds from a mysterious humming noise.

Yahoo News spoke to the scientist is closing in on its source  with an online Hum Map where 17,000 sufferers have come forward to talk about their experiences.

The World Hum Map (Rex)

Glenn MacPherson, who works in Vancouver, has several theories about the source of the Hum, and is a sufferer himself (people who can hear it refer to themselves as Hum Hearers).

MacPherson told Yahoo News, Many of the people who report are quite serious, everyday, and responsible people, including scientists, doctors and so on.

We are working relentlessly, albeit slowly, on the problem.

What causes The Hum?

A cyclist rides over an empty, but fully open, Clifton Suspension Bridge, in Bristol (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)

Previous reports have suggested that the noise might be caused by mating fish, submarines, or wind farms  but people report hearing it in dozens of countries, and in locations far from the sea.

Other theories include the idea that its caused by radio waves  or by something physical in the bodies of Hum Hearers, who tend to be male and over 40.

MacPherson says that many people who hear the Hum have been quite emotional at finding they were not alone.

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MacPherson says, We now have over 17,000 Hum Map points. Three young programmers are releasing a tool for in-depth examination of the data.

MacPherson started hearing The Hum in 2012, and began his investigations  working from a previous research paper by scientist Guy Deming.

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He said, I was the only person in the house who could hear it; my family said they didnt know what I was talking about.

My first clue that something unusual was happening came with the realisation that the sound didnt fade away, like plane noises typically do. One night after the sound started I stepped outside the house. Nothing.

MacPherson built a Deming box to rule out the idea that it was caused by VLF radio waves, creating a shielded metal box to block radio signals.

The Deming box (Supplied)

But inside it, he still heard the noise.

In a blog post, he said, I entered the box at about 1:40 am and and soon as I lay down quietly inside it, the Hum was there, as loud as ever.

The history of The Hum in Britain

In the Seventies, the noise made headlines as the Bristol Hum in Britain.

More recently, the ominous noise resurfaced in Hythe in 2013, with local woman Val Caachi saying, You cant ignore it  its pulsing in your head. It sounds ridiculous but it does keep you awake all night.

Outbreaks of The Hum can seriously affect peoples health  with many saying that it causes long-term sleeplessness.

One victim said, I have been having heart palpitations since i started hearing this I have been for medical check ups but all results have come back normal. I do not smoke, drink or take drugs.

Sufferers have also said they suffer a fear that they are going mad, as even their own family members cannot hear the same noise.

The theories

Dr MacPherson says he now has three main theories as to what is causing it.

One is that its geological, something happening all around the world  although hes at pains to point out that a recent French study involving undersea rumbles has nothing to do with the Hum.

Another is that its caused by human activity in some way  possibly from the rumble of transport around the world.

Dr MacPherson says, The Hum might be the grand accumulation of anthropogenic low-frequency sound and infrasound  freeways, air traffic, marine traffic, industry, and so on.

I dont think this is very likely, given that I perceive the same Hum everywhere I travel.

Dr Glen MacPherson (Supplied)

But the most likely is that its within the bodies of suffereers, McPherson says  although its still unclear whats causing it.

Dr MacPherson says that the current theory hes pursuing is that its an internally generated perception of noise, distinct from tinnitus.

The sub-theories here are that the Hum might arise internally after some types of exposure, perhaps from some types of medications or perhaps from some types of EM energy (as opposed to being caused directly from EM energy such as VLF radio waves).

Dr MacPherson says that he believes that the Hum could be solved quickly if a major lab came on board.

He says that increasing awareness will help, but says, People get so many things wrong. For example, the Wikipedia page on the Hum is a complete shambles, and every time somebody tries to go in and edit it, those changes are instantly reversed.

But hes confident that with a little more funding, the mystery can be solved at last.

He says, We need to push hard on the advocacy so that the phenomenon is fully normalized, and so that a working scientist will take this on. As soon as we can get a major university or private lab involved, this will be solved very quickly.The State Department announced Friday that the U.S. embassy in Havana would withdraw 60 percent of its personnel permanently, after mysterious sonic attacks affected several diplomats.

The embassy will continue to operate with the minimum personnel necessary to perform core diplomatic and consular functions, similar to the level of emergency staffing maintained during ordered departure, the State Department said in a statement, according to Reuters. The embassy will operate as an unaccompanied post, defined as a post at which no family members are permitted to reside.

The decision comes six months after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced that the department would pull out most of its personnel from Havana, as a result of the 24 diplomats who were injured from the inexplicable attacks that occurred between November 2016 and August 2017. In separate incidents, 19 U.S. citizens who traveled to Cuba reportedly experienced symptoms similar to those suffered by government personnel; a travel warning was issued for the island on September 29.

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us embassy cuba fence

YAMIL LAGE/AFP/Getty Images

The staff reductions would have a big impact on U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations, according to officials cited by ProPublicaespecially for Cubans who want to travel to the United States. A decision memorandum was submitted to Tillerson last week, which included a proposal to keep an emergency staff of 18 diplomats in Havana. Department regulations stipulate that a temporary evacuation of personnel can only last six months before becoming permanent; March 4 would have been the deadline to send some diplomats back to their jobs or reduce staff.

Since September, most of the visa processing has been suspended in Cuba, while issuing of immigration visas has been transferred to Colombia, The Miami Herald reported. Cubans must fly to a third-party nation to request tourist and other non-immigrant visas.

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Likewise, the number of American tourists travelling to Cuba has dropped after the State Department warned U.S. citizens to "reconsider" visiting the island, the publication added.

The State Department still hasnt reached a conclusion as to how its staff was affected. The FBI reportedly ruled out any evidence that supports the use of sonic waves against American staffers in Havana, according to an Associated Press report on January 9. Nevertheless, the department blames the Cuban government for not having protected its personnel.

Meanwhile, Havana has adamantly rejected any involvement in the sonic attacks and expressed doubts about how these incidents took place, the Herald reported. The events also led to the dismissal of 15 Cuban embassy officials in Washington last October.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekA week and a half after a gunman took the lives of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a group of protesters assembled in a city minutes away. Carrying signs and a megaphone, they stood outside the headquarters of Kalashnikov USA, a company that manufactures versions of the AK-47 assault riflea popular firearm, though not the same one the Parkland shooter used. One woman held a sign saying, Nyet, not here, with a hammer and sickle. And, if not for the American sanctions against Russia, the facility would not even be there.

AK-47s are weapons of war, and its being manufactured in our own backyard, said Mitchell Stollberg, the chairman of the Broward County chapter of Progressive Democrats of America, and the organizer of the February 25 rally. Then to find out that it was a Russian company makes it even worse.

Kalashnikov USA started as an importer of firearms from Kalashnikov Concern, a Russian company. That changed after former President Barack Obamas administration imposed sanctions on certain Russian companies in 2014, because of the countrys interference in Ukraine. The list included Kalashnikov Concern. In a statement at the time, the Russian company said the sanctions go against the interest of American consumers.

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Kalashnikov Concerns history dates back to an armory established under Russian emperor Alexander I in the early 19th century. Now named after Mikhail Kalashnikov, the Russian lieutenant general who developed the AK-47, the company describes itself as the largest Russian manufacturer of assault and sniper rifles, guided artillery projectiles and precision weapons. It also makes civilian hunting shotguns and sporting rifles, and says it produces 95 percent of small arms in Russia. Fifty-one percent of the company is state-owned, and private investors own the rest.

03_03_Kalashnikov_Parkland_shooting

Joe Raedle/Getty

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After the sanctions, Kalashnikov USA began manufacturing its own weapons, including a version of the AK-47. We started with the proven AK-47 design, utilizing the Russian Heritage of the long stroke, gas piston, rotating bolt design, the company says on its website. To this legendary firearm, we added the American Innovation.

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Kalashnikov USA decided to relocate from Pennsylvania to Florida in 2015, with a 40,000-square-foot facility, according to Pompano Beach city records. A spokesperson once told Floridas Sun Sentinel that the company expected to sell primarily to overseas buyers, and, in May 2017, the manufacturer announced it had started sending out shipments.

But less than a year later, Kalashnikov USA is now under scrutiny for not only producing and selling AK-47s but also doing that so close to where the Parkland shooting occurred, even if the proximity is a coincidence. (The manufacturer does not produce the AR-15, the weapon used in Parkland.)

The February 14 shooting has renewed calls for gun control. In a meeting with lawmakers on Wednesday, President Donald Trump expressed interest in firearms legislation. But in a tweet the next day, he seemed to suggest otherwise, writing, Good (Great) meeting in the Oval Office tonight with the NRA! Trump has spoken at at least two NRA conventions, and the association supported his 2016 presidential campaign.

Representatives for Kalashnikov USA did not respond to requests for comment.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekThat's What She Said: Can Being Vulnerable Make You a Better Player?

March 04 2018 Kim Yuhl

After writing about the epidemic of boring poker a few weeks back, I started thinking about some of the great content out there.

There has been a significant evolution of poker content over the years and I wanted to highlight what I see as positive trends. Because there are some really exciting things happening out there.

Just look at how far the World Series of Poker content has come.

What started out as commentary and observations because there were no hole cards, has morphed into the Main Event final table broadcasting every single hand ... live!

I think it's the vlogumentary-style content that is inspiring people and captivating interest.

Also look at this year's American Poker Awards where the new categories Poker's Biggest Influencer and Video Blogger of the Year are clearly designed to award those making a difference in the industry.

Cary Katz took home the trophy for Poker's Biggest Influencer for his commitment to providing innovative content through Poker Central.

Poker Central also claimed victory in the Poker Media Content of the Year Category for Dead Money: A Super High Roller Bowl Story.

And then there's Andrew Neeme. His name was called twice as the winner of Video Blogger of the Year and the People's Choice Award.

What does this tell me? That content matters. It should probably tell you the same thing.

Upon further reflection, I think it's the vlogumentary-style content that is inspiring people and captivating interest.

For instance, I was tasked with watching Dead Money for an assignment. Just a few minutes into the first episode, I was hooked.

I ended up binge-watching the whole thing.

In one sitting. Without cocktails.

So, how good is Dead Money? Well, I am several episodes behind on Grey's Anatomy and Scandal and never once thought to switch - that's how good it is.

But what exactly is it about Dead Money or Neeme's vlog that gets my attention and keeps it?

I attribute it to the vulnerability that both Matt Berkey and Neeme share and the access to the complete picture.

Berkey's adventure as he prepared for the Super High Roller Bowl and Neeme's honest look at his sessions are real. They both have some fun moments, they are sometimes poignant, and frequently thoughtful.

In the end, I felt I connected to them and their journies.

I related to what they were feeling, I was gifted with a glimpse into their thought process and I got lost in their story.

That's what happens with good content. You become part of the story.

Have you ever read a book and dreaded the end because you didn't want to say goodbye to the characters? Yeah ... that. That's the magic.

Neeme's most popular vlog has 352,000 views on YouTube

Neeme's popularity has grown tremendously through his vlog and he has inspired others to document their journey.

In fact, it was impossible to walk down the hallways of the Rio last summer without someone filming something.

I ended up binge-watching the whole thing. In one sitting. Without cocktails.

It was then that I thought to ask Neeme what he thought about being a source of inspiration?

"If I've inspired someone to try their hand at something, I think it's great," Neeme responded. "I think the vast majority of people can be an inspiration to others in some way... the problem is that most people are afraid to start doing something visible out of various fears (usually what others will think).

"Getting over the hump and just starting is the hardest part. So if I somehow encourage someone to start something, regardless of whether they continue doing it over the long run, it's a good result. Because at least they tried it, and they can either keep doing it or move onto their next thing."

I also had the good fortune of talking with Berkey recently. I asked him why he thought being vulnerable is important. He responded, "Theres a certain ease of implementation when you never have to hide who you are or what you believe in."

In a game where you set out to bust your opponents, leaving yourself vulnerable could lead to being exploited at the table.

But that doesn't seem to be the case.

Think about it ...

Neeme has been vlogging for quite awhile now and he has admitted that vlogging has improved his game.

Berkey, on the other hand, documented his entire preparation for the SHRB and ended up finishing fifth that year.

Either improve or get trampled on.

I happen to believe the vulnerability forces someone to do better, think bigger, and strive for more.

There isn't a choice. It is either improve or get trampled on.

Personally, when someone's trying hard and is honest about it, I'm always going to jump in and cheer them on. It's the kind of content I love and the kind of content that resonates with an audience.

That's what gets my attention and keeps me interested. And that's what she said.

Original image by Tambet Kask/Unibet OpenUS-focused oil development and production company Nighthawk Energy posted an update to current production levels, operations and existing litigation matters on Friday.

The AIM-traded firm saw production decline significantly year-on-year between January and July, by between 15,000 and 20,000 barrels each month on a gross production basis.

The Arikaree Creek Water Pilot Project was finally approved in early June 2016, Nighthawks board reported.

The Company has commenced working on the pilot with the final engineering design phase now completed and the equipment procurement phase beginning.

Construction and installation of the water gathering lines and the water injection lines should commence in the second half of September.

Nighthawk said the water injection and the polymer facilities are currently being manufactured and are anticipated to be delivered, installed, tested, and become operational in late October.

The company said it has been negotiating with Cascade (Denham) in regards to the last two commitment wells located within the Monarch Joint Development Area.

Nighthawk believes the parties may soon finalize negotiations around a proposed settlement.

Once this is reached, Nighthawk will announce the results in a future news release, the board said.

The company also reiterated that the ongoing litigation between Running Foxes Petroleum, as plaintiff, and Nighthawk, is the final stages of being settled.

There is currently only one remaining outstanding claim and the company believes that the allegations contained in the remaining complaint are baseless and groundless actions, and will vigorously defend against the remaining complaint.

Based on participation in the pre hearing conference and related court filings, the company has recently been approached about the two parties trying to negotiate a settlement prior to the scheduled court date of September 20.

Additionally, Nighthawk Production has recently filed a formal complaint against Running Foxes Petroleum and American Patriot Oil and Gas Limited, an Australian company listed on the ASX, for a seismic disclosure breach in connection with a joint venture the two companies have announced involving acreage near us.Sales growth from Unilever fell short of expectations for the third quarter, with turnover negative, with the consumer goods colossus generating only minimal volume growth for the sixth quarter in a row.

Reiterating guidance for full year underlying sales growth of 3-5% despite again having undershot this target, chief executive Paul Polman said conditions in developed markets remained challenging and that growth in the quarter was adversely affected by poorer weather in Europe and natural disasters in the Americas.

The silver lining was that signs of improvement are appearing in major emerging markets such as India and China, contributing to total emerging markets sales growth of 6.3%, with volume growth an encouraging 1.8%.

Underlying sales in the three months to the end of September rose 2.6% year on year, or 2.8% excluding the spreads, which was well short of the 3.9% the market expected.

Turnover of 13.2bn was down 1.6% year on year, reflecting a 5.1% headwind from currency and a positive 0.9% contribution from M&A, or down 1.5% to 12.5bn if excluding spreads.

Polman said the savings from his 'Connected 4 Growth' restructuring programme were delivering faster than expected and putting the business well on track towards the 6bn savings target, and a targeted underlying operating margin of 20% by 2020.

This was underlined as he said target for underlying operating margin of at least 100 basis points and strong cash flow remained in place.

Preparations for the exit from spreads via a sale or demerger were said to be fully on track, following September's sale of the South African spreads business, and with reports that suitors for a sale were to submit their bids by Thursday.

A review of the group's dual-headed Anglo-Dutch legal structure was said to be "progressing well".

Unilever shares fell 3.7% in early trading on Thursday to 4,382.5p.

Analyst Darren Shirley at Shore Capital said the numbers missed even the lowest of the range 3.2% of City forecasts for the quarter.

"Once again we believe the focus to be on the lack of volume growth, with just a 0.2% increase reported against a negative 0.4% comparative.

He noted that the price contribution continued to ease back, albeit slowly with a 2.4% increase reported down from 2.8% in the second quarter.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said the company was seeking to compensate for negligible volume growth by squeezing prices higher  "a testament to the power of the groups awesome range of brands".

However, price rose at the slowest rate for seven quarters as perhaps even Unilever found that loyal customers can only afford so much and are becoming ever-more price sensitive  a trend to which Reckitt Benckiser hinted yesterday when it flagged increased competition, especially in areas such as home care (Vanish) and laundry."

This will be a huge source of concern to shareholders, whose long-term support of companies such as Unilever and Reckitt is based on the high margins they generate as a result of the pricing power conferred upon them by their brands  especially as Unilever is being much more careful with its marketing spend, as one means of driving group operating margins toward boss Paul Polmans 20% target for 2020."

Charlie Huggins, a fund manager at Hargreaves Lansdown who holds Unilever in his portfolio, said the update was "slightly disappointing" but was was encouraged by the positive volume performance in emerging markets.

"Life is becoming more difficult for the consumer goods giants, as competition from smaller, nimbler players intensifies and consumer preferences shift towards niche and alternative brands.

"Unilever has responded by cutting costs and raising prices, however, these are short term fixes. To succeed in the long term Unilever will need to adapt its business model, becoming more agile and responsive to changing trends."

Despite the challenges, he likes that the business throws off cash that can either be returned to investors or used to acquire fast-growing brands.

"The group is only at the start of a major cost cutting programme, so there should still be plenty of scope for margins to rise. And in the long run, Unilevers significant exposure to some of the fastest growing areas of the world, like India and China, should stand it in good stead. "London's FTSE 250 was up 0.5% to 18,766.85 in afternoon trade, buoyed by some encouraging corporate news.

Engineer Meggitt surged as investors welcomed news that it has lifted its dividend, despite reporting a drop in full-year pre-tax profit amid a difficult oil and gas market.

Heat treatment firm Bodycote racked up healthy gains after it said full year pre-tax profits rose to 91.9m from 75m, beating market expectations, although sales fell as it felt the impact from the oil and gas industry downturn.

Derwent London was also in the black as it recommended a special dividend after it announced 327m of property disposals above book value that are expected to complete in coming weeks.

On the downside, transport operator Go-Ahead, which owns 65% of the Southern franchise through Govia Thameslink Railway, tanked as it reported a drop in first-half pre-tax profit as operating profit from the rail division slumped due to Southern Rail strikes. Investors were also unimpressed that it it lowered its full-year expectations for the bus and rail divisions.

Price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com lost ground. Although the company said profit for the year to the end of December grew and announced a 40m share buyback, it was hit by a downgrade from Credit Suisse. In addition, analysts noted the fact that group revenues are currently behind last year and said the stock had had a good run into the results.

ZPG, formerly named Zoopla, retreated after UBS downgraded its stance on the stock to 'sell' from 'neutral', saying "all the upside and more" is priced in.

Sausage roll king Greggs was also on the back foot as it reported a rise in revenue for 2016 but sounded a cautious note on the consumer outlook in the UK.

Risers

Meggitt (MGGT) 467.80p 12.42%

Bodycote (BOY) 775.00p 8.70%

Ultra Electronics Holdings (ULE) 1,969.00p 4.29%

Derwent London (DLN) 2,820.00p 3.87%

Senior (SNR) 182.00p 3.53%

Mitie Group (MTO) 206.50p 3.25%

Hays (HAS) 162.30p 2.79%

Fisher (James) & Sons (FSJ) 1,600.00p 2.63%

Inmarsat (ISAT) 717.00p 2.58%

Atkins (WS) (ATK) 1,454.00p 2.39%

Fallers

Go-Ahead Group (GOG) 2,000.00p -12.47%

Moneysupermarket.com Group (MONY) 330.20p -5.93%

ZPG Plc (ZPG) 371.50p -5.13%

JRP Group (JRP) 145.70p -3.32%

Greggs (GRG) 977.50p -3.31%

Brown (N.) Group (BWNG) 202.10p -3.16%

Polymetal International (POLY) 954.50p -2.95%

OneSavings Bank (OSB) 360.40p -2.75%

International Personal Finance (IPF) 183.50p -2.60%

Hochschild Mining (HOC) 264.20p -2.51%Shares in Assura were a 'hold' for Questor in the Sunday Telegraph, the property group with a 1.4bn market value from investing in GP surgeries. However, the stock trades for 22.5 times current-year forecast earnings and a premium to net asset value, which does mark an ideal entry point for new investors, though a 4% dividend yield is more attractive.

Lord OShaughnessy, who has taken the chairmanship of a new NHS property board that recommended in the Naylor review, said: Good buildings are energising for staff and recuperative for patients. Old and outdated buildings are inefficient and costly; they sap morale, impede recovery and reduce wellbeing. FTSE 250-listed Assura owns a portfolio of 498 medical centres, valued at 1.6bn and generating rent of 87.4m a year. Doctors used to own a share of their surgeries but younger doctors are happy to rent from the likes of Assura in return for upgrading old one or developing new ones.

NHS policy directives suggest local surgeries will have to take more of the strain within the NHS system, including offering services once the preserve of under-pressure hospitals, as well as scheduling more evening and weekend appointments. In December Assura raised 310m, of which 84m had been spent by early last month, most of which on debt repayments. Analysts at Stifel forecast 138m will be spent on acquisitions in by the end of the year. With the fundraising completed at a price of 57p this will limit earnings per share growth for a year or two.

Sky shares were a 'hold' for the Sunday Times' Inside the City column after Comcast's offer to pay 1,250p a share to take over the satellite broadcaster. Comcast's tentative bid was well above the 1,075p offered by 21st Century Fox, which is still awaiting the results of a UK regulatory probe.

"The pressing question for shareholders is whether to cash out now," said the column, with Sky shares closing the week at about 1,373p on hopes a bidding war will erupt. "Shareholders should resist the temptation to sell", however, as both Comcast and Fox, as well as Disney, which has agreed to buy the bulk of Foxs film and TV interests, all need greater scale to survive against the likes of Netflix. Netflix's 100m subscribers allows it to invest more and more in production as the cost per user is spread out, which "creates a virtuous circle: the more eyeballs, the more it can invest in productions".

Sky would double Comcast's subscriber base and give it a foothold in Europe, while Fox needs Sky in case its deal with Disney is blocked by US regulators, and Disney is desperate for a direct-to-consumer route for its channels.

Augmentum Fintech was tipped as a buy for "investors with a sense of adventure" by Midas in the Mail on Sunday ahead of its planned 100m flotation on the London main market this month. Shares in Augmentum are still available for retail investors via offer for subscription and an intermediaries offer at 100p apiece, with the pre-IPO deadline this Thursday.

Current investments include 11% of BullionVault valued by PwC at 8.4m, a 4% stake in online broker Interactive Investor, another 4% in crowdfunding platform Seedrs, 10% of family office investment software platform SRL Global and 7.4% of peer-to-peer lending platform Zopa. Lord Rothschild's RIT Capital is a backer of the business to the tune of 10m in the IPO, while directors and advisers include CEO Tim Levene ex of Betfair, plus Betfair founder Edward Wray as an adviser, while ex Mars Inc man Neil England is chairman.

Management intend to invest shareholders money over the next 12 months, buying 10 to 15 new companies. The group is actively involved in its portfolio companies and aims to generate value by helping businesses to grow, selling out at a profit and returning cash to shareholders as disposals are made.

Please note: Digital Look provides a round-up of news, tips and information that is impacting share prices and the market. Digital Look cannot take any responsibility for information provided by third parties. This is for your general information only and not intended to be relied upon by users in making an investment decision or any other decision. Please obtain a copy of the relevant publication and carry out your own research before considering acting on any of this information.One of the biggest stories in politics to kick off the month of February is over the so-called Nunes memo. While the majority of the right-wing media have been pushing for the memo's release, one host on Fox News is warning against it.

Fox News on Nunes memo

It's no secret that Republicans and Democrats have been at odds with each other over most issues in Washington, with partisan media outlets only adding fuel to the fire. Currently, the debate of whether or not to release the Nunes memo has dominated the headlines. The memo in question is a four-page document put together by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes after a nine month investigation into the FBI's alleged partisan abuse of their authority when it comes to surveillance of the Trump campaign and at least one advisers during the 2016 election.

Democrats in Congress have warned against the memo's release, citing national security concerns, with Republicans and conservative media pushing for it to be made public. This issue was highlighted during a February 1 segment on Fox News.

JUST IN: House Judiciary Dem demands emergency meeting with FBI, Justice Dept officials over content of Nunes memo https://t.co/63TYsZgroV pic.twitter.com/OYlQhdXdok  The Hill (@thehill) February 1, 2018

While many hosts on Fox News have been standing in support of the Donald Trump and Republican effort to release the Nunes memo, Shepard Smith is breaking from the network's stance and warning about the possible ramifications. "In the middle of a criminal investigation, two Trump associates are under indictment, two more have pleaded guilty, admitting they lied to investigators," Smith pointed out.

Fox News' Shepard Smith: Trump's feud with DOJ, FBI could lead to a "constitutional crisis" https://t.co/5tVvGyiX2U pic.twitter.com/2cZmhUGt2k  Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 1, 2018

"The FBI and the Justice Department are under fire from the president," Shepard Smith went on to say, accusing supporters of Donald Trump of "craft(ing) a document to cast doubt on the investigators integrity." Not stopping there, Smith went on to warn Trump and the GOP that their efforts might end up being a "precursor of what could become a constitutional crisis."

Next up

As of press time, it's unknown whether or not the memo will be released, but Democrats are fighting hard to keep it under-wraps.

Democrats note that Devin Nunes doesn't have credibility when it comes to handling sensitive material, and many believe that the document simply cherry picks information with a partisan slant in an attempt to smear the FBI with the hope that it could derail the current investigation into Russian election interference. While Shepard Smith does his best to provide clarity to an otherwise conservative network, Fox News is expected to continue to push the narrative of releasing the memo and defending the president in his feud with the FBI.It is not every day that an explosion rips through a relatively quiet American street. That is exactly what happened on Friday (March 2) in the northeastern part of Austin, Texas. According to police, the blast began and ended on a front porch. An unnamed man in his 40s was found critically injured but soon perished at a nearby hospital. A report by FOX News provided most of the information used in this article.

Brian Manley, the Interim Police Chief of the Austin Police Department, told reporters that his officers first received word of the explosion at around 6:55 AM local time.

Callers said that they heard a tremendous eruption at the home located in the 1110 block of Haverford Drive. Chillingly, this information meant that the explosion occurred not too far from the Dessau Elementary School.

Upon entering the premises at approximately 7:00 AM, responding officers found a man suffering from severe injuries. These injuries were likely caused by the explosion. In response, the unidentified male was rushed to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, the individual expired at around 11:10 AM that day. Currently, the Case is not only being investigated by the APD, but also by the FBI and the ATF.

'Strange device'

So far, authorities have yet to conclusively say what actually caused the explosion on Friday morning.

The only word has come from Chief Manley, who labeled the culprit as "some type of device." Chief Manley was also quick to tamper down any suspicions that this explosion may be related to terrorism. "We have no information right now that makes us to believe that this is anything beyond an isolated incident," Chief Manley said.

Officially, the Austin Police Department is investigating this case as a homicide. Another tantalizing clue is that federal postal inspectors are on the ground in Austin as well. They are there in order to see if the device was mailed to the deceased at any time in the recent past.

Similar cases

Fox News reporter Travis Fedschun made the case in his article that the Austin explosion bears some similarities to a 2017 case from New York.

In that incident, 37-year-old Victor Kingsley tried to mail a letter bomb to a police officer as revenge for a 2014 arrest. The letter was actually opened by landlord George Wray. The 73-year-old landlord received burns over 80 percent of his body and eventually died from his injuries.

Across the border, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 51-year-old Guido Amsel was arrested and charged with mailing three letter bombs in October 2017. The bombs were sent to two different law firms and his ex-wife's residence in 2015. Only one of the bombs detonated. This blast critically injured lawyer Maria Mitousis. Of course, given the fact that the case in Austin is ongoing, there is nothing to say that the device was not built and accidentally detonated by the deceased himself. At this point, police investigators are examining all possible scenarios.In recent days, Donald Trump has gotten on the nerves of conservatives and some in the right-wing media for expressing a potential compromise on gun control. In response, a host on Fox News decided to speak out.

(Carlson's remarks start at 1:25 in the above video)

Fox News on Trump

Following last month's school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the issue of gun control has once again vaulted into the headlines. Since the shooting, students from the school have been vocal in their call to action for gun reform, which has resulted in repeated debates and clashes with members of the NRA.

While Donald Trump has been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, he made comments earlier this week that didn't go over well with his supporters. Trump said he would support the decision to "take the guns first" before "go(ing) through due process second," also adding "I like taking the guns early."

For At Least a Day, Trump Suddenly Decides He Loves Gun Control, via @jimgeraghty https://t.co/tFdn6xZSq9  National Review (@NRO) March 2, 2018

These comments didn't go over well with many in the right-wing media, which was highlighted during the March 1 edition of "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Fox News. "How honest do you wanna be?" Carson said of Trump's remarks. "Imagine if Barack Obama had said that?" Carlson rhetorically asked.

"Just ignore due process and confiscating guns? Obama would have been denounced as a dictator," he noted.

Tucker Carlson: If Obama Said Ignore Due Process, We Would Have Denounced Him as a Dictator https://t.co/7DYXBpDX1S (VIDEO) pic.twitter.com/oJYFf7nzsJ  Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 2, 2018

"We would have denounced him first, trust me," Tucker Carlson continued, stating, "Congress would be talking impeachment.

Some would be muttering secession." Not stopping there, the Fox News host went on to say that Americans are not "mere subjects of the powerful" while adding, "The president needs to be reminded of that."

Right-wing break

Tucker Carlson's comments come as a surprise to many as he's been one of the most outspoken supporters of the president, especially when it comes to issues dealing with the Russian investigation and his reckless tweets and policy proposals.

However, the topic of gun rights is one that the majority of conservative voters hold close to their heart, and it appears it's not one that many will be willing to compromise on, even if it means breaking with Trump.

Next up

The debate over gun control has been an on again, off again topic, which is highlighted following a mass shooting before typically losing steam as the days and weeks move along. According to Gun Violence Archive, there have been a total of 34 mass shootings in 2018 as of February 21, which is defined as "four or more individuals being shot or killed in the same general time and location." While it's unknown as of press time what steps Congress will take on the issue, only time will tell if change will occur.The coastal storm Nor'easter continues to destroy lives and property although it is slowly moving offshore. On Saturday, the National Weather Service(NWS), USA released warnings urging the people to stay in their homes as the danger of floods and strong winds continue to loom over the East Coast.

The devastation that Nor'easter has caused so far

The macro-scale cyclone hit the US Atlantic coast on Friday and caused heavy destruction in the region spanning from Massachusetts to Washington DC with the former facing the full force of the coastal storm.

The storm was accompanied by heavy rains and snowfall which led to flooding of streets and grounding of over 3000 flights according to reports from CNN.

Ohio, New York, Boston and received heavy snow while gusting winds swept the eastern seacoast at an average speed of 50mph. Cape Cod and Wellfleet in Massachusets were hammered by strong winds that exceeded the 80mph mark. The storm left 1.6 million people without power on Friday afternoon and brought life to a complete standstill. The storm caused felling of trees, destruction of under construction buildings and completely battered the power grid.

Regions of East Coast especially Massachusetts experienced flooding and the administration issued memos for people to evacuate the region in order to stay safe from the wrath of the storm.

The storm claimed eight lives amongst whom two were children.

A 37-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene after his pickup truck was caught under a pine tree in Massachusetts. A man and a six-year-old boy were killed by the storm in Virginia while the cyclone claimed another eleven-year-old in New York. The other two deaths were reported in Rhode Island and Baltimore respectively, taking the death toll to eight.

What lies ahead?

The National Weather Service cautioned people to not let their guard down as the storm moves away from the coast of New England ever so slowly. The NWS has predicted major flooding in the coastal areas and has forecasted winds with speed in the range of 50 to 60 mph to continue causing havoc on the Eastern coast.

However, as the day goes on the conditions are going to improve with areas experiencing sunshine which is expected to be followed by intermittent snowfall. Although the conditions will improve away from the coastal regions, many meteorological departments are terming it as only short-term relief predicting the storm will return midweek to cause havoc once again.Black Panther delivered the movie-to-see of 2018 just about a week ago and fans are absolutely head over heels for the cast, particularly the king himself, TChalla. Chadwick Boseman has starred in a variety of films and shows such as 42, CSI: NY, and Law & Order. Fans were given the opportunity to speak directly to Chadwick Boseman via a fake video chat on Jimmy Fallons Tonight Show, but little did they know, there was a bit more to the experience than they were told.

Fans absolutely moved

Black Panther went to great lengths to represent a large group of people, internationally, that have felt constantly underrepresented within all forms of media.

Fans stood in front of a screen during Jimmy Fallons Tonight Show to explain how Black Panther had affected them positively. Many of them became emotional as they spoke about how it felt to be African-American and experience this film, that had gained much love and attention, before its release.

One woman stepped forward with her son at her side to explain that his childhood had been defined by President Barack Obama, and now, Black Panther. Chadwick comes out promptly to thank and hug them, as he does with just about each individual that steps forward to talk about how the movie affected them.

It is not entirely common knowledge, but Chadwick Boseman is also a Harvard University graduate.

A young woman, a student from the school, stepped forward expressing her and other students pride for having such an intelligent and powerful actor come directly from a place they consider home.

What 'Black Panther' gave to its audience

People from all backgrounds stepped forward, one at a time, to give their love to the movie, and each time, Boseman blew them away.

His love for his own role in Black Panther has shown through various interviews and talks where he speaks about his own personal experiences in becoming TChalla.

Black Panther brought to the table something we have never seen before within the MCU, let alone other superhero films. This movie sets a standard for what fans will be looking for in the future and for what measures writers truly need to take in order to make their films something their audiences fall in love with.

Black Panther has left audience members seeing the film more than once and begging for more content of these new heroes. TChalla and his family have certainly left a mark on the cinematic world that will linger for a very, very long time. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

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 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

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Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information



 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research.CONSOL Coal Resources LP produces and sells high- British thermal unit (Btu) coal in the Northern Appalachian Basin and the eastern United States. It owns a 25% undivided interest in the Pennsylvania mining complex, which consists of three underground mines and related infrastructure that produce high-Btu thermal coal located primarily in southwestern Pennsylvania. The company markets its thermal coal principally to electric utilities. CONSOL Coal Resources GP LLC operates as a general partner of the company. The company was formerly known as CNX Coal Resources LP and changed its name to CONSOL Coal Resources LP in November 2017. CONSOL Coal Resources LP was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

Read MoreWall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI India ETF a "N/A" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but iShares MSCI India ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.Aberdeen's has 3 open missing-person cases.

The Aberdeen Police Department is currently handling three missing person cases, which range from a few months to decades old.Physician Sara Doorley knew from a young age she wanted to spend her life in the service of others.

Although she said her life was idyllic growing up on a small farm in Ohio, she was surrounded by those facing issues of poverty and addiction. Her parents, she said, set the example for how she should view and treat those less fortunate than she. Doorleys parents encouraged her to choose a profession that had meaning to her and served others. Her mom is a nurse and her father is a teacher.

My parents are wonderful, she said. They saw problems related to racism and poverty. As a family, we talked about how that was not OK.

Doorley, 39, was named medical director of Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless in October after working with a similar organization in San Jose, Calif. She joined the San Jose organization in 2009 and became its medical director in 2012.

I grew up in a town that was poor and had racial tension, she said. I was always aware that different folks had different struggles. Having friends of different races and classes and hearing how it impacted their childhoods helped me understand.

Doorley co-founded the Global Health Initiative as the result of an experience she had during her junior year at Notre Dame. She worked for the summer with a team of Arab-Israeli health care workers in the Palestinian territories. They would drive to occupied territories and provide health care. The experience would affect her philosophy on health care and influence how she treats her patients.

Its the first time I connected that society also has a role in health care, she said. Its more than illness of the person in front of you. You have to look at the bigger picture.

Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless was founded in 1985 as a way to provide the city and countys homeless population with services. Patients are served on a walk-in basis and can receive primary medical and dental care and prescriptions as well as treatment for mental health and substance abuse. The center also advocates for its patients by supporting policies that benefit the homeless and by helping them find housing.

As medical director, Doorley spends 50 percent of her time treating patients. She said homeless people are often dealing with addiction and mental illness.

Many of them have an extensive history of trauma, she said. There is an advocacy piece. Looking at what made this environment (in the community) that contributes to homelessness.

Jackie Newton, also a physician, met Doorley after starting work with the homeless program in San Jose. She said Doorley has the ability to put people at ease and make them feel like they are not being judged.

Sara has all the qualities you would want in a medical director, she said. Sara is an excellent physician first and foremost. She practices with compassion, integrity and humility.  So many patients loved her.

Jenny Metzler, executive director of Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, said she and her colleagues were excited when Doorley expressed interest.

Every new encounter with her just validated all she has to bring  her commitment to people who are disenfranchised and vulnerable, her high standards and excellent training, her integrity and her strong yet humble approach to working with and leading others, her sharp ability to see context and think critically, Metzler said.  We are so, so fortunate, and each day she teaches us and challenges us to be better.

Doorley and her husband were looking for a change of scenery. The couple wanted to move somewhere with their two children that offered plenty of outdoor activities. Doorley had never been to New Mexico and the state was not even on her radar. Then some of her friends suggested she consider it and she learned about the medical director position.

I love the Bay Area but it was getting super-expensive and crowded, she said. We were looking for a place that was progressive and diverse.

Current Mayor Tim Keller played a small role in her decision to make New Mexico home. Doorley earned her undergraduate degree from Notre Dame, where Keller was her classmate. While considering a move to New Mexico, Doorley said, she contacted Keller to ask about the state.

He said it was great, she said. He told me to come.

Rachel Lustig, also a classmate from Notre Dame, said Doorley sparked a fire within her to transform her profession of choice into service. Lustig earned a business degree and is now the president and CEO of Catholic Social Services Inc. in Columbus, Ohio. Before meeting Doorley, she had dreams of being an investment banker.

She encouraged me to use my skill to help and make a difference, she said. Sara is a joyful person so she inspires you.

Doorley and her family live in a house in Tijeras with twice as much space as the family had in San Jose, and she has found the people of New Mexico welcoming. In addition, she loves her job.

Im really happy to be here for sure, she said. Its a privilege to work with these people. The folks we see are so resilient. They have survived so much.A black Moroccan slave who explored present-day Texas, New Mexico and Arizona with Spanish conquistadors is credited with being the first person of African descent to enter the American Southwest, but hes all but absent from the states histories.

Estebanico was among shipwrecked Spaniards who wandered through the American coastal south and later led an expedition into New Mexico, which ended in his disappearance.

But while some scholars say the American Southwest likely would not have been settled by Europeans without Estebanico, there are no parks, buildings or malls named in his honor like they are for other Spanish conquistadors. Tourism agencies have informational webpages about Estebanicos past, but there are no tourism sites around his historic journeys.

American literary studies professor Finnie Coleman, from the University of New Mexico, said black people have never had a place in the heritage of New Mexico and the Southwest.

To embrace Estebanico, Coleman said, would be to embrace a new narrative.

Scholars believe Estebanico, whos known by many other names, including Estevanico, Esteban and Esteban the Moor, was born in Morocco around 1500 and likely was sold into slavery in the port city of Azemmour by Portuguese slave traders.

Spanish aristocrat Andres Dorantes bought Estebanico and took him along for Panfilo de Narvaezs ill-fated expedition of 1527 to colonize Florida and the Gulf Coast. A series of storms left some of the party in Florida while others sailed across the Gulf of Mexico to seek Spanish settlements.

Cabeza de Vaca, Estebanico, Dorantes and Alonso del Castillo Maldonado landed at present-day Galveston, Texas, and began their eight-year journey to find a Spanish settlement back in present-day Mexico. The four fellow shipwreck survivors wandered through Texas and northern Mexico while adopting traditions of the Native American tribes they encountered, according to accounts by two of the survivors.

During a second expedition, Estebanico, according to historical accounts, was killed at Zuni Pueblo.

Or was he?

British scholar Robert Goodwin suggested in his 2009 book, Crossing the Continent 1527-1540: The Story of the First African-American Explorer of the American South, that Estebanico may have staged his death to escape slavery.

University of New Mexico law professor Kevin Washburn, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, said Estebanico is forgotten in the Southwests story largely due to racism.

History cant just be the public relation job done by the victors, Washburn said. Its got to be everyones history.

Coleman, who is black and Native American, said some tribes blame Estebanico for hardships they later experienced and that may be another reason hes largely forgotten.

A Pueblo elder once told me, We never forgot it was you who brought them here,' referring to a black person leading the Spanish into New Mexico and Arizona, Coleman said.

The New Mexico Tourism Department doesnt know of any monuments or anything else named after Estebanico in the state, spokeswoman Bailey Griffith said. But the department had on its website information about him and his effect on the European settlement of New Mexico.Prev 1 of 7 Next

A Century of Art by Women Viewed in a Year of Truth traces the evolution of women artists in Taos in an overdue exhibition of 80 works.

Like that of most American museums, the Harwoods exhibition history is solidly anchored by men. But women were essential to the living legacy of Taos artists. The show features works by Catharine Critcher, the only woman to be invited into the male bastion of the Taos Society of Artists. It embraces colcha embroidery revivalist Frances Varos Graves, Rio Grande weavers and contemporary artists such as Erin Currier, art quilter Terrie Mangat and a recently donated white grid painting by the legendary Agnes Martin. The show encompasses the confluence of Hispanic, Native American and Anglo cultures within Taos staggering landscape.

The exhibition marks the first time the Harwood has highlighted works by all-female artists in its collection.

We were both quite familiar with the female artists in Taos, said Janet Webb, co-curator of the exhibit with Judith Kendall. But when we opened these archives, it was thrilling.

A vivid colorist, Critcher spent several summers in Taos. She was invited into the Taos Society of Artists unanimously in 1924.

She lived in Virginia, Webb said. She studied in Paris, like they did. She had a real connection with Washington, D.C.; she started art schools there.

Critcher studied at and later joined the faculty of the Corcoran School of Art. She never married.

(The men) had a lot of respect for her because she had a lot of artistic credentials, Webb said.

Contemporary artist Erin Curriers La Frontera presents her comic book-inspired vision of a land of dismantled borders anchored by people of color. The series occupies the museums Peter and Madeleine Martin Gallery.

Erin started living in Taos 15-20 years ago, Webb said. She worked in a coffee shop and did charming paintings using recycled materials. She lives in Santa Fe and shows at Blue Rain Gallery.

Currier uses recycled materials such as bits of poster in her art, although she paints the faces.

Its about the border, Kendall said. Its a lot of people who look like theyve lived hard lives.

Navajo artist Jolene Nenibah Yazzie completed a floor-to-ceiling mural for her Sisters of War.

The exhibit features a colcha piece by Frances Varos Graves, who helped revive the diminishing Hispanic wool embroidery technique in the 1930s.

Frances was born in Arroyo Seco, Webb said. She and her sister married Mormon brothers. They put her to work repairing Navajo rugs. The colchas were kind of a folk art where they took used blankets and embroidered them.

Jennifer Lynchs multifaceted Iridium, (2011) a byproduct of an asteroid hitting the earth, is a mammoth canvas of light, shape and abstraction created using printers ink. Lynch is a master printmaker at the University of New Mexico-Taos.

Terrie Mangats Taos Mountain Fireworks is a quilt embellished with embroidery and beads.

One of the few female artists who gained recognition in the male-dominated art world of the 1950s and 60s, Agnes Martin was a pivotal figure between two of that eras dominant movements: abstract expressionism and minimalism. Tundra was the last painting she completed in New York before traveling and eventually settling in Taos and later Galisteo.

It was this mythical piece that scholars knew about and nobody knew where it went, Webb said. Its a significant, important painting.

Photographer Zoe Zimmerman perhaps summed up the exhibition with her Bare, a photograph of a bald woman sitting naked on a pedestal.

Shes kind of a signature view of this show, Webb said. She feels like to show a woman bare of everything exposes her as the quintessential woman of today.

If you go

WHAT: A Century of Art by Women Viewed in a Year of Truth

WHEN: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; noon-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Runs through May 13.WHERE: Harwood Museum of Art, 238 Ledoux St., Taos.

HOW MUCH: $10 adults; $8 seniors (65+), $8 students, free to military and their families with ID; free to Taos County residents on Sundays. Call 575-758-9826; see www.harwoodmuseum.org.Now approaching its 12th anniversary, 516 ARTS has evolved into Albuquerques only non-collection contemporary art museum comparable to SITE Santa Fe though smaller and less generously funded.

516 ARTS current offering, The U.S.-Mexico Border: Place, Imagination and Possibility, is a knock-down, drag-out slugfest examination of the artificial nature of national borders and among the venues best efforts to date.

The show was curated by Dr. Lowery Stokes Sims and Ana Elena Mallet and imported from Los Angeles. The exhibition features work by 40 artists from the U.S. and Mexico and, due to its size, is shared with the Albuquerque Museum. This review covers the core of the original show with a few local additions at 516 ARTS.

We are currently inundated with artificial intelligence, virtual reality and seemingly transfixed by hand-held devices that place the entire world of information at our fingertips. Well, a lot of it anyway.

This exhibition emblemizes a growing global groundswell of artists who are re-establishing the ascendency of the handmade one-of-a-kind object. The show features pottery, furniture, paintings, sculpture, collage, installation and yes, even a few videos and, heaven help us, a couple of QR codes for your smartphone.

In the front window Albuquerque multimedia artist Augustine Romero offers Alien With Child, one of a series of watchtower-inspired sculptures dealing with the plight of survival. His work alludes to the incredible dangers of desert border crossings and the toxic term illegal alien.

Los Angeles-based artist Eduardo Sarabia is a talented master craftsman and potter whose A Thin Line Between Love and Hate installation of excellently executed traditional Talavera-style vases and beautifully painted packing boxes fills the east side of the second room.

Sarabias contemporary pottery motifs and box designs set aside the lovely 16th century blue-on-white floral themes of original Talavera pottery in favor of imagery addressing the current clandestine border traffic, including illicit cargo, drugs, sex workers and undocumented migrant laborers.

His prodigious skill set elevates Sarabias most controversial design elements to the level of high fine art, much like Francisco Goyas late 18th century and early 19th century painting protesting war and mans inhumanity to man.

Long before the arbitrary border was drawn between what are now the U.S. and Mexico, Aztecs traded parrot feathers with the Anasazi people. And centuries before that, the art and technology of ceramic pottery came to the region from the south.

During the Spanish colonial period, Navajo and pueblo weavers moved from cotton to wool with the introduction of Churro sheep. Design motifs imported from Persia to Saltillo, Mexico, were adopted by Navajo weavers, giving birth to the Saltillo diamond pattern.

Marcos Ramirez ERRE reaches back to Greek mythology to make his border commentary. In the southwest corner of the ground floor gallery, Ramirez has installed a creature on wheels titled Toy An Horse a beautifully crafted sculpture of a two-headed wooden horse a la the Trojan War. The exhibition model was made in 2016.

Ramirez includes a photograph of the monumental-scale original executed and installed on the Tijuana-San Ysidro border in 1998 that measured 32 feet tall and 28.8 feet long.

The impeccable craftsmanship and overall drop-dead gorgeous design of Ramirezs two-part project make it my favorite of the show. Ill leave it to viewers to interpret the nuances and implications of his effort.

The issues surrounding the border have long roots. In 1973, Rupert Garcia created Cesen Deportacion! (Stop Deportation) a hand-printed serigraph. The print in the current exhibition was pulled in 2011. Its strong graphic design featuring barbed wire over a blood-red background implies the violence involved in border protection.

There are works addressing the border wall issue and even one complex presentation of shoes and sandals made by hand.

This is an exciting and powerful show that is well-worth a long visit. Two thumbs up.The New Mexico Real Estate Commission is warning of a time-share scam that has been targeting real estate brokers and time-share owners with solicitations made through cold calls, email or regular mail.

Making the solicitations are unlicensed business entities that claim to be a full-service property management company, real estate brokerage or title and escrow company that lists and sell time-shares. The entities say theyre from New Mexico but cite a false business address in the Albuquerque area, according to an alert from the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department.

Those who are drawn into the solicitation are directed to forward various upfront transaction fees to an out of state or out of country, escrow company, the alert said.

Consumers might be drawn in because the callers identify themselves by using the names and license numbers of actual New Mexico real estate brokers, unbeknownst to those brokers, the alert said.

Department Director Mike Unthank said his agency has received a surge of inquiries about these calls.

Time-share fraud is a serious crime, which can cost consumers thousands of dollars, he said.

In New Mexico, a real estate license is required for anyone who gets paid to sell other peoples time-shares. If you receive a call from someone who says theyre a broker with an offer on your time-share, you can check the license with the states Real Estate Commission at 1-800-801-7505.

A few general tips, from the commission, for those thinking about buying a time-share:

 Be wary of companies that contact you out of the blue, whether it be by phone, mail, email or text. Search online for consumer complaints.

 Use extra caution when considering a time-share outside of the U.S. If you sign a purchase contract in another country, you will not be protected by U.S. laws.

 Avoid companies that do the following: say you will be able to simply walk away from a time-share by transferring it to a third party or give you an unqualified guarantee that they can sell it for you; refuse to meet with you in person; ask for upfront fees before providing services; ask you to pay cash or by wire transfer or tell you dont need to read or understand the agreement.

  

Heres another reason to be wary of returning phone calls from someone who doesnt leave a message.

The Scam Detector website reports about the costly danger of one-ring calls in which you get a single ring from a number you dont recognize.

The caller hangs up, but those who let curiosity get the better of them and call back may actually be dialing an overseas number. Part of the hook might be that the number looks like it comes from your area.

You might hear the following message: Youve reached the operator. Please hold.

If, in fact, youre dialing to Jamaica or somewhere else across the world, you could get hit up with an expensive per-minute charge, as well as an international rate.

In a nutshell, people who fall for this are paying a lot of money to talk to scammers, who will then try to bilk them out of more money.

  

If a Deputy Bryce Fuller claiming to be from the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Department calls, gives you his badge number and then tells you to bring a $1,900 payment to Albertsons, do this instead: Hang up.

The guy is telling local residents that they owe this amount for failing to appear for jury duty. He is even giving out a phone number that appears to be a legitimate sheriffs department line.

The Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office will NEVER call citizens and inform them of a warrant or request any type of payments over the phone, the office says. Do NOT fall victim to these scams.

Ellen Marks is assistant business editor at the Albuquerque Journal. Contact her at emarks@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3842 if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division at 1-844-255-9210, toll-free.Mayor Tim Keller chose local attorney and Albuquerque native 40-year-old Esteban Aguilar Jr. to be the new city attorney on Saturday.

Im pleased to appoint Steve to represent the people of Albuquerque, Keller said in a release sent Saturday. As a lifetime New Mexican, he understands the issues facing our city and will be critical to helping us enact our vision for a safe, inclusive, and innovative city.

In the release, Keller called Aguilar Jr. a seasoned litigator who has a great deal of experience in both law enforcement and non-law enforcement issues.

Aguilar, Jr. has worked in general civil practice for more than a decade at the firm Aguilar & Aguilar, P.C., he founded with his father. In that time, Aguilar represented clients in a variety of cases including business contracts, constitutional rights cases, medical and dental malpractice.

Aguilar told the Journal he got the news on Thursday, weeks after Kellers office reached out to him in early February to see if he was interested in the position.

Words cant express how excited I am and how honored I am, Aguilar said. I love the city  I always have. Its home.

As city attorney, Aguilar said he wants to make sure the office strives to maintain a high level of professionalism while efficiently and vehemently representing all of the citys interests.

Aguilar said he understands the position requires a lot of hard work and called it a tremendous opportunity.

Obviously, the legal profession is in my heart and the fight for justice, whatever that requires, is something Im passionate about, he said. Im up to that task and really anxious, and excited, to get started.

Aguilar completed his undergraduate degree in communications and journalism at UNM in 2002 while serving as the student body vice president and went on to get his law degree from UNM School of Law in 2005.

Aguilar has served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Civic Values and the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, among others, and is admitted to the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.WASHINGTON  In his expanding war over global trade, President Donald Trump has aimed his harshest rhetoric at an unlikely target  the closest U.S. allies.

In Twitter posts while at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday, Trump vowed to strike back at European leaders who said they would retaliate for his promised tariffs on aluminum and steel.

Bring it on, Trump warned.

If the EU wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance! he tweeted.

The country that escaped Trumps tweeting ire was China, the very nation the president has wanted to hit hardest and the one that is largely responsible for flooding global markets with cheap steel. In return, China, which provides just 2 percent of U.S. steel imports, has been the most muted among leading trading partners in its response to Trumps tariff threats, calling them misguided but not threatening a response.

Instead, the biggest burden of Trumps new tariffs  25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum  would be borne by Canada, the largest trading partner with the United States.

Canada is the largest exporter of steel and aluminum to the United States, supplying $7.2 billion of aluminum and $4.3 billion of steel to the United States last year. Yet in goods and services, the United States runs a trade surplus with Canada, which buys $48 billion worth of U.S. automobiles and $40 billion of machinery, in addition to agricultural products.

The steel and aluminum tariffs would also hit the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Turkey and Japan, countries with which the United States has extremely close national security ties.

The president is going to quickly find out that you cant start a trade war with your allies and expect them to work with you on other issues, said Jamie Fly, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund. The administration is squandering the little credibility they had with transatlantic partners at a time when theyre asking them to help fix the Iran deal, fight terrorism and increase defense spending. It will not work.

And while Trump has promoted his new tariffs as part of an America First plan, any benefit in terms of jobs could be far outweighed by increased steel costs for U.S. automobiles, wind turbines, shale oil and gas drilling rigs and more  in many cases doing unintended harm to some of his own strongest domestic constituencies.

Trumps tariffs are inconsistent with the Administrations goal of continuing the energy renaissance and building world class infrastructure, American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard said in a statement. The U.S. oil and natural gas industry, in particular, relies on specialty steel for many of its projects that most U.S. steelmakers dont supply.

Trade experts say the president has exaggerated and oversimplified the trade issues with Europe.

The United States already imposes a 2.5 percent tariff on the import of foreign cars and a 25 percent tariff on the import of foreign trucks and commercial vans. The European Union charges a 10 percent tariff on the import of U.S. cars.

The new tariffs and the presidents truculent rhetoric triggered angry responses among the countries closest to the United States and who are part of the World Trade Organization, which has for years helped reduce global tariffs.

Allies should not be treated as scape goats, Mr. President, wrote a German member of European Parliament, Reinhard Butikofer, on Twitter. Or is it your goal to make America lonely?

Trumps new attack on European automakers is mostly a direct threat at Germany, which exported $23 billion in cars to the United States in 2016, according to data aggregated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

But large German automakers also have a sizable presence in the United States, with BMW employing thousands of workers in South Carolina and Volkswagen employing thousands more in Tennessee. Those manufacturers produce hundreds of thousands of cars in the United States each year, many of which are later exported to buyers in Asia and Europe.

Some European lawmakers appeared frustrated that Trump was targeting automakers that have large U.S. manufacturing operations.

The EU will be forced to respond to US protectionism, but does not want tradewar! wrote a Dutch member of the European Parliament, Marietje Schaake, on Twitter. By the way, German carmakers alone made [845,000] cars in the US in 2016, the bulk (around 2/3) for export. The world is interconnected, not zero-sum.

Canadas leaders have said they would retaliate with tariffs on U.S. exports. On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Trumps move absolutely unacceptable, using the same phrase as Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, who also threatened retaliatory measures if Canada isnt exempted from the trade actions.

Likewise, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said his bloc planned to hit back at the United States by imposing tariffs on targeting U.S. products such as bourbon from Kentucky  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells home state  and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which are partly manufactured in House Speaker Paul Ryans home state, Wisconsin.

On Friday, Trump wrote in another Twitter post that trade wars are good, and easy to win. He also promised to enact what he called RECIPROCAL TAXES on any country that has a tariff against any U.S. good or service.

Trump has been cheered on by some union leaders and a few close advisers within the White House. They believe U.S. policy has been too complacent for decades and allowed foreign countries to steal away U.S. jobs through unfair government subsidies and unbalanced tariff rules. Even if Trumps approach shatters the status quo, they believe it is necessary.

This whole idea that theres a big downstream effect  its just part of the fake news thats going to be put out to oppose these tariffs, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told Fox Business on Friday. A penny for a six pack of beer  thats worth it to put Americans back to work in two industries that we need.

Trump has been particularly critical of situations in which the United States buys more goods and services from other countries than it sells to them. To that end, U.S. firms sold $53 billion in exports and imported $118 billion in goods from Germany last year, the kind of dynamic that he has often complained about.

Still the tariffs on steel and aluminum Trump unveiled last week are not crafted in a way that would target China, which last year sold $375 billion more goods and services in the United States than what it had ordered from America, according to the Commerce Department.

Chinese officials initially reacted to Trumps tariff threats with strong language.

What an extremely stupid move, Li Xinchuang, vice secretary general of the China Iron and Steel Association, said Friday. A desperate attempt by Trump to pander to his voters, which I think in fact runs counter to his America First pledge.

But beyond such rhetoric, Beijing has not threatened specific ways it would retaliate. And the overall tone has been more muted, analysts said. That may be because China exports so little steel and aluminum directly to the United States.

In contrast, Jean Simard, president of the Aluminum Association of Canada, said that his industry has been integrated into the U.S. economy for more than 50 years and that the Pentagon considers Canadian aluminum production a strategic military supply.

Simard said nine of 15 U.S. aluminum smelters have closed in the past four years, but he blames their demise on a surge in Chinese production and the fact that they face high power costs and have never been modernized.

Through access to cheap capital and electricity, and soaring domestic construction boom, Chinas aluminum and steelmakers have grown sharply. Chinas steelmakers have gone from producing 15 percent of the worlds crude steel in 2000 to producing 50 percent in 2016, according to the World Steel Association. China produces eight times as much as the second biggest producer, Japan. (The United States ranks fourth.)

Critics of Trumps approach have often complained that tariffs and trade wars only drive up costs for domestic consumers, a move that would make German cars more expensive for U.S. consumers. Trump has also said these sorts of threats could incentivize foreign companies to expand their U.S. operations so they dont have to pay the import fees.

Trump has been hammering the German auto industry since before taking office, incensed at their move to expand production in Mexico and threatening them with a 35 percent tariff on any cars brought into the United States.

One of Trumps top advisers, Navarro, also holds the view that German automakers have stolen market share in the United States by importing cars but limiting the number of U.S. cars sold into their country, two people involved in White House deliberations said. Navarros stature within the White House has grown in recent weeks as Trump has turned toward advisers with protectionist views as he became frustrated that his trade agenda was floundering.

German officials have spent much of the past year trying to convince U.S. policymakers that they have a healthy trade relationship in the United States that benefits both countries. But Trump has a frosty relationship with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and these personal relationships can spill into policy decisions at the White House.

White House officials have even discussed launching whats known as a 301 investigation into German automakers, a step that could preclude levying tariffs or other restrictions, a person familiar with discussions said.

On trade policy, President Trump appears to be listening to advisers with views far outside mainstream economics, said N. Gregory Mankiw, a Harvard economics professor who was chairman of President George W. Bushs Council of Economic Advisers. I dont know any respected economist, conservative or liberal, who thinks this is the right approach to promoting prosperity.

  

The Washington Posts Michael Birnbaum in Brussels, Simon Denyer in Beijing and Alan Freeman in Ottawa contributed to this report.NEW YORK  They crowded around the White House conference table this past week, lawmakers from California, Connecticut, Texas and Florida, eager to share their states painful experience with gun violence.

One key state was not represented. No one from Nevada, home to the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history just five months ago, attended the televised discussion with the president.

But in the politics of gun control, even those who say the least have considerable sway. Despite a clamor for action in the wake of the Florida school shooting, a powerful group of vulnerable lawmakers  both Republicans and Democrats  have pointedly avoided the national conversation about guns.

They often choose strategic silence rather than get crosswise with the National Rifle Associations die-hard supporters on the right or the growing movement of passionate gun control advocates on the left.

The office of Nevadas senior senator, Republican Dean Heller, would not say why did he did not attend the White House meeting. Heller, who is facing a tough re-election fight, has avoided the spotlight in the subsequent days as well, declining to address specifics about his positions on gun legislation.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment about whether Heller was invited to the event. The states Democratic senator, Catherine Cortez Masto, and its three Democratic representatives also did not attend.

Heller spokeswoman Megan Taylor declined to say whether the senator supported universal background checks, raising the age for gun purchases to 21, or provisions to ban high-capacity magazines and assault rifles, all ideas tossed out by lawmakers or President Donald Trump in recent days.

He looks forward to continuing discussions with his colleagues as Congress explores ways to enhance compliance with existing law and keep our communities safe, Taylor said.

Heller has signed on to legislation known as Fix NICS, a modest measure supported by the NRA and intended to encourage better participation in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. It was one of the few gun bills to find bipartisan support and appeared poised to move ahead, only to be sidelined.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican who has said little about the gun debate in recent days, said Thursday that no gun-related legislation would be heard in the coming week.

Without this silent majoritys support, there is little chance for significant gun control legislation to become federal law, no matter how loud the outcry from high school students and others who are pushing for action.

The stalemate infuriates Ryan Works, a 40-year-old father of two, who hid under a table at an October concert in Las Vegas as a gunman shot and killed 58 and wounded more than 800. A Republican, Works offered an emotional message to Heller and elected officials in both parties who are reluctant to take on gun violence.

Step up and do something, he said in an interview, almost shouting as he described shopping for bullet-proof backpacks for his 5- and 8-year-old children. Show us that you care and youre going to protect us.

Hellers muted response at an extraordinary moment highlights the weight of his political predicament.

Running for re-election in a state Trump lost, he must win over a significant number of independents and moderate Democrats in Novembers general election to earn a second term. But first, he must survive a primary challenge from a conservative firebrand in a state where GOP primary voters value gun rights above almost all else.

The challenge is easy to see in recent polls. Two out of three adults in the United States want stricter gun laws, CBS found in a poll conducted a week after the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Florida. But among Republicans, 54 percent want gun laws left alone or made less strict.

Thats likely why the most politically vulnerable elected officials have kept their heads down, leaving the heavy lifting to elected officials facing less political risk this fall.

On the Senate floor this week, blue-state senators such as Vermonts Bernie Sanders, Massachusetts Ed Markey and New Jerseys Cory Booker offered fiery speeches about gun violence. Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, a swing-state Republican whose current term ends in 2022, re-emerged as the face of the push to expand background checks. Arizona Sen. Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican who is retiring at the end of this year, was partnering with California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on legislation to move the age to buy long guns to 21.

Those Democrats running in Republican-leaning states this fall were far less conspicuous.

North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, both Democrats running for re-election in states Trump won handily, have said nothing about gun violence from the Senate floor in recent days, but made statements honoring constituents who had recently passed away.

Heitkamp supports the Fix NICS plan and co-sponsored a bill that would prevent those on the terrorist watch list from buying guns, her spokeswoman said. The senator has previously opposed so-called bump stocks, which the Las Vegas shooter used to increase the firing speed of his semi-automatic rifle. But the spokeswoman did not clarify whether she would support universal background checks, higher age limits, or provisions to ban high-capacity magazines and assault rifles.

In a statement, Heitkamp decried horrific mass shootings and called for a bipartisan conversation in Congress about long-term solutions to gun violence.

Similarly, Donnelly, who previously voted for universal background checks and backs Fix NICS, said little more about the issue when pressed for specifics.

I believe that Congress should take steps to reduce gun violence, while protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens, he said in a statement.

At the White House meeting, the Democratic Partys most vulnerable 2018 class was represented only by Sen. Joe Manchin, a former West Virginia governor, who encouraged the president to help promote the so-called Toomey-Manchin plan to expand background checks.

Trump seemed to embrace the proposal during the Wednesday meeting, but he hasnt mentioned it since a Thursday night meeting with the NRA, which opposes the plan.

Dont expect Heller to mention it either.

Should he win his primary, he will likely face Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen, who isnt shy about her support for virtually every gun control measure on the table. She was quick to note Hellers low profile in the debate.

His silence speaks volumes, Rosen said. How can you have tragedy in your own state, like the massive one we had here, and not have it forever change you, and not speak out, and not respond to these families?

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Jill Colvin in Washington contributed to this report.This is in response to the Albuquerque Journals Feb. 26 editorial regarding the states Land Grant Permanent Fund (LGPF). The editorial criticizes the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops (NMCCB) support for funding early childhood education through the LGPF and the observation that there might be an element of institutional racism. At the same time, the Albuquerque Journal concedes a significant achievement gap exists. A racial element is that 80 percent of New Mexicos children are children of color who would benefit greatly from the programs offered through the Early Childhood Amendment, House Joint Resolution 1.

When you look at the evidence, it is alarming. According to Kids Count, the data on fourth-graders who scored below a proficient reading level shows Native children at 90 percent, Hispanic at 83 percent, African American at 76 percent and White at 61 percent.

The Journal asks where the evidence is; yet on multiple occasions, it has cited evidence that early childhood education improves child well-being and breaks the cycle of poverty. Quoting the Legislative Finance Committees (LFC) Early Childhood Accountability Report: The LFC has consistently found pre-kindergarten programs improve math and reading proficiencies for low-income four-year-olds as well as lowering special education and retention rates. LFC has also found pre-kindergarten programs deliver a positive return on investment for New Mexico taxpayers based on improvement in test scores.

The Journal asks where the plan is, yet since 2012, every New Mexico legislator has seen the blueprint of the proposed plan found at www.investinkidsnow.org. The research we provided was also referenced in the House of Representatives recent February debate.

Constitutional Amendments are introduced as Joint Resolutions. They do not appropriate money, nor specify how existing programs will be funded. Funds are managed by state legislators through enabling legislation. The same legislative process is followed when appropriations for highways are made; it is illegal to name specific contractors.

One of our highest priorities is the well-being of children, which is why the NMCCB continues to support HJR1. The Journals top priority appears to be the Land Grant Permanent Funds size in the future.

According to HJR1s Fiscal Impact Report, the fund will be at a record high $28.68 billion by 2030, even after the proposed increased early childhood appropriation. In 25 years, with the extra distribution to early childhood, the 5 percent distribution for K-12 would be approximately $1.4 billion per year, more than twice the current distribution. The proposal is prudent.

In addition, the state would be achieving 7 percent to 13 percent returns on its investment; e.g. increased tax revenue and lower incarcerations. Independent research says funding early childhood education saves money in the K-12 system because of subsequent benefits in cognition, academic achievements and behavioral and emotional competencies. We will experience reductions in child maltreatment, delinquency and crime and social welfare program use. And beyond K-12, we will have an increased number of employable New Mexicans.

We understand that, because of his childhood experiences, Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, as quoted in a Searchlight New Mexico piece in the Feb. 18 Las Cruces Sun-News, plans for the worst. However, today, one third of our children live in poverty and are experiencing the worst right now.

The Legislature did not reject the resolution; it failed to reach the floor because of the unilateral decision of this one person. The House of Representatives had the opportunity to debate its merits numerous times and passed the resolution. The resolution should be sent to the whole Senate for a review by all senators, hearing the publics input and the debate of the facts.

After eight years, the opposition has not brought forward a suitable alternative because there is not one that can generate revenue substantial enough to satisfy the unmet need.

Addressing inequities is our responsibility. As Pope Francis says, Poverty in the world is a scandal in a world where there is so much wealth.Investigators were trying to figure out why a Central Michigan University student charged with fatally shooting his parents acted so strangely the day before the killings that he was taken to a hospital.

The shooting happened Friday after James Eric Davis Jr.s parents picked him up from that hospital and brought him to his dorm to pack up for spring break. University police Chief Bill Yeagley said the 19-year-old can be seen on video in the dorms parking lot with the gun before he entered the residence hall where his parents were shot around 8:30 a.m.

Davis Jr. has been charged with two counts of murder and a weapons charge in the shootings of his father, Eric Davis Sr., and mother, Diva Davis, university spokeswoman Heather Smith said. Davis Sr. was a part-time police officer in Bellwood, Illinois, and Yeagley said the gun used by Davis Jr. belonged to his father.

At a press conference Saturday, Yeagley declined to say whether drugs were found in Davis Jr.s system. He declined to say what type of gun was used or whether it was his fathers service revolver.

Davis Jr. was initially taken to a hospital after his arrest early Saturday but will be moved to a jail once hes discharged. It was not immediately clear when he will make his first court appearance.

Authorities said Davis Jr. fled after the shootings, prompting an intensive manhunt in the area. He was arrested without incident shortly after midnight when someone aboard a train spotted a person along railroad tracks in Mount Pleasant, and called police, Yeagley said.

Central Michigan is at Mount Pleasant, about a 285-mile (460-kilometer) drive from the familys hometown of Plainfield, Illinois, in south suburban Chicago. The shooting occurred on a day when parents were arriving to pick up students at the university for the beginning of a weeklong spring break.

Yeagley said witness statements and video indicate that at the time they were shot, Davis Jr.s parents were in his fourth-floor dorm at the campus Campbell Hall simply packing up for spring break.

Davis Sr. had been a longtime member of the Illinois Army National Guard, serving in the Iraq War and later as a recruiter, according to Illinois National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Brad Leighton.

An officer was so concerned about Davis Jr.s erratic behavior that he had spoken to his mother about possible drug use before the parents arrived on campus.

The mother said she too was concerned this could be drugs, he said.

Yeagley said Davis Jr. had not been previously identified by campus officials as someone that others on campus were concerned about.

Mr. Davis was not ever reported, and we had no interaction that were aware of with him in any negative fashion  with anybody  prior to this incident, he said.

University President George E. Ross said the shooting had left the campus and surrounding community traumatized. There were thousands of people who were sheltering in place yesterday and they will be dealing with this for the rest of their lives, he said.A former Trump administration appointee running for Congress in a closely watched race in southern New Mexico says his university is trying to fire him for seeking the seat.

Gavin Clarkson, a business law professor at New Mexico State University, said last week that the school told him that his leave of absence had been revoked and his employment would be terminated if he didnt return to work.

The Republican said he requested a leave of absence until January 2020 after he was appointed to a Bureau of Indian Affairs position. The letter granting my leave did not specify that the leave was contingent on anything or subject to revocation, Clarkson said in a statement.

But Clarkson resigned from the agency last year after a harsh inspector general report into the loan program he directed, according to stories by ProPublica and The Washington Post. Clarkson called the reports fake news and said he stepped down to run for Congress.

New Mexico State spokeswoman Minerva Baumann told The Associated Press that the university doesnt comment on personnel matters.

The race is one of many expected to draw national attention in 2018, because it may help determine which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives.

Democrats have long targeted the heavily Hispanic district along the Mexican border where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans. But it has remained in GOP hands, largely due to the popularity of incumbent Rep. Steve Pearce, who is stepping down to run for governor. Pearce has attracted support from Hispanics and the regions oil and gas interests.

Clarkson, an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, is one of four Republicans seeking the seat. The others are state Rep. Yvette Herrell, former Hobbs Mayor Monty Newman, and Lovington resident Clayburn Griffin. Former Eddy County Commissioner Jack Volpato quit the race Thursday.

Las Cruces water attorney Xochitl Torres Small and U.S. Coast Guard veteran Madeline Mad Hildebrandt are seeking the Democratic nomination.The people of Gallup take seriously their 2014 designation by a national travel company as the most patriotic small town in America.

No one takes it more seriously than Kenneth Riege, who has turned the lobby and conference room of his Comfort Suites hotel into a veterans and military service memorial that features items such as photos of Navajo Code Talkers and memorabilia donated by veterans over the years.

One of the features is a plaque with the names of the approximately 130 Gallup-area residents killed in Americas military conflicts going back to World War I through the war on terror, along with blank dog tags with their names written on them.

The hotel display has become a popular destination for people passing through Gallup who have an interest in military history.

Riege, who served in the Air Force and moved to Gallup after he got out of the service, was honored with a New Mexico True Hero award in 2016.

He is a close friend of Medal of Honor recipient Hiroshi Miyamura and helps him with logistics and travel for speaking engagements  something he considers an honor.

As for the display: I just wanted to do something to honor those who have served.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

Many people, including the governor, thought Justin Quintana would spend nearly the rest of his life in the states mental health hospital awaiting the time hed be stable enough to stand trial for shooting and killing his mother, Susan Kuchma, a State Police officer, in 2007.

The assumption  and for some, the hope  was that hed never become well enough to understand the proceedings, which is the threshold for being legally competent to stand trial. He would likely stay at the secure, locked wing of the states Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, N.M., for as long as he would have stayed in prison had he been convicted.

At least at the Behavioral Health Institute, Quintana would receive help for his schizophrenia and wouldnt be a threat to the public or himself. And he wouldnt be in prison, which many deem an inhumane destination for a severely mentally ill person, even if they committed a heinous crime.

But surprise.

In late 2016, Quintana was found competent to stand trial. (John Hyde, who is accused of killing five people in one day in Albuquerque in 2005, was also rumored to have been found competent about the same time.)

Yet Quintana never stood trial before a jury.

He was released from the institute last month. Where he is now isnt publicly known.

The case leaves his and Kuchmas family, and the court parties involved, pleading for other options to keep the public  and Quintana  safe.

Here is what happened, from the very beginning:

Susan Kuchma gave birth to Quintana when she was 17. Kuchmas niece and Justins cousin, Tenika Sosa-Gonzalez, of Las Cruces, said Kuchma adored her son and was heartbroken as serious mental illness surfaced as he grew older. And, for his part, Quintana loved his mother, too.

I want to make sure people know how much he and Susan loved each other, Sosa-Gonzalez said in a recent interview.

She tried everything she could to help her son when his hallucinations and paranoia brought him close to snapping, possibly violently.

Sosa-Gonzalez, who now serves on the Disability Rights New Mexico board of directors and oversees mental health treatment as a registered nurse at a Las Cruces hospital, said that Kuchma over and over again took her son to emergency rooms, hoping to get him held long enough for him to stabilize on medication or to get him committed to a mental treatment facility.

Hed be fine while on medicine. Hed stop taking it. Hed go into crisis. Kuchma, by this point a State Police officer, and Quintanas father couldnt get him help.

Susan died trying to get him help, Sosa-Gonzalez said.

In December 2007, Quintana, then 25, broke into Kuchmas house in Las Cruces, stole a gun and later killed her with it. She was 43.

He was ruled incompetent to stand trial and sent to the states Behavioral Health Institute to receive treatment to get him to the point of competency.

Incompetent

There, a secure wing called the Forensic Treatment Unit hosts 84 beds for people facing felony charges who have been found incompetent to stand trial. On a recent day, it was at about 50 percent capacity, said Frances Tweed, executive director of BHI.

Then-District Attorney Susana Martinez, now governor, said at the time he was ruled incompetent that Quintana would likely stay at the Las Vegas institute for life, according to news reports. She said that if he ever were found competent, he would return for trial.

If a defendants treatment team finds they are still incompetent at any of the mandatory psychological reviews, the patient remains at the institute.

To be deemed competent, a person must be able to identify different players in a courtroom and understand the basic process, experts say. Who is the person in the black robe? What is a jurys role? Who is that attorney at the other table (the prosecutor)?

You can have people that are competent that still have a horrible mental illness and therein lies the problem, Quintanas defense attorney, Gary Mitchell, said in a recent interview.

Insane

In New Mexico, a defendant who is determined legally insane at the instant of a crime can be found not guilty by reason of insanity. People found not guilty in this way can be released into the public like any other not guilty person  even if they remain seriously mentally ill and dangerous.

Sosa-Gonzalez, other family members, numerous doctors, the prosecutors on the case and even Mitchell, known as a fierce advocate for his clients, all agree that Quintana was insane when he killed Kuchma, according to court documents and interviews.

That means if Quintana ever went to trial, it would be very difficult to convict him of first-degree murder. He could be found guilty and be sent to regular state prison. But much more likely, he would be found not guilty by reason of insanity and released.

In October 2016, a BHI psychologist found Quintana competent, and a follow-up review in August 2017 found him still competent, though fragile, tenuous and marginal.

I knew right when that came back that there was a real problem here, because I knew there was no mechanism to keep this guy in jail, said 3rd Judicial District Attorney Mark DAntonio. I put two senior attorneys on the case who said that the evidence was pretty overwhelming that he was insane at the time of the murder.

And even if he had been found guilty at trial, DAntonio said, agreeing with Mitchell and others, prison is not the place for people like Quintana.

Trying the case wasnt the proper thing to do. I couldnt ethically prosecute the case, he said.

So DAntonio and Mitchell made a plan.

The plan

Knowing Quintana would walk free  and would be vulnerable to crisis  DAntonio and Mitchell wrote up an agreement in September 2017 in which they say Quintana killed his mother and was insane at the time.

More importantly, they say in the document, he continues to suffer from the mental disease and is dangerous if not treated  and without proper treatment would be insane, dangerous and incompetent.

Most importantly, they asked state District Judge Douglas Driggers to send Quintana back to BHI until he is treated to sanity or until he is no longer dangerous. Driggers agreed, signing off on the plan.

It was an unprecedented move.

We knew that remedy was novel, creative. But we had to try as hard as we possibly could to find a viable solution, DAntonio said, noting family members endorsed the plan. They want their family member safe, but they also want their community safe. They dont want a second victim.

The plan triggered a legal protest from the New Mexico Department of Health, which oversees BHI. Officials there said the plan didnt do enough to protect Quintanas rights, would cause chaos at its facility and wasnt legal, according to court documents.

Sosa-Gonzalez said that, in her profession, which she chose as a direct result of Kuchmas murder, she is very aware of the crucial civil rights of people with mental illness.

I understood what they (attorneys) were trying to accomplish, but I knew in the long run it wouldnt hold water, she said.

Mitchell said it was worth a try, especially if the case brings attention to mental health laws and the lack of treatment options.

He is my client and people look at me and say, You should be advocating to have your client released. First, I have to have my client live, and second, make sure hes in a situation where hes not going to be killed or hurt somebody else. Thats what I was doing, Mitchell said.

Ultimately, the state Supreme Court agreed with the DOH and BHI in a Jan. 9 ruling, saying that DAntonio and Mitchells plan to keep Quintana at BHI wasnt legal and Quintana had to be released free and clear.

But Quintana was officially not guilty by reason of insanity, as set out in the court plan, and there was nothing left for prosecutors to do. This was essentially the end of Quintanas case.

The news of his release triggered a wave of protest from Gov. Martinez, Attorney General Hector Balderas, State Police officials and some family members. Martinez called it a complete injustice and said there should have been a trial.

Commitment

In their ruling, justices gave prosecutors a 15-day period to come up with a second plan.

Remaining options: civil commitment or make a new law (with the Legislature set to begin in eight days).

DAntonios office pursued a civil commitment.

A judge can order a civil commitment to BHI, or another facility, if a person is likely to inflict serious bodily harm to self or others and would benefit from treatment and if that commitment is the least drastic means available.

An initial civil commitment lasts 30 days, after which BHI recommends release or extended commitments  if the person is still dangerous and needs that level of help  of up to six months or one year. Extended commitment can be renewed.

These procedures are not public  even the initiating prosecutor isnt alerted to what results from them  so exactly what happened in Quintanas case isnt publicly known.

But Quintana was released from BHI about 40 days after the Supreme Court ruling. What that means is that Quintana was kept for some period of civil commitment, at the end of which BHI determined he did not meet the requirements to extend his commitment.

He was released, according to family members, DAntonio and Mitchell. He was also ordered by the court to have a treatment guardian, a person to oversee his medical decisions. The level of that oversight isnt clear.

Mitchell said he has no other involvement in Quintanas case because it is over. Still, he worries for his former client.

Everybody involved in this case has tried to figure out a solution because its not right to convict someone and put them in prison when they are insane. Thats just inhumane, Mitchell said. But at the same time, society has to be protected, and we have to have some method of doing that that meets due process.

Terms to know

Incompetent: This term is used in criminal proceedings to indicate a defendant does not understand what is going on well enough to proceed with trial. An incompetent person can be treated to a level of competency. Sanity: In a legal sense, this term, very simplified, is about whether a person was able to tell right from wrong at the time of a crime. Its different from incompetence, though often the two come together.EL PASO  A binational summit brought together water leaders from New Mexico, other U.S. border states and Mexico to share innovative solutions for managing scarce water resources in the Southwest.

The water supply is going to be 30 to 40 percent less for the next 100 years, said Michael Hightower, a researcher at the University of New Mexicos Center for Water and the Environment.

Hightower was among 270 participants at the Two Nations One Water summit, which wrapped up Friday. The three-day gathering included researchers, policymakers and water managers.

Many of the panelists at the summit, hosted by El Paso Water Utilities and the University of Texas at El Paso, focused on the need for better managing water resources in the Southwest border region during anarid cycle.

Weve lost civilizations in the Southwest during each one of these arid cycles, Hightower said. Which one of these civilizations are we going to lose? Is it going to be Phoenix? Is it going to be Las Vegas? Is it going to be El Paso?

He moderated a panel on desalination and groundwater management on the border that included experts from New Mexico, Texas and Baja California. Desalination is the process of removing salt from sea water or groundwater so it can be used for human consumption or irrigation.

New Mexico is a little bit luckier. We have some of the largest brackish groundwater resources in the country. We just have to be intelligent about how we use those resources, Hightower said.

The summit agenda Thursday included a tour of the El Paso Water Utilities desalination plant, the largest such inland plant in the world.

Participants also had the opportunity to visit the U.S. Bureau of Reclamations desalination research facility in Alamogordo on Wednesday. That New Mexico facility provides testing that is critical to developing commercially viable technologies for using brackish water.

NMSU associate professor Dr. Pei Xu gave a presentation about a pilot program to use brackish water from the Mesilla Basin to meet the needs of the growing border population in Sunland Park and Santa Teresa. He said water quality varies in the region.

Water policy along the Southwest border has often been defined by conflict and crisis, but the summit focused on collaboration.

One panel highlighted the historic Minute 323 agreement as a global model for managing shared watersheds. The addendum to the 1944 Water Treaty, which was signed last year by the U.S. and Mexico, commits both countries to address Colorado River water shortages, conservation and storage goals.

It came after years of cross-border negotiations and face-to-face meetings.

We got together every month. We sat at the table. We ate at the same table. We shared the same beers. We shared the same whiskeys and tequilas, Carlos de la Parra with the Colegio de la Frontera Norte told the audience during a panel discussion about the agreement.

De la Parra played a role in the negotiations for Mexico and advised the summit participants, You need to get together more often.

Others at the binational summit agreed on the need for cooperation to better manage scarce water that crosses the border and state lines.

Otherwise, New Mexico would have its water policy decided by the courts, said UNM professor of meteorology and climatology Gregg Gutzler, who gave a panel discussion titled Drought and the Rio Grande.

A dispute between New Mexico and Texas over Rio Grande water has reached the Supreme Court.

Its always best for solutions to these water challenges to be worked out among the parties involved, rather than having a decision imposed from the outside, Gutzler said.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

The New Mexico Environment Department recently released new policies on public participation in its permitting process, but some community groups are concerned there was no public participation involved in creating them.

I cant imagine anything more ironic, Deborah Reade, research director of Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping (CARD), said in a news release sent along with three other groups. While these policies are supposed to be designed to protect communities most directly impacted by the potentially adverse environmental effects of such facilities, NMED closed the door to all public input when drafting these policies.

NMED in late February released three new policies covering public participation, limited English proficiency and non-employee disability as part of an informal resolution agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The January 2017 agreement was reached after CARD and other groups filed a complaint in 2002 that claimed NMEDs public participation process, namely during the permitting process and decision to permit southeast New Mexicos Triassic Park Hazardous Waste Facility, violated federal civil rights laws.

NMED admitted no fault through the agreement, which states, NMED understands that meaningful public involvement consists of informing, consulting and working with potentially affected and affected communities at various stages of the environmental decision-making process to address their needs.

The alleged violations included insufficient access to translation and interpretation services for Spanish speakers in the affected area.

NMED general counsel Jennifer Hower said the department denied requests from CARD to participate in drafting the new policies as outside groups are not permitted to assist in internal policymaking.

NMED has also recently hired a full-time translation and interpretation manager.

But Reade and others throughout the state still feel the new policies are inadequate.

The policys definition of vital documents that should be translated is too vague, said Lindsay Olsen of Yale Law Schools Environmental Justice Clinic, which represents CARD.

Another issue Olsen identified is the four-mile radius around affected sites that would be preliminarily screened to form a Public Involvement Plan, which would include translation services and other outreach efforts.

The groups also contend that the NMED has proceeded with 200 public processes since the agreement and that none of these processes has complied with the provisions of the agreement.

Development and implementation of the policies throughout our 21 Field Offices and 14 Bureaus was not instantaneous  however public outreach continues as we work to thoroughly integrate the enhanced best practices that flow from the new policies, NMED spokeswoman Allison Scott Majure said in an email.

Hower said the strong definition of vital documents was taken directly from the EPA.

The policies also allow for flexibility in determining the area around sites to be used in creating a Public Involvement Plan, Hower said.

Because of New Mexicos vast and varied topography and populations, the above parameters are subject to revision, the policy states.

Hower said the department does provide adequate accommodations for Spanish speakers but still views the agreement and new policies as opportunities for improvement.

We wanted to make sure they were really strong policies, Hower said. We didnt decide to do these policies just to get rid of the complaint. We did this because it was the right thing to do.

CARD sued the EPA in 2015 for an unreasonable delay in dealing with the complaint.

The EPA is mandated with completing investigations of civil rights complaints within 180 days.

That lawsuit is pending.PHOENIX  Authorities have released the name of a 5-year-old girl who was fatally run over by a tour bus after she ran from a north Phoenix hotel room and into a parking lot.

Phoenix police say no charges are being filed in the death of Makinzie Johnson.

They say the bus was driving slowly Friday night in the parking lot near Interstate 17 when the girl was run over after she ran into the rear driver side of the bus.

Police say the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

The say the bus driver was evaluated at the scene and showed no sign of impairment.

The name of the bus driver wasnt released.DENVER  A grass fire near a rural Colorado community southeast of Denver has destroyed five homes and four barns but no one has been hurt.

Authorities say the fire in Elbert County began sometime about 10 a.m. Sunday and was driven by strong winds.

By mid-afternoon it had burned about 375 acres (152 hectares), but firefighters had gained about 90 percent containment.

Homes in the area were ordered evacuated while firefighters battled the fire.

Authorities said there were not initial reports of livestock being lost.

Another brush fire broke out near Fort Carson near Colorado Springs, threatening a housing area, but firefighters were able to save the homes.NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas  George P. Bushs campaign flyers in Texas declare that hes standing beside our president  the one who called his dad, Jeb, an embarrassment to his family and a pathetic person.

At a political forum outside San Antonio, another Republican candidate brags about his bigly wins over Democrats. Another hopeful in Houston, just days after a mass shooting at a Florida high school killed 17 people, sent voters a photo of herself holding an assault rifle  below the words Kathaleen Wall stands with Trump.

Texas holds the nations first 2018 primary elections Tuesday, and the campaign is providing a vivid exhibition of the Trump effect in GOP politics. Some races are playing out in a roadshow of one-upping emulation of the combative president, in which theres no such thing as cozying up too close or too ardently, regardless of his rough edges or low approval ratings nationwide.

Im Robert Stovall, and like President Trump, I realize the swamp is the problem, begins a campaign ad for Stovall, a San Antonio Republican Party leader now running for Congress. He stands in a literal swamp wearing a Make America Great Again hat and cocks a shotgun at the end.

Its like nothing seen before in Texas politics, even when a Texan was in the White House. Love of George W. Bushs style of big government conservatism wasnt a staple of campaigns here. A decade later, his nephew George P. Bush, the Texas land commissioner, is thanking President Donald Trumps son Donald Trump Jr. for endorsing him in his bid for re-election.

Texas candidates arent alone in courting Trump diehards who make up the GOP base  and who can be counted on to show up in typically low-turnout primary elections. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who is running for governor, has trumpeted Trumps endorsement, while an outside group accuses his GOP rival of abandoning the president. In Indiana, three Republicans running for Senate are all portraying themselves as his most steadfast ally.

The impression of a Trump White House at war with its enemies is stoking the atmosphere. Its about hes our Republican president and if we dont stand together and we dont defend the party and conservative ideas, no one is, said Brendan Steinhauser, an Austin-based Republican strategist. A Quinnipiac University survey in late February put Trumps approval rating at 86 percent among Republicans but just 37 percent overall.

As Republicans brace for a difficult election this November  the presidents party typically loses congressional seats in the midterm cycle  they could not have asked for a gentler warm-up than Texas, where the GOP holds such a commanding edge that most election-year drama dissolves once the primaries are done. Democrats havent won a statewide race since 1994 and are not seen as favored to flip any of six congressional seats opened up by GOP retirements on Capitol Hill.

Among those leaving is U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, who in January lauded Trumps physical fitness and said Americans were better off getting their news straight from Trump than from the media. Some of the 18 Republicans trying to replace him dont stop there: Outsider candidate Mauro Garza says he is running because Donald Trump said I could be here. Chip Roy, a former top aide to Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, opens rallies by rhetorically asking how much better citizens lives were a year into a Trump presidency.

Congressional candidate Francisco Canseco cast the alternative in dark terms to one crowd in Comal County, which is sandwiched between Democratic-leaning San Antonio and liberal Austin and went more than 70 percent for Trump in 2016. If Hillary had won last election, America would be gone. Our Republic as we know it would be lost. But we are blessed to have Donald Trump, he said.

It was just what Al Torres, an undecided 64-year-old retired federal worker wearing a CIA jacket, needed to hear. His friends blame the news media for not giving Trump a fair shake and want a candidate on board with his agenda.

That was important to hear somebody say that theyre not going there and fighting him, but supporting him, Torres said.

___

Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pauljweberCopyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

Calling car theft rampant, Gov. Susana Martinez said Sunday that she will sign a bill aimed at stopping the sale of stolen vehicles to salvage yards.

House Bill 52 establishes an electronic system for salvage yards and other auto recyclers to verify with the state Motor Vehicle Division that the vehicle they're purchasing isn't stolen.

The signing comes as Albuquerque struggles with incredibly high rates of auto theft  the nation's highest in 2016, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Car theft is rampant in New Mexico  especially in the metro area, Martinez said in a news release. This bill will help protect New Mexicans across the state from thieves looking to steal their cars. No one should have to worry about their car being stolen when they go into the store or leave it in the driveway at night.

Martinez is headed into the signing deadline for legislation passed in the final days of the legislative session, when most of the work gets done. She has about 40 bills to act on by Wednesday.

Martinez, however, is in Park City, Utah, for a few days for Republican Governors Association meetings, which is paying for her travel. She returns on Tuesday.

So far, she has signed or announced the approval of 67 bills and vetoed four. It's a remarkable contrast with 2017, when she vetoed more than half the bills passed by the Legislature.

Lawmakers said they made a genuine effort to work across the aisle and compromise this year.

Martinez, a Republican and former prosecutor, is wrapping up her second term this year and cannot run for re-election. Democrats hold majorities in the House and Senate.

Anything Martinez doesn't sign by Wednesday is automatically rejected, a procedure known as a pocket veto.

House Bill 52 had bipartisan support. It was jointly sponsored by Rep. Monica Youngblood, R-Albuquerque; Sen. Howie Morales, D-Silver City; and Rep. Patricio Ruiloba, D-Albuquerque.

Under the legislation, auto recyclers will be required to alert law enforcement if the vehicle they're buying has been reported stolen. They must also stop the sale. Failing to check or halt the sale would be a misdemeanor, and a second or subsequent offense would be a fourth-degree felony.Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier?

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e live in a world of trouble. Conflicts today may be much less lethal than those that scarred the last century, but this brings little comfort. We remain deeply anxious. We can blame terrorism and the fear it inspires despite the statistically unimportant number of casualties it inflicts, or the contemporary media and the breathless cycle of breaking news, but the truth remains that the wars that seem to inspire the fanatics or have produced so many headlines in recent years prompt deep anxiety. One reason is that these wars appear to have no end in sight.





To explain these conflicts we reach for easy binary schema  Islam v the west; haves against have-nots; nations that play by the rules of the international system against rogues. We also look to grand geopolitical theories  the end of the Westphalian system, the west faced by the rise of the rest  or even just attribute the violence to geography. None of these explanations seems to adequately allay our concerns.





This week Mohammad bin Salman, the young Saudi Arabian crown prince, will be in London. One topic he will be

is the war raging since 2015 in its neighbour Yemen, where Saudi forces lead an alliance of regional powers against Houthi rebels. The war, part of a Saudi policy of adopting a more aggressive external posture, is not going well. It is a stalemate which has left

dead.





Last week Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistans embattled president, announced a bold plan to

process. Commentators spoke of a last desperate gamble to bring an end to conflict that has gone on so long that there are western soldiers soon to be deployed to the country who were in nappies when it started in 2001.





In Syria, where the civil war is now in its seventh year, there is no respite either. Ghouta, a rebel-held suburb of Damascus, is under daily bombardment after years of siege. Militia manoeuvre for advantage across the country. If anyone thought the fall of Raqqa, the headquarters of

(Isis), would bring an end to hostilities, they were sadly mistaken.





Nor are these long wars  which could include Somalia (at war since 1991) or Libya (since 2011) or Mali (since 2012)  restricted to the Islamic world. There is South Sudan, where a vicious four-year-old civil war is intensifying, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where more

last week. The east of the DRC was the crucible of a huge conflict that killed 5 million people between 1997 and 2003 and has remained unstable ever since. Thousands have died and millions have been displaced by conflict there in the last 18 months as anarchy overcomes swaths of the vast country.





It is more than four years since Russia annexed Crimea and helped to foment a rebellion in Ukraines industrial east.CAIRO  At least 12 people were killed and dozens of others injured in a Feb. 28 collision between two trains in Egypt's Beheira governorate. The tragedy reignited an ongoing debate over a postponed rise in train ticket prices and the urgent need to develop the neglected railways.

A price hike had been scheduled for early February, but Transportation Minister Hisham Arafat said in a Feb. 13 press statement that the increase was postponed to allow citizens, especially students, to buy subscriptions before the increase. The change now is set for the end of the school year in June.

Arafat said the hikes are needed to save the railway system from collapse. The National Railways Authority has incurred losses of 1 million Egyptian pounds (roughly $57,000) annually, largely because of rising fuel prices. Also, the debts accumulated by the railway for 20 years reached about 40 billion Egyptian pounds ($2.2 billion) in fiscal year 2016-17, which ended in June.

The increase will also help cover maintenance costs and spare part prices, which have risen with the liberalization of the exchange rate, the Transportation Ministry said in a Jan. 23 press statement.

The increase in ticket prices aims to [provide] 800 million pounds [around $45 million] a year, Arafat told Hona al-Asima TV in a show that aired in January. The increase  is entirely related to improving the service.  The ministry will not be able to spend on railways if the situation remains as is for much longer.

The railway system has a dismal safety record.

Youm7 newspaper reported that the increases will range from 15% to 50% for air-conditioned trains, 140% to 150% for regular trains and 15% for luxury trains. However, Assistant Transportation Minister Amr Shaath told Al-Monitor the ministry has yet to determine the official increase rates.

Shaath said the increase will not compensate for the railways 40 billion pounds in debts and 55 billion pounds worth of projects necessary to upgrade electronic signal systems. If we want to have a proper railway, we need to save 100 billion pounds [around $5.6 billion]. The increase in the ticket price will not save this amount, he added.

Ticket prices are calculated based on the number of kilometers traveled, starting at 1 pound per 25 kilometers for ordinary third-class trains tickets, which have not changed since 1999. Tickets for air-conditioned cars rose in 2015.

The National Railways Authority estimated its commercial activity cost in 2016-17 at 8.5 billion pounds ($482 million), against 4 billion pounds ($227 million) in revenue, with a financial deficit of 4.5 billion pounds ($255 million). The authoritys deficit is expected to reach 5 billion pounds at the end of fiscal 2017-18, according to a report by the Egyptian parliament's Planning and Budget Committee.

Railway expert and consultant Emad Nabil said that raising ticket prices will offset only between 7% and 10% of the authority's losses. The increase will reduce the gap between revenue and expenditure, but it will not save the railways from collapsing, he told Al-Monitor. Other unconventional measures to save the railway sector should be put in place in parallel with the price hike.

Unconventional measures, according to Nabil, include entrusting trains and stations to investors under a usufruct right agreement, allowing them to exploit the railway for a specific period. These investors would develop the stations, purchase the necessary spare parts, construct solar power plants and use the space on both sides of the railway for advertisements.

The best way to exploit the revenue of rail tickets is to invest in the management of railways, in the sense of bringing foreign companies to manage the authority. Poor management is our main problem," Nabil added.

The Transportation Ministry is supervising implementation of railway investments of around 55 billion pounds ($3.1 billion), including developing and modernizing electronic signal systems, leveling crossings, purchasing 200 new train locomotives, rehabilitating 81 train locomotives and buying 1,300 new vehicles.

In January Arafat said citizens will notice improved service by April 2019.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas underwent some medical checks in Baltimore on Feb. 22, and therefore he had to cancel his visit to Venezuela. But while the test results were satisfactory, Abbas political health is in much poorer shape, to say the least.

According to a senior PLO official who is close to Abbas, the president was shocked by the US decision to move its embassy  or at least parts of it, including the ambassadors office  from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May. Still, Abbas public reaction could be considered mild, compared with the rage expressed in Ramallah. The Palestinian leadership already understood that US President Donald Trumps policies were 100% on Israels side, but to implement such a policy on Israels 70th anniversary (which in the narrative of the Palestinians marks 70 years since their national catastrophe  the Nakba) is viewed as a public attack against Abbas. More so, the Palestinian leadership considers this move as deliberately weakening Abbas position in public opinion.

The official argued that this American move is a gift to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, HaBayit HaYehudi leader Naftali Bennett, Hamas and Hezbollah. Abbas has stood by diplomacy since 1988. Now there is not a single Palestinian left who believes that diplomacy will lead anywhere.

Intense deliberations at the highest Palestinian level took place in the aftermath of the US decision, leading to several policy decisions.

The first was to convene an emergency meeting of the Arab League to denounce the US move, reiterate that East Jerusalem is the Palestinian capital and call on world countries to establish their embassies to Palestine in East Jerusalem. Ramallah also decided to ask Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to intervene vigorously with the US administration. In parallel, the Palestinian Authority (PA) will approach the European Union and Russia to engage in a new peace initiative based on Abbas Feb. 20 address to the UN Security Council.

Abbas is suggesting an international conference on a two-state solution, under the auspices of the P5+1 (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States plus Germany). His closest advisers Nabil Shaath and Saeb Erekat have been in touch on this policy initiative with EU headquarters in Brussels and with the Emmanuel Macron administration in Paris. Abbas himself raised it in his last meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 12.

A senior EU official close to High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini told Al-Monitor that Brussels was very much taken aback by Trumps decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem in May. The European source qualified this decision as a kiss of death for any realistic US peace initiative.

According to this European diplomat, the EU will wait for another few weeks to ensure that there is no real US initiative, and then it will launch deliberation about an EU-led peace process initiative, led by France.

Such an initiative would entail a long list of elements. On the Iranian file, it will be comprised of a common policy on keeping the Iran nuclear deal intact while reaching out to Tehran to guarantee the implementation of the agreement. The EU will launch a dialogue with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on curbing Tehrans regional ambitions, especially concerning the Tehran-Damascus-Beirut axis against Israel. Preventing the export of sophisticated missiles to Hezbollah will also be on the table.

On the Israel-Palestinian issue, the initiative would guarantee Israel that its security interest will be enhanced, not under threat, by a peace process. An element in that direction would be anti-terror cooperation with Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The initiative will call for an international peace conference on a two-state solution along the lines of the two Paris peace conferences, to take place possibly in Brussels. The terms of reference would be the conclusion of the last Paris Conference on Jan. 15, 2017, and the 2002 Arab Peace initiative. The United States, EU, Russia and China would be invited to co-chair the conference. Israel will be requested to cease settlement construction during the eventual peace process (the official added that Brussels could not predict which Israeli government will govern in Jerusalem at the end of 2018).

In parallel, the PA will be asked to halt all incitement for violence and enhance security cooperation with Israel.

The European diplomat said that a major point in these eventual negotiations would be the boundaries between West and East Jerusalem. He also said that all permanent status issues would be simultaneously on the table.

More so, the fate of the Gaza Strip would also be part of these negotiations, provided there would be one Palestinian government and security force in the West Bank and Gaza. The Europeans are planning to offer significant assistance to the Palestinian economy, both West Bank and Gaza, and a possible upgraded (non-EU member) status for Israel and the Palestinians after permanent status.

Last, the initiative would offer Israel normalization of ties with the Arab states based on the Arab peace initiative.

A senior Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs official reacted to these propositions in a condescending way. He stated that only Trump is Netanyahus motto. Yet given the one-sided US policy and the political crisis in Israel, an EU policy initiative should not be ruled out in 2018-19. Otherwise a policy vacuum could leave the door open to violence.Israeli gesture would offer prospect of new chapter

Last week this column wrote that US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfields shuttle diplomacy between Lebanon and Israel over a disputed gas field cannot ultimately be separated from either Syria or the broader issues in the region. There can be no talk about Block 9 without discussing the Blue Line, the disputed border demarcation between Israel and Lebanon, which cannot be disentangled from the Syria question, which in turn is connected to the relationships between the United States, Israel and Iran.  The Satterfield mission and the prospects of a back channel to Hezbollah and Iran, via the Lebanese government, may provide an opening to de-escalating a potential conflict on Israels borders, while beginning the needed spadework for an eventual settlement of Israel-Lebanon border issues.

This week Akiva Eldar picks up the thread, writing, When Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said 'a diplomatic solution is preferable for both sides,' he is in fact confirming that Israel is conducting diplomatic contacts with Hezbollah. Israel claims, quite rightly, that Hezbollah is the regional sales rep of Irans Shiite republic. Therefore, Israel is also conducting negotiations with Iran.

Eldar explains that there are always indirect contacts, such as the 2011 negotiations with the Hamas organizations on the deal for the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Such was also the case when top Israeli officials met at the 1991 Madrid Conference with Palestinian representatives from the West Bank who, in fact, took their orders from the PLO, which Israel had not recognized at the time.

The American mediation efforts between Israel and Lebanon have reached a dead end, Eldar continues. The indirect negotiations between Israel, Hezbollah and Iran have made way for military threats.  What we do know is that Israel is not preparing to open a direct communications channel with Iran, and not just to discuss the gas dispute. This is in fact regrettable; Israel and Iran could forge the 'ultimate deal' for the sake of their security and well-being of their citizens.

He concludes, Netanyahu has a proven track record of convincing authorities in Washington to undermine Iranian interests for the sake of what he views as Israeli ones. It is time for him to use his influence to forge a new relationship with Iran based on mutual interests. This includes, of course, a regional peace arrangement and an end to Israels 50-year occupation of Palestinian land. At worst, the attempt will fall flat, the Saudis will be angry but Israel will have shown the world that it seeks peace. At best, Israel will fend off the threat from its strongest rival in the Middle East and from its partners in Syria and Lebanon. A deal with Iran will not wipe the slate clean on Netanyahus various police investigations, but it will signal the beginning of a major important chapter in the history of the State of Israel.

Iran singles out Iraqi odd couple

An unusual Iraqi political alliance has caught the attention of Iran.

Ali Akbar Velayati, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's top adviser on international affairs, said during a visit to Iraq last month, We will not allow liberals and communists to govern in Iraq.

Velayati was referring to the electoral alliance between the Sadrist movement, the civil movement and the Iraqi Communist Party in the upcoming elections, Ali Mamouri writes. Since the last elections in 2014, the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, has been adopting a stance independent of Iran. His followers have repeatedly shouted slogans against Iran and its regional symbols such as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

Velayatis statements were deemed as unwelcome interference in the May elections by Iraqs secular parties. Meanwhile, Velayati made the expected rounds. In addition to his official meetings with President Fuad Masum and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Velayati met with Shiite leaders close to Iran, such as former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, head of the Wisdom Movement Ammar al-Hakim, head of the Badr Organization Hadi al-Amiri and Sheikh Humam Hamoudi, the head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Mamouri reports. The choice of the figures Velayati met with indicates that Iran is apprehensive about the state of political disintegration within Iraq's Shiite community, which could have serious post-elections repercussions that would result in the formation of an Iraqi government that is more distant and independent from Iran.  As usual, Velayati failed to meet with top Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani and other religious authorities during his trip to Najaf, because of the policy of the citys religious figures not to receive Iranians who make inflammatory statements about Iraqi domestic affairs.

He concludes, Iran will continue to pressure its proxies in Iraq to set up a strong political alliance against their rivals in order to make sure they win a political majority that would enable them to form a government following the election."

Hawija braces for IS-PMU escalation

Fazel Hawramy reports that the Islamic State (IS) propaganda channels on the messaging app Telegram have been buzzing with reports of dozens of assassination attempts on Iraqi security forces, mainly in the Hawija area in southwestern Kirkuk province.



The litany of assassinations and warnings by some field commanders went generally unnoticed by the government in Baghdad, which is preoccupied with the upcoming elections in May, Hawramy writes. The government inertia continued until the afternoon of Feb. 18 when an intelligence unit of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) was ordered to go to Saadouniya village near Hawija, 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of Baghdad. A group of IS militants had laid an ambush for the PMU unit, and within half an hour of the arrival of the unit near the village, the young PMU fighters who were mainly from Basra and unfamiliar with the area were decimated.

He adds, There are fears that the response by the PMU to the Saadouniya massacre could alienate the local Sunni population, which is brutalized by three years of IS' bloody rule. The PMU has deployed a large force from its notorious, Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous) to the area, which is certain to cause a further rift with the small Sunni population that has returned to the area. The day after the attack, a number of houses in the village of Saadouniya were blown up by the PMU on the pretext of belonging to IS members. One popular PMU Facebook page displayed images of severed heads of alleged IS militants and called for revenge.In his recent speeches at Justice and Development Party (AKP) meetings, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to be more chauvinistic than ever with frequent impassioned references to war sagas. With the battles at Afrin, the dose of his nationalistic and martyrdom utterances has increased, so much so that on Feb. 24 at a party meeting in Kahramanmaras he called on Turkish men who have already served in the army to be ready to go to Syria.

Addressing his supporters who were chanting, Our leader, take us to Afrin, Erdogan said, Dont worry. Once we decide to go we will not leave you behind, but take you with us. Now we are dispatching our trained cadres. Those who received mobilization orders should get ready. But at this moment we dont need them. The minute we decide we will hit the road.

Turkish males are subject to conscription when they reach the age of 20, and they are required to mobilize until the age of 41.

Following Erdogans remarks that those who have received mobilization orders should be ready, millions visited the official website of the Ministry of Defense to find out if their name is on the list. Due to the heavy traffic the site went down quickly.

Devlet Bahceli, the chairman of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which has decided to enter into an elections alliance with the AKP and to support Erdogan, answered the presidents call by saying, We are ready for mobilization. It is time to hoist the Turkish flag over Afrin. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim got into the mood by dressing up in military attire at a meeting of the AKP's youth wing in Kocaeli.

The spirit of nationalism and shouts of war do not spare small children either. Erdogans photo shoot with children wearing military outfits at an AKP meeting and his calling a little girl dressed in a military commando uniform to the stage prompted bitter reactions, even though he had tried to console the crying girl.

Sezai Temelli, the co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, said this was but an attempt to militarize society by making children wear military uniforms. He said children are being primed for death and martyrdom, adding, We are engaged in politics to create a safe society for our children while others are ready to send those little children to the front line.

Erdogan Toprak, the deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party, said that instead of mobilizing Turkish citizens to fight in Syria, first the Syrian men in Turkey should be called on. Toprak said there are more than 800,000 Syrian males in Turkey between the ages of 18 and 41.

We are supporting Operation Olive Branch for the security of our country and our borders. While our soldiers are fighting terror organizations in Afrin, Jarablus and Idlib, millions of Syrians live in security of the camps and our cities, working, having fun and even starting businesses. To defend Syria above all is the national obligation of Syrians born there, who know the geography and grew up there. Syria belongs to the Syrians, he said. To those who opt to preserve their lives and property by escaping to other countries instead of staying and defending their own country, we can only say: Go defend your land. To exploit national sentiments in domestic politics by dressing children in military uniforms and making them cry by asking 'Are you ready for martyrdom?' is nothing but exploiting national sentiments and is unacceptable.

Another name opposing the parading of children in military uniforms at AKP meetings is Kerem Altiparmak, a human rights legal expert and lecturer in the faculty of political sciences at Ankara University. Referring to the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child, he wrote on Twitter, According to Article 3 of the Childrens Rights Declaration, all state bodies must give priority to the rights of children in all activities concerning children. This principle cannot be ignored for any reason, including national interests.

Serdar Degirmencioglu, visiting lecturer at Universite Libre de Bruxelles, was quoting as saying by Turkey's independent media outlet Bianet that one of the objectives of the last 15 years of AKP rule has been to raise new generations glorifying martyrdom, by naming schools, parks and even kindergartens after martyrs  people who have died for their country or for a cause. He said as if that wasnt enough, 4- and 5-year-olds are made to enact martyrdom in battles at school. In Turkey's mainly Kurdish province of Diyarbakir, six children who were killed in a fire in their Quran seminary in December 2015 were declared martyrs. The goal is to have Turkish children accept war and death as a duty, as their destiny and even as an objective.

When the debate that started with Erdogans call for the mobilization of Turkish men became a major controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag was forced to clarify that those who have received their mobilization papers do not yet need to report to their units. While the military operation in Syria is used to infuse stronger sentiments of nationalism in domestic politics, the latest report of the International Crisis Group warns of growing public opposition and virulent reactions targeting Syrians in Turkey.

The International Crisis Group report, titled Turkeys Syrian Refugees: Defusing Metropolitan Tensions, says 78% of poll respondents believe Syrians have made the country less safe, while 75% believe they cant live in peace with Syrians. Last year, clashes, tensions and other criminal incidents between Syrian refugees and Turkish citizens increased threefold compared to the year before; 35 people, 24 of them Syrians, have died in those incidents. The report notes that many incidents with Syrians are not reported by the mainstream media as the parties to the clashes usually refrain from going to the police.

Ethnic tensions between Syrian refugees and Turks is rising due to the high unemployment rate and unregistered Syrian workers. Many Turkish businessmen of Kurdish origin in the southeast prefer to employ Syrian Turkmens instead of Turkish citizens of Kurdish descent, increasing ethnic conflict.

The governments national mobilization for Syria on pretexts of combating terror and ensuring border security contribute to increasing negative sentiments of the Turkish public toward Syrians. The government seems to be aware of this trend. No wonder officials now talk of settling some of the Syrians in Afrin.

But Erdogan and his new election ally, the MHP, want to keep the winds of nationalism blowing until the 2019 elections. Today, with war and nationalistic feelings on the rise, there is not much reference to the increasingly deteriorating economic situation of the country. But negative economic trends may well force people to ignore nationalist currents and seek snap elections.A 75-year-old started posting his drawings on social media to communicate with his grandchildren. Now, hes an Instagram sensation.

Bucheon, South Korea  Lee Chan-jae is a 75-year-old grandfather living in South Korea.

However, he is no ordinary 75-year-old. Lee has 300,000 followers on Instagram, his global rise to fame being his drawings for his three grandchildren.

Lee never learned how to draw. He did not know how to use social media. But the sensation started when his daughters family moved to South Korea from Brazil, where his family had lived since 1981.

In Brazil, Lee did the school pick-and-drop service for his grandkids for almost six years after his retirement.

But his daughter and grandkids sudden departure to South Korea left him lonely with nothing much else to do. He talked about his feelings to his son, Ji, when he visited him in New York.

As a way to connect with his grandkids, Ji told Lee to draw a picture for his three grandkids daily and post it on Instagram.

An example of Lees work on his Instagram page [Lee Chan-jae]

But for Lee, this was not an easy task on multiple fronts.

He attended an art club in high school but did not learn how to draw professionally. For him, it was a hobby.

Social media was another challenge.

I had only used a mobile phone to make calls. I was at a bit of a loss and put off by social media, including Facebook and Instagram, Lee told Al Jazeera.

Lees son taught him how to use social media before he was able to draw, photograph what he had drawn and post it on Instagram.

The more pictures he draws, the harder it becomes to come up with an idea what to draw, said Lee.

He now lives in South Korea with his wife. However, this project is keeping his family members closer.

With an increasing number of followers and more attention on him and his work, the Instagram postings are now delegated within the family.

Closer to his family and an Instagram sensation, Lee is a happy grandpa [Joel Lawrence/Al Jazeera]

Once Lee draws a picture, his wife writes a story which then gets translated into English by his son and into Portuguese by his daughter so that a lot of people around the world can read it.

My wife, son, daughter, and I communicate every day. It has had a positive influence on our family bonding, said Lee.

The photos are now more than just a form of communication with his family. A lot of his followers tell him via comments on how Lees drawings felt very warm and made them tearful. The followers also said they wanted to suggest something similar to the parents.

It occurred to me that I should also start drawing pictures that could encourage such people, said Lee.

I never anticipated I would have so many followers. Now Im under even more pressure to draw good pictures.In part two of a series on North Korean defectors, Al Jazeera speaks to NG Hyeong, 81, who fled during the Korean War.

Seoul, South Korea  Around 31,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953.

Almost 71 percent of those defectors are female, most in their 20s and 30s.

Only a few take the most dangerous route through the Korean Demilitarized Zone that a North Korean soldier took late last year.

Most of the North Koreans defect via the long and expensive journey that takes them into China after crossing the Yalu River.

This journey takes the individuals to Chinas southern border into Vietnam and Laos before they arrive in Thailand.

They are often flown into South Korea from Thailand. Some even opt to go to the US, according to Liberty in North Korea, an NGO based in the US and South Korea.

But their arrival into South Korea does not signal an end to their worries and problems.

READ: Part 1  Korean government doesnt treat defectors as people

In part two of the series on North Korean defectors, Al Jazeera speaks to 81-year-old Nam Gyu Hyeong who fled as a 14-year-old student during the Korean War and worked his way up as a lawyer.

He now owns a section of the Naemdaemun market in South Koreas capital Seoul.

It was 1950 and I was a 14-year-old student. The US military was stationed near my town near Hyesan city in North Korea.

One afternoon, me, my 40-year-old cousin, his son and some seniors from school hopped on a military truck. We made it as far as the Geoje Island south of Busan where we were kept in a refugee camp for a year.

There were too many people in the camp so some of us were signed up to live with local families around the camp. The family I stayed with took really good care of me.

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In South Korea, I didnt feel different and never received different treatment for being a North Korean.

After we left the camp, we went to Busan before one of my seniors, who was kind of a police chief there, helped me out. I was just hanging out in the area for around two years and just getting by.

I then worked as an official in a small town in the North Chungcheong Province for a decade. While working, I would study at night and managed to get a law degree from Chungbuk college.

I then moved to Seoul and worked in a court for about four years before deciding to start a business with my friends.

Things moved well from there on and Ive been here in Naemdaemun market for three years now. My business partner has passed away and I now own this market.

I dont remember much about my hometown in the North. I left my family there. My parents are probably dead but my sister and cousins might still be there. I havent been in touch with anyone since I fled.

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I still keep in touch with the people that I fled with. Four of them have died. And because were old and busy, there arent that many opportunities to meet up.

There used to be a lot of gatherings among defectors from the North but I guess the new generations dont really care too much.

South Korea has been really nice to me. Its given me so much and I feel happy. I wish I can go back for a day and see my hometown but I doubt much of my family is left. I just want to see what has changed and what life is like now.

But I doubt that would be possible.

As told to Faras Ghani and Hae Ju Kang.Why are voices on the left still justifying the Syrian regimes indiscriminate bombardment of Eastern Ghouta?

As the death toll in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta reached nearly 700 in two weeks and continues to rise, many so-called progressive voices continue to justify the carnage.

Many are dead convinced that the regime is fighting al-Qaeda in Eastern Ghouta, which is using civilians as human shields  hence the hundreds of dead are not really the regimes fault.

A great number of leftist in the West and the East have been buying into regime propaganda for years now. From Australian academic Tim Anderson, whos claimed that Bashar al-Assad has not been involved in mass killings of civilians and was simply demonised by the imperial West to British and US journalists Robert Fisk and Seymour Hersh who have claimed the regime did not use chemical weapons in various attacks on civilians, leftist public figures continue to believe that the Assad dictatorship is a bastion of anti-imperialism in the region and needs to be supported.

They refuse to accept that over 500,000 people have been killed in the war, the vast majority by the regime, which, unlike the rebels, possesses, and uses indiscriminately, airpower (including the notoriously destructive barrel bombs dropped from helicopters).

Though there are historical reasons for these misconceptions by large sections of the left, in the middle of the current atrocious destruction and loss of life in Syria, they are simply inexcusable.

For me, it is unfathomable how people who have stood up for social justice and human rights across the world remain in support of a regime that has exploited its population economically and tortured and killed innocent civilians in the most horrendous ways possible. Or how people who had seen through US imperial war propaganda cannot see through the Russian equivalent of it.

Since I fled Syria in 2014, I have heard two common leftist myths about what is going on in my country. I want to address both of them below.

Its a regime change plot against a legitimate government.

Many people who didnt follow Syria back in 2011 and 2012 might not realise that the current conflict started with a true uprising in the country.

In March 2011, Syrians, including myself, joined the Arab Spring, and we had every reason to.

We dreamt of political and socioeconomic change, fair elections, and a state that respects us and our rights. And no one can tell us, especially no one from the free world, that our revolt was not justified.

The current president, Bashar Al-Assad, came to power in 2000. No, not through elections or even consultations with parties or consensus of community and religious leaders. He simply inherited the throne from his father, Hafez, after his death.

Hafez, too, was unelected: He came to power in 1970 in a military coup.

Syrians my age, and the three generations older than me, never voted in their adult lives. The only thing I ever voted in was Arab Idol.

The Syria of my childhood was a repressive police state. I grew up believing that the walls had ears and that you couldnt criticise the regime, even in your own house.

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In schools, we were brainwashed daily. I attended Baathist schools, where the presidents portrait adorned every wall. During the flag salute every morning, we called for the immortality of Hafez al-Assad before heading to class. We memorised songs praising him and the Baathist Party, we had to recite his speeches. He was our leader and father. When Hafez died in 2000, I was 9 years old. I cried because the person who Id always been told was immortal had died like a normal human.

The country belonged to the Assad family. You could not do business without going through them. Assads relatives and close associates had direct control over all import licenses and government contracts.

Bashars cousin, Rami Makhlouf, is the richest man in Syria. Makhlouf controls the major mobile phone company, TV channels, pro-government newspapers and used to control the oil and gas industry of the country before the war.

Before 2011, no political activities were allowed, to the extent that even attending political meetings could get you jailed and tortured for years. After the brief Damascus spring in the early 2000s, where we dared to hope things would change under Bashar, and the subsequent crackdown, we realised he will be just like his father.

Only, he turned out to be worse.

So in March 2011, when we saw Tunisians and Egyptians rising up and toppling their dictators, we thought we could also demand change. Despite all the institutionalised repression and propaganda, Syrians still took the risk and went out into the streets. People of all walks of life and background joined the protests  Christian, Druze, Muslim, Sunni, Alawite, Ismaili, Palestinians, Circassians, etc, young and old men and women demanded change.

We knew that the price for change would be high, but we had no idea it would be this high. Protesters were shot dead with live ammunition. I lost many of my friends, I was shot at. I witnessed people getting shot in the back by snipers and the police. People started disappearing en masse, never to come back; some turned up dead after arrests. And it was at that moment that Bashar lost whatever little legitimacy he might have had as a dictator.

So no, this is not a regime change imposed by the West. This is an uprising against an illegitimate dictator. We had and still have every reason to demand change.

We couldnt care less where the US stood on our struggle. Regime change when its demanded by people, who suffered under authoritarianism, is legitimate. That various powers, like the US and its allies in the Gulf and Turkey, have gotten involved in the conflict (and in fact, militarised it) does not delegitimise our struggle. And we expect international leftist movements to support us, not ignore or mock us.

The jihadis are hiding in Ghouta. The Syrian regime is fighting them.

Like in any chaotic conflict, radicalisation found fertile ground in the Syrian struggle. When people are exposed to tremendous pressure and injustice, tragically some will become radicalised.

The fact that there are some who took a more radical path in the past seven years, doesnt mean that everyone who is anti-Assad is also a terrorist.

In Syria  in Ghouta in particular  we have armed groups like Jaish-al Islam and Failaq al Rahman, Ahrar al-Sham, Hayet Tahrir al-Sham (which has a very small presence, despite what Assad might have you believe) and others  all of which have committed violations and human rights abuses.

However, this doesnt mean that Ghouta is populated by terrorists. Plenty of Syrians, not only in Ghouta but also across rebel-held areas, have stood their ground and resisted extremism and oppression from all sides. A good example are the activists Razan Zeytouneh and Samira al-Khalil, who were documenting violations on all sides in Eastern Ghouta, for which they were threatened both by the regime and armed groups in the area. They were abducted in December 2013 and have not been seen since then; their families have held Jaish al-Islam responsible.

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So yes, there have been violations by the armed groups, and yes, they have also shelled civilian areas in Damascus. But by looking at the abuses of only one side, you are missing the point: first, the general population in Eastern Ghouta  which suffers the most  is not fighting; two, the regime is killing on a massive scale. Shelling by rebels killed 64 civilians in February in the whole of Syria, while regime bombardment killed 852. The regime, too, has arrested, forcibly disappeared, tortured and executed tens of thousands of people.

And the Russian accusations that the armed groups are holding civilians back as human shields sound all too familiar. Every time the Israelis bombs Gaza, they slip into the same narrative; those 1,500 civilians who died in the summer of 2014 were also all human shields victims. The US, too, said the same about the nearly 1,000 people who lost their lives during the offensive on Raqqa.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, the US and Israel have all been involved in this conflict, but so have Russia and Iran. Rebel groups have killed civilians, and so has the regime  on a massive scale, too. You cannot condemn the crimes of one side without condemning the crimes of the other and still think you are a proponent of justice.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.More than 465,000 Syrians have been killed in the fighting, over a million injured, and over 12 million  half the countrys prewar population  have been displaced.

Here is how and why the conflict started:

What caused the uprising?

While lack of freedoms and economic woes drove resentment of the Syrian government, the harsh crackdown on protesters inflamed public anger.

Arab Spring: In 2011, successful uprisings  that became known as the Arab Spring  toppled Tunisias and Egypts presidents. This gave hope to Syrian pro-democracy activists.

That March, peaceful protests erupted in Syria as well, after 15 boys were detained and tortured for writing graffiti in support of the Arab Spring. One of the boys, a 13-year-old, was killed after having been brutally tortured.

The Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, responded to the protests by killing hundreds of demonstrators and imprisoning many more.

In July 2011, defectors from the military announced the formation of the Free Syrian Army, a rebel group aiming to overthrow the government, and Syria began to slide into war.

While the protests in 2011 were mostly non-sectarian, the armed conflict surfaced starker sectarian divisions. Most Syrians are Sunni Muslims, but Syrias security establishment has long been dominated by members of the Alawi sect, of which Assad is a member.

In 1982, Bashars father ordered a military crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in Hama, killing tens of thousands of people and flattening much of the city.

Even global warming is said to have played a role in sparking the 2011 uprising. Severe drought plagued Syria from 2007-10, causing as many as 1.5 million people to migrate from the countryside into cities, exacerbating poverty and social unrest.





International involvement

Foreign backing and open intervention have played a large role in Syrias war. Russia entered the conflict in 2015 and has been the Assad governments main ally since then.

Regional actors: The governments of majority-Shia Iran and Iraq, and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, have supported Assad, while Sunni-majority countries, including Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia supported anti-Assad rebels.

Since 2016, Turkish troops have launched several operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) near its borders, as well as against Kurdish groups armed by the United States.

Anti-ISIL coalition: The US has armed anti-Assad rebel groups and led an international coalition bombing ISIL targets since 2014.

Israel carried out air raids inside Syria, reportedly targeting Hezbollah and pro-government fighters and facilities.

The first time Syrian air defences shot down an Israeli warplane was in February 2018.





US and Russia

The US has repeatedly stated its opposition to the Assad government backed by Russia but has not involved itself as deeply.

Chemical red line: Former US President Barack Obama had warned that the use of chemical weapons in Syria was a red line that would prompt military intervention.

In April 2017, the US carried its first direct military action against Assads forces, launching 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air force base from which US officials believe a chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun had been launched.

One year later, on April 14 , despite Russian warnings, the US launched an attack together with France and the UK, at chemical weapon sites.

, despite Russian warnings, the US launched an attack together with France and the UK, at chemical weapon sites. CIA training: In 2013, the CIA began a covert programme to arm, fund and train rebel groups opposing Assad, but the programme was later shut down after it was revealed that the CIA had spent $500m but only trained 60 fighters.

Russias campaign: In September 2015, Russia launched a bombing campaign against what it referred to as terrorist groups in Syria, which included ISIL as well as anti-Assad rebel groups backed by the USA. Russia has also deployed military advisers to shore up Assads defences.

At the UN Security Council, Russia and China have repeatedly vetoed Western-backed resolutions on Syria.





Peace talks

Peace negotiations have been ongoing between the Syrian government and the opposition in order to achieve a military ceasefire and political transition in Syria, but the main sticking point has been the fate of Assad.

Geneva: The first round of UN-facilitated talks between the Syrian government and opposition delegates took place in Geneva, Switzerland in June 2012.

The latest round of talks in December 2017 failed amid a tit-for-tat between the Syrian government and opposition delegates over statements about the future role of Assad in a transitional government.

In 2014 Staffan de Mistura replaced Kofi Annan as the UN special envoy for Syria.

Astana: In May 2017, Russia, Iran and Turkey called for the setup of four de-escalation zones in Syria, over which Syrian and Russian fighter jets were not expected to fly.

After denouncing plans to partition Syria in March 2018, a follow-up trilateral summit was held in Turkey to discuss the way forward.

Sochi: In January 2018, Russia sponsored talks over the future of Syria in the Black Sea city of Sochi, but the opposition bloc boycotted the conference, claiming it was an attempt to undercut the UN effort to broker a deal.

Since the conflict began, as a Syrian rebellion against the Assad government, many new rebel groups have joined the fighting in Syria and have frequently fought one another.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) is a loose conglomeration of armed brigades formed in 2011 by defectors from the Syrian army and civilians backed by the United States, Turkey, and several Gulf countries.

In December 2016, the Syrian army scored its biggest victory against the rebels when it recaptured the strategic city of Aleppo. Since then, the FSA has controlled limited areas in northwestern Syria.

In 2018, Syrian opposition fighters evacuated from the last rebel stronghold near Damascus. However, backed by Turkey, the FSA took control Afrin, near the Turkey-Syria border, from Kurdish rebel fighters seeking self-rule.

ISIL emerged in northern and eastern Syria in 2013 after overrunning large portions of Iraq. The group quickly gained international notoriety for its brutal executions and its energetic use of social media to recruit fighters from around the world.

Other groups fighting in Syria include Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Iran-backed Hezbollah, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) dominated by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG).





Fighting in Syria continues on several fronts:

Idlib: In February 2018, shelling by Russian and Syrian forces have intensified on Idlib, especially since fighters from the Hayet Tahrir al-Sham group shot down a Russian warplane.

In April, Russia brokered a deal to evacuate opposition fighters from Eastern Ghouta in the south to Idlib in the north, Idlib being one of the few strongholds controlled by opposition fighters.

The province is strategically important for the Syrian government and Russia for its proximity to the Russian-operated Syrian Khmeimim airbase.

Homs: In April, an airbase and other Syrian government facilities in Homs became again the target of Israeli and US-led air strikes in which UK and French forces also participated.

The Syrian army recaptured the city of Homs in 2014, but fighting continues with rebels in the suburbs between Homs and Hama.

Afrin: Turkey and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) began in January 2018 a military operation against US-backed fighters in northwestern Syria, and announced the capture of Afrins city centre in March.

US troops are stationed in nearby Manbij, prompting fears of a US-Turkey confrontation.

Who is controling what in Syria? https://t.co/MlPM1aJf4Q pic.twitter.com/qz2dY2qvT0  Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 3, 2018

Now having gone on longer than World War II, the war in Syria is causing profound effects beyond the countrys borders, with many Syrians having left their homes to seek safety elsewhere in Syria or beyond.Former ruler of Panama was held in medically induced coma after brain surgery in March.

Manuel Noriega, Panamas former ruler, has died aged 83, the countrys President, Juan Carlos Varela, announced on Twitter.

Noriega was the countrys military ruler from 1983 to 1989, when he was removed from power by the United States during its invasion of Panama.

The death of Manuel Antonio Noriega closes a chapter in our history; his daughters and their families deserve a burial in peace, Varela said.

Muerte de Manuel A. Noriega cierra un capitulo de nuestra historia; sus hijas y sus familiares merecen un sepelio en paz.  Juan Carlos Varela (@JC_Varela) May 30, 2017

Noriega was held in a medically induced coma after suffering brain haemorrhaging in March. The haemorrhage occurred after Noriega underwent surgery to have a tumour removed from his brain.

During his rule, Noriega initially positioned Panama as a US asset in a region that was becoming increasingly hostile to Washingtons interests.

Born to a poor family with Colombian roots in 1934, Noriega was a career soldier, receiving his training in Peru and the US [Reuters]

He was commissioned into the Panama National Guard in 1967, and in 1968 promoted to lieutenant.

Noriega rose swiftly in the armed forces, becoming a key ally of General Omar Torrijos during a military coup in 1968. As the de facto leader from 1968 to 1981, Torrijos relied heavily on Noriegas network of loyal soldiers.

CIA informant

Noriega was soon promoted to head of Panamas secret police, a role which brought him into close contact with the CIA.

The US intelligence agency had a vested interest in protecting the strategic trade route of the Panama Canal, which was under US administration until 1977.

Noriega soon became a regular informant for the Americans and was rewarded with an estimated $320,000, although he claimed at his trial in 1990 he was a prize asset that cost the CIA millions.

Throughout the 1970s, he shook off accusations that he was orchestrating the disappearances of Panamanian opposition figures.

Noriega takes part in a conference at the Atlapa centre in Panama City in 1989 [Alberto Lowe/Reuters]

After Torrijoss mysterious death in a plane crash in 1981, the new military ruler, Ruben Dario Paredes del Rio, consolidated Noriegas power base by promoting him as the head of the security services.

Within a short time, power had effectively concentrated in Noriegas hands. In 1983, he succeeded Paredes as the de facto military ruler.

During the Reagan presidency in the 1980s, the US began relying heavily on Noreiga as an ally against Fidel Castros Cuba.

1989 surrender

In 1987, a former chief-of-staff who had worked under Noriega accused his former boss of corruption and electoral fraud, as well as being behind the plane crash in which Torrijos died.

The accusations triggered huge demonstrations in Panama.

Noriega defiantly stayed in power, with critics maintaining that the country had become a hub for Latin Americas drug trade, particularly in helping Colombias powerful Medellin cartel in laundering drug money.

In December 1989, US President George Bush ordered a US marine invasion to topple Noriega, who had become a liability and an embarrassment to US interests.

Noriega sought refuge in the Vaticans diplomatic mission in Panama City.

One US tactic to flush him out was to play deafening music non-stop outside the building. Noriega finally surrendered on January 3, 1990.

Prison terms

Noriega was flown to the US, with prisoner-of-war status, to face charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering.

In 2007, Noriega completed his 17 years of confinement in a Miami federal jail, but he was not a free man.

After completing his 17-year sentence, Noriega was extradited to France and received a seven-year sentence for money laundering.

But Panama wanted Noriega to return to face in-absentia convictions and two prison terms of 20 years for embezzlement, corruption and murder of opponents, including military commander Moises Giroldi, who led a failed rebellion on October 3, 1989, and Hugo Spadafora, whose decapitated body was found in a mailbag on the border with Costa Rica in 1985.

France approved Noriegas extradition to Panama in 2011 [Reuters]

In mid-2011, France approved his extradition to Panama.

Despite amassing great wealth, Noriega had worked hard to cultivate an image of a man of the people. He lived in a modest, two-storey home in an upper-middle-class neighbourhood in Panama City that stood in stark contrast with the opulent mansions customary among Latin American dictators.

He would only say hello very respectfully, said German Sanchez, who lived next door for 16 years. You may think what you like of Noriega, but we cant say he was anything but respectful toward his neighbours.

The humble, the poor, the blacks, they are the utmost authority, Noriega said in one speech.

Asking for forgiveness

While some resentment lingers over the US invasion, Noriega has so few supporters in modern-day Panama that attempts to auction off his old home attracted no bidders and the government decided to demolish decaying building down.

Late in life, the ex-leader essentially had zero influence over his country from behind bars.

He is not a figure with political possibilities, University of Panama sociologist Raul Leis said in 2008. Even though theres a small sector that yearns for the Noriega era, it is not a representative figure in the country.

Noriega broke a long silence in June 2015 when he made a statement from prison on Panamanian television in which he asked forgiveness of those harmed by his rule.

I feel like as Christians we all have to forgive, he said, reading from a handwritten statement. The Panamanian people have already overcome this period of dictatorship.

But for the most part Noriega stayed mum about elite military and civilian associates who thrived on the corruption that he helped instill and which still plagues the Central American nation of some 3.9 million people, a favoured transshipment point for drugs and a haven for money laundering.

He kept his mouth shut and died for the sins of others, Koster, the biographer, said in a 2014 interview. Nobody else ever went to prison.

Meanwhile, families of more than 100 who were killed or disappeared during his rule are still seeking justice.Deputy PM says no need for present government to be removed calling for stability in the country and a unity government.

Lesothos ex-deputy Prime Minister Mothetjoa Metsing has called for a national unity government, saying a broader coalition deal would ensure stability after a parliamentary election failed to give any party absolute majority.

Lesotho held elections last week, the third in five years, after Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, with whom Metsing had been in a coalition government, lost a no-confidence vote as prime minister in March.

Mosisili could have either resigned or advised the king to call snap elections and he went for the latter option.

He admitted defeat on Friday to his opponent Thomas Thabane, whose All Basotho Convention (ABC) emerged as the winner of 48 parliamentary seats but short of the 61 needed to form a government on its own.





Easing fears of instability, the prime minister resigned from office after the election results came through. He will still head a caretaker government until the new prime minister is sworn in.

There is no need for the removal of the existing government in office as we all agree that in order for Lesotho to be stable there is a need for a government of national unity, Metsing told a news conference late on Friday.

Thabane has said his ABC party would form a coalition government with three other parties: Alliance Democrats, Basotho National Party and the Reformed Congress of Lesotho.

The outcome reverses the result of an election two years ago when Mosisili removed Thabane by teaming up with Metsing and other smaller parties.

Lesotho, a nation of two million people, has been hit by several coups since gaining independence from Britain in 1966 and its last two elections failed to produce a winner with a clear majority.

READ MORE: Fighting the legacy of mining in Lesotho

Thabane, who governed from 2012 until 2015, and other opposition leaders fled to South Africa in 2015 after an assassination attempt.

Completely landlocked by South Africa, Lesotho is one of the worlds poorest countries and its economy is heavily dependent on its neighbour, to where it exports water and hydroelectric power.

South Africas Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa hailed the peaceful and democratic election in Lesotho and extended congratulations to the mountain kingdom.Two-day event brings together prominent figures from the worlds top broadcasting and media organisations.

Al Jazeera Media Network will host the second edition of the Future of Media Leaders Summit in Qatars capital, Doha, on Monday and Tuesday.

The conference aims to bring together the most prominent figures and leaders of the worlds top broadcasting and media organisations.

This year speakers will discuss issues relevant to global media corporations.

This event is unique and has become a remarkable platform that brings the largest number of officials from the media and technology organisations and companies to discuss the latest technologies related to the media industry, Al Jazeeras Executive Director of Technology and Operations Mohamed Abuagla said.

This year, the conference hosts international experts and keynote speakers from around the world to join a two-day series of discussions and seminars aiming to present a futuristic vision on the cloud technology, cyber security, artificial intelligence, the TV+, and the fast-paced technological progress in the industry, Abuagla added.

The talks and panel discussions during the two-day event will mostly focus on the future of newsrooms. The two-day event will not only focus on new technologies that will change the media in the coming years, it will also look at current issues in journalism.

One of the panels will look specifically at how fake and manipulative news is affecting journalism, and how it has eroded public trust in reporting.

The Future of Media Leaders summit was first held in 2017. Videos of last years event are available here.Exclusive Al Jazeera documentary uncovers new evidence of Saudi, UAE, and Bahrain involvement in the 1996 foiled coup.

An exclusive Al Jazeera documentary has uncovered evidence of the involvement of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain in supporting a foiled coup attempt to overthrow the Qatari government in 1996.

Airing for the first time on Sunday, the first episode of the investigative documentary incorporates interviews with leaders of the coup attempt who give testimony of the role of these countries played in plotting the overthrow. It also brings to light documents belonging to Saudi intelligence and the Saudi monarch about the plot.

The failed coup, dubbed Operation Abu Ali, took place during the month of Ramadan on February 14, 1996, one year after the former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani assumed the throne.

It was planned in conjunction with the then-police chief and cousin of the former emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The documentary reveals that a committee was formed to organise the coup led by:

Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed, then chief of staff of the UAE armed forces and current crown prince of Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa, then crown prince of Bahrain

Sheikh Sultan bin AbdulAziz, then Saudi minister of defence

Omar Suleiman, the late Egyptian intelligence chief and former vice president of Egypt

A group of men were ordered to raid the house of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa and place him under siege at his home, which was on the Al Rayyan Road [in Doha], one of the coup plotters told Al Jazeera.

While the operation was planned at 5am on February 16, 1996, those carrying out the operation were ordered by the current Emirati Emir Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed to execute the plan two days prior to prevent the operation from being uncovered.

After taking control over military and security installations, the coup plotters were to give the green light for militias to enter Qatar from across the Saudi border.

But the planned coup detat was discovered and thwarted.

If they had seized control, and if the forces had come in  whether from the UAE or the Emirates or Bahrain  they would have had no problem killing whoever they see in the street. They have nothing to lose, retired Brigadier-General Shaheen al-Sulaiti told Al Jazeera.

The airing of the documentary comes eight months into a blockade placed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, which have accused Doha of supporting terrorism  claims Qatar vehemently denies.

The documentary garnered many reactions on social media on the hashtag #_  the name of the Al Jazeera Arabic programme on which the documentary aired.

Things we learnt from #_:

1- Blockading countries have been salty for TWELVE whole years

2- MBZ has always been and will always be the human version of a devil

3- Ramadan (holiest month of the year) is when these people think of doing the unholiest acts  Maha Al-Ansari (@MahaAlAnsari) March 4, 2018

https://twitter.com/aBodizeRQatar/status/970392595829473280?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwAl-Qaeda affiliate claims deadly Burkina Faso attacks

An al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed responsibility for attacks in Burkina Faso that left 16 people dead, including eight gunmen, at the army headquarters and French embassy.Annual congress expected to green-light move to do away with term limits, a move Donald Trump apparently appreciates.

A Chinese official defended President Xi Jinpings move to abolish presidential term limits saying it would strengthen the countrys governance as the annual National Peoples Congress was expected to green-light the move.

With the two-week legislative session beginning on Monday, the body is being asked to amend the Constitution so Xi can serve more than two terms in office, which could mean he remains Chinas leader for life.

Zhang Yesui, a spokesman for the National Peoples Congress, said on Sunday that Chinas Communist Party does not have provisions such as term limits, so the Constitution shouldnt either.

Its conducive to upholding the authority of the Central Committee of the party with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core and also to unify leadership. Also, it will help strengthen and improve the countrys governance, Zhang said of the plan.

Xi is likely to get his way. The National Peoples Congress is viewed as a largely rubber-stamp body controlled by the ruling Communist Party and has never voted down a proposal from party leaders.

Some were critical of the move to do away with presidential term limits.

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Most of the modern countries in the world adopt this two-term presidency. Thats why people find it unbelievable that Xi is going to stay in power more than two terms, said political commentator Deng Yuwen.

He said the move would end inner-party speculation about who will replace Xi after his new six-year term expires.

How can the China dream be realised if nobody listens to him? He cant let that happen. Thats why he wants to send this signal: Ill continue to be leader and youd better stop guessing who my successor will be,' said Deng.

Give that a shot

Combined with Xis plans to eliminate term limits on his rule and his consolidation of control over the military, a lack of public information about defence spending and military planning pushes China towards a more authoritarian and militarised leadership, said Peter Jennings, executive director of the non-partisan Australian Strategic Policy Institute think-tank.

These trends should be deeply concerning to the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, he said.

US President Donald Trump apparently backs Xis no-presidential-term-limit proposal.

Hes now president for life, president for life. And hes great, Trump said, according to audio of excerpts of the presidents remarks at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida on Saturday night.

And look, he was able to do that. I think its great. Maybe well have to give that a shot someday.

Trumps comments during the light-hearted speech drew criticism from some quarters.

US Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat, said on Twitter that whether this was a joke or not, talking about being president for life like Xi Jinping is the most un-American sentiment expressed by an American president. George Washington would roll over in his grave, said Khanna.

US presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932. An amendment to the US Constitution approved in 1951 limits presidents to two terms in office.Turkeys military operation has displaced tens of thousands from Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin, UN official says.

A UN official expressed concern over disturbing reports of civilian deaths and injuries during an ongoing military operation by Turkey against US-backed Kurdish fighters in northwestern Syria.

UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator Panos Moumtzis also said on Sunday that civilians trying to flee the fighting in the area were being prevented by local authorities from escaping the violence.

Tens of thousands of people were now displaced in the Kurdish-controlled enclave of Afrin, while another 5,000 managed to reach surrounding villages and the city of Aleppo, he said in a statement.

We continue to receive disturbing reports out of Afrin of civilian deaths and injuries, and restrictions on civilian movement as a result of ongoing military operations, said Moumtzis. Those who risk moving continue to be stopped at exit points by local authorities in Afrin, preventing them from accessing safer areas.

On January 20, Turkey launched its operation to clear Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) fighters from its border in northern Syria. The military said on Sunday more than 2,660 terrorists had been neutralised since the offensive began.





The Turkish military said only terror targets are being destroyed and utmost care is being taken to avoid harming civilians.

Turkey, backed by allied Syrian militias, has gained ground in recent days against the Kurdish YPG militia.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which reports on the war using what it describes as a wide range of on-the-ground sources, said the advances threaten to encircle Afrin city, where one million people are estimated to live.

The Syrian Observatory said Turkish forces had advanced to within 12 kilometres of Afrin.

Legitimate right

Turkish forces seized the town of Rajo on Saturday, and Turkeys Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said they were advancing towards Afrin city step by step.

He said on Sunday that fighting terrorism was the countrys most legitimate right.

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Wherever the threat directed to our country comes from, that place is a target for us, Yildirim said in a speech in western Mugla province.

We want peace in the region. We want brotherhood. We want tranquillity. We want the establishment of an environment of trust. That is what we are struggling for, he added.

Turkey has rejected international calls for it to suspend the Afrin assault in line with a UN ceasefire, which does not apply to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), al-Qaeda and groups associated with it, or others deemed terrorists by the UN Security Council.

Turkey views YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which launched a decades-old fight against Ankaras rule.

The YPG has been an important ally for the US in the fight against ISIL.France: Police battle protesters over nuclear waste storage plans

Police used tear gas during clashes with anti-nuclear protesters at a waste site in northeastern France on Saturday.News report says Russia investigation expanded with allegations UAE adviser may have attempted to influence US policy.

A special counsel is probing alleged attempts by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to curry favour with members of Donald Trumps campaign team during the 2016 US election, a news report said.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that George Nader  an advisor to the de facto ruler of the UAE  has been questioned for information about any possible attempts by the Emiratis to buy political influence by directing money to support Mr Trump during the presidential campaign, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Nader, who is described as a White House regular, allegedly took part in discussions of American foreign policy in the Gulf region with then-chief strategist Stephen Bannon and senior advisor Jared Kushner shortly after Trump took office.

The Times report highlighted the existence of a memo sent to Nader by Elliot Broidy, a top Republican fund-raiser, allegedly confirming attempts to implement US policies in favour of the UAE.





Broidys private security company, Circinus, has reportedly signed deals with the UAE government that run in the hundreds of millions of dollars since Trumps inauguration.

Broidy allegedly tried to arrange a one-on-one meeting between Abu Dhabis Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Trump in an informal setting  only to be rebuked by National Security Advisor HR McMaster.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, former US deputy attorney-general Bruce Fein said while it is not necessarily illegal for foreign governments to try to influence policy, these efforts have to be documented.

The third party has to register under the foreign agent registration act and has to disclose to the public when they speak that theyre acting on behalf of a foreign government. That doesnt seem to happen in this particular case, said Fein.

The Times report is significant because for the first time a country other than Russia has been linked to the political influence investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The fact that you have so many foreign countries implicated here  shows the jeopardy of trying to mix government and business. But the fact that you have these governments making the effort shows they think that theres a possibility of succeeding, otherwise they wouldnt be wasting their time, Fein said.

The Washington Post reported last month that four countries, including the UAE, may have attempted to exploit Kushners lack of experience and his familys business debt to influence the US administrations policies.Polling stations close as rival parties compete over control of new government amid concerns over economy, migration.

Voting stations closed on Sunday in Italy in one of the most uncertain general elections in years.

The economy, unemployment and immigration have dominated public discourse throughout the campaigning season.

Polls closed at 22:00 GMT with local media expected to publish early exit polls soon afterwards. More than 46 million Italians are eligible to vote.

It could take some time before final results are announced, however, as none of the parties are expected to win the 40 percent needed to form a majority government. The level was introduced in a new law last year.

Sundays election to choose a new government comes just two months after Italian President Sergio Mattarella dissolved the countrys parliament on December 28.

The main parties competing include the populist Five Star Movement (M5S), The League (also known as the Northern League), the self-professed fascist party CasaPound and the neo-fascist Forza Nuova.

The election is being watched closely to see if Italy will give way to the far-right populist sentiment that has been on the rise across Europe.

Opinion polls were banned from taking place during the last two weeks of campaigning.

Still, pollsters predict that former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is cannot hold public office until next year because of tax fraud, and his far-right allies will get the largest bloc in Parliament.

The anti-establishment M5S is expected to come out as the biggest single party, but to still fall short of the 40 percent threshold needed to govern alone.

If no party receives enough votes, the president would have to find a cross-party solution to create a government, a grand coalition would have to be formed, or Italians would go back to the polls if no government is agreed upon.SDP members vote for coalition that has been in power since 2013, ending months of political uncertainty.

Members of Germanys Social Democrat Party (SPD) have voted in favour of entering a coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkels conservatives in a postal ballot, according to a statement by the party.

The vote clears the way for a rerun of the grand coalition that has governed Germany since 2013. It also puts an end to more than four months of political uncertainty in Europes largest economy by making Merkel the countrys chancellor for the fourth term.

SPD acting leader Olaf Scholz said on Saturday turnout in the poll had been very, very high after an intense internal campaign that pitted the partys pro-coalition leadership against its more left-wing youth wing, which campaigned for no.

Representatives from Merkels Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, alongside partners from the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) party, agreed on terms with SPD negotiators for a new partnership last month.

Al Jazeeras Dominic Kane, reporting from the capital Berlin, said that two-thirds of the party members voted to form another grand coalition with Merkels bloc.

It is a decisive majority, but there is no sense of jubilation among the SDP leadership, he said.

The heads, rather than the hearts of the party members, made this decision. They believe being in coalition with Merkel costs this party votes.

Opposition to coalition

Many in the party, including former leader Martin Schulz, had ruled out forming a coalition with Merkels conservatives, saying that Septembers poll results  which saw the SPD recording its worst post-war election performance, at 20.5 percent  had directed the party to go into opposition.

However, the SPD agreed to negotiate with Merkels conservatives after talks with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the environmentalist Greens on a three-way tie-up collapsed in November.

Schulz, the who led the party during the elections, quit in the process of the coalition talks.

The SPD has already been the junior partner in two Merkel-led grand coalitions, from 2005 to 2009 and from 2013 to 2017.

Merkels CDU/CSU alliance had finished first, securing 33 percent of the vote, down nine percentage points from 2013.

The biggest shock, however, was the emergence of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as the countrys third-biggest political force, winning a 12.6 percent share of the vote.China proposes to extend Xi Jinpings rule

Chinas governing Communist Party has proposed removing a clause in the constitution which limits presidencies to two five-year terms, which would allow the current President Xi Jinping to remain as leader after he is due to step down.



Particularly during my sojourns in South Africa, it may not be possible for me to perform the moderation function speedily. I regret the necessity of moderation but it has been rendered inevitable by the behaviour of a particular commentator whose contributions will always and without exception be rejected.





No correspondence will be entered into regarding moderation decisions.

Readers are invited to comment on blog posts. All comments require to be pre-moderated by me, and I shall reject all (a) that are not related to the Lockerbie disaster or (b) that fail to meet my -- perhaps idiosyncratic -- standards of courtesy towards other contributors. Comments will not be rejected simply because I disagree with them or because I, or other contributors, find them irritating. But comments will be rejected if they distort or misrepresent the evidence; are defamatory; or if they risk embroiling me, as publisher, in defamation proceedings. I am perfectly relaxed about being sued in respect of material which I personally have posted -- but not in respect of material that others wish to post as comments and which, in any case, I often strongly disagree with.Prince Mohammed is also scheduled to visit the UK and US as part of his first official trip as crown prince.

Saudi Arabias crown prince arrived in Egypt as he begins his first official trip overseas since assuming the powerful role last June.

Mohammed bin Salman, 33, was greeted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as he disembarked from the plane on Sunday.

After meeting with Egyptian officials during his three-day visit, Prince Mohammed  known as MBS  will head to the United Kingdom before making a final stop in Washington DC.

His visit comes a day after Egypts top court upheld a deal to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. The agreement was first announced during a visit to Cairo in April 2016 by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, during which he announced a multi-billion-dollar package of investments and soft loans for Egypt.

Following the signing of the deal, widespread protests broke out across Egypt. Opponents of the agreement said it amounted to selling off Egypts sovereign powers and that it violated the constitution, which bars the surrender of any territory.

Authorities in Riyadh have taken an active interest in Egyptian politics following the overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait have provided billions of dollars in support since Sisis power grab.

While expressing support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, Cairo has stopped short of full engagement and has instead settled for a less direct military-support role.Team will try to explore possibility of a visit by President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang, after invitation by Kim Jong-un.

A delegation of South Korean envoys will travel to North Korea to discuss bilateral relations between the two rival neighbours and potential dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang administrations, according to South Koreas presidency.

Al Jazeeras Rob Mc Bride, reporting from the capital, Seoul, said on Sunday that the delegation will be made up of 10 members, led by National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Suh Hoon and National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong.

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One of those officials, Suh Hoon, was involved in two previous inter-Korean summits in the past in 2000 and 2007, he said.

It seems that the delegations mission will be two-fold. One will be to explore the kind of situation you need before you can have dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington.

Second and more immediate one will be to discover the possibility of a visit by Moon Jae-in to North Korea, after the invitation was passed on him during the Olympics by Kim Jong-uns sister.

After the two-day visit to North Korea starting on Monday, the delegation will travel to the US to brief officials there on their discussions in Pyongyang.

The delegations visit, announced by the South Korean Presidents office on Sunday, is the latest chapter in a remarkable detente achieved through the recently concluded Winter Olympics where North Korean athletes were accorded warm welcome.

The trip is in response to an invitation offered by North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns sister for South Korean President Moon Jae-in to visit Pyongyang.

Senior North Korean officials, led by Kims sister, visited South Korea during last months Winter Olympics.

Tensions high

The isolated, impoverished North staged its most powerful nuclear test and test-fired multiple missiles last year, including some capable of hitting the US mainland, in defiance of UN sanctions.

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The Norths leader Kim and US President Donald Trump have traded threats of war and personal insults, sending tensions soaring.

Moon, who advocates dialogue with the nuclear-armed regime, said last week that Washington needs to lower the threshold for talks with Pyongyang.

However, the US has ruled out any possibility of talks before the North takes steps towards denuclearisation, and imposed what Trump hailed as the toughest ever sanctions on Kims regime late last month.

On Saturday, a foreign ministry spokesman in Pyongyang called on the US drop any preconditions for talks.US President Donald Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping after the ruling Communist party announced it was eliminating the two-term limit for the presidency, paving the way for Xi to serve indefinitely, according to audio aired by CNN on Saturday.

Hes now president for life, president for life. And hes great, Trump said, according to an audio of excerpts of Trumps remarks at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida aired by CNN. And look, he was able to do that. I think its great. Maybe well have to give that a shot someday, Trump said to cheers and applause from supporters.

Trump also praised Xi as a great gentleman and added: Hes the most powerful (Chinese) president in a 100 years.

US tradition

It is not clear if Trump, 71, was making the comment about extending presidential service in jest. The White House did not respond to a request for comment late Saturday.

US presidents, by tradition, served a maximum of two, four-year terms, until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times, starting in 1932. An amendment to the US Constitution, approved in 1951, limits presidents to two terms in office.

Changing the current prohibition would require the initial support of two-thirds of both houses of Congress or the support of two-thirds of state legislatures  and then would need to be ratified by three-quarters of the states.

Trump-China relations

Trump has often praised Xi, but, in January, Trump told Reuters the US was considering a big fine as part of a probe into Chinas alleged theft of intellectual property. He has been critical of Chinas trade policies.

Trump told The New York Times in December that, because of North Korea, he had been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war.

Chinas annual parliament gathering kicks off on Monday, as Xi presses ahead with efforts to ward off financial risks without undermining the economy. The Communist party announced, on February 25, the end of the two-term limit for the president  and the parliament is expected to ratify the move.

Reactions

US Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat, said on Twitter that whether this was a joke or not, talking about being president for life like Xi Jinping is the most unAmerican sentiment expressed by an American president. George Washington would roll over in his grave.About the show

A weekly programme that examines and dissects the worlds media, how they operate and the stories they cover. Watch The Listening Post every Saturday at 0830GMTA Nation of Children Wants a Nation of Gun Control

In the history of protests, there is probably nothing less inspiring than a high-schooler refusing to go to school. It's as if the children threatened not to eat their vegetables; or as if a bad Catholic, upset with the bedrock teachings of the Church, refused to go to Mass. You can refuse any number of things, but you can't refuse in the most fun way possible, and if you refuse your food, the response of your "oppressors" should be then don't eat your food. It's your life, and should you choose to ruin it by getting skinny or playing hookey, I say best of luck to you. If you really want to make an impression, you should douse yourself in gasoline and set yourself on fire. That way, we'll know you really mean it. I'm not against children, but I am 100% against "think of the children." I like to think of what's best for the grown-ups. Whatever works best for free, honest, informed, self-reliant, and armed adults works best for their dependents, and if children are anything, they are dependent. If they grow up into anything, it is more parents. If you love a child, remember that the purpose of cuteness is to make sure kids turn into adults  who in turn are in charge of making us more children.

If some kids have to suffer so that most adults can do well in this world, in most cases, I'll throw the kids under the bus faster than you can say "lickety-split." You get it the other way around, and the end result is that more kids will suffer anyway, like caring more about employees than about businesses, or caring more about the entitlements of citizens than the solvency of the country. Children are important, but no good, honest, or safe society cares first about its children. No free republic ever survived by placing the rights of its children above the rights of their parents. So far as I'm aware, no tyranny ever survived by placing the rights of its children above the rights of their parents. The end result of even the Cultural Revolution, where Chinese students were encouraged to attack their own parents and professors, was murder upon murder. In general, you craft the policy around the adults, and everything else falls into place. The great tragedy of American society is not that we treat too many children too poorly, but that too many people were given rights without ever proving they'd advanced beyond childhood.* Christ said the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to children "such as these." I don't know how thinking like a child gets you into heaven, but I know how it can get you off the Earth (research the culinary Tide Pod). This being said, there is no subject in the United States more childishly discussed than the one we have about gun control, and probably because at this moment, children and halfwits are the ones responsible for steering the dialogue. There are 330 million people in the United States, and at this moment, since 2012, according to The New York Times, there have been 138 deaths by school shooting. This amounts to 21.3 deaths per year on average  an honorable statistic in a country as populated as ours. On the other hand, according to Forbes, there were only 31 million Americans who went to Mexico in 2016, and in that same year, we had 75 Americans get murdered while doing it  more American deaths than the total of all other countries combined. This means that every year, four times as many people are butchered, by foreigners, on vacation, in a single country, out of a pool nearly ten times smaller than the American population. There is no school shooting epidemic in this country. The average student is more likely to die from slipping in the bathtub, or going on vacation, and is probably more likely to get molested by his own teacher. If we really cared more about children's lives, we would ban students from going to Cancun, and if we really cared enough to say not even one, and we considered how many thousands of Americans are killed by Mexicans every year, and how many kids are ruined or killed by Mexican drugs, we would kick it up a notch and ban Mexico altogether. A little digging on the internet has yielded the fact that, even according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization allegedly against (white) racism and other forms of (white) "hate," illegal aliens are responsible for killing a lot of Americans. They state that between the end of 2001 and 2006, criminal aliens were 28% of our prisoners, about half of this 28% was considered illegal, and 85,000 murders were committed by our criminal population. If we were to assume illegal aliens were equal-opportunity murderers, this would still put us at 14% of 85,000, which is 11,900 (2,380 a year), and if we considered them twice as safe as the average American, they would still be killing around 1,200 annually. This extremely generous number is 60 times higher than the 20.3 students killed yearly in our schools, and this still fails to mention the number of people who are raped by illegal immigrants; who catch deadly third-world diseases; or, as Fox News mentions, who are killed every year by unlicensed drivers (7,500 Americans). This last number alone is 20 per day compared with the school shooters' 20 per year. The latest crime statistics are not an improvement. The problem with America is not that some people don't care about children. It's that some people have no idea what is going on in the country, and that when they do have an idea, they refuse to consider the problem any further. You put a child against "guns"  an extreme oversimplification for extremists and simpletons  and the child is more important than "the gun." You put a white child against a brown man, and the brown man is more important than the white child. Jeremy Egerer is the author of the troublesome essays onLetters to Hannah, and he welcomes followers on Twitter and Facebook.Is China a colossus, and will the 21st century belong to the Chinese, as many think? Or is China a paper dragon? Let's see.

From that point, China's growth went into warp drive when President Bill Clinton signed a China Trade Bill in 2001, which gave China a permanent most favored trade status. Also under Bill Clinton, the U.S. approved China's entry as a member into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001.

The thought behind granting China these trade privileges  and they are privileges  was that the totalitarian communist regime would mellow and move toward a more open, liberal type of democracy. That did not prove to be the case. As Steven Mosher, Asian expert and author of Bully of Asia: Why China's Dream is a Threat to World Order, says, instead, the U.S. "created a monster" in building up China. To quote him: "I think allowing China into the World Trade Organization must rank as one of the greatest strategic blunders by any great power in human history." This may be an overstatement, but not by much.

Looking at these events in retrospect, the Wall Street Journal called them a "transformational moment in the global economy  the beginning of a new era in globalization."

And indeed it was, for no sooner was the ink dry on these moves than companies began relocating factories (i.e., jobs) and capital to China. What Bill Clinton considered the last greatest legislative victory of his presidency was in fact the beginning of the hollowing out of much of America's industrial base and an explosion in U.S. trade deficits.

That's the history. Today, China is the second largest economy in the world behind the U.S. Some polls show that even Americans think China is already number one. On top of that, China is building a modern military and seems anxious to replace the U.S. as the country that sets the norms for international trade.

As formidable as China may appear, some see it as a paper dragon. Each step in China's rise was aided and abetted, and in some cases actually engineered, by the United States. This happened by several means. First, China's trade with the U.S., which was key to its growth, has been asymmetric from the start. China got far more from the agreements than it ever gave. Not only were the formalities skewed to China's favor, but U.S. leadership steadfastly turned a blind eye to copyright and patent infringements and blatant theft by China of American technology and trade secrets. Bully of Asia cites our own FBI's accounting of these thefts to be worth $600 billion per year.

It is undeniable that for their own reasons, the U.S. financial, political, and foreign affairs elite each wanted China to succeed by means fair and foul, even if it was at America's expense.

America also contributed to China's rise in other ways. As Peter Zeihan points out in The Accidental Superpower, the China we see on maps today is an anomaly. Geographically and historically, China is divided into three distinct regions  the north of the militaristic Han, the central part of the traders, and the southern area of secessionists. These parts do not naturally hold together. The different regions want different things and access to the world on different terms.

In addition to the wealth that came with trade, there were other American factors that have allowed these regions to coalesce into a coherent whole. It was America's victory in the Pacific in WWII that eliminated the main threat to China, which was Japan. Prior to the war, Japan took whatever in wanted in China and left the hinterland scraps to the Chinese. China gained true sovereignty only with Japan's unconditional surrender in 1945. And it was not only the Japanese navy that historically hamstrung China, but also European ones as well. These too were eliminated from the Pacific, directly by the Japanese in the war and indirectly by U.S. actions in Europe afterward.

As Zeihan puts it, America "crafted the best of all worlds for the Chinese. It eliminated the only significant military and economic rivals in East Asia. It all but banned European influence east of India. And it provided both the strategic freedom and economic means to attempt true Chinese unification."

But that's all water under the bridge. What about today? The unvarnished fact is that China is still greatly dependent on America for its economic stability and even cohesion. In the Brenton Woods world, which America implemented, the Chinese, like others, took advantage and designed their economy to be export-driven, basically aiming at the open U.S. markets. The result: Ten to 15 percent of China's GDP depends on exports to the U.S. And because much of this trade is unfair, China enjoyed a continual trade surplus with America  some $275 billion in 2017 alone. Should the U.S. decide to play hardball on trade or just merely demand that cross country-trade be fair, China's internal stability would be shaken. And the Chinese know it.

Also, to feed its massive export machine, China has become the world's largest importer of a wide variety of basic materials like high-tech components, plastics, wood, food, etc., with oil being the most prominent. The problem here is that China is hemmed in. Its maritime routes run beside countries like Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore. If any one of these countries should become hostile, China's shipping could be disrupted. What prevents this from happening is not the Chinese navy, not now or in the foreseeable future. It's the U.S. Navy and the willingness of America to keep the sea lanes open for all.

The thing is this. America does not have to do anything directly to harm China. All that has to happen to shake China is for the U.S. not to become isolationist, but just to 1) adopt a diminished, a more traditional, interest in the world and 2) insist on fair trade.

Some fear that if the U.S. demanded fair trade with China and an end to its technology theft, this would start a trade war. But as President Trump recently said, when America is constantly running trade deficits of hundreds of billions of dollars each year, a trade war is "good and easy to win." Although the globalists and Chinese apologists will dispute that point, the president's logic is hard to refute.

And even if for some reason the U.S. continues to accommodate China indefinitely, the Chinese still face a combination of nearly insurmountable problems, ranging from China's enormous debt to its inherent corruption and polluted environment to its unsolvable upside-down demographics. Given all this, it is disputable that China will still exist as a recognizable entity in 30 years.

China is much more fragile than commonly believed. It may indeed be a paper dragon.Prince of the British Fringe Right

The well known 19th-century French epigram states that "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose" (the more things change, the more they stay the same). It is disquieting that some individuals in political groups in Britain today wear, as did prewar Nazis and fascists, brown shirts and black shirts as signs of political association. The fringe right is alive and well in Britain, with disquieting historical continuities and a towering celebrity prince of sorts. Obviously, changes occur and make differences, but the persistence and resurgence in Britain of racism and the disease of anti-Semitism may well validate Yogi Berra's unique remark: "It's deja vu all over again." A new controversy involving forgetting and rewriting history, as well as memory and remembrance of things past, has arisen in Britain. It involves Max Mosley, youngest son of Sir Oswald Mosley and Diana Mitford. Oswald was the handsome, aristocratic, and very wealthy founder of the New Party and then, in 1932, founder and dictatorial leader of the British Union of Fascists (BUF), modeling his leadership style on Benito Mussolini. His belligerent message was unmistakable. In April 1935, he spoke of challenging the Jewish interests of Britain who commanded commerce, the press, the cinema, the City of London. The Jews were killing industry with their sweatshops. He suffered a major setback when his attempt with the Blackshirts, the BUF, on October 4, 1936 to march through some streets in East London, largely populated by Jews, failed.

Diana, beautiful member of the celebrated Mitford family, attended the first Nuremberg Rally and was a friend of Hitler, whose guest she was at the Nuremberg Rally in 1935. She married Oswald at the home of Josef Goebbels in Berlin in 1936 with Hitler as a guest. Among her jewelry was a diamond swastika. The BUF was banned in May 1940 after the start of World War II, and a number of its leaders, including Oswald, were arrested and interned for a time in Holloway Prison as threats to national security. Indeed, Oswald had called for Britain to make a deal with Hitler to protect the British Empire. Max, an inherited multimillionaire, started as a great admirer of his father and never disowned him. As a young man, he was actively involved in far-right politics, a prominent member, propagandist, street activist, legal adviser, and unsuccessful parliamentary candidate of the highly racist Union Movement, the party founded by Oswald in 1948 and dissolved in 1994. Max had no regrets for anything he had done over the last 50 years. Among those activities, Max, then aged 22, had on July 31, 1962, together with Oswald, taken part in a provocative rally in Dalston, Hackney, then a London area largely populated by Jews, that led to violence and slogans of "Jews out." Max was arrested for his threatening behavior. He had already been arrested in March 1961 for obstructing the police during a counter-demonstration related to an anti-apartheid vigil in Trafalgar Square commemorating the first anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa. Together with his father, Max met in Venice in 1962 with well known Nazis Otto "Scarface" Skorzeny, the Waffen-S.S. special forces commander who rescued Mussolini in 1943, and Hans-Ulrich Rudel, the Luftwaffe Stuka pilot who later helped Josef Mengele and other Nazis escape to South America. An Oxford graduate, Max became a qualified barrister, had a successful business career and for a time was a racecar driver. He became president of the FIA, the International Automobile Federation, the governing body of Formula One, the head of motor racing. He claimed that his political views changed over time. Indeed, between 2015 and 2017, he donated 540,000 to support the office, which employed nine people, of Tom Watson, deputy leader of the Labor Party. Officials of the Labor Party have refused to comment on whether Watson should give back the money but have stated that the party will not take any further donations from Max. The hidden past of Max, now 77, was revealed by discovery of a pamphlet he had published as the local election agent of a candidate of the Union Movement in Manchester in the 1961 parliamentary election, overtly playing up racial fears against immigrants. In a court case in 2008, Max successfully sued the News of the World over reports of his presence in a sadomasochistic sex session with five prostitutes. After the 2008 case, Max campaigned for greater regulation of the press and backed Impress, with 3.8 million to do this. What is pertinent here is that at the trial, he committed perjury in denying any knowledge of the 1961 leaflet. However, two copies of it were found by the Daily Mail in the archives of Manchester. Not surprisingly, Max suggested they might be fakes. British police say they are troubled by the threat of violence from the far-right fringe. Mark Rowley, about to retire as assistant commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, said on February 26, 2018 that he was gravely concerned that Britain faces an increased threat from far-right terrorist home-grown white supremacists and neo-Nazi organizations committed to violence. He pointed out the occasion when a far-right fanatic in 2016 murdered the politician Jo Cox during the Brexit campaign, stabbing her and shouting, "This is for Britain." The Tory government, unconstrained by a Bill of Rights, has outright banned one group and has called for social media censorship. Amber Rudd, British home secretary, in December 2016 banned the National Union, N.U., and other groups, the first such action since May 1940, considering it terrorist. Britain, she asserted, was no place for vile, racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic groups that glorify violence and stir up hatred while promoting poisonous ideology. She also in October 2017 called on social media companies to honor their moral obligations, to use technology to stop anti-democratic utterances, neo-Nazism, Islamophobia, and intolerance of women's rights, on their platforms. The N.U., she stated, promoted and encouraged acts of terrorism. There are a number of other British far-right and neo-Nazi groups, mostly with small numbers. Among them are Combat 18, a neo-Nazi group founded in 1992 with a simple message of white nationalism and anti-Semitism, devoted to violence and opposition to ZOG, the Zionist Occupied Government. The "18" is derived from the first and eighth letters of the alphabet, the initials of Adolf Hitler. The British People's Party, created in 2005, calls for a white workers' state and complete opposition to Zionism and the State of Israel. It was "voluntarily deregistered," officially disbanded, in 2013, but its website is still active. An earlier version of this group called for the expulsion of non-whites and Jews and for adherence to the Fourteen Words: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children." The League of St. George founded in 1974 as a political club to continue the ideas of Oswald Mosley in a "pure form." It carries the emblem of the Arrow Cross and is not too active. It is true that people can honestly change their political opinions. In the 1930s, Oswald received some support from the Press Barons, Lord Rothermere, owner of the Daily Mail, and Lord Beaverbrook, owner of the Daily Express and London Evening Standard. But both quickly ended that support, and refused to support any movement with an anti-Semitic bias or one that neglected the need for greater expenditure on defense, especially for the air force. The case of Max Mosley is different. His reluctance to admit publication of the racist leaflet or his own questionable past suggests a lack of forthrightness or more. He did finally concede that the offensive leaflet was "probably racist" but he saw no reason to apologize.Colonel House: The man you don't know who ruined your life

A recent post mentioned some of our less savory administrative governmental heritage dating from the time of President Woodrow Wilson. Not mentioned in the article or the comments, understandably, was any reference as to how and why Pres. Wilson came to represent a formative administrative state. The real story is interesting, informative, and important. At the end of the 19th century, a powerful Texas political governor-maker by the name of Edward Mandel House  nicknamed "Colonel," though he never served in the military  looked to broaden his political and imaginative horizons by relocating to the East, where he assessed national politics and ferreted out a role to play at the highest possible social, political, and educational levels. He found an opportunity in the person of Woodrow Wilson, Yale University professor. Latching onto Wilson, just as he had when creating elections for Texas governors-to-be whom he favored, Colonel House decided to take a skillful and experienced shot at maneuvering Wilson into the presidency. House had other ulterior motives in backing Wilson and soon introduced global aspirations and possibilities into Wilson's head that today must be recognized as having proved to be of great importance.

House had authored a novel, published by various accounts in 1905-6, titled Philip Dru: Administrator, which he made available for Wilson to read, digest, and hopefully act upon. The book depicts a second U.S. Civil War, with a participant, Philip Dru, creating for the world, in the war's aftermath, a new world order characterized by a single administrator (Dru) working through a World Bank, World Court, World Army, and a League of Nations  i.e., utopia achieved! President Wilson was energized by the fictional creation of House and was advised by House all through WWI. At the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, House himself, along with Wilson, convinced the participant-nations to create a League of Nations. The U.S. was saved from League of Nations membership by the U.S. Senate's refusal to ratify such a relationship, but then, in 1943, the U.S. joined the Allies in agreement to form a United Nations after WWII. House died in 1938, advising U.S. presidents up through FDR with fading influence after WWI and with the ultimate failure of the League of Nations. The administrative state would go on to progress wildly beyond House's fertile utopian imagination to the monster administrative states we experience today. House's Dru is available today, having been reprinted in the 1990s after a decades-long absence. Of major importance regarding the political course and influence of House on the course of the 20th century, with vast echoes to the very present, huge and detailed information is contained in the original four-volume set of books by Charles Seymour up through the mid-1920s, titled The Intimate Papers of Colonel House, available today at a major internet bookseller and at larger public and university libraries. The fourth volume is hard to find. Paperback editions are also available. As a final note, perhaps Edward Mandel House was clapping in his grave as President GHW Bush gave his "thousand points of lights" inaugural speech and mentioned a new world order. One can wonder where President Bush's new world order came from, but only for a microsecond if one knows anything about House. Utopian fiction, indeed!The sweep occurred despite a public warning issued prior to the enforcement action by Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. Acting ICE Director Tom Homan said that they had planned to arrest 800 illegals, but Schaff's warning obstructed their efforts.

A sweep by immigration enforcement agents in Northern California led to the arrest of 232 illegal aliens, including several who had been charged or convicted of violent crimes.

Fox News:

"What she did is no better than a gang lookout yelling 'police' when a police cruiser comes in the neighborhood, except she did it to a whole community. This is beyond the pale," he said. An ICE spokesperson gave Fox News a list of the types of crimes for which those arrested in the rad had been convicted. They cover a range of bad behavior: aggravated assault, murder, hit-run, lewd acts with a minor, burglary, cruelty toward a child, indecent exposure, domestic violence, drug trafficking, battery, sex offenses and false imprisonment. ICE pointed, in particular, to the case of Armando Nunez-Salgado, a Mexican gang member who had been deported four times and had convictions including assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, hit-and-run causing injury and evasion of a police officer.

The fact that some illegal alien criminals were arrested despite the clear warning from the mayor just proves how stupid criminals can be.

Another deportee was a Mexican gang member with convictions for, among other things, possession of a dangerous weapon, spousal abuse, burglary and battery on a police officer. Officials were furious with the Oakland mayor's actions to diminish the effectiveness of the raid. In a statement, ICE also said that recent legislation has hurt the agencys ability to enforce immigration laws. Recent legislation has negatively impacted ICE operations in California by nearly eliminating all cooperation and communication with our law enforcement partners in the state by prohibiting local law enforcement from contracting with the federal government to house detainees, the statement. Ultimately, efforts by local politicians have shielded removable criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and created another magnet for more illegal immigration, all at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect, it said.

And that's the bottom line. Do the people of Oakland and surrounding communmities realize the consequences of the mayor's outrageous actions? How many more criminals were able to escape because of Schaff's warning? How many of those illegal alien criminals will go on to committ more acts of violence and mayhem?

Every single crime from here on out committed by an illegal alien in Oakland should be laid at the feet of this mayor. She has failed to carry out the number one responsibility of her office; protect the people. In a just world, her political career would be over. Instead, she has become a celebrity.

The Justice Department is looking into the question of obstruction, but she appears to be on pretty solid legal ground. She gave a general warning of a raid and did not specify the time or location. That may get her off the hook legally.

But not morally.Even the left is starting to notice Mueller's flop sweat

A good prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich, and with nothing else of substance happening, that's what appears to be going on now with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian collusion in the election of President Donald Trump. There's been a lot of speculation about what he was going to do in the wake of revelations that the original basis for the Trump investigation by the FBI, was based on tainted low-standard politically motivated evidence. Nothing has turned up to show anything indictable to support the left's sour-grapes case claiming President Trump colluded with the Russians to steal the election from Hillary Clinton. So what we see now is a Special Counsel without a mission and with a vague mandate, a struggle to get scraps from very tangential matters. Kid you not, even the leftwing Deep State press has noticed this pathetic picture. Get a load of what Mike Allen's Axios has as its top story for Saturday, headlined:

The Mueller stories worth ignoring Allen, who is very Washington swamp-savvy and closely read by the Beltway types, lists a litany of headlines indicating the direction the Special Counsel is going, now that the Nunes Memo and the Graham-Grassley memo have exposed the fallacy of the original investigation. It's everything from looking at Ivanka Trump's role in the Trump Tower meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer, to Trump's adventures at the Moscow Miss Universe pageant. The reports are coming not from Mueller's office but from what Allen calls "gabby witnesses" who got asked such questions from the Mueller team and then told the press. Not exactly the stuff of collusion. Allen's list of headlines, all from anonymously sourced witnesses, describe a smorgasbord of potential stories about to come from the Special Counsel's office and he thinks they're all going nowhere. To be fair to Allen, who put together the doozy of a list, I'll just give the link so you can see for yourself. Allen concludes that in his bullet-point analysis, titled "Why it doesn't matter:" News flash: Mueller is looking at everything.

That's his job. When he was and related matters." That there is a broad mandate. When he was named , he was empowered/instructed to look into the "FBI investigation of Russian government efforts to influence the 2016 presidential electionThat there is a broad mandate.

This gives us literally zero insight into what the special counsel is actually doing and thinking.

These kernels aren't from Mueller's office: We've seen aren't from Mueller's office: We've seen time and again (and again ) that his office is one of Washington's few leak-free zones.

Yes, it looks bad. Based on conversations with White House insiders, I can tell you they're more bearish than ever about the outcome. But we're all guessing. What's obvious here is that Mueller is floundering, scruffing around for a mandate to justify all of his millions spent on the investigation which hasn't revealed Trump-Russian collusion of any kind. He will probably indict more people, and that will please the left, but what's going on here isn't exactly about justice. Allen's dismay with the pathos of what the investigation has become is a sure sign it's time to shut the whole thing down. Mueller won't of course, because he needs to show justification for his enterprise. What the rest of us can see is that if he won't do it, President Trump is going to start feeling the heat to do it. -Bumped-So you think President Trump is doing badly? Some of the smarter leaders on the world scene are coming to other conclusions, which is to say the Trump revolution is spreading.

Pinera's finest moment during his last presidency was in 2010, at the helm of the Chilean mining crisis, when 33 miners were trapped more than two miles underground amid few hopes for their rescue. Pinera had been told by his advisers just to keep the cameras away, because it was a losing political picture. He defied them, visited the campsite out in the remote Atacama desert up north, heaped resources onto the rescuers, and the spectacular rescue that followed, which was the result of his keen interest and willingness to defy the odds, was all his.

He's now done something similar as he prepares to start his new term. According to El Mostrador, a Santiago-based Chilean newspaper (in Spanish), he's called in the ICBMs of the economics world into his cabinet, the Chicago Boys, who are the embodiment of free-market economics. The Chicago Boys took their ideas straight from Milton Friedman in the 1970s, predating both Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, and their free-market reforms turned Chile into a first-world country. Chile is the home to the famous Chilean Model of private savings accounts for pensions that the left screams about, because that reform did more than anything to transform Chile.

El Mostrador reports that multiple people with high-firepower economic degrees are being lined up for Pinera's cabinet as he takes office this month. Here is a Google translation, with a few clarifications in brackets from me:

The Chicago Boys in the cabinet and undersecretaries of the next term of office of Sebastian Pinera are Cristian Larroulet, as head of the Second Floor of La Moneda; Juan Andres Fontaine, who will be in charge of the MOP [Ministry of Public Works] this time; Jose Ramon Valente, the doctrinaire future holder of Economy; Rodrigo Cerda, acting as Director of Budgets; and Alfredo Moreno, in the position of Minister of Social Development. In the first step of Pinera by La Moneda, the Chicago [Boys] in the front line were Fontaine, Joaquin Lavin, Larroulet and Moreno. It [was during the Pinochet military government in the 1970s] when the Chicago Boys [last] dominated the government and imposed the model. Jose Pinera, brother of [Sebastian Pinera, whom] in March will return to be President of Chile, probably became the most emblematic. He was minister and the creator of the AFP [private savings accounts for pensions] system. During the military regime there were more than a dozen Chicago Boys in positions of influence at the governmental level.

The background Pinera's operating against strongly suggests he's gotten his courage from the example of President Trump.

For one thing, he's not a hardwired free-marketer himself; he's a businessman, a successful billionaire, as Trump is, and his instincts are to go with the practical, not the ideological. In the past, this has caused him to make some bad decisions in his previous term, based on political expediency over principle, such as his act to halt the much-needed HidroAysen dam in Patagonia, bowing to left-wing protests after all the proper permits were obtained and the project was set to go forward. Very stupid move, and no surprise he didn't exit office in a very popular state.

Obviously, he learns from his mistakes. The Trump revolution and maybe his own experience seems to have told him free markets are doable and, better still, what works.

Pinera did get elected with the wind against his back, given that several other South American governments, beginning with neighboring Argentina, have swung rightward amid the rubble of their own socialist experiments and, above all, the festering horror of Venezuela.

OK, fine. But Latin America tends not to have much of a hard conservative free-market right at all. There's usually just a choice of jellyfish right, soggy center, and rabid left. Chile is an exception, but its famed Chicago Boys have often been stigmatized by the Castro-financed left as wicked because they made their reforms during the Pinochet military government, which, actually, is a credit to Pinochet, not a demerit to the Chicago Boys. Pinochet, in his memoirs, admitted he knew nothing about economics and let the Chicago Boys take care of it for him.

The Chicago Boys are utterly different, the real exception to the rule, and a leading reason why Chile can credibly argue that it is exceptional.

Yet in all of Chile's post-Pinochet years, it's been exceedingly hard to get the Chicago Boys back due to the false narratives of the left.

Not anymore. They're unabashedly back, and some real free-market reforms are likely to take hold in Chile. That will happen, even with the annoying absence of Pinera's brilliant brother, Jose Pinera, who is not in the lineup, although that may be because of political taboos against nepotism. A pity, because Chile's famed pension system is under fire from the left as never before. No one can defend it with as much precision and persuasion as Jose Pinera. But what's important here is that the private savings pensions should be safe for now, and the other necessary reforms Chile needs will be implemented. They'll work, and Chile will become an economic powerhouse once again. Pinera's bid to bring them back is obviously a result of his teaming with a very free-market party to win the election, but it's also a middle finger to all the leftists who scream "Pinochet" any time the Chicago Boys are brought up. Pinera obviously knows that allowing their reforms will supercharge his presidency, no matter how many other blunders he might make.

He had to have gotten the courage to do this from the example set by President Trump. Trump makes mistakes, too, and has all kinds of domestic turmoil in his Cabinet as well as the lunacy of the Office of the Special Counsel still looking for Russian collusion dogging him. But he did do one radical thing, which seems to be rendering all his troubles null: he allowed real free-marketers in to develop most of his economic policy (tariffs excepted). As a result, the polls here show that the public doesn't care about the Beltway stuff. The voters here like their tax cuts, they like their deregulation, and they like the new courage and confidence brought on by Trump's America First stances. Trump's example is going to be widely followed as word of its success spreads. Chile's new leader seems to be one of the first to notice.The formal organs of the Democratic Party  the DNC (Democratic National Committee) and DNCC (Democratic National Campaign Committee  are in terrible financial shape. And yet a group founded and controlled by Hillary Clinton to co-opt the resistance movement is shaking them down for big money, just as they are failing to meet their commitments to fund state party organizations for the 2018 midterms.

The cash-strapped Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) have combined to pay Hillary Clinton's "resistance" group nearly $900,000 for list acquisitions, Federal Election Commission filings show. The DNC, which is in the midst of facing financial hardships, conjured up $300,000 on Jan. 8 to pay Onward Together, Clinton's group, for "list acquisition," according to the FEC filings. The payment was made to Clinton's organization as state Democratic parties were waiting on $10 million in funding for rebuilding efforts that was initially promised last July. (snip) The DCCC also paid hundreds of thousands to Clinton's "resistance" group for "generic committee list rental" between mid-December and late January.

The Clinton-controlled resistance group in question is called Onward Together, and was announced with fanfare last May. At that time:

Clinton describe[d] the group as an organization dedicated to advancing the progressive vision that earned nearly 66 million votes in the last election. Onward Together will work to build a brighter future for generations to come by supporting groups that encourage people to organize and run for office.

Progressive, but not subject to the rules, procedures, and openness to all that characterize Democratic Party groups. What with other upstarts making noise about running for the partys nomination in 2020, if Hillary decides she wants to once again run, a cash-starved Democratic Party is in her interest, especially if that cash is in the hands of her own group, or groups that are under her financial thumb. Impoverishing a group that can be taken over by enthusiastic supporters of another Democrat candidate (the way Bernie almost dethroned her in 2016) actually works in her personal political favor, even if it screws other Dems. Thats the Clinton way.

Onward together is using some of the funds it squeezed out of the party to bestow in other resistance group, and last month had already handed out over a million dollars to Color of Change and Swing Left. In the way of politics, financial ties like this bring control. Hillary knows that the center of gravity of the Democrats is moving far left, and she wants to buy influence there. Money and clout are her instruments, and just as they enabled her to torpedo Bernie Sanderss candidacy, she hopes they will help her defeat other challengers from the left.

All of this does not bode well for Democrat candidates hoping to take control of the House and Senate in the midterms. Does anyone think that this concerns Hillary? Does anyone think she wants to see a Democrat-controlled House impeach President Trump? She knows first hand how an impeachment effort can be turned against the impeachers. Does anyone think that she wants to hand Elizabeth Warren (for example) a soap box as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee?

Hillarys private interest is in being able to run against four years of Republican-controlled government and no strong progressive figures emerging from the congressional wing of the party as committee chairs.

This is the way the Clintons have always worked, putting their private interests above those of any collective group, from the Democratic Party to the people of the United States of America.

Hat tip: Ed LaskyRussian-sponsored agents funneled money to U.S. environmental organizations in an attempt to portray energy companies in a negative way and disrupt domestic energy markets. Upon discovering that Russia may have exploited American social media platforms to accomplish its disruptive objectives, the Committee broadened the scope of its investigation. On September 26, 2017, the Committee requested data from Facebook and Twitter as part of this expanded investigation.

You would think that honest members of the media who have been obsessing over a few Facebook ads as evidence of sinister Russian control over our politics would pay attention to real and substantial evidence that we are being manipulated by them. Such this extensively-documented report from the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology:

Documents that the American social media companies produced for the Committee confirmed that Russian agents were exploiting American social media platforms in an effort to disrupt domestic energy markets, suppress research and development of fossil-fuels, and stymie efforts to expand the use of natural gas. Subsequent to the Committees initial request, media revelations indicated that Russian operatives, intent on exploiting existing divisions and social movements in the United States, had in fact sought to influence U.S. energy markets by exploiting American social media platforms. According to the media report, Russian agents exploited Instagram by shar[ing] images related to Native American social and political issuesincluding the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Moreover, many of the Russian-linked accounts targeted highly visible tension points in America, including protests against pipelines.

The Russians have a clear and direct interest in blocking development of energy resources in the United States, because our increasing production of oil and gas through fracking is lowering prices for Russias oil and gas exports, which are early the sole basis for earning foreign exchange. Outside of weapons systems, Russia produces very few products that can win export markets.

Joseph Bast of the Heartland Institute emails:

Many of us have been saying for years that communists are major supporters of left-wing environmental groups, and liberal reporters are being used as useful idiots to advance the Kremlins agenda. Here is proof we were right all along. Would there even be an environmental movement without the support of communists? And tell me again why Earth Day is celebrated on Lenins birthday...

Every time Democrats attempt to portray Russia as somehow controlling President Trump, Russias support of environmental groups ought to be thrown in their faces. The point that President Trumps full-throated support for increased oil and gas production is squeezing the Russian economy in a vice is hard to argue against. It may require 2 or 3 sentences to lay out, of course, which means that in talking head situations on cable news, the Democrat will try to talk over or ignore the point. But pithy responses such as Putin and the greenies are on the same side, and he is funding them can carry the day, if repeated often enough.President Trump has a soft spot for the steel industry. He clearly views steel as a symbol of national power, and has finally fulfilled a campaign promise by imposing new protective tariffs likely to increase profits for domestic steel producers.

I have seen several critical news articles and a lot of television commentary about President Trump picking "winners" and "losers" with his proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum. The following is one example, from a Yahoo! Finance column :

Trump plans to impose tariffs of 25% on imported steel and 10% on imported aluminum. The details aren't clear yet, and it's possible these could end up more limited than Trump made them sound when he first announced them on March 1. But markets have reacted aggressively, punishing companies and industries likely to be harmed by the tariffs, while rewarding the few likely to benefit. Amid a broad selloff, shares of companies such as AK Steel (AKS), U.S. Steel (X) and Nucor (NUE) rose, indicating a belief that tariffs will allow them to raise prices, increasing their net income. Same for aluminum makers such as Century Aluminum (CENX). Those are the winners Trump has chosen. The basket of losers is a lot bigger  and it includes ordinary consumers.

In a sense, every economic decision made by a president leaves winners and losers. But some presidents are more direct about it than others. Trump's plan to impose tariffs of 25% on imported steel and 10% on imported aluminum as a means of correcting unfair trade practices from abroad, falls into the less direct category. The details aren't clear yet, and it's possible these could end up more limited than Trump made them sound when he first announced them on March 1. But markets have reacted aggressively, punishing companies and industries likely to be harmed by the tariffs while rewarding those likely to benefit.

It's a relatively minor move and done expressly for correcting imbalances. There was another champion of picking winners and losers. That would be Trump's predecessor, who had a different agenda: advancing the progressive cause. We sat through eight years of President Obama's economic policies that consisted almost exclusively of picking winners and losers, often with actual names of companies in the bullseye. Obama's moves almost always raised prices significantly on consumers and businesses, and I don't recall much consternation in the media about the harm these policies caused. In fact, the press almost wholeheartedly supported everything he did. For example:

Obama's biggest claim to fame was Obamacare, which sought nominally to expand health insurance to more people but which, in reality, was a disguised bid to destroy private-sector health coverage, in a disguised bid to enact a single-payer system. Diabolical as it sounded, the Obama team is on the record for it. Obamacare did destroy competition, and with it, it took away freedom of choice and significantly raised insurance premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and deductibles, on most consumers and businesses. There were plenty of winners and losers there.

Obama and his regulators also continually raised the compliance costs on all banks, through Dodd-Frank and other measures and this significantly reduced the number of small banks for business startups. The nominal winners here were big banks, but they didn't come out unscathed, either. Some bank executives were targeted for SEIU union thuggery in their homes, and big banks were shaken down for "community" purposes, which the Treasury turned into a slush fund for community organizers. It was a big payday for winners such as ACORN. Consumers were the big losers because the number of choices they had were reduced.

Energy was an even bigger area of Obama picking winners and losers, and here the corruption got epic. Obama continually rewarded unsustainable solar and wind companies to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies. A certain small class of hucksters running unsustainable companies such as Solyndra made out like bandits and taxpayers were left on the hook for $500 million. When the bills were sorted out after the company went bust, the Obama hucksters got paid first, despite mismanaging the company, and taxpayers were left holding the bag. Once again, winners and losers  as if that weren't bad enough, Obama sought to destroy and bankrupt fossil fuel companies and especially coal companies. His goal was to bankrupt coal companies, and his vice president, Joe Biden, said so quite explicitly. As for oil and gas, Obama blocked critical drilling and pipeline projects and hollered about how oil companies were "subsidized," when in fact they were not. He brought out the big guns when America's largest foreign investor, BP, had a bad accident in the Gulf of Mexico in 2009. He shook an unprecedented $4 billion in fines from the company and forced it to set up a questionably legal $20-billion cleanup cost trust fund, promptly triggering a gold rush from corrupt local governments inflating their costs. He also forced BP to put more than $1 billion of its fine in a special "discretionary" fund administered by his politicized Department of Justice. The money, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, was mismanaged. That certainly left a few winners among Obama's cronies. But it made consumers and the economy big losers with higher costs. Billionaires such as Elon Musk were big winners with his otherwise unsustainable Tesla "green" car project, because he got government subsidies for making fancy playthings for the rich.

People who wanted to protect wildlife were also big losers under Obama, because while he would fine oil companies if they killed protected birds, wind and solar panel farms, killed far more wildlife were treated much more softly. Meanwhile, the Animas River, which is a sacred waterway to Americans Indians in the Colorado region, was flooded with toxic chemicals in the Gold King Mine scandal in 2015, by Obama's Environmental Protection Agency. Not a one of those who committed the blunder was punished, yet American Indians were left holding the bag. Obama's winners and losers extended to many communities, as you can see  and even to the animal kingdom.

There was more: when Obama bailed out General Motors in 2009, he violated longstanding bankruptcy protocols by making unions big winners over secured creditors, such as bondholders, and other unsecured creditors, who by law were entitled to first priority on debt repayment. They and the taxpayers got left high and dry while Obama's favored unions got another winning chip. Politically unfavored unions, by the way, such as the Delphi Corporation workers union, got left high and dry, too, stiffed as the politically favored United Auto Workers got all they wanted.

President Obama declared that manufacturing jobs would never come back, and by his policies, he tried to make that a true statement.

Basically, the big winners in the Obama world were people who lived and worked around D.C., where they produce nothing but regulations. Several of the wealthiest counties are around D.C. If they didn't live around D.C., such as denizens of the Bay Area or Detroit, they did something to support Obama's campaign. There were definitely winners based on this criterion, and anyone outside it was a loser.

Those big losers were the rest of us, who suffered from a tremendously slow economy, stagnant wages, and regulations that unnecessarily pushed up costs.

So now let's go back to Trump and his tariffs on steel and aluminum and look to see if he's really picking winners and losers.

First, it is illegal for a large company such as Exxon to come into a city and sell gas at 50 cents a gallon until it chases out all its competitors.

It is also illegal for a big bank such as Chase to give loans at 1% until it puts all of its competitors out of business.

In both cases, in the short run, every individual and business would be a winner because of the lower costs. The only losers would be the businesses they bankrupted.

But in the long run, everyone would be a loser because of less competition. And once Exxon and Chase got a monopoly, they would be free to set any price they wanted. It would go up.

Similarly, it is against the best interest of Americans, for businesses from a foreign country such as China, to be able to dump products on the American market below their cost of production, even though consumers and businesses as a whole would be winners.

For trade that is fair to work, the foreign companies must price their products above a price that includes direct costs and overhead costs. It should also allow for a profit.

Tariffs should be imposed for dumping. The countries that got tariffs from President Trump had been caught dumping. The reason the tariffs have to be applied to other countries besides China is because China has a habit of shipping their products through third-party countries that don't have a tariff.

Reading and watching commentary from journalists and supposed experts saying how bad these fairly minimal tariffs are suggests they wouldn't care if China sold steel at $200 a ton (a very low price) and Saudi Arabia sold crude oil at $10 per barrel, because, after all, consumers and businesses would be winners. It seems they are shortsighted, because if American companies are bankrupted because of the dumping, we are in great trouble in the long run. President Trump is acting prudently with these tariffs.

I have seen articles giving examples of some of the losers under the tariffs, and the one I really got a kick out of was beer-producers. It seems that their costs would go up two tenths of a percent because of the increased aluminum prices. Therefore, a $15 case of canned beer would go up three cents, or less than two tenths of a cent per can. I bet Budweiser, or the consumer, could afford that.

The big winner in the economy so far under Trump is...the economy as a whole, because of tax cuts and regulatory cuts for almost every individual and business. Trump, unlike Obama, doesn't really seem to care what race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation anyone is, let alone how much cash was contributed to his campaign, when he picks winners. Manufacturing and energy jobs are also winners. The big losers are government bureaucrats who are seeing their power reduced.

It is nice to have a president who is trying to transfer the power and freedom back to the people instead of the other way around.Dozens of juveniles were charged last year in Chicago for allegedly pointing guns at motorists and stealing their cars, but most were not detained longer than 24 hours, according to court records obtained by the Sun-Times.

Crime in Chicago is a national embarrassment, as well as a demonstration of the inability of Democrats to maintain safety for the law-abiding citizens. While the murder rate in Chicago  largely confined to a couple of ghetto neighborhoods -- makes headlines, locals are more concerned over the rise in carjackings, which tend to happen where nice cars are found, in nice neighborhoods. As I wrote last month, the rise in that crime has tracked implementation of a delusional liberal policy :

 [M]ore juveniles than adults were arrested for armed carjacking last year. Most charged were later released on electronic monitoring ordered by juvenile court judges. ... About 700 juveniles were arrested in Chicago in connection with all types of gun-related crimes during the first seven months of 2017. Those crimes ranged from murder to armed robbery to carjacking to unlawful possession of a firearm. Of those 700 juveniles, 42 percent were arrested again. Of those arrests, half were for offenses involving guns.

The justice system in Chicago is often called catch and release.

Last December, President Trump asked, What the hell is going on in Chicago? in a speech to graduates of a training program at the FBI Academy in which he vowed his support for local law enforcement:

Now comes evidence that President Trump is doing something about Chicago crime, bypassing the lunatic liberal shackles placed on the local justice system. Json Meisner reports in the Chicago Tribune:

Two teens accused of a violent carjacking in November are the first to face stiff federal charges as part of a collaborative effort between Chicago police and federal authorities to curb a surge of carjackings in recent months. Anyone who commits a crime like this should know, we are coming for you, Jeffrey Sallet, special agent in charge of the FBIs Chicago office, warned in a statement. The indictment, made public Friday, charged Jason Dortch, 19, and Davontae Jones, 18, both of Chicago, with vehicular hijacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Dortch is also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. The two were already being held without bond while awaiting trial on state charges stemming from the same incident.

Chicago Tribune

The federal charges, however, significantly increase their potential sentences if convicted. The most serious charge in Fridays indictment carries up to life in prison if convicted, according to the U.S. attorneys office.

Chicagos police superintendent is welcoming the help:

"We're not playing around," Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said in announcing the task force Feb 4. "If they want to continue to go out there and take the easy path to taking someone's vehicle, then we are going to take that (federal) path to punish them to the fullest extent of the law that we can."

Of course, cops are the ones that have to re-arrest perps that have been freed by the courts, operating under the Illinois Bail Reform Act.

The new law specifies that cash bail is not necessary for people who are in custody for a nonviolent misdemeanor or low-level felony, such as theft, prostitution, driving under the influence or drug possession. Instead, there will be a presumption that any bail set in connection with those categories of crimes shouldn't be monetary. Other options include electronic home monitoring, curfews, drug counseling, stay-away orders and in-person reporting. And if a judge sets monetary bond for a person in custody who is unable to come up with the money, a rehearing on the bail must be held within seven days under the new law.

Superintendent Johnson said last month,

They [criminals] think the judicial system in Cook County is a joke. They just dont fear it, and until we create that mental accountability to them to not pick up a gun, were going to continue to see this cycle of violence, and its just silly, it is.

So, now the federal justice system, paid for by all Americans, has to step in and do the job that a functional state and county should be able to do for themselves, but have forfeited on, thanks to progressive politics in action.In a few weeks, we will remember the 15th anniversary of the Iraq War. President Bush made a tough call, and I'm still supporting it years later.

Over there, Saddam would be trying to compete with Iran for nuclear weapons. Libya would still have them.

Israel would have probably gone to war with Iran or Iraq by now.

Oil would be $100 a barrel, at least.

Over here, John Kerry would be giving speeches that Pres. Bush left a madman in power. He'd tell us about his vote to remove Saddam Hussein.

Hillary Clinton would remind us that her husband's administration said Iraq had WMDs and connections to al-Qaeda.

Al Gore would argue that 9-11 changed everything and that the U.S. looks weak playing cat and mouse with Iraq.

I'm sure that a few other Democrats would tell us about their opposition to Saddam Hussein.

It was 15 years ago, and President Bush was right. All you have to do is look at North Korea. The lesson of North Korea is that you cannot allow these regimes to go nuclear. You cannot give them the benefit of the doubt because they have no intention of complying with any agreements.

Saddam won't be conducting any nuclear tests. He is dead and gone.

Better than that, we don't have to hear John Kerry say the Bush administration passed up an opportunity to take out Saddam before he conducted a nuclear test.

Last, but not least, we salute all of the men and women who served in Iraq. We also remember the ones killed and their wonderful families.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL arent among the worlds top ten best smartphone cameras, Consumer Reports claims. The American magazines ratings suggest the iPhone X and iPhone 8 have the best mobile cameras in the industry while ranking the iPhone 8 Plus below its single-lens counterpart. Samsungs Galaxy S8 Plus ranked fourth, above the seventh-placed Galaxy S8 which features whats essentially an identical camera and was also rated higher than the dual-camera setup of the Galaxy Note 8 by one spot. Both the iPhone 7 and the 2015 iPhone 6s Plus have better cameras than Samsungs latest high-end phablet, the publication claims. The list was met with both criticism and ridicule on social media networks and forums such as Reddit, with smartphone users mocking both the order of its top ten picks and the fact that Googles new offerings werent even mentioned despite being widely considered as some of the finest mobile imaging tools ever created.

Most photography equipment and general tech reviewers believe Google set a new standard of image quality in terms of single-lens mobile cameras with the Pixel 2, having managed to deliver extremely versatile smartphone imaging tools that also support Portrait Mode despite lacking a second camera which is usually used for creating depth maps that make in-camera bokeh possible on handsets. While not everyone agrees the Pixel 2 series has the best mobile camera on the market, Consumer Reports is the only high-profile tech outlet in the industry which claims Googles latest offerings arent even in the contention for the title.

The always ongoing mobile photography race heated up several days back after Samsung announced its latest flagship offerings in the form of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus, the latter of which is now said to feature the best smartphone camera on the market, according to DxOMark. While some of the French firms findings are debatable, its experts strongly believe the low-light performance offered by the Galaxy S9 Plus is unprecedented in the mobile industry, whereas they now consider Googles Pixel 2 lineup as having the worlds second best smartphone camera. Consumers will be able to experience the imaging capabilities of the Galaxy S9 series later this month, with the handset duo being set for a global release on March 16.ARAs Editor-in-ChiefOver the last year feminine matter appears to be in transformation. Women are becoming gaseous and have decided to occupy all the space available to them. Without asking permission, facing great hurdles and resistance, but with determination and complicity from those in the spotlight to turn it on all of them collectively. Feminism is not new, but what is new is the capacity for mobilization provided by the internet, the porosity of a globalized world, and the critical mass of women to whom society has given the right to be heard and who have taken advantage of their positions to break uncomfortable silences. The incomprehensible silences of victims. Many women have joined together to raise the alarm over sexist practices at all levels of society and which have in common, basically, the abuse of power. The #MeToo campaign, started against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, is the tip of the iceberg of a public rejection of powerful and brutal men. It is not a complaint against men, but a denunciation of power exercised abusively, with or without physical violence. That the glamor of Hollywood has said "enough" is an invaluable help for the viralization of these values beyond the borders of the US. Thanks to this movement and the work done by millions of women over many generations, feminism has overcome the primitive masculine cliche of the ill-tempered, hairy suffragette. But #MeToo will remain a simple marketing campaign unless we convince our male allies that they too are feminists and that this is a joint venture in favor of civilization. Of a society based on equal opportunities and meritocracy.

The economic crisis has contributed to women rallying, and proof of this is the international strike called for March 8th. The inequality in pay is even worse when considering the time spent by women caring for parents and children, as well as the difficulty in rejoining the workforce with full dedication after maternity. This is the turning point.

Women are becoming gaseous and have decided to occupy all the space available to them

The truly important step forward is needed in the treatment of maternity and paternity. It is not just about sharing, but about being co-responsible for the care of offspring. In writing this I can hear in my head the conservative voices that argue that many women want to stay home and care for their children. This is an option, provided it is a free choice. The feminist revolution affects men and women equally, and the key is for women to have the same ability as the men around them to choose how they want to live. A good conversation with their grandmothers about the importance of financial independence and the consequences of not having it could also be very useful for the new generations that are tempted to cede spaces conquered by the courageous women who came before them. Women who were also afraid, like us, but who dared to live a life worth living.

Today in ARA we bring you a dossier to help us think about what feminism is, and to help men and women to see things from a different point of view. We do so with an article by Professor Marta Segarra and a review of various trends. With ideas such as that of Judith Butler, who argues that "gender is performance", that it is not a fixed identity that we are endowed with. We also look at the ideas of Helene Cixous and the difference, and those of Donna J. Faraway on the interpretation of what is "natural", scientific subjectivity, and assessment of the surroundings. Luce Irigaray argues for a "politics of women where relationships are not based on the domination of the strongest. Segarra collects the most interesting trends and makes us think about our day-to-day assumptions.

For example, have you ever considered that your female partners find it harder to be heard in public? Take note. Rebecca Solnit explains it very well in a book with a delicious first part titled Men explain things to me, in which she tells of a time when someone explained to her with great authority a book that she herself had written. How many times has a man lectured a woman expert on her own specialty? Are our sons safer than our daughters? Are they more accustomed to being the protagonists? Do our daughters feel more insecure about their physique and the generalized canons in our society?

If the relationships between people and genders are one of the great questions in life, perhaps we should dedicate a little bit of time to thinking about this and acting consciously.As recently as this past week, Germany, through the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig, issued a ruling saying that from now on it is legal for the countrys local authorities to ban diesel cars access here and there. By far, Germanys decision is the one to have the biggest impact of them all because, truth be told, the Germans rule Europe (and they didnt even need a war for that).But does this ruling constitute, in effect, a ban on diesel cars?The decision came as a result of a suit filed by the Environmental Action Germany (DUH), an environmental group (among others) that believed authorities in the two cities arent doing a good enough job to combat emissions. And the best way to do that, says the group, is by banning the use of diesel cars. The cities disagreed, the whole thing went to court, where the cities lost. Or did they?First off, the courts decision, although applicable to all the cities in the country, only targets directly two regions: Stuttgart and Dusseldorf, places where air pollution is already at the maximum allowable levels.Secondly, It doesnt ban diesel cars per se. They can still be manufactured, sold and bought at will. They can be driven up and down any road, at no matter what rpm.What the decision says is that some diesel cars will no longer be permitted to enter some city center areas, should local authorities find it useful to support such an idea, preferably after some or other eco-group asks them to.The court itself says the ban, if no other way is found to reduce emission, must come as a proportionate measure. What that means is unclear, but leaves authorities enough room to dodge bullets.Secondly, Angela Merkels government is not thrilled about the decision either. After all, Germanys automotive industry is the countrys (and the continents) largest, having generated a massive 404 billion euros turnover in 2015. So, should an alternate solution be found to avoid banning diesel cars, the government would be more than glad to embrace it.Word in the industry is that the Federal Courts decision hindered the chancellors plans to put in place a controlled-type of ban on diesel cars, one that would not hurt the industry all that much. One such plan envisions so-called blue badges to be provided for cleaner diesel cars, in effect making them immune to local driving bans.The whole blame-it-on-the-diesel-and-ban-them rhetoric is not even new. Greece, a country which now brags about enforcing a ban on diesel starting 2025, had such a rule in place in Athens and Thessaloniki up until 2011. Hit by economic and debt crisis (from which the country emerged only with German help), the Greeks changed their minds and suspended the ban, so that they can save the local auto market.We will probably look back, years from now, and see that all of these days talk on the subject didnt amount to much. Because lets ask the obvious questions (Germany excluded): if diesel cars are all that bad (and we dont say they arent), why wait another 7 years to ban their access here and there? Why dont cities like Rome , Athens, Paris or Mexico city pull the plug on that now? Or in a year, or so?One could guess all the diesel-ban talk is a smoke screen, designed to make Europeans and not only them believe that something is being done to make the air cleaner. By 2025, automakers will probably make diesel much greener than they are now. And there will not be a need for any diesel-ban to come into effect.I just pulled down from a dusty shelf in my office a plaque awarded to me for an important aviation achievement. It was presented to me personally by none other than famed flight test pilot and Collier Trophy winner Scott Crossfield. More on that in a moment.

The reason I retrieved it relates to something I saw on the evening news last weekend. A Piper Malibu, having landed undamaged on the median or maybe the lanes of the 101 freeway near San Jose, was being towed to a nearby airport. As the camera scrolled the airframe, I thought to myself, hey, that looks just like my friend Chuck Kissners old Malibu, the one we flogged across the continent several times with me in the right seat. When I saw the N-number, it sure enough was the same airplane. This is not something you want to see on the evening news. Or at all.

Dredging my memory, I was thinking this was the airplanes second engine failure. Well no, Chuck informed me by email, it was actually the fifth partial or full failure, at least that we know about. Chuck had threetwo turbo hose departures and a fuel pump failure. His then-partner had a broken crankshaft and now this failure. The airplane is an early Malibu and has north of 5500 hours.

Even experienced vicariously via a 15-second news clip, such a development causes one to, shall I say, rethink ones decisions. Chuck was more whimsical: Ah, the power of rationalization, he wrote me, reminding me that even after his mechanical mayhem, he continued to fly the airplane over the Rockies. At night. Sometimes in weather. Sometimes with me along.

Readers of this blog know that Im fond of measuring risk numerically so even if the airplane had five failures in 10,000 hours, thats not what I would call low risk. If you explained this to a non-aviation person about to ascend the airstair into the cabin, would it cause pause? Logically, it should, I suppose. On the other hand, the airplane made it down safely every time.

In addition to being a serial quitter, the airplane had another unnerving habit. Being pressurized, it oil canned a little in the form of a robust bang at random moments. Chuck had warned me about it, but I still nearly soiled myself when it did this over the mountains in weather. At least it was daylight.

The Malibu wasand isone of the great GA airplanes. Big, fast and comfortable. But Piper was further along with the airframe than Continental was with the engine. The TSIO-520-BE did the job of pressurizing the cabin with a pair of turbos and driving the thing into the flight levels, but it didnt have much to spare and the early airplanes could be maintenance hogs. What the Malibu really needed was the IO-550 series, but by the time that was available, Piper had switched to the Lycoming TIO-540 for the Mirage.

Chuck is off flying piston airplanes at all now, but Id still get in that very same airplane for a long trip. But Im no longer interested in traversing the Rockies or Sierras in weather or at night. Id still fly night IFR, even in the winter, considering the airplane has boots and handles icing effectively. We did one such trip westbound from Rhode Island to California into the teeth of a winter gale. When the groundspeed drops to 120 knots in a 200-knot airplane, the discussion naturally turns to things made by Pratt & Whitney bolted on to things made by Boeing.

Now, about that plaque. We were awarded it by the National Aeronautic Association for speed over a recognized course from San Jose  to New York  for Class C-1d, Group 1 on May 4, 1992. According to the plaque, the trip took 10 hours and 56 minutes for a speed of 234.16 mph. Its an impressive plaque with a bespoke raised gold seal. I dont have it hanging up because I dont have the wall space and because if someone asked about it, Id have to explain what vanity record means.

These so-called city-pair records seemed to be a thing in the early 1990s and may still be, for all I know. But its about as significant as the record my personal parachute packer, Kyle, awarded me over the weekend: the most number of skydives without dying. I like that guy. He keeps packing them and I keep unpacking them.

I went to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, where the late Scott Crossfield handed out the awards. What a gracious man. When one of the recipients told Crossfield that he was a personal hero, Crossfield replied: Well, tonight, youre mine. Maybe Ill withdraw that crack about the vanity record. For a brief, shining moment, the awards made us feel like we were participants in the larger world of aeronautics, even if strutting across the stage for an eye blink.

Crossfield asked me what the unrefueled range of the Malibu was, but damned if I could remember. But I do know it has a hell of a glide ratio.Israel demands that as part of "fixing" the nuclear deal with Iran, new sanctions and limitations be placed on all Iranian missiles with a range of more than 180 miles (or 300 kilometers)  including the precision missiles Iran is providing Hezbollah with. Israeli officials say Prime Minister Netanyahu is going to raise this issue during his meeting tomorrow with President Trump at the White House.

Between the lines: Netanyahu and his advisers are concerned with what they see as a growing gap between the harsh rhetoric by the Trump administration against Iran and the limited actions taken  both on the nuclear deal and on Iranian military entrenchment in Syria.

Where things stand: Trump has set May 12th as the deadline to reach an agreement with France, Germany and the U.K. to "fix" the nuclear deal and avoid U.S. withdrawal from it. In the last few weeks two rounds of talks were held in London and Paris between senior diplomats from the four countries. A third round is expected next week in Berlin. Israel is not a party to the talks directly but is updated on their contents.

Israeli officials told me that the government in Jerusalem was surprised to find out that the potential sanctions on the Iranian missile program being discussed concern only missiles with a range beyond 1200 miles (2000 kilometers) that can hit Europe and the U.S., and not with short and medium range Iranian missiles that can hit Israel directly from Iran or from Lebanon and Syria via Hezbollah.

A senior Israeli official told me Israel conveyed its concerns to the U.S. and to the Europeans and demanded that every amendment or additional agreements to the nuclear deal include sanctions and limitations on the testing and proliferation of all Iranian missile with a range of beyond 180 miles and with a payload of 1100 pounds or more.

The Europeans object to the Israeli demand and treat it with suspicion, thinking Israel is trying to insert non-nuclear issues into the negotiations. The Europeans think that new sanctions should only be put on long range ballistic missiles that can carry a nuclear warhead. For now the U.S. seems to take the same line as the European powers.

What's next: Netanyahu will try and convince Trump in their meeting tomorrow not to compromise with the Europeans on the issue of the Iranian missile program and to take the toughest line possible.

Israel's ambassador to Washington Ron Dermer spoke about this issue during a Q&A session at the AIPAC conference today:

"Another thing that you need to do is to make sure that these missiles are a part on any agreement, or at least are addressed. That would mean that if Iran continued to develop these missiles, that you would have crippling sanctions on Iran. Crippling sanctions mean sanctions on oil and sanctions on the financial sector. Those were the sanctions that actually created a huge problem for Iran. So if Iran is going to continue to develop its missile program we need to put those sanctions on".Denis McDonough, Barack Obama's former chief of staff, told Chuck Todd in a "Meet the Press" interview that Mitch McConnell blocked a more robust response to Russian meddling in the lead up to the 2016 election:

"It took over three weeks to get that statement worked out. It was dramatically watered down," he said, adding that he knew it had been watered down at the request of McConnell.

The backdrop: The exchange was prompted by a claim from Joe Biden that McConnell was focused on "the political play" and "wanted no part of having a bipartisan commitment that we would say essentially, 'Russia's doing this, stop.'"Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan has admitted the need to launch the process of demarcation of the border with Azerbaijan as soon as possible, Trend reports referring to the Armenian media.Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has met Managing Director of Total Azerbaijan Denis Lemarchal.

Shahbazov praised cooperation with Total Group of Companies. The minister was interested in the progress achieved over Absheron field which having large gas reserves will meet internal demand, Azertag reported.

Lemarchal, in turn, stated that within the second phase of development of Absheron field, which will cover the 2020-2023 period, annual gas production will reach 5 bn cubic meters.

They discussed issues on prospects of cooperation in the field of renewable energy sources.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

"History of modern Turkey is divided into two periods: "old weak Turkey" - before the Justice and Development Party came to power and "new strong Turkey" - after the Justice and Development Party came to power", according to the Turkish political circles.

Exploring Turkeys political and economic development after the Justice and Development Party came to power, one can see that despite all the political and internal unrest, many reforms were carried out for the development of the country.

The defense industry is one of the indicators of the power of any country. Of course, realizing that, the Turkish authorities began to actively develop the defense industry. Moreover, Turkey got rid of the dependence on imports of armaments as a result of the refusal of a number of EU countries and the US to sell weapons to that country.

Turkey has recently invested about $35 billion in the defense industry, while the export of defense products of the country has recently reached $2.5 billion.

According to the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, in January-February 2018, exports of defense products increased by 16.6 percent and amounted to $258.9 million compared to the same period of 2017.

In January-February 2018, the products of the Turkish defense industry worth $20.3 million were exported to Oman. The defense industry products worth $10.5 million were exported to the UK, products worth $9.4 million  to India, products worth $8.2 million  to China, products worth $7.9 million - to Qatar, products worth $6.4 million - to Italy, products worth $5.2 million - to Azerbaijan. The rest volume of the exported defense products worth $191 million accounted for the share of other countries.

The Operation Olive Branch, which is being carried out by Turkey in Syrias Afrin district against terrorists of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), has given the country an opportunity to demonstrate its military might.

The Turkish armed forces use the so-called Alpagu kamikaze drones, long-range howitzer Frtna (Storm), Kirpi and Cobra armored vehicles, ATAK helicopters, Kasirga missiles that can hit targets at a distance of 100 kilometers. These are domestically produced weapons.By Trend

The 2nd Iran International Exploration & Production Congress & Exhibition (Iran E&P 2018) has been held in Tehran.

The two-day event which brings together state officials, public and private decision makers and dependent industry managers of Iran, seeks to introduce new models for cooperation with the country in the upstream sector of the industry.

Iran E&P 2018 in the meantime is discussing the latest developments regarding the Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) model and also the necessity of luring private sector into the business.

Deputy Head of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for Engineering and Development Affairs, Gholamreza Manouchehri, told the inaugural ceremony that the volume of the proven oil reserves of the country has increased by ten percent.

He added that the ministry seeks to involve banks and financial funds as well as small-size investors in the development of the industry.

Following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA aka nuclear deal), the Islamic Republic, freed from crippling sanctions, has sought to develop the countrys oil and gas fields.

Tehran, immediately after removing the countrys oil sanctions in 2016, introduced the Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) in a move to replace the old buyback model.

Irans overall crude output has reached about 3.8 million barrels per day and the country currently exports about 2.6 million barrels of crude and condensate.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzIrish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has poured cold water on the UK's latest proposals to avoid a post-Brexit hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Mr Coveney was responding to ideas included in a keynote address by Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday aimed at outlining the UK's roadmap to Brexit.

In her speech, Mrs May acknowledged the Irish border was a problem which was part of the UK's responsibility.

The Prime Minister outlined either a 'customs partnership' between the UK and Ireland, or a 'streamlined customs arrangement' which would include approved businesses and technological solutions in some form.

Speaking on the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Mr Coveney said proposals from Mrs May were a starting point.

"This is the mistake that I think is made in Britain all the time. When somebody definitively says something will be the case from the British Government, people assume that is the negotiated outcome - of course its not," he said.

"Im not sure the European Union will be able to support the situation whereby 80% of companies that trade north-south and south-north will actually protect the integrity of the EU single market...

" while of course we will explore and look at the proposed British solutions, they are essentially a starting point in negotiations as opposed to an end point."

He made reference to the preliminary agreement between the UK and the EU reached in December which allowed negotiations to move to the second stage.

It included the condition that Northern Ireland would remain fully aligned with the customs union and single market should no alternative arrangement be reached.

"If we cant agree on solutions, they of course what we have is the backstop, which is a commitment by the British government to maintain full alignment to the rules of the customs union and single market," he said.

Mr Coveney said the crux of the proposals for the future customs arrangement made by Mrs May had been included in two papers published by the British negotiating team last summer.

Responding to Mr Coveney, DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said the Irish government's approach "defies logic".

"Last August Her Majestys Government published innovative proposals to deal with the United Kingdom / Republic of Ireland border. These were sensible solutions which should have been explored further by the Republic. However, the Irish government has instead thrown its lot in with Brussels and closed down the space to even consider innovative solutions," he said.Police are appealing for information after an armed robbery at an off-licence in south Belfast.

The incident happened on the Upper Malone Road on Friday, with a report being made to police at around 9.45pm that two men, one armed with a claw hammer, had entered a shop, threatened staff and demanded money from the till.

The men took a sum of cash and escaped on foot in the direction of the Taughmonagh estate.

Detective Constable Ritchie said: The first male, who was armed with the hammer, was described as in his late 20s to early 30s, 6ft 1in tall, of slim to average build with short dark hair and was wearing a dark hoody with white writing on it and dark bottoms.

The second male, described as being of similar build and age, was wearing a khaki green or beige padded coat and a scarf across his face.

No one was physically harmed during the robbery, however, both staff members were left shaken.

We would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or who has any information which could help with our investigation, to contact detectives at Musgrave Criminal Investigation Branch on 101 quoting reference 1368 of 2/3/18."

Alternatively the public can contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.Members of Donaghadee RNLI have come to the rescue of 18 crew members on a Spanish fishing vessel, after they were left marooned by a broken engine.

The team were called out to the incident on Saturday night just after 8pm upon receiving a call out from the Belfast coastguard.

The fishing vessel Tahume was reported 2.5 nautical miles north east of the Mew Island, and on arrival a tow line was established.

Due to the large size of 117ft boat, it was decided the boat would be towed to the safety of Belfast Harbour.

Speaking after the rescue, Coxswain Philip McNamara of Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat said: "The crew were paged at 8.12pm and we launched shortly after that, I can only thank them for their speedy response.

"It was a long evening with difficult enough conditions, but thanks to the ongoing training with the RNLI the team were able to secure the tow and we were delighted to bring the skipper of Tahume and her crew to the safety of Belfast Harbour. We wish her safe onward journey following repairs."

The RNLI is supported by on-call volunteer crews, and has 235 stations around the UK and Ireland.John McAreavey, the widower of Michaela Harte, has issued a statement in support of his uncle Bishop John McAreavey.

Bishop John McAreavey announced he was standing down from his position on Thursday amid growing controversy around the Catholic Church's handing of paedophile priest Fr Malachy Finnegan.

Dr McAreavey, the Bishop of Dromore, had known about allegations of child abuse against the disgraced cleric as far back as the mid-1990s.

Bishop McAreavey conducted Finnegan's funeral in 2002.

The allegations have come to light following a BBC Spotlight programme, which also looked at the Church's response.

In a statement put out through his Twitter feed, Mr McAreavey also made reference to criticism he had received for remarrying five years after his late wife Michaela was murdered on their honymoon in Mauritius.

Mr McAreavey wrote: "In the past 7 years, I've lived with people questioning my decision to seek life and love again, I've been accused of unspeakable acts, I've endured injustice of a great magnitude... but to see my uncle, John McAreavey vilified in recent times like he has been, causes great pain and anger."

"Uncle John has dedicated his life to God and to serving others. He has always acted with people's best intentions at heart.

"To see some media use vulnerable people to achieve a 'demonstration of perceived power' is both callous and vindictive. We need to care for people by listening and trying to right the wrongs of the past, not using their plight for personal gain.

"Celebrating his resignation as some sort of 'win' does not help victims.

"My prayer is that the innocent victims of the horrendous abuse caused by Malachy Finnegan will receive the healing they truly deserve."

A statement by Bishop McAreavey on his resignation was read out to parishioners at Mass on Sunday.

In it he stated he said he had "wrestled" with the decision to resign, and "following recent media coverage which has disturbed and upset many people, I decided on Thursday to resign".

"I would ask you first and foremost to continue to hold in your prayers those who have been abused and all who are suffering at this time," he said.A man has been charged in connection with the murder of an Irish policeman.

He is due to appear at Dundalk District Court in Co Louth on Sunday evening.

Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead during a robbery at Lordship Credit Union near Dundalk in January 2013.

The suspect is aged in his 20s.

Another man aged in his 50s has been released after he was arrested in connection with the killing.Dublin Fire Brigade are hunting down some 'Snowmaggeddon heroes'.

They are trying to find a number of people who helped them to get their ambulance moving, after it broke down in Firhouse on Friday night.

They have asked social media to help by passing on a big 'thumbs up'.

The crew did not get their helpers' names but they just wanted to say thank you for a great display of community spirit.

Thanks, we didn't get your names but your help getting our ambulance moving in Firhouse last night was brilliant. If anyone knows them..... #SnowStories #SNOWMAGGEDDON #StormEmma #Dublin #sneactha pic.twitter.com/QJRxEKDyNd  Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) March 3, 2018

Meanwhile, some of the incredible people in Tallaght were out to help another ambulance crew get through the snow yesterday.

That's real community spirit lads. Well done.Update 6.52pm: Theresa May's plan to maintain a soft Irish border after Brexit could be changed to accommodate European Union concerns, her deputy said, amid signals that Brussels could reject it.

Cabinet Office minister David Lidington, the British Prime Minister's de facto number two, said her high-profile Friday speech was an "ambitious opening bid" for negotiations on trade.

After Tanaiste Simon Coveney suggested the EU could block her plans to maintain a soft Irish border while leaving the customs union, Mr Lidington accepted it could be changed to accommodate concerns.

But he rejected suggestions that the UK would have to accept the fallback option of keeping Northern Ireland in an effective customs union with the EU.

The issue is holding up agreement on Britain's exit terms and a transition deal.

Mr Lidington backed Mrs May's plan to avoid a hard border through technological solutions and placing no new restrictions on the 80% of cross-frontier trade carried out by smaller businesses, while suggesting it could be tweaked.

Asked if the backstop option was inevitable, Mr Lidington told ITV's Peston on Sunday: "I'm much less pessimistic than you are, clearly we are at the start of a negotiating period and will want to sit down with our EU partners and work through where their concerns, whether legal or technical, are and see how we might together address this."

Earlier: Tanaiste: Theresa May 'hasn't given any more detail than we've already heard' about post-Brexit border

Theresa May's plan to ensure the continuation of a soft border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is likely to be rejected by the European Union, Tanaiste Simon Coveney has suggested.

The British Prime Minister has committed to leaving the EU customs union which guarantees tariff-free trade, but insists a hard border can be avoided through technological solutions and placing no new restrictions on the 80% of cross-frontier trade carried out by smaller businesses.

However, Tanaiste Simon Coveney told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show he was "not sure that the European Union will be able to support" the plan, as it would be worried about protecting the integrity of the single market.

"While of course we will explore and look at all of the proposed British solutions, they are essentially a starting point in negotiations as opposed to an end point," he said.

The Tanaiste says the British Prime Minister has offered no more detail than already heard about how to avoid a hard border after Brexit.

Mr Coveney has welcomed Mrs May's commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process.

He said: "We certainly welcome the fact that she was definitive in terms of the Good Friday Agreement, which is the foundation stone for the peace process.

"But beyond that, she hasn't really gone into any more detail than we've already heard, in terms of how she is going to solve the problem of maintaining a largely invisible border."

Mrs May, speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, said "quite a few" trade deals have included financial services commitments in them, adding that the "very important role" of the City of London for the UK and EU needs to be recognised.

She said: "If we were to accept passporting, we'd just be a rule-taker - we'd have to abide by the rules that were being set elsewhere, and given the importance of financial stability of ensuring the City of London, we can't just take the same rules without any say in them."

Asked for her message to the financial services companies, Mrs May said: "What we're looking to develop is a relationship that means they can stay here in the UK as part of the City of London, that they will be continuing to provide their services across the European Union but they will know - given the sums of money involved, given the importance of financial stability, given the risk that actually the UK bears as a result of having the City here - that it's important that we do that on the basis of recognised regulatory standards, but we can't just accept rules made elsewhere without us having a say in them."

In the interview, which was recorded after her speech on Friday, Mrs May said Britain would align with EU rules in areas like car manufacturing to maintain access to markets but diverge in areas such as fisheries and agriculture.

She said: "Crucially, Parliament will be able to take decisions about the rules that are set and so in the circumstances in which, say, the EU changed a particular rule, there would be a decision for us to take - did we accept it in the future or not?

"But if we didn't accept it, there'd be an arbitration mechanism, an independent arbitration mechanism, so that people would look at it and say actually, you know what, if the UK doesn't accept that, does it make any difference to the trading relationship? And they might say no it doesn't, so there's no consequence, they might say yes it does, and so there would be a consequence."

Mrs May said she was pleased that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar agreed to sit down alongside the European Commission and UK to look at her proposals to maintain a soft Irish border in more detail.

The PM declined to defend Boris Johnson's comparison of the border to crossing between congestion zones in Camden and Islington, but insisted she was "absolutely clear" that there will not be a hard border.

"We've got proposals as to how we're going to achieve that, now we're going to be able to sit down and talk with others about how we're going to do that," Mrs May said.

Mrs May sidestepped a question over whether a Commons vote on the customs union would amount to a motion of confidence.

An amendment to the Trade Bill calling on the PM to try to negotiate a customs union with the EU, tabled by Conservative former minister Anna Soubry, has attracted the support of enough Tories to threaten defeat for the British Government.

When asked what happens if the Commons tries to tie her hands, Mrs May said: "First of all, we're going to be having a discussion with members in the House of Commons because what I have set out today (March 2) in terms of a future customs arrangement with the EU I think is what most people actually want to see."

Asked if she could stay as PM if she lost the vote, Mrs May replied: "What we're doing in looking at the customs issue as we go through these various Bills in Parliament is what is the right customs arrangement for the United Kingdom to have with the EU in future that ensures we can have tariff-free and as frictionless trade as possible across the border."By David Raleigh

The Supreme Court will sit in Limerick tomorrow for the first time ever.

The Court will sit in the new multi-million euro Criminal Courts of Justice building on Mulgrave Street, which is to receive its officially opening by Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan.

This is only the second time in the history of the State that the Supreme Court has sat outside Dublin's Four Courts.

The sittings over three days, are part of a programme which will see the Supreme Court Justices involved in outreach to various court user groups and law students in the area.

Several other planned seminars and talks will take place - as well as the court sitting over the three days in the city.

The Chief Justice of Ireland Frank Clarke will address the court from 10.30am, prior to the official opening at 5pm.

The modern new courthouse, which opened last month, was built as part of a 140m public-private partnership and includes six courtrooms, victim support, consultation rooms, offices, and a custody suite.

It now hosts all of Limericks District and Circuit criminal cases, as well as Central Criminal Court regional rape and murder trials. Civil and family law proceedings will continue to be heard at the former County Circuit Courthouse at Merchants Quay.

Remand prisoners are being driven less than 200 yards from Limerick Prison to the new courts building.

The Prison Service turned down an offer by the Courts Services of Ireland to construct a tunnel or walkway connecting the jail and the courts.

A spokesman for the courts services said: The new Limerick Criminal Courts of Justice are built beside, but separate from, Limerick Prison. Conventions dictate that they should be separate in terms of curtilage and management - but that there can be a means of secure access between them.

When designing the new Courts, the Courts Service suggested and offered to the Prison Service, such secure and direct access to the new complex. The Prison Service declined this offer at planning and building stages - for logistical reasons related to security and health and safety.

If the Prison Service wish for such access in the future we will gladly allow for same via minor alterations to the complex perimeter.

The prison service stated that its preferred method of transporting prisoners to the new court facility is via cellular vehicles.

This is the safest and most staff resource efficient method with which to produce prisoners for court appearances.

Talk of a tunnel had been mooted at an early stage of the planned development but this was never progressed.

It added it had no plans change this system for bringing prisoners to court.

A prison source said: Every prisoner transported to court must be accompanied by three prison staff. So, for example, if you had to transport 10 prisoners to court, you couldn't transfer them individually via a tunnel because you'd take 30 prison officers out of the prison system.

That would have a huge effect on a jail the size of Limerick Prison.

If you can get 10 prisoners into a cellular prison vehicle, you only need three prison officers to transport them, in one go. It's quicker to load up the van and bring the whole gang. It's far more efficient, they added.Week nine, six sets of dancers and one emotional dance-off.

Both Alannah Beirne and Erin McGregor found themselves within the bottom two of tonight's Dancing with the Stars.

In an emotional dance-off between both contestants, Alannah and Vitali said their goodbyes to their time on the show after their second week in a row appearing in the bottom two spot.

Tonight's show was filled with more glitz and glamour than Julian's jacket as the dancers impressed the judges throughout.

Jake Carter and partner Karen Byrne opened the show with a jive, a dance Karen described as "a real Jake dance."

The couple received a total of 27 points from the judges with Julian Benson describing it as the way to "open a show," saying it was "full of power and full of energy."

Brian Redmond made the comment, "Boy, you can dance."

Robert Heffernan's and Emily Barker danced contemporary ballroom which Loraine Barry describing it as a "beautiful piece of art."

Robert's efforts on his birthday week earned him a score of 24 from the judges.

Alannah Beirne came back from last week's dance-off with an upbeat samba dance with partner Vitali Kozmin.

Loraine Barry said that "a little bit more traction" would get her to the point she needs to be.

Alannah received a score of 24, which in the end wasn't enough to keep her in the competition.

Erin McGregor and dance partner Ryan McShane received the highest score of 29.

"Tonight this was your moment darling," an emotional Julian Benson told Erin. "I felt like I was watching a Disney princess and prince," he said.

Erin said that it was "so lovely to dance such a beautiful dance to such a beautiful song with a beautiful partner."

Anna Geary and partner Kai Widdrington received a total of 24 points for their sensual romantic rumba which Brian Redmond described as the best rumba so far this season.

Loraine Barry wanted more of Deirdre O'Kane and John Edward Nolan's Hollywood glamour which scored them 26 points.

This week the dancers were split into two dance groups.

The groups had to dance off against each other in a bid to earn the most points from the judges which would be added to their original score.

Robert, Erin and Anna earned themselves 25 more points as the first dance group The Party Rockers while Jake, Deirdre and Alannah earned their team, Team Floor Fillers a perfect score of 30.

The people of Twitter were loving tonight's shake-up on the show and #DWTSIrl trended in Ireland for another Sunday night in the running.

"You brought the roof down". Too soon Julian #dwtsirl  Alison Spittle (@AlisonSpittle) March 4, 2018

@AlannahBeirne you were amazing tonight and every other Sunday night xxx gutted for you x  #DWTSIrl  ni_eimhear (@ni_eimhear) March 4, 2018

I think the second group were the best, tearing up the dance floor. #DWTSIrl pic.twitter.com/5yNN9JRP0U  o (@curiouswoman_) March 4, 2018

Watching @AlannahBeirne leave #DWTSIrl now shows its more a personality competition than a dance competition. Should have been in the final .  Pattie (@pattieoboyle) March 4, 2018

It would't be Sunday evening without seeing @jakecartermusic nipples now would it? #DWTSirl pic.twitter.com/wMIA3lU2KA  RSVP Magazine (@RSVPMagazine) March 4, 2018

Deirdre O Kane is so much fun on this show. Completely draws focus! #DWTSIrl  PrincessOfSour (@PrincessOfSour) March 4, 2018

Very little amuses me more than watching an Irish audience try to clap in time to music. Collectively, we have the coordination and rhythm of a newborn foal. #DWTSIrl pic.twitter.com/5hUtFqKd65  Philip Nolan (@philipnolan1) March 4, 2018

Incredible graphic lighting on #DWTSIrl ..

( not that I'm watching obvs) pic.twitter.com/g759sVRPaG  Richard Jacob (@idahocafe) March 4, 2018

I wouldnt change it for the world, I had the most amazing experience. Alannah Beirne is the 6th celeb to leave #DWTSirl photo: RTE one pic.twitter.com/sh8xsKqzt5  RSVP Magazine (@RSVPMagazine) March 4, 2018

That dance off on #DWTSIrl was so unfair. Neither couple deserved to be in the bottom two :-(  Rory (@RTGeraghty) March 4, 2018The most senior Vatican official ever charged in the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis is set to appear in an Australian court on Monday, in a hearing to test whether prosecutors have sufficient evidence to try him.

Australian Cardinal George Pell's committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, before Magistrate Belinda Wallington, is scheduled to take up to a month - with testimony of alleged victims likely to be suppressed from publication.

Pope Francis' former finance minister was charged in June of last year with sexually abusing multiple people in his Australian home state of Victoria.

The details of the allegations against the 76-year-old cardinal have yet to be released to the public, though police have described the charges as "historical" sexual assault offences - meaning the crimes are alleged to have occurred decades ago.

The case places both the cardinal and the Pope in potentially perilous territory. For Pell, the charges are a threat to his freedom, his reputation and his career. For Pope Francis, they are a threat to his credibility, given that he famously promised a "zero tolerance" policy for sex abuse in the church.

Advocates for abuse victims have long railed against the decision to appoint Pell to the high-ranking position in the first place.

When Pell was promoted in 2014, he was already facing allegations he had mishandled cases of clergy abuse during his time as archbishop of Melbourne and later Sydney.

Pell has not yet entered a plea but his lawyer Robert Richter has told the court the cardinal plans to formally plead not guilty.

One of the charges was withdrawn last week because the accuser had died.

Pell's lawyers told the court last month the allegations stemmed from publicity surrounding a national inquiry into child abuse three years ago.

His lawyer, Ruth Shann, said the first complainant approached police in 2015 - 40 years after the alleged crimes - in response to media reports about Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Australia's longest-running royal commission - which is the country's highest form of inquiry - had been investigating since 2012 how the Catholic Church and other institutions responded to sexual abuse of children in Australia over 90 years. The inquiry issued its final report in December.

Pell testified to the inquiry in a video link from the Vatican in 2016 about his time as a priest and bishop in Australia.

Ms Shann said the first complaint set off a chain of events with others making allegations against Pell. None had previously complained to anyone, she added.

After years of alleged cover-ups and silence from the church, abuse survivors and their advocates have hailed the prosecution of Pell as a monumental shift in the way society is responding to the crisis.

So far, Pope Francis has withheld judgment of Pell, saying he wants to wait for Australian justice to run its course, and has not forced the cardinal to resign.

Pell said he intends to continue his work as a prefect of the church's economy ministry once the case is resolved.

- APAustralian taxpayers are being warned they are at risk of picking up the bill if Australia is sued by multinational corporations under a new international trade agreement to be signed this week.

Under the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) to be signed in Chile on March 8, Australia has committed to allowing the employment of workers from six new countries without requiring them to first check if there is an Australian who could do the same job. The six new countries granted waivers to requirements for labour market testing are Mexico, Chile, Japan, Canada, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The ACTU said the Australian government has also chosen to give up Australia's sovereignty to being sued by foreign corporations when they believe a change in Australian laws are affecting their profits. This had left "the taxpayer open to picking up the bill for [multinational corporations] if they disagree with our public policies".

The ACTU said the government could exclude future tobacco control laws, but Australia could be vulnerable to being sued for other legislation changes.University of Sydney staff have been given written warnings and counselling as part of disciplinary action in response to a review of alleged inappropriate spending on corporate credit cards.

A spokeswoman for the University of Sydney said it had completed an investigation into 21 staff from the global student recruitment team for alleged financial misconduct.

"Those individuals were the subject of confidential disciplinary proceedings, whereby they were each asked to respond to the university's concerns about their behaviour," the spokeswoman said.

Sydney University. Credit:Paul Jones

The investigation was completed on Friday and most staff have received notification of their individual outcomes.The only independent office that reviews complaints from injured workers in dispute over their compensation claims is facing the threat of closure.

The NSW Law Society and Unions NSW have argued for retention of the independent body known as the Workers Compensation Independent Review Office (WIRO), urging the state government to maintain a transparent dispute resolution process.

The WIRO was established in 2012 to deal with complaints about insurers, to review decisions about an injured person's capacity to work and to conduct independent reviews of the system.

The state government has released a discussion paper on potential reforms to the workers' compensation system to simplify the complex dispute resolution process.

The paper suggests a list of options including the creation of a one-stop shop or single dispute resolution forum which would abolish WIRO.Under options three and four WIRO would be abolished and the State Insurance Regulator Authority (SIRA) would absorb its functions.The discussion paper said "the workers' compensation system would lose the independent contribution of WIRO" under these options.Fiona Simson, president of the NSW Farmers' Association on her property Liverpool Plains. Credit:Jacky Ghossein Fiona Simson, farmer and president of the National Farmers Federation Fiona Simson's family has been on their Liverpool Plains farm for 90 years. Simson says the farm, which started out as a sheep property has changed a lot over the years. It's now runs cattle and cropping with a turnover of more than $5 million a year. "I think for us it's about making sure the farm can evolve and change and it's sustainable," says Simson. She's brought that openness to change in her role as the first female president and chair of the National Farmers' Federation. Biggest influence

"For me it's been about a passion for agriculture and a passion for the growth of agriculture in Australia." Influencing others "My style is about collaboration and building relationships with people, whether it's traditional relationships like member relationships or non-traditional relationships like some of the animal welfare groups or environmental groups. I focus on what we have in common rather than what we don't." Pressing for progress "We have established a diversity in agricultural leadership program to connect aspiring leaders with mentors to guide them. Our aim is to create meaningful change.

"I want to progress the involvement of women, we have made some strides in how far we have come in women's involvement. But we can't take our foot off the pedal." Dr Catriona Wallace is the founder and chief executive of Flamingo. Credit:Lucas Jarvis Catriona Wallace, founder of Flamingo There are not many women working in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) but Catriona Wallace blazed a trail founding Flamingo in 2014. She then led the way again by listing Flamingo on the Australian Securities Exchange, making it one of only two companies on the ASX with a female chief executive and chair.

The start-up's flagship technology is its artificial virtual assistants Rosie and Maggie and Wallace has just raised a further $10 million in December in an over-subscribed raise, with Flamingo's market capitalisation sitting at just under $40 million. "We are very well-funded now to focus on the commercialisation of the business for the next 12 to 18 months," says Wallace. Biggest influence "Really studying and thinking hard about the role artificial intelligence is rapidly playing in the transformation of not only business but society. Flamingo is at the forefront of thinking about that." Influencing others

"My level of influence is in the field of AI and machine learning and encouraging a wider debate on ethics, gender and diversity within the AI community and within the machines themselves. A lot of the coding work, 90 per cent of it is done by males so one of the concerns raised in the AI community is how do we build gender and other diversity into these machines that are being hard coded so we are not building gender bias in? Secondly, as a women in tech, as a founder and chief executive, I hope I can influence and inspire other women to go on a similar path. Thirdly, in the capital markets, I would also like to influence women to take a similar path to deal with the investment community that traditionally women have not done." Pressing for progress "In my world I press for progress in high tech and in the capital markets in there being gender parity in these traditionally very masculine-orientated areas. I think there is still a whole lot of unconscious bias around women in tech and in the capital markets and there needs to be work done on that." Stephanie Reuss and Victoria Stuart are the founders of Beam. Stephanie Reuss and Victoria Stuart, founders of Beam

Stephanie Reuss and Victoria Stuart both had high-flying corporate jobs but lacked flexibility and time to spend with their families. The pair realised they weren't alone in struggling to find balance and so quit their jobs to start Beam, a destination for people to find flexible and part-time work. "It's an online marketplace that connects any professional with more than seven years professional experience wanting to work in a part-time capacity with employers," says Stuart. Beam screens both job seekers and employers to ensure the right fit and then takes a 10 per cent fee from employers on placement. The start-up, which launched last year, turned over around $200,000 in its first year of operation and has three part-time employees.

Biggest influence "The immediate women around me," says Reuss. "My mum was and is a big feminist and always pushed me to think more broadly about social outcomes. Vic, as my business partner, there is no way I would have made it this far without her." "Our kids were the influence for us to pull out of the workforce because we wanted to be there as much as possible," says Stuart. "We are now lucky enough to have created a business that allows us to be present with our kids more often. That was a moment when we thought 'We want this to be accessible to everyone'." Influencing others "First of all to give them a platform for part-time work as a professional where there is no other destination for professional part-time jobs," says Reuss. "The centre of our business is about practical solutions and taking action. There is so much talk about diversity but none of the stats move."

"As this is a practical solution we are actually trying to help businesses access new talent pools," says Stuart. "We are trying to help businesses think differently so they can really compete for that top talent." Pressing for progress "We would like to see meaningful progress against the 6 per cent number which is the percentage of managers working part time," says Reuss. "In order to see any change there needs to be structural changes including part-time job options." "Progress won't happen without flexible work and part-time work being accommodated for all," says Stuart. "Part time is not just about women and not just about parents, it's about men, it's about athletes, it's the one in eight Australians caring for others, it's about pre-retirees, it's about millennials with their side hustles." Kylie Lewis is the founder of Of Kin.

Kylie Lewis, founder of Of Kin Digital strategist Kylie Lewis started Of Kin in 2013 but says since then her business has continued to evolve. "The idea when I started the business was to bring like-minded people together in inspiring and nourishing ways," she says. "I started off in social media and content marketing and it was actually really interesting because a lot came out about people's insecurities of promoting themselves out in the world. It really evolved into looking at what it takes to be a human business." The solo entrepreneur turns over more than $100,000 a year. Biggest influences

"Other women in business have pretty influential to me. Before I jumped out into in my own business I was head of digital for Kikki K so I worked around another inspirational female entrepreneur, Kristina Karlsson. "The reason I started my own business was I wanted for my children to believe they had the capacity to craft a career on their own terms. I needed to be able to model it." Influencing others "I influence others by holding space for them to think about things that really matter in their life. We get so caught up in the doing of things. I try to challenge some of the beliefs that might be holding them back to challenge their thinking." Pressing for progress

"The political backdrop of the last 12 months has just been overwhelming in terms of the change I can see happening for women in all areas of life. For me, it means to gather the strength to move forward and to stop doubting ourselves and to stop censoring ourselves." Penny Locaso is the founder of BKindred. Penny Locaso, founder of BKindred Penny Locaso's goal is to teach a million women and girls by 2020 to future-proof happiness. Locaso worked as an executive at Shell for 16 years but says she was unfulfilled despite having "ticked all the boxes".

"I turned my whole life upside down, but when I wanted to reinvent myself there was nobody to help me do that," she says. "I wanted to create a company to help women create the life they wanted." Locaso started BKindred three years ago and the business is set to turn over $150,000 this year with Locaso regularly speaking on macro trends and future proofing. Biggest influence "The first thing is my son. When I turned my whole life upside down the challenge was 'What example will I set for him?' and I didn't want him thinking success was based on money and ego." Influencing others

"I influence others by aggregating information and providing them with a snapshot of information that is going on in the world that they wouldn't otherwise have. You cannot make change without shifting mindsets. I think everyone is fearful of the future but people lack the awareness to understand the technology that is in front of us today. Pressing for progress "So many women don't make change that could make them happier because they are waiting for the perfect plan. It's about taking action rather than waiting for the perfect plan. "I can't believe we are still in a world where #metoo is occurring. There is a belief we will reach singularity by 2045 when technology will have evolved beyond human evolution. At the current rate of change we won't realise gender diversity for another 200 years. My observation in the work I'm doing is a lot of what is happening is not disruptive enough. Everyone is doing the same thing and none of it is shifting the dial, not at the rate that we want." Maree Adshead is the founder of ODI.

Maree Adshead, founder, Open Data Institute Australian Network Maree Adshead is a believer in the power of data. There is great value, economic, social and environmental locked in our data that we collect every day," she says. "Unlocking that data and making it available for reuse by others enables the creation of new products and services." Working in London, Adshead came across the Open Data Institute founded by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the world wide web, and in 2014 she established the Open Data Institute Australian Network. "We see ourselves as a catalyst and connector," she says. "We bring together people that have data and then we also as part of our community help businesses researchers and academics to learn how to utilise data. It's about how do we unlock new insights to help us make decisions."

The not-for-profit organisation has a turnover of $500,000 and employs five people alongside a team of more than 30 volunteers. Based in Queensland, the ODI has expanded to NSW and Victoria and "next on the list" is New Zealand. Biggest influence "I genuinely care about people and seeing people around me make the most of who they are and what they can do. The whole ethos behind the Open Data Institute aligns well with that. It's about people recognising their own capacity. People inspire me." Influencing others

"Lashings of charm and lots of 'Please, please, please'. The board used to say to me, 'We have never met anyone who gets so many people to work for free'. If you genuinely believe in what you are doing and are passionate about it people are drawn to that and it is easy to get them to participate. It's infectious." Pressing for progress "I think it's about unwavering faith in what you're trying to achieve and seeing things through. I don't think enough people actually finish things. That's how you press for progress, you get the job done." Eliza Brown is the co-owner and chief executive of All Saints Estate. Credit:Kylie Esler Eliza Brown, co-owner and chief executive of All Saints Wine

Eliza Brown was 32 and pregnant when her father died in a car accident. Brown not only lost her father but had to move quickly to deal with the family's winery All Saints Wine. "The immediate challenge was realigning the business for the three of us, my brother, sister and I," says Brown. "My father had been running the business like he always had, but we had to start thinking about the future and how we would like it run in the future. He had lots of handshake deals with other people and we had to work out what they were and how to manage things going forward." Brown says the business is now thriving. It turns over more than $5 million a year and employs 25 full-time staff and around 15 part-time staff.

"We are growing in lots of different ways," she says. "We have purchased another vineyard just down the road from All Saints in readiness for our big push into export. We have opened up a wine bar in the main street of Rutherglen. The business is quite dynamic in lots of ways." Biggest influence "I always look at the fashion industry as I see wine as quite aligned to fashion and lifestyle. I look at how they brand themselves and how premium brands promote themselves. We went to England and got a tour around Net-a-Porter because we felt they are a dynamic business with a very customer-centric approach. We look to brands which deliver to the customer and give surprise and delight." Influencing others "I work really hard. I think for us, we are not afraid to work really hard and do the dirty work to inspire everyone else. We hope what we are doing will inspire other people especially for our younger staff seeing the owners being women and men and they can see working in a business and juggling kids and the rest of your life is really important."

Pressing for progress "We are not getting there fast enough. In the wine industry, I'm on the Wine Australia board and on the Brown Brothers board I don't find them at all against women's progress. They are very supportive. There are not enough women in those key positions, but in the wine industry we are growing grapes and making wine and for a lot of the people in this industry it is a lot of hard work so it takes you out of your business when you step into those key roles. For women it's about finding the time, rather than not wanting to." Karen Sheldon is the founder of Karen Sheldon Catering in the Northern Territory. Karen Sheldon, founder of Karen Sheldon Catering Endemic poverty and sexual abuse are problems for the remote community of Tennant Creek and business owner Karen Sheldon warns "things are not getting better".

Sheldon started her first catering business in 1982 and in 2006 established Karen Sheldon Catering in partnership with three of her staff. "What began as a small restaurant in Tennant Creek has now grown to a company with four different divisions and we have started Salt Bush social enterprise which is the future of our business," says Sheldon. Karen Sheldon Catering employs 100 staff and has a turnover of more than $12 million but Sheldon says Salt Bush is now her main focus. "We want to share our business experience and practical hospitality skills with Indigenous organisations and Indigenous entrepreneurs themselves over the next three years," she says. "The problems in Tennant Creek won't be solved with royal commissions or research, it will be solved by working with the people, one person at a time, one family at a time, one community at a time. We have helped 2500 people to a working future and a life that gets them off welfare. We know what works." Influences

"In 1969 when I first went from Melbourne to the territory I ran out of money and got a job as a cook at the Barrow Creek pub. I met the amazing Kaititj Aboriginal people who made me feel so welcome and taught me their ways. It was the first time I had anything to do with Aboriginal people but the thing that struck me was I came to the NT with the shirt on my back and made a life for myself, yet the first Australians who made me so welcome were dying around me and dying much more quickly than they should. I started to develop a social conscience." Influencing others "Over the years of being a restaurateur we have won lots of awards but the biggest influence for me was being awarded the medal of the Order of Australia last year, which motivates me to use our growing profile and the profile of our business towards more and more social programs." Pressing for progress "We must look at the very best ways of using technology to achieve whatever we see is vital for helping the country. For me that's using digital technology and the smaller world we are in to deal with remote social issues. There is a job for every single Australian in their own homeland we just have to use technology to its best advantage. We have to become the smart country as well as the lucky country."Northumbria, England, was not a good place to be in the 9th and 10th centuries, for Vikings would sail their longboats across the North Sea, kill the men and children, rape the women and steal everything. They were the most fearsome fighters of their day and, according to Richard Fleischer's The Vikings, were aided by unscrupulous Brits who decided that betraying their own people was a profitable idea. Kirk Douglas produced the film and stars in the thankless part of Einar, a man with an ego and attitude best avoided. Tony Curtis plays his lost half-brother Eric, and Janet Leigh the fair maiden Morgana, desired by both men. This was a breakthrough epic in its day: spectacular, exotic and violent, enjoyed around the world and still cherished by many today. It doesn't excite me as much as The Long Ships (1964), but history is on The Vikings' side. It was even retold by the Italians as the cult Erik the Conqueror.

I usually dread reviewing these Comedy Next Gen shows because comedy is such a subjective thing. It ends up being either the best or worst 55 minutes of your life. Thankfully, tonight, we're on a winner. David Quirk is gold. If you're not familiar with his stand-up, you'll probably recognise him from Rosehaven, where he plays Celia Pacquola's locksmith/hoarder boyfriend, Damian. He's weirdly alluring, which might explain why over a four-and-a-half-week period, six women had dreams about him. And then wrote to him on Facebook to tell him all about it. And there lies the premise for his show Cowboy Mouth, one of the most original and funniest bits of stand-up I've seen in some time. Quirk has a great storytelling ability, perfectly drawing you in and building you up for the punch. It's a gift and something a lot of other male comedians could learn from (yes, I'm singling out men, because they overwhelmingly populate comedy festival line-ups and so many of them are cookie-cutter versions of one another, telling the same stories about sex, drugs and, well, frankly, who cares because I've heard it all before). Quirk skips from stories about a head injury, to being motherless, locked out of the house, dog years and more with ease. It's a joy to watch and, whaddya know, it's funny.

Louise Rugendyke

pay Mum

BBC First, 9.35pm

Oscar nominee Lesley Manville is a well of poignant gentleness at the heart of this unusual British comedy series. She plays 60-year-old Cathy, mother and big sister to a close-knit, dim-bulb family and a woman still trying to find her new place in the world after the death of her husband. As this second season begins, however, it looks as though she might at some point requite the shy affections of family friend Michael (Peter Mullan, brilliantly cast against his usual scary type). Their aching, elliptical interactions unfold quietly, in sharp contrast to the incessant roar of prattle from everyone around them. Earning mentions in dispatches are Dorothy Atkinson as Cathy's snobby sister-in-law, and Lisa McGrillis as Cathy's contentedly bubble-headed daughter-in-law, who leafs through glossy magazines saying things like, "I'm just looking at how fat all these women have got."

Brad NewsomeBen McLennan and Naomi Taylor with their son William McLennan, 2, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

Welcome to the start of another week. There's a 40 per cent chance of showers this afternoon, with a possible thunderstorm in the mix. Probably best to pack your brolly just in case.

Help for Naomi Taylor and Ben McLennan is so close yet so far away.

Every day they watch their young son William, 2, slowly deteriorate a little bit more as he battles type two spinal muscular atrophy, a cruel disease with no cure.

In a remarkable breakthrough, there is now a drug available that has shown promising results in its ability to treat the disease.

But, without government subsidy, the drug would cost at least $1 million just for the initial stages of treatment.

Health reporter Daniella White has more on this heart-wrenching story.A drug called Spinrazza could offer hope for sufferers, like William. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos "Usually the majority of deaths from SMA are due to respiratory illnesses like pneumonia. "He's slowly losing the ability to do things that he used to do. "His self-feeding has declined, we have to help sit him up, sit him down and roll him at night." Since William was diagnosed, both parents have found out they are carriers, meaning their children have a one in three chance of getting the disease.

The Karabar family was full of hope when Spinraza went before the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in December, expecting an early Christmas present. But the committee rejected the application, saying it needed more information to form a view on the treatment's cost-effectiveness. "Time is of the essence," Ms Taylor said. "SMA children don't have time to sit and wait they need it now so they don't lose any more vital skills. "If my son was diagnosed at birth and given the drug, he could be walking today. "

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Incorporation chief executive officer Julie Cini said children would die this year if they were continued to be denied the drug. The drug company has made it available to type one diagnosed patients - whose life expectancy is usually just a few years - on compassionate grounds. But for type two patients - whose life expectancy ranges from childhood to early adulthood depending on severity - there is no way to access the drug without paying. Ms Cini said this had meant some type one children were now surpassing the milestones of type two diagnosed children. The group is petitioning the government to fund the drug outside the usual PBAC regime.

"Does a child have to die before somebody thinks that child should have had that drug?" Ms Cini said. "How many kids have to go into critical care?" A clinical trial, with two of the study sites in Australia, showed positive results last year. One of the study sites was led by paediatric neurologist Dr Michelle Farrer, from Sydney Children's Hospital and the University of NSW. In the blind trial of nusinersen involving 122 patients worldwide, 41 per cent of babies with various SMA types reached motor milestones (such as sitting, crawling and walking), compared to none in the group receiving the placebo.

"It was clear the treatment was working. We were seeing babies getting stronger, defying the natural history of progressive weakness and limited survival," Dr Farrar said. A spokesman for federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the minister backed the listing of Spinraza on the PBS. "Minister Hunt is strongly supportive of the listing of Spinraza and has both encouraged the company to submit further evidence to the March meeting of the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, and guaranteed that if the PBAC recommends it the government will list it," the spokesman said. "Under legislation made by the Australian Parliament, the government can't include a new drug on the PBS unless it has first been recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee." For parents like Ms Taylor and Mr McLennan, all they can do in the meantime is make the best life possible for their children.EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict.

Cardinal George Pell has arrived at a Melbourne court under an intense international media glare for a hearing that will decide if he stands trial on historical sexual offence charges.

An enormous media pack mobbed the 76-year-old Cardinal as he and his legal team arrived outside Melbourne Magistrates Court in white car on Monday morning.

About 20 police officers shielded the Cardinal from the international media throng as he walked from the car to the courthouse.Less than a decade after it first began, former lawyer Damian Griffiths once-charmed run of hospitality successes has come crashing down with the sale of his national Doughnut Time empire.

Amid looming personal bankruptcy and a fresh Supreme Court suit claiming a debt of $400,000, almost half of the chains remaining stores have been shuttered as Griffiths former top lieutenant takes over.

The Doughnut Time store in King George Square busway station in Brisbane was also closed on Sunday. Credit:Jorge Branco

From the smallest imaginable hole-in-the-wall next to a bar and a pizza joint, to 26 stores and 400 jobs nationwide, then back to seven shops and a changing business model, the Doughnut Time story has been a rollercoaster.

Speaking after telling staff the bad news on Sunday, Griffiths freely admitted the Instagram-friendly chain grew too quickly and he ran out of money.When a Queensland judge sentenced a panel beater to a month in jail for punching his on again, off again partner in the face, he was trying to send a message.

On Friday, in an appeal decision slammed as soft, the states highest court ruled that sentence was too harsh, finding the man should not have spent any time behind bars.

Luke Kelley in 2013.

Hervey Bay panel beater Luke James Kelley pleaded guilty in August last year to assault occasioning bodily harm over the unprovoked attack.

At the time, the District Court judge presiding over the case said he wanted to send a message that violence like this will not be tolerated by the court.Brisbane ratepayers are footing the bill for millions of dollars worth of solar projects, but it will be almost 10 years until they get any kind of financial return.

In the past two financial years, Brisbane City Council spent $2.5 million on energy efficiency and emissions reduction projects, including the installation of solar panels at some of the citys bus depots and libraries.

Solar panels have been installed at Brisbane City Council's Toowong bus depot. Credit:Brisbane City Council

On Tuesday, energy and carbon senior program officer Paul Claydon told the councils environment, parks and sustainability committee about $900,000 had been spent upfront to install solar panels at eight council-owned buildings, including one bus depot, six libraries and an environmental centre.

It will save us about $90,000 a year ... thats good because the panels are under warranty for 25 years, so youve got 15 years of benefit there, he said.Smile says it all: Abdul Popoola masters a donated bike, his first, with help from Bart Sbeghen, co-founder of Dr Cranky's Bikes for Kids, at Clayton North Primary School. Credit:Joe Armao

Abdul Popoola is nine years old and had never ridden a bicycle.

But his life changed in an instant when he got his own bike - for free.

Cool and awesome was the verdict from Abdul as he checked out his smart red and black BMX Ultrasonic.

He said basically all his friends had bikes. And now he did, too.Barnaby Joyce says he had "no choice" but to confront the rumours about the paternity of his girlfriend's unborn baby head-on, lashing out at the media for continuing to pursue him despite his resignation as deputy prime minister.

Mr Joyce said he was contacted by multiple media organisations last week asking whether Vikki Campion's boy - due to be born next month - was actually his, prompting his extraordinary interview with Fairfax Media on Saturday.

"This issue has continued to be pursued by media despite my resignation, with paparazzi waiting for us at our gate at the airport on Friday and an upcoming appearance by a Daily Telegraph journalist on ABC's Q&A on Monday night," Mr Joyce said.

"Media had also made multiple requests around the issue which was printed today. Therefore we felt we had no choice but to tell the story."An official of Punjab National Bank received gold and diamond jewellery from a billionaire jeweller accused of being involved in a $2 billion bank fraud, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a court on Saturday.

The state lender in January uncovered the alleged fraud in which several bank officials were suspected of colluding with jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi to issue fraudulent letters of undertakings (LoUs), for their companies to raise loans from overseas branches of mostly Indian banks.

The CBI, which has arrested 14 people in the case, on Saturday for the first time said bribes were paid to at least one Punjab National Bank (PNB)official by Modi.

The agency told the court that Yashwant Joshi, who worked as a manager in the forex department of the Mumbai branch that is at the centre of the fraud, admitted to having received two gold coins weighing 60 grams and a pair of gold and diamond earrings from Modi.

The articles have been recovered from Joshi's house in the presence of independent witnesses, the CBI said.

"This indicates that he was in collusion with the beneficiary accused persons to cheat the bank," CBI Inspector D. Damodaran said in a court filing."He also obtained illegal gratification from the beneficiary party for continuing issuance of fraudulent LoUs."

Joshi, who was committed to judicial custody by the Mumbai court along with four other PNB officials and an associate of Modi, could not be contacted for comment.

Modi and Choksi, who owns Gitanjali Gems Ltd, left India before the fraud came to light, but have said in letters and statements they were innocent.

PNB, India's second-biggest state lender, has mainly accused two low-level employees of the Brady House branch of issuing the LoUs without making corresponding entries in the bank's main software, helping the fraud to go undetected for years.

The CBI, however, has expanded its investigation and arrested two internal auditors of the branch, among others.

Separately, TV channels reported that another Mumbai court on Saturday issued non-bailable warrants against Modi and Choksi following an appeal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), an agency focused on foreign exchange and money laundering offences.

"Modi appears to be the prima donna in the whole saga of the fraud perpetrated on the PNB," the directorate said in a filing to the court seen by Reuters.

"The case involves a circuitous web of routes created by the said Modi and in such circumstances, the fraudulent transactions appear to be in the personal knowledge and exclusive domain of Nirav Modi".

Modi has yet to be tracked by the authorities, but the ED said"reportedly, Modi is presently in Hong Kong". The agency has already seized various properties of Modi and Choksi, as banks assess the hit to them from the fraud.

State Bank of India and two other state-run banks, Union Bank of India and Allahabad Bank, are lenders who had extended credit based on the LoUs issued by PNB that were later found to be fraudulent. Allahabad Bank said on Saturday it had a $366.87 million exposure to the case.Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang said India will emerge as the top trading partner of Vietnam soon and the target of USD 15 billion bilateral trade turnover by 2020 is feasible.

He said India can become provider of inputs for the Vietnam's textile and footwear industry and his country also wants to enhance cooperation with India in tourism sector.

"Currently, India is among top 10 trading partner of Vietnam. Soon, India will emerge as the top trade partner of Vietnam.

"Our target of USD 15 billion bilateral trade by 2020 from USD 10 billion currently is feasible," the Vietnamese President said while addressing India-Viet Nam Business Forum organised by industry bodies CII, FICCI and Assocham.

Tran said that with population size of 100 million, Vietnam is among the fastest growing economy and it is also safe destination of investment.

Noting that Vietnam is growing at 6.5-7 per cent rate, he said, "India has always identified Vietnam as important part of its Act East policy".

The president also pointed out that India and Vietnam has enjoyed long standing traditional friendship.

The Vietnamese President is on three-day visit in India.

Speaking at the same occasion, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Ramrao Bhamre said that our founding fathers have lead struggle against the colonialism.

India admires bravery of Vietnamese people in their fight against colonial power, he added.It was the best of times, it was the worst of times  its definitely true when it comes to contemporary feature animation. For all the amazing animated features being produced around the world nowadays, theres also films like The Emoji Movie.

The Sony Pictures Animation-produced film won four (dis)honors today at the 38th annual Razzie Awards, which recognize Hollywoods most awful achievements. Among its prizes, Emoji Movie won the events top prize, the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture, marking the first (and hopefully last) time in Razzies history that an animated feature has won the award.

Its other wins were for worst director (Tony Leondis), worst screenplay (Tony Leondis, Eric Siegel, Mike White), and worst screen combo (any two obnoxious emojis).Mahindra has taken the wraps off the Roxor off-road vehicle for the US domestic market. The compnay has said that the Roxor will their entry into the powersports two-seater segment. It will be produced at Mahindras plant in Detroit, Michigan.

The Roxors design is very similar to the Mahindra Thar which itself is based on the original Willys Jeep, an American icon and instantly recognisable when it comes to SUV design. You get a two-seat layout with a barebones cabin and no windscreen, though we suspect that the last one can be fitted as an optional extra.



Powering the Roxor is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder diesel producing 62bhp/195Nm. You get a five-speed manual, low range gearbox and a locking differential as a part of the off-road package. It has a top speed of 72kmph and a towing capacity of 1.58 tonnes.

The Roxor is an adventure vehicle and not road legal for use on American roads. It looks like the automaker is taking a top-down approach where it will appeal to enthusiasts and create a name for itself before making road legal vehicles.



Commenting on the the Roxor, Rick Haas, President and CEO - Mahindra Automotive North America, said The ROXOR creates a new sub-segment in the Side x Side industry and the response we are getting from our newly appointed dealer body has been really outstanding. We have a National Dealer Meeting scheduled on March 18-20th, in San Antonio, Texas, where we will sit down and discuss the roll-out and future product offerings. We are approaching our goal of 300 1st wave dealers and expect that we will reach this target between now and the end of the show.

Mahindra Thar  12.78 Lakh Onwards

Mahindra Thar | thar | MahindraAfter the "resurrection" in the empire, Jose Alfredo He will be captured and will spend some time in an ordinary...They may have been married to the most powerful men in the world, but each American First Lady has a net worth of her own. Here well list them to see who ranks the richest and just how Melania Trump and Jackie Kennedy would compare.

As youll see, while some first ladies pursued noble careers in teaching and the arts, others even worked as dancers and farmers. And at the end of our list, well feature a famous first lady with a major spending problem.

7. Pat Nixon

Net worth: $100,000

Pat Nixon worked her way through college as a pharmacy manager, typist, x-ray technician, and retail clerk. When her husband Richard Nixon became president in 1969, as First Lady she promoted charitable causes like volunteerism. She also helped acquire more White House art than was done during any other administration. Pat passed away at 81 in 1993.

Next: A first lady who dropped out of college

6. Laura Bush and Rosalynn Carter

Net worth of each: $10 million

Laura Bush, the wife of George W. Bush, earned a Masters degree and worked as both an elementary school teacher and a librarian. After being in the White House from 2001-2009, Bush, now 71, has written books and continues to work for causes like breast cancer awareness and education.

Rosalynn Carter, 90, came from humble beginnings and dropped out of college due to both lack of funds and obligations to her widowed mother. When her husband Jimmy Carter was president from 1977-1981, she advocated for womens rights. Since leaving the White House, she has written her memoir and campaigned for various causes.

Next: A first lady who famously battled addiction

5. Betty Ford and Lady Bird Johnson

Net worth of each: $20 million

In her younger years, Betty Ford worked as a model, dance instructor, and performer. During her husband Gerald Fords presidency from 1974-77, she spoke out for womens rights. She battled alcohol and opioid addiction and established a drug treatment center. She passed away at age 93 in 2011.

Lady Bird Johnson was notably well-educated for her time. She bankrolled her husband Lyndon Johnsons Congressional campaign and ran his office while he was in the Navy. As First Lady from 1963-1969, she interacted directly with Congress. A lifelong advocate for beautifying the nations cities and highways, she passed away at age 94 in 2007.

Next: Americas oldest living First Lady

4. Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush

Net worth of each: $25 million

Nancy Reagan was a Hollywood actress in the 1950s when she married fellow actor Ronald Reagan. During his presidency, she founded the Just Say No drug awareness campaign and played a role in some of the presidents diplomatic decisions. Post-presidency, she continued to speak out against drug and alcohol abuse. She passed away at 94 in 2016.

Barbara Bush wrote a childrens book and worked on the restoration of the White House while her husband George H.W. Bush was president. After his presidency, she went on to found a childrens hospital and helped establish the Bush Legacy Collection. She is Americas oldest living first lady.

Next: Shes earned a bundle since the White House.

3. Michelle Obama

Net worth: $40 million

Prior to being first lady from 2009-2017, Michelle Obama, 54, held her share of jobs: lawyer, aide to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, director of a nonprofit organization, and dean at University of Chicago. Post-White House, she and husband Barack Obama received a $60 million advance for the rights to their autobiographies, according to reports.

Next: This first lady held plenty of other political positions.

2. Hillary Clinton

In addition to serving as First Lady from 1993-2001, Hillary Clinton, 70, has also worked as U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, and first lady of Arkansas. She was also the Democratic candidate in the 2016 Presidential election. In addition to her political life, Clinton has been a lawyer and on the board of directors for several corporations including Walmart.

Next: Two are tied for the highest net worth.

1. Melania Trump and Jackie Kennedy

Net worth of each: $50 million

Melania Trump became First Lady when her husband Donald Trump was elected in 2016. Born in Slovenia, the 47-year-old worked as a model and also sold her own jewelry and skincare products. As First Lady, shes become an anti-bullying spokesperson.

Jackie Kennedy had a lifelong devotion to the arts. With a degree in French literature, she worked for a Washington newspaper as a photographer. As First Lady from 1961-1963, she oversaw massive White House restorations. In fact, she quickly burned through the $50,000 renovation budget and sold a White House guidebook to fund further work.

Next: Another first lady with a spending problem

Mary Todd Lincoln

Jackie Kennedy wasnt the only first lady known for her spending habits. Abraham Lincolns wife Mary Todd Lincoln came from a well-to-do family and was an infamous shopaholic. She too overspent the Congressional appropriation for White House furnishings soon after moving in. For money, she resorted to creative tactics like selling excess manure purchased for fertilization of the White House grounds. She also cut costs by firing some staff members.

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!CSU Pueblo football gets first win of season to open RMAC play

The CSU Pueblo football team found a way to get into win column by edging Black Hills State 19-16 in the RMAC opener for both teams at the ThunderBowl in PuebloSenators in Alabama recently filed a bill that would abolish the issuance of marriage licenses. In its place, couples who want to get married could simply submit affidavits in court to attest their eligibility in exchange for a contract or certificate.

Republican Sen. Greg Albritton sponsored Senate Bill 13 that aims to abolish marriage licenses and would also eliminate marriage ceremonies. The move is in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's legalization of gay marriage in 2015.

Some judges in Alabama, who firmly believe that a marriage should be between a man and woman, have been skirting the legalities of issuing a license since gay marriage became legal. These judges have apparently stopped issuing the said document and have also ceased the operations of its marriage license division.

Alabama judge Wes Allen told NPR that he could not affix his signature on marriage licenses for same-sex unions since he does not believe in them. He and the others expect to be sued because of their decision to close down the marriage license division in their courts but no one has complained, so far. As NPR explained, perhaps this was because Alabama's marriage laws say that "judges may issue marriage licenses, not shall."

Albritton now wants a bill that would stop the issuance of marriage licenses for good so that judges would not be discredited and would not have to skirt around this problem and struggle with a decision based on their beliefs. He clarified in an op-Ed piece that the bill would not restrict gay marriages, but it "removes the government from a religious sacrament."

If the bill is signed into a law, couples wishing to marry could simply file a sworn statement that they are willing and eligible to marry. A judge would then just have to record these statements and provide a certificate of marriage.

Senators who oppose the bill, however, implied that the move would degrade marriage as a sacred institution.

"When you take marriage and you reduce it to a mere contract, it's almost like you're just doing nothing more than recording the deed to your property at the courthouse," Republican Senator Phil Williams told NPR. "You're just taking the contract down there and the probate judge is just the clerk."There is a growing concern among Christians living in southern India following a Bible burning incident involving Hindu radicals and senior members of Gideons International last January. The group recounted what exactly happened in an exclusive interview as anti-Christian attacks have seemingly risen in the region.

Speaking with Morning Star News, the members said that the Hindu radicals at Singotam village who had attacked them did not seem to consider that they were old people. The attackers did not hold back from getting the Bibles out of the car and proceeded to kick and tear the pages of the books. Someone was also instructed to pour gasoline on the Bibles and burn them.

The men then threatened the members of Gideons International that they would get hurt if they continued to distribute Bibles to local residents. The incident was actually caught on video and has made rounds on social media.

The Christian group members said that they had gotten permission from a government school headmaster to distribute Bibles to the school children in Singotam. For the last 30 years, Christians in this area have done the same Bible distribution activities without any incident.

Before the attack, the group had already handed out 170 books, but as several copies still remained in their cars, they thought to give these away at shops. Ten men, however, approached them and started badgering them and asking questions.

"The Hindus harassed us and even threatened to beat my wife," K.J. Anandham told the reporters. "We are all retired employees and senior citizens; they did not have courtesy for age. Their language was uncivilized and brutal."

Cases have been filed with the police against the harassers, who also filed counter-charges. However, authorities told reporters that the case would not go to court pending an order from the District Collector. Sources also said that the police allegedly took out the names of the assailants in its report, which might not lead to any arrests or trials.

Other Christian Indian groups protested the harassment and held a peace rally. They demanded that the government should provide protection for Christians and Christian churches as with any other locals or groups.Elisabeth Hasselbeck is weighing in on the latest controversy involving her former co-worker on "The View." The TV personality shared that she had a "Godversation" with her friend Joy Behar, who recently received backlash for her comments about Vice President Mike Pence's relationship with God.

Hasselbeck shared on Instagram that she had given Behar a call after the public slammed the outspoken TV host. She revealed that laughter had filled her Godversation with Behar and that there were neither judgments nor condemnations between the former co-workers who used to sit next to each other for 10 years on TV.

"She heard why I 'hear God' in prayer, in quiet time, through a friend's discernment, through the power of the Holy Spirit in the nudges that I feel each day, in the longings of my heart, in the questions in my heart," the retired TV host said. "I heard her questions. And I want to hear her doubts."

In early February, Behar mocked Pence for saying that he talks to Jesus. The host alluded that the politician from Indiana might have a mental illness.

Reports revealed that ABC had received over 30,000 calls complaining about Behar's "anti-Christian" statement. The vice president has also responded to the controversy by asking why ABC has kept the daytime talk show on air. Pence believes that religious intolerance expressed by the hosts of "The View" has no place on the network.

As a conservative, Hasselbeck said she had debated on a lot of issues with the liberal Behar on "The View." She relayed that she was praying for more Godversations with her friend.

The former host was raised as a Roman Catholic who went to an all-girls Catholic school and a Jesuit college. While still working on "The View," however, Hasselbeck revealed she now considers herself a Christian.

Hasselbeck, who retired from television in 2015, is married to ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck. They have three children together.A rare letter that Indian human rights activist Mahatma Gandhi wrote about Jesus Christ in 1926 has been made available for sale in the U.S. last Thursday for $50,000.

The document, which was addressed to Christian leader Milton Newberry Frantz, contained Gandhi's praises of Jesus and a message about religious tolerance. The letter is part of the Raab Collection, and it is the only known piece where Gandhi mentions Christ.

"I have not been able to move beyond the belief that Jesus was one of the great teachers of mankind," Gandhi's letter read. "Do you not think that religious unity is to be had not by a mechanical subscription to a common creed but by all respecting the creed of each?"

Gandhi apparently wrote the letter at his residence in Sabarmati Ashram in India on April 1926 as a reply to Frantz, who wanted the iconic activist to read a document about Christianity. It was typewritten with faded ink and the document also had Gandhi's signature.

Reports revealed that the letter came from a private collector in the American south who also owned several other historical documents which he had since the 1960s. Raab Collection president Nathan Raab pursued this unnamed person and acquired those documents.

"We went down and bought the collection and in that collection (we found) that gem," Raab stated.

"It's a powerful, emotional letter," Raab added, stating that the letter underscored the message of tolerance and respect for other beliefs and religions.

He also confirmed that the Gandhi letter had gone through a process of authentication. In particular, experts examined the paper and ink used, which were particular to Gandhi's documents.

Gandhi, who studied law in London, became an activist for civil rights after spending 21 years in South Africa. Experiencing discrimination for his skin color and heritage, Gandhi vowed to fight against Indian persecution in the foreign land. He also sought for India's independence from the British before World War I.

Gandhi opposed India's participation in the Second World War by holding civil rights protests, which led to several arrests. After spending two years in prison in his old age, he was later released due to his failing health. He was, however, assassinated on his way to a prayer meeting in 1948 at 78 years old.A couple of Indonesian Christians residing in Banda Aceh province were whipped in public last Tuesday for playing a children's game that authorities said violated Muslim laws.

Dahlan Silitonga and Tjia Nyuk Hwa, ages 61 and 45 respectively, were flogged on their backs with rattan sticks for six to seven times following their arrest at an amusement complex. Reports revealed that the two were among those who had played a game that enabled people to get prizes, vouchers or cash by trading in a number of coins, which constituted gambling.

Some 300 locals watched and cheered as the offenders endured their punishment. The two Indonesian Christians were punished with three other people, as authorities lined them up for flogging, also known as lashing or caning.

Bandeh Aceh, a large conservative Muslim province at the tip of the islands, remains the only place in the country that imposes lashing in its enforcement of Sharia laws. The punishment covers a range of offenses like alcohol drinking, gambling, adultery, public display of affection, and gay sex.

"This is to create a deterrent effect, in order for people not to repeat violations of Islamic Sharia law," Mayor Aminullah Usman told reporters. "We purposely do it in front of the public...so it won't happen again."

Muslims make up at least 98 percent of Bandeh Aceh's five million residents. Locals of other faiths, however, are also subjected to the same punishments if their offenses or crimes have been proven to violate both religious and national laws.

In most cases, the accused would rather endure the physical pain and public shaming instead of going to prison or undergoing a long legal process. According to the Straits Times, one lashing is equal to a month of jail time hence even non-Muslims opt for this punishment instead.

Last January, an Indonesian Christian also chose to get whipped after his arrest for selling alcohol. Jono Simbolon received and endured 36 lashes.

Human Rights Watch has been calling out Indonesian President Joko Wikodo for failing to address this practice. The group said officials who carry out the punishments might target religious groups, the minority or the LGBT community.Oprah Winfrey will run for president but only if God wills her to do so. The influential media personality said she sought for answers from the Almighty through prayers but she has not received any signs from Him.

The clamor for Winfrey to run for the presidency in 2020 grew louder following her speech at the Golden Globes, where she received the Cecil B. DeMille Awards in January. The public made the term "#Oprah2020" trend on social media because of her inspiring message, and she told People she had received calls from billionaires who promised to support her presidential campaign. Unfortunately, Winfrey expressed she has no plans to run.

"I went into prayer: 'God, if you think I'm supposed to run, you gotta tell me, and it has to be so clear that not even I can miss it,'" the actress and former journalist said. "And I haven't gotten that."

Time and again, Winfrey has denied that she plans to shift to politics, and the philanthropist also told InStyle that kind of job was not for her as it was not in her DNA.

The star is a Democrat who has supported former President Barack Obama's two campaigns, as well as Hillary Clinton's bid last 2016. President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he would welcome Winfrey's challenge if she does finally make her campaign official "so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others."

Winfrey gave no response to Trump's message even when prodded by Ellen DeGeneres on her show and Jimmy Kimmel on his late night program. She said there was no point in addressing the negativity head on.

The former daytime TV host was born a Baptist, having been raised in Southern Mississippi. She was named after the Biblical character Orpah in the Book of Ruth. The actress, however, supports plenty of New Age beliefs and endorses its proponents like spiritualist Eckhart Tolle.The Vatican might look into establishing regional tribunals to handle sexual abuse complaints, as Pope Francis reportedly wants to speed up action on these cases.

The Council of Cardinals advised the pope on creating these tribunals after its three-day summit. However, the spokesperson for the council, Greg Burke, relayed to the press that this was only one of the options that the cardinals have discussed.

Currently, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith solely handles the complaints against clergymen who reportedly commit sexual abuse. The centralized process, which is different from any criminal or civil court proceedings, has at least 1,800 cases to look into thoroughly.

The cardinals discussed decentralizing the commission based on Pope Francis' 2013 address, "Evangelii Gaudium," where he reflected that "excessive centralization, rather than proving helpful, complicates the Church's life and her missionary outreach." The cardinals also referred to Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter in 1998, "Apostolos Suo," which touched on the same sentiments.

Bostons's Cardinal Sean O'Malley is also studying the proposal on regional tribunals, especially since the Catholic community in his city has been strapped in a string of sexual abuse scandals. The Council of Cardinals will once again hold another three-day meeting in April to discuss the items in their last meetings further, including the issue of handling sexual abuses cases.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's expert on sex abuse cases among its clergy, recently returned from his fact-finding mission in Chile. He looked into how the Chilean Catholic Church handled reports involving priests from several religious orders accused of sexual abuse. Victims claimed that their cases were mishandled and this has since been a lingering problem for the Vatican.

Chilean Catholics want changes and reforms in its leadership and system following accusations that Bishop Juan Barros had covered up these reports. Pope Francis was also accused of defending Barros, which lead to assumptions that the pope did not know anything about the cases in Chile.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

According to an opinion piece in National Post, students in Delaware public schools may soon be able to self-identify their own gender or "race."

The state is expected to adopt a resolution, approved by both the governor and Delaware State Education Association, that allows for this. This is just another example of how unhinged our culture has become as it refuses to acknowledge absolutesexcept being absolutely sure the Bible is not to be the absolute authority!

The article quotes Rachel Dolezal who made the news in 2015 for claiming she was "transracial" and identifies as "black" (though there are no truly black or white peoplewe're all shades of brown due, in large part, to the pigment melanin). Dolezal reportedly said,

Gender is understoodwe've progressed, we've evolved to understanding that gender is not binary. It's not even biological. But what strikes me as so odd is that race isn't biological either.

Her argument builds naturally off the transgender movement's ideology. They've abandoned the idea of male and female, which is rooted in biology (contrary to Dolezal's claims), and instead made it about feelings. She's saying that why shouldn't "race" (really, culture and ethnicity since there's only one race biblically and biologically) be the same? Well, apparently Delaware agrees with her and wants students to be able to choose their own gender and ethnicity.

Truth is increasingly becoming meaningless (relative) in our culture.

Truth is increasingly becoming meaningless (relative) in our culture. Judeo-Christian moral absolutes have long been mocked, and now other kinds of absoluteslike basic biological observational scienceare also going by the wayside. It's a culture that's becoming completely unhinged! With this kind of thinking why can't a 30-year-old identify as a senior to get the senior's discount or a teenager identify as a 21-year-old so they can legally drink alcohol?

If biology doesn't matter, then who's to tell these people they aren't really those ages? When you reject the absolute authority of the Word of God, anything goeswhich is exactly what we're increasingly seeing. When I was recently asked on a secular radio program why this is happening and what is wrong with our culture, I explained that I could only answer that by understanding the sin nature of man and the spiritual battle that is raging around us.

As our culture gets darker and more foolish, the light, truth and wisdom of God's Word and the gospel will just shine brighter. We must be salt and light in our dying world, boldly pointing people toward the hope found in Jesus Christ.

The president, CEO, and founder of Answers in Genesis-US, the highly acclaimed Creation Museum, and the world-renowned Ark Encounter, Ken Ham is one of the most in-demand Christian speakers in North America.

First published at Ken Ham's Blog.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Islam wants to wipe out Christians in the entire world. This is a very politically incorrect statement, but the truth is always politically incorrect is it not? The Church knows the truth but will not face the facts that are obvious to one who has the knowledge.

It is very understandable that priests and bishops from the Levant wish to continue the Christian culture and heritage of the area. The same argument could have been made for the Jews of Europe after the World War II, but most Jews that survived decided to settle in Israel or the United States. The nightmare of their experience was too much to wish to return to their previous life, this is the exact position Christians are in who are now living in Iraq, Syria as well as the refugees who are displaced in surrounding countries.

Our organization deals on a day-to- day basis with the actual Christian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Thailand and other Eastern countries. Many have tried to register with the UNHCR but are discriminated against because the administration of the UN, who run the UNHCR where the Christians are applying for asylum, are Muslim, and they do not deal fairly with the Christian cases. This is why in the United States only nine Syrian Christian refugees were admitted out of 10,000 when the figure should be at least 1,000 based on the population split of Syria in 2016.

So not only have these people had to flee because of persecution in their home country, but they also now face a new persecution with discrimination by the UN, the very organization that is meant to help them. In Bangkok, we have documented evidence of this and in Turkey we know Muslim refugees get their cases dealt with relatively quickly, but the Christians get ignored, which is evidence on its own.

I would like to point out that around 50 percent of the 500,000 Christians in Iraq fled that country prior to ISIS even coming to power and did so during the American occupation after the end of the second Gulf War. The remainder of the Christians, about 250,000 of them, were the ones sticking it out but were decimated when ISIS went on their conquering rampage. Their livelihoods were destroyed, so even if you help build a church and some housing how do they make a living? Further, the security situation for them is still untenable currently and well into the future.

There are less than 80,000 Christians left in Iraq. Most are being kept as quasi-prisoners in refugee camps in the Kurdish sector, being manipulated by the church so they can "continue the culture of Christianity in Iraq." We know this as a fact, as we had our people on the ground trying to help. While we do not despise this mentality, it is but a pipe dream and it is not a reality based on the competing political forces of the different Muslim factions in Iraq and Syria. If you ask the vast majority of Christian refugees stuck in the camps in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, few if any, have any desire to return to their home countries. These are the people we listen to and represent. It is very sad that the Church is not trying to help these people by pressuring the European governments to allow them sanctuary instead of discouraging the European governments from taking them but instead asking for money to rebuild, which is futile based on the evidence of extreme danger for Christians in Iraq.

Church leaders have an agenda of renewing the Christian life in Iraq; our agenda is based on the reality of the situation, period. We are not against the idea of renewal; we just understand that is not based on the reality on the ground or based on the current foreign policies of the United States and the West. The Church with their policies of holding on to decimated communities and keeping Christian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan are signing their brethren to a death sentence.

The evidence is clear is that there is no long-term future for Christians to live in any Muslim-majority country. The Islamists in the region have basically taken over or continue to grow their political influence.

Today the goal of Turkey a so-called ally of the United States, now an Islamic theocracy that wishes to reinstitute the Caliph. The USA is allowing them to succeed in their goals. Within the next decade or less, Islamist Turkey under Erdogan will be the dominant political force in the region and will unite the whole Muslim world against Israel with the Christians in their crosshairs. The Armenian genocide, the first holocaust of the 20th century perpetrated by the previous Ottoman Empire in World War I will look like a minor atrocity compared to what is coming.

At this stage, we implore the governments of the West to recognize the real problem, which is the planned massacre of all Christians by the Islamists, who now are on the verge of taking the political power over the whole region. The Christian refugees in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon should be allowed to go to Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States. Each country should agree to take a certain quota, or an agreement be set up among the different countries to take some, even if this is done secretly to avoid the politically correct crowd. The overall number of Christian refugees in these camps is only a few hundred thousand people, which is not a lot, if the load is spread amongst many countries. The United States can lead by taking families who are stuck in UN refugee camps and then use their example to nudge others on a private basis and later publicly.

Our organization is working to warn the American and European civilized countries to rescue their brethren before millions will die, as well as setting up rescue operations to save our brethren from persecution and slavery. If the West does not act soon the Holocaust of the Jews and others in World War II that will cost the lives of about 11 million and will look like a small number compared to the fact that over 100 million Christians are at risk (Egypt and Pakistan has about 30 million Christians alone). Based on the statistics of murder in World War II as many as 70 million could be murdered by the Islamists. You may not wish to believe this but if you study the history of Islamic conquests they have already murdered 250 million people over 14th centuries of mayhem, which included the Baburnama massacres. In India during the 15th and 16th centuries that killed between 80 and 100 hundred million Hindus and other non-Muslims. It has happened before, it can and will happen again if we continue to ignore the threat.

The media and pastors rarely discuss Christian persecution. Let's be frank, it is bad for business. The question I ask Christians today, are you in the business of God or are you about God's business?

Join us at www.RescueChristians.org and be about God's business to save our brethren.Fresh trade war fears as Trump threatens to tax European auto imports

US president Donald Trump kept up pressure on trading partners on Saturday, threatening European automakers with a tax on imports if the European Union retaliates against his plan to slap tariffs on aluminum and steel.

Trump's tweet suggested he is refusing to yield to US business interests and foreign trading partners alarmed at the prospect of a trade war that rattled financial markets this week.

'If the EU wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US,' Trump wrote on Twitter.'They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!'

The United States imposes a 2.5-per cent tariff on cars assembled in Europe and a 25-per cent tariff on European-built vans and pickup trucks. Europe imposes a 10-per cent tariff on US-built cars.

Trump criticised Europe in remarks at a fundraiser, according to video posted online Saturday, and suggested they would not increase tariffs.

'The European Union: brutal. They've been brutal to us,' Trump said at a Florida fundraiser.'They've banded together in order to beat the United States in trade.'

Trump did not respond to questions about tariffs or other topics upon returning to the White House Saturday.

In a speech Friday night at Harvard University, European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager said the EU will respond to the tariffs 'to defend European industry, and the world trading system', according to a copy of her remarks. She called the Trump action'one-sided protectionist measures, which hurt, not just jobs, but the whole system of rules that makes our global economy work.'

German automakers Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG and BMW AG build vehicles at plants in the United States. BMW employs more than 9,000 workers in South Carolina and is one of the state's largest employers.

The United States accounts for about 15 per cent of worldwide Mercedes-Benz and BMW brand sales, while it accounts for five per cent of VW brand sales and 12 per cent of Audi sales.

The United States had a $22.3 billion automotive vehicle and parts trade deficit with Germany in 2017 and a $7 billion deficit with the United Kingdom, according to US government data.

Last year, Germany's automotive trade association said 'the United States would be shooting itself in the foot by imposing tariffs or other trade barriers'.

Trump's threat comes amid mounting transatlantic tension on trade.

On Thursday, Trump said the United States would apply duties of 25 per cent on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminum to protect domestic producers.

Major automakers say the move will raise the cost of cars and trucks.

The next day, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told German television that, 'We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson (motorcycles), on bourbon and on blue jeans  Levis.'

Canada also has said it will retaliate for any tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Trump had tweeted on Friday that trade wars are good and 'easy to win', perturbing US financial markets.

In January 2017, Trump warned German car companies he would impose a border tax of 35 per cent on vehicles imported to the US market.OnePlus 6 release date, specs rumors: New phone to have an iPhone X notch and glass back?

OnePlus, the Shenzhen based Chinese smartphone manufacturer, is rumored to release its latest flagship phone, OnePlus 6, sometime in the second quarter of the year. Moreover, the upcoming phone is said to have iPhone X's famous notch and glass back.

Express reported that alleged photos of the upcoming OnePlus phone emerged on a Chinese technology website named IT Home. The photos show OnePlus 6 featuring an almost bezel-free screen and an iPhone X-like notch (the protruding part of the iPhone X) at the top of the display. Express reported the notch will include a front-facing camera as well as a tiny speaker for taking calls unlike the iPhone X's which contain special face tracking sensors. The back of the upcoming phone appears to be made from glass which is ideal for wireless charging. Moreover, Express reported OnePlus 6 has 6 gigabytes (GB) of random-access memory (RAM), 64 GB of storage and is running on Android 8.1 Oreo.

As for its processor, Alphr reported that OnePlus 6 will be powered by the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. The upcoming phone will also have the facial-recognition feature its predecessor, OnePlus 5T, had although the level of how secure this feature will be is yet to be revealed. Alphr also reported that OnePlus 6 will have dual lens camera like its predecessor. Carl Pei, one of the founders of OnePlus, once made a Twitter poll in 2016, asking Twitter users if they like headphone jacks  the majority (88%) of the Twitter users who participated in his poll answered "Yes." Because of this, according to Alphr, it is safe to assume that the upcoming OnePlus 6 will feature headphone jacks.

According to Gizmochina, a source revealed that OnePlus 6 will launch in the middle of March and will be available by the end of the same month. However, Express and Alphr both reported that the other founder of OnePlus and its current chief executive officer (CEO), Pete Lau, confirmed that the upcoming phone will launch on the second quarter of 2018 which is from April 1 to June 30.State Sen. Sylvia Garcia implored President Donald Trump on Saturday to pass legislation allowing children who immigrated without documentation to remain in the country.

Trump "needs to get together with Congress and come up with a legislative solution," Garcia, D-Houston, said at a press conference. "It was Trump and no one else who ended DACA."

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was a 2012 executive order by President Barack Obama that granted provisional work permits and protection from deportation to undocumented underage immigrants.

On Feb. 26, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a Trump administration appeal to determine the legality of ending the program March 5. Supporters of DACA want Congress to pass the Development, Relief and Education to Minors (DREAM) Act to permanently protect these immigrants.

DREAMers, as DREAM Act beneficiaries are known, and lawmakers gathered in southeast Houston to show support for legislation and for Garcia, who is running to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Gene Green in the 29th Congressional District.

Cesar Espinoza, a 17-year-long advocate, spoke about realizing at 15 how being undocumented blocked him from earning a driver's license or donating blood. A 10 year-veteran teacher, Elizabeth Santos, discussed comforting her students over their fears about not being able to stay in the U.S.

"These kids are living in a state of uncertainty, a state of fear, a state of not knowing what's coming next," Garcia said.

U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee and State Rep. Gene Wu, both Houston Democrats, also pleaded for change.

"Mr. President, you need to keep your promise," Jackson Lee said. "We need to work to close the door on DACA by making sure we have a bill that allows these talented young people to live their life, protect their families, stay in Houston, stay in Texas and stay in the nation."

"The fight for the DREAMers, I think is the civil rights fight of our lifetime," Wu said. "This is one of the most important things for me because I represent a district filled with kids who grew up as Americans."

Trump needs to be pressured to act, Democrats said. "So far it seems like he will be forced into it." Garcia said.

The president "needs to start hearing what Americans are saying," she said referring to a recent Quinnipiac University national poll that showed nearly 80 percent of Americans support letting DREAMers stay.3 1 of 3 Galveston County Jail Records Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Galveston County Jail Records Show More Show Less 3 of 3





A League City couple was charged with endangering a child by criminal negligence Thursday after they were accused of using drugs in the home where they were raising two 3-year-olds, police said.

Police were alerted about the allegations against Bradey Birdwell, 37, and Leslie Gay, 32, by an anonymous caller in June 2017, authorities said.More than 4,000 volunteers will arrive next week ready to hang drywall and install kitchen cabinets, lay down carpet and replace insulation.

Six months after Hurricane Harvey put the Houston area underwater, a Mississippi-based nonprofit will bring in people from 45 states and a handful of other countries. Theyll help repair and rebuild homes in Galveston County and parts of southeast Harris County and they want local volunteers to join them.

The need is huge, said Stephen Tybor. Tybor is president of the faith-based group Eight Days of Hope, which will join forces with the local 4B Disaster Response Network, a network of Houston-area churches helping families displaced by Harvey.

For 15 days  March 10-24  volunteers will fan out to work on hundreds of houses with flood damage. Out-of-towners will be lodged at local churches and fed three times a day. Locals will agree to show up and pitch in at least three times.

The plan is to repair about 700 homes, said Ben Baldwin, 4Bs executive director.

Some will be completely rebuilt, Baldwin said. Others, we may just help in a significant way (to) help families take a few steps forward.

The name of Baldwins group, 4B, was inspired by the area it covers, a zone that stretches from the southeast corner of Beltway 8 down to Galveston Beach and from the Brazoria County line east to Galveston Bay. About half of the homes on the fix-it list are in Dickinson, where Harvey flooded more than 7,000 residences.

Another group is looking for volunteers to help rebuild 100 homes just to the west, in Brazoria County. Team Rubicon, a global disaster response group led by military veterans, is particularly seeking volunteers who have a military background or construction skills, but anyone who is willing to give a day or two to help is welcome, organizers said.

More Information How to Volunteer Eight Days of Hope: Register to volunteer online at 4bresponse.org. You'll commit to three days of volunteer work between March 10 and 24. Deadline to volunteer is Sunday, March 4. Team Rubicon: Register online at teamrubiconusa.org/volunteer. A military or construction background is desired but not required. See More Collapse

The eight-year-old nonprofit is made up of 70 veterans and first responders, Anita J. Foster, a Team Rubicon spokeswoman said in a release. Training for new volunteer leaders runs through March 26.

Team Rubicon understands that rebuilding 100 homes might seem like a drop in the bucket against the enormous need but believes it will be meaningful to the 100 low-to-moderate income families that will receive assistance, Foster said.

The Eight Days of Hope project is an example of faith in action, Baldwin said.

For us, its a moral imperative to care for our neighbors, he said. Were told to love our neighbors, so thats what were trying to do.

Even six months after the storm, too many people are still displaced, he said, or theyre living in gutted-out homes, struggling to fix drywall and other damage as they can.

We can see from previous disasters: No matter how hard the federal government tries, and the state government, they can only help a small percentage of people, Baldwin said. And it takes them a long time sometimes.

Eight Days of Hope, which specializes in large-scale disaster recovery, sent huge teams of volunteers to Lafayette, La., after a flood in 2016; to Tupelo, Miss., after a tornado in 2014; and to North Caroline after Hurricane Irene in 2012.

Its very first mission was just after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Tybor said, when he and his father decided to help with recovery.

He called me and said, Lets grab a couple of buddies, go down do the Gulf Coast and help somebody, Tybor recalled. It was just going to be the two of them, but then they each told some friends who wanted to join in, and before they knew it, it ended up being 684 people.

Tybor swiftly turned this eager group of helpers into a nonprofit and called it Eight Days of Hope. His organization visits disaster sites after floods, tornadoes or hurricanes.

Eight Days of Hopes rapid response team descended on the Houston area within 72 hours of Hurricane Harvey, Tybor said. A revolving crew of 2,000 volunteers spent seven weeks mucking out houses and cleaning up debris.

Now its time for the disaster recovery team to help out. Harveys destruction is so extensive, this will be the groups biggest volunteer effort, the group said.

The 4B group, meanwhile, formed just after Harvey. Several churches decided to work together so they could maximize their recovery efforts. They formed a nonprofit group and Baldwin, a retired Army officer, was brought on board to help with logistics and organizing.

The rebuilding project is funded by grants from large foundations. The Rebuild Texas fund, started by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and the OneStar Foundation, contributed $860,000, an amount that was matched by the Galveston-based Moody Foundation.

A lot of the incoming volunteers wont be picking up tools for the first time. Eight Days of Hope networks with businesses and nonprofits to recruit volunteers with real skills: contractors, builders, remodelers, electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians.

But that doesnt mean there isnt a place for volunteers who dont have those skills. Kids are welcome, seniors are welcome, Tybor said. The oldest Eight Days volunteer he knows of is 93.

Weve never turned away one volunteer, Tybor said. There is so much to be done.

Volunteers are needed to prepare meals, deliver materials to job sites, clean shower trailers, hand out tools, pick up volunteers at the airport and more.

Do we like the professional? Absolutely, Tybor said. But we equally like the family that shows up and wants to serve together.

Volunteers commit to three days of work; the days dont have to be consecutive. Volunteers have until Sunday to register on the 4B website.

And if people with flood-damaged homes missed their chance to apply for aid this time around, there will be more chances in the future: 4B plans to partner with other groups to stage large-scale rebuild efforts in the area, Baldwin said.

As long as theres a need, were going to be rebuilding homes.Dressed in a baby pink sequined and beaded gown and high-heeled sandals, Jeannie Lopez arrived at her surprise 95th birthday Saturday lauded by emergency sirens and escorted by Timber Lakes Volunteer Fire Department Chief Josh Kennedy in his command vehicle.

Lopez isn't your normal 95 year old, having lost her entire life not once, but twice due to flooding-in 2016 and 2017.

Lopez's youngest daughter, Joanne Hill, organized the milestone party on March 3 to surprise her mother, who for the past six months has been living in a FEMA trailer parked in the driveway of her Timber Lakes home.

"I sat at home and I ate a whole lot of Lindor chocolate and I wore clean underwear everyday," Lopez said. "That's how I got through the (Harvey) flood. That and the knowledge that nothing- nothing-can keep you down as long as you stay up."

Lopez's oldest daughter-Carol Morgan-described how for the second time in two years, Lopez lost everything she owned-furniture, electronics, photos-when Hurricane Harvey flooded her home up to the ceiling. Included in the Harvey losses were all of the replaced possessions Lopez had gathered since the Tax Day flood of 2016-which destroyed her lake side home in an equally thorough and horrific way.

"The first time, she got out in ample time," Morgan said of the Tax Day flooding. "This time (Harvey) it was closer, she didn't want to leave and my brother-in-law said, 'Mom, you have to go.'"

Lopez said the most difficult thing to lose was her extensive collection of ballroom dancing gowns.

Lopez and her late husband were avid amateur ballroom dancers, Morgan said, and Lopez kept all of the clothes, accessories and awards from the glittering competitions of years gone by.

But, Lopez said, her personal things didn't matter. She said she was able to rescue her three American Eskimo dogs out of her home when her son-in-law, John Hill, evacuated her from the home she's owned for almost two decades.

Morgan said about half an hour after they'd left the home, water began rushing in, and would have trapped her.

"She's always had a fantastic, positive attitude," Morgan said.

Lopez said she was grateful to escape with her pets.

"Our lives and my dogs' lives were saved," Lopez said. "Things are replaceable, lives and people are not."

Lopez's home is being completely renovated for the second time, and Hill said her mother is looking to move back in by mid-March.

Lopez was born March 3, 1923, in Morris, Oklahoma. Between moves in Oklahoma and Ohio, she eventually settled her family in north Houston.

The family and extended family has lived in the Woodlands for more than of 30 years-long enough that no one really knows for sure, Hill said.

Lopez has built a life for herself and her family in the small community, and when Hill approached Timber Lakes Volunteer Fire Department Chief Josh Kennedy about the special escort, Kennedy didn't hesitate.

"Someone celebrates a 95th birthday-that's a milestone," Kennedy said.

Despite the floods and losses-mere blips in a life spent dancing and caring for her daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren-Lopez said she isn't ready to stop yet.

"I feel like I could go another 94 years," she said. "If you believe in God and you believe in yourself, this too shall pass."OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  A newspaper has found that an Oklahoma judge who approved probation for a man who admitted to raping a 13-year-old Texas girl at a church camp has approved similar plea agreements for other accused sex offenders who also received probation.

Marshall County District Judge Wallace Coppedge accepted a deal in which Benjamin Petty, a cook, was sentenced in January to 15 years of probation after pleading guilty to raping and sodomizing the girl at the Falls Creek church camp.VIDOR  His story may have inspired an Oscars front-runner, but James Fulton is not planning on watching the Sunday night awards show.

He hasnt seen the movie, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. He didnt know it was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including best picture.

And it doesnt much matter to him if it wins any awards or not, unless it would help him  at last  to find justice in his daughters death.

Fulton, who is 87, has lived every day for 27 years with the pain of his daughters death. Hes struggled for so long to keep it from constantly occupying his thoughts. He still wakes up in the middle of the night thinking about it. About how horrible it would be to be strangled. About how it feels like the local police will never do anything to arrest the alleged suspect.

This is a bigger story than that, Fulton said in an interview Friday. My story is.

TEXAS CONNECTION: Fulton's story may have inspired Oscar-nominated film

AT THE OSCARS: Vidor billboard remains part of the background

Fulton for decades has put up billboards along I-10 as it passes through the small city of Vidor, 100 miles east of Houston. They served one purpose: to call out the citys police department, which Fulton believes let his daughters killer go free after she was found dead in 1991.

As he has told it, English writer Martin McDonagh saw a series of billboards just like these on a bus while touring Texas and the South. He didnt remember the details of where they were, but the emotional messages he glimpsed had stayed with him.

Vidor P.D. does not want to solve this case, one billboard still along the highway states, in black and white letters faded from the sun. The Attorney General should investigate.

Many years after seeing the signs, McDonagh wrote and directed his now famous film. Fulton says the creators of the movie, which is fiction, did not reach out to, or perhaps even know of, him. Hundreds of thousands have flocked to see the movie also unaware Fulton existed.

The film is set in Missouri, features a mother grieving over her daughters killing and is in many plot twists absurd. But it grew from something very much true.

***

At 75 mph, the city of Vidor can pass by in a blur.

There are some 10,000 residents who call Vidor home. Located just east of Beaumont, not far from the Texas border with Louisiana, it has the swampy feeling of the state next door.

Vidors history, like that of its fictional counterpart Ebbing, is one rooted in racism. Today, its main intersection is a long row of fast-food restaurants, nothing like the quaint town center seen in the movie.

NOMINATIONS: 'Shape of Water,' 'Three Billboards' lead not-so-white Oscar nominations

The median household income was $39,418, according to the U.S. Census. Ten percent of residents over age 25 reported having at least a college degree.

Fulton lives in a clean, tidy house with a lake behind it in the smaller Rose City, wedged between Beaumont and Vidor. He moved his family to the area in the year after his daughter Kathy was born. Hed been having trouble making ends meet in Mississippi. Here, a neighbor told him, he could get a job in the shipyard.

With hard work, Fulton did well for himself and his family. He got into real estate, buying up land along the highway. But in a day, everything changed.

It was 4 a.m. when Fulton got the call from the police. He doesnt remember the day. He doesnt remember Kathys age. All he remembers is going to see where her body was found in a car in a ditch, where the family would later install a metal cross with her name.

Kathy, who worked as a waitress, had been married for around a dozen years, her father said. She had five siblings; two children, one of whom committed suicide after the murder, he says. Her niece recalled her as the fun aunt. Her father said she was the kind of person who enjoyed life.

As Fulton recalls it, the police chief told him he suspected Kathys husband in the case. But within a week, Fulton said he believed the mans parents were told by the police chief not to worry.

So Fulton will say again and again, with emotion caught in his throat, what he thinks he knows but cannot prove: I believe the chief of police took a bribe, and hes taken care of (her husband), and hes not solving the murder.

Its why Fulton filed lawsuit after lawsuit. Its why the signs went up, keeping the story alive.

***

They were inspired by the Burma-Shave ads, which strung together a message on a series of billboard signs. Everyone in town knew about them  and about the case.

One had the same words as those seen in the movie, Kathys sister Sherry Valentine recalled. Raped While Dying.

Valentine, 58, did see the film. It made her proud of her dad, of how so many people across the country were now wrestling with the question: What if it were me?

She hopes it will reinvigorate the case they have worked so hard themselves to investigate, constantly, on their own.

I cant believe our family has gone through this to the point where my dad had to do something like that, she said, holding back tears, but Im so glad he did. Im glad he had the foresight to do it.  You cant just sit back and do nothing.

Today, there is a new police chief in Vidor, Rod Carroll, who says he wants to see the case solved. He read the file after he took on the job a year ago. He talked about it with the previous chief and with the district attorney. He hasnt seen the movie.

There were three murders in Vidor last year, an uncommonly high number. Those and Kathys are the only murder cases that remain open. Her case file sits in Carrolls office, in a box behind his desk.

The billboards, Carroll says, dont offend him. Kathy has never had justice, nor have her surviving family members.

But Carroll says he needs a witness. There wasnt enough evidence collected at the time to make the case. He still hopes someone will come forward.

The movie brought this case back to life, he said.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: McDormand, Rockwell explode in 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'

Fulton, too, will keep fighting. He wants the Texas Rangers to investigate. He wants it out of the hands of the city of Vidor.

Hes thinking of putting another sign up.

This is my priority until my death, to try to get something done, Fulton said. Its not over with yet. No. Im fixing to do a whole lot more than what Ive already done.

The experience changed Fulton, said Jayme McGlothin, 36, his granddaughter. But he kept living for them  the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids he had left.

They had Sunday dinners every week when his first wife was still alive. And Sunday lunches sometimes after church.

McGlothin, who works as an office manager, still drives by the billboard every day.

Were a family that just wants justice, thats all, McGlothin said. We want closure, especially for my grandpa.

Fultons daughter Valentine hopes everyone will pray for her dad to find peace.

Whatever that means, wherever that leads, she said, just pray that he finds peace.

This is all fixing to bust wide open. I just know it is.Q&A with David M. Fleischer, 43, running as a Democrat for Judge for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 5.



Have you ever run for public office before?

No.

What's your Hispanic connection?

I am first generation American. My parent moved from Santiago, Chile, to Houston in 1973, for my father to attend University of Houston. They came with the intent of returning to Chile once he completed; however, they stayed when my father started working for Shell Chemical.

Why are you running as a candidate this time?

The current Judge for this bench is retiring. We need to ensure that the next Judge elected is qualified and has the proper judicial temperament to deal with the hundreds of cases that pass through the court every week. A good Judge possesses patience, open-mindedness, punctuality, compassion, and the courage to do what is right. The chance to bring these qualities to the bench, along with my extensive experience in the misdemeanor criminal justice system, has inspired me to run for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 5.

Why are you running for this position?

I am running because we do not have enough Latino representation on the bench. In fact, racial and gender diversity in our criminal justice system is at an all-time low. Judicial diversity brings perspective and experience. A majority of those in the criminal justice system are minorities. Sadly, minority defendants suffer from the lack of equal justice in criminal cases. This injustice can take many forms; a difference in bail bonds, unequal representation, disparate sentencing, and mass incarceration. I will change this. As Judge, I will assure that everyone is treated equally.

Politically, what is your top local, and your top national concern?

My largest concern, locally and nationally, is for equality. I strongly believe it is only just for everyone to be treated equally, with compassion and patience, to ensure the correct measure is taken to solve the issue at hand. We have been grappling with this for far too long. It is time that we realize that the consequence of trying to reduce the size of a court's docket too fast, is having the opposite effect. Instead of focusing on the number of cases on a judge's docket, we should focus on WHY the person is on the docket in the first place. If we address these issues, then we can prevent people being on the docket. Whereas I have seen this continuous injustice firsthand locally, I realize this occurs on a national level as well. It is up to us to generate the change that will mobilize others to change.

It is our responsibility to stand up for those whose rights are weighed as lesser due to economic status, color, gender, orientation, or country of origin. If we propel equality on a local level, we can spark the movement nationwide.

Why do you think there are more Latino candidates now than before in Houston?

The Hispanic population in Houston understands the importance of Judicial Diversity and the need for more Latinos in local government. Having more Latinos in government helps address issues that affect this segment of society. The Federal Government's treatment of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and other Latino issues have inspired many, including myself, to take action to help bring awareness, recognition, and resistance to those opposed to issues that affect Latinos.

Is there any local leader or politician that you would mention as a mentor or as someone that you particularly admire?

A local leader that I respect immensely and plan to mirror is Judge Darrell Jordan Jr. The compassion and patience he has shown on the bench is admirable and inspiring. He listens, cares and does the right thing. He is fair, open-minded, and is everything we hope for in a Judge. I look forward to working with Judge Jordan and instituting the same policies and practices to establish a system of trust between the District Attorney's Office, those charged, and the public.

Please feel free to add something else if you like.

One of my goals in becoming a judge is to rectify the bail bond system. I believe in personal recognizance bonds. A person should not be stuck in jail, potentially costing them their employment, simply to have a chance to fight their case. A system in which only those who are economically capable to post bond are allowed the opportunity to seek justice is a broken system. This will alleviate mass incarceration as well.

***

olivia.tallet@chron.com

Twitter: @oliviaptalletAn Academy Award is the most prestigious accolade someone in the film industry can earn. It commands respect and esteem. But the statuette itself is only worth $1.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts and coordinates the awards each season, has strict rules regarding the statuettes. The official regulations state that winners cannot sell their Oscar without first offering to sell it back to the Academy for $1, which makes each one worth a mere $1.

This also applies to family members who inherit Oscars from relatives who have died.

Until a few years ago, the Academy asked for $10 per statue if a previous winner or their heirs wished to let go of an Oscar. But that changed in 2015, when the statue won by Joseph Wright for "My Gal Sal" in 1942 ended up in the hands of Nate D. Sanders, who bought it from Briarbrook Auctions for $79,200. Wright's nephew, Joseph Tutalo, had consigned the Oscar to Briarbrook in 2014.

The Academy sued Briarbrook to enforce its $10 rule, which had been added in 1951.Andy Slavitt has been called a renegade, a rabble rouser and a policy wonk.

Soon, he might be known by a new title: Venture capitalist.

Slavitt made a name for himself as the entrepreneur-turned-Medicare chief who took on Republican lawmakers seeking to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

When members of Congress declined to hold town halls to educate their constituents about the pros and cons of the health bill, Slavitt showed up instead. On a tour of the country, Slavitt made appearances in towns ranging from Cleveland, Ohio to Reno, Nevada. His answered questions, broke down policies, and urged anyone who attended to write their senator to block the Republican health bill.

While traveling the country, he refined his investment thesis after hearing from everyday Americans about their health woes and anxieties.

"We need to stop investing in the third Fitbit for the 50-year-old upper-class person and start innovating for people who have common diseases and conditions, but live in communities with low access to care," he said.

Slavitt has now returned to his home town right outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, to invest in ideas that will improve the health care system. CNBC caught up with him about his new fund, which is still in the development phase. He declined to share his limited partners or the funding amount at this stage, as he's still in the process of recruiting partners to join him.

He's starting out with a clear population in mind: The oldest and sickest people in America.Italy is headed towards a hung parliament Monday, following an election that saw voters shun mainstream politics and opt for anti-establishment parties. As the official vote count continued on Monday morning, after the ballot on Sunday, it showed the Five Star Movement (M5S) would be the largest single party, but a center-right bloc  which features the anti-immigration Lega party  would gain the most seats. With three-quarters of the vote counted, as of 9:00 a.m. local time, the early results showed that no one party or bloc would have a majority of votes enabling it to govern alone. This signals a potentially long, drawn-out and likely fractious negotiation process in order to form a government. Government vote data on Monday morning showed the center-right alliance with around 37 percent of the vote and anti-establishment M5S with 32 percent of the vote. The center-left bloc, including the ruling Democratic Party (PD) which took a drubbing in the vote, was seen with 23 percent of the vote. Italian media news agency ANSA reported that former Prime Minister and PD party leader Matteo Renzi had resigned on Monday morning, although a PD party spokesperson said the party had had no notification yet.

Euroskeptic Lega sees strong gains

An earlier exit poll indicated that the center-right alliance would gain between 248 to 268 seats in the lower house of parliament, short of the 316 needed for a majority. This center-right bloc is formed of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party and Noi con l'Italia, as well as Lega (formerly Lega Nord) and Fratelli d'Italia. Crucially, the vote count so far appeared to show the anti-immigration and euroskeptic party Lega, led by Matteo Salvini, with a higher share of the vote than Berlusconi's Forza Italia. This means the party could push its right-wing agenda at a national level in a future coalition government. Salvini said the result was "historic" for his party, one which has moved away from its roots of campaigning for an independent northern region to campaign on a national level. He tweeted his thanks to voters. Tweet

Italian shares drop

The final outcome of the election is expected later on Monday. Italy's financial market reacted badly to the vote, with the FTSE MIB opening 2.2 percent lower on Monday morning. Italian sovereign debt also underperformed. In the currency markets, the euro was fairly stable against the dollar after the exit poll at 11:00 p.m. local time Sunday. The single currency was trading higher by around 0.2 percent before the poll, but edged lower during the night and was trading down 0.1 percent by 9:00 a.m. local time on Monday.

Silvio Berlusconi, leader of right-wing party Forza Italia, waves as he arrives to vote on March 4, 2018 at a polling station in Milan.

Expected hung parliament

If the final result is a hung parliament then weeks of talks between the parties could lie ahead. The Italian constitution specifies no time limit for parties to reach an agreement or call a fresh election. M5S has not entered any coalition, although party leader Luigi Di Maio told CNBC in early February that if the party did not gain a majority to govern alone, it was willing to speak to other parties, although he did not say which ones.

The leader and premier candidate of the Movimento 5 Stelle Luigi Di Maio in Pomigliano D'Arco during the voting operations. Salvatore Esposito | Pacific Press | LightRocket via Getty Images

Thus, potentially M5S could link up with other parties to form a coalition large enough to gain a majority in the lower house. Likewise, the center-right alliance could also renegotiate with other parties. Kit Juckes, chief global strategist at Societe Generale, said that the Italian election had "produced slightly more uncertainty than expected" with the center-right's success being dominated by Lega Nord's gains. "Pretty much all pundits rule out an alliance between Five-star and Lega Nord, expecting instead a protracted period of coalition-building led by the center-right," he said in a research note. Economists at Unicredit noted that the support for the center-right was relatively high and had increased the chances that this bloc will gain a mandate to form a government. However, they said that the prominent populist positions of the Lega party might create some difficulties within the coalition. "Evidence of such difficulty will be probably manifested in the high probability that, should the center-right be able to form a government, this will prove fragile," the Unicredit analysts said in a note Monday.

Closely-watched in Europe

Sunday's vote is being closely-watched in Europe to see if populist, anti-establishment parties such as M5S could take a governing position in the Italian parliament. Following an election campaign that featured immigration as a hot topic, the vote was seen as test of strength for far-right parties, such as Fratelli d'Italia and Lega, that have campaigned on an anti-immigration stance. European politicians will be watching the result with concern as it could prompt the euro zone's third-largest economy to take a more critical and oppositional stance to the European Union and the single currency. Lega leader Salvini has repeatedly called the euro a "failed experiment" and has criticized Europe.

Leader of Lega party Matteo Salvini votes in the Italian General Election at a polling station on March 4, 2018 in Milan, Italy. Pier Marco Tacca/Getty ImagesA person struggles with their umbrella during a large storm on March 2, 2018 in New York, New York. A nor'easter is set to slam the East Coast on Friday, bringing coastal flooding, heavy snow and strong winds to the area.

More than 1.5 million customers remained without power throughout the eastern United States early on Sunday, and communities on the New England coast faced more flooding two days after a powerful storm snapped trees, downed wires and killed at least nine people.

The remnants of the storm, known as a nor'easter, lingered on Sunday with flood watches and wind advisories in effect until 1 p.m. in northeastern United States even as it moved hundreds of miles out to sea, hampering efforts to restore power.

The governors of both Massachusetts and New York declared a state of emergency on Saturday afternoon, following similar announcements by the governors of Virginia and Maryland on Friday.

The moves give those states access to federal resources. The storm carried hurricane-force winds in excess of 90 miles per hour (145 kph), sending seawater churning into streets in Boston and nearby shore towns - the second time the area has been flooded this year.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said that while winds have weakened on Sunday and most of the rain and snow has moved offshore, flooding and extreme high tides could still affect the coastal areas from Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Long Island, N.Y.

"We're definitely not out of the woods yet," said meteorologist David Roth at the weather service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Falling trees killed seven people - including two boys who died when trees struck their homes - in Connecticut, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia, according to local media and police. Two others died in the storm, according to media reports, including a 41-year-old man in Andover, New Jersey, who came in contact with power lines.

Private forecasting service AccuWeather said the storm dumped as much as 18 inches (46 cm) of snow on parts of New York state and Pennsylvania. The Massachusetts town of East Bridgewater received nearly 6 inches of rain, the NWS said.

The storm also snarled transportation from the Middle Atlantic into New England, with more than a quarter of flights into and out of New York's three major airports and Boston's airport canceled on Friday, tracking service FlightAware.com reported.

The problems carried over into Saturday, with hundreds of flights canceled into and out of New York and Boston, according to the website. One flight landing at Washington's Dulles International Airport on Friday experienced turbulence so rough that most passengers became sick and the pilots were on the verge of becoming ill, the Federal Aviation Administration said.You must be logged in to participate in the Show Me the Errors contest.I'm currently on the graphics desk. I've also been an assistant city editor and a reporter on the community and education beats. You can reach me by email at oliviagarrett@mail.missouri.edu or on Twitter @_oliviagarrett.

Follow this search 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Housing 1) May speech tomorrow. Carrots and sticks for councils to build more  and more growth upwards

Boles, Penrose and Prisk converge on Downing Street over upward development  Sunday Telegraph

Key workers to be given special priority for affordable homes  Sun on Sunday

We must build upwards  Dominic Raab, Mail on Sunday

Javid says new towns will be built in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor

The Prime Minister will pile pressure on councils to approve vital home-building schemes by vowing to change planning rules in favour of new developments. But she is also set to urge developers to deliver new homes with the prospect of new use it or lose it contracts where planning permissions could lapse if builders sit on their hands. Ministers have already announced plans to make it easier for people to extend their homes upwards by adding up to two storeys.  Mail on Sunday

In an interview with The Sunday Times, the housing secretary, Sajid Javid, said councils would be given higher targets for homes to be built and those that failed would have their planning powers removed and handed to an independent inspector. Javid said he would approve at least two new towns between Oxford and Cambridge, with up to three more to follow. Tomorrow he will unveil a new National Planning Policy Framework to pressure councils to build affordable homes for public-sector key workers including nurses, teachers and police officers.  Sunday Times

> Today: ToryDiary  May the builder?

Letwin leads cross-party plan to abolish 50 EU rules post-transition

May tells Sturgeon Brexit speech would strengthen Britain  Scotsman

Attack attack attack 1): Heseltine assails Mays speech  Observer

Attack attack attack 2) Rees Mogg assaults Varadkars stance  Observer

Attack attack attack 3) Dearlove says Blair doesnt understand how anti-terrorism policy works in practice  Sunday Express

Attack attack attack attack attack attack 4) Bannon says the EUs negotiating stance is vicious and dismissive  Sunday Telegraph

Barwell denies claims that he leaked Johnsons UK/Ireland border letter  Sunday Times

Remainers complain about the Queens Brexit Commonwealth trade deal role  Sunday Express

Cable builds youth army to fight Brexit  Sunday Times (Footnote: Vince Cable is 74.)

Rawnsley: Has May left it too late?

The proposed changes, likely to be welcomed by senior Brexiteers who cited the stifling effects of red tape during the referendum campaign, are being drawn up by a cross-party group chaired by Sir Oliver Letwin, David Camerons former policy chief. There are problems that we can easily cure, and we are recommending changes that would cure them after Brexit, he said. One could imagine all 50 coming into effect the day after the end of the transition period. The group, whose advisory panel includes Archie Norman, the chairman of Marks & Spencer, Sir Paul Tucker, the former deputy governor of the Bank of England, and Theresa Villiers, the former Northern Ireland Secretary, is drawing up recommendations to cut red tape in 10 sectors. The proposals are due to be handed over to Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, in September.  Sunday Telegraph

There was a sniffy response from Brussels and European capitals that there was still too much cakeism and cherry-picking. That was to be expected. The underlying issue is whether she has left it too late to become the advocate of pragmatic compromise. The passage of time since the referendum has not softened the poisons within her party; it has intensified their toxicity. The fudgier elements of the speech were designed to hold together a temporary truce in the cabinet, which will start to break down when the EU pushes back on some of the proposals.  Observer

> Yesterday: ToryDiary  Brexit. Compare and contrast. On divergence, real Cabinet debate. On immigration, a stance quietly shelved.

CCHQ hires social media managers in London May elections fightback

Mrs May has told party officials the units must be mobilised quickly  in time for the crucial local elections in May. She has written to activists urging them to help build a strong group of dedicated volunteers in every seat to back up the paid campaigners. In her letter, she says: We are recruiting a new army of foot soldiers to take the fight to Labour. It is clear from the results of the general election that we are more likely to win seats in which our organisation is strong. And it is an unfortunate fact that Labours organisation was better in many seats than ours.  Sun on Sunday

I support a Thatcher statue  Jo Swinton, Mail on Sunday

Mordaunt widens aid workers sex abuse inquiry

Hunt will appoint Minister to have responsibility for policy relating to children of alcoholics

The Department for International Development (DfID) has written to all its contracted private-sector firms, as well as UK and non-UK-based charities, insisting they immediately report any abuse allegations. Last night two big DfID contractors said they were aware of allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment involving their staff over the past three years. A DfID source said the widening of the scope of inquiries reflected the determination of Penny Mordaunt, secretary of state for international development, to ensure everything is being done to protect people from harm, including sexual exploitation and abuse.  Observer

A source close to Mr Hunt confirmed that the name of the minister who would have responsibility for policy relating to children of alcoholics would be announced in due course. The move follows a constructive meeting with Labour MPs Liam Byrne, Caroline Flint and Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, who are all children of alcoholics. Together with the National Association for Children of Alcoholics charity and the Sunday Express they have been campaigning for the Government to adopt a manifesto for change to help Britains innocent victims of drink.  Sunday Express

Penning claims police are scared to stop and search

Measures to stop rape victims being cross-examined in court sidelined  Observer

Abandoning stop and search is madness  Sun on Sunday Editorial

Cut crime, or the Tories will suffer at the polls  Sunday Telegraph

Whittingdale: Beware these threats to a free press

Searches fell by 21 per cent in the last year while recorded knife crime went up 20 per cent. Police also challenged a million fewer people on the streets during 2016-17 than in 2010-11. Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said she backs the increased use of stop and search powers but Sir Mike believes cops are put off by political correctness. The Tory MP for Hemel Hempstead said: Feral youngsters are rampaging around our streets because they know they are not going to be stopped and searched.  The Sun on Sunday

An even more damaging amendment introduced by the Lords would force news publishers who are not members of a regulator approved by the Governments recognition body to pay the costs of data protection actions even if the claim is unjustified and dismissed by the courts. This clause mimics Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, which proposed the same penalties in libel and privacy actions. No national or major local newspaper has been willing to join such a regulator and so almost every publisher would be at risk. It would have a massive and chilling effect on investigative journalism and would make investigations such as those into the Paradise Papers or the Oxfam scandal impossible to publish.  Sunday Telegraph

Hoare urges Corbyn to investigate Mosleys 500,000 donation to Watson  Sun on Sunday

Watsons shameless relationship with Mosley  Stephen Pollard, Mail on Sunday

Spanker Mosley and red Labour faces  Sarah Baxter, Sunday Times

I sat there with Amber. We sat there, we two. And I said, how I wish wed stay in the EU

Lansman flees to Cornwall as Formby drums up women

But when the chancellor was asked to name his favourite book as a child, Downing Street officials were startled when he picked Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwells dystopian vision of dictatorship. However, Big Brother in No 10 intervened and asked Hammond to think again. No wonder hes so miserable all the time, if thats what he was reading as a boy, one official remarked. After consulting his wife Susan, Hammond picked Dr Seusss rhyming classics, The Cat in the Hat books. In a video recorded to mark World Book Day last Thursday, the chancellor explained: I used to love reading them to my children, and the children loved hearing them. They are incredible tongue twisters and incredibly difficult to read out loud, but great fun.  Sunday Times

Jeremy Corbyns closest allies were at loggerheads last night after the Momentum founder, Jon Lansman, refused to step aside in the race to become Labours next general secretary. Lansman is taking cover in Cornwall this weekend after Corbyn, John McDonnell and Karie Murphy, Corbyns gatekeeper, failed to persuade him not to stand. It is understood that officials at Unite, the UKs biggest union, approached several women to block them from standing so that Jennie Formby, its preferred candidate, could have a clear run. It is widely believed the next general secretary should be a woman.  Sunday Times

Bercow the Bully? Small man syndrome?

Julian Smith, the Tory chief whip, has been urged to intervene. A minister said Bercows behaviour was pretty rude adding: Its the most ludicrous I have seen him. A senior back-bench MP said: The chief whip should speak to him. You cant behave like this to senior politicians. The Speaker is accused of hypocrisy having previously called for zero tolerance of bullying in parliament. How can you say you want there to be zero tolerance of bullying and then go around calling people names and belittling them? an MP said. Its classic small man syndrome.  Sunday TimesCORNWALL, Ontario  Harvest Christian Fellowship celebrated 15 years of rocking with Jesus at their church on York St. in Cornwall on March 3, 2018.

The Harvest Christian Fellowship does their worship in an exciting way by having live musicians play Christian rock and the bright lights and fog machine make the community feel welcome and alive.

We are not the only church like this, we dont call ourselves Protestant, we are not Catholics though, explained pastor Roy Stephenson.

A normal turnout on Sunday worship brings close to 300 people to the church and 40 to 60 volunteers.

The church has had their share of challenges and achievements over the years.

In 2007, the Fellowship purchased the former Saint John Bosco School property to create Heart of the Family, a 24-hour child care centre with a staff of over 50 people geared to help people in the community.

Its our outreach arm, we went to the city and asked what they need. We have over 300 children that are being cared for in that building, said Miia Nauglar, the office manager for the church.

Then On Nov. 8, 2013, the boiler in the church exploded but this made way for countless renovations and modernizations within the building.

We are really intent on making an inviting atmosphere that people can have fun with! said Miia Nauglar.BRIDGEPORT  After running through a stop sign and not immediately pulling over for police, two Bridgeport men face charges after police found a firearm stashed in the car they were driving in.

Barham Lamont, 22, of North Avenue in Bridgeport, was charged with first-degree threatening, carrying a pistol without a permit, weapons in motor vehicle, criminally negligent storage of a firearm, interfering with an officer.

Dyshaun Pulliam, whose age was not given, of Terrace Circle in Bridgeport, was charged with interfering with an officer.

Around 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 25, officers assigned to the anti-crime patrol unit were patrolling in the area of Maplewood and Howard avenues. The reason for the general patrol in that specific areas was for, recent high criminal activity such as shootings, robberies and narcotics sales in the West Side, an incident report said.

On Howard Avenue, the incident report said, officers noticed a car that was parked about 15 feet from the curb. The officers also saw a woman waving to the officers from a porch in the 1200 block of Howard Avenue, the report said.

As the officers approached the area, the car drove away, the report said. Police immediately actived lights and siren to conduct a motor vehicle stop, one officer wrote in his account.

Attempting to hide ... criminal activity

The cars driver  later identified as Barham  did not stop and continued driving on Howard Avenue and drove through the stop sign at Maplewood Avenue, police said. Police said the car drove about 100 to 150 yards after officers turned on the cruisers lights and siren.

As police followed the car, officers said, Barham was seen in the car moving around.

Through training and experience (the officers) believed Barhams actions were a result of attempting to hide evidence of criminal activity, one officer wrote in the incident report.

The car stopped at the intersection of Howard Avenue and Howard Court, the report said. Both Barham and the cars passenger  later identified as Pulliam  were asked to get out of the car. Police said they complied without incident and were patted down and detained.

When officers asked Barham and Pulliam if there was anything illegal in the car, police said, both answered no. When asked a second time, police said, Pulliam said no again and that he didnt know anything.

At this time, the incident report said, an additional police unit arrived at the scene to help with a search of the car.

Loose panel reveals gun

As a search of the car began, one officer said they noticed what looked like a loose panel near the glove box. The officer pushed on the panel with his flashlight and a black firearm came down, the incident report said.

After police found the firearm  which was identified as a Beretta PX4 Storm  Barham and Pulliam were put into handcuffs.

Police ran Barham and Pulliams information through their system and found that Barham had a Connecticut pistol permit. He did not have the permit on his person or in the car, police said, but he did have in his possession an armed security officer permit.

Barham had three guns registered to him, according to the incident report. Other than the 45-caliber Beretta, police said, Barham also had a 40-caliber Smith and Wesson and a 45-caliber Smith and Wesson.

While police were conducting their investigation, the incident report said, Barhams sister and the woman who initially waved to the officers approached the scene.

Barhams sister said her brother was there to pick her up. She said her ex-boyfriend, who lives in the 1200 block of Howard Avenue, had made threats but didnt specific what kind of threats, police said.

The unidentified woman who had waved to police said the driver of the car  Barham  was the one who had made threats against his sisters ex-boyfriend, police said. She told police, the incident report said, that Barham threatened to shoot his sisters ex-boyfriend.

Permit previously taken

When police arrived at the station to book Barham and Pulliam, the incident report said, officers found that Barhams pistol permit had been taken by another city cop  though it was unclear when.

Barham was charged with sale, delivery or transfer of a pistol or a revolver on an unspecified date. At that time, the Bridgeport police officer took Barhams pistol permit, police said.

In booking, police said in the report, Barham and Pulliam were checked for active warrants and none were found.

Barham was issued an infraction for improper parking and failure to obey a stop sign. His armed security permit was taken, police said, and turned into evidence. The firearm was also taken and turned into evidence, police said. The motor vehicle was issued into the custody of Barhams sister, police said.

Pulliams bond was set at $1,000.

Barhams bond was set at $25,000.BRIDGEPORT  A New York City man faces charges in the city after, police said, he assaulted a police officer and resisted while officers tried to handcuff him.

Shalim DeLeon, 34, of New York City, was charged with assault on a public safety officer and interfering with an officer/resisting, police said.

Shortly before 10 p.m. on Feb. 25, an officer responded as a cover unit for another on a traffic stop in the area of Wood and Cleveland avenues. The driver of the vehicle was escorted away by police when officers noticed a passenger in the vehicle moving his body and arms back and forth, an incident report said.

Since the driver of the vehicle was non-compliant, police said in the incident report, officers asked the vehicles passenger  later identified as DeLeon  to get out of the car.

As I stood in the door of the vehicle DeLeon looked up at me, then rapidly moved his hands to his waistband and shifted his body to the left, one officer recalled in his report.

The officer said he feared DeLeon may have been reaching for a weapon, so he reached in to grab DeLeons hands.

As I attempted this DeLeon threw his right elbow, striking me in the chest, the officers report said. I grabbed DeLeons arm and pulled him out of the vehicle.

Once he was out of the car, police said, DeLeon flailed his arms wildly and kicked his feet and several officers.

The officer who was struck in the chest by DeLeon said in his report that he pulled DeLeon to the ground, where he continued to resist, kicking and refusing to give us his hands. Officers told DeLeon to stop resisting and to give officers his hands, the report said. Police said he ignored their commands.

On the ground, DeLeon trust his hands under his body at his waistband, an area commonly used to conceal weapons, the officer wrote in his report. I placed my knee on his upper back and pulled his arms out, finally securing him in handcuffs.

The officer was treated at St. Vincents Medical Center for injuries to his right hand that, he said in his report, he sustained during the altercation with DeLeon. He was treated and released.

A sergeant on scene at the time immediately radioed for medical attention when he saw DeLeon was bleeding from the mouth area, the incident report said. Medics took DeLeon to St. Vincents Medical Center where, police said, he was treated and released.

DeLeons bond was set at $7,500.GUILFORD  One person has died and seven others were rescued from the waters of Guilford Yacht Club after a barge capsized, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman out of New York said Saturday.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Hunter Medley said although his agency assisted both by helicopter and boat, the Guilford police and fire departments took the lead on the rescue and recovery.ORANGE  Regional Democrats held a virtual petting zoo for statewide political hopefuls on Saturday, in a four-hour meet, greet and elevator-pitch session for potential gubernatorial candidates, as well as the under-ticket.

The event, which drew an ebbing-and-flowing audience of about 200 for coffee and bagels in the towns High Plains Community Center, gave less-known candidates the chance to make 7-minute presentations on what they offer for delegate support at the May party convention.

This gave newcomers Jacey Wyatt of Branford, the first transgender woman to run for governor, and Guy Smith of Greenwich, a former business executive, the same opportunity as the better-known hopefuls, six of whom  Ned Lamont, Jonathan Harris, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, Susan Bysiewicz  met head-to-head two nights earlier in Torrington.

For the first time, tonight I think Im the female version of Ned Lamont, Wyatt said of the Greenwich communications executive and former U.S. Senate candidate. Wyatt, with experience in construction, said that Tweed-New Haven Airport is an underdeveloped resource that should be enriched, so it can generate more jobs, tax revenue and economic development.

New York, were coming for your jobs, she said. Boston, were coming for your jobs. And if you dont think thats enough, Im a tourism person, so Orlando, be prepared because were coming for your tourism dollars and theyre coming back to Connecticut.

Wyatt said that while many Democrats are resigned to enact electronic tolling on state highways, she would limit it to border tolls and toll gantries at Bradley International Airport.

Smith said any tolling under his administration would target interstate traffic, while giving major breaks to state residents.

Tolls annoy people. Im not going to run a government that annoys people, he said. Well figure out a way for people from Massachusetts and Rhode Island to pay tolls and you dont, with tax credits.

One thing I am not going to do is raise your taxes, Smith said in his western drawl to the audience members, who were seated on folding chairs on the linoleum floor of a concrete-block meeting room, a bingo scoreboard on the back wall. Second thing: Teachers, unions and state workers are not going to be the enemy in my administration.

Smith said he would like to offer tax credits to first-time home buyers and promote free office space for small start-ups to attract millennials. He called President Donald Trumps idea of arming teachers lunacy and absurd.

The first casualty of the day occurred when an elderly woman slipped and fell, but took a nearby chair and soldiered on. Throughout the morning and into afternoon, participating politicians swanned in and out, chatting with fellow Democrats from area towns.

The format also gave Clare Kindall of West Hartford, a veteran assistant state attorney general, and state Rep. Mike DAgostino, of Hamden, the same time as better-known hopefuls Chris Mattei, a former federal prosecutor; state Rep. William Tong and state Sen. Paul Doyle to replace retiring Attorney General George Jepsen.

This is no time for on-the-job training, said Kindall, who said she was inspired by the 2016 election to consider running for office. I have been doing this job for 20 years.They say the way to anyone hearts is through their stomach. Take this gesture a notch higher by surprising your loved one with a delivery of their favorite food. On-demand logistics company Lalamove delivers your giftseven foodanywhere in the metro, 24/7. Here are some food gift ideas from Lalamove:

Auro Chocolate will answer all your sweet tooth cravings at an affordable price compared to international brands and gives you a chance to support local farmers with every purchase you make. This proudly-Filipino, bean-to-bar company creates world-class confections from, one of the rarestvarieties found in Davao.

Wine Depot, a one-stop shop for wines, spirits, and coffee with a globally expansive selection, has been in the business for almost 15 years. It has recently started adapting to new technologies as they deliver the finest Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile through Lalamove. Preparing a fine dining setup at home? Choose from Wine Depots extensive wine selection and Lalamove will deliver it right at your doorstep.

Send your love in the form of Bun Appetits gourmet sandwich. It serves lobster, crab, and shrimp rolls that capture the perfect combination of seafood and buns.County commissioners say ADHS funds can be used for 219As per the latest report released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), India's economy grew at 7.2 per cent during the October-December quarter in 2017, up from 6.5 percent during July-September and 5.7 per cent in April-June.

While there has been a steady rise in the growth figures, it is low when compared with the 8.2 per cent in the year preceding the demonetisation shock that was aimed at wiping out all the black money from the country.

According to CSO's revised advanced estimates, the full year's growth has been revised upwards to 6.6 per cent. This is marginally lower than the 6.75 per cent estimated by the Economic Survey.

The CSO has upped its forecast for gross value added (GVA) to 6.4 per cent in 2017-18 from 6.1 per cent. A per estimates, sectors which are likely to register a growth rate of over 7 per cent are public administration, defence and other services, trade, hotels, transport, communication and services related to broadcasting, electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services and financial, real estate and professional services. The growth in the agriculture, forestry and fishing, mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and construction, however, is estimated to be 3 per cent, 3 per cent, 5.1 per cent and 4.3 per cent, respectively; highlighting the sectors which require further attention.

The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector is likely to show a growth rate of 3 per cent in terms of its GVA during 2017-18, as against the previous year's rate of 6.3 per cent. The growth in the GVA at basic prices for 2017-18 from mining and quarrying sector is estimated to be 3 per cent against that of 13 per cent in 2016-17. The growth in the GVA at basic prices for 2017-18 from manufacturing sector is estimated to be 5.1 per cent as compared to a growth of 7.9 per cent in 2016-17. GVA at basic prices for 2017-18 from electricity, gas, water supply, and other utility services' sector is estimated to grow by 7.3 per cent as compared to that of 9.2 per cent in 2016- 17.

Encouraged by the rise of GDP in the October-December quarter, some sections of media have suggested that India is now again on course to claim the tag of a fastest-growing economy in the world as China has been left behind in one quarter. However, we are still far behind both China and the US in absolute terms and with all due respect to this sign of resurgence, students of the economy cannot discount the lower base effect.

The revival has been mostly induced by government expenditure, which is reflected in soaring fiscal deficit, having jumped about 114 per cent of the revised full-year estimate of Rs 5.94 lakh crore, while the private consumption expenditure rate has come down to 5.6 per cent much lower than the percentile indexed just a year ago, despite the demonetisation upheaval. Exports too have shown only a moderate increase reflecting how the traditionally labour-intensive segments have not yet shown any signs of revival.

Another important index is that of the per capita income in real terms which at 2011-12 prices, during 2017-18 is likely to attain a level of Rs 86,689 as compared to Rs 82,229 for the year 2016-17. However, the growth rate in per capita income is estimated at 5.4 percent during 2017-18, against 5.7 per cent in the previous year.

Therefore, though the mood seems to be buoyant, the journey ahead is full of challenges. The most immediate challenge appears to be revamping the security net of our banking system, which has been being hit by rising cases of frauds. Accumulated bad loans are already estimated at around Rs 11 lakh crore or even more.

Immediate steps like the introduction of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill providing caging of looters and scooters fleeing the country (covering offences over Rs 100 crore) with retrospective effect, insisting closer vigilance by PSU banks for scanning bad debts of over Rs 50 crore and the move to set up a new regulator for chartered accountants with the proposal to take over the disciplinary functions of the Institute of Chartered

Accountants of India (ICAI) by the National Financial Reporting Authority, are welcome initiatives taken by the present government to stem the rot.

Similar stringent measures are required against all bank frauds and failures including those below Rs 100 crore. Implementation of micro financing schemes such as MUDRA also need to be monitored closely to ensure that loans granted are used only for the purpose they were sought for and that it leads to more job creation.

Also read: Ravi Shastri saying people are happy when we lose is in bad tasteCANCOM SE, together with its subsidiaries, provides information technology (IT) infrastructure and services in Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, and the United States. The company operates through Cloud Solutions and IT Solutions segments. The Cloud Solutions segment provides cloud and shared managed services, including project-related cloud hardware, software, and services. The IT Solutions segment offers a range of services related to IT infrastructure and applications. Its services include IT strategy consulting, project planning and implementation, system integration, and IT procurement via e-procurement services, as well as professional IT services and support. The company also sells hardware and software; and offers AHP Enterprise Cloud, an IT multi-cloud management software, as well as provides cloud computing, analytics, enterprise mobility, IT security, and hosting, services. It serves commercial end-users ranging from small and medium enterprises to large corporations and groups, as well as public institutions. CANCOM SE was founded in 1992 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany.

Read MoreTEGNA Inc., a media company, provides broadcast advertising and marketing products and services for businesses. The company operates 47 television stations in 39 markets of the United States that produce local programming, such as news, sports, and entertainment. It offers local and national non-political advertising; political advertising; production of programming from third parties; production of advertising materials; and digital marketing services, as well as advertising services on the stations' Websites, tablets, and mobile products. The company also sells commercial advertising spots of its television stations. In addition, it operates Premion, an over the top local advertising network; Hatch, a centralized 360-degree marketing services agency; and radio broadcast stations. The company was formerly known as Gannett Co., Inc. and changed its name to TEGNA Inc. in June 2015. TEGNA Inc. was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

Read MoreBEIJINGBeijing warned Sunday that it is ready to hit back at the United States if it harms Chinas economic interests, fueling fears of a trade war after President Donald Trump unveiled steel and aluminum tariffs. Trumps announcement on Thursday sparked a flurry of counter-threats from other nations but its main trade rival, China, had avoided any overt warnings of potential retaliation until now. China doesnt want a trade war with the United States, Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National Peoples Congress, told a news conference on Sunday, the eve of the rubber-stamp parliaments annual session. But if the US takes actions that hurt Chinese interests, China will not sit idly by and will take necessary measures. Zhang warned that policies informed by misjudgment or wrong perceptions will hurt relations and bring consequences no side wants to see. Trumps announcement came as President Xi Jinpings top economic aide, Liu He, met with US officials at the White House this week to discuss the fraught economic relationship. During his visit, according to the official Xinhua news agency, Liu and his hosts agreed that the two countries should settle their trade disputes by cooperation rather than confrontation. Since announcing plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum, Trump has shrugged off threats from other nations, boasting on Friday that trade wars are good, and easy to win. China has been the main target of Trumps ire over the US trade deficit since his presidential campaign, but its steel and aluminum exports to the United States are minimal.While China is the worlds largest steel producer, it accounts for less than 1 percent of US imports and sells only 10 percent of its wrought aluminum abroad. Steel producers in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey rely far more heavily on the US market.The American action to put sanctions on other countries reasonable steel and aluminum exports in the name of harming national security is groundless, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday. Some US allies, like Canada and Australia, had hoped to be spared the tariffs. A US official said Friday no countries will be exempt, but added that possible exemptions to the measures would be considered on a case-by-case basis. Australia warned that a trade conflict could put the brakes on global economic growth. Thats what concerns me, if we continue to see an escalation of rhetoric and, ultimately, action around tariffs applying for imports and exports across multiple economies... this will lead to a slow-down in growth, Trade Minister Steve Ciobo told Sky News Australia Sunday. Trump ratcheted up the rhetoric on Saturday, threatening a tax on cars from the European Union if it enacts retaliatory measures. On Friday, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU was drawing up measures against leading US brands such as Levis and Harley-Davidson.Oasis Petroleum Inc., an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources in the United States. It operates through Exploration and Production(E&P), and Midstream segments. The E&P segment engages in the acquisition and development of oil and gas properties. The Midstream segment offers midstream services, such as natural gas gathering, compression, processing and, gas lift supply; crude oil gathering, terminaling, and transportation; produced and flowback water gathering, and disposal; and water distribution. As of December 31, 2020, the company had 401,766 net leasehold acres in the Williston Basin; and 24,396 net leasehold acres in the Permian Basin, as well as approximately 152.2 million barrels of oil equivalent of estimated net proved reserves. The company sells its crude oil and natural gas to refiners, marketers, and other purchasers that have access to pipeline and rail facilities. Oasis Petroleum Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Read MoreTHE Saturday Group of Artists marks its 50th anniversary this year with an exhibit entitled Celebrating Gold: Fifty Years in Art at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Gallery. The show opened yesterday and will run up to May 6. Curated by Ricky Francisco, it features more than 60 works created by the groups founding and current members. The Saturday Group counts seven National Artists on its rosterVicente Manansala, Cesar Legaspi, Benedicto Cabrera, H. R. Ocampo, Jose Joya, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, and Carlos Botong Francisco. Among the founding artists represented in the show are Ocampo, Cabrera, and Legaspi. Francisco chose representative paintings from the CCPs collection of their works. A hallmark of the Saturday Group of Artists is their interaction painting method wherein several artists collaborate on one painting. The works thus created showcase signature touches from each individual artist coming together in a harmonious whole. In addition to the paintings, the exhibit also features archival materials that present the history of the Saturday Group, including news clippings, photographs, and still life and nude sketches from the famous sketching sessions the group held during the 1990s. * * * The 18th IYAS National Writers Workshop for creative work in Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Filipino, and English is open for applications up to March 10. This years workshop will be held April 22-28 at the Balay Kalinungan, University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City. Creative writing entries that explore human relations with the environment will be given preference for the 15 fellowships, which include transportation subsidy and board and lodging. Marjorie Evasco is the workshop director, and the panelists are Ronald Baytan, Susan Lara, Grace Monte de Ramos, John Iremil Teodoro, and Em Mendez. Applicants must send original, unpublished work in only one chosen literary genre and language: six poems, two short stories, or two one-act plays. Send three hard copies in 12-point font, double-spaced, and a short resume with a page containing complete contact information. For inquiries, call DLSU BNSCWC at (632) 5244611 local 233; e-mailorm. IYAS is supported by the University of St. La Salle, De La Salle Universitys Bienvenido N. Santos Creative Writing Center, the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities.* * * The Fray Luis de Leon Creative Writing Institute of the University of San Agustin is accepting applications up to March 30 for the 16th San Agustin Writers Workshop to be held April 30 to May 2, 2018, at the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City. Ten fellowships are open to creative writers in and from Western Visayas. Send either five poems, or two short stories, or two creative nonfiction pieces in Aklanon, Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a, Filipino, or English. Award-winning writer John Iremil Teodoro is the workshop director, and the panelists are Leoncio P. Deriada, Isidoro M. Cruz, John Barrios, and Alice Tan Gonzales. Email Dr. Teodoro atfor submission requirements and details. * * * The University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication is accepting nominations up to April 6 for this years UP Gawad Plaridel which recognizes Filipino media practitioners who have excelled in the field of journalism and have performed with the highest level of professional integrity in the interest of public service. The award is named after Marcelo H. del Pilar who used the pen name Plaridel when writing for the reformist newspaper La Solidaridad which helped crystallize nationalist sentiments and ignite libertarian ideas in the 1890s. Like Plaridel, nominees must believe in the vision of a Philippine society that is egalitarian, participative, and progressive; and in media that are socially responsible, critical and vigilant, liberative and transformative, and free and independent. Nominees must have unassailable probity and integrity, and must have produced a body of work that is marked by excellence and social relevance with achievements recognized nationally and/or internationally. The nomination form and award guidelines are available at the UP CMC Website () and at the UP CMC Office of Extension and External Relations. For inquiries call (02) 981-8500 loc. 2668 or emailExcel Trust, Inc. is a real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company is a vertically integrated, self-administered, self-managed real estate firm with the principal objective of acquiring, financing, developing, leasing, owning and managing community and power centers, grocery anchored neighborhood centers and freestanding retail properties. It operates through three segments: retail properties, multi-family properties and office properties. It owns approximately 38 consolidated retail operating properties with a total of approximately 7.2 million square feet of gross leasable area (GLA). The multi-family segment consists of apartment units at one retail property, West Broad Village, which is located in Richmond, Virginia. The office segment consists of two properties, Excel Centre, a portion of which is utilized as its headquarters, and the Promenade Corporate Center. These office properties total approximately 338,339 square feet of GLA.

Read MorePosted Saturday, March 3, 2018 11:00 pm

Community members were in for a special treat Saturday evening, as the Logan-Rogersville Band Department hosted its first-ever LRs Got Talent show in the high school auditorium.

Talents ranged from singing and playing instruments to dancing and gymnastics. A total of 28 students performed in the show, along with three faculty members: Rebecca Barringer, Aaron Roten and Eric Dameron. The event started with the primary school to upper elementary school acts, followed by the middle school and high school competition. Sixth-graders Aisley James and Ella Clopton participated in the primary school to upper elementary group. For her act, James performed a hula hoop dance, using three hula hoops as she moved around the stage.

I just practiced at home or any place I could find, said James. I was hoping to use more than three hula hoops, but we wanted ones that matched. I had to practice every day to get it down.

Clopton, who just started tap dancing last year, did a dance routine to Singing in the Rain, which she choreographed herself.

I spent a couple of days choreographing my dance, said Clopton. I practiced it about every night, but then I got sick close to the talent show, so I did not get to do it as much, but I was happy that I still got to perform in the show.

During intermission, participants could bid on various items at the silent auction. At the end of show, Rogersville Mayor Jack Cole announced the winners of the talent show. Junior Corey Sivils received the first place prize ($100) for his dance, freshman Ethan Smith earned second place ($50) for his piano solo and juniors Amber Domiano and Mikayla Dieckhaus earned third place ($25) for their saxophone duet. All of the contestants earned a certificate for competing in the show, along with a free dessert coupon to Andys Frozen Custard or Culvers.

All proceeds from the event will go to toward the needs of the Logan-Rogersville Band Department, including new uniforms, new instruments and general equipment upkeep.The following companies are subsidiares of General Motors: 2140879 Ontario Inc., ACAR Leasing, ACAR Leasing Ltd., ACF Investment, ACF Investment Corp., AFS SenSub, APGO Trust, Adam Opel, Adam Opel GmbH, Aftermarket (UK), AmeriCredit, AmeriCredit Consumer Loan, AmeriCredit Consumer Loan Company Inc., AmeriCredit Financial Services, AmeriCredit Financial Services Inc., AmeriCredit Funding, AmeriCredit Syndicated Warehouse Trust, Annunciata Corporation, Argonaut Holdings, Argonaut Holdings LLC, BOCO (Proprietary), BOCO (Proprietary) Limited, Banco GMAC, Banco GMAC S.A., Baylis (Gloucester), Boco Trust, Boden Brussels, CHEVYPLAN, CHEVYPLAN S.A. Sociedad Administradora de Planes de Autofinanciamiento Comercial, Cadillac, Cadillac Europe, Cadillac Europe GmbH, Carve-Out Ownership, Carve-Out Ownership Cooperative LLC, Chevrolet Deutschland GmbH, Chevrolet Sales (Thailand), Chevrolet Sales (Thailand) Limited, Chevrolet Sales India, Chevrolet Sales India Private Ltd., Chevrolet Sociedad Anonima de Ahorro para Fines Determinados, Controladora General Motors, Controladora General Motors S.A. de C.V., Cruise, DCJ1, DCJ1 LLC, DMAX, DMAX Ltd., Dealership Liquidations, Dealership Liquidations Inc., Delphi Energy and Engine Management Systems UK, Delphi Energy and Engine Management Systems UK Overseas Corporation, EDS (Electronic Data Systems), FAW-GM, Fundacion Chevrolet, G.M.A.C., GCAR Titling Ltd., GM (UK) Pension, GM (UK) Pension Trustees Limited, GM APO Holdings, GM Administradora de Bens, GM Administradora de Bens Ltda., GM Asia Pacific Regional Headquarters Ltd., GM Auslandsprojekte, GM Automotive, GM Automotive Services Belgium, GM CME, GM Canada Holdings, GM Canada Limited, GM Components Holdings, GM Components Holdings LLC, GM Cruise, GM Cruise Holdings LLC, GM Cruise LLC, GM Defense LLC, GM Eurometals, GM Eurometals Inc., GM Europe Treasury, GM Finance, GM Finance Co. Holdings LLC, GM Financial, GM Financial AB, GM Financial Canada, GM Financial Canada Leasing, GM Financial Canada Leasing Ltd., GM Financial Colombia Holdings LLC, GM Financial Colombia S.A. Compania de Financiamiento, GM Financial Consumer, GM Financial Consumer Discount, GM Financial Consumer Discount Company, GM Financial Del Peru, GM Financial GmbH, GM Financial Holdings LLC, GM Financial Insurance Services, GM Financial Mexico Holdings, GM Financial Mexico Holdings LLC, GM Financial Real Estate, GM Financial de Mexico, GM Financial de Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.R., GM Financial del Peru S.A.C, GM Global Business Services, GM Global Propulsion Systems -Torino S.r.l., GM Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, GM Global Technology Operations, GM Global Technology Operations LLC, GM Global Tooling, GM Global Tooling Company LLC, GM Global Treasury Centre Limited, GM Holden, GM Holden Pty Ltd., GM Holdings U.K. No.1 Limited, GM Inversiones Santiago Limitada, GM Investment Trustees Limited, GM Korea, GM Korea Company, GM LAAM Holdings, GM LAAM Holdings LLC, GM Mexico Holdings, GM Mobility Europe GmbH, GM PSA Purchasing Services, GM Personnel Services, GM Personnel Services Inc., GM Philippines Inc., GM Plats (Proprietary), GM Regional Holdings, GM Regional Holdings LLC, GM Retirees Pension Trustees, GM Retirees Pension Trustees Limited, GM Subsystems Manufacturing, GM Subsystems Manufacturing LLC, GM Technical Center Korea Ltd., GM Viet Nam Motor Company, GM-DI Leasing, GM-DI Leasing LLC, GMAC - Instituicao Financeira de Credito, GMAC Administradora de Consorcios, GMAC Administradora de Consorcios Ltda., GMAC Banque, GMAC Continental, GMAC Espana de Financiacion, GMAC Holdings (U.K.), GMAC Lease B.V. (aka Masterlease Europe), GMAC Nederland N.V., GMAC Prestadora de Servicios de Mao de Obra Ltda., GMAC Servicios, GMAC UK, GMAC de Venezuela, GMAC-Prestadora de Servios de Mo-de-Obra, GMACI Corretora de Seguros, GMACI Corretora de Seguros Ltda, GMAM Real Estate I, GMCH&SP Private Equity II, GMCH&SP Private Equity II L.P., GMF Australia Pty Ltd, GMF Europe, GMF Europe Holdco, GMF Europe LLP, GMF Floorplan Owner Revolving Trust, GMF Funding, GMF Germany Holdings, GMF Global Assignment, GMF Global Assignment LLC, GMF International, GMF International LLC, GMF Leasing LLC, GMF Leasing Warehousing Trust, GMF Wholesale Receivables, GMGP Holdings, General Motors (China) Investment Company, General Motors (China) Investment Company Limited, General Motors (Thailand), General Motors (Thailand) Limited, General Motors - Colmotores, General Motors - Colmotores S.A., General Motors Advisory Services LLC, General Motors Africa and Middle East, General Motors Africa and Middle East FZE, General Motors Asia, General Motors Asia LLC, General Motors Asia Pacific Holdings, General Motors Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, General Motors Asset Management, General Motors Asset Management Corporation, General Motors Australia, General Motors Australia Pty Ltd., General Motors Austria, General Motors Austria, General Motors Auto, General Motors Auto LLC, General Motors Automobiles Philippines, General Motors Automobiles Philippines Inc., General Motors Automotive Holdings, General Motors Automotive Holdings S.L., General Motors Belgique Automobile NV, General Motors Belgium, General Motors Chile, General Motors Chile Industria Automotriz Limitada, General Motors China LLC, General Motors Daewoo Auto and Technology, General Motors Daewoo Auto and Technology CIS LLC, General Motors East Africa, General Motors Egypt, General Motors Egypt S.A.E., General Motors Espana, General Motors Europe Holdings, General Motors Europe Limited, General Motors Financial Chile, General Motors Financial Chile Limitada, General Motors Financial Chile S.A., General Motors Financial Company, General Motors Financial Company Inc., General Motors Financial International, General Motors Financial Italia, General Motors Financial Suisse, General Motors Financial UK, General Motors Financial of Canada, General Motors Financial of Canada Ltd., General Motors Finland, General Motors France, General Motors GBS Hungary, General Motors Global Service Operations, General Motors Global Service Operations Inc., General Motors Hellas, General Motors Holden Australia, General Motors Holden Australia NSC, General Motors Holden Australia NSC Pty Ltd., General Motors Holden Australia Pty Ltd., General Motors Holdings LLC, General Motors IT Services (Ireland) Limited, General Motors India Private, General Motors India Private Limited, General Motors International Holdings, General Motors International Holdings LLC, General Motors International Operations, General Motors International Operations Pte. Ltd., General Motors International Services Company, General Motors International Services Company SAS, General Motors International Services LLC, General Motors Investment Limited, General Motors Investment Management, General Motors Investment Management Corporation, General Motors Investment Participacoes, General Motors Investment Participacoes Ltda., General Motors Investments, General Motors Investments Pty. Ltd., General Motors Ireland, General Motors Israel, General Motors Israel Ltd., General Motors Italia, General Motors Japan, General Motors Japan Limited, General Motors LLC, General Motors Limited, General Motors Manufacturing Poland, General Motors Nederland, General Motors New Zealand Pensions, General Motors New Zealand Pensions Limited, General Motors Overseas, General Motors Overseas Commercial Vehicle, General Motors Overseas Commercial Vehicle Corporation, General Motors Overseas Corporation, General Motors Overseas Distribution, General Motors Overseas Distribution LLC, General Motors Peru, General Motors Peru S.A., General Motors Poland Spolka, General Motors Portugal, General Motors Powertrain (Thailand), General Motors Powertrain (Thailand) Limited, General Motors Research Corporation, General Motors South Africa, General Motors South Africa (Pty) Limited, General Motors Suisse, General Motors Taiwan, General Motors Taiwan Ltd., General Motors Technical Centre India, General Motors Technical Centre India Private Limited, General Motors Treasury Center, General Motors Treasury Center LLC, General Motors Turkiye, General Motors UK, General Motors Uruguay, General Motors Uruguay S.A., General Motors Venezolana, General Motors Ventures, General Motors Ventures LLC, General Motors Warehousing and Trading (Shanghai), General Motors Warehousing and Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., General Motors de Argentina, General Motors de Argentina S.r.l., General Motors de Mexico, General Motors de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., General Motors del Ecuador, General Motors del Ecuador S.A., General Motors do Brasil, General Motors do Brasil Ltda., General Motors of Canada, General Motors of Canada Company, General Motors-Holden's Sales, General Motors-Holden's Sales Pty. Limited, GigaPower LLC, Global Services Detroit, Global Services Detroit LLC, Global Tooling Service Company Europe, Global Tooling Service Company Europe Limited, Go Motor Retailing, Go Trade Parts, Grand Pointe Holdings, Grand Pointe Holdings Inc., Grand Pointe Park Condominium, Grand Pointe Park Condominium Association, H.S.H., Haines & Strange, Holden New Zealand, Holden New Zealand Limited, IBC Pension Trustees, IBC Pension Trustees Limited, IBC Vehicles, Lease Ownership Cooperative, Lease Ownership Cooperative LLC, Lidlington Engineering Company, Lidlington Engineering Company Ltd., Limited Liability Company "General Motors CIS", Master Lease Germany, Maven Drive, Maven Drive LLC, Millbrook Pension Management, Millbrook Pension Management Limited, Monetization of Carve-Out, Monetization of Carve-Out LLC, Motor Repris Automocio, Motors Holding, Motors Holding LLC, Motors Properties, Motors Properties (Trading), Multi-Use Lease Entity Trust, North American New Cars, North American New Cars LLC, Omnibus BB Transportes, Omnibus BB Transportes S. A., OnStar Connected Services Srl, OnStar Egypt Limited LLC, OnStar Europe, OnStar Europe Ltd., OnStar Global Services, OnStar Global Services Corporation, OnStar LLC, OnStar de Mexico, OnStar de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Opel Bank, Opel Danmark, Opel Group, Opel Group Warehousing, Opel Leasing, Opel Norge, Opel Sonderdienste, Opel Southeast Europe, Opel Sverige, Opel Szentgotthard Automotive Manufacturing, Opel Wien, P.T. G M AutoWorld Indonesia, P.T. General Motors Indonesia, PIMS, PIMS Co., PT. General Motors Indonesia Manufacturing, Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center Company Ltd., Prestadora de Servicios GMF Colombia S.A.S., Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, Reliance Motor Car Company, Riverfront Holdings III Inc., Riverfront Holdings Inc., Riverfront Holdings Phase II Inc., SAIC GM (Shenyang) Norsom Motors Co. Ltd., SAIC GM Dong Yue Motors Company Limited, SAIC GM Dong Yue Powertrain Company Limited, SAIC GM Wuling Automobile Company Limited, SAIC General Motors Corporation Limited, SAIC General Motors Investment Limited, SAIC General Motors Sales Company Limited, SAIC-GMAC Automotive Finance Company Limited, SAIC-GMF Leasing Co. Ltd., Servicios GMAC S.A. de C.V., Shanghai Chengxin Used Car Operation and Management Company Limited, Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. Ltd., Sherwoods (Darlington) Limited, Sidecar Technologies, Skurrays Limited, Stam-Terberg Autobedrijven B. V., Strobe Inc., VHC Sub-Holdings (UK), Vauxhall Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Vehicle Asset Universal Leasing Trust, Vickers (Lakeside) Limited, Vision Motors Limited, WRE, WRE Inc., and Zona Franca Industrial Colmotores SAS.Genworth Financial, Inc. is a financial services company, which engages in the provision of insurance, wealth management, investment and financial solutions. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Mortgage Insurance, Australia Mortgage Insurance, U.S. Life Insurance, and Runoff. The U.S. Mortgage Insurance segment offers mortgage insurance products predominantly insuring prime-based, individually underwritten residential mortgage loans. The Australia Mortgage Insurance segment offers flow mortgage insurance and selectively provides bulk mortgage insurance that aids in the sale of mortgages to the capital markets and helps lenders manage capital and risk. The U.S. Life Insurance segment offers long-term care insurance products as well as service traditional life insurance and fixed annuity products in the United States. The Runoff segment includes the results of non-strategic products which are no longer actively sold but continue to service its existing blocks of business. Its non-strategic products primarily include variable annuity, variable life insurance, institutional, corporate-owned life insurance and other accident and health insurance products. The company was fo

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of HEICO: Radiant-Seacom Repairs, Radiant Power IDC, Seal Q, 16-1741 Property, 16-1741 Property Inc., 3 McCrea Property Company, 3D, 3D Acquisition Corp., 3D Plus SAS, 3D Plus U.S.A, 3D Plus U.S.A. Inc., 60 Sequin, A2C Air Cost Control SAS, AD HEICO, AD HEICO Acquisition Corp., ATK, ATK Acquisition Corp., Action Research Corporation, AeroAntenna Technology, AeroDesign, AeroDesign Inc., AeroELT, Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, Aerospace & Commercial Technologies LLC, Aeroworks (Asia), Aeroworks (Asia) Ltd., Aeroworks (Lao) Co., Aeroworks (Lao) Co. Ltd., Aeroworks Composites, Aeroworks Composites (Asia), Aeroworks Composites (Asia) Ltd., Aeroworks Composites B.V., Aeroworks Europe, Aeroworks Europe B.V., Aeroworks Inc., Aeroworks International Holding, Aeroworks International Holding B.V., Aeroworks Lao II Co., Aeroworks Lao II Co. Ltd., Aeroworks Manufacturing Services (Asia), Aeroworks Manufacturing Services Ltd., Aeroworks Special Products, Aeroworks Special Products B.V., Air Cost Control Germany GmbH, Air Cost Control PTE, Air Cost Control US, Aircraft Technology, Aircraft Technology Inc., Analog Modules, Analog Modules Inc., Apex Holding, Apex Microtechnology, Arger Enterprises Inc., Associated Composite Inc., Astro Property, Astro Property LLC, Astroseal Products Mfg., Astroseal Products Mfg. Corporation, Aviation Engineered Services, Aviation Engineered Services Corp., Aviation Facilities, Aviation Facilities Inc., Avisource Limited, BERNIER, Battery Shop, Battery Shop L.L.C., Bay Equipment, Bernier Connect SAS, Blue Aerospace, Blue Aerospace LLC, CSI Aerospace, CSI Aerospace Inc., Carbon by Design, Carbon by Design Corporation, Connectronics, Connectronics Corp., Conxall Corporation, DEC Technologies, DEC Technologies Inc., DIRI Co., DIRI Co. Ltd., De-Icing Investment Holdings, De-Icing Investment Holdings Corp., Decavo, Dielectric Sciences, Dielectric Sciences Inc., Dukane Seacom, Dukane Seacom Inc., Dynatech, Dynatech Acquisition Corp., EMD Acquisition, EMD Acquisition Corp., EMD Technologies Incorporated, Engineering Design Team, Engineering Design Team Inc., Essex X-Ray & Medical Equipment, Essex X-Ray & Medical Equipment LTD, FerriShield Inc., Ferrishield, Freebird Semiconductor Corporation, Future Aviation, Future Aviation Inc., HB Fuel Systems, HB Fuel Systems LLC, HEICO Aerospace Corporation, HEICO Aerospace Holdings, HEICO Aerospace Holdings Corp., HEICO Aerospace Parts, HEICO Aerospace Parts Corp., HEICO East Corporation, HEICO Electronic Technologies, HEICO Electronic Technologies Corp., HEICO Flight Support, HEICO Flight Support Corp., HEICO International Holdings, HEICO International Holdings B.V., HEICO Parts Group, HEICO Parts Group Inc., HEICO Repair, HEICO Repair Group Aerostructures, HETC I, HETC II, HETC III, HFSC II Corp., HFSC III Corp., HFSC IV, HFSC V, HFSC VI, HNW Building, HNW Building Corp., HNW2 Building, HNW2 Building Corp., HVT Group, HVT Group Inc., Harter Aerospace, Harter Aerospace LLC, High Voltage Technology Limited, IRCameras, IRCameras LLC, Inertial Airline Services, Inertial Airline Services Inc., Interface Displays & Controls, JA Engineering I, JA Engineering I Corp., JA Engineering II, JA Engineering II Corp., Jet Avion Corporation, Jetavi Engineering Private Limited, Jetseal, Jetseal Inc., LLP Enterprises, LPI Industries Corporation, Leader Tech, Leader Tech Inc., Lucix Corporation, Lumina Power, Lumina Power Inc., McClain International, McClain International Inc., McClain Property, McClain Property Corp., Meridian Industrial, Meridian Industrial Inc., Midwest Microwave Solutions, Midwest Microwave Solutions Inc., Moulages Plastiques Industriels de L'essonne SARL, Niacc-Avitech Technologies, Niacc-Avitech Technologies Inc., Northwings Accessories, Northwings Accessories Corp., Optical Display Engineering, Parts Advantage, Parts Advantage LLC, Prime Air, Prime Air Europe Limited, Prime Air LLC, Quell Corporation, Radiant Power, Radiant Power Corp., Radiant-Seacom Repairs Corp., Ramona Research, Ramona Research Inc., Reinhold Holdings, Reinhold Holdings Inc., Reinhold Industries, Reinhold Industries Inc., Research Electronics International, Robertson Fuel Systems, Robertson Fuel Systems L.L.C. Arizona, Rogers-Dierks, Rogers-Dierks Inc., SBIR, SI-REL, SI-REL Inc., SST Components, Santa Barbara Infrared, Santa Barbara Infrared Inc., Seal Dynamics, Seal Dynamics LLC, Seal Dynamics LLC (Singapore Branch), Seal Dynamics Limited, Seal Q Corp., Sensor Technology Engineering, Sierra Microwave Technology, Sierra Microwave Technology LLC, Solid Sealing Technology, Specialty Silicone Products, Sunshine Avionics, Sunshine Avionics LLC, Switchcraft, Switchcraft Far East Company, Switchcraft Far East Company Ltd., Switchcraft Holdco, Switchcraft Holdco Inc., Switchcraft Inc., TTT-Cubed, Thermal Energy Products, Thermal Energy Products Inc., Thermal Structures, Thermal Structures Inc., Thermal Structures Thermal Insulation Product (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Turbine Kinetics, Turbine Kinetics Inc., VPT, VPT Inc., dB Control, and dB Control Corp..Domtar Corporation designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes communication papers, specialty and packaging papers, and absorbent hygiene products in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pulp and Paper, and Personal Care. The company provides business papers, including copy and electronic imaging papers used in inkjet and laser printers, photocopiers, and plain-paper fax machines, as well as computer papers, preprinted forms, and digital papers for office and home use. It also offers commercial printing and publishing papers, such as offset papers and opaques used in sheet and roll fed offset presses; publishing papers, which include tradebook and lightweight uncoated papers for publishing textbooks, dictionaries, catalogs, magazines, hard cover novels, and financial documents; and converting papers for envelopes, tablets, business forms, and data processing/computer forms. In addition, the company provides papers for thermal printing, flexible packaging, food packaging, medical packaging, medical gowns and drapes, sandpaper backing, carbonless printing, labels and other coating, and laminating applications; and papers for industrial and specialty applications, such as carrier papers, treated papers, security papers, and specialized printing and converting applications. Further, it offers absorbent hygiene products, including absorbent briefs, protective underwear, underpads, pads, washcloths, and body patches under the Attends, Indasec, IndasSlip, and Reassure brands; and baby diapers, training and youth pants, and bed mats under the Comfees, Chelino, Nene, and Bambino brand names. The company serves merchants, retail outlets, stationers, printers, publishers, converters, and end-users. Domtar Corporation was founded in 1848 and is based in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Read MoreONEOK, Inc. engages in gathering, processing, fractionating, transporting, storing and marketing of natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Natural Gas Gathering and Processing, Natural Gas Liquids and Natural Gas Pipelines. The Natural Gas Gathering and Processing segment offers midstream services to producers in North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma. The Natural Gas Liquids segment owns and operates facilities that gather, fractionate, treat and distribute NGLs and store NGL products, in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico and the Rocky Mountain region, which includes the Williston, Powder River and DJ Basins, where it provides midstream services to producers of NGLs and deliver those products to the two market centers, one in the Mid-Continent in Conway, Kansas and the other in the Gulf Coast in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment provides transportation and storage services to end users. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Tulsa, OK.

Read More



In Egypts modern history, there is no compatible reverence to a president like that towards President Abdel Fattah El Sisi; that is except towards President Gamal Abdel Nasser. So dare we compare these two leaders?

Every now and then a song from the olden days hits the airwaves and surfaces across social media. As one listens nostalgically, one is reminded of how profoundly iconic Gamal Abdel Nasser was. Abdel Halim Hafez, Om Kalthoum, and Abdel Wahab, as did many others, sang to the glory of President Nasser, by name, hailing his might and feats.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, though never sung for by name or hailed for personally, is the other president whom Egyptians admire and consider their saviour.

In all fairness, the partiality may be familiar, but the two men are so starkly different, we can hardly compare.

President Nasser was the hope of the Arab World, calling for its unity as he hailed the people and nations, not necessarily the leaders. More often than not, Nasser discredited and slandered Arab kings and presidents, and he never shied from slighting others.

Arabs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Gulf worshipped him. In the early sixties, Palestinians, Lebanese, Algerians and all Arabs would have preferred President Nasser over their own leaders, hanging his photos in their homes and expecting wonders from him.

Egypt then became the United Arab Republic. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that all Egyptians yearned for the name Egypt. This while the United Arab Republic had connotations of Arab unification with Nasser at the helm.

More importantly, President Nasser saw himself as the saviour of the Arab World. It was up to him to realize the dreams of the multitudes, and by accomplishing a unified front, he would become the preeminent leader, a clear desire on Nassers part.

The incidents where President Nasser stood up in pride against the West are many and worth noting, too. President Nasser had the charisma, the power, and the pride to defy the western world.

Actually Nassers resilience makes sense even more today since the same western antagonism is seen towards El Sisi. It is as though the West doesnt want Egypt to have a commanding leader.

While the united Arab front was being established, Egyptians were losing theirs. They saw their flourishing country succumb to deeper poverty and chaos. Sweeping decisions that at face value seemed well intended eroded rather than built. The fruits of the catastrophic changes are reaped as far in history as today.

The land reform initiative is a case in point. From the onset, it seemed like a dream come true for the poor peasants of Egypt. The core of land reform meant that the affluent landowners handed the peasants a good portion of their land. Its intent was to abolish the monopoly of the rich and powerful and support the poor.

The results were calamitous. Instead of guiding and controlling the prosperous owners, Nasser opted to subdivide the Egyptian agricultural landscape into minuscule particles and give it to the peasants. Lack of financial means and knowledge on one hand and manipulative farmer cooperatives on the other led to the fall of Egypts agricultural empire.

End result: Egyptians moved away from agriculture leaving their five feddansnow split amongst three generations of offspringto rot. The roots of decay manifested in social, cultural, and political implications remain today.

And other faulty measures slowly eroded Egypts wealth, economy, and political stability creating a different but not better Egypt. The Egyptian pound having been at par with its British counterpart slowly began to lose its buying power.

Soon Egyptians and non-Egyptians, some having lived in Egypt for centuries, began to leave to find work elsewhere. The non-Egyptians never returned; the Egyptians brought back radical and fundamental ideas from the Gulf and elsewhere.

Yes, education became freeagain, an exemplary aim that proved unsuccessful. Universities packed students like sardines providing them with little incentive and not much knowledge. Education, at all levels, lost another battle as foreign books and magazine were curtailed leaving Egypt crippled and stagnant.

Most importantly hope for a better future was never realized for Egypt and the Arab World.

This was Egypt then, and here is Egypt now.

The primary difference between the two leaders is that Nasser acquired Egypt a flourishing state; El Sisi acquired it inherently ruined. One ended ruining it while the other is trying his best to lift it out of its misery. Its not all rosy, but no one can deny the effort exerted.

One senses that El Sisi wants to achieve much in the allotted time hes been given, as he always asks chief executives of national projects to complete their tasks in a shorter time frame than originally planned.

From this perspective one understands why El Sisi gets frustrated when others try to divert the course, halt the process, or dont realize how much has been accomplished thus far.

And much has been accomplished. Economic milestones in the shape of thousands of projects and major underlying changes in governance, health, and government assistance programs have been initiated.

El Sisi is always extremely gracious. Since he came to the limelight, El Sisi never once called an enemy out by name or confronted a foe directly. Diplomatic to the core, El Sisi would never slander or curse.

El Sisi is working to accomplish much for Egypt, and Egypt alone. Of course, if Egypt is in a better state, El Sisi will be remembered as the leader who realized this change; still, his glory is not the aim.

A better comparison should be undertaken in four years, at the end of El Sisis second term. However, this is an interim comparison nonetheless.



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View MarketBeat's top stock picks here.For picture posts from 2010 and earlier, see the Earlier Picture Posts PageMumbai: Film trade analyst Komal Nahta has claimed that Bollywood diva Sridevi's filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor has opened up to him about his final meeting with his wife, a surprise that turned into a tragedy.

Sridevi, 54, passed away on February 24 in her Dubai hotel room due to accidental drowning following loss of consciousness.

Nahta in his blog said Boney wanted to surprise Sridevi who had decided to spend a couple of days in Dubai to shop for daughter Janhvi after the wedding of nephew, actor Mohit Marwah, in Ras Al-Khaimah on February 20.

He said the 62-year-old producer had a meeting to attend in Lucknow on February 22, which he did. On the same day, Sridevi spent time with her friend, chatting and relaxing in her hotel room.

"On 24th morning, I spoke to her," Nahta quoted Boney as telling him.

The producer said Sridevi had told him, "Papa (that's how Sridevi addressed Boney), I'm missing you."

Boney, however, didn't tell her that he would be joining her in Dubai in the evening.

"Boney recounted that there had been only two occasions in the last 24 years when they had not travelled together abroad when Sridevi had travelled alone on two brief foreign trips, one to New Jersey and the other to Vancouver for two appearances...," Nahta wrote. The filmmaker took a 3:30 p.m flight to Dubai and reached the Dubai hotel around 6.20 p.m (Dubai time).

Nahta said, "Boney opened the door of Sridevi's room with his duplicate key. 'But she told me, she had a hunch that I would come to Dubai to fetch her,' Boney recalled. The couple hugged, kissed and chatted for almost half an hour."

According to Nahta, Boney suggested the two go for a romantic dinner and requested Sridevi to postpone the shopping to the following day.

The actor, 54, then decided to go for a bath and get ready for the dinner. "I went to the living room while Sridevi went to the master bathroom to bathe and get ready," Nahta quoted Boney as telling him.

The trade analyst said Boney watched TV for around 15-20 minutes but started getting restless "because he was aware that being a Saturday, there would be a rush in the restaurants. It was around 8 p.m. then."

"He made shout out to Sridevi from the living room but when he did not get any response he knocked at the bathroom door and even called out to her".

"The unsuspecting husband, hearing the tap inside on, then called out 'Jaan, Jaan' still louder but got no reply, which was unusual. He panicked and opened the door which had not been bolted from inside, nervous but yet not at all prepared for what he was going to see. The tub was full of water and Sridevi was immersed completely, from head to toe, inside the tub. Devastated, he reached out to her but watching her motionless, he feared the worst," Nahta added.

"... The mystery will remain unsolved. But that was not of much relevance to her near and dear ones. What mattered the most was this: Sridevi, the vivacious, beautiful and talented heartthrob of millions, had become late Sridevi," he concluded.In a telephonic conversation with Rao, TMC supremo Banerjee conveyed her complete support and said she agreed with the TRS chief's opinion that there is a necessity to bring a qualitative change in the country's politics. (Photo: PTI)

Hyderabad: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday promised support to her Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao, a day after he expressed keenness to participate in national politics to bring about a "qualitative change".

A clutch of leaders, including former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and two MPs from Maharashtra, have also welcomed Rao's statement, according to an official release.

In a telephonic conversation with Rao, TMC supremo Banerjee conveyed her complete support and said she agreed with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief's opinion that there is a necessity to bring a qualitative change in the country's politics, it said.

"Ham aap se ekmat hain. Aap ke saath rahange (I am in agreement with you. I will work with you)," she told KCR, as Rao is popularly known, the release said.

At a press conference on Saturday after the BJP decimated the Left and the Congress in three northeastern states, Rao hinted at forming a third front-like platform.

The TRS chief said he was keen to participate in the national politics to bring about a "change" and was in talks with others to form a platform of like-minded parties.

"There is need for qualitative change in the national politics....There is a serious need. People are vexed now. No qualitative change is seen by people even after 70 years of democracy....China developed in less than three decades. What both the Congress and the BJP did all these years?" Rao questioned.

"People are looking for change. Can we expect something new to happen if the Congress comes to power after the BJP? It can be a third front or any front...Are we not part of the country? Discussions are going on. There is no secret about it," he had said when asked if he was in talks with other non-Congress, non-BJP leaders.

At a press meet on Sunday, actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan welcomed Rao's statement and said he was extending his support.

Earlier in the day, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also welcomed Rao's comments and said regional parties will be the key to government formation after the next parliamentary polls and that the Telangana chief minister will play an important role in the process.

According to the release, at least two MPs from Maharashtra as well as several prominent persons from different walks of life expressed their support to KCR over phone.

However, it did not name either the MPs or their parties.

Meanwhile, a large number of people, besides prominent leaders of the ruling TRS, on Sunday reached Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence of the chief minister, apparently to express solidarity with Rao.

Television channels showed a number of Telangana ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and corporation chairmen reaching Pragathi Bhavan.

They raised slogans such as 'Desh Ka Neta KCR' at the chief minister's residence.Bengaluru: Nalapads advocates are studying the order of the lower court rejecting bail, to present a stronger case for bail before the high court. It is learnt that renowned criminal lawyer and senior advocate C.V. Nagesh, may appear for Nalapad before the high court on Monday.

The chances of Mohammed Nalapad Haris seeking bail in the Farzi Cafe assault case got extended by a few more days, as his advocates will be filing the bail petition before the High Court only on Monday.

Nalapad, son of Shantinagar MLA N.A. Haris, and his six accomplices are currently lodged in Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara for allegedly assaulting Vidwath Loganathan, son of a businessman, on February 17. When lower court on Friday rejected bail for Nalapad and the other accused, the advocates for Nalapad had said that they will move High Court on Saturday for bail.

However, with Saturdays deadline for filing fresh cases being 12.30 pm, none of Nalapads advocates didnt do so within the stipulated time and are expected to do it on Monday. Even if the petition is filed on Monday, the chances of it being heard on that day itself are slim. It is likely to be listed for hearing on Tuesday or even Wednesday, unless Nalapads advocates successfully press for early hearing. It is learnt that Nalapad's advocates are studying the order of the lower court rejecting bail, to present a stronger case before the high court.

It was senior advocate Tomy Sebastian who had argued for bail for Nalapad before the Sessions court. However, it is also learnt that another renowned criminal lawyer and senior advocate C.V. Nagesh, may appear for Nalapad before the high court. Meanwhile, advocate Shyamsundar M.S., who was appointed as Special Public Prosecutor in the case, has indicated that he will continue in the role of the government pleader in the High Court. The Sessions court while rejecting Nalapads bail, had observed, "By considering the nature of accusations against petitioner (Nalapad), nature of evidence in support thereof, the nature of injuries sustained by the victim, pendency of further investigation, reasonable apprehension of witnesses being tampered with and the larger interest of the public and State, I am of the considered opinion that the petitioner is not entitled for bail at least till the completion of investigation."

The lower court had also taken into the account the seriousness of the offence, as Vidwath was attacked with bottles, ice bucket and brass knuckles, while rejecting bail to the accused.Chennai: A 26-year-old police constable posted on guard duty at former Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa's memorial on Marina beach committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle during the early hours of Sunday. The deceased, M Arunraj, was attached to the Armed Reserve (AR) battalion. Police are investigating the reason for his extreme step.

A native of Avaniyapuram in Madurai, Arunraj is the youngest of four brothers and joined the police department in 2013 after completing B Com.

Around 4 55 am, other policemen on guard duty rushed on hearing gun shots fired from Jayalalithaa's memorial while the morning walkers fled on hearing the sound. Arunraj was found in a pool of blood by the other policemen on duty there.

Three other constables were on duty at that time- each posted at the corners of the memorial, a police officer said. Anna Square police rushed to the scene on information and secured Arunraj and moved him to the Government Royapettah Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. He had shot his .303 service rifle through his chin and had died on the spot, a senior police officer said. City Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan rushed to the memorial and ordered for a detailed probe into the incident.

City Police arranged for his family members to travel to the city from Madurai. His parents Malairajan and Ponnazhagu rushed to the city. The policeman's body was handed over to his parents and is expected to be taken to his native village on Monday. Malairajan requested a detailed probe into the incident. He last spoke to me on Saturday night around 7.30 pm. He asked for my bank account details to transfer money, Malairajan said.

Police said that no suicide note has been recovered from either his barracks or from the scene. Investigations are underway. Police suspect whether Arunraj was unhappy with his work. In 2015 too, Arunraj went missing from duty. He had taken a break and went to Tirvannamalai without informing his senior.

Anna Square police have registered a case and are investigating.Offense factories across the country work overtime these days, churning out seemingly endless topics for the citizenry to fume over, attack or file cases against for purportedly going against 'Indian' culture. This time it is the cover of 'Grihalakshmi', the women's magazine from the Mathrubhumi group in Kerala.

Published to mark International Women's Day, the cover features model Gilu Joseph nursing an infant with her breast exposed as part of the magazine's 'Breastfeed freely' campaign to "end the stigma" around baring breasts to nurse infants in public.

The magazine's campaign was apparently triggered by a photograph of a young mother from Kerala similarly breastfeeding her infant, uploaded on Facebook by her husband.

The cover text, "Mothers tell Kerala: Don't stare, we want to breastfeed" seems directed at the middle-class morality rather than the countless working-class women who matter-factly breastfeed their infants in public. It is this morality that seems to have taken umbrage at the sight of Ms Joseph's bare breast. The practice of covering the breast or retreating to 'private' spaces to nurse seems to be a more recent urban phenomenon - the precise constituency that Grihalakshmi caters to. Perhaps for this reason, the cover depicting the standardized Hindu woman, complete with thaali and sindoor seems to speak to a section that maybe in need of shedding squeamishness around a natural bodily function.

Besides the social media storm, with criticisms about the model flaunting her body to exhortations to the magazine to run a campaign for hijab-clad women to shed their covering, other objections took legal shape.

On March 1, a case was filed in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Kollam against the magazine and the model Gilu Joseph under Sections 3 and 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.

The complaint alleges that the cover photograph is "lascivious in nature, appealing to prurient interests and tends to degrade the dignity of womanhood."

Interestingly, the legal exemption of "representation for religious purposes or in ancient monuments" accepts that nude and semi-clad women are part of our cultural heritage and thus beyond the criteria laid down in the Act. Unfortunately, this is rarely understood to mean that "indecency" is subjective, contextual and ever-changing; the law is instead used as a tool of censorship.

In the complaint filed with the Kerala State Commission for Child Rights for violating the child model's rights and 'fake feeding', one wonders whether the sight of a child alongside a bare breast is any more scandalous than the myriad instances of (mis)use of babies and children for advertising products from infant food and diapers to advertisements for home loans and paint.

The purpose of the cover image was undoubtedly to jolt, to make readers sit up and take notice and discuss the issue. It has certainly been able to do thatbut the debate now seems less about the right of mothers to breastfeed their babies freely in public.

The moral outrage over seeing a bare-breasted mother must not, however, be conflated with other more reasoned critiques of the image, that of promoting stereotypes of mothers and feeding into the male gaze: the glamorous model is focused more on the camera than her baby.

As iconic art critic John Berger would put it, the "Ways of seeing" determine how an image is read. Can Gilu Joseph's bare breast be perceived as erotic, or maternal, or both? Can motherhood and breastfeeding be glamorous and sexy too? The incensed reactions to the Grihalakshmi cover are indicative of the inability to perceive women in multiple and perhaps contradictory roles. The erotic and sensual aspects of the cover apparently militate with the asexual mother symbol, and this seems to be intolerable for some.

The disjunct with the alluring mother image could also be because women who breastfeed their children (or indeed those of others, like 'wet' nurses) hold that the process is not as sacrosanct as the hype built around it -nectar-like milk and the ever-sacrificing smiling mother.

The joy of motherhood and bonding with your baby might be somewhat outdone by sleepless nights, raw nipples, backaches and being constantly on call as your baby's food factory. Many women experience breastfeeding as exhausting and sometimes downright boring, when done several times a day for months on end. For mothers who are under-nourished and over-worked, breastfeeding can be a painful and draining experience. The switch over to formula milk has been driven in no small part by plush advertising and glib marketing.

Indeed, in recognition of the need to promote the health benefits of breastfeeding, a government scheme MAA (Mother's Absolute Affection), launched in 2016 had earmarked Rs 4.3 lakh for every one of the country's 685 districts.

One of the 'faces' of the campaign was popular actor Madhuri Dixit, with her own son (not a model), demurely dressed like all the other women in the publicity material. Breasts are decorously covered with sarees or dupattas, the babies appropriately swaddled, thus providing no opportunity for the outrage brigade to vandalise every bus stand, railway station or health centre across the country.

Exposing breasts has undoubtedly been a fraught issue in Kerala, where up until the early nineteenth century, so-called lower caste women were forbidden from covering their upper bodies and had to pay 'mulakkaram' or a breast tax to do so.

In the land of the Channar Lahala or the revolt by Nadar women who won the right to cover their breasts in 1859, the public discussion over Gilu Joseph's right to bare hers, seems particularly ironic. The key to gauging the worthiness of this battle should perhaps be placed in the arena of consent and broadening choices for women. On both these counts, the Grihalakshmi cover scores.

(The author is a journalist based in Bangalore. She has been associated with the womens movement for more than three decades.)Congress workers campaign in Sai Baba huts against the deletion of voter cards by the SCB on Sunday.  DC

Hyderabad: Nearly 25,000 to 30,000 voters in Secunderabad Cantonment will not be able to vote in Secunderabad Cantonment Board elections. Following a Supreme Court directive to crack the whip on people who have encroached on government lands in Cantonments across the country, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board is preparing to launch a drive in all wards to identify voters falling in this category.

It may be mentioned here that an electoral verification drive by the Election Commission of India was conducted in the Cantonment in the last few months.

Leaving out GHMC areas, the Cantonments eight wards have nearly 1.8-2 lakh voters.

According to SCB vice-president J. Rama Krishna, nearly 15 per cent of voters living in slums and bastis will be unable to vote in cantonment elections.

Affected areas

The Supreme Court direction is just for Cantonment Board elections and not for general elections. We are exploring legal options on how to protect voting rights of these poorer sections who have been residing in these places for several decades, Mr Krishna said.

Samba Ashok, a car driver from Ambedkar huts in Mudfort says about 1,000 voters will be affected.

We have been living in this area for 30 years and have Aadhaar, ration and other cards. But the SCB has decided to deprive us of voting in the board elections. This decision has come as a big shock to us, he said.

Ward-2 has several slums established on Airports Authority land. More than 70 per cent of the slum dwellers here are set to lose their voting rights. There are quite a few slums in Ward-3 that will also be affected.

Cantonment sources said that with quite a large number of voters losing their voting rights in some wards, there is a possibility that ward boundaries will be redrawn to ensure equal numbers of voters in all wards.

Ward boundaries are likely to be redrawn so that each ward will have 18,000 to 20,000 voters. SCB elections are due in 2020. It remains to be seen if the same number of wards are retained or the number cut short by one ward, said J. Maheshwar Reddy, ward-1 member.

Congress launches drive against deletion

The Cantonment unit of the Congress party has launched a drive against the deletion of voters by the Secunderabad Cantonment Board.

The names of the residents of various slums and bastis within the Cantonment limits that are encroachments are being deleted from the list of eligible voters. The Congress party is protesting this move.

Members of the party went around the Sai Baba huts and collected details, including Aadhaar number and voter ID, from the members of 300 families.

Congress leader Krishank Manne said that they spoke to nearly a thousand voters who were very upset by the Boards decision.

They have been living on these lands for decades and have enjoyed the benefits of government welfare schemes. They have Aadhaar cards and other documentation. Now they are being labelled encroachers and their voting rights are being taken away by citing Supreme Court orders, which is unfair, Mr Manne said.

The Congress party plans to continue this campaign in other slums and bastis in the eight wards under the Boards jurisdiction. It is exploring options to have the deletions revoked. It may even take up a legal tussle on behalf of the poor.Vasundhara Raje Scindia, who holds the honour of being the first woman Chief Minister of Rajasthan, is in her second innings as CM since 2013. She previously held the post from 2003 to 2008. Raje entered politics in 1984, and was first appointed a Member of the National Executive of the BJP, then a newly formed party. She was subsequently elected as an MLA from the Dholpur constituency of Rajasthan. Raje has had her fair share of controversies, including allegedly helping Lalit Modi and facilitating his flight out of the country after the IPL scam.

Ganesha analyses her horoscope to find out her prospects in the forthcoming elections in Rajasthan.

Planets Bestow Her With Power And Authority

Cancer is rising in the Ascendant while the strong Jupiter-Venus conjunction is in the 10th House (House of power and position). Due to such a strong Rajyoga, she is in a position of authority and power. The exchange between Mars and Jupiter is also a very powerful Rajyoga.

Jupiter Gives Her Hope In the Forthcoming Polls

She is currently under the influence of Rahu-Jupiter-Saturn Mahadasha period. Jupiter, the 9th House Lord is strong enough to make a positive impact in the forthcoming elections. She will not leave space so easily to the opposition parties in Rajasthan and will try hard to woo her traditional voters. She will also find some success in her endeavours.

Internal Party Politics Will Cause Concern

Saturn is retrograde in the 4th House and is ill-placed in Navamsa and D-10 charts, so Raje is passing through the transition phase. The forthcoming elections will be very tough for her. She will face stiff resistance and opposition within the party as well. Since Saturn is the eighth Lord, the partys internal problems may have a dampening impact on her winning prospects.

Her Performance In The Polls Will Be Average

Saturn is also the significator of Lord Rahu. The last phase of Saade Sati can be a very difficult period combined with struggles and some disappointments. It will not be that easy for Raje to expand her voter base and retain her supporters. Her performance in the forthcoming elections will be average. However, the transiting Jupiter will act in her favour and may also act as a safeguard.

Conclusion

The year 2018 will remain very stressful and challenging for Raje. She has a difficult and tough phase ahead.After weeks of bitterly cold weather and for many, training in Siberian like temperatures the time has now arrived for athletes from all over to country to get out there in Bundoran and break that personal best in the Cara Challenge next weekend.

For many weeks of grinding that tarmac around the North West will reap the benefits as up on 2,500 runners and walkers gather in Bundoran all clad in the much sought after orange shirt and hoodie, for an event that has received great recognition on the national sporting calendar.

The organiser and main sponsor of the event Canice Nicholas of Cara told the Democrat, Things are really looking great for next weekend - It's hard to believe that we have been in existence now for eight years having started with a couple of hundred diehards.

Probably the most satisfying aspect of it is that we have been able to help out so many charities having raised over 100,000 which has benefitted such worthwhile charities like Cycle Against Suicide, the RNLI, the Special Olympics, the Marie Keating Foundation, the North West Hospice, St Vincents de Paul to name a few. The whole thing would not possible without the support from our sponsors, volunteers that help make the weekend a success.

Canice added,We really have become a victim of our own success and this year we have limited the event to 2,500 entries - there are approximately 150 places left at the moment.

The event caters and challenges the elite athlete, the club runner, the fit for life/couch to 5k and the walker

This year John Travers, 2017 winner, will return and lead the elite group. John, who runs with Donore Harriers made a bit of history last week when he became the first Irishman to dip under 4 minutes for the Indoor mile in Ireland

The weekend even commences on Friday next with the 5K Fun Run/Walk and continues on Saturday with both the 10K and 10 mile Run and Walk.

Historically this is the highlight of the weekend having attracted some of the best in the country including some of our Olympians.

Not for the faint hearted, the 21K TT Cycle Race on Sunday morning will really test some of the best - indeed many have competed in all events over the weekend.

For further information on this not to be missed event click into www.carabundoranchallenge.comIrish Water are warning the Donegal public that there is trouble ahead with water supplies in certain parts of the county under serious pressure, mainly due to users wasting water by leaving taps running and there are issues with leaks going undetected.

The practice of leaving outside and in some cases inside taps running is common in many area during particularly cold weather as users see it as a sure fire way of ensuring water supplies don't freeze over. But, it's hurting supplies.

Running taps and an unprecedented demand resulted in night time restrictions on the Lough Mourne water supply from 12 midnight to 7am on Friday and Saturday night.

Restrictions were also imposed on the Gortahork/Falcarragh supply due to increased demand. This enabled reservoirs to refill and full supply has been restored today.

Customers are being asked to conserve water by turning off taps, both inside and outside, limiting usage of washing machines and dishwashers where possible and taking showers instead of baths, to avoid reservoirs emptying and water pressure to homes and businesses being affected.

Irish Water say restrictions will most likely be placed on a number of schemes tonight. Usage levels will be monitored throughout the day and a final decision taken this evening. The schemes are Creesloug Dunfanaghy WSS, Gortahork/Falcarragh, Lough Mourne, Rosses RWSS and Lettermacaward.

High demand is also being registered in the follow water supply schemes: Letterkenny, Milford, Fanad East, Fanad West, Pollan Dam, Inishowen West Meendoran, East Inishowen, Buncrana, Frosses Inver, Donegal Eske, and Owenteskina, due to, more than likely, taps being left running in peoples properties and on farms.

Across Donegal there are issues with high demand. Irish Water is appealing to customers to turn off taps and check for leaks on their own properties and in holiday homes and unoccupied premises and to report them to Irish Waters customer care helpline on 1850 278 278. Irish Water is appealing to any customers with external taps to ensure that these are securely turned off as we try to protect the levels of our reservoirs and secure drinking water for local communities. A continuous flow from an external tap over a 24 hour period could use the equivalent of the daily water usage of 40 households.

Information on dealing with frozen pipes is available on www.water.ie and water supply updates are available at www.water.ie/water-supply/ supply-and-service-update/

Irish Water and Donegal County Council would like to thank customers in advance for their co-operation in conserving water at this critical time. Irish Water would also like to thank the local authority staff for their efforts in keeping water supplies running in very difficult conditions.





The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) is calling for the first two weeks of March to be declared, and treated, as an emergency period in the Irish public health service. The Organisation is extremely concerned about the pressures that will be brought to bear on the service following on from the past five days of emergency weather conditions.

This concern arises from three main points:

1. This extended period of severe weather will have created a delay to discharges and a backlog of patients scheduled for admission for elective procedures;

2. INMO members, and many other front-line staff, have worked tirelessly and for extended periods, and will need rest periods. Rosters will have to be re-arranged to accommodate this and this, in turn, will reduce available staff for services in the short term; and,

3. INMO records show the trolley count for February 2018 was 19% higher than this time last year with 10,772 patients waiting on trolleys for an in-patient bed, indicating that hospitals were already overburdened before this adverse weather event.

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: The next two weeks must be afforded emergency status. This means extraordinary measures should be put in place to focus on recovering from this adverse weather event, ensuring prioritisation of emergency care and this will require all non-urgent and routine cases to be cancelled during this period."

The INMO say they note and welcome the HSE statement that cancellations will be in place for all routine elective cases tomorrow, March 5. Unfortunately for the already overburdened health service this must be extended. In this crisis all measures to properly resource and staff the health service must be explored and the assistance of services in the private acute hospitals must also be sought.

Ms Ni Sheaghdha went on: The dedication to duty of all health care staff, our nurse and midwifery members, medical and ambulance staff, and the examples of co-operative working between the civil defence, army and Gardai in ensuring staff got to work and were able to deliver health care in very difficult circumstances, is a true example of selflessness and pride in the job they do every day. This is to be commended and the INMO now requires the employer to ensure practical appropriate plans are in place to cope with the aftermath of this crisis.

The INMO will be meeting with the HSE early this week to discuss the planning in place for this adverse event and requiring agreed protocols for events of this nature in the future.Irish Water working in partnership with Donegal County Council says there wont be any restrictions placed on public water supplies tonight in part because 30 major leaks have been fixed by crews working over the past 72 hours.

Irish Water had earlier today indicated restrictions would be likely but it would appear the huge efforts by their crews has allowed them to lift restriction plans.

The Irish Water statement explains: "Up to eight repair teams were mobilised repeatedly over the past 72 hours in Co Donegal where in excess of 30 major leaks were fixed, and many more minor leaks were also repaired. This meant that Irish Water were able to withdraw restrictions on five scheme that were partly shut off on previous nights.

"These schemes are Creeslough Dunfanaghy WSS, Gortahork/Falcarragh, Lough Mourne, Rosses RWSS and Lettermacaward. The fixing of leaks also helped to maintain supplies to customers on many other schemes where demand had increased due to the extreme weather. Irish Water would like to sincerely thank Donegal County Council for their heroic efforts during very difficult circumstances.

"Throughout the day today water usage was continuously monitored before the decision not to impose restrictions was taken. Usage will continue to be monitored over the coming days and decisions will be taken daily as to whether night time restrictions need to be implemented.

"Customers are being asked to conserve water by turning off taps, both inside and outside, limiting usage of washing machines and dishwashers where possible and taking showers instead of baths, to avoid reservoirs emptying and water pressure to homes and businesses being affected."

High demand is still being registered in the follow water supply schemes: Letterkenny, Milford, Fanad East, Fanad West, Eddie Fullerton Pollan Dam, Inishowen West Meendoran, East Inishowen, Buncrana, Frosses Inver, Donegal Eske, and Owenteskina, due to, more than likely, taps being left running in peoples properties and on farms.

Irish Water is appealing to customers to turn off taps and check for leaks on their own properties and in holiday homes and unoccupied premises and to report them to Irish Waters customer care helpline on 1850 278 278. Irish Water is appealing to any customers with external taps to ensure that these are securely turned off as we try to protect the levels of our reservoirs and secure drinking water for local communities. A continuous flow from an external tap over a 24 hour period could use the equivalent of the daily water usage of 40 households.

Information on dealing with frozen pipes is available on www.water.ie and water supply updates are available at www.water.ie/water-supply/ supply-and-service-update/

Irish Water and Donegal County Council would like to thank customers in advance for their co-operation in conserving water at this critical time.Students from schools across Louth are being encouraged by Trocaire to take part in a gruelling challenge to help people in the developing world this week.

As part of their Lenten campaign, Trocaire are challenging students to go offline and give up social media for 24 hours, this Wednesday 7 March.

Trocaire spokesperson Reidin OConnor said of the challenge:

Many of us associate Lent with giving something up so as part of this years Lenten campaign we are asking post-primary students to give up something for Lent that may prove easy for some but incredibly difficult for others  social media.

The Sign Up Sign Out Challenge takes place on Wednesday 7th March, although the challenge can be done any time during Lent, and we are hoping that school students, who are old enough to have social media accounts, will stay away from them for one day only.

Reidin continued, "During the time they are offline we are hoping they will seek sponsorship or organise fundraising events to raise money for Trocaire. Its a light-hearted way of getting across a very serious message.

"The break away from the ever-present Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram will hopefully give students the opportunity to reflect on life outside the digital world. In the real world children just like them in the developing world face huge challenges."

Kumba, the little girl on this years Trocaire Box, is only seven years old but has already survived an Ebola outbreak that killed 4,000 in Sierra Leone and a landslide that killed 1,000 of her neighbours and has missed school as a result.

Reidin said, All over the developing world there are millions of children who are unable to attend school because their parents need them to help search for food or they cant afford books and fees or they have had to flee their homes because of conflict."

"Its children like this that Trocaire will help in the coming year through support for the Lenten campaign. We receive incredible support for the campaign from schools right across Co. Louth and we have no doubt that students will do their bit once again for the children in dire need overseas.

To find out more about the challenge or to sign up visit www.trocaire.org/signupsignoutA 27-year-old man has appeared in court in Dundalk tonight charged with the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe.

Aaron Brady of New Road in Crossmaglen, who was arrested a week ago, appeared before a special sitting of Dundalk District Court earlier tonight (Sunday, March 4th) at 8pm charged with the murder of a Garda in the course of his duty, under Section 3 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Tonight, the court heard that Mr Brady denied involvement in the murder when the charge was made. He has been remanded in custody until March 9th when he will appear via videolink at Cloverhill District Court. The hearing lasted just six minutes, in which Detective Pat Marry gave evidence of charges.

On Sunday morning, An Garda Siochana confirmed another man - a male in his 60s who was arrested in Dundalk on Monday evening last (February, 26th) in connection with the murder - had been released without charge.

He was being held and questioned at Balbriggan Garda Station in relation to the 2013 murder at Lordship Credit Union. He was released from custody on Saturday night and a file, Gardai say, is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Det Garda Donohoe was shot dead as he confronted a group of men who were attempting to carry out an armed robbery during a cash in transit delivery at Lordship Credit Union on January 25th 2013.The Garda Press Office has this morning (Sunday) released a statement on the latest regarding the investigation into the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe.

It reads, 'A man arrested in Dundalk on 26/2/2018 by Gardai investigating the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, was released without charge last night (3/3/2018). A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

'Gardai are continuing to detain a man in his 20s arrested in Dublin on the 25/2/2018 at Dundalk Garda Station. The investigation is ongoing and further updates will follow.'

The released man, aged in his 60s, was arrested in Dundalk on Monday evening last in connection with the 2013 murder at Lordship Credit Union.

He was being held and questioned at Balbriggan Garda Station.

However, the man in his 20s - arrested outside Wheatfield Prison in Dublin last Sunday night - remains in custody. He has been in custody for almost seven days - the maximum detention period - and news over whether he will be charged or released is expected soon.(Photo:  Peter Kenny)Sign outside the Ecumenical Center Geneva on Feb. 6, 2018.

Pope Francis will travel to Geneva on June 21 to mark the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches, the global Christian body that brings together more than 500 million Christians.

The announcement was made at a March 2 press conference in the Vatican by the WCC General Secretary, Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit and by Cardinal Kurt Koch, head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The WCC said the landmark visit is only the third by a pope, and the first time that such an occasion was dedicated to visiting the WCC, which is based in Geneva.

WCC general secretary, Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit said, "The news of the Pope's visit to the WCC and to Geneva is a sign of hope for all who long for unity, peace and justice in a broken and divided world.

"It is a sign of how Christian churches can affirm our common calling and mission to serve God together."

The WCC was founded in 1948 with a membership of 147 Christian Churches, largely in Europe and North America.

Today it brings together 348 members in countries across the globe, including most of the world's Orthodox, Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches.

WCC'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY

Tveit said, "That the Pope's visit occurs on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the WCC is a recognition of those who have prayed and worked together for many years for the unity of the Church.

"It is a significant sign of how far we have come in those years, through the work of the WCC and in cooperation with the Roman Catholic Church, and now under leadership of Pope Francis."

The Roman Catholic Church is not a member of the WCC but it works closely with the ecumenical institution serving on its Faith and Order Commission.

Since 1965 the Catholic Church has worked closely together with the WCC through a Joint Working Group, as well as through participation in specific commissions or practical initiatives.

The Lutheran World Federation, whose leaders met with Pope Francis in Sweden at the end of 2016 to for a joint Catholic-Lutheran commemoration of he 500th anniversary of the Reformation, welcomed the coming visit of Pope Francis to Geneva.

Like the WCC the LWF ins based at the Ecumenical Center in Geneva.

"We are encouraged and grateful that Pope Francis is coming to the Ecumenical Centre, a place that is central to the ecumenical movement," said LWF general secretary, Rev. Martin Junge, who led worship with the Pope at the Joint Catholic-Lutheran Commemoration of the Reformation in Lund in 2016.

"We believe his visit will affirm and strengthen the quest for unity, which we pray and work for. It encourages joint witness for justice, peace and reconciliation in the midst of fragmentation and suffering in the world," Lund said.( Peter Kenny)Rev. Isaiah Majok Dau, presiding bishop of the Sudan Pentecostal Church at the Ecumenical Center in Geneva, Switzerland on March 27, 2017.

The World Council of Churches says it has joined the Feb. 23 call by Pope Francis for a worldwide day of prayer and fasting for South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo; two countries plagued by conflict, unrest and famine.

The WCC said in a Feb. 20 statement it is heeding Pope Francis' call to prayer and it is encouraging all its member church to join.

The South Sudan Council of Churches, a group that includes Anglican, Catholic, Pentecostal, and Presbyterian churches, as well as other Protestant traditions welcomed Pope Francis' announcement.

"This is actually the second time he calls for a prayer for South Sudan.

"It means a lot to know that we are not alone in our suffering and pain. The ecumenical world is with us on our journey towards peace and reconciliation," said Father James Oyet Latansio, the SSCC general secretary.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 4.3 million people are displaced throughout the country and 13.1 million people will be in need of humanitarian assistance throughout the country this year.

In South Sudan, the world's newest nation, 2 million people have fled the young nation as refugees and about 1.9 million people are internally displaced, over the past four years of conflict.

With 7 million people inside the country - this is almost two-thirds of the remaining population - still in need of humanitarian assistance.

Children, young men, and women have been among the most affected. Millions of women and girls are exposed to gender-based violence in these crisis-affected areas.

URGING COMPROMISE

Earlier this month, the SSCC issued a pastoral letter to the government of South Sudan and the opposition urging them to compromise.

"They have been discussing revitalization of the peace of 2016 and we, as their church, their pastors and spiritual leaders, now call upon them to consider the sufferings and pains of the people of South Sudan.

"We call upon them to exercise restraint, forgiveness, tolerance, love and reconciliation," Latansio explained.

Since their independence in 2011, the people of South Sudan have endured famine, civil war and atrocities which has displaced millions and created a huge refugee-wave across the borders to Uganda and Kenya.

"It has been a turbulent time with man-made hunger and famine, where especially women and children have suffered. The situation is still bad, and people live in fear," said Latansio, who has been robbed at gunpoint in his hometown Juba.

He welcomed the Pope's announcement which reinforces the messages of peace from the churches in South Sudan.

The call for prayer coincides with Lent, which for Catholics is a period of fasting, conversion, prayers and renewal. Lent started on 14 February and lasts for 40 days.

The call from the Vatican came when Latansio attended a meeting for religious leaders at the United Nations in Vienna to prevent incitement to violence that could lead to atrocity crimes.

"At this very important meeting concrete commitments were made by church leaders and other actors all over the world to turn strategies against hate speech and incitement to violence into action.

"Along with the call from Pope Francis, that reinforces me to continue advocating  and beating the drum in my country  for justice and peace," concluded Latansio.Patisserie Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates in the casual dining sector in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The company's stores formats include cafes, concessions, brasseries, takeaways, kiosks, and an online channel. Its stores offer cakes, pastries, snacks, meals, and hot and cold drinks. The company operates 152 stores under the Patisserie Valerie brand, 20 stores under the Druckers ? Vienna Patisserie brand, 22 stores under Philpotts brand, 4 stores under Baker & Spice brand, and 1 bakery under the Flour Power City Bakery brand. Patisserie Holdings plc was founded in 1926 and is based in Birmingham, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreThe Pound New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) exchange rate fluctuated on Friday, rising as markets fled from the riskier commodity-based currencies due to the perceived rising risk of a global trade war, but stabilising later into the day as markets assessed the latest on the Brexit negotiation front.

US President Donald Trump proposed trade tariffs on the importation of steel (25%) and aluminium (10%) late on Thursday, arguing that US steel and aluminium industries have been decimated by trade policies though the Bush and Obama years.

We must not let our country, companies and workers be taken advantage of any longer, he said, citing the fact that other countries have large taxes on US imports, which the US does not reciprocate.

Indeed, the US steel industry has seen production drop from 112m tons to 86.5m tons from 2000 to 2016, with the number of employees within the sector also falling from 135k to 83k.

Nonetheless, markets are apprehensive that these decisions will be followed by even greater tariffs between nations, with the threat of isolationist trade policies deemed a huge problem for the New Zealand Dollar.

Beyond this, market anticipation for 4 rate hikes this year from the US Federal Reserve, rather than 3, has kept demand for the New Zealand Dollar on poor form, with risk aversion allowing Sterling to claw back a small amount of its recent losses.

Pound (GBP) Exchange Rates Limited by Theresa May Brexit Speech

The Pounds rise against the Kiwi Dollar stabilised later on Friday, with UK Prime Minister Theresa Mays latest Brexit speech doing little to ease market concerns regarding the Brexit negotiation process.

The Prime Ministers speech laid out 5 rules that will govern the UKs negotiations with the EU, whilst also acknowledging some hard facts for both sides in regards to the future EU partnership.

This included the statement that single market access will be less than it is now, and that the UK could not expect to enjoy all the benefits without all of the obligations of membership.

Investors were also disappointed that the speech failed to provide an outright solution to the situation in Northern Ireland, though May did insist that Northern Ireland will not remain in the Customs Union.

Nonetheless, the reaction from Brussels was notably positive, with the EUs Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier welcoming the speech and saying that it provided clarity about the UK leaving the single market and customs union.

In other news, the UKs latest construction purchasing managers index (PMI) printed higher in February, rising from 50.2 to 51.4, higher than the forecast of 50.5, though this news mostly played second-fiddle to the PMs Brexit speech.

Pound to New Zealand Dollar (GBP/NZD) Exchange Rate Forecast: NZ Dairy Auction on the Horizon

As the week draws to a close markets will be looking towards next weeks run of notable ecostats, with the UKs services and composite PMI readings due on Monday and the global dairy trade price auction expected Tuesday.

Dairy prices dropped in the last reading, breaking the 3 months of consecutive rises, but New Zealands primary export; whole milk powder, actually rose by 0.3%.

It is entirely possible that New Zealands ongoing drought could push this figure even higher.

Beyond this, the GBP/NZD exchange rate will continue to see movement depending on the market reaction to the US trade tariffs, with retaliation from various nations liable to raise risk aversion even higher and continue to limit the Kiwi Dollar.A common school curriculum in Switzerlands German-speaking cantons is a step closer to reality.

Voters in two of Switzerlands most populous cantons  Zurich and Bern  came out in favour of the syllabus, Lehrplan 21, by rejecting an initiative that would have hindered its introduction.

It can now be used from the next school year.

Under Switzerlands federal structure, education falls under the jurisdiction of each of its 26 cantons. Over the past few years, the cantonal education heads drew up common syllabi  one for German-speaking cantons and another for French ones  after Swiss voters approved a constitutional article to harmonise education.

But its the same Swiss style federalism that leaves the final decision on the common curriculums introduction to each canton. The transition to asingle syllabus in French-speaking regionshas already gone ahead.

Theinitiatives in both Zurich and Bern were similar in calling for the possibility to put the final decision on the curriculums content to voters.

Lehrplan 21: the philosophy

The Lehrplan 21 is based on competencies  with goals on what the pupil should know by a certain class level rather than what should be taught to them. Some subjects will be taught together as one unit. For example: Natur Mensch Gesellschaft (Nature, People, Society) will encompass geography, physics, chemistry, biology, history, political education, and society issues. The idea is to make pupils aware of how todays problems are interlinked. Foreign languages: in 2004 the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Directors of Education agreed that children should learn 2 foreign languages: a second national language and English. It is up to cantons which language is learned first. This strategy was started before the Lehrplan 21, but the Lehrplan 21 has taken it over and adapted it. The language issue  how many pupils should learn and fears over the popularity of English over national language French  remains unresolved.













swissinfo.ch/db





Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a proposal that would have cut taxpayer funding to public broadcasters, after a campaign that stirred debate about the media's role in fostering national unity.

The No Billag initiative  a reference to the Billag firm that collects the media licensing fee  divided Switzerland on political and generational lines.

But 71 percent voted no to the proposals, according to official results published by the Swiss news agency ATS.

Rejection of the initiative was a strong sign for the public service and for private regional radio and television, said the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SSR) director Gilles Marchand.

He said note had been taken of criticism of SSR and announced an efficiency drive and 100 million franc ($106 million) investment from next year.

No Billags backers, led by the youth wing of the libertarian Free Democratic Party (PLR), sought to portray the SSR as an unfairly dominant and outdated relic.

Switzerlands largest party, the nationalist and anti-migrant Swiss Peoples Party (UDC), had also thrown its support behind the initiative.

SSR, which received about 1.2 billion Swiss francs from the licence fee last year  or three quarters of its budget  delivers news in the countrys four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch.

Many credit it for guaranteeing that all Swiss residents receive information of crucial public interest in all four languages, along with a range of opinion and analysis.

But No Billags proponents argued that freeing taxpayers of the 451 Swiss francs annual fee would unlock new economic potential, create a more competitive media sector and ultimately foster more choice.

The cost is due to drop to 365 francs next year, but everyone will have to pay, even if they do not own a television or radio after the government decided both platforms were watched and listened to via the internet.

 Strong pushback 

Sundays poll was part of Switzerlands direct democracy system, where proposed initiatives face a national vote four times a year.

Turnout reached 54 percent, nearly 10 percent above the recent average for such votes in Switzerland.

The campaigns are often muted in politically tepid Switzerland, but sometimes  as with No Billag  temperatures rise.

A broad political coalition along with prominent athletes, filmmakers and even the chief executive of top Swiss bank UBS, Sergio Ermotti, came out in defence of public media.

The committee formed to fight No Billag underscored the dangers of a fully profit-driven media environment in multilingual Switzerland.

It warned that with a substantial majority of the countrys wealth concentrated in German-speaking areas, programming would increasingly skew to that audience.French President Emmanuel Macron called on his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Sunday to put the "necessary pressure" on the Syrian government to halt "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

During a telephone call between the two leaders, Macron underscored the particular responsiblity for Iran, because of its ties to the regime, regarding the implementation of the humanitarian truce sought by the UN, his office said.

Their talks came as a monitoring group said forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had seized control of over a quarter of Eastern Ghouta, on the edge of Damascus, after two weeks of devastating bombardment.

The offensive has reportedly killed more than 640 civilians and sent hundreds more fleeing, prompting growing international calls to end the bloodshed.

The two presidents expressed their agreement to work together in the coming days along with the UN, in conjunction with the Damascus regime and the main countries involved in Syria, to secure results on the ground, supply necessary aid to civilians and implement an effective ceasefire, Macrons office said.

He and Rouhani are expected to speak again later this week.

The United Nations has called for a 30-day ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta, but so far regime-backer Russia has declared only a five-hour daily humanitarian pause.

Macrons office also said the French leader reiterated his support of the 2015 deal to limit Irans nuclear activities, signed by Tehran and six world powers.

However he urged Iran to give clear responses to worries about the countrys ballistic missile programme as well as claims that its foreign policies were heightening tensions throughout the region, in particular in Lebanon.

He emphasised our expectation of Irans positive contribution to regional de-escalation and efforts to resolve crises in the Middle East, the presidency said.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to pull out of the 2015 deal unless more is done to rein in Irans missile development.

French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will hold frank discussions with Irans leaders during a visit on Monday, a spokesman said.

It will be the first by a top official from the three European signatories of the nuclear deal since Trump set out his ultimatum in January.Countries selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and its allies must answer for "war crimes" being committed in Yemen, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani told his French counterpart in a phone call on Sunday.

In Yemen we are witnessing war crimes and countries that provide weapons for Saudi Arabia and the Arab coalition must be answerable in this regard, said Rouhani in the phone call with President Emmanuel Macron, according to the presidencys website.

The call came just hours before French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was due to arrive in Tehran for talks with top officials, including Rouhani.

France is one of the biggest arms exporters to Saudi Arabia, which has been bombing Yemen almost daily since 2015 in a bid to dislodge Huthi rebels that seized control of the capital the year before.

Macron and Rouhani also discussed the Syrian conflict, calling for a swift re-establishment of stability and peace, according to Irans account.

Rouhani welcomed Frances efforts to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal, which the United States has threatened to tear up.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to consult and strongly cooperate with France on all economic, cultural and political issues, Rouhani said, praising the very old and friendly relations between the two countries.Privacy Settings

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NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.The United States on Sunday condemned Syria's "brutal" Russian-backed assault on the Eastern Ghouta rebel enclave that has reportedly left hundreds of civilians dead.

The United States condemns the ongoing military offensive that the Assad regime, backed by Russia and Iran, is perpetrating against the people of Eastern Ghouta, the White House said in a statement, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Washington also accused Moscow of ignoring a UN Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day cessation of hostilities, saying Russia has killed innocent civilians under the false auspices of counterterrorism operations.

This is the same combination of lies and indiscriminate force that Russia and the Syrian regime used to isolate and destroy Aleppo in 2016, where thousands of civilians were killed, it said, referring to Syrias one-time economic hub, which was devastated by the countrys civil war.

The White House also called on pro-regime forces to immediately cease targeting medical infrastructure and civilians in Eastern Ghouta.

Assads forces have seized over a quarter of the enclave on Damascuss eastern edges after two weeks of devastating bombardment, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor.

The advance on the back of air strikes, artillery fire and rocket attacks that are reported to have killed more than 650 civilians, sent hundreds into flight to western parts of the enclave.Ukraine on Sunday said it had resolved its gas shortage caused by the refusal of Russia's Gazprom to restart natural gas deliveries.

We have a sharp increase in gas supplies from the EU, from Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko posted on Twitter.

The entire shortage is completely covered.

Poroshenko underlined that Ukraine had a stable gas supply and has enough gas in storage facilities, its own gas and imports.

New tensions between Moscow and Kiev flared Thursday after Russias Gazprom said it would not restart gas supplies to Ukraine, leading Ukrainian state provider Naftogaz to accuse it of violating contractual agreements.

Record high consumption amid days of freezing temperatures had led to a shortage of around 10 million cubic meters of gas a day.

Ukraine on Friday urged schools to close and factories to cut production and asked citizens to chip in by lowering their home thermostats to save on gas.

You are incredible, thank you, Naftogaz tweeted on Sunday.

Briefly: everything is ok now, the statement said.

We have gas. Educational institutions are waiting for children on Monday.

The latest flare-up in tensions between Moscow and Kiev came after an arbitration court in Sweden ordered Gazprom to pay $2.56 billion (2.08 billion euros) to Naftogaz for failure to deliver the agreed transit gas volumes.British Prime Minister Theresa May expressed her "deep concern" with Donald Trump over the US president's plans to impose trade tariffs, her office said Sunday.

The prime minister raised our deep concern at the presidents forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminium tariffs during a phone call with Trump on Sunday, Downing Street said in a statement.

The US presidents announcement on Thursday to impose tariffs prompted a backlash from nations around the world, which Trump shrugged off on Friday by saying trade wars are good, and easy to win.

May was the first foreign leader to visit the president following his inauguration in 2017, as she seeks a future trade deal with Washington after Britain leaves the European Union next year.The 15 Texas counties with the most people registered to vote saw record turnout during early voting for Tuesdays primary elections compared with other years without presidential contests.

When early voting ended Friday night, a total of 759,265 ballots had been cast in person in the Republican and Democratic primaries in those 15 counties, the Texas secretary of state website shows. That is up significantly from the 592,153 early votes cast in the 2014 primary elections and the 491,116 early votes cast in the 2010 primary elections.

A statewide early voting total wont be made public before Tuesday, a Texas secretary of state spokesman said.

Bexar County voters also turned out in larger-than-normal numbers. When early voting ended Friday, 75,840 Bexar County voters had cast ballots in person. That compares with 69,056 total early votes in 2014 and 56,569 total early votes in 2010. But that is well below the all-time early voting record, which was set in the 2008 primary  a presidential election year. That year, 133,731 Bexar County voters went to the polls early, said Jacquelyn Callanen, county elections administrator.

Historically, we know the last day of early voting is always the busiest. Its human nature, Callanen said Friday.

That was the case this year, too. Nearly twice as many Bexar voters cast ballots Friday as the next-highest day in the early voting period.

But participation levels still remain low. In the 15 Texas counties with the most registered voters, 7.7 percent of voters cast ballots early in person. When you add the mail-in ballots received during the early voting period, the percentage grows to 8.9 percent.

So far, more people voted in the Democratic primary than in the Republican primary in those 15 Texas counties. When early voting ended Friday, 406,302 people had voted in person for Democratic candidates, outnumbering the 352,963 who voted for Republicans.

In Bexar County, the number of voters in the Democratic primary also outnumbered the ones in the Republican primary. When polls closed Friday, 42,529 had cast ballots in person in the Democratic races, compared with 33,311 for Republican races.

Callanen couldnt fathom a guess how many Bexar County voters might turn out for the election on Tuesday. I have no idea whatsoever, she said with a laugh.

While the primary numbers are up overall, Rice University political science professor Mark P. Jones said it has to be put in context of Texans being terrible at turning out to vote. In the last gubernatorial election cycle, Texas was dead last in voter turnout compared with other states.A group of Iranian religious minorities attempting to flee persecution by immigrating to San Antonio could be forced to return home following a decision by the Trump administration to deny them asylum in the United States.

The 16 men and women seeking to resettle in South Texas belong to a larger group of some 100 religious refugees from Iran stranded for a year in Vienna while awaiting visa approval from U.S. authorities.

State Department officials last week ordered the Iranians to leave Austria by early March. Human rights advocates warned that the edict could prove devastating for the refugees, who sold their homes, property and possessions for the chance to begin anew in America.

If they have to go back to Iran, theres a real concern that theyll be imprisoned and tortured, said Gislaine Williams, a grass-roots organizer in Houston with Refugee Council USA, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition of 25 advocacy organizations.

This is the latest example of the Trump administration really falling short in its commitment to vulnerable populations, especially religious minorities, she added.

The refugees who planned to immigrate to Texas practice Mandaeism, an obscure denomination that originated in Mesopotamia at least 2,000 years ago and counts an estimated 70,000 followers worldwide. The other visa applicants marooned in Vienna include Christians and Zoroastrians.

San Antonio claims one of the largest Mandaean diasporas in the country, with some 1,200 adherents arriving in the city since 2004 under a U.S. policy to aid religious minorities in Iran.

Until U.S. forces invaded Iraq in 2003, most Mandaeans lived in the southern borderlands of Iran and Iraq, shunted to the cultural and geographic margins of two countries where Islam prevails at the almost complete exclusion of other religions.

The war inflamed Islamic extremism that in turn intensified persecution of religious minorities on either side of the border. For Mandaeans in Iran, forced to survive in an underground economy and largely denied access to universities and government jobs, immigrating to America offered a chance to break free of systemic oppression.

Zhinous Yahaghi accompanied her parents and brother on the journey to San Antonio from Iran in 2013, following three of her siblings who had resettled here several years earlier. She soon met the man who is now her husband, and his mother and two siblings are among the Mandaeans trapped in bureaucratic limbo in Austria.

This situation is a disaster for us, said Yahaghi, 27, who works at a body wax shop while her husband drives for Uber. The couple has accumulated $20,000 in debt trying to bring his family members to San Antonio. Mr. Trump has just ruined our lives completely. We dont feel like anything is in our control.

The United States has accepted more than 32,000 Iranian religious minorities under a 1989 law known as the Lautenberg Amendment that established a program to provide safe haven for Jews escaping persecution in the Soviet Union. Congress expanded the policy in 2004 to help Iranians, who transit through Austria on their passage to America.

Applicants for asylum must submit to initial screening in Iran before receiving a travel visa to Austria at the State Departments discretion. U.S. authorities conduct additional background checks after the refugees reach Vienna.

Before President Donald Trump took office, the vetting process in Austria lasted one to three months, and the approval rate approached 100 percent.

A State Department spokeswoman refused to explain the reasons for the long delay endured by the Iranians now in Vienna or for the rejection of their visa requests by the Department of Homeland Security.

These individuals were subject to the same rigorous process for resettlement as all refugees, and following input from all relevant departments and agencies, the applications for resettlement were denied, she said in an email.

Trump imposed a series of travel bans last year to prevent people from several predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on a legal challenge to the third version of the ban later this year.

The State Department spokeswoman insisted that the presidents executive orders had no bearing on the refusal to grant asylum to the Iranian refugees, dozens of whom are elderly or disabled. She ascribed the increase in rejected applications to changes in the United States refugee admissions program in 2016.

The groups plight has elicited criticism of Trump from religious leaders and federal lawmakers, who fault his administration for reneging on promises to aid religious minorities in Iran.

Rep. Randy Hultgren, a Republican from Illinois, and Rep. James McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, wrote an open letter to Vice President Mike Pence in January accusing the administration of thwarting the purpose of the Lautenberg Amendment.

This sudden change in policy  from almost a hundred percent acceptance rate to nearly complete rejection  makes no sense, even on security grounds, the lawmakers asserted. They added that there is no evidence that others admitted through this program have ever been a threat to the U.S., despite having similar backgrounds as this current group of applicants.

The administrations hard line on the Iranians coincides with a sharp drop in the overall number of refugees allowed into the country under Trump.

The president lowered the ceiling for annual refugee admissions from 110,000 to 45,000 after he took office. In the first four months of fiscal year 2018, which began Oct. 1, the administration had resettled 6,700 refugees, less than half the number projected for that time frame under the reduced admission quota.

Most of the Mandaeans and other refugees who immigrate to San Antonio live in a Northwest Side neighborhood off Medical Center Drive in the district of City Councilman Manny Pelaez. He described the areas diversity as its strength and urged White House officials to set aside cynical politics.

What kind of moral credibility will we have left if we turn our backs on those who are in crisis? Pelaez said. I cant think of anything more offensive to all the values that make America a beacon of hope to the world than to send refugees back to a country that will likely arrest, torture or murder them.

Catholic Charities in San Antonio has helped Mandaeans settle in the city since they started arriving under the U.S.-Austria program. The organization typically welcomed 800 to 900 refugees from around the world in the years before Trump took office; the total fell by almost half in 2017.

Given the Iranian governments persecution of religious minorities  a record that includes detention and execution, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom  advocates fear for the future of the refugees in Vienna who face deportation.

Theres a lot of concern over them being sent back, said Paula Torisk, deputy director of refugee resettlement services for Catholic Charities. The risk of them being treated as traitors is very high.

The majority of Iranian refugees in Vienna have relatives in the United States who sponsored them. Austria bars them from working or receiving government aid, shifting the financial burden of supporting them onto their family members here.

Yahaghi and her husband sink deeper into debt each week as his mother and two siblings languish in Austria. Yet the couple worries less about money than the fate that awaits their loved ones if U.S. and Austrian officials force them to return to Iran.

I came to America because I can have the freedom to be who I am that I dont have in my own country, she said. We as Mandaeans dont have the same human rights as everyone else in Iran. Sending them back there will leave them with nothing.In whats hailed as a landmark addition to the Southside, Confluence Park formally opened Saturday with a ceremony where city, county and federal officials traded congratulatory remarks with San Antonio River Foundation authorities beneath whats lauded as a one-of-a-kind pavilion.

The $13.7 million park that features educational facilities, elaborate landscaping and restrooms overlooking the convergence of San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek was funded with $2.1 million from San Antonio, $1.7 million from Bexar County and nearly $10 million in private donations.

Several years of planning preceded the start of work in 2016 to turn a former CPS storage yard off Mitchell Street into a gateway to the Historic Mission Reach section of the river where area students can participate in hands-on learning about water resources, ecosystems and more.

This is a game-changer for the Southside, said Rev. David Garcia, pastor of the nearby Mission Concepcion, of the latest riverside addition, which also offers a sorely needed public meeting space. Its a beautiful park, and I like that its for educational purposes.

He was among a crowd topping 250 that gathered Saturday for the dedication ceremony, originally set for Jan. 17, but postponed due to cold weather.

Confluence Park is here to tell the story of why this place matters. Why water and resource education matters. Why telling stories to our children matters, said Robert Amerman, executive director of the river foundation, which spearheaded the project.

San Antonio River Authority General Manager Suzanne Scott

said the agencys education staff, which tutored more than 16,000 area students last year, long dreamed of having a learning venue like the park to teach about local fauna, watershed management and the importance of conservation.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-San Antonio, was among those riffing on the parks name Saturday.

It reflects the confluence  the coming together  of public and private partners, the confluence of art and green space, of educational opportunity and environmental sensitivity, he said.

County Judge Nelson Wolff called the park an extraordinary accomplishment in its own right, but only the latest completed component among more than $200 million in upgrades planned along waterways south of downtown. A May 5 opening is planned for the first section of newly restored San Pedro Creek, he noted.

The centerpiece of the park is the BHP Pavilion designed by Andrew Kudless of Matsys Design of California, which features standing concrete forms that catch and channel rainwater into a 100,000-gallon buried storage tank while also providing shade over a 7,000-square-foot area.

Describing the structure as infundibuliform (funnel-shaped), SARF Project Manager Stuart Allen applauded its designer and builders for making one million pounds of concrete and steel look light and elegant and graceful.

It was named for BHP Petroleum, which provided the largest private donation for the park, of $2.4 million.

The BHP grant served as a spark to accelerate fundraising, said Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who attributed the projects success to a confluence of politicians getting on board at the city and county level.

The South Side is rising again, he said, citing other ongoing projects. The center of gravity of San Antonio is shifting ever-so-slightly southward.

Jesse Cuellar, 11, was among the locals almost as excited as the politicians to see the park finally open.

I think its cool, said Cuellar, whos eager to use park access for biking and kayaking.

His step dad, Art Gomez, added,Its right here in our back yard. Now we dont have to go anywhere.

Gomezs sister, Annavin January, said the park offers another attraction to Mission Trail tourists.

Every day during construction wed walk by, said January. We were so anticipating it.Click to read this Alamo dispatch as it originally appeared.

SAN ANTONIO de BEXAR, Texas, March 4, 1836 - A visual pledge to extinguish forever any hopes for Texas Liberty - the blood-red banner of no quarter currently displayed atop the San Fernando Church for all the world to gaze upon - is not merely an idle threat.

Convening a council of war to-day with several of his highest-ranking officers, Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna emphasized that when an assault aimed at overwhelming Fortress Alamo is commenced, no prisoners shall be taken.

The exact hour that attack - and the promise of slaughter it holds - is to occur, however, is a mystery known to none, save the dictator himself.

---------

DAILY BRIEFING

In the wake of to-day's consultation between Gen. Santa Anna and his staff, one of those in attendance, Col. Juan Almonte, reported: "After a long conference, (Gen. Martin Perfecto) Cos, (Gen. Manuel F.) Castrillon, (Lt. Col. Gregorio Urunuela) and (Col. Jose Maria) Romero were of the opinion that the Alamo should be assaulted - first opening a breach with the two cannon ... and the two mortars, and that they should await the arrival of the two 12-pounders expected on Monday." Almonte continued, "The President, Gen. (Joaquin) Ramirez (y Sesma) and I were of the opinion that the 12-pounders should not be waited for, but the assault made. Colonels (Francisco) Duque and (Agustin) Amat, and the Major of the San Luis battalion did not give any definite opinion about either of the two modes of assault proposed. In this state things remained - the General not making any definite resolution."

---------

A CIVIL WAR

That Lt. Col. William Travis and his band of stalwarts within the confines of the Alamo have come to face the overwhelming might of a much larger army is the culmination of a Mexican political struggle that erupted four years ago in civil war.

In that clash, Federalists, who advocated a stronger role for state governments, were pitted against Centralists, who favor a centralized government that set most policies at the national level. By and large, Texas residents were in the Federalist camp.

Eventually, the Centralists emerged dominant. Last year, after Gen. Santa Anna was elected president, he began consolidating his power and Federalists launched a rebellion in several Mexican states.

The Texas Revolution commenced in October and a Provisional Government was appointed. Mexican forces were effectively driven from Texas after the Siege of Bexar in December. Since, by all appearances, the situation had returned to the calm that normally prevails, Texians began retiring from their army and returning home. At the beginning of this year, the Provisional Government started unraveling like a suit of the most inexpensive cut when legislators impeached Gov. Henry Smith, who responded by disbanding the Legislature.

Unsure as to who was in charge and what the fight in Texas was really about - independence or a return to Federalism in Mexico - Texians continued quitting their army. Even the force left in place at the Alamo - the very symbol of victory in the Siege of Bexar - dwindled to the dismal level Travis discovered when he first rode into this city early last month.

Now, with the zephyrs above this beleaguered city constantly toying with his bloody banner, Santa Anna offers those within the fortress' stout walls but two choices: hot lead or cold steel.

---------

ANOTHER ISSUE

While the struggle here in San Antonio de Bexar indeed is one for Liberty, it is in the broader definition of that word and does not necessarily apply to every individual.

Indeed, part of the clash between Texas and Mexico is over the issue of that most peculiar of economic systems, Servitude. Although the original empresario commission awarded in 1821 by Spanish authorities to Moses Austin to bring settlers to Texas did not mention Servitude, when Stephen F. Austin became the inheritor of the contract later that same year, it was agreed that each servant a settler brought with him would be worth an additional eighty acres of land.

Mexico's independence from Spain put the future of Servitude in doubt, and for the past 15 years, both the central government in Mexico City and that of Coahuila y Tejas have threatened at one time or another to somehow restrict the practice of Servitude.

Although many find the entire concept of slavery as morally reprehensible, it is expected that when luminaries get around to writing a Constitution for Texas, Servitude will be institutionalized as part of the Republic's economy.AUSTIN  George P. Bush has said the state shouldn't celebrate Confederate Heroes Day. Jerry Patterson named his son after one.

As a thorny debate over Confederate monuments rages in Texas and nationwide, the issue is dividing the Republican race for land commissioner and fueling opposition to an agency proposal to relocate the Alamo Cenotaph.

The only member of his storied political family currently in office, Bush is seeking to fend off three challengers in the March 6 primary, including Patterson, who led the land office for 12 years before Bush.

Though the General Land Office doesnt directly oversee Confederate monuments on state property, the candidates viewpoints are shaping public perception about how they will manage the historic Alamo battlefield  among the offices most high-profile duties.

The great-grandson of a Confederate veteran, Patterson opposed a renewed push last year to remove Confederate imagery from the Texas Capitol grounds following the racially charged protest in Charlottesville that left one woman dead. If you are able to eliminate all of the Confederate monuments, who will they go after next? he said at the time.

As land commissioner in 2004, Patterson drew rebuke after authoring an opinion piece lauding Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Confederate Army Gen. Robert E. Lee as great moral and ethical leaders, which he distributed to office staffers.

The holiday celebrating the civil rights leader and that recognizing Lees birthday often fall in the same week, and occasionally on the same day.

Bush recently told The Eagle of College Station that he doesnt think the state should keep celebrating Confederate Heroes Day, declared a Texas holiday in 1931. Some consider it a slap in the face, he said, to celebrate King and confederate heroes in the same week, he told the Eagle.

Any change is up to the state legislature and Bush will support the decision, campaign spokesman Lee Spieckerman said in a statement this week. Commissioner Bush does believe it is problematic for this day to be celebrated the same week as the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, he added. As for the confederate monuments, this does not fall under the jurisdiction of the GLO but is being handled by the State Preservation Board.

The Confederate issue is feeding opposition against proposals that call for the relocation of the 60-foot Cenotaph in Alamo plaza that honors defenders.

A master plan developed by the city, the general land office and the Alamo endowment proposes relocation of the granite Cenotaph  potentially to a park by Market Street near a site believed to be where defenders bodies were burned. Another idea is to move the monument to an area where the Alamos south gate once stood. Or it could stay where it stands now.

At a recent rally in Alamo plaza protesting the relocation, speakers likened the issue to the recent removal of a Confederate memorial from San Antonios Travis Park. Hours after the City Council voted 10 to 1 last year to remove the statue, it was taken down in the early morning hours, amid cheers from a handful of bystanders.

Others were angered by the action.

They are going to pull another thief-in-the-night stunt and our Cenotaph is going to be gone, said Rick Range, a lesser known Republican candidate in the land commissioner race. We cant let that happen.

The city of San Antonio owns the Cenotaph, and Bush has said a final decision on its location will be shaped by public feedback that is being collected by a private contractor. In a recent Facebook post about five things he wants to do with the historic battlefield, Bush wrote he will restore and preserve the Alamo Cenotaph.

It will only move on my watch if it is in a more prominent and deferential position than where it is now, he wrote. We must keep it on this hallowed ground where more visitors can admire this memorial to Alamo defenders. Alamo Plaza and the 1836 Battlefield should be revered as the defender descendants family cemetery and the Cenotaph their family headstone.

Patterson, who has accused Bush of mismanaging the ambitious, potentially $450 million Alamo redevelopment project, opposes a move and calls attempts historical revision.

Were sick and tired of moving monuments, he said in an interview with the Texas Tribune. There is everything to do with retroactive revision and politically correct cleansing of our history.

Patterson said leaving it in place is the best choice, but would be open to a location near the south gate only as last-ditch resort, he told the Express-News. He questioned, however, whether the 1940s monument could be moved at all without causing irreparable structural damage.

The Cenotaph is only one piece of the multiyear Alamo redevelopment effort Bush has undertaken in his first term, meant to restore historical authenticity to the site of the 1836 siege. It includes the creation of a museum to house hundreds of artifacts donated by musician Phil Collins, an idea backed by both Bush and Patterson. Still, even with that agreement, telling to story of the site is bound to be a politically charged one. At the rally, calls to honor Mexican soldiers faced resistance from the crowd.

We need to find ways to honor the soldiers on both sides of the walls, a speaker said. Lets not confuse the brutality of Santa Ana with the honor and the efforts of the regular Mexican soldier.

Let them honor their own, a man shouted, as he began leading a chant of no way.George P. Bush, seeking a second term as state land commissioner, touts his time in the Navy in a voter mailer brought to our attention by his predecessor.

Did you know there are 1.7 million veterans in Texas alone? Bushs mailer opens. His message continues: Retired U.S. Navy officer George P. Bush is committed to protecting our veterans who have served this great nation.

Hold on. Did Bush, who turns 42 next month, retire from the Navy? Jerry Patterson, the former land commissioner challenging Bush in this years Republican primary, questioned that after telling us hed received Bushs mailer at his home after hearing about it from other veterans.

Patterson asserted by phone: It takes 20 years to retire from the armed forces. He himself, Patterson said, retired from the Marines as a lieutenant colonel after more than 20 years of service. If this mailing goes out to military veterans, essentially hes saying, I know what you went through, I served for 20 years  and thats not true, Patterson said.

We decided to check the facts.

For starters, Bush was a Navy Reserve officer.

By email, Navy spokeswoman Katie Suich gave us a document confirming that George Prescott Bush was commissioned as a Navy Reserve officer May 21, 2007, and left the Reserve as a lieutenant May 9, 2017.

Bushs biographical entry on his campaign website says he served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In a 2011 article for USA Today, Bush wrote: Earlier this year, I returned to Texas from Afghanistan, where I was deployed as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Bush noted then that hed been inspired to enlist in his 30s after a ceremony honoring his grandfather, President George H.W. Bush, who served during World War II.

Bush campaign spokesman Lee Spieckerman told us that Bush was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2017, having achieved the rank of lieutenant. Spieckerman also passed along documents and photos including a May 15, 2007, letter congratulating Bush on his selection as an intelligence officer and a certificate showing that Bush was honorably discharged as a lieutenant May 9, 2017.

Another provided document, dated Feb. 4, 2011, discharges Bush from active duty. The form says Bush served one year, four months and 15 days on active duty from June 8, 2010, through Feb. 4, 2011, following on 26 days of active duty before that. (Spieckerman showed in another document that Bush was assigned to Afghanistan from August 2010 to January 2011.) The discharge form credits Bush with previously racking up two years, 11 months and five days of inactive duty.

We also reached out to the Navy, which says on a webpage: If you decide to pursue your Navy career for at least 20 years, youll qualify for generous retirement pay  and even more if you serve longer. Another Navy webpage says that by serving in the Navy Reserve, a person earns points toward retirement benefits every time you drill.

Suich also pointed out a Defense Finance and Accounting Service webpage listing types of military retirement, most of them requiring 15 or 20 years of service. According to the page, reservists can retire at age 60 with 20 years of active service.

For our part, we spotted a Defense Department website devoted to military compensation including this statement: Service members who remain on active duty or serve in the reserves or guard for a sufficient period of time (usually a minimum of 20 years) may retire and receive retired pay. Members who become disabled while on duty may be medically retired and receive a disability retirement.

We asked Bushs campaign if hes indeed a retired officer, given the general requirement that a retiree serve 20 years and be age 60.

By email, Spieckerman replied that Bush was honorably discharged but is not technically retired under Department of Defense regulations. I think that the campaign used the term retired in campaign materials in the civilian, colloquial sense, meaning, Spieckerman wrote, that Bush is no longer active in the military. There was no intent to imply that he was receiving retirement pay and benefits, etc.

Our ruling

In a voter mailer, Bush says hes a retired U.S. Navy officer.

Bush served nearly a decade as an officer in the Navy Reserve. But that doesnt make him a retired officer, we find. At minimum, Bush would need to have served longer to call himself that.

We rate this self-description False: The statement is not accurate.In mid-November, Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood had just filed for re-election when he offered an assessment of his Democratic primary opponent, defense lawyer Joe Gonzales.

I think its very disingenuous, his candidacy, LaHood said. Hes never talked about running before. I used to own a building with him. He supported me in the past. And this is all very personal, because of whatever his issue is.

That would prove one of LaHoods more temperate interpretations of his foes candidacy. Gonzales rebutted at the time by saying LaHood had mismanaged the office through an atmosphere of intimidation.

Since then, the race has crescendoed into a melee.

The latest: a series of provocative ads that started Saturday in the San Antonio Express-News, including one that equates voting for Gonzales with sexual diseases and higher taxes.

Responding, Gonzales called the ads outlandish, Trump-like.

The district attorneys office has no bearing on tax rates, which at the county level are set by Commissioners Court. Meanwhile, LaHood also claimed Gonzales campaign commitment to not prosecute prostitution cases would lead to an increase in STDs.

When youre going that negative, it suggests that LaHood either believes hes behind or neck-and-neck with Gonzales, Rice University political scientist Mark Jones said.

LaHoods ad push comes in the aftermath of the revelation that Gonzales had received more than $900,000 from the Texas Justice & Public Safety political action committee backed by liberal hedge fund magnate George Soros.

A popular target among conservatives, Soros has pumped millions into local prosecutor races around the country, typically backing the candidate regarded as more liberal.

LaHood received a larger sum, about $1.2 million, from personal injury attorney Thomas J. Henry in the 2014 general election.

Some worried about a possible conflict of interest. Less than a year into LaHoods term, Henry represented the family of a man shot to death during a confrontation with Bexar County deputies. LaHood promised to investigate whether the deputies had commiteted a crime. Henry ended up representing the family. Later, a grand jury declined to indict the deputies.

In an Express-News interview, Henry said the DAs dual role as both attorney for the county and potential prosecutor of the deputies created a more urgent conflict than his campaign contributions. He pointed out that the district attorneys office controlled the flow of information presented to the grand jury, even as it submitted court papers arguing that the deputies were not guilty.

LaHood said in a text that he has never let a contribution influence a decision. Period.

Henry has not donated money to LaHood this time.

In an item dated Jan. 10, Soros PAC spent about $30,000 on an internal poll for Gonzales, a campaign finance report shows. Soros began covering the cost of mailers about two weeks later, amounting to about $929,000 of in-kind contributions for various ads.

Soros also had contributed $6,000 for research in December, reports showed. Jones speculated that Soros likely wouldnt have continued funding Gonzales campaign if the poll results didnt show a competitive race.

The anti-Soros sentiment in LaHoods ads, according to Jones, are what you would expect following the money infusion. He added that the last-minute disclosure of the contributions  midway through early voting and one week before the Tuesday election day  limited LaHoods response time.

Because Soros has become involved in the campaign, thats a weak spot for Gonzales, Jones said. And you want to make it an issue  effectively trying to highlight the fact that, My opponents campaign has been bought and paid for by this globalist George Soros, who for many in the center and the right is the liberal globalist boogeyman.

Soros, through his Open Society Foundation, has been instrumental in building democratic institutions in the formerly communist countries of Eastern Europe.

Gonzales, a former business partner of LaHoods who has feuded with him in court, ran several scathing ads himself, primarily tying LaHood in direct mailers to President Donald Trump.

Recently, the PAC money has allowed Gonzales to go on TV, where hes doubled down on that message.

Nico LaHood and Donald Trump have a lot in common, the 30-second ad begins. It goes on to quote the two elected officials each calling themselves conservative, lambasting the media and taking anti-sanctuary city stances.

Asked if Gonzales largely negative messaging  now matched in some respects by LaHood  could backfire, Jones recalled how the strategy worked in Harris County for District Attorney Kim Ogg.

When Ogg beat incumbent Devon Anderson in 2016, Ogg, too, received backing from Soros, though also was buoyed by Andersons missteps. Anderson likely would have lost without Soros involvement, Jones said, but the ads he funded pushed her negatives much higher than those of other Republicans.

She went pure negative, and she gave voters on the fence enough good reason not to vote for Devon Anderson, Jones said. And thats where the Soros money really helps.

Candidates for DA typically dont fundraise enough to run TV ads, Jones said, making Soros presence all the more significant. Going on TV allows Gonzales the chance to contact households he passed over in his direct mail campaign.

LaHoods TV ads have featured former Spurs star Tim Duncan, speaking about his longtime friend, portraying LaHood as a fighter for those who cant protect themselves.

In a Philadelphia DA race, Soros-backed candidate Larry Krasner faced criticism from his opponents for representing people accused of sexual assault, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Krasner won his race.

LaHood has made the same charge against Gonzales throughout the campaign, particularly for specializing in defending child sex abuse. He escalated the attack in an ad in the Express-News, labeling Gonzales the protector of Bexar County predators. Gonzales has said his defense work allows the justice system to function, and that as a prosecutor, he put people behind bars for the same crimes.

In a recent radio ad, LaHood instructed listeners to just Google child pornography San Antonio Texas, and youll see for yourself how Joe has made a living defending convicted sex criminals.

The contents of LaHoods newspaper ads, and Gonzales Trump-laden response, touch on a theme that has dominated the primary: questions about LaHoods conservatism, and whether hes a Democrat in name only. Gonzales has criticized LaHood for his belief that Islam is basically a political system wrapped in a religion, and over his self-identification as a conservative guy.

LaHoods ad claim that a Gonzales vote is synonymous with human trafficking appears to allude to his position of not prosecuting prostitution and his support for sanctuary cities, which LaHood said he opposes. The same ad ties Gonzales to higher taxes, an attack typically found in Republican primaries.

In a February debate, LaHood distinguished between opposition to sanctuary cities and support for Senate Bill 4, a law labeled as a sanctuary cities ban. LaHood said he opposed the bill.

In a January debate held by the Bexar County Democratic Party  even though Gonzales did not attend after informing Chairman Manuel Medina of a conflict weeks in advance, text messages show  LaHood downplayed the importance of his party affiliation when asked, Why are you a Democrat?

There has not been one family member, or one victims family, that has ever asked when they walked into my office  Mr. DA, are you a Democrat or Republican when youre seeking justice for my loved one thats dead? LaHood said.

He recalled growing up in a time where the Democratic Party was truly inclusive, allowing its members to lean conservative or liberal.

He added that the party can accept both mindsets and move forward together for a better community.

On the topic of beating Tylden Shaeffer, the Republican running for district attorney, LaHood added: I will make a case to steal votes from the Republican candidate.  Im going to go into my Republican opponents territory, Im going to engage in conversation with tea party Republicans, independents, Democrats, it doesnt matter because Lady Justice wears a blindfold.

Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, taking notice of Soros involvement and his beneficiarys progressive platform, has rallied supporters around the topic, primarily as a fundraising tool in emails.

George Soros is officially messing with Texas, Abbott tweeted. Hes given almost $1 million to just one candidate. Hell stop at nothing to make Texas liberal. We must muster the resolve & resources to fight this take over attempt.

One of LaHoods ads echoed Abbotts message, with the phrase, Dont Mess with Texas, New York! beneath a sentence that reads: New York billionaire George Soros owns Joe Gonzales with $900,000 donation.

Through Wednesday, 4.2 percent of the Bexar County Democratic primary early voting electorate had voted in a prior Republican primary with no history of Democratic primary voting, according to data from Republican consultant Derek Ryan. In 2014, the statewide rate was 1.5 percent, though Jones chalked that years low rate up to a relatively unexciting Democratic ballot compared to a livelier Republican one.

By and large we dont see too much of that in Texas politics, Jones said of cross-party voting. Its relatively rare to see people vote in the other partys primaries when there is something competitive going on it their primary.  Its essentially weighing the desire to vote for LaHood with a desire to vote in the Republican primary races.

This year, another 1.9 percent of early voting Democrats here had voted in both partys primaries but most recently on the GOP side. And another 3.2 percent had never voted in a primary or general election. Republicans in parts of Bexar County can vote in an 18-person primary for retiring Rep. Lamar Smiths seat as well as contested state House races.3 1 of 3 Ken Borsuk / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Bob Luckey Jr. / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





GREENWICH  Cleanup from the noreaster that tore through Greenwich with rain and heavy, sustained winds will continue through the weekend.

As of Saturday night at 6 p.m., Eversource Energy said there were 6,034 customers in Greenwich without service, representing more than 20 percent of the town. The utility has said it expects service to most customers in the state to be restored by Sunday at 9 p.m. The amount of tree damage and road closures has slowed repair efforts though throughout the region.UPDATE: 6:30 a.m. Monday

Eversource says the total number of outages stands at 2,928.

Greenwich leads the list with 830 customers without power.

Other outages reported include 331 in Stamford, 149 in Ridgefield, 131 in Danbury, 101 in Westport, 74 in Monroe, 71 in New Fairfield, 61 in New Milford, 61 in New Canaan, 55 in Wilton, 48 in Norwalk and Sherman, 39 in Bethel, 45 in Redding, 28 in Oxford and 27 in Seymour.

UPDATE 5:40 p.m. Sunday

Eversource crews are continuing to work at restoring power to the thousands of customers left without electricity following a weekend storm that brought heavy gusts of wind, fallen trees and downed power lines across the state.

More Information Forecast for the Greater Bridgeport Area: Saturday night - Mostly cloudy with a low around 33 degrees. Wind chill values between 25 and 30 degrees. Winds around 13 to 17 mph. Gusts could reach as high as 28 mph. Sunday - Mostly sunny with a high near 46 degrees. Slight chance of rain and snow shower after noon. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 in the early hours of the day. Wind around 13 to 15 mph, with a possibility of gusts up to 25 mph. Sunday night - Mostly cloudy with a low around 30 degrees. Wind chill values between 25 and 30 degrees. Winds around 11 to 14 mph, with occasional gusts reaching up to 25 mph. Monday - Partly sunny with a high near 42 degrees. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 degrees. Winds between 9 and 11 mph, with gusts reaching as high as 21 mph. Monday night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 29 degrees. Winds between 5 and 7 mph. Forecast based on National Weather Service reports. See More Collapse

Working alongside out-of-state lineworkers, crews have restored power to approximately 174,000 homes and businesses across the state since the storm began, Eversource said in a press release.

The company said it is on track to restore power to a majority of customers still without power by 9 p.m. Sunday.

As of 5:30 p.m. Sunday, roughly 3,045 customers in Greenwich were still without power, as well as 754 in Stamford, 580 in New Canaan, 101 in Darien and 76 in Norwalk, according to an outage map on the Eversource website. The map says it is updated every 15 minutes.

This has been painstaking work - in some parts of the state our crews are having to rebuild portions of the electric system, said Eversource Vice President of Electric Operations in Connecticut Michael Hayhurst. With almost 500 utility poles broken, 87 miles of electric lines down and nearly 400 blocked roads that had to be addressed, our crews have done a tremendous job and they are committed to continue working until every last customer is restored.

Once power is restored to most of the affected customers, crews will focus on the remaining single or scattered outages, Eversource said. Those single or scattered outages are more complex and will take additional time to complete and may require assistance from a private electrician or contractor, the company said. Lineworkers are expected to go to each location to assess what additional equipment or effort may be required to make repairs.

For a list of estimated restoration times, visit eversource.com.

UPDATE 3:03 p.m. Sunday

Sunday afternoon, the Westport Police Department sent a release announcing that the electrical grid was still being repaired after the storm and, due to that, several roads were expected to remain closed during the morning commute Monday, including the intersection of Greens Farms Road and Bridge Street at Compo Road South.

The release outline the following detour plan:

Road closures will be in place at the following locations: Bridge Street at Imperial Avenue, Compo Road South at Keyser Road, Greens Farms Road at Hillspoint Road and Compo Road South at Elaine Road. Any destinations within this area will be accessible only to local traffic; all other traffic should adhere to the following outlined detour.

Again, this plan has been generated under the current assumption that absolutely no vehicular no traffic will be allowed through the intersection of Greens Farms Road at Compo Road South.

Traffic officers and/or traffic control devices will be present to assist with traffic direction at the above locations. Motorists traveling from all points south of the Interstate 95 overpass on Compo Road South should follow Compo Road South to Hillspoint Road north to the intersection of Greens Farms Road. From this point, traffic will be routed either east on Greens Farms Road and/or north on Hillspoint Road. Motorists traveling west on Greens Farms Road will be detoured north at the intersection of Greens Farms Road and Hillspoint Road toward Post Road East (Route 1).

No westbound traffic will be allowed on to Greens Farms Road from the Sherwood Island Connector. This area will be accessible to local traffic only. All other traffic will be diverted north on the Sherwood Island Connector towards Post Road East (Route 1).

Compo Road South will be completely closed to southbound traffic at the intersection with Keyser Road. All southbound traffic on Imperial Avenue will be diverted west on Bridge Street. All eastbound traffic on Bridge Street will be diverted north on to Imperial Avenue.

UPDATE 2 P.M. SUNDAY

Greenwich

Greenwich remains the hardest hit town in the area, with 12 percent of residents still without power. Thats 3,260 people, according to Eversource.

Police said Sunday morning that all main roads had been reopened, but dozens of secondary roads were still closed because of fallen trees.

These roads included Ricky Beth Lane, Hillcrest Park Road, Stonehedge Drive, Comly Avenue, Blind Brook Road, Fox Run Lane, 29-55 Richmond Hill Road, James Street, Norias Road, Flower Lane, Bowman Drive, Mackenzie Glen and Oneida Drive. Police tweeted out a full list of closures.

Stamford

More than 1,050 residents were without power, according to Eversource. This number jumped by about 100 customers mid-afternoon Sunday.

Danbury

Just over 200 customers are without power, according to Eversource.

Ridgefield

More than 500 Eversource customers are without power. Police reported 25 roads were closed earlier this morning.

New Fairfield

Eversource reported 525 reported outages. Thats 9 percent of town.

Redding

About 460 Eversource customers, or 12 percent of town, is without power. Route 107 at Umpawaug road remains closed. Several other roads, such as Newtown Turnpike and Sport Hill Road are also still closed.

Newtown

All but 30 customers have regained power. Still, police said 10 roads were closed this morning.

New Milford

About 360 customers still do not have power. This is 3 percent of the town. Eight roads remained closed Sunday morning.

Westport

About 500 outages were reported, according to Eversource. This was about 4 percent of the town.

Norwalk

More than 150 outages were reported, according to Eversource.

UPDATE 7:30 A.M. SUNDAY

While power was restored to some residents overnight, hundreds remain in the dark Sunday morning.

Eversource hopes power will be fully restored to all towns across the state by 9 p.m. Sunday. In some communities, such as Hartford and Waterbury, power has been restored to all but less than 1 percent of customers, according to Eversources latest estimates.

United Illuminating reports 93 customers are without power as of 6:30 a.m. Sunday, down from 272 customers Saturday night. The majority of these outages are in Easton.

Bridgeport

Power has been restored to all but two customers, as of 6:30 a.m. Sunday, according to United Illuminating.

Bethel

Fourty-two customers are without power, as of 6:30 a.m. Sunday. This is a slight increase from Saturday night, when all but 39 residents had power, according to Eversource.

Brookfield

The number of customers without power has remained at 89 since Saturday night, according to Eversource.

Danbury

Power was restored to about 160 people overnight. Less than 1 percent of the cityor 259 customersare without power, as of 6:30 a.m., according to Eversource.

Darien

More than 150 people had power restored overnight, but 416 customers are still in the dark, according to Eversource.

Easton

United Illuminating reports 57 people are without power.

Fairfield

Power has been restored to all but eight customers. Almost 490 had been without power Saturday night, according to United Illuminating.

Greenwich

Although 2,200 customers had their power turn back on overnight, 13 percent of the town is still without power. Thats almost 3,500 customers, according to Eversource.

Milford

Power has been completely restored. Only 36 customers had been without power by Saturday night, according to United Illuminating.

Monroe

About 30 customers had power restored overnight, but 111 customers are still in the dark, according to Eversource.

New Canaan

More than 325 customers are without power, down from just over 450 customers on Saturday night, according to Eversource.

New Fairfield

More than 600 outages, or 10 percent of the town, are reported, according to Eversource.

But two roads that had been closed for more than a day reopened Sunday morning. Crews cleared a tree that had fallen on the wires on Route 39, reopening the road around 6 a.m. Sunday. The road had been closed at Warwick Road around 6 a.m. Saturday, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Route 37 was also reopened around 6 a.m Sunday. Authorities had closed Route 37 near Havalin Hollow Road at 4:45 p.m. Friday because of a tree that fell on the wires, according to the state Department of Transportation.

New Milford

More than 560 customers remain without power. Thats 4 percent of the town.

Norwalk

Under 200 customers had power restored overnight. Just over 250 customers are still without power, according to Eversource.

Redding

More than 670 customers, or 18 percent of the town, is without power, according to Eversource. Route 107 at Umpawaug Road remains closed because of a tree fallen on the wires.

Ridgefield

While 115 customers had power restored overnight, almost 630 outages are still reported, according to Eversource. Thats 6 percent of the town.

Seymour

Power went out for a few more customers overnight, but most of the town has power. Twenty-seven customers were without power as of 7 a.m. Sunday, but 14 customers reported outages the previous night, according to Eversource.

Shelton

Power had been completely restored by 7 a.m. Sunday, according to United Illuminating.

Stamford

Almost 700 customers regained power overnight, but nearly 1,070 are still in the dark, as of 7 a.m. Sunday. Thats 2 percent of the city, according to Eversource.

Several roads are still closed. Crews are working to clear Brookdale at High Ridge Road, North Lake Drive at Long Ridge Road, Laurel Ledge at Riverbank Road, Fifth Street to Vincent Court, and Scofieldtown Road from Haviland to Chestnut Hill Road, according to the polices Twitter account.

Stratford

Power has been completely restored, according to United Illuminating.

Trumbull

All but 12 customers have regained power, according to United Illuminating.

Weston

More than 200 customers regained power overnight, but 250 are still in the dark. Thats 6 percent of town, according to Eversource.

Westport

About 100 customers had power restored overnight, but more than 450 are still without power, according to Eversource.

Wilton

More than 400 are without power and several roads remain closed.

Police reported on Facebook that 20/39 Old Huckleberry Road, , 84 Valeview Road, 128 Spoonwood Road, Hickory Hill Road/Millstone, 309 Sturges Ridge Road, were closed as of around 7:45 a.m.

But several roads, including 35 Collinswood Road, 41 Antler Lane, Boulder Brook Road, Deforest Road/Deforest Lane, and Wilton Woods Road/Long Meadow Road, reopened between 4 and 7:45 a.m.

Meanwhile, Olmstead Hill Road, Rivergate Drive, Powder Horn Hill Road, Catalpa Road and Scribner Hill Road were reopened earlier in the night.

The police department said Saturday they had responded to 140 calls since the storm. More than 80 of those calls were for poor road conditions, such as trees or wires on the street.

UPDATE, 9 P.M. SATURDAY:

As towns and cities work to recover from Fridays noreaster, the following updates were provided by local fire and police departments.

The most up-to-date information is below, based on what police, fire and town officials reported at the time of their posting on social media.

Power outages to United Illuminating can be reported at 1-800-722-5584. The company reported 272 without power as of 9:45 p.m. Saturday.

Report any power outages to Eversource at 1-800-286-2000. The company reported 20,024 without power as of 9:45 p.m. Saturday.

The numbers below are referring to the customers still in the dark are as of 8:45 p.m. or later Saturday.

Bridgeport

133 customers in Bridgeport remain without power Saturday. A majority of those without power are in the Black Rock and North End areas, city officials said.

United Illuminating estimated the lights should return for a majority of customers in the city by midnight.

Officials report no injuries caused by the storm, downed trees or wire. Residents are reminded not to touch or approach down wires.

Bethel

39 customers still without power Saturday.

Brookfield

89 customers still without power Saturday.

Flax Hill is closed.

Eversource reported 89 customers remained without power at 8:15 p.m.

Danbury

422 customers still without power Saturday.

Officials in the city reported around 4 p.m. that roads were mostly clear from debris and that any additional issues were being handled as soon as possible.

Darien

573 customers still without power Saturday.

Easton

164 customers still without power Saturday.

Morehouse Road at Morning Glory Drive, which was previously closed for flooding, is open. Police ask drivers to use caution, as there is still some water over the roadway.

Two customers remain without power, according to Eversource. UI reports 164 customers in Easton without power.

Fairfield

489 customers still without power Saturday.

Greenwich

5,719 customers still without power Saturday.

As one of the areas of Connecticut hit the hardest by the storm, crews -- from Eversource and the town - are working around the clock to restore power.

Milford

36 customers still without power Saturday.

Monroe/Stepney

142 customers still without power Saturday.

The fire department reported responding to several calls during the storm Friday evening into Saturday morning.

Among those calls, officials said, was the cleanup of a transformer oil spill when a pole came down on Bradley Drive.

Stepney Fire Department stepped in for a car that crashed into a pole on Pastors Walk.

Stepney firefighters also handled a tree and wire fire on Monroe Turnpike. Crews kept an eye on the fire for two hours early Saturday morning, waiting for the power company to respond as the fire burned and winds blew embers around nearby homes, officials said.

New Canaan

454 still without power Saturday.

The towns Emergency Operation Center announced at 10:30 a.m. that town-wide restoration efforts were underway.

At that time, there were 31 roads with downed trees and wires. An updated number was not immediately available later Saturday.

Police ask that anyone who encounters caution tape or barricades blocking off roads do not move them or try to travel down the roads.

As people remain without power, they are reminded not to keep a generator inside, but to keep it outside and at least 10 feet away from their home.

Non-emergency situations can be reported to 203-594-3500. Life-threatening emergencies should be reserved for 911 calls.

Norwalk

433 customers still without power Saturday.

Norwalks emergency services had a busy day Friday, officials said.

There are still several roads in the city closed because of trees and wires down, officials said, though there were no specific roads provided.

Police ask anyone who sees wires down to call 911 and do not approach or touch them. If drivers see flooded roadways, police said, do not drive across them.

Ridgefield

746 customers still without power Saturday.

Around 4 p.m., police reported that roughly 20 roads in the town remained closed because of downed trees and wires. Police said the roads affected were back roads, not main ones. They were expected to be cleared later Saturday.

Seymour

14 customers still without power Saturday.

A car that crashed into a telephone pole Friday night caused police and fire personnel to shut down South Main Street between Colony Road and Bellevue Terrace. The road was expected to remain closed until utility companies could get to the site to make repairs.

Police reported at 7:30 a.m. Saturday that the road remained closed and was expected to be beyond 3 p.m. There was no immediate indication from police that the road had been reopened as of 8:30 p.m.

Shelton

8 customers still without power Saturday.

Stamford

1,753 customers still without power Saturday.

With the citys St. Patricks Day Parade scheduled in downtown, crews worked throughout the evening to ensure the roadways were cleared for the parade to run without issue.

The parade, which kicked off at noon Saturday, was able to run on the expected street - Hoyt Street, Summer Street, Main Street, Atlantic Street, Broad Street, Bedford Street and North Street - without any problems.

Stratford

3 customers still without power Saturday.

Trumbull

15 customers still without power Saturday.

Weston

475 customers still without power Saturday.

Friday evening, Weston fire officials reported several incidents involving damage to the towns power infrastructure.

Wires and trees were down throughout the down and crews were out Friday night, working to clear the roadways. A larger force was out Saturday working to cleanup debris.

Friday night, fire officials reported the following roads to have blockages: Davis Hill Road, Valley Forge Road, Kettlecreek Road, Old Hyde Road, Wampum Hill Road, Whippoorwill Road, Norfield Road, White Oak Lane, High Noon Road, Newtown Turnpike, Cindy Lane, Lords Highway, High Acre Road, Kellogg Hill Road, Ravenwood Road, Old Orchard Road, Hackberry Hill Road, Hidden Meadow, Blue Spruce Circle, Godfrey Road East, Farrell Road and Birch Hill Road.

There was no immediate word on which of those roads, if any, had been cleared by Saturday at 8:40 p.m.

Anyone who requires assistance can reach Weston emergency services at 203-222-2600.

Westport

556 customers still without power Saturday.

More than 24 hours ago, Westport police reported the following roads were closed: Turkey Hill Road South at Hillandale Road, Roseville Road area of Salem Road, the area of 326 Main Street, the area of 3 Bayberry Ridge, the area of 2 Hillyfield Lane, the area of 166 Compo Road South, the area of 5 Farnham Court, the area of 8 Warnock Drive, Canal Street at Woods Grove Road, the area of 18 High Gate, the area of 12 Side Hill Road, the area of 17 Saxon Lane, the area of 10 Highland Lane and Compo Road South at Bridge Street.

There was no word Saturday evening around 8:45 p.m. on whether these areas had been cleared of the trees, wires and debris that caused emergency officials to close them Friday evening.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Tens of thousands of people across the state remained without power Saturday, after a noreaster the day before brought rain and fierce winds that knocked down countless trees, including one that killed a man on the Merritt Parkway.

Utilities said some customers would have to wait until Sunday  or longer  before their electricity was restored.

As of 4:15 p.m. Saturday, across the state, Eversource reported 23,702 customers without power, while United Illuminating reported 453. Greenwich (5,709) and Stamford (1,740) remained the two hardest-hit municipalities in the state, as of 7:20 p.m.

It was the same across much of the Northeast, as coastal communities experienced damaging high-tide flooding and the lingering wind. In all, more than 2 million homes and businesses from Virginia to Maine lost power at some point because of the storm.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency Saturday, joining governors in Maryland and Virginia who had earlier made the declarations.

By Saturday evening, power outages on the East Coast had dipped by about 500,000. But high winds were still making it hard for utility crews to get all the lights back on.

In Connecticut, Eversource officials said there were nearly 100 broken (utility) poles, damaged transformers and about 11 miles of downed electrical wires to repair. ... In many cases, weve had to rebuild the electric system.

The majority of Eversource customers still in the dark would likely have their power back by 9 p.m. Sunday, utility spokesman Mitch Gross said. But despite the all hands on deck approach, Gross said, it could take several days to restore power to some customers.

Were doing everything that we can to restore power to all of our customers today, and were doing that as quickly and safely as possible, Gross said.

Death on the Parkway

Jonathan Rodriguez-Melendez, 25, of Hawthorne, N.J. was identified as the man killed Friday afternoon on the Merritt Parkway, near exit 33 south.

Connecticut State Police said a tree dislodged and fell on top of the Mini Cooper Rodriguez-Melendez was driving. The cars passenger was taken to Greenwich Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

There were other storm-related deaths elsewhere. A 57-year-old Pennsylvania man and a 37-year-old Massachusetts man were also killed when trees fell on their vehicles Friday. A man and a 6-year-old boy were killed in different parts of Virginia, while an 11-year-old boy in New York state and a man in Rhode Island, both died. A 77-year-old woman died after being struck by a branch outside her home near Baltimore.

The storm prompted more than 2,800 flight cancellations, mostly in the Northeast on Friday. LaGuardia and Kennedy airports in New York City were brought to a near standstill. A day later, airports from Washington, D.C. to Boston were still reporting dozens of delays and cancellations, but they were recovering.

The storm also knocked out Amtrak service between Washington D.C. and New York before it was restored Saturday morning. In Connecticut, Metro-North rail service was limited Friday because of trees on the tracks, and buses replaced trains on the New Canaan line. Late Saturday afternoon, Metro-North reported that its rail lines were fully operational again.

Greenwich Police reported several hundreds of trees knocked down during the peak of the storm Friday, and town officials urged residents to stay home so public works crews could clear the roads.

Throughout Friday night, Bridgeport police responded to calls for wires, trees and branches down across the city, dispatch reports indicated. Most people who lost power in the city were in the Black Rock area, officials said.

By 7 p.m. Saturday, UI reported that 133 Bridgeport customers remained without power. WPKN, a Bridgeport-based radio station at 89.5 FM, was offline, because the storm knocked out its transmitter.

Handling massive outages

When restoring power after a major storm, Eversource said, the company focuses on bringing power back to critical facilities first - including hospitals and police and fire departments.

Safety is always a top priority, said a tweet from Eversource on Saturday. We respond to emergency 9-1-1 call, clear electric equipment from blocked roads and complete damage assessments.

Average wind gusts were recorded Friday in the range of 40 to 60 mph throughout Fairfield and New Haven counties.

Though the winds started to die down around midnight Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, gusts were strong enough Saturday to prevent electric companies from restoring power in some places.

Out-of-state utility crews came to Connecticut on Saturday to help Eversource workers. Michael Hayhurst, the utilitys vice presidents of electric operations in Connecticut, said Saturday afternoon that crews had restored power to more than 134,000 customers since the storm began.

This storm was extremely destructive, bringing down thousands of trees around the state, making it difficult for our crews to travel to locations where work needs to be done, Hayhurst said.

The Associated Press and staff reporters John Nickerson, Ken Borsuk, Pat Tomlinson and Zach Murdock contributed to this report.

Looking back on 2017, one moment lights up Kangana Ranaut, the memory of it breaking her face into a divine smile. Collecting snowflakes in her palms outside her eco-friendly villa nestled in an organic farm in Manali on a cold December evening. For the 30-year-old star, it was another personal milestoneher farm has been nearly two years in the making. Turns out, the year was just as significant for her personally as it was for her fiery public persona, which has been a tabloid and front page staple.

Kangana Ranaut Behind the Scenes Cover shoot for Femina ;







In September, she started work on what she acknowledges as the most challenging film of her life, Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi, in which she plays Rani Lakshmibai. Its a historical figure Ranaut looked up to during her growing years. Determined to do justice to the role, the actor performed stunts that left her with 15 stitches on her forehead, a visible scar and a painful ligament injury. As work on the film wraps up and Ranaut approaches her 31st birthday on March 23, we catch her in an introspective mood.



Youve just finished taping for your film Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi, which left you with several stitches on your forehead and

a twisted ankle. Was it the most challenging film of your life?

According to me, Rani Lakshmibai is one of the most prominent feminists India has ever seen. Even before she started the rebel movement in 1857 and led an army of women, she fought for important things. She has always been an inspirational figure to me, and I have been meaning to do a film based on her life and times for a few years now. A few collaborations were in the making, but they fell through for various reasons. As director R Krishna and his writers (who wrote Baahubali) narrated their vision of Rani Lakshmibai, I literally started clappingeven though their story focused on the warrior in Rani Lakshmibai. I just had to do the film, and it required me to train under stunt and action director Nick Powell (The Three Muskteers, The Bourne Identity) in various disciplines for a month, including combat sword fighting and horse riding. This role turned out to be the most challenging one of my life. I got injured a few times during some death-defying stunts with real swords. Of course, they were blunt, but they left me with a deep cut on my forehead between my eyebrowsmy bone was left exposed. But luckily, we were filming in Hyderabad and I could get a good surgeon to stitch it up. I also tore a crucial ligament in my ankle. This film has literally taken my blood (laughs).



Simran was inspired from true events, too. All your characters are strong, empowered women. Do you make a conscious decision to pick such parts?

Its high time that as women artistes we started essaying these roles because we dont have the right role models on screen today. Simran received its fair share of criticism, but the underlying message was that a divorced woman cannot be denied her right to life. Im glad times are changing, and Im getting roles to play that are empowering not only for the audience, but for me too. Its very liberating.



You have also been a trailblazer from your family, being the first woman to start working in theatre even while you were in college and then becoming an actor on your own steam.

The dignity of women and children in our country is underrated. People feel that young children cannot be their own person. But the truth is, you become your own person from a very young age. I feel this lack of dignity and respect in the environment where I grew up pushed me to become who I am and shaped my life and career.



The other historical film that has been in the news is Padmaavat. Have you seen the film?

Honestly, I have not seen the film.



Swara Bhasker wrote an open letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on what she felt while watching the film, and many dismissed it as an attention-seeking tactic. What did you make of it?

As an artiste, I can tell you that a films story, theme and morale can sometimes be in sync, and sometimes, it can also be a sceptical paradox. So a film about great brutality can also teach you lessons in humanity. But a filmmaker has the liberty to tell his narrative. Its up to him if he wants to make frivolous stuff or work with a higher purpose. Coming to Swara, its very disturbing to see how she is being called names and slut-shamed into silence. It only goes to show that society has become scared of the movement women professionals have started in this country. The people who are trying to silence Swara are the people who treat women badly; why else are they so affected by this letter? What is so offensive about it? She has written a courteous and decent piece. We live in a toxic society so hostile to women that unimaginable crimes happen against us. The only remedy is to give attention to womens voices. I read somewhere that Mr Bhansali has said jauhar is the characters way of winning the war. Thats equally controversial, and one of the most insensitive things to say. Why isnt anyone saying anything to that? Do you see the sexism there? There is no reaction to that because a man said it.







"Whether a woman or man, you can be a feminist if you believe in equality."



What does feminism mean to you today?

Two years ago, feminism was a word that no one wanted to be associated with in the film industry. I was asked pointedly on a talk show if I considered myself a feminist. I paused because I didnt want to be perceived as a male-basher. But today, the connotation has changed around the globe and all we are asking for is equality. I feel we should encourage everyone to be a feminist. Whether you are a woman or a man, you can be a feminist if you believe in equality and in protecting your own rights.



You are also a screenplay writer. Are there any stories close to you heart that may find their way to the big screen?

I have a few ideas but Im committed to my acting assignments for now. My next film is Mental Hai Kya, which is written by a woman screenplay writer, Kanika. The story is about a woman who could be a murderer or a mentally ill person. It talks about mental health, but also has a light-heartedness to it.



How does it feel to be on the cover of Feminas Womens Day issue for the second time?

Im thrilled! Apart from being the largest womens magazine, you all have been consistent in encouraging girl love. Its really a Womens Day gift for me.



For the last cover, you had collaborated with your sister Rangoli Chandel, who was your manager and spokesperson at the time. Whats your relationship with your sister today?

Rangoli has never been an ambitious person. She has always had a close set of people that she cares deeply for and confides in. And today as mother to her baby (Prithviraj), she is even more exclusive. This baby is the centre of Rangolis existence today. Sometimes I only get to talk to her once in three days. I feel bad that her priorities have changed today (smiles). And I dont have the attention, love and companionship that I had received from her in the past. It was a big shift for me when Rangoli decided to separate and move back to Manali with her husband (Ajay) to concentrate on her family life. They are also building a hotel there. My nephew is cute and it was a special feeling when I held him for the first time because he bears an uncanny resemblance to Rangoli and me. But I cannot deny that I miss the old days with my sister.



Today, you are on your own in a manner of speaking, and you have conducted yourself well even when your paths crossed somewhat messily

with Karan Johar on his talk show last year. What have your interactions with him been like since?

We are not the best of friends, as youre probably aware. But we had a professional interaction. I dont mind a creative collaboration with him, even if we dont subscribe to the same ideologies. Im not going to miss out on a work opportunity over this. Also, as an actor I want to remain close to my audience through TV and digital platforms too.



Do you manage your own finances today?

Yes, it has been a big shift and Im learning on the job. I filed my taxes last year with help from my chartered accountant.



What do you like to invest in?

People think property is not the best investment option today, but I have recently bought an office space in Pali Hill in Bandra, Mumbai. Its not functional yet, but I want it to be clean and chic. I want a lot of natural stone, wood work and greenery.



Your eco-friendly farmhouse in Manali is ready, and you brought in the New Year there. Was it a dream come true?

Im an environmentalist and Im glad I could manage to get the house ready in December. The house is surrounded with a lot of cultivable land that I intend to use to grow vegetables and fruits in. Im planning to grow strawberries, avocado, wheat, broccoli and kiwi.







"I want to have children, but my work will always be my first baby."



You live life on the fast lane. Does it leave you with any time to have a relationship?

Honestly, its not about the work, but the person you are. Its easier to find love during your growing years because one is so raw, undefined and easy-going. As time goes by, you want something else, and its hard to find.



What are your expectations from your partner today?

In my early 20s, my idea of a partner was more filmi; my expectations are very different today. As you get older, you no longer want to put the other person ahead of you. Your own fulfillment becomes important and you want someone who can keep up.



Your last relationship with an actor (Hrithik Roshan) ran its course, and the break-up was widely reported. Are you more cautious today?

I was cautious then and even the other person was. We didnt have unreal expectations from each other. But, unfortunately, events that unfolded in his life pushed him to make false promises. It was not wrong all along. And its not that I could have helped him because these are events in his life. There are relationships where I had made mistakes but this one has to be one of the relationships where I was unlucky.



Have you met any eligible men in recent times?

Yes, I have, and Im at the stage that comes before dating.



Do you believe in the institution of marriage?

I do. I definitely want to get married. Im thinking more and more about finding a solid relationship and having a family. Meeting the right guy is on the to-do list. Frivolous dating and going for midnight walks and drives are not things that interest me anymore. I want to have children, but my work will always be my first baby. Actually, Prithvi is as good as my own baby.



By Sandipan Dalal

Photographs: Prasad Naik



Makeup: Loveleen Ramchandani; HairStylist: Yianni Tsapatori (Faze Management); senior creative director: meetesh taneja; senior photo shoot coordinator: shraddha kharpude; Stylist: Akshita Singh; Trainee Stylist: Khushi Bhatia; Interns: Nikhita Niranjan, Zara Razzak



Captain Virat Kohli has just returned from a successful series against South Africa and the country is celebrating. Through the tour we saw Virat crediting Anushka Sharma for his excellent form and took to social media to express how much he was missing the wifey. As soon as he landed in Mumbai, he held a special screening of Anushkas latest horror film, Pari. All this while, Anushka was busy shooting for her next film Sui Dhaaga with Varun Dhawan and if youve seen the pictures, she is unrecognisable in her look for the film.



The two have spent quite a lot of time apart since the wedding and you could only imagine how much they have missed each other. But the wait is over. Anushka Sharma arrived in the city this morning and Virat was there to receive her at the airport. The couple immediately got into a hug and you could see the excitement on their faces within seconds of seeing each other.



What a power couple! Anushka and Virat have constantly made headlines with their love story and continue to stir up the romance even with their tight schedules. Check out the pictures of the couple at the airport below.

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All Comments (0) Anushka Sharma









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All Comments (0) Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma









All Comments (0) Virat Kohli









All Comments (0) Virat Kohli









All Comments (0) Virat Kohli

Recommended for YouKing Shah Rukh Khan whos currently busy shooting for Aanand L Rais Zero has yet again created another record. Its no hidden secret that SRK doesnt just have fans in India but globally also. The King of Romance knows how to win hearts and those oh so good looks have given him another great spot. The 52 year old actor has now officially become the second most searched celebrity on Wikipedia beating international star  Tom Cruise. The first position is held by Kim Kardashian.Meanwhile, speaking of Zero, the film also features Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif in pivotal roles. The film is slated to hit the theatres on December 21 this year which marks the New Year weekend.On working with SRK, filmmaker Aanand L Rai earlier told a daily, I think he is a very gutsy actor from day one. He has always taken up challenges. And that is the reason I am with him. As a director, you should be prepared to take him on a journey and explore such a superstar. He says yes to subjects that are extraordinary and puts himself in a space that is new, yet different. This is a blessing that I got to work on a film like this with him. I am happy. He is an intelligent person to play this role. Who else can do this and get into the skin of a character like this? It is tough to take away those two feet, flamboyance, grace and still say, 'let's romance',On the new Wikipedia milestone that King Khan has achieved, we cant wait for him to say something on the same.critic's rating: 2.0/5

Trailer : Death Wish

Back in 1974, when the original death Wish came out, it revived Charles Bronson's fading career. But even then, the revenge drama was criticised for being too extreme. Now, when there are mass shootings galore in America and the need of the hour are stricter gun laws, this reboot looks like it was funded by the NRA. Basically what the film is saying is that the police and the judiciary have become too complacent to protect you and give you justice so stockpiling guns is the only way out. While vigilante justice looks good in superhero movies, which have their own timeline, universe and villains, setting up such a film in the so-called 'murder capital' of America, Chicago, smacks of bad taste and a lack of common sense as well.What we're watching is The Punisher set in real world and it's kind of disturbing, to say the least. The comic book anti-hero Frank Castle at least was a trained soldier specialising in Black Ops. He was a hardened killer even before he went for revenge. In Death Wish Bruce Willis plays a trauma surgeon with enough empathy to set aside a birthday dinner and visit the ER when called upon to do so. So his transformation from a mild-mannered doctor into a remorseless killing machine is hard to digest. He shows no sign of regret and on the contrary revels in his new role, taking to his double life with glee and even sleeping soundly after the killings. There's even a montage of him taking out bullets from the bodies of victims of gangland violence on one hand and hitting targets with increasing efficiency while practicing. It's a true Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde scenario indeed.In the Bronson original, the wife is killed and the daughter brutally raped by the home intruders. Here, we're thankfully spared that. What we get is an off camera take of two shots fired, and later come to know the mother is dead and the daughter is in coma. But Eli Roth, whose claim to fame are the slasher Hostel flicks, can't help resist giving us gruesome deaths in frame after frame. A man is impaled by a bowling ball and another guy is killed when a car falls onto him. Nor is Roth bothered with subtleties. Willis shoots a Black drug dealer in a Black neighbourhood from a point blank range in broad daylight and gets away with it. Yes, at a time when America is riddled with reports of violence against Black people Roth has to go around and show that. The film makes Willis a sort of mass hero by splashing videos of his antics across the social media but his face, encased in a hoodie, is never exposed. There is social commentary on the masked vigilante over various talk shows but general consensus is that the man should be applauded for cleaning up the system. Worse, the police are shown to be totally blase about the gang violence, because it's just criminals shooting as each other. But they are treating the shooting of upper class white women as 'special'. It's hard to know whether such scenes were written as a satire or Roth believes that's how the police actually behaves.What sets the film apart is Bruce Willis. He's a genuine film star filling the big screen with his persona and enacts his role with a wry sincerity. We rooted for Liam Neeson in the Taken franchise and will continue to root for Willis in further Death Wish sequels if they ever get made, despite all their political incorrectness. Because beneath it all, we just love middle aged action stars beating the shit out of bad guys half their age. It's the greatest escapist fantasy -- that of the hero keeping the world safe -- and is never going to vanish any time soon...Mine should be here next week, will be about 2.5 months.

Ordered before the lines started up, plus Thanksgiving break, Christmas and New Years break, then the cold weather delayed it leaving for another couple of weeks.



Ive got the VIN, order number and dealer info. My truck has NEVER showed up in COTUS.

Tried refresh, accept multiple times, nothing.. As of last Fri, on a railcar in AZ. according to the dealer printout with the tracker, I'm in SoCalA torch is passed, but to whom ... and what?Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine Voice Concern Over Russian Presence

RFE/RL's Moldovan Service March 02, 2018

Pro-EU parliamentary leaders from Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia say the continued presence of Russian troops in their countries is destabilizing.

The parliament speakers from the three countries issued a joint statement at the end of a one-day security conference in Moldova's capital, Chisinau, voicing their deep concern about the Russian military presence in the three former Soviet republics.

The statement said the three countries were "profoundly concerned about Russian troops" in Moldova, "and Russian occupation and other forms of military intervention" in parts of Georgia and Ukraine.

The statement also condemned Russia's "coordinated foreign support for separatist movements," and social-media "operations" to discredit pro-European governments.

"After 26 years Moldova still has an occupied territory," the country's speaker, Andrian Candu, said. "The same reality is faced by Georgia and Ukraine."

Russia has some 1,500 troops stationed in the Moldova's separatist Transdniester region, which declared independence from Chisinau in 1990 with Moscow's backing.

Russia claims they need to stay in Transdniester to ensure peace and to protect huge Soviet-era ammunition depots located in the area.

Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in 2008, which led to two breakaway Georgian regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, declaring independence. Russia has since been supporting the regions financially and militarily.

Ukraine has been in a conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,300 since April 2014.

Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia all signed Association Agreements with the European Union in 2014, amid strong criticism from Russia.

On March 2, the parliamentary leaders reasserted their commitment to the EU, calling it "the most efficient instrument to ensure prosperity, security and stable and democratic development in the long-term for our countries."

With reporting by AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/moldova-georgia-ukraine- concerned-russian-presence/29075687.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Bahraini police arrest 116 'terror' cell members

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 04:43PM

Bahraini police have arrested 116 people over allegations of links to terrorism as the ruling Al Khalifah regime presses ahead with its heavy-handed clampdown on political dissidents.

An official statement on Bahrain's state news agency BNA said on Saturday that regime forces had detained 116 members of a "terror" cell and thwarted a number of attacks across the country and seized large quantities of arms and explosives.

The statement claimed that the suspects had links with Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). Iran denies supporting any bid to overthrow the Bahraini government.

Last month, Bahrain's Interior Ministry said the country had arrested four Bahraini men suspected of bombing a Saudi Aramco oil pipeline outside the capital Manama on November 10 last year, accusing Iran of training and arming two of the suspects.

Iran's Foreign Ministry was quick to respond, dismissing the accusation as "fabricated and baseless" and called on the Bahraini rulers to stop the "awkward and delusional blame game" against Iranian institutions.

Meanwhile, on Saturday Bahrainis took to the streets in several regions of the Persian Gulf kingdom to vent their anger at the Al Khalifah regime's crackdown on political dissidents.

Protesters held placards and chanted slogans against the Al Khalifah regime and called for immediate release of political prisoners.

The protesters also expressed solidarity with prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim, who has been living under virtual siege since Manama revoked his citizenship in June 2016.

A key ally of Washington and home to the US Fifth Fleet, the Manama regime has drawn harsh criticism from international rights groups over its crackdown on dissent.

Dozens of Bahraini people have been jailed and stripped of citizenship since a popular uprising began in the tiny Persian Gulf state in mid-February 2011. The kingdom has also deported citizens whose nationalities had been revoked.

On March 5, 2017, Bahrain's parliament and king approved the trial of civilians at military tribunals in a measure blasted by human rights campaigners as being tantamount to imposition of an undeclared martial law countrywide.

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Russia's Putin urges Washington to send hard evidence for meddling allegations

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 02:40PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on the US to send him hard evidence that some Russians purportedly interfered in the 2016 US presidential election in favor of incumbent American President Donald Trump, mocking accusations to date as "yelling and hollering in the United States Congress."

"I have to see first what they've done. Give us materials, give us information," the Russian president said in an interview with NBC TV aired late on Friday, according to an English voiceover of his words.

In response to a question whether the Kremlin would take action against the named individuals, President Putin said Moscow "cannot respond to that if they do not violate Russian laws."

The Russian president further said US authorities should send Russia's general prosecutor an official request, adding that "this has to go through official channels, not through the press."

The broadcast came a day after Putin introduced an array of new nuclear weapons, in one of his most strongly-worded speeches in years, saying Moscow could hit almost any point in the world and evade a US-built missile shield in case of facing any aggression launched against his country.

Last month, the US Justice Department's Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating the alleged Russian meddling, indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities accused of interfering in elections in the US as part of what is called a conspiracy to support Trump and disparage Hillary Clinton.

In late 2016, Washington alleged that Russia had influenced the US presidential election in November that year to help Trump get elected, an allegation that Russia strongly denied. Back then, the outgoing administration of President Barack Obama threatened that the United States would respond to the alleged Russian meddling "at the time and place" of its choosing.

In November 2017, Putin strongly rejected as "fantasies" claims that Moscow interfered in the election in favor of Trump. The Russian president also in December renewed Russia's rejection of the same accusations, saying the claims were nothing more than "espionage mania."

There are currently multiple investigations by US security agencies into the case.

Despite lack of significant proof, the accusations of Moscow's alleged tampering with the election persist as a hot topic in Washington, contributing largely to the worst deterioration in Russian-American ties since the Cold War.

Trump himself has repeatedly told Americans that the allegations of collusion between his campaign and Russia were not true. In his latest reaction to the allegation, Trump said on February 16, shortly after the publication of Mueller's report, that "the results of the election were not impacted."

"The Trump campaign did nothing wrong - no collusion!" he added.

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Mueller probing whether Kushner's business ties influenced US policy

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 11:07AM

US federal investigators are probing whether Jared Kushner's business talks with foreigners influenced the policies adopted by the administration of his father-in-law, President Donald Trump.

The US Justice Department's Special Counsel Robert Mueller has asked witnesses about Kushner's attempts to secure financing for his family's real estate investments, focusing specifically on his talks with people from Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Russia and China, NBC News reported on Friday.

Mueller's team also has expressed interest in a meeting Kushner held at Trump Tower in December 2016 with former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, NBC reported, cited unnamed people familiar with Mueller's investigation.

The Qatari embassy in Washington rejected the assertions, saying in a statemen that Doha "has not been approached nor has it had any contact with the Special Counsel's Office on any matters."

The special counsel is investigating Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and whether there was any collusion between Moscow and Trump's election campaign.

Russia has denied interfering in the election, and Trump has said there was no collusion.

A spokesman for Kushner attorney Abbe Lowell said the report was the "mischief" of unnamed sources conducting a"misinformation campaign" to mislead the news media.

Kushner's family business, Kushner Companies, is facing some $1.4 billion in debt that is due in 2019, NBC News cited the sources as saying.

Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that officials from China,Mexico, the UAE and Israel have talked privately about ways to manipulate Kushner using his business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience.

The newspaper report quoted unnamed American officials familiar with intelligence reports on the issue.

Kushner lost his access to top-secret US intelligence information in recent weeks because of his inability to obtain a security clearance at that level.

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Putin Demands Evidence Of Guilt Of Russians Accused Of Meddling In U.S.

March 03, 2018

President Vladimir Putin said Russia won't take action against Russians accused of meddling in the U.S. presidential election if they did not break Russian laws.

In an interview with NBC News aired late on March 2, Putin said Russia has not been presented with official evidence or an extradition request from U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who last month indicted 13 Russians and three Russian companies for allegedly interfering in the 2016 election.

"We cannot respond to that if they don't violate Russian laws," Putin told NBC. "People who are well educated must understand that we in Russia cannot prosecute people if they have not violated Russian law."

"It takes an official request to the prosecutor-general of the Russian Federation. Give us a document, give us an official request," Putin said. "This has to go through official channels, not through the press or yelling and hollering in the United States Congress."

Putin's remarks confirm that Russia is not likely to hand over the 13 Russian citizens identified in Mueller's indictment. Russia does not have an extradition treaty with the United States.

Without help from Moscow, Mueller has little hope of pursuing his case against the suspects, who are accused of using a network of fake social-media accounts and targeted messaging to roil the U.S. presidential debate.

Those indicted, including a notorious so-called "troll factory" in St. Petersburg named the Internet Research Agency, allegedly worked for Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch with ties to Putin.

According to the indictment, some of the Russian operatives posed as American activists and helped organize street rallies against U.S. President Donald Trump's opponent, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

One of the Russians indicted, Mikhail Burchik, told the daily newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda that he plans to stay in Russia.

"I love my country. There are many beautiful places that you can go to in Russia," he said.

Based on reporting by NBC News and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-demands -evidence-guilt-russians-accused -meddling-us-election/29076239.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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As US Forces Struggle to Hold Territory in Somalia, Peacekeepers Continue Exodus

Sputnik News

22:49 03.03.2018(updated 22:57 03.03.2018)

A US senator has revealed that Washington is struggling with its mission to break militant group al-Shabab's hold on Somalia.

Some 500 US troops are working with the Somali military and other African partners to eradicate al-Shabab from their strongholds in Somalia. "Our doctrine isto disrupt, clear, hold. We're finding it difficult to hold," Jack Reed, top ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services committee, told Defense One in a story published Friday. "We have specialized units who are very good at disrupting al-Shabab together with our special operators, but we're certainly not at the 'clear and hold phase,' we're at the phase of disrupting al-Shabab, keeping them off balance."

A quarter-century since 18 US service members died after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Mogadishu, long-term stability in Somalia seems as distant a hope as it did then, Reed said. The US pulled its troops from the humanitarian mission launched in the country in 1992 shortly after the deadly 1993 incident, and only returned officially in 2013.

But today, despite a US presence that was substantially boosted in 2017, when the number of troops were doubled to the Pentagon's current declared 500 and commanders were given more freedom to call in airstrikes, the Somali government is struggling to hold territory from what AFRICOM estimates as 3,000 to 6,000 al-Shabab fighters and a few hundred Daesh soldiers.

US troops are officially in Somalia to provide direct assistance to local armed forces, through train and equip and advise and assist missions. But US airstrikes, which have grown much more numerous with US President Donald Trump's loosening of restrictions, have clear and deadly consequences, most recently on February 26, when a US strike killed two al-Shabab militants and wounded one, according to AFRICOM.

But it's not enough. "In terms of building a stable entity, a country that can take care of its own forces, that's a long way off," Reed told Defense One. Al-Shabab still executes suicide and other attacks daily, and faces little resistance outside the capital, where Reed said the federal government influence is nearly nil.

And US partners in the region are growing tired. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has "pulled back a bit, they're more located on forward-operating-bases, they're not going out a lot," Reed said, having been burned by a series of fatal encounters with militants. AMISOM is also withdrawing troops with the aim of handing over all responsibility to Somalia's army by 2020  though the AMISOM heads of state are unhappy about that. The leaders of East African nations contributing some 20,000 troops to the AMISOM peacekeeping mission in Somalia warned the UN that the planned drawdown would "reverse gains."

The heads of state of Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti and Ethiopia issued a statement from their Friday meeting in Kampala with Somali President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohamed that the time frames and troop levels envisioned by the UN Security Council's drawdown resolution were "not realistic and would lead to a reversal of the gains made by AMISOM," the Independent reported.

Some 1,000 troops were withdrawn last year, and 1,000 more are scheduled to leave the country by October, according to the Independent. Meanwhile, three Burundian troops were the most recent to lose their lives when they were ambushed by al-Shabaab Friday.

If the drawdown continues as planned, the US will not fill the void, Reed said.

"We train some specialized units, but I think the notion of going in, like what was done in Afghanistan, to try to train a national army that will fully replace  I don't think that's on the table," he said. "That has to be done, but maybe it could be done by somebody else, maybe we could participate in doing it, but taking that on as we did in Afghanistan or as we did in Iraq?"

 Sputnik

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Burkina Faso President Urges Public to Cooperate With Military After Twin Attacks

By VOA News March 03, 2018

Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore urged the public Saturday to cooperate more closely with the country's military, one day after an armed group carried out coordinated attacks on France's embassy and cultural center and on the West African country's military headquarters in the capital of Ouagadougou.

"I would like to encourage the population to reinforce collaboration with our defense and security forces in our common fight against terrorism," he said in a speech on national television.

The Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM)  also known as Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa'al- Muslimin (JNIM) in Arabic  on Saturday claimed responsibility for the attacks in a message cited by Mauritania's Al-Akhbar news agency.

The group, a fusion of three Malian jihadist groups with previous al-Qaida links, have been behind several high-profile attacks against civilian and military forces since forming last year.

The government said eight soldiers were killed, as well as eight assailants  four at the embassy and four at military headquarters. Eighty others were wounded.

At the start of the Friday attacks, witnesses said, armed men got out of a car and opened fire on passers-by before heading to the embassy. An explosion occurred at about the same time near the military headquarters and the French cultural center about a kilometer from the embassy attack, witnesses said.

Aristide Voundi, a milkman who was near the army headquarters when the attack occurred, told VOA, "I heard a loud noise in that area, and I saw black smoke. My ears were buzzing. I got scared. I took off, and I saw people running. It was panic in the city."

Homemaker Sanou Safiatou said she was in the city when she heard an explosion, which triggered a scramble for shelter. "We were really afraid," and "the traffic was dense," she said. "It was chaos."

A prosecutor in Paris said an investigation had been launched into "attempted murder in relation to a terrorist enterprise."

The city has been attacked at least twice in the past few years by Islamic extremists targeting foreigners.

Burkina Faso is among a number of vulnerable countries in the southern Sahara region that are fighting jihadist groups.

VOA French to Africa service's Bagassi Koura contributed to this report.

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Alleged Russian Hacker To Be Sent Where Worst Crimes Committed, Czech Minister Says

RFE/RL March 03, 2018

Czech Justice Minister Robert Pelikan has said he will decide whether to extradite alleged Russian hacker Yevgeny Nikulin to the United States or Russia based primarily on where the most serious crimes were committed.

Pelikan told the Czech Chamber of Deputies he will also take into account which country requested extradition of Nikulin first, media reported on March 2.

Pelikan made his comments during a regular period of questioning from legislators on March 1.

"I will make a decision as soon as I am able to make it, because there are various processes for which I have to wait," he said.

Both of the criteria cited by Pelikan appear to favor the United States, which has accused Nikulin of more serious cybercrimes than Russia and put in its extradition request for the suspect first.

Nikulin, 30, has been under arrest in Prague since October 2016 based on an international arrest warrant issued by the United States, where he is suspected of hacking the LinkedIn and Formspring (Spring.me) social networks and the Dropbox file-hosting service in 2012-13.

After he was detained, Russia asked for his extradition, citing him as a suspect in a minor $2,000 online theft in 2009.

The U.S. request for extradition was filed on November 16, 2016. The Czech Justice Ministry later received a Russian extradition request dated November 16, 2016, based on an arrest warrant dated November 10, 2016.

Czech legislator Miroslava Nemcova said the the United States is seeking Nikulin in part because he likely is acquainted with Russia's cyberwarfare operations against the West. Russia's quick move to repatriate Nikulin attests to his potential value to Western intelligence, she said.

"They want to get him in Russia because I think they are rightly afraid that the Americans would get him and ask him things that would not be good for Russia," Nemcova said.

Pelikan confirmed to the parliament that President Milos Zeman asked him to extradite Nikulin to Russia.

"He asked me repeatedly and vehemently. I listened to it and presented my stance to the president, which I am not going to interpret here," Pelikan said.

He said he does not feel any pressure to decide in Russia's favor because of Zeman's request.

Nikulin's attorneys have pushed to return their client to Russia, arguing that he could not expect a fair trial in the United States.

Nikulin faces a maximum 30 years in prison and up to $1 million in fines if convicted on U.S. charges, including computer intrusion, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy, and trafficking in illegal access devices.

With reporting by Axios and Prague Monitor

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/alleged-russian-hacker- nikulin-sent-where-worst-crimes-occured-czech -minister-pelika-says/29076229.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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US plans to deploy 400 anti-ballistic missiles on Russia's doorstep: Russian official

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 02:17PM

A Russian defense official says the United States is planning to deploy some 400 anti-ballistic missiles on Russia's doorstep as part of its military buildup in Eastern Europe.

"A large-scale effort is ongoing to encircle Russia with an anti-missile shield. Anti-missile defense sites have been already seat up on US soil in California and Alaska," Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin told state-run Russia 24 TV channel on Friday.

"Overall, some 400 anti-ballistic missiles will be deployed, significantly diminishing the potential of Russia's nuclear deterrent," Fomin said, adding that "anti-missile defense sites in Japan and South Korea will join this circle."

Washington has in fact long been enhancing its anti-missile shield into Europe.

Last year, the US for the first time deployed Patriot long-range anti-aircraft missiles to the Baltics to be used in large-scale NATO military drills in Lithuania near Russia's border.

Back in July, US Vice President Mike Pence indicated that the US was considering deploying Patriot systems to the Baltic state of Estonia.

Poland has recently secured a $10.5-billion arms deal with Washington to purchase 208 Patriot Advanced Capabilty-3 (PAC-3) missiles in addition to 16 launchers and four radars.

Commenting on the mobility of US troops, Fomin said that they had been practicing deployment overseas and had already created "a logistical reserve sufficient for a very rapid deployment of an additional grouping of up to 300,000 troops."

The United States has deployed contingents of troops since Crimea's reunification with Russia following a referendum in March 2014. The US deployments have been supplemented by four NATO battle groups of more than 1,000 soldiers.

Around 3,500 US troops arrived in Poland in January 2017, one of the largest deployments of US forces in Europe since the end of the Cold War in 1991.

Western countries have moved to step up their military presence in Eastern Europe to deter what they call Russian "aggression."

Russia is wary of NATO's military build-up near its borders. In response, Moscow has beefed up Russia's southwestern military capacity, deploying nuclear-capable missiles to its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad bordering Poland and Lithuania.

Delivering his annual state of the nation speech in Moscow on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had tested a number of new advanced strategic weapons, which could not be intercepted, saying they would render NATO's US-led missile systems "useless."

They include a nuclear-powered cruise missile, a nuclear-powered underwater drone and a hypersonic Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that have no equivalents elsewhere in the world, Putin said.

The Sarmat system is capable of carrying a wide range of nuclear weapons and has virtually no range limit, able to strike across both the South and North Poles, according to Putin.

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China pursues world peace, common development in international agenda

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 13:36, March 03, 2018

BEIJING, March 2 -- As President Xi Jinping's concept of "building a community with a shared future for humanity" gains ground internationally, China will attach more importance to the five-year-old notion, with a view to finding an ultimate way to world peace.

At the beginning of March, China is entering its annual political high season. As the country's top legislature and advisory body gear up for their annual sessions to set the national agenda for the year and beyond, analysts expect the "shared future" concept to be a major theme during this year's meetings.

Analysts have suggested that building a community with a shared future for humanity could potentially be proposed to be added to the Constitution, at the two sessions.

A NOTION THAT MATTERS

Building a community with a shared future for humanity was first proposed to the world by Chinese President Xi Jinping in March 2013 during his visit to Moscow. In the following years, Xi continuously refined his vision of global governance.

A community with a shared future pursues an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity.

According to the idea, countries should respect one another, discuss issues as equals, and resolutely reject the Cold War mentality and power politics. Countries should take a new approach to developing international relations with communication, rather than confrontation, and partnerships, rather than alliances.

"The notion has enriched the theoretical system of international relations and provided a new perspective -- a Chinese perspective -- on how countries get along with one another," said Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies.

In his report made at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last October, Xi reiterated the concept and laid out a roadmap for China's foreign policy that connects the country's future to that of the whole world. The notion was thereafter written into the Party's Constitution as an integral aspect of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

"Building a new type of international relations" and building a community with a shared future for humanity are the overall goals of China's diplomacy, according to Wang Yi, Chinese foreign minister.

"The goals originate from 5,000 years of tradition that the Chinese nation sees the world as equally shared by all, from China's diplomatic values with peace at the core, and from the CPC world view that well-being of people from all countries is intertwined," Wang said.

This echoes the observation of late British historian Arnold Toynbee, who believed that the cosmopolitanism that the Chinese nation had cultivated in its long history was a "historic asset."

In January this year, the CPC Central Committee at a plenary session stressed that, "Following the path of peaceful development, pursuing a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind are of great significance to the cause of peaceful development for humanity."

PUTTING POLICY INTO ACTION

Key to this "shared future" is translating the vision into action.

During the past five years, China has been pursuing win-win cooperation with the world while following its own path of peaceful development.

The Belt and Road Initiative, as the epitome of the concept, has become a huge cooperation platform for countries concerned -- big or small, near or far -- to realize their common development.

Also proposed by Xi in 2013, the initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road and aims to build a trade, investment and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond ancient Silk Road trade routes.

So far, the initiative has gained support from more than 100 countries and international organizations. More than 80 countries and international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China.

"The Belt and Road Initiative promotes the formation of a new global and economic order," said Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University, adding that the new global order was a community of shared future which embodies "China's view of power, stressing equality and fairness."

As a supporter of the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has now expanded its membership to 84, representing a vote of confidence in the bank by the international community.

By hosting or participating in such international events as the G20, BRICS, APEC, and Boao Forum for Asia meetings as well as the World Economic Forum in Davos, China demonstrates a strong preference for an open world economy.

At the WEF meeting in 2017, Xi's vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity gained resonance worldwide. His speech garnered huge appreciation as he vehemently championed a world of free trade, an open economy and globalization, revealing China's multilateralist approach to invigorating global growth. The speech was still warmly discussed at this year's meeting.

BIGGER ROLE ON WORLD STAGE

"Our friends in Southeast Asia say that the lotus flowers grow taller as the water rises. Our friends in Africa say that if you want to go fast, walk alone; and if you want to go far, walk together. Our friends in Europe say that a single tree cannot block the chilly wind. And Chinese people say that when big rivers have water, the small ones are filled; and when small rivers have water, the big ones are filled," Xi said when addressing a forum three years ago. "All these sayings speak to one same truth, that is, only through win-win cooperation can we make big and sustainable achievements that are beneficial to all."

Over the past five years, from multilateral conferences to bilateral meetings with foreign leaders, from high-profile speeches to congratulatory letters, Xi has frequently emphasized his notion, which has augmented its visibility and influence at home and abroad.

Building a community with a shared future for humanity is, in essence, a way to connect the prospects and destinies of every nation and country closely together, share weal and woe, and turn planet Earth into a harmonious family.

In the past five years, Xi's visits to 57 countries and major international and regional organizations have covered five continents. With friendly cooperation between China and other countries continuously expanding, the idea is indeed gaining support and endorsement from an increasing number of people worldwide.

It has been not only incorporated into a UN resolution at the 55th UN Commission for Social Development, but also enshrined by the UN Security Council, the Human Rights Council and the First Committee of the UN General Assembly.

When delivering a speech focused on building a community with a shared future at the general debate of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York in 2015, Xi received a remarkable 15 rounds of applause in just 20 minutes.

No matter what stage of development it reaches, China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion. The country will neither import foreign models of development nor export the Chinese model, according to him.

As this year's "two sessions" are about to start, at which the country's development and diplomatic policies will be better elaborated, China will define its role on the world stage more clearly.

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'Sharp power' accusations seen as unfair ploy to tarnish China's image

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 13:59, March 03, 2018

Double standards and Cold War-era thinking are behind the recent voices alleging that China is boosting its publicity worldwide in order to impose "sharp power" on others, a spokesman for China's top political advisory body said.

Western countries that do likewise have been described as showcasing soft power or smart power, but China has been accused of having an ulterior motive or showing "sharp power", said Wang Guoqing, spokesman for the first session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. He made the remarks at a news conference on Friday in Beijing when asked about the accusations.

Such allegations are full of prejudice, discrimination and hostility, and they are the latest version of views hyping China's threat, the spokesman added.

"It is not the first time, and I think it will not be the last time, that a new term is created to tarnish China's image," Wang said.

As China's overall strength is on the rise, it has stepped up its publicity overseas in order to present its image and help the international community get to know China in a timely and accurate way, Wang said.

When asked about recent comments made by US officials about Washington's regret on allowing China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001, Wang said that "a major country should honor its commitments".

The spokesman said that after entering the WTO, China has seriously fulfilled its commitments regarding tariff and market opening, opposing protectionism and promoting fair competition.

Wang also said many members of the WTO have been worried by the unilateralist words and actions of the US, and both China and the US should defend the authority of the WTO rules.

Speaking on China-Japan ties, Wang said Beijing and Tokyo should accumulate positive factors, put the bilateral ties back on a track of normal development at an early date, and create a proper atmosphere for high-level exchanges.

Recently, Japan has sent some positive signs regarding its relationship with China, and China-Japan ties have showcased some promising signals, he said.

The root cause behind the ties' repeated ups and downs is the fact that the Japanese government has repeatedly betrayed commitments it made regarding issues of history and the fact that some Japanese politicians consider China to be Japan's strategic rival, Wang said.

Agenda

Saturday

3 pm: The first plenary session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee, the top political advisory body, opens. Chairman Yu Zhengsheng will deliver a work report.

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North Korea vows to 'counter' US over military drills with South

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 06:08PM

North Korea has warned that it would "counter the US by its own mode of counteraction" if Washington holds joint military exercises with Seoul.

"If the US finally holds joint military exercises while keeping sanctions on the DPRK (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea), the DPRK will counter the US by its own mode of counteraction and the US will be made to own all responsibilities for the ensuing consequences," North Korea's official news agency KCNA said in its commentary on Saturday.

It emphasized that the exercises would jeopardize a nascent rapprochement between Pyongyang and Seoul.

KCNA quoted a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying, "We will neither beg for dialogue nor evade the military option claimed by the US."

"Whether peace desired by our nation and the rest of the world settles on the Korean Peninsula or a situation that no one desires is developed in the vicious cycle of confrontation depends entirely on the attitude of the US," the spokesman said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in told his American counterpart Donald Trump on March 1 that he intended to send a special envoy to Pyongyang in response to an invitation by Kim Jong-un, the North's leader, following the recent Olympic-driven detente between the two Koreas.

"In response to the visit by North Korea's special envoy Kim Yo Jong, ... Moon conveyed to Trump his plans to dispatch a special envoy to the North soon," Seoul's presidential office said in a statement, following their phone conversation.

Yonhap news agency cited a South Korean presidential security adviser as saying on February 28 that Seoul and Washington had decided to launch a postponed joint military exercise in early April despite warnings by North Korea that the move might jeopardize reconciliation efforts on the peninsula.

The news agency quoted Moon Chung-in, the South Korean security adviser, as saying at a seminar in Washington that he was "aware the drills will begin in the first week of April" and expressed hope that dialog would begin between Pyongyang and Washington.

Seoul and Washington usually hold their two annual military drills, called Key Resolve and Foal Eagle, in March and April, with some 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Korean soldiers participating in the exercises.

Pyongyang is highly critical of those exercises, considering them preparations to invade the North. In response, it has been developing its weapons programs.

During his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 23, Trump announced what he called America's "largest-ever" tranche of sanctions against North Korea, in an attempt to increase pressure on the nuclear-armed country.

"Today I am announcing that we are launching the largest-ever set of new sanctions on the North Korean regime," Trump said.

After his announcement, the US president also said on the same day that Washington might pursue "Phase Two" with Pyongyang should sanctions against the Asian country fail.

"We'll have to see, I don't think I'm going to exactly play that card. But we'll have to see. If the sanctions don't work, we'll have to go Phase Two. And Phase Two may be a very rough thing. May be very, very unfortunate for the world. But hopefully the sanctions will work," Trump added.

North Korea on February 25 censured the latest round of sanctions imposed by Washington against Pyongyang as an "act of war," accusing the US administration of trying to undermine an improvement in inter-Korean relations triggered by the Winter Olympic Games in the South.

The condemnation came after the US Treasury blacklisted more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels, and trade businesses, imposing an asset freeze and barring US citizens from dealing with them.

The White House said any talks with North Korea must end its nuclear program.

North Korea on Saturday said it was willing to hold talks with the US but without any precondition.

Meanwhile, a senior Russian diplomat said on February 24 that Moscow and Washington should hold direct talks on North Korea.

"I'm sure that the dynamic development of the current situation on the Korean Peninsula calls for active Russo-American dialogue on this issue," TASS news agency quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov as saying.

He added that Moscow had sent an invitation for talks to Joseph Yun, the US Special Representative for North Korea Policy, but noted that no date had been set yet.

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China delays US request against North Korea at UN Security Council

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 12:40AM

China has postponed a US request for a UN Security Council committee to blacklist dozens of ships, companies and a Taiwanese individual over violation of sanctions against North Korea.

Diplomats said on Friday that China placed a hold on the US request, Reuters reported, adding that Beijing did not provide any specific reason.

A hold, which is often used by UNSC members to obtain more information, can either be lifted or sometimes lead to a permanent blocking of a proposal.

Last week, the US requested the Security Council to subject 33 ships, 19 of which are North Korean, to a global port entry ban and freeze the assets of 27 shipping companies and the Taiwanese individual over interactions with Pyongyang.

Washington said the proposal was aimed at shutting down North Korea's "illicit maritime smuggling activities to obtain oil and sell coal."

Since 2006, the Security Council has intensified sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, banning Pyongyang's exports of coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood, and the country's imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products.

In late February, the US Treasury blacklisted more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels, and trade businesses, imposing an asset freeze and barring US citizens from dealing with them.

US President Donald Trump described the measures as the "heaviest sanctions ever" levied on Pyongyang.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry censured the US sanctions as an "act of war."

Tensions have been high between Washington and Pyongyang over the latter's missile and nuclear programs.

Although the US administration says it prefers a diplomatic solution to the crisis, it has repeatedly threatened Pyongyang with military action.

North Korea, already under numerous sanctions, has refused to halt its weapons program, pledging to keep up development of its military capabilities in response to the US military presence in the region.

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N Korea Continues to Make Progress on Missile Program - US Intelligence

Sputnik News

10:41 03.03.2018(updated 10:45 03.03.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US intelligence assessment of North Korea's nuclear ballistic missile program shows that Pyongyang is further making progress on its development, local media reported citing a US administration official.

The report in particular argues that North Korea has been improving the guidance of the ballistic missiles allowing Pyongyang to hit specific targets, the CNN broadcaster reported on Friday.

Some progress has been reportedly made even during the thaw in the relations between South Korea and North Korea, which was achieved thanks to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

North Korea has faced several rounds of sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests, conducted in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions.

On December 22, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted the resolution further tightening sanctions against North Korea over its ballistic missile launch conducted on November 29. The US-drafted resolution caps Pyongyang's petrol imports and expands the ban on goods exports.

 Sputnik

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Pyongyang Warns It Will 'Counter US' if It Holds Joint Drills With Seoul

By VOA News March 03, 2018

North Korea warned Saturday it would respond if the U.S. holds joint military drills next month with South Korea, contending they would hinder a recent thaw in relations between the two Koreas.

The thaw will be tested when the exercises, which were suspended for the duration of the Winter Olympics in South Korea, start in late March or early April.

A South Korean presidential security adviser said this week the joint exercises are set to begin in early April, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

North Korea, whose official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, has repeatedly described the drills as a threat.

"If the U.S. finally holds joint military exercises while keeping sanctions on the DPRK, the DPRK will counter the U.S. by its own mode of counteraction and, the U.S. will be made to own all responsibilities for the ensuing consequences," North Korea's official KCNA news agency said in a commentary.

The U.S. announced on February 23 it was imposing its most sweeping set of sanctions on North Korea in an effort to pressure the country to abandon its nuclear and long-range missile development programs.

South Korea plans to send a special envoy to North Korea in response to an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call Thursday.

The Olympic Games in Pyeongchang last month presented the two Koreas with the opportunity to engage after tensions between them had escalated over the North's missile program.

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Iran ready for US withdrawal from nuclear deal: Envoy

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, March 3, IRNA -- Iran is ready for the US potential withdrawal from the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the G5+1 (US, UK, France, China, Russia plus Germany) in 2015.

Iran has always considered the fact that the US could quit the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and has prepared for it, Iran's Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanaei said in an interview with the Russian TASS News Agency.

'The Islamic Republic of Iran, despite pessimism about the western countries' positions, progressed forward the process of negotiation on JCPOA and of course, has always considered the West, in particular, the US's possible violations and thus has got prepared for the US withdrawal from the deal,' the diplomat added.

9191**2050

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Defense issues Iran's redline: Top official

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, March 3, IRNA -- Top Iranian official criticized certain European countries for their remarks against Iran's missile programs and noted that commenting on Iranian defense program is none of their business.

'All officials, including Dr. Rouhani and Dr. Zarif unanimously agreed upon the fact that our defense issue is none of business of any other foreign country,' Member of the Expediency Council Ali Akbar Velayati told reporters on Saturday.

He referred to French officials' remarks against Iran's defense programs, and said that 'if the French foreign minister's visit is aimed at consolidation of relations, it is better (for him) to avoid adopting these negative stances'.

9191**2050

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Annihilating US nuke weapons, Iran's missile negotiations pre-conditions

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, March 3, IRNA -- Destroying US nuclear weapons and the long-range missiles are Iran's pre-conditions for holding talks on missile programs, Armed Forces spokesman General Masoud Jazayeri said.

Jazayeri made the remarks Saturday in reaction to the claims made by some American and European officials.

What the Americans say out of desperation as regard restricting Iran's missile power is an unachievable ambition indicating their failure in the region, He said.

The US would have not be in weak position, if Iran's missile power development had been supposed to be affected by political talks, he added.

Elsewhere is his remarks, Jazayeri referred to the Zionist regime, and said Iran considers Israel as an occupier, illegitimate and illegal regime.

9376**2050

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No missile talks unless US, Europe give up their nuclear weapons: Gen. Jazayeri

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Sat / 3 March 2018 / 15:58

Tehran (ISNA) - Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces stressed on Saturday that there can be no talks on Iran's missile programme unless the United States and the European countries destroy their nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

"What Americans say out of desperation with regards to limiting the Islamic republic of Iran's missile capability is an unattainable dream," deputy Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri said.

He added, "If our country's defense capabilities had been affected by some political negotiations and diplomacy, we would not have been in the position we are today".

"The condition for negotiations on Iran's missiles is the destruction of America's and Europe's nuclear weapons and long-range missiles," he added.

General Jazayeri said US criticism of Iran's missile programme was driven by "their failures and defeats in the region."

Referring to Israeli occupation, he said, "For the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel is considered illegitimate and occupier of the Palestinian territory and the Holy Quds and Israel is going towards total destruction".

End Item

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FM spokesman rejects UN report on human rights situation in Iran

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Sat / 3 March 2018 / 12:19

Tehran (ISNA) - Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi has strongly dismissed as "invalid and worthless" the latest report by the UN secretary general on human rights situation in Iran.

In a statement, Qassemi referred to the report by Antonio Guterres prepared for the ongoing meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, and said, "As we have witnessed in the past, reports like this are replete with lots of fundamental problems both in nature and procedures".

He underlined that the Islamic Republic of Iran deems the report as invalid and worthless.

The spokesman then added the UN chief's report on Iran's human rights situation suffers from a lot of faults and problems.

"The report has drawn on not only an unfair and politically-motivated resolution but also unreliable, false and completely invalid sources and data".

Qassemi said the UN chief has also prepared an "unbalanced and biased" report on human rights situation in Iran by "ignoring and completely closing his eyes on the Islamic Republic of Iran's progress and determined efforts in this field".

He then pointed out that Iran has a resolute will to further promote civil rights within "the progressive principles of Islam and Islamic Republic's Constitution".

The spokesman condemned "double-standard and politically-motivated" mechanisms and approaches as well as any "instrumental use" of human rights against others and said, "The Islamic Republic has always maintained that while most regions in the world and certain states in the Middle East are suffering from deplorable humanitarian crises due to the imposed war on them, the UN's continuous move to adopt politically-motivated decisions as well as double standards in dealing with human rights situations in the world will only increase the international community's mistrust towards the world body".

End Item

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Iran's defense program none of France's concern: Velayati

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 04:23PM

A senior Iranian official says the Islamic Republic's defense program is no concern of other countries, following the meddlesome stance adopted by France on Iran's military and missile power.

"Iran is an independent country and can defend itself in any way it sees fit whether with missiles or any other defensive means," Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on international affairs, told reporters in Tehran on Saturday.

Iran cannot remain indifferent to moves aimed at equipping neighboring countries with arms on a daily basis, he added, emphasizing that Iran is a "big and the most important country in the region."

The remarks came after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on February 27 expressed deep concern over Iran's ballistic missile program, saying it was necessary to avoid it becoming a factor that threatened Tehran's neighbors.

"There is a risk, and everything possible needs to be done to avoid this risk and take the necessary measures so that this ballistic threat is not such for all regional actors," Le Drian said in Moscow after talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

In reaction to the French foreign minister's comments, Velayati said Iran has peaceful relations with all its neighboring countries.

He added, "Defensive preparedness is among basic rights of every nation and no country can decide for us or other states  which type of missile we can possess."

The senior Iranian official urged France not to make claims that it could not deliver on and expressed confidence that the Islamic Republic would not allow anyone to interfere in the type of defense equipment it can possess in the field of conventional weapons, whether missile or others.

"If the French foreign minister's [upcoming] visit [to Tehran] is aimed at strengthening relations, he'd better avoid taking such negative positions," Velayati pointed out.

Le Drian plans to pay a visit to Iran on Monday to hold talks with senior Iranian authorities.

Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized that the country's missile program is merely for defensive and deterrent purposes, warning that it is not open to any negotiations.

However, US President Donald Trump is making constant efforts to link Iran's missile program to the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Trump has repeatedly described the JCPOA, which was negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama, as "the worst and most one-sided transaction Washington has ever entered into," a characterization he often used during his presidential campaign, and threatened to tear it up.

The US has repeatedly claimed that Iran's missile program is in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the JCPOA.

Earlier on Saturday, a senior Iranian military commander said the Islamic Republic would hold no negotiations over its missile program unless the US and Europe dismantled their nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

"What Americans say out of desperation with regards to limiting the Islamic Republic of Iran's missile capabilities is an unattainable dream resulting from their regional failures and defeats," Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said.

French President Emmanuel Macron also said in February that Iran's ballistic missile program must be placed under international surveillance.

Macron claimed that the surveillance was "indispensable for the security of the region and so we need a mechanism of sanctions and control adapted to that."

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Iran will not talk missiles unless US, Europe destroy nukes, long-range missiles: Commander

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 02:29PM

A senior Iranian military commander says the Islamic Republic will hold no negotiations over its missile program unless the United States and Europe dismantle their nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

"What Americans say out of desperation with regards to limiting the Islamic Republic of Iran's missile capabilities is an unattainable dream resulting from their regional failures and defeats," Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said on Saturday.

He added that if the development of Iran's defense might was to have been affected by certain political negotiations, the country would not have been able to put the United States in such a position of weakness.

Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that the country's missile program is not open to any negotiations amid US President Donald Trump's constant efforts to link Iran's missile program to the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council  the US, France, Britain, Russia and China  plus Germany signed the nuclear agreement on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

Under the JCPOA, Iran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

Trump has repeatedly described the JCPOA, which was negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama, as "the worst and most one-sided transaction Washington has ever entered into," a characterization he often used during his presidential campaign, and threatened to tear it up.

The US has repeatedly claimed that Iran's missile program is in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the JCPOA.

Speaking at a press conference in the presence of Iranian and foreign reporters in Tehran in February, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said the Islamic Republic would never hold negotiations either about the JCPOA or its defensive missile program.

"We never regard other issues linked to the JCPOA. The JCPOA is a seven-sided agreement The JCPOA is an international agreement which has been endorsed by Security Council Resolution 2231," Rouhani said.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi also said on February 15 that Iran would not permit other countries to undermine its defense might while they were themselves supplying regional countries with lethal weapons.

The Islamic Republic "will never allow others to talk about or make efforts based on double standards to undermine the defense and deterrence power of the pacifist Iran," he said.

Qassemi's remarks came two days after French President Emmanuel Macron said Iran's ballistic missile program must be placed under international surveillance.

Macron also claimed that the surveillance was "indispensable for the security of the region and so we need a mechanism of sanctions and control adapted to that."

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Tehran Rules Out Missiles Talks Until US, Europe Destroy Their Nukes

Sputnik News

18:08 03.03.2018

The Iranian military's spokesman has commented on US President Donald Trump's threat to scrap the 2015 Iran Nuclear on the pretext of Tehran developing its missile program.

Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri said on Saturday that the primary condition for possible international negotiations on Iran's missiles is the destruction of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles that the United States and European nations have.

"What Americans say out of desperation with regards to limiting the Islamic Republic of Iran's missile capability is an unattainable dream," Jazayeri said to Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), adding that Washington's criticism was triggered by its own "failures and defeats in the region."

President Trump has consistently criticized the agreement between the European Union, Iran, and the P5+1 countries (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, plus Germany). The deal, which doesn't cover Iran's missile program, stipulates the removal of anti-Tehran sanctions in exchange for Iran staying away from pursuing a military nuclear program.

Having dubbed the agreement as "the worst deal ever negotiated," Trump said in October his administration had decided not to certify that Iran was in compliance with the accord. The claim caused objections from Tehran. He also blasted Iran's Missile program, saying that Tehran had been put "on notice" for testing ballistic missiles.

Russia and the other parties to the Iran nuclear deal consider the Islamic Republic compliant and have voiced concerns over Washington's stance.

Meanwhile, the European diplomats are set to discuss the deal later this month in Italy with their Iranian counterparts so that the US concerns are met.

The European nations have also pledged to the US to address the Iranian missile program in the new strategy that is expected to be hammered out as a result of the talks.

 Sputnik

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Over two dozen Daesh members killed, arrested in army operation west of Mosul

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 09:09AM

Iraqi media reports say more than two dozen Daesh terrorists have been killed and arrested in an army operation west of Mosul, which was once the Takfiri terror group's main stronghold in the Arab country.

"Security troops arrested, today, 17 Daesh members in al-Rayhanna village and seized the weapons in their possession in Badush, west of Mosul," an Iraqi security source told Baghdad Today news website on Friday.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that "eight members including three [Daesh] leaders were killed in an airstrike against al-Atshana Mountain, in the wake of their attack against a checkpoint in Badush and fleeing to mountainous areas."

Iraqi security forces had repelled a terrorist attack on a checkpoint in Badush a day earlier. The assault perpetrated by the Takfiri group claimed the lives of two soldiers and left three others injured.

Daesh unleashed a campaign of death and terror in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes in lightning advances in the northern and western parts of the country. Iraqi army soldiers and allied fighters then launched operations to eliminate Daesh and retake lost territory.

Last July, Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi formally declared Mosul free of Daesh terrorists, in a major blow to the terrorist outfit that helped the armed forces to speed up their liberation operation.

Daesh's territorial rule in Iraq came to an end months later in December 2017, when Abadi announced an ultimate victory against the Takfiri group.

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Russia slams extended US sanctions as illegal, harmful to world

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 05:48PM

Russia has slammed US sanctions against the country as illegal and harmful to the world after Washington extended embargoes against Moscow over the Ukrainian crisis.

"We have never been the initiator of these sanctions, we consider them illegal and harmful not just to the people of our two countries but the whole world," Interfax news agency quoted Russian presidential press spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Saturday.

The remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to extend sanctions against Moscow, which have been in place since the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea rejoined Russia in 2014.

Ties between the US and Russia have plummeted to levels not seen since the Cold War due to the two powers' disputes over the crises in Ukraine and Syria and after US officials accused Russia of meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

On Friday, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said the US was planning to deploy some 400 anti-ballistic missiles on Russia's doorstep as part of its military buildup in Eastern Europe.

Last year, the US for the first time deployed Patriot long-range anti-aircraft missiles to the Baltics to be used in large-scale NATO military drills in Lithuania near Russia's border.

The armed conflict in Ukraine broke out following the ouster of pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014 and intensified after people in Crimea voted for reunification with the Russian Federation in a referendum held in March 2014.

The US and its allies in Europe brand the reunification as annexation of the territory by Russia, accusing Moscow of having a major hand in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, an allegation strongly rejected by the Kremlin.

Western countries have levied broad economic sanctions against Moscow over its alleged support for pro-Russia separatist forces in eastern Ukraine and Crimea's reunification with Russia.

In late 2016, Washington alleged that Russia had influenced the US presidential election in November that year to help Donald Trump get elected, an allegation that Russia strongly denied.

Russia and the US are also at odds over the Syrian crisis, as they are backing opposite sides in the conflict.

Russia has been offering military advisory support to the Syrian government in its battle against extremist militants, while the US and its allies back the Takfiri militants fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

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Putin Says He'd Reverse Collapse Of Soviet Union If He Could

RFE/RL March 03, 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would reverse the collapse of the Soviet Union if he had a chance to change Russian history, Russian news agencies reported.

Putin's remark rueing the loss of the Soviet empire on March 2 came one day after he asserted in an annual address that Russia has an arsenal of nuclear-capable weapons that no foe can defeat, in comments that raised concern about a new arms race like that between the Soviet Union and the West during the Cold War.

It was not the first time that Putin, who served in the Soviet-era spy agency the KGB, expressed regret over the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991. In 2005, he called it the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century."

Putin's nostalgia about the Soviet system weeks before a March 18 presidential election he is expected to easily win are likely to be welcomed by millions of older Russians who also view the Soviet years nostalgically.

Taking questions from supporters in Russia's European exclave of Kaliningrad on March 2, Putin was asked what Russian historical event he would like to change.

"The collapse of the Soviet Union," Putin immediately said.

But in answer to another question -- if he could choose what period of history to live in -- Putin said he prefers to live in the present day, Russian news agencies reported.

"You see, all my ancestors in the past were peasant serfs, while I am the president," Russian state-run news agency TASS quoted Putin as saying.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and TASS

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-says-would-reverse-c ollapse-soviet-union-1991-if-could-question -asked-kaliningrad/29076226.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Kremlin: US Sanctions Against Russia Harm Entire World

Sputnik News

14:28 03.03.2018(updated 15:12 03.03.2018)

Following the extension of anti-Moscow sanctions by the United States for another year over the alleged meddling in the Ukrainian crisis, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov commented on the move.

"We have never initiated these sanctions, we consider them to be illegal and harmful not only to the people of our two countries, but to the entire world," Peskov said, adding that the Kremlin does not comment on the imposition of an extension of sanctions.

The White House announced on Friday that the punitive measures against Russia, imposed by the US government on March 6, March 16, March 20, and December 19, 2014 in the wake of Crimea's reunification with Russia and the Ukrainian crisis, will be extended for one more year.

Relations between Russia and the Western states soured amid the coup in Ukraine that led to reunification of the Crimean peninsula with Russia and the civil war in the Donbass region in spring 2014. The US and the EU blamed Moscow for allegedly meddling in the Ukrainian conflict, slapping Moscow with several rounds of sanctions, despite the fact that the Russian authorities had repeatedly refuted the allegations.

Russia has also faced allegations of attempts to influence US public life, in particular, to meddle in the country's 2016 presidential election campaign. Russian officials have repeatedly pointed out that these accusations were groundless, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressing that no evidence was produced to substantiate the claims.

 Sputnik

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US-led coalition warplanes pound northeastern Syria, kill scores of civilians

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 01:06PM

Scores of civilians have lost their lives or sustained injuries when the US-led coalition purportedly fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group carried out a series of aerial assaults in Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah.

Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Syria's official news agency SANA that the US-led aerial attacks targeted al-Sirajieh village in the al-Shadadi area of the province.

The development came only a day after US-led fighter jets bombarded al-Safawi village in the southeastern part of Hasakah, leaving three civilians, including a child, dead. Two people also suffered serious injuries in the airstrike.

Last month, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, in two separate letters sent to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and former rotating President of the UN Security Council Mansour Ayyad al-Otaibi, said that the only goal of the "rogue" US-led military alliance was to undermine Syria's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity and to prolong the current crisis.

"The Syrian Arab Republic urges the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility regarding establishment of international peace and security, and act immediately to stop the war crimes being committed by this alliance against the Syrian people, and ensure that they do not occur again," said the letters on February 27.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry also demanded an end to the illegal presence of US forces on the Syrian soil, and cessation of suspicious plans by Washington to divide Syria and plunder its resources.

The US-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes against what are said to be Daesh targets inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate.

The military alliance has repeatedly been accused of targeting and killing civilians. It has also been largely incapable of achieving its declared goal of destroying Daesh.

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'Syrian forces advancing methodically in Eastern Ghouta'

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 05:41AM

A Syrian commander reportedly says pro-government forces are advancing methodically against militants in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, which anti-Damascus militants have been using to launch attacks on civilians in the Syrian capital.

The commander told Reuters on Friday that government troops had retaken some villages on Eastern Ghouta's Maraj area and made "notable" advances on the western edge of the Harasta area.

He said the forces were moving one neighborhood or village at a time.

An elite government unit known as the Tiger Force is involved in the Eastern Ghouta operations.

Meanwhile, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the pro-Damascus forces had recaptured a number of buildings in Harasta. The UK-based monitoring group also said that the Syrian forces had wrested control of the Eastren Ghouta villages of Hawsh al-Dawahra and Hawsh Zreika in addition to hills and farmland.

From inside Eastern Ghouta, foreign-backed militants have been launching indiscriminate mortar and rocket attacks on the capital, which have resulted in the death of a number of civilians.

But there are civilians in Eastern Ghouta, too, and the government has had to navigate with care. Russia, which is giving Syria advisory military help, has established humanitarian corridors to allow the civilians out.

Syria's official SANA news agency reported on Friday that the al-Nusra Front and other terrorist outfits were preventing civilians from leaving Eastern Ghouta through the safe corridors.

Additionally, a Syrian military source told SANA that the United States, the United Kingdom, and other Western states had even given terrorist groups instructions to stage a chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta and pin the blame on the government.

Western countries have said they would attack Syrian government positions if it conducts chemical attacks, and false flag operations could be mounted to incriminate the Syrian government and trigger international military intervention.

This is while Syria, beginning in 2013, gradually gave up its entire chemical arsenal under a deal that included Russia and the US.

That deal was implemented by international experts, who monitored the shipping of Syria's chemical weapons out of the country and the destruction of any facility used to store or manufacture such arms.

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U.S., European Powers Warn 'No Impunity' For Toxic Gas Attacks In Syria

RFE/RL March 03, 2018

The United States and European powers are vowing a "firm response" to those responsible for recent alleged toxic gas attacks in Syria's eastern Ghouta, where hundreds of civilians have died in recent weeks.

Their warning came as the UN's human rights chief said on March 2 that the slaughter of civilians in Ghouta and elsewhere "are likely war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity."

In a telephone conversation on March 2, U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "must be held accountable," a German chancellery statement said.

"This applies both to the Assad regime's deployment of chemical weapons and for its attacks against civilians and the blockade of humanitarian support," the statement said.

In a separate conversation, Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron vowed there would be "no impunity" for those responsible if further chemical weapons attacks occur, the French presidency said.

Macron "stressed there will be a firm response in the case of proven use of chemical weapons leading to the death of civilians, in close coordination with our American allies," the presidency said.

"France and the United States will not tolerate impunity," it said.

Independent observers and residents have reported several alleged chlorine gas attacks in eastern Ghouta in the last month, including one in which a child allegedly suffocated to death last weekend.

Trump ordered a massive bombardment of Syria's Shayrat airfield last April after reports of a sarin nerve-gas attack in the town of Khan Sheikhun that killed nearly 100 civilians. He said at that time that any further use of such banned weapons of mass destruction would prompt a similar response.

Washington this week asked the UN Security Council to set up a new inquiry into who is responsible for chemical weapons attacks in Syria after reports of the suspected chlorine use in eastern Ghouta.

A previous chemical weapons inquiry in Syria died in November when Russia refused to go along with a Western bid to renew its mandate.

UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein issued a warning on March 2 about the reemergence of chemical attacks in Ghouta as well as the fierce Syrian government bombing campaign that he said has targeted civilian areas and hospitals and killed more than 600 people since last month.

"What we are seeing in eastern Ghouta and elsewhere in Syria are likely war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity," Zeid told a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"Civilians are being pounded into submission or death," he said, warning that the perpetrators will not "get away with this."

"The wheels of justice may be slow, but they do grind," Zeid said.

Western nations that sit on the rights body drafted a resolution that condemns the government attacks and demands the immediate start of a monthlong truce across Syria that the UN Security Council has been seeking.

But action on the measure was put off amid disagreement from Russia and other countries about the wording, officials said.

Moscow and Damascus both denied that Syria is using chemical weapons or targeting civilians and hospitals in Ghouta.

With reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, Interfax, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-european-power -warn-no-impunity-for-toxic-gas- attacks-syria/29076265.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russian Military: Terrorists Breach Ceasefire Regime in Syria

Sputnik News

23:33 03.03.2018

Militants' snipers keep targeting the crossing in Syria's eastern Ghouta, preventing civilians from leaving, the head of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation, Maj. Gen. Yury Yevtushenko said Saturday.

"The situation near the crossing keeps worsening. Snipers keep targeting the vicinity of the crossing," Yevtushenko told a briefing.

The head of the center added that none of the civilians were able to leave Eastern Ghouta because of the militants blocking access to the humanitarian corridor.

Yevtushenko reiterated that Nusra Front terrorist group, was preparing an attack on the UN humanitarian convoy and planning to blame this on Damascus. Maj. Gen. Vladimir Zolotukhin, the spokesman for the center, mentioned these plans earlier in the day, citing the data from the Syrian intelligence.

Moreover, the ceasefire regime is being constantly breached in Syria's provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Eastern Ghouta, Latakia, the head of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation Maj. Gen. Yury Yevtushenko said Saturday.

"The 30-day ceasefire regime introduced on the territory of Syria by the [UN] Resolution 2401 is being constantly breached by illegal armed groupings in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Damascus, as well as in Eastern Ghouta," Yevtushenko told a briefing.

Yevtushenko added that Damascus' residential areas and its suburbs have been shelled eight times in the last 24 hours, with 64 shells fired, which left civilians injured and led to material damages.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Authorities Give UN Green Light to Deliver Aid to Eastern Ghouta

By Lisa Schlein March 03, 2018

United Nations aid agencies are gearing up for the first delivery in months of desperately needed humanitarian assistance to thousands of people trapped in the besieged Syrian enclave of Eastern Ghouta. Syrian authorities finally have given permission for the U.N. convoy to enter the enclave's town of Douma on Sunday.

The convoy will be carrying food, medicine and other crucial relief supplies from a number of U.N. and international agencies for 180,000 people. The U.N. Children's fund, which is part of that convoy, will have supplies on board for 70,000 children.

Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, says nutritional and health supplies are a priority given the alarmingly high number of malnourished children in Eastern Ghouta.

"We have seen the levels of severe acute malnutrition in Ghouta in the last few months multiplying by at least 10.... We have also health supplies on board. These are mainly midwifery kits to help ensuring that women who are giving birth are being properly assisted," Cappelaere said.

The United Nations reports about 1,000 people need to be evacuated from Eastern Ghouta to receive life-saving medical treatment. Cappelaere told VOA a number of children are among them, but unfortunately, no clearance has yet been given for this operation to proceed.

"In Eastern Ghouta there are many children who have been seriously injured and who cannot be attended to with the available medical expertise, with the available medical supplies. And there are children who have illnesses that again cannot be treated any longer inside, and therefore need to come out, and if they cannot come out, there is a threat for their life."

Cappelaere regrets that the convoy will not carry enough supplies for all 200,000 children living in Eastern Ghouta. He says he hopes the humanitarian operation will become a regular occurrence so all of the 400,000 residents, including the children in this besieged territory, can receive life-saving aid.

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China vows deeper friendship with Taiwan amid fury over US bill

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 11:36AM

A senior official of China's ruling Communist Party has pledged deeper friendship with Taiwan just a day after state media warned that Beijing could wage a war on the self-ruled island if the US enacts a bill urging closer ties with Taipei.

Addressing the opening session of an advisory body to the Chinese legislature on Saturday, the Communist Party's fourth most senior official, Yu Zhengsheng, softened the tone on Taiwan.

Angered by the American bill, Beijing told Taiwan, which it considers subject to China's sovereignty, that it would only get burnt if it sought to rely on foreigners, without mentioning the US legislation.

"We will deepen solidarity and friendship with our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as well as overseas Chinese," Yu stated before a crowd of 2,000 delegates to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing.

He further emphasized that the body will "mobilize all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to work together for the greater national interests and realization of the Chinese Dream," referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping's aspiration to restore a rejuvenated China to its full standing globally.

The proposed US bill, which only needs President Donald Trump's signature to become law, states that the US policy should allow officials at all levels to visit Taiwan and meet their Taiwanese counterparts, permit high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the US "under respectful conditions" and meet with American officials.

Taipei, however, has welcomed the proposed legislation in Washington, with which it has no formal ties.

Trump has affirmed the US's continued adherence to the "One China" policy, but the new US bill threatens to stir political tensions over the issue once again.

China's tensions with Taiwan have intensified since the election into office of President Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party in 2016.

China suspects Tsai intends to press for formal independence of the island, which would cross a red line for Chinese leaders.

Beijing regards Taiwan as an integral part of "one China" and ineligible for formal state-to-state ties.

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Taipei Set to Boost Military Spending, Cites Threats From China, North Korea

Sputnik News

18:20 03.03.2018

Taiwan's Prime Minister Lai Ching-te named North Korea's nuclear program and China's military exercises in the South China Sea as among the main threats to stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

Taiwan intends to increase its military budget in order to have more opportunities to ensure peace and stability in the region alongside neighboring countries, Taiwan's Prime Minister Lai Ching-te said at the East Asia Peace Forum in Taipei on Saturday.

The Prime Minister, however, did not specify the prospective amount.

The increase in spending will take place amid challenges East Asia is currently facing, among which are Pyongyang's nuclear activity as well as China's military drills in the region, according to Lai Ching-te.

According to the minister, Taipei also intends to make all necessary efforts to fully support the sanctions against North Korea implemented by the UN Security Council.

Lai Ching-te's statement echoes the suggestions President Tsai Ing-wen made last year, when she too spoke about the increase in military spending. She noted that the military expenses of Taiwan would increase by 2 percent every year, adding that "it is necessary to be more prepared in the face of the growing threat in the field of cybersecurity and espionage." In October 2017, the administration of Taiwan submitted its proposed military budget for 2018, amounting to 10.7 billion dollars.

Tensions between Taiwan and China have been running high recently over a bill that has moved to the US Senate after being approved by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. The legislation will encourage contacts between officials in the US and Taiwan, which Beijing considers to be a breakaway province.

The relations between Beijing and Taiwan remain strained since the former considers the rebellious province to be an inherent part of "one China." Hostility between Taipei and Beijing has mounted since the election of Tsai Ing-wen as Taiwanese president, as China suspects she plans to advance the region's independence, although Tsai herself has repeatedly stated she stands for the status quo. China has never ruled out the use of force against the island to bring it under the mainland's control.

Another threat for Taiwan, according to Lai Ching-te, is North Korea's nuclear program. On February 23, the United States imposed what Trump described as the "largest-ever" sanctions package on North Korea, which targeted shipments of petroleum and coal and also included entities and vessels registered in Taiwan. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said that the government was committed to enforcing the sanctions and its efforts were recognized by the US and the international community.

 Sputnik

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13 people detained in Turkey for opposing Afrin operation

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 05:30PM

Turkish forces have arrested more than a dozen people over their vehement opposition to the Ankara government's military operation in Syria's northwestern region of Afrin against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militant group.

Judicial sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that 13 people were detained in the country' northeastern province of Kars on Saturday for taking part in an online campaign against the offensive.

The sources added that the suspects had also insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The development came on the same day that Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkish military forces and allied militants from the so-called Free Syrian Army had cleared Turkey's southeastern border areas of YPG militants.

"Afrin is surrounded. We have cleared all nearby border areas of terror nests," Yildirim said in the central Turkish city of Konya.

He said that Turkish soldiers had been conducting "successful" ground and air operations in Afrin.

Meanwhile, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on Saturday that a total of 2,434 YPG militants had been "neutralized" since the launch of "Operation Olive Branch" in Syria's Afrin on January 20.

Ankara views the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group that has been fighting for an autonomous region inside Turkey since 1984.

Erdogan has repeatedly said that Afrin should be cleared of "terrorists," and demanded the deployment of Turkish troops there during a speech back in November 2016.

This is while US officials regard the YPG as the most effective fighting force against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in northern Syria, and have substantially increased their weaponry and technology support to the group.

The controversy over a possible Syria border force first started on January 14 when a report emerged on Reuters saying that the military coalition led by the United States in Syria was planning to set up a large border force of up to 30,000 personnel with the aid of its militia allies.

The Syrian government has already condemned the Turkish offensive against Afrin, rejecting Ankara's claim about having informed Damascus of the operation.

Damascus "strongly condemns the brutal Turkish aggression on Afrin, which is an inseparable part of Syrian territory," Syria's official news agency SANA cited a Syrian Foreign Ministry source as saying on January 20.

"Syria completely denies claims by the Turkish regime that it was informed of this military operation," the source added.

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Turkish warplanes kill at least 36 Syrian pro-government forces in Afrin: SOHR

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 12:54PM

Turkish warplanes have killed at least 36 pro-Syrian government forces in their airstrikes on Syria's northwestern Kurdish region of Afrin, a monitoring group affiliated to Syria's foreign-based opposition groups says.

The Saturday attack was the third assault by Turkish jets against pro-government forces in Afrin over the past two days, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.

The pro-Syrian government forces entered Afrin last week to repel a Turkish offensive in Afrin against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militant group.

This is the first time that Syrian government forces are deployed in the region since 2012 when the YPG held the area under its control.

'Turkey strikes also claiming civilian lives'

Meanwhile, Syria's official news agency SANA reported that Turkish tanks shelled al-Hujaila village in Afrin on Friday night, killing eight civilians and injuring 12 others, mostly women and children. The Turkish army and its allied anti-Syrian government militants also targeted the villages of Sharran and Jandaris in Afrin, causing damage to residential units and public infrastructure.

The Syrian government has already condemned the "brutal Turkish aggression" against Afrin, rejecting Ankara's claim about having informed Damascus of the operation.

Turkey has been waging "Operation Olive Branch" against Syria's Afrin region since January 20 in a bid to eliminate the YPG, which forms the backbone of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is backed by the US. The Turkish government views the YPG as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The latter has been fighting for an autonomous region inside Turkey since 1984.

This is while US officials regard the YPG as the most effective fighting force against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in northern Syria, and have substantially increased their weaponry and technology support to the group.

Turkey has warned that the Afrin offensive could expand to the nearby Syrian city of Manbij.

In a separate development, Ankara said Saturday that 41 of its soldiers had been killed in Afrin.

Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli made the announcement in a speech delivered at Istanbul National Defense University on Friday, adding that 95 villages or hamlets had come under their control during the Afrin operation.

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41 Turkish troops killed during operation in north Syria: Minister

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 3, 2018 11:19AM

Ankara says 41 of its soldiers have been killed in Syria's northwestern region of Afrin, where the Turkish military has been engaged in a ground operation against US-backed Kurdish militants for more than a month.

Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli made the announcement in a speech delivered at Istanbul National Defense University on Friday, adding that 95 villages or hamlets had come under their control during the so-called Operation Olive Branch.

Canikli further said that 116 members of the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) militant group, which has joined Turkish troops in their campaign against members of the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG).

Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency quoted Canikli as saying that 2,295 militants of Kurdish factions and Daesh terrorists had been "neutralized" in the offensive, which was launched on January 19.

The Turkish government has said the recent United Nations Security Council resolution on a month-long ceasefire in Syria will have no effect on its cross-border operations.

Ankara views the YPG as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Ties between Ankara and Washington has further soured over the latter's support for the Kurdish militants operating at Turkish doorstep.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch, its second military intervention in Syia since 2011, after Washington said it would set up a border force comprising 30,000 Kurdish militants near Turkish soil.

Turkey has warned that the Afrin offensive could expand to the nearby Syrian city of Manbij.

Syria has slammed both Turkish and US military activities on its soil as a violation of the Arab nation's sovereignty.

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Turkish Forces, Free Syrian Army Reportedly Capture Town of Rajo Near Afrin

Sputnik News

12:37 03.03.2018(updated 13:39 03.03.2018)

Fierce fighting near a town located to the northwest of the embattled city of Afrin was ongoing as the Turkish armed forces launched the second phase of operation Olive Branch, aimed at the elimination of Kurdish armed factions in northern Syria that Ankara considers to be terrorists.

According to the Turkish news agency Anadolu, the Turkish army and an opposition group, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), have taken control of the town of Rajo. The forces have also reportedly captured the villages of Ramadiye and Hamilek to the south-west of Afrin during the offensive.

The Turkish TV channel Haberturk reported earlier that the second stage of Ankara's Olive Branch military push was launched on Friday. The Turkish forces aim to clear the large settlements in the Afrin area from mostly-Kurdish forces they deem to be terrorists, according to the reports.

The towns of Rajo and Jinders are considered to be of strategic importance for the success of the Turkish operation, as they are located on the major roads leading to Afrin. After gaining control of the city, the Turkish military and their allies are planning to encircle Afrin.

The offensive comes after the UN Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 2401 calling on all parties to the conflict to stop fighting and adhere to a long-term humanitarian pause across the country in order to ensure the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.

The Turkish armed forces have been carrying out their offensive in Afrin since January 20, 2018, in order to "clear" the area near the Syrian border of the Kurdish fighters they consider terrorists. Ankara considers the PYD, a Kurdish political party in northern Syria, and the related YPG militia, to be associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara.

Damascus has strongly condemned the operation conducted by Turkey as an assault on the nation's sovereignty. Russia, in turn, has urged all parties to exercise restraint and called for respect for Syria's territorial integrity.

 Sputnik

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Monitor: Turkish Airstrikes Kill 36 Pro-Syrian Government Fighters

By VOA News March 03, 2018

Turkish warplanes attacked pro-Syrian government forces Saturday in Syria's northwestern Kurdish enclave of Afrin, killing at least 36 fighters, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) confirmed Turkish airstrikes in a statement but did not provide a death toll or say where the attacks occurred. The SDF is a militia alliance led by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

The British-based monitoring group said the strikes were the third such attack on pro-Syrian government forces in the enclave in less than 48 hours.

Pro-Syrian government forces arrived in Afrin last week to support the YPG, a month after the Kurds appealed for help. Since Turkish forces and allied Syrian factions began their assault on Afrin on January 20, they have advanced steadily.

The monitoring group said the Turkey-led forces have gained control of more than 20-percent of Afrin after capturing the town of Rajo in northwest Afrin on Saturday.

A military official with the Turkish-led operation said a mountain of strategic importance in the northeastern part of the enclave was also seized.

Turkey considers the YPG an extension of the "terrorist" Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for three decades. The PKK is also viewed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the U.S.

At the same time, the YPG has been a key participant in a U.S.-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance in a campaign to defeat the Islamic State militant group in Syria.

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Ukraine 'Stabilizes' Gas Supply Amid Fresh Energy Dispute With Russia

RFE/RL March 03, 2018

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says gas deliveries to Ukraine have "stabilized" after Russian gas giant Gazprom halted gas supplies to the country earlier this week in the latest energy dispute between the two countries.

"The difficult situation that arose due to the actions of Gazprom has been resolved thanks to the united actions of Ukrainians and the authorities. As of Saturday morning, we have a steep increase in gas supplies from Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary," Poroshenko was quoted as saying by Ukrainian media on March 3.

"Today, we have a stable gas supply. We have enough gas in storage facilities from our own production and imports," the Ukrainian leader added.

Kyiv and Moscow were drawn into a new gas dispute on March 1 after Russia's state-owned Gazprom unexpectedly decided not to restart supplies for Ukraine, forcing Kyiv to reduce supplies despite freezing temperatures and leading to the closing of many schools and universities.

Gazprom said it had returned a prepayment to Ukraine and would not restart gas supplies because an additional agreement to the existing arrangements had yet to be reached.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman in a March 2 televised address attempted to reassure the public, saying that alternative supplies had been arranged after Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz said it signed an urgent contract with Poland's PGNiG.

Hroysman said he expected the country's supply situation to be restored to normal within five days.

Gazprom's move follows a decision on February 28 by the Stockholm arbitration court stating that Gazprom must pay $2.56 billion to Naftogaz after weighing mutual claims and counterclaims related to gas supplies and transit after several years of commercial disputes.

Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller on March 2 said the court's ruling meant the company's gas deals with Ukraine would no longer be commercially viable, so it had no choice but to ask the court to terminate them.

Gazprom also has said it would terminate its gas contracts with Ukraine.

The European Union has offered to mediate to resolve the dispute.

With reporting by UNIAN and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-stabilizes-gas-supply- amid-fresh-dispute-with-russia/29076472.html

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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GREENWICH  Her lips tense with concentration, and one corner tucks slightly upward with the hint of a smile. Her eyes close, deep in thought, as long, black lashes dust over her skin. Someday, puffy purple bags may weigh on those half moons, but now, she is too young, too new for wear.

The 7-year-old nun posed for a portrait at Rewalsar Monastery in India, where she lives alongside the legacy  and the present  of Tibetan Buddhism. Only a shadow of fuzz covers her shaved head, and age has no grip as she focuses on her lifes work.

It was Roberto Dutesco who snapped the photo. Dutesco of Sable Island fame, whose wild horses frolicked into the imaginations of art aficionados everywhere. Dutesco of Montreal, Sao Paolo and New York streets, where he splits his time making art. And now, Dutesco of Greenwich, where he moved at the beginning of the academic year after decades surrounded by a citys hustle and bustle.

It creates a different kind of kinship, not just by living here but by being part of the community, Dutesco said.

This season, his art is on view at the Perfect Provenance, where owner Lisa Lori has curated a show titled Relax, Refresh, Restart for the new year. Though the exhibition features some of the artists iconic horse images, it also delves into his other collections, allowing a peek into his artistic universe beyond Sable Island.

Its a taste of a larger body of work that exists, Dutesco said of the exhibit. It allows the space to function in various ways, and something can happen or nothing can happen.

Dutescos images of the Dalai Lama and monastic life figure prominently at the luxury lifestyle store, where they coincide with Loris theme. Over the years, Dutesco has met with his Holiness several times for portraits.

But Dutesco has also taken interest in monasteries as a whole, where he has tried to tap into each monks individuality outside of a spiritual collectivity.

Were much stronger only when we realize our own presence as an I, he said.

Another work at Perfect Provenance profiles Constantin Brancusis iconic sculpture, The Endless Column. Like the sculptor, Dutesco is originally from Romania, and he felt a pull to shed new light on Brancusi. Though knowledge about the 20th-century artist is vast, Dutesco thought he could make his own contribution to the field by adding his vision to the mix.

For 24 consecutive hours, Dutesco shot The Endless Column, searching for different angles and views.

I want to show the same sculpture that everyone is familiar with in a different way, he said.

More than a photographer, Dutesco paints simple tableaux focused on the most basic concepts that somehow become complicated in practice: Yes, no, left, right, up, down, etc.

My paintings are very much about the relationship to  you can call it the yin and yang of life. How it happens, he said.

Dutesco also writes poetry, and three of his works  Girl, Young Blood and The Full Life  are on display in the Perfect Provenances bathroom.

For him, visual art, sculpture and poetry all stem from a single nucleus.

They are functions of the same thing, which is what is a philosophical statement about life and about living? he said. My work as a photographer or an artist is very much about, How can you influence people in a positive way? ... Im very much about beauty and about inspiring people.In Past Tense is our latest series of articles in which GSMArena veterans take you on a nostalgia-infused ride through the years.

Experience first hand how the industry evolved and how it shaped us, one phone at a time.

How this tech journalist started his way

Hi, my name is Kaloyan, 32y old, and I've been with GSMArena for 10 years and counting. Three years ago, I shared my phone history with our readers in a rather dry, list-like manner. Now that we're running the Past Tense featurette, I've decided to retell my story but with a shifted focus.

So, how did I choose my first mobile phone?

I didn't. I was hooked on the almighty Nokia 3310 and playing the glorious Snake, but when you are a 15-year old kid, your parents decide a lot of things for you. That's how I ended up with the Nokia 3210 - also known as the first device to be added to the GSMArena.com phone database. Some might say it was a divine intervention, I say pure coincidence.

Having a personal mobile phone was a big thing and I loved my Nokia 3210. It left a big mark and will have a special place in my heart forever.

It also kicked off that perpetual hunger for new gadgets.

Your first is one to remember for sure, but soon or later you have to move on. The Nokia was a brick, so my first goal was to find something smaller, not more functional. And that was one of the best phones I have had to this very day - the Sony J70 and its magic Jog wheel.

It's been now 15+ years since that Sony J70 came into my possession and I still think very fondly of that iconic jog dial. It was one of the most thoughtful innovations back then, unmatched for a long time until BlackBerry finally dethroned it.

The J70 was a nice upgrade, but sooner or later one has to catch up with the technology. Samsung T100 was one of the first phones with a color display, and that was my next target. Not because it was a clamshell, but because it had a cutting-edge tech in it.

Fast-forward one year later, and there was another revolution happening. Mobile cameras. Everybody was "wow, just wow!". A quick research helped me lean towards the Samsung E715 - a small clamshell, with a VGA camera and a flash! From cutting-edge to even more cutting-edge! And, I kid you not, I have a few albums with prints from that VGA camera. Those were fun times (but low on resolution)!



Nokia 3210  Sony CMD J70  Samsung T100  Samsung E715

Having a camera on a mobile phone was something way too big to wrap my head around at first. It was like I was living in the future earlier than I have anticipated. I know it sounds ridiculous and naive from today's standpoint, but back then it was a huge deal.

Once I overcame my awe, I wanted more. A better camera. For day and night occasions. And suddenly the technology was trailing behind my expectations. The never-ending search for the best cameraphone had begun.

No other feature mattered to me but the camera, so I went through some very questionable choices and design abominations just for the sake of trying the imaging capabilities. The first cameraphone choices were as expected - Samsung D500. Samsung D600. Sony Ericsson K800. Sony Ericsson K850.



Samsung D500  Samsung D600  Sony Ericsson K800  Sony Ericsson K850

The K800 was probably the most emblematic among those, as it had a xenon flash and was my travel companion on many occasions. Believe it or not, but I have gigabytes of 3MP pictures shot on the K800. Gigabytes!

Here are some of those:



Sony Ericsson K800 3MP camera samples

Then I bought the Nokia N82. This is the one I will always remember as the perfect phone in my life for quite some time. It had everything - compact size, a high-res camera, a xenon flash, a snappy processor. The N82 had everything for me and even though I did bought into a few upgrades, I eventually returned to the Nokia N82.





Nokia N82 5MP camera samples

The only thing I regret about the N82 is that its black version was in limited numbers and had eluded me until it was pointless to own.



Nokia N82  Nokia N93i  Nokia N95  Nokia N82

I really tried giving LG Viewty and LG Arena a chance, but buggy software and disappointing camera experience were huge deal breakers and those two were some very quick sells.

The same goes for my first and last Windows Mobile smartphone - the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. It had so many hardware faults, including the cracking chassis, that I can't talk about this one without using some unpleasant words. The X1 review was my first for GSMArena, and it almost made me hate the smartphones, which were on the brink of changing the world forever.



LG KU990 Viewty  LG KM900 Arena  Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

And for the first time, I decided to opt for user experience before camera skills and get the iPhone 3GS. The capacitive screen was so different from the resistive ones that Apple deserves to be praised if only for pushing this thing before anything else.

If you have never used a resistive touchscreen, you can't imagine the struggle with styluses, knuckles, and nails. That's the reason the iPhone felt like a giant leap forward! It was the screen that Apple did get right, as it led to smoother experience and blazing-fast response, and that's how the iPhones suddenly became the next best thing.

But the first iPhones lacked in the camera department big time, so I had to get every new iPhone right away.



Apple iPhone 3GS  Apple iPhone 4  Apple iPhone 4s  Apple iPhone 5

The iPhones were one of the most compact smartphones around, and this allowed me to own a second smartphone and carry it with me. I still strived towards the better mobile camera, and for this very reason I often owned another smartphone next to my iPhone.



Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III  Sony Xperia Z  Nokia Lumia 1020  Samsung Galaxy Note 3

As you can imagine the iPhones have finally caught up with the competition as far as the camera matters, so after a while, it was just an iPhone and there was no need for anything else.



Apple iPhone 6  Apple iPhone 6s Plus  Apple iPhone SE  Apple iPhone 7

And now, it's the iPhone X. I like this one less than any other iPhone to come before it because of the controversial software gestures implemented to replace the home button. The notch treatment is far from ideal, too, and the telephoto camera limitations, despite having OIS, are unforgivable. But hey, I am a tech junkie and it's the latest tech you can get, so please don't judge me for sticking with it. At least, I can acknowledge what's wrong with it, and you won't hear me recommend it to anyone I know. It's almost like the first iPhone - so beautiful and yet still in its infancy in so many ways.

So, the phones to leave the biggest mark in my life so far are the Nokia 3210 as being my first, the Sony J70 for introducing a great innovation, the Samsung E715 as my first mobile camera, the Nokia N82 as the best companion through my college years, and the iPhone as making the user experience I needed. If I had to pick an iPhone I remember most dearly - that would have to be the iPhone 5s for being the first iPhone to cover all bases for me without any regrets.

And before we call it a day, I just want to acknowledge a few honorable mentions. I owned those for some short periods of time and while some of them being some questionable/hipster choices, I still appreciate their coolness.



Nokia E90  Samsung M7500 Emporio Armani  Nokia 108 Dual SIM  Motorola RAZR V3

Having experienced so many mobile phones I certainly know what to expect and what I look for in a device. I am not that trigger-happy buyer I once were, but I still crave for that cutting-edge, early adopter excitement as much as I did ten years ago.

The mobile revolution is far from over, sure, but if you ask me, the rapid growth has ended, and there is a plateau ahead of us. Now, it's a fast-paced race happening on a slowly shifting mobile landscape. And while I am waiting for the next game changer (please, let it be batteries!), I'd like to settle for something and for once stop wasting money on incremental upgrades.These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales.Published on 2018/03/04 | Source

British Ambassador to Korea Charles Hay (left) poses with Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon at City Hall in Seoul on Tuesday. /Newsis

British Ambassador to Korea Charles Hay was awarded honorary citizenship of Seoul on Tuesday at the City Hall by Mayor Park Won-soon.

Advertisement

Hay helped return part of the British Embassy compound back to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which allowed a pathway to complete a full circle around Deoksu Palace.1 / 2 The Puppy Barn pictured in American Fork Friday, March 2, 2018. Karissa Neely Daily Herald 2 / 2 Customers enter the Puppy Barn in American Fork Friday, March 2, 2018. The Puppy Barn is moving to Saratoga Springs March 5, 2018. Karissa Neely Daily Herald  

The pups are on the move.

The Puppy Barn is relocating from American Fork to Saratoga Springs.

There were a lot of customers cuddling pups Friday afternoon amidst the teardown of the store. The American Fork location was also open regular hours Saturday, then the team was working Sunday to move the final store items and animals to the Saratoga Springs location. They plan to open up for regular hours Monday in their new location, just five doors south of the old Smiths Food and Drug location on Redwood Road.

Aaron Tilley was there to visit the puppies Friday. He comes fairly often, and praised the store.

This is an incredible place, he said. Ive never had a bad experience.

But the Puppy Barn has its detractors. When news of the move hit social media recently, Saratoga Springs residents responding to the posts were either very excited or very upset. While some were glad the Puppy Barn was moving closer to them, others expressed their dislike for the Puppy Barns business model overall.

This type of reaction is nothing new to Puppy Barn owner Matthew Milligan. While watching customers interact with puppies at the American Fork location Friday, he said he fully expected protesters to show up to their Saratoga Springs opening on Monday.

Eagle Mountain resident Celeste Park-Estes also expects protests to pop up in the coming days in front of the Saratoga Springs location. She isnt the one organizing them, but may be attending. Park-Estes owns Celestial Zoo Pet Rescue, and works with Community Action Welfare Society and the Utah Animal Adoption Center. She said she bought a puppy from the Puppy Barn when they were first open.

She has several concerns with the Puppy Barns business model, which allows customers who are 18 and older the opportunity to interact with, pick up and cuddle the various puppies for sale at the store.

Its an easy way to spread disease to the puppies. Yes, they have customers sanitize their hands, but diseases can be on peoples clothes or brought in on their shoes, Park-Estes said. If puppies are kept separate and not held unless there is a family who is serious about taking them home, they have a greater chance of being healthy.

Park-Estes mentioned social media sites blaming Puppy Barn for selling dogs infected with parvovirus. Parvovirus is a contagious and can adversely affect puppies with still-developing immune systems.

Milligan said of the roughly 7,000 puppies that have been adopted out since they opened in 2014, there have only been eight or nine puppies that had parvo upon leaving the store. In those situations, the Puppy Barn health guarantee kicks in and pays for treatment, Milligan said. Every puppy at the store is vaccinated according to veterinarian recommendations for its age, Milligan added.

Camden Bird, American Fork assistant to the city administrator, confirmed that the city has responded to complaints about the store over the years.

Every single time something flares up on Facebook, weve gone out and done a surprise inspection. They come back clean every time, Bird said of the Puppy Barn.

One of Park-Estes other concerns is that the Puppy Barn uses breeders irresponsibly.

We dont know anything about where these puppies come from, she said.

She would prefer he use reputable breeders so customers know the lineage and temperaments of the dogs they are getting. Many others accuse Puppy Barn of being a puppy mill.

Milligan explained that the Puppy Barn is not a pet store, but a resource to connect local family breeders to families looking for a puppy. He does not like the pet store model, partly because he feels many pet stores bring in puppies from puppy mills, and partly because these stores put animals behind glass windows.

When a dog sits behind a glass box, it messes with them psychologically. They are like a fish in a fishbowl, Milligan said.

Milligan prefers home-raised puppies, and said he does not work with puppy mills or professional breeders because the puppies in those situations only interact with humans during meal times.

Our motto is home-to-home. We want puppies that have been raised in somebodys house  played with by their children, he said.

Park-Estes mentioned stories of the Puppy Barn buying puppies from KSLs online marketplace and then reselling them in the store. Milligan said that does happen, but asserts that he doesnt troll KSL looking for puppies. It is local breeders who reach out to him after initially using KSL. He visits the homes of these breeders, and chooses ones with good practices, but has had to turn away about half the breeders who contact him. He mentioned the Puppy Barn has taken in Oops litters, but pays for the families to spay and neuter the parents so they dont perpetuate the problem.

Another concern of Park-Estes, who said shes seen a number of Puppy Barn dogs end up in rescue shelters after the excitement of the new puppy has worn off, is that Puppy Barn is selling the dogs at too young an age, possibly at five to six weeks, and are not looking out for the health of the puppies. She said puppies should be with their mother for at least eight weeks.

Dogs can have bite-inhibition problems when taken from their mother too soon, she said. Bite-inhibition is where the dogs learn, from the mother and from their siblings, how to use their mouth to stop an action, but not draw blood. Dogs that dont learn this must undergo lengthy and expensive training to master it. Bite inhibition problems, 95 percent of them are seen in dogs who were taken from their mother too early.

Milligan said Puppy Barns smaller breed dogs stay with their mothers until seven to 10 days after they have been fully weaned  usually 10 to 12 weeks.

The longer they are with their mothers, the better, he said.

He feels differently, though, about larger breeds, some of whom can separate from their mothers after full weaning as early as seven weeks. He said larger breeds who stay with their pack too long can have aggression or fear tendencies that cause problems when integrating into families.

As part of its business model, Milligan started the Puppy Barn Cares Foundation last summer to fund the stores outreach to nonprofit organizations that help people and animals. Each time someone comes into the Puppy Barn, they now pay $1 each to interact with the puppies. That money goes to local shelters and other organizations like the Ronald McDonald House near Primary Childrens Hospital in Salt Lake City.

We want to be able to use our foot traffic for good, he said.

Milligan said the Puppy Barn is moving to Saratoga Springs because the new location is in an area of the county that is growing. The new location will be less than half the size of the American Fork location, and he plans to personally operate the new location with a smaller staff. He hopes to expand into Salt Lake County, and send the rest of his staff there. He hopes to announce a second Puppy Barn location somewhere north of the Point of the Mountain this summer.

David Johnson, Saratoga Springs public relations and economic development director, said residents have already called concerned about the Puppy Barns move. But he has explained to them that the Puppy Barn went through the same business licensing process all city businesses undergo, and passed.

The city cannot deny licenses based on the assumption that they may or may not at some time break city codes or ordinances, Johnson said. We welcome any new business as they come in as long as they meet city code.1954-2018

Deborah was born in Provo, Utah, to Marilyn Faux and Don C. Wood, the oldest of their six children. Her father being an Air Force pilot, the family was stationed in many places during her childhood, including Las Vegas and Okinawa, ultimately re-settling in Provo after his deployment to Laos during the Vietnam War. Tragically, her father was shot down in 1966, missing until officially being declared Killed In Action in 1980. Her mother was left to maintain the family, and Deborah and her next-oldest sibling, Lisa, bore much responsibility looking after their four younger brothers. She never overcame the loss of her father, becoming his lifelong idolator and commemorator to latter descendants, as well as everyone else. She eventually became the mother of three children: Duncan (1975) and Megan (1977) Wood-Walker [Dave Walker], and Cassandra LaMons (1986) [Mike LaMons].

Deborah had a rare intellect, the apparent source of much of her identity and pride. At her best, she was adroit  deft of hand and mind. With her ease of academic mastery, she was comfortable and dominant in school, winning a National Merit Scholarship at Provo High, and would likely have done well to continue beyond her achieved B.A. in English at the University of Utah. Most impressive in her verbal acuity, Deborah demonstrated great care and excellence in her writing, from her teenage poetry through her professional prose as a journalist and editor, and beyond. Her attempted precision in handwriting, grammar, diction, and description was unsurpassed.

Loyal and loving to a fault, Deborahs relationships tended to be inextricable. She held the mundane  even the profane  in her experience as sacred, and did her utmost to preserve it all in some kind of verbal or photographic record. She died with her ex-husband, Dave Walker, and her two surviving children, Cassandra and Megan, by her side, after what could be explained as a long mental-physical illness culminating in asphyxiation/cardiac arrest. She is also survived by her brothers, Don, Joey, and Robby; many cousins; nine nieces and nephews, three grandchildren, three grand-nieces and -nephews, etc. She was most pertinently preceded in death by her parents, her sister Lisa, her brother David, and her son, Duncan. Suitable donations in her memory could be made to anti-war, mental health, suicide prevention, and addiction rehabilitation services; rememberances to her daughters via Facebook, other family allies, and anyone disposed to listen. Memorial service to be announced.UVU @UVU

All Clear Alert: UVU and Orem Police were notified that a person of interest was on or near the Orem campus today. The situation has been resolved.

Spencer Cannon @SGTCannonPIO

Family and friends of Jerika Binks will meet at Art Dye Park, 550 E 1000 N, in American Fork Saturday, 3/3/17, at 9:00 AM to do an area search for her. All willing to help are welcome to come.

Alasdair Macleod @Al1_Macleod

I am shocked that a bunch of middle aged white guys from Utah are such bad rappers.

Ahh well

You should follow the Lt Governor @SpencerJCox or our county mayor @MayorBenMcAdams they are a bit more on the young and cool side

Springville City @SpringvilleCity

Plan ahead for minor delays on 400 South, west of 1-15. UDOT will begin construction on March 5th to widen the road to 5 lanes.

shon. @inkedtater

Dear @BamBamsBBQ

I felt dirty as a Ute going into your establishment in Orem today for lunch.

But damn those ribs and Brisket Sandwich (with Pepper Jack, Pickles, and Onions) was goddamn amazing.

I probably will be back, and often.

Sincerely,

@inkedtater

Randy Chipman @randychipman

Graves is literally stealing $166,000 from Utah county residents. What a scam. #utpol #utleg @UtahCountyGov

Scottie Rogers @Srog603

Utah County may not be the best place to be gay but it is far from the worst. 80% of the population is LDS but acceptance is growing abeit slowly. Its way different than Boston however I feel comfortable in public being who I am. Im in the minority..

Highland, Utah @HighlandCity

The Highland Glen Bike Park was built in conjunction with local boy scout Carson Seegmiller. It is a BMX mountain bike-park with multiple courses for all skill levels so that a variety of individuals can use and enjoy this amenity.1 / 9 Jed Alvey, of Nephi, Jerika's big brother, points out areas on a map to searchers during the formation of a search party to look for missing American Fork resident Jerika Binks on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Art Dye Park in American Fork. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 2 / 9 Jerika Binks 3 / 9 Katie Jacobs, of Provo, holds a poster of missing American Fork resident Jerika Binks as she listens to instructions during the formation of a search party Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Art Dye Park in American Fork. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 4 / 9 Paul Conover, of Mapleton, Jerika's uncle, organizes the crowd during the formation of a search party to look for missing American Fork resident Jerika Binks on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Art Dye Park in American Fork. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 5 / 9 Taylor Kahl, left, of Pleasant Grove, and Brandi Drury, of Provo, sit atop their horses as they listen to instructions during the formation of a search party to look for missing American Fork resident Jerika Binks on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Art Dye Park in American Fork. Horses, dogs, drones and other methods were utilized to help search efforts. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 6 / 9 A search party makes their way into a wooded area to look for missing American Fork resident Jerika Binks on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Art Dye Park in American Fork. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 7 / 9 A poster of missing American Fork resident Jerika Binks rests taped to a vehicle during the formation of a search party Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Art Dye Park in American Fork. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 8 / 9 Jed Alvey, of Nephi, Jerika's big brother, marks areas on a map during the formation of a search party to look for missing American Fork resident Jerika Binks on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Art Dye Park in American Fork. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald 9 / 9 A search party sets out from the larger group to look for missing American Fork resident Jerika Binks on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Art Dye Park in American Fork. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald Isaac Hale, Daily Herald  

More than 80 people combed the trails, streets and riversides surrounding Art Dye Park in American Fork on Saturday morning, searching for a woman who has been missing since Feb. 18.

Jerika Binks, 24, was last seen at a residential treatment center near North County Boulevard in American Fork the morning of Feb. 18, according to information from the Utah County Sheriffs Office. She told roommates she was going running, left all her belongings except for her cellphone in her room and never returned.

One of her aunts, Lynda Conover, was part of the search group Saturday, which consisted of family, friends, ham radio operators and drone pilots. The searchers split up into seven groups and searched assigned sections spanning from the park to Canyon Road.

Shed always run the Murdock Trail, Conover said, so the family was concentrating their search along the trails, roads and rivers that come off that trail.

That girl can run. That was her normal thing. She loved exercising, Conover said, adding that Binks had been excited about trying out a new pair of running shoes.

After Binks was reported missing, the last pings from her phone hit in Pleasant Grove, American Fork and Lehi, then the phone shut off, Conover said. That left a large area to search.

This weekend is the first weekend weve had clear ground and clear weather since then, said Paul Conover, Lyndas husband. At this point, any kind of info would be a step in the right direction.

Corliss Jarvis, one of Binks grandmothers, and Sydney Thomas, an aunt, were part of the search party as well. Their area covered 2600 North in Pleasant Grove towards Canyon Road, along the Murdock Trail and around Manila Creek Park. Part of their party knocked on doors in the neighborhoods asking residents if theyd seen Binks.

I just wish somebody knew something, Jarvis said.

Good or bad, you want an answer so you can come to terms with it, Thomas added.

Jerika Binks older brother, Jed Binks, organized Saturdays search, and was grateful the morning was clear. Unfortunately, searchers found nothing linked to his sister, he said Saturday evening.

But at least we knocked out a whole grid, he said. Anything helps.

Jerika Binks is white, female, 5-foot-4, 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Her brother asked that people in the community look at her picture, and report anything they might know about her whereabouts. Foul play has not been ruled out, according to the Sheriffs Office.

If you have information on Binks, call (801) 851-4013 or (801) 794-3970.Hagerstown Police looking for man involved in deadly shooting Saturday

Hagerstown Police Department has issued a warrant for a man who fled the scene of a shooting that left one person dead on Sept. 18.After a prolific half-century in music that has earned him the unofficial title of Americas foremost living composer, Philip Glass could be forgiven if he were to decide to slow down. But the 81-year-old not only remains active, he is determined to challenge himself. Far better known as a composer, Glass believes it is crucial also to be a performer.

He will take to the piano and keyboard for two of his works, including the soundtrack to the experimental film Koyaanisqatsi as part of Direct Current, an inaugural festival at the Kennedy Centre exploring contemporary music.

I actually like playing, Glass told AFP, adding that he feels fortunate not to have become afflicted by arthritis or other scourges of age. I think its a very good reality check for composers to play your own music in front of all kinds of publics. Glass said that performing at top venues such as the Kennedy Centre or Carnegie Hall in his home of New York amounted to a kind of acceptance.

- I dont have to explain -

I dont have to explain myself to anybody anymore. I dont have to apologize for my music, which I never did anyway, he said. I got my first big music prize when I was 75 -- Im talking 75 YEARS OLD! he said with a laugh. I never got a Guggenheim, I never got a MacArthur, the Pulitzer -- nothing.

But what I did do is I went and played in important places and that for me was very satisfying. I never cared about the prizes, anyway. I was looking more for the kind of prestige that comes from playing in important venues.

The Direct Current festival, which runs from March 5 to 19, will also feature works by fellow leading composer John Adams, drag cabaret innovator Taylor Mac and electronic fusionist Mason Bates, who will deejay classical music at Washingtons celebrated 9:30 Club.

At the Kennedy Center, Glass will play from his 20 Etudes, solo piano pieces completed in 2012. Known for his quick-moving arpeggios and a focus on rhythm, Glass found that the deceptively old-fashioned 20 Etudes amounted to exercises he himself could benefit from.

- I can play Glass -

When I played them, I got to be a better piano player, he said. I said, Wow, I dont have to play Hanon anymore; I can play Glass, he said, referring to the 19th-century French piano pedagogue Charles-Louis Hanon. Glass will only perform four of the 20 Etudes at the Kennedy Center, with other pianists, including indie pop artist Blood Orange, playing the rest.

With his busy schedule and the challenging level of the 20 Etudes, Glass said he was unable to play all of them. For Koyaanisqatsi, one of the composers better-known works, his Philip Glass Ensemble will perform to a screening of the movie of the same name in a reunion with its director, Godfrey Reggio.

The film, whose title means a world out of balance in the American indigenous Hopi language, weaves together wordless footage, from traffic jams to atomic explosions to a space rocket. Glass, who composed the minimalist score for Koyaanisqatsi in 1979, said he was struck by how the film has become a cult classic. Why are young people looking at it and thinking its about the world they live in? Glass asked rhetorically.

- Sea changes in music -

There is no question that Godfrey Reggio had an amazing vision. If you asked him what the movie was about, he would say its about the impact of technology on the way we live, Glass said. Technology does have its upsides. Glass recalled how he used to travel with hulking masses of equipment, which now can quickly be assembled through rentals in each city.

Reflecting on shifts he has seen, Glass also witnessed a sea change in the embrace of non-Western music. Glass is heavily influenced by Indian form. After meeting sitar legend Ravi Shankar in Paris in 1965, a fascinated young Glass took on the task of transcribing traditional Indian music into notation that Westerners could play.

Glass, who regularly performs with international artists including Gambian kora player Foday Musa Suso, said that musicians have learned how to bridge what once seemed impossibly wide divides. The major thing thats happened is weve gotten used to tuning together. That sounds like a very technical thing, but without that you cant play together, he said.

Glass, who premiered his Symphony No. 11 last year at Carnegie Hall to mark his 80th birthday, said he still felt an itch to compose and he may have more Etudes in store. Its what I like to do. And what I probably do best is just writing music.The mega annual cultural festival India by the Nile, organised to celebrate Indian culture and its diversity, will begin next week with a focus on classical culture this year. The 12-day event, the biggest foreign festival in Egypt, will host a wide range of events and starts on March 6.

The festival provides audiences an Indian cultural experience and encourages artistic collaborations between India and Egypt. It will be held in several cities such as Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said. There is a big focus this year on classical culture which is very ancient like music, dance and yoga. But what we are also trying to do is to bring contemporary elements so we have a good mix of heritage aspects as well as the contemporary development, said Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Indias Ambassador to Egypt.

He said the embassy had been working for almost a year to prepare for the festival. This years edition will host Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, who will perform in Cairo and Alexandria on March 8 and 10. Amjad is the living legend of the Sarod. And to the contemporary flavour of music, we are getting a Sufi music band, said Bhattacharyya.

The festival will include an Indian fine dining menu. (Shutterstock)

The festival will also bring two new events, a fashion show and screening of Indian movies. The fashion show is entirely a new item. Tarun Tahiliani is among the biggest fashion designers, Bhattacharyya said.

The festival will also host a photography exhibition by Khaled Gawdat, a doctor with a special interest in India. He will exhibit photographs taken during his visits to India. For Indian food lovers, a six-day event will be held from March 10. Indian celebrity chef Vikram Udaygiri will curate an Indian fine dining menu ranging from the countrys vast cuisine repertoire and introduce Indian whiskey to pair with the food.

Bollywood choreographer Gilles Chuyen will host multiple dance workshops in Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said. The festival will also feature seminars on Indian tea, economic cooperation between India and Egypt, as well as on yoga and well-being. Indian and Egyptian experts in yoga and alternative healing will share their experiences at various venues in Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said.

The festival, which is organised by the Embassy of India in Egypt and the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture in collaboration with Teamwork Arts, is a celebration of contemporary and classical music, dance, theatre, visual arts, film, food and literature.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for moreKatrina Kaif never fails to dazzle us with her looks. On Monday, the actor did just that by sharing a picture from the sets of her upcoming film with Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma, Zero.

Decked up as a bride perhaps, we see Katrina from a side angle. She wears a maang tika (head ornament), nath (nose ring), junky ear rings and necklace. She is also wearing a richly embroidered blouse (possibly a ghagra choli). With her hair let loose, she is looking straight ahead, but away from the camera. In the background, we can see the crew of the film with equipment.

In Zero, directed by Aanand L Rai, Shah Rukh appears as a dwarf. The film, apparently, explores the journey of a vertically challenged man who travels from Meerut to New York. Explaining his choice of SRK, Aanand said, I always felt he is a very basic Delhi boy. Whenever I saw him in those valleys of Switzerland, I felt Oh Delhi boy wahan tak pahuch gaya (the Delhi boy has achieved great heights). I never felt he didnt belong there. That is the reason why I think he has a great connect in our country because he represents a basic middle class boy who has achieved it.

He further added, Shah Rukh makes me feel so comfortable and makes you feel like he is the most obedient actor you have ever worked with. I have found a friend, a big brother in him. I am enjoying the process and he is letting me fly.

Katrina and Anushka will star opposite SRK in the film. It was previously reported that Katrina plays a movie star in the film, and that Shah Rukhs character is her biggest fan. I play an actress in the film, but I dont play myself. Im not Katrina Kaif in the film, DNA quoted the Tiger Zinda Hai star as saying.

(With agency inputs)

Follow @htshowbiz for moreAanand L Rai believes Shah Rukh Khan may have become a superstar but the actor still is the same Delhi boy at heart with humble beginnings and it was this quality that made him even more endearing for the filmmakers next Zero.

In Zero, the 52-year-old actor, popular for portraying characters in love stories set abroad, plays a vertically challenged man who travels from Meerut to New York. I always felt he is a very basic Delhi boy. Whenever I saw him in those valleys of Switzerland, I felt Oh Delhi boy wahan tak pahuch gaya (the Delhi boy has achieved great heights). I never felt he didnt belong there. That is the reason why I think he has a great connect in our country because he represents a basic middle class boy who has achieved it, said Aanand.

The movie reunites the cast of Jab Tak Hai Jaan with SRK, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif featuring in the film. For the first time, Aanand has teamed up with a star like Shah Rukh. Asked if the stakes have become higher, the 46-year-old director says, There were bright chances.

He is, however, relieved to have SRK on board. Shah Rukh makes me feel so comfortable and makes you feel like he is the most obedient actor you have ever worked with. I have found a friend, a big brother in him. I am enjoying the process and he is letting me fly, he says.

As of now, Aanand is gearing up for the Christmas release of the film which, he says, is shaping up great and is a lifetime of experiences. Besides direction, Aanand is backing a string of new films under his company Colour Yellow Productions - from the sequel of Happy Bhaag Jayegi, Anurag Kashyaps next Manmarziyan to a project helmed by Rajkumar Santoshi.

Talking about his production spree, he says, I will never do a film just for the sake of it. If I have nothing to contribute, I wont do it. If I dont have anything to bring on the table something which will make it easier for the director or the team, there is no reason to make it.

I am not doing films to make money. If you make a good film, you will make money but that is not the prime reason to go for a film. My prime reason is what am I bringing new for my audience, he adds.

For the Raanjhanaa director, the success or failure of a film does not account to much, but what matters is the intention with which it was made. Aanands turn as a producer happened with the hit Tanu Weds Manu and he says the decision was largely driven by the idea to back the content he believes in. Producing a film was not to make money but only to get the freedom to make the kind of films I want to. I dont look at my bank (balance) in terms of what I am getting or not getting, he says.

I am just enjoying the process of telling the stories I always wanted to be a part of. As a director I know I can do very few, but as a production house, I can tell more stories, which is fun, he says.Budget carrier AirAsia India has charted out expansion plans to connect more tier-II and III cities and set a target to commence flights to overseas destinations by January 2019, a top official said.

The airliner last week inducted its 16th aircraft and announced the addition of Nagpur and Indore to its list of destinations.

According to AirAsia India, managing director and CEO, Amar Abrol, the airliner has planned to commence overseas operation by January 2019 once it has 20 or more planes.

Our strategy is that once we get to 20 planes (operating in domestic operations) we will start flying international. Mostly, it will be to South East Asian countries, he told PTI in Chennai.

Stating that 27% of the people who fly with AirAsia were flying for the first time ever, he said, So, we are opening up Indian skies. And we are getting lot many more Indians to fly for the first time.

The plan is to connect more tier II and III cities in India, wherever A320 can go and also start flying international after crossing 20 aircraft, he said.

Elaborating, he said, the company would serve those markets which were already connected by the airliners group entities -- AirAsia Malaysia, AirAsia Indonesia, AirAsia Thailand.

We will be flying mostly to Malaysia, Indonesia and neighbouring SAARC countries as well. Bangladesh, Nepal and so on and so forth, he said.

Asked whether there would be any competition within the AirAsia Group itself, as AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia Thailand operate, he replied in the affirmative saying, it will be healthy competition between the airlines.

That is not a problem. I think there is enough demand for AirAsia Malaysia to grow and AirAsia India to grow.

He said the customers will decide the flight to a destination, whether it belongs to AirAsia Malaysia or AirAsia India.

The governments ambitious UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Naagrik) scheme, under which fares are capped at Rs 2,500 for a one-hour flight. It aims at boosting air connectivity to and from unserved and under-served airports and making flying more affordable.

UDAAN scheme is typically meant for 10-seater or 15- seater ATRs. We have big planes. Hence we are not participating in Udan Scheme per se, Abrol said.

The company recently introduced flights in the Bhubaneswar-Chennai route.

We are connecting Chennai to Bhubaneswar and we are not necessarily connecting Chennai to New Delhi, because that is a market which is already served very well, he said.

AirAsia India currently flies to 17 destinations with its hubs in Bengaluru, New Delhi and Kolkata. AirAsia India is a joint venture between Tata Sons Limited and AirAsia, with AirAsia Investment Limited.

AirAsia India commenced operations in June 2014 and currently flies to several cities in the domestic market.German Chancellor Angela Merkel has her work cut out now that shes on track to start her fourth term.

President Donald Trumps threat of tariffs on European cars, Chinas global investment push and Emmanuel Macrons calls for a closer-knit euro area all demand a German response following more than five months of political stalemate in Europes biggest economy. Merkel, 63, is expected to be sworn in by mid-March after the Social Democrats voted to stay in her government.

Europe cant move forward without Germany, and the clear result of the SPD members ballot bolsters Merkels position, said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg bank.

While Merkel leading another four-year coalition of Germanys two biggest parties suggests continuity, global challenges are accelerating and the next government -- possibly her last -- may be more fractious than the previous one. Heres a look at some of the issues in play.

Trade War

Trumps tariffs on steel and aluminum imports threaten to hit hard in Germany, Europes biggest exporter and a frequent target of criticism for its trade surplus. By putting the European auto industry into his sights , the U.S. president is broadening his attack on German manufacturing. Merkel has turned to China and Japan as free-trade allies, a push that may intensify. The chancellery in Berlin says Merkel has repeatedly made her trade stance clear to Trump and wont shy away from backing European Union retaliation.

Chinese Investment

Merkel views Chinas expanding economic power as one of the challenges of the century and her chief concern on the world stage, according to a person familiar with her thinking who asked not to be identified. Under the coalition pact, Merkel plans to turn Germanys stodgy Economy Ministry into a platform for keeping tabs on Chinese investment, exemplified by billionaire Li Shufus $9 billion stake in Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler AG.

China poses a huge challenge to German industry, Merkel said in February, setting the tone for a policy focus that the Social Democrats are likely to share. German business is pressing Merkel to protect national interests. While the U.S. provokes a trade war and China challenges our industrial leadership, weve been engaged in superfluous navel-gazing, Thilo Brodtmann, head of the VDMA machinery lobby, said in a statement Sunday.

The Art of Europe

Merkels embrace of Macron, the youthful French president, masks differences over how to strengthen the euro area, including through proposed risk-sharing on banks. German red lines probably wont change fundamentally, even as the Social Democrats take over the Finance Ministry in Berlin. Progress with banking union will be an important step, Clemens Fuest, head of the Munich-based Ifo economic institute said last week. The art will be to accommodate France while setting structural conditions for sustainable growth. Progress also depends on bridging differences between the SPD and Merkels Christian Democratic-led bloc. Those are papered over in the coalition pact:

Brexit Ahead

The U.K.s exit from the European Union has been mostly below the radar in Berlin since the inconclusive German election in September. With Merkel back at the helm and the clock ticking louder on Brexit, that may change. The chancellor has opened the door to giving Britain a unique, tailor-made trade deal, saying the EU shouldnt get hung on past models.

Economy vs. Politics

Merkel could hardly wish for a stronger economic backdrop: Growth is the fastest in seven years, the jobless rate is at a record low of 5.4 percent, and a budget surplus of 1.2 percent of economic output means the coalition partners can spend. Pro-market critics say plans to gird Germany for the future, such as broadband expansion and increased research funding, fall short. Also unresolved are the threat of city driving bans for over-polluting diesel cars and a planned phase-out of coal power stations.

While Merkels deal with the Social Democrats signals that the political center is holding, the far-right Alternative for Germany will be the biggest opposition party in parliament. Its a novelty for post-World War II Germany that reflects a shifting political landscape even as Merkel wins a reprieve.

The seemingly eternal grand coalition could experience some road bumps here and there, given that Merkel will be on her way out and the SPDs existential question has only been delayed, Carsten Nickel, Brussels-based analyst at Teneo Intelligence, said by email. For now, Germanys existing party system has won itself another four years.The Uttarakhand government has banned quarrying in Ganga and its tributaries. The ban comes following an interim order by the National Green Tribunal and will remain in effect till the green body passes final order.

While environmentalists have welcome the government order, issued on Saturday, those involved directly or indirectly in quarrying business and villagers who depend on chugan  quarrying by hand  and plying tractor-trolleys to ferry quarried material are apprehensive.

Quarrying business provides employment to thousands of people, with Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation (UFDC), Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), and Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) being the three government nodal agencies authorized to carry out quarrying activities.

Notably, NGT had on February 16 banned quarrying in Ganga and its tributaries following a complaint by Haridwar based social activist Vijay Verma. The NGT also took cognizance of a report submitted by 10-member team of Union ministry of Environment and forest on impact of quarrying on environment and local ecology.

As per Dinesh Bhatt, deputy director, quarrying, seven permits issued by the forest development corporation for quarrying were cancelled and all the 10 gates from where the material was ferried, closed immediately after NGT order came.

Earlier, two seers associated with Matri Sadan ashram head Swami Shivanand Saraswati and Brhamachari Atmabodhanand  had staged fast unto death demanding prohibition on quarrying in Haridwar.

Swami Shivanand questioned the role of administration in permitting quarrying in the district, which has led to mass scale damage to the Ganga river bed and local ecology.

Shivanand said that he will file a suit in Nainital High Court against district officials for ignoring the court and NGT directives given in recent past regarding prohibition on quarrying.

On the reason cited by pro-quarrying supporters that boulders come from the upper reaches of Himalayas through Ganga in Haridwar and thus quarrying should be allowed, Swami Shivanand said, No stones or boulders come from upper stream to Haridwar plains. NGT has already directed experts at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, to carry out an extensive research on this aspect for which they have sought minimum 3 years time. That means before this report gets submitted quarrying will remain prohibited.

Khanan Samarthak Sangarsh Samitis district chief Lokesh Kumar said that thousands of families will get affected due to quarrying prohibition so NGT should reconsider its decision. We want the ban on quarrying lifted else thousands of people would be rendered unemployed. If need be, we will stage indefinite fast unto death, said Rohtash Singh, a representative of Khanan Chugan Sangarsh Samiti.

Blow by blow

2009: High Court bans river bed quarrying

2009: HC allows quarrying only after environment impact assessment clearance

2011: BJP government in state bans quarrying at Haridwars Bhogpur and Bishanpur Kundi ghats.

2012: Congress government lifts ban on quarrying at the said two ghats

2013: In January, GMVN issues notification banning quarrying at Bhogpur- Bishanpur Kundi ghats in Haridwar.

2013: Anti Mining Force set up in Uttarakhand

2017: In March, Nainital High Court bans quarrying for four months

2017: In May, state orders ban on usage of Pokeland and heavy machines for quarrying purposes in Haridwar.

2017: In July, NGT directs Uttarakhand government to ensure no illegal quarrying was carried out on floodplains of river Ganga

2018: NGT bans quarrying in Ganga and sub-tributaries.A 45-year-old man, who worked as an accountant and a security guard at a private school, was found murdered inside the school in east Delhis Old Seemapuri on Sunday morning.

Police officials said prima facie it appears that the victim, identified as Devi Dayal, had been hit in the head with a blunt object and his wrist slit with a sharp weapon. A bottle of liquor, two glasses and leftover food was found in the same room as his body, the police added.

Nupur Prasad, deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara), said a case of murder has been registered against unknown persons. The police have ruled out robbery as a motive because Dayals cellphone, money and valuables inside the school were found intact. Police suspect Dayal was either killed in a fit of a rage or over personal enmity.

Dayal worked as an accountant at Bal Convent Public School during the day and he slept in the school premises at night performing the job of a security guard, DCP Prasad added.

Originally from Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, he was joined the school around two years ago. He was also working with a travel agency in Seemapuri on the weekends.

The police said the murder came to light, when Dayal did not reach the travel agency on Sunday morning, after which a colleague, known only by his first name Chotu, went to check in on him. Chotu told the police that when he arrived, he found the schools main gate partially open. Chotu said he found Dayal unconscious on the floor in his room. He informed the schools owner who, in turn, called the police control room.

The police control room was informed at 8.45am. Dayal was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. A forensic team collected fingerprints and other evidence from the spot, said a police officer.

According to the DCP, there was no evidence of forced entry into the school so they suspect the role of someone known to Dayal behind the murder. The liquor bottles and two glasses, police said, suggest that the murderer drank with Dayal before killing him. We are looking at the footage of the CCTV camera for more clues, said Prasad.New Delhi: Keeping with the Centres ambitious plan to switch to electric vehicles by 2030, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation will launch the first lot of 32 electric cars on Monday. The second lot comprising of 43 vehicles will come by March end.

To encourage the use of electric vehicles in the city, civic agencies are also establishing electric charging stations at multiple locations.

In phase 1, the stations are being established for the official vehicles, which will procured by March end and in phase 2, similar facilities will be developed for private vehicles by the end of 2018.

Both the New Delhi Municipal Council and SDMC aim to set up at least 30 charging stations for public vehicles. The move has been appreciated by the experts, but they find the numbers too less to motivate Delhiites to switch to green automobiles.

Also, lack of clear-cut policy on establishing electric stations, no fixing of responsibility for supplying such vehicles at cheaper cost, providing infrastructure and participation of private players to reach wider audience are other areas which need to be worked upon to get results, said Kamal Soi, member of National Road Safety Council.

NDMCs project

The NDMC will procure 80 electric vehicles by mid-March. It has installed 37 charging points at Palika Kendra, Talkatora Stadium, Vidyut Bhawan at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road and auto workshop at Laxmi Bai Nagar and Shivaji Stadium for 80 electric vehicles that will be procured by mid-March.

These 37 chargers consist of 28 alternating current (AC) and nine direct current (DC) chargers. While AC charger takes three-five hours to get the vehicle fully charged and cost around 85,000, DC charger will do the needful within one and half hours and cost around 3.9 lakh.

We have procured two electric vehicles and the work order for balance 78 has been given to the Energy Efficiency Solution Limited (EESL). The supply of these vehicles is likely to be received by second week of March, said a senior NDMC official.

Under its smart city project, the NDMC is targeting to install 10 such charging stations till 2018 end for public transport vehicles.

Considering the future business potential of the project, decision has been taken by the council to establish stations for general public. It will be cost effective and a viable solution to the problem of poor air quality, said senior NDMC official.

As per source, the sites near Gole Market, Khan Market, Sarojini Nagar, Moti Bagh, Laxmi Bai Nagar and Chanakyapuri areas are likely to be finalised for stations.

South Corporations plan

SDMC will procure a total of 75 electric vehicles. For them, we have set up 40 charging points at Ambedkar Stadium, all four zonal offices at Green Park, Lajpat Nagar, Najafgarh and Dwarka, SDMCs headquarters in Civic Centre (Basement 3), and other places, said Shikha Rai, leader of house, SDMC.

As per the Delhi Electric Regulatory Authority regulations, the energy consumption charges will be reduced (from  7-5 per unit) on commercial connections, if the user provides proper documents to power discoms about its usage for charging electric vehicles, said SDMC official.

Although the civic agency had announced establishment of over 100 charging stations in its budget for private vehicles, the project has slowed down for various reasons. We will observe the success rate of this project first and then make plan for developing more such facilities, said Rai.

Status of electric stations so far

Discom Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) had set up five charging points in North Delhi Civil Lines area. However, it received a tepid response.

The problem is that e-vehicles are still not popular in Delhi and the concept is still new. There are not many models of even two wheelers, leave alone four wheelers, for people to choose from, said a discom official.

Besides, another problem is that the cost of private electric vehicles continues to be high.

As a result, most of the electric vehicles that are sold are those through which one can earn revenue, like e-rickshaws. Delhi has over a lakh e-rickshaws, and majority of them charge their three-wheelers through domestic connections. This was illegal until the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) last year legalised electric charging through domestic connection.

Experts take

Delhi has a total 10.4 million registered vehicles including 3.15 million cars, 6.7 million two-wheelers, 38,285 buses and 174,000 auto-rickshaws as per Delhi Governments transport department.

Of the total, number of electric vehicles would be in few thousands. There are just 10 charging stations in city (run by a private company) which are insufficient, said Kamal Soi from National Road Safety Council.

Unless, the government draft a clear cut policy and involve private players, provide them commercial connections at subsidised rates in lieu of establishing charging stations, project will never be successful, he said.

Nagpur has already set an example by converting all taxi into e-taxis and providing sufficient charging stations, said Soi.

There is no policy or roadmap for implementing the Government of Indias project for replacing the diesel or petrol vehicles with electric ones, said Amit Bhatt, director, Integrated Urban Transport, World Resources Institute.

It would be important to cover them all in a phased manner under one policy and to start with, government can focus on replacing the public transport vehicles with electric vehicles. Because they run for over 150-200 km in a day and can easily recover the cost of electric vehicles, which is much higher than vehicles running with diesel or petrol, said Bhatt.

After that, replacing shared and government vehicles with electric one can proved to be more cost effective, he said further.A 22-year-old man died after he was allegedly stabbed multiple times by a group of three men near his house in south Delhis Ambedkar Nagar on Friday afternoon, police said.

Romil Baaniya, deputy commissioner of police (south), said the murder was a result of an old dispute between the group of attackers and the victim.

We have arrested two of the three suspects, Baaniya said.

The victim, identified only by his first name, Sonu, was a resident of Ambedkar Nagar and was employed as a beautician, the police said.

He was reportedly out for a walk near his home with her elder brother around 3pm on Friday when the siblings were confronted by a group of local men, a police official familiar with the matter said.

It appears that the two groups had been involved in a dispute a few days ago. The brothers were confronted over the same issue on Friday. The quarrel quickly snowballed into a violent assault in which Sonu was stabbed multiple times by the other party, said an investigator.

While the police did not disclose at the exact number of stab wounds inflicted on Sonu, his brother Bunty alleged he was stabbed at least two dozen times. Bunty added that he tried to raise alarm during the assault, but the killers had escaped before people could rush to help them.

After the assault, Sonu was rushed to nearby Batra Hospital, but was declared brought dead, said the DCP. We have arrested two suspects, Joginder and Aman and recovered the knife used in the attack from them, said the officer.

Police officials added that they have launched a manhunt to nab the third accused in the crime.The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has recommended a CBI probe into the alleged leak of the question paper of its Combined Graduate Level Exam (tier-2) conducted between February 17 and 22.

We have written a letter to the ministry of personnel asking for a CBI probe, said SSC chairman Ashim Khurana.

Hundreds of students who took the exam have been protesting outside the SSC headquarters in CGO complex for the last one week demanding cancellation of the exam and a CBI investigation into the alleged leak.

The SSC had already asked the Delhi police crime branch to look into the matter. It has cancelled one paper due to technical glitch but candidates claim this paper was leaked. The SSC is likely to reschedule this test for March 9.

On Sunday, a group of candidates met the SSC chairman with BJP MP and the partys Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari. Tiwari also arranged a meeting of the agitators representatives with Union home minister Rajnath Singh, where they raised their grievances and sought postponement the exam.

I talked to Jitendra Singh, minister personnel and training (DoPT) and took the agitators to the home minister today. He assured the delegation that the Government would not allow any injustice to them. We later met SSC chairman Ashim Khurana also, said Tiwari.

Purvesh, one of the members of the delegation which met Khurana on Sunday, said agitators would not leave until a copy of the notice ordering CBI enquiry is handed over to them.The buttoned-up styles of the Victorian era have met their nemesis in the unbridled sexuality of British punk in contrasting shows at Paris Fashion Week.

Here are some of the fall-winter highlights from the shows on Saturday, which included Vivienne Westwood, Elie Saab and Hermes:

Vivienne Westwood gets saucy

The raw sexuality of British punk was on full display at Austrian designer Andreas Kronthalers show for Vivienne Westwood.

Big red-white-and-blue carpets  in the colours of the Union Jack  led guests eyes up to the shows decor of dismembered, upside-down mannequin legs. Three scantily-clad Goth ravers climbed up onto podiums around the runway as the show began and started to gyrate provocatively.

A model presents a creation by designer Andreas Kronthaler as part of his Autumn/Winter 2018/2019 women's ready-to-wear collection show for fashion house Vivienne Westwood. (REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol)

The clothes channeled the punk styles that made Westwoods name in the 70s  but it was also a celebration of violent colour and couture. A diaphanous marbled pastel froufrou gown looked initially like a watercolor painting  until, on further inspection, the belt that consisted of adult toys came into focus.

The models thick eyebrows evoked famed Italian porn star-turned-politician, La Cicciolina. She also had barbed wire covering her lips and wore kinky red lace-up boots. The collection stayed true to Westwoods encyclopedia style by including Arab-style headdresses that were given an urban reworking, as well as styles inspired by the 18th century.

The best look? A giant flame red baroque tulle hat with a period fastening under the chin.

Actress Rose McGowan, members of South African hip hop group Die Antwoord and rappers Ninja and Yolandi Visser applauded from the front row.

Dear Vivienne: A love letter to Westwood

Instead of the program notes, Andreas Kronthaler left guests a photocopy of a touching love letter hed written to his wife and design partner Vivienne Westwood, 76.

The 65-year-old Austrian designer had handwritten the missive on blue Eurostar notepaper on February 28 while travelling between London and Paris on the cross-Channel train.

Dear Vivienne. Heart. God how long have we known each other? it began, before listing all the fashion influences Westwood had exerted on him over the years. When in doubt: dress up! ... These mantras of yours and so much more became part of my life and work. I still thank you to this day, it read.

Kronthaler first met Westwood in 1988 and they wed in 1993. He had for a long time taken the role as a silent creative partner but took over officially as designer in recent years.

Kronthaler ended it: Love you forever. Andreas.

Elie Saabs Victorian fashion

Models present creations of Elie Saab during the Paris Fashion Week. (Xinhua/Piero Biasion/IANS)

Elie Saab went to the dark romance of the Victorian era for inspiration for his brooding fall-winter offerings.

The house produced a predominantly black collection of high necklines, statement bell and Juliette sleeves, defined shoulders and lots and lots and lots of ruffles.

There was a delicacy to some of the fabrics and detailing such as in large velvet bows draped from collars inspired by the 19th-century paintings of Frances Auguste Renoir. Saab fused that covered-up eras styles with an exploration of all things floral  and served it on his bread-and-butter design choice, cinched-waisted gowns.

The collection, entitled Winter Bouquets, had blooms as prints, embroideries and appliques in white, blush, powder blue and burgundy.

Hermes shows off its colours

With an exotic set and a glowing red runway, Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski emanated quiet power in a collection that showed off her skills as a colourist and signalled that the Hermes designer is growing in confidence.

Starting in black, slim silhouettes in graphic styles gradually changed colour and moved into powerful hues of midnight blue, vermilion, tan brown, mustard yellow and lime green.

With subtlety, the 80s was referenced in soft-belted leather coats, shimmering leather pants and knee-high boots in contrasting colours.

Models present creations by French designer Nadege Vanhee-Cybulski. (REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol)

Detailing such as embroideries across a shoulder had a Latin American feel and demonstrated the famed craftsmanship of Hermes, a fashion house that in France has become a byword for luxury.

Vanhee-Cybulskis penchant for checks produced a beautiful square brown dress.

But the real finesse was to be found in the collections colour combinations, such as when a belted jumpsuit in maroon was set off stylishly by a soft vermillion coat.

Junya Watanabe goes top heavy

In a collection that took its vibe from the street, Junya Watanabes edgy collection went stylishly off-kilter.

Oversize double-breasted suit jackets towered above floral leggings in an intentional effect that made the legs look like sticks. It was given greater resonance with large block-like sneakers and preppy socks.

A model wears a creation for the Junya Watanabe ready-to-wear fall/winter 2018/2019 fashion week runway show. (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Elements of deconstruction  such as billowing sleeves that looked like pieces of fabric snipped away, or trench coats partially hidden in fur  demonstrated the skill that showed why the Japanese fashion designer was originally the protege of Comme des Garcons designer Rei Kawakubo.

Bright reds and blues were then injected into the colour palette  such as in one statement trapeze-shaped raincoat and in one mushroom-shaped bubble jacket  giving the 41-piece show an on-trend 80s vibe.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for moreHow many doctors does it take to tell you how youre doing? The answer could soon be, none.

Scientists and researchers across India are exploring the applications of artificial intelligence in health care  from helping diagnoses illnesses to monitoring critical care.

Artificial intelligence  or cyber-physical systems, as I like to call them  can collect digitised data or generate data, analyse and make decisions based on it, says professor Ashutosh Sharma, secretary of the union governments department of science and technology.

A big advantage of AI in healthcare is that it can help where there is a scarcity of human resources, which is the case in many rural areas, adds Dr P Anandan, CEO at the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Wadhwani AI). AI feeds on examples and patterns buried in data, and this could be a huge help in areas where there is a shortage of medical expertise. Even health workers with not much experience can benefit.

AI in health care will be one of the key focus areas of the Wadhwani institute, which was inaugurated by the prime minister in Mumbai last week. It is Indias first research institute focused on artificial intelligence (AI), with potential applications in the fields of education, agriculture and infrastructure too.

Intelligent technology can take services to populations that have until now been under-served, Sharma says. For example, we do not have enough pathologists in the country and systems that are able to effectively study a large number of samples would fill this gap.

SigTuple, a startup that focuses on AI in diagnostics, is doing just this.

A device designed by SigTuple creates a digital image of every blood slide submitted, and analyses it. The analysis by our algorithm in clinical trials has been found to be as accurate as a pathologist studying it, says Rohit Kumar Pandey, co-founder and CEO of SigTuple. Given that there are just 19,000 pathologists in the country, this is a crucial time-saver.

Baby steps

Ghost in the machine: AI explained Artificial intelligence involves computer systems that draw on data to perform human tasks. Such programmes can recognise patterns and predict outcomes, understand speech and sounds, make decisions and forecast events. In healthcare, AI can use data from patients to diagnose illnesses and monitor critical cases. Doctors believe it could help in areas where trained human staff is scarce. In pathology, specifically, it could fill the gaps caused by the acute shortage of trained personnel to examine bloodwork and interpret lab results. Machines can be programmed to read vital signs and respond faster during critical care. In the future, experts believe, AI may also be used to identify signs of depression, mental illness and other such conditions that go misdiagnosed because of human bias, error or gaps in information.

At Max Healthcare, Delhi, AI is being used to help monitor critical patientsfreeing up beds in the ICUs and cutting down 30% critical care cost to patients.

Sometimes a patient is stable enough to be moved out of the ICU, but still needs very close monitoring, so doctors decide to keep them in, says clinical director Dr Sandeep Buddhiraja. . Our pilot project shows that we could move these patients to a normal ward where the new system would monitor them 24x7 as effectively, and alert nurses or doctors as needed. With every trial case, the system is learning when to kick-start which response. And we are finding that it catches changes in patients parameters very early, enhancing patient care.

The power of big data

At Wadhwani AI the aim is to collaborate with governmental, non-governmental and public sector institutions to gain access to data fields from different communities and regions.

Weve been in touch with the Maharashtra governments public health department to identify which communities to focus on, and the specific problems that different villages have when it comes to healthcare. It helps in data collection, Anandan adds.

Using such data, for example, an app can be developed which can serve as an assistant to health workers by collating the medical history of patients  from age to prior health issues, nutrition levels, living conditions, family habits, and such data can be used for predictive analysis too, Anandan says.

We can also work on forecasting by gathering and analysing data on environmental factors in different regions to foresee, for instance, a spate of dengue cases, or help new mothers improve nutritional intake by tracking regular inputs, he adds.

To expand its scope and impact, the institution plans to collaborate with private companies and scientists from around the world. We want to become a hub for cross-country collaborations, Anandan says.

The success of an institution like ours in the field of healthcare can be measured by how much technology has entered healthcare and whether it has managed to make a difference, Anandan says. Did it decrease mortality rates; could it help prevent an outbreak of an epidemic? Well know as we continue to progress.Pamela Anderson opened up about the experience working with Harvey Weinstein and being molested by a babysitter in her childhood, among other things.

The Blonde and Blonder star talked to British journalist Piers Morgan for his documentary Life Stories, scheduled to air on Saturday in the UK, and revealed a lot of things, unbeknown to the world till now.

Speaking about Harvey Weinstein, the 50-year-old actor said that he threatened her career when she refused to do his film, Superhero Movie.

She recalled, He scared me so much that I did the film because I thought, Harvey Weinstein, oh my God, this is like the most powerful person in Hollywood. He was just a bully, very rude, threatening. I did it out of duress.

During the interview, she also confessed that she was happy to see the producer get disgraced because of his wrongdoings against the ladies of the industry.

She talked about being molested by her babysitter in the childhood, around the age of 4 and 8. Anderson admitted to wishing her babysitter was dead at that time.

Incidentally, the babysitter died the next day at her graduation in a car accident, making Anderson believe in magic.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreActor Ali Fazal and his rumoured girlfriend and actor Richa Chadha attended the pre-Oscar WME party in Los Angeles. Ali on Sunday took to Instagram and shared a photograph of himself with Richa. Okay, I swear I didnt plan this photo... haha. But Jack Dawson aka Leo seems to have photobombed this selfie. Spot if you can, but besides the little crowd, it was an honour to be present at the WME Party last night (Saturday) with greats in the room, he wrote alongside the image.

Ali also quipped that he stared back at rapper Drake because he was looking at Richa. Congratulated Mr Adrian Brody on his wonderful performance in Peaky Blinders, stared back at Drake because arey woh Richa ko taak raha tha toh maine bhi ghoora (he was staring at Richa so, even I stared back). And I guess the reason I was so phaila hua (spread out) was because it was home territory - my agency throwing the pre-Oscar party last night. I think all the hip-hop crowd was there for sure. Wait, Pharrell was missing. He got to play Holi elsewhere.

Ali had earlier refuted reports claiming that he will be attending the forthcoming 90th Academy Awards ceremony with Richa. He said he wont be there in person, but will be gunning for his Oscar-nominated film Victoria And Abdul.

Victoria And Abdul is in contention to win an Oscar in two categories -- Best Costume Design and Make-up and Hairstyling. Helmed by Stephen Frears, Victoria And Abdul is based on a novel by Shrabani Basu. It revolves around the relationship shared by Queen Victoria and Abdul, who was a munshi in her government. It also shows his journey on how he became one of the most powerful figures in the court. The role of the queen is played by Dench, and Abdul is essayed by Ali. The Oscar awards ceremony will be held on Sunday.PATNA The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna (AIIMS-Patna), has rusticated a final year MBBS student who reportedly entered a girls hostel allegedly in a drunken state and in a semi naked condition after a pre-Holi bash on February 27.

The student, who belongs to Kerala, left the hostel on March 1 within 24 hours of the rustication order. His parents were immediately informed and a junior student was asked to escort him home.

We have rusticated the student for three years to pacify the girl students. However, we will talk to the students again and review his sentencing because the career of a medico is at stake, AIIMS-Patna director Dr PK Singh said on Sunday.

Following the unsavoury incident, Dr Sadhana Sharma, who is the chief warden of girls hostel, has issued an order asking all interns (63 boys of 2013 batch) to vacate hostel 1 and shift to hostel 4.

People familiar with the incident said the students were enjoying a pre-Holi bash in the open playground, adjacent the 11 hostels on the evening of February 27 when this final year student, a resident of hostel number 9, ran into the nursing hostel (number 6) for girls. As he ran into the girls hostel, the medicos lungi came off, causing much embarrassment to the girls residing there. The student had entered the ground floor of the eight-storey nursing hostel when security personnel apprehended him and turned him out.

The AIIMS administration allegedly tried to hush up the matter, but a vociferous protest by the female students who threatened to lodge a police complaint forced the administration to issue the rustication order on February 28.

No police complaint has been lodged in this connection.

Bihar was declared a dry state on April 5, 2016. Anyone caught in a drunken state can be imprisoned up to 10 years.

The AIIMS director, however, said that the student concerned was intoxicated with bhang (an intoxicant) and not alcohol. The bhang was reportedly mixed with thandai (a kind of drink taken during Holi).

The 2014 batch medico was to appear in his final examinations in December 2018. Even as the college administration spoke of reviewing its sentence, an AIIMS official familiar with the punitive steps said that the medico would have to serve a minimum rustication sentence of six months to one year.

We have beefed up the security at the girls hostel. A security picket with rolling gate will be set up in front of the girls hostel. We will also construct a boundary wall around the girls hostels and barricading will also be done of the campus, said Dr Singh.

The administrations decision to build a boundary wall hasnt gone down well with the students.

We had been demanding a common boundary, surrounding the entire hostel campus for the last two years. Now, the college administration wants to build a boundary wall only around the girls hostel and segregate the boys and girls, said a medico requesting anonymity.

Instances of eve teasing have been reported of late and the culprits were outsiders. It was the boys who caught the culprits and handed them over to the police. The college administration has asked the interns to vacate the hostel and is not willing to take any responsibility. No one is questioning the hostel guards, who were lax. The college administration is just trying to save its skin and pin the entire blame on the students. If students are held accountable, so should the college administration for their lax approach to on-campus security, he added.

The AIIMS in Patna has 11 hostels of which four (hostel number 2, 3, 5 and 6) are for girls and three for boys. Two hostels (4 & 7) are vacant and hostel 10 and 11 are for junior and senior residents.

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BLURB

The student, who belongs to Kerala, left the hostel on March 1 within 24 hours of the rustication order. His parents were immediately informed and a junior student was asked to escort him homeIt was a dubious record that many had hoped would be shattered on Saturday. But as the counting of votes in Nagaland progressed, it became clear that the northeastern state had, once again, failed to elect a single woman lawmaker.

Five women were in the fray and expectations soared in the early hours of counting as Awan Konyak of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) took an initial lead over the Naga Peoples Front candidate, Eshak Konyak, in the Aboi seat.

But it was not to be. Awan secured 5,131 votes, 905 less than Eshak, who got 6,036 votes. The other four women, too, were defeated.

I feel very sad. Five women had contested and we were expecting Awan to win. But we will continue our fight for womens rights in Nagaland. Hopefully, it wont be the same story next time, said Sano Vamuzo, founder-president of the Naga Mothers Association, the oldest and most respected womens organization in the state.

Women are considered empowered in Nagaland 76% of the women in the state are literate compared to the national average of 65%  and are well represented in government jobs (23.5%) and the private sector (49%), according to figures from the Nagaland Gender Statistics-2016 report.

But women dont enjoy the right to inherit property and are poorly represented in elected bodies and in decision-making processes. No woman legislator has entered the assembly in the states 55-year-old history. The states lone woman parliamentarian was Rano M Shaiza, who was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977.

Which is why a lot of hopes were riding on Awan and the other women. A social worker with a post-graduate degree from Delhi University, Awan hailed from a reputed political family in Nagaland. Her father, Nyeiwang Konyak, a four-time member of the legislative assembly and former minister, had died in Januarypaving the way for her entry into politics.

Politics has been part and parcel of our family. I am receiving a lot of support and encouragement from everyone and am positive about winning, Awan had said before voting took place on February 27.

Rakhila, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Tuensang Sadar-II, finished third in her constituency. Rekha Rose Dukru, who contested as an independent candidate from Chizami overcoming opposition from family members and village elders, came fifth with over 200 votes. K. Mayangpula Chang, the National Peoples Party candidate from Noksen finished fourth. The partys other woman candidate, Wedie U Krono, also finished fourth in the race for the Dimapur-III seat with 483 votes.

Tribal laws of Nagaland are protected under Article 371(A) of the Constitution, which gives the state a special status. Women are not part of village councils as per these laws; they have 25% reservation in village development boards, but dont have much say in matters.

Violence broke out in January last year, when the NPF-led government tried to conduct municipal elections with 33% reservation for women. Several government buildings in the capital Kohima were burnt down. Influential tribal councils, where men are in charge, opposed the move on grounds that giving reservations to women, as per the 74th constitutional amendment, would violate provisions of Article 371(A).

The municipal polls, which had not been held for over 13 years, had to be called off.Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya may be small states, but in the larger scheme of Indian politics, Saturdays results will have a role in shaping the narrative around key national and regional issues. Here is what it means for the dramatis personae:

Narendra Modi

The PM has, once again, shown that he lets the ballot box do the talking. Sections of Delhi were speculating that his popularity has faded after a few tight electoral contests or the recent bank fraud. But Narendra Modi has shown that he remains Indias most popular leader, spanning regions and communities. The man who could win Gujarat for the sixth time for his party has also shown he can wrest away Tripura from the BJPs foremost ideological adversary, the Left Front. No PM has invested as much in the north-east politically.

By campaigning in all three states, Modi showed how each election matters to him. The verdict will boost his political capital even further.

Rahul Gandhi

The Congress president should be worried. The party gave up the fight in two of the three states -Nagaland and Tripura - even before the contest. Ceding the political space in this manner left supporters disenchanted, weakened the party organisation, and opened the doors for rivals. Gandhi will draw solace from the Meghalaya verdict, where Congress is the single largest party. But even here, power is not guaranteed. For him, winning Karnataka is now absolutely essential for the party to gain any momentum in the run-up to 2019.

Click here for full coverage, maps and analyses on assembly elections 2018

Amit Shah

Shahs relentless quest for electoral success has led to the BJP becoming the countrys most dominant, almost hegemonic, political force. Modi praised Shah as the architect of the partys victory march. In the last four decades, no party has enjoyed the kind of power the BJP does today, running the government in 20 states. In 15 of those, the chief ministers are the BJPs own. Under Shah, the BJP has decisively shed the tag of being a north Indian, Hindi heartland party. The only disappointment - he was hoping for a better performance in Meghalaya.

Manik Sarkar

The long-serving chief minister of Tripura, and one of the tallest leaders of the Indian Left, lost power. And he lost to the party communists see as the greatest threat: the BJP. Sarkar played a key role in bringing peace to Tripura, but an inability to deliver development and jobs cost the Left. Sarkars defeat is devastating news for the CPI(M). It is now confined to Kerala. Winning back West Bengal seems like a distant dream and its national profile will only fade further. It is, in all likelihood, curtains for this tall figure of Indian politics.

Mukul Sangma

Irrespective of whether he is able to form the government, the Meghalaya CM was able to deliver Congress the highest number of seats in the state. This shows, yet again, the importance of regional leaders for the party to revive. But the fact that the Congress was considerably less than a majority mark also revealed Sangmas limitations. If the Congress is able to stitch alliances - and prevent a Goa or Manipur-type situation - Sangma will emerge powerful. Otherwise, he has a long battle ahead in reviving the party.

Neiphiu Rio

The man who was Nagalands chief minister between 2003 and 2014 took a gamble in the last Lok Sabha polls. In the hope of being a Union minister, he moved to Delhi as an MP. The BJP did not pick him, and ever since, Rio was, unsuccessfully, trying to get back to the state. He finally formed a new party, NDPP, and allied with the BJP. Elected unopposed as an MLA, it was both a sign of his confidence, and a desire to return to the state that he quit his Lok Sabha seat even before the results. Rio - with the support of some smaller parties and independents - is almost certain to become Nagalands CM. The veteran returns to the seat of power in Kohima.Beyond the BJPs meteoric rise in the Northeast and Congresss steep fall, the National Peoples Party has emerged as the biggest regional player in three of the states in the region.

Founded by former Lok Sabha speaker and Meghalaya chief minister, the late PA Sangma, the party is now managed by his children, James, Conrad and Agatha, who led it to its best showing in the just-concluded state assembly elections.

With 19 seats, the party is second to Congress, which has 21 representatives in the Meghalaya assembly, but is well short of majority.

While Conrad, the party president, is a Lok Sabha MP, James and Agatha won assembly seats comfortably on Saturday  a day ahead of PA Sangmas second death anniversary.

It seems likely that they would cobble up the numbers and form the government, and Conrad could become the next chief minister, a development which would make his father  who had reached the post three decades ago  proud.

He is likely to lead a coalition government with support from the UDP, HSPDP, PDF, and the BJP. He is expected to contest from one of two seats vacated by Congresss Mukul Sangma, who won from Ampati and Songsak.

In 2013, NPP had secured nearly 9% of the total votes and bagged just two seats. This time, the vote share increased to over 20% and the party recorded wins across Meghalaya, not just from its stronghold, Garo Hills.

The party also registered its presence in Nagaland, winning two seats, and is said to have extended support to the NDPP-BJP alliance to form the next government.

Founded by P A Sangma

PA Sangma, one of the founders of the Nationalist Congress Party, a breakaway party of the Congress, had formed the NPP in 2012 and allied with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

NPP won just two seats in the 2013 state polls. It also contested the Rajasthan assembly election that year and won four seats.

Sangma wanted consolidation of tribal constituents and make NPP a tribal party with national presence. If he had lived longer, it would have materialised by now, said Patricia Mukhim, editor of The Shillong Times.

The fledgling party suffered a setback with Sangmas death in 2016. But his children, James, Conrad, the partys national president, and Agatha have been able to expand NPPs footprint in the past two years.

Both James and Conrad have sharp political acumen. While James takes most political decisions, Conrad, who is younger, focuses on the management part, Mukhim said.

An ally of the NDA at Centre, NPP is also part of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance  a conglomeration of parties in the northeast opposed to the Congress.

NPP fielded 20 candidates in the 2017 Manipur elections where four of them won. With no party securing majority, NPPs support helped BJP form its first government in the state.

NPP is emerging as an alternative to Congress, especially in tribal areas where the BJP has failed to penetrate. But in Manipur, all its 4 winners were from the Imphal Valley and not the hills, said Pradip Phanjoubam, editor of Imphal Free Press.

Going Alone Paid Off

Despite its existing alliance with BJP, the party decided to contest election in Meghalaya and Nagaland independently  maybe as a strategic move not to be seen as too close to BJPs Hindutva image in the two Christian-majority states.

BJPs image had suffered a setback among a section of voters in Meghalaya over the Centres proposed beef-ban move. Church organisations in Nagaland had warned voters to be wary of the saffron outfit.

The move paid off and the results are for all to see.A week before voting in Tripura on February 18, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath landed in Agartala and conducted a whirlwind tour of the state, campaigning for the BJP in seven constituencies.

The saffron clad priest-politician, head of the Gorakhnath temple in Uttar Pradesh, addressed public meetings at Matabari, Sabroom, Pabiacharra, Jubarajnagar, Kanchanpur, Kamalpur and Khayerpur.

When the results were announced on Saturday, and the Left decimated, it emerged that the BJP and alliance partner, the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), had won in six of the seven seats where the UP CM had campaigned.

As head of the Nath sect, the UP CM enjoys immense clout among followers in Tripura.

Of the estimated 2.5 million voters in Tripura, nearly a million have direct or indirect links to the sect and have a sizeable presence in at least 10 of the states 60 assembly seats.

During his campaign trail, Adityanath also visited two Gorakhnath temples at Padampur and Chandrapur.

Ramani Nath, vice-president of Chandrapurs Gorakhnath temple, said Adityanath mesmerised people with his speeches and it helped the BJP.

Nath community has its own culture and tradition and there are many followers of Gorakhnath scattered across the state, the 83-year-old said.

Bikash Debnath, another Nath sect follower, claimed BJPs landslide win had a lot to do with Adityanaths campaign.

Bhagaban Das, who won on BJP ticket from Pabiacharra, was among those in Tripura for whom the UP CM campaigned.

Incidentally, the BJPs strong show in the north-east comes before the party faces bypolls in UP, including on Adityanaths political turf of Gorakhpur.

(With inputs from Manish Chandra Pandey in Lucknow)National Peoples Party (NPP) leader Conrad Sangma is set to be sworn in as the next Meghalaya chief minister on Tuesday with support from the BJP and regional players, ending the uncertainty over who will rule the state after the February assembly polls didnt give a clear majority to any party.

The NPP, founded by former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma, won 19 seats in results declared on Saturday, the United Democratic Party got six, the Peoples Democratic Front got four, the Hill State Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP secured two apiece in the 60-member House.

Among the three Independent legislators, Samuel Sangma is said to have declared his support on Sunday to the 39-year-old NPP leader  one of the three children of PA Sangma active in politics.

Conrad Sangma met governor Ganga Prasad on Sunday evening and staked claim to form the government. He handed a letter of support from 34 MLAs to the governor and his swearing-in is set for Tuesday, said a politician who asked not be named.

The move puts the BJP in power in effectively six of the seven Northeastern states, barring Mizoram, the lone state where the Congress is in power. The Congress, which was ruling Meghalaya, won 21 seats to emerge as the single-largest party, but couldnt gather the required numbers to retain power.

The Congress had failed to form governments in Goa and Manipur despite emerging as the single-largest party in both assemblies after elections last year. The BJP came to power in both states with the help of smaller parties and Independents.

Senior BJP leaders KJ Alphons, Nalin Kohli, and the party strategist and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accompanied Conrad Sangma to the Raj Bhavan in Shillong.

The letters of support that have been received from the UDP, PDF, HSPDP and BJP have mentioned that they will support a government led by me, Conrad Sangma, as chief minister and the NPP has also written the same letter, Sangma said after meeting the governor.

A name for the coalition is yet to be decided, said the NPP national president and Lok Sabha MP for Tura. Sangma has six months to contest and win a seat in the assembly.

Shortly after the meeting with governor Prasad, Assam minister Sarma said one of the two BJP legislators will be a part of the government. He also stressed that there will be no deputy chief ministers.

Sarma took a jibe at the Congress, saying: The number (of the alliance) is likely to go up. Rahul Gandhi sent four senior party leaders to Shillong without any calculations on government formation. I dont see maturity in him.

The buzz is that UDP president Donkupar Roy will get the speakers post. Roy told reporters earlier in the day that his party would support the NPP to form a non-Congress government.

Congress leader Mukul Sangma, who was chief minister for eight years, submitted his resignation to the governor and taunted the BJP for attempting to form the government with just two members.

They want to fire from the shoulder of other political parties, the outgoing chief minister said.Opposition parties from Andhra Pradesh comprising the Congress and the CPI will hold a joint protest in Delhi on Monday demanding the special category status for the southern state which was bifurcated in 2014.

The protest will be held at the Jantar Mantar on a day the second leg of the Budget session begins. The protest will continue until the Centre announces its decision to grant the special status, said Andhra Pradesh CPI Secretary K Rama Krishna.

He said activists of Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress and the Congress have already left for the National Capital.

Rama Krishna said the Centre has been dragging on its feet on honouring the commitment of granting the special category status since 2014, when Andhra Pradesh was divided and Telangana was formed.

Currently, Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP is in power in Andhra Pradesh in alliance with the BJP, which is a marginal player in the southern state.Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath on Saturday met governor Ganga Prasad requesting him to invite the Congress to form the new government in Meghalaya.

We have already met the governor and handed him a letter to request him to invite the Congress being the single largest party, Nath told IANS.

The Congress, which emerged as the single largest party by winning 21 assembly seats, is short of ten seats to get an absolute majority in the 60 member assembly.

We will stake claim to form the government. We are already in touch with other political parties. We are confident of forming the new government, the senior Congress leader said.

The voice of the people should be respected and the BJP winning only two seats has proven that people rejected them, he added.

It is a fractured mandate. Now it is a question of looking at people who would like to look at common agenda acceptable to the states people and come together, incumbent chief minister Mukul Sangma told IANS.

Sangma, retained Ampati seat for the sixth consecutive term and unseated two-time National Peoples Party (NPP) candidate Nihim D Shira in Songsak.

Asked if the Congress had sent feelers to other parties and independents to form the new government, Sangma said: All parties have gone on their own and the regional parties have not shown any pre-poll alliance either with the Bharatiya Janata Party or the NPP.After the successful outcome, comes the hard work. The three new governments in the three Northeast states  Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya  will confront many old and some new challenges. Here is an overview:

TRIPURA

As it sweeps to power in Agartala, the BJP is riding on both anti incumbency against the Left and high expectations. The most likely CM from the party, Biplab Deb, has no administrative experience. Most leaders are first-time MLAs. And they will deal with and resolve a set of policy problems.

1. Unemployment: One of the partys key planks was the high level of unemployment in Tripura. The BJP put the number at 7.5 lakh  an extraordinarily high figure in a state of less than four million people. In a state with poor connectivity, limited educational infrastructure, barely any modern industry, generating jobs will be a key test for the new government.

2. Government salaries: PM Narendra Modis personal commitment that BJP will implement the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for government employees in the state resonated with even old CPM loyalists. They had, till now, still been on the Fourth Pay Commission. The BJP will now have to deliver higher salaries, while maintaining fiscal discipline. This will mean finding new sources of revenue or reducing developmental expenditure, both difficult tasks.

Click here for full coverage, maps and analyses on assembly elections 2018

3. Managing Bengali-tribal unity: A key achievement of the CPM government was both maintaining peace and ensuring a degree of Bengali-tribal harmony. The BJP said this came at the cost of tribals, and promised both greater powers to their autonomous district councils and development. The party swept the tribal belt in alliance with a tribal party and will have to deliver to this base. At the same time, it will have to take into account sensitivities of the Bengali majority. This is no easy task in a state which has seen conflict and deep distrust between the two communities.

NAGALAND

BJP-Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) look set to form the government. Nagland has its own set of political and development challenges, which the new government will have to grapple with:

1. Corruption: It is an almost accepted code in Naga politics that while candidates pay voters during elections, political representatives, once in power, extract a large share of government funds for their personal coffers. This may seem like a neat transaction, but inflicts a heavy cost. It distorts the political culture. It hampers development. It leaves the state with poor infrastructure. It ensures a deep democratic deficit where people feel their needs are not addressed, leaving room for extremists. If the new government wants to bring development, it will have to tackle this head-on.

2. Peace process: While the Naga peace process is being dealt with directly by the Centre, the state government will have a role as an important stakeholder. There was a demand that elections be held till a solution is found, but BJP argued that a solution will be found after the election. The Naga framework agreement, the contours of which are not clear, will become an increasingly contentious issue once it is fleshed out. If Naga areas of other states are not included as a part of the solution, NSCN as well as Naga civil society is bound to protest, causing unrest in the state.

3. Employment: Over the past few decades, many Naga students have left the state to pursue educational opportunities in the rest of India. Nagas have also increasingly found space in Indias growing service industry, particularly aviation and hospitality. But the bulk of the youth remain in the state. And their key demand, like that of the youth elsewhere, remains jobs. Getting industry in a somewhat difficult security environment where underground groups form a parallel regime of sorts is a challenge.

MEGHALAYA

Shillong has seen a fragmented verdict and it is not clear if the state will see the return of a Congress-led government or a coalition which includes BJP. Hectic negotiations are underway in the state to woo smaller parties. Either way, the new government will confront challenges:

1. Coal mining: Mining was central to Meghalayas economy, generating revenue and jobs. But the National Green Tribunal banned mining in the state, blaming the state government for its failure to come up with a coherent mining policy and the impact on the practice on environment. Even as citizens recognised that this was good for future generations, they were unhappy at immediate losses in livelihood. Illegal mining continued. The government has to come up with a policy; it has to reconcile economy and environment; and it has to stop illegal mining.

2. Jobs: The younger people in the state, as in the rest of the region, are desperate for jobs. The Congress government, to its credit, succeeded in providing law and order. But this unleashed more aspirations. Its young, articulate workforce wants more modern educational facilities, more jobs, and higher incomes.

3. Maintaining social harmony: Meghalaya is a Christian dominated state. The church was apprehensive of the BJPs possible entry into government. While it is debatable if the church should have had any role in politics, it is important that the future government is sensitive to all communities of the state. Managing regional diversity  between Garo, Khasi, Jaintia Hills  is also key.The Centre is moving ahead with a proposal to amend an existing law so as to make all future child marriages in the country invalid from the outset, according to two senior government officials familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. Currently, child marriages are valid, but can be annulled on request.

The legal age for marriage in India is 18 for a woman and 21 for a man.

The current law  Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006  recognises child marriage as valid but voidable at the option of the minor involved . It is the rare under-age bride that come forward to complain or seek annulment , according to the officials.

To address the inconsistency, the Union women and child development (WCD) ministry has decided to amend the law and make child marriage void ab initio or invalid from the outset.

The proposal has been approved by WCD minister Maneka Gandhi. We have sent it to the law ministry for vetting. Once the law ministry clears it, we will move the cabinet, said one of the senior ministry officials quoted above.

The Act makes contracting a marriage by a man who is over 18 years of age with a woman under 18 years, a cognizable and non-bailable offence punishable with imprisonment of two years and a fine of Rs one lakh, but recognizes the union as valid.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 326 incidents of child marriage was reported in India in 2016. But government officials concede that the real number could be much higher. According to data from the national Census of 2011, almost a third of Indian women married when they were under the age of 18.

Last year, Karnataka became the first state in the country to amend the central act to make child marriage void ab initio.

The Supreme Court cited the Karnataka example while giving an order last October criminalising sexual relations between a man and his minor wife.

Jayna Kothari, executive director, Centre for Law & Policy Research, who, as the counsel for Bengaluru based Child Rights Trust argued for making child marriage void ab initio in Karnataka said that the proposed amendment is long overdue.

Child marriage is rampant here because the law is completely toothless. It says that child marriage can be nullified by the minor contracting party but its impractical to expect a minor to come forward and complain. The minors family also hardly comes forward to get the marriage annulled. The marriage becomes a kind of fait accompli (done deal), Kothari explained .Goa is staring at a revenue loss of Rs 3,500 crore annually and downscaling of nearly two lakh jobs following a Supreme Court order over non-renewal of iron ore mining leases in the state, a minister has said.

The state government wants that the Centre should help it in dealing with this impending crisis.

The SC had last month quashed the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 companies in Goa in 2015.

The apex court said it was giving time till March 15 to mining lease holders, who have been granted a second renewal in violation of its previous directions, to manage their affairs.

They are directed to stop all mining operations with effect from March 16, until fresh mining leases (not fresh renewals or other renewals) are granted and fresh environmental clearances are granted, the court said.

Goa transport minister Sudin Dhavalikar said there is a concern about the loss of revenue and jobs because of the court order.

The estimate is that we will lose Rs 3,500 crore annually and also around two lakh people will be rendered jobless, if the mining industry stops forever, he told PTI.

The Centre has to provide us a way out of this situation and we have faith that it will do it, said Dhavalikar, whose Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) is an ally of the BJP in Goa.

While the Goa government is busy charting its strategy to minimise the impact of the apex courts verdict on the states economy and the people, the mining industry stakeholders are also concerned about the uncertainty hovering over their means of livelihood.

The stakeholders include the truck owners, who transport the ore from mining sites to jetties located along the river side.

Nilkant Gawas, the president of All Goa Truck Owners Association, said there should be a clarity on whether mining will be allowed or it will be shut down completely.

We cant live in this kind of an uncertain situation for long, he said.

Since 2012, he said, the mining industry has been severely affected and the people depending on it are facing an uncertain future.

Let the people know once and for all whether mining will stop or will be allowed to continue without any hiccups, Gawas said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had banned mining in Goa in 2012 after the allegations of illegal mining surfaced.

The industry had resumed in 2014, but failed to take off due to various regulations pertaining to the iron ore extraction and its export.

Gawas alleged that the greed of mine owners and politicians in power pushed the mining industry to the brink of a crisis.

North Goa Truck Owners Association secretary Suresh Desai said the solution for the problem has to be worked out before March 15 or else, he feared, there would be a major economic disaster for the people dependent on the industry.

We want the mining industry to continue and it is for the government and experts to find a solution, he said.

The barge operators, who ferry the ore from jetties to the trans-shippers, (take carry the consignment abroad), are equally worried.

All Goa Barge Owners Associations spokesperson Atul Jadhav said the people dependent on the mining industry are hopeful that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will come up with some solution.

It is he who has the capability to provide a solution for this problem, said Jadhav.

One of the oldest mine owners in Goa, Haresh Melwani of H L Nathurmal mining company, said the BJP should take up the issue in Parliament and move an amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Regulations and Development) Act so that the industry is not adversely affected by the Supreme Courts order.Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati announced tacitly on Sunday her partys support to the Samajwadi Party (SP) in bypolls to a couple of Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and two more important elections this year, indicating a joint push by the rivals to fight the ruling BJP.

But she made it clear that the understanding for the bypolls, the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha and the UP legislative council elections in March-April should not be read as an alliance for the 2019 parliamentary polls.

In an interview to news agency ANI, Mayawati said she had told her cadre to exercise their franchise and support the strongest candidate positioned to defeat the BJP.

Party leaders Ghanshyam Chand Kharwar and Ashok Gautam gave ample indication about the strongest candidate earlier in the day when they announced that the BSP will support the Samajwadi nominees in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats, where bypolls are slated for March 11.

The BSP has not put up candidates in the two constituencies that Yogi Adityanath and Keshav Maurya represented respectively in Parliament. They vacated the seats when the BJP high command made Adityanath the chief minister and Maurya his deputy after the partys emphatic victory in the 2017 assembly elections.

A senior BSP leader, who did not wish to be named, said the understanding was reached after several rounds of talks between BSP national general secretary SC Mishra and his SP counterpart Ram Gopal Yadav.

The deal  extended to the Rajya Sabha and legislative council elections  was sealed after the approval of Mayawati and SP national president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday, he said.

The BSP-SP understanding apparently could not develop into a partnership for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as the two sides failed to agree on sharing seats. It was decided to hold fresh talks after the Lok Sabha bypolls, according to the BSP leader.

Mayawati said: I will like to make it clear that if there is a pre-poll alliance between BSP and SP for the general elections, it will not be a hush-hush affair. It will be an open one.

According to Samajwadi leader Prahlad Yadav, the current understanding could repeat a feat that a pre-poll alliance between SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP founder Kanshi Ram achieved in the 1993 assembly polls. The two parties defeated the ruling BJP.

Mayawati said an understanding with the SP was reached to thwart the BJPs attempt to capture maximum seats in the Rajya Sabha and legisltaive council elections due to a division in opposition ranks.

The Rajya Sabha polls will be held for the 10 seats in UP. With its strength in the legislative assembly, SP is in a position to win one seat comfortably. The BSP will require the SPs support to send its candidate to the Upper House of Parliament.

The SP-BSP alliance will thwart BJP effort to bag the ninth seat, the BSP chief said and extended an offer to the Congress as well. The BSP will support the Congresss Rajya Sabha candidate in Madhya Pradesh if the seven Congress MLAs in UP support the BSP candidate.

The BSPs support to Samajwadi candidates in the two prestigious Lok Sabha seats has triggered some concern within the BJP.

Chief minister Adityanath, a five-time MP for Gorakhpur, downplayed the joint effort by the two main opposition parties to defeat the BJP. He said his party is strong in both seats and will win with a comfortable margin.

Also, he reminded the BSP about the slogan raised by SP leaders that they will demolish Dalit memorials and statues built that governments under Mayawati had built in UP.The Information and Broadcasting ministry released Rs 208 crore for the salaries of the employees of Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) on February 28, Prasar Bharati CEO S S Vempati said on Sunday.

Vempatis remarks came two days after news website The Wire quoted Prasar Bharati chairman A Surya Prakash as saying that the public broadcaster had to pay staff salaries for January and February out of its contingency funds as the ministry had not released the funds.

The Wire had claimed that the delay in release of funds was due to alleged standoff between the Prasar Bharati and the I&B ministry.

Reacting to the news report, the I&B ministry had issued a statement saying that the Prasar Bharati had not signed an MoU with it as required by autonomous bodies getting grants-in-aid by the government.

Vempati on Sunday tweeted, Noticed reports in sections of media on non-disbursal of salaries to DD & AIR staff. Rs 208 cr towards salaries were released on the 28th Feb 2018. Attempts to create panic malafide. PB has so far received Rs 1989 crores from MIB as grants-in-aid for salaries during FY2017-18,.

However, the tweet did not specify the month for which the funds meant for salaries was disbursed by the government.

The Prasar Bharati is an autonomous body that runs Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) but receives grant from the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry.India and Vietnam will explore substantive and practical measures to achieve the bilateral trade target of $15 billion by 2020, according to a joint statement issued here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation level talks with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang on Saturday, who is on a three-day India visit.

The joint statement further said both the sides agreed to hold the next Meeting of the Joint Sub-Commission on Trade in Vietnams capital city Hanoi in 2018 at the earliest.

In order to realize potential to both increase the volume of trade and diversify its composition, they (Modi and Tran) requested the relevant ministries and agencies on both sides to explore substantive and practical measures to achieve the trade target of $15 billion by 2020 including but not limited to utilising established mechanisms, strengthening exchanges of trade delegations, business-to-business contacts, regular organisation of trade fairs and events, the joint statement said.

As per the statement, both the sides urged leaders of business and industry of both countries to explore new trade and investment opportunities in identified priority areas of cooperation.

The Vietnamese president applauded Prime Minister Modis efforts which improved Indias ranking in the ease of doing business, it added.

Referring to defence cooperation, the joint statement pointed out that their cooperation in oil and gas exploration, thermal and hydroelectric power and renewable energy and energy conservation is registering remarkable progress.

The Vietnamese president welcomed Indian businesses to expand their oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities on land and in the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Vietnam, the joint statement said.

It also pointed out that the Vietnamese side took note of the request by India on actively considering signing the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance with a view to strengthening the cooperation in the renewable energy space.Four people including a militant were killed in a shoot out with security forces Sunday night in south Kashmirs Shopian district, the army said.

They said that a mobile check post of the security forces at Pohan in Shopian was fired upon around 8 pm sparking a gunfight. In a retaliatory operation, one terrorist was neutralised, said Srinagar-based army spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia.

He said that three over the ground workers or accomplices who were accompanying the militant in the car were also found dead after the shootout.

The militant was identified as Shahid Ahmad Dar, a resident of Jamnagri, Shopian. Colonel Kalia said that a weapon was found with him.

Kashmir inspector general of police, SP Pani said that prima facie it seems that the four men were killed when the army retaliated after its mobile check post came under fire.

We have found a militant dead along with three more dead individuals who were apparently travelling in the car. We are ascertaining the circumstances of what happened and have started legal proceedings, Pani said.

A person familiar with the incident said that all the four persons killed were young and of almost same age group. The death of three alleged sympathisers of the militant can potentially trigger unrest in the valley.

Separatists have expressed shock and called for a shutdown on Monday.

Mayhem in #Shopian! #Army shoots dead three youth Suhail Wagay,Shahid Khan,Shahnawaz Wagay all civilians travelling in a car.JRL(Joint resistance leadership) & the people of Kashmir strongly condemn this brutality of the forces &to express deep resentment & anger will observe a complete #strike tomorrow, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said in a tweet.

On Thursday, a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in the wee hours at Hajin in north Kashmirs Bandipora district.

Two days earlier, in the same district, body of an unidentified militant was also found. According to the police, the militant had escaped after suffering bullet injuries in a gunfight with the forces in the area, a day earlier.An imposing double-arched concrete gateway has come up to demarcate Kashmirs famed Old City or Shehr-e-Khaas in Srinagar. The gateway, with its brick claddings and intricate woodwork, has been constructed at the entrance of the heritage city where people started settling more than 1,500 years ago. It echoes the feel of the cultural monuments and historical spots one can catch a glimpse of once inside Shehr-e-Khaas.

Downtown Srinagar or Old City is really the one with great history and heritage, said Shafat Ahmad Khan, executive engineer of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, which raised the structure. Old City is famous for its Sufi shrines, mausoleums, a series of bridges over Jhelum, mosques, temples and the places where agitations against autocracy first took place. The ambience of the old structures transports one into the pages of history.

Named Babul-Iqbal after the famous poet of the subcontinent Sir Muhammad Iqbal, it took over six years to complete the gateway at Baba Demb overlooking Brari Nambal lagoon to its west.

Local MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar, who conceived of the idea, said Shehr-e-Khaas was the quintessence of Kashmir and has long been a cradle of saints, legends and artists.

A segregation of the city

The construction has not only physically segregated Srinagar into downtown  the part where the Old City is  and uptown but has also divided the opinion of its residents. While some people feel that the gateway will enhance the heritage value of the Old City and attract more tourists, others have been skeptical owing to the routine restrictions imposed on the movement of people living there.

A young cartoonist Suhail Naqshbandi of a local newspaper expressed the irony by sketching the gateway covered with concertina wires and two big locks. Authorities have been imposing restrictions in the Old City by laying concertina wires just metres ahead of the place where the gateway was laid.

Moderate separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is the chief priest of Jamia Masjid and has a good following in the Old City, called the construction a cosmetic measure. Attracting people to downtown by building some gateway, while for decades resorting to vengeful and dictatorial measures of repeatedly subjecting its residents to curfews, restrictions, harassment and what not! Cosmetic measures without addressing the basic issue will not yield much, he tweeted.

While MLA Sagar sounded more optimistic and called the gateway a positive step for the people of Old City, who have been feeling isolated. Now it is up to others to take it forward, he added.

Rashid Maqbool, a researcher and a Shehr-e-Khaas resident, said that the concept of gated cities in Srinagar is not new. We had Nagar Nagar in the Old City, which was a walled city with two gates, he said.

Maqbool said that the gateway has a cultural and symbolic value as the city, in the past 50 years, has now shifted to Lal Chowk and adjoining areas (uptown). There was no clear-cut demarcation into Old City and our young generation would not know where it starts. They will now get a feel of entering history. It has that fanciful and romantic idea in our minds, he said.

Once the capital

Professor and historian Mohammad Ashraf Wani said that though Srinagar was established as the capital by Ashoka in 300 BC at Pandrethan region, it was later shifted to Shehr-e-Khaas by Raja Parversena, who named it Parverpur, in the 6th century AD. Its development received an impetus during the Mughal rule. In his opinion though, the gateway should have been constructed further ahead at Dalgate from where the Old City actually started.

Yawar Lone, an MBA hotelier who lives near the gateway, is very enthusiastic about the new structure. It is the best thing to happen here. It is a gift to Shehr-e-Khaas. Like there is Gateway of India in Mumbai, we now have Babul-Iqbal for Srinagar. All I want is that the government should market it properly so that more tourists visit here, Lone said.

While the locals also complained that the shops of scrap dealers and joineries around the area have marred its beauty, SMC executive engineer Shafat Ahmad Khan said that a further facelift would happen in due course of time.A day after the BJPs spectacular show in the assembly elections in the northeast, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday signaled his resolve to play a major role in the national politics and called for radical changes in the Constitution to give more powers to the states.

He demanded that the powers of the Centre should be restricted to a few issues like foreign relations, defence, railways, national highways, aviation and so on and all the other powers be delegated to the states. If the Constitution does not permit it, let us change the Constitution. What prevents us from doing it? he asked.

KCR, who also called for the formation of a third political alternative to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party at the national level and seemed unfazed by the fact that the third front has had several false starts so far.

The TRS chief said he was prepared to lead the third alternative to the Congress and the BJP, which had ruled the country for over six decades but had done nothing much for the people, particularly farmers. I can travel 10 lakh kilometres across the length and breadth of the country to mobilise the peoples support. And I am confident of achieving success. Every long journey begins with just one step, he said.

His call evoked overwhelming response from different parties across the country, the chief ministers office (CMO) claimed. According to a CMO official, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee called up the TRS president and conveyed her support to his proposal to form the third front.

Ham aap se sahmat hai. Aap ke saath rahenge (I am in agreement with you. I will work with you), the CMO quoted Banerjee as saying in response to KCRs call for a qualitative change in national politics.

Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren also expressed his solidarity with KCR and welcomed his decision to play key role in national politics. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Jana Sena party chief Pawan Kalyan, a couple of MPs from Maharashtra were among a large number of political personalities who welcomed KCRs third front proposal, the CMO said.

Addressing a large gathering of people at his camp office Pragati Bhavan who raised slogans Desh ki neta KCR, the chief minister said it was surprising that the Centre still had a control over many issues that could be handled by the states. Quoting the example of Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana, he wondered in what way the Centre was concerned with laying roads in rural areas.

Why? Cant the states lay roads in rural areas? What are gram panchayats doing? Why should they depend on the Centre for funds to lay roads? KCR asked.

He also found fault with the concentration of powers in the Centre with regard to subjects like agriculture, health, irrigation and drinking water which should be dealt by the states. The states are forced to depend on the Centre for funds for even small requirements, he said.

KCR also demanded that the powers to provide reservations to weaker sections should be vested with the states.

Every state has its own caste composition and the respective governments will have to do social justice depending on the percentage of weaker sections. How can the Centre fix the percentage of reservations? he asked.BJP leader Kiren Rijiju met United Democratic Party (UDP) president Donkupar Roy at his residence on Sunday to discuss the formation of a non-Congress government in Meghalaya, under the leadership of the National Peoples Party (NPP), which secured the second position in the state assembly polls with 19 seats.

We are not a big player here. We have come to express our support to the regional parties to form a non-Congress government, Rijiju told PTI after coming out of Roys residence in Shillong.

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate yesterday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the NPP, an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

The Congress bagged 21 seats in the 60-member Assembly, eight less than the last elections.

The BJP, which drew a blank in the last elections, got two seats. The UDP won six seats while its alliance partner the HSPDP won two seats. The Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) bagged four seats, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and three Independents got one seat each.

UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said his party, too, has made it clear during the meeting that it favours a non-Congress government in the state.

We will be discussing government formation with our alliance partners and members of the PDF and the KHNAM soon, he said.

Assam BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had also met the UDP president earlier in the day to discuss alliance possibilities, he said.

The UDP, which had led a regional alliance in 2008, still feels the pangs of betrayal by the Congress, which overthrew the coalition a year after to remain in power alone for a decade, Mawtoh said.

The memories of 2009 are still fresh and the UDP, this time, prefers to work with the non-Congress parties, he said.

Although we (UDP) are at an advantage point to bargain for seats, we will still follow democratic conventions, he added.

Polling for 59 seats of the 60-member Assembly in Meghalaya was held on February 27. A Nationalist Congress Party candidate was killed in an IED blast, which resulted in countermanding of the polls in one seat.UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday credited the BJPs historic performance in north eastern states to development-oriented policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and organisational skills of Amit Shah and said the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

The chief minister was addressing a press conference at the BJP office in Lucknow after the partys good show in assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

The BJPs performance in the Northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people, he said.

Adityanath said for the first time after Independence, the northeastern states will get chance to join the national mainstream and enjoy fruits of development.

The UP chief minister, who had campaigned for the saffron party in these assembly elections, said Prime Minister Narendra Modis development oriented policies and organisational skills of BJP President Amit Shah led to his partys sterling performance.

He said the lotus will now bloom in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, thanks to the development-oriented policies of the Prime Minister and his good governance, and the guidance of the party chief Amit Shah.

That day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir down to Kanyakumari, he said.

He also exuded confidence that the BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

Continuing its winning streak, the BJP wrested Tripura, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.The day of reckoning is over. That Meghalaya would have a hung assembly was a no-brainer  journalists knew it and predicted it.

Meghalaya has voted according to form. Only in the first state elections in 1972 did the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) get an absolute majority with 32 out of 60 seats.

In after every election thereafter, the Congress was able to break the regional forces after the elections.

What is surprising this time is the rise of the National Peoples Party (NPP) formed by the late PA Sangma in 2013 before the presidential elections. The NPP had only two MLAs in the last assembly and has now taken the tally to 19. The Congress won 29 seats in 2013. What might have rocked the Congress boat is the assassination of the NCP candidate from Williamnagar, Jonathone N Sangma, on February 18. It is still not clear who killed Jonathone, although the blame went to the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA). But the posters spattered with blood and the bullets that were put up across the constituency warning people not to vote for him did not have the sign and seal of the GNLA.

Then, barely a week later, Sohan Shira, the dreaded GNLA chief, was gunned down mysteriously. An insurgent who had mastered the art of evading arrest, the heavily guarded Shira was shot at point-blank range without the sign of an encounter on February 24. The issue was pushed to the back-burner because of the elections but the NPP has demanded an NIA investigation into Jonathones death.

There are strong suspicions that this is a poll-related rivalry since it is the second time that Sangma was threatened. He was warned in 2013 to pull out of the race and had filed an FIR naming one of his political adversaries. The Congress has dispatched some of its leading lights, Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath, to Shillong to ensure the BJP does not pull the rug from under its feet like it did in Goa and Manipur. It remains to be seen if the NPP can get its act together and bring the regional parties to work with it. The BJP has also lent its weight to the NPP although there was no pre-poll alliance. The NPP did this mainly due to allegations that the BJP is an anti-Christian party that would step on our religious freedom and trample on rights to choose what to eat.

Still, the regional parties all converged on one plank  to defeat the Congress and form a non-Congress government in Meghalaya.

They know they will never have the numbers considering no regional party has a complete spread across the state, so an alliance was the only way. The UDP and HSPDP are mainly based in Khasi and Jaintia Hills. The question is: Can this coalition of the willing, comprising so many disparate forces, provide stability to Meghalaya? Hectic parleys have begun as the NPP and Congress try to gather their flock. By Monday, it should be clear as to who will be in the driving seat in Meghalaya and what role the BJP will play in who wins the race.

(The writer is editor-in-chief of The Shillong Times)The political situation in Nagaland remained fluid as Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader Neiphiu Rio and outgoing chief minister TR Zeliang of the NPF staked claim separately on Sunday to form the government, saying they have the requisite number of legislators in the 60-member assembly.

State governor PB Acharya gave both leaders 48 hours to submit the signatures of the MLAs supporting them. The assembly polls in February threw up a hung verdict, with no party getting the majority when the results were declared on Saturday.

On Sunday morning, the governor said NDPP leader Rio, who claimed the support of 32 MLAs, had the majority and should form the government. Rio is a three-time chief minister and an ally of the BJP.

He told reporters later that Rio and Zeliang have both claimed to have majority support, so I have not invited anyone to form the government as of now ... I have given them 48 hours.

As the constitutional head, my duty is to see who has the majority and call him to form the new government. Whoever brings the signatures of more than 30 elected members I will accept, he said.

Acharya said Rio submitted a list of 30 NDPP-BJP MLAs and also the letters of support from a JD(U) and an Independent legislator taking the tally to 32.

The NDPP, a party founded in 2017, won 18 seats in results declared on Saturday, its ally the BJP has 12, the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) got 26, the National Peoples Party won two, while one seat apiece went to the Janata Dal (United) and an Independent.

Elections were held for 59 seats as NDPP leader Rio was elected unopposed from North Angami II constituency.

The NDPP-BJP alliance, forged before the elections, managed to unseat the regional NPF, which is again an ally of the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre.

The new alliance secured 30 seats, including that of Rio, and claims to have the support of the lone JD(U) lawmaker G Kaito Aye and Independent legislator Tongpang Ozukum.

Zeliang has expressed hope of gaining the support of the BJP to form the government, the governor said. Efforts to reach Zeliang for comments were unsuccessful.

Governor Acharya said: I was thinking that Zeliang will come and put his resignation but he still thinks he can form the government and he has the majority.

Zeliang apparently submitted a list of 26 NPF MLAs, two NPP and one JD(U) legislator. Acharya said he told him about the JD(U) legislator supporting Rio in the morning.

Rio, an Angami Naga, is a bitter rival of Zeliang, though both were with the NPF. The 67-year-old Rio quit state politics in 2014, became an MP and set out for Delhi.

According to Kevi Letuo, the former chief of the Naga Hoho community association, Rio decided to go to Delhi to strengthen the Naga peace talks.

It was speculated that Rio was promised a cabinet berth in the Union government, but that did not happen because of the infighting within the NPF. The party witnessed a bitter tussle for power in the past two years among Zeliang, former chief minister and party chairman Shurhozelie Liezietsu and Rio.

The decision to go to Delhi proved to be a misadventure and he has been trying to come back to the state, said Moa Jamir, the editor of Morung Express, a Nagaland newspaper.

His decision to form the next government with the BJP is seen as his second coming to Nagaland politics after the NPF suspended him in 2015 and again in 2017, apparently in a bid to keep him occupied in Delhi.

(With PTI inputs)The law ministry is preparing a legal framework to reduce the time taken for settling commercial and civil disputes in India  an important consideration in the Doing Business rankings  by bringing in a mediation law and reducing the intervention of the court in the entire process, a top official involved in the exercise has said.

The ministry wants to push for the said laws in the budget session of Parliament which resumes on Monday.

Key among these is creating legal backing for mediation to reduce the courts intervention in commercial disputes and tackle pendency, the officer revealed on condition of anonymity. The average time taken for a commercial dispute to get resolved in the country is 1,445 days (over four years), he added.

The move envisages amending the Arbitration and Conciliation Act (ACA), the Commercial Courts Act, the Specific Relief Act as well as pushing for passage of a new law to create a New Delhi International Arbitration Centre. The bills for changing the specific relief act and to create the state-of-the art arbitration centre are pending in Parliament since the winter session.

The country got its first arbitration law, the ACA, in 1996 which was amended in 2015 after the BJP-led NDA government came to power. The government also brought in the Commercial Courts Act in 2015 to create special courts to deal with commercial disputes but pendency and long proceedings remain a concern. While the ACA gave a fillip to arbitration, mediation is still not the preferred mode of dispute resolution, the official said.

In January 2017, the law ministry appointed the Justice BN Srikrishna committee to recommend ways to institutionalise the arbitration mechanism in India; some of the suggestions made by the committee have been included in a new bill to amend the ACA. A key inclusion in the amended law that goes beyond the committees recommendations is giving mediation a legal backing and a regulatory framework.

The governments aim is to encourage mediation to boost Indias ease of doing business ranking (conducted by the World Bank)  in which enforcement of contracts carries significant weight, while, according to the official, improving the ease of living for people who have waited too long for justice to be served. The law ministry is one of the key ministries working on the goal of taking Indias rank from the current 100 to 50.

A law ministry official said the government will also move to create a professional arbitration body to be named the Arbitration Promotion Council of India, headed by the Chief Justice of India. The council will promote the country as an international arbitration hub, accredit and grade arbitral institutions and eventually work towards creating a specialist bar dedicated to arbitration, he added. Some of these changes in the law were recommended by the Srikrishna committee.

Arbitration and mediation together are the accepted dispute resolution mechanisms worldwide that reduce the dependence on litigation, experts said.

The government will train and appoint subject experts as mediators and hopes to reduce pendency and time taken on commercial disputes sharply through this move, the official said.

The draft law says the government will empanel mediators and set up state-of-the-art mediation centres. The law ministrys proposal, which is likely to come up before the cabinet soon, adds that the state will also bear the cost of appointing mediators, reasoning that pending litigation costs a lot in terms of infrastructure and human capital.

Experts welcome the idea of a broader framework, but warn against the government assuming too big a role for itself. We urgently need a full-fledged mediation law in India but the government should promote mediation as a professional practice and not as a state-subsidised mechanism, Sriram Panchu, senior advocate and mediation expert said. Panchu said in countries such as the US courts impose heavy costs on the losing party in commercial disputes which acts as a deterrent against litigation.Diamond trader Nirav Modi, who is at the centre of the Rs 12,700-crore fraud at the Punjab National Bank (PNB), has alleged that he was concerned about the unfairness of process with the way a woman employee of his firm was arrested.

Modi, against whom a special court on Saturday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW), wrote two letters to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in response to summons last month.

A lady executive (Kavita Mankikar) of my organisation has been arrested by the CBI illegally, in complete violation of the Criminal Procedure Code. And when the liberty of a female is not been priced (sic) by the investigating agencies, my concern for my safety and for the unfairness in the process is not in any manner misplaced, Modi wrote to Archana Salaye, assistant director of ED, on February 26.

Mankikars lawyer had claimed that she was arrested at 8pm, while as per the law, a woman cannot be arrested after sunset.

Modi wrote two letters to the ED, one on February 22 and another four days later. The ED had issued summonses to him on February 15, February 17 and February 22, asking him to appear before the agency.

However, Modi, believed to be in the US, did not join the probe.

In the letter, he said he was baffled and in a state of extreme confusion as the passport authority had written to him, informing that it had suspended his passport after receiving a communication from the ED.

...your good self sought to have me join the investigation. On that, I wrote to the passport authority, requesting it to provide me with reasons for the suspension and proposed revocation of my passport. But surprisingly, within minutes of my reply, the authority revoked my passport, Modi said.

The lightning speed with which the passport authority acted showed that the action was pre-determined and his fate was already decided, he wrote in the first letter.

In the second letter, he said, I am very engaged in trying to deal with the businesses that I am involved with outside India.

I am trying to ensure that so far as possible, the position of these business creditors, including banks and employees, are properly considered, given the difficulties these business are experiencing.

I have also been very concerned by the tone of the press coverage and comments that have been made by politicians, which have led to me having concerns for my own safety.

A special court for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases in Mumbai on Saturday issued NBWs against Modi and another diamond trader, Mehul Choksi, in connection with the PNB scam.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed happiness with the results of the assembly elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland, calling them a decisive vote for unity.

Im not looking at the results in the north-east as the victory or loss of any political party. The whole nation was celebrating the results and this rarely happens, he said while addressing a convention in Karnataka via video conference.

The convention titled Youth Power: A Vision for New India was held at Tumakuru, about 70 km from Bengaluru, as a part of the silver jubilee celebration of the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashrama.

The result in Tripura has shown that by voting for the BJP, people have discarded the politics of hatred. Radicalisation can only be answered with integration. And we are working towards ensuring that no part of the country considers itself outside the mainstream, said Modi.

Accusing previous governments of spreading a lie that tribal areas were prone to left-wing extremism, Modi said this was done by those who want to break the country to ensure a fertile ground for themselves.

He said there was a sense of hurt in people of north-eastern states because they felt alienated from the rest of the country. In the past four years, our government has attempted to address this hurt and this is why the results in the Adivasi areas of Tripura have given me immense happiness.

The PM urged youngsters to follow the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Modi said many a time he had seen confusion among the youth. If you go to a platform and see many trains there, and if you dont know which one you want to get on, then neither can you reach the destination nor decide on the route to it, he said.

Responding to the PMs comments on the election results announced on Saturday, Congress spokesperson Brijesh Kalappa said he should also consider the results of the recent by-elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, which the BJP lost. These are indicators of the peoples thinking, too, Kalappa said. He also highlighted the result of the by-elections for two assembly seats in Karnataka last year, which the Congress won.

Modi, who addressed on the subject of Youth power: A Vision for New India, said a fitting reply to radicalisation could only be given by the resolve for integration.

Hitting out at the previous Left and Congress regimes in the northeast, Modi said the people there earlier were feeling cut off from the Indian mainstream because of policies and decisions that alienated them, but his government has been working relentlessly to wipe off this feeling.

Our government has resolved to work in such a way that no part of the country and no group feels alienated and we have proved this by working towards it, he said.

This wave of integration can also be felt among the people of Karnataka, he said.

The mandate which the people of northeast have given is in itself is a very big change, Modi said.

By participating in the happiness of the people of the northeast through the assembly polls results, the whole country has sent a strong message that they were with their dreams and sentiments.

For the countrys unity, showing solidarity to the sentiments of the Northeast is a necessity and very big thing, he said.

Modi said the results of the northeast assembly polls have created an environment of festivity in the entire country.

The Prime Minister said the assembly polls also brought the whole country together to celebrate the happiness of the people living there.

I dont see northeast poll results through the lens of victory and defeat of political parties, but what is important is that the whole country became participants in the happiness of people residing there, he said.

Modi said such occasions were rare that accomplishments of the Northeast become accomplishments of the whole country.

We all saw this happening when many Indians, who were glued to the television as though they themselves were in the electoral battlefield, started to realise the happiness, dreams and sentiments of the people of the northeast as their own, he said.There is enough food to take ...In connection with the alleged Rs 12,636-crore fraud at the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB), also involving overseas branches, Mauritius has promised regulatory action against individuals or entities found to be linked with fraudulent practices.

Taking cognizance of media reports about the PNB fraud by accused diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Mauritius has said in a statement that it is in constant communication on the matter with its international counterparts under existing exchange of information agreements.

The FSC will take necessary regulatory action against any of its licensee/approved Officer/Management Company found to be linked with any illegal, harmful and/or fraudulent practices that may cause any prejudice to the good repute of Mauritius, it said.

The FSC is assessing the reported information and is closely monitoring the matter in collaboration with the Bank of Mauritius, the Mauritius Revenue Authority and the Financial Intelligence Unit, said the Mauritius regulator of non-banking financial services and global business sectors.

The PNB scam involved using Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued in favour of the accused by bank employees who misused their access to ther banks SWIFT electronic messaging system used for overseas funds transfers.

According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) earlier this year, Mauritius is the largest source of foreign investment in India, followed by the US and the UK.

The Indian Ocean island nation is the largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India with a cumulative inflow that has touched $111 billion, thus, accounting for 30 per cent of all FDI inflows into the country.

Mauritius was the largest source of FDI in India (21.8% share at market value) followed by the US, the UK, Singapore and Japan whereas Singapore (19.7%) was the major ODI (overseas direct investment) destination, followed by the Netherlands, Mauritius, and the US, a RBI report said.

In this connection, the India-Mauritius Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) was amended in 2016 in order to prevent evasion of taxes on income and capital gains by entities of either side.

It was amended to tackle a long-pending issues of treaty abuse  where ill-gotten money is first sent to Mauritius through havala transactions, and then comes back as a legitimate investment. This is called round-tripping.The BJP on Saturday won big in the Left citadel of Tripura, winning two-thirds majority with ally IPFT and ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of CPI(M) in the state.

The saffron party, which did not even have a single councillor in all of Tripura, had secured less than two per cent votes in the 2013 state assembly polls.

In Nagaland, though the BJP-NDPP alliance failed to secure a majority as polls threw up a hung assembly, the party looks set to form a government with the backing of allies.

Here are the BJP leaders who facilitated the partys performance in the Northeast:

Ram Madhav

Designation: General secretary, BJP, and in charge, north east

Role: A key networker capable of straddling territories that would seem disparate even to politicians with a penchant for alliances, Ram Madhav, 53, was busy driving the youth connect of the BJPs ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, in 2014. He was also a key bridge between the Sangh and BJPs election machine. That is when he was sent by the Sangh to work in the party, shortly after it had won the general election with an absolute majority.

Click here for full coverage, maps and analyses on assembly elections 2018

As the man in charge of the Sanghs publicity and the head of its key publications, Madhav had repackaged the RSSs message for young people without diluting its ideological content. He brought in a flexibility (weekend shakhas, online enrolment) aimed at attracting the young. In the BJP, Madhavs tech-savvy and modern election management style  which relies on in-depth surveys and big data  has fit in well with the partys attempt to modernise itself.

As the man responsible for forging the North East Democratic Alliance, a grouping of BJP and NDA partners from the Northeast, he has managed to repackage what the party represents in the region. It is no longer seen as a cowbelt party run only by north Indians. Rather, it is perceived as a political force that is fast filling up the space vacated by the Congress. At the same time, it is seen as a party with an appetite for striking key alliances with local political formations. As a result, the BJP has increased its electoral footprint in all northeastern states where it contested.

Himanta Biswa Sarma

Designation: Minister for finance, health and education, Assam

Role: When former Assam Congress heavyweight, Himanta Biswa Sarma, left the then ruling party and its state government in August 2015 for the BJP, the saffron partys expansion plan in the northeast got a major fillip.

BJP leaders knew they were not just winning over an Assam leader capable of helping the party win power in the largest state in the region, but a resourceful alliance-builder with an extensive network of political contacts in significant local parties across different states. Sarma, 49, holds the important portfolios of health, education and finance in the Sarbananda Sonowal government, but is clearly the face of the BJP in the entire northeast.

The results in Tripura  where Sarma as state in charge helped the BJP emerge from the position of a non-player to the main challenger to Manik Sarkars well entrenched CPI(M) government after he got the entire Tripura unit of the Congress to merge with the BJP  bear witness to Sarmas efforts. The alliance he helped forge with the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura helped the party surge past the CPI(M).

And his next assignment is proof of how the party has come to rely on him: While the party cadre celebrated the saffron triumph in Agartala, Sarma was rushed to Shillong where some brisk politicking is expected with no party reaching the majority mark of 30.

Kiren Rijiju

Designation: Minister of state, home affairs

Role: As the minister of state for home affairs at the Centre, Kiren Rijiju is considered the face of the northeast in the Narendra Modi government. For someone who studied in Delhi for his graduation and then became a lawyer, Rijiju plays the bridge between the capital and his home state, Arunachal Pradesh. As Nagaland in charge for his party, he pitched for linking the prosperity of the state with peace.

Much before Himanta Biswa Sarma had joined the BJP, it was Rijiju who had taken it upon himself to help the BJP expand its footprint in the northeast after it won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. At one point, the Congress even accused him of trying to destabilise democratically elected governments in the northeast.

In 2009, after he lost as the BJPs candidate from Arunachal West, he quit the party to join the Congress. He returned two years later, when Nitin Gadkari took over as the party chief.

Sunil Deodhar

Designation: In charge of BJP in Tripura

Role: A former RSS full-timer, 52-year old Sunil Deodhar is being credited for anchoring the BJPs electoral campaign in the Left bastion of Tripura. Deodhars poll management skills during the campaign in Varanasi, the Prime Ministers constituency, which he was responsible for during the 2014 general elections, was the reason why party president Amit Shah picked him for the job.

In Tripura, which the BJP won convincingly, Deodhar dovetailed the traditional campaigning style of the RSS-BJP  strengthening the cadre and intensifying outreach through door-to-door campaigns  with the modern canvassing mediums of social media.

In a state that had been ruled by the CPI(M) for a quarter of a century, the BJP projected itself as the alternative that would change the fate of the state and its people.Kashmiri separatists called a shutdown on Wednesday in protest against the shifting of prominent prisoners Qasim Faktoo and Shafi Shareati from Srinagar central jail to the Jammu region on Saturday night.

Militant-turned-separatist Faktoo, the husband of Dukhtaran-e-Millat womens group founder Asiya Andrabi, has been in jail on murder charges for more than 25 years. He is among a handful of separatists to have spent so many years in prison.

He did his PhD in Islamic studies from prison, has published several books and helped students prepare for and complete their graduation and masters degrees.

Shareati, a former professor of Persian in Kashmir University, has been incarcerated for 15 years on several charges of alleged involvement in militancy.

Director general of police SP Vaid confirmed on Sunday that these two were moved out of Srinagar in accordance with the state governments order.

A statement by three separatist leaders said Faktoo has been shifted to Udhampur jail, while Shareati was taken to the Hira Nagar sub-jail in Kathua.

They are among about 40 prisoners, including militants and their sympathisers, who were taken away from jails in Kashmir after Lashkar-e-Taiba militant Naveed Jhatt escaped from Srinagars Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital when he was taken there for a checkup on February 6. Two policemen were killed in the escape.

Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said in a statement that political prisoners were made scapegoats after the failure of the authorities to prevent a prisoner from escaping. Both prisoners are suffering from ailments and shifting them is akin to playing with their lives, statement said.

Faktoos organisation, the Muslim Deeni Mahaz, called the governments move a well-sorted conspiracy to kill the ailing leader.Lachit, atro agachchhatu. Griham atithayoh agoto bontoh (Come here, Lachit, we have guests), Moumita Bar told her son as we entered the two-bedroom flat in a middle class locality in Basirhat town near the Bengal-Bangladesh border, about 75 km from Kolkata.

Before the four-and-a-half-year old boy could respond, his sister Dhriti, who is two years elder, answered, Bhrata kridanayanen kridotih (Brother is playing with his toy car).

Moments later, Lachit appeared from the next room riding his car. Ahom bubhukshitoh (Im hungry), Lachit tells his mom, as he holds tight a doll under his arm.

Bhojanam dodami, kinchit kalam apeksham karatuh (Food will be served, wait a while), said the mother as she became busy greeting us.

Welcome to the Bar family, whose members only use the ancient language for conversation at home. Perhaps, the only family in Bengal that do so.

Strangely, Moumita, 32, have never conversed in Bengali with her husband Pranab Bar, 39, since they met in 2006 at Halishahar Nigamananda Saraswat Math.

Moumita, then an undergraduate student of Sanskrit, had come for extra lessons. Pranab went there as a teacher in a 15-day spoken Sanskrit camp organised by Samskrita Bharati, an affiliate of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that works for the promotion of Sanskrit.

We even quarrel in Sanskrit, said a giggling Moumita, immediately translating it in Sanskrit. She teaches the language at Kalinagar high school in North 24 Parganas district.

Our first interactions were in Sanskrit and this continued throughout, Moumita said. Later on, we decided to make Sanskrit our family lingo.

They tied the knot in 2010.

Within the four walls of the Bar residence, Bengali, their mother tongue, is spoken only when guests enter. The family, however, reads Bengali newspapers while children also have access to Bengali comics and literatures such as the works of Upendrakishore Raychowdhury.

The Bars dont have a TV set.

In India, some families at Mattur in Karnataka and Jhiri in Madhya Pradesh use Sanskrit in their everyday communications. Some villagers in Hoshahalli (Karnataka), Mohad and Baghuwar (Madhya Pradesh) and Ganoda (Rajasthan) also speak Sanskrit.

But its rare for a standalone family to resist the influence of the dominant languages spoken around them.

After the birth of their daughter, the couple tried to convince other members of Pranabs family at Kalinagar to speak only in Sanskrit at home so that the child could pick it up as her first language.

Failing to persuade others, they left home and settled at a rented place nearby.

My daughter grew up listening only to Sanskrit. She naturally picked it up, said Pranab, who teaches Sanskrit at Kalinagar College in North 24-Parganas district.

It was only after she became fluent in Sanskrit that they went back to their Kalinagar home. Eventually, however, they settled in Basirhat, about 30 km away.

We came to Basirhat since it is close to where Vidya Bharati runs a school, Saraswati Shishu Mandir. Only Vidya Bharati-run schools teach Sanskrit from Class 2, said Pranab, who is also the RSSs Basirhat organisational district spokesperson.

Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Siksha Sansthan is the educational wing of the RSS.

Dhriti studies in Class 1, while Lachit is in the second pre-primary section (for 4+ children) called Uday.

My daughter asked me quite a few times, especially after returning from school, if we could speak Bengali at home. Once she steps out, she speaks only Bengali. For a child to switch languages seamlessly sometimes becomes difficult. However, we convinced her that it is a skill that no one else have and that there would be no one left to speak Sanskrit if we dont. She agreed, said Pranab.

To minimise the influence of other languages on their kids, the couple even restricts their mixing with children in the neighbourhood.

Pranab admitted this experiment could impact them in some way.

Many friends warned us against restricting kids playing with others, as it could lead to mental and behavioural deficiencies. Let there be a couple of museum pieces, but let Sanskrit live, is how I respond said the father.

Now, my daughter does not speak Bengali at home, not even by mistake, he said with a tinge of pride.

Their dedication and commitment for Sanskrit is extraordinary, said Amar Krishna Bhadra, who heads pariwar prabodhan (family enlightenment) programme of the RSS in south Bengal.

Interestingly, the couples took to the language to get a job.

Both took to Sanskrit as a relatively easier way to build careers in teaching, since there are not many competitors for the positions of Sanskrit teachers in schools and colleges.As the fire and smoke died down in make-shift hearths that dotted Thiruvananthapuram on the occasion of Attukal Devi Pongala festival, a group of architects gathered the leftover clay bricks from the fireplaces to pay tribute to legendary architect Laurie Baker.

With the bricks, dumped along the roads by women devotees after the festival that ended on Friday, the group erected 100 installations across the city to commemorate the birth centenary of Baker, known for his low-cost architecture.

This year the festival, celebrated on March 2, coincided with the architects 100th birth anniversary.

During the festival, women build make-shift hearths and prepare an offering to the presiding deity with a mix of rice, jaggary and ghee. Once the festival is over, many abandon the bricks used to make the hearths.

This year, according to Attukal temple authorities, 3.5 million women performed the Pongala.

The installations that came up on Saturday as part of a campaign titled Beyond the bricks will be on display for three days. After dismantling of the installations, the bricks will be reused to build houses for the homeless on the outskirts of the city, said organisers of the programme.

Nothing should go to waste, it is our tribute to our master. Usually after Pongala at least 30% of the bricks used to build hearths get wasted. Through 100 installations, they come back to life again, said K B Jayakrishnan, the convenor of Thiruvananthapuram chapter of the Indian Institute of Architects.

He said the festival leaves at least one million bricks that is enough to construct at least 50 affordable houses.

One of the touching installation is called The Truth. It depicts the sad end of tribal youth Madhu who was lynched recently by a mob for stealing food in Attappady, an impoverished tribal settlement of the state.

The installation comprises a core and peripheral skin. While the core represents the true solid nature and the periphery represents the skin of the society. It depicts the societys attitude towards the poor, said Dr Manoj Kini, faculty member of the department of architecture at Trivandrum Engineering College.

Baker believed in simplicity and his ideals and principles have become more relevant today. If we look at todays world of sustainability challenges, climate crisis and environmental degradation, Baker appears to have been prophetic and far ahead of his times, Kini said.

Another installation depicted a portrait of Baker with a caption: His space is still void. Another says dissent is the way of life in the country and nobody can stifle it.

An aide of Mahathma Gandhi, the Birmingham-born Baker (1917-2007) was asked to stay back in India by his mentor.

Inspired by Mahathmas ideals, he spent many years in Himalayan villages promoting sustainable and organic architecture. He promoted the revival of regional building practices and use of local materials, prudently using resources and energy.

In 1990 the government honoured him with Padmashree and in 1992 he was awarded the Roll of Honour by the United Nations Organisation.

In 1988 he was granted Indian citizenship, which he always used to mention as his biggest honour.

In fag end of his life, he made Thiruvananthapuram his home, where he died in 2007.Ruled continuously from 1978 (with the exception of one term between 1988 and 1993) by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front, Tripura has finally gone the saffron way.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Ram Madhav described the victory as a historic win, saying he was not surprised because Tripura wanted a change.

CPI(M) leaders were largely silent but at least one of them, Suneet Chopra, was already complaining of possible rigging, perhaps alluding to EVM doctoring charge levelled against the BJP in other states with unprecedented margins of victory. Without evidence, such allegations do not cut ice.

Bengali settlers are just over 70% of Tripuras population. Indigenous tribals account for the rest, and one-third of the seats in the 60-member state assembly are reserved for tribals.

The Left had so far swept the polls by capitalising on its success in crushing the violent tribal insurgency through a combination of police action, covert operations against rebel bases allegedly using surrendered militants and local mafia, and grassroots development.

Rural Bengali settlers, threatened with violence and ejection, voted for the Left because they felt they needed a tough government to keep the head on their shoulder before bothering about the stomach. But the aspirational middle-class Bengali in the cities, especially capital Agartala, has clearly lost hope in Manik Sarkar, whose development record did not inspire the young.

From an analysis of voting patterns, it is clear that the urban Bengali voter, in Agartala and other towns where the threat of tribal militancy has never been serious, voted for change. The sweep in the 20 tribal seats turned a marriage of contradictions into a winning formula, with the BJP not only cornering tribal votes through its alliance with the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) but also winning middle-class Bengali voters by focusing on the lack of development. By not accepting the IPFTs separate Twipraland demand, and by giving it only nine of the 20 tribal seats, the BJP made it clear to the Bengalis that voting the IPFT to power was one sure way of nipping the demand for a separate state in the bud.

The CPI(M) also paid dearly because it did not promote a tribal leader after the demise of former chief minister Dasarath Deb. Former industry minister Jiten Choudhury, seen as an alternative to Manik Sarkar, was sent to the Lok Sabha, where he performs as creditably as Sitaram Yechury did in Rajya Sabha.

Young voters, both tribals and Bengalis, seem to have turned to the BJP because they are upset with the Lefts failure to attract investments and create jobs. One example is how the Left failed to get even a single major IT investor even though three years have passed since Agartala became Indias third internet gateway in 2015. In the neo-liberal economy, Manik Sarkar cannot create thousands of government jobs by bringing in central funds. That is a thing of the past and wont work anymore, says Saumen Sarkar, who hails from Tripura and is a vice-president at Bank of America.

The BJP has now emerged as Tripuras leading party with a 43% vote share  up from 1%  and a seat count of 35 from zero. The Left remains a force with 42.7% vote share and 16 seats, severely depleted nut nonetheless a strong Opposition bloc the BJP-IPFT cannot wish away.

( The writer is senior fellow at CSIRD and a former BBC correspondent.)A British tribunal will rule on a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for classified UK Cabinet Office files that are believed to hold information on Britains involvement in Operation Bluestar in 1984.

A three-day hearing of the First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) will open in London on Tuesday to determine if the UKs Information Commissioner was right to uphold a Cabinet Office decision not to allow the files being made public.

The appeal is being handled by KRW Law on behalf of freelance journalist Phil Miller, who has been investigating the exact nature of the then Margaret Thatcher led governments assistance to the Indian Army operation on Golden Temple in Amritsar.

The FOI request should be granted because there is overwhelming public interest in understanding the extent of UK involvement in the tragic events of 1984. Disclosing documents from three decades ago will not harm diplomatic relations -- politicians in the UK and India have embraced right to information laws and recognise the importance of public access to national archives, Miller told PTI.

In 2014, UK government documents declassified under the 30-year rule to make such material public had revealed that British military advice was given to Indian forces prior to Operation Blue Star.

The then British prime minister, David Cameron, had ordered a review into this discovery, which led to a statement in Parliament declaring that Britains role had been purely advisory and the Special Air Service (SAS) advice had limited impact.

But Miller, the author of Sacrificing Sikhs: The need for an investigation report released last year, says many documents from the incident remain classified and only full transparency would reveal the exact nature of Britains involvement.

A public inquiry would allow us to understand how much Margaret Thatchers decision to send a military adviser to Amritsar in 1984 was motivated by trade and arms deals worth billions of pounds. It would also establish whether the UK military advice was really a one off or whether in fact it continued throughout the period, even after the tragic events of June 1984, he said.

The tribunal next week will hear evidence from senior civil servants from the UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and assess evidence in closed session in addition to hearing arguments from all sides to determine whether the documents can be declassified.

The UK Cabinet Office has declined to release the files on the grounds of national security and safeguarding international relations with India.

The UKs Information Commissioner, who was referred the case in August 2015, supported the Cabinet Office position. An appeal over that decision was lodged in September 2016 and was to be heard in April last year but was delayed and will now begin on March 6.

The Opposition Labour party has backed some British Sikh groups in their call for an independent public inquiry into Britains links with the then Indira Gandhi led government in the lead up to the Indian para-military operation on the Sikh holy shrine in June 1984.

Last year, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May, calling for an independent inquiry and his party has since included the issue as an election pledge in its manifesto for the June 2017 general election.

There has been a massive cover-up and Parliament and the public have been disturbingly misled. An independent public inquiry to get to the truth is the only way forward, said Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), which has been campaigning for an inquiry.

It is supported by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Sikhs, chaired by Labour MP Preet Kaur Gill.The Rajasthan forest department has got an in-principle approval from the Centre for land use change of 100 hectares near Kota to rehabilitate villagers to be relocated from Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR), officials familiar with the matter said.

The forest advisory committee (FAC) of the Centre has given the approval for land use change of the 100 hectares of forestland in Lakhawa region to relocate villages out of the Mukundra reserve, though the villagers demand for a higher compensation package remains a sticking point.

An FAC team visited the territorial forestland of Lakhawa in January this year after the forest department submitted a proposal for relocation of the villages to that area, said T Mohanraj, deputy conservator of forest, MHTR.

Later wildlife officials of the state, including chief wildlife warden GV Reddy, gave a presentation on the proposed rehabilitation at the FAC headquarters in the last week of January.

Created after merging wildlife sanctuaries of Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, and Chittorgarh districts, MHTR currently has no tiger. The relocation of villages was proposed after the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approved shifting of three tigers  two females and a male -- from Ranthambore National Park to MHTR.

Even as MHTR is waiting to hear the roar of the first tigers, the rehabilitation of villages located in the reserve remains a thorny issue. Of the 14 villages located inside MHTR, only two  Lakshmipura and Kharli Baori  have been relocated so far.

The remaining 12 villages will be shifted out of the MHTR in a phased manner. Two bigger villages -- Girdharpura and Damodarpura -- will be relocated to the land at Lakhawa in the first phase, Mohanraj said.

Each villager will get around 200 square yard of land at Lakhawa, he said. The CFAC has given in-principle approval for land use change of Lakhawa territorial forestland to make it residential for relocated villagers.

Mohanraj said, The final approval in writing is expected to arrive within a months time. After that the two villages will be relocated.

Residents of the 12 villages are not satisfied with the compensation offered. Based on the NTCA norms, the wildlife department had promised Rs 10 lakh to every adult and compensation for land as per district-level committee (DLC) rates. The villagers want the compensation to be hiked four times.

MHTR is spread over 759.99 square kilometre -- 417.17 sq km core area and 342.82 sq km of buffer zone.Two days after a 16-year-old Dalit boy was killed at Bhiwadi village in Alwar district allegedly by a group of Gujjar men after the teenager objected to loud music during Holi revelry on Friday, Dalit groups have expressed their anger against local Congress politicians.

Dalits from Tijara, Bhiwadi and bordering villages of Haryana met at the Bhiwadi village on Sunday and questioned the silence of Congress politicians over the killing. They gave the district administration seven days to arrest the accused otherwise, they said, they would launch an agitation.

Neeraj Jatav of Bhiwadi village died during an assault on him and his friends on Friday after the Class 9 student objected to the loud music being played by some people. The Bhiwadi police later lodged a case against six people  most of them from the dominant Gujjar community  for murder, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint and under sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Ambedkar Mission Santhanam state secretary Om Prakash Jatav said that in the meeting Jatav groups took a decision to help the teenagers family get justice. We will hand over a memorandum in the name of the chief minister to the district collector to demand the arrest of all culprits, financial assistance to the victim family and government job to at least one member of Jatavs family, he added.

Babu Lal Jatav, father of the teenager, said that he was getting threats from unknown people to withdraw the case. Even when I was sitting with my sons body to protest the killing, some people came there and disrespected the body. They fled before the police arrived, he said.

Expressing displeasure over the silence of the Congress leaders over the case, Om Prakash Jatav said that even 36 hours after the murder, the district Congress committee had not condemned the incident. This when DCC president Tika Ram Jully is himself a Dalit, he added.

The newly-elected Alwar MP Dr Karan Singh Yadav is going from place to place to thank people for his victory, but he didnt have time to visit the Bhiwadi family. The Dalit community unanimously supported the Congress candidate in the parliamentary bypolls in January this year, Om Prakash Jatav said.

Bhiwadi Municipal Council member Dharmveer Jatav also said the Dalits are approached only for votes during elections. Politicians forget us after that, he added.A man was arrested on Sunday for burning a Dalit woman after she refused to have sex with him on March 2 in Chipa Barod area of Rajasthans Baran district, police said.

The woman died a few hours after she was burnt.

The accused, Ram Bharan Ahir (31), a worker in marble industry, lived in the same building as a tenant, where the victim, Reena (35), and her husband also stayed as tenants.

The victim said the accused called her to his room on Friday morning at about 7. He then asked her to have sex with him. On refusal, he poured kerosene on her and set her on fire, said Ratan Singh, Chipa Barod station house officer (SHO).

Ahir locked himself up in the washroom as the woman burned, and later fled, Singh said. The womans husband, a tailor, was sleeping at her house in the same building when the incident happened, he added. The woman was rushed to a hospital in Baran, from where she was referred to Kota. She died late on Friday evening.

The accused was arrested from Salpura railway station, while he was trying to flee. He had switched off his mobile phone and was traced with the help of our informer network, the SHO said.

Ahir had been booked for attempt to murder  the charge became murder after Reenas death  and under section 3 of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. He has been sent to five-day police custody.

The accuseds wife expired a few years ago and his two kids live at their maternal uncles home in Uttar Pradesh. The victims body was returned to her family after a post-mortem examination.He worked most of his career in business finance in the East Bay and San Francisco. His passion for wine and the Napa Valley led him to reside and work in Saint Helena. Gary was part of the Duckhorn Vineyards family as one of the original investors. He joined the Frogs Leap family as the CFO and was instrumental in the growth and expansion of the winery. He retired in 2007. Garys dedication to the community manifested in his assistance with the building of the OLE Health Center in Napa, his service to the Finance Committee for the Land Trust and his involvement with the Napa Valley Vintners.Chief minister Vasundhara Raje said on Sunday that the BJPs victory in Tripura and Nagaland was a good omen for the party and expressed the confidence that the saffron flag will once again fly high in Rajasthan in the assembly elections later this year.

Raje was addressing a press conference at the state BJP office. However, she took only two questions and ended the conference abruptly saying that she will meet with the media again during Holi Milan function. This was Rajes first press conference in four years. She had not addressed the media even during the Lalit Modi controversy in June 2015, and it was state BJP president Ashok Parnami who had to defend her during media interactions.

The chief minister said that the Congress was now on the back foot and cited the vote shares in Tripura and Nagaland to drive home her point.

The vote share of the BJP in Tripura has risen from 1.3 per cent to 43 per cent, the chief minister said. Collective vote share of the BJP and its allies had risen to 51 per cent while the vote share of the Congress there shrunk to 1.8 per cent, she added. You can say that from sunrise to sunset, all the states are ruled by the BJP, she said.

Raje attributed the election victory to organizational strength and developmental politics besides giving credit to hard work of the workers and able leadership. She was effusive in her praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him the most popular leader in Independent India.

We have demolished the Left citadel. There was a time when Northeast was out of bounds for BJP, but due to able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah we have achieved a historic victory. The victory in Tripura, which is a tribal belt, is a good omen and has demonstrated that the BJP has now touched people from every sphere, be it urban or rural masses, she said, adding that people of Rajasthan who had settled in the Northeast had also contributed to the victory.

Our reach has expanded and the historic win has proved that there is no alternative to the BJP in the country, Raje said.

Replying to a query on the partys recent defeat in the Rajasthan bypolls, she said that no one should write off BJP based on defeat in three seats  two Lok Sabha and one assembly. It was a wake-up call for us and I would say that it came at a right time, she said.

She evaded another question on simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state Assembly. Enjoy. We will meet again for Holi Milan on March 14, Raje said and ended the conference.

Later, interacting informally with the media she again parried a query on whether state BJP president Ashok Parnami will be nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Rajasthan goes to polls later this year and there were rumours about change at the helm after the rout in bypolls.

There was festive atmosphere at the state BJP office. The party workers welcomed Raje and Parnami with slogans amid fireworks and beating of drums.A Lucknow-based historian Amaresh Mishra, along with a few like-minded individuals like Dr Sandeep Kumar, have launched Tehreek-e-Lucknow, an initiative aimed at making people familiar with lesser known poetry and aspects of the City of Nawabs.

On Mishras backing, volunteers of the 1857 Nationalist Forum and the Lucknow Film Club have begun pasting choicest couplets and, in some cases, even film dialogues about the city on e-rickshaws. About a thousand e-rickshaws have poems pasted already and the initiative is aimed at putting up nearly 5,000 couplets on as many rickshaws.

The idea is to revive the sher-o-shairi (poetry) that Lucknow was once famous for. This was a city of pehle-aap. Alas! All that is largely forgotten today and so here we are with what we would like to call as the little-big effort, says Mishra, the writer of the Saif Ali Khan starrer Bullet Raja.

But why paste these poetic gems on e-rickshaws? So that even those short on time could enjoy poetry on the move, he says.

One of the e-rickshaws was seen carrying a verse by Maulana Hasrat Mohani who, before his death in 1951, had once famously written thus: Har Hindu ka mazboot hai ji, Geeta ki yeh baat hai dil pe likhi (Every Hindu is strong-willed; This maxim of the Gita is etched on the heart).

From Mirza Mohammad Hadi Aziz to Syed Ali Naqi Zaidi, Saeed Ahmad Natiq to Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz, Anand Narain Mulla to Muztar Khairabadi, Rind Lakhnavi, Macchis Lakhnavi  the Tehreek-e-Lucknow initiative would feature poetic gems from some forgotten names of Lucknow.

Its still not uncommon to run into people who lovingly recount the days when the city reflected its famed manners and its equally well entrenched secular ethos.

About a thousand e-rickshaws have poems pasted already (HT Photo)

Savour these lines from Yaas Yagaana Changezi, a Patna-born poet: Kashish-e-Lucknow arrey tauba; phir vahi hum, vahi Aminabaad (The charm of Lucknow...dear me! Same old me, same old Aminabad)

Changezi penned this verse on Lucknow before his death here in 1956. Takra kar dekho hum kya hain tum kya; jeete jo jeete, haare to haare

(Fight a duel with me to know how we compare; be the consequence victory or defeat). Thats Changezi again.

The citys Munshi Bisheshwar Prasad, who chose Munawwar as his pen name and became properly known as Munawwar Lakhnavi, had penned a verse that explains how Hindus and Muslims of the state capital bonded.

Munawwar, who was well versed in Sanskrit, Persian and Hindi, wrote poetry that was easily distinguishable.

Lucknow ka aalam-e-khaas dekhiye, Urdu mein Geeta ka paath dekhiye (Behold the sublime style of Lucknow, Listen to The Gita recited in Urdu) is one of the verses by Munawwar that captured the spirit of those times brilliantly.

The poets are gone now but their creations remain. Take this from gem from Krishan Bihari Noor. Sach ghate ya badhe to sach na rahe/Jhoot ki koi intiha hi nahi (Truth will not remain truth if it deviates, lie isnt bound by such restrictions).

Its not just about poems. For the initiative is also aimed at showcasing how the city put up a fight, sans abuses, back-stabbing and shields! The friendly duels were fought with full aristocratic decorum by Bankes as the fighters were known. One of the famous Lakhnavi poet Atish was a Banke, Mishra says.Soon after it became clear that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was all set to breach the left citadel in Tripura, chief minister Yogi Adityanath immediately got in touch with Sunil Deodhar, the BJPs Tripura in-charge, even as partys UP unit celebrated BJPs success in the north east.

Adityanath along with Deodhar and partys national general secretary Ram Madhav was a key element of the partys Tripura plan chalked out by party chief Amit Shah, say BJP leaders.

Of the three north eastern states of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya that went to the polls, the BJP got Adityanath to campaign extensively in Tripura alone.

Thats because Adityanath, the head priest of the Gorakhnath Mutt, belongs to the Nath sect that has a huge following in the north eastern state. Its to tap this following that Adityanath had strategically launched his poll campaign in Tripura with a visit to Gorakhnath temple at Padmapur on the outskirts of Dharmanagar where he had performed a puja on February 12.

He addressed 7 public meetings and was part of four road shows in two days that covered nearly 20 Vidhan Sabha constituencies. What we gather, the party has won in at least 17 of them so far, said Adityanaths advisor Mrityunjay Kumar while talking of Tripuras high voltage campaign that was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After launching his poll campaign with a puja at Padmapur on the outskirts of Dharmanagar, he had gone on to attend pujas in Matarbari, Udaipur temple, Gorakhnath temple at Majlishpur in what appeared to be a clever play of Hindutva push by the saffron clad politician in the left citadel, party leaders admit.

BJP leaders, who also hailed the role played by BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, claimed nearly 70 per cent of the non-Muslim population in Tripura was associated with Yogis Nath sect in one way or the other.

Bhagaban Das, who won on BJP ticket from Pabiachhara assembly constituency, was among those partymen in Tripura for whom Yogi had campaigned. Yogijis Nath sect is influential in the state. Though its followers are not as much in Pabiachhara as they are elsewhere, still its undeniable that Yogijis meeting helped me. All in all its a dream victory for the party and proof of leadership of PM Modi and Amit Shah, he said on phone from Tripura.

People listened to him both as a politician and as a mahant of a sect that commands decent following in Tripura, said UP BJP leader Chandramohan.

Interestingly, the BJP good show in north eastern states has come just before the party faces by-polls in UP on March 11, including one on Yogi Adityanaths political turf of Gorakhpur.

As trends firmed up, Adityanaths twitter handle was active. The monk chief minister praised Modi and Shahs leadership and hailed Tripuras win as historic.

Later in a brief interaction with media, Adityanath emphasised on partys Tripura win, describing it as a spectacular outcome of party chief Amit Shahs election management skills.

PM Modis appeal and Shahs election management worked wonders, Yogi said. Modi is expected to address party cadres in Delhi on its north east win and Yogi along with Shah are expected to be there then.

BJP leaders admit that Tripura outcome has further increased Yogis ratings in the BJP that had also used him to campaign extensively in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala along with Tripura, where he had urged the voters to oust the left government for non performance. Adityanath is also set to campaign in Congress-ruled Karnataka.

Asked if Yogi helped polarise the situation in Tripura for the BJP, UP BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said, Yogiji has now been used in most of the elections that BJP has fought outside UP. There are subtexts in each victory but the win merely showcases that Modijis leadership and Shahs planning stay unmatched. We are now well and truly on course for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Pathak said.Hair flying in the wind Manar, Amniya and Farida hurtle down the slopes of 7Hills Skate Park in the Jordanian capital Amman where refugee children come to play. The 650-square-metre (almost 7,000-foot) concrete space was built in December 2014 by skateboard enthusiasts from around the world.

The money was raised during a fundraising campaign by a German NGO and a local association that offers free classes for the children of refugees from countries such as Syria, Iraq or Sudan. Mohammed Duma, a 40-year-old Sudanese man who fled the war in Darfur, looks on with pride and a touch of apprehension as his two daughters, aged four and eight, learn to ride a skateboard with their trainer.

The skate park was constructed in 2014 by passionate skateboarding volunteers from all over the world. (AFP)

We come here every Monday. Life in Jordan is very expensive, its the only place where I can take my girls to play and have fun for free, said Duma. He has applied with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for relocation to the United States, Canada or Britain.

Salima Issa, a 26-year-old housewife, sits on a patch of grass with her two-year-old son, who is busy nibbling on crackers. She watches as her son Mohammed, four, and eight-year-old daughter Amniya cruise by on their skateboards. Issa too fled Darfur, where the conflict that broke out in 2003 has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions of others.

The initiative was launched by a German NGO and a local Jordanian association which offers free skateboarding lessons to refugees several times a week. (AFP)

Fall until you succeed

The skateparks name was inspired by the topography of Amman, a city built on seven hills. This park has become a breath of fresh air for young refugees from Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Palestine, said Mohammed Zakaria, one of the park managers.

Skateboarding is a difficult sport, which allows you to gain self-confidence and learn that falling is not the end of the world, and that you have to try a second and third time to succeed, he explained. Life is like that and we all learn from our mistakes, said the 32-year-old Jordanian.

Some 140 refugee boys and girls from Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Palestine come every week to participate in the free lessons at the skate park. (AFP)

He said around 140 boys and girls take free classes every week, mostly run by foreign volunteers. Jordan hosts refugees from more than 40 countries, including over 6,50,000 people from Syria, according to the UNHCR. Yussef Khaled, 14, who lost his father in Somalias war, arrived six years ago with his mother and sister, and does not miss an opportunity to come to the skate park.

There are not many places to have fun in Amman, and even if there were, we wouldnt have the money to go anyway, said the teenager. This place makes me forget that Im a refugee, he said, showing off his latest trick on the skateboard.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for moreTheres little that rattles the intrepid home cooks of 2018. Well-versed in world flavors and armed with the knowledge of 1,001 digital voices, todays kitchen warriors dont stop at Julia Childs famously laborious beef Bourguignon. Give me a real challenge, one imagines them saying. Give me towers of croquembouche wrapped in spindly sugar webbing; day-long smoked pork butt lovingly basted every hour on the hour; and boulangerie-worthy bread baked with flour milled in my very own kitchen. The more steps, the better.

And yet, when it comes to one of the most challenging of Mexican dishesmole, the complexly spiced and intricately prepared family of sauces dating from pre-Hispanic timesmany voices go silent.

Most people still dont know what it is, says Lesley Tellez, author of the Eat Mexico cookbook (Kyle Books, 2015) and owner of a Mexico City-based culinary tour business of the same name. North of the border, she says, well-meaning cooks often have the misperception that mole is a too-sweet chocolate sauce or a single dish with an inalterable recipe. Both couldnt be farther from the truth.

Were talking about a whole universe of mole that exists in Mexico, she explains as we tour the famous Mercado La Merced. If you go to any city or even better, any rural town, [the] mole will be different from the mole two towns over. Mexican cuisine is highly regional, she continues, influenced by the ingredients and traditions local to each place. Two moles that look identical may taste completely different, perhaps the result of a small tweak.

People often talk about the seven moles of Oaxaca, but even in Oaxaca theres more than seven, Tellez says. Anyone from Oaxaca could tell you that!

What almost all moles have in common is this: a base of dried chiles ground with spices to form a paste or powder. That base is then blended with water or stock to create a velvety sauce, perfect for draping over meat, enchiladas, or some other conveyance. Despite its variationsthe type of chile, whether that chile and its seeds are roasted or not, any additional spices, and the texture and thickness of the resulting saucethe mole always remains the star of the dish, rather than whatevers stashed underneath.

Mole is famously presented only with fresh tortillas as accompaniment at Pujol, chef Enrique Olveras ritzy tasting-menu spot in the capitals swanky Polanco neighborhood. In his book, Mexico From the Inside Out (Phaidon Press, 2015), Olvera waxes poetic on the subject. Similar to the idea of a mother dough in baking, his mole madre is made with a base of old mole. The result is a mole of startling complexity, with a history you can taste.

Weve come to think of our mole madre as a living and breathing being; it speaks and even moves, Olvera writes. Were thrilled to observe its changing moods or tone of voice: we can tell when its enlivened or exhausted, when it needs something, and when it wants to be left alone.

I dont think were used to thinking about our food that way, Tellez says. We like a juicy steak and perfectly cooked piece of fish. But the sauce being the dish? Its, like, huh? And because there are so many ways to do it, people are scared. And no, not all mole is made with chocolate.

Given that vastness of moles universe, how does one even begin to understand it? By tasting, Tellez says. And by getting to know varieties of mole with the understanding that someday and somewhere, someone will tell you that everything you know is wrong.

Everybody thinks the best mole is their grandmothers mole, and thats the only way to make mole, Tellez admits. People have very strong feelings.

With that in mind, heres a quick primer on several varieties of mole from across Mexico.

Mole is famously presented only with fresh tortillas as accompaniment at Pujol, chef Enrique Olveras ritzy tasting-menu spot in the capitals swanky Polanco neighborhood. (Shutterstock)

Mole Poblano

Perhaps the best-known mole in the U.S., mole poblano is most popular in the Mexican state of Puebla. Deep brown in color, mole poblano is thick, savory, and made with upward of 20 ingredients. It leans less on chocolate and more on several varieties of chileoften ancho, guajillo, pasilla, and mulatoas well as dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. Warming spices such as cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and anise also make appearances, lending this mole an earthy, sweet flavor profile.

Mole Negro

Sweet-savory Mexican chocolate is the focus of this complex mole, which, in addition to smoky brown chilhuacle chiles, gives this mole its almost-black hue. Its sometimes thickened with bread or plantains. Oaxaca is famous for its versions, at times enriched with the licorice-flavored herb, hoja santa.

Mole Blanco

Where mole negro is dark, Oaxacan mole blanco is light: Skinless peanuts and almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews, and pine nuts, all lightly roasted, are common ingredients, as is white onion, garlic, and the yellow guero chile.

Mole Almendrado

Almonds are the central appeal of this creamy, light- to deep-brown mole, though its often supplemented with peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and more. Its a specialty of San Pedro Atocpan, a community in Mexico Citys southern Milpa Alta borough, where ingredient lists can stretch toward 30 disparate items.

Mole Verde

Mole verde, popular in Oaxaca, is bright and herbaceous, thanks to fresh herbs such as cilantro, parsley, lettuce, radish greens, and chard, plus tomatillos and verdant serrano chiles. Its one of the simplest moles to prepare because it doesnt need to simmer for hours on end.

Mole Manchamanteles

Intensely fruity, deep-red mole manchamanteles calls on such sweet ingredients as fresh pineapple, apple, plantains, and yams. Hailing from Oaxaca, mole manchamanteles translates to mole that stains the tablecloth, which should serve as a warning.A chorus of dog barks filled the grounds of the Philippine Mall of Asia in Manila on Saturday as thousands of canines ran with their owners in this years Pet Express Doggie Run to raise funds for charity. Wearing yellow bandanas around their neck, tiny chihuahuas, labradors, shih tzu, great danes, beagles and their owners raced to win trophies, bottles of dog shampoo and sacks of dog food. The entry fees will help raise funds for the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), a non-government organisation focused on preventing animal cruelty.

Dog owners and their pets in Pasay city, metro Manila, Philippines. (Reuters)

The Pet Express Doggie Run started with 350 participants eight years ago and now attracts thousands of pet owners. We ran here today so our furbabies can be exposed to other dogs and for us to get some exercise, Charlotte Lacsamana said while running and carrying her brown chihuahua. Rider, a three-year old labrador and his owner, Krisenyano Yaban, a Filipino soldier, won their third 5 kilometre Doggie run race, which they completed in more than 20 minutes.

The competition this year was more intense because our opponents adopted different techniques. This year my dog and I synchronised (our running) while I held his leash, Yaban said after the awarding ceremony.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for moreWhen they rip the big green leaves from the tobacco plant, Cuban farmers know theyre touching gold. The island nations legendary cigars have closed another year for the record books, in large part thanks to Chinese consumption.

This tobacco makes the Chinese cry with joy, said Fernando Hernandez, a 50-year-old farmer who manages the harvest in the prime growing area in and around Pinar del Rio, in western Cuba, 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the capital Havana. China, now the worlds first biggest consumer of Cuban cigars behind France and Spain, is driving demand.

Cuban cigar rollers work at a cigar factory in Havana. (AFP)

In 2017, a year in which the luxury market overall grew by five percent, cigar sales rose a stunning 12% worldwide, for a record $500 million, according to Bain & Company. Chinese sales alone went up 24%. China has demand that we need to fulfil, and we can count on double-digit growth for years to come, Jose Maria Lopez Inchaurbe, vice president of development of Habanos S.A., said during the opening of Cubas annual cigar festival in Havana.

The cigars are sold in humidors that can fetch more than $1 million at auction. But behind the pricy pastime is the work of the farmers who harvest the leaves at the start of each year. This year is not bad, but it is not the best of all years. It rained last year and now its not raining, so the tobacco is not getting refreshed. Rain is the plants medicine, said Lazaro Lazo, 48, who has worked the tobacco fields for two decades.

Workers of the H Upmann Cigar factory work next to porters of Cuban late leaders and Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana. (AFP)

US embargo still looms large

For Hernandez, this is the best tobacco in the world, because of the soil. The red earth of Pinar del Rio is the best, but resources are scarce because of the US trade embargo in place for more than half a century. Without the embargo, there would be more production, he said.

Cuban cigars are exported by Habanos S.A., a 50-50 joint venture between the Cuban state and Spains Altadis, a firm owned by Imperial Tobacco Group of Britain. Because of the embargo Washington has applied to the communist-ruled island since 1962, the cigars cannot be exported to the lucrative US market, although Americans travelling to Cuba can bring some home. Cubans still bristle at the fact that in 1962, then president John F Kennedy ordered a top aide to buy him 1,000 cigars. Once the cigars were in his office, Kennedy signed the embargo into law.

When this embargo is lifted, we will know what to do to sell to the North American market, said Habanos vice president of sales Leopoldo Cintra. For now, European countries receive 54% of Cuban cigar exports, followed by countries in Latin America (17%) and the Asia-Pacific region (15%). In a sign of the changing times, a Chinese stand offered smoker accessories at the cigar festival in Havana. The cigar is to the gentleman what the perfume is to the lady, read one of the stands slogans.

A Cuban instructor (L) helps participants roll cigars during a master class. (AFP)

New horizons

In order to conquer new markets, Habanos created an academy to teach newcomers the art of cigar smoking. In 2016 alone, we trained 11,000 (new) consumers in the world, said Lopez. In the fields of Pinar del Rio, once tobacco leaves are harvested, they are taken to a rustic cabin where women string together leaves through their stems with a needle and thread and hang them to dry. Later, the cigars are rolled.

I am glad to be part of this business, but we do a lot and dont see much of a result, complained 51-year-old Cristina Valdes, who has spent 30 years in the tobacco fields. The cigar business employs some 1,30,000 people in Cuba, an island of 11 million. Alberto Pruna, 69, started when he was just nine years old. Yes, we are paid well, he said, noting that before Fidel Castro came to power, we were working almost for free.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for moreRainbow colours beamed from faces and floats parading through Sydney on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of partygoers celebrated 40 years of the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Organisers predicted close to half a million people would witness the glittery spectacle as some 200 floats and 12,500 participants  including police, politicians, indigenous groups and celebrities  made their way down Oxford Street, Sydneys gay hub.

The flamboyant displays included an over-the-top dinner party, featuring Mardi Gras costumes from the past four decades, and a giant champagne bottle that erupted, spraying confetti over onlookers.

Participants dance during the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. (REUTERS/Steven Saphore)

The event grew out of a brutal and bloody police crackdown of gay and lesbian activists in 1978 and is now one of the biggest street parties in the world.

This year we look back on the Mardi Gras 40 years and we acknowledge that we are built on the backs of so many that have come before us, said Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras chief executive Terese Casu. Those incredible activists, the protestors, our artists, our creators, our volunteers  all those people that have bought us to Mardi Gras.

People participate in the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. (AFP/Saeed Khan)

Last year, after more than a decade of political wrangling and months of heated debate, Australia legalised gay marriage.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy marched through the parade route before it kicked off, and he told reporters this edition carried extra gravity in the wake of the same-sex marriage vote. This is a huge affirmation of respect and love. It is so worth it. The vote gave same-sex couples a huge hug, he said.

Casu said it had been a difficult year for the LGBTQI  lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, intersex  community, but it showed our strength, our courage and indeed our grace.

Rainbow colours beamed from faces and floats parading through Sydney. (AFP/Saeed Khan)

For many, equality has been a long, hard journey and this year we celebrate. We look back, we dance with our partners, in fact our new wives, our husbands and we celebrate 40 years of Mardi Gras, she said.

Freedom to express myself

Among the floats was one featuring dozens of giant red, glittering remembrance butterflies in tribute to those lost to AIDS-related illnesses, while another showcasing hundreds of sparkling silver and pink hearts was dedicated to volunteers.

A special Sydney Opera House float had giant replicas of the buildings famous sails.

Lebanese-Australian Carlos Lopez, 28, was on a float highlighting diversity in the gay community. I feel like this is a really important platform for me to show myself as a Middle Eastern Australian and show a different side of myself, for the people that dont have my freedom, he said, referring to more conservative places in the world.

Participants at the parade. (REUTERS/David Gray)

Asked what 40 years of Mardi Gras meant to him, he replied: The freedom to be who I want to be. The freedom to express myself.

Participants in costumes at the parade. (AFP/Saeed Khan)

The growing popularity of the event attracted newcomers including Ronya Touk, who was at the Mardi Gras for the first time. Its amazing, overwhelming, said Touk.

Participants known as "Dykes on Bikes" prepare to lead out the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. (AP/PTI)

Im 43 and Ive never been and Ive heard so much hype about it. Ive got a few friends that have come out this year (as gay), so I thought its a good opportunity to see what its all about.

American pop superstar and LGBTQI icon Cher was the headline act at the after-parade party.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for moreSome students at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), who were on a strike since more than a week against the withdrawal of scholarships given to socially and economically weaker students have called their protests off. But they are not the only ones. The angst is witnessed in other institutes of higher education in the city as well.

Last week, around 50-60 post graduate (PG) students from the University of Mumbai (MU) staged a hunger strike to protest the delay in releasing the non-National Eligibility Test (NET) fellowships, which are given to research scholars who have not cleared the NET.

Students are also upset about the hike in the registration fees for PhD and MPhil candidates. They said they havent received the fellowship money since October, as the University Grants Commission (UGC) is yet to release the funds.

The UGC has not released the funds. So I am forced to borrow money from my friends in order to meet my basic needs, said Paras Sharma, an MPhil student at the department of Eurasian studies. Sharma is from Delhi and lives in a hostel at MUs Kalina campus.

In 2016, the central government reinstated the fellowships after it faced a huge outcry from the student community for cancelling the non-NET fellowships. But researchers complain that the UGC is reluctant to release the funds meant for them.

Many PG students in government-run medical colleges across the city as well as the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), a state-funded deemed university in Matunga, are also facing the pinch of financial burden, after the Maharashtra government stopped their freeships and scholarships in 2012.

The state stopped the assistance contending that students receive fellowships from the central government. However, those who dont get fellowships also lost on the scholarships. We made several representations to the state government to restore the aid for these students, but got no reply, said a top official from the institute.

Students from outside Mumbai are the worst hit. Sarjerao Doltade, the general secretary of students council at ICT, said Parents of students like me, who hail from rural areas, cannot afford the tuition, hostel and mess fees, he said.

Why are TISS students on strike?

At the beginning of academic year 2016-17, the TISS administration issued a circular announcing that it would withdraw financial aid to SC and ST students who were eligible for the Government of India Post-Matric Scholarship (GoI-PMS) scheme. As a result, eligible students would now have to pay hostel and dining hall charges.

The SC and ST students of the 2016-18 batch have been exempted from paying the hostel fee. But they will have to pay the dining hall fee  of Rs62, 000 per annum. The management has permitted students of this batch to pay the amount after the completion of the course, but the original degree certificate will be kept at the institute until the payment is made. In case students want to apply for further studies, their certificates will be returned to them, the institute has said.

Students of the 2017-19 batch have demanded a similar exemption. But the authorities have not agreed. Instead, they have said that the management would try to raise funds for those students who cannot afford the dining hall fee.

For OBC students, the withdrawal of exemption from paying fees has been in place since 2015.

Since 2016-17, TISS has also stopped providing non-NET fellowships to researchers as the central government has stopped the funding. In the absence of UGC funds, the institute has been paying around Rs3, 000 per month to both MPhil and PhD students.The Juhu police on Sunday arrested a doctor attached to Ghatkopars Rajawadi Hospital and an engineer for allegedly molesting and assaulting a woman police constable from Juhu police station.

According to Juhu police officers, the accused have been identified as Dr Gaurav Pagare (29), who is an MS (Ortho) and Pratibha Singh (26), an engineer who works in a private firm in the city.

The complainant, a woman constable, was on patrol duty in Juhu when she was informed around 6am by a passing biker that two women and a man were quarrelling loudly in a seemingly inebriated condition at Juhu Circle.

The constables vehicle reached the spot, where she saw the trio involved in a heated argument. The constable asked them to stop fighting; instead, they began quarrelling with her.

The argument soon escalated, and Dr Pagare allegedly molested the constable, while Singh beat her and scratched her on the face.

They allegedly claimed that they knew senior police officers, and refused to get into the police vehicle.

When they reached the police station, they allegedly created a furore under the influence of alcohol.

They allegedly repeated their behaviour at Cooper Hospital where they were taken for a medical checkup.

Officers attached to Juhu police station said an FIR has been registered against the duo under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 354 (criminal force on a woman outraging her modesty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, and 85 (1) (penalty for being drunk and for disorderly behaviour) of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act.

Later in the day, the accused reportedly apologised to the police and said the incident happened under the influence of alcohol. A police officer said, We have gained their custody for a day, and we will record their statements. They were reeking of alcohol, so we subjected them to a medical test at Cooper hospital. The report is positive.

The officer added that investigators will collect CCTV footage, and record eye-witness statements.Peifer also alleged discrepancies in the actual dimensions of Veterans Home bedrooms and the dimensions CalVet filed with the VA to keep up its federal funding. When you multiply by this by a couple hundred rooms, for decades, this adds up to a lot of money, he said in a February interview with the Register.

Calls to the VA in Washington, D.C. to confirm the inquiry were not returned as of Friday afternoon.

The claims are not valid. Weve received no complaints related to these allegations, CalVet spokesperson June Iljana said Thursday. We encourage veterans who have concerns to follow our complaint process so we can look into it and deal with any problems.

In an earlier statement, Iljana said living quarters at the Yountville home meet all federal requirements for certification despite the age of the campus.

Peifer and his allies took their complaints public in the spring of 2017, starting with letters to the Little Hoover Commission. Testifying to the state oversight agency that June, he urged California not to take in new residents at the Yountville facility until CalVet improves safety and infrastructure on the grounds  and provided single rooms to all unmarried residents desiring them.The Navi Mumbai crime branch along with Kolhapur police on Sunday, raided police inspector Abhay Kurundkars farmhouse at Ajara in Kolahapur.

The raid was conducted to search for some evidence in the murder case of assistant inspector Ashwini Bidre-Gore. Reportedly, some people from the farmhouse have also been detained. However, the police did not say anything about the detention.

The police have informed me that they found some important evidence in the farmhouse. However, they have not revealed much about it, said Raju Gore, Ashwinis husband.

Gore, 37, was posted with Protection of Civil Rights Unit, at Konkan Bhavan in Belapur. She stayed at Roadpali in Navi Mumbai and went missing on April 11, 2016. Her family as well as Kurundkars family knew that they had an extra-marital affair.

Based on the call data records and locations of their mobile phones, Kurundkar was arrested on December 7 in 2017. Between December 11 last year and February 27, the police arrested three more people including Rajesh Patil, 44, nephew of BJP leader Eknath Khadse.

Initially the police had registered a case of kidnapping. However, based on the statements of the fourth accused  Mahesh Phalnikar, 48  they added murder charges against all accused on Friday.

The police have learnt from the accused that Gore was murdered on April 11, 2016 and then her dismembered body was thrown into Vasai creek. They will start searching for the body at the creek from Monday. The officials of the Indian Navy, local fire brigade and the fishermen will also help them in tracing the body.

The search operation will start from Monday. Nothing else could be said at this moment, said Sangeeta Alphonso, assistant commissioner of police who has been appointed by the CMs office to supervise this case.A faction of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) students union on Sunday called off their strike over cuts in scholarships, even as several students led by another faction continued their protest.

In a statement, five members of the union, including its president Archana Soreng, said that they withdrew the strike as most of the core demands of the union, including dining hall and hostel fee waiver for scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) students from 2016-18 and 2017-19 batches, were accepted by the administration.

The statement adds that for the upcoming batches, a Joint Scholarship Committee is being formed, comprising representatives from the administration, students and faculty to work towards finding sustainable solutions for students scholarship woes.

However, another faction, led by general secretary Fahad Ahmed, and students councils at Guwhati, Tuljapur and Hyderabad TISS campuses vowed to continue the strike.

The proposal read out by the administration partially fulfilled the first demand only. The administration rolled back the hostel and dining hall fee waiver for only M.A. students of 2016-18 and 2017-19. Whereas did not even address about MPhil and PhD students of these Batches. The administrations proposal did not offer anything for 2018-20, the up-coming batch.

The students who withdrew their protest said that it was affecting the academic health of the campus and the on-going placements. Students Union has the responsibility of safeguarding rights of the individual students who are not participating in the protests, read their statement.

The other group defended their method of protest. We must reiterate that the call for bandhs, blockades issued from the union have resulted from the severity of the issues at hand and theinsensitivity of the administration towards our concerns since a very long time now, it said.The Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate has suggested to the state chief secretary that the industrial authorities in the region, which are facing a financial crisis, should give flats or shops to farmers who have failed to get adequate compensation for their agricultural land acquired for urbanisation.

In a letter to the chief secretary, Uttar Pradesh, district magistrate (DM) BN Singh suggested that the three authorities  in Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway areas  that are to recover around Rs25,000 crore in land dues from builders should take unsold flats or shops from them and give the same to eligible farmers.

Farmers continuously stage protests, seeking adequate land compensation and obstruct development work on projects such as Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor, Faridabad-Noida-Ghaziabad Expressway, officials said.

The DM said that if farmers are not pacified, they will protest when the government starts land acquisition for the proposed Jewar international airport.

The three authorities have failed to provide residential plots, not solved land leaseback issues and are yet to distribute hiked land compensation to farmers.

Our suggestion is that if the builders are unable to clear their respective land dues due to fund crunch, they can offer flats or shops, which are yet to be sold. The Uttar Pradesh government can bring in a uniform policy on this issue and bring about an innovative solution to end the deadlock, Singh said.

The Noida authority is yet to recover around Rs15,000 crore from 94 builders, the Greater Noida authority is yet to recover around Rs6,000 crore from 129 builders and the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority is yet to recover nearly Rs4,000 crore from 28 builders, officials said.

The Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway authorities have acquired 13,000 hectares, 40,000 hectares and 12,000 hectares of agricultural land from farmers. Builders and realtors, 2007 onwards, bought land after paying 10% of the total land cost. They were supposed to pay remaining 90% in instalments over eight years but have failed to do so and is thereby, affecting the sector and also troubling thousands of homebuyers and investors.

The three authorities are yet to give plots or money to thousands of farmers. The authorities are unable to give plots due to the paucity of suitable land and monetary compensation due to the shortage of funds. Builders are also facing the same problem of cash crunch due to a slowdown in the realty sector. Farmers agitations are affecting development work in the district and also affecting real estate projects as they sometimes protest at the project sites. Accepting flats or shops from builders and offering the same to farmers can solve pending issues and give a much-needed boost to development, Singh said.A 28-year-old man was allegedly stabbed by three men following an altercation with a neighbour in Behlana village on Friday. The victim, Manoj Kanti, told the police that he lived in a rented accommodation in Behlana, and his cousin lived right opposite to his house.

Kanti said around 6:15pm, his neighbour Sunita started hurling abuses following a minor argument over his cousins six-year-old playing outside their house.

Soon, three men visiting Sunita, identified as Surjit, Govinda and Shammi, barged into his house and threatened to kill him. Govinda then proceeded to stab him in the chest, Kanti alleged.

Hearing the commotion, Kantis father and some neighbours rushed to his aide, and the trio attacked them too.

As more neighbours started to gather, the accused tried to flee. But Surjit, resident of Hallomajra, was caught by the neighbours and handed over to the police. Later, the police managed to arrest Govinda, resident of Dhanas Colony.

The accused have been booked under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code in a case registered at the Sector-31 police station.

In-laws attack man in Sector 52

Several members of a womans family allegedly stabbed and assaulted her husband in Sector 52 on Friday.

In his complaint, the victim, Rinku, 28, submitted that he married Jyoti against her familys will in 2014, that had left them disgruntled.

Rinku alleged that around 7pm on Friday, some of his in-laws started hurling stones at their house. Jyoti informed the police control room, and he stepped out to visit the police post to lodge a complaint.

On the way, six of his in-laws family, Rajpal, Manu, Vicky, Rameshwari, Manju and Vinod, and some unidentified people, assaulted him and stabbed him with a knife, before fleeing.

The police later arrested Rameshwari, Manju and Vinod. A case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC was registered at the Sector-36 police station.

Man filming scuffle stabbed in Manimajra

A man was allegedly stabbed for filming a scuffle between two groups in Manimajra on Friday. Mangal Singh of New Indira Colony, Manimajra, told the police that he was filming a brawl between some men near tubewell 1 in the colony. As some of them noticed him, they attacked him with a knife, before fleeing the spot. A case under Section 324 of the IPC was registered at the IT Park police station.

Man, wife beaten up in Sector 49

A Sector-49 resident alleged that three men beat up him and his wife and vandalised his house on Friday.

The victim, Inderjit Singh, alleged that Sandeep alias Sonu, Sanjeev and an unidentified boy assaulted him and his wife at their house and damaged their household articles. A case under Sections 323, 452, 506 and 427 of the IPC was registered at the Sector-49 police station. Later, Sandeep was arrested.Three days after Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) ordered re-examination of students from eight Taran Taran schools after an invigilation team detected mass copying during a Class 12 examination, the department has started the process of cancelling affiliation of 6 schools in the district.

The process was started after the department unearthed a racket being run in which money was allegedly being taken to pass students under the Open School Scheme.

The schools that may face the music are United Senior Secondary School, Khemkaran, Gurukul Public School, Khemkaran, Hari Singh Nalua Public School, Poonian, Santh Sipahi Public School, Thatha, Shaheed Bhagat Singh School, Valtoha and Sri Bala Ji Senior Secondary School, Khemkaran.

On the order of school education secretary Krishan Kumar, the department has sent show cause notices to the schools. All records of the schools have also been seized by Patti sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Surinder Singh.

The secretary himself conducted a surprise visit in the schools centres during the English exam of Class 12 on Wednesday. He found that the schools had been violating norms of their affiliations by allowing mass copying, a PSEB spokesperson said.

The spokesperson further said the secretary also found that the schools had been running a racket and allowing students from other districts to appear in the exams in exchange of money and promising that they will be passed with good marks.

He said the board had already cancelled affiliation of Dashmesh Senior Secondary School, Valtoha. The other six schools are also on the radar as the board had shot show-cause notices to them, said Hargun Kaur, secretary of board.

It has been learnt that hundreds of students from different districts of the state have been appearing for the examination of Class 10 and 12 and are living in gurdwaras. A student from Amritsar, Kuldeep Singh, said, I had given Rs 45,000 thousand to Parminder Singh who had assured me to get me passed with good marks. Jugraj Singh from Malerkotla said, I have given Rs 47,000 to Sukhjit Singh, who promised me to get my exam cleared with good marks.

Tarn Taran deputy commissioner Pardeep kumar Sabharwal said an inquiry has already been marked to Patti SDM.

There are 103 centres of which 30 are highly sensitive. We have deployed police personals there. Senior superintendent of police (SSP), superintendent of police (SPs), additional deputy commissioner (ADC) general, sub divisional magistrates and tehsildars of the district have also been instructed to make surprise visits in all the examination centres, Sabharwal said.

10 centres changed

District education officer (DEO) of secondary education Nirmal Singh issued a circular on Friday to change 10 centres for Class 10 and 12, after getting complaints of mass copying there.

He said Kacha Pakka, Khemkaran-1, Khemkaran-8, Khemkaran-3, Valtoha-6, Valtoha-11, Khemkaran-5, Mastgarh-1, Thatha-5 and Thatha-6 were the centres that have been changed. The new centres are SGAD Khalsa Senior Secondary School Noordi Road, Majha College for Women, Govt Senior Secondary School Pandoori Gola, Govt Girls Senior Secondary School Aladinpur, Sant Singh Sukha Singh Modern High School, Govt Senior Secondary School (Boys, Mandi wala), SD Girls Senior Secondary School near Char Khamba, Kalgidhar Public High School in Kakka Kandiala village , Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College Sarhali Kalan and Khalsa College Sarhali Kalan respectively.Continuing its crackdown on Punjab gangsters, the state police on Saturday arrested dreaded contract killer Tirath Singh, 28, at a checkpoint on the Chandigarh-Ludhiana highway.

Among the states top five gangsters, Tirath worked closely with Jaipal, Vicky Gounder and Prem Lahoria. While Gounder and Lahoria were killed in an encounter in January on the Punjab-Rajasthan border, Jaipal is on the run.

A resident of Dhilwan in Faridkot, Tirath, was arrested at I am by a team of Khanna police, led by DSP Ranjit Singh and CIA inspector Baljinder Singh, who had laid a special naka on a tip off near the Bodli T-point, inspector general of police Arpit Shukla told reporters here. Tirath was held from an Indica car with a .30 bore revolver and 6 live cartridges.

An A category hardcore gangster, Tirath carried a reward of Rs two lakh on his head and was involved in various contract killings, extortion rackets, drug trade and highway robberies, added Shukla.

He said Tirath along with Gounder, Rummy Masana, Lahoria, Neeta Deol and Gurpreet Singh Sekhon had killed gangster Sukha Kahlwan in Phagwara when police were taking him back to Nabha jail after a hearing in Jalandhar court. Later, Tirath killed gangster Rocky Fazilka with Jaipal in Himachal Pradesh.

He is wanted in multiple heinous crime cases at police stations in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. He was declared a proclaimed offender on February 26, 2013.

Two weeks ago, Faridkot senior superintendent of police Nanak Singh had met Tiraths family and urged them to make him surrender.

Punjab Police have decided to honour cops, who have nabbed Tirath. IG said a constable who was part of the team has been promoted as ASI. An ASI has been elevated to the rank of a sub-inspector. While DSP Ranjit and inspector Baljinder would be rewarded with DGP disc.

Strap: Close Gounder aide: Held at special checkpoint on Chandigarh-Ludhiana highway; revolver, cartridges seized

Among top five gangsters, he took to crime at young age

A close associate of slain gangster Vicky Gounder, Tirath is wanted in multiple heinous crime cases in three states  Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. He specialises in contract killing and extortion.

A class 12 pass-out, Tirath took to crime at a young age and murdered his brother-in-law Manjit Singh in 2010.

In Jan 2015, Gounder, Prema Lahoria and Tirath Singh killed their rival Sukha Kahlwan near Phagwara when six policemen were taking him back to the Nabha jail in a jeep after a court hearing in Jalandhar. Gounder even filmed the act and danced around Kahlwans body in front of the policemen and later fled.

In May 2016, Tirath and another dreaded gangster Jaipal gunned down gangster-turned-politician Jaswinder Singh Rocky of Fazilka at Parwanoo in Himachal.

In Dec 2013, Tirath, Gounder, Gurpreet Sekhon and Jodha attacked gangster Lakha Sidhana. Sidhanas associate Jassa was killed in the attack.This has been a season of obituary writing for me so I am glad that I was away from the city when my friend Manmohan Sharma died. Of course, he did not go unsung.

People remembered him as a prominent health activist, executive director of the Voluntary Health Association of Punjab (VHAP) who played a pivotal role in the enactment and implementation of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act, 1994.In his struggle against female foeticide he managed to get the Jathedar of Takht Sri Keshgar Sahib to pass the historic hukumnama against the heinous practice.

That was one side of Manmohans sizzling mind and the other was a keen interest in poetry, fiction and societal change. My first introduction to this frail, fair man with a crew-cut was his singing of Samajvad babua dhire dhire aayi/ Laathi se aayi, goli se aayi votva se aayi/ Phir bhi ahinsa kahai (Socialism, my dear, came slowly/ Came with a stick, came with a bullet/ Still it was called non-violence).

Manmohan was singing in the right puravi tonea poem by Jawaharlal Nehru Universitys much-loved revolutionary poet Gorakh Pandey. Manmohan was very much a Punjabi home-grown in Patiala. He became grist to the mill of the Naxalite uprising which echoed Bengal in Punjab in 1967. He was then in the first year of college.

This frail young man would often recount the story of his arrest laughing that he managed to evade the police for he knew the lanes and by-lanes of Patiala well. When finally caught, his wrist was so lean that the handcuff would slip off. The hefty policeman mocked dragging him, Such is the feeble state of these boys who think they will bring Inquilab (revolution)!

When he moved from Chandigarhs Sector 44 to Zirakpur, where I now live, he told me he would write a poem: Y aadon ke stambhon par flyover ubhar aaye hain.

My first acquaintance with him was in the canteen of a local newspaper office in 1984 when he came with his comrade-friend late Kalyan Mukherjee, who was doing an article on the resistance by writers-artists to Khalistani separatists. A chord was struck and we became friends and when I moved for two years to a barsati in Delhi in 1985 to be a writer as I fancied myself to be one, I came into contact with many of his co-travellers: Dilip Simeon of The Revolution Highway fame, Left ideologue Jogen, poet Alok Dhanva, Bawa Singh, Kalyan of course and many others.

I would sit and discuss the novel I wanted to write about a good little Hindu girls tumultuous life and he would talk about a novel he would write on a brutalisation of a young man by society. He had a great sense of humour and told hilarious folksy tales from Malwa regions oral culture.

The other thing we had in common was love for Kumar Vikals poetry: he liked the early red poems which he recited from memory and I preferred Vikals middle pink phase. Both Manmohan and I had to our credit aborted suicide attempts over lost loves and a passion for awargi or wanderlust of emotions and experience. I puffed away my blues the Sahir Ludhianvi way and one rarely saw him do so but he did drown them in spirits.

I owed much to him, more so my early stories on Punjab including covering a remote village in Sangrur way back in 1994 where 26 farmers had committed suicide. I once did an election tour with him for company and came back with a rich haul. The last elections when he was ailing, he somehow hobbled with me through his Patiala for a story I had gone to do.

When he moved from Chandigarhs Sector 44 to Zirakpur, where I now live, he told me he would write a poem: Yaadon ke stambhon par flyover ubhar aaye hain (Flyovers have come up over the pillars of memory). He composed only the first line and I wonder riding over the flyover if I will be able to complete it in tribute?Like everybody else, Oru Adaar Love actors Priya Prakash Varrier and Roshan Abdul Rahoof played Holi with zeal. Roshan, on Monday, shared a picture of the two together, with their faces covered with colour. Both are smiling and seem to be enjoying their moment under the sun in the picture.

He captioned it: Adaarholi.

Adaarholi  @omar_lulu_ @priya.p.varrier A post shared by Roshan Abdul Rahoof (@roshan_abdul_rahoof) on Mar 2, 2018 at 3:43am PST

It may be recalled that the duo, perhaps more Priya than Roshan, became internet sensation after a song featuring the two, went viral last month. Featuring in the song Manikya Malaraya Poovi from upcoming Malayalam film, Oru Adaar Love, Priyas wink in the course of the song, soon catapulted the duo into national (and international) limelight.

Not only was the entire nation tripping at Priyas expressions and her wink, she seemed to have picked up fans in neighbouring Pakistan too. For the uninitiated, Oru Adaar Love explores school romance and crushes. The song Manikya Malaraya Poovi, composed by Shaan Rahman, shows glimpses of romance from school days. There is a bit of wooing, attempts at attention seeking, harmless flirting and more. Sung by Vineeth Sreenivasan, it has a gentle freshness to it. Written and directed by Omar Lulu, Oru Adaar Love stars a bunch of newcomers.

However, the said song and its picturisation ran into controversy as some Muslim organisations in Mumbai and Hyderabad found it offensive. The Malayalam song was originally written by PMA Jabbar (in the Mappilla tradition of north Kerala) to celebrate the relationship between Prophet Mohammad and his wife, Khadijah.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktopIn the midst of a joke-filled monologue at a dinner with journalists, President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that the United States will be meeting with North Korea but has told Pyongyang it must first denuke.

Now we are talking and they, by the way, called up a couple of days ago. They said that we would like to talk. And I said So would we, but you have to denuke, you have to denuke, Trump told attendees at the annual Gridiron Club dinner.

We will be meeting and well see if anything positive happens, he added.

It was unclear if Trump was joking or if formal US-North Korea talks were imminent.

I wont rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un. I just wont, he said, referring to North Koreas leader.

Trump did, however, make a joke at his own expense.

As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine, Trump said.

If a meeting were to come together, it would be the first between the Trump administration and Pyongyang, which are in a standoff over Norths development of nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States.

Trumps remarks came shortly before South Koreas presidency announced on Sunday that a high-level delegation of South Korean officials will travel to North Korea on Monday to discuss improving relations on the peninsula and possible talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

After the two-day visit to North Korea, the special envoys will travel to the United States to brief officials on their discussions in Pyongyang, South Koreas presidential Blue House said.

Last month, US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Uns sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, US officials said in February.

They said the North Koreans had walked away after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions.

Signs of a North-South thaw have prompted speculation that it could lead to direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang after months of tension and exchanges of insults between Trump and Kim, that have fuelled fears of war.

North Korea has refrained from carrying out any weapons tests since late November, when it tested its largest intercontinental ballistic missile.

Trumps remarks on North Korea came toward the end of a 30-minute speech in his first press dinner since taking office 13 months ago. Gridiron Club members don wigs and costumes to perform satirical skits skewering the president and Washington political class, a tradition dating back to 1885.

Presidents typically deliver a humorous speech at the event and do not disclose new policy initiatives. Trump rattled off a series of jokes that got plenty of laughs, skewering members of his own Cabinet like Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who were all present in the Washington hotel ballroom.A 30-year-old Napa man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after fleeing from the scene of a wreck that resulted in two people being transported to the hospital on Friday night, according to Napa Police.

The two vehicle wreck was reported on Silverado Trail near Stonecrest Drive in Napa about 9 p.m. When police arrived, though, the driver of one of the vehicles involved, Jose Miguel Pacheco, had left the scene on foot. Police located Pacheco a short time later and determined that he had been driving under the influence of alcohol. His blood alcohol contest tested at a .18 in a breath test  more than twice the legal limit, police said.

Meanwhile, two people in the other vehicle were transported with minor injuries to Queen of the Valley Medical Center.

Pacheco was arrested and booked at the Napa County jail on suspicion of DUI with injury and hit and run with injury. He is being held on $100,000 bail.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Bangladeshi police arrested three men on Sunday as they investigate a knife attack on Zafar Iqbal, a popular author and professor of computer science and engineering.

Police said the arrests were in connection with background checks on suspected assailant Faizur Rahman. He was detained at the scene after the attack on Iqbal at a university in the city of Sylhet on Saturday.

Police said that Rahman, 25, identified as a student at an Islamic school, had said he attacked the writer as he was an enemy of Islam.

Rahman is receiving treatment in a hospital as he was attacked by students at the scene before the university authorities, with the help of police, took him into custody.

Iqbal, a respected writer and academic popular with children for his science fiction, was flown to a military hospital in Dhaka for treatment on Saturday night.

He is now out of danger and will recover in a few days, said Munshi Mujibur Rahman, a senior consultant at the hospital.

Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina described those responsible for the attack as fanatics who will face the full force of the law.

Police said that now they are trying to ascertain whether there is any link with any militant group to the attack.

Islamic militants in Bangladesh have increased attacks on a number of secularist, atheist writers, bloggers, publishers, foreigners, and religious minorities over the past five years.China on Sunday kept its defence budget under wraps, breaking from the tradition of announcing it a day ahead of the opening of the National Peoples Congress (NPC), the countrys legislature.

Zhang Yesui, NPC spokesperson, did not reveal the figure at a press conference but said China has increased its spending on military by modest margins in recent years. Chinas defence budget, in terms of its share of gross domestic product and per capita spending, is lower than other major countries, Zhang said. A countrys defence budget needs to fit the nations economic development and national security, he added.

China has increased its defence expenditure in recent years mostly to update arms and equipment, improve soldiers living conditions and training environment, Zhang said, adding, China is committed to a path of peaceful development, and pursues a defence policy that is defensive in nature.

Chinas development will not pose a threat to other countries.

The announcement of Chinas expenditure on defence is closely followed as an indicator of its strategic intent as Beijing expands its influence worldwide.

The defence outlay will be particularly important for several of its neighbours  including India  with whom China has territorial disputes.

It is also widely believed that Chinas actual spending on defence exceeds the allocation that is made public.

In 2017, China had increased its defence budget by 7%, the lowest increase in seven years and second year in a row in which the hike was below the double digit mark.

In real terms, the defence budget of the worlds largest armed forces, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) last year was around $ 146 billion-mark, a quarter of the US defence outlay.

The defence budget numbers are released in Premiers work report released on the first day of the NPC.

Premier Li Keqiang, however, did not include the number in his work report at last years NPC session.

The figure was released a day later by the official Xinhua news agency.

The defence budget this year would be around 8 to 9% higher this year, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert told the state-run Global Times on Sunday.

Even if this years defence budget increases by 10% from the previous year, it would only account for 1.6% of GDP, much lower than the widely-expected 2%, Song added.

President Xi Jinping, who is also the chairperson of the Central Military Commission, has carried out major reforms of the armed forces including reorganising the military zones into five command theatres.Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will discuss ways of invigorating the stalled Saarc process during his two-day visit to Nepal starting Monday.

The 19th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc), which was to be held in Kathmandu in 2016, was scrapped after an attack on an Indian Army base in Uri that was blamed on Pakistan-based terrorists. India and several other Saarc members unilaterally pulled out of the meeting.

Though the summit has not been held since then, meetings of various Saarc mechanisms have been held with the participation of Indian and Pakistani representatives. Nepal is the current chair of the grouping and it is Pakistans turn to host the summit.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Pakistani foreign ministry said Abbasis visit is part of the countrys pro-active and outreach efforts to engage with regional countries.

Ways of invigorating Saarc as an important regional organisation will also be discussed, it said.

Abbasi is the first head of the state or government to visit Nepal after formation of the new government under K P Oli.

Abbasi will convey felicitations to the Nepalese leadership on the successful conclusion of its democratic process, resulting in the formation of a new government, and call on the President Bidya Devi Bhandari, the Pakistani foreign ministry statement said.

Nepals foreign ministry said Oli will hold bilateral meeting with Abbasi and exchange views on matters of mutual interest.

The Pakistani statement said the visit will provide an opportunity to further expand and strengthen bilateral relations across all areas of mutual interest including trade, education, tourism, defence and people to people contacts.

The last visit to Nepal by a Pakistani prime minister was in November 2014, when Nawaz Sharif attended the 18th Saarc summit in Kathmandu.Krishna Kumari Kolhi has become the first Hindu Dalit woman to be elected to the Pakistan Senate.

The 39-year-old activist was nominated by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto for a reserved seat for women from Sindh, from where she won in what experts are considering a surprise victory on Saturday.

I feel proud, I am thankful to Pakistan Peoples Party that they nominated me, Kohli told AFP on Sunday.

Kohli has actively worked for the rights of the Hindu community and has been a vocal critic of the treatment meted out to scheduled castes. She joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother.

Born to a poor family in a remote village in Sindh, her family was held captive as bonded labourers for at least three years. They were eventually rescued after the police raided their employers farmland.

Her brother Veerji Kohli is a prominent human rights activist who was charged with murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017. Fellow activists and the PPP say the charges were politically motivated. After spending nearly a year in prison, Kolhi was freed by court order on March 2  just one day before his sister was elected to the Senate.

-PML-N gains control of Senate-

The ruling PML-N party gained control of the Senate after winning 15 seats in the elections on Saturday after suffering a set-back in Balochistan. PML-N backed candidates won 11 out of total 12 seats from Punjab, with the ruling party losing one seat to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) organiser Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar in a hotly contested election.

Meanwhile, the PPP pulled off a surprise win in 12 seats  including that of Kohli  and experts say the party will likely get the support of independent candidates, which may further allow it to consolidate its position in the senate.

PTI continued to lose momentum, coming in third.

The biggest loser was the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), which could bag only one seat despite having 37 seats in the Sindh Assembly.A man shot himself dead near the north fence line of the White House, the secret service said on Saturday.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were in Florida at the time of the incident which took place on Friday when the man, standing in a crowd of more than 100 people near the White House, shot himself.

According to the secret service, the individual, who has been identified but his name kept under wraps, approached the vicinity of the north fence line and removed a concealed handgun and fired several rounds.

None of these shots appear to have been directed towards the White House, the Secret Service said.

No other persons were injured.

The Washington DC Metropolitan Police department is the lead investigative organisation for this shooting, supported by the secret service Washington field office and other law enforcement organisations.US President Donald Trump on Saturday escalated trade war rhetoric and threatened to impose steep tariffs on cars from European Union countries if the bloc retaliated to his planned levies on steel and aluminium imports.

If the EU wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US, Trump wrote on Twitter. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!

The US levies 2.5% on car imports from countries that dont have a free-trade pact with it and 25% on mini trucks; and the EU has a tariff of 10% on cars.

The American President is not backing down, not now. On the contrary, he made it clear the other day  trade wars are good, and easy to win.

The EU had said on Friday it was ready with its own retaliatory tariff package targeting Harley-Davidson motorbikes, denim and bourbon if Trump went ahead with his plans to impose 25% tariff on steel and 10% on aluminium imports.

The Europeans have picked a politically astute package  the Harleys are manufactured in Wisconsin, which is House Speaker Paul Ryans state and bourbon is the prime produce of Kentucky, which is home to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. They have guaranteed the attention of the two chambers of Congress.

Trading partners of the US threatened by the metal tariff include allies such as Canada and Australia and rivals China, and they have all criticised the move  Canada, like the EU, has also threatened to retaliate.

India, which sends only 2% of its steel exports to the US, has raised concerns about the Trump administration justifying the levy in national security interest.

Trump has said he will announced the metal tariffs the coming week, and has seemed unperturbed by the flak he is catching, not only from trading partners around the world, but also from within his own administration and the Republican party.

The United States has an $800 Billion Dollar Yearly Trade Deficit because of our very stupid trade deals and policies, Trump said in a tweet earlier in the day. Our jobs and wealth are being given to other countries that have taken advantage of us for years. They laugh at what fools our leaders have been. No more!

Citing the same deficit, Trump spoke past week of imposing reciprocal taxes on a country (that) taxes our products coming in at, say, 50%, and we tax the same product coming into our country at ZERO, not fair or smart.

He took no names but it was clearly India, which he has pointed to sufficient times before, which has 50% tariff on Harley-Davidson motorcycles  brought down in two quick cuts from 100% at one time. And it is Indian bikes that enter America at ZERO per cent duty.US President Donald Trump can laugh at himself. But only as he can: no one does it better.

Nobody does self-deprecating better than I do, Trump said at the Gridiron Club dinner on Saturday, an annual event at which politicians and journalists rib each other.

He went on demonstrate how.

I wont rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un, I just wont, he said of the North Korean leader. As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem not mine.

Trump teased the possibility of talks with North Korea, saying Pyongyang had called up and asked to begin a dialogue but said that he responded with you have to denuke first.

Was that said seriously? No word on it yet. The White House has said that for talks to take place, Pyongyang must know that the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula is Washingtons ultimate goal, not a precondition.

Last year, Trump skipped the White House Correspondents Dinner  an annual event hosted by the White House reporters association  raising questions if he was scared of being laughed at or roasted. There is no word yet if he will attend this year. But the Gridiron Club dinner seemed like a start.

Another calm week at the White House, Trump said near the start of his 35-minute speech. It was marked by the exit of his long-time aide and confidante Hope Hicks, and the downgrading of his son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushners security clearance. We finally have it running like a fine-tuned machine.

Kushners woes were good for a few laughs. Trump said he was late to the dinner because Jared couldnt get through security. And turning to his daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump, who was present, Trump said, Ivanka, youve got to do something!

To his vice president Mike Pence, also present, Trump suggested he should stop dreaming of his removal from office. Trump joked that Pence began each day by asking Is he impeached yet?

Trumps detractors in the Republican Party and outside have for long seen Pence, the staid and non-controversial deputy, as the man to bring the presidency back to its usual state of staid orderliness. And the possibility of Trumps impeachment is always just another slur or controversy away.

But not so fast. Trump said: You cant be impeached when theres no crime. Put that down!

Trump also had a go at his attorney general Jeff Sessions, whom he has attacked publicly for recusing himself from the Russia probe. I offered him a ride over and he recused himself, said Trump.

Thats probably the kindest thing Trump has publicly said of his attorney general, whom he once called beleaguered and slammed him as disgraceful just last week.

But a long list of exits is good, according to him. I like turnover. I like chaos. It really is good, he said.

So, who is leaving next?

Now the question everybody keeps asking is, who is going to be the next to leave, Steve Miller (immigration hawk and Trumps speechwriter) or Melania?

There has been talk of the first ladys unhappiness over the continuing reports about Trumps years-old affairs, which he has denied.

Perish the thought. Shes actually having a great time, he said.I moved from San Francisco to Napa in 2009 to take a new job. I wasnt looking forward to living in what I thought of as a white-bread community. I soon realized how ignorant I was. I chose a working class neighborhood in which to make my home and eventually became active in the writing community.

Early in 2017, I sat in a roomful of well-meaning, mostly Caucasian artists at the Napa Valley State of the Arts event. I listened as the panelists discussed the fact that our local diverse communities were not in the room.

One brave Latino photographer spoke up. If you want to include them, you need to go to them. They are not going to come to you. I wondered how to do that. I spoke to Izrael a few times during the next 12 months, and never really felt like I did much to help.

A year later, still wondering, I ran into him at the 2018 State of the Arts. I sat in on a small panel discussion, again, on diversity challenges, with mostly Caucasians in the room. One out of three panelists was a young man Id met earlier in the year. Intelligent, outspoken and passionate, Xulio had moved here as a kid many years ago with his family from Oaxaca, Mexico. Hes a social justice worker and a poet.MSNBCs chief legal correspondent, Ari Melber, known for his tendency to sneak in clever anecdotes that would make any hip-hop head proud, quoting the likes of Jay-Z and 50 Cent in the past to get his point across on-air has returned with yet another interesting take after looking toward the Infamous Mobb Deep for inspiration in his latest segment of The Beat with Melber.

It was Friday evening that Melber referenced Nixons Watergate scandal to mirror Donald Trumps abuse of executive privilege to keep investigators from doing their job, more specifically to stop probes on any misconduct related to Russias involvement in the United States Presidential election.

[Nixons scandal is] worth bearing in mind as the Trump White House now stonewalls investigators, but insists its not really invoking executive privilege, or its trying some kind of modified halfway executive privilege, Melber remarked. But theres no such thing as halfway privilege, just as theres no such thing as halfway crooks, he continued, alluding to Mobb Deeps Shook Ones Part II. We know that truth from the great poet Havoc of Mobb Deep who observed that true criminal minds are always thirsty for recognition. But you dont see longevity from halfway crooks, cause they always end up shook. And thats the big problem facing any White House pursuing a cover up with halfway privilege.

Havoc would soon follow up the shout out with acknowledgement on Instagram, posting a clip of Melbers words. Just as I was watching the homie @arimelber couldnt be put any better!! Aint no such thing as #halfwaycrooks, he captioned it.

Naturally, Melber's words were met with backlash, but her doesn't seem to be worried about it as he posted a meme of himself with the words reading, "You can't quote rap too much."A few days a go, T.I. lifted his boycott on Houston's Restaurant. The initial boycott stemmed from accusations that the restaurant wasn't seating Black patrons. Of course, T.I., who's a very active member in his community, didn't take it lightly and sparked a boycott within his city. The boycott started in October and on Friday, he announced that he's had meetings with several executives to discuss the alleged racist incidents. Now, it looks like Houston's is calling on T.I. to help them with diversity training at their restaurant.

Speaking with TMZ, T.I. revealed that he'll be helping Houston's Restaurant's staff with diversity training going forward. He explained that the corporation initially reached out to him and they were more than willing to listen and help find a solution.

"They actually invested in some diversity training for their upper staff, their executive staff." He said, "Which they suggested that I remain a part of just to make sure the diversity training can meet the needs of the community."

He elaborated further on the situation and how they're going to help. He explained that diversity is important but understanding each others culture can go a long way.

"We all livin' in this world together, man. Everybody from different walks of life, we have different cultures. We have to respect the differences of one another's culture and we have to learn the differences of one another's culture to respect 'em. And that's where I think the diversity training comes in at. Because you can't really respect a culture you don't know or understand." He said.

Watch the full video below.A late-February downpour, barely noticed across much of the Houston area, produced about a half-inch of rain in Kingwood. That was all it took to push the sand-choked San Jacinto River out of its banks  and to alarm residents going about their daily routines in the sprawling master-planned community.

Water covered the bases of the swing sets in a popular neighborhood park. Cars sloshed through fender-high pools under Interstate 69. The scenes were not dramatic, but the lingering trauma of Hurricane Harvey intensified their impact.

Jennifer Coulter got the news in an email from a friend. The attached photos of River Grove Park seized her attention.

It was completely under water, almost to the picnic tables, said Coulter, who is living in a travel trailer in her driveway while her family prepares to rebuild a house flooded when Harvey dumped record amounts of rain on the Houston area six months ago.

The water soon receded, but the episode did nothing to soothe the anxieties in Kingwood, Humble and other towns and developments near Lake Houston, where the U.S. Small Business Administration estimates that 16,000 homes and 3,300 businesses were damaged by Harveys floods. Local leaders say the damage was made much worse by sedimentation, some of it linked to nearby sand mines, that has dramatically reduced the capacity of the river and the lake to hold floodwaters.

These communities in northeast Harris County, still struggling to recover from Harvey, are distinctly vulnerable to more flooding. Yet Coulter and her neighbors worry that their needs are being overlooked as regional leaders pursue bold initiatives focused on protecting central Houston, western suburbs and coastal areas.

It isnt being discussed, and that quite frankly is what ticks me off, said Houston City Councilman Dave Martin, whose district includes Kingwood. We dont get a lot of attention because its an hour north of (downtown). That has to change.

In the months since Harvey, public forums and private discussions have generated an ambitious civic agenda: a third reservoir on the citys west side, an Ike Dike or similar coastal barrier, improvements to the areas bayous, and other measures. Cost estimates in the billions have not dissuaded officials from their conviction that initiatives like these are essential to the regions future.

Elected officials and community leaders in the Lake Houston area want to add a few items to that list, the most urgent being a plan for addressing sedimentation.

We need to spend millions of dollars to dredge the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston. We need to control the legal and illegal sand mining operations along the river, said Martin. Without these steps, were doomed to fail and were doomed to flood.

Martin and other elected officials who represent the area met Tuesday with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner to discuss their concerns and possible solutions. Kingwood has been part of the city since a controversial annexation in 1996.

As a result of the discussions, mayoral spokesman Alan Bernstein said, Turner agreed to pursue a study of lake and river conditions and to seek funds for additional gates that would make it possible to release more water from the lake back into the river and Galveston Bay. Upstream, Lake Conroe has more gates and thus can control its releases better.

Turner, however, has no authority to deal with the problem that many consider most critical: the growing impact of sand mining, which involves clearing vegetation from large areas of the riverbank and extracting sand from open pits. Much of the sand is used to make concrete for construction in the rapidly growing Houston area.

The scope of these operations is enormous, and growing.

State officials have identified 16 mining facilities on the east and west forks of the San Jacinto that were active around the time that Harvey made landfall on Aug. 25. Research by the nonprofit Bayou Land Conservancy found that about a quarter of the floodplain along the west fork had been excavated for sand mining.

Sand from these open pits can end up in the river after floods. The effects were obvious in the changed landscape after Harvey.

Bob Rehak, a retired advertising executive and longtime Kingwood resident, rented a helicopter last September and took hundreds of photographs. His pictures showed enormous new sandbars within the river and dunes along its banks so high they blocked views of the water.

In an article published Jan. 29 on the Houston Chronicles Gray Matters website, Rehak argued that sand mining on the river must stop. He suggested that government purchase the sites and turn them into parks.

The effects of last weeks moderate storm, he said, demonstrate the seriousness of the problem. He photographed water standing in River Grove Park on Monday.

Last August, River Grove flooded to a similar degree on five inches of rain, Rehak wrote in an email. This year (post dune) it flooded as much on less than one-tenth that amount.

A law enacted in 2011 imposed the first registration and inspection requirements on Texas sand mines, although they were expected to follow certain rules prior to that. The 2011 law required aggregate processing operations, a category that includes gravel and other materials as well as sand, to register and pay an annual fee to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which periodically inspects the facilities.

State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Humble, who sponsored the law, said Harvey demonstrated that the law must be strengthened. Sand mining on the San Jacinto may need to be banned outright, he said.

Its clearly caused the majority of our flooding problems, Huberty said.

The lawmaker said hes prepared for industry resistance to stronger regulation.

The reality is, the people of our community are expecting us to do something to prevent this from happening, Huberty said. Im happy to have discussions with the industry to figure out where it is we can get the sand from.

David Perkins, the president of the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association, the industry trade group, said lawmakers should not rush to adopt new regulations without a better understanding of the causes of sedimentation.

There are a number of contributing factors when you look at development in an area over a period of time, Perkins said. By removing sand, he said, properly operated mines can actually increase a rivers capacity.

Perkins said he wants to study the data, adding, We do want to insure that we are operating in a way that does not create adverse impacts to the local communities.

Concerns about the effects of sedimentation in Lake Houston and the San Jacinto River are not new. A 2000 report by Brown and Root Services found that the lake and its tributaries were steadily losing capacity  becoming shallower, in other words  and that this increased the potential for flooding.

In 2011, a Texas Water Development Board study concluded that Lake Houston had lost more than 20 percent of its capacity since its impoundment in 1954.

Dredging  digging out all that sand and silt  would seem to be the most obvious solution. Potential costs of dredging the lake or the affected areas of the river have not been studied recently; the 18-year old Brown & Root study said it would cost about $10 million to dredge a small section southwest of the Lake Houston Parkway bridge.

Besides being expensive, dredging poses environmental risks. It can re-suspend hazardous materials buried in sediments, damaging water quality. This is a particular concern because Lake Houstons chief purpose is to provide drinking water.

Still, leaders of the Lake Houston community say the stakes are so high that all options must be considered.

The tax base is what were concerned about, said Jenna Armstrong, the president of the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce. Weve heard from very large businesses that (say) this is the last time, and if it happens again, theyre not coming back. That would be devastating to our economy.

Martin, the city councilman for the area, said the potential loss of revenues could affect Houstons already strained budget. The potential tax revenues from the flourishing master-planned community prompted the citys fiercely contested annexation of Kingwood, he said.

Without investment in major flood-protection measures, Martin said, Kingwood as it exists today is gone forever, and with it that tax base is gone forever.

Jennifer Coulter and her husband, Chris, want to remain in Kingwood with their two kids, but their post-Harvey trauma has raised doubts. The travel trailer is their fifth temporary home since their house flooded, and various problems have delayed rebuilding.

We have no desire to move, she said. This was kind of our forever home, but now thats kind of a slippery slope because if it floods again, will we ever be able to sell it?

She paused.

Theres just a lot of fear throughout our community. Were just sitting ducks, really, without any help at all.Article Currently Unavailable





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Also, Ive never looked to the Southern Baptist Convention for pastoral guidance, or been receptive to any of the unsolicited pastoral guidance the churchs leaders strew all over the American public square.

As I explained to one evangelical I encountered in 2008 at the Georgia State Fair, I cant be converted to Christianity, because I already am a Christian.

And I highly doubt a Baptist could have persuaded me to accept salvation in the first place, unless they were African-American, because most African-American Baptists are members of the same denomination that ordained Martin Luther King Jr., not the one that gave us Jerry Falwell.

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With that said, the Rev. Billy Graham, who died Feb. 21 at the age of 99, was an exception. He was ordained in 1939 by the Peniel Baptist Church in Palatka, Florida; still, he was among the Christian leaders I would be inclined to turn to, if I were in need of pastoral advice.

Millions of Christians, around the world, would say the same. Many of them would never have become Christians, if not for Grahams evangelism  and his ministry had an outsized influence, of course, here in the United States.

Thats why many Americans objected to the governments decision to honor Graham with a memorial service on Wednesday morning, held in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, where his remains lay in honor the rest of the day.

At first glance, that seems like a flagrant violation of the separation of church and state, in a context where many national politicians are flouting the Establishment Clause anyway.

Graham himself wanted his fellow Americans to understand that when he accepted such honors, he was doing so as a Christian, on behalf of someone else.

All that I have been able to do, I owe to Jesus Christ. When you honor me, you are really honoring Him, he said in 1983, while accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

As a Christian, I understand why Graham would see it that way. And the fact that he did see it that way is the reason I think its okay for the government to honor him.

I apologize in advance for getting philosophical in the newspaper, but Grahams religious beliefs were such that nobody could honor him, really. He could only receive honors on behalf of someone else, who he was free to believe in, because he was an American.

And though Graham was ordained as a Southern Baptist, I think that he ultimately contributed to the entire American community by espousing such recognizably Christian beliefs during the course of his decades in public life as Americas pastor.

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To be clear, thats my personal opinion. Other Methodists may have a different perspective on the subject. And since were Methodists, no one can speak for all of us.

Our denomination has some kind of bureaucracy, which occasionally weighs in on policy debates. But it doesnt have a single leader, or the functional equivalent of an executive branch.

Also, as Methodists we reserve the right to question authority, whether the authority in question is our pastor, or Americas pastor  or the Bible itself, for that matter. We dont read the Bible literally. It would actually be hard to persuade a Methodist to adopt that approach, because a central premise of Methodist theology is that the Bible shouldnt be read literally. Were boxed in, metaphorically speaking, by a literal metaphorical box, called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral.

Needless to say, this is an approach that works for me. But it does explain why Methodists, as a group, sometimes struggle with certain things.

We need to help one another open the Bible and use it, according to the United Methodist Members handbook, after cheerfully admitting that our denomination is afflicted with a vast biblical illiteracy.

I just read that line to an Episcopalian colleague. He rolled his eyes and reminded me that I recently asked him about a theory I heard, that the three wise men were agents of an ancient state, who were sent to Bethlehem in order to spy on a baby.

Read more: Vote your conscience - in the primary of your choosing

Methodists are also virtually useless when it comes to contentious political debates, because ultimately, we believe that most of our beliefs are subject to legitimate debate  and that we shouldnt try to impose our personal beliefs on others, in any case. Were Methodists. No one can speak for our church. And we cant speak for all Christians; we cant even speak for our fellow Methodists.

Conversely, as a Methodist, I can say that no one can speak for all Christians, because the category in question includes Methodists. And as an American, I can add that America is not a Christian country. Its a country where Christians enjoy the same rights and freedoms as everyone else. And those of us who believe in salvation, as I do, arent entitled to any special privileges as a result.

Jerry Falwell might not have seen it that way. His son, Jerry Falwell Jr., seems to be interested in power, too. But Billy Graham was an exception, and when we honor him, were elevating him as an example of a Christian who preached what we believe is the truth: that he didnt deserve salvation, and none of us do.Bryan Avis remembers buying a shotgun at 18 years old to go duck and goose hunting.

We didnt have any issues, said Avis. It set there in the closet and it never did anything. My guns dont move. They dont ever do anything unless I do it to them.

The 38-year-old Clear Lake resident was among the hundreds streaming into a gun show at the Pasadena Convention Center Saturday, as the national conversation about gun control remains heated on the heels of the mass shooting that killed 17 people at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on Valentines Day.

In the weeks since, three major stores raised the minimum age for customers who purchase guns to 21 from 18. Kroger said on Thursday that it would raise the age limit at all of its Fred Meyer locations and announced it would stop selling assault-style semiautomatic rifles at its stores in Alaska. It already decided not to sell the weapon several years ago in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Wal-Mart and Dicks Sporting Goods also announced that guns would not be sold to those under 21.

Jeremy Dorsey, 37, of Pearland, who was exploring the convention center with his 5-year-old son, isnt sure whether raising the age limit will do much to keep weapons out of the wrong hands.

I dont think it matters to be honest with you, because if a child or a teenager really want to do something theyre going to find a way to get it, said Dorsey, also a manager at Wal-Mart. You can buy guns off the streets.

Besides age limits, other conversations have revolved around more thorough background checks and record keeping with critics, including the president, citing how the FBI missed a tip on the Florida school shooter, Nikolas Cruz.

"Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable," President Donald Trump tweeted.

Avis was waiting on more details before judging how law enforcement missed warning signs. Although, he noted that those who sell guns should not be held at fault if the FBI misjudges the persons eligibility.

The guy thats selling the gun has done his job, turned in the paperwork, waited for the response. The FBI says yes, said Avis. That persons eligible to go. How can that be his fault? Hes doing his job.

Todd Bean, 59, the founder of the gun show at Pasadena Convention Center, said hes watched his idea grow from a mom-and-pop shop to an actual business.

The now monthly show, which started around 1990, has about 120 vendors spread out across the convention center Saturday.

Gun enthusiasts had their pick of weapons, but other items were also on sale, including skinning knives, camo gear and concealed handgun purses. One vendor was selling jewelry made from bullets.

You got to realize that I bought beef jerky today, said Avis as he stood outside the convention center. Just because youre going to a gun show doesnt mean youre buying guns. They got helmets in there and they got swords.

Bean noted that Devin Patrick Kelley, who killed people in the mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, shouldnt have been able to pass his background check based on his past of domestic abuse.

Theyre looking at different issues, but theyre not looking at the right issues, said Bean. There needs to better record keeping. The federal government must report people that are mentally unstable.

But Avis wants the dust to settle before the government makes decisions concerning new legislation around gun control.

The thing that I really hope happens with the governments and states that they talk it over and really understand what theyre doing before they make a quick decision that the people are going to regret in the long run, he said. Hopefully we have representatives that will do that.WASHINGTON - Eight years ago, John Giri, a refugee from Bhutan, came to the U.S. and then turned around to help others settle in this country.

After working for a tortilla company in Atlanta, he landed a job as an interpreter for World Relief, the same evangelical Christian organization that had helped him adapt to life in the U.S. after almost 20 years in a refugee camp in Nepal.

"I came as a refugee - I know the process," he said, reflecting on six years working with World Relief. "I have been through all the difficulties of life in a refugee camp and know what it is to be a refugee."

Giri, a Baptist, eventually was promoted to case manager.

But all that came to a screeching halt in March 2017, when Giri and nine of his co-workers were abruptly laid off.

"I was angry - emotionally harmed," he said, adding that it took months to find another job. But while he acknowledged initial frustration with his employer, he also expressed ire toward another source: the Trump administration.

"My frustration was (also) over the change of policies and change in government," he said.

Giri is one of hundreds of resettlement workers who have lost their jobs over the past year - many, refugees themselves.

Refugee aid groups have conducted massive layoffs and office closures ever since the Trump administration began issuing various versions of a travel ban, sometimes called a "Muslim ban." The groups have been left on the hook for empty apartments and have had to explain to interested churches why they can't bring refugees to their areas. And many refugee advocates have expressed concern over how long it will take the groups to come back from those cuts, if they can at all.

Trump administration officials said in late January they would once again allow refugees from countries included in the bans - which have accounted for more than 40 percent of refugee admissions over the last three years, according to State Department data - so long as the newcomers undergo additional vetting.

A numbers game

President Trump also has slashed the total number of refugees who will be admitted into the U.S., from 110,000 in fiscal 2017 - a bar set by former President Obama - to 45,000 in fiscal 2018, which started in October. And agencies say they aren't even on track to settle that number: Just over 6,000 had come to the country in the last three months.

Hidden behind these figures is the decimation of an expansive refugee resettlement apparatus composed largely of faith-based nonprofit organizations that have partnered with the federal government for decades. Of the nine groups helping refugees find a home in America, six claim a religious affiliation: World Relief, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Church World Service, HIAS (founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and Episcopal Migration Ministries.

Historically, these groups are contracted by the government to help take in refugees after they undergo a lengthy application and vetting process that involves several agencies, including the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. (The placement of families is determined on a weekly basis through consultation between the State Department and the resettlement groups.)

Once people are brought to the U.S., resettlement groups authorized annually by the State Department typically provide new arrivals with housing and food, as well as long-term assistance for achieving self-sufficiency such as help in finding jobs, learning English and often becoming permanent U.S. residents or citizens.

But leaders of these groups say the Trump administration's new policies are hobbling their operations and hurting those they serve. They're fighting back and finding hope in a groundswell of support from people of faith, but the future remains uncertain.

"I don't know how long it will take to undo the damage that has been done," said Matthew Soerens, U.S. director of church mobilization for World Relief.

Program under siege

The harm inflicted on the resettlement program by the Trump administration is difficult to calculate. Each organization is structured differently and many partner with independent local groups for on-the-ground efforts.

Even so, a Reuters report last month found that these agencies are preparing to shutter more than 20 offices in the coming year, and the agencies' data highlight a pattern of downsizing in the aftermath of the initial ban.

World Relief, which generally takes in about 10 percent of refugees entering the U.S., announced within weeks of the initial ban that it would lay off more than 140 employees - about one-fifth of its U.S.-based staff - and close five of its local offices.

HIAS reported it is in the process of closing two sites - one in Los Angeles and another in Chicago - and has halted plans to open others.

A Church World Service official said the small band of national-level staff under its purview remains largely intact but predicted all of its partner offices will have to lay off at least one employee in 2018. (An April 2017 Voice of America investigation counted at least 17 layoffs across the organization.)

USCCB officials said they still are deciding how to move forward but already expect to close about 15 sites this year, shifting from 75 to as few as 60. Catholic Charities, the primary affiliate for the USCCB's on-the-ground resettlement work, said that of the 700 full-time employees across its network who work on refugee resettlement, more than 300 are estimated to see a temporary layoff, permanent layoff or possible reassignment due to the refugee ban.

An April 2017 report from the Episcopal News Service said the Episcopal Church would cut its 31-member affiliate network by six in 2018.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service said it had not closed any sites, though before she resigned earlier this week as its president and CEO, Linda Hartke confirmed the agency has made staff reductions at its headquarters.

Local organizations appear to bear the brunt of the cuts. Paula Torisk, deputy director of refugee resettlement for Catholic Charities San Antonio, which works with the USCCB's program, said her office has laid off at least 23 people because of the various bans - around 30 percent to 35 percent of her staff.

She said many of those who lost their jobs are, like Giri, themselves refugees or former refugees who have since become U.S. citizens. Her office previously relied on their cultural knowledge and language skills but has been forced to hire translators in their absence.

"You've got staff taking on cases where they don't speak the language," said Torisk, who has worked with refugees since 1996. "I've heard other resettlement programs say, 'How can we pay for (interpreters) if our funding is cut?' "

She also said that due to uncertainty surrounding the program, funding for the longer-term refugee assistance - such as providing English classes - is now doled out on a quarterly basis instead of annually throughout Texas.

"This has been the most difficult time," she said. "I've always looked at this program like being on a roller coaster ride, but this has been a year like no other."

From bad to worse

Things are expected to get worse, especially for local offices that work with multiple agencies. In December, the State Department reportedly told refugee groups it will cut the number of offices across the country authorized to resettle refugees in 2018. Offices expected to handle fewer than 100 refugees in fiscal 2018 will no longer be authorized to do so, according to Reuters.

The guidance appears to prohibit nonprofit organizations from working with more than one refugee aid group, but the implications were murky even to some officials.

The State Department, which reportedly sidelined the former head of refugee admissions in January, declined requests for an interview about the new guidance.

Ban proves costly

Meanwhile, officials say the cost of the ban can sometimes fall disproportionately on the resettlement agencies instead of on the federal government.

Jen Smyers, director of policy and advocacy for the CWS Immigration and Refugee Program, said that after the initial ban came down, several CWS affiliates suddenly were left with empty apartments furnished for refugees who may never arrive. Since the federal government only offers additional funds once a refugee is physically at a site, she said local groups were forced to figure out what to do - sometimes by paying the cost themselves.

Smyers said that for all nine agencies in 2017, there were more than 20,000 cases where refugees did not arrive despite signed agreements with the State Department to resettle them.

"With the more recent bans we have kind of learned this can happen," she said, adding that now some apartments are only furnished with bare necessities when a refugee arrives.

Bill Canny, executive director of the USCCB's office of Migration and Refugee Service, recalled one case where his organization stepped in to cover initial costs for an affiliate struggling to pay for an apartment.

And as offices close, issues can compound for people who already are here. One laid-off World Relief worker with permanent resident status - who asked not to be identified due to lack of U.S. citizenship and fear of retribution in America's current political climate - said that when the worker's office closed, it cut off resettled refugees from much-needed services they should have been able to access for years. New arrivals often rely on agency workers to help navigate complicated apartment lease agreements, for instance, as they are typically in a language the refugees do not read or speak.

Now many are forced to fend for themselves, the former caseworker said.

"We're at a moment politically in this country where the Trump administration is only closing the door further on refugees and not creating opportunities for communities like Helena to be a place of hospitality. That's a hard message for me to carry," Hartke said before stepping down from LIRS, recalling a recent meeting she had with a church in Helena, Mont., interested in taking in refugees.

"It's a conversation I'd love to see the president have in a church basement someplace like Helena."

Faith communities have been resettling refugees for decades, Hartke said, and the country's mostly faith-based agencies play a huge role in helping them integrate quickly into life in America. They've taken in refugees fleeing Germany during World War II; the Lost Boys of Sudan; refugees from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Bosnia and, more recently, Burma, Iraq and Syria.

They're people local businesses are eager to employ, who have become doctors and lawyers and philanthropists and leaders in their communities, according to the former LIRS leader.

But the starts and stops over the past year have been painful for these communities, which have stepped up to respond to the refugee crisis.

The "disconnect" felt now by the Lutherans and other church members she meets is "not just around a policy," she said.

"It goes to something much more fundamental to the opportunity we as Americans and Christians have to demonstrate God's love to our neighbors, to demonstrate that we use our gifts and talents to protect the most vulnerable. Somehow that narrative that stretches over 2,000 years is somehow not at all a factor in political machinations that seem to try to be appealing to base instincts and fears in some parts of this country."

A hopeful backlash

Staffing cuts notwithstanding, agency officials see signs of hope. CWS reported its volunteer base has quadrupled, while donations to World Relief from churches, individuals and nongovernmental sources have nearly doubled over the past two years and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service's revenue from the private sector increased by more than 105 percent from 2016 to 2017.

Far more people are now aware of the refugee crisis, according to the Rev. E. Mark Stevenson, director of Episcopal Migration Ministries. Staff at the ministry of the Episcopal Church is working overtime to feed "a hunger out there" from people wanting to learn more about refugees - who they are, what they've been through, what they face coming to the U.S. and other countries.

"That to me is the real bright light in this  that refugees are so much in the news, people are asking, 'What's this all about?'" Stevenson said.

The problem remains, however, as to how to handle the surge in interest. Mark Hetfield, president and CEO of HIAS, said representatives from local partners repeatedly expressed concern during a January retreat over how to accommodate the deluge.

"They have literally hundreds of volunteers lined up with no refugees arriving, or very few," he said. "It just shows you the great capacity this country has to welcome refugees, and that capacity is going unmet."Massive, multi-million-dollar flood control projects underway on four Houston-area waterways  including the long-sought completion of a widening project on Brays Bayou  still will not be able to completely protect some nearby neighborhoods from so-called 100-year storms.

Even after the projects are completed, nearly 9,000 homes and other buildings will remain in the 100-year floodplains of Brays Bayou, Hunting Bayou, White Oak Bayou and Clear Creek, and those waterways will struggle to contain floodwaters from storms weaker than those that have pummeled Houston each of the last three years, according to projections from the Harris County Flood Control District.

The projections reflect the reality that truly protecting Houston against what many expect to be a growing natural threat is, at least for the near future, constrained by the limitations of public coffers and taxpayers willingness to pay.

Theres been no project, nor will there likely be any project, that will reduce the flood risk to zero, Harris County Flood Control District Chief Engineer Steve Fitzgerald said. There is always a residual floodplain.

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In Hurricane Harveys aftermath, public officials have coalesced around quickly completing the projects on Brays, Hunting and White Oak bayous and Clear Creek  miles of widening, straightening and deepening, as well as digging out numerous detention basins that will keep significantly more rain and runoff within the waterways banks and out of thousands of flood-prone homes.

The projects, all partnerships between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Harris County Flood Control District, total nearly $1 billion. They are decades in the making, as each has been slowed or paused due to federal funding that has ranged from inconsistent to nonexistent.

Momentum built in February to finish the projects after Congress appropriated $10.4 billion in money for the Corps specifically for flood control projects in disaster-affected areas, like Harris County. If all four projects are fully funded, as some hope they now will be, the district estimates it could finish Brays, White Oak and Hunting bayous within five years, and expects the Corps to finish Clear Creek in five to 10 years.

UPDATE: A Q&A with Houston's Harvey recovery czar

After the projects are complete, however, none of the four waterways will be able to totally contain the so-called 100-year storm, a storm that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year. Harvey, the Tax Day 2016 flood and the Memorial Day 2015 flood all reached 500-year storm levels. A 500-year storm has a .2 percent chance of occurring in any year.

Whether the post-project Brays Bayou can contain a 100-year storm in its banks depends on location. Some parts, according to district projections, will be able to contain flood waters from a 500-year storm, while other sections will dip as low as 10-year storm protection.

Near Hillcroft Avenue, projections from the flood control district show that water will overtake the bayous banks in a 50-year storm, or one that has a 2 percent chance of occurring in any given year. Near Fondren Road, the bayou is expected to stay in its banks during a slightly greater than 100-year storm.

For most of the area between Fondren and the West Loop, the finished project will offer protection during 50- to 100-year storms.

Rain-swollen bayous can affect the surrounding homes during major storms in two ways: The bayou itself goes outside its banks and flows into peoples homes, much as it did for residents along North and South Braeswood during Harvey. Likewise, runoff and ditches that normally would drain into the bayou can back up into homes blocks away from the overflowing waterway.

More than six months after Harvey, Meyerland still bears the marks of a neighborhood knocked off kilter. Piles of sheet rock and furniture still sit outside some homes. Many houses closest to the bayou are vacant or have contractors hard at work with drills and saws fixing their innards. Some single-story homes sit atop risers 10 feet off the ground as homeowners seeking to rebuild are forced to elevate their houses to meet floodplain regulations.

Opinions about Project Brays and its potential impact are mixed. Some residents understand the limitations of any attempt to control flooding in the low-lying Bayou City. Others are confident that the project will lower, if not eliminate, flooding that may enter their homes. A few even describe how the project was a key factor in moving to the neighborhood, even after Harvey, to take on the risk of living near Brays.

Tamara Fish, 65, and her husband Nat Treadway, 64, were walking along the bayou on a recent afternoon, past piles of dirt and unmanned backhoes, signs that a massive project is underway. Their Meyerland home of 18 years flooded on Memorial Day 2015 for the first time and then again during Harvey.

They say their fluency with Project Brays is limited, but they never expected it would enable the bayou to contain a 100-year storm. They fully expect the neighborhood to flood again.

I am of the unpopular opinion that goes, We need to pay higher taxes, we should have higher flood insurance premiums, Fish said.

Some of the neighbors, they said, force themselves to believe that Project Brays will solve the problem.

They want to stay, Fish said.

They have to believe this is going to work, Treadway added.

Some, like Minghui Chen, 63, did believe. Chen, like many others, watched one morning last August as water from the overloaded bayou trickled in under the door of her one story, brick home, eventually filling the home with four inches of water, ruining her floors and furniture.

Chen said she believed the project would make sure that floodwaters never reach her home again. She was surprised to learn that storms weaker than Harvey could cause Brays to spill its banks.

"The government should build tunnels under the bayou then to hold more water," she said. "If the water came from the bayou, that would fix the problem."

Fitzgerald said the four projects never were meant to solve each waterways flooding problems, something he said is unlikely to ever be achieved. Improving all of the channels in Harris County to provide a 100-year level of protection would cost upwards of $25 to $30 billion, he said.

Instead, Fitzgerald said, the projects are meant to lower the risk associated with flooding, both the likelihood that any given home will flood and the amount of damage a flood can cause.

The likelihood decreases when the bayous can hold more water, and the floodplain shrinks. There still will be homes in the 100-year floodplain after the projects are finished, but that floodplain will be smaller.

By the time it is complete, Project Brays is expected to remove 15,000 homes and other buildings from the floodplain. On White Oak Bayou, that number is 1,500. Along Hunting Bayou, the estimate is 4,450, and on Clear Creek, about 2,100.

Even if homes remain in the floodplain, Fitzgerald said the amount of water they take on should decrease. For example, he said, a home that may have taken in four feet of water during a 100-year storm, may be expected to take two feet after the project is finished.

We have to have to manage expectations, Stephen Costello, the citys Chief Resiliency Officer or flood czar, told attendees at a recent Rice University conference on urban flooding. Were not building a 100-year channel, were building something slightly less than a 100-year channel. Well still have houses in harms way.

The funding for the four projects, which local officials have said likely will flow from the February Congressional appropriation, still must be allocated.

The Corps is working on a plan to distribute the $10.4 billion across Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, and it is unclear how it will rank the Houston areas projects.

Ian Hudson, a project manager at the flood control district, said despite Congress action, there is no guarantee the local projects will get funded. Still, he said, the district is optimistic.

There also is the question about the definition of a 100-year storm. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is studying rainfall data, and while the final results are expected in May, preliminary data released last November indicated that Harris County and other areas in Texas have been significantly underestimating such an event.

If the 100-year storm definition changes  say from 15 to 18 inches over a 24-hour period to 12 to 14 inches, as some data indicates  local floodplains will grow.

mihir.zaveri@chron.com

Twitter/@mihirzaveriThe requested page is currently unavailable on this server.

Back to [RTHK News Homepage]Well, that didnt take long, did it?

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump presided over a bizarre White House meeting with lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence about guns and school safety, and he seemed to call for measures that would please the most ardent gun-control Democrats in Congress. Ban bump stocks. Deny gun access to spousal abusers. Forget about concealed-carry reciprocity between states. Raise the minimum age to get an assault rifle to 21. Thus sayeth the president  or so it seemed.

RELATED: Parkland students give us hope that real change is coming to our nation's gun policy

ALSO: No more moments of silence: Voters must speak out against firearms

We were as surprised as U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a longtime advocate for sensible gun measures who was sitting beside the president. From her half smile and wide-eyed expression, it seemed she could hardly believe what she was hearing, particularly when the president accused Republican senators at the table of being scared of the NRA.

Feinstein had good reason to be skeptical. Just last month, the issue was immigration, and in a televised meeting with lawmakers the president seemed to support relief for Dreamers and other immigration-reform measures that left Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and fellow Democrats almost giddy.

RELATED: 2017 Pulitzer finalist: "We, the (gun) people"

Their happiness dissipated in a New York minute. Within a couple of days young nativist-in-residence and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, in tandem with White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, the hardest of hard-liners on immigration, escorted the president to re-education camp, and it was as if his promise to Dreamers was itself a dream. It was back to the hard line  back to the hard border, so to speak.

So who would be the presidents Stephen Miller on guns? We found out Friday morning. After Trump held an Oval Office meeting the evening before with NRA Executive Director Chris W. Cox and other gun-lobby poohbahs, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, in essence, that the president hadnt really meant what he had said on Wednesday.

She said the White House continues deliberating on what type of proposals it will support in the wake of what some are calling the Valentines Day Massacre of 17 people in Parkland, Fla. She said Trump still supports raising the age limit to buy assault rifles from 18 to 21 but added that he understands there is not a lot of broad support for such a proposal.

RELATED: To suggest the NRA is responsible for what happened in Parkland is obscene

Asked whether the president made any promises to the NRA officials during their Thursday-night meeting, Sanders said: Only that he'll continue to support the Second Amendment. That's not something that he's backed away from.

What Sanders also was saying  without saying, of course  is that Trump has no idea what he wants, has no grasp of policy (whether its guns or immigration) and holds no firm, carefully considered position on much of anything, including guns. Its past time for lawmakers to tune out his blather.

Meanwhile, proponents of sensible gun legislation in Congress and in state houses around the country need to continue pushing for concrete reform and hope for reinforcements in November.

Voters must do more than hope. In the streets and in social media, in town hall meetings and candidate forums, they must insist that those seeking their vote support the following:

The NRA and its foot soldiers in office know that change is coming. The continued influence of the brave and resourceful Parkland youngsters and polls revealing that young Americans have had it with gun insanity are signs rich with portent. Change may be arriving sooner than the gun lobbyists think.Some justices, like the late Antonin Scalia, consider themselves originalists and look to the elementary meaning of laws. Other justices, like Stephen Breyer, subscribe to the doctrine of active liberty.

Here in Harris County, we should consider ourselves lucky that were able to watch State District Judge Michael McSpadden invent a totally new jurisprudential ideology in real time: cablenewsery.

Under this theory, judges can dispense with so-called facts and evidence and instead rely upon the hearsay and innuendo that gets shouted at television cameras on a daily basis. Who needs the Federalist Papers or Blacks Law Dictionary when you have all the accuracy and nuance of professional political pundits, talk radio hosts and internet commenters?

McSpadden treated legal scholars to his latest insight when he told Houston Chronicle reporter Gabrielle Banks that, in violation of state rules, he insisted magistrates deny no-cash bail to all newly arrested defendants because, Almost everybody we see here has been tainted in some way before we see them."

How have they been tainted?

Rag-tag organizations like Black Lives Matter, which tell you, 'Resist police,' which is the worst thing in the world you could tell a young black man , the long-serving jurist said.

He reemphasized his point in a letter to the editor: I think ragtag was too nice a term to describe a group which was built on the Ferguson, Mo., lie of Hands up. Dont shoot. Also encouraging everyone to resist police, and insulting them with remarks like pigs in a blanket, among others.

McSpadden needs to turn off the television and spend some time understanding real life in Houston. The activists in our city  not the ones that get attention on Fox News  talk about issues like justice and fair representation in our courts. They express their feelings and frustration through art, such as the exhibit by Black Women Artists for Black Lives Matter at Project Row Houses last year, and engagement like the March for Black Women that met at Emancipation Park on Saturday.

We expect our judges to display a judicious temperament from the bench  one that emphasizes integrity and equality before the law. McSpadden instead talks like hes auditioning for a guest spot with Tucker Carlson. Its an attitude that disgraces our courts with careless and, frankly, lazy stereotyping.

The NAACP legal defense fund used other words to describe McSpaddens comments: bigotry and bias.

The civil rights group has called for the judge to resign because they believe he cannot be trusted to execute the law fairly. The ACLU of Texas has joined them. They and other groups have also filed a formal complaint with the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct.

If McSpadden refuses to leave, voters will be able to decide in November whether the Republican incumbent should be replaced by Democratic challenger Brian Warren, who promises to dispense justice in a fair and equitable manner.

Until then, Harris County residents can thank McSpadden for peeling back the opaque black robes and revealing the true philosophy that underpins a cash bail system federal courts have found to be unconstitutional  a system that long predates the Black Lives Matter movement.

Harris County now looks to elected officials like County Judge Ed Emmett, Commissioners Jack Cagle and Jack Morman, and the rest of the judiciary, to immediately settle an ongoing lawsuit against the county and implement a new bail system  one thats compatible with the U.S. Constitutions promise of justice for all.Marvel Comics latest franchise movie Black Panther is set in the fictitious lush land of Wakanda, a place nestled in an African context that blends aspects of cultures across the continent. Communities around the world have drawn close to this fictitious land, with black people claiming Wakanda as a homeplace. But what the space represents for the inhabitants of Wakanda and those across the global African diaspora is not unique, nor is it unfamiliar to those who have lived in cities where black people put down roots and worked to build community during the early 20th century.

Houston is one such place.

After the ratification of the Emancipation Proclamation and its enforcement in Texas (which began nearly three years later on June 19, 1865), black people began to settle in Houstons Fourth Ward, also known as Freedmens Town. These individuals came from plantations across Texas and Louisiana in search of a new life of freedom. Black people transformed what had been a racially segregated part of greater Houston into its own thriving social, cultural and economic center of black life. This new community, however, also served as a homeplace, where solace, protection and community were fostered and sustained. Black feminist scholar bell hooks describes a homeplace for African Americans as a space to seek refuge from the perils of racial hatred and contempt.

RELATED: Historic bricks return to Houston's Freedmen's Town

As a native Houstonian, one of us, Keffrelyn, understands the power of home and belonging. Although she did not grow up in Freedmens Town, her family settled in the Studewood/Independence Heights community in the early 1900s. She spent her formative childhood years living in the neighborhood where two generations of her family lived within a one-mile radius, and where many of her family members, including her sister, still live.

If Black Panther tells us anything, it tells a story about the power of home. Home is not always perfect, and it is sometimes something that we have to fight to establish and sustain. Yet there is often a safety that comes from knowing who you are and from where you come. With its stealth empire, Wakanda created a space not known by the outside world. It was protected from the imperial pursuits that historically became a defining characteristic of post-colonial Africa.

RELATED: Is it too late to save Freedmen's Town?

This security of home was also a defining characteristic of African American life in early Houston as black people began to settle here. In this place, safety meant protection from the possibility of harassment and ridicule that came with living in a Jim Crow city of the deep South. Although racial boundaries were stridently drawn in Houston, African Americans used their homeplace to build and sustain businesses, churches and, later, cultural centers such as the SHAPE Community Center, still in existence.

Black Panther also speaks to issues of visibility and affirmation that are key attributes of home and place. To be affirmed by home is to be seen and recognized, particularly when the larger society fails to do so. Like Wakanda, where people of African descent are central to all aspects of life, even while resisting societal perceptions of Africa and the African diaspora as racially and culturally deficient, the history of Freedmens Town similarly affirms the culture and beauty of African Americans in Houston. This invisibility is in plain sight and harkens to Ralph Ellisons description, in his beautiful book, Invisible Man, of the essence of what it means to be black in the United States.

RELATED: Freedmen's Town could receive United Nations cultural designation

Simiar to Wakanda, where cultural celebrations and politics were deliberated in the community, Freedmens Town served a similar function in Houston. Although set apart from the wider world, isolation helped foster deep bonds of community. Freedmens Town, like other historically black communities across Texas and the United States, has changed dramatically with encroaching development and gentrification. Yet the legacy of these early settlers remains present in the sociopolitical and economic landscape of the space. In Freedmens Town, specifically, African American community activists have persistently fought against efforts to push African Americans out of these neighborhoods.

Fundamentally, whether it be the context of Freedmens Town in Houston or the shiny Afro-futuristic empire of Wakanda, the idea of home and place are central to the politics of race in America. In some respects, perhaps Wakanda is less a fictitious space than a representative space that is illustrative of the past, present and future for African Americans.Shouldnt there be somebody to defend Donald Trump?

Opinion page editors have been wrestling that question for over a year. A good opinion editor, you see, prides herself on ideological balance, mixing and matching pundits who reliably leave the conservative right gnashing its teeth with those who routinely leave the progressive left rending its garments.

But Trump has thrown that balance into disarray.

Its easy to find progressive writers willing to lambaste him. But as more than one editor has lamented, when they look for balance to writers on the right who can usually be depended upon to defend a conservative Republican, it turns out they view him with similar scorn.

I once heard an editor muse about maybe making a concerted effort to find new voices willing to stick up for Trump, but to me, that smacks of false equivalence  and obscures an important point. If writers who unstintingly praised George W. Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney are unwilling to champion this guy, is that not visceral confirmation of what an outlier he really is?

The Trump question, though, is just a subset of a larger one. Namely, how should mainstream news media deal with the fever swamp of conspiracy, lies and hogwash that produced and sustains him? To put it another way: should crazy have a place in the public square?

USA Today says yes. A few days ago, it published a column that raised eyebrows  and blood pressures  among progressives. It wasnt the writers opinion  that teachers should be armed  that rattled them. It was, rather, the writer himself.

Jerome Corsi is a birther who heads the Washington bureau of InfoWars, the conspiracy theory empire of Alex Jones. Hes the guy who says the Newtown massacre never happened and who once promoted claims of Hillary Clinton running a child sex ring out of a pizzeria. As Media Matters put it, No serious outlet should elevate Corsis opinion.

But USA Today did. In a statement to the Daily Beast, editorial page editor Bill Sternberg defended his decision: USA Todays Opposing View shows readers more than one point of view on an issue. Our signature debate format reinforces our reputation for fairness, which is one of our core values.

Which is disingenuous on two counts: One, its not really the point of view people are objecting to, but the author thereof. Two, while fairness is, indeed, a core value, nothing about fairness precludes the obligation to use judgment.

Sternberg implicitly pretends otherwise, but ask yourself: If the paper ran a piece condemning child molestation, would it feel compelled to offer an opposing view from a pedophile?

Of course not. Journalists like to pretend judgment is not part of what we do but it is, in fact, at the heart of it.

This is not an abstract argument. Mainstream news media have been frustratingly slow to realize that we are under attack. A recent Washington Post story documents how, just 47 minutes after news broke of the shooting in Parkland, Fla., online conspirators were already building their crisis actors narrative. Forty-seven minutes. There were still bodies on the floor.

Theres a war going on outside, one anonymous poster wrote,  and it is only partially being fought with guns. The real weapon is information and the attack is on the mind.

So yes, this is coordinated. It is intentional.

Thats why USA Todays decision to legitimize Jerome Corsi is appalling. He represents forces that threaten not simply news media, but ultimately, the nation. Yes, fairness is one of our core values.

But isnt common sense one, too?ANI

JAIPUR -- "Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally," this proverb by famous writer and journalist David Frost rightly suits Aabhas Sharma, the child prodigy who has cleared the higher secondary exam conducted by the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) at the age of 12.

Aabhas scored 325 out of 600 marks, scoring 65 percent to get a first division in the class 12th exam, the results of which were announced on Monday evening.

Advertisement

Two years ago, he became a celebrity in town when he passed class 10 at the age of 10.

"There was no pressure on me. I used to study at my will and play. I did not study class prep. I started my schooling from class first and I also jumped one or two primary classes," he told ANI.

Jubilant with such an outstanding performance, Aabhas said how his family and his school teachers extended him full support throughout the exams.

"There was full support from my family as well as my teachers. I used to study only one night before the exam. I was hundred percent confident that I will get through," he added.

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Born on 26 August, 2003, this wonder boy from Jaipur aspires to become a doctor and serve the nation.

However, the 12-year-old boy has only one regret that he cannot appear for PMT (Pre Medical Test) before the age of 17 as the rules don't allow him to do so.

His father, Sachin Sharma, also the director of Aabhas Public Senior Secondary School in Jaipur's Durgapura area, says he never pressurised his son and always used to encourage him.

"He gave his exams without any pressure. Today evening, when results were about to come, he asked me as to what will happen. I told him to relax and said that what will happen, it will happen for the good. He studied only overnights," he said.

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"He scored 61 percent marks in class 10th. From there on he got the confidence that he could clear class 12th. We never pressurized him to study," he added.

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Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.

Mistakes happen.

Sometimes, even big ones.

Some might struggle, though, on hearing of 80-year-old Maria Laros's problem trying to get from El Salvador to Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

She's partially blind and doesn't speak much English, so her family made sure she'd get special assistance.

Sadly, it appears not to have been special enough.

Somehow, she was given the wrong boarding pass.

"She cannot read or write even in her own language. She can't speak English at all. So when you hand her a boarding pass, she's trusting that it's the right boarding pass," her daughter-in-law Nikki Paradis told WRAL-TV.

And so she flew to Denver, Colorado. Around 1,678 miles from Raleigh.

I asked United what had happened.

"We deeply apologize to Ms. Larios and to her family for this experience. When she arrived in Denver, she was placed on the next flight to Raleigh and we issued a refund and a travel certificate. Our customer care team is in contact with her family to ensure we make this right. We are also investigating this incident internally to better understand what happened so that we can prevent this from happening again," said an airline spokeswoman.

But it's happened before.

Last year, United flew a woman to San Francisco, instead of Paris.

Which is a lot more than 1,678 miles out of the way.

As for how the airline reacted when it realized its mistake, Paradis said: "They were like, 'Oh yeah. We made a mistake, and she was given the wrong boarding pass and so she's in Denver. But it's not a big deal. We've already got her on a flight to Raleigh, and we gave her a meal voucher." Close Oscars 2018: Frances McDormand uses acceptance speech to demand inclusion rider from Hollywood

The 2018 Oscars has come to its (rather staid) conclusion, with major wins for The Shape of Water, Darkest Hour, Three Billboards and Get Out.

This year's ceremony witnessed multiple political causes championed: from gun control to the plight of Dreamers children to the Time's Up and #MeToo movements.

Frances McDormand's powerful acceptance speech for Best Actress (apologies for the spoiler) calling for all female nominees to stand up and enforce 'inclusion riders' - will be the Oscars' answer to Oprah Winfrey at the Golden Globes.

"I want to get some perspective," she said. "If I may be so honoured to have all the female nominees in every category stand with me in this room tonight, the actors - Meryl, if you do it, everybody else will, c'mon - the filmmakers, the producers, the directors, the writers, the cinematographer, the composers, the songwriters, the designers. C'mon!"

Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Show all 62 1 /62 Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Producer J. Miles Dale (L), director Guillermo del Toro (at microphone) and cast/crew accept Best Picture for 'The Shape of Water' onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards uillermo del Toro and Sally Hawkins take the stage to accept the Oscar for Best Picture for "The Shape of Water" from presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway Reuters Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway take the stage to present the Oscar for Best Picture REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Actresses Sally Hawkins, Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie and Meryl Streep embrace after Frances McDormand's Best Actress acceptance speech Lucas Jackson/Reuters Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Frances McDormand wins the Best Actress Oscar for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Reuters Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Actors Jodie Foster (L) and Jennifer Lawrence speak onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards British actor Gary Oldman delivers a speech after he won the Oscar for Best Actor in "Darkest Hour" during the 90th Annual Academy Awards show on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California AFP/Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Actor Emma Stone speaks onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards David Malinowski and Armie Hammer attend the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Composer Alexandre Desplat (R), winner of the Best Original Score award for 'The Shape of Water,' motions in the press room to a video feed of director Guillermo del Toro accepting the Best Director award Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Guillermo del Toro accepts the Oscar for Best Director for "The Shape of Water" from presenter Emma Stone (R) REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Alexandre Desplat, winner of Best Original Score for the film The Shape of Water, is congratulated by the film's stars Sally Hawkins (L) and Octavia Spencer (R) REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Presenter Emma Stone walks on stage REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney attend the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Call Me By Your Name stars Armie Hammer (L) and Timothee Chalamet embrace during the Oscars show REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Greta Gerwig gets touched up during the ad break at the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Jordan Peele accepts the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for "Get Out." REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Best Original Screenplay winner Jordan Peele (R) hugs Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya (L) REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Actress Nicole Kidman arrives on stage to present the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Sam Rockwell and Taraji P. Henson attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Andra Day and Common sing Best Original Song nominee Stand Up for Something from Marshall REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards James Ivory wins the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Call Me by Your Name REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Ashley Judd (L), Annabella Sciorra and Salma Hayek (R) take the stage REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Tiffany Haddish (L) and Maya Rudolph take the stage to present the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Natalia Lafourcade and Gael Garcia Bernal attend the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Sebastian Lelio with his Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for A Fantastic Woman alongside Rita Moreno in the press room at the 90th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood PA Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Coco wins the Best Animated Feature Film Oscar REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Kelly Marie Tran, Oscar Isaac and Mark Hamill present the Best Animated Short Film Oscar REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Margot Robbie gets emotional watching co-star Allison Janey accept her award Rex Features Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Allison Janey accepts the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for "I, Tonya." REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Matthew McConaughey talks with Marcus Henderson REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Rita Moreno, wearing the same dress she wore to the ceremony she was awarded Best Supporting Actress in a supporting role REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Sam Rockwell poses in the press room with the Oscar for Actor in Supporting Role AFP/Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Gael Garcia Bernal performs on stage Rex Features Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Miguel and Natalia LaFourcade perform a song from Coco REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Presenters Lupita Nyong'o and Kumail Nanjiani REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Kobe Bryant poses with his award for Best Animated Short Film Award for "Dear Basketball" REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Helen Mirren shows of a jet ski on offer to the shortest Oscars speech Disney ABC Television Group Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Daniela Vega presents during the 90th Annual Academy Awards Rex Features Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick hold their gongs for Best Makeup and Hair in the 'Darkest Hour' Rex Features Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Actor/singer Mary J. Blige performs onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Actor Taraji P. Henson speaks onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Actress Eva Marie Saint presents the Oscar for Costume Design REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Presenters Greta Gerwig and Laura Dern take the stage to give out the award for Best Documentary REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Sam Rockwell accepts the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri AFP/Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Actor Lakeith Stanfield takes on his Get Out role once again onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Viola Davis waits to present the award for best supporting actor Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Daniel Kaluuya and Timothee Chalamet greet photographers on the 90th academy awards red carpet Rex Features Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Mary J. Blige, the first person to be nominated in both the acting and best song categories, arrives at the 90th academy awards REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Jennifer Lawrence attempts to find her seat in the Dolby Theatre Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards The Shape of Waters' Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones embrace on the Oscars red carpet Rex Features Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Tiffany Haddish attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards wearing a traditional dress from Eritrea Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Salma Hayek takes the red carpet at the 90th Academy Awards REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Diane Warren and Helen Mirren share a laugh at the 90th Annual Academy Awards Rex Features Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards James Ivory arrives at the 90th academy awards in a custom made shirt featuring Call Me By Your Names' Timothee Chalamet REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Whoopi Goldberg attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Emma Stone arrives at the Academy Awards REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Andra Day arrives at the Academy Awards Rex Features Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Solidarity sisters Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino and Jane Fonda celebrate Times Up on the red carpet Rex Features Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman arrives on the 90th Annual Academy Awards red carpet Getty Images Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Patrick Stewart and Sunny Ozell display their Times Up pins REUTERS Oscars 2018: memorable moments from the 90th Academy Awards Get Out's Allison Williams glides down the Oscars carpet REUTERS

"Okay, look around everybody," she continued. "Look around, ladies and gentlemen, because we all have stories to tell and projects we need financed. Don't talk to us about it at the parties tonight.

"Invite us into your office in a couple days, or you can come to ours, whatever suits you best, and we'll tell you all about them. I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider".

The Shape of Water was the bookies' favourite and came away with the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, with Guillermo Del Toro making a cheeky dig at last year's Best Picture disaster by checking the envelope twice to make sure it had the right winner.

The acting categories frontrunners  Gary Oldman for best actor, Frances McDormand for Best Actress, Sam Rockwell for Supporting Actor, and Allison Janney for Supporting Actress  all came to fruition.

The complete list of winners is at the bottom of the page.

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Best Picture:

Call Me by Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape of Water - WINNER

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Lead Actor:

Timothee Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread

Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour - WINNER

Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Lead Actress:

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - WINNER

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Meryl Streep, The Post

Supporting Actor:

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project

Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - WINNER

Supporting Actress:

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

Allison Janney, I, Tonya - WINNER

Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread

Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Director:

Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan

Get Out, Jordan Peele

Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig

Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson

The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro - WINNER

Animated Feature:

The Boss Baby, Tom McGrath, Ramsey Ann Naito

The Breadwinner, Nora Twomey, Anthony Leo

Coco, Lee Unkrich, Darla K. Anderson - WINNER

Ferdinand, Carlos Saldanha

Loving Vincent, Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman, Sean Bobbitt, Ivan Mactaggart, Hugh Welchman

Animated Short:

Dear Basketball, Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant - WINNER

Garden Party, Victor Caire, Gabriel Grapperon

Lou, Dave Mullins, Dana Murray

Negative Space, Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata

Revolting Rhymes, Jakob Schuh, Jan Lachauer

Adapted Screenplay:

Call Me by Your Name, James Ivory - WINNER

The Disaster Artist, Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber

Logan, Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green

Mollys Game, Aaron Sorkin

Mudbound, Virgil Williams and Dee Rees

Original Screenplay:

The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani

Get Out, Jordan Peele - WINNER

Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig

The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Martin McDonagh

Cinematography:

Blade Runner 2049, Roger Deakins - WINNER

Darkest Hour, Bruno Delbonnel

Dunkirk, Hoyte van Hoytema

Mudbound, Rachel Morrison

The Shape of Water, Dan Laustsen

Best Documentary Feature:

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, Steve James, Mark Mitten, Julie Goldman

Faces Places, JR, Agnes Varda, Rosalie Varda

Icarus, Bryan Fogel, Dan Cogan - WINNER

Last Men in Aleppo, Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, Soren Steen Jepersen

Strong Island, Yance Ford, Joslyn Barnes

Best Documentary Short Subject:

Edith+Eddie, Laura Checkoway, Thomas Lee Wright

Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405, Frank Stiefel - WINNER

Heroin(e), Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Kerrin Sheldon

Knife Skills, Thomas Lennon

Traffic Stop, Kate Davis, David Heilbroner

Best Live Action Short Film:

DeKalb Elementary, Reed Van Dyk

The Eleven OClock, Derin Seale, Josh Lawson

My Nephew Emmett, Kevin Wilson, Jr.

The Silent Child, Chris Overton, Rachel Shenton - WINNER

Watu Wote/All of Us, Katja Benrath, Tobias Rosen

Best Foreign Language Film:

A Fantastic Woman (Chile) - WINNER

The Insult (Lebanon)

Loveless (Russia)

On Body and Soul (Hungary)

The Square (Sweden)

Film Editing:

Baby Driver, Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss

Dunkirk, Lee Smith - WINNER

I, Tonya, Tatiana S. Riegel

The Shape of Water, Sidney Wolinsky

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Jon Gregory

Sound Editing:

Baby Driver, Julian Slater

Blade Runner 2049, Mark Mangini, Theo Green

Dunkirk, Alex Gibson, Richard King - WINNER

The Shape of Water, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood

Sound Mixing:

Baby Driver, Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin

Blade Runner 2049, Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill

Dunkirk, Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo - WINNER

The Shape of Water, Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick

Production Design:

Beauty and the Beast, Sarah Greenwood; Katie Spencer

Blade Runner 2049, Dennis Gassner, Alessandra Querzola

Darkest Hour, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer

Dunkirk, Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis

The Shape of Water, Paul D. Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin, Shane Vieau - WINNER

Original Score:

Dunkirk, Hans Zimmer

Phantom Thread, Jonny Greenwood

The Shape of Water, Alexandre Desplat - WINNER

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, John Williams

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Carter Burwell

Original Song:

Mighty River from Mudbound, Mary J. Blige

Mystery of Love from Call Me by Your Name, Sufjan Stevens

Remember Me from Coco, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez - WINNER

Stand Up for Something from Marshall, Diane Warren, Common

This Is Me from The Greatest Showman, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

Makeup and Hair:

Darkest Hour, Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick - WINNER

Victoria and Abdul, Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard

Wonder, Arjen Tuiten

Costume Design:

Beauty and the Beast, Jacqueline Durran

Darkest Hour, Jacqueline Durran

Phantom Thread, Mark Bridges - WINNER

The Shape of Water, Luis Sequeira

Victoria and Abdul, Consolata Boyle

Visual Effects:

Blade Runner 2049, John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover, Gerd Nefzer - WINNER

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner, Dan Sudick

Kong: Skull Island, Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, Mike Meinardus

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould, Neal Scanlan

War for the Planet of the Apes, Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett, Joel WhistThe founder of the MeToo movement says the American network E! should not send Ryan Seacrest to cover the Oscars 2018 red carpet.

They really shouldnt send him [to the Oscars], Tarana Burke, who started the MeToo movement in the wake of multiple accusations against producer Harvey Weinstein, told Variety. We shouldnt have to make those choices of, Do we or dont we?

Seacrest has been of sexual misconduct on multiple occasions by former stylist Suzie Hardy, accusations the interviewer denies.

E! has said Seacrest will definitely be appearing on the Oscars red carpet, having interviewed celebrities at the event for eleven years running.

Hardy claims she lost her job at E! after telling the networks HR department about the alleged incidents. They hired an independent investigator earlier this year to look into the incidents but found insufficient evidence to support Hardys accusations.

Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Show all 34 1 /34 Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Picture Darkest Hour Rex Features Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Picture Call Me by Your Name Sony Pictures Classics Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Picture Dunkirk Warner Bros. Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Picture Get Out Universal Pictures Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Picture Lady Bird Moviestore/Rex Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Picture Phantom Thread Universal Pictures Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Picture The Post Twentieth Century Fox Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Picture The Shape of Water Twentieth Century Fox Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Picture Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 20th Century Fox Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Actress Sally Hawkins in 'The Shape of Water' Twentieth Century Fox Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Actress Frances McDormand in 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Actress Margot Robbie in 'I, TONYA' Neon Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Actress Saoirse Ronan as Lady Bird McPherson in 'Lady Bird' Moviestore/REX Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Actress Meryl Streep in 'The Post' Twentieth Century Fox Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Actor Timothee Chalamet as Elio in 'Call Me by Your Name' Sony Pictures Classics Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Actor Daniel Day-Lewis as Reynolds Woodcock in 'Phantom Thread' Annapurna Pictures/Kobal/Rex Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Actor Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington in 'Get Out' Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Actor Gary Oldman won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in 'Darkest Hour' Rex Features Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Actor Denzel Washington as Roman J. Israel Esq. Columbia Pictures Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Supporting Actress Mary J. Blige as Florence Jackson in 'Mudbound' Netflix Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Supporting Actress Allison Janney as LaVona Golden in 'I, Tonya' Neon Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Supporting Actress Lesley Manville as Cyril in 'Phantom Thread' Focus Features/Kobal/REX Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Supporting Actress Laurie Metcalf as Marion McPherson in 'Lady Bird' Universal Pictures/Kobal/REX Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Supporting Actress Sally Hawkins next to nominated Octavia Spencer in 'The Shape of Water' Twentieth Century Fox Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Supporting Actor Sam Rockwell as Dixon in 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' Twentieth Century Fox Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer as J. Paul Getty in 'All the Money in the World' Sony Pictures Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Supporting Actor Willem Dafoe as Bobby in the 'The Florida Project' Rex Features Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson as Willoughby in 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' Twentieth Century Fox Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Supporting Actor Richard Jenkins as Giles in 'The Shape of Water' Twentieth Century Fox Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Director Christopher Nolan on the set of 'Dunkirk' Warner Bros/Kobal/REX Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Director Jordan Peele directed 'Get Out' AFP/Getty Images Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Director Greta Gerwig directed 'Lady Bird' Getty Images for National Board of Review Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Director Paul Thomas Anderson directed 'Phantom Thread' Getty Images for Vanity Fair Oscar nominations 2018: in pictures Best Director Guillermo del Torro on the set of 'The Shape of Water' Twentieth Century Fox

This is not about his guilt or innocence, Burke told the publication. Its about there being an accusation thats alive, and until they sort of out, its really on E! News and shouldnt be on us.

It will let us know where they stand in terms of how respectful E! News is of this issue  and of women.

Recommended Why actors are wearing orange pins on the Oscars red carpet

The activist also told Variety that multiple actors had spoken openly with her about Weinstein. I have heard from actresses whove said, You dont understand how strange it is that hes not here because [Weinsten] was ever-present, she said. They were expressing a sense of relief at not having to see him and not having to pretend anymore. It feels like the veil has lifted.

Meanwhile, you can follow along with the latest from our Oscars on our liveblog. See the full list of nominees here and read our predictions here.Theresa Mays plan to ensure the continuation of a soft border between Northern Ireland and the Republic could be rejected by the European Union, Irelands foreign minister has suggested.

The Prime Minister has committed to leaving the EU customs union which guarantees tariff-free trade, but insists a hard border can be avoided through technological solutions and placing no new restrictions on the 80% of cross-frontier trade carried out by smaller businesses.

But Irish Tanaiste Simon Coveney told BBC Ones The Andrew Marr Show he was not sure that the European Union will be able to support the plan, as it would be worried about protecting the integrity of the single market.

"It is a very complex thing for Britain to leave the EU... when you add in a fragile peace process this is a significant responsibility for the British government and I'm glad the PM made that clear in her speech" - says @simoncoveney #marr pic.twitter.com/rkf9K5MHNI  The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) March 4, 2018

While of course we will explore and look at all of the proposed British solutions, they are essentially a starting point in negotiations as opposed to an end point, he said.

Mr Coveney said if agreement cannot be reached during tri-partite talks between the UK, Ireland and the European Commission, the backstop plan of full British alignment with customs union and single market rules that Mrs May committed clearly to in December would have to be put in place.

In a major speech on Friday, Mrs May rejected unacceptable EU proposals to retain customs union arrangements in Northern Ireland, but accepted the UKs responsibility to help maintain a soft border with the Republic  spelling out in detail how she believed this could be achieved by technological means or through a broader trade agreement.

But Mr Coveney said: This isnt a question of either side wanting to put up borders, but if you have to protect a functioning single market, just the same way Britain wants to protect its own single market, well then you have to understand that if goods move from one customs union to another then there needs to be some checks unless there is some mechanism that is negotiated and put in place that prevents that.

"It's raised a whole series of questions about how she's going to arrive at the destination she's described" says Lord Mandelson on PM's #Brexit speech



But admits "she has described a destination better than she's ever done before" #marr pic.twitter.com/Z7HDYxVZ0h  The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) March 4, 2018

Mrs May said she was pleased that Irish PM Leo Varadkar had agreed to form the three-way talks to look at her proposals.

And she declined to defend Boris Johnsons comparison of the border to crossing between London congestion zones in Camden and Islington, but insisted both of them are absolutely clear that there will not be a hard border.

Weve got proposals as to how were going to achieve that, now were going to be able to sit down and talk with others about how were going to do that, Mrs May told Marr.

It comes after Downing Street and Mr Johnson denied reports that Mrs Mays chief of staff Gavin Barwell was behind a leak of a memo from the Foreign Secretary in which he said the Government should focus on stopping the Irish border becoming significantly harder, reigniting a row over the issue.

Meanwhile, Labour former cabinet minister Lord Mandelson dismissed Mrs Mays Brexit plan.

He told Marr: What Theresa May is doing is trying to dance on the head of a pin that simply doesnt exist.

He added: It will be painful for the country as a result.Forecasters are warning of localised flooding in Ireland as rising temperatures cause snow to melt.

Met Eireanns Orange alert has been extended until 12 noon on Monday as widespread lying snow and ice produces hazardous conditions.

It is valid in Leinster and counties Waterford, Cavan, Cork, Monaghan and Tipperary.

Met Eirean said: Lying snow and ice will lead to continued hazardous conditions and melting will lead to localised spot flooding, but the general trend is for improving conditions.

Highest temperatures three to six degrees.

Gardai have reported flooding in Cork.

Cloudy with scattered outbreaks of rain today. Lying snow and ice will lead to continued hazardous conditions and melting will lead to localised spot flooding, but the general trend is for improving conditions. Highest temperatures 3 to 6 degrees. pic.twitter.com/qpY9eAOtep  Met Eireann (@MetEireann) March 4, 2018

Irish Water is appealing to all customers to conserve water amid unprecedented demand due to people leaving taps running during the freezing weather. It caused reservoir levels to drop.

Around 1,200 members of the Defence Forces have tackled the extreme weather in recent days.

Soldiers supported paramedics and doctors, transferred patients and cleared snow and ice at critical locations.

The Defence Forces deployed 4x4s and snow ploughs.

A statement said: The focus of Defence Forces operations at present are in support of the essential services provided by the HSE.

Our teams are providing doctor/paramedic access support, patient transfer and logistical support in clearing snow and ice at critical locations.

Most were deployed in Wexford, Kildare and Laois.

A Yellow snow-ice warning is also in place for Connacht, Donegal, Clare, Kerry and Limerick, with Met Eireann saying lying snow and ice will continue to cause hazardous conditions.

ESB Networks has said thousands of homes, businesses and farms were without power over the weekend, most in south Co Wexford after days of high winds and heavy snow.

The focus of Defence Forces operations at present are in support of the essential services provided by the HSEDefence Forces

Some of the worst blizzards in decades hit Ireland in recent days as a result of the mixture of freezing Siberian air and Storm Emma from the Atlantic.

It forced the country into shut down from which it is still recovering.

Most public transport services returned to normal on Sunday following a nationwide shutdown.

Airports have reopened.Developer Garrett Kelleher has filed a lawsuit in the United States seeking damages of $1.2bn against Nama, alleging that the agency destroyed his chances of building the Chicago Spire through a combination of "sheer spite" and "consistent incompetence" on the part of certain of its officials.

In a 60-page complaint lodged with the Federal District Court in Illinois last Monday, Kelleher's company, Shelbourne North Water Street Corporation, blames Nama for the project's demise, citing its refusal to support his plans for the Spire following the collapse of its principal funder, Anglo Irish Bank. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the Chicago Spire was to have reached to a height of 2,000 feet making it the tallest residential building in the world.

Lawyers representing Kelleher say they expect a full trial of the developer's case to take place in 2019 following initial procedural hearings, discovery of documents, subpoenas and preparation of affidavits.

As part of its case, Shelbourne expects to subpoena several current and former Nama officials, including chairman Frank Daly, CEO Brendan McDonagh and former head of asset management John Mulcahy.Ranjit Singh Boparan - nicknamed the Chicken King for his poultry business - first came to most Irish people's notice when he swooped in and pinched Northern Foods from under the nose of a somewhat naive Patrick Coveney in his early days at the helm of Greencore.

However, that 342m (384m) deal and others have left his 2Sisters business heavily in debt and he is flogging off assets here. Earlier this year Green Isle - a subsidiary of 2Sisters - sold Goodfellas pizza for 200m and now Donegal Catch is on the block. The business currently for sale is in fact four businesses, essentially it is what remains of Green Isle. There is the Donegal Catch and the Green Isle brands, a factory which services Donegal Catch in Sligo and one in Galway which makes frozen pies.

Unfortunately, the frozen market is not too hot at the moment and it's something of a ragbag of assets. Green Isle is a brand operating in Europe's highly-commoditised frozen vegetable market. The Donegal Catch brand is almost exclusively for the Irish market. The Sligo fish-processing factory supplies Donegal Catch but also other businesses, while the frozen pies factory exports to the UK.

Industry sources doubt that an Irish buyer would pick up all the assets and the Chicken King is likely open to slicing and dicing the assets in any way which will result in a sale.

Is it time for RTE to cut its coat in these lean times?

RTE has been making its big push for a boost to the licence fee and must be a little unnerved about what is going on in Europe. Today Swiss people will vote in a referendum to scrap the compulsory licence fee, which has been the cause of heated debate in the country. It looks like the majority of people will vote to retain the fee and keep the public service broadcaster in business. But the referendum is sparking other conversations about the validity of the licence fee in Europe with a very lively discussion on the matter taking place on German TV last week.

Back in Ireland, the nub of RTE's woes is that is doesn't have enough money to carry out its wide remit. Last week, executives told this newspaper it would fight to protect its remit, which is laid down in law. Why? Surely RTE must now argue that its remit is simply too broad and it can not be all things to all people. Perhaps it is time the powers that be cut RTE's coat according to its cloth.

Friendly welcome a big plus for concert security firm

Security firms don't have the most friendly of reputations but Dublin-based firm 1 Plus Security is trying to change all that. Set up in 2016, one of its key selling points has been its friendly ethos.

"If you have just paid 300 for a ticket, you want your first interaction with that event to be a positive one," said chief commercial officer Shea McNelis. "People remember extremes of service - and in our case, we want to be the friendliest security service available.

"We don't provide bouncers, and we believe that chucking people out is the always the last solution. Our strength is not in our muscle, it is in our culture."

And something about their approach seems to be working.

The company, which has just launched a new app to give clients real-time information on the location of each security member, had a presence at almost every major music festival in 2017 and this year the company will be providing event security to Electric Picnic, Body & Soul, Festival Republic, Longitude among other events."We need to be lucky twice. We need to be lucky in that the Brits don't go for a hard Brexit. And we need to be lucky in that the final settlement allows us to breathe inside whatever the EU is going to look like."

This sombre quotation from an Irish EU Commission official closes Tony Connelly's marvellous book, Brexit and Ireland: The Dangers, the Opportunities, and the Inside Story of the Irish Response. Connelly has been RTE's European Editor since the early noughties and his knowledge of all matters European is highly respected in the halls, salons and press rooms of Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg and London.

His book is certainly a tour de force... it represents as comprehensive an overview of the Irish export economy as you are likely to find. Written in rapid-fire journalese, it is an eminently accessible page turner. The book seldom flags even as it navigates the morass of acronyms and bureaucracies that litter the landscape of his topic.

Connelly hangs the book on stories of real people. He opens the chapter on fisheries with a gripping and poignant account of the last tragic hours and moments of the ill-fated trawler, the 'Tit Bonhomme'. The vessel sank near Union Hall in West Cork on January 15, 2012, with the loss of three lives.

One crew member, Abdelbaky Mohamed, an Egyptian, survived but his brother Wael perished along with Kevin Kershaw, a young Dublin apprentice and the skipper Michael Hayes. After the tragedy Caitlin Ni Aodha, Michael's widow, took over the fishing licence, bought a new boat and while she herself does not go to sea, its crew of five net prawns for the Italian market.

Access to British waters is vital for Caitlin and her livelihood. The book is peppered and enlivened with such stories.

The conundrum of the 'Irish border' is like the ghost at the feast, it stalks every corridor, it sits in menacing silence at every table and confounds every solution.

The Border problems posed by Brexit for the dairy industry are illustrated on the farm of Nigel Heatrick whose 250ac holding between Glaslough in Co Monaghan and Middletown in Co Tyrone straddles the border. On his beef and dairy farm the 200ac portion in the south produces beef and dairy while the 50ac in the north is a beef operation. His 50 cows in the south supply 1,000 litres a day to LacPatrick in Monaghan. The tanker collecting his milk crosses the border twice on the way there and twice on the way back.

The story of Baileys Irish Cream also illustrates the conundrum. According to Connelly, every day thousands of litres of milk are collected from farmers north and south of the border, brought to Glanbia in Virginia, Co Cavan where it is processed.

The cream is taken off the milk and shipped to Mallusk in Antrim or to Dublin. In Mallusk it is blended with whiskey to make Baileys cream liqueur where the major bottling and packaging work is also done. "Brexit is now threatening that seamless operation," Connelly writes.

The author visits the Laois farm of IFA's Jer Bergin to explore the impact on the beef sector and quotes Agriculture Minister Michael Creed who summarises the challenges facing much of the agriculture industry. He tells the Seanad that in 2015 a total of 55,000 cattle went north for breeding or slaughter, some 400,000 lambs from the north were processed in the south.

Half a million pigs from the south were sent north to be slaughtered and processed, with some product coming back south or going on to Britain. As Connelly remarks, "this is made simple by mutual membership of the single market and a border made transparent by the Good Friday Agreement. But the simple has become complex overnight, thanks to Brexit".

The book takes us on a comprehensive tour of every aspect of the Irish political and economic scene as it faces Brexit. It is also comforting as it gives a sense of the strength and diversity of the Irish economy after the UK leaves the EU.

There is a fascinating chapter on the successful struggle to insert an Irish unity clause into the principles informing the EU's official response to the UK request to leave the Union. The clause was designed to ensure that in the case of Irish unification the new political entity would be fully accepted as part of the EU. It was Enda Kenny's last great battle before he left office.

The ultimate urgency and gravity of what could face us is summed up in an observation by a PSNI intelligence officer quoted by Connelly, "when you put police officers down into a border situation, inevitably they will be carrying guns. They will be using armoured vehicles and they will themselves present a target opportunity for murder, or attempted murder, by dissidents".

Tony Connelly has written a great book and made an invaluable contribution to our understanding, not only of Brexit but of modern Ireland and where she stands at this crucial point in her history.The two big banks published their 2017 results last week. While AIB grew its profits and lending, Bank of Ireland's underlying profits and loan book both shrank last year.

It was very much a tale of two banks last week - and it was all smiles at newly-refloated AIB.

Expand Close Bernard Byrne, Chief Executive of AIB. Photo: INM / Facebook

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Operating profit before bad loan provisions were up by a further 23pc to 1.54bn. This strong increase in its underlying profitability meant that AIB was able to pile up even more capital with its common equity tier one capital ratio (the measure used by banking regulators and investors to assess a bank's financial strength) rising from 15.3pc to 17.5pc.

This jump in AIB's CET 1 has allowed it to increase its dividend to shareholders by 30pc to 12 cent a share.

Across town at Bank of Ireland, where new boss Francesca McDonagh was delivering her maiden set of results, the atmosphere was far more subdued.

While underlying profits before provisions increased by 16pc to 1.27bn, provisions against bad loans at Bank of Ireland rose from just 15m in 2016 to 178m in 2017.

When these provisions are taken into account, Bank of Ireland's underlying profit before exceptional items increased by less than 2pc to 1.1bn.

By comparison, AIB was able to write back a further 121m of previous loan loss provisions in 2017, down from a write-back of 298m.

This means that its underlying profit before exceptional items increased almost 7pc to 1.57bn last year. Despite having a considerably smaller year-end loan book than Bank of Ireland - 63.3bn vs 76bn - AIB earns a significantly higher net interest margin (the difference between the average rate it charges its borrowers and pays its depositors), 2.58pc vs 2.29pc, than its major domestic rival.

This higher net interest helps to explain AIB's ability to squeeze higher profits from a smaller loan book.

But that is only a partial explanation. As Davy analyst Stephen Lyons points out, there are significant differences between the two banks.

"AIB is largely an Irish-focused operation, whereas BoI has greater geographic diversification through its more significant presence in the UK," said Lyons.

"Purely looking at both banks' Irish franchises there wouldn't be the same disparity on profitability metrics. BoI's new CEO has clearly stated that the returns in the UK franchise need to improve and the forthcoming capital markets day will detail BoI's strategy to achieve this.

"At the end of 2017, Bank of Ireland had a UK loan book of 28bn (31.6bn), over 40pc of its total lending. By comparison, only 9bn of AIB's lending, just 14pc of the total, was in the UK - mainly its Northern Ireland First Trust retail banking operation."

Lyons also points out that Bank of Ireland is a much less capital-intensive bank than AIB with a year-end CET 1 ratio of just 13.8pc.

This means that it holds significantly more capital for each loan than Bank of Ireland.

"Despite AIB's higher reported profitability, this doesn't flow through as favourably with respect to capital invested. AIB's headline return on equity metric is negatively impacted by its large amount of surplus capital and a higher level of required capital per loan. This will improve over time, particularly through normalising its higher level of non-performing loans", he says.

Not alone does AIB have a significantly higher net interest margin than Bank of Ireland, it also has a much lower cost/income ratio, a key measure of bank efficiency, of just 48pc in 2017 as against 62pc at Bank of Ireland.

While these two figures are not directly comparable, the AIB figure was flattered by loan book write-backs and its underlying cost/income ratio was 53pc, while over at Bank of Ireland it was artificially boosted by increased IT investment with the underlying figure being about 59pc.

However, even when one filters out these distortions, there is still a significant disparity between the two banks' cost/income ratios, of about 6pc. Cutting its cost/income ratio to the AIB level would add about 350m to the Bank of Ireland bottom line.

"AIB has just completed a three-year strategic technology programme and is therefore better able to capture efficiency gains in the near term.

"By contrast, BoI is in the middle of a much larger far-reaching technology programme.

"This will weigh near-term on earnings, but is expected to better future-proof BoI's technology position", says Davy's Lyons.

Bank of Ireland spent 195m upgrading its core banking platform in 2017. There will be further heavy spending this year, at least 100m, and similar amounts in 2019 and 2020.

While AIB concentrated on upgrading legacy IT systems, Bank of Ireland has gone for a 'big bang' approach, ripping out its legacy systems and installing new best-in-class systems.

Will the higher up-front costs of this root and branch approach deliver greater operating efficiencies for Bank of Ireland in the medium to long-term? If the example of AIB is any guide, the savings could be considerable.

AIB boss Bernard Byrne told the results announcement that his bank has taken 420m of costs out of the bank over the past three years. When unveiling the results, Byrne laid great stress on a return to "normality" at AIB.

One example of this is that as recently as three years ago AIB had 20bn of Nama senior bonds on its balance sheet.

These have now all been redeemed and replaced by more conventional sources of funding, such as customer deposits and debt securities.

This greater stress on lowering costs and upgrading IT systems does not bode well for either of the banks' branch networks.

In 2017, 95pc - that's 19 out of every 20 of AIB's customer transactions - were automated.

It was a similar story at Bank of Ireland, where the vast bulk of transactions are also conducted outside the traditional branch.

With a heavy IT investment to justify and her previous record in the UK, where as head of HSBC's retail banking operation between 2012 and 2017 she closed 40pc of its branches, will McDonagh be able to resist the temptation to follow AIB's example and take the axe to Bank of Ireland's retail branch network?

Stand by for much wailing and gnashing of teeth from politicians and community representatives in the affected locations if such an axe were to fall.

AIB and Bank of Ireland both recorded a further significant reduction in the volume of their problem loans in 2017. Impaired loans fell by almost a third from 9.1bn to 6.3bn at AIB and from 9.4bn to 6.5bn at Bank of Ireland.

While still on the high side, about a tenth of AIB's total loan book, and a twelfth of Bank of Ireland's are still impaired. AIB's problem loans are down 78pc from their peak while Bank of Ireland's are down by over two-thirds.

This continued reduction in problem loans at both of the main banks opens up at least the possibility, that after falling continuously for almost a decade, AIB and Bank of Ireland may start to grow their loan books once again in 2018.

Indeed, this return to loan growth has probably already started at AIB with earning loans (ie the gross loans figure less impaired loans and provisions) inching ahead by 2pc to 57bn last year.

Almost unnoticed amid the market disappointment at Bank of Ireland's results was the fact that it announced a resumption of dividend payments to shareholders after a gap of almost a decade. Bank of Ireland shareholders will receive a 2017 dividend of 11.5 cent per share.

While the return to dividends at Bank of Ireland came a year later than at AIB, it still marked a significant milestone in the return of the Irish banking system to financial health.

Which is more than can be said of most of the other banks operating in Ireland.

Last Friday week Ulster Bank, which is owned by state-controlled UK bank RBS, announced its 2017 results.

After recording a minuscule 37m profit in 2016, Ulster Bank plunged back into the red in 2017 with a 162m loss. The decline in Ulster's 2017 performance was primarily due to a 68m loan loss provision, a 206m turnaround on the 138m write-back booked in 2016.

Also showing renewed signs of distress is 75pc state-owned mortgage bank PTSB.

With 28pc of its loan book categorised as non-performing, it has come under renewed pressure from the ECB to sell off some of its dud loans, possibly up to 4bn worth, most likely to so-called 'vulture funds'.

The announcement of PTSB's plans to sell off some of its loans has unleashed a political firestorm, with the Government agreeing not to block Fianna Fail finance spokesman Michael McGrath's bill to extend Central Bank regulation to buyers of mortgage books. AIB's Byrne cautions that any such legislation needs to be carefully thought through.

"Whatever comes out [of legislation to regulate vulture funds] must respect the principle of secured lending. That is crucial to mortgage pricing."

While RBS decided, admittedly after much soul-searching, to stick it out in the Irish market with Ulster Bank, the latest PTSB controversy once again raises serious doubts about its ability to survive as an independent entity.

All of which means that, unless very high Irish net interest margins attract new overseas players into the Irish banking market, Irish borrowers, both households and businesses, will continue to be largely dependent on the 'Big Two' of AIB and Bank of Ireland.Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon, who will see her budget rise to 11.7m this year, believes the public sector should also face fines.

What's the difference between Y2K (aka the Millennium bug) and GDPR? 'GDPR is actually happening' is the punchline to the current gag circulating in nervous corporate circles just now.

What the two phenomena share are months of alarm, followed by feverish, last-minute preparations and the emergence of a fleet of gurus.

In the end, few major failures occurred in the Y2K transition from December 31, 1999, to January 1, 2000. But companies that fail to address data protection compliance obligations could, in a worst case scenario, face huge fines for breaches of GDPR.

There are, in fact, two tiers of administrative fines under the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has major implications for businesses processing data belonging to EU citizens - irrespective of their location.

Some contraventions will be subject to administrative fines of up to 10m or, in the case of undertakings, 2pc of global turnover, whichever is the higher. Others will be subject to administrative fines of up to 20m or, in the case of undertakings, 4pc of global turnover, whichever is the higher.

For Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon, whose office will oversee the implementation in Ireland of the biggest European Union overhaul of data protection laws, the Y2K analogy is a poor one.

"First of all, there is no patch or system fix that you can stick on and say you're ready," says Dixon. "Those that are perpetuating the Y2K analogy are those that are unprepared."

Maximum administrative fines aside, (it will take a number of years for the system to normalise), the new data protection regime presents a series of risks for companies. These include corrective orders, warnings, reputational risks as well as litigation from data subjects where there has been a breach of their personal data rights under the GDPR.

One of the greatest risks for companies will lie in the identification and notification of a data security breach - and that's before they seek to contain the public fallout of a major breach. Dixon's office, which recorded a 26pc increase in the number of valid data security breaches last year, is steeling itself for an "exponential" surge in reports, by companies and public sector bodies, of data protection breaches.

At present, reporting of data breaches is subject to a voluntary code and has been utilised, in the main, by financial services companies.

However, from May 25, reporting of breaches not later than 72 hours after the company becomes aware of the breach - even this clause will cause a headache for many companies - will become mandatory.

"The most significant thing around breaches, notification of breaches or any other aspects of the GDPR is that accountability lies with the organisation," says Dixon.

"We have been saying for a long time that boards need to be aware of GDPR and need to understand the risks to the reputation of the organisation if it fails to comply, of monetary fines, as well as the fact that individuals will have a much greater right to go to court and seek compensation where there have been contraventions.

"We will have the power and the obligation in some cases to impose very serious and heavy-duty fines. So the board needs to be aware at those levels." Dixon says that every single person in a given organisation - public, private or charity (including religious organisations) - needs to be able to identify a subject access request.

Similarly, every employee in the organisation needs to identify when they've committed a data breach, especially if it is potentially notifiable.

But what happens when an employee exercises their rights as a data subject against their employer? This is not a hypothetical question.

Last year aggrieved employees facing dismissal or disciplinary proceedings helped fuel a record rise in data access complaints to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC).

In 2016, the number of complaints surged by almost 80pc, from 1,479 in 2016 to 2,642 in 2017, with access rights accounting for the largest single category (52pc).

Dixon says the DPC is increasingly being called to mediate disputes between employees and employers. "The best results are where we see it through to an amicable solution, if at all possible," said Dixon, who denied workers were misusing Ireland's data protection laws to go "fishing" for material.

Data access requests and discovery of material held by an employer are, however, featuring increasingly in litigation and employment law disputes. The High Court recently considered the novel issue of whether it should order a person to disclose documents which they do not hold but can obtain by exercising their access rights under the Data Protection Directive (EU Directive 95/46/EC).

The court concluded that a party may be directed to disclose all documents requested in discovery that are reasonably available to them by means of a data subject access request.

By virtue of the sheer number of tech giants and other multinationals with European HQs here, Ireland has become something of a global Petri dish for some of the biggest existential debates surrounding data and privacy, as well as security and intelligence.

The demise of the EU-US 'Safe Harbour' began in an Irish courtroom before struck down by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in October 2015.

Its successor, the so-called 'Privacy Shield' which allows companies to move the data of Europeans to the US with relative ease, has its own, widely acknowledged flaws.

The transfer of personal data to the US under the standard contractual clauses mechanism (SCCs) is the focus of a major referral to the CJEU in a case involving the DPC, Facebook and Austrian lawyer Max Schrems.

Dixon sought a referral in the Irish High Court after reaching a draft view that Schrems had raised "well-founded" objections over the transfer of his personal data to the US.

The case has cost her office some 2m for legal and related expert fees so far.

The referral also comes at a time when the Supreme Court in the US is considering whether emails stored by tech giant Microsoft at a data centre in Ireland are subject to US law.

The key regulatory role played by the DPC is partly the reason why multinationals are banging down her door on GDPR.

It also explains why her 7.5m budget is to increase to 11.7m this year, making Ireland's DPC one of the most authoritative and best-resourced data protection authorities in Europe.

One area where Dixon will not be able to wield mega administrative fines is on public sector bodies, despite the fact that it is the State and its collection, use and retention of personal data that causes major concerns.

Will we have a two-tier system if the public sector is exempt from deterrent fines?

Dixon, who set up a Special Investigations Unit two years ago - which has investigated bodies such as hospitals and government departments - argued for the inclusion of public sector bodies.

Opponents say fines on public sector bodies will mean money circling around the Exchequer and impacting vital public services.

"Despite all those arguments, we think the interests of members of the public are better served where we have these types of powers," says Dixon. "The GDPR loses some of its punch if one of the big deterrent mechanisms is not available to us to deploy in that way.

"In many cases they have a monopoly in terms of what they are entitled to collect from us.

"So, whatever about a two-tier, there is a possibility that we lose some of the force we will have with this expanded toolkit we have been given under the GDPR."

For all the warnings, many of them justified, Dixon said that organisations should see GDPR as an opportunity to be embraced rather than a threat to be tamed.

"Those who demonstrate a true commitment to data protection will be rewarded in the marketplace for their services," says Dixon.

Only time will tell.The chain, which is part of Dixons Carphone, the owner of retailers including Curry and PC World, has 82 locations in Ireland at present but is expected to exit a number of shop premises, according to property sources.

Mobile phone chain Carphone Warehouse is to significantly scale back its network of standalone stores in Ireland, according to a number of sources.

The chain, which is part of Dixons Carphone, the owner of retailers including Curry and PC World, has 82 locations in Ireland at present but is expected to exit a number of shop premises, according to property sources.

Most recent accounts for Carphone Warehouse in Ireland showed it lost 12m in 2016 and that it had accumulated losses of 50m, reflecting "an ongoing competitive market place".

In a statement given to the Sunday Independent, the company said there was "no store closure programme" but that shops may be relocated to what it calls "three in one superstores", which house the Curry, PC World and Carphone Warehouse under a single roof.

A spokesman said there have been some instances "where there is a Carphone Warehouse standalone store and a three in one superstore within walking distance, with the most recent example being Carrickmines Retail Park.

"In these cases, it has made business sense to move the standalone store into the three in one superstore, while providing a better customer experience in a better environment.

"There are currently 82 Carphone Warehouse stores in shopping centres, retail parks and main streets across the country.

"Many of the rents on these retail units were negotiated over 10 years ago and are (significantly) higher than the current market average.

"Carphone Warehouse Ireland is currently in talks with certain landlords to discuss these rental agreements. We moved out of four stores in 2016 and one in 2017 following negotiations with our landlords. This is standard business practice, and these conversations are confidential due to commercial sensitivities."

Carphone Warehouse is currently selling the Irish division of ID Mobile.CRH has bought assets from Irish competitor Kilsaran as growth in its Irish business picks up.

The move was announced in results posted earlier this week but specifics relating to the deal were not disclosed. The Sunday Independent understands it relates to CRH's purchase of a ready-mix concrete depot outside Wexford town.

Chief executive Albert Manifold said "momentum is good" in the company's Irish business as activity increases in the construction sector.

"Construction in Ireland has been on the up off a low base. I think after a number of years of slowdown in construction both in residential and non-residential, and also in terms of infrastructure spend, there's bound to be a catch-up. Broadly speaking the business has performed well," he said.

Manifold was speaking after the company posted record full-year ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) of 3.3bn.

He said the company did not regret its investment in the Philippines, where sales were down on the prior year. CRH said this was fuelled in part by aggressive competitor pricing.

"Emerging markets are more volatile than developed markets and one has to be cautious as to how you invest in those businesses. At the same time, running a global business in CRH, you've got to invest for both the short-term and indeed the longer term," Manifold said.

"We believe there is solid underlying profitable growth going forward. The fundamentals of construction are good there. There's a growing population, significant needs."

Manifold said the collapse of UK-based Carillion was "a big shock to everybody" but that it had not had a significant impact.

"We didn't have any exposure there. Let's just say that while it was a big shock when it actually happened, it was known they had had some challenging times and people were monitoring their exposure to them. Certainly we were. But there was no significant knock-on effect to us and certainly now we don't see any either."

Acquisitions are a big part of CRH's growth model and Manifold says there are "many years" left in this strategy. "Take our biggest market, North America, the United States - the top five or six players in the heavyside business (a category including cement and asphalt) don't even make up 20pc of the population of businesses or sales in the industry," he said.

"So there's significant fragmentation still in the industry and there's decades of growth for us to go forward here."Dublin-based gift company Smartbox has bought the rights to a rival brand, Red Letter Days, from Dragons' Den stars Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones.

Smartbox provides so-called 'experience gifts' like overnight stays or adventures. It employs 600 people in its Dublin headquarters on Talbot St, having taken on an extra 100 staff in the last eight months.

The company sold seven million experience gifts worth 480m in Europe over the past year.

It has also acquired similar businesses in Portugal and Denmark in recent times and is active in 10 countries across Europe.

Red Letter Days was set up by Paphitis and Jones' one-time colleague on Dragons' Den, Rachel Elnaugh. Jones and Paphitis bought the business out of administration. Paphitis is no longer a dragon on the hit BBC programme, but Jones remains one of the show's stars.

Smartbox is currently in the midst of a digital overhaul.

"To deliver the best experience possible to its clients, the group is driving a large-scale digital transformation, investing 20m per year in technology. The experience gift category is less than 1pc of an overall European gifting market of 150bn. Smartbox Group has the ambition of doubling or tripling its overall share on this massive gift market," the company said.

Speaking when the company announced plans to add the extra 100 staff, Smartbox chief executive John Perkins said the company was "delighted with the quality talent which we can access here in Ireland, along with leveraging the support of the wider R&D ecosystem."

"These will be key enablers to help Smartbox deliver an exceptional customer experience to ensure the future successful development of Smartbox Group".The Irish Spirits Association has claimed that some Canadian liqueur manufacturers are passing off products as Irish cream liqueurs.

Some 100 million bottles of Irish cream, which are protected under EU-recognised Geographic Indication (GI) laws, were sold globally in 2017.

The claims of GI infringement were made following a trade mission to Canada attended by the Irish Spirits Association (ISA).

William Lavelle, head of the ISA, said it was "very disappointing to see wine-based liqueurs on shop shelves in Canada, claiming to be Irish cream but without a single connection to Ireland.

"It's about protecting the good name and high standards of the category," added Lavelle, who travelled to Canada.

"It's about protecting the investment made by authentic Irish cream producers; and it's about protecting those dairy farmers across Ireland who provide our industry with over 316 million litres of cream every year.

"This trade mission has allowed us the valuable opportunity to promote the GI and to meet with Canadian authorities to raise our concerns. I am confident that as a result of this trade mission we will begin to see action to clamp down on fake Irish creams in Canada."With Russian presidential elections due to take place on March 18, a major shift in economic policy is not anticipated after President Vladimir Putin returns to office, as expected, for another six years.

Counter-sanctions will continue to block Irish exporters in the food sector from re-entering the market until at least December 2018, as Russia focuses on local production.

In a business environment that is strongly influenced by government, even at SME level, the Ireland-Russia Joint Economic Commission (JEC), led on the Irish side by Tanaiste Simon Coveney, galvanises potential partnerships.

It does so by raising awareness of sectoral strengths and facilitating high-level B2B contact with commercial partners that may otherwise be inaccessible to countries of our scale.

While the aims of the JEC are predominantly long-term, it affords short-term wins for Enterprise Ireland-supported companies, particularly in the agri-tech and aviation sectors.

To support these objectives, Minister of State Pat Breen visited Enterprise Ireland's national stand at the Agrofarm Trade Show, attended by Dairymaster, Lir Agri, Moocall, and Weatherby's.

This past week, Enterprise Ireland led a National Stand at the Russia & Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Aviation Maintenance Repair Overhaul Trade Fair in which Botany Weaving, Dublin Aerospace, Eirtech, ITS, and Skypaq participated, highlighting Ireland's tradition of excellence in the aviation sector.

Alexander Bogachev, former head of procurement for Russia's national carrier Aeroflot, and currently assisting Enterprise Ireland-supported companies secure tenders with major airlines, says: "Irish companies have stood by Russian partners, especially over the past three years when business was hard to come by. They still came to Russia and kept relations going. That... is benefiting them now as the market readjusts."

Last year saw the stabilisation of the biggest factor in the decimation of Irish exports to Russia - the rouble/euro exchange rate. After the Russian Central Bank released the rouble from its one-sided relationship with crude oil, the rate is now mostly influenced by local and relatively stable economic factors, and not international and often volatile macro ones. The currency now consistently hovers around 70 roubles to the euro.

While this 'new normal' is 75pc higher than the pre-crisis exchange rate, it is the new benchmark to which Russian customers have adapted, allowing Irish exporters to once again compete on a level playing field.

With Russian GDP growth not expected to exceed 2pc for 2018-2019, the Russian government continues to crank up its import substitution policy which aims to reduce reliance on imported goods, stimulate local infrastructure redevelopment, and increase domestic manufacturing output, none of which makes for good news for Irish exporters.

However, with businesses and government under pressure to meet ambitious self-sufficiency targets, they are also increasingly open to overseas partners who are ready to share knowledge and technology to help accelerate local rebuilding, creating an opportunity for Irish exporters in innovative high-tech sectors.

As Russia focuses on weaning its economy off hydrocarbon dependence, policy makers acknowledge Ireland as a role model, recognising our transformation from the 'horse and cart' economy of the mid-20th century, particularly in the ICT and agri-tech sectors.

Trade-focused ministerial visits are crucial to driving success in the market, in which government support adds to our 'Irish Advantage'. Collaboration through the JEC of government departments, ministries, and the agencies which report to them acts as a high-impact endorsement for Irish companies working in Russia, most of which are repeat visitors, highly aware of the importance of maintaining face-to-face relations and keeping channels open.

Gerard MacCarthy is director of Enterprise Ireland's Russia office in MoscowThe Government has drawn up another roadmap. This time it involves auto-enrolment for pensions. At some point, the Government will take out one of these roadmaps and actually set off on a journey somewhere.

Roadmaps on the future of pension provision have been knocking around since 2006 or even earlier. So it was a little ironic when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar referenced an old adage from Benjamin Franklin when announcing details of the new 'map'.

"Don't put off till tomorrow what can be done today." Sadly, when it comes to this issue, a more appropriate version might have been, "don't put off till tomorrow what you can put off till next year".

Auto-enrolment is a good idea and the new road map should be welcomed but it is all long overdue. The reason is simple. Successive governments don't like introducing policies that involve people having less money to spend today, even if, in the long run, they are a good idea.

Ministers may have simplified things a little too much in endorsing how the scheme might work. It was presented as workers are automatically enrolled in a company scheme and employees and the company could each put aside 6pc of salary. The state could then top it up by a further 2pc and hey presto - nobody is in penury relying exclusively on the state pension in years to come.

But why not make it easier for employees to put aside 6pc of wages by sorting out the rental and housing crisis? It isn't easy to put 6pc of your income aside at any time, but especially when you might be paying rents that have been allowed to rocket in recent years.

It turns out that around 60pc of private sector workers are currently without workplace pension coverage. But the current environment makes it easier for employers to use casual labour, the gig economy and even bogus self-employment to save on the need to provide pensions. The definition of a worker would need to be tied down quite strictly in these new plans or many will find themselves in the very same boat.

Similarly, if 60pc of private sector workers are without workplace pension coverage and auto-enrolment brings that up to 90pc perhaps, what a boom for the pensions industry? Good for them as long as they are providing a quality, efficient and relatively inexpensive product. Surely a piece of legislation that will automatically ensure employees become customers of pensions firms, should come with all kinds of assurances from the industry on costs and value for money.

This is a good move by government but it won't be as easy as they are making out.

State's strategy on bailout banks is finally paying dividends

AIB chief executive Bernard Byrne didn't give any sense that he planned to sell home ownership mortgages to vulture funds any time soon, when he announced the bank's full year results on Thursday.

Emphasising the bank's various restructuring options for customers, he seemed confident that the bank can work through its non-performing loans - excluding buy-to-lets, some of which may well be sold.

There was even some speculation last week that AIB mortgage holders in deep arrears were coming forward more to the bank in recent weeks, as they were afraid of their mortgage being sold on. Byrne suggested the higher level of communication from defaulters may be due to rising employment and better economic circumstances. If that were the case, then the same should apply at PTSB.

This really is a story of two different banks between AIB and PTSB. Both have unacceptably high non-performing loan rates (PTSB 28pc and AIB 17pc), but two different solutions. PTSB is selling mortgage loans. AIB says it isn't. AIB has the luxury of being able to take a slower approach and work through non-performers itself, because it still made pre-tax profits of 1.3bn in 2017.

AIB's profits dipped but net interest margin was up and the bank continues to benefit from a strengthening economy. Its dividend payment of 326m out of overall profit of 1.1bn, is a good enough reason alone for the State to retain a majority stake in the bank.

The State will bag nearly 250m from that dividend alone. Earlier in the week, Bank of Ireland announced a dividend of 124m on an underlying profit of 1bn. The state should get around 19m there.

However, Bank of Ireland chief executive Francesca McDonagh signalled that the bank would move towards paying out closer to 50pc of profit in dividends in future years. On static profits, that would mean 75m in dividends for the state from its 15pc stake in Bank of Ireland. By 2019-2020, the State could collect in excess of 325m a year in bank dividends - without anything from PTSB.

To put it in perspective, the entire dividend from every state and semi-state company last year, including ESB, DAA, Bord na Mona, Coillte etc, came in at 232m.

Taxpayers deserve to get all of their money back from the bank bailout. As long as the State doesn't need to get it back ASAP, then there are better ways of doing it - and selling off AIB any time soon isn't one of them.

Only hard choices left for Naughten on rural broadband

The sudden resignation of Enet chief executive Conal Henry last week, cast new doubts about the future of the Government's National Broadband Plan. The Government may be in line to do a bad deal.

Communications Minister Denis Naughten seems determined to go ahead and award the contract despite Enet being the only remaining bidder. There was some beating of breasts last week, not least among Fianna Failers, who presided over the privatisation of the Eircom network in 1999, and sort of regret it now.

Eir pulled out of the National Broadband Plan tender having bagged the low hanging fruit in the form of 300,000 rural homes with the least cost and greatest possible return.

Enet is determined to go ahead but there is very little being said about the cost of subsidising the venture. One bidder changes the power dynamic. The cost of the plan will be whatever it is. Then the Government will negotiate how much it is willing to subvent that cost by, as opposed to two bidders vying to say they need the least subvention to pay for it.

With just one bidder, nobody, including the minister and the government department, will ever know what the company might have been willing to pay if there had been other competitors.

Enet is now 78pc owned by the Irish Infrastructure Fund. The biggest contributor to this fund is the Irish Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) which put in an initial 250m into it. ISIF emerged from the old National Pension Reserve Fund, which was set up by Charlie McCreevy. Ironically, the NPRF started off with around 7bn from the proceeds of selling Eircom back in 1999.

This looks like State money coming full circle, in that some of the proceeds of selling telecommunications infrastructure in 1999 might be used to build new telecommunications infrastructure in 2020.

If a bad deal is one on the National Broadband Plan, it might represent bad value for money for the State. In such a scenario who would get a good deal and benefit? Funny enough, the State would be among the beneficiaries through ISIF and the performance of the Infrastructure Fund. So too would other Enet investors and Eir, which will charge for use of its network along the way to more rural areas. Denis Naughten is caught on this one. He wants to deliver rural broadband and has been talking about it since he became minister. Pulling the plug on the tender process now would be politically very damaging and would deprive 430,000 rural homes of broadband for longer. Going ahead could be slower and more costly than originally envisaged.A sale of insurance intermediary Blue Insurance is well advanced, the Sunday Independent understands, with a subsidiary of Zurich the leading contender.

The company has attracted interest from a number of parties since commencing a sales process last year. Industry sources believe it could fetch in the region of 50m.

Zurich declined to comment when contacted by the Sunday Independent.

Blue Insurance did not respond to a request for comment.

Blanchardstown-based Blue provides car, home, pet, travel and gadget insurance products, among others.

In its most recently filed accounts, covering the year ending December 31, 2016, the company had profits after tax and depreciation of just over 2m. A dividend of 1.8m was paid.

Total turnover came in at almost 33m, compared to 26m the year before.

In the UK, turnover increased 7pc, while in Ireland it increased 40pc. Gross profit margin declined in both those markets however.

Directors of the company said they expected business to increase in 2017 due to marketing campaigns and an investment in advertising.

"The directors are confident that they can increase the general level of business by providing more direct products, growing their market share and entering new markets," the accounts state.

Blue was set up in 2003 by managing director Ciaran Mulligan and Rowan Devereux.

Mulligan bought Devereux out of the business in 2014 in a deal that valued Blue at around 20m.

Devereux is now an active angel investor and has taken stakes in businesses including Fan Footage, a business that crowdsources video footage from fans at concerts. It syncs the video to high-quality audio from the concert and makes the finished product available for distribution.

Mulligan has previously spoken about Blue's desire to enter the health and life insurance market. Speaking to the Sunday Independent in 2016, Mulligan said the company had been approached by a number of investment houses but had declined to sell equity. He said he expected "to continue on a self-funding path for the time being".

"We've been self-funding since we started... the profits we make will go back into reinvesting in the business. I'd never say never [on taking investment]... my perception would be if someone comes in, you lose that flexibility. Okay, you have the funds to expand more rapidly, but I think there's ways to expand without having to cede your shareholding."This time last year I was doing a lot of explaining to a lot of people. It was the waning days of my role as Dublin commissioner for startups and I had decided that as a follow-on project I'd build a data-driven public record of all innovation happening in Ireland.

People thought that was a fancy way of saying I was building a database and they were right, even if in my mind its potential made it a much more compelling story. I'd been two-and-a-half years back in Dublin already and my search for a listing of Irish companies was still coming up empty. I'd also spent way too many years in America trying to persuade colleagues that Irish innovation went beyond the Book of Kells and great Irish brands like Guinness and Kerrygold. Nothing less than a database of Irish innovation, drawn out company by company, was going to do the big job of explaining what was happening here these days.

By December 2017 we had nine months of data-gathering behind us and we'd managed to entice some great advisers to our cause as well as support from Enterprise Ireland, the IDA, Bank of Ireland, Google and others.

The data was strong enough to showcase by itself but the stories it told about Irish innovation glowed warmly and brightly so we decided to give them a stronger spotlight.

We released our first annual report on Irish innovation in January 2018 and it's been downloaded over a thousand times since. If they love it digitally why don't we make it into a coffee-table book we asked ourselves? The book, Innovation Nation Edition 2018, will be available to the public this week and is also being dispatched by the Department of Foreign Affairs to Irish consulates and embassies all over the world.

I love the idea of this physically beautiful and factually-irrefutable guide finding its way into the hands of global decision makers and influencers just in time for Paddy's Day.

Whether they spend hours diving into the details of Irish companies or just a couple of minutes flicking through its 140 pages, Innovation Nation will leave them with a powerfully-positive impression of modern Ireland and that ticks the success box for me, the team and all of our supporters.

So what does Innovation Nation tell us about Ireland? It looks at Irish innovation at a moment in time - 2017 - and celebrates global winners and up and coming Irish companies whose technologies and products are prompting others internationally to take notice.

The book offers a tip of the hat to established players who've had another great year like Swrve, Cubic Telecom, Fexco, Monex and TransferMate and creates fanfare around newer players like Soapbox Labs, Gecko Governance, Artomatix, Coroflo, Cainthus, RecommenderX and Plynk.

In total, itfeatures over 100 companies we've been tracking during the year and reminds the reader that these are Irish companies, building and expanding out of Ireland.

For readers like me who are based on home turf, the most compelling story might be the story of the regions in Ireland. We talk a lot about "the regions" here in Dublin but we also tend to go quiet when it comes to the details.

TechIreland tracks innovation across all 26 counties but the book focuses on a group of eight counties in particular. There are chapters dedicated to Cork, Limerick, Galway, Louth, Waterford, Kildare, Kerry and Donegal and again there are tips of the hat to companies like Teamwork and DroneSAR, Alison and Salaso, AQMetrics and Nova Leah, all of them leading the way for their counties when it comes to products, technology and funding.

When the report was first launched in January, one of the headlines picked up most frequently was that Limerick received more funding in 2017 than any other county outside of Dublin.

Some people protested that Limerick's first place was due to one company and one round of funding - Arralis which secured 50m funding in 2017 - but is that not a great reason to give kudos in itself?

Our data shows that Limerick is building and scaling Irish-born companies of the magnitude and power of Arralis, AMCS and others and these companies have created a platform for themselves and their county, and a slipstream for others to follow in their footsteps.

In fact, one of the trends we noticed when we first knuckled down to this work on the regions was how often local companies we were tracking had upped sticks and moved to Dublin. Migration to the city is natural and even critical for companies if a culture of innovation is thin on the ground at home. Regional enterprise funding, the presence of multinationals and other initiatives, like the recent launch of Crystal Valley Tech in Waterford, are starting to change this.

I'm excited about our book but the power of TechIreland's live database to showcase and connect companies to each other here at home is one of my favourite features. The Irish may be well networked in the States and even in Asia but we're divils for making those connections here at home. Want to build a community around what you do and what you need to be innovative? Find your neighbours using TechIreland, then ask us about them and we'll make some introductions.

Niamh Bushnell, founder and CEO of TechIreland, is a former Dublin commissioner for startupsBlockchain is a sequential database that records online transactions, which can never be modified due to its encrypted and distributed nature. In plain English, that means it's a system that doesn't need centralised authority to track interactions, the way a currency requires a central bank.

The best known blockchain product is bitcoin. But there have been some other stranger uses. There's Whoppercoin, a blockchain-based rewards programme from Burger King in Russia.

There's Dentacoin, a cryptocurrency to help dentists and patients share medical records, trade products and pay for procedures. And there's Potcoin, a cryptocurrency for the cannabis community, best known for sponsoring Dennis Rodman's trip to North Korea.

But it's not just dentists and dope-fiends that should take an interest in blockchain.

Po.et is a company that hopes to use the power of blockchain to support the troubled media industry. It has pedigree from the world of publishing; its new CEO is Jarrod Dicker, previously the vice-president of innovation and commercial strategy at The Washington Post.

"Po.et aims to be the platform for a new decentralised media economy," Dicker says. "That means it needs to power advancements in both attribution and valuations of media. Attribution is at its core. At its base, it is a shared, immutable, decentralised ledger for registering, licensing and attributing metadata about content creators' portfolios of works.

"On top of this foundation, we can build marketplaces and decentralised applications that use token-based reputation systems and the power of the network effect to crowdsource truth and attribution and reclaim value for content creators, publishers and advertisers alike."

Sounds promising, if fairly jargon-laden. But what does it mean? Po.et is trying to create a system for evaluating all online creative assets; journalism, photography, music, art and so on. This system could become the basis for a functioning marketplace, that puts a market value on creative work, and ensures the creator of that work is remunerated. But that's not all, according to Dicker.

"Po.et tokens being used as a commodity within the platform is highly plausible," he says. "If we do become the search engine for creative assets, then people will be able to use this to license content or commission content. I don't want to pigeonhole us and say that is the only way that tokens will be used, because I think there's a lot of people that are builders and not consumers who think that the point of the token is to build better applications on top of the po.et protocol, which we want to incentivise."

So far, however, po.et is being used for attribution on a variety of media platforms such as Bitcoin Magazine. The next step is Po.et verification for a host of media platforms, offering content creators an easy method to own and classify their IP.

Dicker believes this could also help in the fight against fake news. "Who wouldn't want to own their IP, whether they're publishers or independent journalists?" he says. "There's a value to them participating in the platform in a seamless way. That's at the core and that needs to be incentivised. We know technology can only go so far. We've seen with Facebook, Google and YouTube, with fake and promoted content that's trending, that there needs to be some human element. And that's where I see this incentivisation happening."

Po.et is owned and controlled by a diverse and international community of token holders. This decentralised set-up means an old-school command-and-control mentality doesn't fit. "I think it's important to note that we don't manage the community of token holders," Dicker says. "It is a community that has grown organically as the company has grown and continues to engage in its own capacity. Crypto communities require 24/7 global feedback, which is a lot different from a standard venture-backed startup."

Dicker is all too aware that the media industry has turned to the same technology companies that have disrupted their once-cosy existence to save their bacon. But Silicon Valley saviours, to date, have proven to be false prophets.

"The media space often falls within a reactive economy; meaning, they adapt to market situations and whatever cards are dealt to them. Formats and platforms like Facebook Instant, Google AMP, vertical video, etc are not products that were created based on a creator's need; they were based on platform need, and because media companies are so beholden to the platforms for traffic, they must react and adapt. Blockchain is different."Medical practitioners have a lot to answer for in this country. When it comes to our problems with spurious personal injury claims the finger often gets pointed at a minority of dodgy lawyers. But GPs and consultants are big earners and big players in our whiplash culture.

The same medical experts are also certifying claims for disability allowance, some of which are suspect.

The numbers claiming a disability payment have shot up in the last few years, with no clear explanation about where the extra numbers are coming from, according to a report by officials in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. In the last 10 years, which coincides with the economic downturn here, there has been hike of almost 42,500 in the numbers of people getting a disability allowance payment.

Chancers go to their general practitioner (GP), make up a tall tale about their "disability" and some doctors dutifully take down what they are saying and give them a note they then use to make a claim.

Now the Irish College of General Practitioners has admitted that the majority of compensated whiplash claims are "frankly spurious".

The professional body told the Personal Injuries Commission - headed up by former president of the High Court Nicky Kearns to look at award levels here compared with other countries - that whiplash has been monetised in the legal system, according to documents obtained by 'The Sunday Business Post'.

But it gets worse. The GPs admitted that the dynamics of the doctor-patient relationship meant that physicians can be "hopelessly compromised" when it comes to objective reporting of an injury.

What an admission. This amounts to GPs owning up to the fact that they go along with spurious and exaggerated injury claims to avoid damaging their relationship with patients. And honest drivers end up paying for this charade.

This is an extraordinary admission and comes a few months after a leading neurosurgeon said whiplash is a myth and written reports of it are mainly detailing non-existent injuries. Dr Charles Marks, a UCC lecturer, says the whiplash epidemic is a multi-billion euro gravy train that produces a good living for the medical profession and for solicitors and barristers, and the "victims".

Whiplash accounts for up to 80pc of motor injury claims. Pay-outs for whiplash are three times higher in this country than in Britain and a multiple of award levels in France.

The next time you get an elevated motor insurance renewal quote think of the role of some GPs in the great compo scam.Set up in 1978 by John Usher and now headed up by his son, Dermot, Sonas Bathrooms is Ireland's leading importer and distributor of bathrooms and accessories. Located in the North West Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15, the company employs 70 staff and has an annual turnover of more than 30m.

"We provide everything a customer will need when fitting out their bathroom," explains Dermot as he shows me around the company's extensive showroom. It is fitted out with everything from toilets and baths to showers, heated towel rails, mirrors and vanity cabinets.

"We don't sell directly to the public but rather access our customers through a network of nearly 400 retailers across the country - including all the major national building and plumbing merchants as well as independent bathroom retailers and smaller independent shops," explains Dermot.

"Our end customer, however, is anyone who's buying or installing a bathroom, from a home owner to a builder or plumbing contractor. Interior designers and architects too are important as they are key influencers in what products gets designed and specified into such fit-outs," he adds.

While the company services the residential market, it also has a customer base across the commercial sector.

Originally from Rathfarnham in Dublin, but now living in Straffan, Co Kildare, Dermot had been around the bathroom business sector from a young age. His late father, John, had worked as a sales rep with bathrooms supplies firm Twyford bathrooms, before setting up his own distribution business in 1978. When he became ill in 1991, Dermot joined the company to help his father out - and hasn't looked back since then.

"I've never been to university," says Dermot. "I did my Leaving Certificate and that was as far as I went. I have probably always struggled to apply myself academically and at the time wasn't really sure about what I wanted to do in life. It was personal circumstances that led to me getting involved in the business. Then when my father died of cancer a few years later, my brother, Gerard, a qualified plumber, and I took over the business. We started with very little but managed to achieve a turnover of the equivalent of 300,000 in our first year."

Only 23 years old at the time, Dermot found it a challenge at first to convince major suppliers and manufacturers to supply him with stock. Over time though, he made the strategic decision to create his own range of branded Sonas bathroom products.

"It gave us control of our own destiny as opposed to relying on other branded manufacturers, and today 75pc of what we sell is our own product range," explains Dermot.

In the early days too, Dermot struggled with certain aspects of the business. In particular, managing staff did not come naturally to him. Over time, however, he was able to build up a loyal and committed team and by learning to delegate, freed himself up to focus on his own key strengths.

"My strengths lie in strategy and long-term planning. I see my job now as helping keep the ship pointing in the right direction and keep everyone focused on key outcomes," insists Dermot. "I don't micro-manage any more. Instead, I let people get on with doing their work and reward positive behaviours. I have come to realise that the more control I've given up to trusted people, the more successful the business has become," he adds.

Other key strategies that proved successful included developing the Sonas catalogue, a most impressive resource that now helps both customers and sales staff in retail stores. Complete with accurate details and specific measurements, this makes the process easier for both sales and installation staff. The introduction of next-day delivery also helped increase the number of retail stores the company supplies.

Business grew steadily through the boom years. However, the downturn in the economy, and the near demise of the construction sector from 2007 onwards, saw the company's revenues fall from 21m previously to 10m in 2010. A combination of cost reduction and positive capital reserves saw them pull through.

"At the time, shops could no longer afford to tie up their cash in inventory, so we introduced next-day delivery to help in this regard. We also increased our emphasis on customer service and after-sales support, all of which helped," explains Dermot.

Employing 12 of their own sales reps to build and retain strong relationships with their customers also had a major impact and today their turnover, of 30m, has outstripped pre- recession levels.

There have been changes, too, in the structure of the business. In 2008, Dermot appointed a new managing director, Richard Sloan. Strong on interpersonal skills and focused on sales, his role has allowed Dermot focus even more on the future growth and strategic direction of the business. In 2017, the company received a private equity investment from MML Growth Capital Partners that allowed his brother, Gerard, to retire from the business.

"They really bought into the management team here and while they are very much hands-off, they offer a strong level of support to the business," Dermot adds. "With cranes now back on the horizon and new house building once again beginning to take off, the future looks bright," he says.

While Dermot Usher never set out to run a bathroom supplies business, fate intervened and led him in that direction. "While I didn't choose the path to begin with, I did chose the direction it has taken and thankfully I love it," insists Dermot. "I get more enjoyment out of it now than I've ever done and that's because the role that I have now suits me. It gives me the scope to take the business in the direction that I want it to go in.

"The fact that I can now delegate and choose people to do jobs that I'm not as good at allows me to do what I'm good at, which is strategy and marketing and growing the business."

Sonas Bathrooms

Business: Bathrooms and accessories

Set up: 1978

Founder: John Usher

Turnover: 30m

No of Employees: 70

Location: North West Business Park, Phase 3, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15.

Dermot's advice for other businesses

Follow up, follow up and follow up

Follow up on everything, from a sales lead to a customer complaint  everything. If you dont follow up, you wont get the sale. More importantly, you gain long-term respect and loyalty from developing a reputation for following up and sorting out your customers concerns.

Take control of your own destiny

Do not rely on others to bring in sales. Dont sit around waiting for things to happen. Youve got to take control of the situation yourself and go out and create demand for your product  yourself. Its your business, your brand and it is up to you to make things happen.

Simplicity is the key to success

Business is ultimately all about people. Look at things from the customers viewpoint. Make it simple and easy for people to do business with your company as possible. Simplicity is the key.

sonasbathrooms.comA steady plume of steam is rising from two rows of gas stoves with several large open saucepans. Each saucepan is bubbling away with its own jam, marmalade or preserve - and stirred with hurley-like Exoglass spoons. This is all happening in the commercial kitchens of Wexford Home Preserves - a family business in New Ross, Co Wexford, which is fast becoming one of the biggest homemade jam makers in the country.

The business produces 2,500 large jars a day of its biggest selling range of preserves - not to mention its smaller jars of limited edition products or gift ranges. Yet it still manages to be one of the few jam makers in the country still using the traditional open pot method.

Wholesome taste

It might be hard to replicate the homemade taste on a large scale, but the firm, run by husband-and-wife team Tom and Laura Sinnott, found it to be fairly straightforward. While other firms might use 15 to 20 feet-tall vats to produce their product, the couple just upped everything they did in terms of size.

"We went from small cookers to big cookers, from small boxes to big boxes, so it's quite easy to do," says Tom. "We sped up our method of doing it as well, but still coming out with the same taste.

"The other difference is in the way they are cooked - when the pot is not concealed, it just burns off differently and gives a wholesome taste."

Wexford Home Preserves has its roots in the good old days when what seemed like nearly every farming family in the south-east grew and sold surplus strawberries and raspberries outside their homes and farms, or on roadsides - thanks to its relatively sunny climate and good soil.

Among them was Tom's aunt Ellen O'Leary and her husband Sean, who grew and sold strawberries, raspberries and blackberries at Our Lady's Island in the far south of Wexford. It went well, but Tom's aunt also found that they were dealing with a lot of waste and excess. "So she used them [the leftovers of fruit which couldn't be sold] to make jam, and the jam proved more popular than the strawberries," says Tom.

Ellen set up a company with the name Wexford Home Preserves in 1988. "It got so big she had to build a purpose-built unit at the back of her house. The business grew and grew. She was selling to stores and there was a huge demand [for the jam]," says Tom.

Tom and Laura took over the firm in 2008 when Ellen was in her sixties. "Her family had moved on, with just herself and her husband left, so she decided it was time to retire. She had built up a really strong business and by the time we took over, she had faded out of the stores so we kind of had to start again from scratch."

Tom and Laura rebranded the company but retained the name as it still resonated strongly in the local area. They also relocated the business to New Ross, where the couple are both from.

Ellen stayed working with the couple for a year, teaching Laura all her traditional recipes, while Tom focused on the sales side. "She worked really well with us, she was so good, so determined to make it work for us as well, and we were so committed too," says Tom.

Until 2008, Tom worked as a builder. However, he also previously served time in retail thanks to his family's ownership of a chain of supermarkets, so he knew the trade well. Laura had worked in hotel and catering, tourism and hospitality, including at Slieve Russell Hotel in Cavan.

While Ellen's decision to retire created an unexpected opportunity, the couple had both wanted to go into business together. "We were so keen to do something together, so keen to start our own business, so this did fall in our lap - particularly the realisation that this was something that both of us could do," says Tom.

The business, which today employs 10 people, depends on a supply of waste by-products from six or seven local growers, making it a very 'green' and sustainable operation. "It's great business for them because while lots of their strawberries and apples are perfect, they can't sell them because they're the wrong shape or too big. What doesn't fit supermarkets is perfect for us," says Tom. "Their waste is down to a minimum."

It's a surprise then to hear that the company has a new sustainability plan that aims to reduce its own wastage even further.

Zero waste

"We had very little waste here anyway, as all of the fruit is used," says Laura. "The only things that are not used are the pips out of the oranges and lemons. We peel all the oranges and lemons by hand, and remove all the seeds by hand as well." But as part of the plan, they import their oranges from the Ava Maria Farm in Seville. "With their oranges, we keep the seeds and we use them as a pectin in our orange marmalade," says Laura. "So the waste was small when we started off, but with the sustainability plan, it's even smaller."

The plan also prompts them to think about other aspects of the business. For example, the company is putting in a new heating system to harness heat from the kitchen to heat the office.

The firm's main product range includes nine jams, four marmalades, and several relishes, but it also dabbles in many limited editions under the moniker 'Ellen's Choice', such as 'Irish Poitin Marmalade' and 'Wexford Blackcurrant and Rum Jam'. "The reason we do that is to keep the customers interested," says Tom. Sure enough, the demand for the limited editions has made the traditionally quiet months of January and February one of their busiest of the year.

"The sky's the limit with the marmalades." says Laura, who adds that developing the recipes is her favourite part of running the business. They've also spent the last two years developing a new 'No Added Sugar' range which is made with concentrated grape juice - a natural rather than a refined sugar. "We need to move with the times."

The firm's own brand products are currently on the shelves in 200 retailers ranging from small shops to big chains, and mainly in the Munster and Leinster regions. A big breakthrough to a nationwide market came in 2012 when Dunnes Stores asked them to produce preserves for the supermaket's own 'Simply Better' brand.

"That's something we're really happy to be tied to. They want quality Irish product with Irish ingredients, and that links into what we're trying to do," says Tom.

The couple are currently working with An Bord Bia to identify suitable export markets. However, their short-term priority at the moment is to expand the kitchens and prep areas in a way that will allow them to focus more on getting more retailers on board across the country.

"We're currently in about 60 SuperValus and hope to go nationwide with them but need to do some expansion here to allow us to do that," says Tom. "We have the space, so it's just a matter of finding the time and knuckling down to do it."

All the same, the couple aim to gradually scale without fundamentally altering the nature of the business. "The big focus for us is working with the local suppliers and fruit growers," says Tom. "That's our focus It would have been easy to go down the road of mass production but we haven't."There is speculation that Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzis ruling Democratic Party (PD), which is trailing in the polls may seek to form a coalition with Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia. Photo: Getty Images

Today the Italian electorate heads to the polls for the first time since a new electoral law came into place. Despite much less hype than the Brexit vote or the French presidential election, a great deal hangs in the balance - for Italy and the eurozone - on the outcome of the vote.

As the EU's third-largest economy, Italy has a high public debt and was very much at the centre of the sovereign debt crisis that hit Europe in 2011. Between 2009 and 2013 the Italian economy shrank by over 5pc and a substantial dose of austerity was administered by a technocratic government that ran the country for 18 months after Prime Minister Berlusconi's forced resignation in late 2011.

This, in turn, gave rise to anti-austerity and euro-scepticism in Italy, which remains of concern to investors and the wider eurozone. EU officials have recently become vocal on this: the president of the EU commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said Europe should be prepared for "the worst scenario" and warned of a "strong reaction" on financial markets.

Additionally, some high-profile investors, such as Bridgewater's Ray Dalio, have been shorting Italian and European stocks over recent months as they believe that rising populism - of the sort espoused by the Italian Five Star Movement [M5S] - remains a tangible macro and political risk for Europe.

Whereas recent economic news from Italy and the broader eurozone may stymie the march of anti-establishment parties, that is far from certain, as surprise votes in favour of Brexit and Trump will attest. An unexpected outcome in today's vote would unsettle international markets and have far-reaching and unintended consequences.

The main contenders

Since 2009, the Italian anti-establishment group M5S, has developed a fairly antagonistic stance toward the EU, the single currency, austerity, and high finance. This approach underpinned the movement's popularity winning 25pc of parliament seats in the 2013 election. Since then M5S was instrumental in former Prime Minister Renzi failing to secure proposed reforms in the 2016 referendum.

Formed in 2009 by comedian Beppe Grillo, M5S markets itself as a non-political party, refusing any traditional labelling. It is currently leading opinion polls at 28pc and is set to be the biggest individual party.

The name, '5-Star', refers to its stance on five flagship issues; publicly-owned water, sustainable transport, sustainable development, right to internet access and environmentalism. Now led by Luigi Di Maio, the growing popularity of this group may still come up short to form a single party government.

The centre-left coalition, led by Matteo Renzi's ruling Democratic Party (PD), is only third in polls with circa 23pc support. However many speculate that Berlusconi's Forza Italia might seek to form a grand coalition government with the PD.

The centre-right coalition is currently comprised of Forza Italia, and two far right parties: Lega & Brothers of Italy (FdI). It is a rather mixed bag as Forza Italia is a moderate (socially conservative, economically liberal) party, while Lega and Brothers of Italy are far right Euro-sceptics. That is not all; Lega has a regionalist-federalist philosophy while FdI is rather nationalist in its policies.

Another hung parliament?

New electoral laws, which were voted in last year, make it almost impossible for any single party to win the necessary majority to form a government. Many have argued this law was intended to complicate matters for the M5S, which despite sitting comfortably ahead in polls, is unlikely to achieve an overall majority. This is further complicated as M5S consistently rules out an alliance with more 'traditional' parties, an approach that would see it come up short against the centre-right coalition.

Ideologically, M5S claim to be neither a left-wing nor a right-wing group. However, upon reading their manifesto one will find a very leftist slant with slogans such as: less banks, more real economy.

Fiscal Expansion

From an economic perspective, most of the parties (although not so much the ruling PD) have included in their manifestos a number of generous promises that implies expansionary fiscal policies not consistent with the country's high public debt level. A more extreme expansionary stance, by a Euro-sceptic led government, could undermine recent economic growth in Italy and create instability for the single currency and the wider EU.

That has to loom large on minds of the electorate. Despite the substantial dose of austerity that was administered in recessionary times, are the voting public willing to put current growth on the line in favour of an anti-establishment?

Cautious Markets

Markets are taking nothing for granted. Since February 7, the Italian FTSE MIB stock index has started to lag the broader Stoxx Europe index and the yield spread between Italian and German 10-year bonds - a measure of perceived risk on Italian sovereign debt - has also started to rise.

Notwithstanding this concern, the considered view is that contenders are softening their rhetoric and no one party is likely to govern alone.

The most likely outcome therefore is a 'non-political' or grand coalition government whose more radical policies would likely be sufficiently diluted to ease any substantive threat to Italy's recent growth story... but remember Brexit and Trump.

Warning: Past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance. The value of investments may go down as well as up.

Zak Kacem is a portfolio manager in Davy Private Clients. Views expressed in this article reflect the personal views of the author and not necessarily those of Davy. Davy Private Clients is a division of J&E Davy. J&E Davy, trading as Davy, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.US President Donald Trump struck a defiant tone last Friday, saying trade wars were good and easy to win, after his plan to put tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium triggered global criticism and a slide in world stock markets.

The EU raised the possibility of taking countermeasures, France said the duties would be unacceptable and China urged Trump to show restraint. Canada, the biggest supplier of steel and aluminium to the US, said it would retaliate if hit by US tariffs. US stocks had opened sharply lower on Friday after Trump said on Thursday that a plan for tariffs of 25pc on steel imports and 10pc on aluminium products were designed to safeguard American jobs in the face of cheaper foreign products and would be formally announced next week.

"When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win," Trump tweeted on Friday. "Example, when we are down $100bn with a certain country and they get cute, don't trade any more, we win big. It's easy!" he wrote. It was not clear which country he was referring to.

The prospect of retaliation from Canada, China and Europe sent world stocks tumbling as investors turned to traditional safe havens such as government bonds, gold and the Japanese yen. "It is a real worry because Europe is an open global economy so it isn't just about US versus China," said Ian Ormiston, European equity fund manager at Old Mutual Global Investors. "And we will see retaliation, there are no two ways about it."

Home appliance maker Electrolux said it was delaying a $250m expansion of its plant in Tennessee as it was worried US steel prices would rise and make manufacturing there less competitive.

But Turkey's leading steelmaker, Borusan Holding, said it might expand its US steel pipe factory in Texas because of the proposed tariffs.

The European Commission called the US tariffs a blatant intervention that amounted to protectionism and promised to act "firmly" in response.

The EU, seeing itself as a counterweight to a protectionist-leaning Trump, made no mention of retaliation but spoke of countermeasures that conform with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

"We see international trade relations as a win-win situation," a European Commission spokesman said. "We don't see this as a situation where, like in a zero-sum game, one party loses because another party wins. Trade is beneficial for everyone. It needs to take place on the basis of rules and these rules are in place."

ReutersActress Amy Huberman is known for her witty tweet social media posts, but she's been on fire this week whilst cooped up at home due to Storm Emma.

There was the one about going for a 'leek' in the snow.

There was the one about not looking back in 'hanger'.

Dont look back in hanger. pic.twitter.com/3Zyd8GfKSj  Amy Huberman (@amyhuberman) March 3, 2018

There was the magical Christmas tree moment:

Chuffed that my procrastination skills and general lack of organization have resulted in the capturing of this magical Christmassy moment. pic.twitter.com/yUTYIUp8OL  Amy Huberman (@amyhuberman) February 28, 2018

But the best was easily her reference to #breadgate:

Can someone please start making Irish Born and Bread t-shirts for Paddys Day please?  Amy Huberman (@amyhuberman) March 3, 2018

Irish t-shirt company Hairy Baby heard her call and stepped up with a proposition. They are now making #stormemma and #breadgate t-shirts for Paddy's Day with all profits going to Focus Ireland.

Pls RT. So after my tweet earlier re #stormemma & #breadgate about the T-shirts myself & @HairyBabyTees quickly came together & we now have this just in time for Paddys Day with ALL PROFITS going to @FocusIreland Help us raise money for the homeless https://t.co/GAgCI9Bjw7 pic.twitter.com/uIcew3G6P7  Amy Huberman (@amyhuberman) March 3, 2018

Amy had joked about wanting 80% of the cut, but no, ALL PROFITS will go to the charity to help the homeless. You can buy one HEREThere was a decidedly strange mood outside the Four Courts on Monday afternoon. The contrasting sentiments of elation and dejection were nowhere to be seen as both sides appeared to claim victory.

Sinn Fein political manager Nicky Kehoe was talking happily about having his good name restored, while RTE was suggesting it was "a very positive" outcome, even though the State broadcaster had lost the case.

Kehoe had sued RTE for defamation over a discussion on Claire Byrne's radio show in October 2015 in which a guest, Joe Costello - then a Labour TD - had suggested that a member of the IRA army council controlled Sinn Fein councillors in Dublin City Council.

Another guest, Sinn Fein's Eoin O Broin - then a councillor, now a TD - immediately jumped in to say that Costello was referring to Nicky Kehoe and his allegations were groundless. He went on to robustly defend his party colleague.

In the High Court, Kehoe said he had turned his back on paramilitarism after being released from prison 26 years before and said that RTE should have shut down the debate as soon as his name was mentioned. He claimed his reputation had been destroyed in "one swipe".

Kehoe won the defamation action and was awarded damages of 3,500 - a remarkably low amount by Irish standards. The jury found that the defamation justified damages of 10,000 but that Costello - who had not been sued - was liable for 65pc for what had occurred.

RTE Radio 1 head Tom McGuire noted the 3,500 was the lowest High Court defamation award in modern times. He called it was "a very positive" outcome and said it vindicated RTE's decision to fight the case.

"It is really important that a public service broadcaster is able to host live vigorous political debate for the sake of our democracy," he said.

Like many in his profession, Eoin O'Dell, law professor at Trinity College Dublin, was intrigued by the outcome of the case. "The level of damages is very low relative to where damages have been in the past," he says, "and I wonder whether that's got to do with the reforms related to damages introduced by the Defamation Act 2009.

"Under that Act, the parties are entitled to address the jury in the question of damages and the judge has to direct the jury on the question of damages." It is, O'Dell says, "a significant change from the situation that went before".

"When juries weren't directed on damages we got very high awards like, say, the award for Monica Leech that the European Court for Human Rights held was too high and which your newspaper among others have campaigned against on the basis that Irish damages awards are disproportionately high compared to other jurisdictions."

In what is routinely held up by the media as an example of Ireland's draconian defamation laws, the Waterford businesswoman won 1.87m damages in 2009 after successfully suing Independent News and Media (INM) for a series of articles published in the then Evening Herald in 2005. The award was subsequently reduced to 1.25m by the Supreme Court.

Clear message

Last June, the European Court of Human Rights upheld a complaint from INM that the money awarded to Leech amounted to a violation of freedom of expression. The court ruled that the award amounted to a violation of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which provides a right to freedom of expression and information.

While the ruling did not have any impact on the size of the award given to Monica Leech, it sent out a clear message on the need for Irish courts to rein in libel awards.

But Eoin O'Dell believes that while the Kehoe ruling offers a positive to media organisations in terms of damages, there are negatives. "RTE relied on the defence of a fair and reasonable publication - or [in other words] a matter of public interest - and the jury held that that defence was not made out on the fact.

"I have been arguing that that defence is cast in too narrow an ambit, that its terms are very hard to satisfy in that there are just too many hoops to jump through. I think this case demonstrates just how difficult it is for the terms of that defence to be satisfied."

Seamus Dooley, Irish secretary of the National Union of Journalists, says the ruling is a cause for concern. "I think it has very serious implications for media organisations in general - and specifically for broadcasters. While the damages are quite small, the implications of the case are very serious. It raises issues of fundamental importance in relation to live broadcasting and the liability of a broadcaster even when the individual presenter or the producer has done his or her best to ameliorate a defamation which is outside the control of the broadcaster."

Dooley says the current defamation regime is relatively young and "one would have hoped that RTE's defence that it had done its best in the circumstances would have been enough to convince the jury". But that did not happen in this instance.

"When the bill was introduced," he says, "it was hoped that the realities of how the media operates would be reflected in the operation of the Act - that is not happening. Errors creep in. Media is like any line of work - there is a capacity for error. It is how a media organisation deals with the error that should be reflected in the law so, for instance, there's no doubt that in this case the presenter made an honest attempt to alleviate the damage that had been done. In the same way, in print journalism, if a mistake creeps in, it is the manner in which a newspaper addresses the mistake which should be taken into account. And the new Act hasn't got that balance right."

Because of the potentially high damages to be awarded and the exorbitant costs involved in High Court actions, media organisations often settle defamation cases out of court.

"The very fact that so many cases are settled and never come to court means that the public doesn't always have a full appreciation of the implications of defamation law," Dooley says. "And the forgotten dimension is that media companies are often not the masters of their own destiny as they may be guided by their legal team - and also by insurance companies."

Dooley says Ireland's defamation regime should be of interest to all of us, especially those who value the role that best-practice journalism plays in everyday life. "There is a danger of what the Americans call 'the Chill Effect', that the threat of defamation can inhibit journalism and can inhibit robust journalism," he says. "Large-scale damages [payouts] threaten the very existence of journalism as we know it."

Meanwhile, Nicky Kehoe is facing what's likely to be a hefty bill for costs. Outside the court, he said the case had been about his good name and not about money. "A jury of my peers has vindicated my name and I'm really, really happy with that because my name means a lot to me," he told reporters. "I am a good person and I worked really hard for that. That's the way I look at that."

Eoin O'Dell says: "I wonder then why he didn't seek one of the alternative remedies that are available under the 2009 Act - it's called a Declaratory Order - where, if all you want is a declaration that you have been defamed, there is a quick procedure in the Circuit Court to get that order.

"If it really was just about vindication, why didn't he seek a Declaratory Order? That would have reduced the complexity of the case and it would have reduced the costs associated with it."A man who was arrested in connection to the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was released without charge last night.

The man (60s) was arrested in Dundalk, Co Louth on Monday evening and was brought to Balbriggan Garda Station in Dublin.

A garda spokesman confirmed this afternoon that he was released without charged last night and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Another man (20s) was arrested outside of Wheatfield Prison in Dublin on February 25 in connection with Det Garda Donohoe's murder and is still being detained under the provisions of section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 at Dundalk Garda Station.

Det Garda Donohoe was fatally shot during a botched robbery in the car park of the Lordship Credit Union on the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth. After arriving on scene with Det Garda Joe Ryan to act as an armed escort for a staff member depositing a bag of money into a bank night safe, he got out to question a group of men acting suspiciously.

One of the men fired a shot gun at close range, killing Det Garda Donohoe.Dubliners pay, per head, the most tax in the country, and the amount they contribute is far ahead of their percentage of the working population.

That is the finding of an Independent.ie analysis of figures published by the Central Statistics Office in recent weeks.

Dubliners aged over 15 pay, on average, 10,181.33, each in annual tax.

The county that pays the next highest per head is Kildare, whose working age population pay on average 9,079.11 each.

The citizens of Donegal pay the least of any county in the country, with the average person aged over 15 living in Donegal paying 4,474.62 a year.

The national average is 7,855.56, meaning Dubliners pay 2,325.77 more per head while Donegal residents pay 3,380.94 less.

The figures come from data released last week by the CSO on county incomes for 2015.

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That release revealed how much tax was paid by each county in Ireland in that year. The tax paid figure is made up chiefly of income tax, USC and PRSI but also includes figures for Capital Gains Tax, Pension Fund Levy and other smaller taxes.

The figure for the entire state for 2015 was 29.5billion.

Dublin handed over the most, with just over 11billion (11,071,239,705) paid by residents of the capital. Using the CSO census figures for April 2016, Dublin's population over the age of 15 was 1,087,406 meaning that each citizen over that age was paying just over 10,000 in tax that year.

Dublin is, of course, the most populous county in the State so they should have the highest tax bill.

However, the figures show that for 2015, Dublin paid 37.5pc of the total taxes on personal income and wealth paid that year.

Dublin's percentage of the Irish population over 15 was 28.9pc, meaning Dublin was one of the few counties paying more than they should if the rate was to be purely on population levels.

Dublin did have by far the biggest discrepancy but Kildare (5.2pc of tax paid, 4.5pc of population), Meath (4.26pc paid, 3.89pc of population), Wicklow (3.12pc paid, 2.93 of population) and Limerick (4.22 paid, 4.14pc of population) all 'overpaid' based on population levels.

Read More

However the vast majority of counties, 24 of the 26, paid a proportion of the State tax that was within one percentage point of its population proportion.

Dublin was by far the largest discrepancy while Donegal was the other outlier.

Donegal has 3.31pc of the working population but paid 1.88pc of the tax, making them the only county with such a large 'underpayment' between population and percentage of tax paid.Irish Water says it can re-issue refund cheques to a nominated person of the account holder for anyone who does not have a bank (Stock photo)

The country is facing a week of water rationing due to depleted reservoir levels caused by households running taps to prevent pipes from freezing.

Leaks and burst pipes at water plants around the country have also prompted serious concerns about water supplies for the coming days. Irish Water dispatched teams to fix leaks and mechanical failures at major reservoirs impacted by the freezing weather.

Yesterday, more than 10,000 homes across the country had their water cut off completely and 66,000 had a restricted service.

Irish Water warned there would be even more restrictions in the coming days if people did not conserve water.

The State utility company said the combination of leaks and increased demand from people running taps continuously meant restrictions would be needed this week.

"Irish Water is appealing to customers all across the country to conserve water," a spokesperson said.

"Increasing demand, coupled with weather- related bursts and leaks, has resulted in our water treatment plants running at capacity, which could lead to water restrictions in the coming week.

"Irish Water is especially appealing to anyone with an outside tap to ensure that it is securely turned off. A constant flow from an external tap over 24 hours is the equivalent of the usage of 40 households in the same period.

"As weather conditions improve, our crews have been mobilised where it is safe to do so to make the necessary repairs at plants and to fix bursts."

Head of operations Catherine Walsh said the high demand was in part caused by people running taps to stop pipes freezing.

Those on restricted supply in Donegal included 44,000 people across four drinking water schemes - Gortahork-Falcarragh, Lough Mourne, Rosses and Creeslough.

In Galway, almost 6,000 people were affected by leaks at the Carraore and Tullycross plants. In Leitrim, 16,500 people on the South Leitrim rural water supply were hit by restrictions.

Meanwhile, 3,000 people were on storm-related boil water notices. A plant failure led to an immediate boil water notice in Aughrim, Co Wicklow, which affected 1,900 people.

Irish Water warned that services were running at capacity in Dublin, Louth, Meath and the Midlands, and asked that people living in these areas conserved as much water as possible.

Households in Cork city were issued with a specific water restriction warning owing to high levels of demand in the South.

"High demands have led to rundown of reservoirs which is creating the risk of restrictions. Customers in Cork city and county are particularly asked to conserve water at this time," a spokesperson said.

A power outage at the Staleen water treatment plant in Louth resulted in people's water being cut off during the snowstorm.

"During the outage water was diverted to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and the reservoir needed to replenish, affecting customers on the edge of the network," a spokesperson said.

More than 30,000 people were without electricity at the peak of Storm Emma and the Beast of the East. The ESB had restored power to almost 10,000 affected homes by yesterday afternoon.If Leo Varadkar thinks he has weathered the storm, he is mistaken. The snow will melt, but there will be further consequences to his 'spin' unit's promotion of the national development plan.

The only question is where the damage will end.

The plan itself has been overshadowed by the linked promotion of the Fine Gael party, ministers, TDs and, extraordinarily, even election candidates.

In the great scheme of things, damage done to the perception of the plan is neither here nor there. The public is dubious enough about it anyway.

In wider terms, though, the 'Government of Ireland' brand promoted by Varadkar's Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) is also tarnished.

And if that is so, then can government itself, or the permanent government, be far behind? That is one of the real concerns in this controversy: the 'politicisation' of the civil service to promote the national development plan to the wider benefit of Fine Gael.

The plan's 'advertorial' presentation in national and local press, and one regional newspaper group in particular, has caused widespread concern, the repercussions of which may be to hole the SCU below the waterline.

We will await a review of the SCU by Martin Fraser, secretary-general of the Taoiseach's department, with interest.

But if the unit must go as the price to safeguard the integrity of the civil service, then so be it.

In political terms, however, the Great Snow of 2018 may also be recalled as the time the honeymoon ended for Leo Varadkar.

A tonal shift is already evident. The political press which, until now, had given him a relatively easy ride, did not like the way the SCU sought to present the national development plan by buying newspaper space nationwide and then dictating the terms to promote the plan.

This shift will lead to a more critical and overdue analysis of Varadkar's leadership style, and such analysis is bound to have broader political implications.

Some of us have long highlighted his penchant for 'spin'; now others are doing so, and that includes Cabinet members.

By that, I do not just mean the Independent Alliance and other Independent ministers, but Fine Gael ministers too, who want far more focus on implementation than presentation or 'spin'.

The Independents were always uncomfortable with the SCU, and saw it as little more than an attempt to promote 'Project Leo' first and Fine Gael, rather than the stated intention to promote the work of government.

Last month Varadkar opened the new Microsoft campus at Leopardstown, south Dublin, a 'good news' event, a photograph of which duly appeared on his personal Twitter account.

He was joined by Fine Gael's Arts and Culture Minister Josepha Madigan, in whose constituency the facility is located, but there was no sign of Transport Minister Shane Ross, also of Dublin South.

I am given to understand that the SCU invited Ross too, but he declined to attend.

Independents are concerned their ethos is being subsumed, or swallowed whole into a marketing wheeze called the 'Government of Ireland', otherwise known as Fine Gael.

And who can blame them? The road to oblivion is long littered with smaller parties in government.

So, what will happen next? You can expect Fianna Fail and Labour to pile further into the controversy again this week.

There will be questions about who from the SCU met with whom in the media; when advertising agencies became involved, and under what criteria, and what other Government departments knew, specifically the Department of Finance.

Complaints have also been made to the Standards in Public Office Commission, which could result in Fine Gael returning taxpayers' money; and to the Advertising Standards Authority, which may have a thing or two to say about the decisions of various 'whizz-kids' behind the promotion, all of whom can expect to appear before an Oireachtas Committee soon.

So this controversy is set to run, but where it ends, and who ends up most damaged, nobody yet knows.Theresa May's plan to ensure the continuation of a soft border between Northern Ireland and the Republic could be rejected by the European Union, Tanaiste Simon Coveney has suggested.

The British Prime Minister has committed to leaving the EU customs union which guarantees tariff-free trade, but insists a hard border can be avoided through technological solutions and placing no new restrictions on the 80% of cross-frontier trade carried out by smaller businesses.

But Tanaiste Simon Coveney told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show he was "not sure that the European Union will be able to support" the plan, as it would be worried about protecting the integrity of the single market.

"While of course we will explore and look at all of the proposed British solutions, they are essentially a starting point in negotiations as opposed to an end point," he said.

Mr Coveney said if agreement cannot be reached during tri-partite talks between the UK, Ireland and the European Commission, the backstop plan of full British alignment with customs union and single market rules that Mrs May "committed clearly" to in December would have to be put in place.

In a major speech on Friday, Mrs May rejected "unacceptable" EU proposals to retain customs union arrangements in Northern Ireland, but accepted the UK's "responsibility" to help maintain a soft border with the Republic - spelling out in detail how she believed this could be achieved by technological means or through a broader trade agreement.

But Mr Coveney said: "This isn't a question of either side wanting to put up borders, but if you have to protect a functioning single market, just the same way Britain wants to protect its own single market, well then you have to understand that if goods move from one customs union to another then there needs to be some checks unless there is some mechanism that is negotiated and put in place that prevents that."

Mrs May said she was pleased that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had agreed to form the three-way talks to look at her proposals.

And she declined to defend Boris Johnson's comparison of the border to crossing between London congestion zones in Camden and Islington, but insisted both of them are "absolutely clear" that there will not be a hard border.

"We've got proposals as to how we're going to achieve that, now we're going to be able to sit down and talk with others about how we're going to do that," Mrs May told Marr.

It comes after Downing Street and Mr Johnson denied reports that Mrs May's chief of staff Gavin Barwell was behind a leak of a memo from the Foreign Secretary in which he said the Government should focus on stopping the Irish border becoming "significantly" harder, reigniting a row over the issue.

Meanwhile, Labour former cabinet minister Lord Mandelson dismissed Mrs May's Brexit plan.

He told Marr: "What Theresa May is doing is trying to dance on the head of a pin that simply doesn't exist."

He added: "It will be painful for the country as a result."ENGINE ROOM: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar chats to Assistant Chief Fire Officer Dennis Kelly, Sub Officer Caroline Byrne and Paul LeStrange, Station Officer, at North Strand Fire Station, Dublin, during a visit yesterday. Photo: Steve Humphreys

The Government should dramatically re-examine Ireland's position as a neutral country and build stronger military ties with other EU states, according to a radical new Fine Gael policy document.

Four Fine Gael MEPs, led by former minister Brian Hayes, will this week publish a policy paper which will challenge the Government's stance on defence and security.

The landmark document will call for greater cooperation between Ireland and the rest of the EU on military spending and operations in face of growing threats from Russia, international terrorist groups and cyber crime.

Dublin sources said the paper will also suggest a review of the triple-lock system on defence decisions which requires Government, Dail and UN authorisation before action can be taken.

The document is understood to argue that a referendum will be required if Ireland is to fundamentally change its traditional stance on defence and neutrality.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar recently said the definition of military neutrality has changed dramatically since Ireland declared itself a neutral state during World War II.

Mr Hayes's paper, which will be published on Friday, will be followed by a conference later this year on the potential role for Ireland within a new European Common Defence and Security policy.

It is understood the four MEPs are seeking to explain to an Irish audience the debate in Brussels on a new common security and defence policy and Ireland's role in this policy. The group believes Ireland should not sideline itself from this security debate in Brussels, especially now the UK is leaving the European Union.

Their paper is similar to debates in Finland and Sweden in recent years where a traditional policy of neutrality has come under scrutiny.

There will be an argument in the document to radically re-examine the 2015 White Paper on Defence in light of the debate taking place in the European Union.

The document will argue that Ireland should seek to obtain funds from the new EU defence fund. It will propose expanding the Irish naval force's interventions in the Mediterranean.

The document also looks for greater coordination with the EU on taking on foreign fighters coming through Ireland.

The paper notes that Ireland is vulnerable to an attack because of the presence of US multinationals and data storage facilities and the threat has to be taken seriously.

They will argue that EU systems on joint purchasing, joint maintenance contracts and use of other defence forces' capital facilities could be adopted by Ireland as part of a common security and defence policy.

The document argues for increased spending on defence, including on personnel, machinery and hardware to ensure Ireland can increase its contribution to the EU's security defences.

The MEPs also want a public information campaign in Ireland to warn people about international terror and cyber attacks.

The paper warns that Ireland is open to the same international threats as the rest of the EU. Specifically, it warns that 75pc of the EU's energy comes from Russia and Vladimir Putin's regime poses a huge threat to the continent.

Cyber attacks such as those which targeted the HSE and ESB last year suggest Ireland is vulnerable to hackers. The paper will look for a more integrated cyber security policy across government.

Subversion of our elections by foreign countries is also a real possibility, according to the MEPs. Human trafficking in Irish ports is another growing concern which could be tackled through greater integration with the EU defence and security,

Last December, Mr Varadkar insisted neutrality meant "something different now" and said Ireland was not neutral when it came to human trafficking, the migrant crisis and cyber attacks.

"In the 1940s, it was about not taking part in the Second World War. It is different now because the security challenges and security threats are different," he said.

"For example, things like cyber security and cyber terrorism, people interfering in other people's elections using online tools. It's managing mass migration. It's human trafficking," he said.Schools and colleges are expected to reopen tomorrow following the loss of three days due to severe weather.

However, it is being left to individual institutions to decide, depending on the circumstances and conditions in their area, according to the Department of Education.

And it appears the recent shortages of bread in shops will not hamper the making of sandwiches for school lunches as supermarkets replenish supplies.

A Department of Education spokesperson, speaking about the resumption of classes, said: "As always, schools must ensure the safety of those in their care and give due consideration to this when making a decision to reopen."

The spokesperson said the position regarding school transport services would be regularly monitored over the weekend.

"It is expected that Bus Eireann will be in a position to advise schools on school transport routes that will not operate on Monday and schools will contact the families involved.

"However, some decisions on individual schools transport routes may still not be confirmed until Monday morning, given changing local conditions.

"Where possible, information on routes not running will also be provided on the website www.buseireann.ie."

Minister for Education Richard Bruton thanked principals, teachers, students and parents who co-operated fully with the safety measures in place over the past few days.

On the return of normal bread supplies to shops, a spokeswoman for Tesco yesterday said she was confident supplies of bread and milk will be continuous over the next few days. "Our delivery vans have been making deliveries into stores since first thing this morning and suppliers have been working closely with us to ensure stock availability is good but it will take us a few days to get back to our normal service level."

She added that Tesco staff were surprised at the huge demand for bread before the snowstorm hit. It increased supplies on its shelves in the run up to the weather event.

Centra confirmed that the vast majority of its stores were open yesterday. And SuperValu also confirmed most stores were open.

Meanwhile, the country's retail and regular businesses were resuming normal operations following the weather emergency.

As the winds from the Russian Arctic began to ease across Ireland, the public were warned that Leinster and Munster counties now face a serious threat of flooding.

Thousands of tonnes of melted snow will combine with high spring tides and leave communities exposed to a serious risk of tidal flooding.

Flooding has already badly hit Dublin and Wicklow with Dun Laoghaire and Clontarf particularly badly hit.

Cork remains on a high alert for tidal flooding until tomorrow - though the city was spared property damage for high tides last Friday and yesterday. Cork towns including Midleton, Youghal, Clonakilty and Bantry will remain on alert for tidal flooding until tomorrow.

Irish Water Safety (IWS) pleaded with the public to avoid streams, rivers, lakes and exposed coastal areas over the coming days amid concerns that thousands of tonnes of snow melt could transform many waterways into raging torrents.

The Irish Coast Guard and RNLI warned that the flooding threat should not be underestimated over the coming days.

"It's been a tough few days for the country and people will want to get out and about as soon as the weather moderates. Many people rescued by RNLI lifeboat crews had no intention of entering the water in the first place," RNLI manager Owen Medland said.

"All too often, people's first instinct when they see someone in trouble in the water is to go in after them. If you see someone in danger, dial 112 and ask for the Coast Guard straight away. Look for a ring buoy or something that floats that they can hold on to - and throw it out to them."

Irish Coast Guard operations manager Gerard O'Flynn said snow melt will pose very serious risks along waterways.

"Irish Coast Guard teams around the country have been very busy providing support to the emergency services over the past few days.

"Please heed the warnings and be mindful of the risk posed by a surge in river levels following the expected thaw and be mindful of the risks on exposed coastal areas."

Retailers said the full cost of Storm Emma's disruption could reach tens of millions.Building snowmen, relaxing by the fire and family walks were among the ways some of Ireland's most prominent politicians passed their time during Storm Emma.

While Ireland shut down during the heavy snowfall, politicians kept their social media followers updated about what they were up to:

Leo Varadkar

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited North Strand Fire Station in Dublin yesterday and the crews at the salt depot near the M50 to thank them for their work over the past few days.

He shared these images on Twitter and told his followers that there's enough salt left for another two weeks.

Visiting North Strand Fire Station this afternoon to thank the crew here for all their hard work over the last few days. Fire crews around the country have been responding to emergencies throughout the severe weather. pic.twitter.com/oWKlj57rJS  Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) March 3, 2018

The teams here at the salt depot just off the M50 have been working round the clock, gritting our roads. Theyve helped to ensure our main supply routes have been kept open. Thankfully, theres enough salt for about another two weeks. pic.twitter.com/wKjn19Abqf  Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) March 3, 2018

Mary Lou McDonald

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald said she had a "proud mammy moment" as she watched her son a build a snowman - complete with a carrot nose, pineapple hair and raspberry eyes.

The creation didn't last long though as she said on Twitter her son quickly rugby tackled him.

'Well done son' . (proud Mammy moment) 'Thanks Ma. I'm going to rugby tackle him now' Oh dear!!!! pic.twitter.com/qz7FeNCTQY  Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) March 3, 2018

Brendan Howlin

The public were urged by Brendan Howlin to heed the safety warnings and to stay indoors from 4pm on Thursday until the worst of Storm Emma had passed.

The Labour party leader suggested that reading a book could be the perfect way to pass the time.

Please pay attention to @emergencyIE and @gardainfo safety warnings and stay indoors from 4pm, you're putting yourself and others at risk if you go outdoors. Staying inside is a good excuse to take advantage of #WorldBookDay. #BeastFromTheEast  Brendan Howlin (@BrendanHowlin) March 1, 2018

Billy Kelleher

Showing his creative streak, Fianna Fail's Health spokesman Billy Kelleher proved there was no need for fancy sleds in the slow.

He shared a picture on Twitter on himself with four children who were clutching his old election posters.

He joked: "Pays to keep a few posters, never know when they might be needed."

Pays to keep a few posters never know when they might be needed. pic.twitter.com/TjAGHClrPo  Billy Kelleher TD (@BillyKelleherTD) March 2, 2018

Richard Bruton

Education Minister Richard Bruton ensured his four-legged friend was well looked after during the storm, as he posted a picture of his cat sleeping by the fire.

He said: "Our beast is heeding the warnings."

Michael Healy-Rae

Michael Healy-Rae showed a different side to himself as he took part in "the mother and father of all snowball fights" in Kerry.

The Independent TD's son Jackie Jnr posted a video of the politician running as fast as he could away from the action.

Never seen @MHealyRae run so fast Engaged in the mother and father of all snowball fights #BeastFromTheEast #StormEmma pic.twitter.com/UasMfY9FNa  Jackie Healy-Rae Jnr (@Jackie_HealyRae) March 2, 2018

Alan Kelly

Labour TD Alan Kelly avoided getting cabin fever as he enjoyed a walk in snow-covered Loughtea, co Tipperary with his two young children on Saturday.Some scenes from around the country after Storm Emma hit Ireland

As heavy snow sent Ireland into into lockdown during Storm Emma, people across the country pulled together.

While treacherous roads and a Status Red weather warning suspended everyday life, we saw some truly heartwarming geatures.

Here are some of our favourite feel-good moments from the past few days:

When snow came to a little girl in ICU

Children across the country were delighted to make the most of the snow - building snowmen, sledding and playing outside with their friends and family.

Holly is in the Intensive Care Unit in Our Lady's Crumlin while she waits for a heart transplant so she couldn't go outside but the kind-hearted nurses ensured she wouldn't miss out.

And here are the nurses who brought the snow to Holly Well done ladies pic.twitter.com/v93mwEdyOP  HeartChildrenIreland (@HciCalendar) March 3, 2018

Snow heroes who helped a stranded ambulance

When this ambulance got stuck in the snow in Dublin during an emergency call, locals rushed to help them to get back on their way.

Those who helped couples to pull off a white wedding

Couples who tied the knot this week were probably hoping to enjoy spring sunshine on their big day but Storm Emma meant they ended up with a very white wedding instead.

Laura McDonagh and James Twomey feared they would have to postpone their wedding in Cobh, Cork on Friday due to the treacherous conditions but kind locals had other ideas.

After her sister Lisa appealed for help on 98FM's Opinion Line, Gus Tennant stepped up, using his 4X4 to bring the bridal party and other guests to the church.

Expand Close Bride Laura McDonagh makes it to Cork Cathedral with the help of some locals during Storm Emma, March 2018 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Bride Laura McDonagh makes it to Cork Cathedral with the help of some locals during Storm Emma, March 2018

Saying thanks to our heroic emergency workers

Our dedicated frontline emergency workers proved what heroes they are through their tireless work during Storm Emma.

Dublin Fire Brigade were delighted last night when Dominos Pizza and Firehouse Pizza sent their on-duty crews food on Friday night to say thanks.

Thanks for the #RandomActsOfKindness from @dominos and Firehouse pizza for dropping in some pizzas to tonight's on-duty crews acknowledging the work put in over the last few days. pic.twitter.com/FSKfDkTD1K  Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) March 3, 2018

These animal lovers who went above and beyond to care for our four-legged friends

Several feet of snow wasn't enough to deter the dedicated staff from the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals from their duties.

They braved the elements to make sure that more than 200 animals at their Dublin centre were fed and cared for.

Day 4. The DSPCA has been hit by some of the worst of the snow falls. Thankfully our very dedicated staff have managed to walk in to help provide vet care, food and comfort for the 200+ animals that are on site under our care. We cannot thank them enough #dspca #beastfromtheast pic.twitter.com/SRRL9WGlSV  DSPCA (@DublinSPCA) March 3, 2018

Volunteers who risked their safety to help rough sleepers

While the majority of us spent Storm Emma in our warm, safe homes, there are many people across the country who aren't as fortunate.

The volunteers from Inner City Helping Homeless put their own safety aside to provide vital and practical support to vulnerable people across the capital.

#ICHH volunteers went above and beyond over the past 48 hours putting others safety in front of their own. We have supported state run agencies when we aren't government funded ourself. If you would like to support our vital service you can do so here: https://t.co/EaTZSxDEZz pic.twitter.com/wQZUMbqYNZ  ICHHDUBLIN (@ICHHDUBLIN) March 2, 2018

Farmers and County council crews who pulled together to clear the roads

When the roads were impassable council crews and farmers were among the first to begin to clear and grit them, helping emergency vehicles to continue with their important work.

Here are some of the random acts of kindness that Indepedent.ie readers witnessed during Storm Emma:Widespread water rationing is now a possibility as the thaw sets in across the country.

Irish Water has already limited night-time supplies to a number of parts of the country.

And its chief executive Jerry Grant has warned that this could be increased dramatically in the coming days.

Water usage in Dublin rocketed by 60 million litres in the past 24 hours due to an mixture of increased consumption and leaks.

"It'll be difficult to maintain that," Mr Grant said.

In Wexford, there are restrictions in Wexford Town from 7pm.

In Mayo, Louisburgh water supply will be restricted due to excessive demand from 11pm to 7am.

In Galway, night time restrictions apply in Carraroe while there is 'intermittent supply' in Tir an Fhia.

In Donegal, the threat that a number of schemes face having night-time restrictions has been lifted,

Around 12,5000 customers in East Meath also face disruption due to what irish Water call "critically low levels" in the Carnes and Balloy reservoirs.

Laois has also been affected, with restrictions in place from 6pm to the Swan, Newtown Doonane and Crettyyard areas from 6pm Sunday.

And large parts of Longford, including Newtownforbes, Clondra, Granard Town, Ballinamuck and Drumlish, will face restrictions from 99pm tonight until 8am tomorrow.

From 8pm tonight, customers in Brosna will be without water until Monday morning.

The National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) held a lengthy meeting today at which a series of fresh snow-related problems emerged.

It will be far from 'business as usual' tomorrow although most schools and businesses are expected to reopen.

Commuters are being asked to avoid the M7 which still has only one lane open near Naas.

And business owners are being urged to stagger opening times in a bid to avoid normal rush hour traffic volumes.

Chairman of he NECG, Sean Hogan, said: "Where possible we are asking people to use public transport."

He said the M7 between junctions 8-10 "poses significant challenges".

Many communities in the south east, particularly in Wexford, are likely to remain cut off from main roads for days.

Massive snow drifts are also creating problems in parts of Kildare, Wicklow and Waterford.

And Met Eireann are now "quite worried" that a thick fog will descend tonight, making conditions even more difficult for emergency teams on the ground.

Temperatures are gradually rising though and the thaw will continue, with little frost predicted tonight.

Some concerns remain about the potential for flooding and people are asked to stay away from coastal areas at high tide.

More to followThe snow in Kilbraney in Co. Wexford on Friday Picture: Patrick Browne

One Irish Red Cross 4x4 ambulance in the south east has been involved in 23 call outs in just two days as that part of country bears the brunt of Storm Emma.

A spokesperson for the Irish Red Cross told Independent.ie that between Friday and Saturday, the Enniscorthy-based vehicle dealt with a number of serious incidents in the region.

These call-outs covered;

a medical emergency to Wexford General Hospital

a fall to Wexford General Hospital

a fracture to Waterford University Hospital

16 transports to the dialysis unit

4 transports of key nursing staff to Wexford General Hospital

This was all completed by one four-wheel-drive ambulance manned by three Irish Red Cross volunteers.

Paddy Redmond, Irish Red Cross Area Director of Units for Wexford said: "Were down here doing the best we can. The four-wheel-drive ambulance has been all over the place. Its the star of the show. We went places you cant get in with a tractor!

"We finished at a quarter to 11 last night having started at 7.30am. On Friday we started at 6.30am. There was a medical emergency the other day, a fracture and a fall, and they all had to be transported to hospital. And they were just some of the call-outs. Its just me and two drivers, its been very difficult. But thats what were here for."

According to the Red Cross' National Director of Units Tony Lawlor, the severe snowfall that affected Wexford is the worst since the 1947 snowfall and that led to particular challenges faced by the National Ambulance Service in Wexford, mainly due to the severe access restrictions in many parts of the county.

Nationally the Irish Reed Cross has dealt with almost 150 call outs since Friday.

Wexford remains one of the worst affected counties and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is visiting the county today.

Schools in the worst affected parts of the county are not expected to open tomorrow, while power outages and flooding risks remain.Penny Vincenzi, the writer, who died last Sunday aged 78, sold her first story aged eight and went on to become a fashion journalist and romantic novelist, the author of some 17 bestsellers which have sold more than seven-million copies worldwide.

Astute, vivacious, tough- minded, funny, and popular both with colleagues and rivals, Penny Vincenzi never made any claims to literary merit, unashamedly placing her novels in the "sex-and-shopping" category.

Indeed it was through the acknowledged queen of the genre, Jilly Cooper, whom she had been sent to interview in 1988, that she got her first break into best-sellerdom.

Jilly Cooper put her in touch with her agent: "I had the plot in my head already When they told me it was sold for 100,000 before I'd written a word, I nearly passed out!"

As her first novel, Old Sins (1989), raced up the charts, she gave up the day job and went on to churn out blockbuster after blockbuster, often running to 600-odd pages, every two years, on average.

Her stories usually featured strong women battling their way to success - and love - in a male-dominated world. All her books, Penny Vincenzi explained, were based on the simple question "What if?" "What if you were left a lot of money?" (Windfall); "What if a bride disappeared on the morning of her wedding?" (Another Woman)."What if your husband asked you to perjure yourself for him, to keep him out of jail?" (The Dilemma); "What if you had been abandoned as a baby, or had abandoned a baby?" (Sheer Abandon).

Penny Vincenzi described herself as "a storyteller who can make people forget their own lives and problems", though reviewers could be sniffy. Yet her books offered plenty of glamour, romance and action, and she was adept at managing labyrinthine plots - The Best of Times (2009), for example, explored the effects of a motorway pile-up on an extensive cast. Her characters were vividly drawn and she was genuinely sad to say goodbye to them when a book was finished.

Indeed, the story of Penny Vincenzi's own move from journalist to becoming one of the highest-earning authors in the country could have leapt straight from the pages of one of her novels.

She was born Penelope Hannaford in Bournemouth on April 10, 1939, the only child of a bank-manager father and housewife mother, and grew up surrounded by books.

When she was eight, she laboriously tapped out in triplicate a little magazine of her own stories on her mother's typewriter, which she took to school and sold to her friends for tuppence. By her teens, she had progressed to "dreadful novels, full of forbidden passion and harrowing childbirth scenes".

She was educated at Totnes High School, then, after the family moved to London, at Notting Hill and Ealing High School. After training at a "posh secretarial college", she landed her first job on her local parish magazine ("I was fired for being glib about the Ladies' Sewing Guild") after which she became a junior secretary at Vogue ("just like The Devil Wears Prada").

She then moved to the society magazine Tatler, where she became the editor's secretary.

In 1960 she married Paul Vincenzi, an advertising consultant with whom she had fallen in love aged 19, and two years later joined the Daily Mirror, where she worked for the women's editor Marjorie Proops for a year before moving to the fashion department.

Her husband died in 2009. Penny Vincenzi is survived by four daughters.

 TelegraphFemale students are being urged to consider Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (Stem) subjects in school and at third level by some of Irelands most accomplished scientists and technologists.

In a series of special podcasts hosted by Irish Independent technology editor Adrian Weckler in conjunction with Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), the range and depth of opportunities are discussed with a range of experts, including Margie McCarthy, head of education and public engagement at Science Foundation Ireland.

Ms McCarthy, an engineer by training, said that there are now many role models for female students in Stem careers.

These include Dr Annie Curtis, pioneering research scientist on the human body clock and winner of the L'Oreal-Unesco Science 2017 Fellowship, and Dr Norah Patten, the Mayo woman who is training to be Irelands first astronaut.

The podcast series also has interviews with Dr Curtis and Dr Patten.

The special podcast series comes at a seminal time for science, technology, engineering and maths in Ireland.

Nine of the worlds top ten multinational technology companies maintain major headquarters or bases in Ireland, including Google, Facebook, Intel, Microsoft and Dell.

Many of the world's top selling medicines are made here too, thanks to the majority of global pharmaceutical and biotech firms making Ireland their home.

The experts interviewed in the podcast series advise parents and guardians on a number of different ways that they can help their child consider a Stem-related career.

(i) By going to STEM-related events (such as Science Week shows) you can help to introduce your children to real people that work in these areas and start to change their perceptions.

(ii) Make sure you are comfortable with college websites and other important sites such as Qualifax.ie and the CAO website. Familiarise yourself with all avenues including alternative entry routes into courses, such as PLCs.

(iii) Read all about the diverse career paths open to students with STEM qualifications on SmartFutures.ie which also provides students and parents with valuable insights and examples of STEM role models.

(iv) It is also important to help your child attend college open days so they can gain a better understanding of what each third-level institute offers.

(v) Getting involved with your childs school work not only helps you identify your childs development but also gives you an insight into their curriculum.

(vi) Attend science and engineering festivals and events - there are many free activities and clubs all over the country for students to get involved in.

Theres more advice and information for parents, students and teachers available at smartfutures.ie.It's the kind of gig that most designers dream of landing, but creating the perfect red-carpet gown for the Oscars can be something of a pressure cooker.

This year, Irish designer Laura Jayne Halton has designed a bespoke piece for Oscar-nominated director Nora Twomey.

It will be her third time designing a piece for the Oscars red carpet - she designed a dress for Twomey when she attended the ceremony with 'Song of the Sea', and for Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly, who was nominated for her short film 'Head Over Heels' in 2013.

According to Halton, designing for the Oscars results in you questioning everything you know about design. "It most certainly is nerve-racking," she told the Irish Independent. "There is a weight of pressure that comes with being given the task of designing something for the Oscars. You question everything - will it be enough, should I change this or that, will it be liked?

"But you have to make a call to push all of that aside and begin with the most important factor, which is the woman who will be wearing the dress. Ensure that she is wearing it and not vice versa."

Black-gown politics have been front and centre of most red carpets this awards season, as women and men rally to show their support for the #TimesUp movement.

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Halton says herself and Twomey decided they would not stick to a black dress. "As time moves forward, so has the movement," Halton said.

"Wearing black created a strong visual show of solidarity, but the tide of change seems to be pushing forward with more affirmative action."

As it happens, this week the founder of #MeToo, Tarana Burke, said she is not concerned if actors do or don't wear black when they make their way into the Dolby Theatre.

"We have real work to do, making sure survivors have what they need to have to heal. Whether they do something for the Oscars or not doesn't matter to me," she said.

Everyone becomes an armchair fashion critic on the night of the Oscars - but Halton says she steers clear of any 'sack the stylist' pieces online.

"For me what's most important is that my client feels great in the dress, and her most glam self.

"Fashion is like art, everyone has their own style, likes and dislikes, that is what keeps it interesting."

Her one hard and fast rule of Oscar dressing is keep it simple.

"I love pared-back elegance. When a woman is confident and comfortable in what she is wearing, it's like the perfect finishing touch to the whole glamorous look."Question: How do Hollywoods brightest stars spend the day before the Oscars?

Answer: Drinking Capri-Sun style pouches of Pimms in a rain sodden tent by the sea.

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Yesterday afternoon, actors and filmmakers gathered in an overcast and showery Santa Monica for the 33rd Independent Spirit Awards - which celebrates movies made for a budget under $20 million.

Held in the middle of the day, the awards show is a laid back, boozy precursor to tonights Academy Awards.

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The dress code is get dressed, host Nick Kroll said.

Carlow native Saoirse Ronan arrived with her Lady Bird co-star Beanie Feldstein in a 1960s inspired embellished Green Prada dress.

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Ronan was up for Best Lead actress for her role in Greta Gerwigs Lady Bird but lost out to Frances McDormand.

Barry Keoghan who was honoured earlier in the week at the Oscar Wilde Awards was also in attendance for his role in The Killing of the Sacred Deer.

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Sadly, he missed out and the Best Supporting Actor award went to Sam Rockwell.

Jordan Peeles horror film Get Out was the big winner taking home Best Director and Best Film.

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The last four Spirit Best Picture winners have gone on to pick up the Best Picture at the Oscars, Moonlight, 'Spotlight, 'Birdman, '12 Years a Slave.

Asked if this made him hopeful about the outcome of tonights Oscars he replied; "It's Saturday. Tomorrow's tomorrow. That's what's up."

The film, which was made for just $4.5 million and grossed $255 million worldwide, won over audiences and critics for its depiction of racial prejudice.

"This project didn't start as a statement," said Peele. "It began as me wanting to make a film in my favourite genre.

I sat down and would smoke a little weed and try to write a mind-bending horror film, my favourite genre and at some point I followed the truth and I realized there are people locked up for smoking less weed than I smoked writing the movie."

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Lady Bird writer-director Greta Gerwig won best screenplay for her coming of age feature.

"Thank you to my parents for watching the plays that I put on in the living room and thank you to my brother and sister for acting in them," said Gerwig.

While Alison Janney was named Best Supporting Actress for her role in I, Tonya and credited her background in competitive figure skating for giving her an understanding of Tonya Hardings mother.

Oldest Oscar nominee Agnes Varda won the Best Documentary category for Faces Places.

She said the win meant she was not nervous about tonights black tie event. Weve won this so the trip over was not a waste, she said.

Discussing the recent allegation of abuse and misconduct in Hollywood, hosts John Mulaney and Nick Kroll jokingly asked if it was possible to separate the artist from the art for some of the men.

"Like with Kevin Spacey: Can we still love 'K-PAX?" Kroll pondered.Australias former deputy prime minister, who resigned last month over an extra-marital affair with his press secretary, acknowledged in a media interview that the baby being carried by his pregnant former staffer may not be his.

Barnaby Joyce, who was pressured to quit by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over the sex scandal, told Fairfax Media that the identity of the biological father wasa grey area, but that it made no difference to his feelings.

Its mine, on the record, there it is, Joyce was quoted as saying in a story published late on Saturday.

And can I say, even if it wasnt, I wouldnt care, Id still go through this, Id still love him.

The revelation is the latest twist in a long-running saga that pitted the National Party, the junior partner in Australias coalition government against its senior ally, the Liberal Party.

The coalition holds a one-seat majority in parliament, rendering the decades-old conservative alliance vulnerable to any instability.

Joyce had initially resisted pressure from Turnbull to quit, but resigned as leader of the Nationals in February after a new allegation of sexual harassment emerged. He was replaced by Michael McCormack as leader in a party-room ballot and now sits on the backbench.At Silvio Berlusconi's voting station in Milan, a Femen activist bared her chest in front of the former premier and shouted, "time's up" before being hauled away.

"She passed so quickly I didn't get a chance to see her," quipped Berlusconi, who has a history of being caught up in sex scandals.

Italians waited in long queues at polling booths on Sunday to vote in an election that could bring political gridlock after a campaign marked by anger over the listless economy, high unemployment and immigration.

Pollsters have predicted that former prime minister Berlusconi's centre-right party and his far-right allies will emerge as the largest bloc in parliament but fall short of a majority.

The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement looks set to be the biggest single party, feeding off discontent over entrenched corruption and growing poverty, while the ruling centre-left bloc led by the Democratic Party (PD) is seen in third place.

Berlusconi and 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio both had to wait in queues to cast their votes as new election procedures slowed the process at several polling stations.

Berlusconi also said he was concerned about the queues.

"There will be queues as well this evening. I am worried that there might be some situations in which some people will not be able to vote," he said.

The turnout by noon was a little more than 19 percent. That was higher than five years ago, when Italians voted over two days, but slightly lower than a 2016 referendum in which the final turnout exceeded 68 percent.

The turnout by noon was a little more than 19 percent. That was higher than five years ago, when Italians voted over two days, but slightly lower than a 2016 referendum in which the final turnout exceeded 68 percent.

Heavily indebted Italy is the third-largest economy in the 19-member euro zone and, though investors have been sanguine ahead of the ballot, prolonged political stalemate could reawaken the threat of market instability.

Polling stations close at 2300 (2200 GMT), with exit polls due immediately afterwards. The vote is being held under a complex new electoral law that could mean the final result will not be clear until late on Monday.

Confusion over the new system led to 200,000 ballot papers having to be reprinted overnight in Palermo, where some polling stations delayed opening amid protests from voters. There were also reports of misprinted ballots at one polling booth in Rome.

The campaign has marked the return to frontline politics of 81-year-old Berlusconi, who was forced to quit as prime minister in 2011 at the height of a sovereign debt crisis and was widely written off after sex scandals, legal woes and ill health.

A 2013 conviction for tax fraud means he cannot hold public office and he has put forward Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament, as his candidate for prime minister.

Tajani's moderate profile is aimed at allaying fears in Europe about his populist allies, notably the League, whose leader Matteo Salvini has promised to deport the 600,000 boat migrants who have arrived in Italy over the past four years.

Some pollsters say the League could overtake Berlsuconi's Forza Italia party on Sunday.

Populist parties have been on the rise across Europe since the 2008 financial crisis, but mainstream parties in Italy have found it especially hard to contain voter anger, with the economy still 6 percent smaller than a decade ago and unemployment stuck at about 11 percent.

The 5-Star Movement, led by 31-year-old Di Maio, has been particularly successful at tapping into the disaffection in the underdeveloped south and has promised a monthly universal wage of up to 780 euros ($960) for the poor.

"I think 5-Star will win ... but I'm also worried that there won't be a winner. Both scenarios look catastrophic to me," said Giuseppe Ottaviani, who voted in Amelia, central Italy.

Although all party leaders have ruled out any post-election alliances with rivals, Italy has a long history of finding a way out of apparently intractable political stalemate.

But if, as expected, no one clinches clear victory on Sunday, it might take weeks before a government deal is reached.Paul Brown, founder of salad and soup brand BOL, which removing dairy from its products (PA)

A former boss at Innocent Drinks is risking another financial hit to his soup and salad start-up by ditching dairy from the product range.

BOL Foods founder Paul Brown said his ethically-inspired move had proved a tough sell to investors because a similar decision to remove meat and fish had dealt a near 3 million blow to sales.

The 38-year-old, who set up BOL in 2015 following a 14-year stint at smoothie-maker Innocent, said he felt compelled to produce purely plant-based ready meals following concerns over the environmental damage of intensive animal farming.

It has been widely claimed that meat and dairy farming is exacerbating global warming by filling the atmosphere with dangerous levels of carbon dioxide.

Despite the ingredient shake-up, BOL is still on track to more than double sales to 10 million this year, as the firm eyes an international push into Ireland and France.

Speaking to the Press Association, Mr Brown said the financial impact of his decision to cut out dairy would not be as drastic because existing products were being redeveloped.

He said: When we dropped meat and fish it was a case of dropping the recipes from market, so going to our customers and saying these recipes will no longer be available.

This is why the sales dropped so drastically.

Because we have had more time to plan this change, which we will be making at the start of the summer, all being well we wont lose the space and lose the sales.

I cant afford to make another decision that halves the size of the business.

BOL  pronounced bowl  employs 41 full and part-time workers and manufacturers its salads, vegetable pots and soups at sites in Leicestershire and Merseyside.

The decision to remove meat and fish from its product range caused sales to slump 23% to 4.8 million in 2017.

However, sales for the first quarter of this year are already three times higher than the year before, putting the firm in line to boost revenues by 110% in 2018.

The London-based firm is backed by more than 20 investors, including Innocent founders Richard Reed, Adam Balon and Jon Wright through their start-up fund JamJar Investments.

Mr Brown said his backers needed a lot of persuasion before agreeing that a dairy-free future was the right direction for the business.

He said: In year two we were getting up to 6 million in retail sales and we won National New Business of the Year  things were going pretty good.

So for me to then tear up the rule book and say Sorry, guys, I dont want to part of this massive problem for our generation, there is going to be some bold moves, short-term risk, and a massive downturn in sales, but we can rise out and make ourselves stronger for the future

In the end everyone has backed it, but it has not been complete plain sailing.

He said the brand would roll out at least 11 new recipes across its product range this year, as he looks to make significant inroads into the UKs 3.9 billion ready-meals market.

Mr Brown was food commercial director of Innocent, until the firm called time on its veg and noodle pot range in March 2015.This photo provided by the official Facebook page of the Syrian Presidency, Syrian President Bashar Assad, center, speaks with reporters, in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, March 4, 2018 . Assad vowed Sunday to continue with a military offensive in a rebel-held region near the capital, as troops and allied militias captured a number of villages and towns in the besieged region, in their largest advance since a wide-scale operation began last month. (Syrian Presidency Facebook Page via AP)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed to continue an offensive in eastern Ghouta near Damascus on Sunday as his forces advanced into the last major rebel enclave near the capital.

The offensive is one of the deadliest in the war and one local insurgent group called it a "scorched earth" campaign.

The government is pressing on despite Western calls for it to abide by a 30-day, countrywide ceasefire demanded by the U.N. Security Council.

"We will continue fighting terrorism ... and the Ghouta operation is a continuation of fighting terrorism," Assad said in comments to journalists broadcast on state TV.

The advances have forced thousands of civilians to flee deeper into the rebel-held territory, where some 400,000 people live, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a resident said on Sunday.

Government forces need to advance just a few more kilometres (miles) further to split the enclave in two, said a commander in the military alliance that backs Assad. The Observatory said government forces had seized a quarter of the territory.

Assad said there was no contradiction between daily, five-hour humanitarian ceasefires called by his ally Russia, and ongoing combat operations, noting that advances by government forces in the last few days had occurred during the truce.

The Russian ceasefire plan calls for five-hour pauses to allow for aid deliveries and evacuations of civilians and wounded. The U.S. State Department has called the Russian plan a "joke".

Assad, in his first comments on the offensive, said most people in Ghouta wanted to return to state rule.

"Therefore we must continue with the operation and in parallel open the way for civilians to leave," he said.

Russia and Damascus have accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving eastern Ghouta during the daily ceasefires. Rebels have consistently denied this accusation and say people will not leave because they fear the government.

A U.N. humanitarian official said people in eastern Ghouta were being subjected to unacceptable "collective punishment", which is illegal under the Geneva Conventions.

Assad dismissed Western statements about the humanitarian situation in eastern Ghouta as "a ridiculous lie".

With the war entering its eighth year, capturing the eastern Ghouta area would be a major victory for Assad, who has steadily recovered control of rebellious areas with Russian and Iranian support.

French President Emmanuel Macron asked his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani to put pressure on the Syrian government to end attacks against the Ghouta region and to allow humanitarian aid to flow.

British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia must use its influence to make Damascus cease the eastern Ghouta campaign, May's office said.

Without decisive Western pressure to halt the offensive, eastern Ghouta appears on course to meet the same fate as other rebel areas retaken by Assad, such as eastern Aleppo, recovered using similar tactics of siege, bombardment and ground assaults.

Rebels eventually withdrew from eastern Aleppo in late 2016 in a mediated deal, leaving to opposition-held territory near the Turkish border.

The multi-sided war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people since 2011, has escalated on several fronts this year, as the collapse of Islamic State has given way to other conflicts between Syrian and international parties.

One of the main insurgent groups in eastern Ghouta, Jaish al-Islam, said the government's "scorched earth policy" had forced rebels to retreat and regroup, but vowed to recover lost territory.

One resident estimated that thousands of people were on the move and seeking shelter in areas further from the frontlines.

The Observatory estimated that between 300 to 400 families, which is likely several thousand people, had fled areas seized by government forces since Saturday. The pro-Assad commander said civilians were fleeing to the town of Douma.

The Observatory says government shelling and air strikes have killed 659 people in eastern Ghouta since Feb. 18, while rebel shelling of Damascus has killed 27.

U.N. regional humanitarian coordinator Panos Moumtzis said violence has escalated in eastern Ghouta and mortars fired into Damascus had killed and injured scores of civilians.

"Instead of a much-needed reprieve, we continue to see more fighting, more death, and more disturbing reports of hunger and hospitals being bombed," Moumtzis said in a statement.

The United Nations later issued a statement saying it had received approval for a 46-truck convoy to the Ghouta town of Douma on Monday, carrying health and nutrition supplies, and food for 27,500 people. A second trip was planned for Thursday.

Earlier, a U.N. official in Syria told Reuters a humanitarian convoy carrying life-saving supplies would not enter eastern Ghouta as had been planned on Sunday, citing a lack of permission.

Moumtzis also expressed concern about the situation in Afrin, a Kurdish region under Turkish assault since January, saying there were "disturbing reports" of civilian deaths and injuries and restrictions on civilian movement.

Turkey, backed by Syrian militias, has gained ground in recent days in Afrin. The Observatory said the advancing forces could soon besiege Afrin city, where 1 million people live.

The Observatory said Turkish forces had advanced to within 12 km (7 miles) of Afrin.

Turkey's army said on Sunday it captured seven settlements including the town of Sheikh Hadid. Turkish forces have taken control of the roads from Rajo and Jandaris to Afrin, it also said in a statement.

Turkey has rejected Western calls for it to suspend the Afrin assault in line with the U.N. ceasefire, which does not apply to Islamic State, al Qaeda and groups associated with it, or other groups deemed terrorists by the Security Council.

Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is deemed a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. The YPG has been an important ally for the United States in the fight against Islamic State.Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, a onetime US ally who was ousted as Panama's dictator by an American invasion in 1989, has died aged 83.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela wrote in his Twitter account that "the death of Manuel A Noriega closes a chapter in our history".

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Varela added: "His daughters and his relatives deserve to mourn in peace."

Noriega served a 17-year drug sentence in the United States and was later sent to face charges in France. The final years of his life were spent in a Panamanian prison for murder of political opponents during his 1983-89 regime.

He accused Washington of a "conspiracy" to keep him behind bars and tied his legal troubles to his refusal to co-operate with a US plan aimed at toppling Nicaragua's leftist Sandinista government in the 1980s.

In recent years Noriega suffered various ailments including high blood pressure and bronchitis.

In 2016, doctors detected the rapid growth of a benign brain tumour that had first been spotted four years earlier, and in the following January a court granted him house arrest to prepare for surgery on the tumour.

He is survived by his wife, Felicidad, and three daughters, Lorena, Thays and Sandra.

Following Noriega's ousting, Panama underwent huge changes, taking over the Panama Canal from US control in 1999, vastly expanding the waterway and enjoying a boom in tourism and real estate.

Today the Central American nation has little in common with the bombed-out neighbourhoods where Noriega hid during the 1989 invasion, before being famously smoked out of his refuge at the Vatican Embassy by incessant, loud rock music blared by US troops.

Known mockingly as "Pineapple Face" for his pockmarked complexion, Manuel Antonio Noriega was born poor in Panama City on February 11 1934 and was raised by foster parents.

He joined Panama's Defence Forces in 1962 and steadily rose through the ranks, mainly through loyalty to his mentor, General Omar Torrijos, who became Panama's de facto leader after a 1968 coup.

As Gen Torrijos' intelligence chief, Noriega monitored political opponents and developed close ties with US intelligence agencies guarding against possible threats to the canal. Two years after Gen Torrijos died in a mysterious plane crash in 1981, Noriega became the head of the armed forces and Panama's de facto ruler.

Noriega ruled with an iron fist, ordering the deaths of those who opposed him and maintaining a murky, close and conflictive relationship with the United States. At the apex of his power he wielded great influence outside the country as well thanks to longstanding relationships with spy agencies around the world, said RM Koster, an American novelist and biographer of Noriega who has lived in Panama for decades.

Noriega was considered a valued CIA asset and was paid millions of dollars for assistance to the US throughout Latin America, including acting as a liaison to Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

Noriega also helped the US seize drugs at sea and track money laundering in Panama's banks, and reported on guerrilla and terrorist activities.

Washington ultimately turned sour on him, especially after a top political opponent was killed in 1985 and Noriega appeared to join forces with Latin American drug traffickers. Foes in the Panamanian military attempted several coups but failed, and their leaders were summarily executed by firing squad.

The beginning of his downfall came in 1988 when federal grand juries in the Florida cities of Miami and Tampa indicted Noriega on drug-trafficking charges.

Initially he reacted with defiance, thumbing his nose at US economic sanctions designed to drive him from power. He famously waved a machete at a rally while vowing not to leave, and in 1989 he nullified elections that observers say were handily won by the opposition.

US President George HW Bush ordered the invasion in December 1989, and Noriega was captured and taken to Miami. During the operation, 23 American military personnel died and 320 were wounded, and the Pentagon estimated 200 Panamanian civilians and 314 soldiers were killed.

Prosecutors accused Noriega of helping Colombia's Medellin cocaine cartel ship "tons and tons of a deadly white powder" to the United States.

The defence cited court documents describing him as the "CIA's man in Panama" and argued that the indictment "smells all the way from here to Washington".

Jurors convicted Noriega in April 1992 of eight of 10 charges. Under the judge's instructions, they were told not to consider the political side of the case - including whether the US had the right to invade Panama and bring Noriega to trial in the first place.

During his years at a minimum-security federal prison outside Miami, Noriega got special PoW treatment, allowed to wear his Panamanian military uniform and insignia when in court.

He lived in a bungalow apart from other inmates and had his own television and exercise equipment. He was said to be a TV news junkie and a voracious reader about politics and current events.

After completing his 17-year sentence in 2007, Noriega was extradited to France and received a seven-year sentence for money laundering.

But Panama wanted Noriega to return to face in-absentia convictions and two prison terms of 20 years for embezzlement, corruption and murder of opponents, including military commander Moises Giroldi, who led a failed rebellion on October 3 1989, and Hugo Spadafora, whose decapitated body was found in a mailbag on the border with Costa Rica in 1985.

In mid-2011, France approved his extradition to Panama.

Despite amassing great wealth, Noriega had worked hard to cultivate an image of a man of the people. He lived in a modest, two-storey home in an upper-middle-class neighbourhood in Panama City which stood in stark contrast with the opulent mansions customary among Latin American dictators.

"He would only say 'hello' very respectfully," said German Sanchez, who lived next door for 16 years. "You may think what you like of Noriega, but we can't say he was anything but respectful toward his neighbours."

"The humble, the poor, the blacks, they are the utmost authority," Noriega said in one speech.

While some resentment lingers over the US invasion, Noriega has so few supporters in modern-day Panama that attempts to auction off his old home attracted no bidders and the government decided to demolish decaying building down. Late in life, the ex-dictator essentially had zero influence over his country from behind bars.

"He is not a figure with political possibilities," University of Panama sociologist Raul Leis said in 2008. "Even though there's a small sector that yearns for the Noriega era, it is not a representative figure in the country."

Noriega broke a long silence in June 2015 when he made a statement from prison on Panamanian television in which he asked forgiveness of those harmed by his regime.

"I feel like as Christians we all have to forgive," he said, reading from a handwritten statement. "The Panamanian people have already overcome this period of dictatorship."

But for the most part Noriega stayed mum about elite military and civilian associates who thrived on the corruption that he helped instil - and which still plagues the Central American nation of some 3.9 million people, a favoured transshipment point for drugs and a haven for money laundering.

"He kept his mouth shut and died for the sins of others," biographer Mr Koster said in a 2014 interview. "Nobody else ever went to prison."

Meanwhile, families of more than 100 who were killed or disappeared during his rule are still seeking justice.U.S. President Donald Trump waves upon his arrival in West Palm Beach

President Donald Trump has engaged in a good-natured duel of one-liners with political rivals and the press at the annual Gridiron Dinner.

The president dished out sharp one-liners throughout his comments on Saturday night, occasionally lapsing into recurring themes about the 2016 election and media bias.

"Nobody does self-deprecating humour better than I do. It's not even close," said President Trump, who skipped last year's dinner.

He also said: "I was very excited to receive this invitation and ruin your evening in person. That's why I accepted."

The annual dinner of the Gridiron Club and Foundation, now in its 133rd year, traced its history to 1885, the year President Grover Cleveland refused to attend. Every president since has come to at least one Gridiron.

"Rest assured, Mr President, this crowd is way bigger than Cleveland's," Club President David Lightman, congressional editor for McClatchy News, told the white-tie audience at the Renaissance Washington Hotel.

The organisation said the event attracted about 660 journalists, media executives, politicians, administration officials and military officers.

Members of the Washington press corps sharpened their wits for musical and rhetorical takedowns of the president, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama.

President Trump's speech lasted more than half-an-hour and included plenty of one-liners.

A sample of his barbs:

- On his son-in-law: "We were late tonight because Jared could not get through security."

- On Vice President Mike Pence: "He is one of the best straight men you're ever going to meet ... he is straight. Man." Trump also said, "I really am proud to call him the apprentice "

- On Attorney General Jeff Sessions: "I offered him a ride over and he recused himself. What are you going to do?"

- On The New York Times: "I'm a New York icon. You're a New York icon. And the only difference is I still own my buildings."

- On former chief strategist Steven Bannon: "That guy leaked more than the Titanic."

- On the first lady: Trump said he doesn't understand why everyone says #freemelania. He said she's actually having a great time.

Towards the end of his comments, President Trump could not resist some of his favourite themes, revisiting his election night victory and chiding reporters to be fair.

He closed by saying: "I just want to say this, this is one of the best times I've had with the media - this might be the most fun I've had since watching your faces on election night."President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were in Florida at the time (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP)

Authorities have identified the man who fatally shot himself in front of the White House.

Police say it was 26-year-old Cameron Ross Burgess, recently of Maylene, Alabama, who approached the fence along the north side of the White House and fired several rounds from a handgun shortly before midday Saturday.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were in Florida at the time, and the Secret Service said no member of the first family was at the White House then.

Authorities say none of the shots appeared to have been directed toward the White House.

Final Update: Secret Service can confirm that no member of the First Family was at the @WhiteHouse during today's incident outside the fence line.  U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) March 3, 2018

Media outlet Al.com reported that an Auburn University spokesman said Burgess graduated from the school in 2013.

The newspaper reported state records for Burgess revealed no criminal history.People chant Macedonia during a protest against the change of the countrys constitutional name, in Skopje, Macedonia (Boris Grdanoski/AP)

Several thousand protesters in Macedonia have demanded that the government call off ongoing talks with neighbouring Greece over a decades-long name dispute.

Civic organisations joined under the motto We are Macedonia to organise a rally in the capital, Skopje, on Sunday.

They are urging the government not to agree to any changes to the countrys name and to protect the Macedonian national identity and language.

Premier Zoran Zaevs nine-month-old centre-left government has opened negotiations to resolve Greeces assertion that Macedonias name in its current form implies a territorial claim against its own region with the same name.

Mr Zaev has said he could accept a geographical qualifier, such as Vardar, upper or north, as a compromise, but insists the new name must respect the dignity of Macedonias people.President Donald Trump has engaged in a good-natured duel of one-liners with political rivals and the press at the annual Gridiron Dinner.

The president dished out sharp one-liners throughout his comments on Saturday night, occasionally lapsing into recurring themes about the 2016 election and media bias.

Nobody does self-deprecating humour better than I do. Its not even close, said President Trump, who skipped last years dinner.

Highlights now coming through via radio pooler @stevenportnoy of @POTUS remarks at #gridirondinner. He joked his staff was concerned he couldnt do self deprecating humor. "I told them not to worry. Nobody does self deprecating humor better than I do."  Steve Herman (@W7VOA) March 4, 2018

He also said: I was very excited to receive this invitation and ruin your evening in person. Thats why I accepted.

The annual dinner of the Gridiron Club and Foundation, now in its 133rd year, traced its history to 1885, the year President Grover Cleveland refused to attend. Every president since has come to at least one Gridiron.

Rest assured, Mr President, this crowd is way bigger than Clevelands, Club President David Lightman, congressional editor for McClatchy News, told the white-tie audience at the Renaissance Washington Hotel.

President Trump just finished his remarks at Gridiron dinner, which is like a toast. One of his jokes, a riff on WH departures. "Everyone is asking who will be next to leave -- Stephen Miller or Melania?"  Ted Johnson (@tedstew) March 4, 2018

The organisation said the event attracted about 660 journalists, media executives, politicians, administration officials and military officers.

Members of the Washington press corps sharpened their wits for musical and rhetorical takedowns of the president, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama.

President Trumps speech lasted more than half-an-hour and included plenty of one-liners.

A sample of his barbs:

 On his son-in-law: We were late tonight because Jared could not get through security.

 On Vice President Mike Pence: He is one of the best straight men youre ever going to meet  he is straight. Man. Trump also said, I really am proud to call him the apprentice 

 On Attorney General Jeff Sessions: I offered him a ride over and he recused himself. What are you going to do?

 On The New York Times: Im a New York icon. Youre a New York icon. And the only difference is I still own my buildings.

 On former chief strategist Steven Bannon: That guy leaked more than the Titanic.

 On the first lady: Trump said he doesnt understand why everyone says #freemelania. He said shes actually having a great time.

Towards the end of his comments, President Trump could not resist some of his favourite themes, revisiting his election night victory and chiding reporters to be fair.

He closed by saying: I just want to say this, this is one of the best times Ive had with the media  this might be the most fun Ive had since watching your faces on election night.New York, Mar 4 (IBNS): Reach for the hand of a loved one in pain and not only will your breathing and heart rate synchronize with theirs, your brain wave patterns will couple up too, according to a new study.

The study, by researchers with CU Boulder and University of Haifa and published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) this week, also found that the more empathy a comforting partner feels for a partner in pain, the more their brainwaves fall into sync. And the more those brain waves sync, the more the pain goes away.

The study is the latest in a growing body of research exploring a phenomenon known as "interpersonal synchronization," in which people physiologically mirror the people they are with. It is the first to look at brain wave synchronization in the context of pain, and offers new insight into the role brain-to-brain coupling may play in touch-induced analgesia, or healing touch."We have developed a lot of ways to communicate in the modern world and we have fewer physical interactions," said lead author Pavel Goldstein, a postdoctoral pain researcher in the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab at CU Boulder. "This paper illustrates the power and importance of human touch."

Goldstein came up with the experiment after, during the delivery of his daughter, he discovered that when he held his wife's hand, it eased her pain.

"I wanted to test it out in the lab: Can one really decrease pain with touch, and if so, how?"

He and his colleagues at University of Haifa recruited 22 heterosexual couples, age 23 to 32 who had been together for at least one year and put them through several two-minute scenarios as electroencephalography (EEG) caps measured their brainwave activity.

The scenarios included sitting together not touching; sitting together holding hands; and sitting in separate rooms.

Then they repeated the scenarios as the woman was subjected to mild heat pain on her arm.

Merely being in each other's presence, with or without touch, was associated with some brain wave synchronicity in the alpha mu band, a wavelength associated with focused attention.

If they held hands while she was in pain, the coupling increased the most.

Researchers also found that when she was in pain and he couldn't touch her, the coupling of their brain waves diminished.

This matched the findings from a previously published paper from the same experiment which found that heart rate and respiratory synchronization disappeared when the male study participant couldn't hold her hand to ease her pain.

"It appears that pain totally interrupts this interpersonal synchronization between couples and touch brings it back," says Goldstein.

Subsequent tests of the male partner's level of empathy revealed that the more empathetic he was to her pain the more their brain activity synced.

The more synchronized their brains, the more her pain subsided.

How exactly could coupling of brain activity with an empathetic partner kill pain? More studies are needed to find out, stressed Goldstein. But he and his co-authors offer a few possible explanations. Empathetic touch can make a person feel understood, which in turn - according to previous studies - could activate pain-killing reward mechanisms in the brain.

"Interpersonal touch may blur the borders between self and other," the researchers wrote.

The study did not explore whether the same effect would occur with same-sex couples, or what happens in other kinds of relationships. The takeaway for now, Pavel said: Don't underestimate the power of a hand-hold.

"You may express empathy for a partner's pain, but without touch it may not be fully communicated," he said.

Irit Weissman-Fogel, of University of Haifa, and Guillaume Dumas and Simone Shamay-Tsoory, of Florida Atlantic University, contributed to this study. It was supported with a grant from the Binational Science Foundation.Shillong, Mar 4 (IBNS): Conrad Sangma, son of former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma and National Peoples Party (NPP) leader, will be sworn in as Meghalaya Chief Minister on Mar 6.

Meghalaya governor Ganga Prasad asked Conrad Sangma to form the next government on Mar 6 when newly elected MLAs of NPP, BJP, United Democratic Party (UDP), People's Democratic Front (UDP), Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and an Independent MLA and senior BJP leaders led by Conrad Sangma on Sunday evening met the Meghalaya governor at Raj Bhawan in Shillong and staked a claim to form new government in the hill state.

The team led by Conrad Sangma also submitted a list of 34 newly elected MLAs to support Conrad to form new government.

While the Meghalaya polls threw a hung verdict, all the regional parties and BJP agreed to support the NPP to form a non-Congress government in the state.

After the meeting with the Meghalaya governor, Assam minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said that, 34 newly elected MLAs have extended their support to Conrad Sangma to form a new non-Congress government.

Among them 2 are from BJP, 19 of NPP, 6 of UDP, 4 of PDF, 2 of HSPDP and one Independent MLA. The governor asked Conrad Sangma to form the new government on March 6, Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The BJP leader also said that UDP has not demanded any Deputy CM post and one BJP minister will be inducted in the new government.

Sources said that, Conrad Sangma will be sworn in as new Chief Minister of Meghalaya during a grand function to be held at Polo ground, Shillong.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma had submitted his resignation letter to the governor.

The political scenario in Meghalaya has dramatically changed after UDP leader and former Meghalaya CM Dr Donkupar Roy said his party has decided to extend support to NPP and Conrad Sangma.

Earlier, Minister of State for Home and senior BJP leader Kiren Rijiju had met the UDP leader urged to unite to form a non-Congress government.

On Sunday morning, Independent elected candidate from Baghmara Samuel M Sangma met Assam minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma and extended his support to BJP.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)Itanagar, Mar 4 (IBNS): Security forces have apprehended a hardcore NSCN (IM) militant, along with arms and ammunition, in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday, officials said.

Kohima based Defence PRO Colonel Chiranjeet Konwer said that based on intelligence input, the Assam Rifles troops of Longding battalion, under the aegis of Dao division, launched an operation in Longding area and apprehended one hardcore NSCN(IM) militant.

The nabbed militant was identified as Pujat Wangsu alias Wanghbo.

He is a self-styled corporal of the outfit.

Security personnel have recovered one pistol, ammunition and large amount of cash in possession from him.

Pujat Wangsu has been involved in extortion activities in the area for a long time and the local population has been harassed by him for money, the Defence PRO said.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)Srinagar Mar 4 (IBNS): A terrorist was killed in an brief encounter with security forces in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Sunday evening, police said.

According to reports, suspected terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) of armys 44 RR at Pahnoo village in Shopian.

In a retaliatory fire, one unidentified terrorist was killed while other managed to escape, taking advantage of darkness.

Armys Srinagar based defence ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said in a WhatsApp message that terrorists attacked Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) of armys 44 RR at Pahnoo village at around 20:00 hours.

The fire was retaliated and it triggered off a brief gunfight.

"During an exchange of gunfire, an unidentified terrorist was killed and his body, along with a rifle, was recovered," the spokesman wrote.

The spokesman further wrote that the identity of the militant is being ascertained.

Meanwhile, security forces have intensified searches in the area to nab the escaped terrorist .

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)Kohima, Mar 4 (IBNS): Nagaland governor PB Acharya has given 48 hours to incumbent Chief Minister TR Zeliang to prove his majority after he refused to resign , despite his party Naga Peoples Front (NPF) losing its majority in the assembly polls results.

On Sunday, a delegation team of BJP and Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), led by Chief Ministerial candidate Neiphiu Rio and senior BJP leader Ram Madhav, had met Nagaland governor PB Acharya at the Raj Bhawan in Kohima and staked a claim to form new government and claimed support of 32 newly elected MLAs in the 60-member house.

Acharya asked Rio to submit signatures of all 32 MLAs.

The Nagaland governor has also asked TR Zeliang to prove his majority within 48 hours.

Meanwhile, not ready to quit from the post, incumbent CM TR Zeliang, who is now at Kohima, said he will meet BJPs national president Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss about formation of government, while two BJP ministers are still in his ministry.

On the other hand, NPFs president Shurhozelie Liezietsu said that NPF and BJP have been friends for a long time and both parties can form a strong and stable government as NPF bagged 26 seats and 12 by BJP.

Meanwhile, Nagaland BJP president Visasolie Lhoungu has sent a letter to the Nagaland governor and said that BJP extends its support to pre-poll alliance partner NDPP in the formation of new government in Nagaland.

In the final result of the Nagaland assembly poll, BJP has won 12 seats, while NDPP won 18, 26 by NPF, 2 by NPP and one each by JD (U) and Independent.

After the results, lone Independent elected candidate Tongpang Ozukum and lone JD (U) elected candidate G Kaito Aye have supported the BJP-NDPP alliance.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)Srinagar, Mar 4 (IBNS): A terrorist was killed in a brief encounter with security personnel in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Sunday evening, police said.

According to reports, suspected terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on a Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) of armys 44 RR at Pahnoo village in Shopian in the evening.

In a retaliatory fire, one unidentified terrorist was killed while another managed to escape taking advantage of darkness.

Armys Srinagar-based defence ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said that terrorists attacked the MVCP at around 20:00 hours.

The fire was retaliated triggering off a brief gunfight.

"During exchange of gunfire an unidentified terrorist was killed and his body along with an AK-rifle was recovered," the spokesperson said.

He said the identity of the militant is being ascertained.

Meanwhile, security forces have intensified searches in the area to nab the terrorists who fled the scene. .

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)

A terrorist and three others were killed on Sunday evening in a gunfight with security forces in Shopian district of South Kashmir.

According to a Defence spokesman, "a joint Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) was fired upon by terrorists near Pahnoo village in Shopian district of south Kashmir at 8 p.m today (Sunday)."

In retaliatory firing, a terrorist identified as Shahid Ahmad Dar, son of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, resident of Jamnagri of Shopian, was killed and a weapon was found with him.

"Three Over-Ground Workers (OGWs) or accomplices in the car who were accompanying the terrorist were also found to be dead."

Police have reached the spot and started legal formalities, the spokesman added.

While the army confirmed that the three slain persons were OGWs of terrorists, the police are yet to confirm their exact identity.

Locals, however, claimed that the three slain persons were civilians without any militant connections.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)New York, Mar 4 (JEN): The two deadly terrorist attacks in Burkina Fasos capital, Ougadougou, on Friday have been strongly condemned by the United Nations.

The attacks against the countrys military headquarters and the French Embassy resulted in at least 16 deaths and scores of injuries, according to media reports.

In a phone call that day to President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed solidarity with the countrys Government, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.

The UN chief encouraged the authorities to launch an investigation into the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.

He also expressed his profound sympathy to the families of the victims in addition to wishing a speedy and full recovery to the injured.

Guterres reiterated the UNs commitment to support Burkina Faso in its efforts to fight violent extremism and terrorism and create the conditions for sustainable peace and development, among other measures.

Burkina Faso is among a group of five Sahel countries, together known as the G5, which are facing complex interconnected security and development challenges.

The others are Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

The Secretary-General renews his call for an urgent and concerted effort by the international community in support of the countries in the region to tackle, in a holistic manner, the peace and security, development and humanitarian challenges affecting the Sahel, including through the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel and the full operationalization of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, the statement concluded.

The members of the UN Security Council have also condemned the attacks in the strongest terms, describing them as barbaric and cowardly.

The Council has issued a statement underlining that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed.

The 15 ambassadors expressed their solidarity with Burkina Faso in its fight against terrorism and also stressed the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism, which may be conducive to terrorism.

UN Photo/Violaine Martin (file)London, Mar 4 (IBNS): A religious teacher, who attempted to groom children to become future suicide attackers, has been convicted of preparing acts of terrorism in London, officials said.

The teacher has been identified as Umar Haque.

As per Met Police, Haque was in the early stages of planning a multi-faceted attack on businesses and communities in London and had been attempting to radicalise 55 children, whom he envisaged would assist him.

"A group of men involved in a plot to carry out a terrorist attack in the UK using an "army" of children have been convicted today, Friday 2 March, following an investigation by the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command," the police said in a statement.

The Old Bailey heard how detectives arrested ringleader Umar Ahmed Haque, 25 (04.06.92), from east London, on 17 May 2017 after investigating his activities.

Through their enquiries, detectives identified that a further two men were assisting him, both of whom they arrested on the same day as they took Haque into custody.

Abuthaher Mamun, 29 (25.09.88), of east London helped Haque plan the attack and tried to raise money to fund the plan.

Muhammad Abid, 27 (16.08.90), of east London was a confidante of Haque's as he developed his plan, and made no attempt to report Haque's planned "annihilation" of members of the public to police.

The Counter Terrorism Command, assisted by MI5, prevented Haque from pursuing his terrorist plan to target up to 30 groups, businesses and establishments in London.

Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command, said: "Haque was a dangerous man who was inspired by attacks in Europe and Westminster. He wanted to orchestrate numerous attacks at once, using guns, knives, bombs and large cars to kill innocent people.

"We recovered a number of exercise books from his home and it was evident from his notes that his plan was a long-term one. He intended to execute his plan years later, by which time he anticipated he would have trained and acquired an army of soldiers, including children," Haydon said.

Haque first came to the attention of the Met Counter Terrorism Command in April 2016, when police officers stopped him at Heathrow Airport as he attempted to fly to Istanbul, Turkey.

His phone detailed searches for terrorist attacks and executions. While there was no evidence on which Haque could be charged, his passport was revoked by the Home Office under Royal Prerogative.

Evidence subsequently gathered by counter terrorism officers demonstrated Haque had begun planning an attack in the UK.

In conversations with Mamun and Abid, he discussed various aspects of his plot, from how to increase the strength of a bomb and what type of vehicle to use, to where to carry out an attack and what the police response would be.

In a five-hour phone conversation in March 2017, Haque - who was an administrator at an after-school madrasa at Ripple Road Mosque in Barking - told Abid that he had radicalised 16 children. Police had no intelligence to support this claim, but after arresting the group, detectives continued their enquiries and established the full scale of Haque's attempt to radicalise children.

Social service workers, together with police, assessed that Haque had attempted to radicalise 55 children aged 11 to 14 while working at Ripple Road Mosque.

Commander Haydon continued: "When specially trained officers interviewed the children, they described being shown by Haque horrific videos of extreme terrorist violence including executions.

"They told police how Haque made them roleplay terrorists and police officers, with the children acting as terrorists being made to stab the 'police officers' to death.

"The children were paralysed by fear of Haque, who they understood to have connections to terrorists and who essentially told them that a violent fate would befall them if they told anyone what he was doing. They were too afraid to confide in anyone.

"It's crucial that the police, partners and communities do all they can to identify where young and vulnerable people are being radicalised and I urge anyone with concerns that this is happening to report it confidentially to police."

All 55 children have received safeguarding support and 35 have been assessed to require longer-term support, which is being provided to them.

Haque's friend Abid, who he knew from a local mosque, listened at length to Haque's plans to kill people including his supposed justification for murder; his hypothesis on the police and public response to a multi-pronged attack and how he intended to have "another 30 or 40 men on standby" if he was arrested.

It was in one of these conversations that Haque told Abid of his view that the public should be "annihilated", yet Abid made no attempt to tell police of Haque's atrocious plans.

Like Abid, Mamun knew Haque from a local mosque and listened to Haque's plans. He helped Haque strategise, and was planning to take driving lessons so that he could teach others in Haque's aspirational "army" to drive.

He also made unsuccessful attempts to invest money online in order to raise money to fund Haque's plans.

As part of their investigation, police looked at the activities of Haque's neighbour Nadeem Patel, 26 (25.11.91) from east London. They arrested him on suspicion of possession of a firearm on the same day they arrested Haque, Abid and Mamun, having recovered a Walther P99 handgun from his home. The gun was capable of firing blank cartridges.

They also recovered 20,000 cash from around his house.

Haque was on Friday found guilty of two counts of preparation of terrorist acts and one count of collection of information useful to terrorism.

He had already pleaded guilty to one count of dissemination of terrorist publications and three counts of collection of information useful to terrorism.

He was found not guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess a firearm.

The jury was hung in respect of one count of dissemination of terrorist publications and the judge ordered that this charge lie on file.

Mamun was found guilty of one count of preparation of terrorist acts.

Abid was found guilty of one count of having information about acts of terrorism.

Patel was found not guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess a firearm. He previously pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon, for which he was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment today.

Abid, Mamun and Haque are scheduled to be sentenced at the Old Bailey later this month, on a date to be confirmed.



Image: Met Police WebsiteIslamabad, Mar 4 (IBNS): At least three Pakistani children died after undergoing routine immunisation vaccines in Nawabshah area of the country, media reports said.

Seven children have fallen seriously ill after the vaccination episode.

According to the affected parents, the children were vaccinated as part of a routine vaccination campaign in Maryam Road area of the city. After the administration of the vaccines, however, the children fell seriously ill, Geo News reported.

While, one child died at home, others passed away at Peoples Medical Hospital.

As per Geo News report, Medical Superintendent at Peoples Medical Hospital, Dr Mazhar confirmed that the children had been given routine immunisation vaccines.

He said the cause of the death could only be confirmed after post-mortem.

Vaccination campaign has been suspended in the region following the incident.

Health Minister Dr. Sikandar Ali Mandhro told Geo News an investigation into the incident is under way, to determine the cause of the childrens death.

Picture: Represenatative Image/UN websiteA gig economy indicates an environment in which temporary positions are common and organizations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements. Accordingly in a gig economy, temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend toward hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees. A gig economy is different from the traditional economy of full-time workers who rarely change job and believe in a lifetime job and career.According to reports, the number of temporary contract workers has been increasing year by year. A 2011 report from the McKinsey Global Institute found that 58% of American employers predict their workforce will contain more temporary and part-time workers in the next five years. In the UK it's estimated that five million people are employed in this type of capacity. According to studies, in the US there are many jobs low-wage, they are also temporary and insecure. According to the American Staffing Association, the temporary industry added more jobs in the United States over the last few years.Supporters of the gig economy claim that people can benefit from flexible hours. The flexible nature often offers benefits to employers, as they only pay when the work is available, and don't incur staff costs when the demand is not there. Also, some of the perceived benefits include that by embracing the open-talent economy helps organizations blend full-time employees with short-term consultants, making them efficient.According to experts it is the result of macroeconomic forces  globalization, technological change and emerging competition. In response to these factors employers generally have followed measures lowering wages and cutting benefits, converting permanent employees into part-time and contingent workers, busting unions and subcontracting and outsourcing jobs. All these leads to cutting costs and sustaining the business.As discussed the above factors has also contributed directly to a decrease in jobs as technology, digitalisation and software replaces many categories of work. Other influences include financial pressures on businesses leading to further staff reductions and this is further propelled by the entrance of the new next generation of workers.On the side of the employee, since last few decades the trend has been that professionals often find that they need to move around or take more than one position in order to afford the lifestyle they want. They also tend to change jobs and even careers many times throughout their lives, so the gig economy is also a reflection and evolution of this trend.Let us briefly look into some of the theories of economics in this context. Karl Marxs theory predicted in the early days of capitalism that technological change would tend to be labor-saving and this labor-saving technological change would cause increasing unemployment (the reserve army of the unemployed) which in turn would put downward pressure on wages and the wage share of income. The labour theory of value has indicated that technological improvement in the means of production leads, eventually, to immiseration of the labour.Adam Smith in his Division of Labour indicated that the rate of economic growth is determined by the size of productive labour and productivity of labour. The productivity of labour depends upon technological progress of a country and which, in turn, depends upon the division of labour. This division of labour becomes the true dynamic force in Adam Smiths theory of growth.According to economists, a firm or an organizations exists to convert resources into products or services for consumption. Production cannot occur without the firm incurring costs. Firms attempt to minimize costs of production through an efficient economic structure, which can be achieved through internal markets, external markets or a combination of both. The structure of the firm itself is characterized by a series of contracts subject to continuous renegotiation in order to enhance efficient production. A firm could procure all resources needed to produce and deliver the final product to the consumer through use of contracts with service providers in the open market.According to research by Prof. CP Chandrasekhar and Prof. Jayati Ghosh (2014), there is strong evidence of substantial increases in subcontracting in India by the formal manufacturing industry to more informal production arrangements since 2001. The study indicates that the Indian industry has proved itself to be adept at simply sidestepping labour laws through widespread use of sub-contracting where possible and use of contract labour without workers rights in other situations.According to research by Chicago Booth Review scholars (2017) that the share of contract workers used by Indian companies with more than 100 workers increased from under 30 percent to almost 60 percent between 1990 and 2011. To quote the study By 2011, contract workers accounted for about 36 percent of total employment among Indian establishments with more than 100 workers. More broadly, the researchers set out to estimate the effect of contract labors riseto 1.3 million contract workers in 2014on the Indian economy. The research indicates that, the rise in contract labor in the 2000s to 36 percent of total employment increased manufacturing output by 0.56 percent. The researchers also point out that the increased supply of contract labor over the time studied increased the number of new products manufacturing firms introduced and the amount of inputs they sourced.In recent years there are tribunal hearings have gone against employers looking to classify staff as independent contractors. Last year Uber drivers in the UK won the right to be classed as workers rather than independent contractors. The ruling by a London employment tribunal meant drivers for the ride-hailing app would be entitled to holiday pay, paid rest breaks and the national minimum wage. Uber is appealing against the tribunal finding against it. The GMB union in UK described the decision as a "monumental victory" for some 40,000 drivers in England and Wales. Also, a tribunal found that Maggie Dewhurst, a courier with logistics firm City Sprint, should be classed as a worker rather than independent contractor, entitling her to basic rights. Also towards the end of last year, a group of food takeaway couriers working for Deliveroo said they were taking legal steps in the UK to gain union recognition and workers' rights.The workers in the gig economy are categorised as independent contractors. That means they have no protection against unfair dismissal, no right to redundancy payments, and no right to receive the minimum wage, paid holiday or sickness pay. It is an irony that often politicians, policy makers across nations promise job creation, but rarely few of them talk about what kinds of jobs are being created.Temporary employment tends to be lower paid and lacks economic security. According to reports, since 2000, the percentage of temporary workers in OECD countries has increased by more than 1%. Experts feel that, the consequences of the current unemployment situation may be felt for decades eventually undermining financial stability. The threat to stability has become a grave concern and challenge.According to some experts, it is not only the middle aged but also the young people that are more likely to be in temporary work. One third of young people in advanced economies were in temporary jobs. According to the International Labor Office, the bad youth employment situation has increased the number of young people who take temporary work because they couldnt find a permanent job.According to Economists, since the financial crisis 2008, global unemployment has increased and has still not fully recovered. Persistent unemployment is damaging the economic recovery and there is concern that the longer youre unemployed the harder it is to find a job. The tough labor market for young people may cause even more harm. Young people without jobs, who miss out on skill development, may bear the impact of the current labor market for their entire careers. Developed markets that face aging populations will increasingly rely on young workers to fund their entitlements, which will require high economic growth rates and productive young workers.The challenge posed by the emerging trend of Gig economy is complex and can be contagious. It threatens global financial stability, which is probable one of the key reasons that global multilateral organizations such as World Bank, ILO, UN, IMF and many governments are increasingly started focusing on the problem of unemployment.



10,000*10 = Rs1,00,000 (Market cap of the company)



Heres a brief description of the types of market capitalization:



1. Large-cap stocks: These stocks are the first class in market capitalization. As the name itself suggests, these are stocks of well-established companies that have been around for years. The market capitalization of these companies is very high  above Rs20,000cr.



Large-cap companies have strong market presence and their stocks are generally considered to be very safe (low risk). Most of these companies regularly disclose information through media, such as newspapers. In other words, information on large-cap companies is very readily available. Based on their current market capitalization, stocks are classified into large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap. Market capitalization of a company refers to the total number of its outstanding shares in the market multiplied by the current price per share. It provides the investor with an estimated valuation of the company. For instance: Suppose a company has 10,000 outstanding shares in the market, and each of them is priced at Rs10. Thus, its market capitalization will be: outstanding shares * price per share.10,000*10 = Rs1,00,000 (Market cap of the company)1.These stocks are the first class in market capitalization. As the name itself suggests, these are stocks of well-established companies that have been around for years. The market capitalization of these companies is very high  above Rs20,000cr.Large-cap companies have strong market presence and their stocks are generally considered to be very safe (low risk). Most of these companies regularly disclose information through media, such as newspapers. In other words, information on large-cap companies is very readily available.



In India, examples of large-cap companies include Wipro, TCS, and Infosys, among others.



2. Mid-cap stocks: Mid-cap companies can be considered to border large-cap and small-cap companies on both ends of the market capitalization spectrum. Typical, their market capitalization lies between Rs5,000-20,000cr. Mid-cap companies are considerably smaller than large-cap companies in all fields of comparison  revenue, profitability, employees, client base, etc.



What attracts investors to mid-cap stocks is the possibility of investing in a company that could become an overnight success. Mid-cap companies have a tremdendous scope for growth and can potentially give higher returns in the 3-5-year investment horizon.



Unlike in the case of large-cap companies, a lot of information on mid-cap companies isnt publicly available. This makes it difficult for an investor to judge the stock  which is why one hardly sees conservative investors investing in mid-cap stocks.



3. Small-cap stocks: Small-cap stocks lie at the other end of the market capitalization spectrum. Most small-cap companies are either start-up enterprises or companies in the development stage. Understandably, they have low revenues and a small number of employees and clients. Information on these companies isnt easily available to all.



This is exactly what makes small-cap stocks a big winner for investors with a long investment horizon and a moderate-to-high risk appetite  not a lot of people know about the stock! However due to their nature, small-cap stocks are considered to be a highly risky investment.



One must conduct thorough research into the company of choice before even considering investing in it. A few basic things you should analyze include the short-term and long-term plans of the company, the revenue model, profitability, outside investments, goodwill of the promoters, and financial strength to withstand difficult times, among a few other parameters.



The key is Diversification



Now that you know exactly how companies are classified based on their market capitalization, it is time to do your own homework. Most financial advisors swear by one rule of investment  diversification. We recommend that you dont park all your funds in large-cap stocks because of fear and lack of knowledge.



Analyse your risk profile and investment horizon before planning to invest. Make sure you diversify your investments properly. If youre a beginner, we recommend you diversify with the help of a financial advisor."Prevent Unauthorized Transactions in your demat / trading account Update your Mobile Number/ email Id with your stock broker / Depository Participant. Receive information of your transactions directly from Exchanges on your mobile / email at the end of day and alerts on your registered mobile for all debits and other important transactions in your demat account directly from NSDL/ CDSL on the same day." - Issued in the interest of investors." | "KYC is one time exercise while dealing in securities markets - once KYC is done through a SEBI registered intermediary (broker, DP, Mutual Fund etc.), you need not undergo the same process again when you approach another intermediary." | "No need to issue cheques by investors while subscribing to IPO. Just write the bank account number and sign in the application form to authorise your bank to make payment in case of allotment. No worries for refund as the money remains in investor's account."

www.indiainfoline.com is part of the IIFL Group, a leading financial services player and a diversified NBFC. The site provides comprehensive and real time information on Indian corporates, sectors, financial markets and economy. On the site we feature industry and political leaders, entrepreneurs, and trend setters. The research, personal finance and market tutorial sections are widely followed by students, academia, corporates and investors among others.Millennials are set to become the fattest generation ever with most people set to become overweight before they hit their middle age, claims the most recent research on the matter.

What that means is over 70 percent millennials will be overweight or obese before they hit their 40's!

More than 7 in 10 people born between the early 1980s and the 1990s are set to become overweight or obese between the age of 35 and 44, claimed the study conducted by the Cancer Research UK.

Only 5 in 10 baby boomers born between 1945 and 1955 were overweight or obese at the same age, stated the researcher in comparison.

The researchers also added being fat as an adult is linked to 13 different types of cancers!

expansion.mx

The list of cancers includes breast, bowel and kidney cancer. Whats worse is that only 15 percent of people in the UK are aware of this link between being overweight and cancer.

These staggering figures were based on from the Health Survey of England.

Research shows that our evolving environment has a vital role to play in the obesity crisis. Clever marketing tactics by the food industry and greater access to unhealthy food are all likely to have contributed to the rise in obesity rates, said Cancer Research UKs prevention expert, Professor Linda Bauld, reported The Telegraph UK.

xixchat.com

Extra body fat doesnt just sit there; it sends messages to the body that can cause damage to cells. This damage can build up over time and increase the risk of cancer in the same way that damage from smoking causes cancer. While these estimates sound bleak, we can stop them becoming a reality, she added.

The Cancer Research UK is launching a nationwide campaign spread the message that obesity is not just linked but a major cause of cancer.

framasphere.org

The figures are horrifying. They are the result of successive governments paying only lip-service to tackle an obesity crisis which was already headlines 20 years ago, said Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, The Telegraph UK reports.

Being overweight is the UKs biggest cause of cancer after smoking, but most people dont know about this substantial risk. If more people become aware of the link it may help spare not just millennials, but all generations from cancer, said Cancer Research UKs director of prevention, Alison Cox, according to The Telegraph UK.

supermen.tocka.com

More than following seemingly healthy food trends, we need to focus on improving our eating habits by cutting down on junk food and eat more fruits, vegetables and fibres, instead, affirmed Bauld.The case of fraud on Nirav Modi seems to have escalated to new heights with fresh information that has been unearthed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On Saturday CBI told the court that an official of Punjab National Bank admitted that he received gold and diamond jewellery from a billionaire jeweller accused of being involved in a Rs. 12,600 crore bank fraud. So far, 14 people have been arrested in the case. Read more

Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu Has Moved From Worst To Best Position In Sex Ratio

The 2011 census brought Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan the ignominy of being the district with the lowest sex ratio of 837 girls per 1,000 boys among 33 districts of the state. Seven years on, the district is being hailed as a model with the sex ratio at birth (SRB) touching an impressive 955 girls per 1,000 boys.

It is from here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the pan-India expansion of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme to cover all 640 districts on Womens Day on March 8. He will also launch the National Nutrition Mission. Read more

As 31 March Comes Closer, Officials Say 87 Crore Bank Accounts Have Been Linked To Aadhar

The presence of Aadhar cards in the lives of Indian citizens still remains debatable. For those who have it, life can be easier while for those who do not, they struggle for basic rations of the month. Aadhaar is required as an identity proof of residents by various government and non-government entities.

A month before the expiry of the deadline of linking Aadhar cards with the bank accounts, around 80 per cent of bank accounts and 60 per cent of mobile connections have been linked with national biometric identifier Aadhaar, according to a senior official at UIDAI. Read more

Mystery Shrouds Couple's Death After Celebrating Holi, Bodies Found Inside Bathroom

There are various cases making headlines where people are dying in bathrooms under mysterious circumstances. In one such case, a couple was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Gyan Khand area of Indirapuram in Ghaziabad.

The police officers informed PTI that Neeraj Singhania and his wife Ruchi, who got married four years ago, were found dead in the bathroom of their house last night. Read more

Goa Zoo Had To Be Shut For A Day Because Someone Set 3 Leopards & A Cub Free

Watching animals in a zoo can be a memorable experience. However, it can turn into a nightmare if one is informed that the wild animals have been set free from the enclosure.

In a situation like this, a zoo situated inside the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary had to be locked down for the day after an intruder set free four leopards from their enclosure in the early hours of Sunday. Read more

Once A Bonded Labourer, Krishna Kumari Kohli Is Now Pakistan's First Dalit Hindu Woman Senator

Krishna Kumari Kohli created history by becoming the first Dalit Hindu woman after being elected as a senator of Sindh, in Muslim majority Pakistan. The 39-year-old is representing Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led Pakistan People's Party (PPP) in the Senate.

Kohli will be the first-ever Dalit woman in Pakistan who becomes a Senator, a PPP spokesman said. Read moreUS President Donald Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday after the ruling Communist party announced it was eliminating the two-term limit for the presidency, paving the way for Xi to serve indefinitely, according to audio aired by CNN.

"Hes now president for life, president for life. And hes great," Trump said, according to audio of excerpts of Trumps remarks at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida aired by CNN.

"And look, he was able to do that. I think its great. Maybe well have to give that a shot someday," Trump said to cheers and applause from supporters.

reuters

US presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932. An amendment to the US Constitution approved in 1951 limits presidents to two terms in office.

Chinas annual parliament gathering kicks off on Monday as Xi presses ahead with efforts to ward off financial risks without undermining the economy. The Communist party announced on February 25 the end of the two-term limit for the president - and the parliament is expected to ratify the move.

During the remarks, Trump praised Xi as "a great gentleman" and added: "Hes the most powerful (Chinese) president in a hundred years." Trump said Xi had treated him "tremendously well" during his visit in November.

reuters

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Saturday.

Trump has often praised Xi, but in January Trump told Reuters the United States was considering a big "fine" as part of a probe into Chinas alleged theft of intellectual property. He has been critical of Chinas trade policies.

reuters

Trump told The New York Times in December that because of North Korea he had "been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war."When we think of 5G, we think of faster Internet speeds, but rarely do we think about how this is possible.

The thing is 5G is just a name to call the fifth-generation of wireless broadband technology based on the IEEE 802.11ac standard. According to the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) a 5G a connection should meet most of these eight criteria:

1) One to 10 Gbps connections to end points in the field

2) One millisecond end-to-end round trip delay

3) 1000x bandwidth per unit area

4) 10 to 100x number of connected devices

5) (Perception of) 99.999 percent availability

6) (Perception of) 100 percent coverage

7) 90 percent reduction in network energy usage

8) Up to ten-year battery life for low power, machine-type devices

However, one important goal of 5G is to equate wireline and wireless networks in speed, in order to truly make wireless data a worthwhile expense for the average man. Particularly, 5G will provide better speeds and coverage than the current 4G, and operates with a 5Ghz signal and up to 1 Gb/s for tens of connections or tens of Mb/s for tens of thousands of connections.

So which companies are striving to bring 5G to India? Well thats a fairly easy answer to provide.

Qualcomm

With the first commercial 5G networks to go live in 2019, theyll probably be supported by Qualcomms smartphone processors. The companys systems on chip (SoCs) were in almost every device at MWC 2018, including the new Samsung Galaxy S9.

Just last year, the company released a 5G smartphone prototype that also retained backward compatibility with older networks upto 2G. In addition, the company has been working with its parent company Softbank, as well as carriers like Verizon and Sprint, to develop 5G.

Qualcomm 5G chip

Qualcomm, in fact, is largely the reason the launch data of 5G was accelerated from 2020 to 2019.

At this years MWC, Qualcomm also released its Snapdragon 5G Module solutions. These are products that merge the most important components of 5G into a few core modules. That way, manufacturers dont have to configure many components for their devices and can instead use just a few modules that cover areas like memory, application processor, RF, antennas and battery optimisation. Basically, Qualcomm is making it easier for manufacturers to jump into making 5G devices.

Ericsson

Even Ericsson made an appearance at MWC 2018, showing off super low latency 5G. For demos at the event. Ericssons 5G had latency of just about 6 milliseconds. As you can see in the video below, theres no jitter, stuttering, or call drops during the chat. And thats basically the kind of video chats were being promised will be available all the time thanks to 5G! The company did even better on a live demo in India last year, with a 5.7 Gbps throughput and just 3 millisecond latency.

The hardware needed for this sort of 5G connectivity, called a radio access network (RAN) is composed of powerful base stations sitting in towers, where smartphone will connect to them.

Ericsson and Nokia are two of the biggest market share holders for these RANs only behind China's Huawei. And both of them are throwing everything they have at 5G, as it's the key to improving their revenue after long struggle periods.

Reuters

Nokia

Nokia is actually partnering with a few networks worldwide, offering 5G-ready services on rollout. The thing is, the kickstarter for 5G will be in the mobile broadband space, obviously. Thats not all its intended for however. Eventually, industry leaders also expect it to be a major boon for the IoT sphere, and for automated factories and the like. In essence, pretty much everything in our lives will work off 5G, so carriers need to have robust, adaptable infrastructure. Thats where Nokia comes in.

Aside from that, Nokia is also working with big names like T-Mobile to build 5G networks across the US and the Middle East. Its basically like the US-Soviet space race all over again, only this time China is the eastern rival and the Internet is the battleground.

Intel's 5G wireless broadband display at CES 2018 - Reuters

Intel

Intel still lags behind Qualcomm as far as 5G modems go, but its continuing development with thousands of employees at its disposal. The company has been working with Apple to bring 5G-capable processors to its iPhones by 2019. But the larger bit of their contribution comes from Intels Xeon servers. Intel produces about 90 percent of the worlds server chips, and now theyre being upgraded with not just added compute power, but also connectivity speeds.

Intel's collaborating with Dell, HP, Lenovo and Microsoft to launch the world's first 5G-enabled 2-in-1 tablet-laptop hybrid computers by early next year. It's currently working on more than 25 trials of 5G worldwide with service providers and OEMs. Intel's work on millimeter-wave radio in its 5G modem is supposedly showing promising early results as far as network throughput is concerned -- especially in a variety of environments like urban housing, dense forests, etc.

Behind the scenes, Intels developing 1 Gbps routers with partners like Ericsson, Nokia. With these is how well have things like self-driving cars, smart cities, and more. And Intels Xeon scalable processors in its servers worldwide will be the backbone of this 5G infrastructure.

Huawei

Another key player in the development and adoption of 5G services worldwide, Huawei recently collaborated with Airtel to conduct the first 5G network trial in India which took place at Airtels Network Experience Centre in Manesar, Gurugram.

During the time this test was being run, a user throughput speed of 3Gbps was attained by the team, which according to the firm is the highest for the 3.5GHz band. The said tests were conducted within a 100MHz bandwidth and an awesome result was achieved with 1-millisecond end-to-end network latency. According to Airtel, if this comes in motion, enhanced mobile broadband services will be offered to all the users, which will also cater to coverage requirements.Chart of the Day: Blackstone Has My Attention Barchart - Sat Sep 18, 2:16PM CDT The Barchart Chart of the Day belongs to the financial services company Blackstone (NYSE: BX ). I found the company by sorting Barchart's All Time High list first by the highest number of new highs... BX : 133.63 (-1.04%)

December 2021 Lean Hogs Chicago Quant Technologies - Sat Sep 18, 10:48AM CDT Is there more downside on the horizon? We think so.

Protect wheat prices once inputs purchased Sidwell Strategies - Fri Sep 17, 11:07PM CDT Manage fertility and protect prices

Cigna  The Textbook Definition of Average The Smart Investor - Fri Sep 17, 7:35PM CDT At this point, we usually recommend the company for its dividend, However, the companys dividend has been notoriously inconsistent. It has a mountain of debt (a net debt position of more than $20 billion)...

Shootin' the Bull Swift Trading Company - Fri Sep 17, 4:48PM CDT In my opinion, there has been little to change this week in the cash markets, processing speeds of packers, cattle on feed, or consumer demand. Hence about the only thing to expect from this would be...

Corn Red Going into Weekend Barchart - Fri Sep 17, 4:42PM CDT After Friday trading wrapped up, front month corn futures settled a penny to 3 1/2 cents lower. December corn futures were 2 1/4 cents lower, limiting the weekly gain to 9 3/4 cents from Friday to Friday.... ZCZ21 : 527-2s (-0.42%) ZCPAUS.CM : 5.1278 (-0.56%) ZCH22 : 534-2s (-0.47%) ZCZ21 : 527-2s (-0.42%)Update 7.42pm: A man aged in his 20s is scheduled to appear before a special sitting of Dundalk District Court tonight, charged in connection with the investigation into the death of Garda Adrian Donohoe.

Earlier: Gardai release man arrested in connection with murder of Garda Adrian DonohoeLos Angeles isnt just about movie stars and the Oscars, writes Sara Benson.

Its easy to sneer at Los Angeles. Californias biggest and most diverse metropolis is often dismissed as a vapid place, populated by vain television and movie stars, dim-witted surfers and Botox-injected beach bunnies. But there is, in fact, a lot to love about La La Land.

Hugh Laurie is one convert, writing recently: Im sticking up for the beautiful city of Los Angeles. Thats right. Beautiful. He passionately defended the city for its creativity, eccentricity and fecundity  and rightfully so.

Where to stay

Special treat

Hotel Bel-Air is one of Los Angeless grand icons, a pink stuccoed hotel that underwent an impressive facelift and enticed Michelin starred chef Wolfgang Puck to oversee its bar and restaurant. It attracts A-list Hollywood stars who want a discrete, old world hideaway.

Mid range

The Villa Delle Stelle hotel is a charming residential-style hotel, run by the former wife of the late Dudley Moore.

On a budget

Hotel Maya is an unpretentious, amenity-packed Long Beach resort that provides great bang for the buck.

Itinerary

On arrival

Start your stay in style at the downtown Rooftop (550 South Flower Street; standardhotel.com; noon to 1.30am daily), a cocktail bar at the top of the boutique Standard Hotel, where boutique high-rise lodgings are decked with arty touches. Viewing the skyline at sunset from a poolside deck is a fine introduction to the city.

8pm

Nearby Baco Mercat (408 S. Main St; 001 213 687 8808; bacomercat.com) is one of the restaurants of the moment in Los Angeles. Make sure you order chef Josef Centenos signature dish: a baco (flatbread sandwich) filled with crispy pork belly and beef carnitas.

First day:

10am

Take a light-rail ride on the Metro Expo Line south of Downtown to Exposition Park, a sprawling urban green space anchored by giant museums. The child-friendly California Science Center (700 Exposition Park Dr; californiasciencecenter.org; 10am-5pm; free) is home to the retired Space Shuttle Endeavour. Built in southern California, the shuttle successfully flew 25 missions, including to the International Space Station and Hubble Space Telescope. Reserve timed admission tickets in advance.

Nearby, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (900 Exposition Blvd; nhm.org; 9:30am to 5pm; 8) is another family-friendly attraction. Walk through the jaw-dropping Dinosaur Hall  dont miss the unique Tyrannosaurus rex growth series. The newest star exhibit Becoming Los Angeles traces the citys evolution from American Indian villages, Spanish colonial missions and Mexican ranchos to present day.

1pm

For lunch, track down one of LAs famous mobile food trucks. Even television chefs have put their kitchens on wheels: look for Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Fenigers Border Grill Truck (bordergrill.com), serving crunchy Baja-style fish tacos. For weekend brunch, take a taxi to chef Fenigers casual Hollywood restaurant, Street (7) (742 N. Highland Ave.; 001 323 203 0500; eatatstreet.com), dishing up spicy, sweet and savoury snacks, from street cheese burgers to pumpkin cauliflower cannelloni.

2pm

On a sunny afternoon, hit the beach. Its about an hours Metro bus ride from Downtown to Abbott Kinney Boulevard, at the heart of Venices artistic, offbeat and chic scene. Browse made-in-LA clothing boutiques, unusual homeware and gift shops, gourmet food vendors and more. Step into Intelligentsia Coffee (1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd; intelligentsiacoffee.com) to refuel with some freshly roasted beans.

4pm

Venice Beach Promenade, Los Angeles.

Amble west to Venices beach boardwalk, officially named Ocean Front Walk. The people gathered are pure California: tanned surfers, punk skateboarders, New Age gurus with dreadlocks and performance artists busking for spare change. As palm trees rustle overhead, sprawl on the sand and catch an idyllic sunset.

6pm

Stroll back to Abbot Kinney Boulevard, which also happens to have one of LAs most innovative restaurant rows. Join the beautiful bohemians on the outdoor patio at trendy Gjelina (1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd; 001 310 450 1429; gjelina.com), which offers a Mediterranean-meets-Californian menu of charcuterie, farmers market salads, wood-fired pizzas, wild Pacific seafood, juicy steaks and New World wines.

8pm

A photo of a palm tree lined street with the Hollywood sign in the background.

Hollywood overflows with velvet-roped nightclubs for a big night out. But to try Californias new wave of handmade artisan cocktails, you dont even have to leave the beach. Take a bus or taxi north to seaside Santa Monica, where at glittering Copa dOro (217 Broadway; copadoro.com; 5.30pm-midnight Mon-Wed, 5:30pm-2am Thu-Sat), a leather-clad cocktail lounge, you can enjoy expertly mixed concoctions.

Day two

10am

Head to the Museum of Contemporary Art (250 S. Grand Ave; moca.org; 11am to 5pm Mon and Fri, 11am-8pm Thu, 11am-6pm Sat and Sun), which includes masterworks by Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, William de Kooning and many other thought-provoking artists.

Noon

Before lunch, view another postmodern LA architectural landmark, Walt Disney Concert Hall (111 S. Grand Ave; 001 213 972 7483; musiccenter.org; tour 6.50-8), designed by LA architect Frank Gehry, who gained international fame for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

Tours are available most mornings and afternoons, but reservations are required.

LA checklist

1. For great budget transport advice, use the excellent LA Metro Trip Planner (001 323 466 3876, socaltransport.org).

2. Los Angeles has a surprising number of separate bike trails. See labikepaths.com for details.

3. For official tourist advice, visit discoverlosangeles.comRose Martin discusses a new scheme that offers help to rural dwellers living on local and private roads before looking further afield at an interesting incentive to revive a dying mountaintop town in Sardinia, Italy

Who is not in awe of the majestic omnipotence of the Irish Farmers Association  perhaps the greatest and most effective trade union in the history of this little State. It takes no prisoners in defence of its members and, for the most part, you hardly see it move. A good hard look at every finance bill, however, will show its power and the stealth-lobbying which only breaches the surface with the occasional rampaging herd of sheep or a cortege of tractors. Mere theatrics, however, are used to concentrate the minds of those not doing what theyre supposed to do.

And the other side of the IFA is just as powerful  a certain mammying of its members. DIFA will tell them what they can get for nothing, half nothing, and make them aware of the buckshee percentage in every twist of a schedule or legislative sub-section. Thorough, brisk, efficient, and utterly ruthless, it looks after its members like babies.

We non-farming types dont have the same nursing care and have to fend for ourselves in the byroads of a Bill or the ruts or a regulation, with, it appears, a fat chance of a free go on anything.

Occasionally, very occasionally, however, a crumb falls from the farmers table that benefits the cottager, too. As an aside, non-farming rural dwellers have to deal with a lot of D4-style moaning about McMansions, (such appalling taste, no?) and the divergence in property tax levels on one hand, and the green/planning lobby on the other bemoaning one-off housing and the cost of provision of services on the other.

The other side to those arguments is that the rural dweller ends up paying for everything themselves  the well and the electricity required to pump water, the maintenance of hedgerows and roadways, the provision of external lighting; the provision of private transport in a good car and maintenance of such over atrocious roads; paying Vat and tax on petrol for the longer commute to work, and putting up with no light or heat at least twice a year due to failures or bad weather.

Theres a lot of investment in a healthier, fresh-air lifestyle, and sometimes there is no choice at all. The self-build house is the only cost-effective way to get a good-quality home if you get the site for free, or at a lower rate because youre local. Very little comes free in the country, compared to the city  there is no Luas to convey you to the shops, no buses to take you to the cinema, and no taxis to take you back from the pub. Theyre the small things  but the lifestyle makes up for the cost, the real cost of living outside a grid of support  including headliners like broadband.

The only easy way to live in the country is to be a farmer  you work where you are and you are well-supported in that lifestyle, thanks to the IFA keeping strong tabs on government. Last year saw a sop for the non-farming rural dweller, but a lot of people dont know about it because  well, theyre not members of the IFA.

The fact is, the rural dweller living on a private, or unpaved, local road (not a driveway), will now be eligible to apply for a Local Improvement Scheme grant. Based on a 90/10 split, funding will be supplied for local roads by the local council, but approval must be sought by the applicant and the 10% must be paid upfront, by the individual or neighbours clubbing together, before the work is undertaken.

A quick look online shows that some local authorities are touting the scheme with ready-to go-application forms. Cork County Councils site, unless Im mistaken, is not showing any details on this particular part of the scheme  but its worth putting in a call to check where and how you might make an application.

Here is part of a statement by Minister for Rural & Community Development Michael Ring on a new funding round of 10m for the scheme, announced on Wednesday: This scheme is a lifeline for people living in rural areas because it directly improves their access to and from their homes and farms... My department will be in contact with local authorities in the coming days and I would encourage each local authority to carefully compile a list of suitable roads for submission to the department. The lists should be based on their indicative funding allocation and their capacity to undertake and complete the works before the end of July 2018...

In 2017, I allocated an initial 10m to participating local authorities and was able to allocate a further 7.4m to the scheme before the end of last year. The scheme was a great success and I received an unprecedented amount of positive feedback in relation to it.

Bet he did  is there an election coming? Anyway, this part of the scheme is a very good thing indeed and, bottom line: Get in quick before the moneys all gone.

Also, and something else that non-farming rural dwellers mightnt be aware of, is that there is a grant for hedge-cutting  more suitable perhaps to individuals acting in community, but applications must be made in the autumn preceding the spring cutting season. Applications close tomorrow but remember it for next year, before the nesting season.

And if blizzards and gales and electricity blackouts have seen you longing for a Mediterranean haven, then you could be in with a good chance because a Sardinian mountain-top town is offering homes for a euro apiece.

Sidari in Sardinia  the kind of waterside resort youd have to choice to visit from a 1 house in the hills, being offered by the mayor of the town of Olloloi.

Thats right, its true, verified: The town of Olloloi, is in its death throes and its mayor has come up with the wheeze of offering rundown houses in the village for a euro to all comers. The catch is, the houses must be restored within three years or the sale is void.

One of several hundred historic homes, (read wrecks) are on offer from Mayor Arbau who told CNN: My crusade is to rescue our unique traditions from falling into oblivion. Weve always been tough people and wont allow our town to die.

A buyer will have to pony up between 20,000 and 30,000 for restoration, (try doing that here for the money) of the granite-hewn houses and up to a hundred offers have been made already in a town thats quite out of the way. But then, for the same cost as a small car, you have a second home in the sun. One with warmth, magnificent countryside, great food and azure seas.

Viewers of Channel 4 might also have seen last nights episode of The 1 House, where Liverpool council have done the same, with really positive and life-affirming results. A must-see, actually.

Could the affirmation-seeking Minister Ring try something similar for our dying villages and rural areas?Mobile networks on Earth have some way to go before they meet the needs of humans but companies are already casting their eyes into space, with the first network on the Moon being planned.

The network, planned by Vodafone Germany, Nokia and Audi, will allow high-definition streaming from the moon.

News of the plan comes a little more than a year short of the date when the first astronauts landed on the moon.

A statement said Vodafones network expertise would be used to set up the Moons first 4G network, connecting two Audi lunar quattro rovers to a base station in the Autonomous Landing and Navigation Module.

Nokia, through Nokia Bell Labs, will create a space-grade Ultra Compact Network that will be the lightest ever developed - weighing less than one kilo, the same as a bag of sugar.

The two companies are working with Berlin's PTScientists and looking for a launch in 2019 from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Vodafone Germany chief executive Dr Hannes Ametsreiter said: This project involves a radically innovative approach to the development of mobile network infrastructure.

"It is also a great example of an independent, multi-skilled team achieving an objective of immense significance through their courage, pioneering spirit and inventiveness.

Robert Bohme, chief executive and founder of PTScientists, said: This is a crucial first step for sustainable exploration of the solar system. In order for humanity to leave the cradle of Earth, we need to develop infrastructures beyond our home planet.

"With Mission to the Moon we will establish and test the first elements of a dedicated communications network on the Moon. The great thing about this LTE solution is that it saves so much power, and the less energy we use sending data, the more we have to do science!

Nokia chief technology officer and Bell Labs president Marcus Weldon said: We are very pleased to have been selected by Vodafone to be their technology partner.

"This important mission is supporting, among other things, the development of new space-grade technologies for future data networking, processing and storage, and will help advance the communications infrastructure required for academics, industry and educational institutions in conducting lunar research.

"These aims have potentially wide-ranging implications for many stakeholders and humanity as a whole, and we look forward to working closely with Vodafone and the other partners in the coming months, prior to the launch in 2019.An Australian telecommunications law that takes effect in September this year has provisions to address any concerns about companies that are involved in future projects in the country.

The law has been dubbed the "anti-Huawei bill", given that the Chinese telecommunications giant appears to be the main company in its sights, the Australian Financial Review reported.

Last week, the US warned visiting Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull not to allow Huawei to supply equipment for any future 5G networks, hinting that there may be security risks involved.

Turnbull was told that Huawei's involvement in any project carried the risk of cyber espionage, and that Chinese spying was among the top two risks on the cyber security agenda of the US-Australia partnership.

Huawei is part of a working group drawn up by the Australian Department of Communications which includes other suppliers and carriers that will help to roll out 5G technology.

An indication of the level of paranoia about Huawei in the US can be gauged from the fact that the NSA hacked into the company's servers in Shenzhen in 2010, according to documents released by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden in 2013.

An NSA document from the same source says: Many of our targets communicate over Huawei-produced products. We want to make sure that we know how to exploit these products", to "gain access to networks of interest around the world.

Australia's telecommunications sector security reforms legislation, passed last September, says that "All carriers, carriage service providers and carriage service intermediaries will be required to do their best to protect networks and facilities from unauthorised access and interference."

It also says, "The Attorney-General has a new directions power, to direct a carrier, carriage service provider or carriage service intermediary to do, or not do, a specified thing that is reasonably necessary to protect networks and facilities from national security risks."

The AFR quoted Australian Security Intelligence Organisation director-general Duncan Lewis as saying: "ASIO's responsibility is to input into that process in our area of responsibility, which is the security dimension of it.

Lewis told a Senate Estimates panel: "We're paying a lot of attention, obviously, to what technology is becoming available. Quite clearly the country will need to consider how it is going to proceed, and I know that those deliberations are under way."

A Huawei deal for AT&T to sell its phones on plans was cancelled by the US company at the last minute in January.

Soon after this, Verizon was reported to have yielded to pressure from the US Government to stop selling Huawei devices.

Earlier in February, US intelligence chiefs warned against the use of Huawei equipment.

FBI chief Christopher Wray told a US Senate hearing: Were deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that dont share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks."

The UK, which is one of the members of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network that includes Canada, the US, New Zealand and Australia, works with Huawei and recently said it would continue to do so.

But Australia denied Huawei any role in supplying equipment to the country's national broadband network project about six years ago, following advice by ASIS, one of its spy agencies.

And last year, Australia put pressure on the Solomon Islands to drop Huawei as the main contractor for an undersea cable project. The project was later awarded to the Vocus Group.The United States has ramped up the pressure on Australia to keep Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei out of major Australian contracts, with a Republican Congressman warning that the US-Australia relationship could be damaged if the Chinese vendor was involved in building 5G networks Down Under.

Michael Conaway told the Australian Financial Review that Huawei and Chinese mobile firm ZTE both were a "serious national security threat" to the US Government and its allies in the Five Eyes partnership.

The intelligence-sharing partnership comprises the five-English speaking countries: the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The Texas Congressman has introduced a bill to prevent Huawei from winning any contracts in the US.

"Because of the high level of intelligence sharing between Five Eyes countries, I have concerns that the presence of Huawei or ZTE in any of these countries could present a significant risk to our co-ordination, and ultimately, US national security as a result," he told the newspaper.

This year, an Australian law will come into force to address any concerns about companies that are involved in future projects in the country. It has been dubbed the anti-Huawei bill.

Conaway's statements come in the wake of the US warning Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during a visit there last week against giving Huawei a role in the 5G rollout.

Huawei's global chief executive Ken Hu told the AFR last week that the US and Australian concerns were based on "groundless suspicions".

"We welcome discussions and even debate if it is based on facts," he said. "We are very happy to conduct open and transparent discussions with the Australian Government and telecom operators."

The US has been increasing the pressure on Huawei from the start of this year. A deal for AT&T to sell the Chinese firm's phones on plans was cancelled by the American company at the last minute in January.

Not long after, Verizon was reported to have yielded to pressure from the US Government to stop selling Huawei devices.

In February, US intelligence chiefs warned against the use of Huawei equipment.

FBI chief Christopher Wray told a US Senate hearing: Were deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that dont share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks."

But the UK works with Huawei and recently said it would continue to do so.

Australia denied Huawei any role in supplying equipment to the country's national broadband network project about six years ago, following advice by ASIS, one of its spy agencies.

And last year, Australia put pressure on the Solomon Islands to drop Huawei as the main contractor for an undersea cable project. The project was later awarded to the Vocus Group.

Photos: courtesy Michael Conaway's official website.Digital Education Innovator To Give Eckley Economics Lecture

Feb. 27, 2018

Carlos Asarta

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  Illinois Wesleyan University will welcome Carlos Asarta, the Director of the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (CEEE) and Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Delaware, for a talk titled Teaching Digitally-Minded Students as part of the Robert S. Eckley Lecture Series in Economics.

The lecture will be held on Wednesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. in the Hansen Student Center, and is free and open to the public.

Professor Asarta's research focuses on the areas of economic education, and the use of technology in classroom, said Illinois Wesleyan Associate Professor and Chair of Economics Amit Ghosh. At IWU, where we greatly value the quality of student learning, he will be presenting his applied research on the effectiveness of educational practices targeted at digitally-minded students, a topic that transcends disciplines.

Asarta, who holds a doctorate and master's degree in economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has published research in academic journals including the Journal of Economic Education, Internet and Higher Education and Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education. Asarta has contributed toward updating the classroom to reflect the digital prowess of its students, most recently through his work as co-creator of Connect for Principles of Economics (McGraw-Hill).

With its digital first approach to learning, Connect for Principles of Economics takes all of the key ideas from Principles of Economics, a classic textbook utilized in many introductory college economics courses including at IWU, and formats the information in a more student-friendly, interactive format. It consists of 220 distinct concepts, each of which features a two to four-minute explanatory video, dynamic examples of applied concepts and assessment tools, all designed to make the course work more individualized to each students abilities and learning styles.

Asarta has received several teaching, service and research awards, including the Outstanding Educator of the Year Award from the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska (2013), the Lerner College Outstanding Teacher Award (2015) and the Abbejean Kehler Technology Award from the National Association of Economic Educators and the Council for Economic Education (2016).

The Robert S. Eckley Lecture Series in Economics is funded through a generous gift from late IWU president Robert Eckley, his wife Nell and the Eckley Family Foundation.

By Rachel McCarthy '21Reddit Email 306 Shares

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

One of the surprises thrown up by the Gulf crisis and by the Mueller investigation is how entangled the United Arab Emirates is with Israel, and how the lobbies of the two states in Washington powerfully shape American policy. While the Israel lobbies have received scholarly attention from John Mearsheimer, Stephen Walt and Kirk Beattie, the Emirates lobby has remained in the shadows until recently.

The NYT reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is looking into the Emirates role in the 2016 campaign. He has spoken to George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman and adviser to Abu Dahbi crown prince and deputy commander of the UAE armed forces, Muhammad Bin Zayed.

Nader has visited the White House many times in the past year and met with Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and with extreme white nationalist and former White House strategist Steve Bannon.

One question is whether the prospect of money from the Emirates, in the form of investments in Kushners business for instance, affected US policy toward the June 5 Gulf crisis, in which Saudi Arabia and the UAE attempted to mount a hostile takeover of Qatar. Trump and Kushner strongly backed it initially, but were gradually beaten back by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, both of whom had their own professional interests in Qatar and who opposed a break-up of the Gulf Cooperation Council that had grouped the three countries with Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, often in opposition to Iran.

Another question, however, is the possible UAE role in the 2016 Trump campaign itself, a role which, if it existed, would be illegal. The UAE has been accused of hiring hackers to defame Qatar, and could have directed their energies in favor of Trump. I have no evidence of such an intervention, I underline, and am only speculating because Mueller seems to be investigating in this regard.

Also on Muellers radar according to the NYT and Israels i24News is Elliot Broidy, a Jewish-American businessman with vast UAE investments as well as investments in Israel, who is a strong backer of far right wing Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

The UAE is a small country on the Gulf, with a citizen population of only about 1.5 million and 8 million guest workers, many of whom are cycled out of the country regularly and replaced by others. The citizen population is thus smaller than Houston, but as an oil giant the country punches far above its weight in world affairs. Still, there is no intrinsic reason for it to be more powerful than say the Netherlands (one of the biggest investors in the US economy with twice the GDP of the Emirates). Rather, it may be showing up in Muellers investigation because it is engaging in particularly corrupt practices.



Bonus video:

PBS NewsHour: Jared Kushner dealings raise new questions about conflicts of interestReddit Email 49 Shares

By Golnaz Esfandiari | ( RFE/RL)

The hijab became compulsory in Iran after the 1979 revolution.

A small number of Iranian women, risking arrest to protest compulsory head scarves, have rekindled debate about Irans so-called hijab rule.

The Islamic scarf, or hijab, is one of the pillars of the Islamic republic and among its most visible symbols. It became compulsory after the 1979 revolution, after which Iranian women were required to cover their hair and body in public.

Those who violate the rule face police harassment, fines, and even jail terms, and a number of the recent hijab protesters have already been taken into custody.

Now, Irans vice president for womens and family issues, Massoumeh Ebtekar, has emphasized the need for a national dialogue with young Iranians about the hijab.

We should make it possible to hear different views and we should use methods that are lawful and with the fewest police encounters, Ebtekar said at a February 28 press conference marking Womens Week in Iran.

Her comments echoed an op-ed piece that appeared days earlier on the popular news site Asr-e Iran calling on authorities to talk to the women protesting the hijab.

Apart from the crime that they may or may not have committed, wouldnt it be better to talk to these girls? Asr-e Iran asked.

Beginning in late December, more than a dozen women and at least one man publicly challenged the hijab rule by climbing onto utility boxes in Tehran and other cities and waving head scarves on sticks. The women were dubbed the Girls From Revolution Street after the street (Enghelab) in downtown Tehran where the first of the recent wave of protesters  31-year-old mother Vida Movahed  made her silent plea on December 27 for greater freedom for women.

Their acts of civil disobedience, admired by many, have resulted in calls ranging from demands for a referendum and a dialogue on the hijab to tougher measures against those flouting the restrictions.

The debate highlights Irans ongoing political struggle between moderates calling for fewer social restrictions and hard-liners opposing any easing of social rules.

The head of Tehrans City Council, Mohammad Hashemi, warned on February 27 against turning the hijab into a security issue while suggesting that authorities are to blame for the opposition to the hijab rule.

The question is over our education of the new generation. The young generation in the first decade of the revolution were passionate supporters of the hijab, Hashemi claimed, adding that currently a segment of [the younger population] has doubts, while others oppose it.

Reformist lawmaker Parvaneh Salahshour on February 26 criticized the use of force against the women protesting the hijab, saying their demands should be looked into.

This is a demand that our women have. The legal ways of resolving this issue should be studied, she was quoted as saying.

Reform-minded analyst Abbas Abdi, among the hostage-takers of U.S. nationals during the 1979-80 upheaval that ushered in Irans religious leadership, went as far as calling for a referendum on the hijab.

In an op-ed piece published in the daily Etemad last month, Abdi said the protests have made a debate about the hijab, which had become a taboo subject in past years, necessary.

Were currently in a situation where the young and even the middle-age generation dont see the need for a political understanding of the hijab. The majority dont oppose the establishment, they just dont understand why they are forced to [respect] it, Abdi wrote.

In another piece published two weeks later, he cited the legal limits of the hijab among issues that can be put to public voting.

Hard-liners reject such calls.

The head of the headquarters of Irans Vice and Virtue Department in Khorasan Razavi Province, Seyed Abdollah Erjayi, said those who call for a referendum on the hijab hope to divert attention from the countrys key issues, including the economy.

Fortunately, about 90 percent of people respect the hijab rule, and the few who are against this issue should adapt themselves, he said on February 8. The different parts of an establishment that is based on Islam cannot be put to vote.

Senior Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi said on February 27 that disrespecting the hijab is akin to bribery and should be countered.

He warned against those who are knowingly or unknowingly calling to weaken the Islamic establishment.

Others have highlighted the mark the women protesting the compulsory hijab have left on Iranian society.

Last night, I took a cab around the intersection of Valiasr Street. A girl got in, too. The cab driver asked the girl where she was going. She said, To the intersection of #Girls_of_revolution_street! The driver took her to her destination without asking any question, Tehran-based journalist Amir Ebtehaj wrote on Twitter on February 28. Its interesting for me that the protest movement of a few has had such an impact on the daily lives of the people.

Meanwhile, Tehran police chief Hossein Rahimi suggested a tough line against those daring to challenge the dress code.

Speaking on February 28, Rahimi said the police will abandon politeness in dealing with antihijab protesters.

These people will be confronted decisively by the police, Rahimi was quoted as saying.

Golnaz Esfandiari is a senior correspondent with RFE/RL.

EsfandiariG@rferl.org

Via RFE/RL

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.



Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

WION: Iranian women defy headscarf diktatCountries selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and its allies must answer for war crimes being committed in Yemen, Irans President Hassan Rouhani told his French counterpart in a phone call on Sunday.

In Yemen we are witnessing war crimes and countries that provide weapons for Saudi Arabia and the Arab coalition must be answerable in this regard, said Rouhani in the phone call with President Emmanuel Macron, according to the presidencys website.

The call came just hours before French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was due to arrive in Tehran for talks with top officials, including Rouhani.

France is one of the biggest arms exporters to Saudi Arabia, which has been bombing Yemen almost daily since 2015 in a bid to dislodge Huthi rebels that seized control of the capital the year before.

Macron and Rouhani also discussed the Syrian conflict, calling for a swift re-establishment of stability and peace, according to Irans account.

Rouhani welcomed Frances efforts to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal, which the United States has threatened to tear up.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to consult and strongly cooperate with France on all economic, cultural and political issues, Rouhani said, praising the very old and friendly relations between the two countries.Frances Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived in Tehran early Monday for talks on the 2015 nuclear deal and Irans role in the Syrian conflict.

It is the first visit by one of the European signatories to the nuclear deal since US President Donald Trump set an ultimatum that he would abandon it in May if it was not improved.

Le Drian has made it clear to Tehran that he is no emissary of Donald Trump, the foreign ministers team have told AFP.

The visit was originally scheduled for January but postponed due to a week of violent protests in Iran.

We want to preserve the nuclear deal because it is working, its robust and because the Iranians are respecting it, Le Drians team said.

Le Drian, however, has said that without an end to ballistic missile tests by Iran, it will always be suspected, with reason, of wanting to develop nuclear weapons.

Tehran denies seeking nuclear arms and says its missiles are purely defensive and not up for discussion.

Iran has said it will not accept any amendments in (the nuclear) agreement, be it now or in the future, and it will not allow any other issues to be linked to (it).

Despite their differences, Iran has welcomed French efforts to re-engage economically and politically with the Islamic republic.

Last year, Iran signed a $5-billion gas exploration deal with French energy giant Total, Tehrans biggest since the nuclear accord.

But political differences were on show on Sunday in a call between presidents Hassan Rouhani of Iran and Frances Emmanuel Macron.

The French president called for Iran to put the necessary pressure on its Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad, to stop indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

For his part, Rouhani said countries exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia  France being one of the biggest suppliers  must answer for war crimes being committed by that country in Yemen.

vl-er/hc

TOTAL298 Shares Share

When I was an intern the Durham VA Hospital, there was a sign taped to the ceiling of one of the workrooms. It said in big, bold letters: SUBDURAL HEMATOMA/PULMONARY EMBOLUS. This was to remind all house officers, at work in the middle of the night, about likely diagnoses for mysterious or confusing diagnostic puzzles. When you slapped your head in desperation and looked up, you would see the answer. So, who knew I went to medical school to save my own life?

Some years after my internship, I began to have palpitations. They were highly irregular in nature, but not those of atrial fibrillation. They felt more like premature ventricular contractions that wouldnt quit. They had no relationship to exercise, heart rate, eating, sleeping or anything else. This went on for a week while I was traveling and far from my cardiologist.

Finally, back home, I visited with my doctor who also happens to be my medical school roommate. My vital signs were all stable except for the occasional premature beat. This was reflected in my EKG which showed no ischemic changes and the occasional aberrant beat. I ran, on the treadmill, of course. At my maximum rate, my S-T segments may have gone down a little, but he wasnt sure, and the tracing was of poor quality given I was at full jog by then. He told me he thought I was OK. I told him, I dont care. Cath me. Something is wrong.

He did, and there was. I had major occlusions in two coronary vessels and was by-passed the following Monday.

Looking back, I can report that the palpitations did not abate after the successful surgery and I eventually had to have atrial ablation to eliminate the aberrant conduction tracts that were causing my atrial arrhythmias. But that arrhythmia probably saved my life because it got me to the doctor, scared me out of my mind, and convinced that I was going to die. In fact, I might have.

Flash forward to 2015. I was hospitalized for a major umbilical hernia repair in a new hospital with a new surgeon, who came highly recommended as the best. Two prior attempts had failed. The surgery went well, and I was recovering. Three days into my stay, I got up to wander the halls in the middle of the night, as patients often do in hospitals, the last place in the world to get a good nights rest. I was accompanying my IV pole and drains down the hall when I became dramatically short of breath and very weak.

Crawling back to my bed, the lessons of 1973 flashed in my head, and I called for the nurse.

Ive had a pulmonary embolus, I reported.

You have not.

I believe that I have.

The hospitalist came to my bedside and examined me. Other than the low pO2 that I had been running since my surgery, attributed to my poor ventilation after an abdominal procedure, I was stable. I was given oxygen and scheduled for a scan in the morning.

My self-diagnosis was correct again. I had probably sent emboli from the vessels in my abdomen to those in my lungs after surgery. My legs were imaged and clear of thrombi. Of course, I had had to stop the Xarelto I had been taking after the atrial ablation before the abdominal procedure.

My surgeon said, I should have given you Lovenox.

I was heparinized and converted back to the oral med and went home after a weeks stay. I recovered. Again.

It had been many years since I had cared for patients on a regular basis. I made my career in the research lab, then went to business school and became a vice president at a well-respected academic medical institution. Eventually, I even spent a year as a staffer in the U.S. Senate on Capitol Hill. I guess my practice dwindled over time. I became a concierge doc with only one patient. But that patient was me.

Leonard Zwelling is an internal medicine physician and can be reached at his self-titled site, Dr. Len Zwelling.

Image credit: Shutterstock.comMet Eireann has extended a Status Orange snow-ice warning for Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Cork, Tipperary and Waterford.

The forecaster added: "Widespread lying snow and ice will continue to lead to hazardous conditions.

"There will be a risk of localised flooding due to rising river levels and there will be areas of surface water pooling. Mountainous catchments and urban areas most affected."

The alert is valid until noon on Monday.

Schools and colleges are expected to reopen tomorrow after they were closed during Storm Emma.

However, it is being left to individual institutions to decide, depending on the circumstances and conditions in their area, according to the Department of Education.

Meanwhile clean-up operations are continuing today across the county.

The public are advised to refer to Kilkenny County Council's website: http://www.kilkennycoco.ie for a list of the roads that are now passable with care throughout the county.

Update-10am Sun 4th March

Roads crews working in areas in North & South of the County where serious accumulations have occurred. Three heavy machines have been deployed to the Castlewarren / Brown Mountain area which is impassable, in an effort to clear drifts. @merrionstreet  Kilkenny Council (@KilkennyNotices) March 4, 2018

Those who are cut off by the very large drifts keep in touch by phone with friends & family

We would ask water customers to conserve the supply as breaks may occur in the coming days

Regular updates will be provided on all normal news channels, social media, & the coco website  Kilkenny Council (@KilkennyNotices) March 4, 2018The Libyan mayhem has reached the relatively peaceful south where rival armed groups in the southern Libyan city of Sabha has left at least six civilians dead and several others wounded, including women and children.

Local media reported that the Libyan National Human Rights Commission confirmed the killing of civilians in armed clashes between the tribes of Awlad Sulaiman and Tabu.

The Mayor of the southern city Hamed Al-Kahyali told Libyan local media that foreign troops are also involved in the clashes, saying that Chadian and Sudanese fighters with their flags were spotted in the attacks against the Libyan Defense Ministrys Sixth Brigade in Sabha with the aim to control the city and the entire south.

Clashes between the Sixth Brigade, which is attached to the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), and rival fighters from the Tebu ethnic group, started around Feb. 4, said Osama al-Wafi, a spokesman at Sabhas main hospital.

The fighting has led to fears of an escalation of violence in Libyas impoverished south, where the LNA has been trying to expand its influence and has clashed with groups aligned with the internationally recognized government in the capital, Tripoli.

The Sixth Division is largely composed of fighters from the Awlad Suleiman tribe. It is loyal to LNA leader Khalifa Haftar, who named new brigade commanders for the division this month.The great and terrible Putin has some new toys. Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

When Russian president Vladimir Putin unveiled a series of next-generation nuclear weapons technology in his state of the nation address on Thursday, a casual observer could be forgiven for seeing it as the opening salvo in a new Russian-American nuclear arms race, or even a declaration of a new Cold War. History, however, probably wont see it that way.

The weapons  or perhaps more accurately, delivery systems  included nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable underwater drones and cruise missiles, both designed to evade missile defense systems. Putin was explicit about Russias reasons for developing these weapons, saying they were a response to the unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in the early days of the George W. Bush administration.

That treaty was meant to preserve the Cold War balance of power and the doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction by ensuring that neither superpower developed the means to stop a nuclear attack from the other. The Bush administration pulled out of the ABMT in order to form the Missile Defense Agency, a successor to Ronald Reagans Strategic Defense Initiative, which has since developed a variety of antiballistic missile defenses including the MIM-104 Patriot missile system and the latest iterations of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor.

Although the Bush and Obama administrations took pains to insist that the deployment of these systems in European NATO countries was aimed at countering missile threats from rogue states like Iran, not Russia, the Russian government has never believed this. Even if these defenses arent explicitly intended to counter Russian nukes, Russia fears that the U.S. and NATO having the capability to do so would upset the nuclear balance of power. Putin has warned for over a decade that the NATO missile defense system could lead to a new arms race; Thursdays announcements simply made clear that he wasnt kidding about that.

This video grab shows the launch of what Putin says is Russias new nuclear-powered intercontinental cruise missile. He declared Thursday that Russia has developed a range of new nuclear weapons, claiming they cant be intercepted by an enemy. Photo: RU-RTR Russian Television Screencap/AP

As terrifying as the thought of nuclear-armed drones and invincible nuclear missiles may be, these revelations dont actually change the balance of power between Russia and the U.S. in any meaningful way. For one thing, the Pentagon was already aware that Russia was developing some of these technologies, as indicated in the nuclear posture review ordered by President Donald Trump last year and published in January. The supposed threat posed by Russias military innovations are part of the justification for the new sea-based nukes the Trump administration wants to develop, as well as Trumps stated desire to spend $1.2 trillion modernizing and expanding the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

The key bit of context to keep in mind here is that the U.S. and Russia both possess enough atomic firepower that a nuclear exchange between them would wipe both countries off the map and basically cause the collapse of human civilization as we know it. If Putin wanted to nuke Florida  as in an animation he showed during his address that State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert described as cheesy  he already had the means to do so. His new gadgets dont really make any difference in that regard.

The ability to elude U.S. and NATO defenses also sounds like a scarier feature than it really is, because these defenses are incredibly easy to elude. Ballistic missile defense systems perform spottily even under ideal test conditions and provide more the illusion of safety than safety itself. Even if a THAAD battery can knock down one or two incoming ballistic missiles, stopping dozens of them is a much taller order that current antiballistic missile technology cant handle. Thats why the cornerstone of the U.S.s nuclear defense strategy remains the promise of massive retaliation in the event of an attack.

In any case, a direct hit on Mar-a-Lago isnt the kind of Russian nuclear mischief the administration is worried about. Putin stressed on Thursday that these new nuclear deployment systems were designed with defensive purposes in mind and that Russia would never launch a nuclear first strike. Hes probably not lying about that. For all his megalomaniacal tendencies, Putin surely has the presence of mind to understand that starting a nuclear war, particularly against the U.S., is guaranteed to end catastrophically and that his billions of dollars wont be worth much in the post-apocalypse.

Rather, what the Trump administration fears is a supposed Russian doctrine known as escalate to de-escalate, wherein Moscow would either threaten or actually carry out a low-yield nuclear strike as part of a conventional conflict in its own backyard, betting that NATO would decide that avenging the loss of, say, Tallinn wasnt worth ending the world after all.

This doctrine appears nowhere, however, in Russias published military strategy, in its large-scale military exercises, or in public statements from its officials, leading arms control experts like Bruno Tertrais and Michael Krepon to doubt that it really exists outside the fever dreams of American hawks and Russian neo-fascist revisionists. The notion of Russia crossing the nuclear threshold with the hope of de-escalating a conventional conflict is probably as absurd as it sounds.

Now, this doesnt mean we can all rest easy, secure in the knowledge that global thermonuclear war is never, ever going to happen. Arms races are inherently dangerous and destabilizing, and nuclear arms races all the more so. Even if nobody intends to start a nuclear war, the more weapons in the world, the greater the likelihood of an accident or miscalculation spiraling into catastrophe.

Putins message to the U.S. is that we cant hope to render ourselves or our allies invincible to Russian nukes, so theres no point in our continuing to try, and furthermore that if Moscow interprets upgrades to Americas nuclear arsenal or defense systems as upsetting the balance of power, they will pursue their own technologies to counter them. The Trump administrations most likely response to this gesture is to double down on its intent to strengthen the U.S. nuclear deterrent, even though the roughly 6,800 nuclear weapons already at our disposal are more than enough to obliterate Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and sundry other countries, with thousands of warheads to spare.

Meanwhile, the Russian weapons we really need to worry about are not its nukes, but rather the weapons of cyber and information warfare it is already using to meddle in our elections and take advantage of our polarized politics to stir up conflicts with fake news and social media trolling. Multiple national security officials have testified to Congress in recent weeks that these threats are ongoing and that U.S. defenses against them are woefully lacking.

Just this past week, retiring National Security Agency director Admiral Mike Rogers told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Trump had not granted him any specific authority to counter Russian cyber-operations and that in his opinion, Putin likely believes he has paid little price for interfering in the 2016 election. On Thursday, his nominated successor, Lieutenant General Paul Nakasone, agreed that Russia, China, and other foreign rivals dont expect much of a response to these attacks from the U.S.

If the Trump administration insists on spending hundreds of billions of dollars upgrading our nuclear arsenal in order to pursue a new nuclear arms race with Russia, but drags its feet on upgrading our cyberdefenses to counter clear and present threats, its hard to see how this combination of policies would have any positive impact on our national security.New Delhi, March 4: The President of India Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday hosted a banquet in the honour of Tran Dai Quang, the President of Vietnam at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Vietnamese President arrived in New Delhi on Friday on a three-day visit to India at the invitation of President Kovind. Welcoming the Vietnamese President to India, the President thanked Vietnam for the crucial role it played as coordinator country in ensuring substantive outcomes at the ASEAN India Commemorative Summit held in New Delhi in January 2018.

Talking about bolstering ties between the two nations, Kovind said India and Vietnam enjoy a civilisational relationship going back 2000 years. Buddhism, the Hindu Champa civilisation and our shared philosophy have strengthened our common bonds. He said, Our economic engagement has seen a remarkable growth. Our leaders have set a trade target of US $ 15 billion by 2020. We need to redouble our efforts to reach this target.

The President said that India and Vietnam have common perspectives on peace, stability and security in the Indo-pacific region. Both are committed to the centrality of ASEAN in a regional architecture that should be inclusive, open and based on the principles of international law.

Subsequently, in his banquet speech, President Kovind said the great leaders of our respective freedom struggles, Mahatma Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh, energised our link in the modern era. We have today built our close friendship on the path shown by them.

The President said that we firmly believe that a strong India-Vietnam partnership would lead to peace and prosperity for our people and for the wider region. To this end, Indian and Vietnamese economic growth must complement each other. He expressed confidence that this visit will contribute to strengthening our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and lay the roadmap for enhanced engagement.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2018 12:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).Alfa Romeo to commemorate 'Ring records with NRING editions

Mar 3, 2018, 5:01pm ET

The Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio get unique paint and loads of carbon fiber.

Alfa Romeo will debut two special edition cars at the Geneva Motor Show this month to mark their respective Nurburgring records. The Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio NRING editions commemorate each car's setting of a top production car lap time around the famed German race track.

Back in September 2016, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio set a record for production four-door sedans by completing the 12.9-mile circuit in 7 minutes and 32 seconds. A year later, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio did the same in 7:52, setting a new SUV record. Technically, the Giulia no longer holds the record, having been bested by the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 last fall, but who's counting?

Each Quadrifoglio NRING car will come in exclusive Circuito Gray paint and lots of carbon fiber trim. The Giulia gets a carbon fiber roof, while both vehicles will receive side mirror caps, steering wheel accents, shift knobs, and Sparco racing seat shells  all made of carbon fiber. Even the front badges are made of carbon fiber.

Performance-wise, Alfa Romeo made no mention of powertrain improvements, but carbon-ceramic brakes will come on NRING editions of both cars. Tinted windows will come standard, but black leather interior will feature a splash of color with red stitching and floor mats.

Only 108 examples of each car will be made, marking the number of years Alfa Romeo has been in business. Each car will have a numbered plaque in a dashboard insert  which is made of carbon fiber, of course.The dictator-lover in chief. Photo: Thomas Peter/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump praised Chinas president for his recent consolidation of indefinite power and joked that he might like to serve as president for life too, according to a recording of a closed-door fundraiser which was obtained by CNN.

President Xi Jinping has been expanding his power in China in recent years, and last week, Chinas Communist Party announced plans to abolish presidential term limits, meaning Xi will now be able to rule the country for as long as he wants.

Hes now president for life. President for life, Trump told GOP donors in Mar-a-Lagos Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom on Friday afternoon. No, hes great. And look, he was able to do that. I think its great. Maybe well have to give that a shot some day.

In the same speech, Trump also repeated his self-refuting claim that Americas electoral system was rigged against him. Its a rigged system folks, he explained, adding that we dont have the right people in there yet  we have a lot of great people  but certain things, we dont have the right people.

Presumably, Trump means to suggest that installing his own loyalists in the government will help him un-rig the system for him and his supporters, but his administration hasnt been able to finish doing that yet. Not incidentally, that is one of the ways Xi has tightened his grip on power in China. He has systematically removed political obstacles within Chinas one-party government, arrested or transferred power away from rivals, and even had his own political philosophy enshrined in the countrys constitution  the first leader to do that since Mao.

Those strongman moves, culminating in a grab for indefinite rule, are exactly what Trump  whose wannabe authoritarianism is well established at this point  admitted he admires. And Trump doesnt just look up to Xi.

When Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan acquired vast new powers  including his own shot at indefinite rule  in a possibly rigged election last April, Trump called the leader to congratulate him, while the State Department decried the breakdown of democracy in the country.

Last week, Trump reiterated his interest in killing drug dealers in a clear hat-tip to Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose drug war has led to the extrajudicial murder of thousands. Trump has praised Duterte for that campaign, and has offered him the honor of an official White House visit. General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who took control of Egypt in a bloody coup over a democratically elected leader, then cracked down on political opponents and dissent, has done a fantastic job in a very difficult situation, according to Trump. Even North Koreas brutally repressive dictator, Kim Jong-un, who had his own brother assassinated, has gotten credit from Trump for how he took over his country.

And then, of course, there is President Trumps routine praise for Russian president Vladimir Putin, whose strength the dominance-obsessed Trump seems to fetishize. Trump has said Putin was a better leader than President Obama, and has saluted Putins very strong control over Russia, as well as his impossibly high approval rating. Trump has also publicly defended Putin from the accusation that he has had people killed, thanked him for forcing the U.S. to cut hundreds of embassy staffers in Russia, and last summer publicly supported Putins ridiculous assertion that Russia didnt interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.

Trump was clearly joking about being president for life on Friday, and even if he wasnt, hell never get that constitutionally blocked opportunity. But Trump clearly is, and always will be, a dictator-phile, and it remains very reasonable to worry that he will be inspired by the Xis and Putins of the world to attempt whatever authoritarianism he can get away with here.Laois, Dublin, Kildare, Offaly, Kilkenny and other Leinster counties have been put under a new Status Orange Met Eireann Weather Warning.

The Status Orange Snow-ice Warning is for Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Cork, Tipperary and Waterford.

The forecaster warns of widespread lying snow and ice which will continue to lead to hazardous conditions.

There will be a risk of localised flooding due to rising river levels and there will be areas of surface water pooling. Mountainous catchments and urban areas most affected.

The alert is is effect until 12pm tomorrow.

Laois County Council said it continues to monitor river levels. It said these levels remain low and will be monitored on an ongoing basis.

Mountmellick was badly hit by flooding in November 2017 as a result of flash flooding that originated in the Slieve Bloom mountains. Portarlington was also affected and large tracts of farm land was covered.

While flooding in the forecast, Met Eireann has also predicted a 'slow thaw' as temperatures will remain low for the coming days. Frost is in the forecast during the week ahead with temperatures well below normal.

A Status Yellow Weather Warning is in place for Snow-ice for Connacht, Donegal, Clare, Kerry and Limerick. That warns of lying snow and ice continuing to cause hazardous conditions.

MET EIREANN FORECAST BELOW TWEET

National Weather Warnings updated by Met Eireann.

Yellow and Orange warnings extended until Monday 12pm.

Latest details here:https://t.co/X6NncUghZ9 pic.twitter.com/Y8t80MTwaw  Met Eireann (@MetEireann) March 4, 2018Outpatient clinics at hospitals in Laois, Dublin, Kildare and Offaly will run as normal from Monday but Storm Emma will continue to have a 'impact' on services for patients, the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group (DMHG) has announced.

The DMHG incorporates the Midland Regional Hospitals at Tullamore and Portlaoise & Naas General, Tallaght Hospital, St James Hospital, St Luke's Radiation Oncology Network and the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital.

A Status Orange weather warning remains in place until noon Monday which is likely to impact some patients.

"The DMHG wishes to advise the public that outpatients will run as normal in all Hospitals tomorrow, Monday, March 5.

"We would ask patients to only attend if it is safe for them to travel. If you are unable to attend please call the contact number on your appointment letter tomorrow to inform the Hospital.

"For appointments cancelled last Thursday and Friday the hospitals will contact patients to reschedule appointments. As previously advised, the events of last week will have an impact on service provision for the week ahead and hospitals have been reviewing planned elective activity and some curtailments are necessary over the coming days. Hospitals will contact patients directly to reschedule appointments," said the group.

In the unlikely event that an outpatients appointment letter was not delivered to to Storm Emma, the advice would be that if anyone has a query/concern contact the hospital directly.

The group also advised the public that Emergency Departments (ED/A&E) will be very busy over the coming days.

"Hospitals have been busy and will continue to be in the coming days, particularly Emergency Department activity. We would encourage people to consider all options available to them for their healthcare needs and to protect the ED for those most seriously ill as delays can still be expected," said the statement.

The DMHG said hospitals continued to care for patients despite the extraordinary weather conditions affecting access to and access from Hospitals.

"The Hospital Group would like to acknowledge all staff who went above and beyond to continue patient care and the support of the National Ambulance Service, Defence Forces and Civil Defence in assisting with emergency transportation of patients and staff," said a statment.

Keep up to date with @HSELive @Stjamesdublin on Twitter for all the latest regarding our services and on Facebook channels facebook.com/tallaghthospital and www.facebook.com/ StJamessHospitalDublinIrish Water is advising customers in Laois that due to the extremely cold weather conditions and exceptionally high water demand, some water treatment plants in the county are struggling to keep up with supply demands.

All customers are being asked to conserve water to avoid reservoirs emptying and water pressure to homes an businesses being affected.

Water restrictions will be in place from 6pm tonight to 8am on Monday, 5 March 2018 for customers in Swan, Newtown Doonane and Crettyyard townlands areas to allow water levels in the reservoir to refill.

Customers throughout the county are urged to conserve water by not running taps unnecessarily, taking showers instead of baths and to refrain from using dishwashers and washing machines.

Irish Water, working in partnership with Laois County Council, would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience this is causing.

Once further information is available they will issue another update.

The water company had advised people in Laois to turn off taps and take other measures to conserve supply on Sunday.

Updates will also be posted to the supply and service section of Irish Waters website at www.water.ie/water-supply/ supply-and-service-update/The new defined contribution pension scheme for stable staff in Kildare, aimed at providing a meaningful benefit at retirement for eligible employees, is now up and running.

Stable staff who sent in their application forms in 2017 have already received notification of their funds from Irish Life.

Stable staff who are eligible members and have not completed their application are urged to do so as soon as possible. If these forms have been misplaced, copies can be obtained from Trish Cullen at the IHRB/Turf Club on 045 445600 who can also provide assistance on completing the form.

The scheme, which is funded by a deduction from the Trainers proportion of prizemoney, means that staff who benefit from the scheme do not need to make a contribution. This is a significant benefit to employees so they are encouraged to sign up now.

Trainers are also now urged to complete data returns for 2015 and 2016 to allow further funding be applied to their eligible employees pension accounts for those years. New members may also come into the scheme for those years.

Margaret Davin, Chairperson of the Committee of Management of the Stable Employees Defined Contribution Pension Scheme, said:

Although the scheme has taken time to set up, we urge all eligible members to complete their application form. The form should then be returned by post to the Committee of Management c/o Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, The Curragh, County Kildare.

Trainers who have not done so should also return the data for 2015 and 2016. Funds will then be transferred to their employees pension account, once the data is verified and the member forms received. If this does not happen eligible members may miss out on this benefit, particularly for those early years.Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

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If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider subscribing to our ePaper and/or free daily Newsletter .

Support our mission and join our community now.Niamh OSullivan (26) is an online social media influencer, and a wellness, fitness, and food blogger, with a following of over 18,000 on Instagram.

She grew up in Naas with her younger sister Helen, and mum and dad. She studied in NUIG, and graduated with a degree in Business Information Systems in 2014, and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute.

She moved to New York for two years where she worked as a Social Media Manager, but is now back living in Naas.

WHAT IS YOUR FIRST KILDARE MEMORY?

My first memory is probably playschool or my early school days  I went to Ballycane first, and then onto the Convent.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT THE COUNTY?

Definitely the different areas there are to go walking, I try to bring my dogs (Geoff & Harry) out every day.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR IDEA OF A PERFECT DAY OUT IN KILDARE?

Probably an early morning walk in Punchestown followed by lunch in Jolly in Naas, and then maybe a trip out to Kildare Village.

BEST PLACE TO EAT OUT?

I recently visited Ubh in Newbridge for coffee and it was so gorgeous, I havent eaten there but Ive heard its packed at the weekend which is definitely a sign of a good brunch spot. I also had dinner recently in Canteen in Celbridge and it was divine  I would highly recommend it!

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES KILDARE UNIQUE?

Probably that we have the luxury of being so close to Dublin, but it also feels like an escape at the same time.

WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE IN NEW YORKY?

It was definitely very different to Naas. It was incredibly busy 24/7, which I loved for the most part. Everything is so accessible  thats probably the best bit!

HOW DID YOU GET INTO BLOGGING?

I originally built and designed my website as a way of showcasing what I could do online and what I learned from my background. When I had it up and running I just started posting recipes that I made at home and then when I moved over to New York, I wanted to document my experience to be able to look back on. It kind of started there and I havent looked back since!

Follow her on Instagram.

READ ALSO: My Kildare Life with Kilcullen fashion guru Lorna WeightmanThere is no end in sight to the chaos caused by the weather crisis in many rural locations in the greater Naas area.

The main street in Naas is clear as are most routes into the town, particularly closer to the town. The footpaths are relatively clear of snow and ice too.

Buts a different story in rural hinterlands of Caragh, Sallins, Kill and Ballymore Eustace as well as places like Kilteel, Rathmore and Eadestown.

Naas Mayor Rob Power told the Leader that some residents in Kilteel can expect to be isolated for another two days.

The problem is that farm machinery can only do so much given the scale of the snowfall and its difficult for Kildare County Council and their contractors to reach some of these locations, said Cllr. Power.

He added however that three heavy duty snow clearing machines are headed for Kilteel tomorrow.

There are similar problems in Caragh and Ballymore where some of the roads leading into the villages are wide enough only to allow a single line of traffic.

This means that near Caragh someone can be driving for several hundred metres, effectively blind and then meets an oncoming vehicle and someone then has to start reversing, added Cllr Power.

In some places, snow has drifted to a height of 15 feet.

Kill was particularly badly hit by the weather and while surrounding parts are impassable, traffic is moving freely through the village today for the first time since the snow arrived.

Even in the village though, many people still cant get out the residential areas; in particular they cannot drive out, said a Kill resident.

A major snow clearing operation led by Kildare County Council along with local residents as well as Army personnel made the roads and paths safe in Sallins today.

Thanks to everybody who turned out today to help, said Sallins Community Council chairperson Fergus Carpenter.

None of the five second level schools in Naas will reopen tomorrow.

Naas Community College principal Ciaran Keegan said the main reason is that there are concerns about whether all of the students could make it to school safely.

The Piper's Hill area of Naas, which is home to an education campus (including the 1,000 student Piper's Hill College) and new residential development, was so badly hit by the weather that some residents took to social media seeking the services of a machinery operator to get rid of the snow.

However the St. Laurences primary school in Sallins will open tomorrow.

About 100 parents volunteered to help clear a way to the school; it was a great community effort, said principal Noel Lanigan.North West Hospice will attend the Sligo and Leitrim Association of New York Annual Association Dinners on March 9 and 10 to connect with Leitrim people and supporters there.

The North West Hospice has enjoyed support from the Diaspora living in New York for many years and will take this opportunity to thank them in person and update them on our plans to build a new Hospice In-Patient Unit.

According to a spokesperson for the hospice "Attending these events demonstrates the commitment of North West Hospice to engage and build greater links with the Diaspora living abroad from our catchment area of Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal and West Cavan."

North West Hospice was started in 1986 by a small group in the community and has developed and grown over the last 31 years because of continued community support. North West Hospice belongs to the communities of Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal and West Cavan and the Diaspora living abroad is part of this community.

Speaking about developing links with the Diaspora, Nuala Ginnelly, North West Hospice Manager said, The Hospice is now entering a new stage in its development with a momentous and ambitious plan to build a new hospice In-Patient Unit on our current site in Sligo.

"This development is essential to meet the current and future needs of our communities. We are sincerely grateful to our Diaspora living abroad for supporting us over the last 31 years and we hope that they will continue to support us as we embark on our new build.

"We rely heavily on the local community to raise in excess of 1 million to maintain our current level of service each year. We will need this local community support to continue to maintain our essential services while looking to other areas, such as our Diaspora, for funding to help us build our new hospice.

"North West Hospice would like to acknowledge the support of Hubert Mc Hugh and Valerie Cogan who have been instrumental in engaging with key members of our Diaspora in New York and Boston, while also coordinating a programme of events during our visit.

"North West Hospice also acknowledges the support of Carol Coleman for creating key links with broadcast media in New York and Boston to help spread the hospice message."

North West Hospice provides specialist care with compassion to those living with life-limiting illness in Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal and West Cavan.LifeStyle

The best Lifestyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel Lifestyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Shaynna Blaze and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand.ALL outpatient appointments will go ahead as planned this Monday across the UL Hospitals group, the hospital group had confirmed.

Appointments which were cancelled last Thursday and Friday due to Storm Emma are in the process of being rescheduled, with patients due to receive new appointment letters in the coming week.

Our hospitals have been busy over the weekend, particularly the ED in UHL, and we expect that to continue over the coming days, a spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group said.

We expect to see an increase in emergency department attendances and this is likely to result in delayed admissions and resultant increase in waiting times in our ED.

The emergency depart this afternoon is exceptionally busy with high attendances & high numbers waiting for Beds @ULHospitals. We are in the recovery period now &expect it will take the week to address the needs of all. @FintanYTWalsh @LimLive95fm @CommHealthMW https://t.co/vYxbamWmq4 March 4, 2018

The public are urged to consider all their care options at this time and not to attend the Emergency Department unless necessary.

Urgent electives and day case surgery will go ahead as planned this Monday, March 5, but some non-urgent elective procedures will be curtailed over the coming days.

All patients affected have been contacted and their appointments will be rescheduled, the spokesperson said.

Patients should only attend their appointments if it is safe for them to travel. For those unable to travel, we ask that they call the contact number on their appointment letter tomorrow to inform the hospital.

UL Hospitals would like to thank most sincerely staff who went over and above to continue to deliver patient care during some very challenging days. We would also like to acknowledge the support of National Ambulance Service, the Defence Forces, the Gardai and Civil Defence and all voluntary organisations in assisting with emergency transportation of patients and staff.

Injury Units, which can treat broken bones, dislocations, sprains, wounds and minor burns, are open in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday and 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday at St. John's Hospital.

Those with a less serious illness can be treated by their GP or by an out of hours GP service.

However, if you are seriously injured or ill or are worried your life is at risk the ED will assess and treat you as a priority.

Meanwhile, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) is calling for the first two weeks of March to be declared an emergency period in the Irish public health service.

The INMO says it is extremely concerned about the additional pressure on services following on from the past five days of emergency weather conditions.

All non-urgent and routine cases must be cancelled during this period to allow emergency care to be prioritised, according to INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha.

We note and welcome the HSE statement that cancellations will be in place for all routine elective cases tomorrow, March 5. Unfortunately for the already overburdened health service this must be extended.The trade warrior-in-chief. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump threatened on Saturday to impose a tax on imported European cars if the European Union retaliates against his newly announced trade war.

If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S., the president warned in a tweet on Saturday. He also claimed that the European Union makes it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there.

European leaders have responded to President Trumps promise to impose high tariffs on steel and aluminum imports by threatening to impose their own tariffs on U.S.-made goods like bourbon, blue jeans, and Harley Davidson motorcycles. On Friday, Trump insisted that trade wars are good and easy to win.

Foreign-made cars currently face a 2.5 percent U.S. tariff, and President Trump has previously suggested increasing that to 35 percent, taking particular aim at Germany. In 2016, German automakers exported $23 billion in cars to the U.S., but Mercedes, BMW, and Volkswagen also operate major plants in Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee which employ thousands of American workers and produce hundreds of thousands of cars. That production makes up a significant percentage of the total number of cars those companies sell in the U.S., and many cars are exported Asia and Europe as well. (Mercedes is also Trumps favorite automaker  he once bought Melania one that cost $600,000.)

As with much of what Trump tweets, its not clear if he was making a real threat or policy proposal on Saturday, or just mouthing off after watching some television. But the president has long called for higher tariffs on foreign-made cars, just as he has for foreign-made steel and aluminum. That Trump would actually pursue such protectionist policies seemed improbable until this week. Now, amid the rudderless chaos in the White House, a Trump rant on Saturday could easily become Mondays policy announcement.A MOTORIST who reversed and drove away from a Limerick garda checkpoint at speed has been jailed for two months.

John Hall, 25, of Parkview, Lord Edward Street, Limerick was convicted of dangerous driving relating to an incident which happened at Cathedral Place on December 12, 2016.

During the hearing, Garda Enda Clifford said he was performing a routine checkpoint near St Johns Cathedral shortly before 11pm when he observed a black Honda Civic emerging from Pennywell Road at speed.

He told Limerick District Court he signalled for the vehicle to stop and that when he approached the car he immediately recognised the defendant as being the driver.

He said the defendant then put the vehicle into reverse and drove off at high speed without stopping forcing a taxi to take evasive action. Solicitor Darach McCarthy put it to the Garda Clifford that he was mistaken and it was not his client who was driving the car.

I had clear sight of him, said Garda Clifford who told the court he has had numerous interactions with Mr Hall during his time as a garda in Limerick.

I have no doubt whatsoever it was him, he said.

Judge Fiona Lydon was told the defendant was detected driving the same car a number of days later and was banned from driving on the night of the incident. In his evidence, Mr Hall insisted he was not the driver.

I wasnt there, he didnt see me I wasnt in the car, he said insisting that Garda Clifford must have been mistaken.

Convicting the defendant, Judge Lydon noted the evidence of Garda Clifford that he knew the defendant and had no doubt that he was the driver.

She imposed a two-month prison sentence which is to be served consecutively to a sentence he is currently serving for separate road traffic offences.PROGRESS for a self-sufficient plastic surgery service in Limerick has been delayed, after a national HSE committee deferred the appointment of two consultant surgeons on the basis that they would not resettle locally.

In 2017, the UL Hospitals Group had appointed two consultant plastic surgeons, who would work in Limerick but be on on-call rosters in Galway and Cork respectively.

The service in Limerick is currently provided by Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway.

However, following a meeting in November, the Consultant Applications Advisory Committee (CAAC) deferred the approval of the two posts over serious concerns regarding the feasibility of their appointments.

Minutes of the CAAC meeting, first received by the Medical Independent, stated it fully supports the objective of ULHG in the development of a plastic surgery service for the group, however serious concerns were expressed regarding the feasibility of the proposed two consultant appointments.

It was felt that, being on on-call rosters in Galway and Cork in the initial years, it would be highly likely that people would settle in those two cities; and this would then inevitably result in difficulty relocating to Limerick in 2020.

The CAAC said that the UL Hospitals Group should liaise with the Surgery Clinical Programme leads and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland with a view to collaborating on a more robust strategic plan for a new service in ULHG.

A UL Hospitals Group spokesperson said it hopes to make a further submission to the committee in the very near future. It is the ultimate aspiration of UL Hospitals Group to have an independent self-sufficient plastics surgery service providing elective and emergency surgery services.

The first step in this process is to appoint surgeons who would have a joint responsibility to Limerick and one of the two adjacent units i.e. Cork or Galway. The establishment of a fully self-sufficient unit on a once off basis is not considered advisable.

In the long-term, the spokesperson said, all plastic surgery units should be staffed with a minimum of one surgeon per 80,000 people in the Mid-West region, which has a population of around 380,000.

The UL Hospitals Group stated that further discussions with clinical advisors and neighbouring hospital groups will enable us to attract the best candidates to these posts, while at the same time ensuring that these individuals can maintain both their highly specialised and general plastic surgery skills.A 1.2bn mega-project proposing to pump 300 million litres of water 172 km daily from the River Shannon to Dublin is not needed and will squander taxpayer money, Limerick City and County councillors have heard.

Irish Water plans to build a pipeline from the Parteen basin to Peamount in West Dublin, with the aim of supplying water to the capital and the midlands on a daily basis.

However, the River Shannon Protection Alliance (RSPA) believe the figures used to calculate Irish Waters proposal do not make sense and that viable alternatives have not been explored by the company.

This public money could instead pay for a great deal of nurses, hospital beds, not to mention houses, director of the RSPA Gerard Siney told councillors at a meeting of the Environment Strategic Policy Committee (SPC).

Dublins water pipes are so corroded that 57% of its water leaks through holes in pipes and is never used, he said, adding that the group believes the project will eventually cost closer to 2bn, he claimed.

The Kennedy Analysis, a forensic analysis of the project carried out by solicitor Emma Kennedy, argues there is no need for the project and that Irish Water has made errors in its calculations, Mr Siney added.

RSPA also fears that the scheme will increase the amount of water it takes from the River Shannon as time goes by.

This 300 million litres is the thin end of the wedge. Once they have the pipes in the water they can keep taking more and more.

Viable alternatives to the scheme such as desalination plants have also not been explored adequately, Mr Siney added.

What we need now is a completely independent assessment from an expert, he said adding that he believes the assessor should be based overseas in order for the assessment to be completely independent.

Cllr John Loftus, who was a desalination engineer by trade, said the process would be a more sensible and cost effective alternative than the proposed pipeline, ideal for Dublin given its proximity to the sea. As far as Im concerned it's not about the cost but spend the money on fixing leaks instead or look at other alternatives such as desalination. We have the River Shannon running through our city and the tidal effects havent even entered their mind.

Cllr John Gilligan also voiced his concerns over the proposed project, adding that any plans have to be based on logic and what's best environmentally. I dont want to pump the River Shannon to Dublin to see it run down the Liffey.

Cllr James Collins queried if the money would be better spent on promoting rainwater conservation or other similar schemes.

Surely, it would be more economical if Dublin needed water, to use incentives for people to conserve water, he asked.

To spend two billion to pump water from Shannon to Dublin and for most of it to be flushed away, surely it would make more sense to put that money towards promoting conservation.

The councils physical development directorate Kieran Lehane said that the project would be subject to a full environmental impact assessment and approval by An Bord Pleanala.

A decision was made to invite Irish Water to meet with the councillors at the next meeting of the environmental SPC.ALMOST nine in every ten homes looked at by Limerick councils housing inspectors were found to be non-compliant, figures this week have shown.

Data released to members of the councils housing committee reveal that of 1,053 inspections carried out during 2017, 926 homes were found to not comply with health and safety regulations.

Of these, 864 units inspected were found to have structural defects, and 752 had issues around ventilation.

Some 648 units had fire safety issues also.

The figures came as Sinn Fein councillor Seighin O Ceallaigh saw a motion passed, condemning the letting of substandard accommodation both in the public and private sector.

The motion, seconded by Cllr John Gilligan, called on the local authority to commit to ensuring its own housing stock is up to standard, as well as ensuring action is taken against landlords letting accommodation of a poor nature.

Cllr O Ceallaigh said: I have seen some local authority houses and the condition of them is awful. There is mould around the windows, and some are ice boxes. How does enforcement work? Some of our stock is as bad as that in the private sector. I have logged issues both minor and major, and there seems to be a refusal to deal with them.

We criticise private landlords, but we need to look at our own efforts a bit.

He said housing inspections do not take place on a regular enough basis, adding: What is a family supposed to do if their heating does not work and the landlord says 'tough'. We need to get our act together and ensure people who pay their rent get a good service from the council.

Fine Gael councillor Bill ODonnell, who chairs the committee, claimed some people are living in horrible conditions.

Fianna Fails Mike Donegan said he agreed with the motion in spirit, but suggested the Residential Tenancies Board is a more appropriate body to deal with any landlord-tenant issues.

Cllr O Ceallaigh said: Private landlords are getting their pockets lined by Ras and Hap. We must look at what this is costing the tax-payer.

And Cllr Jerome Scanlan, Fine Gael, called for an equity balance between public and private developments and related inspections.GIFTED and inspiring teachers and mentors have played an important role in Mary Sheppard's life.

Born in Cork but reared from a young age in Newcastle West, Professor Mary Sheppard is now an international expert on CRY or Cardiac Risk in the Young, speaking and lecturing throughout the world on the condition that has taken so many young lives, so suddenly.

Earlier this month, she was honoured by the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland with an Honorary Fellowship, their highest mark of esteem to an eminent peer.

But Mary might not have gone down the medical road at all but for the inspiration from her biology teacher, Mrs Murphy at what was then the convent secondary Scoil Mhuire. school.

She was my inspiration. She taught us well and I loved it, Mary revealed.

Hard though it is to credit now, science subjects only became available to Mary after she had done her Inter or Junior Cert and she had just two years to make up for lost time and secure the points she needed for Medicine in UCC.

There too, her mentor Professor Katie Keohane was a key role model and encouraged Mary's growing interest in research and the academic side of medicine.

A fellowship in London followed her graduation in Medicine and she began the five-year journey to become a consultant pathologist.

I got my MD the day before we married, Mary explained. Her husband is Feoghanagh-born property developer Jim Long whom she met at an Irish wedding in London.

Together they had a family of four while their career paths also developed.

Mary initially began her research career in lung disease but then following a merger of hospitals, and another inspiring mentor, Michael Davies, she began her specialisation in cardiac pathology.

Once I took it on, I loved what I was doing.

Professor Davies, she explained, pioneered investigation into the whole area of sudden death in the young.

It happened of course, Mary explains, but people didn't talk about it. They just accepted it.

That initial research has now grown substantially and new information continues to emerge.

The main cause is primarily family genes, Mary explains which is why screening of all family members is vital.

Unfortunately, people dont always interpret the signs correctly, she says. These include chest pains, excessive breathlessness during exertion and black-outs, in children or young people under 35.

Black-outs are the classic red-flag symptom, she explains and a person should be immediately assessed by a cardiologist and a neurologist.

Screening can detect the abnormalities in a young person's heart.

In Britain, we are trying to bring in screening for all children in school involved in sports.

The main cause of abnormality, Mary explains, lies with the electrical impulses in a childs heart and cause about 50% of sudden deaths. Some 20 different disease types involving electrical impulses have already been identified. Rare conditions are responsible for about a quarter of deaths while cardiomyopathy accounts for the remainder.

However, Mary goes on: 70% of deaths are asymptomatic, or out of the blue, a thunderbolt. It is a rare entity, she adds.

But in Britain, there are 12 cases a day in a population of over 60 million. In Ireland, there are approximately one a week or 70 in a year.

Now Professor of Cardiac Pathology at St Georges Medical School, Mary runs the teaching programme in cardiac pathology, training up the next generation of pathologists but also co-ordinates the CRY programme in Britain.

In her role, she also gets to review virtually all the cases of sudden death in those under 35 and is often called on to review Irish cases.

She also sees it as part of her work to speak to the families affected by sudden death.

The effect on the families is devastating, she acknowledges.

But she stresses: It is preventable. Family members can be treated. They can be detected and can do specialist tests.

Her objective is to see the incidence of CRY fall.



A medical doctor at the Federal Medical Center, Bida, Niger State, Dr. Seyi, has been accused of raping a sixten year old girl named Fatima Yusuf and impregnating her while she was attending to her mother who was on admission at the hospital for severe diabetes. Fatima died last Monday during childbirth.

The Nation reports that Fatima had informed her family of the said doctor's repeated sexual assault. A family source said the rape started when the doctor called Fatima to his office pretending to want to advise her on her mother's medical condition. He forcefully had sex with her in his office and continued until Fatimas mother was discharged from the hospital.

The family source, who pleaded not to be named because she was not qualified to speak for the family, said that when other family members discovered that Fatima was pregnant, they asked her who the father of the baby was and she fingered the said doctor, who vehemently denied having any sexual relationship with her.

The case, however, became so serious that the Emir of Bida, Alhaji Abubakar Yahaya, had to intervene in it. The accused doctor, in the course of interrogation at the Emirs palace, was said to have admitted that he only hugged Fatima and rubbed his body against hers, but did not have any sexual intercourse with her. Fatima however maintained that the doctor forcibly slept with her, and the act resulted in her pregnancy.

The situation was said to have caused the Emir to order that a paternity test be conducted on the pregnancy. But while the Federal Medical Centre complied with the directive, it has been reluctant to release the result of the test, a situation that led to the decision to conduct another paternity test in a hospital outside the state. Unfortunately, while this was going on, Fatima died on Monday some time after she was delivered of a baby boy at the family house in Bida.

Alarmed by the development, the Niger State Child Rights Agency was said to have taken over the case. The Director General of the agency, Barrister Mariam Kolo, who confirmed to our correspondent that the agency had taken up the case, said the agencys attention was drawn to it because the victim was underage and because it was suspected that the management of the hospital was trying to cover up for the accused doctor.

Kolo said that while Fatima might have died, the agency would go ahead with the case and see to its logical conclusion. If Dr. Seyi is found guilty, she said, he will not escape the wrath of the law.

Even in the worst case scenario, a naive and underage girl like that cannot just accuse someone who is higher than her wrongly. If the man did not have carnal knowledge of her, she would not accuse him falsely. Why did she not accuse another doctor in the hospital? She even knew his office and how it looked like. Why did she stick to her story till she died in spite of pressures from all quarters? The family is not asking for money. They are only asking the doctor to own up and take responsibility for what he did. We are waiting for the DNA result. When it comes out, we will know who the father is. Government cannot take responsibility of the child when the father is alive.

Kolo said the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, was trying to cover up the case, adding that the doctor was hiding under the guise that the result of the DNA test was not yet out and that he would not say anything until the tests result was released.

''Although no autopsy was done, it was clear that she died out of intense depression. Look at this: her mother is ill, a man raped and impregnated her and denied it, and they do not have money to feed. He put her under intense depression. It is one of the factors that led to her death. He contributed to her psychological state of mind. This is a very sensitive matter. If medical doctors are now harassing children, it leaves one to wonder if our children are safe. 

When contacted, the hospitals Head of Communication, Musa Ladan acknowledged that a case of alleged sexual harassment was filed against one of its doctors, adding that the hospital was not covering up anybody. Ladan said nothing has been done to the accused doctor because it cannot rely on mere allegations.

There is a case we are handling. It is not a case of cover-up by the hospital as it is being alleged in some quarters. The case is about a patients relation who accused one of our doctors of having carnal knowledge of her. It was brought to our attention and we have set up a high powered committee to investigate it. We have even gone ahead to do a DNA test and we are currently awaiting the result, although while we were waiting, the lady in question died in her family house. We have to establish the accusation. Everything is at accusation level now. We have not done anything to the doctor because we are waiting for the result of the DNA test. After the result, we will know the step to take. he said

Investigations into the matter is still ongoing.Russia could soon be able to conduct nuclear strikes all over the world without any chance of being intercepted, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday (March 1).

Speaking on Russian television as part of his annual address, Putin announced a new class of weapons delivery systems designed to sneak past NATO's American-built ballistic missile defenses. As Putin spoke, computer-generated graphics and video footage playing behind him showed the capabilities of a new hypersonic missile, an underwater drone and a cruise missile with "unlimited range" designed to avoid detection systems.

Experts in nuclear weapons and their politics said the move was far from a shock, given a years-long deterioration of global arms reduction efforts and the recent Trump administration announcement that the United States plans to deploy its own new nuclear tech. [7 Technologies That Transformed Warfare]

"It was not surprising," said Philip Coyle, a nuclear weapons expert who worked for the Carter, Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations in various capacities related to nuclear policy and is now a senior science fellow at The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

"When George W. Bush decided he wanted to get out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty," Coyle told Live Science, "we told people in his administration that this is what Russia would do. And again in 2004, Putin himself warned the United States that if we kept going the way we were going, this is what he was going to do. And he did it."

The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) between the United States and what was then the Soviet Union prevented either country from developing comprehensive defenses capable of shooting down incoming ballistic missiles, in order to avoid touching off an arms race in weapons designed to circumvent missile defenses. First signed in 1972, it remained in effect until President Bush withdrew the United States from the treaty in 2001 and ramped up American missile defense efforts.

Those efforts, Coyle said, pushed Russia toward developing the kind of technology Putin announced Thursday.

What can these new weapons do?

Right now, the most effective method that countries like the United States and Russia have for nuking one another is ballistic missiles. Hidden underground and in stealthy submarines all over the word, ballistic missiles can cross huge distances at blistering speeds. And in the sheer numbers of the American and Russian arsenals, they're impossible to meaningfully defend against, experts have said.

That said, missile defenses of the sort the United States has developed might be able to knock a single ballistic missile out of the air, or even a handful of them if the operators got very lucky. [Could the US Stop Nuclear Weapons?]

The new delivery systems Russia announced, some of which Putin said had already been tested, are designed to avoid missile defenses altogether.

The most significant of them was the nuclear-powered cruise missile. Unlike ballistic missiles, which leave the atmosphere on long arcs, cruise missiles skim low over the ground, meaning they can fly closer to other obscuring objects and are more likely evade detection by radar. They also can travel long distances and, guided by an onboard computer, reach targets with high precision. In theory, a cruise missile carrying a nuclear bomb could slip under American defenses and detection systems, and detonate before Americans could mobilize a response.

See more

By powering the thing with a nuclear engine, Putin said Russia would give its cruise missile functionally unlimited range; nuclear power plants put out far more energy for far longer than conventional engines, which is why the American military uses them in submarines and aircraft carriers. Putin showed a computer-generated video of the Russian cruise missile circling the world, slipping around radar systems and arriving in North America from the southern end of the Pacific Ocean.

Putin also announced the nuclear torpedo  an underwater missile with a nuclear warhead  which he said had been tested and could travel vast distances underwater before striking an enemy along the coast.

Finally, he advertised an update to existing ballistic missile technology: a missle that can deploy multiple warheads, all of which enter the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds  up to 20 times the speed of sound  and could perform evasive maneuvers in flight before striking their targets.

The upshot, Coyle said, is that none of these weapons could ever be defended against with modern technology.

The whole point of the ABM was to ward off this sort of technology

"[The ABM] was really meant to short-circuit the arms race dynamic," said Laura Grego, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists' Global Security Program.

At the time of the treaty's signing, officials with fresh memories of the ballistic missile technology race that peaked in the 1950s and '60s during the Cold War worried that missile defense technologies might provoke a new wave of arms escalation, she said.

"Deterrence requires you to be able to hold your adversary at risk," Grego told Live Science. "Defenses interrupt that. By building a defense, rather than discourage your adversary, your adversary is likely to just build more so that they can get up and over your defense. And then you build more defense. So it's an arms race cycle."

See more

Missile defenses can also "create a use-it-or-lose it dynamic," Grego said.

When two states have nuclear missiles and missile defense systems aimed at each other, both are incentivized to strike first. Wait and go second, and your reduced missile arsenal  whatever remains after your enemy's first strike  is more likely to crash ineffectively against their defenses. Go first, and you have a hope of doing enough damage to wipe out your enemy and ride out the return strike.

Missile defenses haven't worked out the way Bush-era officials hoped

Keeping fired missiles at bay is a tall order. In fact, Bush never planned to build a missile defense that could ward off the full might of the Russian ballistic missile arsenal. Instead, he pitched missile defenses as a necessary measure to defend the United States against the more limited arms of "rogue states" like Iran, as Time reported in 2007. But, as ABC News reported, the defenses turned out to be both expensive and ineffective in practice, leading President Barack Obama to scale down the program in 2009.

As recently as January, a U.S. ballistic missile interceptor test ended in failure. That was the second such failure in under a year, even though, as arms control expert Jeffrey Lewis has pointed out on his podcast, these sorts of tests tend to take place during ideal conditions, very different from the situation one might expect in an actual nuclear emergency.

Even so, arms control experts largely agree that these tests have provoked Russia's efforts to improve its methods for delivering a warhead to an American city.

"Putin's announcement is a predictable reaction to the ongoing missile defense efforts of the United States. Now, it appears that the Trump administration is going to ramp up these defenses, increasing Russia's concerns," Lisbeth Gronlund, co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists' Global Security Program, said in an emailed statement.

"Both nations have now stated they will deploy new types of nuclear weapons," she added. "Putin's announcement further ratchets up what is clearly a new arms race between the two countries."

American defenses were likely not the only factor prompting Russia's decision, Grego cautioned, pointing out that internal politics can be as big a driver of announcements like this one as foreign policy. As Anton Troianovski pointed out in a Washington Post article, "Putin's speech, less than three weeks before the Russian presidential election, represented an escalated level of martial rhetoric even by his pugnacious standards."

Russian nukes learn to turn

As much as American missile defense systems tend to fail, the reason they work at all, Grego said, is that ballistic missiles follow fairly predictable trajectories. [The Most Dangerous Space Weapons Ever]

"Ballistic missiles, true to the name, go on a ballistic trajectory," she said. "So they use these powerful engines to get themselves moving really fast, but after the engines burn out, they're just coasting."

At that point, tracking, predicting and intercepting a ballistic missile's trajectory becomes a straightforward question of precision and physics. Really difficult, extreme precision and physics that even the best American weapons engineers can't achieve reliably. But straightforward nonetheless.

Russia's newly announced weapons circumvent that problem entirely because all of them, one way or another, arrive without going in a straight line. The underwater torpedo, low-flying cruise missile and hypersonic weapon  wherever they might be along the track of development  are all able to avoid missile defenses by simply arriving along unexpected, untrackable routes.

Plus, the cruise missile flies low over land and ocean waves, below the effective reach of radar. The torpedo swims underwater. Even if somehow they could be tracked and predicted, nothing in the U.S. arsenal could catch up with them and strike them.

"We do not have capabilities against these kinds of systems and, as far as I'm concerned, never will," Coyle said.

New tech won't fix this tech problem

Coyle, Grego and Gronlund all cautioned against responding to Russia's claimed technological advance by building new American gadgets.

"We Americans always hope that there will be a high-tech solution that will keep us from having to deal with an international problem like Russia," Coyle said. "I'm hopeful that these developments will help us realize that there is no high-tech solution, and we simply need to sit down at the negotiating table and reach new treaties and a new peace."

It's important to recognize, Coyle and Grego both said, that in many respects, this new technology doesn't change the Russian-American nuclear balance at all.

"Russia could hold everybody at risk in the United States," Grego said. "It has enormous destructive potential even without these missiles. This is a new way of doing it, but it doesn't essentially change the fact that the United States is vulnerable to Russia, just as Russia is vulnerable to the United States."

The risk, Grego said, is that now Americans will feel "motivated" to counter these new Russian technologies with new American technologies.

"There's a temptation to try to spend your way out of it, or try to 'technology' your way out of it, rather than addressing the real root question of 'Why do we have these enormous nuclear arsenals, and why are we trying to structure our security around them?'" Grego said.

Originally published on Live Science.San Antonio cutie Chloe Hawkins was determined to make her Mexican family members proud by preparing one of their favorite desserts on Fridays premiere of Gordon Ramsays Emmy-nominated MasterChef Junior cooking reality show.

Asked to make the signature dish she felt would earn her both a white apron and a spot among the 24 boy-girl contestants, ages 8 through 13, who would advance on the Fox show, Hawkins chose flan.

It wasnt just any flan, but the recipe the 9-year-old learned from her maternal grandma, who had lived in Mexico post-college. It was made with bananas, rum, brown sugar and butter.

RELATED: San Antonio girl nabs spot on TV's 'Master Chef Junior'

What happened next likely was heartbreaking to San Antonio viewers, who hoped to see one of their pint-sized own go far  maybe even win the title, along with the grand prize of $100,000.

However, Hawkins, an honor roll student at St. Anthony Catholic School, seems to take it all, highs and lows, in stride.

So, what did happen? I didn't leave my flan in the oven long enough. I think with all the excitement and the pressure from the clock, I didn't realize it was not fully cooked," Hawkins explained in an email.

On the show, she initially seemed dismayed that her flan hadnt set. (It) looks like soup, she said. But it doesnt matter how it looks, she figured, it matters how it tastes.

Though culinary maestro Joe Bastianich, who was judging, acknowledged it was quite delicious, the flans texture apparently did matter.

As a banana soup dessert, thumbs up, Bastianich said. As a flan, thumbs down.

In short, it wasnt enough to advance Hawkins to the next round. Bastianich, host Ramsay and chef Christina Tosi bid the eliminated girls a fond farewell and encouraged them to keep cooking.

Im bummed that Im leaving, Hawkins said at the end. But I think I did my family members in Mexico proud. And the thing Im most excited to do when I get back to San Antonio is cook more.

An added plus is she already appears to have won the respect of one of San Antonios star chefs and restaurateurs, Jason Dady.

RELATED: San Antonio TV anchor shares big career news

Dady hosted a premiere party Friday night for Hawkins, her family and friends at his seafood restaurant Shuck Shack on Grayson Street.

Prior to the episode, he brought Hawkins and her mom, Rosie Alvarado, up to the front, and told the crowd: We have San Antonios best absolute No. 1 young chef here tonight  whos about to make her literal world premiere. Lets give it up for Chloe!

Though the TV spotlight was short-lived, Hawkins described the experience as one I will never forget and (will) hold close to my heart.

Even though I didn't win gold, silver, or bronze, I made it all the way to the Olympics of kids food competition. That's a great accomplishment for me and I am proud of myself," she added. "I am proud to have represented San Antonio."The five East African nations contributing troops to the AMISOM peacekeeping mission in Somalia have called on the U.N. Security Council to keep troops slated for removal by 2020.

The withdrawal of the more than 20,000 AMISOM peacekeepers from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Ethiopia and Djibouti is slated to begin this year. Heads of state from the five countries met with Somalia's president and regional officials in Kampala on Friday.

The troop contributing states want UN to reverse the 2020 drawdown plans. Uganda President Yoweri Museveni said a lot of progress has been made and needs to be cemented

The countries reaffirmed their commitment to continue to assist the federal government of Somalia in its stabilisation effort, but they warned that the planned AMISOM drawdown would endanger hard-fought gains made since the force deployed to Somalia in 2007.

More than 80 per cent of the country's territory has been recovered by the Somalia National Army and AMISOM, but the political and security situation in Somalia remains fragile.

In a communique read by Uganda's foreign minister, Sam Kutesa, the heads of state said the main thrust of U.S. Security Council Resolution 2372 of Aug. 30, 2017, "was a phased reduction and drawdown of AMISOM troops by 2020."

The leaders said the time frames and troop levels under the resolution were "not realistic and would lead to a reversal of the gains made by AMISOM."

Lack of funds

One of the main issues of concern for the troop-contributing countries has been the inadequate funding of AMISOM, which was the basis for the call last year to draw down troops.

Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has pledged to rebuild the national army.

"But I believe we have a long way to go," he said.

"We need to put together a sound strategy in order to effectively fight against al-Shabab and defeat them. If we continue to collaborate with the help of the [European Union] and international community to continue funding this operation, we will be able to defeat al-Shabab in a very short order."

al-Shabab militants continue to carry out frequent attacks. The group carried out Somalia's deadliest terror attack ever in October of last year  a truck bombing in Mogadishu that killed more than 300 people. However, the regional leaders meeting in Uganda stressed that threats in Somalia also stem from other armed groups and from communal infighting.

"There is no doubt that we need to continue sustained military operations," said Moussa Faki Mahamat, president of the African Union Commission.

"Most importantly, we must also address in a comprehensive manner the causes of radicalisation, continued recruitment and localised grievances and conflicts."

Emphasis was also put on the need to provide more than 5.4 million people in Somalia with lifesaving humanitarian assistance.SAO PAULO, Brazil - The 50 young Brazilians who gathered in Sao Paulo's statehouse one recent evening looked nothing like the old white men who traditionally fill its seats. Raising their cellphones as if in a salute, the young people live-streamed, photographed and tweeted their actions.

These millennials were forming a coalition of political "start-ups," groups that operate independently from Brazil's parties and have been proliferating in the run-up to national elections in October.

Dozens of these groups have arisen, after a massive corruption scandal tarred the political class in South America's largest country. Sustained by rage-filled Facebook pages and a growing distrust of the political establishment, these civic movements are introducing a new element to Brazil's election campaigns. So far, they've resulted in 500 candidates running for office at the municipal, state and presidential levels in elections this fall - an estimated 2 percent of prospective competitors.

"The current leadership does not represent us," said Ilona Szabo, 39 and a founding member of Agora, or Now, a group calling for more ethical behavior in politics and less economic inequality. "We need to create new groups made up of our generation."

These movements hope to translate Brazilians' outrage into the kinds of political action seen in the United States and France, where outsiders such as President Donald Trump and President Emmanuel Macron used popular support to outmaneuver the political systems.

The new groups span the political spectrum, from the libertarian Movimento Brasil Livre, known as the Brazilian version of America's tea party, to the leftist Bancada Ativista, whose focus on social justice resembles that of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Many of the Brazilian groups trace their roots to 2013, when a protest over a hike in bus fares morphed into a countrywide popular upheaval that shook the political establishment. Since then, the crisis of legitimacy for Brazil's political system has only deepened, fueled by the controversial impeachment of former president Dilma Rousseff and a widening corruption investigation known as Operation Car Wash.

The sprawling probe has tainted the current president and implicated dozens of cabinet ministers and senators. Faith in Brazilian political institutions is plunging, with a 2017 Ipsos poll revealing that only 6 percent of Brazilians feel represented by the politicians they voted for.

The country's leading contender for the presidency remains former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who may be barred from running because of a corruption conviction. In Brazil, voting is mandatory. If Lula is struck from the ballot, up to one-third of Brazilians would submit blank protest votes, according to figures recently released by Datafolha, a Brazilian polling agency.

With optimistic names such as Renovate Brazil and I Believe, the emerging movements represent an effort to channel the disillusionment stemming from the recent turmoil into something positive.

"After Car Wash, everyone had blood in their eyes," said Matheus Codeco, a 19-year-old public administration student from Rio de Janeiro and a member of Acredito, a movement calling for a more transparent and diverse Congress. "It woke people up to a scheme that everyone knew was going on but at a scale nobody could imagine. We want to create a collective strategy to move forward."

In Brazil, where almost all established political parties find themselves sullied by corruption scandals, these new groups have produced a different breed of candidate. Luciano Huck, a popular television host and the face of the Agora movement, polled among the top three candidates in this year's presidential race before he bowed out last month after facing pressure from his station.

Lesser-known candidates face a steeper road. These new movements still have to play by old rules. Brazil's system grants established parties federal funding for campaigns and free television airtime for ads. The movements, on the other hand, rely on individual donors for funds and struggle to compete against deep-pocketed parties.

The lack of airtime means the movements largely try to spread their messages via social media, where fake news and polarization are rife. There are no primary races within Brazil's parties, which walls off the establishment from upstart voices.

"The current system is designed to ensure that the people who are in power stay in power," said Pablo Ortellado, a public policy professor at the University of Sao Paulo. "Launching candidates is one thing. Winning will be much harder."

Still, many of these movements have achieved a competitive edge online, where their sense of anger and frustration inspires millions of followers. Political parties are often eager to tap into that energy, especially at the local level, where the movements have won key legislative and electoral victories.

Members of the Movimento Brasil Livre, for example, attracted votes for businessman and reality TV star Joao Doria, who won Sao Paulo's mayoral race by a landslide in 2016. The movement has continued having a hand in his policies. Doria significantly scaled back regulations on ride-hailing apps such as Uber this year after facing pressure from the libertarian group.

For their part, the movements also have something to gain in allying with political parties. Brazilian law mandates that candidates have a party affiliation. While most movements reject the existing party structure, they have little choice but to strike up partnerships of convenience with existing parties to launch candidacies.

Some have found a home in weaker parties where they can more easily champion their causes. Agora recently signed a partnership to launch candidates through the Socialist People's Party.

The groups are keenly aware of the fate of their sister movements around the world, many of which burn out when online momentum fails to produce traction in the offline world.

"If you look at Occupy, it had a presence but no actionable agenda. What does it occupy now?" said Szabo, the founder of Agora. In an attempt to maintain its momentum offline, Agora requires all board members to commit to two years of public service.

Eduardo Jorge, a veteran politician and co-founder of the dominant Workers' Party, said the country's strict party rules must be reformed to make space for new players.

"Facebook offers an extraordinary space for democracy to flourish," Jorge said at a recent panel on democratic movements. "But without political reform, you won't see results."

Despite the challenges they face, the new political movements could be setting the stage to dislodge the existing party structure. After all, veterans of Brazil's current political class, like Jorge, were launched into politics through similar movements that gnawed at Brazil's dictatorship for years before ultimately bringing it down three decades ago.

"The student movement in the '60s was what produced today's political class," said Alexandre Bandeira, a political strategist in Brasilia. "We are still going to see the fruit of these movements participating in politics. It's a process."Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) has announced an agreement to acquire a 50 percent equity stake in the sweeteners and starches business of Russia-based Aston Foods and Food Ingredients.

Under the terms of the agreement, ADM will become 50 percent owner of Astons corn wet mills in Ibred and Novlyanka, which are strategically close to major customers in the Russian food and beverage industry.

ADM is targeting a close for the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, late in the second quarter of 2018.



Allstate is partnering with Uber Technologies to protect drivers and passengers by providing commercial auto coverage in Illinois, New Jersey and Wisconsin.

The policies, managed by Allstate Business Insurance, provide coverage from when a driver-partner turns on the Uber app to begin accepting rides, heads to pick up a rider and through the time when the trip ends.

Our business relationship with Uber expands Allstates leadership in personal transportation solutions into the commercial insurance arena, said Tom Troy, Allstate executive vice president. Personal transportation preferences are evolving, with consumers using a mix of options from owning vehicles to ridesharing. We understand the increasing need for commercial insurance solutions for drivers who provide rideshare services with their personal vehicles and for the transportation network companies they partner with.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nations largest publicly held personal lines insurer, covering nearly 16 million households.



Harvard Illinois Bancorp has announced results of the companys annual meeting of stockholders held Wednesday.

Stockholders elected the board of directors two director nominees: Donn L. Claussen for a two-year term and Brian S. Rebhorn for a three-year term.

Stockholders also ratified the appointment of BKD LLP to serve as the companys independent registered public accountants for the year.

 Compiled by David C.L. BauerWASHINGTON - President Donald Trump began last week trumpeting his idea to arm teachers. A couple days later, he alarmed fellow Republicans by embracing broader background checks and suggesting police should seize guns from mentally disturbed people without first going to court.

By the end of the week, Trump had huddled with leaders of the National Rifle Association, with both sides hailing each other on Twitter.

Heading into a new week, lawmakers still have no sense of what Trump truly wants on guns and other key agenda items - a pattern that leaders of both parties say has hindered their ability to move forward on knotty issues that could benefit from presidential leadership.

After more than a year of the Trump presidency, members of Congress have learned to brace themselves for unpredictable, confusing and often contradictory positions from the commander in chief on issues ranging from health care to immigration to gun rights.

"It's totally not on a straight line," Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said of Trump's negotiating style. "It's zigzagging, something like a pinball machine. But he does move [the ball] down."

The confusion was particularly evident in the impasse over immigration. As part of an effort to protect young "dreamers" from deportation in exchange for border wall funding, Trump convened a bipartisan meeting at the White House in January.

With cameras rolling, he pledged to sign any compromise lawmakers could craft, only to reject the outcome days later. Trump's aides ultimately sent to Congress a lengthy wish list of hard-line immigration ideas Democrats would never support.

Now, the urgency in Washington has dissipated with court decisions that effectively keep in place the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which Trump has moved to end and protects about 700,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children.

"I'm sorry to say, I found the president to be totally unreliable when it came to the DACA issue," said Sen. Dick Durbin, Ill., the No. 2 Senate Democrat whose efforts to craft an immigration deal with Trump floundered. "It really suggests that his effectiveness is compromised as long as his word is unreliable."

Trump's style can poses challenges for members of both parties, observers say.

Jim Manley, a lobbyist and former longtime aide to former Senate minority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he found himself feeling sorry for Republican leaders after watching Trump's televised meeting with lawmakers on guns at the White House last week.

"Democrats have learned not to trust him, and Republicans are walking away wondering what the White House's bottom lines are," Manley said. "These kind of meetings just sow confusion and leave people wondering what the president wants."

Fresh uncertainty about where Trump stands on guns came Friday as White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders fielded questions from reporters about whether the president remains committed to a proposal to raise the age to purchase rifles and shotguns from 18 to 21 - an idea opposed by the NRA.

"Conceptually, he still supports raising the age to 21," Sanders aid. "But he also knows there's not a lot of broad support for that."

Sanders then offered a new twist, saying Trump thinks the idea probably has "more potential" at the state level than federal level. (States already have the ability to set a higher age for such purchases. To date, only two - Illinois and Hawaii - have done so.)

Sanders also stressed that Trump does not necessarily back "universal" background checks, despite his use of that word previously. "Universal" can mean different things to different people, she said.

White House officials and some Trump boosters argue that there's a method behind what strikes some as madness: sparking conversation going among lawmakers, even if it never ends up giving Congress much direction.

"He's results-oriented. He'll throw ideas out there," Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said. "And what makes him effective is that he's not afraid to throw different ideas out there and allow us to debate it."

Daines called Trump's style "refreshing."

"I think what he's really telling Congress [is], I sign whatever you all pass, you all need to get into a room and weigh all the alternatives and see what you can actually get done," said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Others are less charitable, arguing that Trump's flexibility stems from a lack of deeply rooted convictions on many issues.

"He's going with the television headlines from day-to-day instead of following a policy strategy," said one Republican consultant close to the White House, who requested anonymity to offer a more candid assessment. "When he sees backlash from Republican lawmakers and others, he shifts his position and then tries to shift the topic to something else."

Rick Wilson, a Republican consultant and sharp Trump critic, also expressed pessimism about such legislation, blaming Trump's unreliability.

"You can't rely on Donald Trump. He is an unreliable narrator of his own story," said Wilson, a frequent Trump critic. "He works off his urges and impulses and not any sort of philosophical framework."

Some Democrats, however, have found reason for optimism amid Trump's mixed signals on guns.

"I knew walking out of that meeting that the White House was gonna have to dial back some of what the president said," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said. "The president's sort of lack of policy foundation allows him to flow where he thinks where the country is going."

The legislative standoff on guns and immigration have also underscored a larger reality about Trump's relationship with Capitol Hill: More than a year into his presidency, he has been unable to score a major legislative victory on any issue that was not already a leading priority of Republican lawmakers.

The GOP tax bill, which Trump successfully championed, was a longtime aim of congressional leaders. And Trump's only other major victory on Capitol Hill - the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch - was a result of the political muscle of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who single-handedly left deceased Justice Antonin Scalia's seat vacant for a year and later changed the chamber's rules to make it happen.

On other issues less central to Republican orthodoxy - or that require bipartisan cooperation - the president has struggled.

Besides stalled pushes on immigration and guns, Trump has also proposed significant investment in the country's ailing infrastructure. But when Trump finally delivered a 53-page plan to Capitol Hill last month, the document was widely panned by Democrats and largely met with silence from the GOP.

In the weeks since, Trump has not held any public events to build support for the initiative and has said little about it.

Trump has sent mixed signals on several other policy fronts as well, including health care. Days before taking office last year, Trump vowed to replace Obama's signature Affordable Care Act with the goal of "insurance for everybody."

He later wound up championing GOP plans that would have slashed the number of insured Americans by millions. Trump also initially pledged to leave Medicaid intact but later embraced cuts to the program, which provides health insurance to the poor.

Trump has also repeatedly floated other ideas without following through with Congress. For instance, shortly after his 2016 election, he took to Twitter and threatened the loss of citizenship or jail for people who burn the American flag.

Trump has since talked repeatedly about the importance of respecting the flag, but he has not pushed Congress to advance any legislation imposing consequences for its desecration.

GOP consultant Doug Heye said Trump should be "uniquely situated" to broker deals on issues such as immigration and guns, given his previous career as a New York real estate developer and the trust his staunchest supporters place in him.

"His base trusts him in a way they wouldn't with a President Rubio or a President Walker," Heye said referring to two of Trump's 2016 Republican primary rivals, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

Heye said Trump's posture on guns has been head-spinning. He noted the rollicking reception Trump received last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual conclave of the American right, where the NRA is highly popular.

"He went to CPAC and was hailed as a conquering hero, and a week later he moves to the left of many Democrats on gun control," Heye said.

Trump's policy inconsistencies are sure to complicate and even stymie whatever legislative agenda he has this year, leaving a vacuum of policy details that lawmakers then attempt to fill.

On some issues, such as the tax overhaul, congressional Republican leaders were more than content to take the lead. But on other fights, like immigration, GOP lawmakers have consistently asked the White House for direction. On Sunday, senators from both parties implored Trump to take a leading role in pushing for gun-control legislation, arguing that his political cover is vital to passing a bill.

When asked last week to assess Trump's reliability as a negotiating partner, however, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, argued that Congress is the one charged with coming up with policy measures.

"The president has two powers under the Constitution: One is to sign legislation. One is to veto legislation," he said. "Obviously, he's important. But the executive is not the primary policymaker. It's the Congress."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who appeared almost giddy at least week's televised meeting on guns as Trump embraced some of her ideas, said she considered it a "good meeting."

"But whether it lasts or not, I don't know," Feinstein said.

---

The Washington Post's Karoun Demirjian contributed to this report.WASHINGTON - Senators from both parties are imploring President Donald Trump to take a leading role in pushing for gun-control legislation, arguing that his political cover is vital to passing a bill - and to keeping Republicans from getting punished in the upcoming midterms for inaction.

"I think he knows that the mood of the country has shifted, such that he and his party are going to pay a huge price in the polls in 2018 and 2020 if they don't start supporting things like universal background checks," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a major proponent of gun control, said on ABC's "This Week."

"If he and Republicans don't start showing some movement in the wake of Parkland, there aren't going to be as many Republicans around for him come 2019 for his entire agenda and perhaps for his political salvation," the senator continued.

Murphy was one of several Democrats who praised Trump last week for his words during a Wednesday meeting with congressional leaders to discuss potential responses to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last month that killed 17 people. At the meeting, Trump upended long-held GOP bargaining positions on guns, not only endorsing expanded background checks, but also lending support to a ban on assault weapons and stating that when it comes to confiscating weapons, authorities should "take the guns first, go through due process second."

In the days since, White House staffers have scrambled to temper that message, while the president held a meeting with National Rifle Association leaders in the Oval Office that he later deemed "good (great)" on Twitter. The NRA opposes several of the measures Trump seemed to endorse on Wednesday, including a provision to raise the minimum age for all gun purchases from 18 to 21.

But advocates of gun legislation in Congress hope that Trump will not be swayed by the pushback from the NRA, which endorsed him as a candidate and has politically supported him as president.

"He can set his legacy: President Trump coming forth to something like this and putting his support behind will give Republicans enough cover to support this," said Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., who co-authored with Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., a bill to require universal background checks that failed to pass the Senate in 2013, in the wake of a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 26 children and teachers.

Manchin, speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," added that he believed that "if President Trump would have been president in 2013, that bill would have passed."

He said he would also take the challenge Trump offered Toomey and include a provision to raise the minimum age for purchasing firearms from 18 to 21 in their bill, which Manchin "should be the base bill" for gun-control efforts in Congress.

But the senator cautioned against adding a provision to ban semiautomatic weapons like the AR-15 to that bill. An AR-15 was used in the Parkland shooting.

"That would not help our bill at all ... and I've told Dianne that," Manchin said, referring to Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee and a longtime advocate for an assault weapons ban.

Manchin also endorsed a new effort from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that would let police or relatives of an unstable individual petition the court to seize that person's firearms.

"Most Americans believe we should solve problems that Americans are facing, like gun violence and school safety problems," Graham said on "Face the Nation."

He, too, commended Trump for getting involved in the gun-control debate, and he noted that there will be consequences for lawmakers who do not follow suit.

"The president did a good job talking about - we should be able to do something to stop shootings like this," Graham said. "If we don't take this up and if Democrats don't work with us, we'll all suffer - and we should."President Museveni has fired police boss Gen Kale Kayihura and security minister Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde.

Fired: Kale Kayihura (L) with Henry Tumukunde

Gen Elly Tumwine a bush war hero who fired the first shot of the NRA war has been appointed as the new minister of Security while Okoth Ochola is the new Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

Ochola will be deputised by Brig Sabiiti Muzeyi, the former head of Military Police who was appointed last year following his stint as deputy Commander of Special Forces.

Kayihura, a self-confessed ruling NRM party cadre has been the longest serving IGP; having been appointed in 2005. Museveni reappointed him to the position in May 2017 for at least another three years. Tumukunde was appointed security minister in July 2016.

During their reign, the country has witnessed unprecedented spate of criminality in the country with murders, kidnaps, armed robberies on the increase in Wakiso, Masaka, Gulu, Mukono.

When asked recently about the fight between police and Internal Security Organisation (ISO) under Tumukunde, Museveni said the fight was between the top leadership and not the officials.

The climax of Tumukunde and Kayihura's troubles seems to have been the kidnap of 28-year-old Susan Magara on February 7 and her eventual murder last week after 20 days in captivity.

Her kidnappers cut off two of her fingers and sent them to the family and a video of her torture. They demanded a $1 million (about Shs 3.5 billion) ransom and Museveni was reportedly in touch with the family during the 3-week ordeal.

At Magara's burial in Hoima, Tumukunde admitted that government had failed to rescue Magara and asked citizens to watch over themselves and their property.

FIGHTING GENERALS

Kayihura and Tumukunde have both blamed the increasing criminality on the failure of their respective agencies.

The two generals have allegedly had a long-standing rift since 2005 when Kayihura oversaw Tumukundes arrest and subsequent prosecution in the Army Court Martial for abuse of office and spreading harmful propaganda. Tumukunde, then an army MP, had spoken out on Radio One against the amendment of the Constitution to remove presidential term limits.

At the time, Tumukunde was cultivating a risky reputation as a regime critic from his perch as one of the 10 army MPs. The dramatic arrest was sanctioned based on a report Kayihura, who was thriving as the blue-eyed military assistant to Museveni, and chief political commissar of the UPDF, had written.

Tumukunde was sentenced to a serious reprimand, subjected to the twin humiliation of a lengthy detention at the Kololo officers mess. He was also withdrawn from the cushy position of representing the army in parliament.

That same year (2005), Kayihura was promoted to major general and appointed police chief, an office he has enthusiastically used to brutally clamp down on political opposition to Musevenis presidency.

Ten years later, Tumukunde was back in favour. In 2015, Museveni was assembling forces to counter the unusual leadership challenge presented by his long-time confidant, former prime minister Amama Mbabazi.

Museveni set Tumukunde to work, infiltrating and neutralising Mbabazis considerable networks. His long-held wish to retire from the army was also finally granted in September that year, with a promotion from brigadier to lieutenant general.

In July 2016, a new cabinet was announced in which he was named security minister, a docket that brought a rehabilitated Tumukunde into direct confrontation with the police chief.

In September last year, when mysterious murders of women in Nansana and Entebbe were rampant, the two generals opened parallel investigations into the unexplained murders, forcing a visibly unsettled Kayihura to publicly hit at Tumukunde.

Recently, Kayihura accused Internal Security Organisation (ISO) under Tumukundes leadership of collaborating with criminals the police had prosecuted like Paddy Sserunjogi aka Sobi.

Following the brutal murder of police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi last year, Museveni urged Kayihura to clean the police of criminals.San Antonio is a city in transition. After years of being summed up simply as a sleepy, blue-collar town, the Alamo City has come into its own as a leader in several key industries  from manufacturing, to bioscience, to cybersecurity and information technology.

We are a city on the rise, and a city seeing a rise in the number of complex issues that its business and civic leaders must address.

At both the national and the state levels, there are trusted, independent sources our leaders can turn to for factual, reliable information to help them make policy decisions. Congress has the Congressional Research Service, and Texas legislators have the House Research Organization and the Texas Senate Research Center.

However, when members of the San Antonio City Council need to get up to speed on complex issues, no such support exists. Council members must rely on their own staff or city employees at large  people who are already tasked with handling constituent relations or city government functions  to quickly provide the research upon which important policy decisions should be made.

Consider the recent RFP for airport concession contracts, a version of which called for the implementation of a labor peace agreement, or LPA, a precursor to labor union concessions. The uproar among employers was such that the city issued an addendum that called for would-be concessionaires to submit two proposals  one with the LPA and one without  before City Council ultimately decided last week to remove the LPA altogether.

The mere inclusion of an LPA without input from or discussion with the business community marked a major policy shift for San Antonio  one that could put employers at a disadvantage when it comes to dealing with unions. And more changes could be on the way, with city staff planning to bring before council a variety of proposed changes to San Antonios procurement policies.

In recent years, City Council has had to address a series of complicated and often technically or technologically oriented issues, from Vista Ridge and the citys long-term water supply to ride-sharing and transportation network companies.

As important as what our leaders ultimately decide is how they arrive at those decisions and the information upon which they are based. Those decisions should be made on the basis of objective research, not on the recommendation of busy staffers.

The role of city staff is to recommend and advocate a particular position for council approval or disapproval. The role of an independent research entity is much more basic. It would be to define, analyze and put an issue into context for the council and city staff to consider. It would also share what other municipalities have done in similar circumstances so that we can learn from the mistakes of others and determine what will work best in San Antonio.

Our leaders have some examples they can turn to, including the Boston Municipal Research Bureau. Founded in 1932, the BMRB provides research and impartial policy analysis on a variety of issues affecting the city of Boston.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg has written a white paper about creating a research bureau for San Antonio and has publicly identified an independent research entity as one of his top priorities. As the number and complexity of issues facing City Council increase, theres greater interest in the concept from the business community and watchdog groups alike.

We already have a foundation in place on which to build a San Antonio Municipal Research Bureau. Our institutions of higher education, including the University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas A&M-San Antonio, are bastions of research. All we need is a plan and the resources to harness their research capacity to support decision-makers at City Hall when needed.

We owe it to our city to be sure that the decisions being made that impact the well-being and prosperity of its residents are based on the best information.If you live in Texas, there is a good chance you know someone like me.

My mother brought me to the United States when I was 8 because of a lack of jobs and security in Mexico City. Ive grown up an American, pledging allegiance to our flag and doing my best to succeed in school.

Thanks to the opportunities afforded to me, I am finishing college this year and would like to give back by serving in public office.

I am a Dreamer.

If Congress and President Donald Trump do not act soon, however, I might not be able to graduate this December, and Ill have to once again live in perpetual fear of being deported. Thats because my DACA grant will expire this summer without the programs renewal.

The president is responsible for the uncertainty surrounding DACA after ending the program last year without a clear path forward. He wants to kick out DACA recipients, build a wall, and close our nation off from the rest of the world.

Despite promising words offered by our representatives in Washington, we are no closer to keeping more than 800,000 DACA recipients in the country that is their home. We dont need a short-term patch to the program requiring frequent applications to justify our presence. We need Congress to pass legislation with a pathway to citizenship that brings people out of the shadows created by uncertainty.

With Republicans holding Congress and the presidency, they hold the power to pass legislation. Earlier this month, the Senate began debate on immigration policy that yielded several proposals but without enough votes to advance.

President Trump clearly undercut a bipartisan effort by senators to pass a bill that would have included the Dream Act, and his nativist proposal was the one to garner the least amount of votes.

Congressional inaction and Trumps tricks dont represent how the majority of Americans feel about immigrants. Recent polling says that 83 percent of Americans, including 67 percent of Republicans, want Dreamers to have a path to stay in the U.S.

There is a deal to be made and our nation has a history of welcoming people from around the world and encouraging their civic participation. Public policy has not met this level of acceptance.

When my mother and I arrived in the U.S., our nations broken immigration system offered no assurances against deportation until the Obama administration created DACA. Like many immigrants before us, we demonstrated our desire to contribute to American life without assurances that we could make this place our home by going to school and working hard.

My uncertain status in this country is one of many examples of the costs of inaction. I want to walk across the stage at graduation, but I also want other Dreamers to stay in their jobs and their homes. I want to prevent families from being torn apart by ICE agents. Most importantly, I want future immigrants to this country to feel as welcomed by the government as their community.

Its time for our representatives to protect Americas legacy as a welcoming place. Inaction is unacceptable.Longford County Council in conjunction with An Garda Siochana and Axa Insurance hosted the Axa Road Safety Show in Longford's Backstage Theatre last Wednesday to an audience of Transition Year students from a number of schools across the county.

Road safety was to the fore on the day and Moyne native, Peter Reynolds spoke to those gathered about living without his brother Joseph who died following a road traffic collision in July 2016.



Both he and his family were left devastated by the death of Joseph who was just 18 years old at the time of the crash.



I am here to inform you of the real life impact these accidents have on a family, sibling and a friend, he told students, members of An Garda Siochana and council executives who gathered at Backstage Theatre on the day.



My brother Joseph was tragically killed in a car accident in which he was a passenger, while on his way to a night out with friends.

Peter went on to say that he remembered Joseph as a big smiling 6 feet 4 inches tall man who was full of life, ambition and dreams.

He was also one of a family of eight including three sisters, two brothers and his mam and dad.



On the day, Peter told those gathered that the young north Longford man had just completed his first year in college when the accident happened and had passed all his exams in a course he had worked very hard to get while doing his Leaving Cert.



Joe was an avid rugby player, enjoyed the craic and was generous beyond anyone I have ever known, Peter continued, before pointing to the fact that at roughly 11:15pm on July 17, 2016, the news that nobody hoped to hear landed at his familys door.



He then described how members of the family dealt with the confirmation that their brother and son was dead.



My sister who went to the scene got the phone call; my father roared but there were no words; he roared and roared and roared for what seemed like an eternity.



Then nothing, not a sound - he went numb.



His body could not accept the news that his youngest son was dead.

Peter said that he remembered his brothers and sisters around him that night, all crying uncontrollably, while grown men and neighbours were brought to their knees by the sudden and unexpected death of his little brother.



The event at Backstage Theatre heard that following the accident, Joseph Reynolds was taken by ambulance to the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar.



My mother was not at home at the time, but we met her at the hospital in Mullingar, said Peter.



This was the hospital where she gave birth to her youngest son and yet this was the place where he died.



She did not speak; her face was drained of emotion and she did not respond to anyones calls.



Peter then recalled his last memories of his brother.



Joseph left the house that night joking about ladies and his friends which he never reached, he smiled.



The second last time I saw him, he had this huge cheeky smile, as he always did, and the next time I saw Joseph he was lying in a morgue chapel in Mullingar hospital.



He was almost unrecognisable; his face was ripped apart from the force of the crushed glass, while his ears were packed with cotton wool and attached to steel pins to stop the flow of blood through them.

His chest was punctured, his arms were covered in scratches and his hands were still warm.



Joseph always did have a warm heart.



The north Longford man went on to say that his brother was subsequently taken from the hospital and cleaned and dressed for his last journey home.



Joseph was dressed in his debs suit - his first time to wear that suit was the best day of his life, his second time was his funeral, he added.

We then buried our son, brother and best friend - something that no family should have to do.



I also realised that this was the last time that I would ever see my brother.



Since then, the pain really starts; you cry most days for no reason; you dont want to leave your house; you have no interest in doing anything.

Once you lose your brother and best friend the pain is just too much.

I have, too, spent numerous nights comforting my father and mother at 4 oclock in the morning.



I have heard my sister roaring my brothers name in her sleep and waking up in cold sweats from the shock of it all.

Can you imagine losing your best friend - your world - in the blink of an eye?



Peter also explained that the driver of the car that night, was a young lad who was one of Joseph Reynolds best friends. The driver of the second car was also a friend of the two boys.



Life for us will never be the same; we live but our lives are shrouded in loss and emptiness.



He concluded by offering these words of advice to the youngsters in attendance.



Think carefully when you are behind the wheel of a car because your decisions could have detrimental and everlasting effects.

You may also like to read:

'Apology is too little too late,' family of late Lanesboro woman Aisling Brady tell man convicted of careless driving causing her deathBallymore man, Conor Whyte is currently organising a major fundraiser to help him get to Uganda this summer where he will assist with community education.

The teacher training student attended school in Scoil Eoin Naofa, Ballymore and Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon. He now works part-time in Hanlon's Gala, Longford town.

Conor is currently in his second year of the Bachelor of Education programme in DCU Institute of Education, St Patricks Campus, Drumcondra and will undertake the voluntary teaching placement in Uganda for eight weeks this summer.

He was selected to participate in the programme alongside a number of other Bachelor of Education Students, through DCUs Institute of Education Realt Programme.

In Uganda, I will be working alongside Ugandan student-teacher counterparts on educational programmes within mainstream and Special Educational settings as well as local community-based projects, he told the Leader this week.

This experience will enrich education in Uganda, but will also massively enhance my teaching capabilities within Ireland.

This programme has worked since 1998 to develop close partnerships between teachers, teacher educators and colleges of education in Ireland and in a range of African countries.

Most recently, the programme has focussed exclusively on Irish-Ugandan exchange.

Before he goes to Africa, however, Conor needs to raise 3,000 and has already managed to secure 600 through his Facebook campaign.

A table quiz is also set for March 16 next at the Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule, and when the Leader caught up with Conor, he was on his way to chat to the pupils at his former national school where they too have a plan in place to raise some much needed funds for the Ballymore mans African adventure.

I would hugely appreciate any assistance in helping me raise the amount required, added Conor, before indicating that if people wished to support the cause by cheque, amounts should be made payable to DCU or Conor Whyte.

People are also asked to come out and support the Ballymore mans table quiz which will guarantee a great nights craic for all participants.

All donations will be very much appreciated and I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me thus far, Conor concluded.by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, March 3, 2018

David Rodnitzky, founder and chief executive officer at 3Q Digital, announced Friday that the agency has separated from marketing parent Harte Hanks. The company is once again a private digital agency.

3Q went up for sale in the second quarter of 2017 after Harte Hanks announced during an earnings call in April that it would trim $10 million in annual costs -- partly by putting its digital subsidiary 3Q Digital up for sale nearly two years after buying it for $30.2 million in cash from Rodnitzky, who founded the company in 2008.

Rodnitzky was excited to take the company private again. He believes 3Q Digital is a top digital agency, "so from that perspective it was a pretty easy decision to make an offer to buy ourselves back for an undisclosed amount.

Harte Hanks acquired 3Q Digital in 2015, hoping to capitalize on the agency's reputation and expertise in search. During the past three years 3Q has more than doubled its staff and revenue, opened new offices, including the first international locations, and introduced new services such as conversion-rate optimization and native advertising teams.

advertisement advertisement

When Rodnitzky sold the company to Harte Hanks, the team was given autonomy to run the business, which meant control over hiring, choosing the clients, and services to offer.

We think there is still a ton of disruption coming to marketing, and 3Q is at the forefront of leading that disruption," Rodnitzky said. Traditional agencies are struggling to remain relevant while digital agencies like 3Q are struggling to keep up with demand. So expect us to just become bigger and better.

The sale included a $5 million cash payment to Harte Hanks, subject to customary working capital adjustments and up to an additional $5 million in cash payable to Harte Hanks if the 3Q Digital business is sold again, provided that certain value thresholds are met.

Hart Hanks reported that the $35 million earn-out related to the original acquisition of 3Q Digital in 2015 was assigned to the Buyer," relieving the company of further obligations.If you live with anxiety, youre probably familiar with the vicious circle of being anxious about being anxious. A helpful way to break the cycle may be to remind yourself of the benefits of being anxious. New research highlights such a benefit, as anxiety raises the chances of survival after heart attack.

Share on Pinterest People with anxiety disorder  and women in particular  may recover more quickly after a heart attack, suggests new research.

Anyone living with anxiety knows how terrible it is to worry about worrying, and how this can send you spiraling into a full-blown anxiety attack.

During such times, some people  including myself  may find it useful to focus on the benefits of anxiety.

Trust me, there are benefits to being anxiety-prone; at least from an evolutionary standpoint, anxiety may have evolved as a useful response to that predator hiding in the bushes.

Some previous studies have suggested that anxiety can help people to make better decisions, perform better under stressful circumstances, and even lead a more healthful lifestyle overall.

New research adds to this list, as those who are extremely anxious about their health are found to seek medical help more promptly after a heart attack, thus drastically improving their outlook. The findings were published in the journal Clinical Research in Cardiology.

None of this, however, is to say that living with anxiety is a walk in the park, or that the condition isnt serious.

Often debilitating, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a psychiatric condition that affects almost 7 million people across the United States, many of whom are reluctant to seek help because they feel that their condition isnt real if it doesnt have any physical symptoms.

However, if youre prone to anxiety and tend to berate yourself for it, the next time youre in a dark moment, you may benefit from remembering that your anxiety can sometimes be your friend.From containing antioxidants to helping in weight loss, you will find innumerable stories on the internet, talking about the benefits of consuming tea. But, why does no one ever mention the benefits of selling tea?

Well, had they told us earlier, most of us would have probably built houses castles and bought a couple of Rolls Royce and Aston Martin by now! And even then we'd be left with some petty cash to buy a few iPhone X, some lands here and there and more.

Pexels (For Representation)

Sounds impossible, right? We thought the same, before we came across the story of Navnath Yewle, owner of one of Pune's famous tea stalls, Yewle Tea House. Navnath reportedly makes Rs 12 Lakh every month by selling tea.

Until now, most of us were losing our minds and getting jealous over the Pakistani Chaiwala, who got himself a modeling contract with literally just one picture. Some were low-key envying our Prime Minister Narendra Modi too, who possibly has the most unexpected success story till date (how often do we see a chaiwala becoming a PM?)

Reuters (For Representation)

But, Navnath Yewle's story has surpassed everything else. Honestly, 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' could have ended in just 5 minutes instead of running for 17 years, had Amitabh Bachchan and the contestants been introduced to Yewle Tea House. While, people stressed their minds over difficult questions to take the money home, Navnath earned more than what we could ever imagine by just selling tea. We won't be surprised if his name appears in the list of richest people in Maharashtra or even India.

ANI/ Twitter

Basically, in 2011, I got the idea of making tea and that I can create a big business by making tea. I saw that in Pune we have Joshi Wadewala, Rohit Wadewala, but there was no famous tea brand here, Navnath told ANI. He further added, There are many chai lovers here and most of them don't get the taste they desire. We studied tea for four years, finalized the quality of tea and decided to make tea into a big brand.

BCCL

There are two outlets in Pune, which sell 3,000 to 4,000 cups of tea in a day. Navnath's dream is to turn Yewle Tea House into an international brand. In fact, he plans to expand his business in order to provide more employment opportunities. I think I feel there is a lot of employment here. Every outlet has arounf 10 to 14 employees. We are thinking of expanding to around 100 outlets, so this will employ many more people.

While, most of us look down upon people who take up odd jobs, Navnath's story is proof that no dream or job is too small for anyone.Southern Copper Corp, controlled by Grupo Mexico, last week won a public tender to develop the world-class mining project in Peru's northern region of Cajamarca with an offer of $400 million.This was the first auction for a mining project in Peru in seven years and marks a significant change in the mining investment situation in the country, according to state-run investment promotion agency Proinversion.Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said that the auction was great news for the development of Peru, adding that the country is attracting large investments with very good conditions.But a number of industry participants in Peru viewed the auction for the Michiquillay project more as a failure than a success.There were only two bidders in the auction. But if you think of the prospects for the copper market, a project like that should have attracted much more interest, one industry source said.

This...He is also due to hold talks with powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose impact on the kingdom's policies has steadily expanded since his appointment as heir to the throne in June.

"Mohammed bin Salman - Saudi crown prince, deputy prime minister and minister of defense - will grace us with his presence for three days", the statement read.

During Saudi King Salman bin Abdel-Aziz's 2016 visit to Egypt, several political and economic agreements were signed, the most important of which is the maritime border accord that recognized the Saudi sovereignty over the strategic islands.

Saudi Arabia has supported Sisi since he toppled president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, and legal wrangling over the Red Sea deal was a source of tension between the two countries. Cairo supports Riyadh in its fight against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen and past year joined a Saudi-led boycott of Gulf state Qatar and agreed to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi despite widespread criticism at home.

UK, Ireland in grip of Beast from the East

Even so, some Britons and tourists said the authorities were spreading "disproportionate hype and panic" over the weather. The full extent of fatalities caused by the cold is hard to report, as each country monitors such deaths independently.

A Saudi government spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Egypt visit.

Saudi and Egyptian officials say the islands belong to the kingdom and were only under Egyptian control because Riyadh had asked Cairo in 1950 to protect them.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt are key regional allies that have stood together in both the war in Yemen and the Qatar crisis.The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, will meet with the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, at 11:30 on Monday, 5 March.

Following their one-on-one meeting and the expanded talks between the two delegations, at about 13:00, the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs will make statements to the press. A working luncheon will follow.

On the evening of the same day, Mr. Christodoulides will address a closed event at the Foreign Ministrys Kranidiotis Amphitheatre.

On 6 March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus will be received by the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, and immediately afterwards he will meet with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Mr. Kotzias and Mr. Christodoulides will then address a workshop at the University of Piraeus.

On the afternoon of 6 March, the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs will attend a session of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on National Defense and Foreign Affairs."This amendment does not mean changing the retirement system for party and national leaders, and does not mean a life-long term system for leading officials", it said.

The annual Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, headed by Yu since 2013, is mostly ceremonial but created to present an image of a diverse, big-tent advisory body that includes non-Communist Party members, minority ethnic groups, business leaders, religious groups, artists, and representatives from Hong Kong and Macau all taking part in China's governance. His reign so far has been a series of signals to the world and to China itself that business as-was is now over.

Many of China's intellectuals have encouraged the legislature to strike down the proposal to life the constitutional term limits.

The rules for who heads the party, the military and the state - all positions Xi now holds - are the same, the newspaper said.

The recreation of the state presidency in 1982 also had to do with Deng's concept of separating party and state - from then until the 14th party congress in 1992, the positions of state president and party general secretary were separated.

China is no longer the country that it was under Yuan Shikai or Mao.

In a statement Monday on WeChat to Beijing's members of China's rubber-stamp parliament, Li Datong, a former editor for the state-run China Youth Daily, wrote that lifting term limits would "sow the seeds of chaos".

Abolishing presidential limits on Chinese leaders is a signal at home and overseas that president Xi Jinping intends to remain a leader for life. His Belt and Road initiative intends to link China with Central Asia and Europe, which attempts a wildly ambitious reshaping of the global economic order.

5 dead as storm brings wind, floods and snow to US Northeast

The storm is the second " bomb cyclone " of the year after America's east coast was slammed with 70mph blizzards in January . Wind speeds reached 80 to 90 miles per hour on Cape Cod, while OH and upstate NY were blanketed by more than a foot of snow.

These struggles were the result of Xi's hero, Mao Zedong. But Xi's wilful overconcentration of power in himself, and his concomitant deconstruction of institutions and procedures that were established to constrain such power and avoid it ever being concentrated in a Chinese leader again, are both a reversal of the past 40 years of policies and a very unsafe precedent for the future. In such a circumstance, an op-ed in The Sydney Morning Herald claimed that Xi's coronation will "entrench China's hi-tech authoritarianism".

The New York Times editorial board took a hardline stand against Xi, saying that by opting for "one-man rule" made political transitions in China more unpredictable.

Xi's economic policy chief Liu He is likely to become vice premier.

China suspects Tsai wants to push for formal independence, which would cross a red line for Communist Party leaders in Beijing, though Tsai has said she wants to maintain the status quo and is committed to ensuring peace.

The characters on the fake Durex ad are rather more explicit than "two rounds", which seems appropriate given what many people think Xi Jinping is doing to the Chinese people with this proposed change to the country's constitution. "It was a very sudden and bold move that has raised many questions and concerns and there are some who can not understand", why the change is needed, said one man surnamed Ding, who works in the finance sector.

The western media " s focus on the perils of "individualistic rule" mirrored closely with the official United States statement that "strong institutions are more important than individual leaders". Nor is it clear whether Xi will seek to remain president for life or will only stay on for a set number of additional terms.

Curious it may be, but it cements Mr. Xi's role as the most powerful leader since Chairman Mao. The implicit significance of this move was enormous, which many in the West, failed to grasp. These rules apply to the party general secretary, the president and the head of the central military commission, all titles now held by Mr Xi.PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Florida -- Reserve airmen of the 920th Rescue Wing are doing their part to keep aircraft here up to snuff, as they await the arrival of a new combat rescue helicopter and HC-130 recovery planes.

And while leaders at the base are craving more modern planes, they're still years away from formal delivery. For the most active Reserve unit -- and the only Reserve rescue wing in the Air Force -- officials said they need and want the best to be ready for the missions they are already tasked to do.

The 920th overall is responsible for 18 percent of all Air Force rescue missions, and officials here expect that percentage to rise in years to come.

The Air Force "needs to field out" the new helicopters, "and we're towards the end of that fielding," said Col. Kurt Matthews, commander of the 920th Rescue Wing. The commander also said the HC-130J Combat King II model -- intended to replace HC-130P/Ns across the fleet -- is long overdue.

"My concern is, we're already flying an aircraft that's beyond its normal lifespan, and for helicopters it's a lot different than fixed-wing," Matthews said in a follow-up interview.

Military.com on Feb. 20 toured hangars and facilities used for the combat-search-and-rescue mission and spoke with officials about the 920th's evolving operations.

Related content:

The Sikorsky HH-60W, the latest combat rescue helicopter based on the UH-60M Black Hawk, won't replace the whole aging HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet all at once. The 920th anticipates receiving its first "Whiskey" model in eight to ten years.

"When we get a brand-new aircraft off the production line, to us it may be more survivable; it's new, its stronger, it's going to last a lot longer. But the avionics, mission equipment and weapons on it ... may already be surpassed by what we've modified on an older aircraft," Matthews said.

Matthews equated the aircraft to an experienced but older soldier who has the best guns and ammo and knows how to operate the weapons better. The aircraft set to replace it, he said, is more like a new recruit out of basic training who has a younger and agile body, but hasn't got the equipment down pat just yet.

"I fear that, if the focus turns to the new aircraft arriving in other squadrons ahead of the Reserve, that the attention goes away from the effort to maintain the legacy fleet," he said.

Fighting HH-60G Corrosion and a Maintainer Backlog

The Pave Hawk is a frequent flier, not just at the base, but in combat ops in the Middle East where dust storms have battered it to no end.

So each one, unsurprisingly, is due for inspection every 50 hours, said Senior Master Sgt. Dean Peterson, the 920th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron superintendent.

One Pave Hawk sitting in the hangar on Feb. 20 was down for maintenance for eight days because of a corroded wire inside of a cannon plug "somewhere in the aircraft, causing an anomaly in the airplane" Peterson said, which more or less was like finding a needle in a haystack.

The base's location on the water is "great for training missions and ranges," but sea water has taken its toll on the aircraft, added Col. Mike LoForti, commander of the 920th Operations Group.

The 920th has nine G-models that were all built in the 1990s and has roughly 5,800 flying hours.

Capable of flying low, these Pave Hawks have a retractable in-flight refueling probe and internal auxiliary fuel tanks that allow for better range and loiter time during rescue missions.

"Because we're the Reserves, our manning is much lower than it would be somewhere else," Peterson said.

Peterson, who oversees 113 maintainers who work specifically on the HH-60G, said that the Air Force Personnel Center in recent months has struggled to hire more maintainers just for Reserve units.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson last month said that the maintainer shortage has improved, but training must continue to get up-and-coming maintainers more experience.

Perhaps that's true for the active-duty side, Peterson said, but at the 920th Wing, hiring has not caught up to what is needed to properly support the aircraft.

"There's a backlog. If you were working for me and quit today, how long would it take for me to fill that position? Roughly six months to a year," he said.

Peterson said it might be easier to get active-duty maintainers to fill open positions.

"Here, we're civil servants," he said.

When the unit is mobilized, it belongs to Air Combat Command, LoForti said.

All combat search and rescue units aligned under ACC in the mid-2000s from Air Force Special Operations Command.

Leaders have debated moving CSAR back to AFSOC in recent years, which LoForti said wouldn't change their duties. But he said he wondered what that would mean for their aircraft and training.

"My big concern is that, if we ever went under Special Operations Command, they may favor the Osprey over the new [combat rescue helicopter]," LoForti said on the flightline here.

"While we get there faster in an [CV-22] Osprey, I'd rather be an a better armed HH-60 [for] better protection for our folks," he said.

Mix and Match: HC-130

Meanwhile, the 920th is also awaiting an upgrade in HC-130 aircraft.

The wing currently has a mix of HC-130N King and C-130H2 Hercules. It adopted an H2 model from the Pittsburgh Reserve to generate more sorties for pilots and crew.

"It's almost kind of like, two steps forward, one step back," LoForti said, since the Pittsburgh planes are older.

The four Ns remain unmarked because they too are on loan until the 920th can get the Air Force's newest J model. The Air Force chose not to repaint them with the 920th's insignia because of funding reasons, officials here said.

"Because we only have four of these N models right now, we thought we were getting the [HC-130]J model sooner," he said.

The HC-130Ns, acquired from the Alaska Air National Guard, are able to do command and control using modified radio systems. For example, during Hurricane Harvey in Texas last year, LoForti said the Ns were able to communicate directly and more efficiently with ground control centers while frequencies were scattered or obstructed.

The aircraft also moves the Air Force's "Guardian Angels" personnel recovery and medical care units.

Crews are still preparing for when the base gets the J model, which will require more sorties and manpower because of updated avionics, LoForti said. The 920th, in turn, is pushing to allow for 24-hour maintenance ops just to generate the sorties required, he said.

The wing hopes to acquire six to eight H-C130Js in the early 2020s.

"We're the last unit to receive them," Matthews said.

"If we're going to live up to 'anytime, anywhere,' then we need to make sure that we train to be able to go 'anytime, anywhere,' and that we're resourced adequately with equipment and funding so our reservists are ready," he said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214.All seven people arrested in connection with the murder of the investigative journalist Jan Kuciak have been released, Slovakian police have said.

The scandal has engulfed Robert Fico, the populist prime minister and head of the ruling Smer party, who has been criticised despite a brazen public offer of 1 million for information in relation to the murder.

Kuciak was gunned down as he was about to publish an article raising possible political links to Italian businessmen with alleged ties to the 'Ndrangheta supposedly operating in Slovakia.

"During the legal timeframe - 48 hours - (police) checked and searched for facts needed for an indictment". Organisers estimated that around 25,000 people gathered in the capital Bratislava, while thousands met in a dozen other cities and towns across the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation country of 5.4 million people.

His last, unfinished article was published posthumously by Slovak and global media.

[Erwin Chemerinsky] Three gun control myths that are killing American kids

Close the private sale and gun show loophole that waives the necessity of background checks in sales which occur at such venues. Read in that way, the right to bear arms might not necessarily extend to random individuals wielding semi-automatic weapons.

The murder of Kuciak, whose reporting focused primarily on links between businessmen and Slovak politicians, was the first of a journalist in the country.

A junior party in Slovakia's coalition government led by Prime Minister Robert Fico has called for the resignation of Interior Minister Robert Kalinak.

Seven men were detained in the towns of Michalovce and Trebisov.

Police said one of the detainees was Antonino V. The country's President, Andrej Kiska, also joined the rally. Afterward, Deloire said he told Fico "you should express regret and apologize for having insulted journalists on several occasions". Both have denied any wrongdoing.

On March 2, Italy's former anti-Mafia prosecutor, Franco Roberti, said Italian prosecutors warned Slovak authorities about "dangerous" infiltration by the powerful 'Ndrangheta organized crime syndicate. It comes just months after the October 2017 assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia who had denounced corruption in Malta.James Eric Davis Jr.is accused of killing Diva Davis, 47, and James Eric Davis Sr., 48.

Police believe Davis is within city limits. I shouldn't be in a dark locked room hiding right now. If you see something suspicious in the area, you're urged to call 911 immediately. "And it was about 15 minutes of not even hearing from him", Williams said.

There are no additional injuries. "He's 19 years old, 5'10", 135 lbs. He also would not say whether drugs had been found in Davis Jr.'s system.

Davis is from Plainfield, Illinois, and graduated from Central High School in 2016, said Tom Hernandez, a spokesman for Plainfield School District 202.

Law enforcement officers in heavy tactical gear are scouring the area to find David, who is considered armed and unsafe.

"The suspect in the shooting incident that happened on CMU's campus is now in custody".

Police in patrol cars and helicopters searched for the gunman around an area of apartments just north of the campus, according to video posted online by reporters on the scene. Davis is believed to be armed and unsafe and you should not approach him.

UPDATE 10:26 a.m. - According to the City of Mt.

UK, Ireland in grip of Beast from the East

Even so, some Britons and tourists said the authorities were spreading "disproportionate hype and panic" over the weather. The full extent of fatalities caused by the cold is hard to report, as each country monitors such deaths independently.

The shooting occurs at Central Michigan University. He entered the residence hall, went up to the fourth floor and fatally shot his parents, Yeagley said.

A tracking dog is assisting from the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police and others are on their way from Clare and Michigan State Police headquarters in Lansing.

Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland have made powerful appeals for change to permissive USA gun laws in the wake of the shooting. Parents who were picking students up for spring break were being directed to stay off campus, and instead go to the Comfort Inn, 2424 S. Mission St., where university staff were on site offering support services. Students are being told to take shelter.

The younger Davis is a sophomore at Central Michigan University, officials said. Turner said via a direct message on Twitter that when he moved to Plainfield, Davis was one of the first people he met at school. "They wouldn't want us to fall apart". They are not students. More than 20,000 students are at the Mount Pleasant campus. Pleasant businesses received an automated call from the county telling them to lock their doors. Pleasant for a game Friday night, are safe.

Gov. Rick Snyder traveled to Mt. But he did say that it would have been a violation of campus policy for Davis Sr.to bring a gun on campus because only law enforcement on active duty or those with special permission can do so.

Also, Spring Break starts next week at CMU. We have been in communication with our local law enforcement and will continue to do so. That includes Saturday classes.

"At some point in the evening he was transported to McLaren Hospital due to what the officers believed may be a drug-related type incident, an overdose or a bad reaction to drugs".

McLaren said they have no record of the suspect as a patient and CMU reported that information in error.As many as 4.4 lakh housing units were unsold in seven major cities at the end of 2017 with Delhi-NCR contributing maximum at over 1.5 lakh flats, property consultant JLL India said.

The consultant expects high level of unsold inventories would result in stable housing prices.

According to its recent survey, JLL said, "as many as 4,40,000 residential units remain unsold across key cities of India at the end of 2017."

Mumbai, DelhiNCR, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Bengaluru, Kolkata are seven cities covered in this survey.

Out of the total unsold housing stock, the consultant said, 34,700 units are ready-to-move-in flats.

DelhiNCR has the highest volume at around 1,50,654 units which remained unsold in 2017, while Chennai has the highest percentage of completed unsold inventory at close to 20 per cent.

Kolkata had the lowest volume of unsold inventory at about 26,000 units.

JLL India CEO and Country Head Ramesh Nair said: "The residential market has been on a wait and watch mode for some time on account of many structural changes that have happened."

The real estate sector has witnessed changes like real estate law RERA, demonetisation and GST that have led to a general slowdown in overall construction activities as well as housing demand.

"We expect sales velocity to start picking pace in the second half of the year mostly on account of stable prices making entry attractive," Nair said.

With significant volume of unsold inventory, JLL said the capital values across most markets will be kept buyer friendly to ensure sales velocity.

"...with a slowdown in launches, across the markets, we can expect to see more unsold inventory to get absorbed in the next few quarters," it said.

The consultant noted that buyers now prefer to enter the market closer to date of completion, which further accelerates absorption of the unsold units.

"Capital values remain stable with a downward bias across most markets making it buyer favourable," JLL said.

As per the survey report, the Delhi-NCR property market saw the highest volume of unsold inventory of 1,50,654 units spread across the perimeter of Delhi, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida and Greater Noida.

Upon analysis, Noida and Greater Noida together contributed to nearly 60 per cent of the total unsold inventory, mostly in underconstruction projects.

"Noida and Greater Noida have had a tumultuous past because of which, end users are circumspect in making their purchases," JLL said.

Mumbai has about 86,000 unsold units and Bengaluru nearly 70,000 units while Pune has 36,000 unsold flats.

Hyderabad witnessed unsold inventories of about 28,000 units.Budget carrier AirAsia India has charted out expansion plans to connect more tier-II and III cities and set a target to commence flights to overseas destinations by January 2019, a top official said.

The airliner last week inducted its 16th aircraft and announced the addition of Nagpur and Indore to its list of destinations. According to AirAsia India, Managing Director and CEO, Amar Abrol, the airliner has planned to commence overseas operation by January 2019 once it has 20 or more planes.

"Our strategy is that once we get to 20 planes (operating in domestic operations) we will start flying international. Mostly, it will be to South East Asian countries," he told PTI here.

Stating that 27 per cent of the people who fly with AirAsia were flying for the first time ever, he said, "So, we are opening up Indian skies. And we are getting lot many more Indians to fly for the first time."

The plan is to connect more and more tier II and III cities in India, wherever A320 can go and also start flying international after crossing 20 aircraft, he said.

Elaborating, he said, the company would serve those markets which were already connected by the airliner's group entities -- AirAsia Malaysia, AirAsia Indonesia, AirAsia Thailand.

"We will be flying mostly to Malaysia, Indonesia and neighbouring SAARC countries as well. Bangladesh, Nepal and so on and so forth," he said. Asked whether there would be any competition within the AirAsia Group itself, as AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia Thailand operate, he replied in the affirmative saying, it will be healthy competition between the airlines.

"That is not a problem. I think there is enough demand for AirAsia Malaysia to grow and AirAsia India to grow." He said the customer would be deciding the flight to a destination, whether it may belong to AirAsia Malaysia or AirAsia India.

"For the customer there will not be any difference. Still, it will be an AirAsia plane, AirAsia service. There will not be any difference. Probably there may be (some difference) in the cabin crew," he said On pricing, he said, "AirAsia Malaysia is an independent entity, AirAsia India is an independent entity. We will price according to what we feel is right. But, ultimately it is the consumers who will decide which flight they want to take."

Referring to the Centre's ambitious UDAAN scheme which aims to connect under-served cities, Abrol said, the airliner was not participating (in the scheme) because the flights owned by them were Airbus A320s.

The government's ambitious UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Naagrik) scheme, under which fares are capped at Rs 2,500 for a one-hour flight. It aims at boosting air connectivity to and from unserved and under-served airports and making flying more affordable.

"UDAAN scheme is typically meant for 10-seater or 15- seater ATRs. We have big planes. Hence we are not participating in Udan Scheme per se," Abrol said. Stating that AirAsia was already connecting metros to non-metros other than Bengaluru-Chennai, Bengaluru-New Delhi, he said, the focus will be on tier II and III cities.

"Our focus has been on tier II and III cities. Because, we believe that is where quite a lot of demand is," he said. The company recently introduced flights in the Bhubaneswar-Chennai route. "We are connecting Chennai to Bhubaneswar and we are not necessarily connecting Chennai to New Delhi, because that is a market which is already served very well", he said.

AirAsia India currently flies to 17 destinations with its hubs in Bengaluru, New Delhi and Kolkata. AirAsia India is a joint venture between Tata Sons Limited and AirAsia, with AirAsia Investment Limited. AirAsia India commenced operations in June 2014 and currently flies to several cities in the domestic market.Conrad Sangma, Meghalaya CM | Talking about challenges in connectivity, roads, social welfare and problems faced by the youth, he said, "We are working to solve it. It will not happen in one day. We have constraints, in monetary terms as well but those will have to be mitigated to work for the state's welfare.

NPP president Conrad Sangma met Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad this evening and staked claim to form the government in the state with the support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate yesterday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the National People's Party (NPP), an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

"We met the Governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs  19 of the NPP, six of the the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People's Democratic Front (PDF), two each of the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent," 40-year-old Sangma told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan here.

The NPP leader is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker (L) P A Sangma who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from Tura constituency after his father's death.

A delegation of three Congress leaders -- Kamal Nath, Ahmed Patel and C P Joshi -- had yesterday staked a claim to form the government in the state at a meeting with the Governor.

"We met the Governor and sought his invitation to the single largest party to be called first to form the government as per convention," former Union minister Nath had told PTI.

The Congress won 21 seats out the 59 that went to polls last month. The party is 10 seats short of a simple majority. The Congress has been in power in the state for the last 10 years.

Asked about the challenges of running a coalition government, Sangma today said, "It is not an easy task. But the parties who are supporting us are committed to work for the welfare of the people and the state. We will work on a common agenda."

The Congress this time got eight seats less than in the last elections.

The BJP, which drew a blank in the last elections, bagged two seats.

The NPP won 19 seats, the UDP secured six seats while its alliance partner the HSPDP got two seats. The PDF bagged four seats while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) and three Independents got one seat each.

Polling for 59 Assembly seats was held on February 27. A Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate was killed in an IED blast, resulting in countermanding of the polls in one seat.

Outgoing Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had contested and won the elections from two seats. He will have to give up one seat.

After heavy losses in Tripura and Nagaland, Nath, Patel and Joshi reached Meghalaya from Delhi in a bid to form a government.PML-N emerged as the largest party in senate 04 March, 2018



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Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry

Woke Bingo ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday emerged as the largest party in the Upper House of parliament as 15 of its nominees, who contested as independent candidates in the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling in the Elections Act, 2017, case, stood victorious, raising the total party strength in Senate to 33.



The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was the runner-up as it clinched 12 seats and raised its overall strength in the Upper House to 20 members.



The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) secured a total of six seats on Saturday, raising its total strength to 12 in Senate.



PML-N (15 new+18 old=total 33 seats): Independent candidates backed by the PML-N won 11 out of 12 Senate seats in Punjab Assembly. Seven candidates contested for the general seats, one for minority, two for technocrat and two for women seats.



Out of seven general seats in Punjab, independent candidates backed by PML-N won six general seats, whereas one seat went to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).



According to results, Dr Asif Kirmani secured 42 votes, Dr Musadik Malik 42 votes, Rana Maqbool 43 votes, Zubair Gul 38 votes, Haroon Akhtar 42 votes and Shaheen Khalid Butt 41 votes.



Kamran Michael, an independent candidate backed by the PML-N, was elected on the minority seat by securing 321 votes. Former finance minister Ishaq Dar and Hafiz Abdul Karim were elected on technocrat seats by securing 155 votes and 160 votes respectively.



Saadia Abbasi and Nuzhat Sadiq were elected on two women seats by securing 160 votes and 152 votes respectively.



PML-N-backed independent candidates grabbed two seats from Islamabad.



Mushahid Hussain Syed and Asad Ali Khan Junejo won the election on one technocrat and one general seat.



The results are in

Punjab: PML-N: 11 seats; PTI: 1 seat

Sindh: PPP: 10 seats; MQM: 1 seat; PML-F: 1 seat

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: PTI: 5 seats; PML-N: 2 seats; PPP: 2 seats; JUI-F: 1 seat; JI: 1 seat

Islamabad: PML-N: 2 seats

Fata: Independents: 4 seats

Balochistan: Independents: 6 seats; NP: 2 seats; PkMAP: 2 seats; JUI-F: 1 seat



Mushahid secured 223 votes on technocrat seat and Junejo succeeded on the general seat by securing 214 votes.



In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), PML-N-backed Sabir Shah won a general seat while Dilawar Khan was elected on a technocrat seat.



In Balochistan, the PML-N suffered a huge blow and could not bag even a single seat despite 21 out of 65 members belonging to the party.



PPP (12+8=20): The Pakistan Peoples Party was the runner-up in the Senate election. The party was the biggest loser in the Senate with only eight lawmakers left after the retirement of 18 of its 26 senators. Though in the Saturdays election, the party succeeded in clinching 12 seats but its overall strength got reduced from previous 26 to 20 members, costing it the majority in the Upper House.



Outgoing Senate chairman Raza Rabbani, Maula Bakhsh Chandio, Mohammad Ali Jamot, Imamuddin Shauqeen and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar were elected on the general seats. Sikandar Mendhro and Rukhsana Zuberi were elected on the technocrat seats while Krishna Kohli  the first Dalit woman to sit in the Upper House  and Quratulain Marri on women seats. Anwar Laal Deen was elected on the minorities seat.



The party won two seats from KP, with Bahramand Tangi elected on a general seat and Rubina Khalid on the women seat.



PTI (6+6=12): As per expectations, the PTI secured a total of six seats in the Senate elections on Saturday, raising its total strength to 12 in the Upper House.



The party managed to bag five seats on its home turf, with Ayub Afridi, Faisal Javed and Fida Muhammad winning on general seats. Mehar Taj Roghani was elected to one of the women seats and Azam Swati was elected to the technocrat seat.



PTIs Chaudhry Sarwar won on a general seat in Punjab Assembly.



MQM-P (1+4=5): The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) bagged only one seat from Sindh assembly, raising its total members in the Upper House to five.



Barrister Farogh Naseem of the MQM-P was elected on a general seat in Sindh Assembly.



JUI-F (2+2=4): The Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) clinched two seats in the Saturdays contest  one in KP and other in Balochistan  raising its total number to four in the Upper House.



JUI-Fs Talha Mahmood won a general seat in KP assembly while Maulana Faiz Muhammad was elected on a general seat from Balochistan.



PML-F (1+1=2): The Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) secured one seat in the election, raising it total strength in Senate to two.



PML-Fs Muzaffar Hussain Shah was elected on a general seat in Sindh Assembly.



NP (2): The National Party (NP) managed to get two of its candidates elected to the Upper House. Tahir Bizenjo and Akram Dashti of NP were elected to Senate in the election from Balochistan Assembly.



PkMAP (2+3=5): The Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) bagged two seats in the Saturdays election, raising its total strength to five in the Upper House.



Sardar Shafiq Tareen and Abida Omar of the PkMAP were elected from the Balochistan Assembly.



JI (1+1=2): The Jamat-i-Islami secured one seat in the contest from KP, raising its total strength in the Upper House to two. Mushtaq Ahmad Khan of the JI was elected on a general seat.



Independent (10+5=15): The independent candidates won 10 seats, with four from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and six from Balochsitan Assembly.



Shammim Afridi, Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Hidayat Ullah and Hillal ur Rehman secured their seats from FATA as independent candidates.



An alliance from the incumbent government comprising dissidents from the PML-N and PML-Q managed to get six senators elected from Balochistan as independent candidates. These are: Anwarul Haq Kakar, Ahmed Khan, Kuhda Babar and Sadiq Sanjrani on general seats; Sana Jamali on the women seat and Naseebullah Bazai on the technocrat seats.



BNP-A (2):



The Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A) didnt file any candidate for the Senate election. Its strength in the Upper House currently stands at two.



A total of 133 candidates had been in run for 52 Senate seats. The polling started at 9 am and continued smoothly till the closing time. The polling was held at the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies.



The Upper House of parliament comprises 104 lawmakers and each of them serves a term of six years, barring resignation or disqualification. All the members are not elected at the same time: half of them at one time and the other half three years later.



Some 52 senators who were elected in 2012 have retired now. The other 52 who were elected in 2015 will retire in 2021.



Of the 52 vacant seats, 46 were filled by the four provincial assemblies, two by the National Assembly and four by lawmakers representing FATA.India Economy

India's exposure to US government securities rose sharply to a high of USD 144.7 billion at the end of 2017, according to latest official data.

The country remained the 12th largest overseas holder of such securities, just behind oil rich Saudi Arabia, whose holding stood at USD 147.4 billion in December 2017.

India has been raising its holding of American government securities during last year except for a few months when the total exposure had declined.

Figures compiled by the US Treasury Department show that the holding of India went up to USD 144.7 billion in December last, an increase of little over USD 26 billion compared to the year-ago period. In December 2016, the exposure was just USD 118.2 billion.

While holding at the end of December is at a one-year high compared to December 2016, the exposure was slightly higher at USD 145.1 billion in September 2017.

In 2017, neighbouring China was the largest holder of US government securities with holdings to the tune of USD 1.18 trillion, followed by Japan at USD 1.06 trillion. At the third position was Ireland whose exposure rose to USD 326.5 billion.

As per the data, Cayman Islands was at the fourth position with holding worth USD 269.9 billion, followed by Brazil (USD 256.8 billion), the UK (USD 250 billion), Switzerland (USD 249.6 billion), Luxembourg (USD 217.6 billion), Hong Kong (USD 194.7 billion) and Taiwan (USD 180.9 billion).

Among the BRIC countries, India had the third largest exposure while that of Russia was lower at USD 102.2 billion.

Earlier this month, preliminary data from the June 2017 benchmark survey of foreign portfolio holdings of US securities showed that the total value of such holding was USD 18.44 trillion. Out of the total, USD 7.19 trillion was in equities, USD 10.29 trillion in long-term debt securities and USD 954 billion in short-term debt securities.

"The previous survey, conducted as of June 30, 2016, measured the value of total foreign holdings of US securities at USD 17,139 billion, with holdings of USD 6,186 billion in US equities, USD 10,044 billion in US long-term debt securities and USD 909 billion in US short-term debt securities," the Treasury Department had said in a release.Representative image

Expressing hope for early resumption of negotiations for the long pending free trade agreement between India and the European Union (EU), Spain said its implementation would help promote two-way commerce and investments.

The negotiations for the pact have been held up since May 2013 as both the sides are yet to bridge substantial gaps on crucial issues.

Jose Luis Kaiser Moreiras, Director General for International Trade and Investment, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry and Competitiveness, Spain, said that the country is pushing for resumption of negotiations.

"We hope that we can resume the talks. Spain is pushing inside the EU...In 2013, the negotiations got stuck on different level of ambition. So probably, we have to recalibrate our ambitions," he told PTI.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the CII Partnership Summit held here.

Moreiras expressed hope that both the sides can resume negotiations in the coming months.

Chief negotiators of India and EU are meeting next month in the national capital and "we are going to work with European Commission in order to come here with open mind to restart the negotiations," he said.

Certain important sectors such as automobile for EU was not included in the offer, so "we hope to see some progress in the defensive sectors in both India and the EU", he said.

The free trade agreements would reduce tariffs and that would improve trade and reduce prices in the domestic markets as well, he said.

"All consumers would benefit from it. We both have defensive sectors, we have to find solutions for the sectors and make reciprocal concessions," he added.

Defensive sectors refer to those segments which both the sides want to protect for their respective domestic industries. For example, India does not want to eliminate duties in sectors like automobile and agriculture. Similarly, EU is not agreeing to relax norms for movement of Indian professionals.

Launched in June 2007, the negotiations for the proposed BTIA (bilateral trade and investment agreement) have witnessed many hurdles with both sides having major differences on key issues like intellectual property rights, duty cut in automobile and spirits, and liberal visa regime.

The two sides have to iron out differences related to movement of professionals.

Besides demanding significant duty cuts in automobiles, the EU wants tax reduction in wines, spirits and dairy products, and a strong intellectual property regime.

On the other hand, India is asking for data secure nation status to be granted by the EU. The country is among the nations not considered data secure by the EU.

The matter is crucial as it will have a bearing on Indian IT companies wanting market access. Two-way trade between India and the EU dipped to USD 88.4 billion in 2015-16 from USD 98.5 billion in the previous fiscal.

Further, when asked about Spanish investments in India in the wake of relaxations in the foreign direct investments norms, he said: "there is lot of interest right now in investing in agri-food sector, agri-industries and food processing and probably we would see investments in the next few months.live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has bid for a stake in Vietnam's Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company as it looks at the South Eastern nation to expand business beyond Indian shores.

IOC is among the at least four companies that have evinced interest in becoming strategic partner in Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company (BSR) by taking 49 per cent stake, official sources said.

Indonesian state-owned oil firm Pertamina, Vietnam's biggest petrol dealer Petrolimex and Thailand's Bangchak Corporation Public Company Ltd are the other firms which have put in an expression of interest (EoI).

Vitol of Switzerland and Spain's Repsol too had initially shown interest in taking a stake in the company but it was not clear if they put in an EoI at expiry of the deadline last month.

Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company owns and operates Vietnam's first oil refinery, Dung Quat Refinery (DQR). It has a capacity of 6.5 million tonnes a year, meeting over 30 per cent of Vietnam's demand for gasoline and oil.

It produces up to 3.2 million tonnes of diesel per annum and up to 2.5 million tonnes of petrol. LPG, jet fuel, polyproylene and propylene are other petroleum products its produces.

The refinery is being expanded to 8.5 million tonnes by 2021.

In January, the Vietnamese government had sold 7.79 per cent stake through an initial public offering of the company to raise USD 245 million. BSR is among dozens of units under the wing of state oil and gas company PetroVietnam (PVN).

After selling a 49 per cent stake to strategic investors, state-ownership in BSR will come down to 43 per cent.

Sources said IOC, India's biggest oil refiner, is looking at Myanmar, Bangladesh and Vietnam to expand its oil refining and fuel retailing business.

With Vietnam short in refinery products, IOC believes it can bring efficiencies and help expand BSR.

IOC is looking to export aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and cooking gas LPG to Myanmar and auto fuel to Bangladesh. It currently has a fuel retailing subsidiary in Sri Lanka and sells products in Mauritius and West Asia.The LG logo is seen on a building roof in Minsk, Belarus, September 12, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko - D1BEUBPVXQAA

South Korean consumer electronics major LG is expecting India to be one of its global manufacturing hubs to cater to the markets of South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, a top company official said.

Besides, LG Electronics India, which has manufacturing units in Noida and Pune, is also mulling to have a new unit in next 4-5 years to cater to the fast-growing eastern-region market of the country.

"We would like to make India as a production hub not only for India but also for the Middle East and Africa markets. If possible, we would also add some South Asian markets also," LG Electronics India Managing Director Ki Wan Kim told PTI.

He further said: "We are checking the market demands. We are flexible to invest and increase the production capacity to meet that increased market demand besides India and exports as well".

The company will also continue to invest to upgrade its existing manufacturing facilities at Pune and Noida and may also go for a new plant.

"Geographically, India is very big. Not now but may be in four or five years, if we need, in the east side, if demand is big enough," said Kim.

However, he also added that although there are "no specific plans but five or six years later, it may be a pillar of investment".

LG India is encouraging its other global units, which are shifting away from China, as it has not remained very cost competitive, to source more from India.

"We are internally studying, like once China was our manufacturing hub for the global market, but they are losing competitiveness and so we are shifting to countries mainly to Vietnam. But, I am also inviting them to India (LG Global)," said Kim.

He further said: "I personally keep asking them to check the possibility for some components... So, internally we are bidding and competing like this".

Presently LG exports up to 10 per cent of its total production from here, which is mainly to Middle-East and Africa, Kim added.

"I Know India's potential and that's why I am expecting the Indian to be more respective to attract," he said.

LG is also increasing localisation of the components and is investing in it.

"Our local production percentage is more than 95 per cent and we are ready for 100 per cent but availability of some components is still an issues," he said, adding that the company has tried to maximise the localised component production.

Kim further said: "If there is not availability of the local components, We have invested in that".

For instance compressor, which is a key component for refrigerator, air conditioner and washing machines, LG is manufacturing at its Noida plant.

"We would be more localised and we are investing to produce the PCB (printed circuit board) here. Normally, we use to import PCB from Korea for compressors," he said, adding "we are a pure make-in-India company".

LG Electronics India, which had completed 20 years in India in 2017, would continue to offer latest technology to the Indian consumers.

"We would keep offering new technologies to the Indian customers for their benefits and enhance their lifestyle," Kim added.BJP supporters hold up a placard of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after party's victory in Tripura Assembly elections results in Agartala on Saturday. BJP's win marks an end to 25 years of CPI-M government rule in the state. (PTI)

The colour Green from the festival Holi is likely to spread on D-Street when traders resume trading on Monday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a history in Tripura election results which came out over the weekend on Saturday.

But, will it result in a blockbuster opening on Monday, maybe not. Heres why.

The index which closed with marginal losses in the holiday-shortened week should start flat as US markets closed mixed on Friday and in the previous trading session the Dow actually plunged by 400 points when our markets were shut on account of Holi.

The win of BJP in the election shows continued confidence in the government and a higher probability of BJP 2.0 in 2019. This indicates a possible political stability, which is in a long run can tend to be highly beneficial for the economy, Shubham Agarwal, CEO at Quantsapp told Moneycontrol.

A very short-term impact of the outcome could be marginally positive on Monday. However, as the SGX Nifty already corrected, even after a rebound due to the election outcome it quotes net negative for an opening on Monday, he said.

The index which could start flat on Monday but should pick up momentum after the historic win for the BJP in latest Assembly election polls held in Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. But, the win is positive for D-Street and investors in the long term, suggest experts.

A stable government would result in faster execution of reforms and policies will be implemented on priority across India without much resistance. Steady reforms and political stability will boosts investments in the state and country by both foreign and domestic investors.

"With its decisive victory in Tripura and solid gains in both vote share and seats in Nagaland and Meghalaya; BJP has sounded the bugle for its 2019 campaign. With Left left in tatters in Tripura and Congress out for a duck in both Tripura & Nagaland, a resurgent BJP can rightfully portray this victory as an overwhelming win for its development-oriented policies and all-inclusive social reach even among minority-dominated States, Ajay Bodke (CEO & Chief Portfolio Manager PMS Prabhudas Lilladher told Moneycontrol.

Mr. Narendra Modi will see this victory as a personal vindication of his relentless focus on improving crucial infrastructure projects in roads, railways, power transmission, air connectivity etc. which has a significant multiplier impact on the economy over the medium-term. It builds a strong momentum for the BJP in the upcoming State elections in 2018 and the National Polls in 2019, he said.

The Tripura Assembly election results were a "blow" to the Left Front, which was expected to retain power in the north-eastern state, but the BJP and its state ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), are set to form the next government.

The latest tally shows that the BJP surged ahead in the assembly election results in Tripura and Nagaland; however, in Meghalaya, it managed to win just two seats. The ruling Congress has won 21 seats in Meghalaya, while the National Peoples Party (NPP) came a close second with 19 seats, said a report.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech at the BJP headquarters on Saturday said that people are reposing faith in the development-oriented agenda of the NDA while rejecting negative and disconnected politics.

But, analysts feel that it is a good start for the BJP but the outcome of other Assembly elections are likely to have a larger bearing on the market sentiment.

UBS in a report last week said that state election results in 2018 will also be a pointer to market sentiment. State election results post-May 2014 until now don't suggest any material impact on BJP's standing if extrapolated to parliamentary constituencies.

Making its presence strong in the North Eastern states which traditionally has not been their stronghold, is surely a big positive for BJP. If we don't count Meghalaya which is still not clear, BJP and NDA has governance in 21 states across India. However, market participants will be keenly watching the bigger state elections this year which can act as a litmus test ahead of the General Elections, Devang Mehta - Head  Equity Advisory at Centrum Wealth Management told Moneycontrol.

Off late, markets have been volatile on the back of global cues. We will more or less follow the global trends, though, good GDP data for the third quarter announced last week and the result of these state elections can be couple of sentiment boosters for our markets, he said.

Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services said that the election results, particularly from Tripura, has come as a shot in the arm for the ruling party. But, this is likely to have an only marginal impact on Dalal Street on Monday.

The market will discount economic news more than political news now. The election results in N East though sentiment positive will have only marginal impact since the number of parliamentary seats is very limited. More significant will be the election outcome in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan that will set the trend for the general election in 2019, he said.Car alarm system | Of course, most cars get this straight out of the box, but if you were on a tight budget and skipped out on the alarm system, maybe you shouldnt have. Alarm systems are the first line of defence against theft as they start ringing as soon as something untoward happens with the car.

The draft parking management area plan (PMAP), being firmed up by the Delhi government, envisages variable charges for residential and commercial areas to influence the parking demand in the national capital.

The transport department has put the guidelines of the draft PMAP, a part of the parking policy 2017, in the public domain and sought suggestions from stakeholders.

The guidelines suggest a pricing strategy to eliminate free parking and introduce effective parking charges. A detailed guideline on the strategy is being developed by a sub-group, a transport department official said.

The guidelines call for introducing variable parking rates to influence parking demand considering peak and non-peak hours, duration of stay-longer duration higher rates, commercial importance of area, particular day of the week-weekdays and weekends, among others.

They suggest abandoning the practice of allowing annual or monthly charges for parking in commercial areas. "Annual passes allow unlimited use and do not reduce demand. Commuter behaviour will remain unresponsive to pricing," the guidelines say.

In commercial areas, based on the methods to be adopted by urban local bodies, an hourly base price may be fixed and made variable according to the demand.

Residential parking permits may be issued during the first phase of implementation. Parking charges should be optimal and not be so high as to reduce occupancy drastically or too low that it induces more demand, they say.

The optimal pricing should ensure that at least 85 per cent of available parking space is occupied during peak time.

About 15 per cent of the parking space should remain available at any time to encourage short-term parkers, the guidelines recommend.

As per the Delhi Maintenance and Management of Parking Rules of 2017 notified by Lt Governor Anil Baijal in January, the city government is required to implement the parking management area plan.(Representat

The government has started tuning spectrum for 5G services as part of its roadmap to become early adopter of the next generation services, which is expected to provide download speed over 1,000 megabit per second on mobile devices.

"On spectrum we are already more or less aligned with global position in 5G. Those bands we are harmonising in line with global community," Telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan told PTI here in an interview.

She was here to attend global telecom event Mobile World Congress and held meeting with key players in the sector, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Nokia, Ericsson, Huawei, Qualcomm, Mediatek, NTT, Intel etc.

The Department of Telecom has started harmonising spectrum in 3,500 megahertz band and 26 Gigahertz band along with E and V band, she said.

At present 4G services are provided in spectrum band below 2,600 Mhz. With increase in frequency band count, the signal coverage area reduces, but as per technology trend, speed of transmitting data has been increasing.

The government has already harmonised spectrum in 700 MHz band which can be used for 5G services.

Telecom players are running trials to use 5G in automated cars, robotic surgery from remote locations, education etc.

Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha has asked technology companies to look for using 5G services in agriculture sector as well, she said.

"All the players are positioning themselves for India as a big 5G market. One of the leading chipset company in a meeting told us that India will have one of the biggest IoT (Internet of things) user base and the company is keen to partner with C-DoT for developing various IoT solutions. India is a forerunner and will be an early adopter of 5G," she said.

According to Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, 5G services in India will start once standards for the technology will be freezed by global telecom body International Telecommunications Union next year.

Sundararajan said before finalisation of standards telecom gear makers -- Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia, ZTE , NTT and Samsung have started deepening their work on 5G in India.

"Ericsson has plans to scale up manufacturing facility. They are also going to set up 5G test bed in IIT Delhi. Huawei is going to set up their test lab for 5G," she said.

Chinese telecom gear maker ZTE, which has recently won major 4G contract from BSNL, is planning to start capacity building around new technology in India, the telecom secretary said.

Finnish telecom firm Nokia will start smart village pilot in which they will showcase health and education using 5G.

Nokia will set up 400-500 centres and in third phase pan India rollout will take place, Sundararajan said.

She also said 5G is like steam engine and it will drive everything.

"Another significant message that came out here was that a lot of Indian software companies are behind of lot of the technologies in 5G. The corresponding software has to be made. Indian companies are developing software for that.

Already C-DoT has developed standard M2M platform," she said.

When asked about timing for spectrum auction, she said that the government will decide on it only after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India submits recommendations to the government.The country's first woman defence minister described the 30-minute sortie as "wonderful". (PTI)

A nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems from Russia is yet to be concluded mainly due to differences over price which India would look to sort out during Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's upcoming visit to Moscow, official sources said.

India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its air defence mechanism, particularly when China has been ramping up its military manoeuvring along the nearly 4,000 km Sino-India border.

In 2016, India and Russia had signed an agreement on Triumf interceptor-based missile system which can destroy incoming hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to 400 km. S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.

China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow has already started delivery of unknown number of the S-400 missile systems to China.

The sources said Sitharaman will travel to Moscow within the next six weeks and she may push for sealing the long-pending deal at the earliest. "Sealing the S-400 deal will be a major focus of Sitharaman's visit to Russia," said a source familiar with the deal, which would be one of biggest with Russia in recent years.

Negotiators from both countries have been in talks for over one and half years for the purchase of at least five systems of S-400 which are capable of firing three types of missiles, creating a layered defence.

The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile system is manufactured by Almaz-Antey and has been in service in Russia since 2007. The sources also said that no decision could be taken on the long-pending fifth-generation fighter jet project with Russia due to the high cost involved in it.

A high-level committee set up by the government to examine various aspects of the project had submitted its report last year and the defence ministry is likely to take a call on it soon. In 2007, India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project.

In December 2010, India had agreed to pay USD 295 million (Rs 1,897 crore) towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called in India as the 'Perspective Multi-role Fighter'. However, the negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years.

In February 2016, India and Russia revived talks on the project after a clearance from the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar.India Economy

India's growing engagement with the Commonwealth forum has given it a much-needed boost, according to the chairman of a UK-based council responsible for promoting greater trade and investment between Commonwealth countries.

Lord Jonathan Marland, chairman of the UK-based Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), said the proposed UK visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April marks a significant recognition by India that the Commonwealth has got value.

"There has been a complete sea change of attitude towards the Commonwealth, which is entirely to India's credit and to the Commonwealth's benefit. This has given the Commonwealth the boost it needs," he said during an interview on plans for CHOGM in London.

The CWEIC is in charge of organising the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF), which will be held alongside CHOGM between April 16 and 20 and bring together businesses from across the 53 member-countries with government leaders for sessions on technology, innovation, financial services and sustainability.

"India's engagement is absolutely brilliant... there is a recognition that the Commonwealth offers a great opportunity for India and within that opportunity lies an opportunity for the rest of the Commonwealth," he said.

Marland also dismissed tags such as "Empire 2.0" thrown up by some UK media reports that have sought to connect Brexit-hit Britains renewed engagement with the Commonwealth as a throwback to the Raj.

"That is not the view of the UK government. The great news at the moment is that India has realised that this is not a colonial thing, and other countries have realised the same.

"There comes a tipping point where people realise that this is a place of opportunity, rather than letting heritage get in the way of progress. I think we are at that point and I think a lot of that is down to India," he said.

According to CWEIC data, the Commonwealth's combined population is an estimated 2.4 billion, with its combined GDP predicted to reach USD 14 trillion by 2020. Intra-Commonwealth trade was estimated to be USD 525 billion in 2015, which is projected to surpass USD 1 trillion by 2020.

The UK, as Chair-in-Office of the organisation for two years, will be hosting CHOGM in London and Windsor against the backdrop of negotiations with the European Union (EU) on its future as a non-member of the European economic bloc. Lord Marland has written to British Prime Minister Theresa May to make strengthening the Commonwealth a priority.

"The UK has got a phenomenal opportunity with the Commonwealth. It has not prioritised it as a trading partner... I am not convinced yet the UK has worked out its role with it because it is very focused on Brexit negotiations and I don't think it has looked too far beyond that," he said.

The former British government minister and trade envoy said Britain needs to provide "subtle and discreet leadership" because most Commonwealth countries look to the UK for leadership.

"As trade envoy for the former British Prime Minister (David Cameron), it was clear to me that this was a jewel  a Koh-i-Noor diamond  that had been put away in a cupboard somewhere and now at last it was being brought out, said Marland.

"It is to the incredible credit of the Queen (Head of the Commonwealth) and the royal family that it still exists, because without them it wouldn't. People have danced around the edges of it for too long," he added.

Members of the royal family will take on an active role in this year's CHOGM as well, with Prince Harry expected to adopt a higher profile within the organisation as a youth leader.Karti Chidambaram, arrested in the INX Media case, was today brought to the Byculla prison here and confronted with Indrani Mukerjea as part of the CBI's probe into the matter, a senior official said.

Karti Chidambaram, the son of senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram, was brought to the jail in central Mumbai around 11.15 am by a six-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), he said.

The official said Karti Chidambaram and Mukerjea were brought face-to-face and questioned by the CBI team for about four hours.

Mukerjea, a former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, is lodged in the jail in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case.

After the questioning, the CBI team left the prison along with Karti Chidambaram and headed towards the Mumbai airport.

While entering the prison, Karti Chidambaram waved at the media persons who had assembled outside the high security prison.

Karti Chidambaram and Mukerjea were questioned by the CBI as a part of its probe in the INX Media deal in which the former allegedly received kickbacks.

The doors of the prisons were shut and no other person from outside was allowed to enter the premises when the two were questioned, the official said.

The CBI team came out of the prison around 3.15 pm and a smiling Karti Chidambaram waved again at the media persons while standing on the footboard of a car being used by the agency.

He was asked by the CBI officials to get down from the footboard before they left the jail premises.

Karti Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI on February 28 after a confessional statement was given by Mukerjea before a magistrate.

He was sent in a five-day CBI custody on March 1.

Karti Chidambaram, 46, was arrested at Chennai airport on his return from the United Kingdom, in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds worth about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the Union finance minister.

It is alleged that Karti had received funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case, officials had earlier said.

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered his arrest, was based on the statement of Mukerjea, who recorded it under section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

The CBI alleged that Karti Chidambaram also received money from INX media to scuttle a tax probe. The firm was owned at the time by former media baron Peter Mukerjea and Indrani, who are currently in jail on charges of murdering Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora. The Enforcement Directorate has also registered a money laundering case.

The CBI and the ED had carried out a series of searches at the houses and offices owned by the Chidambarams. Karti Chidambaram was questioned several times by the ED.

A Delhi court had on March 1 allowed the custodial interrogation of Karti Chidambaram by the CBI for five days, saying there was a need to unearth the larger conspiracy in the INX Media case and his presence would serve some important purposes connected with the investigation.

The court had said his CBI custody was necessary to confront him with documents and the co-accused, as well as to probe the role of others involved in the case.The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight

370 by a US company will likely end in June, a Malaysian official said, as families of passengers marked the fourth anniversary of the plane's disappearance with renewed hope that the world's biggest aviation mystery will be solved.

Malaysia inked a "no cure, no fee" deal with Houston, Texas-based Ocean Infinity in January to resume the hunt for the plane, a year after the official search in the southern Indian Ocean by Malaysia, Australia and China was called off.

Ocean Infinity started the search on January 22 and has 90 search days to look for the plane. Malaysia's civil aviation chief, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, said the 90-day term will spread over a few months because the search vessel has to refuel in Australia and bad weather could be a factor.

Azharuddin said today the search is going smoothly and is expected to end by mid-June.11:38 Leads update at 11.30 am

Tripura: Left 17 | BJP 41 | Congress 0 | Others 1

Meghalaya: Congress 27 | NPP 10 | BJP 8 | Others 14

Nagaland: NPF+ 27 | BJP+ 30 | Others 3 | Congress 0

11:00 Leads update at 11 am

Tripura: Left 27| BJP 32 | Congress 0 | Others )

Meghalaya: Congress 22 | NPP 14 | BJP leads 5 | Others 17

Nagaland:

IPFT

gamechanger

BJP's

Himanta

Biswa

Sarma

NPF+ 29 | BJP+ 31 seats | Others 1

BJP's Himanta Biswa Sarma says the alliance with IPFT (Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura) was the gamechanger. Alliance with IPFT could have been suicidal or give us huge advantage but Amit Shah was sure it will get good results. Many people did not want merger but the BJP president was in favour and that has helped. If Amit Shah is a student of post graduation, Rahul Gandhi is in nursery in terms of politics, he told News18.

10:55 Just In | PM Narendra Modi to visit BJP office at 6 PM

10:15 Just when it looked certain that the CPI(M) will return to power in Tripura, the BJP has made a strong come back to lead in 31 seats as compared to Left Front's 24 seats. Remember, BJP leader Ram Madhav had earlier in the day said that the EVM counting was yet to begin.

09:50 "In Meghalaya, we will form the government. The BJP don't have a stand of their own, they resorted to stealing our leaders. Many defected to their side but the Congress will still emerge victorious," says Congress spokesperson, Zarita.  News18

09:40 It appears that the tables are turning in Tripura. The Manik Sarkar-led Left Front leads in 30 seats, comfortably ahead of the BJP which is leading in 22 seats.

09:30 Early trends cant be taken on face value. Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya have smaller constituencies. Thus, the margin of victory can at times be under 100 seats. One round of counting can turn the tables.

09:15 Much like a T20 match, the leads are swinging in favour of political parties every minute.

In Meghalaya, the Congress is ahead in 10 seats, while the NPP is leading in 5 seats. The BJP has so far managed to lead only in one seat, other regional parties are ahead in 6 seats. Meghalaya has 59 seats up for grabs.

In Tripura, the BJP trailing Left by a margin of 3 seats. The Manik Sarkar-led CPM is ahead in 26 seats, just ahead of the BJP which is leading in 23 seats.

In Nagaland, the NPF+ combine is ahead in 23 seats, while BJP is leading in 17 seats. Congress still to open account.

0900 Update at 9 am: One hour since the counting has begun

Tripura: BJP trails Left  BJP leads in 19 seats; Left ahead in 23 seats

Meghalaya: Congress leads in 7 seats, NPP ahead in 3, BJP leads 1, Others 6

Nagaland: NPF+ leads in 8 seats, BJP+ in 9 seats

08:55 Tripura is getting exciting by the minute. The Left now leads in 23 seats against the BJP combine is ahead in 18 seats. Congress is ahead in one seat.

08:52 The BJP-plus alliance is leading in 6 seats in Nagaland. NPF+ and Congress yet to get cracking.

08:46 The race in Tripura is hotting up. The CPI (M) now leads in 14 seats, the BJP-lead leads in 11 seats. Congress is yet to open account in the 60-seat assembly.

08:45 Early trends coming in from Meghalaya now. The Congress and NPP are leading in 3 seats each and BJP in 1 constituency.

08:35 BJP, Left neck and neck in Tripura; BJP-NDDP bag 1 seat in Nagaland

08:31 The equation in Tripura seems changing quickly. CPI(M) leads in 9 seats while BJP+ combine is ahead in 10 seats.

Meanwhile, in Nagaland, BJP+ alliance leads in one seat; other political parties are yet to lead.

No leads from Meghalaya yet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has last week called upon the people of Tripura to "throw" out the Manik Sarkar-led Left Front government in the state and vote for the BJP to usher in development for which he developed a new acronym - 'hira'.

Hira means, he said, "H for highway, I for Internet way, R for roadways and A for airways".

08:15 Anti-CPI(M) sentiment over pro-BJP wave in Tripura?

BJPs poll in-charge of Tripura, Sunil Deodhar says "It is a fact that we are riding on a strong anti-CPI(M) wave rather than a pro-BJP wave. It's more of a 'CPI(M) hatao' sentiment than a 'Modi lao' one. And it's because of an incompetent chief minister, his misrule and bad governance."

The 52-year-old served as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign manager in Varanasi during the 2014 general elections.  News18

08:00 Counting of votes for the elections in Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura has begun. The BJP will be just one state short of a northeast bereft of the Congress if exit poll predictions come true. Elections held after 2014 saw the exit of Congress in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. Two exit polls have hinted at a Congress rout in the three states. With regional players help, the BJP is set to come to power, exit polls suggest.

07:58 We're just 2 minutes to the start of the counting of votes for the three northeastern states. Can the BJP expand its presence in the Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura?

07:15 Exit Polls  Nagaland

In Nagaland, the BJP-NDPP alliance is likely to storm the ruling NPF bastion as it is predicted to win 27-32 seats with a vote share of 48 percent, against NPF's 20-25 seats and a vote share of 42 percent, according to the JanKiBaat-NewsX exit poll.

07:10 Exit Polls  Meghalaya

In Meghalaya where the Congress is in power, the JanKiBaat-NewsX exit poll shows that the National People's Party (NPP) is set to gain with 23-27 seats while the BJP will get 8-12 seats, with vote shares of 39 and 12 percent respectively. The NPP, which is member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has not entered into a formal pre-poll alliance with the BJP.

07:05 Exit Polls  Tripura

JanKiBaat-NewsX has predicted that the BJP-IPFT alliance in Tripura will win 35-45 seats with a vote share of 51 percent. While another exit poll by AxisMyIndia predicts 44-50 seats for the BJP-IPFT with a vote share of 49 percent and others may get 0-3 seats with a vote share of 11 percent.

07:00 Exit polls suggest a BJP surge in the northeast

Exit polls suggest that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with allies is likely to form the next governments in Indias north-eastern states of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. Two exit polls last Tuesday predicted that the BJP would dethrone the Left from power in Tripura and consolidate its position in north-eastern states of Meghalaya and Nagaland.

06:55 The day ahead  Meghalaya

A three-tier security arrangement has been made at all the 13 counting centres and 11 companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed for the counting process.

06:50 The day ahead  Nagalan

In Nagaland, 349 tables in 17 centres across the state have been set up for counting. Votes would be counted in presence of the candidates and agents under the supervision of the respective district returning officers and assistant returning officers.

06:45 The day ahead  Tripura

Adequate security measures have been made for the counting centres in Tripura. Counting halls are ready. General and police observers have been appointed for the halls.

06:35 Difficult start to Nagaland election process

The Congress, which has given three chief ministers to Nagaland since the state's inception in 1963, is contesting only in 18 seats, two less than the BJP. The election process in Nagaland had started on a difficult note.

Following a no-poll diktat from the Core Committee of Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations that advocated "solution (to the Naga political issue) before election", political parties initially kept away from the poll process.

Though the filing of nominations started on January 31, the first batch of 22 contestants filed their papers only on February 5, the penultimate day for filing of nominations.

There was a heavy rush of nominees to file their nomination papers on the last day, February 7, and finally after scrutiny and withdrawal, 227 candidates were in the fray for the Assembly elections in the state.

06:30 Assembly strength in Tripura, Meghalaya & Nagaland

Though the strength of each of the Assemblies in the three states is 60 members, voting was held for 59 constituencies in all of them, for different reasons.

While a CPI (M) candidate died in Tripura, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate was killed in Meghalaya, which resulted in countermanding of the polls in one seat each in the two states.

In Meghalaya, the Congress fielded 59 candidates, while the BJP put up nominees in 47 constituencies. For the first time, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma is contesting from two seats.

In Nagaland, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) chief Neiphiu Rio was declared elected unopposed.

In Nagaland, the BJP has joined hands with the NDPP that was floated by former chief minister Neiphiu Rio. The NDPP is contesting on 40 seats and the saffron party on 20.

06:25 Counting would begin from 8 am in all the states amid tight security, Election Commission officials said.

While Tripura went to the polls on February 18, elections were held in Nagaland and Meghalaya on February 27.

06:20 BJP emerges a strong contender in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura

The BJP has emerged as a strong contender in all the three states and two exit polls have predicted that the party would dethrone the 25-year-old Left Front government in Tripura and consolidate its position in the other two states. While the Congress has been ruling Meghalaya for 10 years, the Naga People's Front (NFP) has been in power in Nagaland since 2003, except for a three-month period of President's rule in 2008.

Buoyed by the formation of governments in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP is making a bid to expand its footprints in the region.

06:16 The counting of votes for the Assembly elections in three north-eastern states  Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura  will begin at 8 am amid tight security.

06:15 Good morning readers! This blog bring you up to speed with the live counting updates from the recently-concluded assembly elections in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura.The Congress's euphoria over recent by-poll victories may have been punctured after the party's dismal performance in the Northeast, but its leaders believe the results will have no bearing on Karnataka, which they are confident of holding on to.

A party leader claimed the BJP's victory in the Northeast was an "aberration" that did not reflect the country-wide "resurgence of the Congress".

Though the Congress failed to get a majority in Meghalaya and did not win a single seat in either Tripura or Nagaland, the leaders insisted they were not troubled by the results and were confident of emerging victorious in Karnataka, where elections are to be held shortly.

Sources in the Congress stressed the Northeast had its own compulsions and was "no real lesson for South India".

After the poor Congress performance in elections in the northeastern states, the results of which were declared yesterday, the party's morale was at a low, with few leaders willing to speak out about the loss.

With Congress president Rahul Gandhi out of country, the leaders preferred not to analyse or talk about the defeat.

Some party insiders admitted that the morale of the party, boosted after the recent victories in bye-elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and its performance in Gujarat Assembly elections, had been badly dented after the Northeast results.

Party spokesperson and research cell in-charge Rajeev Gowda, however, said the Northeast results were an "aberration" and the national trend was against the BJP.

"The BJP's growth in the Northeast is by encouraging defections and endorsing corrupt politicians," he said.

These "hollow victories" would not have a bearing on Karnataka, "which has already seen the real face of the BJP and its leaders", he told PTI.

Gowda said the country was seeing a "revival and resurgence" of the Congress starting with Gujarat and the by-polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and "the cutting to size of the BJP due to its corruption and non-performance".

"The results do not change the ground realities, which are in favour of the Congress," he held.

Claiming that the Congress was on an "extremely strong wicket", he said the BJP would be "crushed" in Karnataka.

Another Congress leader felt the BJP would "pay dearly" for banking on former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa as he had earlier been jailed. The people of the state had seen his governance from 2008 to 2013, during which many BJP ministers were also sent to jail on corruption charges, the party leader said.

The party has also not given up all hope in the Northeast, and is working out on forming a government in Meghalaya after its losses in Tripura and Nagaland.

While the BJP wrested the Left bastion of Tripura and received an invitation to be a part of the government in Nagaland, Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.

The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. Senior party leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath are in the state capital of Shillong, working out possible tie-ups with Independent MLAs in a bid to form a government.

They met a number of leaders from smaller parties in a bid to cobble up a coalition in the northeastern state.

The two leaders claimed the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it.

The Congress's move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught napping in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form a government.

Meghalaya is one of the five states and UTs currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.Signing a range of memorandum of understanding (MoUs), Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang cemented Indias Act East policy on the concluding day of Quangs three-day visit.

Both nations inked three agreements, including one on nuclear cooperation. They also resolved to work on an open Indo-Pacific region, considered among the highly globalised areas as of now.

We will jointly work for an open, independent and prosperous Indo Pacific region where sovereignty and international laws are respected and where differences are resolved through talks," Modi said during the joint statement with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh

Hitting out at Narendra Modi over his his independent soldier jibe today, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh accused the prime minister of trying to create a wedge between him and the Congress leadership.

Modi, while addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters in Delhi after the poll results of three northeastern states, said "In Punjab, the Congress does not consider the chief minister as its own, as he marches on like an independent soldier.

Dismissing the remark as frivolous and unsubstantiated, Singh said the prime ministers comment was part of the BJPs "futile" attempt to create a wedge between him and the Congress high command ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Who told you that Narendra Modi ji? Not me for sure. Did the Congress high command complain to you against me?

Anyways, let me make it clear that such frivolous statements wont help you create a wedge between me and my party, which has full faith in my leadership and vice versa, he said on Twitter.

Questioning the source of Modis "information", he said, I dont remember complaining to him against the Congress high command. Did the high command go and complain to him against me?.

One really fails to understand what prompted Modis ill-conceived and unfounded remark, he asked.

The chief minister said that neither he nor the Congress high command needed the prime ministers advice on how to manage their internal relations.

I know my business and I know how to run my state and manage my relationship with my party high command, which is more than one can say about the BJP leaders, he said. Singh said that the Congress high command had full faith in his leadership and had given him a free hand to bring Punjab out of the mess into which the BJP, in alliance with SAD, had put the state.

As a loyal soldier of the Congress, which has a deep-rooted connect with the people across every state, the chief minister said he was leading it in Punjab in a truly democratic manner, as becoming of a party of the stature of the Indian National Congress, and as guided by the high command.

Contrary to what Modi would like to believe, the Congress is not a fly-by-night party which he could simply wish away, Singh said.

Declaring his partys complete readiness, under the leadership of its president Rahul Gandhi, to take on the BJP in the parliamentary elections next year, he said, And I am personally set to take this battle to the finish, Modi."

The chief minister said that the Modi's "jumlebaazi" (gimmicks) would not have any impact on either the Congress leadership, party workers, or citizens of the country.National Conference president Farooq Abdullah today expressed grave concern over communalisation of politics" ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and cautioned the BJP to desist from "dividing the nation on religious lines".

A polarised India is detrimental to its growth, progress, unity and peace, he said during a function at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here.

The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir also decried the misuse of religion for political and electoral gains. Elaborating on the attempts by divisive forces in the state with an eye on ensuing elections, Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir has to flourish and progress as a single entity.

On the rape and murder of a minor girl in the state's Kathua district recently, the NC chief said a dangerous trend was being set wherein the culprits were using religion as a shield to escape law of the land.

A special police officer was among two persons arrested in connection with the rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in January.Karti Chidambaram

Karti Chidambaram, arrested in the INX Media case, was on Sunday brought to the Byculla prison in Mumbai to be confronted with Indrani Mukerjea as part of the CBI's probe into the matter, a senior official said.

Mukerjea, a former Director of INX Media (P) Ltd, is lodged in the jail in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case.

A six-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) brought Karti Chidambaram, the son of senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram, to the prison in Central Mumbai this morning, he said.

The CBI team, accompanied by a woman police official, will bring him face-to-face with Mukerjea, who is lodged in the Byculla prison, he said.

The doors of the prisons were shut and no other person from outside was allowed to enter the premises, he said.

After confrontation with Indrani Mukerjea, the CBI team is also expected to bring Karti Chidambaram face-to-face with her husband and former media baron Peter Mukerjea, he added.

Karti was arrested by CBI after the confessional statement of Mukerjea in the case on February 28.

He was sent to five-day CBI custody on March 1, official said.

Karti was arrested at Chennai Airport on his return from the United Kingdom, in connection with the FIR lodged on May 15 last year alleging irregularities in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds worth about Rs 305 crore in 2007 when his father was the union finance minister.

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered Karti's arrest, was based on the statement of Indrani Mukerjea, who recorded it under section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.A special court issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in the alleged Rs 12,700-crore Punjab National Bank scam.

The court, set up under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), issued the NBWs on applications filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), one of the agencies probing the bank fraud cases registered last month.

The court also allowed the ED's application seeking Letters of Rogatory (LR) to seven countries - Malaysia, Armenia, France, China, Japan, Russia and Belgium - in connection with the case.

The ED had earlier issued summonses to Modi and Choksi, both key accused in the scam cases, asking them to appear before the central agency.

However, the two diamond traders, who are said to have left the country before criminal cases were registered, had failed to appear before the ED, prompting the agency to move the PMLA court for issuance of NBWs against them.

On February 27, the ED had moved the court seeking an NBW against Modi.

The agency had told the court that it had issued three summonses to Modi to appear before it.

The agency said it received replies from Nirav Modi for two summonses. In response to the second summons, Nirav Modi said he cannot appear before the agency owing to his business commitments.

In reply to the third summons, the businessman raised the issue of his security, the ED counsel said.

"We issued three summonses to Choksi. He neither responded to those summonses nor appeared before the agency," special ED prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar had told the special court presided over by Judge M S Azmi here on March 1.

Meanwhile, another court here today allowed the CBI to arrest Gokulnath Shetty, then deputy manager (now retired) of PNB, in connection with issuance of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LOUs) to Choksi-owned firms.

Shetty has already been arrested in the case related to Nirav Modi's firms.

Earlier in the day, special CBI judge S R Tamboli remanded Shetty, Manoj Kharat, a single window operator of PNB; Hemant Bhatt, authorised signatory of Nirav Modi; Bechhu Tiwari, then chief manager in the Forex department of PNB; Yashwant Joshi, scale II manager in PNB's Forex department, and Praful Sawant, scale-I officer handling the bank's exports section, in judicial custody till March 17 in the Nirav Modi case.

"It was informed by PNB...that there are more than 150 LOUs amounting to Rs 6,498 crore which are falling due with effect from January to April, and all these were issued in 2017 by Shetty. The amount is likely to go up," CBI lawyer Limosin A told the court. "The modus operandi adopted by the accused persons was that for settling the earlier LOUs/Buyer's credit, fresh LOUs were opened and the funds received from foreign banks against the LOUs were utilised for settling the outstanding LOUs/Buyers Credit," the agency's plea for judicial remand read.

A file containing copies of SWIFT messages from February 2017 to April 2017 was recovered from PNB's Brady House Branch following disclosure made by Shetty, it said.

Bhatt told the investigators that all the LOUs were issued as per Nirav Modi's instructions, the CBI said.

Bhatt was also the authorised signatory for the accounts of Modi firms, and also a director in more than 20 companies of the Modi group, which "indicates that he is in collusion with Modi to induce PNB to issue fraudulent LOUs", the CBI said.

Fraudulent LOUs were being issued since 2010, but the documents related to them were not yet recovered, it said.

"The scam by the Modi group was going on for the last more than eight years unchecked which is unusual," the agency said.

Joshi, the arrested PNB official, admitted that Modi had gifted him two gold coins of 60 grams each which were recovered, the CBI said.

On January 31, the CBI registered an FIR against Nirav Modi, his companies, and diamond jeweller Mehul Choksi in connection with the PNB fraud.

The CBI has also arrested Vipul Ambani, president (finance) of Nirav Modi's Firestar Diamond; Kavita Mankikar (executive assistant and authorised signatory of three firms -- Diamond R US, Stellar Diamond, Solar Exports), Arjun Patil (senior executive, Firestar group) and Rajesh Jindal, then head of the Brady House branch of PNB.Kirshna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan's Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, the Pakistan People's Party has said.

Kolhi, 39, belonging to the remote village of Dhana Gam in Nagarparkar in the interior Sindh province is a member of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Bhutto said the election of Kolhi, who was elected on a minority seat from Sindh, showed that minorities had rights in Pakistan and she could play an effective role in Pakistani politics.

Kolhi said she was happy that the PPP had reposed faith in her and in her work.

"I am a human rights activist and try to highlight the problems faced by the minorities especially Hindus. PPP could have nominated any other woman for the seat but they showed they have regard for minorities as well," she said today.

Known as Kishoo bai by her parents and friends for her fiery temper and activism, Kolhi said she knew how much work needed to be done for the oppressed and poor in the interior areas.

"I, my family members and relatives were in bondage labour in a private jail owned by an influential landlord in Umerkot district and we were only freed during a police raid," she said.

Noting that she was a little girl when the incident took place, Kolhi said it prompted her to fight for the rights of women and children belonging to the minority communities.

"My husband and family supported me a lot in my studies and work and it allowed me to get required education despite my Dalit caste background," she said.

Kolhi's election represents a major milestone for women and minority rights in Pakistan.

Earlier, PPP had elected first Hindu woman Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla as a senator.

While Chawla belonged to a well-known Hindu family in Sindh, Kolhi is the first lower caste woman to come to the Senate.

Born to a poor peasant Jugno Kolhi in February 1979, Kolhi and her family members spent nearly three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district. She was a grade 3 student at the time.

She was married to Lalchand at the age of 16, when she was studying in 9th grade. However, she pursued her studies and in 2013 did her masters in sociology from the Sindh University.

Kolhi had joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother, who was later elected as Chairman of Union Council Berano.

Kolhi also actively participated and worked for the rights of the marginalised communities living in Thar district and other areas.

Pakistan's ruling PML-N of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday won 15 seats in Senate and became the largest party in the upper house of Parliament, according to the provisional results.

Provincial and federal lawmakers voted to elect 52 Senators in the Senate elections, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Twelve seats each from Punjab and Sindh, 11 each from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, four from tribal region and two from federal capital territory were up for grab due to retirement of 52 senators this month.

More than 130 candidates, including those nominated by political parties and independent candidates were in the contest.

Hindus makeup just two percent of the total population of Pakistan and have long complained of victimisation.

Hindu lawmakers have for long protested the forcible conversion of poor Hindu girls to Islam by some landowners and their religious leaders particularly in interior Sindh and Kolhi has also been working to highlight this problem.

Ironically, she will take her oath later this month to the Senate seat in a house dominated by feudal landlords, but social activists say her election even on a reserved seat is a sign of changing times in Pakistan for minorities.China's foreign minister tore into the new steel and aluminium tariffs announced by US President Trump, calling them "groundless" in remarks to state media today.

"The American action to put sanctions on other countries' reasonable steel and aluminium exports in the name of harming national security is groundless," minister Wang Yi said.

Wang Yi made the comments in an interview with China Business Journal on the sidelines of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a top advisory body opening its annual national session in Beijing over the weekend.

"It's not only China that believes this to be unreasonable, many European countries and Canada have all said they cannot accept this." Trump announced Thursday his decision to impose hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, inciting a worldwide uproar and stoking fears of a global trade war.

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday the EU was drawing up retaliatory measures including tariffs on imports of American goods like Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon and blue jeans, if the Trump administration moves forward with its plan.

China has previously warned it was ready with counter-measures should the Trump administration deploy tariffs, but the country has yet to make any specific moves after the latest trade volley.US President Donald Trump joked about his own impeachment and mocked several media organisations at a high-profile gathering of journalists and politicians.

Arriving late at the Gridiron Club's white-tie dinner, at which dozens of journalists and politicians gather to trade barbs, Trump said he was late because his son-in-law Jarred Kushner could not get through the security. The security clearance of Kushner was recently downgraded.

Ivanka, youve got to do something! Trump said. Both Ivanka and Kushner were seated at the head table along with the First Lady.

The president talked about planning his remarks and said he discussed them with the funniest people in the White House, including Vice President Mike Pence. Trump called Pence a good straight man.

He is straight! said Trump.

Trump went on to joke that Pence begins every day asking, Is he impeached yet?

You cant be impeached when theres no crime. Put that down! Trump said.

Noting that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was in attendance, he said he offered to bring Sessions to the dinner.

I offered him a ride over and he recused himself, said Trump.

Towards the end of his speech, Trump talked about Deferred Action Against Childhood Arrival.

I love the Dreamers. We are going to help the Dreamers, he said.

Trump said were all working together on DACA. I hope that somethings going to happen, he said.

He then went on to mock several media organisations including the failing New York Times and CNN. He said CNN recently lost its very best reporter in former White House strategist Steve Bannon.

He took aim at his favourite target - media - Fake News CNN.

He called Fox News the fourth branch of government. And he made fun of Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr, who stepped down in December as publisher of The New York Times, saying: I inherited millions. Arthur inherited billions of dollars, and he turned it into millions.

The president also poked fun at Stephen K. Bannon, his former chief strategist, who many inside the White House believe was the source for some of the nastiest parts of the recent book by Michael Wolff.

He continued by describing the recent turnover at the White House as exciting and invigorating.

I like turnover. I like chaos. It really is good, said Trump.

Trump then joked about who would be next to leave the White House and questioned whether it would be Steve Miller or Melania. He later referenced the #FreeMelania hashtag.

Shes actually having a great time, Trump said of his wife.

Trump brought up his recent calls for tariffs and suggested they were good for dying industries that have asked the White House for protection.

However, Trump added that it might be too late for the print media.

Trump also brought up talk former Vice President Joe Biden, or as he put it, Sleepy Joe, might run for president in 2020. Trump referenced prior comments Biden made about wanting to take him out behind a barn.

While his speech was in joking tone, on North Korea, he quipped that he would not rule out direct talks with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

However, he said it was Kim who faced the risk of dealing with a madman. He also said North Korea had called up and asked to begin talks but that he responded with you have to denuke first.China growth: Slowdown concerns in US and China, due to the trade war between the two countries, have caused global investors to worry. (Image: Getty Images)

A top Chinese leader called for continued efforts to rally non-mainland ethnic Chinese, including those overseas, around the country's national interests and help realize President Xi Jinping's "Chinese Dream" of national rejuvenation.

The comments from Yu Zhengsheng come amid heightened Western scrutiny of the Communist Party's attempts to exert control and influence abroad, including over the Chinese diaspora in countries like Australia and the United States.

In a speech at the opening of a largely ceremonial political advisory conference, Yu said the advisory body has "meticulously" worked to enhance patriotism among young people in Hong Kong and Macau as well as those farther abroad with invitations to visit China and outbound delegations.

He said he was seeking to "mobilize all the sons and daughters of (ethnic Chinese) to work together for the greater national interests and the realization of the Chinese Dream," referring to Xi's nationalist vision of China as the pre-eminent global power.

China's Communist Party has long claimed sovereignty over the self-governing island of Taiwan a and a degree of authority over all ethnic Chinese, regardless of nationality a but its attitude toward the Chinese diaspora has been a source of growing friction with foreign governments over the past year.

In Australia and the United States, law enforcement officials have warned about Chinese government attempts to influence national politics and public opinion, as well as monitor the activities and speech of Chinese students studying abroad.

In another instance, European officials were deeply alarmed after Chinese police detained and denied consular visits to a naturalized Swedish bookseller in a diplomatic standoff, with Chinese state media editorial deriding his Swedish passport as effectively meaningless.

The annual Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, headed by Yu since 2013, is mostly ceremonial but designed to present an image of a diverse, big-tent advisory body that includes non-Communist Party members, minority ethnic groups, business leaders, religious groups, artists, and representatives from Hong Kong and Macau all taking part in China's governance.

In opening speeches in past years, the chairman has often repudiated Western democratic concepts, such as the separation of powers, and issued warnings against formal independence for Taiwan.

Yu struck a less hawkish tone on Saturday, as he called for more overseas exchanges to "deepen solidarity and friendship with our compatriots in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as well as overseas Chinese," and efforts to build international goodwill around the Belt and Road transcontinental infrastructure project, Xi's signature foreign policy initiative.

The advisory body will continue working domestically to "create a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation," including among religious minorities and the country's poorest citizens, he said.

The annual CPPCC meeting runs concurrently with the two-week session of the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp parliament.Earlier this year, the Mortgage Bankers Association launched mPact  a network for young professionals in the real estate industry. We spoke to two of the professionals behind the innovative program.



MPA: Tell us a little more about MBAs mPact  the young professionals network at MBA



Ashley Gunn, associate director of commercial real estate finance, at the Mortgage Bankers Association: We formed mPact, at least on the commercial side, a few years ago. It came out of our internal and external MBA leadership as a way to get more young folks engaged in the industry and engaged in the MBA.



It was rebranded last spring under mPact and  the rebranding included both the residential and commercial side of MBA.



MPA: Why is it important to get millennials more engaged and interested in the industry?



AG: I think right now in this day and age theres just a lot of different industries people can get into. Real estate is a very technical industry but its also a very rewarding industry. I think its important to get people engaged and retained at a young age with the real estate industry because I do think it has a long-term impact on their individual career and individual development.



Youre giving people new homes and youre working in the commercial space. Its just a very rewarding industry and millennials tend to jump around from industry to industry  thats sort of their stereotype. So we want to make sure we retain them and keep them engaged from the beginning.



Jordan Bucher, research associate, residential policy and member engagement, at the Mortgage Bankers Association: Being someone who is a year out of college, Im working at mPact but I see the value in it personally for myself as well. Its a platform that connects people to their industry peers; Im able to grow and develop professionally through the opportunities that we host.



Another goal that Ashley touched on us well is to help strengthen our members relationship with the MBA.



MPA: What does the real estate industry need to do to keep millennials engaged and within it, growing up the ranks?



JB: To keep them engaged, thats one of the reasons or the main reason why MBA launched mPact to begin with. We officially launched in April of this year and we hosted, for the first time at a major conference, mPact events at our annual (conference) in October.



We hosted four events; three of them were networking opportunities and one was an educational component. Thats just one example of keeping the younger professionals in this industry engaged. Thats the main reason MBA launched this initiative because it is important for our industry.



MPA: How do you think Millennials will change the real estate industry?



AG: Im seeing a shift right now with older millennials that they are moving back to the suburbs, they are buying houses, they are contributing to the economic development.



Thats a difficult question to answer right now but I do think millennials will have a very impactful outcome on the current housing market as well as the greater real estate market, for sure.



JB: The Millennial generation is the largest and most diverse in American history, its literally changing every industry, but it will especially change real estate and real estate finance.



It's important to encourage and retain those who are 35 and under in our industry because not only do they have the ability to understand this generation's homebuyer mindset but will change the way we do business, in light of shifting lifestyle habits and evolving industry technology.



MPA: Is there anything else youd like to add?



AG: Were really excited  we think were doing something really exciting with mPact right now. We think we have a chance to really attract and retain a young, great set of new talent. Were really developing ways to try to enhance their own personal growth within real estate but also strengthen their MBA membership.



We just want to highlight the fact that this is something thats new and innovative and were really excited to see where it goes.



Our industry, both residential and commercial, is driven by the choices that people make: where they want to live, for what they want to shop, how they want to commute to work, how do you use new technologies to improve your life, and so on. Having a workforce that understands and reflects the demographics and culture of the broader society is vital for this industry, in particular.



For more info on mPact, click here.

Crude and natural gas production in the Permian Basin is surging, and that growth is bringing along some unexpected issues.

One example is naturally occurring radioactive materials, or NORM.

NORM is volume-dependent, said Geri Blanchard, president of NORM Solutions LLC.

This means that when theres more production, NORM becomes more of an issue, she said in a phone interview from her Crowley office.

Many natural gas companies are realizing they have a NORM issue as well, she said.

The gamma exposure exemption limit is 50 microroentgens per hour or less, she said.

Blanchard said regulations regarding NORM in the oil patch have not changed in recent years. Texas and New Mexico have similar regulations.

In Texas, the Department of State Health Services oversees possession, decontamination and worker protection. The Railroad Commission oversees disposal of oil- and gas-related NORM waste, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has responsibility for disposal of non-oil and gas NORM, such as that generated by municipalities and their water treatment facilities or paper mills.

In New Mexico, the Environmental Department oversees possession, decontamination and worker protection, while disposal of oil- and gas-related NORM is the responsibility of the Oil Conservation Division. Non-oil and gas NORM disposal remains under the jurisdiction of the Environment Department.

Blanchard said the regulations require companies to know what NORM exposure their sites and equipment have and manage the contamination. Under Railroad Commission rules, if equipment is deemed to have NORM contamination, it has to be marked with a clearly visible, waterproof tag.

NORM is radiation but its not as hazardous as other field hazards, she said. If someone working around NORM did their job all day every day, theyd have to consume massive amounts over a long period of time, she said.

They do need to be trained on NORM, made aware of it and know what they should or shouldnt do around sites or tagged equipment. Employees and contractors alike should be aware of the issue, she said. Texas and New Mexico regulations require companies to have radiation protection plans.

Sampling of the equipment, and doing it properly, is important, she said. She has three recommendations for those operators who have trouble obtaining sufficient samples.

--If theres scale on the metal but not enough for a proper sample, cut a sliver of the metal and send it to the laboratory

--Do a wipe test on the metal and send the wipe to the laboratory

--Run air samples with particulate pumps near the equipment. If particulates are in the air, send the filter to the lab.

Disposing of NORM waste is different from dealing with equipment, she said.

When discussing waste, waste is typically an open, generic term, she said. With NORM, youre talking about (affected) scales, sludge or soil. Equipment is not waste. There are different standards that pertain to equipment and objects contaminated with NORM that are separate from waste limits.

In Texas, there is no time limit on storing NORM-affected waste, whereas in New Mexico, theres a 365-day limit, but extensions can be sought to stretch that to up to 10 years.

Only professionals with decontamination certification licenses can remove NORM-contamination from equipment or structures, according to Blanchard.

Decontamination is required in order to obtain relief for unrestricted use, which would allow someone to sell or buy equipment or property that had been previously contaminated by NORM, she said. That way, the buyer cant come back later and claim the property or equipment was misrepresented as free from NORM contamination and sue the seller. Its part of liability and risk management, she said.MMEX Resources Corp. has announced new deals that will move its planned refinery project in Pecos County closer to completion.

Nothing happens as quickly as youd like, said Jack Hanks, president and chief executive officer

But he said he is pleased with the progress the project has made.

After obtaining an easement from the University Lands, the company is building a an access road from the paved county road approximately 20 miles northeast of Fort Stockton for its two planned Pecos Refinery projects. Trucks can use the access road during the construction of the first phase -- a 10,000 barrel-per-day crude distillation unit --and then after the unit goes online.

MMEX also signed an agreement with Penta Petro of Midland to provide trucking services. Penta will transport refined products from the distillation unit, initially naptha, to the ultimate consumer.

Were projecting we will sell part of our production from the distillation unit within the Permian Basin, primarily to pipelines who blend the naptha into their crude supply that typically goes to Gulf Coast refineries, Hanks said.

In mid-February, the company announced the selection of Interstate Treating Inc. of Odessa as primary contractor for the engineering, procurement and construction of the distillation unit. Hanks said Interstate has already begun the detailed engineering phase of the project that will be part of the completion guarantee so all parties can finalize a definitive engineering, procurement and construction agreement. Costs will also need to be finalized as part of the FEED  Front End Engineering Design  Study. Last summer, MMEX formed a relationship with VFuels on the design of the distillation unit. VFuels will serve as a subcontractor to Interstate in designing, fabricating and delivering the modular processing equipment for the distillation unit.

The third product to come from the distillation unit, residual fuel, will be sent by rail to the Gulf of Houston. The project is situated near the Sulfur Junction spur of the Texas Pacifico-South Orient Railway. That rail access is the reason MMEX chose that site for the proposed refinery, said Hanks.

Part of our business plan for the refinery is, were looking at western Mexico to deliver refined products, he said.

Crude can be brought into the distillation unit by truck or rail and refined products brought out via truck or rail. Hanks said companies purchasing the md-range diesel from the distillation unit can pick it up by truck at the gates.

We are locked down with three major purchasers of our products, large companies with strong balance sheets and credit-worthy partners, Hanks said. Were lining up buyers for products that wont be available for about 12 months.

Completion of the unit is expected in the first quarter of 2019. In the meantime, Hanks said he expects to begin the permitting process for the second phase -- a 100,000 barrel-per-day full-scale refinery -- in the second quarter of this year.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says its a 12- to 15-month process, he said, and then another 12 to 15 months to construct the refinery.In her latest book, Diane Shoos examines portrayals of abusive relationships on the Silver Screen that reinforce who and what we believe about domestic violence.

In late 2014, released security footage from an Atlantic City casino showed a professional athlete striking his then-fiance in the face, rendering her unconscious. The woman in the videowho had since married the athletewas criticized for remaining in an abusive relationship. As part of the discussion, the hashtag #WhyIStayed trended nationally on Twitter.

But within a matter of weeks, people had moved on.

Public discussion of domestic violence has been very sporadic, says Diane Shoos, an associate professor of visual studies at Michigan Technological University. Whenever theres a media event or a new film that broaches the topic, we talk about it, but the conversation usually quiets down pretty quickly. I wanted to take a deeper look.

To get that deeper look, Shoos studied a body of Hollywood films that focus on male partner violence against women, rather than use it as a backstory or subplot. One of the reasons I chose Hollywood films is because of their accessibility and their ubiquitythey have a large audience that spans the world. I was interested in the way these films might shape our viewpoints on domestic violence as a social problem.

Shoos found that even though these films intend to condemn abuse and empower women, they ignore the complexities and consequences of violent relationships.

What We Witness

Shoos professional expertise is in gender and film. She also served for 18 years as a board member, and for several years as board chair, for Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home, a refuge for domestic violence victims and their children.

I saw again and again that representation in film and television was far from what was really happening to abused women, Shoos says, and I wanted to talk about the reasons for and consequences of that gap.

In Domestic Violence in Hollywood Film: Gaslighting, Shoos argues that what we see onscreen has a significant impact on what we believe about domestic violence, mainly because domestic violence typically happens behind closed doors.

There is a certain level of denial about it, and there's a way in which we as a society turn to abused women to explain domestic violencewhat did they do to cause it or why didnt they leave, Shoos says. I thought it was really important to look at these films because all cultural representation will have an influence on us, but especially so if it's an issue we don't experience or experience secondhandmaybe we know somebody or have someone in our family whos been abused. But it isn't something that happens publicly or is talked about openly. It is still an uncomfortable topic.

Shoos examines six filmsGaslight (1944), Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), Whats Love Got To Do With It (1993), Dolores Claiborne (1995), Enough (2002) and Safe Haven (2013). While she thinks each contains positive elements, there are certain characterizations and narrative patterns in these films that have become so established and ingrained that we seem to be stuck with them, inside and outside the theater.

Narrative and Genre

When Shoos refers to "Hollywood films," she specifically means popular U.S. cinemamovies that are intended to bring in large audiences and make a profit.

There are proven formulas, she says, that work to draw audiences in. Two examples are the suspense-thriller genre and the action genre. Of course, there are positives to those genres because they do bring people to the theater. Someone who may never go see a film about domestic violence might go to an action film starring Jennifer Lopez.

In the 2002 film Enough, Lopez stars as Slim, a waitress who falls in love with, marries and has a child with wealthy Mitch. Over time, the marriage deterioratesMitch strikes Slim during an argument. When the abuse continues to escalate, Slim takes her daughter and runs away. Mitch tracks her down, and Slim is unable to get help from outside sources like the police and lawyers. When Mitch threatens to get legal custody of their daughter, Slim is forced to take matters into her own hands, training relentlessly in martial arts until the final scene, where she confronts Mitch, engages him in a physical fight and ultimately kills him.

Even though the film takes the side of the abused woman, Shoos points out that it portrays an unrealistic and dangerous form of victim empowerment that involves running away and changing one's identity before ultimately standing up to the abuser.

"Its a hyperbolic notion of feminine agency that is very predictable at this point, and the narrative closure is usually the death of the abuser by the abused woman. Not only do women do away with their abusers in these films, they get away with it, which is totally misrepresentative and gives no accounting of what really happens to abused women who kill." Diane Shoos

Shoos comments that parts of this storyline erode the cornerstones of the campaign against domestic violence: abuse is not your fault, you dont have to deal with it alone and resources are available to help you leave dangerous situations.

Most of these films acknowledge that there are shelters, hotlines and personal protection orders, Shoos says, but then make a point of showing that these resources are not only inadequate, they are total failures. This throws everything back onto the womans shoulders. She is completely isolated, and then the narrative drives toward a confrontation between her and her abuser.

The problem with that is abused women rarely seek out these confrontations, she continues. They are trying to understand and cope with the man's behavior and maintain the love relationship, and mostly they're trying to make the violence stop. Sometimes they have to get away to do that. But anyone who's worked in domestic violence knows that revenge is not a primary motivation for abused womenthey want to have a safe life and they want to have a love relationship that's not violent and threatening to them and their children.

Gaps in the Plot Line

Shoos notes that the majority of Hollywood films about domestic violence center on middle- and upper-middle-class white women with the resources to escape. This reinforces the idea that its relatively easy for a woman to leave an abusive relationshipshe just has to decide to do so.

"One of the big absences is the lack of any attention to abuse suffered by poor women and women of color, says Shoos. We don't take into account enough how race, class, education and other factors intersect when it comes to domestic violence. For example, the way in which an abuser might act outhis strategiesare very different depending on his social identity and situation.

One exception is Whats Love Got to Do with It, the biopic that tells the story of Tina Turners rise to fame and her relationship with her abusive husband Ike Turner. Yet while the movie shows the abuse experienced by a woman of color, Shoos notes that it centers on a celebrity. She comments that while its untrue and unfair to imply that abuse happens only to others, its just as damaging to ignore the experiences of non-white and working-class women.

A 2014 tweet from Beverly Gooden, the creator of #WhyIStayed.

Shoos also sees problems with the depiction of perpetrators. Abusers are portrayed in these movies as absolute monsters, even if they look normal in the beginning. This reinforces the idea that abusive behavior is identifiable and obviousit lets us stand outside the relationship and say its so easy to see whats happening and what the woman should do. But just because someone appears to be a likeable person, a wonderful father, a professional, someone who is respected in the community, does not mean they are not abusing their partner. We need to learn this lesson, as well as the lesson that psychological and emotional abuse rather than physical abuse are the main forms of domestic violence.

Even though it is the oldest film on her list, Shoos says Gaslight does the best job of portraying psychological abusestrategies the husband uses on his wife to discredit her and make her question her own reality. We should absolutely be concerned about physical violence, but that isn't the primary form of abuse, Shoos says. Often, long after physical abuse may have stopped, the control that abusers exert over women may still be present.

Opening Closed Doors

Shoos sees some positive aspects of each Hollywood film she analyzes. For instance, in Sleeping with the Enemythe 1991 blockbuster that depicted an abused Julia Roberts ultimately killing her deranged, abusive husbandviewers witness the husbands micro-regulation of his wifes behavior, right down to how the hand towels are aligned, and understand how she feels trapped in her own home. Scenes in Enough and Whats Love help the viewer understand how motherhood can be used to manipulate an abused woman.

"There are ways in which genre formulas have brought this issue to the screen, and that's important, but at the end of the day, visibility for domestic violence is not enough. The question is what kind of visibility it has." Diane Shoos

"If popular versions of domestic violence narratives keep on following these very predictable and very fantastical formulas that are farther and farther away from lived experiences and the actual repercussions of domestic violence, what are they really accomplishing?" Shoos asks. "Their ability to empower or even inspire abused women or to motivate us to be advocates for them is minimal.

Shoos says the point of her analysis was not to find or promote an ideal film about domestic violence, but to demonstrate the need for more representations of domestic violence that show the complexity of these relationships.

The more different kinds of stories that are out there, especially stories that show the agency of abused women even within their abusive relationships, the better. Women cope, they understand, they know the limits, they know the risks much better than anybody outside their relationship can, Shoos says. I think we still tend to think of abused women as somehow not as smart or strong, when in fact anyone can end up in an abusive relationship, and anybody does. To not take seriously the perspectives of people who have been in those situations, to not look at them as the experts about what they should or shouldn't be doing at any particular time is a huge mistake.

Shoos finds encouragement in the growth of independent cinema and new media outlets that are fostering and giving space to narratives that tell unexpected stories of men and women whom we may not immediately recognize as perpetrators and victim/survivors of abuse.

She specifically mentions Big Little Lies, an HBO miniseries that was released just a few months before her book went to print. While Big Little Lies follows some of the typical narrativesit focuses on white women in the wealthy California community of MontereyShoos says the stories themselves go against preconceived ideas about abusers and abused women, demonstrate the effects of abuse on children and show various forms of psychological abuse.

Since its release, Big Little Lies has won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series and a Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Television Film. In her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, miniseries executive producer and star Reese Witherspoon, wearing black in support of the #metoo and #timesup social media campaigns that call for an end to sexual abuse in all forms, said the show is about how the life we present to the world could be very different than the life we live behind closed doors. She expressed the hope that more shows like Big Little Lies will be made that tell the stories of people who have been silenced by harassment, discrimination, and abuse.

Media Literacy

Shoos ends her book with a similar plea for more representations and also for critical viewing.

Media literacy is not just watching a bunch of stuff. We're not all media literate because we binge watch, Shoos says. Media literacy is taking a look at whats happening on screen and analyzing it on multiple levels. Let's understand how narrative and cinematic techniques are being used, which characters are given a voice and which characters are not, where there are mixed messages and contradictions. And how does this overlap with other discussions we're having in the world? To say representation matters is not an new observation. But it matters especially in the case of domestic violence.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than 7,000 students from 54 countries. Founded in 1885, the University offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and social sciences. Our campus in Michigans Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.This week Texans all over the world commemorate the Battle of San Jacinto, which occurred on April 21, 1836 near present-day Deer Park.

Thousands of miles from where General Sam Houston accepted the surrender of Mexican General Santa Ana after a one-sided firefight between their two forces, there is a unique piece of history from the states early days as an independent country.

HIDDEN HISTORY: See the last remaining international boundary marker for the Republic of Texas

In London, England at 4 St Jamess Street sits the building which at one time served as the site of the Embassy of Texas.

From 1842 until 1845, when Texas became a state, this spot near St James's Palace was where the Republic of Texas did business in England.

Texas President Sam Houston sent Dr. Ashbel Smith, the republics secretary of state, to begin working on Texas international relationships as a sovereign country.

(Technically its known as a legation, which is smaller than an embassy.)

As Atlas Obscuras Luke Spencer notes, an embassy in Paris was also established later in 1842. There was also one in Washington, D.C.

Spencer shared his photos of the London location with Chron.com this week. You can check out his piece on this small slice of Texas at the Atlas Obscura website.

Texas British embassy was located above a wine shop, Berry Brothers & Rudd, which we hope was expert tactical planning on the part of the Texans. The wine shop owners were also the team behind Cutty Sark Scotch.

This was a cushy job for Ambassador Smith, who was a tight friend and onetime roommate of Houston. Smith is known as the "father of Texas medicine" and the "father of the University of Texas" among many other things.

FAR EAST TEXAS: What does a Texas-themed bar look like in Tokyo?

Once Texas became a state in 1845 the site was abandoned, leaving a rent bill of 160 British pounds.

A small gold plaque installed in 1963 down an adjacent alleyway marks the spot where the infant countrys overseas HQ once stood.

Texas Legation in this building was the legation for the ministers from the Republic of Texas to the Court of St. James 1842  1845 reads the plaque. Physically its rather small, so locals might have been missing it all these years.

In 1986 a group of Texans came by to settle the outstanding debt with the wine shop, after all those years. It was only right that the Texans settled up during the states sesquicentennial.The children of our community are our most precious asset and should be protected as such. We all know that students can make bad choices. Even historically good children and young adults can make bad choices. However, there are times when those choices have severe and life altering consequences under the law.

Midland has recently experienced a series of bad choices. On Feb. 13, a student was arrested for possessing a gun at Midland High School. The following Friday, a series of text messages sent the same school into a furry as parents and students were afraid that an armed gunman was going to shoot up the school based on a snapchat post. Students were calling their parents begging for them to pick them up because they did not want to die at school that day. Then, on Feb. 22, a Lee High School student brought a gun on campus. Subsequently, a threat was conveyed at Midland Christian School regarding a potential shooting at the school. We are very fortunate that law enforcement located the two weapons and concluded that the other threats were not valid.With the Texas Folklife Festival happening this weekend, we brought out archived photographs from the early years of this wildly popular annual event that draws Texans from all over the state.

The festival launched in 1972 as the first statewide folklife festival in the country, and the gallery above features images from its first 10 years. Remember back when it was held in the hottest time of the year, August and early September?Jeanne Jakle is covering news and interviewing the stars on the West Coast as part of the Television Critics Association January tour.

PASADENA, Calif. -- The CW network shared news today that should boost the spirits of a couple of San Antonio talents.

Veteran TV thriller "Supernatural" starring San Antonio native , Madison High graduate and Hollywood dreamboat Jared Padalecki, got officially renewed for a 13th season and is part of a full slate of early renewals by the network. Jensen Ackles of Dallas plays his brother on the show.

"As long as the two boys want to do it and I'm sitting in this chair, the show has a long life," Mark Pedowitz, president of The CW, told TV critics.

The six other prime-time series that got the go-ahead for the 2017-2018 season include "Arrow," "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," "The Flash," "Jane The Virgin" and "Supergirl," which, last fall, moved from CBS to CW.

"Over the past several seasons, The CW has built a schedule of proven performers, from our lineup of DC superheroes, to critically acclaimed comedies, to sci-fi dramas," Pedowitz said. "Early pickups of these seven series now allow our producers to plan ahead for next season, and gives us a solid base to build on for next season, with original scripted series to roll out all year long."

In other locally-linked news, Pedowitz sang the praises of former S.A. journalism teacher Rob Thomas of "iZombie" and "Veronica Mars" fame, adding that he's looking forward to his TV anthology series based on a popular 1987 movie.

Thomas, who taught at John Marshall High for a time before becoming a movie and TV writer-producer, is currently developing a vampire series for The CW that's a reimagining of "The Lost Boys," which starred a young Kiefer Sutherland.

It will tell a story spanning 70 years, with each season covering a decade, meaning the forecast is the show will go on for seven years. "We haven't seen a script yet," Pedowitz said.

However he said he has great confidence in Thomas, a University of Texas grad, who makes his home in Austin. "Rob is a great show runner. We love him and everything he does."

jjakle@express-news.netA 29-year-old nursing assistant at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a patient, authorities said Thursday.

Cody Baca, of Clayton, turned himself in Friday after a $105,000 warrant was issued for his arrest, according to the Walnut Creek Police Department.

The patient, who was not identified, reported in October that she was sexually assaulted at John Muir Medical Center.

Authorities processed and tested evidence to determine Baca assaulted the victim while he worked as a nursing assistant at the medical center, police said.

On Feb. 22, felony charges for burglary and sexual battery were filed against Baca by the Contra Costa County district attorneys office.

Baca was an employee of the medical center for 10 years. He was placed on administrative leave following the sexual assault allegations, according to the medical center, which issued a statement that it is cooperating with the investigation into Baca.

The care and safety of our patients is always our highest priority, and we take all patient complaints very seriously, said Ben Drew, a John Muir Medical Center spokesman.

Correction: A previous headline for this story identified Cody Baca as a nurse instead of a nursing assistant.The lofty ideals and sacrifices of the men and women who fought and died for Texas independence were probably not on the minds of revelers celebrating Texas Independence Day at The Rustic Friday night.

But those long lost Texas forefathers probably would have joined in for a dance and a beer had they been alive today.In light of recent safety breaches at school campuses around the country, the Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD Police Department and administrators have conducted security reviews of our own campuses. Based on these reviews, changes are underway in order to increase the safety and security of the district.

On Feb. 26, the COCISD Board of Trustees approved a measure to increase security funding, which allowed the placement of a full-time, armed police officer at each campus. These officers park their marked vehicles in clear sight, so any person who approaches a school campus will be aware that a trained, armed police officer is on duty at all times during the school day and during school activities.Shenandoah police soon will be tracking motor vehicles on city streets and Interstate 45 using five automated license plate readers.

The city's leaders approved $104,000 to buy five advanced camera systems from ELSAG, an international company that provides plate-reading systems to law enforcement agencies across the country. Three cameras will be placed on patrol vehicles and two for fixed locations in the city.

"The biggest thing we got out of it is ELSAG is used locally by a lot of the agencies, so we're going to be sharing information with agencies around us," Police Chief Raymond Shaw said. "Since it's not going to be a local server, that means they're going store our information, they're going to manage the information. (City staff) will not have to take the time to manage the server."

Shaw said another benefit is that the city would be able to get more information from both the FBI and a federal program in Houston that helps fight drug crime called HIDTA.

HIDTA is an acronym for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas. The program was created by Congress in 1988 and operates in 26 regions spread across hundreds of counties in 49 states under the umbrella of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The program has 25 regional headquarters, one of which is located in Houston and has about eight employees, not counting intelligence analysts. Automated license plate readers are a part of the vast network of law enforcement tools outlined in the four goals of HIDTA, which are primarily focused on law enforcement intelligence gathering and sharing.

Shaw said being able to access hundreds of millions of records in scores of law enforcement databases across the nation is crucial in keeping Shenandoah residents safe.

More Information Automated License Plate Readers Cameras with computer systems are either mounted on a patrol car or attached to a fixed location, such as a traffic signal or light pole Cameras capture images of license plates with an infrared camera while a second color camera acquires photographs of the vehicle and surrounding terrain or features The cameras can capture images in any weather, at night and at speeds of up to 150 mph Data also gathered by the system includes GPS coordinates and date and time stamps of images. Fixed cameras have an additional capability to measure a vehicle's speed. A computer system connected to the cameras instantaneously processes the license plate number and runs the data through multiple law enforcement databases A "hit" of a vehicle could result from it being reported as stolen, used in drug trafficking, an abduction or dozens of other crimes. Any pertinent criminal activity associated with a vehicle is relayed to officers on the street within minutes. - Source: ELSAG Bid Packet/City of Shenandoah. See More Collapse

Other area law enforcement agencies also use the technology, including the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and the Harris County Sheriff's Office. In 2017, the city of Cleveland also purchased ALPR cameras to be mounted on patrol cars.

Shaw told City Council that the data would be available to local police officials for 30 days and would then be archived after that at the HIDTA office in Houston. Shaw also told council members the data gathered by the license plate readers is not public information and thus cannot be accessed by making a Freedom of Information Act or Texas public records request.

The approval to purchase the system will give Shenandoah police officials five total systems, which are comprised of a camera system - outfitted with both an infrared camera and a normal color photograph camera - as well as an in-car computer system that is connected to the internet. As the cameras gather data from passing or parked vehicles, information is transmitted to HIDTA and processed through a multitude of law enforcement databases that subsequently can alert officers if a vehicle nearby has been involved in a crime.

Shaw said one of the benefits of the system is that other area law enforcement agencies also use the exact same system. The three other companies that submitted bids to the city are not directly connected to the same databases.

"Montgomery County has the same system, Harris County uses the same system. So we're all on the freeway using the same system," Shaw said. "So, if a stolen car, or a car that's been involved in any kind of child abduction, or something like that, something major, goes through one of those cameras, it'll pick up the license plate and read it and it'll give us a warning or an alert that that car is in the area. If one of the vehicles equipped with (a plate reader) passes that car, it'll pick it up and let (officers) know."

Shaw said the data will be shared with HIDTA, however he said he does not know if officials at HIDTA will share the information with officials from the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

"We're not sharing it with ICE, we're sharing it with HIDTA," Shaw said. "I have no idea (if information is shared with ICE). I know the FBI uses some of (HIDTA) information, too."

Mike McDaniel, the director of the Houston HIDTA office, said the program is funded by a federal grant and helps law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal level "connect the dots" about possible criminal activities.

McDaniel said offices across the nation share all licence plate data with an assortment of agencies, including the DEA, the FBI, ICE, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security-including the Homeland Security fusion intelligence center in Houston. The data is also shared with local police departments and sheriff's offices.

"We're just a conduit to help everyone connect the dots for different agencies," McDaniel said. "You can historically go back and try to determine if a suspect is following a pattern. You may be able to develop patterns. If you suspect a (criminal) suspect has, for example, gone to Georgia, you can see if he went through a (ALPR) camera."Media entrepreneur Steven Brill thinks there's something missing from all the efforts to separate fake news from the real kind: Some smart and discerning humans.

Faced with the waves of mis- and disinformation lapping up on social media, Brill is proposing to apply some reader-beware labels to internet news sources. His idea: a series of ratings, as determined by teams of independent journalists, that would enable readers to understand where their news - or "news" - is coming from.

Brill, a veteran journalist and founder of American Lawyer, Court TV and the late Brill's Content magazine, has turned the idea into a fledgling company. NewsGuard is backed by about $6 million in venture funds from the likes of Publicis Groupe, a multinational ad agency, and the Knight Foundation, which has launched many journalism initiatives.

As Brill and his business partner, former Wall Street Journal publisher and columnist Gordon Crovitz, describe it, the New York-based company aims to assign a "reliability" rating - green, yellow or red - to some 7,500 sources of online news, based on an assessment by its teams of journalists. The rating would cover each site's overall track record as a news purveyor. It wouldn't apply to any specific article or journalist.

The ratings (green for generally trustworthy ones, yellow for the consistently biased or inaccurate and red for a deliberately deceptive site) would be supplemented by what Brill and Crovitz call "nutrition labels" - a longer description of each site's history, journalistic track record and ownership. The information would enable a reader to learn instantly that, say, a popular news site such as RT.com is a Kremlin-funded adjunct of the Russian government.

If "platform" giants such as Facebook and Google play ball - and so far NewsGuard has no commitment that they will - these assessments would be incorporated in search results, on YouTube videos and on the Facebook or Twitter postings that share the articles. Alternatively, individual users may someday be able to add a plug-in that would display ratings for each news site they accessed. The Good-Housekeeping-type seals hold out the promise of appealing to marketers and ad agencies - hence, Publicis' involvement - in that they could be used to form a "whitelist" of approved sites to keep advertisers from linking their brands to toxic content.

"Our goal isn't necessarily to stop [fake news] but to arm people with some basic information when they're about to read or share stuff," says Brill. "We're not trying to block anything."

Ideally, he said, a user encountering, say, the website Whatisfracking.com in a Google search would quickly learn that the site is funded by a vested interest, the American Petroleum Institute. It would also instantly flag as "fake news" a site such as the Denver Guardian, which posted a bogus story about Hillary Clinton that was viewed by about 1.6 million people during the late stages of the 2016 president.

NewsGuard aims to roll out its system in time for the midterm elections later this year, but Brill and Crovitz acknowledge they have their work cut out for them. Thus far, the venture has assessed and rated only about 100 of the 7,500 sites it hopes to tackle.

The project also faces head winds from the platforms that would figure to be its largest potential customers - most of which have undertaken their own media-rating initiatives amid the public and government outcry over fake news. Google, for example, adjusted its search algorithms last summer to push down "low-quality" content, such as Holocaust-denial pages.

Facebook, Google, Bing and Twitter have also partnered with a nonprofit venture titled the Trust Project that adds standardized disclosures from news publishers about the news outlet's ethics and standards (The Washington Post is a participant in this initiative). And Facebook has an ongoing fact-checking project, although Google recently suspended its own amid complaints of bias from conservative news outlets.

Despite NewsGuard's ambitious approach to mapping the news and fake-news universe - Brill estimates the 7,500 or so sites it has zeroed in on account for about 98 percent of the news content seen by Americans - no single assessment or score can really cover everything a news organization produces. Quality and expertise within a news organization varies; what the news department produces might be very different from what the opinion department turns out. One rating might not fit all.

Still, Brill says technology can't do what humans can - such as pointing out what interests are really behind a popular website. "Whatever algorithms Google has, it's not working" to defeat the fake-news scourge, he says.

NewsGuard's initial team of journalists includes Brill, Crovitz and executive editor James Warren, the former managing editor of the Chicago Tribune; and managing editor Eric Effron, formerly of Reuters, The Week, and Legal Times. Brill said he expects to hire "three or four dozen" staffers and freelancers.In the literary drama of ancient Greece, a hero could be blessed with great strengths but also cursed with debilitating personal flaws. And yet, he could still emerge triumphant. The most famous of these kinds of heroes sometimes get statues in commemoration of their valiant struggles.

The great mythical warrior Achilles, with his infamously vulnerable heel, has one in London's Hyde Park. Now, former Washington, D.C., Mayor Marion Barry, a revered political fighter also hampered by a weakness of the flesh, has a statute, too.

"Sometime after Martin Luther King had a dream, and before President (Barack) Obama gave us hope, it was Marion Barry that gave opportunity to Washington, D.C.," Mayor Muriel E. Bowser said at the unveiling of statue on Saturday. "He embodied the spirit of Washington, where you fight hard and speak up."

The eight-foot-tall likeness, set on a corner of the District Building at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, is a stunning work of art. Sculptor Steven Weitzman, who has a studio in Bladensburg, Maryland, captured the essence of a man who was probably the most personable and politically savvy elected official ever to serve in city hall.

Only Walter E. Washington, the first mayor of the modern era and "father of the city," comes close to being as admired.

"He is not standing stoically or posed 'heroically' on a pedestal, or being aggrandized by in bronze," Weitzman said. "That was never how I saw him. I wanted to convey a man in motion, walking toward someone but at the same time turning to acknowledge someone else. He walked with his head up, but he never looked down on people."

In pretaped remarks shown at the ceremony, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia recalled a meeting in which Martin Luther King Jr. was looking for ways to get more civil rights activists to become elected officials. Barry, a chemistry major at Fisk University who had been chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) led the way. "He was the first to take the civil rights movement from the streets into the government," Lewis said.

Weitzman had that transition in mind while fashioning the sculpture, showing Barry waving one hand and appearing to begin a pivot.

"The civil rights movement, from my point of view, is marching and walking and sitting," he said. "That is the physical essence of the nonviolent movement, and Barry was very much involved in that. That's what I wanted to represent in that gesture."

The face is remarkable for the true-to-life nuanced expression that Weitzman captured. There's a touch of pride. And Barry certainly had reason to puff out his chest.

"One of the first things he recognized when he became mayor was that minority businesses were not included in the city's procurement process," recalled Michael Rodgers, who served as city administrator during Barry's fourth term. "In a city that was roughly 70 percent black at the time, black businesses were getting less than one percent of the city contracts."

During the Barry years, that number rose close to 35 percent.

The statue also capture a glint of Barry's vulnerability.

"Marion had a way of connecting to the very core of people he cared about," his wife, Cora Masters Barry, told me. She had known Barry for nearly 50 years. "But it was hard for him to believe that anybody didn't like or love him. He just couldn't accept it."

There is a hint of regret as well.

Fred Cooke Jr., who was D.C. corporation counsel during the Barry years, and also Barry's longtime attorney, told me about a conversation in which he asked the mayor what he would do over if he had the chance.

"He told me that he wished he had done more to improve the school system," Cooke said. "Marion said, 'We dropped the ball on education. We got caught up in economic development and didn't do enough about making schools better across the city. He knew he had shortcomings and he was not too big to admit his mistakes."

There were no specific mentions Barry's public bouts with drugs and sex. But Barry's torment and triumphs go hand-in-hand.

One speaker did say that Barry's detractors had tried, and failed, to use his indiscretions to discredit the entirety of his life's work. The crowd in front of the John A. Wilson building agreed. A contingent of residents from Ward 8, which Barry represented on the D.C. Council until his death, arrived chanting, "Long live Marion Barry."

In Greek lore, as we witness the hero struggling with his demons, we may come to recognize the shortcomings in ourselves. And we can admire him as much for his determination as for his accomplishments.

All heroes have feet of clay. Some just get theirs bronzed over and bolted to a stand.Richmond, Va.

Before Jesse Matthew killed 18-year-old University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, authorities say he left a trail of DNA evidence linking him to a 2005 rape and the 2009 slaying of another female student.

The link could have been revealed when Matthew was convicted of trespassing in 2010, but Virginia law didn't require authorities to take a DNA sample.

For Sue Graham, that's one of the most painful aspects of her daughter's slaying: knowing the killer could have been locked up, unable to prey on her if only police had been able to take that DNA sample.

Graham and her husband, John, are lobbying Virginia lawmakers to add trespassing and other misdemeanors to the crimes triggering mandatory DNA collection. It's part of a nationwide movement to expand DNA databanks to include misdemeanors: shoplifting, trespassing, destruction of property, etc.

Currently, 42 states and the District of Columbia collect DNA for certain sexual misdemeanor convictions. At least 26 states, including Virginia, collect DNA for some nonsexual misdemeanors. New York, Wisconsin and Utah collect DNA for many misdemeanors.

Had police swabbed the inside of Matthew's cheek after his trespassing conviction, his DNA sample could have connected him to the 2009 slaying of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, 20. Her case remained a mystery for years, until Matthew was charged with killing Graham. Matthew pleaded guilty to the two slayings in 2016.

"He was flying under the radar. Had his DNA been tested in 2010, he would have been convicted of those offenses, and I have no doubt Hannah would be alive today," Sue Graham said. "It's a hard thing to have to acknowledge."

Proponents of increasing the number of crimes requiring DNA samples say it's simple logic: more samples mean more likely "hits"  crime scene DNA that match samples in a databank  and more crimes solved or prevented.

But opponents say making DNA samples mandatory for crimes as minor as shoplifting or trespassing is going too far.

"We have the highest degree of sympathy for anyone who's lost a loved one through a violent crime, but subjecting hundreds of thousands of people to law enforcement scrutiny who haven't committed that kind of offense and never will is a problem," said Bill Farrar, American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia spokesman.

In 1989, Virginia became the first state in the nation to require certain offenders to give DNA samples for a databank. The state has added offenses, and the number of samples in the databank had grown to about 441,500 by the end of June 2017.

Virginia law already requires DNA collection upon conviction for 14 misdemeanors, most related to sexual offenses.

In New York, authorities began collecting DNA in 1996, initially only from people convicted of homicide and some sex offenses. In 2012, the state created an "all crimes" databank, requiring DNA samples from anyone convicted of all felonies and more than 200 misdemeanors.

DNA samples taken because of the expansion have produced nearly 1,800 investigative leads. Of those, 95 were linked to homicides, according to the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services.Washington

Under the best of circumstances, a Mideast peace deal is the Holy Grail of diplomacy, a goal that has eluded American presidents for generations.

With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to visit Washington this coming week, the mix of politics, personalities and historical grievances that has stood in the way of Israeli-Palestinian peace is even more combustible than normal.

President Donald Trump's point man for mediation, Jared Kushner, is in the middle of a political firestorm, his plan remains a mystery and the Palestinians aren't even speaking to the White House.

If that weren't enough, Netanyahu and Trump are both distracted by mushrooming legal investigations at home.

It's all contributing to an intensified pessimism in the U.S., Israel and the West Bank about prospects for a Trump-brokered initiative to succeed.

Kushner and a small team have spent the past year preparing a much-awaited blueprint for peace, but no details have emerged. Many in the region wonder whether the vaunted plan will ever come.

On the surface, Israel's relationship with the White House has never been better, buoyed by the Jewish state's thunderous support for Trump's decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and recognize the disputed city as Israel's capital. The announcements only reinforced Palestinians impressions of Trump as biased against them.

"A mediator will have to mediate between two semi-equal parties. Otherwise it's not a mediation process," said Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to Washington, in a recent Associated Press interview. "You have to level the field and level your relationship between the two sides in order to be an honest mediator."

The world may soon be able to judge for itself.

The Trump administration's peace proposal is near completion, according to U.S. officials, but faces an uncertain future as Kushner, the Trump son-in-law leading the effort, recently lost his top-secret security clearance. Former negotiators say Kushner's downgraded status probably will severely impair his ability to do the job.

Beneath the veneer of U.S.-Israeli unity, there is lingering disagreement and suspicion.

Israel is increasingly worried that Trump is backsliding on a pledge to "fix" or dismantle the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Israel is also concerned that behind Trump's tough public stance toward Tehran is an acquiescence to Iran's growing presence in Syria and influence in Lebanon  two Israeli neighbors.

"The Israelis now are undoubtedly sounding the alarm," said Jonathan Schanzer, who researches Iran's regional influence at the hawkish Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. "The assets the Israelis see on the other side of the border to its north  they are not happy."

Nevertheless, it's in Netanyahu's interest to keep such disputes out of the public eye, said David Makovsky, a former State Department official who worked on Mideast peace negotiations. The Israeli leader faces multiple investigations related to allegations of bribery and corruption.

"It's important for him not to run afoul of Trump," said Makovsky, now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "It's necessary for him to show he's not so engulfed by his own legal problems that he's not functioning as a leader."

Trump and Netanyahu are scheduled to meet Monday, in the middle of the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference, which brings thousands of pro-Israel officials, lawmakers, activists and academics to Washington. Vice President Mike Pence, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Trump's envoy to Israel, David Friedman, will give speeches, and each is likely to hammer away at Iran.

Israel views Iran as an existential threat and Netanyahu has repeatedly implored Trump to "fix it or nix it" when it comes to the nuclear deal. That agreement, negotiated by the Obama administration and other world powers, rewarded Iran with billions of dollars in sanctions relief for curbing its nuclear program.

Critics, including Netanyahu and Trump, say Tehran got too much for too little. Among the remedies they're advocating: removal of several of the deal's clauses that allow Iran to gradually resume advanced nuclear work starting in 2024.

Trump has said he won't renew U.S. waivers for sanctions when they next expire on May 12 unless European countries agree to a new deal that would force them to punish Tehran if the Iranians resume advanced nuclear work. He wants tougher inspections and penalties for Iranian missile testing. He also wants Europe to punish Iran's support for the anti-Israeli militant group Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthi rebels and Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

Israeli officials are most immediately concerned about Iran's missile work. They want U.S. and European commitments to punish Iran for work on medium-range missiles capable of hitting Israel and Iran's Arab rivals. The Europeans have balked, citing U.N. restrictions that focus only on longer-range projectiles. U.S. officials negotiating with Britain, France and Germany appear to agree with the Europeans, prompting the Israeli concern.

Trump's Mideast peace aspirations aren't any more certain. After winning praise in Israel for his Jerusalem proclamation, he made clear the Israelis would have to make concessions, too. He hasn't said what those might be.

"You won one point, and you'll give up some points later in the negotiation, if there's ever a negotiation," Trump said in January.Mount Pleasant, Mich.

A 19-year-old student suspected of killing his parents at a Central Michigan University dormitory had been acting so strangely the day before that campus police called his mother and then took him to a hospital for suspected drug abuse, authorities said Saturday.

Central Michigan University police Chief Bill Yeagley told reporters that James Eric Davis Jr.'s parents had just picked him up from the hospital and brought him to his dorm to pack up when the shooting happened Friday. He said the gun used in the shooting belonged to Davis' father, James Davis Sr., a part-time police officer in the Chicago suburb of Bellwood.

Yeagley would not say whether the father had brought the gun to campus when picking up his son, but he noted that Davis Jr. can be seen on video in the dorm's parking lot with the gun before he entered the residence hall where his parents were shot around 8:30 a.m. Yeagley also would not say what type of gun was used or whether it was Davis Sr.'s service revolver. He also would not say whether drugs had been found in Davis Jr.'s system.

Davis Jr. was arrested without incident shortly after midnight following an intensive daylong search that included more than 100 police officers, authorities said. Authorities found Davis after someone aboard a train spotted a person along railroad tracks in Mount Pleasant, where Central Michigan University is located, and called police, Yeagley said. Davis appeared to be hypothermic and "not making a lot of sense" when police arrested him, the chief said, and he was again being treated at a hospital on Saturday.

The shooting occurred on a day when parents were arriving to pick up students for the beginning of a weeklong spring break.Three former Shipley Do-Nuts employees are suing the company's owner for allegedly groping them and making racist remarks, accusations that are consistent with a bevy of civil rights lawsuits filed by former workers since 2004.

The women claim that Lawrence Shipley III "regularly subjected them to unwelcome touching, other inappropriate physical behavior and unwelcome sexual comments," according to a lawsuit filed in Harris County on Friday against the donut company and its owner.

"(Shipley) hugged Elizabeth Peralta tight across her front and touched her rear and buttocks," the suit says. "He stared at her breasts and crotch areas. He spanked her rear."

The other plaintiffs allege similar action from Shipley while working at the Houston-based chain's North Main Street location. During one incident, plaintiff Esmeralda Sanchez claims Shipley did not punish a male supervisor who made sexual innuendos to her, instead saying that the way she dressed encouraged the behavior. They seek more than $1 million in damages.

The three women are also plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed against the company last year for failing to pay overtime, an allegation that's been lodged many times against the company in suits.

EDITORIAL: Shipley needs to shape up, or risk losing Houston's love

In an email Sunday, Lawrence Shipley said his accusers were caught "red-handed in an elaborate corruption scheme whereby they duped the Shipley companies and more than 20 franchisees out of legitimate delivery and freight services for their own financial gain."

"And if I were to become somebody I'm not and stumble over to the dark side, it wouldn't be with these low lifes," he wrote. "What a baseless, pathetic accusation. That's my comment."

An attorney for the three women said it was unclear what Shipley meant in his statement. Karla Evans Epperson said she was not aware of any legal actions against her clients that would explain Shipley's comments. Two of the women worked in housekeeping, and the other did clerical work, according to the first suit.

Epperson said she wasn't surprised by Shipley's comments, though.

"This isn't his first rodeo," she said.

History of abuse

Court records show the company has been cited for discrimination multiple times by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, including for requiring pregnant employees to provide documents showing they are not high risk.

In a 2006 suit, Shipleys was ordered by the EEOC to give back pay to a former employee who alleged he was fired as retaliation for filing an official complaint in which he said he was extorted, threatened with violence and repeatedly called a wetback" at the factory, court records shows.

In their most recent suit, the three women - all Hispanic - also claim that Shipley routinely made comments about their race, including using the term "wetback" and referring to one of the plaintiff's husband as her "Mexican in a white shirt" and a "bitch." Shipley also mocked their accents, and regularly asked if one plaintiff was "legal" to work in the United States, despite knowing she was, according to the suit.

The company had to pay a $1.8 million fine in 2008 for conspiring to harbor illegal aliens. Lawrence Shipley also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.

One of the women also claims that Shipley locked her inside one of the company-owned homes near the North Main Street location. (Martha) Garcia was not able to leave while Lawrence Shipley (armed with a gun) and others patrolled the premises, the suit says.

That claim is consistent with what other employees have said in lawsuits. In a 2006 suit filed in Texas' Southern District, 15 workers said they were forced to endure inhumane and egregious conduct at the companys Houston factory, including having to pay a supervisor to request vacations that were later denied, being forced to work while injured and having a supervisor use their identification to take out loans.

They also said they were kept like virtual prisoners inside the North Main Street factory, which was surrounded by barbed wire fence and had gates that were often locked during work hours. The workers also claimed they were required to purchase food from one of the supervisors friends.

Other plaintiffs in the suit claimed they were also groped or touched while working at the factory, including with used sex toys that their manager kept and made them clean. Others were forced to clean the managers shoes, the suit says, and some workers were hit, punched and kicked.

Multiple employees also said they were threatened with guns by managers, one of whom was described in the suit as saying that killing a wetback is like killing a dog and if you kill a wetback, no one cares.

Plaintiffs were called by racially derogatory names on a daily basis while working for (Shipleys), including beings called wetbacks, stupid wetbacks, lazy wetbacks and damn wetbacks, the suit said.

Managers were also described in the suit as throwing out applications submitted by African Americans, who were referred to by the N-word.

One of the managers in that suit is also named in the most recent suit against the company.

This story has been updated with comments from Lawrence Shipley III and an attorney for his accusers. It was also updated with a correction on the amount Shipley Do-Nuts was fined for harboring illegal immigrants.

Robert Downen covers crime for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter or email him at robert.downen@chron.com.All lanes of Loop 410 at W.W. White Road were closed for several hours Saturday night following a wreck on the highway early Saturday afternoon involving an 18-wheeler semi-trailer truck and a school bus, according to San Antonio police.

Details on how the wreck occurred were not available, but Joe Arrington, San Antonio Fire Department spokesman, said none of the children were injured.The latest school shooting, in Parkland, Florida, finally has awakened students to the understanding that they are not powerless to bring about political change. This gives me hope that a youthful, nonviolent mass movement can indeed confront the National Rifle Association and local, state and national officeholders beholden to it.

As an activist for social justice and peace issues since the late 1960s, let me offer some suggestions to the young leaders of the gun control movement. My comments come more out of failures than successes in my four decades of peace and justice activism.

Avoid a movement organized around cliches without content. Some examples: Opposing gun control legislation means you have blood on your hands, or, Pass gun control and students will be safe in school.

Do not espouse solutions that are theologically or politically absolutist, for example: A person of faith understands that guns are antithetical to peace, or, Without gun control legislation, our schools will never be safe.

Understand that if action is to be successful, it must have a clear mission and goals, along with a firm commitment to nonviolence in all demonstrations and actions. A movement is unlikely to be successful if it is organized purely on emotion.

Avoid being reformists. In other words, avoid small, specific changes that leave the root causes of school violence fundamentally unaltered.

Seek fundamental change. Be determined to not become politically irrelevant after a few demonstrations. Understand that fundamental change means taking power away from the NRA, elected politicians beholden to the NRA, and gun manufacturers and retail stores that market military weaponry to private citizens. Understand that the problem of school shootings cannot ultimately be solved by top-down political action only. An important point for young organizers is to understand that school shootings are part of a larger problem in the United States.

Young people need to rethink proposed political solutions that are rooted in a national culture of violence. The dominant culture of violence can only visualize a solution of greater violence. For example, the answer to school shootings today is to have teachers and administrators carrying concealed weapons; the answer to violence on university campuses is to allow students, faculty, staff and administrators to carry concealed weapons. Shootings in churches lead to encouraging parishioners to carry weapons. Popular culture from movies to video games promotes a culture of violence.

Todays culture of violence must be addressed. This requires understanding that each of us is part of the problem. Our personal challenge is to become part of the solution.

I would hope that the student-led movement for gun control has ongoing nationwide demonstrations, including monthly school walkouts. I also hope that students will organize demonstrations on a regular basis outside the headquarters and regional offices of the NRA.

Leaders should publicize over social media how much money local and state officials have received from the NRA and demand that politicians debate the issue of gun violence as part of every primary and general election.

Students should also demonstrate in front of retail stores that sell military-style weapons to the average civilian.

A successful grass-roots movement means engaging supporters of the Second Amendment in dialogue. I would urge leaders of the student movement to form a coalition with those who enjoy the sport of hunting but do not see the need for private citizens to own military-style assault weapons.

Along with constructing dialogue with hunters, students should dialogue with police officers, other first responders and mental health professionals. Again, the goal is to visualize gun violence not as the result of one specific weapon or one category of weapons, but to see it in the larger context as a public health issue  a disease. That is, a dominant culture in our country that is at dis-ease with itself.

Several of the movements in which I participated 40 years ago failed to understand these concepts. I hope todays students have the patience and persistence to organize for the long term.Eric Lane would like to ask our political leaders whether they support the separation of church and state (The question we need to ask our political candidates, by Eric Lane, Other Views, Feb. 27).

He would demand an absolute yes in answer to his question, labeling those who disagree with him as separation deniers. Yet separation of church and state isnt mentioned in the Constitution.

What does appear, in the First Amendment, are two expressions of religious freedom: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

The Supreme Court of the United States has been called on repeatedly to interpret the complex interplay between these phrases and has consistently recognized that there is no absolute separation of church and state.

In fact, the court has emphatically stated, We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being.

Applying the First Amendment, the court has recognized that there is no violation of the Constitution when governmental units pay the bus fares of parochial school pupils, or lend books to parochial schools.

The court has upheld release time programs permitting public school students to leave campus to attend religious classes.

It has allowed parents of children in religious schools to deduct tuition, textbook costs and transportation expenses from their state income taxes.

It has upheld grants of public funds to religious colleges, and the provision of publicly funded computers and teaching aids to religious schools.

The court approved a voucher program of public money allowing children to attend religious schools.

It has permitted religious displays on public property, including the Ten Commandments on the state Capitol grounds in Austin.

The court has ruled that municipalities and other governmental units may open their meetings with prayer, even overtly Christian prayers, and even if some in the audience might take offense. There are many more examples.

Thank God for our religious freedom and heritage.At a time frustration at Zimbabwes political class is running high, Nelson Chamisa (NC) who has emerged as the MDCs presidential candidate is hoping to tap into a desire for wholesale change in the way the country is governing should the MDC Alliance, which he will front, emerges victorious at the forthcoming polls.

News Editor Gift Phiri (GP) had the opportunity to sit down for a wide-ranging interview with Chamisa, and below are excerpts of the interview.

GP: Congratulations on your election as MDC president and MDC Alliance presidential candidate.

NC: Thank you.

GP: President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said as part of building political consensus in the country ahead of the harmonised elections, he shall soon be inviting leaders of all 83 political parties for a day-long consultative meeting. Have you received this invitation?

NC: No we havent. And we dont believe (we) have all those parties. They have formed (some of those) parties so they will say there are many parties. But most those are Zanu PF-sponsored parties. They are Zanu PF in many forms. The multiplicity of Zanu PF in other forms does not make parties that many, we know that.

GP: Your party has been advocating comprehensive electoral reforms in order to have free and fair elections. Are you making headway?

NC: Reforms are very important. There cant be elections without reforms. ED must stop paying lip service and giving political rhetoric to free and fair elections.

GP: But the president has promised free and fair elections.

NC: He has been calling for free and fair elections but he has been doing nothing about free and fair polls. Free and fair elections is not a slogan but practical substance on the ground. What legislative reforms have been put in place; what institutional reforms have been put in place; what structural reforms have been put in place; what about habitual and cultural reforms (that) have been instituted? This madness has shot off the roof.

GP: The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)s Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) mop up exercise has closed with more than 5,3 million people having registered to vote. Zec says it now awaits the issuance of a proclamation for the 2018 harmonised elections and is now seized with the processes of decrypting data from the BVR exercise and preliminary cleaning of data collected during the blitz phases as it awaits the delivery of the de-duplication or voter register audit software. Are you happy with this process so far?

NC: We need a forensic BVR audit of the voters roll by our own experts as players and stakeholders. We are dealing with people who have a reason to fidget with figures and massaging the will of the people.

GP: Have you been furnished with an election timetable. Do you know when elections will be held?

NC: There is guesswork and conjecture on when elections will be held. We managed a celebrated guerrilla warfare against our oppressors for the liberation of our country and should we continue with guerrilla tactics and ambush antics in a post-independent Zimbabwe? It tells you one thing, that our independence has been emptied of its meaning. Our otherwise hard-won independence has been reduced into fluke independence.

GP: Lets suppose you dont get the reforms you are pushing for, what will you do?

NC: We will never accept an election where we dont know where ballot papers are printed. Polling material to be used and the ballot printing are key issues that we are not going to leave to conjecture like we did in 2013. In terms of reforms, the ED regime is rabid in media muzzling and partisan reporting. The situation has gotten worse. If there is an area where there is a classical dramatisation that ours is a new error not a new era, its in the State media. You dont see any other parties.

GP: Zec chairwoman Justice Priscilla Chigumba has acknowledged that the commissions secretariat is manned by ex or rather retired members of the army or State security forces. But she says its only 15 percent of the secretariat and they are no longer in State employ, so does this settle your long-standing query that for the de-militarisation and total independence of the Zec?

NC: No. We need to chlorinate the Zec secretariat. The software is the biggest challenge. It has some viral load in it and it must be debugged. We have one of the best armies in the world and we are proud of our boys and girls in uniform. But that pride must not be turned into a shame on account of abuse by unpopular and selfish politicians who are not only a threat to the nation but to the future generation.

GP: The Zec chairperson has also told the parliamentary committee on Justice and Legal Affairs that of the 5,3 million-plus number of registered voters, 60 percent of them are between the ages of 18 and 40 years. She has actually said this means this is a vote of young people. While your supporters believe this a voter bloc that backs you, Zanu PF supporters claim these are youths they mobilised during the presidential youth interface rallies. Whats your take?

NC: They were not registered during the presidential youth interface rallies. Zanu PF is not capable of mobilising young people because it is not young. Its language and its campaign strategy are analogue and this is a digital generation. Its language is out of sync with the digital generation. It cant be their vote.

GP: What mechanism have you devised to vaccinate the election against ballot fraud and fudging of numbers?

NC: They may be entertaining the idea on how to rig elections, they must abandon such hazardous thoughts. We will not entertain another deceitful election. Four generations have squandered our time as a generation, consumed all opportunities and liquidated all chances of prosperity. Look at the number of Zimbabweans in the diaspora!

We want them back to rejoin their families and rebuild their country. Our colleagues in government are clueless, idea-less and energy-less. Their life mileage clock has ticked. We have retirees in government who want to retire us as a young people. Why should retirees in government be prime actors when we have prime actors on forced and imposed retirement? Its time up, its game on. Its not about the MDC, its about Team Zimbabwe. People should forget about parties and think about the future.

GP: Chief Musarurwa told a meeting of Zanu PF Mashonaland East Womens League in Marondera on Monday that they will never allow pwere ine mukaka pamhuno or an infant like you to rule the country.

NC: He is very young yet I saw him saying young people must not be in charge. He must begin by dethroning himself. Why should Zanu PF reduce Chief Musarurwa into a political mujibha or commissar? These are some of the things that cause our climatic challenges and unpredictable episodes in life.

GP: You turned 40 last month and you are set to be the youngest presidential candidate in Zimbabwean history  breaking the mould, battling conventions and breaking with traditions. Of course you have served in all three arms of government, in the Executive as a Cabinet minister during the GNU, in Parliament as Kuwadzana East MP, in the Judiciary as an advocate of the High Court. What would you say to those why say you are too young to run for president?

NC: Age is not a badge of maturity. Yes they say age comes with wisdom but at times age comes alone. We have many people who have grown old without growing up. So dont read much into old age. If anything, old age is a disadvantage because you have expended a lot of energy. As young people, we have the age-advantage. We can never have an old person being an instrument of change. The world waits for no late bloomers.

GP: What about those who say you are too inexperienced to have serious presidential ambitions?

NC: I have been in the struggle for 18 years under the able mentorship of one of the most illustrious sons of this country, Dr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai. Whereas at a university you need four years, I cant be young and inexperienced after an 18-year internship to attain multiple degrees from the school of leadership. This is precisely the generational problem we must resolve. Young people have been considered to be outliers and peripheral to national development.

Young people have been promised to be leaders of tomorrow when the older generation is busy jeopardizing tomorrow to an extent that there is no tomorrow to celebrate. For a long time, young people have been regarded with derision and suspicion as snake-holders when in fact they are stake-holders. What is clear is that yesterdays people cannot solve todays problems. Todays problems require todays people and we are here today as todays people.

GP: There is suspicion that you are a military project and that you are in bed with Zanu PF. What do you have to say about this?

NC: People mistake my patriotism and love for the country for being an extension of comrades across the river. I am a believer in new politics, fresh politics, politics of respecting and honouring our collective diversity without losing our individual identities. ED is Zanu PF, I am MDC but we are both Zimbabweans. At no point should our partisan numerator identities diminish our universal denominator character being Zimbabweans. We relate as Zimbabweans but differ in style, beliefs and substance. They celebrate what we abhor and abhor what we celebrate.

They celebrate corruption, we abhor it, they celebrate entitlement, we abhor it; they celebrate division, revenge and vindictiveness, we abhor it; they celebrate dictatorship, we abhor it; they celebrate command economics, command politics and command elections, we abhor it; they celebrate big government, runaway and galloping appetite for state resources, regularly raiding state coffers, we abhor it; they celebrate state-party conflation, we abhor it.

On the other hand, we celebrate inclusive smart politics, smart economics and smart elections, they abhor it; we celebrate diversity and mosaic manifestation and beauty of our different tribes, regions and races, they abhor it; we celebrate a genuine new Zimbabwe and real change, they abhor it. Right now they are celebrating fake change.

GP: Some claim you were too cosy with President Mnangagwa, and this was apparent when he was still VP, doubling up as Parliamentary Affairs minister and leader of government business in Parliament. You had some bromance going on in Parliament. What kind of relationship do you have with President ED?

NC: ED is a liberator, I am a transformer. We are already liberated, so this task is done. The outstanding issue is now transformation and its our turn as the young generation. In my whole life and before God, I have not met ED outside Parliament or outside Cabinet. Further, I have never had a discussion or dialogue with him on issues political or personal. Remember, I have been allocated to G40, been allocated to Gushungo, been allocated to Lacoste. Perhaps its because I am that inclusive because I dont segregate on the basis of political inclusion. In a new Zimbabwe, we must be able to cast our eyes beyond just parties in search of good men and women who are good for Zimbabwe.

GP: Critics and the ruling party have accused you of having a propensity to lie, pointing to your claim that US President Donald Trump had promised the MDC $15 billion if it came to power, a claim denied by US embassy spokesperson David Macguire who said we do not make such promises to individuals or political parties.

NC: I know what I am talking about. They should be able to distinguish between a lie and what they cannot achieve. I sympathise with them. We need $14,9 billion for infrastructure rehabilitation, according to the African Development Bank report of 2013. What is clear is that their capacity to associate with $15bn is only limited to disappearing it, not raising it. Thats why I told you they celebrate what we abhor. If our colleagues in Zanu PF cannot believe good news that we have such phenomenal goodwill as a people and as a nation, they must be four months patient and see the stewardship of our administration. As president Tsvangirai said, we have the keys. Those who locked without the keys can never understand that Zimbabwe will be genuinely open for business.

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Related Zimbabwe Latest News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...- As the 2019 election approaches, Nigerians have been urged by the Sultan of Sokoto to ensure they register in order to participate in the voting process

- He said it is only through voters card that the people can challenge the leaders

The Sultan of Sokoto and president general of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III, has called on Nigerians to go get their voters card ready to elect leaders of their choice in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

According to the sultan, people can only have a say in what the leaders do, only by getting their voters card, Vanguard reports.

Speaking on Saturday, March 3, during the closing ceremony of the 32nd National Quranic Recitation competition organized by Centre for Islamic Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and hosted by the Katsina state, Alhaji Saad Abubakar said: It is only through your voters card that you can challenge your leaders and also have a say in what they do.

READ ALSO: If anybody jubilates over Dapchi girls abduction, that person is an enemy of Nigeria - Presidency

Also speaking, the governor of Katsina state, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, faulted the Almajiranci system. He said it has no basis in Islam.

The practice of the Almajirai is far from being a reflection of Islamic ideals. The Almajirai are erroneously linked to Islamic education. Aged between four and 15 years, the Almajirai are engaged more in seeking sustenance for themselves than in learning the Quran. They are exposed, exploited and abused and many of them become involved in crimes. Islam does not encourage begging, Governor Masari said.

Amina Aliyu Mohd from Borno state and Amiru Yunus Guru from Bauchi state emerged as the overall winners in the competition which had about 250 reciters. They were awarded with brand new cars, Hajj seats and other cash donations.

PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Gombe state will be hosting the the 33rd edition of the competition slated for next year.

In an earlier report by Legit.ng, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) decried the lack of commitment by Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs). The Kogi state chapter of the association said it is worrisome that about eight million Nigerians are yet to collect their PVCs from many collection centres across Nigeria.

Daily Trust reports that the CAN chairman of the state chapter, Bishop John Ibenu, said there is need for Independent National Electoral Commission to step up sensitisation campaign and enlightenment for the people.

What is the problem with Nigeria? on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- President Muhammadu Buhari has been criticised for attending a wedding ceremony in Kano

- Those attacking the president are angry that he has not visited Benue, Taraba, Borno and states where killings and abductions have been recorded this year

- In his defence, Lauretta Onochie said the president is an adult and can decide where he wants to visit

The presidency has reacted to criticisms trailing President Muhammadu Buharis presence at the wedding ceremony of the daughter of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state, Hajiya Fatima, and the son of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state, Idris Ajimobi, on Saturday, March 3.

Defending her boss, the special assistant on social media to the president, Lauretta Onochie, said Buhari was an adult who can decide where to go.

President @MBuhari is an adult. He decides where he goes. He decided its Kano today. And to Kano he went, she wrote on Twitter.

Some of those who criticised the president accused him of not visiting Benue, Taraba, Borno and states where killings and abductions have been recorded this year.

Some cited the case of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan who was castigated for visiting Kano after a bomb blast.

Buhari and 22 governors were in attendance at the wedding ceremony .Senate president Bukola Saraki and the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were also present.

The president handed over the bride price of N50,000 to the Gandujes family on behalf of the groom, after which, the union was formalised by the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II. Buhari reportedly headed back to Abuja immediately after the wedding.

How long should it take between a proposal and the actual wedding? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- The killing of United Nation staff by Boko Haram insurgents has been condemned by Goodluck Jonathan

- Reacting to the incident that took place in Rann, the former president said an attack on one nation must be seen as an attack on all nations

- Following the attack in Rann on March 1, about four aid workers were reportedly killed

Former president Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday, March 3, condemned the killings of four Nigerian humanitarian workers during a Boko Haram attack on an Internally Displaced Persons camp at Rann, Borno state, on Thursday, March 1.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, the former president said the that the war on terror must be treated as a global war. He said his prayers are with the families of the victims as well as to those injured in the attack.

READ ALSO: Presidency reacts as criticisms trail Buharis presence at wedding of governors children

The statement read: I condemn the killings of members of staff of the United Nations and other humanitarian and aid workers in Rann by Boko Haram terrorists. My thoughts and prayers are with the UN and the families of the victims as well as to those injured in the dastardly and cowardly attack. The UN and other humanitarian and aid groups such as Medecins Sans Frontieres have been friends of Nigeria and deserve hailing not killing. I therefore repeat the call I made while in office-that the war on terror must be treated as a global war. There must be full and total cooperation amongst the nations of the world. An attack on one nation must be seen as an attack on all nations. That is the only way we can defeat terror. Together. Not apart.

Legit.ng earlier reported that about four aid workers were killed in a Boko Haram attack in Rann in the latest violence that hit the remote town.

The United Nation on Friday, March 2, confirmed the attack which happened after dark outside a camp housing some 55,000 people displaced by the Boko Haram conflict and appeared to target the military.

PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

A civilian militia source in Rann, which is some 175 kilometres (110 miles) from the Borno state capital of Maiduguri, and a senior military source gave an identical death toll. They also said eight soldiers were killed in the attack but there was no immediate official confirmation.

In reaction, President Muhammadu Buhari said the attack on humanitarian workers in Rann, Borno state, more than ever shows Boko Haram insurgents as godless, brutish, and utterly to be despised.

"As I have always maintained, no true religion advocates hurting the innocent. To now further attack and kill those offering humanitarian aid is the height of depraved behaviour. It is odious before both God and man," the president said, while sympathizing with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies working at Rann, and in the country generally.

Obasanjo and Jonathan are good on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- The All Progressives Congress (APC) have been accused of deliberately shying away from a national convention

- The accusation was made by the former governor of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu

- The APC has not held a convention since it became Nigeria's ruling party in 2015

A former governor of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu, on Saturday, March 3, accused the APC of being scared to hold its national convention.

Aliyu made the comment while addressing journalists after chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger East Senatorial District held a meeting at Paikoro in Niger state.

Aliyu and other PDP chieftains are confident of the party taking back power in 2019.

READ ALSO: Kogi APC crisis: Only convention can expel party members - Party spokesman

Aliyu said despite its challenges, the PDP had been able to hold its national convention, even as he challenged the APC to do the same.

His words: Two and a half years after they came into power, the APC is becoming scared of its shadow. They have become too afraid to hold a convention after the first convention they had that brought in the executives. Fear is the reason why the APC is unable to hold its convention.

He expressed confidence that the PDP would take over in 2019, adding that the people now understand the difference between both parties.

He also expressed optimism that the PDP would take over in Niger state, adding that the PDP was much better than any other government in the state.

2019 will be the year of the PDP. We will not deceive the people; we will ensure that the people are given their right. We will ensure that no Nigerlite lacks food on his table. The PDP remains strong in Niger state, he said.

Meanwhile, a report by international news agency Reuters claiming that the APC NEC endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term in office has proved to be incorrect.

According to the APC national publicity secretary, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi, what the NEC did at its last meeting, was to pass a vote of confidence on the president and the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news

APC chieftain give reasons why his party could be voted out in 2019 on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- International Press Centre (IPC) warned Nigerian Senate against passing the bill that prescribes death penalty for hate speech

- The group said though hate speech should be discouraged, prescribing death penalty for offenders will pose a great threat to freedom of expression as well as freedom of the press

- It also advised the Senate to discuss with stakeholders what specifically could be regarded as hate speech

An international media organisation, International Press Centre (IPC), has advised the Nigerian Senate against going ahead with the passage of a bill now before it which prescribes death sentence for Nigerians found guilty of hate speech.

Sahara Reporters stated that this was contained in a statement signed by the chairman of the organisation, Lanre Arogundade.

Legit.ng gathered that the media group warned that if passed, the bill would crush the right of Nigerians to freedom of expression as guaranteed by the constitution of the country.

READ ALSO: Nigerians criticise Buhari for attending wedding of governors children in Kano, presidency reacts

Arogundade further advised that national assembly to convene a meeting with stakeholders to determine what particularly could be regarded as hate speech.

The statement read in part: A draconian law that hallmarks dictatorship cannot be the solution to hate speech in a democratic society. What the country needs today is engagement by multiple stakeholders to determine what actually constitutes hate speech and agree on effective measures for dealing with such.

Arogundade added if the bill is passed into law, it would gravely pose a threat to freedom of expression as well of freedom of the press and safety of journalists in the country.

He said that though hate speech is discouraged, prescribing death penalty for it is not a welcome idea.

Much as we do not welcome hate speech, we do not also welcome a law that would gag citizens and deny the public the right to know, he said.

PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Legit.ng previously reported that three civil society groups, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also described the hate speech bill as draconian.

The president of the CDHR, Malachy Ugwummadu, said: I think there have been very desperate and sinister moves on the part of the Senate, hiding under the cloak of a nebulous term such as hate speech, to whittle down and undermine the fundamental rights of Nigerians. The first challenge about that bill is to know who defines hate speech. Is it the senators or the people?

Also, there are still bodies of legislation on defamation, slander and libel which carry their own punishments and penalties, but not the death penalty. They, more often than not, attract payment of damages. The Senate must not tamper with this arrangement. We recommend that the bill on capital punishment be abolished.

Street gist: Should the Nigerian senate be scrapped? on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Newspaper- Police in Imo state have paraded on Beatrice Nnamuoh for practising law illegally

- Nnamuoh, who was said to have won many cases, has been practising law illegally for five years

- Some exhibits, which included a lawyer's gown, wig, collaret and letterhead, were recovered from the suspect

The Imo state police command on Saturday, March 3, paraded 35-year-old Beatrice Nnamuoh for illegally practising law.

Nnamuoh, who hails from Iyiawu village in Onitsha, Anambra state, had practised law for five years and won many cases, Punch reports.

Legit.ng gathered that exhibits recovered from the fake lawyer included a lawyers gown, wig, collaret and letterhead, among others.

READ ALSO: Nigerian father of 3 breaks Guinness record in Longest Marathon Reading Aloud

Confessing to the crime, Nnamuoh said: I studied sociology but I have worked with many lawyers. It was in the process that I learnt many things about law. Aside, I am very intelligent. I do everything that comes my way very well.

I love the law profession. I sought admission four times but couldnt get in because of lack of money. To help myself, I decided to go into it illegally. I have been doing it and succeeding in many cases I handled better than real lawyers.

She said she regretted her actions and pleaded for mercy.

According to the state commissioner of police, Chris Ezike, the suspect was arrested at Orlu after defrauding unsuspecting members of the public of over N342,000.

He said: She defrauded unsuspecting members of the public with the pretence of selling auctioned vehicles to them, having posed as a lawyer.

"Nnamuoh also confessed to have forged the letterhead bearing Basil C. Okereke of Seat of Wisdom Chambers, No. 10 Orlu/Amakohia Road. A search conducted at her residence led to the recovery of the above exhibits.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a suspected fake lawyer who had been parading himself as Barrister Chris Elisha and had been practicing for the past fifteen years was arrested by the Nigeria police.

The alleged imposter was arrested on February 6, at Ojo magistrate court where he appeared on behalf of an accused person but found it difficult to move a motion for the variation of the bail condition of his client.

Police parade gang leader of Badoo Cult group in Lagos tatement obtained by Legit.ng, said the alleged imposters predicament was noticed by one Barrister Nnamdi Samuel Nwafor who challenged his qualification.

Police parade gang leader of Badoo Cult group in Lagos - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- The General Officer Commanding, 81 Division, Nigerian army, Maj.-Gen. Emabong Udoh, said Python Dance 2 and Crocodile Smile 2 exercises were successful

- He said the operations helped in fighting criminal activities in the country

- He urged the Nigerian soldiers to remain committed and be ready to give their best in the new training year

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Nigerian army, Maj.-Gen. Emabong Udoh, said Python Dance 2 and Crocodile Smile 2 exercises were successfully conducted.

Udoh added that the exercises, which were part of training activities of the army in 2017, helped to curtail criminal activities and other crimes in the country, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Legit.ng gathered that Udoh stated this at the 2018 West Africa Social Activities (WASA) celebration of the army, which ended late on Saturday, March 3, in Dodan Barracks, Lagos.

READ ALSO: Nigerians criticise Buhari for attending wedding of governors children in Kano, presidency reacts

He said that WASA was one of the ways of keeping the traditions of the army, explaining that it was usually organised to mark the end of a training year and beginning of another one.

The 2017 training activities, though challenging, were very intensive in the Nigerian army and in 81 Division for that matter.

All the exercises programmed for the year were successfully held as scheduled. Exercises like Python Dance 2 and Crocodile Smile 2 were successfully conducted, he said.

The GOC, therefore, urged personnel to remain committed and be ready to give their best in the new training year.

This is in line with the Chief of Army Staffs vision which is to have a responsive Nigerian army in the discharge of its constitutional roles, he said.

He urged officers and men of the division to remain focused, dedicated and resilient in order to consolidate on the achievements so far recorded.

I also pay my tribute to our fallen heroes, who paid the supreme price to keep the country safe, he added.

In his remarks, a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Alexander Ogomudia (retd.), urged army officers and men to remain resilient in the discharge of their duties to ensure peace and stability in the country.

Ogomudia said you are all aware of the security challenges confronting the nation and the roles each and every one of us have to play to increase the level of security.

The Nigerian army has been actively involved in the fight against all forms of insecurity and it has made substantial gains in this fight.

This has been made possible by your commitment, dedication, sacrifices and synergy with other security agencies.

I urge you not to rest on your oars but work assiduously with other security agencies towards maintaining and improving the security in the country.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

He said that Operation Crocodile Smile 2 was one of the success stories of the army in 2017 and commended the personnel for the sacrifice and achievement.

I commend the army for their collaboration with members of other security agencies in contributing to the successes recorded in the various internal security operations in Lagos and the country, Ogomudia said.

He pointed out that WASA was aimed at fostering unity among army personnel, their families as well as improving civilian-military relations.

The event featured Tug of War contest, dances by cultural groups as well as presentation of gifts and awards to distinguished soldiers and guests.

Top serving and retired military officers and captains of industries attended the occasion.

Legit.ng previously reported that in continuation of the Nigerian army's Exercise Cat Race, troops on patrol to Yeas, Kaseyo and Ukaa villages in Nasarawa state came across abandoned cattle crazing on a farm land.

The cattle were driven out of the farm into custody in Awe local government area of the state, a statement by the director, army public relations, Brigadier-General Texas Chukwu said.

Similarly, troops while on patrol along road Ayilamo, Tomata and Kwantan Sule settlements accosted 3 herdsmen, armed with machetes deliberately grazing their cattle on a farmland thereby destroying it.

STREET GIST: Is Operation "Crocodile smile II" necessary? - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- An Edo state indigene who was among those repatriated from Libya, has narrated her terrible experience in the North African country

- 20-year-old Vivian Imunero said she was raped in a place called Gatron in Libya

- She, however, said that the only thing she achieved in the trip to Libya is her baby girl

A 20-year-old Nigerian returnee from Libya has narrated her horrifying experience while in the North African country, Vanguard reports.

Legit.ng noted that the returnee, Vivian Imunero, who hails from Edo, recalled that she was raped in a place called Gatron in Libya.

She said: This happened when we were going to Saba. Our vehicle parked there and they said we were going to sleep there. These Libyan men will come to the section where they keep women; they will wake us up one after the other and rape us. They will put gun to your head and you must follow them. But I thank God I did not contract any disease after all.

READ ALSO: Imo police command parades 35-year-old fake lawyer

Imunero said: He is a white man that pushes people to Italy. He saw me and told me he wanted to help me which he did even though he abandoned me later. When I went to prison, I was supposed to pay money before they freed me but I did not pay a dime because he came to free me.

"I travelled with the help of one guy called Biggy. He resided at Upper Sakponba road here in Benin City. Somebody in our village took me to him and he contacted one Madam operating from Italy. Biggy gave me N15, 000 that day. As we speak Madam is threatening to kill me because we took oath before I left Nigeria. Biggie and one other man took me to a native doctor on the orders of Madam to take the oath.

"We were two girls and we took oath that if we got there and ran away or slept with her husband or failed to pay her money, juju should kill us. They killed a chicken and gave us the heart raw to eat. Then they gave us water to bath and asked us to go. Biggy is the one taking girls to Italy through Libya and, from there, Madam will arrange how the girls get to their final destination. Madam is angry that I am supposed to wait in Libya until I could make it to Italy because she wanted me to come and be making money for her through prostitution. She didnt care how I fed while I was in Libya; she never sent me money to eat. I was even raped and she did not care.

"I discovered I was pregnant on April 26, 2017 when I went for test. I felt bad because I knew I was young to have a baby, besides there was nobody on ground to help me. However, I decided to leave it because I remembered my mother always said a child is a blessing. I just prayed that God will help me and that is why I named the baby Treasure.

"I met this man who was helping people to get to Italy. I had no option than to stay with him and he took care of my needs. He tried to help me to cross to Italy five times but those five times they arrested me.

"On the fifth occasion, May 5, 2017, when I was arrested, I was a month pregnant then. Those who arrested me took me to prison where I was ill-treated. All the guards there wanted to sleep with me even with my pregnancy. I refused. One particular man there insisted he must sleep with me but I told him that it is forbidden in my place for a man to sleep with a pregnant woman. Because of that, he starved me of food for several weeks and even beat me up.

Vivian and her daughter (Photo credit: Vanguard)

"I never knew my baby will survive. I spent six months in the prison. My parents thought I had died because they were not hearing from me. On October 30, 2017, the father of my baby came to free me from the prison. I gave birth on December 20, 2017. Then I started having issues with the father of my baby and he left me. The only thing I can say I achieved in Libya is this baby girl. I left Nigeria because I had no helper."

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian man, Marley Ayodo, who tried to get to Europe through Libya, narrated his brutal ordeal.

Ayodo, an Edo state indigene was among the 254 stranded Nigerian migrants that voluntarily returned from Libya on Thursday, November 16, 2017.

Nigerians speak on slavery in Libya - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- Senate president, Bukola Saraki, left the country for Ghana

- He is billed to address the Ghanaian parliament

- Saraki flew a Nigerian operated commercial flight instead of the presidential air fleet he usually commutes with

Senate president, Bukola Saraki, on Sunday evening, March 4, departed Abuja, Nigeria to Accra, Ghana aboard an Arik Air commercial flight.

Saraki has been invited by the speaker of Ghanas parliament, Rt. Hon Aaron Mike Ocquaye, to address the parliament on the commemoration of the countrys parliaments celebration of 25 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy.

Legit.ng gathered that Saraki deliberately flew Arik Air to promote bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Ghana.

Seante President, Bukola Saraki departing Nigeria aboard Arik Air, to address the Ghanaian parliament. Photo credit: SP media office

READ ALSO: Fight against corruption: Senate passes Federal Audit Services bill

The Senate president who usually commutes with the presidential air fleet chose to fly a Nigerian operated commercial flight to encourage trade between both countries.

Senate President, Saraki with other presiding officers of the Nigerian Senate inside the plane preparing for take-off. Photo credit: SP media office

Saraki will speak on the topic: The Future of Good Governance in Africa at the event.

Meanwhile, after many queries and concerns, Saraki has given reasons why he was absent at Monday nights national caucus and Tuesday mornings NEC meeting of the APC.

A statement sent to Legit.ng by his special adviser on media and publicity, Alhaji Yusuf Olaniyonu clarified the Senate president's itinerary on those days, which made it difficult for him to attend both meetings.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news

APC chieftain give reasons why his party could be voted out in 2019 on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria- President Buhari will be travelling to Accra, Ghana on Monday, March 5

- He will be in Accra to attend Ghanas 61st independence anniversary holding on Tuesday, March 6

- President Buhari is reportedly the only foreign leader invited to the event

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday, March 5, depart for Accra, Ghana to attend the countrys 61st independence anniversary scheduled for Tuesday, March 6.

According to a statement on Sunday, March 4, by his special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, the president is the only foreign leader invited to the event holding at the Independence Square as Special Guest of Honour.

READ ALSO: Nigerians criticise Buhari for attending wedding of governors children in Kano, presidency reacts

The statement read:It is noteworthy that the President is the only foreign leader invited to the historic event as the Special Guest of Honour.

Similarly, other than his host, President Nana Akufo-Addo, the Nigerian leader is the only foreign guest scheduled to address the august gathering.

President Buhari will use the unique opportunity to reaffirm the long-standing warm relations between the peoples and governments of both brotherly nations.

He will also underscore Nigerias commitment to strengthening the bilateral ties in furtherance of democracy, good governance and overall development not only in the West African sub-region, but also in the African continent.

PAY ATTENTION: Presidency reacts as criticisms trail Buharis presence at wedding of governors children

Adesina said President Buhari and members of his delegation which include the minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; and the national security adviser, Babagana Monguno, will return to Abuja after the celebrations on Tuesday, March 6.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Senate President, Bukola Saraki Sunday evening, March 4, departed Abuja, Nigeria to Accra, Ghana aboard an Arik Air commercial flight.

Saraki has been invited by the Speaker of Ghanas parliament, Rt. Hon Aaron Mike Ocquaye, to address the parliament on the commemoration of the countrys parliaments celebration of 25 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy.

Saraki deliberately flew Arik Air to promote bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Ghana.

APC chieftain give reasons why his party could be voted out in 2019 on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngColombia Hoy



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Chile Hoy



Eso es todo amigos!



Piensalo!



Pinerachet



No More Trump



Adios Macri, hasta nunca



La Marioneta se desinfla



Asi o mas cinico



Almugre



Mexico en 1794



Mas arrastrado imposible



Hasta cuando!



La pura verdad



Solidaridad con Palestina



Serie Capitalismo



Espejismos de la clase trabajadora



Asi es!



Comerciantes o delincuentes



No pasaran!



Asi es la vida



USA HOY



01/01/1959



La avaricia no tiene limites



AYUDA HUMANITARIA?



Chile Hoy



Asi son las cosas



Mapa Electoral de Venezuela



Patagonia argentina?



Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad



Retrato del franquismo en Espana



Visca Catalunya!



El Chulo de Madrid



Cuando la policia se roba la democracia



Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras



La purita verdad



Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia



Mi pobre clase media



Como Chavez nadie



Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear

Programa de la MUD



Asi o mas clarito



Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte?



Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio?



Una verguenza nacional



La luz que nos guia



La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz?



Feudalismo ayer y hoy



Obama, el mentiroso



Curiosa coincidencia



Un mundo de cerdos



No es extrano?



La Marioneta



Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran



MARICORI Y OBAMA



Cuantas muertes este ano?



USA TODAY



USA HOY 6



USA HOY 5



USA HOY 4



USA HOY 3



USA HOY 2



USA HOY (1)



Insaciable



Cronologia de un agresor



Guarimbear en USA



Mexico hoy



Bolivar y Chavez



Primero Amargado



Dios los cria y ellos se juntan



USA hoy (III)



USA hoy (II)



USA hoy



Mexico hoy



Mexico hoy



Mexico hoy



Obama



La verdad sea dicha



Los ricos



Que no nos vea Obama



Pobre Obama



SOS PALESTINA



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Chavez Cuanto te queremos!



Por culpa de Chavez



Cerveza Polar







Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar







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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!

Lambert here: No doubt one day, like GM or GE, Monsanto will make most of its money through its finance arm, once its locked in enough farmers to bleed them really dry. Well see how that goes.

By Don Quijones, Spain, UK, & Mexico, editor at WOLF STREET . Originally published at Wolf Street.

German drug and agrichemicals giant Bayer has suffered a setback in its efforts to acquire the worlds biggest seed company, Monsanto. Bayer had reckoned on winning regulatory approval for its $63.5 billion takeover bid at the beginning of this year, but this week the company cautioned that it could take longer than expected to receive final clearance from EU regulators.

The corporate marriage between Bayer and Monsanto has already received the blessing of more than half the 30 antitrust authorities that need to sign off on the acquisition, including those in the US and Brazil. If given the go-ahead by the European Commission, this mega-merger would create the worlds largest supplier of seeds and farm chemicals.

Bayers interest in Monsanto is reflective of a trend that began decades ago but picked up speed in 2015: the increasing concentration of power and control over the global food chain. US giants Dow and DuPont were the first to tie the knot. Their merger, completed in 2017, resulted in a combined seed-and-pesticide unit that, in terms of annual sales, is roughly the size of its biggest current rival, Monsanto.

In the last two years, Chinese chemical giant ChemChina has bought up Swiss pesticide-and-seed player Syngenta; and fertilizer giants Agrium and Potash Corp of Saskatchewan have merged into a new mega-player called Nutrien.

This gathering process of oligopolization is happening at virtually all levels of the global food industry, including on the buy side  companies that purchase farmers crops and process them into livestock feed, food ingredients, and biofuel, as well as serve as the intermediary in grain export markets. But its the concentration of power and ownership in the global seed industry that should be the biggest cause of concern, since seeds are the primary link of the global food chain.

In 2016, just six American and European companies  Monsanto, Dupont, Syngenta, Dow, Bayer, and BASF  controlled 100% of the genetically modified seeds planted around the world. Those six are now five. If Bayers bid for Monsanto is successful, they will become four.

This trend has massive implications for both the choice and price of the food people consume. Seeds, which for millennia have been a common good to be shared out and improved among small communities of farmers, are increasingly becoming the preserve of a tiny handful of companies. As Mother Jones reports, by reducing the number of players in these markets, the mergers dilute the competition for farmers business, handing price leverage to the remaining players:

If Bayer-Monsanto goes through, three companies will control around 60 percent of the globes seed and pesticide markets. A 2016 study by Texas A&M researchers found that a successful Monsanto-Bayer merger would increase seed prices for US farmers by around 2 percent for corn and soybean seeds and by 20 percent for cotton seeds.

The tie-up still faces a number of obstacles. Bayer would need to raise a large amount of debt and/or equity financing in order to acquire Monsanto. Last week the German drugs maker reported lower than expected fourth-quarter earnings after group profits were hit by pesticide pricing pressures in Brazil. The firms shares dropped 3.4% on the news, hitting their lowest point in almost 15 months.

The merger also poses a reputational risk for Bayer. Monsanto remains the worlds most despised company and as such could be more of a curse than a blessing. Monsanto is also weighed down by debt of its own, which it raised to fund its $10 billion share buyback program to prop up its own shares.

Theres also growing public opposition to the deal across Europe. Results from a YouGuv survey conducted in Germany, France, Spain, Denmark and the UK reveal that the merger gives 47% of EU citizens serious or very serious cause for concern, while just 11% think the merger offers any potential. The respondents worried that that the merger would negatively impact the environment, the amount of chemical substances used in farming to control pests and weeds, and farmers choices of what crops they would be able to farm.

Over one million Europeans have so far signed petitions calling on the European Commission to block it, and have been joined by more than 200 civil society organisations, from farm workers to international development groups. WeMove.eu, which organized the petition, calls it the merger from hell.

The Competition Commission is scheduled to make a final decision on the matter before the end of June. Considering that Europes immensely powerful biotech lobby has infiltrated just about every relevant regulatory and policy body in Brussels, the chances of the Commission derailing a deal of this size and strategic importance are slim.

Brussels gave its seal of approval to the Dow-Dupont and ChemChina-Syngenta tie-ups in 2017 with barely a blink of the eye. In November 2017 a wafer-thin majority of EU governments voted to extend the European license for glyphosate, despite fierce public opposition to the continued use of the highly controversial chemical.

The deciding vote was cast by Germanys caretaker government. As Le Monde noted wryly at the time, its often forgotten that Germany, famed for its anti-nuclear activism and passionate environmentalism, is also, a paradise for pesticides manufacturers. Given the amount of money  and power  at stake, regulators will likely not get in the way of the biggest pesticide manufacturer buying the worlds biggest seed manufacturer, to create the worlds biggest agricultural company with enormous amounts of control over the global food supply. By Don Quijones.

Construction & services giant Carillion collapsed even as KPMG signed off on its financial statements; now they deny any responsibility. Read Its Not only Carillion thats Built on Sand, its our Whole System of Corporate AccountabilityPreviously unknown supercolony of Adelie penguins discovered in Antarctica Phys.org (CL).

Baby hare Emma saved from deep snow at Dublin Airport Sky News

Dramatic declines in snowpack in the western US Climate and Atmospheric Sciences

The Supreme Court Case That Could Give Tech Giants More Power NYT

Momentous Shift in US Natural Gas, with Global Consequences Wolf Street

Robert Borks America The American Conservative. On competition policy.

Brexit

Italys angry election Politico

Syraqistan

China?

Vietnam seeks to pacify China as landmark U.S. carrier visit signals warming ties Reuters

North Korea

South Korea names envoys to North Korea in bid to lower tensions and possibly arrange talks with U.S. Japan Times

India

Worker rights in India: when actions fail words Live Mint

New Cold War

CIA whistleblower loses in court, sparking warning of chill for those seeing abuse McClatchy

Behind the Scenes in Venezuela US News. The Trump administration is intensifying its regime change efforts to potentially include torpedoing Venezuelas presidential election. Wait, what?

Trump Transition

Trump confidant Chris Ruddy on the presidents inner Democrat FT. Be sure to read to the end.

227-year-old tree planted by George Washington torn down by wind The Hill

Trade Warz

Democrats in Disarray

When DCCC Calls, Hang Up the Phone The Nation. I dunno. Hanging up is probably better for the poor schlub in the DCCCs call center, who has to make their numbers. On the other hand, stringing them along and then not giving them anything sucks up more DCCC resources. One for the judges.

Gunz

Class Warfare

They asked for help with a broken furnace. A week later, a neighbor alerted police. Wichita Eagle

Electric wave engulfs brain at first blush of consciousness Yale Daily News

Antidote du jour (via):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.(Natural News) State politicians and conservation groups urged the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to hold off approval of bee-killing neonics in order to conduct a full scientific review of the pesticides involved, reported an EcoWatch article.

Congressmen Earl Blumenauer and Jim McGovern recently reintroduced the Saving Americas Pollinators Act, a bill that blocks new neonicotinoid insecticides while the EPA is investigating the full extent of their effects on bees, humans, other animals, and the environment.

Various conservation groups and environmental organizations have also presented a huge collection of public comments to the EPA. More than 100,000 individuals are pressing the agency to reduce the widespread use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

Neonics have been cited by numerous studies as a major driving factor in the decline of pollinator populations. The insecticides also threaten birds and aquatic invertebrates, according to research by EPA-employed scientists. (Related: EPA, Monsanto face lawsuit over pesticide drift that damaged millions of acres and threatened endangered species.)

Numerous studies say neonics are deadly

The EPA is currently investigating the preliminary ecological and human health risks posed by the neonicotinoids clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and dinotefuran. It is also performing a preliminary ecological risk assessment for the widely-used imidacloprid.

According to the agencys initial risk assessments, neonics turned out to be lethal to birds that consumed grass, seeds, and dead insects contaminated by the insecticides.

EPAs recent assessment confirms what the science has already shown, remarked Nichelle Harriott of the environmental group Beyond Pesticides. [That] neonicotinoids are highly toxic not just to bees, but to aquatic species and birds [also]. She stressed the importance of the EPA taking actions against those chemicals to protect U.S. waterways and pollinators.

Our nations beekeepers continue to suffer unacceptable mortality of 40 percent annually and higher, said Andrew Kimbrell of the Center for Food Safety.

According to him, neonicotinoid contamination of numerous water sources endanger both wild pollinators and wetland birds. Kimbrell urged the EPA to accept the findings of numerous scientific literature and take appropriate actions to reduce the negative effects of these insecticides.

Research efforts showed that even small amounts of neonics can deprive migrating songbirds of their sense of direction when they need it most. And a United States Geological Survey study determined that the pesticide level in the Great Lakes are endangering important aquatic insects.

By harming pollinators like bees and butterflies, and natural pest control agents like birds and beneficial insects, neonicotinoids are sabotaging the very organisms on which farmers depend, said Cynthia Palmer of the American Bird Conservancy.

Neonics have already contaminated U.S. food supplies. A joint study by the American Bird Conservancy and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discovered neonicotinoids in food samples taken from dining halls in the U.S. Capitol building.

As many as five different neonics were found in meals that congressmen, senators, and their staff eat every day.

EPA dragging feet on neonics crisis

Neonicotinoids are banned in Europe, while the Pest Management Regulatory Agency of Canada urges a similar ban on imidacloprid, the most widely-used neonic formula.

The only thing that is keeping the U.S. from joining other nations in banning the use of these devastating poisons is the immense profit that fuels PR campaigns, intense lobbying efforts, and questionable studies designed to mislead us on the harm these poisons do, accused Dr. Luke Goembel of the Central Maryland Beekeepers Association.

So far, the EPA has refused to take decisive action on the U.S. pollinator crisis, prompting Representatives Blumenauer and McGovern to revive the Saving Americas Pollinators Act as a potential legal remedy.

Keep track of the fight against bee-killing neonics on Bees.News.

Sources include:

EcoWatch.com

Canada.caLos Angeles police and private investigators continued to search Saturday for an aspiring 25-year-old model from Macedonia who went missing in Hollywood.

Adea Shabani last was seen about 11 a.m. Feb. 23, near the 1700 block of Wilcox Avenue, between Hollywood Boulevard and Franklin Avenue, not far from her home, police said.

She has not been seen or heard from and her family is concerned for her safety, according to the LAPD.

Police continued to search the Hollywood area for Shabani, Officer Luis Garcia of Los Angeles Police Department Media Relations said. Her family has hired private investigator Jayden Brant to help find her. He told City News Service his investigators are actively searching.

Shabani is described as white, 5 feet 5 inches tall, about 130 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts was urged to call the LAPD's Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800.

During non-business hours, calls should be directed to 877-LAPD-24-7. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling 800-222-TIPS.A woman was killed and three children were injured Saturday in a two-vehicle crash on the Golden State (5) Freeway in Sylmar.

All four victims were inside the same vehicle on the southbound I-5, near the eastbound Foothill (210) Freeway. An 8-year-old boy was critically injured and paramedics rushed two other children in fair condition to an area hospital, said Amy Bastman of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched to the crash scene at 9:55 a.m., Bastman said.

The crash involved a silver sedan and a silver SUV, possible a Toyota 4-Runner, the California Highway Patrol reported, and at least one person was trapped inside a vehicle.

The southbound No. 1 and No. 2 lanes of the Golden State (5) Freeway were closed at 10:20 a.m. for an unknown duration, the CHP reported.

Police say a shooter is at large after the armed suspect shot a man in Little Haiti after the pair got into an argument.

The altercation began at around 8:45 a.m. Sunday, police said. The argument between the two escalated and the suspect shot the man's left arm.

The incident occurred on North Miami Avenue and 67th Street. The wounded man was transported to the hospital by Miami Fire Rescue and is in stable condition.

Police said the shooter is still at large.

No other information was immediately available.

This is a developing story and will be updated. Please check back for more updates.What to Know Around 200,000 customers were without power across the tri-state Saturday night after a powerful nor'easter downed power lines

Communities from the Jersey Shore to the Hudson Valley were cleaning up toppled trees or digging out from more than a foot of snow

Temperatures stay cooler, in the mid-40s, into the early part of next week

About 200,000 people across the tri-state were still without power on Saturday night after a powerful nor'easter pummeled the region with snow, fierce winds and flooding downpours.

Although most customers are expected to get their power back this weekend, some likely won't be restored until Monday or Tuesday. At the height of the storm, more than a half a million customers were without power across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

"We thought it was going to be another quick one and melt but apparently everyone was caught off guard  most of the area is out of electric," James Dinapoli, of Rock Hill, said.

Sami and Donna Sayegh planned on leaving their Greenburgh home Saturday night because its too cold there without electricity. Some hotels were completely booked with residents.

Its frustrating, because when we called yesterday, when we called Con Ed, they said that all the power outages will be resolved by 5 p.m. on Saturday, and now were not getting power until possibly Tuesday or Wednesday, Donna Sayegh said, wrapped in a blanket.

A woman was walking her dog in Hackensack when a giant tree came crashing down on her. Shes recovering at a hospital after a miraculous rescue. Michael George reports.

On Saturday night, more than 108,000 Jersey Central Power & Light customers were still without power. In Sussex County alone, 40 percent of JCP&L customers were in the dark.

PSE&G said 6,000 of its New Jersey customers were still without electricity out of more than 184,000 impacted by the storm.

Meanwhile, Con Edison reported more than 60,000 of its customers didnt have power in Westchester. More than 6,000 New York City Con Ed customers were without power, along with another 6,000 on Long Island.

PSEG said 8,000 of its Long Island customers were suffering outages. At the height of the storm, more than 128,000 PSEG customers on the island had lost power, the utility said.



In Fairfield County, more than 8,000 Stamford Eversource customers were waiting for the electricity to return Saturday night.

The utility Central Hudson said the nor'easter was one of the most powerful storms to hit its customers in a half century. The utility has restored electricity to over half of the nearly 110,000 of its customers who lost power in Friday's storm. It said it hoped to have most power restored by Wednesday.

The storm knocked down hundreds of trees and power lines across the tri-state, including in Greenburgh, where Town Supervisor Paul Feiner said Con Eds priority has been opening roads and addressing low-hanging wires that are sometimes live.

I realize this is really traumatic for a lot of people. Theres people that have medical problems, Feiner said.

Fridays storm killed at least one person in New York, an 11-year-old boy in Putnam County who died when high winds caused a tree to crash down onto his home.

The nor'easter was also blamed on the death of a 41-year-old man in Andover Township, New Jersey, who police say came in contact with a downed power line and was electrocuted Friday evening.

Seven other people from Virginia to Rhode Island also died because of the storm, officials said.

Residents of Union Beach, New Jersey, had to maneuver around rising floodwaters a day after a noreaster pounded the coast with torrential rain and powerful wind. Brian Thompson reports.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that he would begin deploying 100 New York National Guard members and 30 vehicles out of Camp Smith in Westchester to assist with storm recovery in the four hardest hit counties  Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester and Sullivan.

Crews in New York City began clearing more than 750 trees that were toppled, mostly in the Bronx and Queens, the mayor's spokesman Eric Phillips said. On Long Island, the town of Hempstead said it had already removed more than 100 downed trees in less than 24 hours.

The storm dropped 13 inches of snow in parts of New York's Orange County, more than 8 inches in New Jersey's Passaic County and 5 inches in Connecticut's Fairfield County. New York City saw 2 to 3 inches of rain.

Sullivan and Orange counties were among the areas hardest hit by snow  some spots got more than a foot of the white stuff. Heavy trees were shoved onto roadways and powerlines collapsed.

On the Jersey Shore, high tide brought water into roadways, making them impassable. In Union Beach, vehicles had to turn around when they found a stretch of roadway completely inundated.

Sullivan and Orange counties were among the areas hardest hit by Fridays noreaster. In some communities, residents are clearing more than a foot of snow. Ken Buffa reports.

The tri-state's major airports are continuing to recover from a storm that forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights a day earlier.

Nearly 500 flights were cancelled at Kennedy Airport. The airport reported that another 70 flights were cancelled by early Saturday.

By Saturday afternoon, LaGuardia Airport had average delays of less than 15 minutes.

Newark Airport, where over 500 flights were cancelled Friday, reported Saturday afternoon that some arriving flights were delayed an average of 45 minutes due to high winds.

Fourth Nor'easter in Three Weeks Rolls Into Tri-State, Once Again Buries Region and Knocks Out Power

The storm crippled commuter transit across the region and train service delays continued into Saturday.

Amtrak resumed modified service between New York and Washington, D.C., on Saturday. The Keystone Service, which runs between New York and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was operating on a modified schedule.

Long Island Rail Road suspended the West Hempstead branch due to a fallen utility pole. The rest of LIRR trains had resumed service with residual delays.

A polar bear plunge in North Hempstead was canceled due to rough water from the nor'easter, Newsday reported. The swim was intended to raise money for the Special Olympics. Hobokens LepreCon went on as planned.

If there's a silver lining to the monster storm, its that the skies will begin to clear Saturday. Storm Team 4 says temperatures will remain cooler through the start of the workweek, but the region will see conditions dry out.

[NATL] Extreme Weather Photos: Record Heat Threatens EuropeA Drexel Hill man suffered very serious head injuries when a tree limb fell and struck him Friday during the dangerous winter storm.

The 28-year-old remained in critical condition Saturday at a nearby hospital following the 4:30 p.m. accident, Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.

The man, who was not identified, was struck by the falling limb while walking near Garrett Road and Shadeland Avenue, Chitwood said.

Hundreds of thousands of residents, including more than 78,000 people in Delaware County, remained without power Saturday following the treacherous snow and wind storm that struck early Friday and last all day.

Wind speeds reaching 40 and 50 miles per hour swept for hours across the region, downing hundreds of trees and power lines.

Chitwood said Upper Darby was no different. In addition to the young man's injury, numerous trees and utility lines in the township were felled, he said.

In Pennsylvania, the storm is being blamed for at least one death. A 57-year-old man was killed when a 45-foot tree crashed down onto his car along South Gulph Road near Arden Road in Upper Merion at 7 p.m. Friday, township police said. The tree crushed the windshield, dashboard and front seats.

Overall, the storm that mashed cities and towns throughout the Northeast is believed to have been responsible for as many as seven deaths.What to Know The Stoneman Douglas High School Wind Symphony is performing at Carnegie Hall

The band was one of six in the nation picked to perform at the prestigious venue

Stoneman Douglas was the scene of one of the deadliest school shootings in American history

A band from the Florida high school beset by a deadly shooting last month is performing this week at New Yorks Carnegie Hall, one of the most prestigious music venues in the world.

Members of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Wind Symphony arrived in the city on Saturday and were greeted by Port Authority Police officers.

Port Authority Police Benevolent Association posted a photo to Twitter of the officers and the students at John F. Kennedy Airport.

Good luck to the Concert band as they head to Carnegie Hall in NY this morning: and thank you to Miami Dade and BSO for the police escort to MIA! pic.twitter.com/JRvAptiEFw  Ty Thompson (@Ty_Thompson71) March 3, 2018

Another photo posted by the schools principal, Ty Thompson, shows the band at Miami International Airport earlier in the morning. Officers from Miami-Dade Police and the Broward County Sheriff's Office escorted the students to the airport.

The band members will perform Tuesday afternoon at the 2018 New York Wind Band Festival at Carnegie Hall.

Stoneman Douglas was one of six schools in the nation chosen to perform at the world-famous venue, according to KMPH.

The high school was thrust into the national spotlight on Valentines Day when 17 people were killed and more than a dozen others injured in one of the nations deadliest school shootings.What to Know Utility workers and tree-removal companies spent the weekend clearing roads and restoring electricity in hundreds of communities.

A man was killed when a 45-foot tree crushed his car along a Montgomery County road.

The storm knocked out power to more than half a million customers across eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Utility workers and tree-removal companies spent Saturday clearing roads and restoring electricity in hundreds of communities across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Transit agencies also scrambled Saturday to get trains running again, particularly along the vital Northeast Corridor that connects Philadelphia with Washington D.C., New York City and Boston. By 11 a.m. Saturday, Amtrak restored modified service along the line. SEPTA also had several Regional Rail lines running and got service back on track for the Monday morning commute.

Howling winds left a path of destruction across the region Friday, felling trees onto power lines and ripping apart buildings. A wind gust of 71 mph was recorded in Cape May, New Jersey Friday afternoon.

Inland, in Washington Township, Gloucester County, 65 mph winds were recorded. Across the Delaware River, in Philadelphia, winds topped out at 62 mph. (Here's the latest snow totals and wind gust highs per neighborhood.)



The powerful winter storm stunned commuters during the afternoon rush hour, as colder-than-expected temperatures caused unexpectedly sloppy road conditions. The slippery surfaces combined with many falling trees to create gridlock seemingly everywhere for hours.

The storm is being blamed for at least one death in the region, and seven nationally.

A 57-year-old man was killed when a 45-foot tree crashed down onto his car along S. Gulph Road near Arden Road in Upper Merion at 7 p.m. Friday, township police said. The tree crushed the windshield, dashboard and front seats.

In one of the more jarring images, a tree fell onto a SEPTA bus traveling west on Interstate 76. The westbound lanes were shut down shortly after 1 p.m. and remained at a standstill through the afternoon, state police said. Four of the 15 passengers were injured.

Twitter - @EAmori

Other chaos ensued as well, including a very serious injury to a young man in Upper Darby, Delaware County. He remained hospitalized Saturday in critical condition with head trauma after a falling tree limb struck him.

In Havertown on Friday, a downed tree caused a transformer fire on the 100 block of Ellis Road. A tree also fell on the hood of a car driving by. No serious injuries were reported during the incident.



A fallen tree sparked a fire in Havertown, Pennsylvania during Fridays storm. NBC10 obtained videos of the moment the tree fell as well as the fiery aftermath.

Branches that landed on power lines sparked fires at homes in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The heavy arms of a huge tree crashed into a child's room along Rhyle Lane in Bala Cynwyd leaving extensive damage. No one was injured in those incidents. Some drivers reported spending hours on Route 309 near Perkasie. In other spots, drivers bailed on their cars when they became stuck in the snow.

Many similar scenes across the area left first responders scrambling to keep up with calls for help.

The storm knocked out power to more than 522,000 customers across the three states. Initially, power companies said it could take as long as four days before power returned to all customers. But progress was occurring quickly, as those still in the dark had dropped to a little more than 30,000 by Monday morning.



Courtesy of Bill Barger

PHOTOS: Major Storm Brings Damaging Wind, Rain and Snow to Area

Dozens of schools decided to close early or cancel after school activities on Firday and Dozens were closed Monday due to a lack of power.

At the Jersey Shore, wind gusts ripped huge wall sections off of the shuttered Trump Plaza casino along the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Concerns turned to coastal flooding late Friday as the storm coupled with a full moon brought high waters on Saturday. Moderate flooding was reported in some South Jersey communities Saturday.

Atlantic City Firefighters are keeping people away from the former Trump Plaza building as siding and debris are ripped off by strong wind @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/9Uk07VJzA4  Drew Smith (@drewsmithtv) March 2, 2018

Stay with NBC10 and download the free NBC10 app for the latest First Alert Weather updates.Eversource continued to restore power in Massachusetts coastal communities on Saturday, but with workers 30 feet in the air and the wind not letting up, the restoration process is proving to be difficult.

Eversource is reporting that it could take them until early next week to make all of the needed repairs.

Around Cape Cod there are currently three shelters open for people displaced from the storm, including the Barnstable Intermediate School.

The shelter is good news for Kemesha Edwards, who says she lost power and spent the night huddled in one bed with her husband and two children.

Ive been so stressed out trying to call friends and see if theyll take us because I was checking the shelter status like all day and it said closed," Edwards said. "So finally at five I see it popped up open and I was excited.

The other shelters open on Cape Cod are Cape Cod Tech School in Harwich and Falmouth High School.

In the meantime, there is still plenty of work to do around areas like Mashpee.

On Saturday, there was a utility pole fire and Pimlico Pond Road needed to be shut down.

Eversource told NBC10 Boston that the wind was so strong that they needed to stop and wait for it to calm down.

Eversource has about 160,000 customers without power as of Saturday night, primarily on the Cape and South Shore.

More than 200 workers are expected to come from Connecticut, Western Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Canada to help get the power back on.

"At first we knew it was going to be bad, but we didn't know the wind was going to be at the extent it was last night," a spokesperson for Eversource said. "I think that took everyone by surprise."

Eversource continued to restore power on Saturday, but with the wind not letting up the restoration process is proving to be difficult.

Eversource is reporting that it could take them until early next week to make all of the needed repairs.

Around Cape Cod, there are currently three shelters open for people displaced from the storm, including the Barnstable Intermediate School.

In the meantime, there is still plenty of work to do around areas like Mashpee.

On Saturday, there was a utility pole fire and Pimlico Pond Road needed to be shut down.

Eversource told NBC 10 that the wind was so strong that they needed to stop and wait for it to calm down.

Eversource has about 160,000 customers without power as of Saturday night, primarily on the Cape and South Shore.

More than 200 workers are expected to come from Connecticut, Western Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Canada on Monday to help get the power back on.

"At first we knew it was going to be bad, but we didn't know the wind was going to be at the extent it was last night," a spokesperson for Eversource said. "I think that took everyone by surprise."From Sandwich to Salisbury, coastal communities are still reeling from the damage from the weekend Nor'easter.

Meanwhile, the national death toll from the storm remains at nine people, including a Plympton man who died when a tree fell on his vehicle.

In Sandwich, some residents were using their cars to jump start generators in an attempt to get power. An Eversource spokesman says restoration will continue into next week.

Meanwhile, Salisbury, a coastal town near the New Hampshire border, also sustained serious damage. For part of the storm, waters a foot deep shut down Beach Road and heavily damaged Uncle Eddie's Oceanside Tavern. Officials said the force of the water was so strong, it shifted construction pilings under at least one business on Salisbury Beach.

The Red Cross was visiting some communities to distribute food and cleaning supplies today.Christian writer Catherine Ayre has had a book of poems published to encourage people to find out more about God.

Christian writer Catherine Ayre has had a book of poems published to encourage people to find out more about God.

Invite for Norfolk faith groups to help prisoners The Welcome Directory is a multi-faith charity that helps faith communities to offer welcome to people leaving prison. Norfolk churches are among those who are invited to register to make a commitment. Read more

YMCA Norfolk needs Business Support Administrator YMCA Norfolk is looking for a Business Support Administrator to provide business, co-ordination and administrative support for the communities team, based in Norwich. Read more

Women's Specialist Practitioner needed The Magdalene Group is seeking to employ a Womens Specialist Practitioner to provide gender and trauma-informed support to women experiencing multiple disadvantage and to provide specialist support to female sex workers and victims of sexual exploitation Read more

Norwich church art and concerts reflect on Covid-19 Until September 25, concerts and an art exhibition at St Stephen's church in Norwich city centre will continue on the theme of "After the Storm? a reflection on the Covid-19 pandemic." Read more

Tony to raise a laugh and funds for Norfolk kids charity Raise Kids Work has invited funny man Tony Vino to a cake and comedy event to raise funds for the charity. Read more

Name change for expanding Norfolk foodbank North Norfolk Foodbank is the new name for the Cromer and District foodbank, which has changed its identity to reflect its expanding reach into the community. Read more

Filling Station reopens on Norfolk-Suffolk border The Angles Way Filling Station has reopened this month after 18 months break, having changed its name from Ouse Valley Filling Station. Read more

Dinosaurs, evolution and religion lecture Nick Spencer will give a lecture in the Cathedral on Tuesday September 21, starting at 7.00pm on the question what does evolution say about human life? Read more

The Seven Real Reasons for Unbelief Regular columnist James Knight believes that understanding the reasons why many people choose not to believe will assist Christians in reaching out to them. Read more

Burn Norwich worship nights are back Non-stop worship movement Burn has been continuing online throughout lockdown. Local group Burn Norwich are meeting in-person on October 2 in Norwich. Read more

Holt charity holds prayer meetings for Malawi North Norfolk charity Aid Africa tells of a new toilet in Malawi, and invites everyone to a monthly on-line prayer meeting to pray for their work in that country. Read more

Integrate Youth for Christ hiring in South Norfolk Integrate Youth for Christ currently have two vacancies which could be combined if the applicant has suitable skills, one based in Thetford and one in Diss. Both roles are to commence as soon as possible. Read more

New air ambulance HQ in Norwich is blessed Faith leaders from across East Anglia took part in an official blessing at the official opening of the extended and renovated East Anglian Air Ambulance operational base and HQ at Norwich Airport on September 10. Read more

Communications Manager for Diocese of Norwich The Diocese of Norwich has an exciting opportunity for a dynamic Communications Manager to be responsible for the development and implementation of a multiplatform communications strategy, supporting the vision to be Transformed by Christ. Read more

Care Assistant at Corton House Corton House, a 42 bedded care home with a mission to provide excellent loving care and support for older people, is looking for a day care assistant to work a mixture of evenings and day shifts Read more

Marketing and Fundraising Co-ordinator Corton House are looking for an experienced individual to fill a newly created role working with Senior Management to develop and implement new marketing and fundraising strategies to further develop and grow the organisation. Read more

Norfolk gives generously to Afghan refugee fund Thanks to the generosity of people across Norfolk and Waveney, the Bishop of Norwichs Refugee Fund has received nearly 36,000 in the past fortnight, to help the arriving and expected new refugees from Afghanistan. The Diocese of Norwich is administering Read moreWhen asked what their secret to a long-lasting marriage is, the couple agreed quarrelling was never an option.

WHEN Dorothy and Albert Smith tied the knot, Winston Churchill was Prime Minister, you could buy a pint of beer for 11p and it would be four months until Queen Elizabeth IIs coronation.

That was on February 28, 1953, and yesterday (Wednesday), the Greenham couple celebrated 65 happy years of marriage together.

It means Mr and Mrs Smith will, in official terms, be celebrating their sapphire jubilee, the term first coined last year to mark the 65th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Mr Smith, 85, lived in the next street to Mrs Smith nee Ferguson, 83, in Manor Park, Slough, where the pair grew up and met as teenagers.

Their relationship started when they used to pass each other on their daily walk to school.

Mrs Smith said: Albert used to see me going to school, because he had pals up that way, so we used to pass each other every day and that was the start of it.

It is kind of a sweet, childhood story, really. He only lived down the next corner from me.

They started going out when Dorothy was 15, before Albert plucked up the courage and asked her to be his wife three years later, marrying in St Marys Church in Farnham Royal, Slough.

The couple moved to Greenham in 1988 and over the years have watched their family expand to six children, nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren, with two more great-grandchildren on the way.

Mrs Smith said: I cant quite believe weve reached 65 years together. Its gone so quick.

Our youngest children, who are twins, are 60 this year  now that makes me feel old.

When asked what their secret to a long-lasting marriage is, the couple agreed quarrelling was never an option.

Mrs Smith said: You have to correspond with each other. You have to talk with one another.

Weve had our differences of opinion, obviously, but thats natural.

Mr Smith added: Weve never had an argument. If one of us wins an argument, so what? To me it doesnt prove anything.

Five years ago, the couple received a special letter from the Queen and are they expecting another one this time round.

To celebrate the special occasion, the couple enjoyed a family gathering at their Greenham home last Sunday, although they insist celebrations on the actual day will be kept low key.Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media

St. Vincents Medical Center, 2800 Main St., invites the community to a Lenten Spirituality series sponsored by St. Vincents Spiritual Care Department. Chaplain Fr. Al Forlano will incorporate insights on Becoming Godlike: Growing in Godliness into his homilies during the noon weekday Mass at the hospital on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from March 5 through March 21.

For those who are able to stay another 15 minutes, or who may not be able to attend Mass, Forlano will continue this theme through a concise introduction to scripture study, meditation and other topics. The series will weave together scripture, art, religion and theology in a very understandable and interesting way. It is not limited to Catholics.New Milford Public Library will offer several programs in the coming weeks.

Fiddleuisce, representing the Greater Danbury Irish Center, will present a program of traditional Irish music and song with a little history added March 7 at 6:30 p.m.

The lineup will be Bill Devlin on flute and whistle, Nora Hanley and Liz Jones on fiddles and Gordon Jones on guitar and vocals.

The Jones, who live in Southbury, are also the owners of Sigginstown Castle in County Wexford, Ireland, and were featured on HGTVs House Hunter International.

Registration is required at 860-355-1191, ext. 2.

Residents are invited to a passport program March 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where they can apply for or renew a passport.

The library and the United States Postal Service will team up for this event.

Passport photos will be taken at the fair.

Forms are available at the circulation desk.

This is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Aquarion Water will discuss the importance of water conservation and what you can do to help during a program March 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Free shower timers will be given to the first 50 people to attend the presentation.

Aquarion Water Co. is the public water supply company for more than 625,000 people in 51 cities and towns throughout Connecticut.

Registration is required by calling 860-355-1191, ext. 2.

A St. Patricks Day-themed escape room will be offered March 17 at 7 p.m.

Patrons will be invited to find hidden objects, figure out the clues and solve the puzzles to earn freedom and escape the room within 30 minutes.

Each team will sign up for a 30-minute time slot.

For information and registration, call 860-355-1191, ext. 2.

For information and registration for the programs, call the Main Street library at 860-355-1191.Washington: India's exposure to US government securities rose sharply to a high of USD 144.7 billion at the end of 2017, according to latest official data.

The country remained the 12th largest overseas holder of such securities, just behind oil rich Saudi Arabia, whose holding stood at USD 147.4 billion in December 2017.

India has been raising its holding of American government securities during last year except for a few months when the total exposure had declined.

Figures compiled by the US Treasury Department show that the holding of India went up to USD 144.7 billion in December last, an increase of little over USD 26 billion compared to the year-ago period. In December 2016, the exposure was just USD 118.2 billion.

While holding at the end of December is at a one-year high compared to December 2016, the exposure was slightly higher at USD 145.1 billion in September 2017.

In 2017, neighbouring China was the largest holder of US government securities with holdings to the tune of USD 1.18 trillion, followed by Japan at USD 1.06 trillion. At the third position was Ireland whose exposure rose to USD 326.5 billion.

As per the data, Cayman Islands was at the fourth position with holding worth USD 269.9 billion, followed by Brazil (USD 256.8 billion), the UK (USD 250 billion), Switzerland (USD 249.6 billion), Luxembourg (USD 217.6 billion), Hong Kong (USD 194.7 billion) and Taiwan (USD 180.9 billion).

Among the BRIC countries, India had the third largest exposure while that of Russia was lower at USD 102.2 billion.

Earlier this month, preliminary data from the June 2017 benchmark survey of foreign portfolio holdings of US securities showed that the total value of such holding was USD 18.44 trillion. Out of the total, USD 7.19 trillion was in equities, USD 10.29 trillion in long-term debt securities and USD 954 billion in short-term debt securities.

"The previous survey, conducted as of June 30, 2016, measured the value of total foreign holdings of US securities at USD 17,139 billion, with holdings of USD 6,186 billion in US equities, USD 10,044 billion in US long-term debt securities and USD 909 billion in US short-term debt securities," the Treasury Department had said in a release.New Delhi: Amid the ongoing multi-agency probe into the Rs 12,700 crore Punjab National Bank scam, the NCLT has restrained more than 60 entities, including Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, various individuals, companies and limited liability partnership firms, from selling their assets.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) have passed the directions against Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, the alleged main perpetrators of the fraud, as well as their firms and relatives, among other entities, as per a public announcement by the corporate affairs ministry.

The ex-parte order was passed on a petition filed by the ministry under various sections of the Companies Act, 2013.

The ministry moved the petition under various provisions such as section 221, which pertains to freezing of assets of company on inquiry and investigation, and section 222 that relates to imposition of restrictions upon securities.

It has been passed against 64 entities that includes Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, few individuals related to the Punjab National Bank, various companies and limited liability partnerships.

Gitanjali Gems, Gilli India, Nakshatra Brands and Firestar Diamond are among the barred companies, while partnership firms include Solar Exports and Stellar Diamond.

According to the ministry, the petition came up for urgent hearing before the Mumbai bench of the NCLT on February 23 and that an ex-parte order was passed.

There is an injunction against these entities from "removal, transfer or disposal of funds, assets and properties" till further order, according to the announcement.

The NCLT has posted the matter for further hearing on March 26 when the entities concerned have been asked to present before the tribunal.

As per the public announcement, in case the entities fail to appear on that day, then the matter would be heard ex-parte.

Apart from the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) under the ministry is also probing the matter.

Last month, sources had said the ministry has ordered the SFIO to investigate around 110 companies, including some listed ones, and about 10 LLPs linked to Modi and Choksi.

The estimated Rs 12,700 crore fraud was perpetrated by way of fraudulent Letter of Undertakings (LoUs) in connivance with some bank employees.New Delhi: As the alleged Rs 12,600-crore fraud at PNB appears spread across various countries, Mauritius has promised "necessary regulatory action" against all entities found to be linked with any fraudulent practices.

The Financial Services Commission (FSC) of Mauritius said in a statement that it has taken cognizance of the media reports about the purported fraud allegations with regards to Punjab National Bank, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

"The FSC is assessing the reported information and is closely monitoring the matter in collaboration with the Bank of Mauritius, the Mauritius Revenue Authority and the Financial Intelligence Unit. The FSC is also in constant communication with its international counterparts under existing exchange of information agreements," it said.

The FSC, regulator of non-banking financial services and global business sectors in Mauritius, said it will take "necessary regulatory action" against any of its licensee, as also individuals or companies under its jurisdiction, "found to be linked with any illegal, harmful and/or fraudulent practices that may cause any prejudice to the good repute of Mauritius".

The alleged loan fraud said to be perpetrated by billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his associates including Mehul Choksi, came to light last month after state-run Punjab National Bank disclosed it has detected fraudulent issuance of LoUs (Letters of Undertaking) from a Mumbai branch.

The fraud is already being probed by multiple agencies in India which are also seeking details from their counterparts in various other countries including Mauritius and Hong Kong about the details of the financial transactions related to the case.

The overseas branches of some Indian banks are said to have credited thousands of crores into the accounts linked to Modi on the basis of the LoUs, which serve as credit guarantees, obtained by Modi and Choksi.Clocking in at 5,124 rooms, the Grand is the largest standalone hotel in the USmaking it a convenient landing place for such a big and unexpectedly uprooted conference. It's worth noting that the Grand didn't exist in its current form until the early '90s, but the MGM Marinawhich stood in the same placewas colloquially known as the Grand.

Image Credit: Casino Archives

What happens when several thousand distinguished physicists, researchers, and students descend on the nations gambling capital for a conference? The answer is "a bad week for the casino"but you'd never guess why. The year was 1986, and the American Physical Societys annual April meeting was slated to be held in San Diego. But when scheduling conflicts caused the hotel arrangements to fall through just a few months before, the conference's organizers were left scrambling to find an alternative destination that could accommodate the crowdand ended up settling on Las Vegas's MGM grand.It was an unmitigated disaster for the Grand. Financially, it was the worst week theyd ever had. After the conference was over, APS was politely asked never to returnnot just by the MGM Grand, but by the entire city of Las Vegas Everyone knows that it's a near-impossibility to beat a casino's odds on a large scale. Lucky individuals' wins are always subsidized by the unlucky masses, and everyone's luck runs out eventually. So what happened? Maybe youve seen, and youre picturing teams of sleek geeks using elaborate signaling systems and network analysis to gain a statistical edge over the house in blackjack. Thats been done in real life, but it wasnt what happened at this meeting.When I first heard this story (it's practically office folklore at APS), I immediately remembered a documentary Id seen a while back, where some science-minded gamblers proved that a roulette wheel could reliably be beaten with a timer and a pocket computer...but guess againthey didnt play roulette, either.Some physicists have a knack for poker the quick analytical thinking that lends itself to success in the classroom can translate well to a competitive card game: a Dutch theoretician took home a gold bracelet in the 2010 World Series of Poker. Did a group of the April '86 attendees somehow devise an optimized betting strategy, analyzing risks and payoffs, assigning weights, hedging their bets to come out in the black? Still noor at least notInstead, it turns out that the physicists found the one move guaranteed to provide an edge when the odds are stacked against you: You just dont play.See, usually when an organization announces that it's holding a big conference in a certain region, it triggers a bidding war among that area's hotels, and each tries to undersell the others and secure the group's contract to fill up as many rooms as possible. This goes double in a gambling destination like Las Vegas, where hotels have casinos built-in; the Grand doesn't just collect on room charges, it also gets a good portion of however much each guest was planning on taking to the tables. This is so central to the business model of casino hotels that they'll often give rates much lower than what a non-casino hotel could afford to offer, under the assumption that they'll recoup at the tablesit's the same reason you can often find free alcohol and startlingly nice food at all-you-can-eat casino buffets.So were these physicists just too busy sharing their science, seeing presentations and posters, and catching up on homework to find time for the tables? That's one possibility. The fact that a significant portion of the attendees were broke graduate students probably didn't help matters. On top of that, all the attendees had to have known enough about probability and statistics to recognize the "Monte Carlo* fallacy" at work: When a roulette wheel comes up black ten times in a row, it doesn't make the ball any more or less likely to land in a red slot the next time.Whatever the case may have been, the week of the '86 APS April meeting found the gaming floor almost completely empty, leaving the casino with its record-low take; in the (probably apocryphal) words of one casino waitress: "They each brought one shirt and a ten-dollar bill, and changed neither."By staying at a gambling hotel but obstinately refusing to gamble, everyone who booked their reservation with the group effectively had their stay subsidized by guests who were lured in by the chances of a big winwhich is probably why Las Vegas hotels never bid on APS conference contracts anymore. The MGM Grand learned a lesson the hard way that week: Physicists do not play dice *The " Monte Carlo method " a sort of large-scale statistical guess-and-check technique , derives its name from the same casino that gave the Monte Carlo fallacybetter known as the Gambler's Fallacyits name. Back in the early 1900s, a roulette wheel landed on black 26 times in a row, the odds of which are something like one in 67 million. With each successive spin, people bet larger and larger sums on the assumption that it HAD to come up red, some losing millions in the processNew Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to review quantum of compensation in a land acquisition case, expressing regret that appointment of arbitrator alone had taken 21 years.

A bench of Justices SA Bobde and L Nageswara Rao observed that the Court could not prolong the case anymore when the appointment of an arbitrator for deciding the amount of compensation had consumed more than two decades.

It dismissed the appeal filed by the Central government, through Ministry of Defence, which was ordered to pay compensation for acquiring a chunk of land in Punjab.

"Since the appointment of an arbitrator took about 21 years, we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court. Accordingly, the special leave petition is dismissed," said the bench in its recent order.

It pointed out that the landowners were compelled to move to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1997 for an appointment of an arbitrator under the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act for determination of the compensation of the acquired land.

"But since neither you accepted their request nor the High Court did decide their case before 2011, they did not get their due. We cannot prolong these proceedings anymore. This must come to an end now," the bench told Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, who was appearing for the MoD.

The government was aggrieved by the award passed by the arbitrator, Ludhiana in March 2016.

It contended that the interest, as has been granted by the arbitrator from the date of filing of the writ petition in 1997, is not correct.

The MoD argued that interest should have been from the date of passing of the award by the arbitrator, who was appointed in May 2012 following the HC order.

The HC had upheld the award after noting that appointment of the Arbitrator is a mandate under the statute and hence the government failed in its duty to appoint such arbitrator without delay.Srinagar: Four people, including a militant, were killed in a firing incident in Shopian on Sunday night after some militants started firing at an Army vehicle near Pohan in Shopian. The forces retaliated with more firing, resulting in four persons being killed.

The retaliatory firing killed a militant identified as Shahid Ahmad Dar, resident of Jamnagri in Shopian. However, three others were also killed in the firing, who the Army says were accomplices of Dar, but locals denied the allegation saying the three were civilians.

Situation remains tense in Shopian as some have resorted to protests at the Kashmir University over the killings. All the three were locals and residents of Trenz, Pinjoora and Imamsahib areas of Shopian.

Meanwhile, separatists have called for a bandh in Kashmir and the state government has ordered restrictions.

In a retaliatory operation, one terrorist was neutralized. The firing had started around 8pm, said Rajesh Kalia, Srinagar-based army spokesperson.

Kalia added that the operation is still in progress and refrained from clarifying about the exact nature of the action.

On Thursday, a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in the wee hours at Hajin in north Kashmirs Bandipora district.

Two days before that, in the same district, the body of an unidentified militant was found and according to the police, the militant had escaped after suffering bullet injuries in a gunfight with the forces in the area.Bengaluru: Day after the arrest of an accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka has termed the arrest a political gimmick. KT Naveen Kumars arrest on Friday is being seen as a breakthrough in the case, which comes almost six months after the shocking murder of the Karnataka-based journalist.

"This arrest is only a political gimmick. With this arrest, the Congress government wants to say that Gauri was murdered by Hindus. That is not correct. This government is anti-Hindu," said BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje.

Congress retorted saying her statements hints at the possibilities of her knowing Gauri Lankeshs killers.

If she is so sure that the killers are not Hindus, then she must also know who the killers are. In that case, let her reveal the information she has, or she should be charged with suppression of evidence," said Kengal Sreepada Renu, spokesperson, Karnataka Congress.

Kumar was reportedly associated with some right-wing Hindu organizations, although the Hindu Rakshana Vedike in Karnataka issued a press release distancing itself from the murder accused. According to police sources, Naveen Kumar has close links to several radical Hindu outfits and was reportedly angry with Gauri for "insulting" Hindu gods and goddesses.

Naveen was picked up by the crime branch on February 19 from a bus station in Bengaluru for illegal possession of bullets that were similar to the ones used to kill Gauri Lankesh. A local court has sent him to the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder.

The editor of a Kannada tabloid "Gauri Lankesh Pathrike", Lankesh was shot dead outside her house in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017. Gauri was a controversial journalist and activist who took on several Hindu radical outfits.Mumbai: Karti Chidambaram was on Sunday taken to the Byculla prison in Mumbai and confronted with Indrani Mukerjea as part of the CBI's probe into the INX Media case.

Karti, the son of senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram, was brought to the jail in central Mumbai around 11.15 am by a six-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). An official said Karti and Mukerjea were brought face-to-face and questioned by the CBI team for about four hours.

Mukerjea, a former director of INX Media (P) Ltd, is lodged in the jail in connection with the Sheena Bora murder case.

While entering the prison, Karti waved at the media persons who had assembled outside the high security prison. He and Mukerjea were questioned by the CBI as a part of its probe in the INX Media deal in which the former allegedly received kickbacks.

The doors of the prisons were shut and no other person from outside was allowed to enter the premises when the two were questioned, the official said.

According to sources, Indrani told the CBI about her meeting with Karti at Hyatt Hotel in Delhi. She also told CBI about the payments made to Karti through various channels. According to Indrani, Karti had demanded one million USD for Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance to INX Media, but she had paid 7 lakh USD.

Indrani levelled the allegation in presence of Karti, who later denied it and told the CBI that he never received any payments for any clearance.

The CBI team came out of the prison around 3.15 pm and a Karti Chidambaram waved again with a defiant gesture at the media persons while standing on the footboard of a car being used by the agency. He told reporters that all allegations against me are false and politically motivated.

He was arrested by the CBI on February 28 after a confessional statement was given by Mukerjea before a magistrate. He was sent in a five-day CBI custody on March 1.

The fresh evidence in the case, which triggered his arrest, was based on the statement of Mukerjea, who recorded it under section 164 of CrPC before a magistrate on February 17.

The CBI alleged that Karti Chidambaram also received money from INX media to scuttle a tax probe. The firm was owned at the time by former media baron Peter Mukerjea and Indrani, who are currently in jail on charges of murdering Indrani's daughter Sheena Bora.

The Enforcement Directorate has also registered a money laundering case.

The CBI and the ED had carried out a series of searches at the houses and offices owned by the Chidambarams. Karti Chidambaram was questioned several times by the ED.

A Delhi court had on March 1 allowed the custodial interrogation of Karti Chidambaram by the CBI for five days, saying there was a need to unearth the larger conspiracy in the INX Media case and his presence would serve some important purposes connected with the investigation.

The court had said his CBI custody was necessary to confront him with documents and the co-accused, as well as to probe the role of others involved in the case.Mumbai: A medical emergency on board a United Airlines' New York-New Delhi flight, carrying 266 passengers and 15 crew, was forced to land at London's Heathrow airport on Sunday and terminate the journey there.

United Airlines is making arrangements to fly the stranded passengers to their destination, the airline spokesperson said in a statement this evening.

The Boeing B 777-200 ER landed at 12.06 pm (local time) at the Heathrow airport after getting diverted to London due to a medical emergency on-board, United Airlines said.

The flight had departed New York at 9 pm local time on Saturday and was scheduled to arrive at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi international airport at 930 pm (local time) on Sunday.

"Our team in Heathrow is providing assistance to customers of United flight 82 (New York/Newark to New Delhi) which was diverted to Heathrow because of a medical issue on-board," the airline added.

The flight had 266 passengers and 15 crew on board, according to the statement.

The flight has now been cancelled due to the crew reaching their maximum duty time, it said adding, "we are providing hotel accommodation for our customers, and making arrangements for them to complete their journey on Monday.Mumbai/New Delhi: An official of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) received gold and diamond jewellery from billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi, who has been accused of involvement in a $2 billion bank fraud, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a court on Saturday.

The state lender in January uncovered the alleged fraud in which several bank officials were suspected of colluding with Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi to issue fraudulent letters of undertakings (LoUs), for their companies to raise loans from overseas branches of mostly Indian banks.

The CBI, which has arrested 14 people in the case, on Saturday for the first time said bribes were paid to at least one Punjab National Bank (PNB) official by Modi.

The agency told the court that Yashwant Joshi, who worked as a manager in the forex department of the Mumbai branch that is at the centre of the fraud, admitted to having received two gold coins weighing 60 grams and a pair of gold and diamond earrings from Modi.

The articles have been recovered from Joshi's house in the presence of independent witnesses, the CBI said.

"This indicates that he was in collusion with the beneficiary accused persons to cheat the bank," CBI Inspector D. Damodaran said in a court filing. "He also obtained illegal gratification from the beneficiary party for continuing issuance of fraudulent LoUs."

Joshi, who was committed to judicial custody by the Mumbai court along with four other PNB officials and an associate of Modi, could not be contacted for comment.

Modi and Choksi, who owns Gitanjali Gems Ltd, left India before the fraud came to light, but have said in letters and statements they were innocent.

PNB, India's second-biggest state lender, has mainly accused two low-level employees of the Brady House branch of issuing the LoUs without making corresponding entries in the bank's main software, helping the fraud to go undetected for years.

The CBI, however, has expanded its investigation and arrested two internal auditors of the branch, among others.

Separately, TV channels reported that another Mumbai court on Saturday issued non-bailable warrants against Modi and Choksi following an appeal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), an agency focused on foreign exchange and money laundering offences.

"Modi appears to be the prima donna in the whole saga of the fraud perpetrated on the PNB," the directorate said in a filing to the court seen by Reuters.

"The case involves a circuitous web of routes created by the said Modi and in such circumstances, the fraudulent transactions appear to be in the personal knowledge and exclusive domain of Nirav Modi".

Modi has yet to be tracked by the authorities, but the ED said "reportedly, Modi is presently in Hong Kong". The agency has already seized various properties of Modi and Choksi, as banks assess the hit to them from the fraud.

State Bank of India and two other state-run banks, Union Bank of India and Allahabad Bank, are lenders who had extended credit based on the LoUs issued by PNB that were later found to be fraudulent. Allahabad Bank said on Saturday it had a $366.87 million exposure to the case.New Delhi: The second part of Parliament's Budget Session is likely to begin on a stormy note with the Congress and other opposition parties set to raise the issue of multi-crore financial scams involving public-sector banks in both the Houses.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet on Monday after a month-long recess in the session.

Opposition parties would seek answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other banking scams took place under his watch and how the government failed to stop them.

The government, on its part, is seeking to counter the opposition's offensive by bringing the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill.

The legislation, once passed, will grant powers to the government to attach assets of persons declared fugitive. This will include benami assets too.

While the opposition has not planned any joint strategy so far, it is likely to meet in a day or two to chalk out a plan for the Parliament session.

Sources said that while the financial sector and banking scams would dominate the proceedings in both Houses, issues related to crime against Dalits and women, farmers, the economy and unemployment would also be raised by the opposition benches.

The Congress will also raise the issue of "vendatta" at the hands of the BJP-led government aimed at targeting its political opponents.

This comes in the wake of the CBI arresting Karti Chidambaram, the son of former Union finance minister and Congress leader, P Chidambaram, in connection with the INX Media case.

He is currently in custody of the probe agency for five days till March 6.

The second part of the session would primarily see discussions on the demand for grants for various ministries.

The opposition would also press for a debate on a number of contentious matters and important issues confronting the country.

The government has listed a few bills for consideration and passage in both Houses.

In the Lok Sabha, it intends to bring The Payment of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The Specific Relief (Amendment) Bill, 2017, tomorrow, and The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017, on Tuesday.

In the Rajya Sabha, the government has listed The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017, and The State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017, for the first day of the session.

The government also is likely to press for the passage of a bill to ban instant triple talaq.

Congress leaders said that they would soon be holding a meeting with other opposition parties to chalk out a joint strategy for the session.

The aim is to corner the government unitedly and demand answers from it on various issues which it has evaded in the past, a leader from the party said.

Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, has given a notice for a discussion under Rule 267 of the House on the bank fraud issue.

"We will demand answers from the government on the bank fraud scam. We will also demand answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the scam happened right under his watch," he said.

Sharma said the party is also set to raise the issue of "selective vendatta" at the hands of investigative agencies by the BJP-led government to target key political opponents.

CPI leader D Raja said the issue of PNB fraud will be taken up and the new bills that the government proposes to bring would also be discussed.

"We will demand answers from the government on how the fraud happened. The banking sector is in a deep crisis and its credibility is under stake," he told PTI.

Raja also said that issues pertaining to atrocities and crimes against Dalits and women would also be taken up.

The Left leader claimed that such crimes were on the rise. He, however, said the financial crimes would be the highlight of the session.

TMC leader Derek O'Brien said his party is for a debate and a discussion in Parliament, and would evolve a joint opposition strategy soon.

"We will coordinate with other opposition parties to expose this BJP government that has not delivered on their promises. I don't want to name any particular issue as there are many. We have issues for every day in Parliament,"he said.

O'Brien also claimed that the BJP had gone "overboard" with its victory in Tripura.

"If you look at the bypoll results of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha, it is very clear that their tally will come down," he said.

The TMC leader claimed that Prime Minister Modi will not deliver his address from the Red Fort in 2019. "If their target is West Bengal out target is Red Fort. BJP did not win Tripura, the Left surrendered it," he said.New Delhi: Signing a range of memorandum of understanding (MoUs), Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang cemented Indias Act East policy on the concluding day of Quangs three-day visit.

Both nations inked three agreements, including one on nuclear cooperation. They also resolved to work on an open Indo-Pacific region, considered among the highly globalised areas as of now.

We will jointly work for an open, independent and prosperous Indo Pacific region where sovereignty and international laws are respected and where differences are resolved through talks," Modi said during the joint statement with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.

Quags visit comes during a time Modi has made Act East policy one of his primary foreign policy objectives, further making it obvious with the recent ASEAN leaders meet last month. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was also part of the visit and hence, one of the chief guests at this years Republic Day celebrations.

Quangs visit only cements Delhis growing need to help its neighbour, one which has had unresolved issues with China. India has helped Vietnam military in getting more equipped with its defence mechanisms, including its fighter jets and Russia-built submarines. To further the efforts, Modi and Quang announced collaboration on defence production and have also vowed to look at transfer of technology.

It is imperative to note that India had given Vietnam a credit to the tune of $500 million for defence cooperation two years ago. While the leaders joint statement made no mention of this credit, it is safe to assume that it has had a wholesome effect considering more investment and cooperation in the defence sector.

Both nations also signed agreements on nuclear energy partnership and agriculture too. Amid increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has made a strong pitch for deepening Indo-Vietnam maritime connectivity in the strategically critical sea lanes as he embarks on a significant state visit to India. The strong pitch by the Vietnamese president for increased aviation and maritime connectivity with India may not go down well with China, which is in conflict with Vietnam and several other countries in the region, including Brunei and the Philippines over maritime claims in the South China Sea.

(With inputs from agencies)New Delhi: As summer dawns on the Himalayas, Uttarakhand is about to wake up to their hills being contoured with trenches, holes dug at great heights and handmade check dams in high-altitude streams; all with the aim to save two of the dying rivers of the state  Rispana that runs through the state capital Dehradun and Kosi, that sustains all of Almora district and its surrounding villages.

Years of misuse, garbage dumping, deforestation and soil erosion have crippled these rain-fed perennial rivers and turned them into seasonal ones. In November, the Uttarakhand government launched a campaign for the revival of these two quintessential rivers of the hill state. Now, the administration plans to build it into a mass movement.

While Kosis lean flow  a measure of its flow during summer months  is one-tenth of what it used to be in the 1990s, it was ultimately declared seasonal in 2003. Rispana, on the other hand, has eight sources of water and yet it has almost dried up in the middle of its course.

Rispana starts from somewhere beyond Mussoorie, a place three kilometres upstream of Landour, state Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat told News18, adding, thats where were looking for more of its sources.

The chief minister also added that some of this work will be taken up under the MGNREGA scheme, while others will be overseen by the department of irrigation.

THE GRAND PLANS

The Rispana or Rishipana  its pracheen (ancient) name as the CM pointed out  mission started in November 2017. A series of trenches will be dug up in the mountains along the course of the river, which will serve as water storage units for the drying river. These trenches will be made deep enough to keep them safe from animals looking for water holes and can potentially hold thousands of gallons of water, Rawat estimated.

These trenches would hold rainwater through the year to feed the rivers in their leaner months. These will also enable the stored water to percolate into the ground and thus rejuvenate the water tables.

Apart from the trenches, the project would also include a day of cleaning up the 23 kilometres stretch of Rispana before it merges into the Song River outside Dehradun. This, Rawat said, would also involve the public with an aim to make cleaning silt and plastic a peoples movement.

Though the date for the cleaning drive is yet to be decided, preparations are afoot. A battalion of an Ecological Task Force of ex-servicemen has been brought onboard and the government would also involve all sorts of non-government organizations, religious organizations and people living in the affected villages.

The chief minister added that there are plans to plant grasses such as lemon grass along the river in order to prevent soil erosion.

KOSI, THE LIFELINE

Not just Rispana, similar initiatives would also be taken up for Kosi, said Eva Ashish Srivastava, Almora District Magistrate.

Srivastava had earlier inaugurated the project to revive Kosi in a longer and more complex plan that befits the even bigger and crucial river. However, reviving Kosi will need more than just a day.

Both CM Rawar and Srivastava agree that Kosi is called the lifeline of Kumaon for a reason. Nearly 350 villages depend on it for water and sustenance.

However, according to a research by Professor JS Rawat of the Kumaon University, the present condition of Kosi is alarming.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Over a 25-year period, Kosis lean flow capacity dropped 700 percent from 790 litre/second in 1992 to 48 litre/second in 2017 and over 40 years, the river has shrunk from 225 km in length to 41 km.

Kosi used to have 28 sources of water at one point, but there are only 8 left as of now. Some of its streams, said Srivastava, have already become seasonal.

The river, which originates in the Almora-Bageshwar border, sustains not just the 350 villages in this area, but also parts of the Corbett National Park.

Fortunately, Rawat has identified 14 recharge zones, said Srivastava, who is now in-charge of a Rs 17 crore project that kicks off with the digging of trenches and recharge holes in April, May and June. As they move downstream, they will build handmade check dams and larger dams on the river to store water at every stage.

In July, Srivastava said she will also oversee large scale plantation in the area to improve its green cover. The trees will be protected with stone trenches dug around to protect the new trees from animals and forest fires.

OAK, PINES OR GRASS?

Both the CM Rawat and Srivastava pointed out that the hills of Uttarakhand need banjh oak trees. This evergreen oak, with large leaves holds the soil, captures rainwater and helps it percolate into the ground. It lets grass  critical to bind the soil and prevent erosion  grow underneath its canopies.

Earlier, banjh oaks used to populate these terrains, but have been felled for timber in the past decades, said Srivastava. Whats left now are large number of cheed or pine trees. This archetypal image of the Uttarakhand hills covered in deciduous pine is not only deceptive, but also dangerous. The pine, said Srivastava, leaves the soil barren and acidic. It does not let grass grow. Also, the rain water, instead of percolating, trickles away thus causing further erosion.

The pines also spreads faster than other species and quickly takes over large swathes of land. Moreover, the trees cannot be culled as they are protected under environment laws.

In June, however, the state will plant napier grass or elephant grass, which the local GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development says, can grow under the pine. Not only will these grass provide fodder for cattle, but also help prevent water to run-off.

We have to make this into a jan andolan (peoples movement) and it will take at least 5-7 years of work by the people involved, only then do the rivers stand a chance, Srivastava said.

BEYOND THE RIVERS

It is not just the two rivers of Rispana and Kosi that are threatened in the state. CM Rawat said that the Uttarakhand government has earmarked Rs 200 crore for the development of water bodies in seven to eight spots and another Rs 1,100 crore for a dam on River Song.Recently, Kim Kardashian did a magazine photo shoot in Indian style. During the shoot, Kim blew us with the wine coloured shimmering Sabyasachi Saree she was wearing.

In the latest set of pictures, the 37-year-old reality TV star gets a little more traditional as she rocks everything from a saree to a lehenga set. Kim sported a wine colour shimmery saree by ace designer Sabyasachi and a bold printed Anamika Khanna lehenga choli. Needless to say, she looked every bit gorgeous.

Previously, Kim donned a Rajasthani-inspired lehenga choli and exuded her innate oomph. In every attire that she wore for the photo shoot for Vogue India's March 2018 issue, she looked like a fashion lover's dream. If you havent already, check out the picture right here.

Sabyasachi took to social media to post a picture of the look, and explained, 28 zardosi karigars from Calcutta meticulously hand-embroidered metallic sequins and beads on 60 gsm chiffon to create a modern saree using age-old Indian craftsmanship. The nimble technique, though time-consuming creates an extremely supple drape that has the flexibility of a chain mail.

Defining sensuality, Kim left her tresses loose and wore a pair of matching earrings that completed her Indian look.In a first-of-its-kind initiative, an India Fashion Incubator (IFI) was launched here on Saturday during the India Fashion Summit 2018.

India Fashion Incubator aims to promote the fashion community by helping creative and fashion entrepreneurs to develop business and professional skills. It will use the latest digital technologies to mentor, network and collaborate with the incubated fashion designers.

India Fashion Summit President Vinod Nair said even though the fashion industry has seen tremendous growth in the last quarter of a century there was never a platform to discuss and deliberate various aspects relating to the industry in India and it was through the IFS that this void has been filled.

The programme was organised in association with the state government's Kerala State Institute of Design and Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence.

The day-long event saw country's leading fashion designers Manish Malhotra, Peter D'Ascoli, Wendell Rodricks, Arjun Khanna, Suket Dhir, Alan Alexander Kaleekal, Jebin Johny sharing their experiences.Just a couple of days after the teaser of Rajinikanth's Kaala was leaked hours before its official launch, the teaser of the much-anticipated sci-fi film 2.0 seems to have met the same fate. A minute-and-a-half teaser trailer of the film has been leaked on to the internet, which has gone viral within hours of its upload.

Fans and analysts all around have condemned the piracy.

Shocked to hear that #2point0 teaser has been leaked online by some miscreants. This kind of criminal adventurism should be stopped and strict action taken against the offenders. Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) March 4, 2018

Teaser fullaa Green Screenum, Blue Screenum palla ilikuthu . Paavam shankar and team - this is the result of many months of sleepless nights for them . All gone in a single leak. Will definitely have impact on release and revenue . #2point0 . Prashanth Rangaswamy (@itisprashanth) March 4, 2018

#2Point0 Teaser Leaked..#Kaala Teaser was also leaked & Launch was preponed. Technology spoils our excitement sometimes Sathish Kumar M (@sathishmsk) March 4, 2018

This is the second such leak this week to hit a Rajinikanth-starrer film. Hours before the planned launch, a rough version of the Kaala teaser found its way online. The leak put the producers in a fix who decided to release it earlier than the scheduled time. This, though, might not be possible with 2.0 as the VFX for the film still needs to be completed.

2.0 marks the Kollywood debut of Akshay Kumar, who plays a villain in what is touted to be Indian Cinema's most expensive film. The film has all the elements of Endhiran or Robot, the first part of the franchise, but on a scale and proportion that has never been brought before the domestic audience by an Indian production.

The film is being directed by Shankar and has Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, and Amy Jackson in lead roles. AR Rahman has composed the music for the film.

The music launch programme for the film was held in Dubai's Burj Khalifa.London: Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to the fields of arts and politics at a ceremony in the UK's Parliament complex here.

The annual 'Political and Public Life Awards' presented by Britain's Asian Voice weekly newspaper, now in its 12th year, recognises individuals who have made a significant impact on public life or made a difference in their local communities.

The ceremony at the Members' Dining Room in the House of Commons building on Thursday evening was attended by parliamentarians, business and community leaders besides members of the UK Armed Forces as they braved extreme weather conditions and travel disruptions caused by days of snowfall across Britain.

"Confidence brings commitment, commitment brings determination, determination brings devotion, and when you have commitment, determination and devotion, besides confidence, then you get passion," Sinha, 72, said in his acceptance speech.

"In this competitive world, you have to prove yourself to be better than the best. If you are unable to prove yourself to be better than the best, at least try and be different from the rest," he said, adding that the award had given him the opportunity to visit the "historic" Palace of Westminster for the first time.

Sinha, who started his career as an actor in late 1960s, has to his credit over 225 Hindi feature films besides several in other Indian languages.

A member of the ruling BJP, he represents Bihar state's Patna Sahib constituency in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament.

Among the other winners of the year included Pakistani-origin UK Cabinet minister Sajid Javid, who was named Cabinet Minister of the Year.

"It's very fitting to receive the honour in this setting, the home of our democracy, our cherished freedoms, the freedoms that have made us one of the most open and tolerant countries in the world.

A country that just does not celebrate diversity but we actively thrive on the diversity of our country," said Javid, UK's Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

He dedicated his award to his parents, who he described as "heroes" for taking great risks to come to the UK to build a better future.Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth's younger daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth on Sunday condemned the leak of the "2.0" teaser and called it a "heartless act".

The teaser of Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson-starrer "2.0" was leaked on social media on Sunday morning. The video went viral soon after it surfaced online.

Soundarya took to Twittter to express her disappointment and anger.

"Leaking content online before the official release should not be tolerated or encouraged! This is a heartless act ignoring hard work, efforts and sentiments of the makers for few seconds of excitement! Be ashamed, stop piracy, stop misusing digital medium," she wrote.

Leaking content online before the official release should not be TOLERATED or ENCOURAGED ! This is a heartless act ignoring hard work, efforts and sentiments of the makers for few seconds of excitement !!! #BeAshamed #StopPiracy #StopMisusingDigitalMedium soundarya rajnikanth (@soundaryaarajni) March 4, 2018

"2.0" will mark the Tamil debut of Akshay and his first film with Rajinikanth. The film also stars Adil Hussain and Sudhanshu Pandey.

Directed by Shankar, "2.0" is a sequel to the 2010 blockbuster Enthiran (Robot) which also featured Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.New Delhi: An internal debate in the CPI(M) on the political line the party has to follow has become even more shrill after its crushing defeat in Tripura, with the camp supporting general secretary Sitaram Yechury blaming the former party boss Prakash Karat for not adapting to changing scenarios in the country.

The incumbent Left government, in power in the state for 25 years, was routed by the BJP that earlier had less than a 2 per cent vote share in Tripura.

"The issue will now be debated in our party Congress (to be held in April). I will not be able to say anything now as the final decision will be taken there," Yechury told PTI.

Though the general secretary was tight-lipped, it has become amply clear that party leaders supporting his line will now strongly push for having an understanding with all anti-BJP forces as against Karat's policy of keeping a distance from other such parties.

"The Tripura results clearly show that the Left should have tried to bring all the anti-BJP forces together to defeat the BJP. The Congress had its voters in the state. But we could not give them an alternative. We should have given them the confidence that we could take the BJP on," a senior leader from Bengal said.

The leader from the Bengal unit -- which has mostly been with Yechury on alliances -- hoped for a change in the party line.

The Karat camp did not agree, with some members holding that along with anti-incumbency, the erosion of the Congress helped the BJP.

"There is no anti-BJP force other than the Left in Tripura. The Congress vote share has come down to 2 per cent from 36 per cent in the state. We have got 46 per cent votes in Tripura. The entire Congress leadership crossed over to the BJP," CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat told PTI.

The defeat is also being seen in Left circles as a breakdown in the CPI(M)'s electoral and political strategy and the party's disconnect with the masses and ground reality.

The CPI, another Left party, believed the CPI(M) had failed to adapt to changing times and the results reflected not just the coming apart of its electoral and political strategy but also a massive disconnect with reality.

"As Communists we must understand changing times and challenges. We must understand the BJP is coming to power. It is no ordinary change of power. We have to change our strategy accordingly to defeat the BJP-RSS combine. That's why we need a broader anti-BJP front," said CPI leader D Raja.

Some Left insiders rued that while the Left was losing its bastions such as West Bengal earlier and Tripura now, the CPI(M) was still grappling with internal differences.

The difference of opinion between party general secretary Yechury and his predecessor Prakash Karat over the use of the phrase "understanding with the Congress" in its draft political resolution to be discussed at the party congress in April has become the talk of Left political circles.

Karats line against electoral alliance or understanding with the Congress prevailed over Yechurys, who did not want to rule out an understanding with the Congress.

A senior party member, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the result of the Tripura Assembly election was likely to change equations within the party.

"After Tripura, many leaders within the party who had earlier backed the Karat line are now slowly realising that in today's political situation, the Left needs to bring all anti-BJP forces together to fight against the BJP," the leader said.

The debate is going to become sharper in the days to come, in the run-up to and at the party congress in Hyderabad. The daggers would be out, and the voices -- although behind closed doors -- loud and shrill.Hyderabad: Soon after AIMIMs Asaduddin Owaisi welcomed Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Raos idea of a Third Front, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee dialed KCR and pledged complete support.

According to sources, Banerjee agreed with KCR that there is a necessity for qualitative change in the countrys politics.

Ham aap se ek mat hai. Aap ke saath rahenge (I am in agreement with you. I will be with you), Mamata Banerjee had reportedly said in her telephonic conversation with KCR.

Owaisi, too, emphasised on the need of an alternative to BJP and Congress. "Though, we opposed him and his ideas initially, we saw that he managed to achieve a separate Telangana state. He has the political sagacity to bring together all regional parties to play a crucial role in the next government formation at the Centre," said Owaisi.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemanth Soren also called up the Telangana CM and voiced his support. Soren welcomed KCRs decision to play a key role in national politics.

Along with two MPs from Maharashtra, several other prominent people have also expressed their support to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader on his statement of bringing a qualitative change in national politics.

On Saturday, KCR had said, There is a serious need to bring change in national politics. Seventy years have passed since Independence and out of those 70 years, 64 years were ruled by either BJP or Congress. Even after 70 years, people are suffering and they dont even have water to drink.

According to sources, TRS is also in talks with Samajwadi Party, DMK and some miffed BJP allies like Shiv Sena to join the alternative front.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu had previously hinted at forging an electoral alliance with the TRS in Telangana.

During his interaction with Telangana TDP on Wednesday, Naidu said the BJP had unilaterally severed its ties with the TDP in Telangana and Congress had also done injustice to the state. This leaves the option of tying up with the one party that had fought for achieving statehood for Telangana, the TRS.

Not just politicians, people from different parts of Telangana are reaching out to Pragathi Bhavan  KCRs official residence  in support of his statement.

Priests from different temples, representatives of the Brahmin community, mullahs and maulvis from different masjids, representatives of Muslim organizations, Christian religious representatives, Sikh representatives, banjaras, tribals and many others have pledged their support in large numbers.

Several TRS leaders, too, reached Pragathi Bhavan to support KCR. Ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLC s and civic heads also reached Pragathi Bhavan and all those who were here raised the slogans of Desh ke Netha KCR.Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday said an alternative to both BJP and Congress would emerge soon to bring qualitative change in the Indian politics.

He told reporters that the talks in this regard had already started and it would soon take some shape.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President claimed that people want change as the present political system had miserably failed and said he was ready to play an active role in bringing that change.

"I am 64. If I can help bring the change and serve the country for few years, I will definitely do it," he said.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, believes that the once the process for change begins, it will spread like wildfire.

"The country has to move in new direction. People should think about it otherwise we will remain the same. How long we will hear stories of the progress in the US and China," he asked.

"Change should come in the people. The tools for this change could be coalition, front, or anything," he said.

Stating that there is no difference between the BJP and Congress, he said these two parties were in power for almost the entire period since independence but even after 70 years there is no qualitative change.

"No qualitative change could be seen by people even after 70 years of democratic exercise. This is unfortunate. People are vexed now," he said.

The TRS chief did not attach any significance to Saturday's results in three northeastern states, where BJP has done well. "You will have different results in different states," he said.

He said BJP could bring no changes. He criticized it for not doing anything for farmers.

"If tomorrow Congress comes to power, nothing will change. Only the names of the schemes will change," he said.

"Qualitative change is not taking place in both the regimes. What has happened so far is unsatisfactory. Why there are naxalites in this country. Why there is so much unrest. Why there are social fights everywhere. Why Dalits and tribals are fighting," he asked.

KCR also did not rule out joining hands with Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a partner in BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. TDP, the ruling party in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, has threatened to walk out of the alliance over the BJP not fulfilling the commitments made to the state.

Recalling that he was the first Chief Minister to support demonetisation, KCR said he thought it will yield dividends and curb black money. Similarly, he supported Goods and Services Tax (GST) as he thought the move would improve taxation.

KCR said he had nothing personally against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and described him as his best friend.

"I have nothing against Modi or BJP. I am against the slow progress of the country. The slow pace of progress is not digestible," he said.

The Chief Minister denied making comment in his recent speech in Karimnagar to insult Modi, saying he had respect for him.

KCR, however, found fault with the BJP leaders who are targeting him for criticizing Modi. "This is democracy. When there is a situation, we can criticize the prime minister," he said.

The TRS president said that he doesn't recognize BJP as a political party in Telangana. He termed as joke the statements of some BJP leaders that BJP will come to power in the state in the next elections.Shillong: National Peoples Party president Conrad Sangma is set to become the next chief minister of Meghalaya after forming a coalition with the BJP, two regional parties and an Independent on Sunday.

He met Governor Ganga Prasad and staked claim to form the government in the state with the support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.The oath taking ceremony is likely to take place on Tuesday morning.

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate on Saturday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the National People's Party (NPP), an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

Political buzz had gripped the hill state after the result as both Congress and BJP, NPP combine raced to form an alliance. Both the sides had the same tally, 21, and needed nine more MLAs to stake a claim.

But it was always going to be an uphill task for the Congress as almost all the regional parties had fought the elections on an anti-Congress plank after 10 years of Mukul Sangma rule.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) emerged as the kingmaker with six seats. Its president Donkupar Roy told the media that his party would extend support to the NPP to form a non-Congress government.

The announcement of the grand alliance came after a closed door meeting between UDP leaders and BJP leaders Kiren Rijiju, KJ Alphons and Himanta Biswa Sarma at Roys residence. We will have a non-Congress government in Meghalaya and the Centre has promised to extend all support to the government, Rijiju said.

Sangma met the Governor in the evening. We submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs 19 of the NPP, six of the the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People's Democratic Front (PDF), two each of the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent," he said outside the Raj Bhavan.

The NPP leader is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from Tura constituency after his father's death.

Asked about the challenges of running a coalition government, the 40-year-old Tura MP said, "It is not an easy task. But the parties who are supporting us are committed to work for the welfare of the people and the state. We will work on a common agenda."

Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that NPPs Sangma will be the chief minister. He also said that no deputy CM will be appointed just to please the alliance partners. Talking about the likely cabinet in the state, Sarma said that one MLA out of every two MLAs of all the parties will form part of the government. So 1 MLA out of the 2 BJP MLAs will be a part of it too, he said.

For the Congress, which had bagged 21 seats, eight less than in the last elections, Sundays developments were a major setback as it had rushed senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath to Shillong to avoid a repeat of Goa and Manipur, where too it had failed to form governments despite being the single largest party.

The partys working president in Meghalaya, Vincent Pala, said the Congress accepts the verdict of the people. We will keep fighting for the issues of people of Meghalaya. It's easy to stake claim, since there is a fractured mandate. It is easy to form government but difficult to govern. We will play a constructive role in whatever position we will be in, he said.New Delhi: There comes a phase in the life of every mass leader, when the values, ideals and the causes that they hold close to their chest are not in sync with their followers anymore. That is when change becomes inevitable and the masses look around for the most attractive alternative to dislodge the leader.

For Manik Sarkar and Tripura, that moment has come. It has been a 20-year-long journey as the Chief Minister. When he was first sworn-in, the new millennium had not begun, incoming calls on mobile phones were charged at Rs 16 per minute, India was not a nuclear state and Tripura was covered under the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act,1958 (AFSPA).

AFSPA was enforced in Tripura in February, 1997 when the militancy was at its peak. Two separatist groups, National Liberation Front of Tripura and All Tripura Tiger Force wanted Tripura to secede from India. Their demand was to throw all Bengali-speaking people, who immigrated to the state after 1956, out of Tripura, their lands taken up and distributed among the indigenous people. These groups were getting training and shelter in Bangladesh. The fact that the state had an 856-km border with Bangladesh made matters worse.

The demographics of the state had by then changed to a majority of 70% people being Bengali, with the rest being tribals. Thus, the demand of the electorate then was peace, security and stability. And this is where Manik Sarkar delivered.

Contrary to popular notion, Tripura has not been re-electing Sarkar for his frugal lifestyle, but for his iron-fisted efforts to end militancy in the state. While the rest of the north eastern states continue to be haunted by militancy, Tripura has managed to transform from the most-disturbed state to a peaceful state under Sarkar.

In May 2015, the Manik Sarkar government was successful in removing AFSPA from the state.

The second front was that of education and food security. While the standard of government schools improved, Tripura also continued to top the list in the best implementation of the national rural job guarantee scheme. This worked well for him. The fact that he too was a man of frugal means added to the charm. He used to donate his salary to the CPM and even his strongest opponent has not been able to accuse him of corruption.

But times change. With stability in pocket, youth wanted development, jobs and private sector opportunities. The poorest CM of India, who still does not prefer to use a smart phone, failed to read the ambition of his people today. Or probably, he was still trapped in the inertia of the 20 years.

The situation is almost akin to what happened in Bihar in 2005. Lalu Prasad, for all his corruption taint, gave voice to the oppressed and suppressed communities of Bihar. But when the same subaltern used the same voice to demand food and development, he was found wanting. Thus arrived Nitish Kumar, the 'Vikas Purush' of Bihar.

In Tripura, this is exactly the sentiment the Bharatiya Janata Party capitalised on. It ran one of the flashiest campaigns. Money was pumped in and opulence of the machinery lured the aspirational Tripura to its fold.

It isn't that the Left Front government did not notice this. At every public meeting, Manik Sarkar would harp about how he would rather invest money in fixing the irrigation problem than print flashy campaign material like the BJP. But after 20 years, if the irrigation problem is still not fixed, then the blame would come back to the Chief Minister and not the BJP.

Bored of the socialist way of life, people now demanded a higher standard of living. Tripura has hardly any industry. After higher education, most youngsters have to either leave the state looking for better opportunities or look out for possible government job. Even those working in the government sector were getting salaries as per the 4th Pay Commission while the central government has already moved to 7th Pay Commission.

In 2016, Agartala became the country's third international internet gateway after the ones in Mumbai and Chennai. But the government in the state was not even prepared to capitalise on this windfall. There are no IT parks or corridors to speak of the in the state and private investments are minimal.

Trapped in the Cold War era ideology, Sarkar missed the digital bus.

Probably in his refusal to use a smartphone, he lost connect with the 'WhatsApp' generation. Now, his rule has been brought to an end by a party which made 'WhatsApp' communication their focal point of political messaging.New Delhi: Buoyed by success in Rajasthan Lok Sabha bypolls earlier this month, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) has kicked off its preparation for the big test later this year.

Banking on its recent success, the party is leaving no stone unturned to utilize its re-emerging popularity in the state ahead of the assembly elections. State Congress president Sachin Pilot has already drawn up the partys roadmap. The partys ground campaign will be centred around a mass contact programme. With over 9,800 gram panchayats in Rajasthan, the Congress plans to hold meetings in each one of them before the elections.

Earlier, on February 22, Rahul Gandhi summoned Pilot, two-time Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other senior Rajasthan Congress leaders to his residence in New Delhi to discuss their preparations for the 2018 Assembly elections.

According to sources, party president Rahul Gandhi said in the Delhi meeting that for the time being no Congress CM candidate would be announced in the state. Gandhi apparently took this call to avoid any factionalism setting in the partys state unit.

While some leaders want to portray Pilot as the chief architect of the Congress campaign, particularly Ajmer, which Pilot represented in the Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2014, other sections of the party are not so keen on placing the crown on young Pilots head.

Sources indicate that another camp eagerly wants former chief minister Ashok Gehlot to be declared as the Congress CM face six months ahead of the polls. A loss in the bypolls would have given Gehlot ammunition to approach Congress president Rahul Gandhi, and it would have been something, sources say.

Speaking exclusively to News 18 days before the meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Pilot responded to the rumours of camps being set up in the Congress. This narrative is BJP propaganda. If the Congress party had any camps, we would not perform so splendidly over the last four years. The Congress party has been united, is united and will remain united and BJP cant tolerate that. Our strength is our unity. Look at the byelections, the municipal elections and the panchayat elections. We have done exceedingly well. Over the last four years, Congress has been strong and that is why we are in such an effective position to defeat the BJP six months from now, he had said.

Meanwhile, state leaders are taking cue from other states where BJP failed to get a majority. A Rajasthan Congress leader said, Look at the state where BJP lost  Delhi and Bihar. What was done in these states? Both Arvind Kejriwal and Nitish Kumar took their issues directly to the people. Kejriwal had a door-to-door campaign and Nitish Kumar did his Har Ghar Dastak (a knock on every door) campaign.

We believe it can also be done in Rajasthan but it will take a lot more time, since Rajasthan is the largest state in terms of area. Our workers and leaders, including Sachin Pilot himself, will go to each and every village in Rajasthan and raise issues such as unemployment, corruption, law and order etc. It is impossible to reach the poorest of the poor with social media alone. We will have to unleash an army of foot workers, he said.

Talking about partys mass contact programme, Pilot said, We have already made plans. We are going to start a mass-contact programme. We are going to work with double the strength, double the energy and double the humility. After our win, we have even more responsibility on our shoulders. In every division, every district and every block the Congress party is going to be seen everywhere. We are going to give a credible alternative and an alternative that the people of Rajasthan are going to prefer. The BJP has already been rejected in these elections and I am certain that eight months later, we are going to get the blessings of the people of Rajasthan.Agartala: Outgoing Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar can take shelter in West Bengal, Kerala or neighbouring Bangladesh as the BJP is going to form the next government in the state, Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.

"Manik Sarkar has just three options before him. He can go to West Bengal, where the CPI-M still has some presence. He can go to Kerala, where the party is in power and will rule for three more years or he can go to neighbouring Bangladesh," Sarma told reporters here when asked about his comments on Sarkar during an election rally.

The BJP leader had kicked up a row by reportedly saying that the Tripura chief minister would be sent to Bangladesh after the assembly elections in the state.

Sarma reportedly made the remark at an election rally in Dhanpur, Sarkar's constituency, while criticising the state government over the alleged deteriorating law and order situation and cross-border crimes.

The 69-year-old chief minister has governed Tripura since 1998. He is a politburo member of CPI-M and has been ruling the state for the fourth consecutive time.

Elections in 59 seats, out of the 60-member Tripura Assembly, were held on February 18. Election in one seat was countermanded due to the death of the CPI-M candidate.

The BJP and its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) were leading in 31 out of the 47 constituencies whose trends were available, according to Election Commission sources here today.New Delhi: The results of elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland brought much to cheer for the BJP. With absolute majority in Tripura and a victorious alliance with the NDPP in Nagaland, the BJP is buoyant. But BJP leaders are asking another question. Has the partys new headquarters, at number 6, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, proven lucky for the BJP?

The BJP moved into the new headquarters on February 18 and this was the first election since then. While Meghalaya threw a spanner in the works for the BJP, the win in Nagaland and Tripura has made many in the party think the new address brings luck for the party.

Last year, the BJP announced that it would move out of its iconic headquarters on 11, Ashoka Road to a new premises on DDU Marg. The new headquarters has several blocks, two massive convention centres and a separate office meant for party president Amit Shah and his successors.

The new BJP headquarters is not the only political party office on DDU Marg. Its new neighbours include the Aam Aadmi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. But all these smaller offices are dwarfed by the BJP's new office.

Some BJP leaders say the new office is more than just lucky. It is a sign, they say, of the changing political landscape of India.

The old BJP headquarters on Ashoka Road will now be handed back to the government. As one party leader explained, "According to the government's rules, a party which has between 100-200 seats in Parliament is entitled to an office premises of around 2 acres. However, a party with over 200 seats is entitled to four acres of land for its office premises. This move was pending for a long time and finally, we have made the move."

Another leader said, "Our party president recently said that for most of the BJP's history, we lost more than we won. But the BJP did not give up after its string of losses. Many leaders and karyakartas worked towards getting us to a point where we have single-party majority in Lok Sabha and governments in 21 states. When we were allotted 11, Ashoka Road, we were not such a big party. But today, we have replaced the Congress as the natural party of governance in India. That we have a four-acre premise is a sign of changing times."Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday came out in support of simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies.

The MP chief minister announced that his government would form a special committee to study the feasibility of holding the civic and other elections in the state along with the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have pressed for simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to help save time and resources.

Several opposition parties, however, have opposed the idea, saying it was not realistic in the present situation.

"Elections take place every two or three months in the country. The polls held at different times hamper development. All the elections should take place simultaneously," Chouhan said at a press conference here.

The elections to the Lok Sabha, the Vidhan Sabha, gram panchayats, municipalities, zila panchayats, co-operative and others should be held together, he said, adding "the country should seriously think over this."

The chief minister said serious talks were underway in the country for electoral reforms, especially regarding holding all elections simultaneously.

"The prime minister had launched a campaign in this regard. President Ram Nath Kovind too had mentioned this in his address (to the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament in January)," Chouhan added.

"I feel this is not so easy. But I am of the view that Madhya Pradesh should also contribute to this thought," he said.

So, to look at the feasibility of holding all elections of the state along with the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the state government had decided to form a panel led by State Assembly Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra, he said.

"The committee will study and hold talks with a cross section of people for holding elections simultaneously. It is going to prepare a report," the chief minister said.

If the committee came out with worthwhile suggestions in three to four months, the state would forward the recommendations to the central government and the Election Commission, Chouhan added.New Delhi: Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang has refused to resign and said he would meet with BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi to form a more stable government in the state.

Zeliang heads the Naga People's Front (NPF) that won 29 seats together with its allies in the Assembly election on Saturday, two short of the majority mark.

The NPF was in power in Nagaland along with the BJP, but its former leader Neiphiu Rio broke off and formed the National Democratic Progress Party, BJPs new alliance partner. The NDPP and the BJP also won 29 seats but have also got the support of JD(U) and an independent.

"I was thinking he (Zeliang) will resign when he came to meet me today," Nagaland Governor PB Acharya told reporters. Acharya also said that Rio-led NDPP and the BJP have the majority in the state and should form the government.

The NDPP leader has claimed he has the support of 32 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly. Acharya said he has asked Rio to submit signatures of all the 32 MLAs supporting him by Monday.

Rio has the majority and should form the government, Acharya said after the meeting. The NDPP and the BJP have won 18 and 12 seats respectively while the lone JD(U) MLA G Kaito Aye and Independent legislator Tongpang Ozukum were backing the alliance, NDPP secretary general Abu Metha said.

Rio met the governor along with NDPP president Chingwang Konyak, BJP state president Visasolie Lhoungu, the JD(U) MLA and the Independent legislator, he said.Kohima: Neiphiu Rio has the majority and should form the government, Nagaland Governor P B Acharya said on Sunday after a meeting with the NDPP leader, who claimed he has the support of 32 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

Acharya said he has asked Rio to submit signatures of all the 32 MLAs supporting him by Monday.

A senior leader of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), an ally of the BJP, said Rio, in his meeting with the Governor, staked claim to form the government in Nagaland saying he has the support of 32 MLAs.

Rio has the majority and should form the government, Acharya said after the meeting. The NDPP and the BJP have won 18 and 12 seats respectively while the lone JD(U) MLA G Kaito Aye and Independent legislator Tongpang Ozukum were backing the alliance, NDPP secretary general Abu Metha said.

Rio met the governor along with NDPP president Chingwang Konyak, BJP state president Visasolie Lhoungu, the JD(U) MLA and the Independent legislator, he said.

Rio is a three-time chief minister of the state.New Delhi: Hitting out at Narendra Modi over his independent soldier jibe on Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh accused the prime minister of trying to create a wedge between him and the Congress leadership.

Modi, while addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters in Delhi after the poll results of three northeastern states, said "In Punjab, the Congress does not consider the chief minister as its own, as he marches on like an independent soldier.

Dismissing the remark as frivolous and unsubstantiated, Singh said the prime minister's comment was part of the BJP's "futile" attempt to create a wedge between him and the Congress high command ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Who told you that Narendra Modi Ji? Not me for sure. Did the Congress high command complain to you against me?

Anyways, let me make it clear that such frivolous statements won't help you create a wedge between me and my party, which has full faith in my leadership and vice versa, he said on Twitter.

Questioning the source of Modi's "information", he said, I don't remember complaining to him against the Congress high command. Did the high command go and complain to him against me?.

One really fails to understand what prompted Modi s ill-conceived and unfounded remark, he asked.

The chief minister said that neither he nor the Congress high command needed the prime minister's advice on how to manage their internal relations.

I know my business and I know how to run my state and manage my relationship with my party high command, which is more than one can say about the BJP leaders, he said.

Singh said that the Congress high command had full faith in his leadership and had given him a free hand to bring Punjab out of the mess into which the BJP, in alliance with SAD, had put the state.

As a loyal soldier of the Congress, which has a deep-rooted connect with the people across every state, the chief minister said he was leading it in Punjab in a truly democratic manner, as becoming of a party of the stature of the Indian National Congress, and as guided by the high command.

Contrary to what Modi would like to believe, the Congress is not a fly-by-night party which he could simply wish away, Singh said.

Declaring his party s complete readiness, under the leadership of its president Rahul Gandhi, to take on the BJP in the parliamentary elections next year, he said, And I am personally set to take this battle to the finish, Modi."

The chief minister said that the Modi's "jumlebaazi" (gimmicks) would not have any impact on either the Congress leadership, party workers, or citizens of the country.Srinagar: A week after Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti ordered a probe into allegations of nepotism over her cousin's appointment in Khadi Village Industries Board, the investigation is yet to start.

Mufti had instituted a probe committee and nominated chief secretary BB Vyas to head it, but the team is still awaiting an order from the government. "No government order is there yet. The chief minister has called for a probe and the order would be probably ready in few days, most probably by this week," said Khursheed Shah, commissioner secretary, General Administration Department.

The appointment of 37-year old Aroot Madni, Mufti's maternal cousin, had enraged other shortlisted candidates, who alleged he was favoured for the post of executive officer. The uproar prompted Madni, son of Sartaj Madni, vice-president of People's Democratic Party, to submit his resignation.

In a letter released to press, he said his father's "spotless public life was more important to him than a job which he got on merit." Nonetheless, he said he is giving it up as the other candidates selected on merit should not suffer.

However, the state's law secretary Abdul Majid Bhat, who was the controller of the examination for KVIB, has raised questions about the fairness of the selection process in a letter, which is in possession of News18.

The letter written to IGP of state' criminal investigation department - CID, states that the exam process was rigged right from the start. He wrote about "some unfair means" reported during the conduct of written exams and asked the CBI to conduct an in depth verification so that the examination process remains transparent.

But Peer Mansoor, vice chairman of KVIB and a close aide of Mufti, said proper recruitment rules were followed. "This is the fairest selection in the history of KVIB. We are nowhere in the picture. There is no question of any hanky panky," he said.

But there are still question marks over the process followed. For instance, 49 candidates were called for interview for three posts in the open merit category against prescribed 3 or 5 for every post.

"A ratio of three to one or maximum five to one is a norm to fill vacancies in the state but here they had a bus load of candidates for interview. Wonder what was the written test for if so many were to gatecrash the interview," said a dropped candidate.

Some candidates called for interview meant for open merit (OM) were drawn from scheduled tribe (ST) and Rural Backward Area (RBA) categories and eventually one ST candidate took up a place in OM. Rashid Qadri, KVIB secretary, said, "The ST candidate from Leh scored more than the OM candidate and that is why he figured in the list. We haven't deprived a seat to anyone meritorious."

News 18 spoke to dropped candidates who alleged the outsourcing of the exam to a private agency was to favour the influential. "The state recruitment agencies are credible and capable of holding fair exams for a large number of candidates. The private agency was employed to rig the exams," said one.

Another said that had KVIB engaged Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection and Recruitment Board - JKSSRB - which conducts all such exams for non-gazetted posts, selection would have been fair.

They said 60 marks instead of 80 were kept for written, 30 (it is otherwise 20) for interview and 10 for experience. "The weightage for experience was not used at all," another candidate said, adding "this was done to manipulate selection for the blue-eyed."

Qadri, however, argues selection process was fair. "Our vice chairman's nephew could not make it. It should tell the process was very transparent."

The candidates, however, want the list to be quashed and officials who were part of exams and selection process to be removed for a fair inquiry. "No inquiry can be fair if the officials are not removed. They can influence the inquiry," said a candidate.

"The controller examination has himself admitted the exams were not fair. So the list needs to be quashed and fresh dates for exams announced," the candidate added.

The KVIB had advertised various posts, including that of executive officer, on October 8, 2016.

The shortlisted candidates appeared in the written test in August 2017 and the interviews were held in the last week of January. The KVIB had placed an advertisement for 101 posts including six for Executive Officer in 2016. Approximately 60000 applications were entertained for the candidates to write the exams.Kolkata: After years of alleged crackdown and suppression by the CPI(M) government, the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) has managed to rally and win eight out of the nine seats it contested in.

The IPFT contested in the nine tribal reserved seats of Simna, Mandwai Bazar, Takarjala, Ampinagar, Manu, Raima valley, Ramchandra Ghat, Asharam bari, and Kanchanpur. Except for Manu, where CPI(M)s Pravat Chowdhury won, the IPFT swept the others.

In Simna, IPFTs Brishaketu Debbarma won by 15977 votes against CPI(M)s Pranab Debbarma (14014 votes), while in Mandaibazar, Dhirendra Debbarma won by 21381 votes against CPI (M)s Monoranjan Debbarma (15517 votes).

In Takarjala, IPFT founder Narendra Chandra Debbarma won by 22056 votes against CPI(M)s Ramendra Debbarma (9404 votes), while in Raima Valley, Dhananjoy Tripura won by 18673 votes while CPI (M)s Lalit Mohan Tripura got only 16751 votes.

Ramchandra Ghat, Asharam Bari and Kanchanpur seats were also comfortably secured by IPFTs Prasanta Debbarma (19439 votes), Mevar Kumar Jamatia (19188 votes) and Prem Kumar Reang (19448 votes). In Ampinagar, Sindhu Chandra Jamatia managed to upset the incumbent MLA, CPI(M)'s Daniel Jamatia.

This is in stark contrast to the partys fortunes in 2013 when it failed to win any seats and only got 0.46% of the total vote share.

IPFT is a tribal-based faction led by NC Debbarma. The party has long been asking for a separate state  Twipraland, the demand for which missing when they decided to contest the elections in alliance with the BJP on a minimum common program.

However, soon after securing victory in eight seats, IPFT working president NC Debbarma told News18, We are still sticking to our demand for a separate state of Twipraland. People voted for us only because we promised them adequate development in tribal areas and a separate state. Our party was founded on the principle of a separate state and this demand will always be present.

When asked how it feels to emerge as a key player in the Tripura politics, he said, I would like to thank the nearly 12 lakh tribal voters for trusting us. We are committed towards socio-economic, linguistic and cultural development of the indigenous people. A committee has already been formed by the central government to address issues of tribal people. We will focus more on skill development for the tribal youths and fill up of all tribal vacancies in the government departments, which was ignored by the Manik Sarkar-led government. You just cant ignore indigenous people if you are in Tripura politics.

Debbarma further added that the tribals took really well to the promises made by the BJP-IPFT alliance. Apart from the demand of a separate state, tribal people responded well to our promise to strengthen the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC). We promised to empower TTADC with more funds and various development projects. There will be 100 model villages with all modern amenities and Mini Special Economic Zones in TTADC areas. These are the visions we have planned for our tribal brothers and sisters. They were neglected by the CPI(M) government and now they have placed their trust in us. Therefore, it is now our responsibility to work for their welfare.

In 2017, IPFT came catapulted into the limelight after hundreds of its supporters blocked national highways and states lone railway track demanding the creation of Twipraland. It was founded in the late 1990s by Harinath Debbarma and NC Debbarma. Since then, they have been fighting for a separate state. While the Left Front government has for long opposed the party, the BJP played it right  without committing a separate state, they promised to look after all the socio-economic issues of the tribal people in Tripura.Washington: In the midst of a joke-filled monologue at a dinner with journalists, President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that the United States will be meeting with North Korea but has told Pyongyang it must first "denuke."

"Now we are talking and they, by the way, called up a couple of days ago. They said that  we would like to talk. And I said  So would we, but you have to denuke, you have to denuke," Trump told attendees at the annual Gridiron Club dinner.

"We will be meeting and we'll see if anything positive happens," he added.

It was unclear if Trump was joking or if formal US-North Korea talks were imminent.

"I won't rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un. I just won't," he said, referring to North Korea's leader.

Trump did, however, make a joke at his own expense.

"As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine," Trump said.

If a meeting were to come together, it would be the first between the Trump administration and Pyongyang, which are in a standoff over Norths development of nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States.

Trump's remarks came shortly before South Korea's presidency announced on Sunday that a high-level delegation of South Korean officials will travel to North Korea on Monday to discuss improving relations on the peninsula and possible talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

After the two-day visit to North Korea, the special envoys will travel to the United States to brief officials on their discussions in Pyongyang, South Korea's presidential Blue House said.

Last month, US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Uns sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, U.S. officials said in February.

They said the North Koreans had walked away after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions.

Signs of a North-South thaw have prompted speculation that it could lead to direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang after months of tension and exchanges of insults between Trump and Kim, that have fuelled fears of war.

North Korea has refrained from carrying out any weapons tests since late November when it tested its largest intercontinental ballistic missile.

Trump's remarks on North Korea came toward the end of a 30-minute speech in his first press dinner since taking office 13 months ago. Gridiron Club members don wigs and costumes to perform satirical skits skewering the president and Washington political class, a tradition dating back to 1885.

Presidents typically deliver a humorous speech at the event and do not disclose new policy initiatives. Trump rattled off a series of jokes that got plenty of laughs, skewering members of his own Cabinet like Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who were all present in the Washington hotel ballroom.Longyearbyen (Norway): Designed to withstand a nuclear missile hit, the world's biggest seed vault, nestled deep inside an Arctic mountain, is undergoing a makeover as rising temperatures melt the permafrost meant to protect it.

Dubbed the "Noah's Ark" of food crops, the Global Seed Vault is buried inside a former coal mine on Svalbard, a remote Arctic island in a Norwegian archipelago around 1,000 kilometres (650 miles) from the North Pole.

Opened in 2008, the seed bank plays a key role in preserving the world's genetic diversity: it is home to more than a million varieties of seeds, offering a safety net in case of natural catastrophe, war, climate change, disease or manmade disasters.

But warmer temperatures have disrupted the environment around the vault. In an unexpected development, the permafrost, which was meant to help keep the temperature inside the vault at a constant -18 Celsius (-0.4 Fahrenheit), melted in 2016.

"The summer season was (warmer) than expected. We had water intrusions in the (access) tunnel that could be related to climate change," Asmund Asdal, one of the seed bank's coordinators, told AFP.

The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, scientific studies show. And while Europe is at the moment experiencing a subzero cold spell, the North Pole recently registered above-zero temperatures, 30 degrees higher than normal.

Scientists say warm spells like this are occurring with increasing frequency in the Arctic.

Norway recently announced it would contribute 100 million kroner (10 million euros, $12.5 million) to improve the repository in a bid to protect the precious seeds.

"We want to be sure that the seed vault will be cold throughout the whole year, even if the temperature continues to increase in Svalbard," Norway's Agriculture Minister Jon Georg Dale told AFP.

The vault's raison d'etre was recently highlighted by the war in Syria, when scientists were able to withdraw seeds after a seed bank in Aleppo was destroyed in a bombing.

Swirling waters, thick doors

To access the heart of the vault where the seeds are stored, authorised visitors must first pass through heavy doors and a concrete, 120-metre (393-foot) tunnel, giving the chilling impression of delving into an Arctic abyss.

The tunnel leads to three cold chambers protected by locked gates. Inside each one, seeds from all over the world are stored in sealed plastic boxes labelled with the country of origin and the variety.

Outside, nothing betrays the presence of the storage site so vital to humanity, apart from a monumental entrance: the narrow cement-and-steel rectangular portal juts out of the snow-covered mountainside, illuminated with artwork made of mirrors and bits of metal that create a colourful prism visible for miles around.

On the mountain, workers' cabins dot the slope amid construction cranes and machinery, soiling the otherwise pristine white landscape.

Renovations to shore up the fortress are already underway. The improvements will enable it to "handle the climate for the next decades", said Dale.

The access tunnel will be reinforced, and a cabin will be built near the site to house the technical materials that can generate heat  to prevent a recurrence of melting permafrost.

At the foot of the mountain, the fjord's swirling waters are a worrying indication of the state of the climate, according to Marie Haga of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, one of the seed vault's three partners alongside Nordic gene bank NordGen and the Norwegian government.

"When I came after 1985, the fjord was completely frozen," she recalled.Berlin: Germany's second-biggest party will announce on Sunday the result of their members' high-stakes vote on whether to join Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition, a decision that will determine her future after five months of political stalemate.

The leadership of the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) hammered out a hard-fought deal with Merkel's conservative bloc in February.

But with the SPD bitterly divided internally over its way forward following abysmal election results in September, it had also promised its more than 460,000 cardholders the final say on the accord.

If the rank-and-file of the 153-year-old labour party gives the thumbs up, Merkel could launch her fourth government by mid-March.

If they torpedo the deal, Europe's biggest economy faces snap elections that could hasten an end to Merkel's leadership after 12 years in power.

The SPD's leadership is appealing to members' sense of responsibility to voters as it urges them to approve the coalition deal.

Party chiefs also argue that they have wrested a maximum amount of concessions from the conservatives, including control over the crucial finance and foreign ministries.

A survey published by YouGov in the final days of the voting, which began on February 20 and closed Friday, suggested that the yes camp is slightly ahead, with 56 percent of SPD supporters among the public backing a new partnership with Merkel.

It is not clear whether card-carrying SPD members are equally open to the deal.

Top SPD politicians including Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel have also voiced confidence that members will plump for a new round in government.

But the SPD's young members have spearheaded a rebellion, with the party's youth wing leader criss-crossing the country over the last weeks making an impassioned case against the coalition.

They argue that governing for another four years under Merkel's shadow would sound the death knell for the party.

Walking away from Merkel and her Christian Democratic Union party is, however, not without risks for the SPD  especially if the veteran leader keeps to her preferred option of calling snap elections as opposed to pursuing a never-before-tried minority government.

Latest polls show that the SPD's support has further plunged, reaching as low as 16 percent -- on par with the far-right AfD, whose anti-immigration campaign platform captured the votes of Germans unsettled by the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers since 2015.

Spiegel weekly noted that the poor figures have "terrified many" in the SPD and could spur them to go for the lesser evil of joining forces with Merkel again.

If the yes-sayers carry the day, it will likely be a rockier term ahead for Merkel, as the two coalition partners would have only a slim 56 per cent (399 out of total 709) of seats in parliament, far down from the crushing majority they enjoyed in the previous four years.

In a sign of the reluctant collaboration, the two sides have agreed on a clause to review their cooperation in two years.

Merkel, once the seemingly invincible leader of her party and the nation, is believed to be in the twilight of her reign as she is weakened by her protracted struggle to put together a viable coalition.

For the chancellor, who is under pressure within her party to rejuvenate her ranks, the clock is essentially ticking to groom her successor.

At a congress this week, her party formally appointed its new general secretary, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, tapped by Merkel to kickstart the renewal process.Karachi: Krishna Kumari Kolhi from Pakistan's Sindh province has become the first-ever Hindu Dalit woman Senator in the Muslim-majority country, according to a media report on Sunday.

Kolhi, 39, from Thar is a member of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). She won the election for the reserved seat for women from Sindh province, Dawn News reported.

Her election represents a major milestone for women and minority rights in Pakistan. Earlier, PPP had elected first Hindu woman named Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla as a senator.

Kolhi belongs to a remote village in Nagarparkar district of Thar in Sindh province.

Born to a poor peasant, Jugno Kolhi, in February 1979, Kolhi and her family members spent nearly three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district. She was a grade 3 student at the time when held captive.

She was married to Lalchand at the age of 16, when she was studying in 9th grade. However, she pursued her studies and in 2013 she did masters in sociology from the Sindh University. She had joined the PPP as a social activist along with her brother, who was later elected as Chairman of Union Council Berano.

Kolhi also actively participated and worked for the rights of downtrodden people of marginalised communities living in Thar and other areas.

She is from the family of the valiant freedom fighter Rooplo Kolhi, who had waged a war against the invading British colonialist forces when they had attacked Sindh from Nagarparkar side in 1857. Subsequently, he was arrested and hanged by the Britishers on August 22, 1858.

Pakistan's ruling PML-N of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday won 15 seats in Senate and became the largest party in the upper house of Parliament, according to the provisional results.

Provincial and federal lawmakers voted to elect 52 Senators in the Senate elections, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Twelve seats each from Punjab and Sindh, 11 each from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, four from tribal region and two from federal capital territory were up for grab due to retirement of 52 senators this month. More than 130 candidates, including those nominated by political parties and independent candidates were in the contest.Rome: Italians began voting on Sunday in one of the country's most uncertain elections ever, with far-right and populist parties expected to make major gains and Silvio Berlusconi set to play a leading role.

Clashes between far-right and anti-fascist activists have marred a gloomy campaign dominated by fears about immigration and economic malaise. "It has been a very negative campaign," said Domenico Coricelli, a 28-year-old in Florence.

Many Italians are cynical about election promises made by the country's many squabbling parties and confused about what the outcome might be. "We hope something will change because until now things have been very bad," said Enzo Gallo, an elderly shopper at a street market in Milan.

"The middle class no longer exists, the poor are becoming poorer, the rich are becoming richer and there is no social justice," he told AFP.

The result could be a stalemate between the populist Five Star Movement, three-time former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing coalition and the ruling centre-left Democratic Party. The last opinion polls before the vote put Berlusconi's coalition in the lead with 37 percent, followed by the Five Star Movement with 28 percent and the centre-left with 27 percent.

But under a new electoral law being tried out for the first time, any grouping would need at least 40 percent of the vote to command an overall majority of seats in both chambers of parliament.

"These elections are a lottery. It's been the case before but never like today," said Roberto D'Alimonte, head of political science at Rome's Luiss University.

Polls opened at 0600 GMT and will close at 2200 GMT with initial results expected early on Monday.

BERLUSCONI'S BACK

A remarkable feature of the election has been the return to the limelight of 81-year-old Berlusconi, despite a political career overshadowed by sex scandals and legal woes. The billionaire tycoon cannot himself hold office because of a tax fraud conviction but has put forward European Parliament President Antonio Tajani as his prime ministerial nominee.

Berlusconi's plans, however, face a challenge from his ambitious coalition partner, League leader Matteo Salvini, whose anti-immigration and eurosceptic rhetoric has fired up the campaign.

Salvini has said he should be nominated prime minister if his party comes ahead of Berlusconi's and their coalition as a whole wins a majority.

Berlusconi and Salvini have promised to expel 600,000 illegal migrants from Italy if they win power  a proposal that the centre-left has dismissed as logistically impossible.

'PURE POPULISM'

The election has drawn international attention, including from former White House adviser Steve Bannon  the man who harnessed the populist insurgency that propelled Donald Trump to power. Italy's election "epitomises everything, it is pure populism," Bannon said in an interview with the New York Times last week.

Bannon, who is visiting Italy as part of a European tour, told the paper: "The Italian people have gone farther, in a shorter period of time, than the British did for Brexit and the Americans did for Trump".

He called a potential alliance between the Five Star Movement and the League  a scenario that has spooked financial markets and European capitals  the "ultimate dream".

Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi told a final campaign event in his native Florence on Friday that only a vote for his party would prevent Salvini from taking power.

"The Democratic Party is the only serious political force that can bring concrete results," Chiara Serdone, a 70-year-old retired railway company employee, told AFP at the rally.

SCENARIOS

If no party wins an overall majority, one scenario outlined by analysts could be a grand coalition between the Democratic Party and Forza Italia -- a prospect that would reassure investors but risks spreading more cynicism and emboldening populists and the far-right.

Another possibility could be a temporary government and eventually new elections.

The anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which has drawn support from Italians disillusioned with traditional parties, may end up as the single biggest party but has ruled out any post-election deals with the others.

Five Star's leader Luigi Di Maio broke with tradition by announcing a full list of ministerial nominees ahead of the vote, including many academics with no political experience. The 31-year-old Di Maio told supporters: "Some people have mocked this decision but we will be the ones laughing on Monday."Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will discuss the possibility of US President Donald Trump attending the May opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem when he meets Trump tomorrow.

Netanyahu made the comment late Saturday before boarding a flight to the United States.

"I'll definitely discuss with him that possibility," Netanyahu said in response to a journalist's question on whether he planned to invite Trump for the occasion.

"I'm very grateful to him for this historic decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to move the American embassy to Jerusalem on our independence day," he said.

The May 14 date of the embassy opening coincides with the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel.

For Palestinians, the date represents the anniversary of the Nakba, or "catastrophe", in which hundreds of thousands either fled or were expelled from their homes in the war surrounding Israel's creation.

Trump's December 6 Jerusalem declaration outraged Palestinians and broke with decades of international consensus that the disputed city's status must be negotiated between the two sides.

Other countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv.

The new embassy will initially be located in a US consular building in Jerusalem while Washington searches for a permanent location.

Israel occupied mainly Palestinian east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community. It sees the entire city as its capital.

The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.Seoul: South Korea will dispatch a delegation led by senior security officials for a two-day visit to North Korea starting Monday, the presidential Blue House announced Sunday, as US President Donald Trump hinted that he is ready to talk to Pyongyang.

For its part, North Korea said it was not begging to talk with Washington and denounced upcoming US-South Korean joint-military exercises, warning that it would take counter measures against the United States if they went ahead.

The drills will take place next month, a South Korean presidential security adviser said according to the Yonhap news agency. They had been delayed until after the Winter Olympics and Paralympic games in South Korea.

South Korea's presidential Blue House said in a statement that National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Suh Hoon, a veteran of past negotiations with the North, will be among the 10-member South Korean delegation visiting Pyongyang.

The visit was part of an effort to lower tensions on the Korean peninsula as well as possibly arrange talks between North Korea and the United States, it said.

After the visit to North Korea the envoys will travel to the United States to brief officials, and Seoul said it would also coordinate closely with officials in Japan and China.

During a joke-filled monologue at a dinner with journalists in Washington on Saturday, Trump suggested that the United States will be meeting with North Korea but has told Pyongyang it must first "denuke."

"We will be meeting and we'll see if anything positive happens," he added.

It was unclear if Trump was joking or if formal U.S.-North Korea talks were imminent.

Speaking on Sunday in Beijing ahead of the opening of China's parliament, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui said China hoped the United States and North Korea could begin dialogue too.

"War and chaos on the peninsula in not in the interests of any side," Zhang said.

Last month, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Uns sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, U.S. officials said in February.

North Korea reiterated on Saturday that it was willing to talk to the United States but said it would never sit with any precondition.

A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman was quoted by KCNA as saying "we will neither beg for dialogue nor evade the military option claimed by the U.S."

A commentary published by North Korea's official KCNA news agency warned that North Korea would "counter the U.S." if joint military drills go forward.

The Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang last month gave a boost to recent engagement between the two Koreas after more than a year of sharply rising tensions over the North's missile programme and its sixth and largest nuclear test in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in hopes to capitalize on that thaw in relations by arranging talks over North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programme.

During a phone call on Thursday, Moon told Trump of his plan to send a special envoy to North Korea in response to an invitation from leader Kim Jong Un.

In sending an envoy to Pyongyang, Moon said he would be seeking to reciprocate Kim Jong Un's decision to send a senior delegation, including his sister, Kim Yo Jong, to the Olympics, marking the first visit by a member of the North's ruling bloodline since the 1950-53 Korean War.

The White House has said any talks with North Korea must lead to an end of its nuclear programme, and on Feb. 23, the United States said it was imposing its largest package of sanctions to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programmes.

At the time, Trump also warned of a "phase two" that could be "very, very unfortunate for the world" if the steps did not work.NEW MILFORD  In its 100-year history, a papier-mache horse named Chief Waramaug Green has appeared in a national fashion advertisement, greeted countless visitors outside of Greens Warehouse and become a fan favorite at the historical societys museum.

That legacy will be celebrated with a birthday party at the Historical Society from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Guests will be able to share their memories about Chief Waramaug, enjoy cake and peruse old photos of the horse that arent usually displayed. A new watercolor will also be unveiled for the exhibit.

Everyone knew about him, said Amie Walston, the historical societys registrar. Im trying to resurrect that.

The white horse was brought in by rail in 1918 and spent every day outside of Greens Warehouse on Bridge Street until 1986, when the warehouse closed and it was donated to the historical society. He had long since become a landmark, with travelers being told to look out for the horse on the porch.

Sherman Dudley Green had acquired the warehouse in 1912, when the tobacco industry was at its peak, and introduced the horse when he added saddlery products.

Display horses were a common thing at hardware stores and tack shops, but the fact that hes 100 years old shows he was well cared for, Walston said.

The horse has a wooden frame, but is otherwise just papier-mache and many coats of paint.

Perry Van Ness Green, the last owner of the warehouse, is credited with giving the horse his name, drawing from the popularity of nearby Lake Waramaug during the mid-1900s. Many tourists would stop in the warehouse while vacationing at the lake and marvel at the old-fashioned atmosphere.

Green would also spin tales for his guests, adding elements of fantasy to the horses story, such as saying he was a descendant of famous racing horses from the area.

Chief Waramaug was even the backdrop for a fashion advertisement that ran in Womens Wear Daily in 1954.

Walston said the horse is also a symbol of New Milford, almost as recognizable as the bandstand on the Green.

He stands for that rural town thats sort of fading away, she said.

Walston has already started gathering stories. She spoke with one resident who worked at the warehouse as a teenager and remembers painting the horse with leftover paint.

She hopes Saturdays event inspires more people to share their memories of Chief Waramaug. Some plans include compiling the stories into a book and partnering with Connecticut Crossroads Oral History so people can hear the accounts.

He ignites this feeling of nostalgia with the townspeople who grew up here, Walston said.

Another hope is to raise money to better preserve the horse so he can last another century.

Were excited and we want to carry that legacy on, she said.

Chief Waramaug has already connected with another generation as school groups visit the museum.

Walston said children call the museum on rainy days to ask if Waramaug has a raincoat.

Hes almost like a character of his own, she said.BETHEL  The Red Cross is helping a local family after a fire damaged a Waterhorse Brook Drive home on Friday.

The two adults will receive comfort kits with personal care items, such as toothbrushes, deodorant, shaving supplies and other necessities they may have lost. Red Cross also provides a recovery envelope with tips on cleanup, important contacts and information on how to deal with damaged items.Monday

The Valley Shore Toastmasters: meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Madison Senior Center (cafe), 29 Bradley Road. Email valleyshoretm@yahoo.com or visit http://valleyshore.toastmastersclubs.org.

Tuesday

The Milford Chamber of Commerce Tuesday Morning Leads Group: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681.

The Rotary Club of Hamden: meets each Tuesday. For meeting time and location please visit the calendar section of their website at www.hamdenctrotary.org.

The Nutmeg Chapter of Toastmasters International: meets at 7 p.m. at The Willows Care and Rehab Center, 225 Amity Road, Woodbridge. Visit http://764.toastmastersclubs.org.

The New Haven chapter of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America: meets at 6 p.m. at Brazis Restaurant, 201 Sargent Drive, New Haven. Dinner is $30. Call 203-234-9542.

The Rotary Club of New Haven: meets at 12:15 p.m. at the Graduate Club, 155 Elm St. Call 203-624-3197.

The Rotary Club of North Haven: meets at 7:15 a.m. at the Breakfast Nook, 448 Washington Ave. Visit www.nhrotary.org.

Wednesday

The Rotary Club of Branford: meets from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. at the Parthenon Diner, 374 E. Main St., Branford. Call 203-315-2444, ext. 450.

The Devon Rotary: meets at 7:30 a.m. at the Bridge House Restaurant, 49 Bridgeport Ave., Milford. Visit www.devonrotary.org.

The Milford Chamber of Commerce Wednesday Morning Leads Group: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681.

The Rotary Club of Guilford: meets at 12:15 p.m. at The Maritime Grille, 2548 Boston Post Road, Guilford. Call 203-453-0774.

The Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association: meets at 11 a.m. at 192 Dixwell Ave. Call 203-562-2193.

The Rotary Club of Wallingford: meets at 12:10 p.m. at Il Monticello, 577 S. Broad St., Meriden. Call 203-235-3816.

North Branford Rotary: meets at 6 p.m. at Nataz, 2025 Foxon Road. Call 203-484-7707.

The Greater New Haven Breakfast Club: meets at 8 a.m. at Clarks Pizza & Restaurant, 68 Whitney Ave., New Haven. Email info@rosnerdoherty.com.

The Rotary Club of West Haven: meets at 12:15 p.m. at Apps Ristorante, 283 Captain Thomas Blvd.

Thursday

The Middlesex County Toastmasters: meets from 7-8:30 p.m., Wesleyan University, Exley Science Center (Woodhead Lounge), 265 Church St., Middletown, http://middlesex.toastmastersclubs.org.

The Madison Rotary Club: meets at 8 a.m. at the Madison Senior Center, 29 Bradley Road. Call Robert Anderson, 203-907-9032.

The Milford Chamber of Commerces Health & Wellness Council: meets at 8:30 a.m. at the chamber, 5 Broad St. Call 203-878-0661.

The Clinton Rotary Club: meets 6:30 p.m. at Clinton Country Club, Old Westbrook Road. Call Dee Tully at 860-388-7013.

The East Haven Rotary Club: meets at 5:45 p.m. at Twin Pines Diner Restaurant, 34 Main St., East Haven.

The Milford Rotary Club meets: from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at Gusto Restaurant, 255 Boston Post Road. Visit www.milfordrotary.org.

Friday

The Orange Rotary Club: meets at 12:15 p.m. at Racebrook Country Club, 246 Derby Ave. Call 203-799-2327.

The Woodbridge Rotary Club: meets at 12:15 p.m. for a luncheon meeting at Woodbridge Social, 12 Selden St., Woodbridge. For more information, call Mary Ellen LaRocca at 203-389-3429.

The Milford Chamber of Commerce Friday Morning Leads Group: meets at 11 a.m. at the Chamber, 5 Broad St., Milford. Call 203-878-0681.HAMDEN  Cassidy Morgan, 13, put on a suit and eyeglasses Saturday night and displayed prisoner number 7053 to portray one of her favorite civil rights icons.

Cassidy transformed into Rosa Parks during a Black History celebration at Mount Zion Seventh-day Adventist Church, and also recited meaningful quotes from Parks that Cassidy memorized. Her favorite among them was Stand up for something or you will fall for everything. Todays mighty oak is yesterdays nut that held its ground.

Morgan said, We wouldnt be able to do what we want now if she didnt stand up.

The 90-minute program Saturday was centered around youth in the church, but attended by people of all ages.

The program Saturday featured representations of other historical civil rights figures, monologues, songs  including the black national anthem  and youth praise dancers.

As part of the religion, which celebrates the Sabbath on Saturday until sundown, those afternoons are always focused on the youth.

But this one, a tradition, is always special because the subject is dear to many.

Its important for the youth to understand the salvation of people also resides in our actions, said church member Dianne Spence.

Spence said its important for youth to know the history of the struggle because they learn, If they did it (achieved) in a difficult time, we can do it.

Robin Gordons daughter, Kira, 11 is among the praise dancers.

I think its important because its a positive outlet, she said of the dancing that was part of the program.

The dancers, who practiced intensely for the program Saturday night, performed to John Legends song, Glory, the lyrics to which speak of the civil rights struggle.

The lyrics say, in part: Justice for all just aint specific enough.

One son died, his spirit is revisitin us.

Truant livin livin in us, resistance is us.

Thats why Rosa sat on the bus.

Thats why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up.

Church member George Morgan Sr. said hes not only proud of his daughter, Cassidy, but all the other youth as well.

He said its important for the youth to know black history.

Lest you forget from where you come, youll be driving aimlessly without a set destination, Morgan said.

Of the program Saturday evening, Morgan said, It makes you appreciate the journey and each other. Its a testament to what tolerance and deep-rooted faith in God can produce.When you're a celebrity, you get free stuff. When you're an Oscar-nominated celebrity, you get even more free stuff. We're talking, of course, about the annual Academy Awards swag bag  the contents of which wealthy celebrities probably scoff at, but us laypeople love to ogle.

The freebies in this year's bag are appropriately egregious, and, sometimes, unsettlingly random. A 12-night all-expenses paid adventure in Tanzania? Sure. A pallet of Jarritos Mexican soda donated to the charitable cause of one's choice  say what?

Marketing company Distinctive Assets puts the bags together each year, and has been doing so for nearly two decades. The bags aren't actually authorized by the Academy Awards. The Academy sued Distinctive Assets in 2016 for tacking the Oscars name onto a product unaffiliated with the official organization.

That explains why Distinctive Assets' press release this year referred to the freebies as "'Everyone Wins' Nominee Gift Bags," and came with a yellow box at the top explaining the gifts are "NOT affiliated in any way with the Oscars."

Story continues below.

It went on: "Neither the Academy nor Distinctive Assets wants there to be any association between the 'Everyone Wins' Gift Bags and the Oscars or the Academy." Huh.

The non-Oscar-Oscar swag bags seem to be in the name of corporate advertisement, but that doesn't mean it's any less enjoyable to marvel at the objects contained within. Scroll through the above gallery to see some of the most outrageous items in the 2018 "Everyone Wins" gift bags.

In the weeks leading up to the big night, the gift bags will be delivered to nominees in the categories of best actor and actress, best supporting actor and actress, and best director.

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.A growing number of reproductive-age women are taking prescription medication to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, data show, but doctors warn the effects of such drugs on pregnancies are largely unknown.

The number of privately insured women nationwide between the ages of 15 and 44 who filled a prescription for an ADHD medication soared 344 percent from 2003 to 2015, from 0.9 percent to 4 percent, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ADHD medication use increased among all age brackets within that group and in all geographic regions, data show.

The biggest spikes were seen in women ages 25 to 29, among which medication use jumped 700 percent, from 0.5 percent in 2003 to 4 percent in 2015. The second-largest increase was among women ages 30 to 34, which had a 560 percent increase from 0.5 percent to 3.3 percent, according to the CDC.

Half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, and women may be taking prescription medication early in pregnancy before they know they are pregnant, Coleen Boyle, director of the CDCs National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in a statement. Early pregnancy is a critical time for the developing baby. We need to better understand the safest ways to treat ADHD before and during pregnancy.

ADHD, a disorder that makes it difficult to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors, is commonly diagnosed in children but can extend into adulthood. About 10 million adults have ADHD, according to the National Resource Center on ADHD. It can be associated with depression, mood or conduct disorders, substance abuse and difficulties with executive function and working memory in adults.

While medications  typically stimulants  can provide a great deal of help for those living with ADHD, childbearing-age women should proceed cautiously, experts warn, because the drugs effects on pregnancies and fetuses have not been researched much.

While anyone taking ADHD medications should be aware of side effects and consequences, women of childbearing age should be especially careful, said David Ezell, CEO of Darien Wellness, who treats clients with ADHD.

Women who are trying to get pregnant should be mindful of any and all prescription meds and supplements, as they could affect the fetus detrimentally, Ezell said.

Those who want to stop a medication should speak to their prescriber about possible alternatives, said Dr. Bollepalli Bo Subbarao, attending psychiatrist at Hartford Hospitals Institute of Living and vice president of the Connecticut State Medical Society. Non-stimulant and non-medication options are available, he said.

To ensure they are on the best course of treatment, patients need to be proactive and have an honest conversation with their prescriber, which often doesnt happen, he said.

According to the CDC, which examined a database of women with private health insurance, the most frequently filled ADHD prescriptions in 2015 were for amphetamine salts, lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate.

All three medications are stimulants, and the manufacturers of each advise women to consult a doctor about using the drugs while pregnant. All three are pregnancy Category C drugs, which, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, means: Studies on animals have shown an adverse effect on a fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefit may warrant their use in pregnancy despite potential risks.

While it is increasingly common for women to be prescribed ADHD medications, pregnancy-related research remains scarce, according to the CDC.

A study published in December in the journal JAMA Psychiatry found that infants of mothers who took methylphenidate during the first trimester had a 28 percent increased prevalence of heart malformations compared to those who werent exposed to the drug. Two other studies published in November found that babies exposed to ADHD drugs in utero had higher instances of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admissions, seizures and congenital hypotonia (decreased muscle tone) compared with babies who werent exposed.

Prescribers  who these days can be primary care physicians, pediatricians, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, advance practice registered nurses or others  dont always take the time to explain a medications full implications to patients, Subbarao said.

The dialogue that has to go on between the patient and the prescriber may not be happening adequately, he said. I take this as a very serious matter; Im very careful in terms of initiating anyone on any type of medication.

The decision to stop a medication should be made in consultation with a health care professional and stimulants used to treat ADHD should never be stopped cold turkey, Subbarao said.

It has to be gradually tapered and the person has to be monitored more frequently, he said. Stopping a stimulant suddenly can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as severe depression, a return of previous ADHD symptoms and even suicidal thoughts, Subbarao said.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (c-hit.org)When someone seeks medical care for food poisoning in Connecticut, it triggers a series of actions designed to protect the health of the public.

A health professional follows up with an interview about what that person ate, and the incident is reported to the state in a system that local health departments can access in real time. And if another person falls ill after eating at the same place, the Department of Health is called and an investigation is opened into the restaurant.

Similar processes are in place for chicken pox, carbon monoxide poisoning, syphilis and 79 other conditions. Thats because theyre on the state list of reportable diseases, emergency illnesses and health conditions, which mandates which conditions must be reported by health professionals. Cases of West Nile virus, which killed three people in Connecticut between 2000 and 2016, must be reported.

But opioid overdoses, which claimed more than 1,000 lives in Connecticut last year?

Not on the list.

This is in spite of efforts by a local health official and nonprofits to have overdoses added to the list of reportable conditions.

Every year, the Department of Public Health Advisory Committee meets to review proposed changes to the list of reportable diseases. At the meeting for the 2018 list, David Knauf of the Darien Health Department, Jeff Holland and Ingrid Gillespie of the Connecticut Prevention Network based out of Stamford and Shane Lockwood of the Plainville-Southington Health District traveled to Hartford in an attempt to sway the committee. The local health professionals believed overdoses should be added to the list.

There is no mechanism for reporting overdoses. None at all, Knauf said.

This means that, even as an opioid pandemic sweeps Connecticut, the state has very little data on how many overdoses actually occur. At the end of the year, the medical examiner issues a report on how many people died from opioid overdoses. But that report does not include people who survive. Instead, health departments are forced to grapple with a problem that is largely unseen until its too late.

Because the opioid epidemic is rapidly evolving, it would help if departments could monitor overdoses, Norwalk Director of Public Health Deanna DAmore said. If overdoses were labeled a reportable disease, the information would come in directly to the departments. We have a system called Maven  so we could easily pull that information from the health department side.

Dr. Byron Kennedy, the New Haven health director, also supported legislation to add opioid overdoses to the list of reportable conditions.

It is imperative that health departments are provided accurate and timely information on these overdoses, the health department reported to the Board of Health Commissioners.

More Information Significant holes in overdose data In 2017, over 1,000 people died of overdoses in Connecticut. However, data on nonlethal overdoses is scant. In 2017, state police received 83 calls for service that resulted in the administering of Narcan. Twenty-seven of those were in the Western District, which includes Fairfield County. In the past two years, the Norwalk Fire Department has administered Narcan 18 times. See More Collapse

The scourge of fentanyl has accelerated the urgent need for data describing just about every aspect of overdose cases, whether fatal or not, so health officials can start tracking and preventing them, New

Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp said. That means the states mandatory reporting requirements should be adjusted, which would seem to be the administrative purview of DPH, but if a legislative directive is

necessary, so be it.

Every letter written to the commissioner on the subject supported adding overdoses to the list. The level of attention was unusual for the committee, which usually proceeds without controversy. The state epidemiologist at the meeting said it was the first time hes had people testify ever for a request, Knauf said.

But when the updated list of reportable conditions was emailed out in January, the only condition that was added was ventilator-associated events, which can lead to pneumonia. The Department of Health did not respond to a request to comment on why opioid overdoses were not added to the list, but minutes from the meeting showed concerns over the best way to capture overdose information. Michael Parry, a Stamford Hospital doctor who was present at the meeting as an expert in infectious disease, said he believed that further discussions were probably needed about the optimal ways to gather data.

Now the Knauf, Holland and Gillespie are lobbying state lawmakers to create legislation requiring that overdose poisonings be added to the list.

State Rep. Terrie Wood, R-Darien, said the public health committee planned to raise a bill within the next three weeks.

Its important to have the number of overdoses that do not result in death, she said. Because that number is unknown.

For years, legislators came up with a list of responsibilities for local health departments, Knauf said. And number one in the 10 essential services is to monitor the health status of the community to identify and solve local health problems. And to me, this screams for having data on local overdoses, in real time. Without that information, we cannot do the number-one defined responsibility that we have.

Congress is currently allocating $6 billion from the two-year federal budget for addiction recovery and mental health. It has yet to be determined what types of programs will receive that money, and when U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and Rep. Jim Himes sat down with advocates from Fairfield county to hear their thoughts on how the funds should be used, some frustration was expressed at the lack of data.

We have great difficulty in getting real-time data on the magnitude of the issue because of the way overdoses are recorded or not recorded, noted Dariens first selectman, Jayme Stevenson.

However, some medical professionals believe that reporting opioid overdoses would not be enough.

Patrick Broderick, a doctor at Danbury Hospital who has worked in emergency medicine for three decades, said that he saw many patients with substance abuse disorders who had not overdosed.

The people who take Narcan for an overdose are really a fraction of the problem, Broderick said. He believed somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of the patients he saw in the emergency room suffered from a substance abuse disorder, which includes opiate abuse but could also refer to misuse of other drugs.

But he and Knauf agreed on one thing. What we can kind of generalize is deaths due to overdoses are just the tip of the iceberg, Knauf said."She has become the first ever Hindu Dalit woman senator in a Muslim majority country", said Pakistan People's Party in a statement.

Opposition candidate Krishna Kumari Kohli's surprise victory stirred a wave of optimism on social media, as Pakistanis celebrated the rare win for a woman from a marginalised community that lies at the bottom of the Hindu caste hierarchy.

"Kudos to PPP for electing #KrishnaKohli".

Kumari was elected to a reserved seat for women from Sindh, along with Quratulain Marri.

She was selected for the third Mehergarh Human Rights Youth Leadership Training Camp held in 2007 in Islamabad during which she covered an overview of people's movements in the world, history of social movements in Pakistan and a thorough understanding of the governance system in the country.

Ms. Kolhi belongs to a remote village in Nagarparkar district of Thar in Sindh province.

Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla from Jacobabad was the first Hindu woman to be elected to the Senate on a PPP ticket in March 2006.

Diputado rionegrino de Cambiemos presento su propio proyecto para legalizar el aborto

El proyecto, al que accedio parlamentario.com, es encabezado por el rionegrino Sergio Wisky (Pro), quien ademas es medico. Este punto, no incluido en el proyecto de la Campana, promete ser controvertido.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) Updates FY18 Earnings Guidance

BidaskClub upgraded shares of Wingstop from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Saturday, February 10th. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,926 shares in the company, valued at $84,801.78.

DP Ruto backs conservation of Mau water tower

Through a tweet on Saturday, The DP said the main concern of all leaders in the country is purely service delivery with diligence at the doorstep of Kenyan citizens.

Born to a poor peasant, Jugno Kolhi, in February 1979, Ms. Kolhi and her family members spent almost three years in a private jail owned by the landlord of Kunri of Umerkot district. She was studying in grade 3 then.

She attributes her success to her parents, who encouraged her to pursue her education and eventually helped her to earn a university degree.

Ms. Kolhi also actively participated and worked for the rights of downtrodden people of marginalised communities living in Thar and other areas. Subsequently, he was arrested and hanged by the British on August 22, 1858.

Kohli's win followed a secret round of voting by members of the parliament and provincial assemblies, in what is largely seen as insider horse trading ahead of elections due this summer. Kolhi, 39, from Thar, is a member of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz party won 15 seats in Saturday's elections, taking its tally in the Senate up to 33.

More than 130 candidates, including those nominated by political parties and independent candidates were in the contest.MILFORD  After what they referred to as countless hours of investigating a threat on social media last week against Jonathan Law High School, police determined all claims were disproved and found to be false.

Yet, the story continued to spin on Facebook among adults in the community.

As strongly worded as the police disclaimer was, some parents wrote they were keeping their kids out of school Friday just in case  the day a threat was alleged to be present. And some alleged a cover-up by officials while others hinted at a downright conspiracy.

Thats why Facebook should be used for sharing family pictures and why Police Chief Keith Mellos reverse 911 system and other official communications should be the source of emergency information, said John DeCarlo, chairman of the University of New Havens criminal justice department.

Things like this take on a life of their own, when unfiltered information is spread, and social media exacerbates that human tendency, DeCarlo said.

He said the concept of social facilitation of information is nothing new and referenced a book as early as 1841 entitled: Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.

In its most basic form, that social facilitation of information starts with I tell you something, you tell someone else, and so on.

He said the stock market didnt have to crash in 1929, but everyone panicked at news and sold. He said the same was true of determining some people were witches  as fact mixed with opinions and unsubstantiated claims to twist perceived reality.

Now the ability to foster these extraordinary delusions is exacerbated by social media, DeCarlo said.

DeCarlo said social media has taken information distribution out of the hands of the government and mainstream media.

If people are afraid  as Jonathan Law parents might have been so soon after the school shootings in Parkland, Fla., and the Las Vegas concert shootings  the facts get spun by emotion, and take on a life of their own, DeCarlo said.

He said weather has become a victim of the extraordinary popular delusion syndrome because of how meteorologists handle the reporting. For instance, DeCarlo said, the weather is no different in Connecticut than its always been, yet, weve come up with terms such as superstorm, and everyone runs out at a snow forecast to buy bread, milk and other food  something that didnt happen years ago.

He said when someone calls a police department, police have to deal with fear of crime as well as actual crime.

That means the cost of services can add up based on popular delusions.

DeCarlo said that on a recent trip to England, he noticed signs that said: If you see something, say something, well sort it out. That last line sends the message to leave it to the experts.

In the case of the unsubstantiated threat at Jonathan Law last week, officials announced that since teachers, parents and students may still be uncomfortable, they would increase police presence at the school.

Superintendent of Schools Elizabeth Feser went to Jonathan Law Friday morning  not part of her regular routine  and noted attendance appeared to be lower, but no concrete attendance numbers were available, a school spokeswoman said.

She observed school classes going on, students engaged in their work, and students learning, as always, the spokeswoman said, referring to Feser.

DeCarlo said the financial burden of reassurance when there is no threat falls on local taxpayers.

Even the joint press release from Milford police and the Board of Education addressed the issue of keeping information under control, stating: We ask that you refrain from sharing any of this false information as this causes unnecessary alarm. 

But a Milford community Facebook page continued to light up, even after the reassuring press release was posted.

One mom wrote: Im having serious anxiety about sending my kid back to school.

A mother posted on the page:  Im having a conversation with both my kids tonight and I told them if anything goes down to get out of the school as soon as possible no matter what the teacher or principal or anyone says to them. My son tells me hed rather die on his own terms

Another woman wrote: Countless hours of investigation? They are actually fairly easily counted.

A man wrote: What they need to do is prosecute the kids who made up the story.

One woman wrote on Facebook, I understand the fact of being freaked out but, wait for all the details. People are jumping to conclusions.

A man wrote on the Facebook page: The final outcome was that it was completely fabricated on social media. Completely false alarm, the kid did absolutely nothing wrong. All made up by gossips on Facebook, etc.

It is unclear how the initial information was conveyed  police did not release those details  but it appears a group of students made up a false claim about another student being overheard talking about a plan and it was conveyed on several social media platforms.Since August Wilsons career as a playwright was consummated in New Haven, its poetic justice that the regional monologue competition bearing his name take place in the Elm City. The New Haven Regional Finals of the August Wilson Monologue Competition takes place on March 9 at 7 p.m. at Long Wharf Theatre and is free and open to the public.

Long Wharf, in collaboration with Yale Repertory Theatre, Cooperative Arts & Humanities Magnet High School and other local area high schools, hosts the New Haven Regional August Wilson Monologue Competition. The program celebrates Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson, who first emerged a playwright at the Eugene ONeill Theatre Center in Waterford in the early 1980s, then under the leadership of director Lloyd Richards.

Richards, then also the dean of Yale School of Drama and artistic director of Yale Rep, staged the premieres of several of Wilsons 10-Play Century Cycle chronicling the African-American experience over the course of the 20th century.

The national version of the competition, produced by Kenny Leons True Colors Theatre in collaboration with Jujamcyn Theatres, is an arts education program for high school students in grades 10-12. Two finalists in the March 9 regional competition will move on to the national competition in New York, where they will perform on a Broadway stage, see a Broadway play and have a chance to win college scholarships. The eight-week program is now in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, NYC, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Dallas and Greensboro, North Carolina.

Trenee McGee, a resident teaching artist at Long Wharf, is, along with Madelyn Newman and Eliza Orleans, one of three lead teachers in this years program from Long Wharfs education department. The trio initially introduces them to Wilsons plays before working directly with students on their monologues.

We create curriculums based on August Wilsons life, his biography and the competition itself, said McGee, a West Haven native. We travel around to schools that have invested time into our program. We help them pick out monologues, and we prepare them for the competition.

According to McGee, the program drew 60 students to compete in the preliminary round.

Then 15 from there go to the regional competition at Long Wharf, she said. The final three students earn awards, and first and second winners go to national competition. The third is an alternate.

McGee, Newman (Long Wharfs director of education), and Orleans (the theaters education programs director) work with the students on the physicality and emotional lives of their chosen characters, as well as memorization, voice production and scene study.

It would seem that teenage actors may be hard-pressed to find age-appropriate monologues from Wilsons plays, where most of the characters are seasoned adults. As McGee explained, the competition encourages students to eschew such limitations.

What I love about the competition is that the rules are written as this, said McGee, who, as a student at Cooperative Arts & Humanities Magnet High School, competed with Coreys speech from Fences.

If you are male and you relate to a female character, you can audition using her monologue, said McGee, who graduated from Marymount College in New York with a BFA in theater. If you are female and you relate to Corey, or another male character, you can use their monologues.

What I also love is that by not setting boundaries by much ... the students sort of surprise us, she said. So well have a student walk in, and theyre doing King Hedley. Or you have a really petite young woman coming in to portray one of the really, really, super-hyper masculine male characters. Whats great is that everyones interpretation is different.

Some students, McGee said, know quickly what monologues to choose. Others rely more on the teachers for guidance.

We have a few non-black students as well, and a young white woman came in, and shes reading for Aunt Ester, she said, referring to a mythical, 350-year-old character present, both literal and spiritual, in Gem of The Ocean and other plays. She did a phenomenal job. She understood the life of the character. She understood also that she probably (will) never be cast, but it didnt affect her choice in picking her. So we kind of give them free reign unless they want our help.

McGee said that, even in the likely event that not all participating students wind up as professional actors, the experience boosts their self-confidence and builds their interpersonal communication skills.

Cool thing about this is that theres students performing monologues for the first time, McGee said. Theyve never read a play. Yet they get up (to perform), and theyre blown away by their abilities to act, she said. Theyre blown away by their abilities to connect their emotions to a characters word.About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profileMilitary veterans participate in the "pack test" at last year's Team Rubicon training at Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. National Park Service

March 2, 2018

Contact: Kate Kuykendall (Santa Monica Mountains), 805-370-2343

Contact: Yvonne Menard (Channel Islands), 805-658-5725

Contact: John Asselin (BLM), 702-444-1476

###

Thousand Oaks, CA  About 200 aspiring wildland firefighters  all local military veterans  will attend four days of wildland firefighting training from March 2-5 at Paramount Ranch in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and at Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park.The vets are members of Team Rubicon, an L.A.-based nonprofit organization that meshes the skills of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. Upon successful completion of the training they will be certified as wildland firefighters and will have the ability to join federal, state, and local fire crews.Its been a tough and tragic fire season for our state, but were happy that by hosting this training event for military vets, the National Park Service is part of an important effort to augment our highly skilled team of first responders, said David Szymanski, Superintendent of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The reality is we will most likely need the expertise of these vets in the near future.This is the second year in a row that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in partnership with Team Rubicon, will be kicking off the national wildland firefighter training session in Los Angeles. Instructors will then travel to Texas, Maryland, Ohio, Florida, Colorado, Idaho and Alaska to educate Team Rubicon members in wildland fire suppression tactics, including communication techniques, fireline construction, equipment operation, and other critical wildland firefighting skills.It just makes sense to match our veterans skills with wildland firefighting. They already understand critical aspects of the wildland fire program, such as our Incident Command System, and they have the work ethic we need in wildland fire. Plus, some of the Team Rubicon members that take this training may decide to pursue wildland fire careers, which further enhances our firefighting workforce with talented employees, said Howard Hedrick, Acting Assistant Director of BLM Fire and Aviation.The group will be split among L.As two closest national parks  attendees who possess more advanced training will spend Saturday and Sunday learning chainsaw skills on Santa Cruz Island, part of Channel Islands National Park. The larger group will learn basic skills at Paramount Ranch in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. All candidates will complete a physical pack test, a requirement for all federal wildland firefighters, where they must carry 45 pounds of weight in a pack or weighted vest and hike three miles in 45 minutes or less."Team Rubicon is proud to partner with the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service to provide additional opportunities for our volunteers to train and serve communities impacted by disasters," said Joe Thompson, Team Rubicon's Membership Manager. "Together, we're repurposing the skills and experience of our veterans and first responders that may otherwise remain idle."In April 2015, BLM formed a partnership with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response nonprofit, because many of the skills veterans learned in the military translate to wildland firefighting, such as teamwork, decisive leadership, risk mitigation and management, logistics and emergency medicine. In 2015 and 2017, Team Rubicon members trained as wildland firefighters responded to wildfires in Alaska, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington during two of the most severe fire seasons in recorded history.Since two Marines founded Team Rubicon in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the organization has responded to floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and other severe weather damage, helping disaster survivors all over the globe.manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency's mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America's public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $75 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2016 - more than any other agency in the Department of the Interior. These activities supported more than 372,000 jobs.Americas 40th national park, was established by Congress on March 5, 1980. The park is made up of five islands  Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara  and the waters within one nautical mile of each island. The park bridges two major biogeographical provinces within 250,000 acres of land and sea, protecting a rich array of natural and cultural resources. The park offers the public with unparalleled opportunities for solitude, tranquility, wildlife viewing, outdoor recreation, and education. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/chis.is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.seeks to help veterans transition from military to civilian life through disaster relief deployment by providing them with a sense of purpose, community, and identity, which are all often missing following their military service. Since two Marines founded the group in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the organization has responded to floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other severe weather damage, helping disaster survivors all over the globe.News Release: Fort Collins High School Wins 28th Colorado High School Science Bowl

Team heading to Washington, D.C., to compete for national title

March 3, 2018

Students from northern Colorado dominated this year's Colorado High School Science Bowl with Fort Collins High School emerging victorious over second-place finisher Fairview High School (Boulder). Students from Fort Collins High School will represent the state of Colorado at the Energy Department's (DOE) National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., April 26-30, where they will compete for the national title against more than 400 students from 70 high schools.

DOE created the National Science Bowl in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. More than 275,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl throughout its history, and it is one of the nations largest science competitions. DOE's Golden Field Office once again served as one of the major sponsors of this year's event, along with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The labs involvement is part of its continuing commitment to workforce development through ongoing STEM education programming.

Forty-one teams from across the state competed in the day-long competition at Dakota Ridge High School in Littleton. In the final round, Fort Collins High School won by a score of 92-38 prevailing over second-place Fairview High School (Boulder) after correctly answering rapid-fire questions in physics, math, biology, energy, chemistry, and earth and space sciences. Cherry Creek High School (Denver) rounded out the top finishers, earning the third-place trophy. Other schools that excelled during the morning competitions and advanced to the afternoon double-elimination contests were:

Cheyenne Mountain High School (Colorado Springs)

Fossil Ridge High School (Fort Collins)

Highlands Ranch High School

Liberty Common High School (Fort Collins)

Loveland High School

Niwot High School

Peak to Peak Charter School (Lafayette)

Poudre High School (Fort Collins)

Ridgeview Classical School (Fort Collins)

Rock Canyon High School (Highlands Ranch)



The National Science Bowl is celebrating over a quarter century of competition as the only academic event of its kind sponsored by a U.S. government agency. Each year, approximately 15,000 high students from across the country compete for a chance to go to Washington, D.C., for the national finals.

Sponsors for the event are the DOE Golden Field Office; The DOE Office of Science; NREL; Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC; Jefferson County Public Schools; and Dakota Ridge High School.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

High-resolution photographs of the competition are available to the media on request.

Viewed of

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.It wouldnt be the first time I had brought the kids on assignment. Paulo and I had brought Rafael on various stories we did together, from Florida to Japan, running around with him in the baby carrier when he was as young as four months. Yet those were stories where we had a lot of time, and of course there were two of us. The point being that as a photographer there are stories you can take small children on, and others that would be quite impossible or outright dangerous. Children have needs, and when Im involved in a shoot I cant always satisfy them.

The irony of the situation was not lost on me. My assignment, in advance of the elections in Italy, was to portray the lack of services for women  in particular the continual chipping away at maternity support for working mothers. And here I was again in my all-too-familiar routine of scrambling for child care.

Often on mornings when Im not shooting and I take Olivia around the neighborhood, Italian grandmothers question why she is not in school. She is clearly in need of social interaction. Unfortunately, the only space that became available for her at a Roman public day care was 40 minutes away by car or an hour-plus commute on multiple buses, for just three to four hours of care. With private schools and nannies out of the question financially, we do what working parents do, from the United States to Italy: We improvise.

Whats troubling to me about the situation in Italy is not that one in four women quit working after childbirth, but that this is the case in a country in which family infrastructure plays such a big role in daily life. The Italian Nonni (grandparents) are an institution, and for many families with children they are the only means of survival. I have lived in Italy for 10 years and Paulo has lived here for 13. We get by without the infamous Nonni with whom we lived in the United States and Brazil. We rely on good friends for emergencies and each other for the rest  something we are able to do because we are freelancers.LOS ANGELES  Get Out was the big winner at a sodden, rain-swept Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday, winning best feature and best director for Jordan Peele a day before Hollywoods biggest night of the year.

Timothee Chalamet won best male lead for his performance in Call Me by Your Name, Allison Janney won best supporting actress for I, Tonya, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri yielded prizes for Sam Rockwell (best supporting actor) and Frances McDormand (best actress). Once onstage, dressed in pajamas and fuzzy slippers, Ms. McDormand expressed relief that this was one awards show she could curse at.

I continue to be amazed that you let me get to the microphone. What are you crazy? she said. But what I know about today is that I get to swear. Do you know how hard its been not to swear over the last couple of months? Because this award convention goes on forever, she said, throwing in an f-bomb.

Other winners included Greta Gerwig, who took best screenplay for Lady Bird; Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, who won best first screenplay for The Big Sick; A Fantastic Woman for best international film; and Faces Places, best documentary.Since Mr. Christie canceled the ARC project, the need for a new tunnel has become more dire, transportation officials say. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy flooded the existing tunnels with salt water and the residue has been eating away at them from the inside ever since. If one of those tubes, which are owned and maintained by Amtrak, had to be taken out of service with no replacement, train service to and from New York City would be reduced by as much as 75 percent, Amtrak officials say.

Every day that goes by is a day we risk uncertainty, especially with mother nature, said Janna Chernetz, director of New Jersey policy for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. The next storm will not have to be as strong as Hurricane Sandy before the tunnel has to be taken out of service.

Kathryn S. Wylde, president and chief executive of the Partnership for New York City, a big-business group, says Mr. Trump knows how important Gateway is to the region and the country.

President Trump travels frequently between New York and New Jersey and understands that Gateway is critical to connect the rest of the country with the center of the economy and the world financial capital in New York, Ms. Wylde said in an interview. I have no doubt that regardless of what he says, he knows the importance of this project and he does not want it to fail on his watch.

Mr. King said he did not understand what had changed since he attended a meeting with Mr. Trump and other elected officials at the White House in September. At the time Mr. Trump was telling the group that Gateway was even more important than we were saying it was, Mr. King recalled. He said he came away believing that receiving substantial federal funding for the project was merely a matter of crossing the ts and dotting the is, he said.

Mr. Christie and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, both of whom attended that meeting, had already pledged to cover half the cost of building Gateway. The Obama administration had ranked Gateway the No. 1 priority in transportation infrastructure and informally agreed to cover the other half.

In what was taken as a sign of continuing bipartisan support, Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, a Republican from New Jersey who leads the House Appropriations Committee, committed $900 million to the Gateway project last year. Mr. Christie, who had endorsed Mr. Trump for president, called the allocation a triumph for our region.Morgantown, W.Va.  The rolling hills of West Virginia, where I grew up, are home to some of my fondest memories. But time and time again, Ive watched them serve as a backdrop to injustice and negligence by those who lead, often at the expense of a vulnerable population.

This time, its our schoolchildren.

At $45,622, West Virginia teachers are the 48th lowest earning in the nation, according to the National Education Association. The minimum salary is just over $32,000. After months of tension over issues including salaries and health insurance costs, the states public schoolteachers went on strike Feb. 22.

On Friday, our state legislators refused to take action on a bill that would, over time, give West Virginia teachers a proposed 5 percent raise, and so the statewide work stoppage continued for a seventh day, with 250,000 students out from school as a result.

Despite the loss in critical class time, the fight cannot end prematurely.

As students remain at home, and families struggle to find alternative forms of child care, teachers have to trust that West Virginians will do what West Virginians do best; lean on each other.WASHINGTON  George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman, has hovered on the fringes of international diplomacy for three decades. He was a back-channel negotiator with Syria during the Clinton administration, reinvented himself as an adviser to the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates, and last year was a frequent visitor to President Trumps White House.

Mr. Nader is now a focus of the investigation by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel. In recent weeks, Mr. Muellers investigators have questioned Mr. Nader and have pressed witnesses for information about any possible attempts by the Emiratis to buy political influence by directing money to support Mr. Trump during the presidential campaign, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

The investigators have also asked about Mr. Naders role in White House policymaking, those people said, suggesting that the special counsel investigation has broadened beyond Russian election meddling to include Emirati influence on the Trump administration. The focus on Mr. Nader could also prompt an examination of how money from multiple countries has flowed through and influenced Washington during the Trump era.

How much this line of inquiry is connected to Mr. Muellers original task of investigating contacts between Mr. Trumps campaign and Russia is unclear. The examination of the U.A.E. comes amid a flurry of recent activity by Mr. Mueller.But the highlight of the night always comes when the journalists offer the stage to the president for some self-deprecating jokes and good-natured roasting.

For Mr. Trump, who has spent a lifetime flouting political correctness, his participation in the dinner was striking because the club is the Washington embodiment of political correctness. Its credo is that the roasts at the dinner should singe but never burn.

This year, Mr. Trump leaned into the flame.

He took aim at his favorite target: Fake News CNN. He called Fox News the fourth branch of government. And he made fun of Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., who stepped down in December as publisher of The New York Times, saying: I inherited millions. Arthur inherited billions of dollars, and he turned it into millions.

The president also poked fun at Stephen K. Bannon, his former chief strategist, who many inside the White House believe was the source for some of the nastiest parts of the recent book by Michael Wolff.

Mr. Bannon, the president said, leaked more than the Titanic.

And he directed a jab at himself over his infatuation with the size of his inauguration crowd, claiming credit for all the crowds at the recently completed Winter Olympics in South Korea.

The relationship between any president and the press is fraught. But it is especially true for Mr. Trump, who spent his first year in the Oval Office in a near constant state of agitation about what he views as a media that is unfair and plotting against him.Though Italy has one of the lowest percentages of migrants per capita in Europe, immigration emerged as the campaigns major theme. The issue was highlighted by an act of violence last month: the shooting of six African migrants by a right-wing sympathizer who ran with the League in a local election.

Candidates across the political spectrum have played up fears of immigrants in Italy, a country that has struggled with a wave of people arriving by the Mediterranean in search of a better life. Recent polls indicated that 70 percent of Italians were concerned about safety, partly because of fears of undocumented migrants.

Another major concern was the economy. Even as Italy has seen a slight uptick in growth over the past year, the national debt is at 130 percent of the gross domestic product, the second-highest level in the euro area, after Greece. But campaign speeches had mostly steered clear of any belt-tightening measures that might be required to lower that debt.

Fiscal promises, nevertheless, blossomed during the campaign, including in the League and Forza Italias proposal for a single income and corporate tax rate of 23 percent, the Democrats tax breaks for families and Five Stars guaranteed minimum income for millions of Italians.

Some Italians see the European Unions budget deficit limit of 3 percent of G.D.P. as one of the major factors dragging down the economy, since it affects spending. Support in for the blocs common currency is among the lowest in Europe, and there is a lingering nostalgia for the lira, which some parties, including Forza Italia, have considered reintroducing.Berlin  There is no dispute that four paintings by Piet Mondrian in the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum in Krefeld are important works from his neo-plastic period when he used grids and primary colors to create masterpieces of geometric beauty.

Beyond that, much about the paintings seems to be in doubt.

They have been in the museum since at least 1950, but questions about when exactly they arrived there, and how, have now surfaced as matters of mystery and debate.

The heirs of Mondrian, the pioneering Dutch abstractionist, have staked a claim to the paintings, asserting that he lent them to the museum almost 90 years ago and then left them behind when he fled Europe as World War II deepened.

They have hired an art restitution lawyer, Gunnar Schnabel, and a provenance expert, Monika Tatzkow, who spent three years tracking the paintings back to the days of their creation in the 1920s.1. Putting America first may not put all American workers ahead.

That was one takeaway after President Trumps sudden announcement of steep tariffs on steel and aluminum. American producers of those materials were pleased. But other businesses that rely on them  like auto, aviation and beverage companies  were not. (More on those beer cans here.)

Did you keep up with the headlines this week? Test your knowledge with our news quiz.

Heres the front page of our Sunday paper. Above, steel imports in Houston. Prime Minister Narendra Modis governing Bharatiya Janta Party consolidated power in Indias northeast over the weekend, gaining control over five of the seven states that border Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh. [Reuters]

 The authorities in India detained a member of a far-right Hindu group in connection with the killing of Gauri Lankesh, a journalist whose work was sharply critical of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party. [The New York Times]

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, embroiled in a bribery scandal in Israel, meets President Trump in Washington. His visit carries great consequence for Israels historically close U.S. ties. [The New York Times]

 In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to form a new government with the Social Democrats, ending six months of political limbo. [The New York Times]

 The worlds longest-imprisoned journalist was freed in Uzbekistan. Yusuf Ruzimuradov, accused of sedition, was released after 19 years. [The New York Times]

 I just happened to take it back into the house. A 74-year-old Japanese homeowner found a meteroite in his garden that may help explain the formation of the solar system. [The Asahi Shimbun]She gestured at the passengers like her, waiting for a women-only car. Many were men.

In the past, there would be workers trying to tell them and remind them repeatedly: This is a women-only car, she said. But all these men still want to rush over. They really are uncivilized.

The women-only subway cars are in many ways a metaphor for China. It is a country with too many laws but, in many areas, too little enforcement. The government bans gender discrimination but does not define what it is. Those who complain risk getting punished. As a result, women who have been sexually harassed rarely file police reports. Offenders are almost never brought to justice.It was raining in Paris on Sunday, just days after Europe had been colder than the North Pole. Extreme weather! Were living it. At Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia dove right in.

Actually, what he did was build a giant faux mountain, covered with graffiti and spray-painted tags and rising out of a runway of spun-sugar snow. It took four weeks to construct in a large warehouse in St. Denis, on the outskirts of Paris. The show notes called it a snowboarding paradise.Sometimes during fashion week you just have to throw your hands up in the air and accept the fact that it doesnt make sense. Why should it? Nothing else really does.

Look over there: Italys going to the polls and Silvio Berlusconi may be back as a behind-the-scenes force; look over here and at Comme des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo has managed to make Susan Sontags 1964 essay, Notes On Camp  into a mission statement in clothes. Look over there and President Trump is maybe, possibly, starting a trade war; look over here and Julie de Libran has reunited Bananarama for the Sonia Rykiel 50th anniversary.Sarah Aziza and Caleb Paul Winship were married March 3 at the Green Building, a Brooklyn events space. The Rev. Farida Ali, an interfaith minister ordained by the New Seminary in Manhattan, led a ceremony incorporating Jewish, Muslim and Christian traditions.

Ms. Aziza, 27, is based in Brooklyn as a freelance journalist covering feminism and foreign affairs. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and received a masters in journalism from N.Y.U. She received a Fulbright scholarship in which she taught, in 2014 and 2015, at a school primarily for Palestinian refugees in Jordan through the United Nations Work and Relief Agency.

She is a daughter of Kathryn L. Krause and Ziyad M. Shihadah of Rockford, Ill. Her parents run Unity in Diversity in Rockford, a nonprofit that focuses on social justice issues. The brides father retired as the managing director of United Gates, a construction contractor, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Her mother, who is also retired, taught music at the American International School, and gave private piano lessons in Jeddah.

Mr. Winship, 28, is based in Brooklyn as an independent recruiter for data science talent. He graduated cum laude from Northeastern.Perhaps no one knows the devastating wounds inflicted by assault-style rifles better than the trauma surgeons who struggle to repair them. The doctors say they are haunted by their experiences confronting injuries so dire they struggle to find words to describe them.

At a high school in Parkland, Fla., 17 people were recently killed with just such a weapon  a semiautomatic AR-15. It was legal there for Nikolas Cruz, 19, the suspect in the shooting, to buy a civilian version of the militarys standard rifle, while he would have had to be 21 to buy a less powerful and accurate handgun.

Many factors determine the severity of a wound, including a bullets mass, velocity and composition, and where it strikes. The AR-15, like the M4 and M16 rifles issued to American soldiers, shoots lightweight, high-speed bullets that can cause grievous bone and soft tissue wounds, in part by turning sideways, or yawing, when they hit a person. Surgeons say the weapons produce the same sort of horrific injuries seen on battlefields.

Civilian owners of military-style weapons can also buy soft-nosed or hollow-point ammunition, often used for hunting, that lacks a full metal jacket and can expand and fragment on impact. Such bullets, which can cause wider wound channels, are proscribed in most military use.Speaking of the allegations against Mr. Seacrest, Ms. Burke added, This is not about his guilt or innocence. She said its about there being an accusation thats alive, and that until the network reckons with it, its really on E! News and shouldnt be on us.

Jennifer Lawrence, speaking to Howard Stern, was noncommital but left open the possibility of skipping an interview with Mr. Seacrest.

There are already outlets that Im just like, Nah, she said. So it wouldnt be that big of a deal.

At the Golden Globes in January, most of the actors wore black as part of the Times Up movement to support women.

At the events red carpet, Debra Messing and Eva Longoria used their E! interviews to chastise the network over pay equity. Catt Sadler, a former E! host, left the network in November, saying that a male colleague, Jason Kennedy, was paid twice as much.

On Thursday, an E! producer, Aileen Gram-Moreno, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming she was unfairly terminated for allowing Ms. Longorias interview to air.

Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars host, told Variety that #MeToo would be part of the show.

There had some been some confusion after he told ABC News in an interview broadcast on Thursday: This show is not about reliving peoples sexual assaults  its an awards show for people who have been dreaming about maybe winning an Oscar for their whole lives. And the last thing I want to do is ruin that for someone who is, you know, nominated for, you know, best leading actress or best supporting or best director or cinematographer or whatever, by making it unpleasant.The answer finally arrived this year, too late for Ms. Davis. She had died four years earlier, still convinced Kevin would return to his childhood home. She was so certain, she had refused to have him declared dead for legal reasons, even though it would have facilitated the sale of a home in his name.

Mr. Germany, who was born in 1952, was a promising student; he once participated on Scholastic Quiz, a television game show in Washington, D.C.  his appearance memorialized in a newspaper clipping that his mother had saved. In 1974, he joined the Army, only to be honorably discharged a month later for medical reasons; Ms. Zwana said she was not told the specifics.

He returned to New York and enrolled in Queens College, earning a technical degree.

Then he started having more mental health issues, Ms. Zwana said. Paranoia, talking to himself, extreme weight gain and loss  doctors diagnosed him with schizophrenia, and he was in and out of hospitals.

In April 1990, Mr. Germany was admitted to Elmhurst Hospital Center, and was later transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital. His condition was severe enough that he was placed in a locked psychiatric unit, and his sister said he was taking three medications for anxiety and bipolar disorder.

A month later, the hospital called his family. Mr. Germany had disappeared. He had been assigned to a locked wing, but he had somehow walked away.David Ogden Stiers, the tall, balding, baritone-voiced actor who brought articulate, somewhat snobbish comic dignity to six seasons of the acclaimed television series M*A*S*H, died on Saturday at his home in Newport, Ore., a small coastal city southwest of Salem. He was 75.

His death was announced on Twitter by his agent, Mitchell K. Stubbs, who said the cause was bladder cancer.

Mr. Stiers joined the cast of M*A*S*H in 1977, when Larry Linville, who had played the pompous and inept Maj. Frank Burns, left the show. The series, a comedy-drama set in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, required a foil for its raucous, irreverent, martini-guzzling leads, Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) and B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell), and Mr. Stierss imperious Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III seemed to fit the bill.To the Editor:

A Feb. 26 Op-Ed article by Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel asked, Are Hospitals Obsolete? The answer is unequivocally no.

In times of disasters, outbreaks and tragedies, communities lean on their hospitals: That fact will never change. Hospitalizations for the flu reached record levels this winter, with people flocking to their local hospitals for care, forcing some hospitals to erect tents to care for all who walked through their doors.

Hospitals and health systems also cared for people after too many incidents of violence in our communities. Moreover, they will continue to perform sophisticated surgery, diagnostics and therapeutics at the cutting edge of scientific development. This work will always be there and will only grow.

At the same time, the real issue is the redefinition of the hospital.

Hospitals and health systems are leading the greatest transformation in history. They are working to provide coordinated and convenient care beyond their four walls that is more responsive to patients and communities than ever before, all with a focus on keeping people healthy.Though George Washington was elected unanimously, he was always a reluctant president. He pursued a second term in 1792 only at the urging of his cabinet, and in 1796, when he insisted it was time to step down, he famously warned that not to do so risked a return to the very tyranny Americans had fought to overthrow.

The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create whatever the form of government, a real despotism, Washington wrote in whats become known as his Farewell Address. A just estimate of that love of power, and proneness to abuse it, which predominates in the human heart is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position.

In the years since, millions of Americans have put their lives on the line to protect against the despotism that Washington warned about. In World War II, Americans sacrificed their lives and lost their loved ones to defeat dictators in Germany, Italy and Japan. For nearly the rest of the 20th century, the United States led the free world to preserve democratic ideals against the Soviet Unions push for Communism.

Thats a proud history, and it hasnt been much of a challenge until recently for American presidents to extol it  the wisest of them mindful of how far short of its ideals the United States has at times fallen, even as it has tried to guide other nations toward democracy as the surest safeguard of human rights, peace and opportunity.Oh my god, this is so cute!

Robin Li, an investor with the San Francisco venture capital firm GGV Capital, was standing in the lobby of the Madison building in downtown Detroit. Built in 1917 as a theater and refurbished several years ago as a tech co-working space, the Madison checks all of the aesthetic boxes of hipsterdom: reclaimed wood, exposed brick walls, pour-over coffee served by tattooed baristas.

This is nicer than San Francisco, Ms. Li concluded.

Last month, I accompanied Ms. Li and roughly a dozen other venture capitalists on a three-day bus trip through the Midwest, with stops in Youngstown and Akron, Ohio; Detroit and Flint, Mich.; and South Bend, Ind. The trip, which took place on a luxury bus outfitted with a supply of vegan doughnuts and coal-infused kombucha, was known as the Comeback Cities Tour.

It was pitched as a kind of Rust Belt safari  a chance for Silicon Valley investors to meet local officials and look for promising start-ups in overlooked areas of the country.MIAMI  The Florida State Senate shocked even itself on Saturday when it voted to approve a two-year moratorium on sales of AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, going far beyond the gun-related measures that Republican legislative leaders said they would consider.

Tellingly, though, that two-year moratorium lasted only 15 minutes.

It had been approved by a voice vote, and opponents quickly insisted on reconsidering it, this time with a roll call to formally record how each senator voted. Evidently that turned some of the ayes heard by the Senate president into nays, because the proposal was defeated, 21 to 17.

The moratorium episode  the closest that Floridas Democratic gun-control proponents have come to success after a Feb. 14 shooting rampage, at a high school in Parkland, left 17 people dead  illustrates why it is so difficult to pass firearm restrictions in the State Legislature: When it comes to backing a significant change, even a popular one, the votes just arent there.

Democrats are powerless in capital

In the rare Saturday session, the Senate debated a Republican-sponsored bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21 from 18; mandate a three-day waiting period for most gun purchases; ban bump stocks, which enable semiautomatic rifles to fire much faster; and set up a voluntary program to arm trained schoolteachers and pay them a stipend to participate.PALOS HILLS, Ill.  When Representative Daniel Lipinski, a conservative-leaning Democrat and scion of Chicagos political machine, agreed to one joint appearance last month with his liberal primary challenger, the divide in the Democratic Party was evident in the audience that showed up.

Mr. Lipinskis outnumbered supporters were the diminished lunch-pail Democrats that once dominated his Southside district. Those of his rival, Marie Newman, came from the partys ascendant coalition  young progressives and women like Elizabeth Layden, a Patagonia-clad teacher who explained her opposition to Mr. Lipinski in blunt terms.

Because hes a dinosaur, cause hes a phony, cause hes a Republican who claims to be a Democrat, said Ms. Layden, 49, who has been making phone calls and knocking on doors to help unseat Mr. Lipinski, a seven-term House member, in the primary race this month. Hello, womens rights, and hello, my reproductive rights. Get out of my uterus.

As the midterm election season gets underway with races in Texas on Tuesday and Illinois on March 20, contests like this one illustrate the turmoil of the Trump-era Democratic Party. Democrats need to pick up 24 seats to take back control of the House and are hoping a surge of grass-roots energy, activism and fund-raising at levels unseen since the rise of Barack Obama can help play a crucial role.WASHINGTON  The Trump administration is hoping to transform Medicaid by allowing states to test work requirements, premiums and other conservative policies, but a new government report says federal and state officials do not properly evaluate whether such experiments improve patient care or reduce costs.

Evaluations generally lacked rigor, and the findings were often kept secret for years, so they were of little use to policymakers, the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress, said in the report issued last month.

Under federal law, the secretary of health and human services can waive certain Medicaid requirements so states can use federal money for the program in ways that would not ordinarily be allowed  for example, to cover people and services that would not otherwise be covered.

These waivers have been used for demonstration projects testing innovative ideas and involving millions of people and tens of billions of federal dollars. The Government Accountability Office said the number and scope of Medicaid waivers had grown in recent years, with demonstration projects now accounting for one-third of all federal Medicaid spending  and more than 75 percent in 10 states, including Texas.WASHINGTON  A year ago, few on the outside  a phrase perhaps tellingly favored in the Trump White House  would have guessed that Kellyanne Conway would be the one hanging on as other high-profile aides pull their rip cords.

A year ago, Ms. Conway, the presidents counselor, told Americans of the fictional Bowling Green massacre, drawing ridicule from cable TV hosts and liberal critics. She declared that the White House was merely presenting alternative facts when it described an inauguration crowd in superlatives that did not comport with reality. She was painted into an unhinged Saturday Night Live caricature. For a pollster with a long history of working well with the news media, the attacks were jarring, according to her allies.

But in this White House, a lot can change in a year.

More than a dozen high-profile departures later  and amid tumult, scandal and an ever-unfolding investigation into the Trump campaigns ties to Russia  Ms. Conway, 51, is one of the few remaining prominent aides from the campaign. In a White House with the highest turnover rates in decades, she has survived by knowing when to step back from the spotlight, keeping the presidents ear, focusing on a policy issue significant to the poor and working class, and maintaining an unflinching loyalty to President Trump even as she outmaneuvers rivals on the staff.

The public criticism hasnt abated, but Ms. Conways skin is thicker than it used to be.

I dont respond to or read 99 percent of it, Ms. Conway said in a brief interview on Saturday, because it is so reflexive and unthoughtful.Maple syrup gumming up the gun belt isnt normally a hazard of police work. But it is a common problem for Cpl. Pamela Revels when students have been eating pancakes at the school breakfast.

Kids like to come up and give you a little bit of a hug, Corporal Revels said. They dont wipe their hands that well.

Ms. Revels freely dispenses hugs and smiles at the schools where she works around Auburn, Ala. But she is also a sheriffs deputy who wears a sidearm and a bulletproof vest, drives an official S.U.V. and has an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle stored nearby.

On Thursday afternoon, when a report came in about a man in camouflage carrying a gun near school, she sprang into action. As worried students and teachers locked themselves in classrooms and closets, she bolted outdoors, hurriedly walked around the sprawling campus and scanned the nearby woods until she was satisfied that it was safe for everyone to emerge.KABUL, Afghanistan  When President Ashraf Ghani stood up last week to try to lure the Taliban to peace talks, promising them amnesty and political inclusion, he could point to a recent example: the deal that brought the militant group Hezb-i-Islami and its deeply divisive leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, in from the battlefield.

Through decades of Afghan turmoil, Mr. Hekmatyar has managed to keep himself near the action, and has broken alliances several times to do it. He has been a C.I.A.-favored fighter of the Soviets, a warlord who mauled Kabul, a prime minister, an admirer of Al Qaeda, an ally and enemy of the Taliban, and an unabashed proponent of suicide bombings against American forces.

Since the deal that allowed him to return, initiated during the Obama administration and finalized last year under the Trump administration, he has become a more public player in the increasingly chaotic and hostile jumble of Afghan politics.

Though his reconciliation has been held out as a hope for peace, one thing Mr. Hekmatyar has not yet become is any kind of political peacemaker.BEIJING  The comment was made behind closed doors, and appeared to be in jest: President Trump told donors on Saturday that Chinas president, Xi Jinping, was now president for life, and added: I think its great. Maybe well want to give that a shot someday.

The remarks, confirmed by a leading Republican lobbyist who attended the luncheon at Mr. Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, were first aired by CNN, which obtained an audio recording of his comments.

The statement, which drew laughter from those in attendance and was said by a smiling president, according to the lobbyist, was given on a day when Mr. Trump was out for laughs. On Saturday evening, at the annual Gridiron dinner in Washington, Mr. Trump jokingly said of possible talks with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un: As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine.

Nonetheless, the remarks appeared to be the first comments made by Mr. Trump about Chinas decision to scuttle the two terms for its presidency  part of a remarkable consolidation of power around Mr. Xi  and Chinese analysts took them seriously.BRUSSELS  A year ago, the self-styled global elite gathered at Davos, shaken by the election of Donald J. Trump, who made no secret of his contempt for the multilateral alliances and trade that underpin the European Union.

Then up stepped the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, promising that if America would no longer champion the global system, China would.

European officials and business leaders were thrilled.

But a year later, European leaders are confronted with the reality that Mr. Xi could also be a threat to the global system, rather than a great defender. The abolition of the two-term limit for the presidency, which could make Mr. Xi Chinas ruler for life and which is expected to be ratified this week by Chinas legislature, has punctured the hope that China would become a responsible stakeholder in the global order. Few still believe China is moving toward the Western values of democracy and rule of law.

Instead, many European leaders now accuse China of trying to divide the European Union as it woos Central Europe and the Balkan states with large investments. They are also wary of how China has become more aggressive militarily, in espionage and in its investment strategy abroad  with targets including its largest trading partner in Europe, Germany.Now, the capital is turning to new technology to help pinpoint the litter so that human divers can scour it off the seabed. This past Thursday, board members of Oslos Port Authority approved a pioneering trash-removal plan.

We will test out drones, said Svein Olav Lunde, the chief technical officer of the Oslo Port Authority, shortly after the meeting, explaining how these unmanned vessels will be used to help clear out underwater islands of trash.

Geir Rognlien Elgvin, a board member, says he believes that Oslos port will be the first in the world to try this sort of trash pickup. The drones will plunge into the depths of Oslo Fjord this spring. An electric-powered ship with a crane will join the cleanup fleet by next year.

Oslo is turning to drone technology partly because of a dead dolphin  bloodied, beached and ensnared in plastic. Gory images of the carcass, taken in January on a trash-strewn shore of Oslo Fjord, resonated on social media among Norwegians, who tend to see their jagged coastline as a paragon of untouched natural beauty.

Mr. Stubberud said that recent images of beached dolphins and whales have woken up Norway, but that plastic is the real problem. Politicians and the public have shown more interest in the cleanup campaign in the past two years, he said.WASHINGTON  As Russias virtual war against the United States continues unabated with the midterm elections approaching, the State Department has yet to spend any of the $120 million it has been allocated since late 2016 to counter foreign efforts to meddle in elections or sow distrust in democracy.

As a result, not one of the 23 analysts working in the departments Global Engagement Center  which has been tasked with countering Moscows disinformation campaign  speaks Russian, and a department hiring freeze has hindered efforts to recruit the computer experts needed to track the Russian efforts.

The delay is just one symptom of the largely passive response to the Russian interference by President Trump, who has made little if any public effort to rally the nation to confront Moscow and defend democratic institutions. More broadly, the funding lag reflects a deep lack of confidence by Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson in his departments ability to execute its historically wide-ranging mission and spend its money wisely.

Mr. Tillerson has voiced skepticism that the United States is even capable of doing anything to counter the Russian threat.Decoding the stunning fall of the Congress in Tripura, Nagaland

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The fall of the Congress in Tripura and Nagaland was stunning. For some reason, the party focused all its resources on Meghalaya to the extent that it earned the ire of its leaders in Tripura and Nagaland.

Analysts would attribute the stunning fall of the Congress to lack of planning, leadership and infighting. From the Tripura verdict it was clear that the Congress voter shifted to the BJP. In 2013, the Congress won 10 seats with a vote share of 36.53 per cent.

There was a complete lack of interest from the central leadership of the Congress. Rahul Gandhi addressed just one rally in the state and that was on the last day of campaigning. The BJP feels that this was an intentional move by the Congress to help the Left.

The scenario in Nagaland was no different. In 2013, the Congress won 8 seats with a vote share of 24.89 per cent. This time around the party leaders in the state complained of resources to fight the elections. There was also fund crunch which led to five candidates withdrawing. Congress leaders in the state complained that they were not given any funds or logistic support which led to the drubbing.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, March 4, 2018, 7:25 [IST]K'taka HC grants interim relief to Twitter India MD, asks cops not to take coercive steps against him

Ghaziabad: Naked couple found dead in their bathroom after Holi party

India

oi-Madhuri

A couple who were in mid-30s were found dead in naked state inside the bathroom of their flat at Indirapuram in Ghaziabad on Friday night.

The couple has been identified as Neeraj Singhania (38) and his wife Ruchi Singhania (35), who had locked themselves in their bedroom after celebrating Holi and were found lying dead on the bathroom floor by their family members.

It is learnt that the family and the two victims celebrated Holi on the terrace of the building at Gyan Khand on Friday and retired to their room around 5 pm.

The family members at around 7 pm tried to wake them up but no one responded. However, at around 9 pm again, they knocked the door, when they did not respond, they got worried and informed the police.

The police rushed the couple to Max Hospital in Vaishali where they were declared brought dead. According to a senior doctor of the hospital, the couple was brought to the hospital around 10:30 pm and were dead on arrival. Both the bodies did not have any external injuries mark.

However, the police suspect that it is a case of death due to suffocation, however, they are waiting for the autopsy reports to ascertain the exact cause.

''There were no indications of any electrocution incident, suffocation or any gas formation inside the bathroom due to any electronic appliance such as geyser,'' said Dr Rakesh Kumar Mishr, circle officer (Indirapuram).

The couple had a love marriage in 2010 and have a four-year-old daughter. She was sleeping in the same room which had the bathroom where the incident took place.

Neeraj worked as a DGM in a mobile company while his wife worked at an IT company in Noida. The couple lived with their daughter, parents, brother and sister.

OneIndia NewsHow BJP took down Manik Sarkar in Tripura

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The rise of the BJP in Tripura was the highlight of Saturday. It involved a lot of planning and hard work to take down the Left which has ruled the state for over 2 decades.

To take down the Manik 'Sarkar', the BJP roped in Sunil Deodhar, a former RSS pracharak who was behind the planning of BJP's strategy. For a party that had no representation in the state, the road ahead for Deodhar was a tough one. BJP leaders say that they started from scratch before they took the state.

Deodhar, a soft-spoken person is a member of the BJP's national executive committee. The BJP felt that to take on Manik Sarkar and his party which is cadre based, the best bet was Deodhar, who originally hails from Mumbai.

Moments after the victory, Deodhar wrote on Twitter, "And Tripura shifted its base from Left to Right. @BJP4India successfully barged into the invincible fort of CPM. Freed from suppression & slavery, Tripura People seemed elated, exhilarated by the poll results. #TripuraElection2018."

Along with the top leaders of the party and social media team, Deodhar ensured that they focused extensively on inclusive governance. The BJP's national IT Cell chief, Amit Malviya explains that the youth and the indigenous people have voted for the BJP in large numbers. We reached out to the indigenous people in a big way and what was more important is that we brought them to the mainstream. This is the first time that a national party is reaching out to them. We have given them access to governance and power, he also added.

The BJP's inclusive agenda is what did the trick. With regard to the youth, Malviya said that they were targeted across the state. We did not connect with them just in Agartala, but even in the remotest of places. When we saw their reactions on the social media, we realised that they were going to vote for a change, Malviya also added.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 4, 2018, 6:30 [IST]Regional

Himachal CM stresses on documentation of last 50 years achievements of Himachal Pradesh

Promotion of adventure sports in Gobind Sagar lake starts

How All India Radio Amritsar is being blocked by ShimlaJ&K: Terrorist gunned down by security forces in Shopian

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The Security Forces on Sunday evening gunned down one terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian District. The terrorist was killed in retaliatory fire by the security forces after they were fired upon by terrorists at 8 pm in Pinjoora area.

On March 1, a Lashkar militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district.

Earlier on February 26, a security personnel was injured after terrorists hurled a grenade at a police station in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. As per reports, the injured person was identified as constable Mehrajuddin. Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, Mushtaq Ahmad Chopan, was killed in the grenade attack while he was trying to escape. He was trying to escape from the police custody dressed up as a woman. The terrorists hurled the grenade when Chopan was near the main gate of the police station.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 4, 2018, 21:18 [IST]'Lotus will bloom in K'taka, Kerala; Rahul's Cong on path of defeat': Yogi Adityanath

India

pti-PTI

Lucknow, Mar 4: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath credited the BJP's "historic" performance in north eastern states to "development-oriented" policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "organisational skills" of Amit Shah and said the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. He also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party.

"After Rahul Gandhi donned the mantle of Congress chief, this is the fifth defeat for his party and the pace of this record will gather speed in the near future," he said. The chief minister was addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here after the party's good show in assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

He said that during the run up to the Gujarat Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi was coronated as Congress President and that time itself he had said that the development would make the BJP's job easier. "Under Rahul Gandhi's presidentship, the Congress has lost five states and when he was the party vice president, the Congress frittered away ten states," Adityanath said, noting that it was a matter of "happiness" for the saffron party.

"The BJP's sterling performance in northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people," he said. Adityanath said for the first time after Independence, these northeastern states will get chance to join the national mainstream and enjoy fruits of development. The UP chief minister, who had campaigned for the saffron party in these assembly elections, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development oriented policies and organisational skills of BJP President Amit Shah led to his party's "sterling performance".

He said the 'lotus' will now bloom in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, thanks to the development-oriented policies of the prime minister and his good governance, and the guidance of the party chief Amit Shah. "That day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir down to Kanyakumari," he said.

After the outcome of assembly elections in the three northeastern states, the BJP is set to lead or be a partner in 21 of India's 31 state governments, underlining a saffron dominance of the national political map like no other time. Adityanath also exuded confidence that the BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. He took potshots at arch rivals SP and BSP on reports that they might join hands to take on the BJP in the next week's Lok Sabha bye-elections in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

"Who doesn't know the guest house episode? Can one forget who had threatened to damage statues (of Dalit icons)," he said without elaborating. His reference was to an attack allegedly engineered by SP supporters on then chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati in the Meerabai Road state guest house in the state capital over two decades back.

On the possibility of SP-BSP coming together in the parliamentary bypolls, he described the two parties as "ker-ber" (banana and Indian plum) and asked as to whether the two different fruits could gel. Asked for which parties he used the expression "ker" and "ber", Adityanath smilingly said, "It's for you to judge."

Continuing its winning streak, the BJP wrested Tripura, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. The main opposition Congress is in power in only four states - its lowest-ever tally - and that include Mizoram and Puducherry.

PTIMeghalaya election results 2018: NPP or Congress, it is still wide open

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Meghalaya witnessed a hung verdict on Saturday. The Congress bagged 21 seats, which is 10 short of the magic number. In 2013, the Congress bagged 29 seats.

Breathing down the neck of the Congress is the National People's Party which won 19 seats. Both the NPP and Congress would now bank on the independents and smaller parties to form the government.

The next few days would see hectic political activity in the state. The Congress in fact would be desperate as it had focused all its resources in Meghalaya. The party was accused by its own leaders in Nagaland and Tripura for ignoring the states.

The complete focus on Meghalaya did not seem enough for the Congress and it would want to leave no stone unturned and desperately try and avoid a repeat of Goa and Manipur where it failed to install its government despite being the single largest party.

The BJP which won just two seats has also sent its Northeast strategist, Himanta Biswa Sarma to Shillong in a bid to keep the Congress out of the race. For the Congress, it is Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath who are leading the talks.

Although the BJP and NPP fought separately, the saffron party would extend its hand of support. The BJP and NPP are allies at the Centre and in Manipur. Another party to watch out for is the United Democratic Party, which bagged six seats. The UDD which is also part of the BJP led North East Democratic Alliance contested the elections with the Hill State People's Democratic Party which won two seats. If the BJP manages to stitch up an alliance under the NPP, then the tally would go to 29.

The Congress however expressed confidence that it would form the government. Kamal Nath said, the will of the people of Meghalaya will be reflected in our Congress government. We are in touch with everybody. Everybody is in touch with us.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, March 4, 2018, 6:45 [IST]Nehru was in a hurry to become PM': Jitendra Singh on Abdullah's remark on partition

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Looks like National Conference (NC) patron Farooq Abdullah's comment on Mohamed Ali Jinnah, Jawaharlal Nehru and partition is set to become a national debate. Union Minister Jitendra Singh did not back Abdullah's remark but said that Pandit Nehru was in a hurry to become the Prime Minister of India in 1947.

Abdullah on Sunday triggered a controversy by suggesting that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel were responsible for the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 and not Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

"He is required to reread history. We have references which indicate that Mahatma Gandhi himself had suggested to Jinnah that if he agrees to withdraw demand of Pakistan's creation, Gandhi would persuade Congress to accept Jinnah as the prime minister of undivided India," Singh told the media when asked about Abdullah's remark.

"But Jinnah wasn't impressed by the suggestion possibly because he felt it wasn't easy for him to gain acceptability as India PM. Nehru was also in hurry to take over as PM. Lot of opportunistic adjustments were done by patriarch of National Conference Sheikh Abdullah," he added.

Speaking at a function at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan in Jammu, Abdullah had earlier said that it was the refusal of the three Congress leaders to accept minority status for the Muslims which led to the Partition of India.

['Jinnah did not want separate country for Muslims', says Farooq Abdullah]

Abdullah added that Jinnah did not want Pakistan in the first place. But Congress' refusal to a special representation for Muslims and Sikhs, Abdullah believed, forced Jinnah to seek a separate nation for Muslims.

Abdullah, known for controversial remarks, had earlier come under fire for his 'PoK belongs to Pakistan' comment.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 4, 2018, 16:04 [IST]NPP-led coalition stakes claim to form govt, Conard Sangma to be next CM

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The NPP-led coalition comprising of the BJP, UDP and HSPDP met Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad on Sunday and staked the claim to form a government in the northeastern state. NPP, UDP, BJP and HSPDP together have 29 MLAs, but the majority mark to form a government in Meghalaya Assembly is 31. Reports suggest that People's Democratic Front may also join them which means that the alliance would cross the majority mark of 30 needed for government formation.

Despite emerging as the largest party in Meghalaya, the Congress will be kept out of power by some astute political moves by the NPP and the BJP. NPP, BJP and UDF have decided to stitch an alliance to keep the Congress out of power in the state.

Conrad Sangma will be the next chief minister of #Meghalaya: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP pic.twitter.com/Ou22DLZ8fh  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

There will be no Deputy CM in the new government: Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP #Meghalaya pic.twitter.com/H6yUD3fODQ  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

Next 2-3 days are very crucial because Assembly term gets over. The House expires on 7th before that everything has to take place and by tomorrow everything will be clear: Conrad Sangma in #Meghalaya's Shillong pic.twitter.com/eUSDjhqkq5  ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018

BJP's Himanta Biswas Sarma had earlier said that they would meet the Governor at 5 pm today.

"BJP has 2, upper hand will be NPP 19, followed by next upper hand UDP, they are 6. We are in discussion with PDF also. That is why at 5 pm we are going to meet governor with 29 members, that number will definitely go up...UDP has extended a support letter to us & we have discussed threadbare. It is just a matter of 2 hours, you will come to know everything, who will be the leader. Let it unfold officially in a dignified manner," Sarma said before the meeting.

Both NPP and BJP combined have 21 seats. Meanwhile, UDP, HSDP and GNC have a pre-poll alliance of their own, with eight seats among them. If both these groups come together, we can see a repeat of Goa and Manipur in Meghalaya.

"As a party we meet and discussed the formation of govt. We all decided we should form a non-Congress govt, and we have decided that NPP government should be formed led by Conrad Sangma as the CM," Donkupar Roy, president of United Democratic Party, told ANI today.

In the 60-member assembly, the Congress, which had been in power, bagged 21 seats, the NPP, led by Conrad Sangma, son of late PA Sangma, got 19 seats, the BJP got two seats, the United Democratic Party bagged six seats, the People's Democratic Front bagged four seats, the Hill State People's Democratic Party got two seats, the NCP and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement got one each and independents bagged three seats.

OneIndia NewsRahul not matured enough to understand government formation calculations: Sarma

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

With the NPP-led coalition set to form the government in Meghalaya despite Congress being the largest party, BJP's Himanta Biswas Sarma on Sunday said Rahul Gandhi is not mature enough to understand government formation calculations.

NPP president Conrad Sangma met Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad this evening and staked claim to form the government in the state with the support of 34 MLAs in the 60-member Assembly.

"Currently we have 34 members, NPP -19, BJP-2, UDP-6, HSPDP-2, PDF-4 and 1-independent. Number likely to go up. Rahul Gandhi sent four senior leaders of the party to Shillong without any calculations on government formation. I don't see maturity in him," Sarma told the media after meeting the Governor.

In a bid to salvage pride, the Congress said that mandate was actually given to them.

"We don't have pre-poll alliance with anybody. Right from the time of campaigning, we knew that BJP, NPP and UDP were together and it has been proved now. Mandate was actually given to Congress," Congress working President in Meghalaya Vincent Pala told ANI.

Meghalaya threw up a fractured mandate yesterday with the ruling Congress emerging as the largest party, marginally ahead of its rival, the National People's Party (NPP), an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Manipur.

[NPP-led coalition stakes claim to form govt, Conard Sangma to be next CM]

"We met the Governor and submitted a letter of support from 34 MLAs , 19 of the NPP, six of the United Democratic Party (UDP), four of the People's Democratic Front (PDF), two each of the Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and the BJP and an Independent," NPP chief Conard Sangma told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan.

Conard is the youngest son of former Lok Sabha Speaker (L) P A Sangma who died in 2016. He was elected a Member of Parliament in a by-election from Tura constituency after his father's death.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 4, 2018, 20:33 [IST]'My last': Anna Hazare to launch protest for farmers in Jan

Farmers' Protest: Former Maharashtra CM to meet Anna Hazare ahead of his hunger strike

SSC exam paper leak: Anna Hazare meets protestors in Delhi

India

oi-Madhuri

Anna Hazare on Sunday met Staff Selection Commission (SSC) aspirants who are protesting against the alleged paper leak of SSC and are demanding a CBI investigation.

The students have been protesting outside the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) office at CGO complex in Lodhi Road since February 27, 2018, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the alleged paper leak in the examination held from February 17 to 21, 2018.

Meanwhile, lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, the Congress on Saturday dubbed the SSC paper leak scandal as another Vyapam scam and demanded a thorough CBI probe into the matter.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said the government should immediately agree to all the demands of the agitating students and order a CBI probe into the paper leak.

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Story first published: Sunday, March 4, 2018, 10:17 [IST]Tej Pratap Yadav vacates bungalow fearing ghosts, accuses BJP of letting loose evil spirits

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Days after a Yajna was suggested to ward off evil spirits supposed to be haunting the Rajasthan Assembly, what has now emerged is that Lalu Prasad Yadav's son Tej Pratap Yadav has vacated his government-provided bungalow in Patna fearing ghosts.

And what's more, Tej Pratap has alleged that the ghosts have been let loose to haunt him by the BJP.

"I decided to vacate the bungalow because (chief minister) Nitish (Kumar) and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi had released ghosts in it. The ghosts were haunting me," Tej Pratap was quoted as saying in a PTI report.

The politician had earlier made some alterations to the bungalow to bring in elements of Vaastu Shastra -- traditional architectural beliefs - and also used the rear exit instead of the main entrance to ward off evil spirits. But Yadav found the changes did little to deter the stubborn ghosts. The MLA finally moved out.

Last month, an MLA had suggested Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to perform Yajna to rid the Assembly House of the influence of "ghosts". The deaths of two sitting MLAs within six months have made legislators wary as they fear that the Assembly building may have come under the influence of so-called evil spirits.

Rajasthan Congress' Dheeraj Gurjar had then said said that such things would encourage superstition.

"Mujhe toh sadan mein kabhi bhooton ka ehsaas nahi hua, yeh log shayad kamzoor dil hain shayad ki unko bhooton ka ehsaah hua. Iss tarah ki baaton se logon mein andh-vishwaas phelta hai (I have never felt any ghosts in the House. Some people are probably faint hearted. Such things encourage superstition)," Gurjar told reporters.

Rationalists said they were worried about the trend. Mukta Dabholkar, daughter of slain rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, said it was disheartening that lawmakers had no 'scientific temper' or 'spirit of inquiry'.

"If something is not going right it has to have some explanation. You cannot explain it in terms of black magic or a bad curse," she said.

Some legislators made such statements because they lacked a scientific temperament, she said. "Or perhaps they want to distract people's attention from real issues," said Dabholkar, who is also a member of her father's organisation, the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti.

OneIndia News with PTI inputsUttar Pradesh government lying about number of teachers who died during poll duty: Akhilesh Yadav

UP: BSP-SP likely to join hands for Gorakhpur, Phulpur bypolls

India

oi-Madhuri

The Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are likely to join hands for the crucial bypolls to the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seats scheduled for March 11 in a bid to give a tough contest to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A decision on supporting SP candidate Engineer Praveen Nishad for Gorakhpur Lok Sabha Bypolls is expected to be taken by the BSP in a meeting.

Speaking to ANI, Samajwadi Party's Sunil Yadav Singh said, "All I know is BSP does not contest by-elections. At both places where by-elections are being held, SP will give a strong fight to defeat the BJP."

Gorakhpur bypolls were announced after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath vacated the seat after resigning as Lok Sabha member in September last year after being elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

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From Gush Shalom

THE FLOOD of corruption affairs that is now engulfing the Netanyahu family and its assistants and servitors does not seem to diminish his popularity among those who call themselves "the People."

On the contrary, according to the opinion polls, the voters of the other nationalist parties are rushing to the rescue of "Bibi."

They believe that he is a great statesman, the savior of Israel, and are therefore ready to forgive and forget everything else. Huge bribes, generous gifts, everything.

Strange. Because my attitude is exactly the opposite. I am not ready to forgive "Bibi" anything for being a great statesman, because I think that he is a very minor statesman. Indeed, no statesman at all.

THE FINAL judgment about Bibi's capabilities was passed by his father early in his career.

Benzion Netayahu, a history professor who was an expert on the Spanish inquisition, did not have a very high opinion of his second son. He much preferred the oldest son, Jonathan, who was killed in the Entebbe operation. This, by the way, may be the source of Bibi's deep complexes.

Politically, Benzion was the most extreme rightist there ever was. He despised Vladimir Jabotinsky, the brilliant leader of the right-wing Zionists, as well as his pupil, Menachem Begin. For him, both were liberal weaklings.

Benzion, who felt that his talents were not appreciated in Israel and went to teach in the United States, where he brought up his sons, said about Binyamin: "He could make a good foreign secretary, but not a prime minister." Never was a more precise judgment made about Bibi.

Binyamin Netanyahu is indeed excellent foreign minister material. He speaks perfect (American) English, though without the literary depth of his predecessor, Abba Eban. About Eban, David Ben-Gurion famously remarked: "He can make beautiful speeches, but you must tell him what to say."

Bibi is a perfect representative. He knows how to behave with the great of this earth. He cuts a good figure at international conferences. He makes well-crafted speeches on important occasions, though he tends to use primitive gimmicks a Churchill would not touch.

A foreign minister functions, nowadays, as the traveling salesman of his country. Indeed. Bibi was once a traveling salesman for a furniture company. Since traveling has become so easy, foreign ministers fulfill most of the functions that in past centuries were reserved for ambassadors.

As his father so shrewdly observed, there is a huge difference between the duties of a foreign minister and those of a prime minister. The foreign minister implements policy. The prime minister determines policy.

The ideal prime minister is a man (or a woman) of vision. He knows what his country needs -- not only today, but for generations to come. His vision embraces the entire needs of his country, of which foreign relations is only one aspect, and not necessarily the most important one. He sees the social, economic, cultural and military aspects of his vision.

Benzion Netanyahu knew that his son did not posses these capabilities. A good appearance is just not enough, especially for a leader of a country with such complicated problems, interior and exterior, as Israel.

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From Our Future



Ben Carson reportedly spent $31K on his office dining set while HUD was planning to cut programs for the homeless, elderly and poor.

(Image by YouTube, Channel: CBS This Morning) Details DMCA



Ben Carson, the Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, received some unwanted attention this week over a $31,000 dining room set that was ordered for his office, reportedly at his wife's request.

The average income for a rural household receiving rental assistance from Carson's department is $10,504, roughly one-third the cost of Carson's newly-ordered office decor.

This plutocratic administration's sense of noblesse oblige recalls the 5th Marquis of Anglesey, who had his car modified to emit perfume from its tailpipe while he squandered his fortune on costumes and jewelry.

But that's not the most outrageous thing about this story.

Carson's defenders, including a department spokesperson, blamed a department official who ordered the furniture. They would have us believe that a craving for gilded-age de'cor spontaneously arose in the heart of a career government employee, unbeknownst to the upright and abstemious Dr. Carson.

The department's denials -- also paid for, we might add, at government expense -- do not have the ring of truth to them, to put it mildly. But that's not the worst outrage, either.

This is: As Carson was being pampered with office furnishings reminiscent of Louis XIV, his department was seeking $8.8 billion in cuts to programs that help low-income Americans. He wanted them to include massive cuts to the housing voucher program.

That was even too much for Congress. It added $2 billion back into the budget, including $700 million for housing vouchers. More cuts are to be expected in coming years.

What's the human cost of this policy -- for, say, a homeless family waiting for shelter?

"Let's say you're a family that's been on the waitlist for 10 years, and your name is finally about to come up," housing attorney Deborah Thrope told City Lab. "You're going to have to wait even longer, because the housing authority has ceased issuing new vouchers."

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reports that only one out of four families who need rental assistance are currently able to get it. That problem is only going to get worse.

Nearly 4.9 million families receive rental assistance today. It lifts nearly two-thirds of them out of poverty and keeps many families with children from becoming homeless. These are the people who, in the words of Trump's budget proposal, would be asked to "shoulder more of their housing cost."

The average income of the families who would "shoulder" this added burden is $13,033 per year, as reported by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. 75 percent of housing voucher benefits must go to "extremely poor households."

Luxury spending is typical of the Trump administration, as Helaine Olen notes, redflecting a lack of empathy that is, unfortunately, all too common among ultra-wealthy individuals like those in Trump's cosseted crew.

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This piece was reprinted by OpEdNews with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.



East Ghouta

(Image by EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid) Details DMCA



Criminal Propaganda of Omission seeks to conceal the fact that the West and its terrorist proxies do not seek peace in Syria, nor do they seek to safeguard civilians.

Agencies such as Amnesty International[1], and all of Western mainstream media (MSM), have devolved to the status of being vectors for war propaganda.

A significant strategy employed is to fabricate stories that omit core facts that would otherwise negate the intended messaging, whose sole purpose is to advance terrorism and wars of aggression -- the Supreme International Crime.

The situation in Eastern Ghouta, Syria provides an exemplary template to demonstrate this strategy of criminal war propaganda.

MSM obliterates from their White Helmets and SOHR -- fed narratives the reason for the campaign against the terrorists in Ghouta[2]. Just as the media erased the victims of the majority of citizens in Aleppo who were being daily bombarded by terrorists in East Aleppo, so too has the messaging erased the causal factors which have provoked situation in East Ghouta: terrorists violated UN SC Resolution 2401 by attacking those who sought to leave via pre-arranged "Humanitarian Corridors"[3]. They shot people attempting to leave, and they bombed the humanitarian corridors -- just like they did in Aleppo.

Reportedly,yesterday -- on or about March 1, 2018 -- terrorists slaughtered a family of six who were attempting to flee from terrorist-occupied East Ghouta. Obliterated also from the messaging is that these terrorists -- all of them al Qaeda or al Qaeda-affiliated -- have murdered about 7,000[4] people in Damascus. These crucial facts have been erased by MSM stories. Similarly, MSM, in its propaganda -fueled messaging, failed to note that terrorists from Aleppo had murdered almost 11,000[5] people

When core elements such as those above are omitted from MSM narratives, the narratives devolve into fabricated war propaganda, totally devoid of any other purpose.

In the following twitter post, Amal Saad demonstrates the lie. In the first AP article, terrorist Mohammad Alloush of the Army of Islam publicly states that only occupiers and "Assad's regime" will leave (and hence civilians will stay) during a "Humanitarian pause" while the subsequent extract suggests that civilians independently chose not to leave.

The AP messaging perpetuates the deception that citizens choose not to leave Ghouta (and therefore must be happy living in terrorist-controlled areas) just as it conveyed the same lies when Aleppo was besieged by terrorists.

Obliterated from the messaging is that all of Damascus is being held captive by the terrorists' bombs, that civilians in Ghouta are being used as human shields[7], and that the terrorists themselves are agents of the West whose presence in Syria is and always has been illegal according to Nuremburg standards.

Legitimate reporting looks quite different from the propaganda feeds that remain ascendant. Tom Duggan reports, directly from Syria, free from the corrupt tentacles of Western media agencies:

Notes

[1] Tim Anderson, "Syria: the human rights industry in 'humanitarian war' ." Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies Research Paper. January 2018. (click here) Accessed 2 March, 2018.

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From Alternet

Establishment Dems are urging a black pastor in Pennsylvania to get out of the race.

The Democratic Party's Washington-based insiders overseeing their 2018 efforts to win back a U.S. House majority are trying to undermine another progressive candidate -- this time it's Greg Edwards, an African-American pastor running in Pennsylvania's 7th district.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, is pressuring Edwards to get out of the race, according to reports by progressive groups working with Edwards and the Washington Post, which said DCCC officials were asking local Democrats if they thought Edwards could be persuaded to run for a state senate seat instead. Pennsylvania's congressional districts were just redrawn by the state Supreme Court after Republicans were found to have violated their state constitution, which apparently prompted the DCCC's intervention, according to the Post.

But the optics for the DCCC are terrible, and seem to confirm a deepening pattern. Only a week ago, the DCCC posted opposition research (usually used to attack opponents) about a Texas progressive congressional candidate, Laura Moser, on its website. That effort backfired, helping Moser to raise nearly $80,000 in days, and now she's coming in second in pre-election polls for Tuesday's primary, which would position her for a runoff election.

"I wouldn't have done it," Tom Perez, Democratic National Committee chairman, told C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" series, referring to the DCCC's attack on Moser.

But the DCCC is its own sphere inside the larger party universe. It's a creature of House incumbents, and its biggest task is re-electing officeholders and trying to win 24 more seats needed for a majority. While that purview makes it inherently centrist, the DCCC apparently has little intention of heeding the chairman's message, even as Perez takes steps to break with the past and partner with grassroots organizations.

The effort to pressure Edwards to leave his congressional race is not the first instance of the DCCC turning its back on a progressive in Pennsylvania. In January, The Intercept detailed how the DCCC worked behind the scenes to undermine the candidacy of Jess King, a progressive who ran a successful nonprofit helping women in business, was successful raising funds, and also secured many local endorsements.

More recently after the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, DCCC internal communique's initially advised its endorsed candidates not to overly "politicize" their response, underscoring to progressives how out of touch the DCCC is with the public. Other memos advised candidates to avoid endorsing Medicare for All health care reform.

But pushing a progressive black candidate like Greg Edwards to end his campaign hit a deep nerve.

"Greg Edwards is exactly the kind of progressive leader that the Democratic Party should be investing in," said Waleed Shahid, a spokesman for Justice Democrats, which has backed 52 progressives running for Congress and is helping his voter contact efforts. "It's a shame that the DCCC and the wealthy white donors and revolving door consultants that make up the Democratic Party establishment are actively trying to stop Greg. Their consultant-driven strategy seems to prefer milquetoast candidates who they believe can appeal to moderate Republicans over progressive candidates of color. This is what systemic racism looks like."

Shahid predicted the divide between the party's progressives and centrists will deepen.

"Now that progressives are threatening major upsets against their hand-picked candidates in upcoming primaries, the DCCC has begun an all-out war against progressives," he said. "It's candidates like Greg who will activate the base that will bring Democrats a majority in Congress: young people, people of color, women, and working people of all backgrounds. Greg's grassroots campaign is showing that when Democrats fight for progressive policies like Medicare for All, debt-free college and criminal justice reform, we can bring in the volunteer capacity and small-dollar donors we need to take back Congress."

Shahid's sentiments were not unique. On Friday, Justice Democrats, Credo Action and Our Revolution launched a series of petitions calling on DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Lujan to "stop undermining progressive values," as Credo Action's statement put it.

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From Smirking Chimp

Jeffrey Sterling, the case officer for the CIA's covert "Operation Merlin," who was convicted in May 2015 for allegedly revealing details of that operation to James Risen of the New York Times, was released from prison in January after serving more than two years of a 42-month sentence. He had been tried and convicted on the premise that the revelation of the operation had harmed U.S. security.

The entire case against him assumed a solid intelligence case that Iran had indeed been working on a nuclear weapon that justified that covert operation.

But the accumulate evidence shows that the intelligence not only did not support the need for Operation Merlin, but that the existence of the CIA's planned covert operation itself had a profound distorting impact on intelligence assessment of the issue. The very first U.S. national intelligence estimate on the subject in 2001 that Iran had a nuclear weapons program was the result of a heavy-handed intervention by Deputy Director for Operations James L. Pavitt that was arguably more serious than the efforts by Vice-President Dick Cheney to influence the CIA's 2002 estimate on WMD in Iraq.

The full story the interaction between the CIA operation and intelligence analysis, shows, moreover, that Pavitt had previously fabricated an alarmist intelligence analysis for the Clinton White House on Iran's nuclear program in late 1999 in order to get Clinton's approval for Operation Merlin.

Pavitt Plans Operation Merlin

The story of Operation Merlin and the suppression of crucial intelligence on Iran's nuclear intentions cannot be understood apart from the close friendship between T Pavitt and CIA Director George Tenet. Pavitt's rise in the Operations Directorate had been so closely linked to his friendship with Tenet that the day after Tenet announced his retirement from the CIA on June 3, 2004, Pavitt announced his own retirement.

Soon after he was assigned to the CIA's Non-Proliferation Center (NPC) in 1993 Pavitt got the idea of creating a new component within the Directorate of Operations to work solely on proliferation, as former CIA officials recounted for Valerie Plame Wilson's memoir, Fair Game. Pavitt proposed that the new proliferation division would have the authority not only to collect intelligence but also to carry out covert operations related to proliferation, using its own clandestine case officers working under non-official cover.

Immediately after Tenet was named Deputy Director of the CIA in 1995, Pavitt got the new organization within the operations directorate called the Counter-Proliferation Division, or CPD. Pavitt immediately began the planning for a major operation targeting Iran. According to a CIA cable declassified for the Sterling trial, as early as March 1996 CPD's "Office of Special Projects" had already devised a scheme to convey to the Iranians a copy of the Russian TBA-486 "fireset" -- a system for multiple simultaneous high explosive detonations to set off a nuclear explosion. The trick was that it had built-in flaws that would make it unworkable.

A January 1997 declassified cable described a plan for using a Russian e'migre... former Soviet nuclear weapons engineer recruited in 1996 to gain "operational access" to an Iranian "target." The cable suggested that it would be for the purpose of intelligence on the Iranian nuclear program, in the light of the fact that the agency had not issued a finding that Iran was working on nuclear weapons.

But in mid-March 1997 the language used by CPD to describe its proposed covert operation suddenly changed. Another declassified CPD cable from May 1997 said the ultimate goal was "to plant this substantial piece of deception information on the Iranian nuclear weapons program." That shift in language apparently reflected Tenet's realization that the CIA would need justify the proposed covert operation to the White House, as required by legislation.

With his ambitious plan for a covert operation against Iran in his pocket, Pavitt was promoted to Associate Deputy Director of Operations in July 1997. On February 2, 1998, CPD announced to other CIA offices, according to the declassified cable, that a technical team from one of the national laboratories had finished building the detonation device that would include "multiple nested flaws," including a "final fatal flaw" ensuring "that it will not detonate a nuclear weapon."

An official statement from the national lab certifying that fact was a legal requirement for the CIA to obtain the official Presidential "finding" for any covert operation required by legislation passed in the wake of the Iran-Contra affair.

Pavitt obtained the letter from the national laboratory in mid-1999 a few weeks after it was announced he would be named Deputy Director of the CIA for Operations.

But that left a final political obstacle to a presidential finding: the official position of the CIA' s Intelligence Directorate remained that Iran did not have a nuclear weapons program. The language of the CIA's report to Congress for the first half of 1999, which was delivered to Congress in early 2000, contained formulations that showed signs of having been negotiated between those who believed Iran just have a nuclear weapons program and those who did not.

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Speaking to CNN on the possibility of resuming hostilities in the nearly 70-year-old Korean War (in uneasy ceasefire since 1953), US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says "all the damage ... would be worth it in terms of long-term stability and national security."

Worth it, Senator Graham? To whom?

The last period of open war on the Korean peninsula cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.5 million lives, including nearly a million soldiers on both sides (36,516 of them American) and 2.5 million civilians in the North and South.

What did the American taxpayer get in return for three years of fighting, tens of thousands of Americans dead, and nearly $700 billion (in 2008 dollars)?

Well, that taxpayer's government got to decide who's in charge of part of the Korean peninsula, which, last time I checked, is not a US state or territory.

And that taxpayer's government got the opportunity to spend hundreds of billions of dollars more of that taxpayer's money to garrison the North-South border along the 38th Parallel for 65 years. That excludes the off-peninsula costs of the US "security umbrella" covering other Pacific Rim nations.

And that taxpayer's government got a convenient bugaboo to scare the bejabbers out of that taxpayer with any time peace threatened to break out.

Stability? Well, sure, if what we're talking about is guaranteeing that the welfare checks continue to reliably arrive in the American military industrial complex's mailboxes. But apart from that, continued saber-rattling on either side of some of the most militarized acreage on Earth -- the so-called "Demilitarized Zone" -- is pretty much the definition of instability.

National security? Not so much, if for no other reason than that North Korea never has represented and does not now represent a credible military threat to the United States. If it ever does come to represent such a threat, it will be because the US continues, at the urging of demagogues like Lindsey Graham, to involve itself in the affairs of people thousands of miles away who do not welcome such involvement.

So far, the Korean War hasn't delivered any benefit of note to the American people, especially in the areas of "stability" or "national security."

America's long misadventure on the Korean peninsula has only been worth it to US "defense" contractors and the politicians they own. Yes, Senator Graham, I'm looking at you.

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This piece was reprinted by OpEdNews with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.

From Sputnik

In one short, simple sentence written some years ago, US scholar and Russia expert Stephen F Cohen got to the heart of the matter: "The Cold War ended in Moscow, but not in Washington."

This indispensable context is how the section of Russian President Vladimir Putin's March 1, 2018, address to the Russian Federal Assembly, dealing with foreign policy and security, has to be understood. In what arguably stands as the most significant public address of the Russian president's tenure in the Kremlin, the world, particularly Washington, was left in no doubt that Moscow possesses the ability and willingness to meet any threat to its security that the US and its allies may seek to impose.

Putin identified the decision of the Bush administration to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002 as the point when the US moved from a stance of mutual trust and respect in its relations with Russia to one of disregard and disrespect, exploiting Russia's internal problems during this period to assert its dominance as a unipolar power.

"We did our best to dissuade the Americans from withdrawing from the treaty," the Russian leader announced. "All in vain. The US pulled out of the treaty in 2002. Even after that we tried to develop constructive dialogue with the Americans. We proposed working together in this area to ease concerns and maintain the atmosphere of trust. At one point, I thought that a compromise was possible, but this was not to be. All our proposals, absolutely all of them, were rejected."

In a dramatic video presentation, the Russian president went on to unveil the next generation of the country's nuclear missiles, developed with the objective of circumventing and overcoming Washington's missile defenses and existing nuclear capability.

The defiance with which Putin revealed the country's new and enhanced missile technology was unmistakable. It was perhaps illustrative of the years of broken promises, bad faith, duplicity and encroaching and enveloping military pressure exerted by the US and its allies against the Russian Federation. Returning to Cohen: "The most fundamental [error by Washington upon the demise of the Soviet Union] was to treat post-communist Russia not as a strategic partner but as a defeated nation, analogous to Germany and Japan after World War II."

In contradistinction, in the parallel universe that Western hawks and neocons inhabit, responsibility for the breakdown in relations between Moscow and Washington is ascribed to "Russian aggression." It's a charge that throws up the question of what kind of aggression is it that sees US troops on Russia's border but no Russian troops on Washington's border, US warships patrolling the Black Sea on Russia's shore but no Russian warships patrolling the Gulf of Mexico on theirs? And this is before we come to the missile defense shield deployed in Romania in 2016, or the attempt by Washington to use Georgia as its cat's paw in 2008 with the aim of NATO expansion, followed by Ukraine in 2014.

What has been made abundantly clear by its actions since the early 1990s is that economic and military might is for Washington the first and final arbiter of international affairs.

That we have arrived at such a parlous juncture in relations between East and West is, per Talleyrand, worse than a crime -- it's a blunder -- an indictment of the conclusions drawn in Washington in response to the end of the Soviet Union. Here we are obliged to cite the sage lament of former US President Dwight D Eisenhower: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."

Yet guns, warships and rockets, more than diplomacy, have underlain US foreign policy since the day the hammer and sickle was lowered over the Kremlin. As for those 800 military bases established by Washington in 70 countries, are we really meant to believe they did so with the objective of making the world safe for democracy? Credulity, as they say, only stretches so far.

Austrian political economist Joseph Schumpeter once described the Roman Empire thus: "There was no corner of the known world where some interest was not alleged to be in danger or under actual attack. If the interests were not Roman, they were those of Rome's allies; and if Rome had no allies, the allies would be invented. When it was utterly impossible to contrive such an interest -- why, then it was the national honor that had been insulted. The fight was always invested with an aura of legality."

Substitute Washington for Rome in that passage and you have yourself the nuts and bolts of America's relations with the world throughout the era of unipolarity.

Putin's address and unveiling of Russia's advanced nuclear missile capability provides empirical evidence of the failure of US and Western foreign policy since the Soviet Union was consigned to history. Rather than embrace this world-historical event as an opportunity for peaceful coexistence, for stability and cohesion, the US sought to impose on its former Cold War adversary a Carthaginian peace.

And lest anyone forget what this Carthaginian peace entailed for Russia's people, Canadian journalist Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine" is required reading: "By 1998, more than 80 percent of Russian farms had gone bankrupt and roughly 70,000 state factories had closed creating an epidemic of unemployment... By the time the shock therapists [of the West] had administered their 'bitter medicine in the mid-nineties, 74 million Russians were living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank."

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From Counterpunch

"Grammar, usually taken to consist of the rules of correct syntactic and semantic usage, becomes, in [philosopher Ludwig] Wittgenstein's hands, the wider -- and more elusive -- network of rules which determine what linguistic move is allowed as making sense, and what isn't. This notion replaces the stricter and purer logic, which played such an essential role [in his first book] Tractatus in providing a scaffolding for language and the world. Indeed, "Essence is expressed in grammar ... Grammar tells what kind of object anything is. (Theology as grammar)... (PI [Philosophical Investigations] 371, 373). The 'rules' of grammar are not mere technical instructions from on-high for correct usage; rather, they express the norms for meaningful language. Contrary to empirical statements, rules of grammar describe how we use words in order to both justify and criticize our particular utterances. But as opposed to grammar-book rules, they are not idealized as an external system to be conformed to. Moreover, they are not appealed to explicitly in any formulation, but are used in cases of philosophical perplexity to clarify where language misleads us into false illusions. "Grammar is not abstract, it is situated within the regular activity with which language-games are interwoven: '... the word 'language-game' is used here to emphasize the fact that the speaking of language is part of an activity, or of a form of life.'" (PI 23). -- "Ludwig Wittgenstein," Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Closely observing the grammar of the Official Russiagate Narrative is revealing and instructive. It provides clues to the (language-)game being played.

Consider what I call the insidious article, the. In the public prints and official pronouncements, it's not enough to say Russians tried to muck around in the American election. It's almost always the Russians. This is a subtle way to convey the idea that Vladimir Putin and his intel agencies were responsible. If a second-tier Russian oligarch who wishes to help Putin hires, on his own initiative, "a bunch of subliterate-in-English trolls," in Masha Gessen's words, and pays them the minimum wage to (again Gessen) "post[] mostly static and sort of absurd advertising," that is treated as the equivalent of Putin's executing a plan to destroy the American political system.

There's a big difference between Russians and the Russians, even if the grammar seems inconsequential.

Then there's the similar case of synecdoche, "a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa." This is one of the few things I learned in college that I actually remember. (Thank you Mark Isaacs, professor of journalism at Temple University, who also introduced me to the work of H. L. Mencken.)

When you read in the newspaper or hear it said on CNN that Russia or Moscow or the Kremlin did such and such, you should call out, "Who exactly?" Countries, cities, and citadels cannot act. Only individuals do. Moreover, there's a big difference between the GRU (Glavnoje Razvedyvatel'noje Upravlenije) and the IRA (Internet Research Institute), between Vladimir Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin. But their acts are equally attributed to Russia. St. Petersburg (where the IRA is located) even becomes subsumed by Moscow. The Kremlin could refer to someone directly ordered by Putin or a rogue actor. But those distinctions are of little interest to those formulating or promulgating the Official Narrative.

Finally, let's turn to the word alleged. I can't stress how important this word figured in my journalism training in the 1960s and 70s, both in school and on the job. It was drilled into me by teachers and editors that an allegation is just an allegation until it is confirmed. And to drive this home, my teachers' favorite line was, "If your mother says she loves you, check it out."

Alleged was the obligatory qualifier before murderer, thief, rapist, kidnapper, etc. -- until the suspect was convicted or his guilty plea was accepted by a judge. We'd never dream of not using it before that point. News organization were of course protecting themselves from libel actions, but it was more than that, namely, fairness and acknowledgment of the presumption of innocent/burden of proof. Even an initial confession was not proof of guilt: people sometimes confess to offenses they did not commit, and sometimes people think their actions are illegal when they are not.

At least one young newsman either learned the lesson about alleged too well or thought it would be fun to mock the obsession with the word. Don Folsom, a rookie Buffalo, NY, radio newscaster in the 1960s began his Easter morning report thus: "Today millions of Christians around the world are celebrating the alleged resurrection of Jesus Christ." He was fired.

The word alleged seems almost completely lacking in the Russiagate conversation. The New York Times and other major news outlets have many times referred merely to "Russian interference in the 2016 election." No alleged? Have those reporters actually seen the evidence the general public has been denied? If so, they haven't informed us of that fact. Remember, the infamous January 2017 National Intelligence Assessment contained no evidence, as the same Times explicitly acknowledged at the time. In his Jan. 6, 2017, article, "Russian Intervention in American Election Was No One-Off," Times reporter Scott Shane wrote:

"What is missing from the public report is what many Americans most eagerly anticipated: hard evidence to back up the agencies' claims that the Russian government engineered the election attack. This is a significant omission. "Instead, the message from the agencies amounts to 'trust us.'"

I thought reporters weren't supposed to trust even their own mothers! Why are they trusting the lying James Clapper's "handpicked" intel personnel who made this assessment? Do they not remember the Big Lie about Iraqi WMDs, not to mention the entire lying history of the U.S. intel complex?

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From The National

It is has been a very bad week for those claiming Israel has the most moral army in the world. Here's a small sample of abuses of Palestinians in recent days in which the Israeli army was caught lying: a child horrifically injured by soldiers was arrested and terrified into signing a false confession that he was hurt in a bicycle accident. A man who, it was claimed, had died of tear-gas inhalation was actually shot at point-blank range, then savagely beaten by a mob of soldiers and left to die. Soldiers threw a tear gas canister at a Palestinian couple, baby in arms, as they fled for safety during a military invasion of their village.

In the early 2000s, at the dawn of the social media revolution, Israelis used to dismiss filmed evidence of brutality by their soldiers as fakery. It was what they called "Pallywood" -- a conflation of Palestinian and Hollywood.

In truth, however, it was the Israeli military, not the Palestinians, that needed to manufacture a more convenient version of reality.

Last week, it emerged, Israeli officials had conceded to a military court that the army had beaten and locked up a group of Palestinian reporters as part of an explicit policy of stopping journalists from covering abuses by its soldiers.

Israel's deceptions have a long history. Back in the 1970s, a young Juliano Meir-Khamis, later to become one of Israel's most celebrated actors, was assigned the job of carrying a weapons bag on operations in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. When Palestinian women or children were killed, he placed a weapon next to the body.

In one incident, when soldiers playing around with a shoulder-launcher fired a missile at a donkey, and the 12-year-old girl riding it, Meir-Khamis was ordered to put explosives on their remains.

That occurred before the Palestinians' first mass uprising against the occupation erupted in the late 1980s. Then, the defence minister Yitzhak Rabin -- later given a Hollywood-style makeover himself as a peacemaker -- urged troops to "break the bones" of Palestinians to stop their liberation struggle.

The desperate, and sometimes self-sabotaging, lengths Israel takes to try to salvage its image were underscored last week when 15-year-old Mohammed Tamimi was grabbed from his bed in a night raid.

Back in December he was shot in the face by soldiers during an invasion of his village of Nabi Saleh. Doctors saved his life, but he was left with a misshapen head and a section of skull missing.

Mohammed's suffering made headlines because he was a bit-player in a larger drama. Shortly after he was shot, a video recorded his cousin, 16-year-old Ahed Tamimi, slapping a soldier nearby after he entered her home.

Ahed, who is in jail awaiting trial, was already a Palestinian resistance icon. Now she has become a symbol too of Israel's victimisation of children.

So, Israel began work on recrafting the narrative: of Ahed as a terrorist and provocateur.

It emerged that a government minister, Michael Oren, had even set up a secret committee to try to prove that Ahed and her family were really paid actors, not Palestinians, there to "make Israel look bad." The Pallywood delusion had gone into overdrive.

Last week events took a new turn as Mohammed and other relatives were seized, even though he is still gravely ill. Dragged off to an interrogation cell, he was denied access to a lawyer or parent.

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"It's time for the rest of us to fight back and demand that Washington work for us, not the big bank lobbyists."

By Jake Johnson, staff writer



'Do not collaborate with Donald Trump and Trump Republicans to deregulate big banks,' reads a CREDO petition calling on Democrats to reject the deregulation bill.

(Image by (Photo: Edward Kimmel/Flickr/cc)) Details DMCA



Cooperation between Republicans and Democrats has become something of a rarity in today's polarized political environment -- except when it comes to a select handful of objectives, like enriching Wall Street banks.

In a Twitter thread on Friday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called attention to a massive bank deregulation bill (S.2155) that could reach the Senate floor for a final vote next week, and highlighted the fact that a dozen Democrats are providing crucial support for the measure.

If passed, the legislation -- derisively labeled "The Bank Lobbyist Act" by Warren and other critics -- would make it more difficult to combat racial discrimination by big banks, provide regulatory relief for more than two dozen of the nation's large financial institutions, and eliminate many consumer protections put into place after the 2008 financial crisis.

The Senate -- with the support of some Democrats -- is set to start debate on a bill to roll back regulations on the same big banks we bailed out a few years ago. If we lose the final vote next week, we'll be paving the way for the next big crash. https://t.co/i7HO3AvNJ9 -- Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 2, 2018

We've been down this road before. Whenever things are going ok in the financial system, the lobbyists flood the halls of Congress & convince politicians to roll back the rules -- because what could possibly go wrong? https://t.co/7rUKIajJ8Q -- Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 2, 2018

In addition to Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), the 12 Democratic senators currently co-sponsoring the deregulation measure are: Doug Jones (Ala.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Mark Warner (Va.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Tim Kaine (Va.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Michael Bennet (Colo.), Chris Coons (Del.), and Tom Carper of Delaware.

In a video posted to Twitter on Friday, Warren explained that this bipartisan effort to fullfill "the wish lists of big bank lobbyists" goes a long way toward illustrating how Congress works for the wealthiest at the expense of the majority of the public.

Watch:

The Senate should be working to #EndGunViolence. Instead, Mitch McConnell is teeing up legislation on what he thinks is a much more pressing issue: fulfilling the wish lists of big bank lobbyists. pic.twitter.com/Lwu0SOnFSc -- Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 2, 2018

Dubbed the "Bailout Caucus" by the advocacy group Rootstrikers, the Democrats backing the deregulation bill -- introduced by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) last November -- have deep ties to the financial industry.

As Talmon Joseph Smith observed in an article for The New Republic on Thursday, "Nine of the 12 Democrats supporting the deregulatory measure count the financial industry as either their biggest or second-biggest donor."

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Global Electronic Health Records Market: SnapshotElectronic health records (EHR) are the digital version of a patients medical history, which is maintained by the healthcare provider over time, and may include all of the key executives clinical data relevant to that individual care under a particular provider. EHRs include data ranging from demographics, problems, progress notes, vital signs, medications, past medical history, immunizations, radiology reports, to laboratory data.Over the past two decades, information technology (IT) has revolutionized every facet of the global healthcare industry. The vast adoption of IT and digital infrastructure in the healthcare industry has made information both a benefit and a challenge for every provider. Awareness about the disease and treatment is saving lives, while lack of effectively managed data might place this information at risk. Nevertheless, several pilot and cohort studies are being undertaken by government organizations and institutions pertaining to effectiveness of a computerized patient healthcare information systems and EHRs are increasingly replacing manually filled paper sheets, medical images, and other documents concerned with a patients healthcare history.Transparency Market Research estimates that the global electronic health records market, which was pegged at US$ 23.22 bn in 2016, will exhibit a promising 5.7% CAGR from 2017 to 2025 and rise to a valuation of US$38.29 bn by 2025.Request a Sample of the Report @SaaS-based Deployment to Gather MomentumWeb-based EHR systems are popular among medical professionals because these reduce deployment costs. On the other hand, client-server based EHR systems have up-front installation fees, which acts as a major restraint among small and mid-size practices. However, client-server based EHR systems help gain more control on both the software as well as the data. Web-based EHR systems, on the other hand, help reduce cost and the data is backed up automatically by the vendor.The software as a service (SaaS) segment is likely to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period i.e. 2017 to 2025. Software as a service (SaaS) is gaining higher preference among physicians as it eliminates technical glitches and offer low upfront costs. The data can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Software as a service EHR systems are typically beneficial for standalone centers or older physicians who are in the industry for few years in order to avoid the penalty charges by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.Request a Brochure of the Report @North America to Continue Exhibiting Excellent Growth ProspectsThe e-Health market has evolved as one of the fastest growing U.S. industries and remained almost unaffected even post-recession scenarios. Owing to this, North America accounted for lions share in the global EHR market driven on the back of government funding encouraging the meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology across health care facilities, increasing pressure for health care cost containment, and rising demand for improved quality of health care services are the key factors boosting the growth of the North America EHR market.Europe and Asia Pacific are also among the leading contributors of revenue to the global EHR market. The U.K. and Germany are the key EHR markets in Europe, attributed to the rapidly increasing geriatric population, growing need for remote monitoring, increased pressure of health care cost containment, and increasing demand for improved patient care. The Asia-Pacific is witnessing increasing adoption of EHR across hospitals, physician offices, and other health care centers and is driven by the presence of a large pool of patients.Some of the leading players operating in the global electronic health record market are Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., Athenahealth, Inc., Cerner Corporation, CPSI, Epic Systems, eClinicalWorks, GE Healthcare, Greenway Health, LLC, Medical Information Technology, Inc., McKesson Corporation, NextGen Healthcare, and 4medica.Enquiry for discount on 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. 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:Advanced (3D/4D) Visualization Systems Market is Rising at a 6.4% CAGR Between 2016 and 2024

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The report on the global advanced (3D/4D) visualization systems analyses the current and future prospects of the market for the software and application products. The report comprises an elaborate executive summary, including a market snapshot that provides overall information of various segments and sub-segments.Request for Sample Copy of Report @The research is a robust combination of primary and secondary research. Primary research forms the bulk of our research efforts with information collected from telephonic interviews and interactions via e-mails. Secondary research involved study of company websites, annual reports, press releases, stock analysis presentations and various international and national databases. The report provides market size in terms of US$ Mn for each segment for the period from 2014 to 2024, considering the macro and micro environmental factors. Growth rates for each segment within the global advanced (3D/4D) visualization systems market have been determined after a thorough analysis of past trends, demographics, future trends, technological developments, and regulatory requirements.A detailed qualitative analysis of factors responsible for driving and restraining the market growth and future opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. This section of the report also provides with market attractiveness analysis, and Porters Five Forces analysis providing a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global advanced (3D/4D) visualization systems market.Market revenue in terms of US$ Mn for the period between 2014 and 2024 along with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) from 2016 to 2024 are provided for all the segments, considering 2015 as the base year. Market size estimations involved in-depth study of services and product features of different types of services. Additionally, market related factors such as increasing preference for technologically advanced services, product innovation and growing number of acute and chronic patient in various geographies and historical year-on-year growth have been taken into consideration while estimating the market size.Enquiry for discount on this report @Global advanced (3D/4D) visualization systems market is segmented according to major types of platform, which include: ultrasound AVS, Magnetic Resonance Imaging AVS, Computed Tomography AVS, Positron Emission Tomography AVS and others (radiotherapy AVS, nuclear medicine AVS, etc.). The market has been further studied from the point of view of major applications of advanced (3D/4D) visualization systems. The market on the basis of application has been categorized into cardiology, oncology, neurology and others (orthopedics, gastrointestinal, gynecology, etc.). The market has also been segmented on the basis of end-user into three segments, viz., hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and academics & research.Additionally, the report contains market attractiveness analysis by geography and competitive landscape by key players. The market attractiveness analysis explains the intensity of competition in the market in different geographies. The competitive scenario between different market players is evaluated through market share analysis. These factors would help the market players to take strategic decisions in order to strengthen their positions and expand their share in the global market. The report also provides an extensive event impact analysis which gives an insight into major events and their effects on the market in positive and negative sense. The analysis also provides a list of recently launched products.Geographically, the global advanced visualization systems market has been segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. In addition the regions have been further segmented by major countries from each region, which include the U.S, Canada, U.K., Germany, Japan, China, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa. The report also profiles major players in the advanced (3D/4D) visualization systems market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, key business strategies, product portfolio, and recent developments. Key companies profiled in the report include Carestream Health, Inc., CONMED Corporation, Fujifilm Holding America Corporation, GE Healthcare, Intelerad Medical Systems Incorporated, Philips Healthcare, QI Imaging, LLC, Siemens Healthcare, Terarecon, Inc., Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Visage Imaging and Visualization Sciences Group.Report Overview @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:Surgical Procedures Volume Market: Rising Geriatric Populace to Propel the Market Worldwide

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Rising geriatric population across the world has been identified as a major factor fueling the growth of the surgical procedures market. This is primarily due to elderly people are highly susceptible to various chronic disorders. Moreover, growth in the global population over 65 years of age would highly affect market growth. According to the U.S. Census Board, people older than 65 years represented around 13% of the total population; this percentage is expected to reach 20% by 2030.Request for Sample Copy of Report @According to the World Health Organization, the global geriatric population is anticipated to reach 1.5 billion by 2050. Countries aging at a rapid pace are the U.S., Japan, and Germany. Other factors driving the surgical procedures volume globally include increasing incidence of chronic disorders and rise in the number of trauma injury cases. The surgical procedures volume market has been segmented into cardiovascular, orthopedic, neurosurgery, ophthalmic, gynecology, and other procedures such as urology and dental.The cardiovascular procedures segment has been further categorized into cardiac rhythm management devices implantations, interventional cardiology procedures, and heart transplantation. The interventional cardiology procedures sub-segment held the largest share of the cardiovascular procedures segment due to rising usage of cardiac catheterization in structural heart disease and is becoming complex due to increase in incidence of therapeutic catheterization.According to the American Heart Association, over 5 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with heart valve disease each year, thereby making coronary angiography the leading segment in the interventional cardiology procedures market. The neurosurgery procedures segment has been sub-segmented into craniotomy, aneurysm coil embolization, CSF drainage, and CSF shunts. CSF drainage was the largest sub-segment of the neurosurgery segment, while the craniotomy sub-segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period due to recent developments in intraoperative imaging technologies. Orthopedic procedures have been categorized into three segments: joint replacement surgery, ligament/tendon repair surgery, and spine surgery. Joint replacement was the largest sub-segment of the orthopedic procedures segment. The sub-segment is further segmented into knee replacement, hip replacement, and shoulder replacement surgery. Knee replacement surgery dominated the joint replacement surgery segment as it is considered the most effective intervention for severe osteoarthritis, reducing pain and disability, and restoring patients to near normal function.Enquiry for discount on this report @The ophthalmic procedures segment has been categorized into three sub-segments: cataract surgery, refractive surgery, and glaucoma surgery. The cataract surgery sub-segment held the largest share of the global ophthalmic procedures market and in expected to expand at the highest CAGR due to technological advances and better efficacy of the procedures. Gynecology procedures have been categorized into three segments: hysterectomy surgery, uterine artery embolization, and cesarean section surgery. The continued growth of the global gynecology procedures market is attributed to changing lifestyle, increase in per capita income in the emerging markets, and rising prevalence of gynecological diseases such as menorrhagia, uterine fibroids, and cervical cancers globally. The other procedures segment includes urology procedures and dental procedures. The dental procedures sub-segment is anticipated to witness highest growth rate during the forecast period due to technical advancements leading to higher productivity and efficacy.Asia Pacific dominated the global surgical procedures market in 2014, accounting for a share of over 30% primarily due to large patient base, increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases, traumatic injuries, neurological disorders, and introduction of advanced surgical technologies. Increase in the geriatric population also plays a major role in the growth of the surgical procedures market. Population over 65 years of age in Asia is likely to increase dramatically by 314%, from 207 million in 2000 to 857 million in 2050. This will increase the number of surgery procedures in the region. North America was the fastest growing market for surgical procedures in terms of volume during the forecast period from 2014 to 2023, due to growing innovation and adoption of new surgical technologies, high growth of minimally invasive surgeries, and C-section surgeries.Moreover, efficient reimbursement facilities, large health care infrastructure, rise in the health care expenditure, and high number of hospital beds per capita are anticipated to accelerate the medical infrastructure development in the U.S. making it the dominating segment in North America. Europe was the second largest market for surgical procedures in terms of volume in 2014, accounting for a share of 31.1% of the global market. Primary factors driving growth in the region include increase in the geriatric population and rise in the incidence of fall injuries, traffic-related injuries, cardiovascular diseases, and orthopedic cases.Report Overview @According to the European Commission database, the average number of surgical procedures for cardiac disorders has increased by around 20% from 2005 to 2010. Germany held the largest share of the surgical procedures market in Europe in 2014 due to the better reimbursement mechanism. Brazil accounted for the largest share of the surgery procedures market in Latin America. Growth of the market is attributed to high prevalence of chronic diseases, rise in geriatric population, and increase in health care expenditure. Mexico is expected to be the fastest growing market in Latin America due to low cost of medical treatments and high prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases.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:Patient Handling Equipment Market Will be Worth US$ 22.4 Billion by the End of 2024

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The international market for patient handling equipment market has been prophesized to rise at a robust CAGR rate of 10.20% over the forecast timeframe that extends from 2016 to 2024. Such a growth of the market for patient handling equipment market is primarily due to the rising risk of caregivers injury, increasing geriatric population, and also the risk of injury to the patients while handling them manually. Apart from that, other factors such as rising incidences of disabilities, implementation of rules and regulations that pertain to the safety and security at many of the healthcare facilities.Request for Sample Copy of Report @As the report on global patient handling equipment estimates, the said market would be worth around US$ 22.4 bn towards the end of forecast period, i.e. by 2024. The estimated amount at the end of 2024 has substantially risen from an evaluated market valuation of US$ 9.5 bn in the year 2015. The industry of healthcare is at present thriving in many a number of emerging and developed economies.Taking vendor landscape into consideration, the market for patient handling equipment can be regarded as moderately fragmented and the market players has been focusing on strategically important moves like partnerships, mergers and acquisitions so as to reinforce their hold on the said market.The international market for patient handling equipment is experiencing many new favorable market options such as the provision of rental that is coming up as a trend in the market amongst those patients who need lifts and slings for a short period of time in the settings of healthcare system. In addition to that, the arrangement for flexible payment option of rent makes providers of rent to manage flow of cash all the year around. These various factors are anticipated to further spearhead the growth of the said market. The drivers that are primarily responsible for the growth of the market include factors such the soaring need for aversion of musculoskeletal injuries that could happen both to the patients and to the care givers owing to physical actions like manual uplifting of patients. In those cases, the said patient handling equipments are regarded as the apt choice to uplift patients in the right way. In addition to that, the savings on manual labor could now be utilized for the procurement of equipment like medical beds that come with assistive technology, patient lifts, and many such types of equipment. Such patient handling equipment eventually diminishes the role that caregivers play in helping patients.Enquiry for discount on this report @The market research study on patient handling equipment also comes with regional analysis and segmentations of the said market. In accordance with the said study, the market spreads across the regions of the Middle East and Africa (MEA), North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific (APAC). Emerging economies such as Sri Lanka, India, and China lack regulatory and legal protocols associated with handling of caregivers and patients. As such, the system of healthcare in these parts of the world can be considered moderately fragmented. The market is marked with the presence of medium and small scale end-users that are devoid of the benefits arising out of patient handling equipment.However, owing to the political pressures coming out of international bodies that pressurize on improving services of the healthcare segment worldwide, it is prophesized that many countries would now be coming out with new rules and regulations for the progress of healthcare system that centers on patients. These initiatives by various governments are meant for the improvement the standard and quality of patient care and as such the same are anticipated to bolster market growth.The prominent market players that are operating in the world market for patient handling equipment are ArjoHuntleigh (Getinge Group), DJO Global, Invacare Corporation, Patterson Medical , Stryker Corporation, Joerns Healthcare LLC, and Hill-Rom Holdings. The company, ArjoHuntleigh (Getinge Group), is considered as the leading market player in the international market for patient handling equipment in the year 2015.Report Overview @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:Internet of Things (IoT) in Healthcare Market Detailed Study Analysis with Forecast by 2024

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The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the healthcare market, which comprises systems and software, medical devices, and services, has had a significant impact on the overall healthcare sector and been immensely beneficial in remote clinical monitoring, chronic disease management, preventive care, assisted living, and personal fitness monitoring. Termed as a true game-changer for the healthcare industry, the Internet of Things has transformed the sector by lowering costs, improving efficiency, and bringing the focus back to quality patient care. The IoT in healthcare market includes a number of implanted, wearable, and stationary medical devices used in clinical research organizations, research and diagnostic laboratories, hospitals, clinics, and surgical centers, and defense and government institutions. In the healthcare industry, the Internet of Things can be put to several applications, including clinical operations and workflow management, inpatient monitoring, telemedicine, connected imaging, and medication management. Bluetooth low energy (BLE), ZigBee, satellite, Wi-Fi, near-field communication (NFC), and cellular are some of the key connectivity technologies involved in IoT in healthcare.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:The data in the report on the worldwide market for IoT in healthcare has been collated from several primary and secondary research sources, along with sharp insights and strategic recommendations from industry experts. The report is designed to help clients formulate profitable and actionable strategies to expand their businesses. Considering that the global healthcare industry has been undergoing several changes in a bid to provide accessible, affordable, and quality patient care, advanced and cutting edge technologies are being developed to help the industry cope with these changes. The introduction of IoT in the healthcare sector has transformed the way health services are being delivered. There are a number of factors driving the global market for IoT in healthcare. These include increasing global geriatric population, rising prevalence of various chronic diseases, the surging awareness levels pertaining to the availability of advanced disease management systems, the mounting demand for long-term and short-term healthcare services, and an overall improvement in data management, patient monitoring, and healthcare outcomes. The growing use of smartphones and the improved internet connectivity across the globe are also responsible for the expansion of the IoT in healthcare market.The global market for IoT in healthcare is geographically segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. North America continues to be the highest revenue generating region and analysts predict that the region is likely to retain its lead in the global IoT in healthcare market throughout the forecast period. The rapid growth of the North America IoT in healthcare market can be attributed to the presence of advanced and sophisticated healthcare infrastructure, major technological advancements in the field of healthcare software and medical devices, increased levels of R&D initiatives in IoT, and high levels of disposable income.Request for Sample Copy of Report:The Asia Pacific market for IoT in healthcare has been identified as the most lucrative region and this geographical segment is projected to witness strong growth in the coming years. Rapid economic growth is one of the primary reasons for the future expansion of the IoT in healthcare in Asia Pacific, especially in countries such as China and India. Other factors impacting this regional market include improvement in healthcare infrastructure, rising disposable income levels, growing presence of IT-enabled healthcare services, increasing affordability of smartphones and various wearable medical devices, and changes in lifestyle habits.Adheretech, Cerner Corporation, PhysIQ, Stanley Healthcare, Qualcomm Life Inc., Cisco Systems, Medtronic Inc., GE Healthcare, Proteus Digital Health Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Diabetizer Ltd. & Co. KG, Philips, SAP SE, IBM Corporation, and Honeywell Care Solutions are some of the top companies competing in the global IoT in healthcare market. The nature of this market is immensely oligopolistic, wherein a handful of large, established players dominate the scene with strategies such as collaborative research and development, development of specialized products for specific applications, and acquiring startups with immense potential. This in turn, makes it difficult for smaller players and new entrants to venture into the IoT in healthcare market.Request Table of Content of 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.Contact US:Transparency Market Research,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Dairy Herd Management Market Will Generate New Growth Opportunities by 2024

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The global market for dairy herd management will expand at a significant rate, owing to numerous benefits offered by the management system, coupled with rising adoption rates. Dairy herd management is a smart farming technique developed to increase overall efficiency and productivity. Dairy herd management enables the managers of dairy farms to keep count of the animals, record their conception rates, births, calf age, and detect health related issues faced by the cattle. Unlike traditional dairy herd farming practices that require more time, labor, and money, dairy herd management systems offer high outputs with reduced costs and lesser time.The global market for dairy herd management has been segmented on the basis of application, geography, and product type. By application, feeding management, animal comfort, milk harvesting, heat stress management, reproduction management, calf management and others such as decision support, financial management, weighing, genetic management, cattle sorting, weighing, and data analysis are the key applications.Download Report Brochure @Based on product type, standalone software system and hardware system are the two major categories. The standalone segment has further been classified into cloud-based, on-premise, and web-based. Fertility management system, feeding management system, cattle management system, milk management system, and other accessories are the key segments of the hardware system segment.The report offers a detailed analysis of the key market factors such as growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, and trends in the global market for dairy herd management. The major segments of the market have been discussed along with relevant statistical data. The leading market players have been described, wherein their key business strategies, market shares, and product portfolios have been studied.Global Dairy Herd Management Market: Drivers and RestraintsA host of factors have been driving the growth of the global dairy herd management market, some of which are increased consumption of dairy products, technological advancements in the field of dairy herd management, reduced costs offered by the management systems, and rising awareness about the availability of these systems. The number of dairy farms has been growing at a significant rate, thereby fuelling the demand for dairy herd management systems. Beneficial government policies have also been aiding the growth of the market.On the contrary, the market will face obstruction in growth because of the prevalence of traditional systems, particularly in emerging economies such as India. Another factor affecting the expansion of the global dairy herd management market is the inadequate number of skilled personnel.By application, the inclination toward automatic milk harvesting system has been high, whereas on the basis of product type, the hardware system segment is likely to lead the market in terms of revenue.Request for TOC @Global Dairy Herd Management Market: Regional OutlookOn the basis of geography, the key segments of the global dairy herd management market are Europe, Latin America, North America, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific. Europe held the leading share in the global market for dairy herd management, owing to the increasing popularity of the system in this region. The developing countries in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific are slated to exhibit rapid growth over the next few years, due to rising awareness about dairy herd management.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe major companies operating in the global market for dairy herd management mentioned in the report include Dairymaster, GEA Group, Lely S.a.r.l., Alta Genetics, Infovet, Allflex Group, DeLaval Inc., FarmWizard, Sum-It Computer Systems Ltd., Valley Agricultural Software, and Afimilk Ltd.Obtain Report Details @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:Surgical Rejuvenation Market: Growth and Sales Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Surgical rejuvenation is a medical method focused on the practical reversal of the aging process or repair of impaired tissue with new tissue. Aging is a assembling of impairment to macromolecules, cells, tissues and organs. If any of that damage can be fixed, the outcome is rejuvenation. Rejuvenation is one of the life extension strategies. Surgical methods for rejuvenation are generally performed for face, skin, vagina, eye, hand. Facial rejuvenation is a non-invasive or minimally invasive cosmetic treatment (often accomplished over numerous sessions). The treatment aims to re-establish skin elasticity and help preserve a youthful presence on the face and neck region. Facial rejuvenation procedures are performed by beauty clinics, hospitals and full-service spas. The process is supported by the supervision of a dermatologist and plastic surgeons.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:Vaginal rejuvenation generally incorporates vaginoplasty i.e., tightening of the vagina and/or labiaplasty or vulvaplasty. Vulvaplasty is restructuring of the vulva or labia, the outer and inner lips of the vagina. It has become a progressively common option for women. For individuals who wish recon touring after childbirth, substantial weight loss, elderly or grievance to genital structures, vaginal rejuvenation offers increased self-confidence and comfort. Conditions that can be treated with skin rejuvenation are wrinkles, pigmentation, scars, vascular conditions and vascular conditions. Microneedling therapy or collagen induction therapy (CIT), and percutaneous collagen induction (PCI), are minimally invasive skin-rejuvenation techniques that includes the use of a device that comprises fine needles.Early appearance of elderly and increasing adoption of less painful minimally invasive rejuvenation techniques are major aspects driving the growth of the global surgical rejuvenation market. Other trends include easier access to treatments, rising affordability, growing awareness about new innovative and less painful techniques, deeper penetration of beauty merchandises in the local markets, demand for faster results and shorter treatment duration preferred by patients. However, the lack of standardized regulations is leading to an arrival of many local companies in both the developed and developing regions. Furthermore, the absence of documented and approved product effectiveness is also hampering the growth of this market.Request for Sample Copy of Report:Geographically, the global surgical rejuvenation market is segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of the World (RoW). North America followed by Europe accounted for the major market share for surgical rejuvenation due to the technical developments in the medicine and surgery field. These developments have enabled surgeries to be non-invasive and less painful. As the financial condition of developing countries has gradually improved, the disposable income in the hands of citizens has also improved drastically in recent years. This has led to a rise in the expenditure on luxuries such as facial rejuvenation.The growing complexity of surgical rejuvenation procedures, which has led to the development of pain-free and effective non-surgical techniques, is expected to hamper the demand for surgical rejuvenation. Asia Pacific, followed by Latin America are expected to exhibit the highest growth rate due to rising development, increase in disposable income, growing healthcare industry and the presence of a large patient population in these regions. However, unfavorable reimbursement scenario and increasing cost of surgical procedures are some of the factors that might hinder the growth of surgical rejuvenation market. Some of the key players in the surgical rejuvenation market are: Merz GmbH & Co. KGaA, Lumenis, Mentor Worldwide LLC, Cynosure, Inc., Gal derma S/A, Alma Lasers, and Strax Rejuvenation.Request Table of Content of 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.Contact US:Transparency Market Research,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Degenerative Disc Disease Treatment Market to 2024 Size, Share & Trend | Industry Analysis Report

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Degenerative Disc Disease treatment is one of most common cause of neck pain and lower back pain and greatly affects the quality of ones life. The symptoms of pain arise due to degeneration of one or more intervertebral discs of the spine. This pain condition is called as Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) or Degenerative Disc Disorder. Intervertebral discs, also known as intervertebral fibrocartilage or spinal discs form padding between each vertebra of the spine and acts as shock absorber for vertebrae. These discs tend to degenerate with age due to loss of fluid in them and development of cracks and tears in the fibrous layer of the disc. Most of adults experience a back pain at some point in their lifetime and the pain or impairment of mobility is observed in as many as 80% of healthy adults between the ages of 30 and 50. Moreover, every person of age 65 and above is likely to be affected by this disease in form of stiffness and decreased flexibility. Therefore, tremendous population is vulnerable to this disease and poses significantly high market opportunity for degenerative disc disease treatment market.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:Most often nonsurgical methods are utilized for treating degenerative disc disease. These treatment methods include physical therapy and chiropractic treatment along with pain relieving drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). However, surgery becomes inevitable if the symptomatic treatments are ineffective and the pain hinders normal activity of patient. There are several surgical options available today for treating degenerative disc disease from which a choice can be made. These include corpectomy, discectomy, facetectomy, foraminotomy, intervertebral disc annuloplasty, intervertebral disc arthroplasty, laminoplasty, laminotomy, percutaneous disc decompression & percutaneous laser disc decompression, spinal decompression, and spinal laminectomy.The products used during these surgeries vary depending on the type of surgery and may include one or more products. The medical products for these treatments include bone graft substitute, metal plate and screws, stabilization implants and in certain cases artificial disc replacement or total disc replacement is also recommended. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) recently approved CHARITE Artificial Disc and PRODISC-L Total Disc Replacement of DePuy Synthes (a Johnson & Johnson Company) for lumbar disc replacements. The artificial discs for cervical disc replacement available in the market include include Mobi-C Cervical Disc, PRESTIGE Cervical Disc System, ProDisc-C Total Disc Replacement, BRYAN Cervical Disc, SECURE-C Cervical Artificial Disc, and PCM Cervical Disc System.Request for Sample Copy of Report:Some of the companies in the global degenerative disc disease treatment market include Aesculap AG, Axio Med Spine Corporation, Disc Motion Technologies, Inc., EDEN SPINE, LLC, FlexisMed SA, ErgoSpine, Nexgen Spine, Inc., NuVasive, Inc., Ranier Technology Limited, SpinalMotion, Inc., Stryker Corporation, LDR Holding Corporation, Theken Disc, LLC, Zimmer, Medtronic, Inc., DePuy Synthes (a Johnson & Johnson Company), Biomet, Inc., and Amedica Corporation.The market is, however, restrained due to several factors such as lack of reimbursement, unavailability of long term safety data for surgical treatment of degenerative disc disease. Some of the major companies in the market such as DePuy Synthes, LDR Holding Corporation, Medtronic, Inc., and Stryker Corporation are conducting extensive exercise of collecting evidence for several products in treatment of degenerative disc disease. The positive results from these studies are expected in near future which will boost confidence among payor community and help the market grow to next level.Request Table of Content of 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.Contact US:Transparency Market Research,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Basal Cell Carcinoma Market Key Manufacturers, Development Trends And Competitive Analysis 2024

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Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), which is also known as basal cell epithelioma is one of the most prevalent and common forms of skin cancers worldwide. BCC mainly arises from the basal cells, which are small cells that are round in shape and are located within the lower layer of the epidermis. These types of cancers can easily be identified, but if ignored it can cause several consequences with significant morbidity. Basal cell carcinoma mostly affects head area including the scalp, face, neck, and hands. Its characteristic features include waxy papules with central depression, pearly appearance, ulceration, bleeding if traumatized, crusted structures, and translucency, among others. For most of the cancer cases, these types of cancers have been observed that they do not metastasize or spread to other parts of the body.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:However, they can invade the surrounding tissues by growing and hence causing damage to other neighboring tissues or organs of the body. Presently, basal cell carcinoma can be treated via different techniques, such as, radiotherapy, chemotherapy etc. that are being utilized for the treatment of several types of tumors or cancers. However, several manufacturers across geographies are studying different basal cell carcinomas and developing therapeutic drugs that are in different stages of their clinical trials, which will soon hit the global market.Major driving factors for the growth of this market include increasing prevalence of several skin cancers, global warming, rapidly depleting ozone layer, rising demand advanced therapeutics, and increasing awareness about several available treatment options. The increasing prevalence of several skin cancers, especially basal cell carcinoma, which accounts for most of the skin cancers worldwide, will continually provide growth towards this market.Request for Sample Copy of Report:According to the World Health Organizations estimates in 2012, each year around 2 million to 3 million people suffer from these non-melanoma cancers worldwide. Global warming along with the depleting ozone layer will cause more incoming of harmful solar ultraviolet radiations into the earths atmosphere, which will further increase the number of skin cancer patients worldwide. According to the WHO estimates in 2012, around 300,000 patients will be added each year to the above estimates if the ozone layer is depleted by decreasing ozone levels by 10%. Also, increasing demand for advanced therapeutics, rising number of therapeutic drugs in several phases of clinical trials will continue to provide boost towards the growth of this market in future.Geographically, North America and Europe are expected to dominate the basal cell carcinoma market in the near future. Major factors responsible for their dominance in this market include high prevalence of BCC in those regions, high demand for advanced therapeutics and high purchasing power of the population of those regions. However, emerging economies of Asia-Pacific, LATAM and the Middle East regions are also expected to show a rapid growth in this market. Major factors responsible for their rapid growth in near future would be the increasing awareness and demand for advanced therapeutics in these economies, rising medical tourism in these regions and increasing affordability of the people of these regions. Some of the major players operating or having their therapeutic drugs in clinical trials, include, 4SC AG, Berg Pharma, LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Cannabis Science, Inc., Curis, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Galderma S.A., Graceway Pharmaceuticals, LLC, MediGene AG, Meda AB, Novartis AG, Peplin, Inc., and Oncovir, Inc.Request Table of Content of 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.Contact US:Transparency Market Research,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Medicated Pain Relieving Plasters Market Research Report by Key Players Analysis 2024

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Medicated pain relieving plasters are piece of fabrics that contains medication along with the layers of adhesives. These plasters comprises adhesive coating that can be helful for temporary relief of major or minor aches and pains of joints and muscles. Medicated pain relieving plasters offer cost effective way to treat conditions such as back pain, arthritis, muscle ache, osteoporosis, stain, bruises and others. Capsaicin, menthol, camphor, methyl salicylate, buprenorphine, fentanyl citrate and ketoprofen are major types of medicated pain relieving plasters. These plasters effectively and quickly deliver medication through the skin to underlying tissue of the body.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:Aging population coupled with increasing prevalence of arthritis, musculoskeletal pain and others will boost the demand for medicated pain relieving plasters globally. In addition, several advantages of medicated pain relieving plasters over oral pain killer therapeutics will augment the market growth. For example, medicated pain relieving plasters allow the drugs to be directly absorbed into the damaged soft tissue as against the systemic route followed by oral analgesics, thus speeding up the healing process.Additionally, medicated pain relieving plasters possess only administration site-related side effects such as skin irritation, burning sensation, rash, pruritus and dermatitis depending on the patient skin condition, whereas oral painkillers carry a risk of damaging the liver, intestines or stomach and other systemic effects. Moreover, consistent efforts by key companies to provide new and advanced medicated pain relieving plasters also drive the market growth. These factors would in turn boost the demand for medicated pain relieving plasters and hence stimulates the market growth. However, high cost of medicated pain relieving plasters will restrain the market growth. For example, a five-pack of salonpas arthritis pain patches costs a patient around USD 9, while patient can buy nearly 100 Advil pills at the same price.Request for Sample Copy of Report:In terms of geography, North America accounted for the largest market share of medicated pain relieving plasters. The market of medicated pain relieving plasters in North America is majorly driven by rising incidences of disease such as arthritis, osteoporosis and others in North America. Europe is considered as the second largest market of medicated pain relieving plasters owing to increasing acceptance of pain relieving plasters among patient population. In addition, consistent efforts of key players to expand their market presence in Europe will further stimulate the growth of medicated pain reliving market.Asia-Pacific (majorly India and China) is the emerging market for the global medicated pain relieving plasters owing to rising interest of companies to capitalize the untapped opportunities in this region. In addition, increasing incidences of arthritis and back pain in Asia-Pacific would further stimulate the market growth. For example, According to the Emirates Arthritis Foundation, 20% of the population of the UAE was diagnosed with arthritis in 2013. Additionally, the World Health Survey conducted in Kuwait suggested that 16.1% of the population suffered from arthritis in the country in 2013. Thus, high prevalence of arthritis and back pain in these regions has led to an increase in demand for medicated pain therapies in the region. Some of the key players engaged in medicated pain relieving plasters market are Zhejiang Dingtai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hisamitsu America, Inc., DSE Healthcare Solution LLC, Zhejiang Bangli Medical Products Co., Ltd., Anhui Dejitang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and others.Request Table of Content of 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.Contact US:Transparency Market Research,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Tachycardia Market Research Report by Geographical Analysis and Forecast to 2024

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Tachycardia refers to rapid abnormal heartbeat that exceeds the normal heartbeat range and the irregular heart rhythm is usually more than 100 beats per minute. Due to higher-than-normal heartbeat, there is an increase in the need for oxygen by the heart muscle and the heart is not able to pump oxygenated blood to the body efficiently. Reaction to certain medications, heart abnormalities, coronary artery diseases, heart muscle diseases, hypertension, and hyperthyroidism are few of the causes of tachycardia. Various symptoms related to tachycardia are breathlessness, dizziness, heart palpitations, fainting, weakness, and chest pain.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:The major factors, which will drive the growth of the tachycardia market are increase in the prevalence of various heart diseases (i.e., atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter); growth in the prevalence of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter can be linked to the rapidly increasing aging population, sedentary lifestyle and related risk factors such as lung diseases and hypertension. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions prediction, 12 million people will be affected with atrial fibrillation by 2050 worldwide. On the other hand, a few adverse effects of therapeutic drugs such as bleeding risk and toxicity in the brain would most likely impede the growth of the tachycardia market.Geographically, North America dominates the tachycardia market followed by Europe. The prime factors that have boosted the growth of this market in these regions are high awareness of the population about cardiovascular diseases coupled with geriatric population, which is rapidly increasing. According to the National Health Service (NHS), the prevalence of atrial fibrillation in the U.K. was estimated to be 1.4 percent in 2011.Request for Sample Copy of Report:Moreover, technological advancement and improvements and increased competition from small market players have further fuelled the growth of the tachycardia market. Asia-Pacific is growing at the fastest rate and is one of the most lucrative regional markets for tachycardia treatments. Advantageous factors which will augment the growth of this market in Asia-Pacific are presence of emerging economies, improvement in healthcare infrastructures, constantly changing lifestyles of people which has accelerated the prevalence of heart diseases and the increasing need of individuals to opt for the most sophisticated treatment options. The co-operative initiatives and allowances offered by domestic governments to the healthcare sector in this region are remarkably high and thereby it will increase the chances of growth of this market in Asia-Pacific.Some of the major market players operating in the tachycardia market are Medtronic, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Terumo Corporation, Atrium Medical Corporation, Sorin Group, Boston Scientific Corporation, St. Jude Medical, Inc., Asahi Intecc Co., Ltd. and many others.Request Table of Content of 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.Contact US:Transparency Market Research,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Telepathology Service Market Competitive Landscape Analysis with Forecast by 2024

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Telepathology refers to the electronic transmission of high quality pathological data by the means of telecommunications technology to practice pathology from a distance. It opens the door for transfer of high quality image-rich pathological data between different locations for the purposes of diagnosis, education, and research. This technology is being utilized for purposes such as expert opinion on referral cases, emergency services, diagnosis at remote location, quality assurance, conferences and meetings, and for educational training. Telepathology is an emerging technology that offers advancement of telecommunication to reach out patient in remote location and provides best diagnostic inference to distant healthcare provider.Browse Premium Industry Research Report with Analysis:This market research provides in-depth analysis of global telepathology service markets. It includes trends and sales in the telepathology service market. Key market players, service segments, supporting technologies, market dynamics, and competitive impact analysis are discussed in depth. The intended audience for this report includes Pathological Labs, Clinicians and Medical Practitioners, Medical Equipment Vendors, Outsourced Clinical Service Providers, Researchers and Academics, Healthcare Consultants, telecoms and tech start-ups among several other readers.In the current economy, cost cutting is a cardinal driver for the advancement of any technology which offers cost effectiveness and global reach to the entire market. Accurate pathological assessment, quick diagnoses, timely treatment and delivery of high-quality healthcare are some of the prime factors that would emphasize the global market demand for telepathology.Request for Sample Copy of Report:In addition to that, the widespread presence of cancer, the increasing workload of healthcare providers, and advances in laboratory diagnostic tests drives the growth of telepathology market globally. However, the high initial setup cost and error in sampling pathological data would be catastrophic for global telepathology service market. Other factors which may restrain the telepathology services markets are rigorous regulatory requirements for telepathology systems as different issues arise in quality assurance and assessment of competence.It is of paramount importance to have equivalence between telepathology system and pathologist`s usual method of practice in order to recognize and acknowledge differences. The telepathology systems attributes and advantage differ from one company to the other. Every companys system differs in their telecommunication technology, scanning software and backup. The key to establishing a presence in the telepathology service market is to have a setup with a system design for pathologists that are service provider-centric, that is based on requirements of provider and designed to meet end-user requirements. Major market players profiled in this report includes include Canada Health Infoway, University Health Network, Meyer Instruments, Inc., Telemedicine Clinic (TMC), AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc., Emerge MD, Focal Point , Nationwide Medical Licensing, Polycom, Inc, Remote Medical Technologies, USAC - Universal Service Administrative Company, Visual Share, Inc., Wolf Vision Inc.Request Table of Content of 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.Contact US:Transparency Market Research,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY  12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Proton Therapy Market to be Driven by Rise in Prevalence of Cancer Patients and Growing Awareness among People

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Proton therapy is a technologically advanced form of radiation treatment that can deliver required doses of radiation. It takes just minutes to deliver a high level of radiation in a number of treatment sessions. Proton therapy uses accelerated subatomic particles called protons to send a high level of energy directly to the tumor site through a magnetically-guided beam. In proton therapy, particles of proton are accelerated to about two-thirds the speed of light, or more than 100,000 miles per second, to destroy cancer cells. Proton therapy differs from traditional radiation therapy in the way energy is delivered to a patient.Advantages of proton therapy are lower risk of treatment induced disorders, better quality of life during and after treatment, precise dose delivery, and fewer side effects than intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Proton therapy is effective for both adult and pediatric patients. The two types of proton delivery systems are pencil beam scanning and passive scattering. Pencil beam scanning employs 3D images to determine the tumor's exact location, allowing therapy delivery to that precise shape, size, and depth. According to the World Health Organization, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and cancer deaths are expected to continue to rise to over 13.1 million by 2030.Download Report Brochure @Rise in prevalence of cancer patients, growing awareness among people, improvement in insurance coverage for proton therapy, increase in consumption of tobacco, and surge in demand for proton therapy are factors driving the global proton therapy market. Tobacco use is associated with increased risk of several cancers including lung, oral cavity, pharynx, bladder, esophagus, kidney, liver, stomach, larynx, pancreas, bowel, cervix, leukemia, and ovarian.According to the World Health Organization, in 2015, over 1.1 billion people smoked tobacco and the number continues to rise. Technological advancements and increase in health care expenditure are the other factors fueling the growth of the global proton therapy market. However, high treatment cost is a major restraint of the global proton therapy market.The global proton therapy market can be segmented based on product type, application, end-user, and region. In terms of product type, the market can be classified into single room systems and multi room systems. Based on application, the global proton therapy market can be categorized into breast cancer, brain cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and others. In terms of end-user, the market can be divided into hospitals, specialty clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers.Request for TOC @In terms of region, the global proton therapy market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.North America dominates the global proton therapy market due to technological advancements, rise in prevalence of cancer patients, and growing adoption for treatment procedure. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1,688,780 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2017. Europe is the second largest market for proton therapy. Increasing use of tobacco is the key factor driving the proton therapy market in the region.According to Eurostat, one in four EU citizens over 15 years old (24%) is a tobacco smoker. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a higher growth rate due to growing awareness among people, large target population, and increase in health care expenditure. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 70% deaths due to cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries.Major players operating in the proton therapy market include Mevion Medical Systems, Inc., IBA Worldwide, ProTom International, Inc., Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Hitachi, Ltd., and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.Obtain Report Details @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:ECG Management Systems Market Growth with Worldwide Industry Analysis to 2020

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ECG management systems are web based systems used for management of data by automating the processing, distribution and storage of ECG, Holter monitors and other stress data acquired from multiple sources. ECG management systems are designed such that they provide the capability to store, review, edit and transmit the ECGs from the doctors office assisting doctors to monitor patient from remote locations.The market for ECG management system is growing rapidly as the hospitals are striving to increase their efficiency, reduce costs and improve the diagnosis by connecting ECG management systems. The rising number of ECGs with the increasing number of patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases is demanding for more managed systems in the hospitals, hence driving the market.Download Report Brochure @According to World Health Organization, approximately 17.5 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2012 representing 31% of the overall deaths globally. It has been estimated that 7.4 million deaths among these were due to coronary heart diseases while stroke amounted to 6.7 million deaths. High incidence of cardiovascular diseases is leading to increased diagnosis and rise in the demand for ECG and ECG management systems. However, high cost of the device restricts the public hospitals and small scale hospitals in emerging economies of Asia Pacific and Rest of the World regions in purchasing expensive ECG management systems.Geographically, ECG management systems market has been segmented into four regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). North America followed by Europe dominates the ECG management systems owing to strong economic conditions, availability of appropriate healthcare infrastructure and high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports of 2014 suggested that stroke kills approximately 130,000 Americans every year, killing one American in every four minutes. Excessive alcohol intake and smoking habits are the major reasons which are leading to high prevalence rate of cardiovascular diseases. High prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is resulting in more diagnostic tests leading to excessive demand for ECG systems and subsequently ECG management systems.Request for TOC @Asia Pacific however is estimated as most opportunistic market for ECG management systems during forecast period. Increasing number of hospitals, rising awareness about available management systems, and increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases are major factors which are propelling the growth of ECG management systems in this region. According to the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence, the number of government hospitals in India has increased from 4,571 in 2000 to 11,993 in 2011.Moreover, Neo CarDiabCare, company dedicated in advancing the practice of medicine, stated that in 2014, one fifth of the deaths in India occurred from coronary heart diseases and it has been estimated that coronary heart disease will account for one fifth of the total deaths by 2020. Increasing number of hospitals coupled with the rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases will lead to increased diagnostic procedures, hence accentuating the ECG management systems market.Market players such as Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Cardiac Science Corporation, CardioComm Solutions, Inc., Norav Medical, Nihon Kohden Corporation, Mortara Instrument and Suzuken Kenz provides ECG management systems in their portfolio. GE Healthcare dominates the market with approximately 45% of the market followed by Philips Healthcare and Cardiac Science Corporation. These players are focusing on expanding their distribution network as well as expanding their geographical presence in the regions of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Latin America to capture more market share and strengthen their position globally.Obtain Report Details @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:Aluminum Fluoride Market show exponential growth by 2024

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Aluminum Fluoride Market: OverviewAluminum fluoride is white colored or colorless solid powder that can be produced synthetically and is also found in nature with minerals such as rosenbergite. Alumina and hexafluorosilicic acid are among the vital raw materials that go into the production of aluminum fluoride.Nearly all the aluminum fluoride globally produced is employed as a molten electrolyte in the production of aluminum. Other niche applications of aluminum fluoride include production of fluoroaluminate glasses.View Report Preview:Major end user industries for aluminum fluoride include automobiles, construction, aerospace and pharmaceuticals among others. Of these, building and construction represents the largest end user segment for aluminum fluoride and the trend is anticipated to continue for a foreseeable future. Pharmaceuticals segment is expected to be the fastest growing end user segment during the forecast period. The construction industrys strong performance can be credited for the aluminum fluoride markets growth. Moreover, growth in infrastructure mainly in the developing economies is anticipated to drive demand for aluminum fluoride.Reviving automotive industry in Asia Pacific and European regions is also expected to be among foremost growth drivers for aluminum fluoride market. Aluminum fluoride penetrates into human body through air or can be absorbed by skin and leads to several health hazards including asthma. The health hazards associated with aluminum fluoride is among major restraints for aluminum fluoride market growth.Aluminum Fluoride Market: Regional DynamicsAsia Pacific dominates the global aluminum fluoride market both in terms of consumption and production. China is the leading manufacturer of aluminum fluoride across the globe and constitutes significant portion of the global market share. Moreover owing to over exploitation of major raw material sources in China, the production is anticipated to decline in the near future. High GDP growth and increasing disposable income in India and China have led to high growth in several end user industries including automobiles, pharmaceutical, packaging, aerospace, construction among others. High growth in end user industries is expected to be among foremost factors driving demand for aluminum fluoride in the region. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing region for aluminum fluoride market for a foreseeable future.North America is the second largest market for aluminum fluoride followed by Europe. Increasing regulations to control the hazards associated with aluminum fluoride has been restraining aluminum fluoride market growth in the developed economies of North America and Western Europe.Demand for aluminum fluoride in North America and Europe is anticipated to grow at a sluggish rate during the forecast period. Underutilized fluorspar reserves in South Africa coupled with increasing government support to invest in the reserves is expected to drive market growth for aluminum fluoride in the RoW region. Moreover, increasing demand for aluminum fluoride driven by high growth in several end user industries in the rapidly industrializing economies of South America and Africa will likely present massive growth opportunities for players in the aluminum fluoride market.Aluminum Fluoride Market: Competitive LandscapeAluminum fluoride market is consolidated and few major players constitute major portion of the global market share. Major players invest in research and development activities owing to patent protected technologies and to improve operational efficiency. The degree of competition in the industry is expected to intensify during the forecast period leading to increased price sensitivity. Some of the major players in aluminum fluoride market are E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Alfa Aesar, Apollo Scientific Limited, Finetech Industry and Shanghai IS Chemical Technology among others.Request to view Sample 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.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. 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Plating on Plastics Market to increase rapidly by 2024

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Global Plating on Plastics Market: OverviewPlating on plastics (POP) refers to the application of metal onto plastic surfaces by electroplating. Plastics are plated with metals such as chromium and nickel to give them the luster expected of metal surfaces and enhance features such as corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, toughness, and ease of cleaning.The use of plastics started increasing nearly five decades ago, owing to their physical properties, namely toughness, flexibility, lightness, excellent surface quality, and ease of producing complex parts out of them. This led to the replacement of metals by plastics as the material for construction in a number of applications. Plating on plastics technology has provided a viable third way for manufacturers, as metal plating introduces the benefits of metal surfaces without compromising on the structural benefits of plastics. As a result, plating on plastics technology is gaining attention from several industries looking for wider uses of plastics in a variety of applications such as medical devices and consumer goods.View Report Preview:This report on the global plating on plastics market gives a detailed overview of the historical growth and observed development trajectory of the global POP market. The detailed document also gives a forward-looking perspective of the markets potential growth prospects over the 2016-2024 forecast period.Global Plating on Plastics Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe rising demand for lightweight and high-performance substitutes to metals in the automotive industry is one of the major factors driving the global plating on plastics market. Rising consumer awareness regarding the environmental and performance benefits of lightweight vehicles has led to the increased use of a variety of plastics and metal-plastic polymers in the automotive industry, which is a key driver for the global plating on plastics market.The automotive industry is thus the leading end user of the plating on plastics technique. The sector employs plating on plastics across verticals ranging from internal decorative elements to exterior protective elements and accessories in basic as well as premium cars.Apart from the automotive industry, the consumer goods, food and beverages, and cosmetics industries are the key consumers of plating on plastics technology. The global POP market also earns a major share of its revenue from its application in the plumbing sector. Owing to the protection afforded by plating on plastics against water, they are becoming the preferred material in the plumbing industry.The metal finish of POP-treated polymers makes them ideal for use in areas that are constantly subjected to humid and intermittent hot and cold conditions, such as bathroom fittings. This is likely to remain a key driver for the global plating on plastics market in the coming years, as the demand for plumbing from the residential as well as commercial construction is likely to grow in the coming years.Global Plating on Plastic Market: Regional and Competitive OverviewThe global plating on plastics market is presently led by Europe owing to the presence of some of the worlds leading automotive companies in Central and Western Europe. The recent global economic depression, which had an especially strong impact on a number of industries in Europe, has also had a major impact on the regions automotive industry, which has impacted the POP market adversely. However, steady recovery looks likely for the automotive industry in the coming years, presenting major growth opportunities for the plating on plastics market as well.Asia Pacific presents major growth opportunities for the global POP market owing to the rising demand for passenger and luxury vehicles in developing countries such as India and China. The rapidly rising population of high disposable income demographics in these countries has led to an increased demand for passenger and commercial vehicles in the past few years, leading to increased prospects for the plating on plastics marketRequest to view Sample Report:The global POP market features a large number of vendors operating in intense competition. The highly fragmented competitive landscape has prompted market players to invest more in research and the development of more effective and reliable plating on plastic technologies. Acquisition of specialty chemical manufacturers is a popular trend among companies in the plating on plastic market. Some of the major companies in the market are Applegate, Helco Metal, Sarrel Group, Thanh Luan, Trenton, Bolta Werke, Chromal, BEP Surface Technology, and Xinpoint.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. 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Bio Solvents Market Intelligence with Competitive Landscape 2024

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Bio Solvents Market: Drivers and Trends SnapshotThe global bio solvents market is primarily driven by volatile petrochemical prices associated with growing health concerns due to VOC presence in conventional solvents. In addition, stringent regulations by DEFRA, EPA and REACH with respect to toxicity content in conventional solvents have fueled the growth of bio solvents. This trend is projected to have a positive impact on the global market growth over the next six years. Further, increasing penetration of bio solvents in coatings, paints, sealants and adhesives and printing inks is projected to have a positive impact on the growth of bio solvent market.View Report Preview:Furthermore, increasing spending on construction coupled with positive outlook of the automotive industry specifically in emerging markets of Asia Pacific and Latin America due to growing industrialization and urbanization rates are expected to drive demand for paints and coatings. Growing demand for paints and coatings is expected to further boost the global bio solvents market growth. In addition, increasing consciousness regarding harmful effects of conventional solvents in personal care and pharmaceutical products is expected to further drive bio solvents demand in the respective applications.Understanding the market demand, manufacturers are focusing on increasing investment on R&D to increase bio solvents application scope in cosmetics and pharmaceutical applications. High production costs combined with bio solvents is expected to remain a key challenge for industry participants. New product innovation and advancements in production technologies are expected to counter such challenges during the forecast period.Bio Solvents Market: SegmentationGlobal bio solvents market is segmented into product type, application type and geography. Based on product type the market is segmented into soy methyl esters, glycols, lactate esters, and alcohol among others such as polyhydroxyalkanoates, d-limonene and diols. On the basis of application, bio solvents market is segmented into paints & coatings, printing inks, adhesives and sealants among other niche applications such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The major product segment lactate ester accounted for just below one-third of total market in terms of volume in 2013. Increasing lactate ester solvents demand in printing inks, coatings and industrial applications is projected to drive the market growth during the forecast period.Furthermore, glycol solvents are expected to grow with highest growth rate due to its increasing penetration in paints and printing inks, industrial coatings and automotive coatings industries. Its high blush resistance and slow evaporation rate are driving its demand over other solvents in the respective applications. Apart from this, increasing spending on construction in different emerging markets such as India, China, Brazil and Mexico on account of rapid urbanization and industrialization rates is expected to remain a major driving factor for the application segment.Changing trends towards using eco-friendly paints coupled with growing industries of construction is expected to drive bio solvents demand. Paints & coatings application segment emerged as the largest segment accounting for a major chunk in the global market. Growing paints & coatings demand in automotive and construction industries has been a key factor driving bio solvents demand. Sealants and adhesives are expected to experience the highest growth rate during the forecast period.Bio Solvents Market: Region-wise InsightNorth America dominated the bio solvents market and accounted for over one-third of total market in terms of volume in 2013. High level of consciousness regarding environmental and health effects due to usage of conventional solvents and stringent environmental regulations have prompted the shift towards developing bio solvents. Asia Pacific is expected to register significant growth rate due to growing automotive and construction industries. In addition, rapid industrialization in emerging markets of India and China are expected to drive adhesives and sealants demand. Furthermore, growing concerns regarding degradability of conventional solvents is expected to further drive the Asia Pacific market growth.Bio Solvents Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players operating in the bio solvents market are The Dow Chemical Co., E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.,AkzoNobel N.V., BASF SE, Cargill Inc., LyondellBasell, Vertec Biosolvents, BioAmber, Myriant Corp., Huntsman Corp., Florida Chemical Company, Inc.Request to view Sample Report: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.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. 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate Market Growth to be Driven by Technological Advancements 2023

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Ammonium lauryl sulfate, a detergent cleansing agent, is a key component found in personal care products. It belongs to the class of strong anionic surfactants known as alkyl sulfates. Its features include good foaming property, excellent decontamination, and high biodegradability. Ammonium lauryl sulfate is yellowish in color. It is partly soluble in oil and water. It is used in cleaners due to the way it disrupts hydrogen bonding in water. Ammonium lauryl sulfate is obtained by catalytic reduction of fatty acids that are found in coconut oil and palm kernel oil. It is also known as monododecyl ester, dodecyl ammonium sulfate, and ammonium salt.View Report Preview:Ammonium lauryl sulfate is primarily used in the personal care industry. It is employed in the manufacture of scalp treatment, foot treatment, anti-aging, and facial cleansing products and soaps. Ammonium lauryl sulfate has important market advantages such as low production cost and superior foam production. It can be used in engine cleaners and fast acting degreasers in the automotive industry.Rising consumerism is driving the demand for personal care products. This is expected to propel the growth of the ammonium lauryl sulfate market. The market is anticipated to largely depend on the rapidly emerging middle class in Asia Pacific, especially in India and China. Increase in income levels is likely to boost the per capita consumption of cosmetic and beauty products in emerging economies. However, growth in awareness regarding the use of natural products and environment safety could hamper market growth.Asia Pacific is the global leader in the consumption of anionic surfactants such as ammonium lauryl sulfate. This trend is estimated to continue in the near future. The market for personal care products is projected to witness substantial growth in India. The country is beginning to emerge as an engine for global growth; large rural population presents high opportunities for the personal care industry in India. Sale of deodorants and mouthwashes has increased at a significant rate. Ammonium lauryl sulfate-based hair creams, gels, and facewashes are increasingly replacing traditional products. Other important markets in Asia Pacific include Turkey, Indonesia, South Korea, and Iran.Increasing awareness of self-grooming and personal hygiene, and rise in disposable income of the population are expected to augment the demand for personal care products. This, in turn, is likely to boost the usage of ammonium lauryl sulfate. Additionally, the market in Latin America is anticipated to expand significantly due to rising demand for personal care products in emerging economies. Brazil, Venezuela, and Argentina are expected to be the key markets in this region. Growth of the market in Asia Pacific is projected to be stronger compared to that in Western Europe and North America. Demand for nail polishes, anti-aging products, and BB creams is estimated to be high vis-a-vis other personal care products in developed markets in the near future.Key players operating in the ammonium lauryl sulfate market include Galaxy Surfactants Limited, BASF SE, Akzo Nobel N.V., Vinamax Organics Pvt. Ltd., Hydrite Chemical Co, Alpha Chemicals Pvt Ltd, Kao Corporation, The Godrej Group, CAMEO Chemicals, Taiwan NJC Corporation, The Reliance Group, and Clariant. Companies are adopting economies of scale and aggressive marketing campaigns in order to expand their market share. They are also shifting their production facilities to emerging economies in Asia Pacific due to availability of cheap labor, land, and government subsidies.Request to view Sample Report: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.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. 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Amphoteric Surfactant Market size in terms of volume and value -2024

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Surfactants are chemical compounds that increase cleaning efficiency by wetting, emulsifying, dispersing, or modifying the lubricity of water-based compositions. They are used as detergents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, wetting agents, and dispersants. Surfactants are manufactured by using either of the two distinct feedstock: natural vegetable oils and petrochemicals. According to the composition of their polar head, surfactants are classified into anionic, nonionic, amphoteric, and cationic surfactants. Amphoteric surfactants are further classified into amphoteric acetates, betaines, and sultains. The use of amphoteric surfactants results in better performance in applications involving hard water media and high temperature environments. Amphoteric surfactants are used in diverse application areas such as personal care and household detergency, emulsification, and foaming. Rising demand in the personal care and home care industries is expected to drive the global surfactants market in the next few years.View Report Preview:The major classes of amphoteric surfactants are betaines and propionates. These are prominently used in the personal care market. These two classes of amphoteric surfactants can be sub-segmented into cocamidopropyl betaine, dimer amido propyl betaine, cetyl betaine, lauric myristic amido betaine, lauramphopropionate, and coco betaines. Amphoteric surfactants have excellent properties such as good detergency, hard water compatibility, foaming properties, mild behavior, conditioning properties, and biodegradability. They cause less irritation to human skin and eyes, and are applicable in a wide pH range. Moreover, amphoteric surfactants are compatible with nonionic, anionic, and cationic surfactants and act as viscosity builders for anionic surfactant solutions. Due to all these properties, mild amphoteric surfactants are widely used as secondary surfactants in products such as shower gels, shampoos, liquid soaps, and foam baths. Furthermore, they are employed in liquid detergent products such as all-purpose cleaners, dishwashing liquids, and car cleaners.Asia Pacific is the largest market for amphoteric surfactants due to significant demand from India, China, Japan, and South Korea. Moreover, Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing market for amphoteric surfactants, considering the rising demand in countries in Southeast Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. North America and Europe are the second and third largest markets for amphoteric surfactants. These are likely to record dismal growth rates due to slow recovery from the economic slowdown. On the contrary, countries in the Rest of the World (RoW) such as Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, South Africa, and Nigeria are witnessing strong signs of growth. Therefore, the region is expected to become the second fastest growing market for amphoteric surfactants across the globe.Major factors driving the global amphoteric surfactants market include steep rise in demand for skin-friendly surfactants in the personal care and home care industries. Amphoteric surfactants are skin-friendly chemical compounds; therefore, they are likely to replace conventional surfactants that may harm the skin. Applications of amphoteric surfactants are anticipated to rise significantly considering the ongoing research and development activities undertaken by key players in the industry. Development of a new and cost effective range of amphoteric surfactants and growing awareness regarding the use of sulfur-free personal care products are also anticipated to lead to a tremendous growth potential in the global market for less costly and more skin friendly surfactants.Major manufacturers of amphoteric surfactants include Clariant Corporation, Akzo Nobel N.V., Huntsman Corporation, BASF SE, Lubrizol Corporation, Evonik Industries AG, Stepan Company, and Lonza Spa.Request to view Sample Report: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.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. 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Fluoropolymer Coating Market Analysis, Segments, Growth and Value Chain -2024

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Global Fluoropolymer Coating Market: OverviewSeveral industries including automotive, construction, chemical, electronic, electrical, and architectural have application of fluoropolymer coating, which are the mixture of resin binders and fluoropolymer lubricants. These coatings offer highly useful attributes such as low coefficients of friction, chemical resistance, electrical resistance, corrosion protection, anti-galling properties, and UV protection. Consequently, the demand in the global fluoropolymer coating market is projected to expand at a healthy CAGR during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.View Report Preview:This report on the global market for fluoropolymer coatings has been prepared to act as a reliable document for the stakeholders connected to the value chain of this market. It studies all the factors that may impact the demand for fluoropolymer coating, positively or negatively, during the forecast period, and estimates the scenario of the market until 2024. Segment based revenue and growth rates have been evaluated and most lucrative regions have been detected. The report also overviews a number of leading companies that are currently operating in the global fluoropolymer market, exploring their product portfolio, share of the pie, and latest strategic developments.Based on type, the market for fluoropolymer can be segmented into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), while on the basis of end-use industries, the market can be categorized into building and construction, aerospace, chemical processing, electrical and electronics, food and beverage, and others. Geographically, the report evaluates the opportunities available in several regions including Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.Global Fluoropolymer Coating Market: Trends & OpportunitiesThe expanding application of fluoropolymer coating in various industries, and their consequent prosperity, are the primary factors driving the global market for the same. In the automotive industry, fluoropolymer are used in various parts such as ball bearings in order to impact friction and resist corrosion. In the aerospace sector, fluoropolymer coating are applied in cabin interiors, wheels, and bearings to resist fire and corrosion. The building and construction industry is currently thriving in several emerging economies, wherein fluoropolymer coating are useful for paints, sealants, and adhesives to add durability. A number of cooking appliances such as mixing blades, non-stick cookware, cutting blades, and molds use fluoropolymer coating. The electronic industry is flourishing too, and thereby driving the demand for fluoropolymer coating, using it for protective coating and insulation. Owing to its high durability, PVDF based coating are extensively used in the agriculture sector for coating of post-formed steel sheets or metal coils as well as architectural aluminum surfaces.Currently, the building and construction industry account for the maximum demand for fluoropolymer coating by a considerable margin ahead of the second most profitable end-use industry of automotive.Global Fluoropolymer Coating Market: Regional OutlookAsia Pacific is the most profitable market for the players in the fluoropolymer coating market, with vast possibilities for future, followed by Europe and North America wherein the market has reached maturity to a certain extent. Rapid urbanization is opening vast opportunities in Asia Pacific countries such as India, China, South Korea, and Malaysia.Request to view Sample Report:Companies mentioned in the research reportSome of the leading companies currently operating in the global fluoropolymer coating market are PPG Industries, Inc., Arkema S.A., Akzo Nobel N.V., Daikin Industries Ltd., BASF SE, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, TOHO KASEI Co., Ltd., Toefco Engineered Coating Systems, Inc., Whitford Corporation, and The Valspar Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Nanoparticle Inks Market to Record Study Growth by 2024

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Nanoparticle Inks Market: OverviewNanoparticle ink, often referred as conductive ink, is a 3D printing technology widely used in the manufacturing of electronic components, especially batteries and circuit boards. While saving significant time, these inks also prove cost effective in the desired application.3D printing has already been employed in various fields, such as consumer electronics with casings and some portable components being made on industrial 3D printers. The ink used is a suspension of nanoparticles of silver, copper, and other conductive material in a dense liquid medium like ethylene glycol. The mixture obtained is homogenized, then centrifuged to separate out larger particles, finally resulting in the ink used to print batteries.View Report Preview:These conductive inks are used in applications, such as sensors/medicine, printed electronics, photovoltaics, and consumer electronics. Owing to benefits, such as optimization of time with currency, replacement of bulky and energy-consuming wires with compact, more energy-efficient systems with greater durability than traditional wired circuits, the demand for nanoparticle inks is expected to increase, thus boosting the global market for conductive inks in the coming years.Nanoparticle Inks Market: SegmentationThe nanoparticle inks market can be segmented into three types: ingredients, applications, and geography. Based on the type of ingredients employed, a large variety of nanoparticle inks are currently available. These include copper flake conductive inks, dielectric conductive inks, silver conductive inks, copper oxide nanoparticle conductive inks, carbon nanotube conductive inks, carbon/graphene conductive inks, and polymeric conductive inks.Nanoparticle inks are used to produce a wide variety of products. The type of ink used is reflected by the end-user application. These conductive inks are used in making solar cells, membrane switches, displays, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, and printed circuit boards (PCB). The other uses of nanoparticle inks include the production of seat heating element and lightweight sensors for the automotive industry. Furthermore, these conductive inks are also used in the production of batteries, fuel cells, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. The continuously increasing demand for nanoparticle inks in all such applications is predicted to drive the global nanoparticle inks market in the next few years.Nanoparticle Inks Market: Region-wise InsightAsia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest-growing market for nanoparticle inks market in the next few years. The Asia Pacific region is experiencing promising growth on account of its growing and expanding consumer electronics market, increasing use of solar cells, and the presence of the printed electronics industry. The conductive inks segment is dominated by China while Japan has the upper hand in the display segment.Also, countries in Europe, the Americas and other regions are showing speedy economic growth after slowly recovering from the economic crisis of the last few years. All these factors are ultimately generating a positive outlook for the overall industrial dynamics. Germany is the leading consumer of conductive inks in Europe in various end-user industries, including automotive and electronics. New product development and capacity expansion are the highest priorities of manufacturers in this region.Nanoparticle Inks Market: Growth EnablersKey factors that drive the nanoparticle inks market are the high demand for efficient and smaller compact devices in consumer electronics, which in turn increases the demand for nanoparticle conductive inks to replace the heavy, bulky, energy-consuming wires. Growing innovation and new product developments are rapidly widening the horizon of conductive inks use in numerous industries.Upcoming opportunities include the development of graphene-based conductive inks, which promise excellent mechanical flexibility at very low cost. Furthermore, the rapid urbanization, high consumption of electrical & electronic goods, expansion of automotive market, and desire for cost effectiveness are generating a very promising outlook for the nanoparticle inks market in the .Nanoparticle Inks Market: Key PlayersSome of the major companies operating in the global nanoparticle inks market are Johnson Mathley Plc, Conductive Compounds, Inc, Showa Denko K.K, PPG Industries Inc, Vorbeck Materials Corporation, Inc, Sun Chemical, Creative Materials Inc, Cambrios Technologies Corporation.Request to view Sample Report: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.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. 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate Market Size Projected to Rise Lucratively during 2024

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Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate Market: OverviewDisodium octaborate tetrahydrate is an alkaline salt with a strong odor. It is used as a pesticide and insecticide in the form of powder and mothballs. Its solubility in water is low and it is highly volatile, owing to which it is used to control moths, mold and mildew. Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate is used to control insect infestation in crops, it is used as a fumigant for clothes and for ant control. Industrially, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate is used to prevent leather and other fabrics from mold and mildew attack. The vapors of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate are toxic to insects, mildews, and molds. Additionally, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate is used as a flame retardant.View Report Preview:Disodium octaborate tetrahydrate is a broad range insect repellant. It is used as an insect repellant for plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries and other fruits. It controls soil diseases, potato weevil, root aphids, peach tree borer, wire worms and other insects. It is commercially available in the form of an oil suspension, liquid and powder form which is applied at the base of trees especially for peach tree borer control. In the liquid form, disodium octaborate tetrahydrate is diluted and sprayed on wood surfaces to kill termites, fungi, algae and ants. In structural woods, it can be embedded in the form of pellets. It is found to reduce dust mite populations when applied at regular intervals in residential and commercial spaces.Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate Market: Growth EnablersThe growth of the pest management industry for domestic and commercial purposes has been driving the growth of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate market. This trend is expected to continue within the forecast period. Additionally, the increasing use of flame retardants in order to prevent accidents has been augmenting the growth of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate market.Flame retardants reduce the risk of a fire starting and its propagation. This function increases the time duration available for escaping from a site of fire. However, the use of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate in large concentrations is detrimental to human health; this disadvantage of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate could hamper the growth of this market in the coming years. Bio based disodium octaborate tetrahydrate which are milder on the environment are expected to open new areas of opportunity for the disodium octaborate tetrahydrate market in the coming years.Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate Market: Regional InsightThis market is expected to show phenomenal growth over the next six years primarily due to the growth of the agro-based and building & construction industries. The growing safety regulations with respect to fire have increased the demand for this chemical. The thriving, building & construction industry and agricultural farmlands of Latin America, China and India are the dominant consumers of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate.U.S. and Western Europe are anticipated to exhibit moderate demand for disodium octaborate tetrahydrate for flame retardant application. The increasing number of governmental regulations in these regions to incorporate flame retardant additives for consumer safety has been a key factor propelling the growth of this market in the U.S and Western Europe.Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate Market: Key PlayersThe key players in this market are ABI Chemicals, AK Scientific, Alfa Aesar, Angene, Apollo Scientific Ltd, Conier Chem, Haihang Industry Co. Ltd, Dalian Haokang Electronic Technology Co., Ltd, GFS Chemicals, Finetech Industry, Hangzhou Uniwise International Co., Ltd, Hengyang KT Chemical Co., Ltd, J and K Scientific, Merck Millipore, Sigma  Aldrich, TCI, Wuhan Fortuna Chemical Co., Ltd, Triveni Chemicals and Tractus Co. Ltd among others.Request to view Sample Report: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.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. 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Ceramic Inks Market Size will Observe Substantial Growth by 2024

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Ceramic inks are carriers of ceramic fine particled metallic oxide pigments that are used to decorate ceramic tiles and plain glasses. These inks enhance the attractiveness of the surface on which they are used. Ceramic inks are expected to possess physical consistency appropriate for producing adequate detail and hence are suspended in a thick medium. Analog printing and digital printing are the major technologies of ceramic inks. Digital printing inks are anticipated to dominate the market during the forecast period. Analog printing is estimated to expand at a slower rate than digital printing in the near future. Ceramic inks are used in ceramic tiles, glass printing, and food containers. These inks can provide a wide range of effects. They help achieve detailed looks of natural products such as stone and wood as well as repeat geometric and irregular patterns. They also provide metallic effects, floral patterns, and reproductions of photographed images. Ceramic inks can be fused into glasses to ensure lasting vibrancy and photorealistic color for ceramic glass printing applications. These inks also provide higher degree of design quality and functional performance. Ceramic inks are generally non-toxic in printed and liquid forms. They are also highly durable. Ceramic inks offer high resistance to UV, scratches, and weather.View Report Preview:Demand for ceramic inks is projected to increase due to expansion of end-user industries such as automobile and construction. Growth in the construction industry in emerging economies of Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa is also likely to boost the demand for ceramic inks. Furthermore, demand for automobiles has increased significantly in India and China, two of the major economies in Asia Pacific. This is likely to further propel the demand for ceramic inks. Growth in modern digital printing technologies that employ ceramic inks is expected to provide new opportunities for long lasting decorations and optical effects on glass. However, availability of substitutes and fluctuation in prices of raw materials may hamper market growth.Currently, Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market for ceramic inks. It is followed by Middle East & Africa, North America, Europe, and Latin America. India and China are the fastest growing markets in Asia Pacific due to presence of large number of end-user industries. Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand are anticipated to be other major consumers of ceramic inks in Asia Pacific in the near future. The ceramics inks market in North America and Europe is estimated to saturate during the forecast period and experience moderate growth. France, Germany, and the U.K. are the major consumers of ceramic inks in Europe.Medium sized chemical corporations dominate the ceramic inks market. Key players operating in the market include Dip-Tech, Xennia Technologies, Ferro Corporation, Six Star Ceramic Colors Co., Ltd, Chimigraf Iberica S.L., Esmalglass. Itaca Grupo, Electronics for Imaging, Inc., Unico Digital SA, Zschimmer & Schwarz Group, Vaanix Industries Pvt Ltd., International Imaging Materials Inc. (IIMAK), Shenzhen Uvink Tech Co., Limited, Xinfeng Yele Chemical Industry manufacturing Co., Ltd, Fritta S.L., Colorobbia Espana S.A., Torrecid, and Dongguan Winnerjet Printer Consumables Co., Ltd. Companies adopt aggressive marketing strategies to remain competitive in the market. They focus on expanding their product portfolio. Additionally, companies are expanding their presence in emerging economies of Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa to increase their market share. They are also investing in research and development and collaborating with research institutes to develop innovative ceramic ink technologies.Request to view Sample Report: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.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. 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.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Kendall P. Stanley: The heroes

Remembering the heroic firefighters who responded to New York's World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks420 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

By David Shepardson and Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  U.S. President Donald Trump kept up pressure on trading partners on Saturday, threatening European automakers with a tax on imports if the European Union retaliates against his plan to slap tariffs on aluminum and steel.

Trumps tweet suggested he is refusing to yield to U.S. business interests and foreign trading partners alarmed at the prospect of a trade war that rattled financial markets this week.

If the E.U. wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on U.S. companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the U.S., Trump wrote on Twitter. They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there. Big trade imbalance!

The United States imposes a 2.5-percent tariff on cars assembled in Europe and a 25-percent tariff on European-built vans and pickup trucks. Europe imposes a 10-percent tariff on U.S.-built cars.

Trump criticized Europe in remarks at a fundraiser, according to video posted online Saturday, and suggested they would not increase tariffs.

The European Union: brutal. Theyve been brutal to us, Trump said at a Florida fundraiser. Theyve banded together in order to beat the United States in trade.

Trump did not respond to questions about tariffs or other topics upon returning to the White House Saturday.

In a speech Friday night at Harvard University, European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager said the EU will respond to the tariffs to defend European industry, and the world trading system, according to a copy of her remarks. She called the Trump action one-sided protectionist measures, which hurt, not just jobs, but the whole system of rules that makes our global economy work.

German automakers Volkswagen AG <VOWG_p.DE>, Daimler AG and BMW AG build vehicles at plants in the United States. BMW employs more than 9,000 workers in South Carolina and is one of the states largest employers.

The United States accounts for about 15 percent of worldwide Mercedes-Benz and BMW brand sales, while it accounts for 5 percent of VW brand sales and 12 percent of Audi sales.

The United States had a $22.3 billion automotive vehicle and parts trade deficit with Germany in 2017 and a $7 billion deficit with the United Kingdom, according to U.S. government data.

Last year, Germanys automotive trade association said the United States would be shooting itself in the foot by imposing tariffs or other trade barriers.

Trumps threat comes amid mounting transatlantic tension on trade.

On Thursday, Trump said the United States would apply duties of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum to protect domestic producers. [nL2N1QK016]

Major automakers say the move will hike the cost of cars and trucks.

The next day, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told German television that We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson (motorcycles), on bourbon and on blue jeans  Levis. [nL8N1QK2SZ]

Canada also has said it will retaliate for any tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Trump had tweeted on Friday that trade wars are good and easy to win, roiling U.S. financial markets. [nL2N1QK1R4]

In January 2017, Trump warned German car companies he would impose a border tax of 35 percent on vehicles imported to the U.S. market. [nL5N1F61VQ]

(Reporting by Mike Stone and David Shepardson; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Daniel Wallis)2.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) explained how Jared Kushners corruption and abuse of position might have jeopardized the lives of thousands of troops in the Middle East.

Video:

Sen. Chris Murphy, "If the reason for this was to protect the Kushner's financial interests, that's all the evidence you need to make some big changes in the White House." https://t.co/yyyAWQCbvQ #Kushner pic.twitter.com/M1aoOEIkuI  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 4, 2018

Murphy said, If its true, its damning. If its true, Jared Kushner has to go. For many of us that followed the Middle East closely, we couldnt understand why the trump administration was so firmly taking the Saudis side in this dispute between the Saudis, Emiratis, and Qataris because of the United States interests in at the top of the list are thousands of U.S. Troops stationed in a base there, so to firmly take the side of the Saudis potentially resulting of a downward spiral of the Qatar economy put thousands of Americans at risk. If the reason for this was to protect the Kushners financial interests, thats all the evidence you need to make some big changes in the White House.

Jared Kushner corruption is jeopardizing the lives of US troops

Jared Kushner was willing to jeopardize the lives of thousands of US troops in Qatar to put the squeeze on because he is over a billion dollars in debt and needs cash. When people speculate that Jared Kushner is going to end up in prison like his dear old dad, this is sort of criminal corruption that they are referring to. Kushner is committing crimes against the Unitedpotentiallyexchange for money.

It is not enough for Kushner to leave the White House. He is potentially going to face criminal prosecution. Trump could pardon his son in law from federal charges, but in order to get a pardon, Jared Kushner would need to admit guilt, which would open him up to state-level charges that cant be pardoned away.

Either way, Jared Kushner is risking American lives for money. His corruption is a risk to human life, which is why he must go from the White House, and never be in a position of power.

To discuss this story and more join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.Get the SC business stories that matter.

Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free.Gregory Yee covers the city of Charleston. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine.Angie Jackson covers crime and breaking news for The Post and Courier. She previously covered the same beat for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive.com in Michigan. When shes not reporting, Angie enjoys teaching yoga and exploring the outdoors.Andrew Knapp is editor of the Quick Response Team, which covers crime, courts and breaking news. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor at Florida Today, Newsday and Bangor (Maine) Daily News. He enjoys golf, weather and fatherhood.When Shannon Faulkner arrived at The Citadel in August 1995, she was met with protest and outcry as the first woman trying to enter the Corps of Cadets, breaking its 152-year-old tradition of transforming 18-year-olds into "whole men."

But when she returned to campus Saturday to make her first invited public appearance at the school she had long hoped would be her alma mater  just one day after the 25th anniversary of her infamous lawsuit challenging the school's male-only admissions policy  she was greeted with fanfare and applause.

"The expectations of this weekend were nonexistent for me because I really, truly had no clue which way it was gonna go," she said. "It's been a pleasant surprise. It's been very positive."

Faulkner, now an English teacher in Greenville, spoke at a symposium on the life and legacy of the late South Carolina novelist Pat Conroy, alongside Conroy's widow, writer Cassandra King.

As one of his last requests, Conroy, a friend and mentor of Faulkner, wanted her to "make peace" with The Citadel. Faulkner said she's finally reconciled with the institution that decades ago wanted nothing to do with her.

An honors student from Powdersville, Faulkner was admitted to The Citadel in 1993, a week after her 18th birthday. Her acceptance letter was addressed to "Mr. Shannon Richey Faulkner." When college officials discovered she was a woman, they revoked admission.

Faulkner waged a two-year legal battle against The Citadel, a fight that subjected her to cruel attacks. Citadel supporters sold T-shirts and bumper stickers emblazoned with slogans like Save the Males and 1,952 Bulldogs and One Bitch.

She started at The Citadel as its first day student on her 19th birthday, Jan. 20, 1994, taking classes alongside cadets under a federal court injunction. She became a member of the Corps a year and a half later. She didn't last long.

Overcome by stress  and, she said, the mess hall Beefaroni she had for lunch  Faulkner spent most of her first week as a cadet at the infirmary. She withdrew six days after her historic enrollment and left in tears while some cadets openly cheered and celebrated.

The next year, The Citadels Board of Visitors eliminated its males-only admissions rule after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Virginia Military Institute  another all-male, state-supported military college  must admit women or refuse public money. Four women were admitted that fall, including Nancy Mace, who would become The Citadel's first female graduate.

Faulkner admitted she made "some mistakes" during her two-year ordeal but has no regrets. To her critics who believe Faulkner was "the wrong person" to force change at The Citadel, she asked, "Who else would have stood up?"

"If it hadn't been for me, (then) Nancy Mace and Petra (Lovetinska Seipel) and the other two young ladies who joined them that year after me, wouldn't have been invited in," she said.

She said she also wants to set the record straight: Her experience at The Citadel wasn't marred by other cadets or school officials. She blames the barrage of hostility she faced from "outside forces," including Citadel alumni and residents of Charleston, for her eventual departure from the Corps.

"I enjoyed being a member of The Citadel family. I do consider myself a Citadel alumni," she said. "This is my school as much as anybody else's. I wont talk badly about the school and what it represents because I believe in it."

Her two-year fight for a place at the school took a physical and psychological toll. Her childhood home was vandalized. She received threatening and disparaging mail. She said a vandal wrote "Die Shannon" on The Citadel water tower.

Toward the end, Faulkner said a man in Greenville grabbed her and "basically told me that if I showed up (at The Citadel), my parents would die." The same man who threatened her family later resurfaced in Charleston.

"At one point in time, I thought I was going to die. I thought I was going to be the one that was going to be taken out, and I was willing to make that sacrifice," she said. "But when it came to my friends and my family, they should not pay for my choices and thats what I had to decide."

At the end of Faulkner's panel Saturday, a dozen members from the audience lined up to take photos with her and shake her hand. Sumerlyn Carruthers, a 21-year-old junior at The Citadel from Fort Mill, was one of them.

Faulkner hugged her. With tears in her eyes, Carruthers said, "Thank you so much."

"Without her," Carruthers said, "I wouldn't be here today."Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.The Post and Courier provides a forum for our readers to share their opinions, and to hold up a mirror to our community. Publication does not imply endorsement by the newspaper; the editorial staff attempts to select a representative sample of letters because we believe its important to let our readers see the range of opinions their neighbors submit for publication.PQ We have to realize that Guam is a small island and there are certain products that cannot be manufactured here."  GVB President and CEO Nathan Denight

Lining the shelves of Guams tourist-attracting stores is a variety of products that appear to be made on Guam. However, taking a closer look will reveal that some of the products are made elsewhere.

For instance, beer labeled with The Island King and Guahan Beer Numero Uno are made in Wisconsin. With the same branding, there are coconut and banana chips that were made in Thailand. Additionally, Guam Cafe coffee is a product of Indonesia, and the 7D dried mangoes labeled with Guam U.S.A. are a product of the Philippines.

These products are ineligible for the official Guam Product Seal that states Made in Guam, designed by the Guam Visitors Bureau.

To obtain the seal, products must be manufactured on Guam, and must undergo a substantial transformation of the materials used in its creation, for which a minimum of 50 percent of the value of the product has been added on Guam, according to Guam Economic Development Authority regulations.

The regulations further state it is a violation for business establishments to state or imply that a product offered for sale is made on Guam, or is a product of Guam, in any advertisement or display unless the product bears the official seal.

If products are labeled with the word Guam, Chamorro, or any derivation of those words or names in any language but are not manufactured on Guam, they must be labeled legibly and noticeably with the place it was made in, on the packaging that consumers will receive. A tag attached to the product stating where the product was made is acceptable.

If manufacturers violate these regulations, they can be fined $500 for the first offense, and $2,000 for additional offenses.

GVB President and CEO Nathan Denight said it is important for products to be properly and clearly labeled, so consumers know whether the products were truly made on Guam.

Despite the many products that could potentially mislead consumers, Denight encourages support for the Guam name.

We have to continue to support the development and marketing of 'Made in Guam' products, as well as our cultural practitioners that are creating arts and crafts, he said. We have to realize that Guam is a small island and there are certain products that cannot be manufactured here."PR-Inside.com: 2018-02-26 10:07:37

TOKYO, Feb 26, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Nearing his first anniversary in office, TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa spoke at a press conference held at the Federation of Electric Power Companies (FEPC) of Japan, in which he set out a bold vision for global growth and investment in renewables while also pledging to continue providing strong support for the restoration of Fukushima.Kobayakawa, who at 53 is TEPCO's youngest leader ever, is charting a dramatically new path for the company as it navigates the challenges posed by deregulation of Japan's energy markets, the country's declining population, and the need to continue cleanup work at Fukushima. The company, he said, will continue its transformation from a local utility to an innovative global energy and technology company, partnering with other leaders around the world."Our main mission is guaranteeing the delivery of a stable supply of low-cost electricity customers. Within that mission, nuclear power is not everything. Thermal power, the procurement of renewable energy, and hydropower all play a part." Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7VRseTBKeU Commitment to FukushimaThe focus on the future will not come at the expense of TEPCO's obligations to its past, Kobayakawa said. Noting the steady improvement of the situation both inside the Fukushima Daiichi facility and in the surrounding towns, he affirmed the corporate mission to rebuild communities and restore the trust of the residents, including efforts to support the sale of Fukushima produce.Increase corporate value, earningsTo meet its obligations at Fukushima and return the company to profitability, Kobayakawa said TEPCO aims to grow revenue by 500 billion yen annually, and generate a total of 450 billion yen in profit over the next decade.This will be accomplished through streamlining businesses and cost reduction, reorganization and integration of nuclear power and distribution, as well as forming alliances with partners.Expanding in a shrinking marketTo meet these ambitious goals, Kobayakawa said, TEPCO must look beyond its traditional service area in the Kanto region around Tokyo. Japan's electricity market is shrinking due to energy conservation and a rapidly decreasing population. TEPCO will create businesses in new areas, such as its JERA joint venture with Chubu Electric, which will create a value chain from fuel upstream to thermal generation and bundling the sale of electricity and natural gas.Renewable energy domestically and globallyWith TEPCO's fuel and thermal power generation business as an established revenue stream, the company has high hopes for the promise of renewable energy, which it expects to become a comparable pillar in the future based on global investment projections over the next decade. Kobayakawa commented that while there are challenges to overcome in connecting renewables to the distribution network, he is confident that the company's proprietary know-how will find various solutions.To formulate a detailed plan during the coming fiscal year, TEPCO's holding company will pull together expertise from its various teams, including engineering, distribution, and international project consultation to form the Mirai (Future) Management Committee."Renewables are an essential component of our future. We believe we can scale up our renewables business to create a new source of revenue comparable to JERA." About TEPCOTokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO) is Japan's largest power company group, holding three independent business entities: TEPCO Fuel & Power, Inc., TEPCO Power Grid, Inc., and TEPCO Energy Partner, Inc. As a group, it generates, distributes, and sells electricity and other types of energy principally to the Kanto metropolitan area, which includes Japan's two most populous cities, Tokyo and Yokohama. Its 42,060 employees are committed to providing safe, reliable power as well as fulfilling its responsibilities to the communities of Fukushima. (As of April 1, 2017)TEPCO Website: http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/index-e.html TEPCO Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialTEPCOen TEPCO Twitter page: https://twitter.com/TEPCO_EnglishADVERTISEMENT

The Honourable Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has advised tax payers to demand for written notice when they receive phone calls from tax officials.

She gave this advice in response to the activities of some fake tax officials alleging to be officials of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS).

In a statement on Sunday, the minister said, My attention has been drawn to reports of some unidentified tax officials requesting for bank details and address of tax payers.

If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Tax Office, do not panic. Ask them to send you a written notice. Do not provide any details like your address or bank details, she urged.

Meanwhile, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai and the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, have honoured a consistent tax payer, Lema Jibrin.

Mr. Jibrin was honoured during the VAIDS sensitisation programme in Kaduna last Thursday.

The Kaduna State governor noted that Mr. Jibrin had consistently paid tax to the government for 40 years.

Elder Lema Jibrin, the Dan Iyan Katsina, is the most tax compliant Nigerian. He has been paying his taxes consistently for 40 years and has not relented or evaded the payment of taxes, Mr. El-Rufai said.

Mrs. Adeosun praised Mr. Jibrin for his consistency and diligence in tax payment, and urged tax payers to utilise the amnesty programme of the Federal Government to regularise their tax profiles.A foremost Pan Africanist, Zizwe Poe is an American Professor at Lincoln University. As a scholar who has extensively studied Kwame Nkrumah and has been part of Pan African movements, the don shares his knowledge and experiences on diverse issues including leadership, Pan Africanism and neo-colonialism.

In this first part of an interview with PREMIUM TIMES team of Idris Akinbajo, Adenike Aloba and Richard Akinwunmi, Mr. Poe also speaks on the next generation of African leaders he believes have traits of genuine Pan Africanism.

Excerpts:

PT: Your profile shows you did your PhD on Nkrumah and Africanism. How would you describe Nkrumah?

Prof. Poe: I think its clear to me Kwame Nkrumah was a Pan Africanist. What I mean by that is not that he was just interested in all of Africa, but that he had an identity. He was from Nkrofo from the gold coast colony at the time, but his identity in terms of where he was going to was as an African citizen. You know a lot of the time when they ask people in the United States where they are from and somebody says Africa, the next question of course will be what part of Africa. But Nkrumah must have answered that at the end of his life as all of Africa because he used Ghanas independence and the resources of Ghanas independence for the liberation of all of Africa. He was somebody who was inspired on one hand by Marcus Garvey, who was also trying to build a strong Africa, but he was also inspired by more contemporary people of his time. He was inspired by James Aggrey, Nnamdi Azikiwe, W.B DuBois, George Padmore and a number of other movements and organisations like that. So I think he was someone who gave his life for the freedom and the unity of Africa.

PT: Knowing his contribution to Pan Africanism and call for Africas unity, would you say current African leaders have really towed the part Nkrumah paved and followed?

Prof Poe: I like to travel around Africa so this answer of course will limit my travel. But, I think that a number of African leaders today, well there is a new generation coming, but the generation currently running things I dont consider them really African leaders, I consider them managers and some despots but they are not the kind of African leaders that were the generation of Nkrumah. I see this new generation of African leaders that are coming; they may be the ones who represent the values of the African ancestors so that they can help teach this African elders who are currently leaders, who have somehow abandoned the ancestors for pottage of gold and small benefits.

Though, I think Nkrumah would have been somewhat disappointed, I dont think he would have lost his energy. What he would have done is, he would have joined the youth in the current move and he will just try to get rid of these current leaders I believe. Just at near the end of his life, Glen Morrow was very close to him.

L-R: Premium Times manging editor, Idris Akinbajo, Adenike Aloba, A foremost Pan Africanist, Zizwe Poe and Richard Akinwumi.

While he was in Guinea as the co-president, he was one of the advisers for the liberation movement that existed. People dont realise it. They think he went into exile after he was overthrown by the coup de tat; but in fact, he went to Guinea and became the co-president. Sekou Toure really wanted to offer him the presidency but Nkrumah was like nah man you crazy, I just left a place where they dont want me as president anymore, Im not going to come here and do it that way but he said he would accept the co-presidency as long as his job will be to work at the African Liberation movement and thats what he did up until his death.

PT: Can you give examples of those young generation of African leaders in whom you see these potentials? Countries and names.

Prof. Poe: I will go a little bit on a limb with one of the ones who are most familiar in online media, and I will have to say Malema from the EFF. I think you know people say that he is an opportunist and they dont trust him and everything but I dont judge him really only by his personal life, I judge him by the message of what he is saying about mass empowerment and returning resources to the masses, and I think for that, he is a good example.

Another is, because of the country hes in, I cant talk about him publicly without endangering his life. Others I wont also talk about but I do know some, I have met some young leaders in West Africa, I met some in East Africa and because of the nature of the leadership in those countries, I will just leave their names under cover. But I do hear them talking about African Unity. Again I hear them say, while they are respectful for their elders, they have new ideas and I think that Africa depends on them. I speak of this as a Pan Africanist, as an African who lives in America, so I look forward to them. I see even some young leaders coming from Africa, from the Caribbean in other parts of the diaspora that give me hope.

As an elder myself, I need some hope right now because I have seen a lot of material corruption and I hope we can get past that. I have some hope in some interesting situation in Zimbabwe. I have had email contact with some of the young members of ZANU PF of Zimbabwe and I think that if they are going to be respectful for their party I think they have some new ideas. I dont think they were necessarily anti-Mugabe as they were anti-old ideas not moving out for new ideas.

I think they love Mugabe for the contribution that Mugabe made for the Zimbabwe liberation movement. I know the western press like to use Mugabe as a broom to sweep dust around but I dont speak of him that way because I know that in fact his inspiration for even being part of the liberation movement came from his connection to Ghana and the liberation movement back in the time of Nkrumah.

For a while, I thought he was going to go wayward when he had made the deal with the British government to have structural adjustment programmes with Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. When they all threw him under the bus and said they were not going to give back the land, I was happy that he at least began to give back the land. As wrong as the way he did it was, I was happy because I know people died to get the land back that have been taken by the imperialist. So I was happy that happened.

A foremost Pan Africanist, Zizwe Poe

We know that when you take a young wife sometimes your brain doesnt work as well. I imagine only, being that old with my wife, we have been married for 37 years and for this interview I would like to say that I will never do that because Im sure she will read it. I think sometimes you can be a little wayward in your thoughts when you are still in power after all those years, I think that he should have had a group of young revolutionaries which supposedly his wife belonged to. But the group younger than her that is coming up to help Zimbabwe and South Africa continue to push forward with their movement of liberation.

PT: Talking about Zimbabwe and also Nkrumah, the major criticism of Pan African leaders who have assumed power in their countries is that they end up becoming dictatorial. Is there a reason why great pan Africanists tend towards dictatorship?

Prof Poe: Yes I think so. There is a reason for it. First of all, politics, especially if its supposedly democratic, is a dictatorship of the majority; supposedly, when these people claim to be representing the majority, this happens. Nkrumah, who I can speak of because of my strong studies, every few years would empower a group of youth under his wing and then these youth will go to war with those who are veterans in his organisation and so it always caused him strife. But Nkrumah was a person who really didnt believe even in capital punishment.

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You know there were five attempts on his life and one of the people that made an attempt on his life was given a capital sentence and it was because the organisation, the government itself had rules, they wouldnt allow Nkrumah do his lack of capital punishment push because really, Nkrumah was a philosopher and an educator, an organiser of people at the mass level. He wasnt really a kind of prime minister, presidential politician in the way that we know them. So he was hoping that he could convince people, you know if you go back to the ancient African history, the pharaohs, who are Africans, (of course you need to remind people because Disney and all of these other companies paint them as somebody else,) used to have when they were buried, two things across their chest. One will be like a crook, a crook with which you lead, and the other one will be a flail. A crook was representative of being able to convince the people with good policy and the flail was for being able to exact obedience in case you didnt get them in line and in time. Well in governance this appears to be two ways of approach. The military, the police on one hand and the other hand is the diplomatic initiatives and education to try to convince the population. So for Nkrumah when he came to power, he came to power as a Pan Africanist, he told people at the independence day, he said your country is free forever but the independence of Ghana is meaningless unless its linked up to the total liberation of the African continent and everybody was like yes!!! We love Nkrumah, and then he began to use the money to go to all the African Liberation movement and then they began to love him less because their vision was for independence locally and not independence such that it was a means to the end of greater independence and inter dependence of African people.

So as we got closer to the end of Nkrumahs rule, actually the people were closer to him especially the women and the children. They were closest to him and almost every attempt on his life killed women and children. And so it began to pull him back from going out in public because any time he appeared in public, attacks will come on him and it will come on the people around him and he began to be isolated by the advisors around him, some of them well-meaning and some of them dogmatist and in that case began to be very down about the whole situation.

So they called him a dictator. At the end, I will say he was always a dictator but when you are a dictator and the people love you then you are just a national hero; but when you are a dictator and you no longer can mingle with the people, then you become a tyrant.

I had an opportunity to visit Libya when Gadaffi was alive. I was there in Libya with Kwame Ture; he used to be known as Stokely Carmichael. I was there with him and I was part of Nkrumahs organisation, an organization called the All African Peoples Revolutionary Party which Nkrumah started.

He wrote about it in 1966 before the coup, and after the coup was done and they took his manuscript, he re-wrote about it in a book called the Handbook of Revolutionary Warfare which I would suggest all your readers read. It needs to be updated but it has some basic general information that is good. In 1968, he said in order for Africa to finish the Africas revolution, he thought there should be an All African Peoples Revolutionary Party that will link up all of the struggling liberation movements as well as government so that they could form an All African community for political coordination. By the way, I should mention that December of this year is the 60th year of the first All African Peoples Conference so that will give you some writing material for later but Nkrumah began to organise in his way and by organise in his way, he had set a paradigm of how African unity and liberation were connected.

Like I said, after I belonged to this organisation, I was recruited by Kwame to represent this organisation. I was one of the representatives from the California chapter to Libya. I believe it was 1988/1989, I am not sure, and I had a chance to see Libya. I knew before I went that there was a problem with Arab racism because before Europe came to Africa, when the arrogance of Arab government began to make Islam an intolerant form, they brought with it their own racism also, so I expected this before I got there.

But I was totally amazed when I got there and saw bill boards that said the black shall prevail and I began to be very interested. I had read a green book, but the green book was a little bit of a ravel, especially the English translation but when I got there I was really impressed. But what impressed me most is that no Libyan citizen paid rent and right away I wanted to leave New York and go to Libya. No what? No rent? I was like you have to convince me on the other things but no rent was enough but I found out later that not only did they not pay rent but when they got married they will give them a $50,000 stipend and if they wanted to go to school and Libya didnt have the education that they wanted, they can go to school anywhere and Libya will pay for it and that they even surpass Cuba in terms of health care.

A foremost Pan Africanist, Zizwe Poe

Not only was health care free, but the medicine was free so I didnt care about it at the time when Reagan was calling Gadaffi a mad dog and all that to me. For me he was the kind of mad dog people needed and he did do some crazy things. I mean Gadaffi was very eccentric but in terms of the people of Africa, I was in favour of especially, North Africa, having that kind of treatment and in my later years, as a matter of fact, I heard Gadaffi speak in Senegal in December 2010 at the 3rd Black Art World Festival. He was speaking in front of this very gigantic statue they had in Dakar, built by Koreans.

There were youth sitting on the steps and Gadaffi spoke, this is a month before the NASA invasion and he spoke and began to tell the youth Look, Africa, like Nkrumah said, Africa needs to be united, we need one military. He said our military right now can only beat their own people they really cant defend us against NASA and it was almost prophetic, he saw it coming but at that time Gadaffi was the Fidel Castro of Africa.

He drove around Africa in a big mobile kind of entourage and he was probably the last state leader. I would say state leader because he wasnt president, Libya did have a president and prime minister and all of that but the west did not want to recognise it because Gadaffi was seen as sort of a spiritual father of this Libya and he was probably the last one to really use the resources of his country toward a large Pan African movement; and also Im sure that brought him the distrust of the world public, not the world public, the west; not the west but business interests, lets just call it as it is. Those who did not want Africa to have an African currency that was based in Africas resources or its own military.

Mugabe started off as a teacher and in his own narrative, he tells the world that when Ghana became independent it was all this hoopla about freedom and as a youth he used to go to Ghana annually and get inspired by Nkrumahs Ghana and he took his approach as a teacher and became a politician. As a matter of fact, ZANU kind of recruited him. At that time, there was an ANC in Zimbabwe and later there was ZAPU and it was really a strong world organisation that he came and kind of represented.

There was ZAPU and ZANU, and they were actually two different organizations. He became a leader within ZANU and they wanted him to take the inspiration he had gotten out of the national revolution, bring it down to then what was called Rhodesian Front in which Ian Smith was saying blacks will never vote in his life time; then later on he was saying well he wont vote for a black man, lots of years later. And then finally they voted even while he was alive he joined a government that was controlled by Zimbabweans. But this was the young Mugabe and at the time he was pressured by what you call the front line states to begin to make a deal with the colonial forces because most of the war inside of this arm struggled states were supported by front line states.

The front line state as Nkrumah will say is every state in Africa but it was interpreted to mean those states closer to the fighting areas because they had put up the soldiers, the soldiers retreat into those areas, they will give resources and they were struggling to give resources so they encouraged, near the end stage of the liberation movement, they will encourage some kind of diplomatic compromise.

So Mugabe, when Zimbabwe became independent finally and they finished the bitter, Vorster regime and also defeated Abel Muzorewa who was really being used by the Vorster machine as a compromise to try to keep the Africans in place and to be supportive of the old regime. Once ZANU and ZAPU defeated those forces, Mugabe became president.

For a while he was a very victorious leader but at a time in which the African Liberation Movement was already becoming corroded and too much compromises were being made and eventually he made a compromise with the British government to try to get the land back for Zimbabweans to go along with structural adjustment programme.

It had three elements. One is that they will tell you to devalue your currency so that of course foreign businesses could have their way with you. Two: it was told to reduce social services because somehow the so called free western democratic world was anti-social services which to me made it anti-people. As a matter of fact, it made more sense when I heard late Fela say is it democracy or demo-cracy because I think it was more demo-cracy. And then the third, opening up your market so the west can make them free trade areas which may sound like a good idea but it is not usually a good idea to the masses that are providing the product.

So he went along with that for a while and as a matter of fact the people I knew in the all African Revolutionary Party, we were very anti-Mugabe at that time. We were like, you see, that this is new colonialism but he had to run the affairs of his state. And then finally England became who England always was and they said you know what, we are not going to honour that, we are not going to buy back any land, we are not going to do nothing. And so Mugabe had to run to the people and to his party and he became popular again because he began to hold up ideas of liberation movement. And then he got old and a young wife but I think as am looking at it from my side, I think I see that ZANU was brilliant in their removal of Mugabe. Brilliant because as the MDC and the other opposition movement almost had the chance to control the government. Zimbabwe removing Mugabe right before the election is going to bring a lot of people in Zimbabwe back to ZANU to the organization.

In a final analysis, this organisation have to continue the movement. Individuals are good for the first part of the leadership but if you just follow individuals, individuals will die and organisations have the ability to live longer and perfect themselves longer so I think it was a brilliant move. I know Im a little off but Mugabe basically right now, he will be able to live as a hero like Nkrumah. When Nkrumah was overthrown, if you go back to look at what the press said about Gadaffi before they killed him, these were the same things they were saying about Nkrumah when they overthrew him.

Now Nkrumah is the hero and if you go to the head of the African union in Addis Ababa, there is one statue out in front of the head of the African union is Nkrumah. And you know time will really reveal how people look at these folks over time. There is going to be one of Gadaffi somewhere because of the example he was able to do with his population which no country has ever been able to emulate and Mugabe is going to get a statue right before he dies.

PT: Is it possible to have systems in place to prevent dictatorships because tendencies towards dictatorship may make people averse to the idea of a Pan African leader.

Prof Poe: Well they said democracy is a system but if they are not opposed to dictatorial politics then apparently democracy wont work either. Democracy is dictatorship of the winner, so politics right now is kind of a dictatorship at least from the executive branch. So what these governments have done to try to limit the effect and influence of dictatorial lead is that they have made term limits on the executives, but they dont make term limits on the legislature and ruling is not just from the executive branch.

I dont know but in the country that I live in, you have two terms that you can be limited to as a dictator or the president, then your son can do it so I mean what difference has that made: from kings and hereditary kings. I think a lot of it as a ruse. I think the only real alternative that I have studied is a very informed public.

The more informed the public are, the less the dependence on a single leader. As a matter of fact this is one thing I would say about the United States. I wont say so much informed but ideologically, the parties that run the United Sates make it such that even if a leader is killed, they just keep moving, put the next leader in place.

But in a lot of places when the leader is killed, well Libya is one example, Ghana when Nkrumah was overthrown, was kind of down for a long time because the military already came in; but when you have an organised body that is ideologically coherent and you have an organised populace that can evaluate that organised body effectively then I think we will be through with pharaohs. But weve had pharaohs for a long time and even pharaohs when they were in charge, they were the ones in charge of the religious entity of their state, pharaohs were the head priests and right now who do we have as a priest? No, but we have ideology all over the place. So I think what it is, is that the more the populace is informed and has the ability to evaluate information because we have more information than we ever did; but if you dont evaluate it you will be stupid now than you ever were. So I think the more that we are able to evaluate these pros and cons and what is in the interest of the people, the more will be able to move away from popular dictatorship. But somehow, the people love publicity and popularity. I mean right now the real dictator in the world is Beyonce.

PT: A lot of African nations are fashioning their democracy after the west, yet we exist in some level of neo-colonialism. Well, is there a way to localize democracy that will fit the African context?

Prof Poe: When we talk about democracy, in the real good intents of democracy, I think we are talking about really where the interest of the masses are represented. But people confuse the form of democracy for its essence. For instance, if a number of us go out to the parking lot and there is 10 of us and seven of us vote to steal one car instead of the other, we think thats a democratic vote, so I think where we have to make a distinction between democracy and other forms of governance is what drives the governance.

Governance really is there to help manage resources and in the case where you have western democracy, western democracy is based on capitalism and it is not based on the masses having resource, so the value system that usually comes to bear is the kind that will support capitalist profit and capitalist profit doesnt work for everyone.

For some of us, the system of capitalism is this system that could be best understood by the general population as the system of procurers, prostitutes for profit and I guess that will be about all of it. So a lot of people get an education so that hopefully they can start off as a high paid prostitute and walk their way up to a procurer.

The value system that attaches to that is one of individualism, hurtful competitiveness because I think there can be helpful competitiveness, like competing for who can help the people the most thats good competition but thats not the competition we are taught. In our school system, we are often taught competition of how to get over on others. As a matter of fact, there is something I do with my students, you know I am a teacher, so I tell them that they have been abused as children. And so right away they think about a clergy, altar boys and I say no, no, no, Im not talking about that.

L-R: Premium Times manging editor, Idris Akinbajo, Adenike Aloba, A foremost Pan Africanist, Zizwe Poe and Richard Akinwumi. A foremost Pan Africanist, Zizwe Poe A foremost Pan Africanist, Zizwe Poe

Im talking about what you were taught when you were told to go to school and just listen to the teacher. I said there was something you were taught earlier and you dont even remember when this happened to you and so I say I repeat one half of the slogan and you tell me the other half. I will say finders keepers and they will in unison say losers weepers. I said thats about stealing, I said that you never knew when you learned it, do you? So right away in their memory earlier on is this kind of profit oriented stealing so even if later on they grow up, they get their masters degree and doctors degree, if this is the value system that underlies everything they have; you know they are democrats, they will be democrats for theft and so eventually you are going to end up with a tyrant dictator, if not an individual one, one thats a party. So I think that we might want to question the values that under lay the governing system. We have to look at that governing system connected to the economic system.

At first, I heard before I came, I heard there has been good relations and bad relations politically with the United States in Nigeria and I know that thats true. However, whether they were bad relations or good relations, the business relations remain the same. So apparently, the politics is just the show for the rest of us because the real world is the business relations.About 20 persons have been reported killed and 300 cows stolen following a fresh outbreak of ethnic violence on the Mambilla Plateau in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State, local officials and residents told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday.

A fleeing resident, Saadu Mogoggo, who said his house was attacked at Leme suburb of Gembu, said two of his brothers were killed Saturday evening and their cattle rustled by a group he identified as the Mambilla Militia.

As I am talking to you, we are yet to bury their corpses, he said to PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday.

The ethnic militias attacked our residence in Leme where they killed our father last month. During this attack, the Mambillas took away our over 100 cows.

My two younger brothers reported the matter to a nearby military base and a soldier was attached as escort to retrieve the stolen cows. Unfortunately, in the process, my younger brothers were both killed while the soldier fled with injury, he said.

Abdu Gagarau, another resident of the area who said he was speaking from hiding, said, The burning and killing of the Fulani continued till early this morning. As I am talking to you now, from last Thursday they have been attacking our settlements and over 20 people killed. Some were buried and over 300 cattle stolen by the militias.

The Mambila ethnic group are known for attacking other tribes. They attacked the Pansos in 1982, The Fulanis in 2002 and in 2017, when eventually we retaliate then the normal shouts of herdsmen will start. Let government be proactive and come to our rescue, he said.

A Fulani community leader in the area, Ahmadu Nguroje , called for government and security intervention.

At least 20 people are feared killed, looting of houses, shops and burning down to ashes by the Mambilla militias along Tapare and Yerimaru axis have been recorded here in Sardauna LGA of Taraba State, he said.

About 12 others were also wounded and are on admission at a hospital in Gembu, Mr. Nguroje said.

The lawmaker representing Nguroje and Gembu constituency in the state House of Assembly, Bashir Muhammad, confirmed the latest disturbances.

There have been silent and systematic killings of Fulani nomadic herdsmen in the remote areas in Mambilla Plateau, Mr. Muhammad said.

It is unfortunate that while efforts are being made to restore peace, the killings continued unabated and many people feared killed between Thursday to Sunday, just as dozens of livestock were killed or injured. I was even told that over 200 cows were rustled.

Security is grossly in adequate because some of the affected villages are remote and in hinterlands that can take one or two hours to be reached. We want presence of more security, particularly soldiers to ensure peace, the lawmaker pleaded.

Governor speaks

Reacting to the report of the attacks, the state governor, Darius Ishaku, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Emmanuel Bello, called for an end to the violence.

Anyone who takes any life, irrespective of religion or tribe, is a criminal, whether it is on the summits of Mambilla or the plains of southern Taraba and anywhere in this state. And we shall deal with them as criminals.

Mr. Bello said the governor, was committed to an amicable resolution of the crisis in the state and peaceful co-existence of all ethnic nationalities, attributing the renewed crisis to disagreement between two ethnic groups.

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The police spokesperson in the state, David Misal, told our reporter that four people were confirmed killed from both sides of the ethnic groups in the conflict. He added that security officials had been dispatched to the area to restore peace, but that no arrest had been made.

Investigations revealed that the crisis started on Thursday over a land dispute between nomadic Fulani and Mambilla in Yerimaru village and later snowballed into neighbouring villages.The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo addressed journalists and social media practitioners on Friday where he addressed diverse issues.

His office sent a transcript of the interview to PREMIUM TIMES

Excerpt:

Q: On Nigerias rating by Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception Index.

Vice President: I think that by even Transparency Internationals own assessment, Transparency International uses nine different indexes to come to a conclusion. In four out of those indexes, Nigeria moved up, in another four Nigeria stabilised & dropped in only one index. So in aggregation, it (T.I) then decides that it has fallen in certain number of points below where we were.

I think the important thing to bear in mind about Nigerias anti-corruption fight is that the government has done what it ought to do by focusing on grand corruption. Grand corruption is the type we experienced years before when, for example, $15 billion was lost in defence contract. Two, three weeks to election, N100 billion in cash was taken out, and again $293 million in cash, two weeks, three weeks to election. Thats the kind of impunity. And of course you are also familiar with the scam that went on in the NNPC at the time; the so called statutory contracts, thats grand corruption. That is the corruption that crippled the economy of the country.

Let me tell you very quickly how you can recognize that we have scaled a good deal on grand corruption today: despite the fact that we are earning 60 per cent less in revenue, we are actually able to spend more than ever before in the history of this country on infrastructure. In 2017, we spent about N1.3 trillion on capital. Thats the highest in the history of the country. So we are able to do far more with far less because we have controlled the impunity that went on, the grand corruption, and all of that.

Now, how does that translate to perception; because grand corruption is a big aspect of corruption. Its a big one because if you cannot control grand corruption, you cant do what you want to do. But then you cannot address the corruption as you go through our airports, our ports or as you go through government offices, in many cases. Thats where the whole perception emerges.

We must have a deeper and much wider way of dealing with corruption. How are you going to do that? You must have an efficient way of doing that; like automation, removing discretion from individuals.

Q: What is the institutionalised process of fighting corruption?

Vice President: Institutionalisation is not a one-off thing, its a process, and we are dealing with that, thats exactly what we are doing. For example, the TSA and being able to look at government accounts and all of that is one way of institutionalising a process by which you can be sure of what people are doing, how this things are happening. The process of allowing the EFCC to do its work without dictation, saying that look, this what the EFCC is doing, and giving them every support that you can. These are ways of institutionalising. And it is that same process that we are taking in the public service  Automation.

For example, look at all that we have done in the ease of doing business. The whole point of doing that is institutionalising processes, so that when you come into Nigeria you can get your visa after applying online; so that Customs dont have to sit around the airport, that is why we are putting in the I-check and we are putting all sorts of other processes. That is to institutionalise; its not a one-off process.

Q: Whats the national strategy on anti-corruption?

Vice President: Thats a long conversation, but put simply, the national strategy is to ensure that public officers in particular are not able to privatize public finances. And how do we intend to achieve that? We intend to achieve that by ensuring that there is consequence for corruption and also by automating processes, removing discretion from individuals because if you dont remove discretion from individuals the individuals can have discretion as whether or not they will grant certain approvals through certain processes; then you continue to encourage corruption at one level or the other.

Mass Burial for Victims of Benue Killings

Q: Asides from the EFCC, it seems the other anti-corruption agencies such as the ICPC are doing nothing

Vice President: Well, I dont agree. I think that you will find that alongside the work of the EFCC, in fact one of the critical things we do is, we try and re-direct the ICPC. We appointed the executive secretary of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, PACAC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, to head that body and we believe the ICPC is the important part of the whole fight against corruption. We revamped the leadership of the ICPC. Unfortunately we were stalled because it requires Senate confirmation, that hasnt been done. That is the area of focus for us because the ICPC is supposed to be involved, not just in corruption, but in orientation and re-orientation of the public service. So, its an important part of our work.

Q: Nigerians in diaspora are one of the biggest foreign exchange contributors of about $20 billion. Aside from having a Special Adviser to the President on Diaspora Affairs, does Nigeria have a Diaspora partnership?

Vice President: I think weve also gone beyond the Office of the Adviser; we now have a Diaspora Commission by law, which I think is a policy step. That Commission will aggregate a lot of the records through data for diaspora in order to encourage the diaspora to interact more with government, with private sector and all that. But dont forget that, with the whole diaspora experience and what is in tune with other nations of the world; the usual focus is on remittances; what are they able to remit as it is pointed out, it is a substantial amount of money. It is something in the region of $20 billion.

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But it obviously goes beyond that. In developing the economy we also need diasporas talent. So we need diaspora in technology, we need diaspora in education, medical practice and all that. The Ministry of Health, for example, actively engaged with the personnel in diaspora for specialists, setting equipment and all of that. But I believe that one of the most critical ways of doing so is through the diaspora commission, ordering it, measuring it; once that is constituted.

Q: Allegations of nepotism against the Buhari administration.

Vice President: Look at the cabinet, for example, from the point of view of the religion, it has an equal number  18 Christians, 18 Muslims; but, we have the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as well as the Head of Service who are Christians. So we have 20 Christians to 18 Muslims; thats the structure of the cabinet. So if you take that narrative you may argue that perhaps the Christian have the upper hand; that is a possible narrative.

Let us look a little deeper into that, so there are those who may argue, for example, that the north has an upper hand or perhaps one section has an upper hand in the cabinet as one narrative. The South-east, for example, has five states. Four of the South Eastern states have senior ministers; all of them, except one, who is Minister of State for Education.

Nigerian Senate Chamber used to illustrate the story.

Q: The President has no choice in that, it is a constitutional requirement.

Vice President: In assigning particular portfolios he does. In the north, seven northern states have no senior minister, including the Presidents home state, Katsina. Now, there are those who will say, if you are nepotistic; surely seven northern states have no senior minister. Its a narrative depending on how you want to run it.

I give you another example; Im from the South-west. There are people who will say I am from the South-west, the North has everything. The South West, for the first time in the history of this country, has one Minister who is in charge of three ministries: Power, Works and Housing. The Ministers of Finance & Communications are also from the South West. These are critical ministries. You can run the narrative in whichever way that you choose. There are those who will say, for instance, look at the number of CEOs of agencies of government; the highest number of CEOs in our nation today comes from Ogun State, the state has the largest number. There are those who will say thats his state (i.e VPS State). So you can run the narrative depending on how you want to run it.

The president has admitted that, yes there are situations where you can find certain things as true and he intends to have a look at that. For example, youve given the example of security positions and he said he is going to take a look at look at it. I believe that is the way to go because you can run any narrative that will suit the figures you are showing. And that is where we have legal process. There are people who dont know that the number of CEOs from Anambra State are more than the number of CEOs from Katsina State or anywhere else, except Ogun.

Q: Revamping Nigerias education system.

Vice President: If you will recall about a few months ago, I think it was in January, we had an education retreat; what needs to be done again is to unfold a whole direction in education. We came in with a manifesto on education, we had a few points that we were looking at and we also had some time to look at it. But many of us raised the issue that you dont just pick the whole education; what about engineering because what we are seeing is such a dramatic change, not just in method of instruction in the requirement, job requirement, employment requirement, in technology and all of that, and thats exactly what we are trying to do.

For example, we cannot have primary education the way it is, weve got to teach young people, weve got to introduce technology; youve got to have collaboration in education. We discovered, for instance, when we were doing the N-power  employment for young graduates, we discovered that it was also an opportunity to train the graduates. For the first time we were able to open a portal that has educational materials for graduates to just go in there. We also have devices for them to use.

But one important advantage of what we are doing is that all of a sudden, you can now train tens of thousands of people without sitting them in one place. So technology is going to play a role. We are in a very interesting place in terms of education today because you can leverage a great deal on technology. You can leverage a great deal on what is happening in other parts of the world. And we are trying to harness all of those resources and try to do something that will make a difference in our country. Here we are, in another 10 years we will be moving closer and closer to 2050 when we are going to be the 3rd largest population in the world. And there is almost a 70 per cent youth population. We are not going to provide them with the number of classrooms that will be required, so weve got to really leverage on technology. Weve got to leverage on verified trend that we see here and there.

Q: The delay in 2018 budget.

Vice President: We have a democracy that has, as you know, three arms. The two relevant arms for budget are the executive and legislature. If you recall when I was Acting President, I signed the 2017 budget and, at that time, I made the announcement with the full consensus of the National Assembly that, from 2018, we are going to have a budget that is going to apply in January and end in December the normal financial year. We agreed that we will submit our proposal in good time, and we did that first week of November. The president did so. We fulfilled that part of the agreement. The budget is with the National Assembly. There is very little we can do to control that. Thats the system that we have.

Q: Seeming rift between the Executive arm of Government and the Legislature.

Vice President: Well, Im not so sure that the tensions are unknown. The democratic system anywhere as, for example, in the U.S. where we borrow our bicameral legislature from, you find that despite the fact that the Republican Party controls major part of parliament, it still doesnt mean that bills are necessary going to go through.

So one must assume that the responsibility of the National Assembly is to scrutinise what the executive is doing and not just to be a rubber stamp. But I also agree with you entirely that its important for us, for the sake of our country, our economy and for the sake of many young people who are relying on us to deliver. We ensured that we released our budget on time. I want to believe that the executive has done its part and we wait on the National Assembly.

Q: About N9 Trillion debt said to have been inherited by this administration now reportedly about N30 T. How come?

Vice President: No, No, I dont think so. First let me explain that we have a government that is very prudent, a government that believes in financial prudence, a government that condemns impunity  the way that the thing was practiced before now, and a government that spends resources on the right thing. For the first time in the history of our country, we are spending about N1.3 trillion on capital; it means that we are investing in the right place. We are not just borrowing money anyhow; no, we are investing in the right place.

Every government or most governments anywhere probably look for some points to borrow, but the important thing is what are you borrowing for? And thats why we building the Lagos-Kano rail, doing the Lagos-Calabar rail, the second Niger Bridge and the Mambilla hydro project that has been abandoned for almost 40 years.

We are improving capacities in power, we are investing in social investment, we are investing long-term in the things that will create an economy that can support a large number of young graduates, who are coming in the market every day. Thats a process that needs a lot of thinking; that needs a lot of investment.

I think the most important thing is to ask that when there was a N9 trillion debt, where is the infrastructure to account for that? I think that is the most important question to ask. Its not whether you borrow, but what you spend that money on. I think we should be able to prove that the earning is 60 per cent less than the earning in the past five six years. So we are spending far more on the right thing and we are able to ensure that we build a future that young people can truly look forward to.

Q: What about the 50 per cent revenue reportedly being spent on settling debts?

Vice President: No, we are not spending 50 per cent of our revenue servicing debt. Let me explain that, we have a deficit somehow in the region of about N2.6 trillion now, a lot of our revenue has to be spent on capital and recurrent, and recurrent is 70 per cent of revenue. But for the first time we are spending 30 per cent on capital. Before now when oil was a $115 a barrel, we were spending 11% or 15% on capital, and capital is the most important expenditure because that is where you do the infrastructure in order to be able to build the economy. So the reality is what we are spending is to provide the infrastructure that will last.

Q: Abduction of 110 Dapchi girls in Yobe and the killings in states like Benue and Zamfara. Why didnt the President or you visit these places?

Vice President: Let me say it first that no amount of condolence can compensate for the loss of life, whether in Calabar, Mambilla or Benue or where people were killed in Adamawa or Zamfara, any of these states. There is no amount of condolence that can compensate for the loss of life. Benue killing is one set of killing far too much; there is no amount of condolence that can compensate for that. And I want to say that its a massive tragedy. But the question that you seem to ask Ive been to Zamfara, Ive been to Adamawa when this killing took place. There are those who said, oh, why dont you visit the Fulani settlement, why do visit only where Christians were? I even visited Benue in September where there have been killing before; then Ive visited them when the flooding took place and we looked at all the issues and tried to address many of these. There have been several of these issues in different places, recently Dapchi. We have expressed condolences, but no amount of condolence would do.

The more important thing, and our focus has been, is first of all ensuring security in these places.

EFCC Operatives

We have to address the security question in a much more robust way; that the police are able to do these effectively. We have deployed the military to Kaduna, two battalions to Kaduna. In Benue and Taraba axis, we have the 93 battalion, we have 72 Special Forces. We have full concentration in Taraba and all of that, and by the way, the military is fighting in most of the North East. So there is a situation where the military is overstretched. So I think the most important thing is first of all to ensure they actually address the security of the people.

Q: Nigerians definitely appreciate all you are doing. But they want to see their leaders come to them to grieve with them in the face of national human tragedy

Vice President: Let me say that I definitely agree with you, the more places that we can go to the better. But I made a point earlier that we also have to address the serious concern that people have. We have to address those concerns; we have to address the rehabilitation concern. I am going round and the President is also going round, there is no question at all and I agree that if we go to all these places it would be so much better.ADVERTISEMENT

President Muhammadu Buhari will Monday depart for Accra, Ghana, to attend the countrys 61st Independence Anniversary celebrations holding at the Independence Square on Tuesday, March 6.

The presidents spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said in a statement on Sunday that Mr. Buhari is the only foreign leader invited to the historic event as the Special Guest of Honour.

Similarly, other than his host, President Nana Akufo-Addo, the Nigerian leader is the only foreign guest scheduled to address the august gathering, Mr. Adesina said.

He also said Mr. Buhari will use the unique opportunity to reaffirm the long-standing warm relations between the peoples and governments of both brotherly nations.

He said the president will also underscore Nigerias commitment to strengthening the bilateral ties in furtherance of democracy, good governance and overall development not only in the West African sub-region, but also the African continent.

The president and his delegation which includes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, will return to Abuja after the celebrations on Tuesday, the statement said.ADVERTISEMENT

Nigerian carrier, Arik Air and Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on capacity building to assist in imparting proficiency and line training for PAFs pilots.

Arik Air in a statement signed by its Media Consultant, Simon Tumba, on Sunday in Lagos said the agreement was signed by the Commander of PAF, Hassan Abubakar and the airline in Lagos.

According to the terms of the agreement, Arik Air will provide pilots of PAF rated on the aircraft Line Training and hour building to maintain proficiency on the aircraft.

It also includes undertaking regular commercial flight under supervision, as per the standards approved for the airline.

Arik Airs Chief Executive Officer, Roy Ilegbodu, said the agreement would go a long way in bridging the gap in the fleet Pilots training and proficiency.

He added that both parties could always work together to achieve their goals.

Ilegbodu said Arik Air, which had in the past assisted PAF in the proficiency training of its pilots, was a safety conscious airline and this must have informed the decision by the top hierarchy of the fleet to enter into this agreement.

The statement said Mr. Abubakar appreciated the support and cooperation PAF had been receiving from Arik Air over the years, stating that this had helped in getting the pilots to maintain a high level of training.

(NAN)ADVERTISEMENT

The commandant-general of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abdullai Gana, has arrived Maiduguri, the Borno State capital in response to the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr. Gana was directed to relocate to the northeast and liaise with the military and governments of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa to ensure deployment of personnel to all schools in liberated areas in the states.

The Presidency said the directive became necessary to forestall a re-occurrence of the attack on innocent school children, following the abduction of Dapchi schoolgirls by Boko Haram.

Mr. Gana was received Saturday by the commander of the armys Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Rogers Nicholas at the headquarters of Military Command and Control Centre, Maiduguri.The Kaduna State Government is worried by cases of foreigners allegedly buying children from orphanages in the state for trafficking out of Nigeria.

The state government expressed the concern against the backdrop of an order by the state high court last year for the release of three children to a Ghanaian accused by the government of buying the children for N1.1 million.

The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hafsat Baba, in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, said the government feared the state was being turned into a haven for foreign child traffickers.

According to Mrs. Baba, her ministry was recently alerted to the sale of another child by an orphanage to a foreign national for N2.5 million.

She said the state government and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were still investigating the case.

She narrated the case last year that the state lost in court against the Ghanaian accused of buying the three children from a clinic in Zaria.

Mrs. Baba said:  Yes, a Ghanaian came in August last year with children to make papers for the children but during documentation we discovered he bought the children at a private clinic in Zaria to the tune of N1.1 million.

He bought two boys at N350,000 each and a female child for N400,000. When we realised that, we informed the police and effect arrest and took the children away from him.

Government took the custody and enrolled the children in school. But a Ghanaian lawyer who is practising in the state came and took us to court because he wanted the children to be released to that Ghanaian man.

We wrote to the Minstry of Justice and they took over the case. But a magistrate granted a prayer that we should return the children to the Ghanaian. We refused to do that, instead we appealed the case to the high court.

The Ghanaian lawyer came to me that we should settle but I told him the case is not between me and him, rather it is between the Ghanaian trafficker and the state government.

The lawyer became frustrated and came to my office with a note and a police man that I should be arrested because I violated the court order.

I told him he has no right to come into government office to create a scene.

 I told him to go to Ministry of Justice because they are the one handling the case on behalf of the government. When he tried to be violent, I called the state Attorney-General and she sent a legal adviser who came and picked the paper.

Later, he was given a court order not to be seen around the premises or intimidate me. Moreover, when the Ghanaian lawyer came to my office, I asked him if someone can buy a child in Ghana and he said no. So, I told him what he can not do in Ghana, why doing it in Nigeria?

But when the case came up at the High Court they asked us to come with the children which we did. The judge actually saw them but to our shock and dismay, this woman, Justice Hannatu Balogun, ruled against the government in favour of the Ghanaian man that trafficked these children.

She instructed that we should immediately hand over the children to this man right there at the court premises. This is a case where the man himself wrote that he bought the children.

And a justice working for the government, knowing fully well in the world, even in Nigeria that trafficking is prohibited and the man confessed that he bought the children and yet she ruled against the government.

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When asked of the basis for the judgment, the commissioner said she had no clue.

 I dont know her basis because she said she is upholding the judgement of the lower court. When she ruled, we became worried as a ministry because we similarly had about six other trafficking cases in court and we didnt want her to rule against us, she said.

The commissioner said the fate of the allegedly trafficked children was unknown since they were handed over to the Ghanaian as ordered by the High court.

She said the ministry had contacted National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons ( NAPTIP) about the case.

We are only fighting to protect the children. But with that kind of judgment, it means people can come to Kaduna and buy children at will and take them anywhere, she lamented.

We cannot make Kaduna a safe heaven for traffickers because if we do I dont know where we will be heading to, Mrs. Baba told PREMIUM TIMES.

We (have) mapped out all orphanage homes in Kaduna to see how they operate.

We also developed a framework on how to manage orphanage homes. The Ministry of Women Affairs has the mandate to monitor orphanage homes and we will sanction those found wanting.

Child trafficking is a menace that is being fought the world over. Even adults are being trafficked. Recently the president recovered some Nigerians from Libya and I was handed five Kaduna indigenes just on Friday. The victims told me about their ordeals and how they were being sold like chickens.

If you are talking about adults being trafficked, those that can speak, those that can defend themselves, what about the orphans and vulnerable children? The government is worried about it.

The State House of Assembly last month passed the Child Protection Bill which is awaiting the assent of Governor Nasir El-Rufai to become law.

Very soon he (Mr. El-Rufai) will assent to the law because it was passed recently. We are passing this law to protect our children, she said.ADVERTISEMENT

Officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Niger State have apprehend a gang of three, including a female, allegedly involved in two separate robbery incidents involving senior Government House officials in Minna, Niger State.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the gang of three last week, broke into the home of the Director, Administration, Government House, Minna, Hauwa Wali, and made away with valuable properties at gunpoint.

Luck was said to have run out of the criminals when few days later they were accosted by officials of SARS, on a routine stop and search patrol. They were arrested after guns and suspicious number plates were found in their car while attempting to move out of town.

Investigation by PREMIUM TIMES reveal that after further interrogation, the suspects were said to have confessed to be among those who robbed the Transport Officer (TO) of Government House, Yakubu Mohammed, two months earlier where they made away with valuables including a Toyota Hilux Van.

The suspects claimed to have sold the Hilux van and many other stolen properties in Sokoto, and that they had planned to abduct the Finance Officer of the Government House, Ahmed Babangida.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Niger State Command, Muhammad Abubakar, who confirmed the story, told PREMIUM TIMES that some people have actually been arrested and the matter is under investigation.ADVERTISEMENT

The federal government says it has spent N2.8 billion on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Gbongan-Iwo-Oyo Road in the South-west of Nigeria.

Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, disclosed this on Saturday in Gbongan, Osun State, while inspecting the project.

Mr. Fashola said that the road was awarded to Kopek Construction Company by the previous administration in 2011 at the cost of N6.9 billion.

Represented by Adetunji Adeoye, the South-West Director of the Ministry, Mr. Fashola said government was committed to the speedy completion of the road.

He said that the contract, with 18 months completion period, was delayed for three years due to delay in release of funds.

The minister said the current administration had been providing funds to the construction company.

He said the government was reviewing the contact rate to accommodate changes in prices of materials.

Earlier, Wasiu Atitebi, the Federal Controller of Works in Osun, said that the 32.2 Kilometre road links Gbongan, Iwo in Osun state and Ibadan in Oyo state.

Mr. Atitebi said the contractor was mobilised back to the site in January 2017 after three years delay, adding that the project was in its fifth extension.

Pascal Harfouch, the Kopek contractor, said that some parts of the road were for rehabilitation while other parts were total reconstruction.

Mr. Harfouch, who confirmed that government did not owe them for now, said the company was working on a review of the contract sum due to changes in prices.

He added that local people in the area were employed in executing the project in line with federal governments local content policy.

The contractor said the project was at 61.6 per cent completion.Got some scoop for our reporters or editors? Click on the link below to send us your information.

Send your newsThe DeKalb County CEO's 40-year-old book, A Story Untold: Black Men and Women in Athens History will receive an update to many of its chapters and will be re-released in April.The demand that Israel be recognized as a Jewish State intends to legitimize the lone democracy of the Middle East as it deprives its occupied population of civic rights.Foundation board welcomes new members

Barbara Spiegel of Norfolk, Larry Power of Lakeville and Vincent Inconiglios of Falls Village have been named to the board of directors of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, which provides philanthropic support to 20 towns in Litchfield County, according to a news release.

Power led the highly successful, award-winning New York City Public Relations Firm McGrath Power Associates for more than 30 years, working with companies including American Express, Ben & Jerrys, Conde Nast, Phillips Petroleums Fiber Division, and Reebok, and establishing subsidiary firm, McGrath Power West, in Silicon Valley to provide on-sight support for tech clients.

While in New York, Power was an active member of the Public Relations Society of America, and served on the Board of The Theatre Wing of The Museum of the City of New York, where he mentored students living in under-privileged areas.

A resident of Northwest Connecticut for more than 40 years, Power served as president of The Sharon Land Trust for 17 years, and on the Sharon Planning & Zoning Board. He currently serves on the vestry of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia, New York..

Spiegel served as the executive director of the Susan B. Anthony Project for more than two decades. Prior to that, she practiced law; taught at Northwestern Connecticut Community College; and led outdoor adventure programming at Minnesota Outward bound and the Connecticut Wilderness School. Spiegel received the Rotary Paul Harris award and the Litchfield County Liberty Bell Award. She was named Woman of the Year by both the Register Citizen Person and the United Way Womens Initiative.

Spiegel is a past president of the Torrington Rotary and led a Rotary Group Study Exchange to Nepal. She currently serves as president of the Norfolk Library Board of Trustees and is an Emergency Medical Responder with the Norfolk Volunteer Ambulance. She holds a BA in Psychology, a MA in Counseling, and a JD.

Inconiglioss fine art has been recognized in regional and national exhibitions in the U.S. and Europe. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Miami University, where he was an undergraduate fellow. After completing graduate studies with artist Richard Anuszkiewicz, he was artist-in-residence at the Dayton Art Institute. His first solo exhibition in New York was held in SoHo in 1972. He was a featured artist of 10 Downtown in the 1970s. His work is in private and public collections, including Chase Manhattan Bank, The Norton Simon Collection and AT&T.

In addition to his fine art practice, Inconiglios has had a parallel career in creative design and communications. He is president of Apptex International, a creative consultancy firm whose clients have included The Nielsen Company, Estee Lauder Companies, Philips Electronics, The National Audubon Society, ISG, Avon, JP Morgan and Fairchild Publications. He has taught and lectured in fine art studio classes and creative teaching engagements. He currently is working with the Winchendon School (located in Massachusetts) on the development of an innovative micro school in Brooklyn for high school students.

Petricones Torrington Pharmacy earns NCPA Innovation award

TORRINGTON - Petricones Torrington Pharmacy in Torrington, Conn., has earned the NCPA Innovation Center Excellence (NICE) Award for Best Public Event. The award is sponsored by CoverMyMeds. This is the first year for the competition, created to recognize pharmacies for their efforts to enhance their value and better serve their communities, according to a press release.

Congratulations to Petricones Torrington Pharmacy and its president, Joe Petricone Jr., for earning the NICE Award for Best Public Event, said Kurt Proctor, PhD, president of the NCPA Innovation Center. The NICE Awards spotlight the best of community pharmacy branding and marketing - the innovations and redesigns that have made promotions more effective and patients' experiences more rewarding.

Connecticut, like many states, is in the grip of a nationwide opioid epidemic with some 1,000 overdose deaths in the state in 2017, the release states. Petricone and his pharmacy are trying to help. The pharmacy participated in the Northwest Connecticut National Overdose Awareness Day at an event in Torrington, dispensing naloxone, a medication that rapidly reverses overdoses on Aug. 17, 2017.

This has affected so many people, and you would be hard pressed to find anybody who doesnt know somebody whos been affected, said Petricone, whose family has owned the pharmacy for 88 years.

Connecticut allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense naloxone after completing a two-hour online training course. To dispense offsite, as Petricone and his staff did at the event, he applied to Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protections Drug Control Division for a waiver, then followed certain procedures. At the event Petricone and his staff dispensed Narcan. He says people seemed more willing to ask for the medication at the event than they are in his store. Petricones pharmacy prescribed and dispensed 20 Narcan kits in about two hours. It continues to dispense Narcan at the pharmacy.

Branagan Communications Consultants celebrates 25 years

NEW MILFORD During 2018, Barbara Branagan-Mitchell, owner of Branagan Communications Consultants LLC (BCC) in New Milford, a public relations, publicity placement, marketing communications and writing/editing consulting agency, is celebrating a notable milestone of 25 years of sole proprietorship success, according to a press release.

Specializing in public relations, publicity placement and marketing communications have been my singular professional focus for more than two decades. My career began in large public relations agencies in Manhattan and took me around the world representing large national and international travel-oriented clients. In 1993, I launched my sole proprietor public relations and marketing consulting agency so it is very gratifying today to mark 25 years of accomplishments, Branagan-Mitchell said in the release.

Since 2004, Branagan Communications Consultants has been providing awareness-building public relations, publicity placement and marketing communications campaigns for small to medium-sized businesses in the New Haven, Litchfield and Fairfield County regions of Connecticut. It also offers services in writing and editing of content for websites, branding and sales materials, newsletters, brochures, and presentations.

Long-standing clients in Connecticut for whom Branagan Communications Consultants has provided services include the Waterbury Regional Chamber, the Business Womens Forum (BWF), and Acts 4 Ministries LLC, all based in Waterbury, CT. Recent notable clients have included Hine Bros. International in Southbury and Bridgeport; JANCO Business Systems in Wolcott; Salt of the Earth Spa in Woodbury; and J2H Enterprises owned by SEO specialist and author Jason Healey in Bethlehem, CT.

Branagan-Mitchell has worked in the PR/marketing communications field for more than 40 years. Prior to launching her consulting firm in Katonah, N.Y. in 1993, Branagan-Mitchell was the public relations manager for Heritage Hills condominium community in Somers, New York.

She has been awarded for her many contributions to business organizations. An active member of the Waterbury Regional Chamber since 2008, she received the Chambers highly-prestigious Volunteer of the Year Award in 2010 and was named Ambassador of the Year in 2016. She has volunteered as a Chamber Ambassador since 2009, and in 2010 she graduated as a team leader from the Chambers Leadership Greater Waterbury program. Learn more at www.branagancommunications.com or call Branagan-Mitchell directly at 860-210-0149.

New Milford VNA Hospice hires new director/CEO

NEW MILFORD  The Board of Directors of the New Milford Visiting Nurse Association has appointed Kerri Ann Brinckerhoff, RN, MSN to the position of Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer. She assumed day-to-day leadership of the agency Feb. 5, according to a press release.

Kerri joined the agency last year as our Hospice Director. She demonstrated a natural ability to lead, and a passionate commitment to help shape the long-term strategic vision for the agency. The Board of Directors and I believe that we have the right culture and talent in place. We see in Kerri a leader who can leverage our strengths to help build a stronger, more vibrant agency that is able to meet future challenges, said Richard Kosier, President of the New Milford VNA & Hospice Board of Directors, in the release.

Brinckerhoff earned a Masters of Nursing degree at Western Connecticut State University. She and her husband have been residents of New Milford for the past twenty-three years and are the parents of five children. Her new role creates an open position at the agency. New Milford VNA & Hospice has commenced a search for a new Hospice Director. For more information, contact Celia Pomerantz, Business Development Manager, New Milford VNA & Hospice at 860-354-2216.Secrets of the Mockingbird: Live Theatrical Performance about Harper Lee With Prudence Wright Holmes, will be held March 22, 7-8 p.m. at the Oliver Wolcott Library, 160 South St., Litchfield.

Harper Lee, the beloved but reclusive author of To Kill a Mockingbird had close relationships with her father and her best friend, Truman Capote, but then they both broke her heart. Holmes, a veteran of four Broadway shows and ten movies, is back to perform her latest work, Secrets of the Mockingbird. In it she plays Harper Lee and many other characters in Lees life. She writes, We meet her father, lawyer A.C. Lee who was the role model for Atticus Finch; her mother, Frances Lee; her neighbor, Son Boleware, whose strange ways gave Harper the idea for the character of Boo Radley; and her housekeeper, Hattie Belle, who mothered Harper and told her stories of her ancestors lives on the plantation. We also learn the secrets revealed in her new book, Go Set A Watchman, which devastated Harper and made her retreat from public life for over fifty years.

Holmes has appeared in many films including Sister Act I and II with Whoopi Goldberg, Kingpin with Woody Harrelson, Gods Pocket with Philip Seymour Hoffman and the upcoming Coen Brothers film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. On Broadway, she has shared the stage with Meryl Streep, Maggie, and George C. Scott. She wrote and performed her critically-acclaimed solo show Bexley, OH! at New York Theatre Workshop. Her website is prudencewrightholmes.com.

Space is limited. Registration is required and can be done by calling 860-567-8030 or visiting owlibrary.org and clicking on Events/Adult Events.

Norfolk to host FOI seminar

NORFOLK  Tom Hennick, Public Information Officer from the Freedom of Information Commission, will be holding an Informational Seminar on Thursday, March 15 at 7 p.m., at Norfolk Town Hall, 19 Maple Ave. to discuss FOI laws and new legislation. A Q&A session will follow.

Members of area town boards, commissions and the public are invited. RSVP by emailing twnnfksec@snet.net, Subject line: FOI Seminar.

In case of inclement weather, a notice will be posted on the Norfolk Town website www.norfolkct.org by noon of that day. For more information, please call 860-542-5829.

Free dental event seeks volunteers, donations

TORRINGTON  The 12th Connecticut Mission of Mercy Free Dental Clinic (CTMOM) seeks volunteers and donations for the two-day free dental clinic, scheduled for Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21 at Torrington High School in Torrington. The clinic is expected to treat close to 800 patients over the course of the two days.

To date, nearly 600 people have signed up to volunteer for the CTMOM Free Dental Clinic, and event organizers are encouraging additional people and businesses to register volunteers at www.ctmom.org. Volunteer registration is scheduled to close on March 27, and roughly 1,000 volunteers, ranging from general volunteers to dental and medical volunteers, are needed over the course of set-up, clinic hours and breakdown.

The clinic will open its doors at Torrington High School, 50 Major Besse Drive in Torrington on Friday, April 20 and Saturday, April 21 at 8 a.m. and will run until it reaches capacity. Patients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

CTMOM is dependent on contributions and welcomes financial and in-kind donations. Individual and corporate donations are still needed to defray the cost of the Clinic. The budget for the 2018 CTMOM Free Dental Clinic and operations totals $254,556. To contribute, visit www.ctmom.org or call 860-863-5940.

The CTMOM Free Dental Clinic provides a full range of dental services for people of all ages. Everything is done for free and on a first-come, first-served basis, including cleanings, fillings, extractions, x-rays, fluoride treatments, sealants, root canal treatment on anterior teeth, limited partial dentures and general health screenings.

For a sponsorship package and an up-to-date list of donors, visit: www.ctmom.org.

Smoking cessation classes to begin

TORRINGTON  Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH) is once again offering free admission to its next Freedom From Smoking Cessation Program beginning on Tuesday, March 20. The series includes seven interactive classes over a six week period with Quit Day planned for Tuesday, April 10.

The program features discussion and skills practice sessions led by a trained, certified American Cancer Society facilitator who understands the motivations and rationalizations of smoking, and uses a positive behavior change approach that teaches people how to become a permanent non-smoker.

In this step-by step program, participants will receive the personal attention they need to help them quit smoking and transition to a healthier, smoke free lifestyle through education, relaxation techniques, and methods of preventing weight gain, said Sandy Markus, CHH Program Facilitator, in a written statement.

The classes are being held 4-5:30 p.m. in the conference room at the Hungerford Center, 780 Litchfield Street, Torrington, just up the hill from the main hospital building. As a special incentive, the $75 program fee will be waived for all participants. Call 860-496-6538 to register or receive more information. Space is limited.

Early registrations accepted at nursery school

NEW HARTFORD  Bakerville Community Nursery School is accepting registration for the 2018-19 school year for both the 3-year-old and 4-year-old pre-school programs.

An early registration discount by March 1, 2018 is being offered. BCNS, now entering its 52nd year of operation, is a community outreach program of the Bakerville United Methodist Church, 1087 Litchfield Turnpike in New Hartford. For more information or to arrange a visit, contact the school at 860-496-1852 or bcns1967@gmail.com. Or visit bakervillecn.weebly.com or on Facebook.3 1 of 3 Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





WINSTED  The Northwestern Regional FFA Chapter in Winsted, CT will celebrate National FFA Week, Feb. 17-24, 2018. The event embraces more than 90 years of FFA traditions while looking forward to the organizations future, according to a release. More than 653,000 members were expected to participate in National FFA Week activities at local, state and national levels.

Designated a national week in 1947, the week of George Washingtons birthday, National FFA Week runs from Saturday to Saturday and gives FFA members an opportunity to educate the public about agriculture. During the week, chapters conduct a variety of activities to help others in their school and community learn about FFA and agricultural education.President Vladimir Putin has said that the Russian citizens indicted by the United States for election meddling didn't act on behalf of his government, and insisted that Moscow will "never" extradite any of them.

Putin's comments in an NBC News interview partially aired on March 4 comes after the U.S. Justice Department last month formally accused 13 Russians and several companies of meddling in the U.S. presidential poll in November 2016.

Three U.S. congressional committees and Special Counsel Robert Mueller are investigating allegations of Russian interference in the vote and interactions between Russia and associates of President Donald Trump.

Putin has repeatedly denied that there was a Russian government effort to meddle in the election, which the Republican Party candidate Trump won in a tight race against Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton. Trump says there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia.

In the interview with NBC News, Putin argued his government had little to answer for until the U.S. provided "some materials, specifics, and data."

He said Russia would be "prepared to look at them and talk about it," while reiterating the Kremlins insistence that it had no role in directing the operatives to act against the United States.

"I know that they do not represent the Russian state, the Russian authorities," Putin said. "What they did specifically, I have no idea."

Asked whether the accused Russians could be extradited to the United States, the Russian president said, "Never. Russia does not extradite its citizens to anyone, just like the United States."

The two countries do not have an extradition treaty.

The U.S. indictment alleges that Yevgeny Prigozhin, a wealthy businessman with close ties to Putin, funded a so-called "troll farm" that sent agents to the United States, created fake social-media accounts that appeared to be U.S.-based, and used them to spread divisive messages.

The Justice Department said the aims included undermining faith in U.S. democracy, disparaging Clinton, and aiding Trump.

"There are no indications that the Russian state could have been involved in this. There are none and there cannot be any," Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said later.

In January 2017, U.S. intelligence agencies said that Putin had personally "ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election."

With reporting by AP and TASSPharmacists across Armenia could be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief on March 1, after days of long lines and last-minute buying before new rules that changed many common over-the-counter drugs to prescription-only took effect.

Many Armenians, especially the elderly, had lined up for hours across the country in the waning days of February to hoard some of the 2,700 drugs that were put out of reach without a doctor's signature.

The government says the move will shield people from the danger of self-medicating.

But for many of the country's 3 million citizens, having to go to a doctor's office to get permission to take medicines they've been buying freely for years is proving a bitter pill to swallow.

This is just another stupid law, says one woman who lined up for medicine in the capital, Yerevan.

Seeing a doctor in our reality is connected with expenses and our people, as you see, certainly have financial problems. The superfluous lines, the whole rush, additional expenses, even at polyclinics that are supposed to be free-of-charge.... This surely will not work in our country, she added.

The Health Ministrys February 19 announcement of the move immediately sparked confusion that helped lead to the rush. Many people were unsure which of the roughly 4,700 drugs available in the country would be put on the list.

The ministry has since clarified the process, with antibiotics, hormonal medications, and codeine-containing drugs falling under the new rules. A compulsory-prescription system for intravenous and anticancer drugs will take force from July 1.

Any changes to regulations cause certain discomfort. Physiological discomfort causes, first of all, dissatisfaction, and later, when people see changes are actually positive, comes satisfaction, Health Minister Levon Altunyan told reporters on March 1.

Today, we have the first stage of reaction to the change. I am sure there will also be a second, more positive phase, he added.

Health Ministry officials have stressed that regular medicines such as aspirin and other similar painkillers will not be affected by the new regulations.

But the explanations have failed to quell fears among many that the pills they stock their medicine cabinets at home with wont be available when they need them in a mountainous and rugged country frequently faced with shortages.

I thought I could buy a few drugs that still have a long time to go before expiry so as to send them to my sister, who lives in the mountains. If there is a heavy snow, she can't go to a polyclinic for a prescription, a woman waiting in a line explained.

Armenians are sensitive to any regulatory change and accuse the government of corruption and mishandling an economy that has struggled to overcome the legacy of central planning since the country seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Curbing access to medicines and a perceived failure to explain it to the public appear to have added to the animosity toward the move.

Everyone's asking what's going to happen. No one is aware [of the details], said one pharmacist in Yerevan.

I have no idea how we it will work.... We dont know what these prescriptions will be like, whether people will go to doctors or not, she added.

Written by Alan Crosby based on reporting by RFE/RL's Armenian Service correspondent Anush Murdyan

See the RFE/RL Armenian Service report

A standoff continued between police in Bosnia-Herzegovina and hundreds of veterans of the country's 1992-95 war who are protesting for more rights, including improved social benefits.

At least two people were injured and several briefly detained on March 3 when local and federal police near the northern city of Tuzla dismantled a blockade at a key road junction.

Special forces in full combat gear later pushed back protesters along Bosnias main north-to-south road.

The demobilized fighters from the former Bosnian Army and Croatian Defense Council had blocked roads in Tuzla, Zenica, and Doboj, as well as the main road from Sarajevo to Konjic.

Bosniak and Bosnian Croat war veterans have been blocking the main junctions throughout Bosnia's Muslim-Croat Federation, including near the capital, Sarajevo, seeking benefits for unemployed former soldiers and a unified register of all veterans.

The protesting veterans called on lawmakers to respond to their demands for 326 Bosnian marks ($203) a month in benefits for unemployed veterans and for every former soldier to get at least two Bosnian marks ($1.20) for each month they served during wartime.

There are no accurate records of how many former soldiers are eligible for benefits, after many people falsely declared themselves to be veterans, and protesters want the unified register to purge all fake names.

Since the end of the war, Bosnia has consisted of two separate entities -- the Muslim-Croat Federation and the ethnic Serb-dominated Republika Srpska. Each has its own government and the two are linked by weak central institutions.

The protesters also want the government to cut funding for about 1,600 veterans associations, which they say are not handing out benefits in an equitable fashion. They say they want the government to make payments directly to individual veterans.

The prime minister of the Muslim-Croat Federation, Fadil Novalic, told a news conference earlier in the week that the federation cannot afford the additional benefits that the veterans seek.

Novalic also saidthe government was ready to negotiate, warning the protesters that creating chaos would not lead to a solution.

With reporting by RFE/RLs Balkan Service, Reuters, AP, and BalkanInsightFrench Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said ahead of a March 5visit to Tehran that the country needed to address concerns over its ballistic-missile program or risked new sanctions.

"There are ballistic programs of missiles that can reach several thousand kilometers which are not compatible with UN Security Council resolutions and exceed the sole need of defending Iran's borders," Le Drian told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

"If not tackled head on, this country risks new sanctions," he added.

Iranian officials have repeatedly said that the countrys missile program is aimed for defense purposes and is nonnegotiable.

Reacting to Le Drians comments, the Iranian Foreign Ministrys spokesman told the semiofficial Fars news agency that France's concern over Tehran's ballistic missile program was "wrong."

"Iran is an independent country.... Its defensive missile work will continue, Bahram Qasemi said.

Le Drian said last month that Iran'smissile program and involvement in regional conflicts needed to be addressed if the country "wants to return to the family of nations.

His stance was criticized on March 3 by Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran's defense program is not the concern of other countries such as France, that they should come and tell us what missiles we can have. Do we tell France how it should defend itself?" Velayati told the semiofficial ISNA news agency.

"If Le Drian's visit is aimed at reinforcing our relations, he would do well to avoid negative positions," Velayati added.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on March 4 that during his two-day visit to Tehran, Le Drian is due to meet with President Hassan Rohani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss "bilateral, regional, and international issues," including the implementation of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers under which Tehran has signiifcantly limited its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

On March 5, the French minister is to inaugurate an exhibition at Tehrans National Museum of Iran that will display dozens of masterpieces from Pariss Louvre museum.

Iranian and French media reported that Le Drian's trip will prepare the grounds for a potential visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Iran later this year.

Based on reporting by Reuters, Fars, AFP, ISNA, and MehrRescue teams have recovered the black boxes of a plane that crashed last month in the mountains of southwestern Iran leaving 66 people dead, Iranian media reported on March 4.

"The box that recorded flight parameters and the one with conversations in the cockpit have been handed over to judicial authorities," Reza Jafarzadeh, the public relations director of Iran's civil aviation organization, told the official government news agency IRNA.

Jafarzadeh said the two black boxes of the Aseman Airlines ATR-72 were found by a professional team of mountaineers.

They were to be handed over to experts of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization to determine the cause of the accident.

The Aseman Airlines plane disappeared from radar screens 50 minutes into the February 18 flight from Tehran to the southwestern city of Yasuj.

There have been no reported survivors from the plane's 59 passengers and six crew members.

The crash site has been hit by heavy snowfall in recent days, making rescue operations particularly dangerous.

Under decades of international sanctions, Iran's commercial passenger aircraft fleet has aged, with air accidents occurring regularly in recent years.

Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and IRNAItalians are voting to determine a new parliament following a divisive campaign dominated by concerns over immigration and the economy.

Analysts have said the voting on March 4 could result in a draw between the antiestablishment 5-Star Movement, the anti-immigrant League Party, Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy), and the Democratic Party.

Initial results are expected on March 5.

Three-time Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, 81, is not allowed to run for office because of a tax-fraud conviction. But he is looking to play a key role in a future government behind European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, his nominee for prime minister.

Tajani will battle coalition partner Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing League Party, for dominance of Italy's center-right bloc and the right to be nominated as prime minister.

The Democratic Partys Matteo Renzi rose from mayor of Florence to the prime ministers post in 2014, but he resigned in 2016.

Luigi Di Maio, leads the populist 5-Star Movement, which has said it will not form a coalition with other parties to form a government.

If no party gains an overall majority, they may attempt to form further alliances, or President Sergio Mattarella could call for new elections.

The campaign has been marred by clashes between far-right and antifascist activists.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and BloombergAbout 10,000 people have taken to the streets of the Macedonian capital to protest a possible change to the name of the former Yugoslav republic to comply with a demand by neighboring Greece.

The flag-waving demonstrators on March 4 gathered around a statue of Alexander the Great, the famed ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia, on Skopjes main square, chanting "We are Macedonians."

"We are not protesting, we are just defending our name. We are against changing the name, that's all. No one gave it to us, no one created it. That name is eternally Macedonian and should remain as it is," one demonstrator told RFE/RL.

"We will never give our name away to anyone. There is one Macedonia and it will remain Macedonia forever, said another protester. Macedonia is a great name, we carry it in our hearts, we love Macedonia, we are Macedonians, we love Macedonia, we wont give it up."

The rally was organized by the movement Our Name Is Our Right, as Skopje and Athens recently stepped up efforts to resolve a 27-year-old dispute over Macedonias name.

The row has hampered Macedonia's efforts to join NATO and the EU. Greece is a member of both entities.

Greece objects to the former Yugoslav republic's use of the name Macedonia, which Athens says could imply territorial claims over its own northern region of the same name.

Negotiations between the two neighbors have been inconclusive since 1991, when Macedonia gained independence from the former Yugoslavia.

Macedonia has now said it is ready to add a geographical qualifier to its name to help resolve the dispute. An agreement could include Macedonia adding "Upper," "New," or "North" to its name.

The protesters in Skopje urged the government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to halt talks with Greece over the issue and demanded that the United Nations recognize the country under its constitutional name, Macedonia.

They also accused the Macedonian government of betraying the countrys national interest.

Parallel rallies were staged by Macedonians in other cities around the world, including Washington and Sydney, Australia.

Many Greeks also object to any use of the word Macedonia in their neighbor's official name. A rally in Athens drew tens of thousands of people on February 4.

With reporting by Reuters

Pakistanis have elected a woman from the country's marginalized Hindu minority to the Senate for the first time ever in an election in which a cleric with links to the Taliban was defeated.

Krishna Kumari Kohli, 39, a member of the Pakistan People's Party, hails from the so-called "untouchables," the lowest rung of the caste system that still prevails in Pakistan and neighboring India.

Her election is being hailed as a major milestone for women and minority rights in Pakistan.

"I feel delighted, this was unthinkable for me to reach the Senate," Kumari Kohli told the AP.

"I will continue to work for the rights of the oppressed people, especially for the empowerment of women, their health, and education," she added.

Meanwhile, Maulana Samiul Haq, a mentor to a number of Taliban leaders, fell short in the election.

Kohlis win followed a secret round of voting on March 3 by members of the parliament and provincial assemblies that gave the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party (PML-N) control of parliament's upper house.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Geo.tvVoters in Belgrade headed to the polling stations on March 4 in elections for the city's 17 local councils. An assembly of members of the local councils will then elect Belgrade's new mayor. Local journalists see the municipal elections as a test for the center-right Serbian Progressive Party led by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service)Slovak President Andrej Kiska has called for a substantial government reshuffle or snap elections to rebuild public trust following the murder of an investigative reporter.

"I've waited a week to see what political measures the government would take to help ease tensions and reestablish trust," Kiska said on March 4. "Some have resigned but I see no plan to bring the country out of this crisis of confidence."

Prime Minister Robert Fico rejected the president's appeals and disagreed with the proposals, accusing him of "dancing on the graves" of the victims.

Jan Kuciak and his fiance Martina Kusnirova were found shot dead in their home last weekend.

Kuciak, 27, had been investigating suspected mafia links among Italian businessmen in eastern Slovakia.

On March 1, Slovak authorities released all seven Italian suspects detained in connection with the case because no evidence had emerged during the 48 hours they could be legally detained, police said.

Thousands marched in Bratislava and other Slovak cities on March 2, demanding quick action in the case.

The murder also prompted demands from Fico's coalition partners for the resignation of senior cabinet members -- including Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, a close ally of Fico.

Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and BBCSouth Korea's president will send a delegation led by his national security director to North Korea this week for talks on how to ease nuclear tensions and help push for talks between Pyongyang and Washington.

The delegation, announced by Moon's office on March 4, comes amid a rare moment of detente between the two rivals stemming from the recent Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The 10-member delegation is to fly to Pyongyang on March 5 for a two-day visit that includes talks with senior North Korean officials.

The discussions would deal with how to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, improve ties between the Koreas, and foster an environment for the resumption of talks between Pyongyang and Washington, President Moon Jae-in's office said.

After the visit to North Korea the envoys will travel to the United States to brief officials.

U.S. President Donald Trump said last month that talks with North Korea would only take place "under the right conditions.

Speaking on March 3, Trump suggested that the United States will be meeting with North Korea but has told Pyongyang it must first "denuke."

It was unclear if Trump was joking or if formal U.S.-North Korea talks were imminent.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman in Pyongyang called on the U.S. on March 3 drop any preconditions for talks.

Last month, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Uns sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics but the North Koreans canceled at the last minute, U.S. officials said in February.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP

Syrian government forces have seized about one quarter of the rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta in recent days, activists say.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on March 4 that most of the captured areas were farmlands.

A spokesman for Jaish al-Islam, one of the main insurgent groups in Ghouta, said that the government's "scorched earth policy" forced rebel fighters to retreat and regroup.

State media earlier said the military advanced on several fronts, taking control of villages and farms in the besieged area just to the east of the capital, Damascus.

Hundreds of people were reported to have fled the bombardment by government forces.

Violence in eastern Ghouta has left more than 600 people dead since government forces and their allies escalated their offensive on the Damascus suburb on February 18, according to activists.

Neither a daily five-hour cease-fire ordered by Moscow, Syria's main ally, nor the ordering of a nationwide, 30-day truce by the UN Security Council have led to any humanitarian relief for the embattled enclave.

The UN says some 393,000 people are trapped in Ghouta.

The army has been accused of targeting civilians, but it says it is trying to liberate the area from those Damascus describes as terrorists.

U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed in a phone call on March 4 that Syria and its Russian backers bore responsibility for the "heart-breaking human suffering" in Ghouta, Downing Street said.

May's office said the two agreed that "Russia and others with influence over the Syrian regime must act now to cease their campaign of violence and to protect civilians."

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron urged his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rohani, to put the "necessary pressure" on the Syrian government to halt "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians in the enclave.

Macron made the call during a phone conversation ahead of Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's trip to Tehran.

The French president underscored the "particular responsibility for Iran, because of its ties to the [Damascus] regime, regarding the implementation of the humanitarian truce" sought by the UN, his office said.

Russia and Iran have given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government crucial support throughout the seven-year civil war in Syria, which began with a government crackdown on peaceful protests.

Moscow helped turn the tide of the conflict in Assad's favor by launching a campaign of air strikes in 2015 and stepping up its military presence on the ground.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and the BBC

US releases security alert but Mexican government says nothing yet verified

Cancun, Q.R.  While the US releases a security alert for ferry use in Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, the Mexican government says that the devices found, which prompted the US alert, are still with investigators and have yet to be verified.

In response to the US security alert, the Secretariat of Tourism of Quintana Roo issued a statement clarifying that the island of Cozumel is one of the most important destinations in the state and does not represent any risk to visitors arriving by sea or air.

The State Attorney Generals Office continues to investigate the cause of the explosion of a Barcos Caribe ferry February 21. Since that explosion, the discovery of artifacts have been located on an out-of-service ferry that was anchored 500 meters from Cozumel shores for the last 10 months.

Yet, the Embassy of the United States in Mexico City published an alert in their Travel Advisory for Mexico, stating:

On March 1, undetonated explosive devices were found by Mexican law enforcement on a tourist ferry that operates between Cozumel-Playa del Carmen, Mexico. On February 21, an explosive device detonated on a tourist ferry in Playa del Carmen resulting in injuries, including to U.S. citizens. U.S. Government employees are prohibited from using all tourist ferries on this route until further notice. Mexican and U.S. law enforcement continue to investigate.

The Secretariat of Tourism of Quintana Roo released an official statement saying, Although some incidents have been reported, all of which have been related to the same company and the last of which involving artifacts, it should be noted that this boat was outside of the commercial service for more than 10 months and was docked several hundred meters from any dock.

We are waiting for the results of official investigation. The incidents are related exclusively to the affected shipping line, which no longer provides commercial service.

The State Attorney Generals Office continues to work with the Ministry of the Navy and National Defense to determine what was found tied to the bottom of the anchored ferry. Government official Miguel Angel Pech Cen explained, Once the test data is released, we are able to rule out specific situations.

On March 1, a diver found two devices tied to the bottom of an out-of-service Barcos Caribe boat, a discovery that quickly spread through social media as being alleged explosives.

According to a police report, employees of the Cozumel company knew nothing of the devices, but had read reports on social media claiming explosives were found. They then turned to local police to report what was being circulated through social media.

Divers from the Mexican Navy have removed the two white tubes from the bottom of the ferry and handed them over to National Defense to determine whether or not the tubes are explosive devices. The state prosecutor said, As far as we understand they are not. We have to discard the explosive term, however, it is up to the corresponding authorities to issue the final opinion.

However, other reactions have occurred including cruise ships cancelling shore excursions that require ferry service from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen.

The March 1 US security alert posted on the US Embassy website is specifically aimed toward its employees, not its citizens.Little Ifrah Siddique had fatal wounds. Emergency crews responded to the store. She was taken to a nearby hospital, Southern Regional Medical Center, following the accident in Riverdale but she passed away from her injuries. She had internal bleeding and she lost a lot of blood. Everybody was crowded around the door.



A Payless store

It was tragic, We are all in a state of shock, a member of the family said. In a statement, Payless said our deepest sympathies go out to the family of Ifrah Siddique during this time of incredible loss. We are devastated by this tragic event and are fully cooperating with authorities to research and understand the nature of this accident, Payless said. Out of respect for the family, no further information will be provided at this time. The family is asking for the store to ensure shelves and mirrors are secure to prevent another tragedy. The store is located in a strip mall. Everybody was crowded around the door. Police are investigating.To be young, and plan big things is the first step to many adventures. Mohith Gowda and Arun Aru are friends, and ride together. And whoever said you can only go on adventures on big bikes, clearly hadnt looked at an adventure from the viewpoint of youngsters. The duo got on a Honda Dio scooter, and set off, and pretty much packed in all they could need along he way for their Longest Scooter Riding attempt. Arun was the designated rider, while Mohit came on board as pillion rider.

Heres a first hand account of the Longest Scooter Riding attempt from Mohith Gowda  Hai [sic] everyone this is Mohith Gowda. I wanted to say everyone in this group about our adventurous bike ride which was done by me and my friend Arun Aru. Our plan was to cover 3 countries (India,Nepal,Bhutan), 7000 kms in 19 days and 10 states in India, and our total budget was 20k (we decreased the budget by carrying the food for first four days and the last 6 days we ate only one time per day also we slept in petrol bunks instead of rooms). We have also applied for India book of records.

We started our journey in the last month Jan 23rd 12 pm in a single Dio scooty, and daily were able to cover around 400 kms per day in India but in Nepal and Bhutan, we were able to cover 200kms. In nepal we went to Nepal-China border (Tatopani)(while going to Tatopani the roads were very worst), Kathmandu and then we entered India, then we went to Darjeeling and through West Bengal, we entered Bhutan. After entering Bhutan, we directly went to Indian embassy office and got the permission. Then they sent us to the Bhutan immigration office to get the permission for our bike. There we got to know that scooties are not allowed inside Bhutan for ride as it is a royal nation, so, we were fully disappointed and came back.

While coming back we visited Swami Vivekanandas house, Sun temple, Puri Jagan natha, Vizag and came to Bangalore by covering 3 countries (but not Bhutan properly) and 10 states(Karnataka, Andhra, Telangana, Maharashtra, MP, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Odissha, Tamilnadu) in India. We finally ended our bike ride on Feb 12th night 11 pm by covering the total distance of 7200 kms in 21 days.

And alongside a great adventure, comes recognition. The duo now have a confirmation letter from India Book of Records for the title of Longest Scooter Riding (2 persons on a single scooter) for their ride from Bangalore to Nepal-China border.

Talking about record rides, a week earlier, 25 yr old biker, Gaurav Siddharth confirmed his entry into Book of Guinness World Records for his 1.2 lakh km long ride across India, a feat he accomplished over two years of more than regular riding. With riding gaining popularity, theres also a new breed of certified Long Distance Riders now. Individually set records are not accepted for qualification to LDR.True change will come if we stop treating data as a techie bolt-on and reach marginalised groups, says Ana Brandusescu.

In the Philippines, ustadz  Islamic teachers  were struggling without enough resources to deliver quality education

Although funds were available from local governments, who were required to publish their budgets, they made little effort to share this data with citizens or explain how to use it.

When E-NET , a local NGO, began educating the ustadz on how to use this data, they discovered a Special Education Fund for public schools  a fund no one had told them about  that could cover school uniforms and teacher salaries.

On the heels of that success the teachers expanded their use of open data , creating a coalition, the North Cotabato Federation of Madrasa Community Ustadz, which now uses open data to make recommendations not only on budgets, but also on policy priorities for community education.

We often think about open data as being technical or part of a countrys digital transformation. But really, open data is about people, their problems, and giving them the power to solve them.

Unfortunately, this example of Filipino teachers unlocking government budgets using data is still very rare.



Why arent we seeing open data used to address inequality more often? Why isnt it resulting in greater participation from a wider spectrum of citizens?

Data is political



Data is power, and that makes it political.



We must move beyond data about and for citizens, and actively promote data with and by citizens, if we are to realise open datas potential to tackle rising inequality. Ana Brandusescu

When data is opened up to the public, citizens have the chance to reclaim their decision-making role. But this new power isnt being dispersed equally throughout society.



In the latest edition of the Open Data Barometer , which analyses trends on the global impact of open data, my organisation, the Web Foundation, found that governments have tended to prioritise unlocking datasets for economic growth and innovation  objectives that are politically easier than empowering marginalised groups.

This year, Barometer findings reveal that less data is available and open in areas relevant to social policies  that can help reduce inequality  than for innovation.

On average, Barometer findings show the availability of data on key public services is declining. This includes a significant change for the worse in health and education : out of the 115 countries surveyed, only seven per cent of datasets are open for health, and eight per cent for education.

No internet means no data access

The result is that governments miss an opportunity to improve inclusion and equality. Instead, they reinforce existing divides by ignoring the needs of groups with lower income and less political power. This means that these groups are yet again excluded from the consultation and decision-making processes that open data creates.

It also adds to existing disadvantage. These groups frequently lack internet connectivity and the skills to access open data. They may also be less visible in the data itself.

As the digital revolution steams ahead, we need to avoid widening the gap that already exists by further marginalising the already marginalised and empowering the already empowered.

Open data could play a key role here  that is, if we open up data in consultation with the groups that are not usually consulted, instead of defaulting immediately to entrepreneurs and government departments. We must stop treating open data as a techie bolt-on when it should really be a transformation in decision-making and citizen participation.

Consult the poor

For open data to improve social outcomes and equality, governments need to invest in four areas.

The first area is better data collection and design so there is greater disaggregation by sex, income level and age, as well as new indicators that account for diversity in society. For this to be done sensitively, marginalised groups should be consulted when deciding which data to collect  and for what purposes.

Second is access to data, including low-cost internet access so that low-income and other marginalised groups arent locked out at the front door. A good example is the City of Chicago's technology plan for developing open data, civic innovation and high-speed broadband for under-served neighbourhoods.

And finally, governments need to invest in responsible data policy . This is about practices that protect personal privacy and avoid unintended side effects, with governments becoming accountable for the impact of what data they collect and how.

Collection of more data about marginalised groups alone will not give these groups the power to act and increase their participation in policy making. We must move beyond data about and for citizens, and actively promote data with and by citizens, if we are to realise open datas potential to tackle rising inequality.Ramadan fasting can be safe for patients with heart failure, according to research presented today at the 29th Annual Conference of the Saudi Heart Association (SHA29), held 1 to 3 March in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Experts from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) will present a special programme.

More than one billion Muslims worldwide abstain from food, drink, and oral medications from dawn to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. Patients with chronic illnesses are exempt but most elect to fast. The fasting period typically lasts 15 to 16 hours, and two meals are eaten during the night.

Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, ankle swelling, and fatigue. Patients are advised to limit daily intake of fluid to less than two litres and sodium to less than 2500 mg. Medications include angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), beta blockers, diuretics and digoxin.

"Patients with heart failure frequently ask their doctor if it is safe to fast but until now we didn't have any evidence on which to base our advice," said author Dr Rami Abazid, cardiologist, Prince Sultan Cardiac Centre, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

This prospective observational study examined the effect of Ramadan fasting on symptoms of patients with chronic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (less than 40%). The researchers assessed adherence to fluid and salt restrictions, medication use, and symptoms before, during, and after Ramadan.

The study included 249 outpatients from three heart failure clinics who had planned to fast during Ramadan in 2017. A total of 227 (91%) patients fasted for the duration of Ramadan. Of those, 209 (92%) had no changes or improved symptoms, while symptoms worsened in 18 (8%) patients. Hospitalisation and emergency department visits were more frequent in patients with worsening symptoms compared to those with stable or improved symptoms (39% versus 0%, p0.0001 and 50% versus 10%, p0.0001, respectively).

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The study found that patients with worsening symptoms were less likely to have adhered to fluid and salt restrictions (39% versus 79%, p<0.0001) and were less adherent to heart failure drugs (67% versus 94%, p<0.0001) than those with stable or improved symptoms.

Dr Abazid said: "Patients who don't follow the fluid and salt recommendations during Ramadan report that it is because of the increase in socialising. When they visit friends the food has a normal or high salt content, and they drink a lot of fluids within a short period time, which can cause fluid shifts in the body."

Regarding non-adherence to medications, Dr Abazid said: "Some patients stop or reduce their use of diuretics because they are afraid of being thirsty during fasting hours. In addition, for medications that should be taken twice daily they either omit one dose or take both doses together."

Dr Abazid said: "Ramadan fasting is safe for most patients with chronic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. My advice to patients is to adhere to fluid and salt restrictions, and do not omit any doses of drugs. For drugs with two daily doses, take them with as wide a gap as possible during non-fasting hours."

"If feasible, we advise doctors to shift patients to drugs with a single daily dose that can be taken during non-fasting hours," he continued. "This is possible for most heart failure medications."

The study excluded patients with an ejection fraction of 40% or more, recently diagnosed patients (less than three months), and patients with advanced heart failure (two emergency visits in the past three months, or three visits in the past six months). The results do not apply to these groups.

Dr Abazid concluded: "More research is needed to see if our results apply in colder climates."

Dr Mouaz Al-Mallah, head of scientific abstracts of SHA29 and head of Cardiac Imaging, King Abdul-Aziz Cardiac Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, said: "This important study provides preliminary evidence to guide doctors when advising their Muslim patients with heart failure who would like to fast. More research is needed to confirm these findings. It is important that patients adhere to their medications during fasting and ask their doctors to adjust the doses as needed, especially diuretics."

Professor Marco Roffi, course director of the ESC programme in Riyadh and head of the Interventional Cardiology Unit, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland, said: "Medication, salt and fluid intake are the cornerstone of heart failure treatment2 and can be influenced by fasting during Ramadan. The authors of the study have to be commended for exploring the field and the results of their investigation are reassuring. However, more research is needed to define which patients with heart failure may safely fast during Ramadan and whether there are subgroups for whom Ramadan fasting may represent a health hazard."A new study has confirmed that the world's last breeding population of leopards in Cambodia is at immediate risk of extinction, having declined an astonishing 72% during a five-year period. The population represents the last remaining leopards in all of eastern Indochina -- a region incorporating Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

The report was published this month in the Royal Society Open Science journal by Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Panthera -- the global wild cat conservation organization, WWF-Cambodia, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Forestry Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries of Cambodia.

Carried out in Cambodia's Eastern Plains Landscape, the study revealed one of the lowest concentrations of leopards ever reported in Asia, with a density of one individual per 100 square kilometers. Increased poaching, especially indiscriminate snaring for the illegal wildlife trade and bushmeat, is to blame for the dramatic decline.

Panthera Southeast Asia Leopard Program Coordinator and study coauthor, Dr. Jan Kamler, stated, "This population represents the last glimmer of hope for leopards in all of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam -- a subspecies on the verge of blinking out. No longer can we, as an international community, overlook conservation of this unique wild cat."

Kamler continued, "As the world gathers to celebrate World Wildlife Day this Saturday, we must band together in action, not just in words, to curb the epidemic of poaching facing this gorgeous big cat and others around the globe."

Professor David Macdonald, Director of the WildCRU and also a co-author, added "Leopards are a monument to opportunism, adapting to habitats from desert to urban jungle, but their adaptability risks a deadly complacency: people think -- "oh, leopards will be fine." They won't! Almost everywhere they are doing worse than people thought, and our findings show that in SE Asia they are heading for catastrophe."

In addition to these somber results, scientists were shocked to discover that the primary prey of leopards was banteng -- a wild species of cattle weighing up to 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds). In particular, male leopards targeted this large ungulate, making this the only known leopard population in the world whose main prey weighed greater than 500 kg (1,100 pounds), more than five times the leopard's mass.

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Scientists believe the Indochinese leopards' new choice of prey was triggered by the extirpation of tigers from the region in 2009, which created a predatory void for the opportunistic and highly adaptable species.

Prompted by the study's findings, Panthera and WildCRU are working with local and national collaborators to increase effective law enforcement and monitoring of this region, which will include the use of Panthera PoacherCams, and strengthen environmental laws to develop strictly protected conservation zones and increased fines for poachers.

Historically found throughout all of Southeast Asia, the Indochinese leopard has lost 95% of its range and is likely to be classified as Critically Endangered by IUCN later this year. A separate study recently authored by WildCRU, Panthera and partners estimates just over 1,000 breeding adult Indochinese leopards remain in all of Southeast Asia. However, just 20-30 reproductive individuals remain in eastern Cambodia, representing the last hope for the leopard's future in eastern Indochina.

Poaching for bushmeat and the illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss, prey decline due to bushmeat poaching, and conflict with people are to blame, creating a deadly cocktail of threats facing leopards in Asia, and around the globe.

WildCRU scientist and lead author, Susana Rostro-Garcia, stated, "Much of the snaring in Cambodia, and across Southeast Asia, is driven by the rising demand for bushmeat. Wild landscapes are covered with thousands of snares set to catch wild pig and deer to supply bushmeat markets. Unfortunately, these snares also negatively impact many other species, with leopards and other wildlife often caught as by catch, and their valuable parts removed and sold to illegal wildlife traders."

In particular, as tiger numbers plummet due to poaching pressure, leopard skins and other body parts are increasingly coveted for use as status symbols and in traditional Asian medicines sold through the illegal wildlife trade.

This Saturday, March 3, the United Nations' World Wildlife Day will be held, in partnership with Panthera, under the banner of 'Big Cats: Predators Under Threat' to underscore the intensity of these threats and the critical need to turn the tide to save big cat species like the Indochinese leopard.New research shows when it comes to successfully engaging and including minorities in the workforce and schools, organizations need to focus on inclusion. Several social psychology researchers will share details of their results at the SPSP Annual Convention on March 2nd.

"Institutions tend to overemphasize numerical diversity to the exclusion of inclusion" says Erika Hall (Emory University), one of the presenters and co-chair of the symposium.

Inclusive Businesses

An organization can be diverse in numbers, yet minorities may still report feelings of discrimination. How does one go beyond this "numerical" diversity to true feelings of inclusion? Erika Hall surveyed 486 minority business owners from the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council to determine what might have an effect. Her research showed a high combination of authenticity coupled with increased levels of perceived racial diversity significantly decreased major experiences of discrimination (B = -.17, p < .05). Without authenticity, racial diversity had no significant effect on feelings of discrimination.

"As a minority, part of the benefit of having people around you that look like you is that you may feel more comfortable enacting behaviors or discussing topics that are specific to your culture, and you may feel that you belong because other people like you are a part of the organizational culture."

These benefits are lost however, according to Hall, "if institutional constraints restrict you from bringing your whole, true self to work and dictate that you don't belong, numerical diversity will become obsolete."

Organizational attempts to be inclusive can lead to feelings of exclusions for other groups.

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Tessa Dover (Portland State University) looked at the affect pro-diversity messages have for those in high status groups, in this study, white men. In a series of experiments, she and colleagues show that whites who imagined seeking a job were negatively affected by pro-diversity messages and performed more poorly in potential job interviews. They expressed concerns of being treated unfairly, and of anti-white discrimination.

Inclusive Schools

Tiffany Brannon's (University of California, Los Angeles) research provides evidence that school settings can affirm identity among members of negatively stereotyped groups -- by, for instance, incorporating diverse cultural ideas and practices within academic courses or extracurricular activities -- and, in turn, afford an increased sense of inclusion.

Analyzing longitudinal datasets (N= 2,926 and N=1,255) of African American and Latino American college students Brannon's research demonstrates that such efforts to affirm identity is related to benefits among members of negatively stereotyped groups including better problem solving, increased task persistence, higher GPAs, and more positive health and well-being outcomes.

MarYam Hamedani (Stanford University) will discuss work on how difference-education interventions can successfully educate students about social difference and improve first-generation college students' grades.

Today's increasingly diverse and divided world frequently requires the ability to understand and navigate across social difference. Hamedani and colleagues propose that interventions that teach students about social difference can not only foster students' intergroup skills, but can also help disadvantaged students succeed in school.

"This study supports a growing body of work demonstrating that teaching students a contextual understanding of difference -- i.e., recognizing that people's differences come from participating in and adapting to diverse sociocultural contexts -- can be leveraged to foster student success and close achievement gaps," summarizes Hamedani.Interventional cardiologist Dr. Neil Fam of St. Michael's Hospital has performed a world-first procedure, which he described in the Feb, 26 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Dr. Fam implanted a new device called the Pascal system in a patient with tricuspid regurgitation -- a condition in which the valve separating the two right chambers of the heart is leaking. This can cause the heart to enlarge, eventually leading to symptoms of heart failure such as shortness of breath, fatigue and leg swelling.

Until now there have been few minimally invasive treatment options for people with tricuspid regurgitation, which affects about 5 per cent of people over age 75 and has a high mortality rate.

Dr. Fam has been among the first interventional cardiologists using the Pascal system, developed by Edwards Lifesciences originally to treat patients with mitral regurgitation who might otherwise have no other treatment options.

The current standard minimally invasive treatment for mitral regurgitation is Mitraclip, where a catheter inserted in the femoral vein guides the device to the heart where it clamps the leaky valve. But a considerable number of patients are not eligible for a MitraClip for anatomical reasons.

The Pascal system uses a spacer, a device that fills the space between the leaflets, or doors, of the heart valve that are not closing together as tightly as they should. The leaflets of the valves are then clamped onto the spacer. Dr. Fam said these features of the Pascal system may be better tailored for patients with complex anatomy.

Edwards has been working with physicians on developing the Pascal procedure to address people with tricuspid regurgitation, and Dr. Fam and the valve team at St. Michael's successfully performed this procedure on a human for the first time in 2017 and several times since.

Dr. Fam described the first procedure in a case study published Feb. 26 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions and presented Feb. 27 at the international Mitral Valve Meeting in Zurich, Switzerland.

The first patient was an 82-year-old woman who had been hospitalized five times for heart failure and was too high risk for conventional surgery. After the Pascal system was inserted, her tricuspid regurgitation was mild and her condition improved so much that she was discharged from hospital three days later. Dr. Fam said her quality of life has improved dramatically and she has had no further hospitalizations.

Dr. Fam said the ability to use the Pascal system, in addition to Mitraclips, reinforces St. Michael's national leadership in this field.

"Most importantly, we are giving these sick patients more treatment options, with improved quality of life and less time in hospital" he said.Oakland Mayor Libby Schaafs warning about federal immigration sweeps might look like a no-brainer on the local political front. After all, one poll of 500 Bay Area residents, by KPIX-5/Survey USA, found 48 percent approved of her heads up and just 34 percent turned thumbs down.

However, the same poll found that 61 percent said police should help federal authorities in cases involving undocumented immigrants suspected of committing violent crimes. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says about half the 232 people picked up in its sweeps last week had criminal records, though the agency didnt say how many of those were violent criminals.

ICE also says hundreds of criminal aliens and public safety threats remain at large, and that some may have eluded capture because of Schaafs warning. Theres every reason for the feds to make the mayor look bad if one of those who got away goes on to murder someone.

Joe Tuman, a San Francisco State University communications studies professor who ran against Schaaf for mayor in 2014 and lost, says she could have accomplished her goal in a way that didnt put Oakland on ICEs hit list. He said quietly spreading the word to immigrant legal support groups would have been just as effective as her Saturday night news release.

City Councilman Noel Gallo, whose Fruitvale District is heavily Latino, agreed. He said annoying the feds isnt in the citys best interest.

The gang MS-13 is operating in my area, and there are a lot of times that we need the FBI and the federal help, he said.

Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan, rumored to be considering a challenge to Schaaf from the left in this years election, tried to have it both ways. First she criticized the mayor for not taking the quiet approach. Then she said Schaafs critics on Fox News were wrong ... to go after her.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Shell have a hard time outflanking Schaaf on the progressive front on this one. After all, in Oakland politics, standing up to President Trump and ICE is an easy win.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@ sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandrossTheyve been married for only two years, but Joseph Amster and Rick Shelton say theyre 200 years old.

At least they were on Saturday. They were among the 19th century characters milling around the Old Mint for San Francisco History Days, put on annually by the California Historical Society, the mayors office and event company Non Plus Ultra. Thousands of visitors were expected to wander in and out of the Granite Lady for the free event that continues Sunday.

Exhibits around the building lured history buffs and curious amateurs with presentations on topics ranging from San Franciscos native Ohlone people to the 1906 earthquake and fire, which the Mint building survived.

A newly discovered nitrate film reel with nine minutes of footage capturing San Francisco two weeks after the disaster will be shown for the first time by film historian David Kiehn next month.

Amster and Shelton sat behind a booth for their Time Machine tours, in-costume walking tours of San Francisco.

The city has so much history, Amster said. I like to say the city is like an onion. You peel back a layer and theres another one.

Amster is really 62, but his character, Emperor Norton, was born in 1818. He came dressed in full costume: a navy blue uniform emblazoned with medals and topped with a colorful feathered hat. A longtime San Francisco resident, Joshua Abraham Norton earned a fortune as an investor in the city by the bay. But then he lost it all, went into hiding, and re-emerged on Sept. 17, 1859. He walked into the offices of the Daily Evening Bulletin and declared himself emperor.

And everyone went along with it. He ate for free at restaurants, people stood in his presence, he printed his own currency. And when he died, the city held one of the biggest funerals in its history.

Any other city would have kicked his ass out, right? Shelton said. But San Francisco embraced him.

Shelton was dressed as Countess Lola Montez. In full make-up, he had rouged cheeks, green and gold eye shadow, and wore a dress with a feathered headband to match, Born in 1818 in Ireland as Maria Dolores Elisa Gilbert, she became known as a Spanish dancer and changed her name after having an affair with King Ludwig I of Bulgaria. Her lovers also included composer Franz Liszt and author Alexandre Dumas.

She married San Francisco newspaperman Patrick Hull when she arrived to the city in the 1850s.

She got around, said Shelton, 64. I really identify with her. She had a lot of affairs. Had a lot of fun.

As performers went around in costume, guests at the history event marveled at unknown bits of the citys history.

In another room down the hall, Lorenzo Casas and Adriana Casas learned about the Ohlone, native people who lived along the shore of San Francisco Bay. They came from Fremont with their 6- and 8-year-old sons.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

We want to make sure they understand our history. The history of San Francisco, Lorenzo Casas said.

In the basement, Oakland resident Paula Parker looked through flyers in a room promoting the Black Film Fest, where 16mm films would be playing later in the day.

Im a New Yorker. I love culture, Parker said,  You never know what youre going to come across.

Upstairs, Frances Knapczyk said she mainly marveled at people in Gold Rush costumes. It takes the imagination back to another era of San Francisco, she said. But, she noted, some things about the city havent quite changed.

It seems like its always been this place where a lot of different people from a lot of different cultures and backgrounds come together and try to enjoy life, Knapczyk said. A place where theres a lot of hope. A lot of possibility.Its 2011, and a star-studded group of people  from will.i.am to Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer  stand on a roof with a sprawling view of San Francisco behind them, ready to perform some hip-hop moves at the behest of millionaire tech mogul Ron Conway. The celebrities are wearing bright orange T-shirts that read Fear the Mustache as they gyrate in a video promoting Conways preferred mayoral candidate, Ed Lee.

The premise of the video was offbeat for a campaign ad  a remake of MC Hammers 2 Legit 2 Quit  but if Conway asked you to show up, you showed up.

The video found a wide audience, and Lee was elected several months later. Over the next six years, Lee would position himself as an advocate for tech companies in the city, with Conway often close behind and cheering him on.

In an effort to blend the worlds of tech and politics, the two werent shy about making public appearances together. As their association grew, so did the perception that San Francisco politicians, too, would dance on demand for Conway.

As San Francisco finds itself in the midst of an unexpected mayoral campaign after Lees death, accusations are flying about Conways influence in a battle between moderate and progressive candidates.

At the same time, his role in Silicon Valley  the source of his power and authority in San Francisco politics  is diminishing. His venture fund, now mostly run by his son, shrank after a bitter split with a partner. Some of his allies  such as Mayer, who left Yahoo last year after its sale to Verizon  have faded from the tech scene.

Conway insists that hes become too busy to meddle in local politics.

I agree that the mayors race in San Francisco is important, but there are national issues right now that superseded that, and Im spending all of my time on those issues, he said.

Yet under the dome of City Hall, talk of Conways influence lingers.

Raised in the Bay Area, Conway has been a major tech investor and political donor for years. Just as hes known to throw hundreds of thousands of dollars to moderate and tech-friendly candidates, he has also funneled money into hundreds of startups, including early investments in Google, Dropbox and Airbnb.

He has many philanthropic endeavors, like the San Francisco Citizens Initiative for Technology and Innovation, which represents tech companies in the Bay Area. He was an early backer of Sandy Hook Promise, the anti-gun-violence organization. He serves on the nominating committee of The Chronicles Visionary of the Year award.

Beyond that, who Conway is depends on whom you ask.

In the tech sector, hes the dealmaker, the charmer, the guy with the impressive Rolodex who younger entrepreneurs are told they ought to know. While Conway, 66, has been nicknamed the Godfather of Silicon Valley with a surrounding Rontourage, people such as Susan Hobbs, a venture capitalist at CrunchFund, describe him in more human terms.

Hes the grandfather, she said. Ron tends to be someone who almost everyone I know really does like him and believes he is doing good.

In City Hall, meanwhile, he is often perceived as a symbol of the greed and money of the tech sector, a reputation that has only grown during the current mayors race. Lee was criticized for being too cozy with Conway, especially when it came to Conways pet issue, the Twitter tax break, a payroll tax exemption that encouraged tech companies to fill a derelict stretch of Mid-Market.

Soon after Lee died of a heart attack in December, Conway stepped up as a patron of Board of Supervisors President London Breed, who took over as acting mayor. Then San Franciscos progressive supervisors orchestrated a plan to replace her with Mark Farrell, a wealthy white venture capitalist.

They were motivated, they said, not by animus toward Breed  a self-made African American woman from a housing project in the Western Addition  but by a desire to block Conway. Supervisor Hillary Ronen made the point publicly in an impassioned speech during the vote to oust Breed.

I hate to say it, I wish it werent so, but those white men are so enthusiastically supporting your candidacy, London Breed, Ronen said.

Conway says he hardly ever sets foot in City Hall. But he doesnt need to. When his campaign contributions are examined, his financial impact is clear. He relies on independent expenditure committees, which are not subject to the $500 personal contribution limit for city candidates.

He donated nearly $600,000 to San Francisco races in 2012, chipping in $275,000 in contributions and loans to a ballot measure that changed the citys tax structure for businesses, basing it on their gross receipts rather than payroll. The change benefited companies that earned little revenue but had lots of employees  namely, tech startups.

Conway also was angered when four progressive supervisors voted in 2012 to let Ross Mirkarimi keep his job as sheriff, in spite of a domestic violence conviction. He poured $29,000 in cash and $20,000 in-kind contributions into an independent expenditure committee called San Francisco Women for Accountability and a Responsible Supervisor, designed to punish former Supervisor Christina Olague for her vote. Olague, who was appointed by Lee, was facing a tight race against London Breed for the District Five seat.

Two years later, Conway pitched in $85,000 to defeat David Campos, who also voted to retain Mirkarimi, in his unsuccessful bid for state Assembly. Conway then threw $200,000 at an independent expenditure committee to trounce Jane Kim, another Mirkarimi ally, in her 2016 state Senate race against the moderate Scott Wiener.

Nathan Ballard, a longtime friend who has provided consulting services for Conway, characterized the tech mogul as a man of fierce loyalty and lasting grudges.

If he picks you as the person who is going to carry his issues forward, then hes going to be in your corner, Ballard said. But if he views you as someone who has betrayed him, and betrayed the moderates, you will be punished.

Ballard recently found himself the target of Conways ire for serving as an adviser to Farrell. Conway was livid, and Ballard said the two of them havent spoken since.

Others in City Hall note that Conways influence extends beyond campaign contributions. The tech investor was embroiled in a years-long debate over the citys regulation of Airbnb, one of his best-performing investments.

When city Treasurer Jose Cisneros decided in 2012 that Airbnb and other short-term rental services should be subject to the citys 14 percent hotel tax, Conway rallied tech companies to speak out against the tax at a City Hall hearing. Lee took their side.

So its no wonder that progressives see Conway as a political bogeyman, hell-bent on tipping races in favor of tech-friendly candidates. To the moderates, hes a kingmaker and occasional pest  prone to angry text messages, persistent phone calls and all-caps emails, which he sometimes sends to many recipients.

Some observers say the darker side of Conways reputation gave Farrell and the progressive supervisors political cover when they voted to unseat Breed and replace her with Farrell.

During her speech before the boards vote, Ronen scorned the tech moguls and real estate billionaires who had supported and advised Lee, and said that theyd all gravitated to Breed.

Ronen said in an interview the next day that her comments referred to Conway and his team, and that theyd threatened to ruin the careers of city officials who didnt back Breed  allegations that Conway later denied.

Ronens speech struck a very populist tone, said Jason McDaniel, an assistant professor of politics at San Francisco State University. He noted that to the progressives, Conway is an easy, catchall symbol of capitalism, gentrification and the eviction crisis  everything they say is destroying the citys character.

Breed, he said, hadnt done enough to portray herself as independent from Conway, who began stumping for her just days after Lee died.

On Breeds side, they just didnt see how Ron Conway would be a rallying cry for the progressives, McDaniel said.

When asked how he sees his involvement in the mayors race, Conway said hes donated the allowable $500 to Breeds campaign and doesnt have plans for much else. Right now, he said, all of his energy is on the national level, as he focuses on gun control and immigration.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Asked if he had any resentment toward Mark Farrell, he paused.

Hes our mayor, he said. I dont have any further comment.

In several interviews with people in Conways circle  from young entrepreneurs hes invested in to tech moguls and music stars  many were surprised to learn how Conway is resented by some in City Hall.

Entrepreneur Gautam Sivakumars experience with Conway, whose firm invested in his company Medisas, is representative of many. A few years ago he found himself stuck in London because of a visa issue. Within hours, Conway put him on an email thread with the U.S. ambassador to Britain, who swiftly solved the problem.

In my experience, it comes down to, when I need help and if I ever need help, Ron and SV Angel are there, Sivakumar said, referring to Conways venture capital firm.

Though Conway, who got his start in Silicon Valley as a computer-chip marketer, is valued for the connections hes able to make, his relationship with others in the industry isnt always smooth.

Doug Leone, a partner at Sequoia Capital, which has worked with Conway for nearly 20 years, told Fortune in a 2012 profile that their relationship was good 90 percent of the time.

Ten percent of the time it is less than good, he said.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff couldnt help but laugh at the notion of Conway serving as the voice of tech in City Hall. No one should have a fear that he is a pied piper for Silicon Valley, said Benioff, who has worked with Conway on philanthropic ventures.

Benioff said he has disagreed with Conway on the Twitter tax break and other issues, on which he declined to elaborate.

He is evangelizing engagement, and I think that is a good thing for this city, and he is encouraging the tech companies to become engaged, he said. He really cares about politics, where I think a lot of businesspeople dont have as much passion ... and that is something that I respect.

But when it comes to politics, does he involve himself in the right way?

I would say not always, Benioff said. But I would say that not everyone approaches things in the right way.

Conway is also being sued by his former partner at SV Angel, David Lee, who says Conway is withholding millions of dollars from him. Lee declined to comment.

After the split with Lee, Conways son Topher seems to have taken the lead in day-to-day operations at SV Angel, according to several people Conway has backed. Conway says he still spends the majority of his time mentoring entrepreneurs.

Its the thing I most enjoy, he said.

Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, a tech accelerator that has long jointly backed startups with Conways fund, said he used to tell his startups that if they were going to be big, they needed to have Conway as an investor.

Having Conways attention  no matter how scattered it is  is a blessing for anyone looking to make it, he said.

But when it comes to politics, I could totally believe he seems like a pain in the ass, Graham said. But, he added, Id rather have Ron kicking me in the butt than someone else, because I know he has the right motives.Strange Filament Discoveries on Oregon Coast Explained: Weird Cellophane Worm

Published 03/03/2018 at 12:35 PM PDT - Updated 03/04/2018 at 1:35 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Oregon Coast)  A puzzling sight for visitors to the Oregon coast has become the subject of many questions to locals, especially the Seaside Aquarium. Small, filament-like objects are washing up left and right onto the beaches, looking a bit like jumbled masses of high tech garbage  or perhaps something a little alien. (Photos courtesy Seaside Aquarium).

Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium snagged these shots in recent days, showing what are the former bodies of a marine life called the cellophane worm.

Tube worm casings have been washing in and quite a few people have been asking us about them, Boothe said. These casings, produced by the cellophane worm (Spichaetopterus costarum), often wash ashore in masses along the Oregon coast.

Living just below the low tide line of sandy beaches, cellophane worms build and inhabit these seemingly plastic 'tubes,' which become encrusted with sand. Currents and upwellings bring these tubes to the surface, eventually distributing them onto shore.

They are tiny  about one to two centimeters long  which makes those blobs of them a little more remarkable.

This tiny critter has rings around it. It lives just below the surface of the sand and is covered in a tube. The cellophane worms' casings get knocked off of them during high surf events and pile up on the shore. The creatures themselves disappear back beneath the surface, however.

Why do they suddenly appear? It comes down to the creatures being taken by surprise by the way sand levels can build up quickly, then they get bounced around when their new real estate suddenly turns out to be too close to a raucous surface.

CoastWatchs Fawn Custer told Oregon Coast Beach Connection in 2016 the creatures are there all the time, its just that certain conditions unearth them and scatter them onshore.

They feel like hair, she said. They're very pliable. You can squeeze them.

Cellophane worms live just beyond the low tide line, where the tubes sit near or just above the surface of the sand and suck in their food, which is tiny bits of formerly living matter in the ocean. When the tubes come off, they grow another by secreting a kind of goo that eventually hardens back into another tube. Oregon Coast Hotels in these areas - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours





















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All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permittedTeachers are everyday heroes, and in Parkland, Fla., several gave their lives to try to preserve those of their students. But after President Trump suggested that teachers be armed, I asked readers for stories about their own experiences with some who had lost their tempers. And several readers didnt like that.

Think back, said a bulletin received last week from Will Durst, how many of your high school teachers would you have confidently armed? This was not intended as a response to the underlying issue, but instead a response to the presidents suggestion. In daily classroom experiences, the patience of teachers is often tried.

Several teachers were outraged at the idea of saying anything negative about teachers; others thought bringing up memories might blur the importance of this national discussion. But many adults who had been victims of distinctly non-heroic tantrums responded with vivid tales of school days:

Dan De Vries remembers a fifth-grade teacher stomping the floor so hard that the ensuing ankle injury kept her home for two weeks; a book was hurled at Jeff Parrott; rulers/yardsticks were used to whack the hands of Sean Roherty, the leg of Steve Rozzi, the palms of Ken Malucell; a pointer was used on Tom Ruppel; Doug Baker watched a teacher put a kid across her knees and spank him; Julian Grant was forced to sit in a trash can; Steven Tracy recalls a teacher who had use his canes to trip students who were running; Russell Merritt describes a teacher tearing out tufts of fellow students hair.

Do we want to put weapons in the hands of those whose tempers might be sorely tried? Come to think of that, do we want to put weapons in the hands of any civilian?

In the middle of the Wednesday, Feb. 28, anti-ICE demonstrations outside the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Building in San Francisco, Bruce Bengtson overheard someone in a contractors truck yelling at the protesters, Build the wall!

As to The Snake, the Oscar Brown Jr. song cited by President Trump to prove a point about the untrustworthiness of immigrants: Reader Cork Marcheschi, who produced a Brown album in the 90s, said music historian Dennis McNally had done press for that album. I dont know where Oscar is buried, emailed McNally, but the site is undoubtedly the scene of serious disturbances. Paula West, for whom its a signature song, said Brown was as liberal as one could get. The FBI had a dossier on him. ... The song has nothing to do with Trumps so-called agenda, although I will say its projection on his part.

Protests from Wesleyan University students have caused author Daniel Handler, often celebrated for his wit, to cancel a graduation speech he was to have given at the college in Middletown, Conn. The protests came after women on an authors blog site complained about jokes he had made that they said created an atmosphere of sexual harassment.

Wesleyan President Michael Roth informed students that he and Handler had agreed that the focus of the event should be on the graduates. Anita Hill is now scheduled to speak at the graduation.

Responding to the womens posts, Handler apologized on Feb. 20, saying he believed the people who are talking and was listening and learning. It has never been my wish to insult any of my professional colleagues. I sincerely, if tardily apologize.

Rivers of rain were hitting the pavement as I wrote this on Thursday morning. Pat Kilduff, PUC-sanctioned Drain Adopter, was ready, having made sure the day before that two corner storm drains in her Buena Vista neighborhood were clear of debris. This not only stops potential floods, but also, she said, stops the cigarette butts and garbage from getting into the sewers and polluting the water.

Kilduff signed up for Adopt-a-Drain about six months ago, and recently received a full equipment kit from organizers, including a vest, gloves, grabber and broom. Other volunteers include little kids doing it with their parents, Baby Boomers and other white-haired folks. So far, there have been no floods at her assigned places.

As to treasures shes found, there was once a stuffed animal, she says. We gave it to the dog. She cant say exactly what kind of animal it is. Spending time hanging around on a drain will pretty much make you unidentifiable.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

I just checked

the postcard, and

it said to bring

nutcrackers.

Woman on cell phone, overheard near Solano Avenue in Berkeley by Marcy BeckAll successful movements have a moment when they gather momentum. The great push for civil rights acquired its force thanks to Rosa Parks and the buses of Montgomery. The Free Speech Movement helped create the climate for mass opposition to the Vietnam War.

Its possible that the attack in Parkland, Fla., will be that defining moment for the movement against rampant gun violence in the United States.

The courageous students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who lost 17 of their classmates and school staffers allegedly to a 19-year-old with an assault rifle, have set in motion a reaction that goes beyond politics.

Their voices have shamed a host of corporations  airlines, car rental outfits, moving companies, a bank  into cutting ties with the National Rifle Association. Major retailers, including Walmart and Dicks Sporting Goods, have tightened gun-sale policies.

Most people think the NRA is a citizen group intent on protecting the constitutional right to bear arms.

Its not. Its the political arm of a gun manufacturing industry intent on increasing sales. And as long as politicians were doing the talking, the NRAs money and ability to organize a committed voter base held the upper hand.

But now we have a new voice. High school students from all over the country will be heading to Washington on March 24 for a demonstration demanding tighter controls on guns. Those who cant make it to the capital will be marching in 50 other cities.

It took nearly a decade between Montgomery and the passage of landmark civil rights legislation. America was mired in Vietnam until the early 1970s. Movements take time to accomplish their goals  we wont have meaningful gun control next week.

The good news is, the generation that is driving this movement will only be gathering strength and power in the years to come.

China soul: How do you make a Black History Month event succeed at a Chinatown senior center? Just ask Malcolm Yeung with the Chinatown Community Development Center.

Yeung called me up and said, Mayor Brown, we want to have a cooking class on Southern food as part of the program. Can you recommend anyone?

Malcolm, those seniors dont speak English, I said. Isnt that going to be a problem?

Dont worry, well make it work.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting in the back of the centers social room, listening to my friend Bryant Terry give a lecture on how to prepare greens and sweet potato pie  all of it being translated into Cantonese.

It must have been a hit, because now the seniors are asking Chinese bakeries for sweet potato pie by its English name, and chef Terry tells me that a number have signed up for a post-graduate cooking lecture at the Museum of the African Diaspora.

Speechless: I had the unenviable task of taking over for the late Rose Pak at the finish line of the Chinese New Year Parade. Pak used to crack wise over the microphone as the politicians rolled by, and Im afraid I was no match.

Pak, the longtime political powerhouse, dubbed the diminutive Supervisor Aaron Peskin the Napoleon of North Beach at one parade.

I thought I was ready with one for Peskin as the caravan of classic cars carrying local officials approached the reviewing stand. Here he is, fresh from the backroom deal that made Mark Farrell mayor, seemed appropriate.

Suddenly theres a rhythmic Boom! Boom! Boom! thumping. I look up, and here comes this cherried-out pneumatic lowrider right out of the Mission, with Peskin bouncing up and down atop the back seat.

They say one picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, the picture left me speechless.

The envelope, please: The Academy Awards are Sunday night, so its time for me to go out on my usual limb:

Best actress: Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best actor: Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour

Best supporting actor: Sam Rockwell for Three Billboards

Best supporting actress: Allison Janney for I, Tonya

Best director: Guillermo del Toro for The Shape of Water

Best picture: It should be Three Billboards, but it will be The Shape of Water

More movie time: The 15:17 to Paris. My friend Clint Eastwood, who has won two Oscars as a director, didnt pick the best material or cast for this one.

I thought it would disappear in a week. Wrong again.

Civic-minded: Former Mayor Art Agnos was spotted picking up litter on the street in his Potrero Hill neighborhood.

Mr. Mayor, what are you doing? asked a passerby.

Im helping pay for my retirement, Art replied.

An honest politician to the end.One candidate's campaign signs declare "MAGA," referencing President Donald Trump's mantra of "Make America Great Again." Another is promising to "drain the swamp" and plays up his ties to a key Trump political adviser. And another promises to "Make America Like Texas," a slogan spelled out in the Trump campaign's signature font.

In several crowded Texas congressional primaries Tuesday, Republican candidates have decided that the best way to stand out is to stand squarely in Trump's shadow - a campaign strategy that has been only slightly scrambled last week by the president's sudden embrace of gun control and protectionist tariffs.

With some notable exceptions, candidates in one especially raucous Republican primary - the 18-person contest to fill the 21st district seat being vacated by Rep. Lamar Smith - have been wary of showing any daylight between their position and Trump's. That has remained true even as Democratic turnout surged in early voting and national Democrats tout a chance to flip the longtime Republican seat.

"I think if you're not with the president you're not going to have a chance of winning this race," said Jason Isaac, a state representative who is running one of the more credible campaigns for the seat.

Isaac's "Make America Like Texas" message is calibrated to couple Trump's charisma to the more traditional Lone Star brand of small-government conservatism: "When I talk to people that move to Texas, I say, 'Welcome to Texas, vote accordingly,' because it's not a mistake," he said. "Our model works."

Robert Stovall, a former chairman of the Bexar County Republican Party, has been even more aggressive about his support for Trump. A TV spot has Stovall standing in a swamp, wearing waders and a Trump campaign hat and pledging to help Trump "get rid of the establishment politicians who have failed to support his agenda."

He's also touting the support of Brad Parscale, the digital guru for Trump's 2016 campaign who was recently named to manage the president's re-election.

Stovall said in an interview that he is unique in squarely backing Trump even before he won the Republican nomination in 2016 - bucking, among others, the state's dominant figure in national GOP politics, Sen. Ted Cruz.

Voters "want somebody that's going to go out there and work with Donald Trump and help get his agenda moving forward," Stovall said. "There's been resistance even from our own party on helping him out, and they don't want to elect somebody in this district that's going to be a hindrance."

Smith, who is retiring after 16 terms, has not made an endorsement in the race. "Half of them I've never heard of before," he said in an interview, adding that Trump remains popular among his constituents: "They appreciate what the president has done. They appreciate the tax cut, and they appreciate the president's efforts to enforce immigration laws."

While the race to succeed Smith is jam-packed, other races are nearly as crowded. Nine Republicans are running in the 2nd congressional district for the Houston-area seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Ted Poe. In the 5th district, eight Republicans are seeking the Dallas-area seat held by retiring Republican Rep. Jeb Hensarling. And 11 are running in the adjacent 6th district seat now held by Republican Rep. Joe Barton, who is stepping down after 17 terms.

Outright winners are unlikely to be chosen Tuesday in any of the GOP races, where candidates need a majority to avoid a May 22 runoff. Matt Mackowiak, a Republican consultant and chairman of the Travis County GOP, said a 21st district candidate could make the runoff with as little as 15 percent of the vote, making organization, name ID and fundraising key factors.

Having a unique message, he said, is less of a factor: "Of the real contenders, there just hasn't been a lot of distance from Trump on any real issues."

Cruz's shadow looms over the 21st district primary thanks to his aggressive backing of Chip Roy, a former top aide to Cruz and other high-profile Texas officials.

Roy, who declined a request for an interview, is the best-funded candidate in the race - thanks to a national network of conservative donors and the backing of the Club for Growth, whose super PAC has spent more than a half-million dollars on Roy's behalf - much of it on ads featuring Cruz calling Roy the "real conservative" in the race.

The message, one of the few hitting TV airwaves, could be breaking through: Rich Lake, 57, cast his ballot for Roy during early voting on Thursday in the Hill Country town of Fredericksburg. Lake said the Cruz endorsement was decisive: "If Ted can work with him, then I figure there's a good chance he can work with everybody else."

But others voting at the Gillespie County Courthouse were overwhelmed by the long list of candidates on the ballot and skipped the congressional race. "There were so many that I didn't recognize," said Dennis Houy, a landscaper for the county facilities department.

Other competitive candidates in the race include Francisco "Quico" Canseco, who was elected in 2010 to represent the neighboring 23rd district for one term and has since sought to come back to Congress, and Susan Narvaiz, a former mayor of San Marcos, Texas, a rapidly growing city midway between San Antonio and Austin.

The influx of national money and the fact that several candidates - including Roy, Isaac and Canseco - live outside the district has sparked frustrations among other candidates.

William Negley, a candidate nearly as well-funded as Roy, highlighted the local roots of his money - including several prominent figures from his hometown of San Antonio, such as businessman Red McCombs, who has donated $50,000 to a super PAC backing Negley.

"Texas likes local Texans," he said. "I think it matters that you live and know where you aspire to represent."

In a written statement, Roy brushed off the carpetbagging charges from his rivals, noting that he lives in the Hill Country region that comprises much of the 21st if not strictly within the district itself. "Voters are tired of games and want serious leaders to tackle the swamp, and that's what we're going to do," he said.

Negley, a 34-year-old former CIA officer, is taking a slightly different tack in his campaign by focusing on national security and portraying himself as a "terrorist hunter" best equipped to combat threats abroad - a message he believes is well-honed for a district heavy on veterans and active-duty military families.

He said he is perfectly willing to advocate for standard conservative, small-government positions. "But if I start talking about deregulation and lowering taxes, then all of a sudden I blur into the white noise of 17 other candidates who are just touting their generic broad-brush conservative principles."

No candidate, however, is taking a more contrarian tack than Jenifer Sarver, an Austin public relations consultant and former official in the George W. Bush administration, who is unapologetically calling for a more inclusive GOP and more distance from Trump.

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"My message is, this is a safe Republican seat, but if we elect a primary somebody who is extreme right, that makes the centrist Democrat candidate look a lot more appealing to people," Sarver said. "There are moderates out there. They just have not had a voice."

While key House forecasters have kept the 21st district in the Republican column, national Democratic Party groups have put the district on the midterm target list amid hopes it could flip if a wave materializes in November. One moderate Democratic candidate, tech entrepreneur and retired Army officer Joseph Kopser, has outraised all the Republican candidates.

Sarver said she has a shot in a race otherwise crowded with conservatives chasing the same votes. "I've been operating in my own lane," she said. "They are slicing each others voters up."

But she has faced sometimes brutal criticism from fellow candidates over her moderate views, her criticism of Trump's incivility - and her unapologetic 2016 vote for Hillary Clinton.

At a Feb. 1 candidates forum in Buda, Texas, fellow candidates repeatedly attacked Sarver for voting for a Democrat. Businessman Matt McCall, the candidate with "MAGA" on his signs and a veteran of two unsuccessful runs against Smith, pressed Sarver on her calls to find common ground with Democrats.

Sarver rose to defend herself: "I see a party that's aging and white, and that's not the future of our country," she said. "We have a tone that is shutting people out. Young people are not interested in joining our party, women are leaving our party in droves, and if you look out over this audience, it's a very white crowd here tonight."

Replied McCall, "We shouldn't be getting along with the side that wants to kill babies." He added: "Married women vote Republican. We don't have a problem with women. We have a problem that people aren't getting married in this country."

Another candidate forum held Thursday in rural Kerrville helped Maggie Snow, 58, narrow the field of 18, but she said afterward she remained undecided.

"Lamar Smith really did help us, and truly represented the constituents," she said, while also acknowledging "mixed feelings" about Trump - and how the congressional candidates are approaching him.

"I'm sure there'll be a runoff," she said, "so I'll have to choose then."

---

Moravec reported from Fredericksburg and Kerrville, Texas.Corporate America and Wall Street have spent the last two weeks coming to terms with a reality they have long sought to avoid: that business and investment decisions about guns affect society. This has led Americans to search for ways to get guns out of their savings plans.

Fortunately, because the sustainable and responsible investing community has understood for decades the impact of investing in firearms, we have choices. Many have already sought out those choices. As the US SIF-Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment has documented, just prior to the Newtown school shootings, managers of some $74 billion in investor assets would not invest in weapons-related companies, including the clients of my firm, Trillium Asset Management. By 2016, that number had grown to $845 billion. As a result, if Americans want to go gun-free, they can find mutual funds to invest in. And they can make their retirement plan administrators aware of these options as well.

There are many moral and financial reasons people may want to screen out firearms companies from their investment portfolios. Many people simply do not want to profit from a product that, when functioning as intended, kills people.

For others, firearms companies present a poor financial choice. These companies are under the constant risk of regulation and political pressure. In addition, the National Rifle Association exerts its own control over both the regulators and the companies. These pressures make it difficult for CEOs to engage in long-term planning for their businesss success.

For someone thinking about retirement or college savings, its not hard to see why they would want to divest from guns. But Wall Street often offers an excuse: We cannot divest because these gun companies are in the index. The index, it is explained, is a neutral algorithm, free from human whims and flaws. It represents the victory of efficiency and the wisdom of the market. So although the three publicly traded stocks of gunmakers are too small to really affect the performance of an index such as the Standard & Poors 1000, they still sit in investment portfolios of Americans who dont want to invest in guns. Why? Because the index says they cant be removed.

This is fiction. Humans write that algorithm. If people dont want a company in their index, they can keep it out. In fact, just last year, S&P and FTSE Russell kept Snap Inc. out of many of their indexes after large investors objected to Snaps decision to issue shares without voting rights.

The other fiction that businesses have been confronting is that they can stay neutral. For decades, CEOs have sought to avoid the idea that the products and services they make and sell influence our society and our environment. However, the gun debate  as well as rising awareness of corporate roles in LGBT rights, diversity, climate change, health care, immigration and social media  is making this painfully obvious. As Dicks Sporting Goods CEO Edward Stack explained, When we saw what happened in Parkland, we were so disturbed and upset. We love these kids and their rallying cry, Enough is enough. It got to us.

Its getting to a lot of people, as hour by hour we see investors and businesses finding a way to do something about it. What if the credit card industry made it more difficult for people to purchase assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, and bump stocks, as the New York Times financial columnist has suggested? At Trillium, we thought the idea had so much merit that we are pressing banking and credit card companies to take action.

Members of the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility have spent years pressuring gunmakers to make safer products. They have filed shareholder proposals asking the companies if they are researching ways to produce safer guns and to report on the financial and reputational risks of gun violence to their operations. For years, Domini Impact Investments filed shareholder proposals with retailers asking them to do what Dicks Sporting Goods and Kroger finally decided to do last week  stop selling assault-style semiautomatic rifles.

Investment choices and business decisions do affect society. Will investment managers and CEOs close their eyes to those effects and get pushed around by the decisions of others? Or do they proactively choose what kind of impact their companies or investments have? You as an investor can help them decide.SACRAMENTO  The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to weigh in on a high-profile case that could slash the power of public employee unions. But California labor leaders are already planning to push for new state laws to blunt the impact of an unfavorable ruling.

The case argued before the court last week, Janus vs. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, challenges whether public employee unions can collect fees from workers who choose not to join the union. California is one of several states that allow unions to collect fair-share fees from workers who benefit from services such as contract negotiations but dont want to pay for their unions political activity.

Plaintiff Mark Janus, a state child support specialist in Illinois, contends that all union activity is political when the workers boss is the government. He argues that requiring him to pay the fee infringes on his constitutional rights to free speech and association by essentially forcing him to support a group that advocates positions with which he disagrees  in particular, its push for boosting worker salaries in a state facing a budget crisis after reportedly mismanaging its pension program.

AFSCME, the nations largest union for government workers, argues that without the fees workers would get a free ride, enjoying job protections the union secures without paying the associated cost.

The court is likely to rule this spring, and given its conservative majority, many observers expect the unions to lose. That would slash the amount of money public employee unions can collect from their workers  and, over time, could shrink membership. Those changes would shake up politics in California, where organized labor has long enjoyed enormous clout in a state dominated by Democrats.

Assuming they will lose in the courthouse, California union leaders have begun fighting back in the statehouse. Last year, they successfully lobbied for a new state law that requires government workers, upon being hired, to go through an orientation session with union representatives.

That is going to be a great boost to allow us to at least access the people and ask them to join, said Dave Low, executive director of the California School Employees Association. Once Janus is decided, and we feel very much that it is going to be decided against us, we will be moving other legislation.

The legislation is in early conceptual stages, and its too soon to say whether, if approved, it would cover all unions or just those in the public sector. But union-backed bills under consideration, Low said, include:

Giving union members release time from their jobs so they can recruit other workers to join the union.

Shielding union members contact information from the public to make it harder for anti-union groups to reach them.

Allowing unions to charge nonmembers who use services such as arbitration or a labor representative to help them through a disciplinary process.

Taxpayer advocates would probably oppose bills that would shield contact information or give union members release time from work, said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. But overall, he said, a court ruling in favor of Janus could relieve some pressure on California taxpayers.

It will perhaps result in our elected officials being able to pursue policies that have more the public in mind, and not just the public employees, Coupal said. They will be less likely to cave to public employees in collective bargaining in terms of salary and compensation.

Labor unions are a major influence in the state Capitol, spending to help elect Democrats and then lobbying them to pass new laws. In just the past few years, unions have successfully advocated for laws granting overtime to farmworkers, making paid sick days mandatory and increasing the states minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Labor has shaped many other decisions in the Capitol, from which car companies can get electric-vehicle rebates to how much money school districts can hold in reserves.

That kind of influence is costly. Labor unions spent at least $16.3 million lobbying the Legislature last year and, according to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, more than $123 million on California political campaigns in the last election cycle  money that comes from dues paid by union members.

About 2.5 million public- and private-sector workers in California are union members, according to the California Labor Federation, and an additional 110,000 government workers pay fair-share fees to unions they choose not to join.

An unfavorable ruling from the Supreme Court could diminish union membership in California by 5 to 30 percent, depending on what other laws are in place, said California Labor Federation spokesman Steve Smith. Its unlikely to strike an immediate blow to how much unions spend on political campaigns in California this year, he said, though it could have some impact.

The real change will be felt over time. If the ruling leads to a decline in membership, unions will have less money to spend on politics.

If we have less money as labor, were going to be spending less money on Democratic candidates, were going to be spending less money on things like ballot initiatives, said Jessica Ulstad, political field director for the California Federation of Teachers. We will all have to look at our budgets and say, What is it that we absolutely are going to spend money on, and what are we not going to be able to do anymore?I attended the first Womens March, in San Francisco and Oakland, last year. It was a powerful display of the power of democracy. The march, on Jan. 21, 2017, occurred a day after the inauguration of the 45th president. The air felt electric with a sense of outrage and anger. I witnessed signs and overheard conversations Ill never forget. This year, 1 million-plus people again showed up in cities all over the country to share their feelings on an intersection of social and political issues,from #MeToo and Times Up to #NotMyPresident and #BlackLivesMatter. The energy level in both San Francisco and Oakland felt different this time: a more measured and purposeful, one might say, movement. However, the resulting media coverage seemed at odds with this years turnout, which actually increased in some cities. I was curious, a year later, what people had to say about that, among other topics. I spoke with nine Womens March protesters, both at the event and in the following weeks, and sought their perspectives on the difference between this year and last, and what actions the marches had inspired in them.

Risa Culbertson, artist, lives in San Francisco; marched in San Francisco: This year I went without a sign and more as an observer to see what that experience would be like. This time I listened and let the signs, chants, families, faces and feelings soak in as an overall experience. The energy this year was different but equally an amazing outpouring of passionate voices coming together. This march felt more like a restrained concentrated force. Like, when my mom would get mad at me as a child, the quieter she got the more scared I should be. On the brighter side, I saw more families out this year. Kids were sitting on their parents shoulders holding signs. It seemed everyone is becoming more well versed in the political realm.

Gabriela Hasbun, editorial photographer, lives in San Francisco; marched in San Francisco: The world doesnt need more of the same kind of person. It needs authentic, real people, who can be honest and humble. My struggle at the moment is facing angry women who support Trump, who think they can change my mind. Well, I dont want you to try and change my mind. All I want you to do is listen to what I have to say. Hear me out. Dont get all angry. On a personal level, I want to be way more supportive of all my lady friends. Women think they can do everything well, and I hate to break it to you, but no, its not possible to do it all and be happy. I need to do something to help this country get out of the hot mess its in. Thanks for the reminder.

Anne Devereux-Mills, founder, Parlay House, lives in San Francisco; marched in San Francisco: I think the media believed it was going to be a disappointment. A non-issue. They under-accounted for the power behind #MeToo and Times Up. They discounted our anger about the ongoing sexual violence and aggression. They thought that the ongoing disparity in pay for women at all levels of employment was old news. They assumed that the powerful stories from women coming out of Hollywood, coming out of business and coming out of politics would die down. They were wrong. We are just getting started.

Sherri McMullen, founder, McMullen boutique, Oakland; marched in San Francisco: Since becoming a mother, the realities of the world in which we live have become amplified. I think about keeping my son safe. I am certainly more aware, more informed, more vocal, and I will instill in my son the passion for activism. The school shooting that occurred in Florida hit me in a way that I hadnt felt before because I am a mother. It shook me to my core. I get emotional thinking about the lives that were lost and the parents of those young children. No parent should have to worry about sending their child to school. As a black woman, I have felt marginalized and have questioned whether racial bias was a factor. We cannot accept anything less than what we deserve. Its important to feel comfortable speaking up about things that just dont sit right with us. We always have a voice and cannot be afraid to use it.

K.M. Soehnlein, writer, lives in San Francisco; marched in San Francisco: My favorite sign at the march was Anything you can do, I can do bleeding. Women dont need my advice. They are strong, competent and compassionate. Im here to listen. Men have messed things up for long enough. In terms of dialogue, we all have to get outside of our social media bubbles, look up from our devices and meet face to face. A lot happens when bodies occupy space together. That can be house parties, postcard writing meetups, community forums. Go somewhere and listen to someone not like you. Roll up your sleeves and do something concrete. Its not that hard once you start.

Cynthia Gutierrez, community educator, lives in Oakland, marched in Oakland: I understand why some folks of color arent drawn to this particular march. There has been an aura of white feminism that doesnt feel intersectional. There has been a call out for white folks who attend the Womens March. Will they attend the next Black Lives Matter rally? Will they stand beside immigrants as they are being forced out of this country through DACA actions? Will they protest the injustices in the Muslim community? Will they speak out against injustices for our LGBTQ community, especially trans black women who are murdered at even higher rates? Women of color have been finding ways of surviving these oppressive systems for generations. We are resilient. Even in our strength, now more than ever we need to prioritize our collective healing. We need to find ways to find joy, rest, love one another.

Josephine Leung, product manager, Burlingame; marched in S.F.: I put a limit on how many articles I read daily or weekly, whether they are stories about sexual violence or the Russia investigation or any of the attendant (crap) coming out of the Trump Administration. Ive learned that reading these articles doesnt give me any new perspective or make me feel any better. It makes me more tired, upset, and angry. To survive this fraught political climate, you need compassion and energy, and thats hard if you can barely make it through the day after reading about yet another predator whose abusive behavior and actions were covered up for decades by powerful institutions.

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Aimee Allison, president, Democracy in Color, Oakland; spoke at S.F. march: I want to drive a national conversation about the critical role women of color play in winning midterms and a broad based social justice agenda so many of us are working toward. I am calling women of color fully in their fierce and loving leadership and collective power, and inspiring women and men of all races to invest in women of color leadership sorely needed in these times. We are the architects of a new political and cultural era in America, and it is led by women of color  in particular black women. If we want to win our country back, we must recognize that black women are the highest voter turnout group in America, and that along with (other) women of color, they are the powerful.

Angela McKee, director of innovation and strategy, lives in Oakland; marched in Oakland: Im kind to my neighbors that I pass on the street. I spend my money more strategically and in line with my political beliefs. I take vacations to sites that support equity and human rights. I give generously to any homeless black woman. I donate to orgs that are focused on womens health, the environment, youth education, the arts, and food justice. I work for a nonprofit focused on large-scale systems change and food justice. I refuse to remain quiet. Im also reading a ton of books by social justice leaders in order to deepen my education and awareness.

Jan Newberry, editorial director; lives in Oakland; marched in Oakland: I think most of the women I know are doing a great job of navigating these times. Among my friends, this is a constant conversation. It is overwhelming, but we have each others back. I feel like my community of women is stronger than ever. (That said), I dont feel like Im doing enough. Im hoping to find an action, a cause to commit to on a regular basis, and I havent and that feels like a failing on my part.Fernando Antonio/Associated Press

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras  Honduran authorities have arrested an executive with a dam development company in the 2016 killing of indigenous and environmental activist Berta Caceres, a crime that sparked an international outcry.

Roberto David Castillo Mejia, who at the time of the slaying was executive president of the company Desarrollos Energeticos SA, or DESA, was detained Friday at an airport in San Pedro Sula as he was about to fly to Houston, said Jorge Galindo, a spokesman for the prosecutors office.ALBANY  Jon Romano was 16 years old when he brought a pump-action shotgun to Columbia High School in East Greenbush.

Just days after that 2004 incident was the subject of a recent Times Union column, Romano made an urgent plea for changes that would reduce gun violence in a letter from prison.

Romano wrote to Times Union Executive Editor Rex Smith in response to Chris Churchills Feb. 21 column, which featured an interview with retired Columbia principal John Sawchuk, who tackled Romano and disarmed him before anyone at the school was killed.

John Sawchuk is a hero who I owe my life to, Romano said in a neatly handwritten letter from Coxsackie Correctional Facility. I know whenever another horrible shooting happens, he and all of my victims are hurt all over again from what I did to them. I want to take away their pain but knowing that I cannot, I want to prevent others from experiencing this pain.

The letter also praised the students at Parkland, Fla., who have become gun control activists in the wake of the Feb. 14 mass shooting that killed 14 students and three faculty members.

"I believe the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland are courageous and inspiring for demanding action from politicians," Romano wrote. "Everyone nationwide should accept nothing less than meaningful, life-saving policy changes from their politicians."

Columbia went into lockdown around 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 9, 2004, after Romano began firing shots. The school's 1,400 students huddled on classroom floors, some making cellphone calls to their parents. Romano shot a teacher in the leg as he was being subdued by Sawchuk, but no one else was seriously hurt.

Churchill's column posed the question of what might have happened if Romano had been armed with a weapon like an AR-15 assault-style rifle, which was used by Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, 19.

"I think a lot of people would have been dead," Sawchuk said.

Romano, who was convicted of attempted murder and reckless endangerment, will be eligible for parole in March 2021. In his letter, he says he intends "to advocate for gun safety and mental health reform" after his release.

While Romano's letter is not specific about policy changes, the Parkland massacre has revived debate about whether weapons such as the AR-15 should be banned. The same weapon was used during the December 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where 27 were killed, mostly children.

Parkland's student activists are calling on politicians to reject donations from the National Rifle Association. They proposed raising the age requirement to 21 for buying guns and a ban on sales to convicted domestic violence abusers. And they are asking Congress to pass legislation making background checks more efficient.

Here is the full text of Romanos letter:

Feb. 24, 2018

Dear Mr. Rex Smith, Vice President and Editor,

I wanted to respond to the column written by Mr. Chris Churchill on Feb. 21st. First, John Sawchuk is a hero who I owe my life to. I know that every time another horrible shooting happens, he and all of my victims are hurt all over again by what I did to them. I want to take away their pain, but knowing I cannot, I want to prevent others from experiencing this pain. I have taken the steps toward this that I can do from prison, and I intend to advocate for gun safety and mental health reform after my release in 2021.

Also, I believe the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL are courageous and inspiring for speaking out and demanding action from politicians. Everyone nationwide should follow and accept nothing less than meaningful, life-saving policy changes from their representatives. Only then could this generation be the last generation that lives in a nation plagued by gun violence.

Jon Romano

Coxsackie Correctional Facility

Coxsackie, NYMESA, ARIZ.  With the rest of Oaklands pitching staff struggling, the As best starter through the first week and a half of the spring is No. 1 prospect A.J. Puk.

The 6-foot-7 left-hander turned in another strong outing Saturday in Oaklands 10-4 loss to San Diego, and manager Bob Melvin said Puks fastball registered 97 mph; according to scouts who were at Puks appearance last Sunday, he was throwing 90-93 mph his first time out.

The only run Puk allowed Saturday was unearned, thanks to a passed ball by Bruce Maxwell. Hes been really impressive, Melvin said. Hes the one guy whos been putting up zeros for us.

The As are unlikely to bring Puk up before June; he has not pitched above the Double-A level. With a lackluster competition so far for the final three spots in the rotation, though, Puk will be a major temptation if he continues to dominate Cactus League competition; opponents are 1 for 16 against him and he has allowed one hit and a walk while striking out four.

Kendall Graveman is assured a rotation spot  hes the projected Opening Day starter  but Saturday he allowed four hits, two walks and four runs.

Graveman usually throws the day before every start, but he said with an off-day Thursday, hed experimented with not throwing at all, knowing that there are five extra days off built into the regular season this year.

I wanted to see how that worked out, he said. But for me, personally, Im going to need to throw on those off-days. Thats just an overall feel thing, its not an excuse.

Chapman back Sunday: Matt Chapman, who missed the first week and half of the spring with right hand soreness, will make his Cactus League debut Sunday against the Padres in Peoria, Melvin said.

The third baseman took batting practice with the team, and afterward, he said, Playing manana, rumor has it. Chapman had a cortisone shot for a bruised sesamoid bone on Feb. 22.

Briefly: Reliever Ryan Dull, who has not thrown in a week because of shoulder tightness, will play catch Sunday. He is unlikely to appear in a game until mid-to-late March. ... Jorge Mateo, the promising shortstop/center fielder obtained in the Sonny Gray deal with the Yankees, ran the bases and he said everything went well. He could be cleared to play in a game within the next day or two after being held out with a left knee ligament strain. ... Minor-league starter Logan Shore no longer has any trapezius discomfort, Melvin said, but there is no date set for him to resume throwing.

Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.

Padres 10, As 4

Notable: Stephen Piscotty hit his first homer of the spring, a two-run shot in the second. ... Bruce Maxwell hit a solo homer in the third. ... Reliever Bobby Wahl, who is coming back from thoracic-outlet surgery, gave up two runs and his spring ERA stands at 20.25. .. Marcus Semien is batting .429 this spring, and DH Brandon Moss, who has an uphill battle trying to win a roster spot, is hitting .400; Moss singled and walked twice Saturday.

Quotable: Its now. ... Were going to better, theres no doubt in my mind. ... Weve got to turn the corner, weve got to pitch, weve got to get outs. No more messing around with new things.

 Graveman on how soon the As need to address their pitching woes; the team ERA is at 7.83.

Sunday: at Padres, 12:05 p.m. Radio: 95.7 FM

 Susan SlusserIt may not have reached Wal-Mart proportions, but a labor battle is brewing in labor-friendly Berkeley, presided over by a giant inflatable rat.

Mechanics and other striking service workers have been picketing Berkeley Honda on Shattuck Avenue downtown since June 15, claiming the new owners of the former Jim Doten Honda are trying to bust their union.

The new owners, Blackhawk developer Stephen Beinke and his son, Tim Beinke, required all Doten employees to reapply for their jobs when they took over June 1. When they didn't offer jobs to about half of the service staff --

instead hiring lower-paid, recent technical school graduates -- the remaining union workers walked off the job.

"This is a plot to bust the union," Nat Courtney, 50, a mechanic and union shop steward who was not rehired despite 31 years at the dealership, said Thursday. "It was a blow. I never figured, based on what I've produced here, that someone would have the nerve to replace me with a trainee. I think it's shameful."

Union members claim business is off by two-thirds as a result of the strike, although General Manager Steve Haworth -- who countered with a "strike sale" sign -- said it was largely business as usual. One customer who has not taken her Civic in for service is Judy Shelton of Berkeley, who instead has joined the picket line.

"I don't think 10 years ago they would have dared to do something like this in Berkeley," said Shelton. "There's no reason all of these guys couldn't have been rehired, except some bottom line that was more important to them than human beings."

Haworth denied that the new management wanted to get rid of the unions, the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers Local 1546 and Teamsters Local 78. He said management had no obligation to hire any former employees but made sure it kept a workforce with a majority of union members -- obliging it to negotiate with the unions -- "knowing the demographics of the town."

But management determined that 75 to 80 percent of repairs were minor and could be done by lower-level employees who cost less, he said.

"You can't have heart surgeons doing physical examinations 80 percent of the time," Haworth said.

Haworth said he had rehired 15 of 24 employees. The machinists' union, which has filed an unfair labor practices charge, says it was 12 of 25. Their concern is that if new hires don't join, a majority could call to decertify the union. Service workers at about half of Bay Area auto dealerships are unionized, they said.

John McGlinchy, a nine-year veteran, said he had walked off the job despite being rehired.

"We feared we're training our replacements," said McGlinchy, 43.

Haworth said the new management was offering employees a better deal, with raises and a 401(k) plan instead of their pensions. But workers said they didn't want to lose their pensions, which guarantee payments after retirement and are transferable to spouses.

Haworth called the strike premature, saying the two sides had yet to start negotiating a new contract. The first bargaining session is set for Monday. The unions say management has been stalling.

The strikers' giant rat and picket signs have been eliciting honks of support, and some customers have turned their cars around when they've learned of the dispute. But others pulled into the garage anyway Thursday.

Tom Clark, a psychotherapist who works across the street from the dealership and whose wife bought her car there, doesn't plan to do business there.

"The citizens of Berkeley would never tolerate a Wal-Mart in our city limits; and, for the same reasons that we would oppose the presence of a giant corporate business hostile to labor, we have no use -- even on a small scale -- for a business that fires longtime employees in order to increase profits, " he wrote in a letter to the new owners.

Oakland resident Bruce Mangan, whose Accord was towed to the dealership Thursday, stopped afterward to talk with the strikers, telling them he felt guilty.

"In Berkeley, of all places, you don't want a bad labor relations odor," he said.A Silicon Valley Air National Guard unit Saturday rescued a seriously ill man from a Panamanian container ship, which was traveling across the Pacific Ocean more than 1,000 miles west of the Bay Area.

Rescue crews described the man as 54-year-old Croatian, but did not say what he was doing on board the ship or offer other identifying details. The man was hoisted onto a helicopter at 12:30 p.m. and later delivered to San Jose Regional Medical Center.BOSTON  From Virginia to Massachusetts, about 1 million people remained without power Sunday, two days after a destructive noreaster, leaving some unsure when they could return home and schools unsure if they would open Monday morning.

Skies were clear Sunday over much off the Northeast hit by the storm, which was blamed for nine deaths, including two children struck by trees. But many communities faced major challenges restoring power and cleaning up debris.

In Scituate, Mass., a hard-hit coastal town near Boston, heavy construction vehicles worked to clear away several feet of sand that covered roads near Peggotty Beach. Town officials planned to deploy a drone to help assess coastal damage.

Farther north, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker inspected storm damage in other battered coastal communities. While perched on a sea wall in Gloucester  something officials have urged people not to do  the Republican got soaked by a strong wave, WBZ-AM reported.

People should not stand on sea walls, correct, Baker said sheepishly. However, I did want to get a look at what things were like on the other side, which I did get a look at before I got hit by the wave.

On Sunday, major blackouts still affected people in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland.

In New Jersey, officials said some areas might not have their electricity restored until Tuesday or Wednesday. Among those affected was John Thompson, of Morris Township, whose family has been staying with in-laws.

We have two young girls, so staying in a home without electricity wasnt an option, Thompson said Sunday. I know (the utility crews) are working as hard and fast as they can, but its still frustrating that its taking so long.

In the Philadelphia suburbs, the Lower Merion School District said one high school and one elementary school remained without power and would not open Monday unless it was restored. At one of its high schools with power, the district invited residents to charge their phones and take hot showers.

Dress warmly, Superintendent Robert Copeland advised. Many of our buildings have been without power for several days and it will take time for them to warm up.

New Hampshire was spared extensive power failures, but its short stretch of coastline was littered with debris.

We saw some of the worst coastal flooding since the perfect storm back in 1991, said David Cropper, owner of the Cinnamon Rainbows surf shop in Hampton.

The Coast Guard warned of navigation hazards off Oregon Inlet in North Carolinas Outer Banks after high winds and heavy seas swept about 70 containers off the cargo ship Maersk Shanghai late Saturday. The Liberian-registered ship had departed from Norfolk, Va., earlier in the day.MINNEAPOLIS  Fifteen students in one Florida school district are facing felony charges and prison time for allegedly making threats since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre. Meanwhile, an autistic Minnesota high school student whose alleged threat led to a six-hour lockdown is in juvenile court and has received an outpouring of sympathy.

The Feb. 14 killings of 17 people in Parkland, Fla., have ignited a wave of copycat threats, as happens after nearly every high-profile school shooting. Most prove unfounded, but cause big disruptions to schools while tying up police for hours or even days.

Experts say authorities swift responses are underscoring a climate in which even idle threats will result in serious consequences.

Kids make bad decisions, and I think that in decades past those decisions would have been addressed behind closed doors with the principal and parents, said Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services in Cleveland. Now theyre being addressed behind closed doors in the police station and the courtroom.

The Volusia County Schools system in Florida isnt taking chances. Sheriff Michael Chitwood made it clear he had a zero-tolerance policy as threats began after Parkland. On Thursday, he went further, saying students or their families would have to pay the costs of investigations  at least $1,000 and sometimes much more.

District spokeswoman Nancy Wait said the message is clear: Were not joking around.

We started seeing more students making threats in the classroom, and that was frightening to their classmates, she said. Most of the time these students didnt have access to weapons, but they were still making threats to shoot up their schools.

Don Bridges, president of the National Association of School Resource Officers and a veteran of 16 years on duty at Franklin High School in suburban Baltimore, said the number of threats goes down when districts send a strong message that they wont be tolerated.

The Educators School Safety Network, which tracks reports of school threats and violent incidents across the country, has documented a spike since Parkland. The Ohio group counted 797 as of Sunday. That amounts to about a sevenfold increase in the usual rate, director of programs Amy Klinger said.WASHINGTON  President Trumps administration appears unbowed by broad domestic and international criticism of his planned import tariffs on steel and aluminum, saying Sunday that the president is not planning on exempting any countries from the stiff duties.

Speaking on CNN, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said: At this point in time theres no country exclusions.

Trumps announcement Thursday that he would impose tariffs of 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively, on imported steel and aluminum roiled markets rankled allies and raised prospects for a trade war. While his rhetoric has been focused on China, the duties will also cover significant imports from Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and the European Union.

The Pentagon had recommended that Trump pursue only targeted tariffs, so as not to upset American partners abroad. But Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Sunday that was not the direction the president would take.

Hes talking about a fairly broad brush, Ross told ABC News. He rejected threats of retaliation from American allies as pretty trivial.

Few issues blur the lines of partisanship in Trump-era Washington, but trade is one of them. Labor unions and liberal Democrats are in the unusual position of applauding Trumps approach, while Republicans business groups are warning of dire consequences.

Trade politics often cut along regional, rather than ideological, lines, as politicians reflect the interests of their hometown industries. But rarely does a debate open so wide a rift between a president and his party  leaving him almost exclusively with support from his ideological opposites.

Good, finally, said Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat as he cheered Trumps move. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, a Democrat who has called for Trump to resign, agreed.

Trumps campaign criticism of trade agreements and Chinas trade policies found support with working-class Americans whose wages had stagnated. Victories in steel-producing states like Ohio and Pennsylvania demonstrated that his tough trade talk had a receptive audience.

But Trumps GOP allies on Capitol Hill have little use for the tariff approach. They argue that other industries that rely on steel and aluminum products will suffer.Richard Weinstein, an architect who helped redefine urban planning in New York and Los Angeles by coupling private profit with public benefit to make cities more livable, died Feb. 24 in Santa Monica. He was 85.

The cause was complications of Parkinsons disease, his son Nikolas said.

Recruited to New York City government in the late 1960s by the administration of Mayor John Lindsay, Weinstein joined several like-minded young colleagues in a new Urban Design Group within the Department of City Planning.

Their goal was to tailor zoning regulations to a neighborhoods unique form, function and features rather than impose generic rules by rote.

We are trying to make development responsive to some human purpose, he told the New York Times in 1973.

Working largely backstage, Weinstein was instrumental in the creation of special zoning districts that retained the character of the theater district and the area around the new Lincoln Center performing arts complex.

He also played major roles in the preservation of the U.S. Custom House in lower Manhattan and what became the South Street Seaport.

In the 1970s, he helped negotiate the development of Battery Park City on landfill from the construction site of the World Trade Center. He also conceived a plan for selling air rights over the Museum of Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan to a private developer to subsidize the museums expansion. The developer built a residential high-rise next door.

Weinstein moved to California in 1985 and became dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at UCLA. He held that post until 1995 and was a professor emeritus until 2008.

As dean, he incorporated computer technology and robotics into the curriculum. He also helped select designs for the Walt Disney Concert Hall  Frank Gehrys was chosen  and the new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, designed by Jose Rafael Moneo.

He was certainly a champion of creating humanity and urbanity, Gehry said in a telephone interview Thursday.

Samuel Richard Weinstein (he was named after his grandfather, an immigrant from Belarus, but apparently switched his first and middle names) was born Nov. 30, 1932, in Manhattan to Herman and Lillian Weinstein. His father was in the garment business.

After graduating from the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, he earned a bachelors degree in experimental psychology from Brown University and a masters in clinical psychology from Columbia.

While administering psychological exams at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, Weinstein was captivated by several houses in the capital area designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. He began taking correspondence courses in architecture.

He later enrolled in an architecture program at Harvard but found it stifling and transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a masters degree in architecture in 1960.

In 1961, he won the Prix de Rome for architecture, and he later worked for the architectural firms of I.M. Pei and Edward Larabee Barnes.

Weinstein joined the city government after campaigning for Lindsay in his successful run for mayor in 1965. His new colleagues included visionaries like Donald H. Elliott, who became the chairman of the City Planning Commission, and Jaquelin T. Robertson, Jonathan Barnett and Myles Weintraub, who, along with Weinstein, became founding members of the Urban Design Group.

As director of the Office of Planning and Development for Lower Manhattan from 1968 to 1974, Weinstein persuaded David Rockefeller and other downtown bankers to buy air rights that preserved the buildings that later formed the South Street Seaport, now a popular tourist attraction.

His work in creating special zoning for the Lincoln Square neighborhood around Lincoln Center and the theater district helped preserve and promote their unique cultural characteristics and encouraged the construction of more theaters.

In New York, while everyone watches politicians playing politics as usual, the planners and lawmakers are making a new kind of city possible through a new kind of zoning, Ada Louise Huxtable, the architecture critic for the Times, wrote in 1971.

In a 1994 interview with the Museum of Modern Art, Weinstein explained what that new kind of zoning demanded when a developer wanted to build beyond what regulations allowed.

We completely stopped the practice of granting variances to developers in exchange for increased taxes to the city, he said, and took the position that public benefits had to be identified as flowing from the variance.

For example, he said, in the theater district, if a developer wanted to build a building, he had to build a theater in it if he wanted the variance.

As a result of that policy, he added, four theaters were built: the Minskoff, the Uris, the Circle in the Square and the American Place Theater  two experimental theaters and two Broadway theaters.

When Cass Gilberts Beaux Arts custom house (later renamed the Alexander Hamilton Custom House) was about to be carved into courtrooms for federal judges, Weinstein collaborated with Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan and others to preserve much of the buildings historic character, including its 1930s murals by Reginald Marsh. He later helped relocate the Museum of the American Indian there from Upper Manhattan.

He was also a consultant to the National Park Services Gateway National Recreation Area in New York Harbor.

Weinstein is survived by his wife, the former Edina Mommaerts; sons, Nikolas and Alexandr, from his first marriage, to Sandra Cohen; and two granddaughters.

If his influence was enduring, it was also eclectic.

When Weinstein learned that the citys Department of Transportation was about to apply a new coat of olive green paint to the Brooklyn Bridge in the early 1970s, he checked with the Smithsonian Institution to determine the bridges original color, from 1883.

It was tan and silver.

The city has applied that two-tone pattern to the bridge ever since.SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

San Francisco police patrolling the city's Tenderloin neighborhood Saturday arrested a fugitive for allegedly possessing narcotics, police said.

On Saturday morning officers arrested the suspect in the 600 block of Eddy Street for allegedly possessing 142 bindles of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, police said.

Further details about the crime or the suspect were not immediately available.

###SAN MATEO (BCN)

One K-9 officer and a number of human officers sniffed out a miscreant hiding in a dumpster in San Mateo after he and an accomplice allegedly burgled a business Thursday, police said.

Kethen Hubbard, 36,of San Francisco, was arrested and booked into San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of commercial burglary, possession of stolen property and related offenses, according to police.

His alleged accomplice, Kayla Mitchell, 34, also of San Francisco, was arrested and booked on suspicion of commercial burglary and associated crimes, police said.

The case began when a business owner got an alarm notification, checked out his surveillance camera and spotted the burglars at work inside his business around 8:30 p.m., according to police.

Officers responded to the burglary in progress at the business complex at 1810 Gateway Drive, police said.

They approached a car with two passengers in the parking lot, but the car zoomed away, police said.

Within minutes, the car slammed into a raised parking median and the driver leaped out and sprinted across the parking lot, across state Highway 92 and behind the Bridgepointe Shopping Center, police said.

Zigi, the police department's intrepid K-9 officer, found Hubbard in the dumpster, police said, and the human officers arrested him.

Inside the car, officers found Mitchell, along with an assortment of stolen property from the business complex and burglary tools, according to police.The California Air National Guard unit in Silicon Valley rescued a man today from a Panamanian container ship 675 nautical miles off the coast of California, military officials said.

The guard's 129th Rescue Wing returned to Silicon Valley at about 4:30 p.m. and transferred the patient, a 54-year-old Croatian man, to San Jose Regional Medical Center.OAKLAND (BCN)

The Oakland Unified School District has secured a $1.8 million grant to support refugee, asylee and newcomer students.

California will give OUSD $611,840 this school year - the second highest grant the state is awarding - according to OUSD. The total grant will be distributed evenly over the next two years.

OUSD will use the funds to hire bilingual counselors, connect students with career training, and streamline the processing of foreign transcripts and transfers.

Schools will arrange mentoring programs and work with community organizations to combat neighborhood safety issues for students.

The California Newcomer Education and Well-Being Project guides students to succeed academically and socially, according to OUSD.

"Newcomers can face daunting obstacles when they arrive in our district and this grant will allow us to tear down those barriers making the students' transition into life in Oakland significantly easier, allowing them to focus more of their attention on education," OUSD superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammel said in a statement.

###SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

San Francisco police said Saturday night that they arrested a man for allegedly possessing a stolen rifle.

At about 9:30 p.m., police patrolling the city's Tenderloin neighborhood announced on social media that they arrested the 22-year-old man who was armed with a rifle in the 1100 block of Market Street.

The suspect was on probation for a prior firearm conviction outside of San Francisco, police said.

Police did not provide the suspect's name or booking photo. Further details about the arrest were not immediately available.

###A Discovery Bay man died following a solo major injury crash Thursday night in unincorporated Contra Costa County near his hometown, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The crash was reported to the CHP at about 10 p.m. on state Highway 4 just east of Byron Highway.

When officers and emergency personnel arrived they discovered a 2016 Ford Focus had veered off the highway and crashed into a tree, CHP officials said.

The driver was unresponsive even after life-saving efforts and he was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek in life-threatening condition.

He died Friday.

CHP officials are not sure whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. The crash is under investigation.

Police in San Jose have arrested a 12-year-old in connection with sending threatening text messages directed toward a middle school and several students.

The 12-year-old was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats, according to the San Jose Police Department.

On Thursday at 5 p.m., police received a call from Sylvandale Middle School students about threatening text messages they received.

Police said the text messages made direct threats to kill the victims and "shoot up" the middle school.

Investigators determined a 12-year-old Sylvandale Middle School student was responsible for the text messages.

The student was arrested and book into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall.

A Walnut Creek man was arrested after he allegedly rammed three police patrol cars late Friday night in Concord, police said.

Joseph Cormier, 63, was stopped by police at 11:30 p.m. at Concord Boulevard and Clayton Way for an alleged vehicle code violation.

Cormier was driving a van.

Police said during the stop Cormier allegedly rammed a patrol car and disabled it.

Police allege Cormier drove away and another officer started chasing him when he allegedly rammed two more patrol cars.

Police said those two cars also were disabled so police put out a "Be on the lookout" alert to neighboring agencies and someone spotted the van on a freeway.

Officers tried to stop Cormier but he allegedly sped away. Cormier returned to Concord where he pulled over and was arrested.

The officers involved in the crashes suffered minor injuries but did not need to go to a hospital, Sgt. Kyle Colvin said.

Police said they arrested Cormier on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and evading police.

Two people were injured and four displaced by a fire at a Newark home Saturday afternoon, Alameda County Fire Department officials said.

Firefighters responded at 2:30 p.m. to a house fire in the 35900 block of Anjou Place.

Firefighters kept the one-alarm fire to the structure of origin.

Two occupants of the home were treated for minor injuries and released. No one else was injured, according to fire officials.

Cherry Street between Mirabeau Drive and Rochelle Avenue was closed because of the fire, but as of 7:41 p.m., Cherry Street had reopened.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The California Air National Guard unit in Silicon Valley rescued a man Saturday from a Panamanian container ship 675 nautical miles off the coast of California, military officials said.

The guard's 129th Rescue Wing returned to Silicon Valley at about 4:30 p.m. and transferred the patient, a 54-year-old Croatian man, to San Jose Regional Medical Center.

The man was suffering from a life-threatening illness. National Guard spokesman Capt. Roderick Bersamina said the man was stable on the flight to California as a Guardian Angel pararescue team cared for him.

The container ship MSC FLAVIA was more than 1,000 miles west of the San Francisco Bay Area when the women and men of the guard accepted the assignment.

Since 1977, the 129th Rescue Wing has saved 1,134 lives.

Third Baptist Church of San Francisco will officially become a historical landmark this afternoon, church officials said.

Founded in 1852 as The First Colored Baptist Church of San Francisco, Third Baptist will become Landmark No. 275 at about 12:30 p.m.

The church is located at 1399 McAllister St.

Third Baptist Church has been a flagship church in San Francisco's black community and has played a significant role in advancing the lives of the city's black residents.

The church is also associated with the civil rights leader Rev. Frederick Douglas Haynes Sr. who led Third Baptist Church from 1932 to 1971.

Third Baptist was the first black Baptist congregation to be formed west of the Rocky Mountains and was the only black Baptist church in the city until the mid 1940s.

The Rev. Amos C. Brown is currently pastor.

A Salinas man found guilty of multiple sexual assaults against a woman has been sentenced to seven life terms in prison, Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo announced Friday.

Jimmy Alexander was found guilty in November of multiple counts of sexual assault including rape, sodomy and oral copulation by force, prosecutors said. He was also convicted of kidnapping and robbery.

He was sentenced to 175 years to life in prison.

On April 15 and 16 of 2017, the victim was in the Chinatown area of Salinas when Alexander got into her car and ordered her to drive away, prosecutors said.

Alexander ordered her to drive to different locations and sexually assaulted her over an eight-hour period, prosecutors said.

The victim was eventually able to convince Alexander to get out of her car, and she was able to flee.

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Ken Yeager, the former president of the board of supervisors, said many of his constituents are alarmed by billboards advertising local gun shows.SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

A woman was killed when she was hit by a car at the Fifth Street on-ramp to eastbound Interstate Highway 80 early this morning, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

The woman was struck by one vehicle, and as her body lay in the roadway, she was struck by other vehicles whose drivers might not even know they hit her, according to CHP Officer Vu Williams.

The driver of the car that initially struck her remained at the scene and cooperated with officers, Williams said. The other drivers left, and may not have realized they hit the woman, according to Williams.

All lanes are now open on eastbound Interstate Highway 80 in San Francisco at the Fifth Street on-ramp, Williams confirmed. The lanes were closed and a Sig-alert issued around 5:50 a.m.

The lanes re-opened shortly after 8 a.m.

The Sig-aert has been cancelled, the CHP said.

###CONCORD (BCN)

A Walnut Creek man was arrested after he allegedly rammed three police patrol cars late Friday night in Concord, police said today.

Joseph Cormier, 63, was stopped by police at 11:30 p.m. at Concord Boulevard and Clayton Way for an alleged vehicle code violation.

Cormier was driving a van.

Police said during the stop Cormier allegedly rammed a patrol car and disabled it.

Police allege Cormier drove away and another officer started chasing him when he allegedly rammed two more patrol cars.

Police said those two cars also were disabled so police put out a "Be on the lookout" alert to neighboring agencies and someone spotted the van on a freeway.

Officers tried to stop Cormier but he allegedly sped away. Cormier returned to Concord where he pulled over and was arrested.

The officers involved in the crashes suffered minor injuries but did not need to go to a hospital, Sgt. Kyle Colvin said.

Police said they arrested Cormier on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and evading police.

###Shirley Contreras lives in Orcutt and writes for the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society. She can be contacted at 623-8193 or at shirleycontreras2@yahoo.com. Her book, The Good Years, a selection of stories shes written for the Santa Maria Times since 1991, is on sale at the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society, 616 S. Broadway.Lyft has been called "the woke alternative to Uber," a reputation the company apparently decided to embrace on Friday when it announced it would be offering free rides to people attending a prominent gun control rally later this month.

The rally in question, the March for Our Lives, was organized by students in the aftermath of the shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Valentine's Day. It is scheduled to take place on March 24 in cities around the country.BEIJING  President Xi Jinping is ready to seal a historic extension of power as Chinas legislators gather beginning Monday to approve changes that will allow him to rule indefinitely and undo decades of efforts to prevent a return to crushing dictatorship.

This years gathering of the ceremonial National Peoples Congress has been overshadowed by Xis surprise move  announced just a week ago  to end constitutional two-term limits on the presidency. The changes would allow Xi, already Chinas most powerful leader in decades, to extend his rule over the worlds second-largest economy possibly for life.

This is a critical moment in Chinas history, said Cheng Li, an expert on China politics at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

The move is widely seen as the culmination of the Xis efforts since being appointed leader of the ruling Communist Party in 2012 to concentrate power in his own hands and defy norms of collective leadership established over the past two decades. Xi, 64, has appointed himself to head bodies that oversee national security, finance, economic reform and other major initiatives, effectively sidelining the partys No. 2 figure, Premier Li Keqiang.

Once passed, the constitutional amendment would upend a system enacted by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982 to prevent a return to the bloody excesses of a lifelong dictatorship typified by Mao Zedongs chaotic 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution.

Passage of the proposed constitutional amendment by the congress nearly 3,000 hand-picked delegates is all but certain. But observers will be looking to see how many delegates abstain from voting as an indication of the reservations the move has encountered even within the political establishment.

On Sunday, Zhang Yesui, the legislatures spokesman, told reporters that the move is only aimed at bringing the office of the president in line with Xis other positions atop the party and the Central Military Commission, which do not impose term limits.

Chinese authorities have tightly controlled discussion about the move, scrubbing social media of critical and satirical comments. State media have been largely muted about the topic, but the official Peoples Daily sought to reassure the public by saying in a commentary that the move did not signal a return to lifelong rule.

Still, a number of prominent Chinese figures have publicly protested the move, despite the risk of official retaliation.

Li Datong, a former editor for the state-run China Youth Daily, wrote that lifting term limits would sow the seeds of chaos and urged Beijings lawmakers to exercise their power by rejecting the amendment.ISTANBUL  A man suspected of raping a sleeping 4-year-old girl during a wedding in southern Turkey narrowly escaped a neighborhood lynching attempt, sparking a public outcry and calls for the government to prevent and more severely punish child sexual abuse.

Among the heavier penalties the Turkish government is considering are life sentences, chemical castration and other deterrents, according to officials.

The attack reignited a national discourse about child abuse, with some public figures taking to social media to say Children keep quiet, you shouldnt and others petitioning parliament to sanction the death penalty. But Turkeys already hefty punishments have not put a dent in sex abuse and experts are urging more preventive measures.

According to media reports, the suspect in the February incident in Adana entered the childs house while a wedding was in full swing outside. A guest saw the man and child naked in a room and took a swing at him with a brick. Others beat him as he fled unclothed. Relatives of the girl tried to burn down his house with Molotov cocktails. The suspect was arrested.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, the number of child sexual abuse cases reported to law enforcement has risen from over 11,000 in 2014 to nearly 17,000 in 2016, but experts say many more cases are not reported.

Bahar Gokler, a psychiatrist who leads an association to prevent child abuse, said sexual abuse in Turkey mostly occurs within families and remains hidden due to the countrys traditional patriarchal society.

Poverty and deprivation are breeding grounds for sexual abuse, Gokler said, describing poor, isolated families living in tight quarters where its common for children and adults to sleep together.

But many sexual abuse cases in Turkey also occur in institutional settings. In 2016, 10 boys accused a teacher of sexually abusing them for years in a dormitory linked to a religious foundation in central Turkey. The perpetrator was sentenced to 508 years in prison. A janitor was also sentenced to 572 years in prison in January for sexually abusing 18 children in a southeastern religious school.

Children who do come forward have to relive the trauma repeatedly in police stations and courts when questioned by untrained, insensitive officials. Selmin Cansu Demir, a lawyer and childrens rights advocate, says victims often feel ostracized, labeled and are exhausted by court cases that take years.

To address this problem, Turkey has developed child-monitoring centers where trained officers interview a victim only once. But there are only 27 centers to serve Turkeys 23 million children.

Child advocates have been calling for better sex abuse prevention for years, but an extensive 2016 parliamentary report on it was shelved until the recent outcry over the 4-year-olds suspected rape. The Turkish government says it will work on prevention but has not specified how.BEIRUT  There have been many goodbyes in eastern Ghouta  more than 600 in the past two weeks. That is the estimated number of civilians killed in the Syrian militarys offensive to recapture the region adjacent to the capital Damascus, under opposition control for nearly six years.

There are even more screams  muffled cries that the world hardly hears, in part because violence in Syria has become so commonplace and cease-fires ignored.

Thousands have been huddling in basements and underground shelters across the sprawling eastern Ghouta region, hiding from the horror raining down from Syrian army jets that almost never leave the skies.

The Associated Press spoke to a number of residents living under the assault. They described damp, mostly unhygienic conditions in basements and tunnels where dozens or sometimes even hundreds in a single shelter spend hours and often days on end, in constant fear that the blasts outside could crush their refuge. They declined to share photos, fearing they would expose their locations to air strikes, which have targeted the underground shelters and tunnels.

A 30-year-old teacher and mother of a 22-month-old child recalled the first time hearing an earthshaking air strike above her shelter.

I froze. I was in shock and didnt know what to do. Do I run? Where to? Do I sit still? Where do I go? It was unbearable, she said. Like others the AP spoke to, she spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation if they survive the offensive.

She and others mostly expressed frustration at the worlds silence at yet another mass killing that will inevitably lead to the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of residents of eastern Ghouta, as has happened in similar assaults elsewhere in Syria.

Rebels in eastern Ghouta have survived years of attacks but now are succumbing to a tested military tactic of siege compounded with overwhelming bombardment. The Syrian government and its backer Russia appear determined to seize the region, adding it to the latest series of victories that have consolidated President Bashar Assads hold on power seven years into the conflict.

Proposed truces and cease-fires have failed to stop the war machine. The Syrian rebel groups have refused to surrender, vowing to fight to their last man, saying they are defending their homes.

The U.N. said 15,000 people have been driven from their homes in January, the majority staying in shelters and basements around Ghouta. Neemat Mohsen heads a local womens office in Saqba, a town in eastern Ghouta. She said in some shelters 350 or more people live with no running water and no electricity.Whether the ATAR system is discouraging hard work, why some of the top Australian students have declining results and whether families need to play a bigger role in education are some of the thorny questions a new high-profile group of education experts and industry leaders is hoping to answer.

The University of NSW's Gonski Institute for Education, which is led by former NSW education minister Adrian Piccoli and includes and Finland's Pasi Sahlberg, will hold its first advisory board meeting on Monday.

"One of the aspects that makes us a little bit different is that we'll use the best people from different faculties and take an interdisciplinary approach, because some of the problems we're dealing with are not just limited to schools," Mr Piccoli said.

A new high-profile education institute led by former NSW education minister Adrian Piccoli will meet for the first time on Monday. Credit:Kate Geraghty

"An element is what is happening in parenting because you can't land every problem at the feet of teachers alone."In some scenes he is a monster, but then in others he is this really sweet, intelligent man," says Macfadyen. "The idea of displaying emotion is one that is so buried in him. He embodies a particular kind of English masculinity. But when the emotion does come out, it truly breaks him."Towards the end of the story  and I will keep details vague for those who do not know the book  Wilcox reacts callously to the prospect of social scandal; it was those scenes that Macfadyen found particularly challenging to play. "For Henry, this was the equivalent of tabloid hell; his reputation was everything. It would have damaged his business, he would not have been able to go out to his restaurants and clubs. His children would have been dragged into it. In his world, it was a massive deal."

Any new adaptation of Howards End must contend with the formidable reputation of the 1992 Merchant Ivory film, which earned Emma Thompson an Oscar, playing Margaret Schlegel opposite Anthony Hopkins' Henry Wilcox. "I remember going down with my mum to Leicester Square to watch it when it first came out," says Macfadyen. "I was just about to start drama school and the film made a big impression on me."Hopkins played the role with a hard edge: his Wilcox is austere and harsh. Macfadyen makes the character more engaging, balancing his bullying and chauvinism with a kind of bluff raillery. "It's important that you have some sympathy for him," he says. "His confidence is what makes him attractive, certainly to Margaret."

While Macfadyen has a lot of respect for the Merchant Ivory adaptation, he says that on the set of the new series there was a deliberate decision to escape its shadow. "When we got together, Hettie MacDonald, the director, said that we were not going to remake the film. We wanted to bring a freshness to it. I think it also helped having a different format. You can tell the story very differently over four hour-long episodes than you can in one two-hour film."

Hopkins was in his 50s when he played Wilcox and, at first, Macfadyen worried that he wasn't old enough for the role. "I remember going into a meeting with the woman responsible for hair and make-up and asking her about what she was going to do to age me up. I suggested we use this stuff that you smear into the corners of your eyes to make them look all wrinkled. She said, 'no, you're OK'. So then I asked about whether I needed more grey in my hair and she had a look and said, 'Nope, I think there's enough grey here.' That was a bit of a wake-up call."

He performs his mortification with relish. He has an impish sense of fun which, he admits, can get away from him on set. "I get terrible giggles. It happened a lot when I was doing scenes with Hayley. Most actors are able to get it together pretty quickly, but sometimes I just can't recover. The more serious the scene, the more serious the actors get, the worse it is for me. And then if my role requires me to be buttoned-up I've got no chance."Never has a format so inherently unseemly started playing out so politely. Unless, perhaps, there's a The Bachelor: Minnesota that we don't know about. Some of the 23 women trying to woo handsome Kiwi movie-production type Jordan have taken to butting in on each other's private chats with the man, but none of their elbows seems terribly pointy. In fact, so short are we of stirrers that slightly pushy Persian Naz has no doubt secured herself roses for many weeks in advance simply by being prepared to talk a bit of crap about some of the others. The cruellest thing to happen tonight is perpetrated by Jordan himself. He takes sweet blonde hairdresser Sarah on a one-on-one date and makes her try wakeboarding for the first time. Long minutes of chilly embarrassment ensue for her before he gets to show off his own mad skills. Sheesh.

This Australian documentary, from the team behind Young Einstein, is ostensibly about the world of fine French wine, although after 15 minutes or so of beautifully cinematic vistas of Bordeaux vineyards and lovingly lit shots of red wine, the focus shifts to matters of economy. In the first decade of the 2000s, the price of Bordeaux  long associated with kings and emperors and tied to the shifting fortunes of global economies  rose by more than 1000 per cent. The reason? The rise and rise of the Chinese economy (although this may now have changed; the film is concerned with the years between 2009-2011), and the shift of prestige wine from old-world European snobbery to a vulgar status symbol, often too valuable to even be drunk, of Chinese wealth. Unless you're particularly interested in the very specific areas of high-end wine and Chinese economics, this two-hour film is  pun intended  somewhat dry.

Kylie Northover

movie The Bodyguard (1992)

7flix, 8.30pm

The best thing about a great film romance is that fans stay in love with it forever. A few seconds is enough to drag one back in and uplift the heart. Bodyguard Frank Farmer (Kevin Costner) protects clients from the evils of the world. He doesn't like to stay too long, though, because the big risk is not a killer's bullet but getting too close. And he does, with pop star Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston). Frank is a silent tough guy, sensitive and handsome, and always ready to pick up a club to protect his girl. He is also Kevin Costner at the height of his stardom. Costner and Houston could have been an awkward screen pairing  he a consummate actor, she noticeably unsure on debut  but they are superb together. The film may be clunky at times (notably, the awards-night set-piece), but Lawrence Kasdan's script inspires and caresses his actors. And when that plane stops, your heart will, too.

Scott MurrayWell, if nothing else, it should all liven up the next family gathering.

Bernie was somewhat less verbose in his response, branding Stunt "an idiot" and saying it was a shame to see the damage a prescription drug addiction could do: "James was a nice man when he got married."

Just for good measure, he added that his reputation had been affected by his seven-year association with the Ecclestone family, claiming he "lost his public standing" by marrying "a C-list celebrity's daughter".

Millionaire British businessman James Stunt didn't mince his words when discussing his former father-in-law, Bernie Ecclestone, in his first interview since divorcing the F1 motor-racing supremo's daughter Petra, charmingly dubbing Bernie and ex-wife Slavica "that dwarf" and "Lady Macbeth" respectively during a bridge-burning chat with Tatler magazine.

Was Bernie Ecclestone really a father-in-law from hell? Stunt hardly sounds ideal son-in-law material, himself. However, this unedifying saga has at least pushed an under-examined family dynamic into the spotlight.

Mothers-in-law have a whole genre of hackneyed jokes and fictional tropes in their honour, invariably depicting them as interfering battleaxes. In classic Seventies sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Leonard Rossiter's mid-life crisis commuter famously pictured his mother-in-law as a basking, blowing hippopotamus.

That's just one of the more polite portrayals. Yet somehow fathers-in-law have escaped similar stereotypes - which is strange, as this relationship can be just as fraught. Indeed, as a man, they are arguably the more protective parent, not to mention the one you traditionally ask for permission to propose. (One friend once found his request met with a loud guffaw and a: "No, I don't think so.")

The archetypal father-in-law never deems his daughter's suitors good enough, ie you're not a high-flying consultant surgeon, millionaire member of the aristocracy or dashing foreign prince, like he always imagined for his darling girl.

So how best to cope? In-laws are a fact of life for most of us, so you might as well do your best to get along. For the son-in-law, it's about understanding and compromise. Show an interest in his passions, while steering clear of hot-button topics. If he's hostile, stay relaxed, reasonable and keep trying. Keep in mind that it's not really you he dislikes - it's what you represent: change and the inexorable passing of time.The Australian government has been ordered to pay $35,001 to the alleged head of a Sydney-based Triad crime gang, know as the "Big Circle", after he was wrongly locked up in immigration detention.

It is the second time Qi Guang Guo, 60, has been compensated by the Commonwealth for wrongful imprisonment after he won $100,000 when he was illegally detained for 132 days between 2004 and 2005.

About 50 alleged gangsters, including this unidentified person, were arrested in this raid on a Chinese restaurant in 2002. Credit:Steve Lunam

However, the win has not saved Mr Guo from plans to deport him to his native China after his visa was cancelled on the grounds he was not of good character.

Mr Guo has been fighting a running battle with the authorities about his right to stay in Australia ever since his application for a permanent entry visa was denied in 1996 on the grounds police intelligence indicated he was involved in organised crime.A misunderstood disorder Ms Saunders was 18 when she first became unwell. It was 2011 and she was by herself in a foreign country, looking for some sort of control. "For me it wasn't a body image thing at all," she said. "It does get stigmatised as a vain disease ... but it's so far removed from that. I had incredibly low self esteem and it came down to - this is something I can control and succeed at. "A lot of it was punishment, you couldn't eat because you didn't deserve to eat." Her worried mother took her to the eating disorder program run by ACT Health, but she needed to be stabilised in hospital first.

She was admitted to hospital a further two times between day patient treatment stints - in 2012 and 2013 - before she eventually went to Sydney for in-patient treatment in 2014, which was not available in Canberra. Canberra University researcher and clinical psychologist Vivienne Lewis said eating disorders were often misunderstood not only by the broader community but medical professionals. "What you hear is a lot of professionals, unless they specialise in the area, they don't feel they are suitably qualified to help people," she said. "So that means as a consumer you're going to people who don't know much about what you're facing. It can take a long time to get to someone who knows what they are doing." Dr Lewis said better training of GPs and others was essential. "If you're doing medicine, psychology or training as a social worker, learning about eating disorders is generally a very, very brief part of training, if at all," she said.

"Most people would not know much unless they have a special interest." Butterfly Foundation chief executive Christine Morgan said decades of misunderstanding had led to significant under-investment in the illness. "We've made progress but it was coming off a very low starting point," she said. "We have had decades of no recognition of eating disorders being a serious illness. "That has translated into significant underinvestment for both primary health and state based care."

"There has not been training for health professionals about eating disorders. "That translates into a health system that does not have the capacity to recognise, diagnose and treat eating disorders effectively." She said eating disorders were increasingly not limited to certain demographics, with men and women affected across diverse ages and socioeconomic groups. Few options for intensive treatment Ms Saunders said when she was in hospital in Sydney, there were a number of other patients also from Canberra.

"While being in the hospital was absolutely what I needed, being so far from home I felt incredibly removed from my social group and I felt like an incredible burden on my family," she said. Dr Lewis said Canberra acute hospitals had no specialist beds available for adults, with any patients who were not adolescents forced to travel interstate for in-patient treatment. "It's an expensive process," she said. "It can be very isolating. The research tells us that part of mental health healing is that you need your friends and family around you. "If we did have a facility which meant people didn't have to travel it would be fantastic." Ms Morgan said while patients could be medically stabilised in a non-specialist bed, if re-feeding is needed it requires specialist psychiatric support.

"Optimally you would have eating disorder specific inpatient beds," she said. A spokeswoman for ACT Health said there were no plans to establish in-patient treatment or direct more funding to eating disorder programs. But there were a range of options in Canberra to provide support, including an eating disorder program and broader mental health services. "GPs, clients and families can also access eating disorder services through the private sector. There are a number of private practitioners with eating disorder experience who can be accessed through a mental health plan," she said. "In rare circumstances, where an admission to a specialist eating disorder inpatient facility is clinically indicated then, in consultation with the client and their families, ACT Health would liaise closely with interstate services to support treatment continuity.

"The ACT does have well established pathways to ensure that, in instances where further support is required, clients are referred onwards to relevant services in NSW and elsewhere ... "Between January 2016 and July 2017, three young people were transferred to Sydney for care." ACT Health said there was a four- to 10-week wait to be admitted to the eating disorder program depending on severity and capacity to access other services. Twenty nine people are in the program. Hope for the future Ms Saunders' six-month hospital stay was a catalyst for change.

She has been mostly stable since her discharge in May 2015 and confident her recovery is on track. "When I came back with my weight restored and realised my friends and family still accepted me it was quite a huge moment," she said. "I thought, maybe I do have something going for me." She said only after her intensive treatment was she able to make full use of the day programs available in Canberra. "I was able to focus on the more psychological aspects with my weight and eating patterns restored," she said.Canberra developer Michael Koundouris has settled a long-running legal stoush stemming from defects in the 32-apartment Manhattan building in Turner.

Residents said they had recently reached a settlement with Mr Koundouris to fix issues at the apartment, although could not comment further because the details were confidential.

A Canberra developer has reached a confidential settlement regarding repair work at the Manhattan apartments in Turner. Credit:Jerry Galea

In 2015, the ACT Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal identified a number of issues plaguing the building, such as significant cracks in the building's facade, and corrosion of steel beams holding-up a concrete slab above the basement car park.

Resident Ed Purrer, who is a former chair of the Manhattan building's body corporate, confirmed a confidential agreement had been made with Mr Koundouris and Access Canberra.Expecting her sixth baby, Liberal parliamentarian Giulia Jones thinks this time she might have met her match.

With the baby girl expected to be delivered early by caesarean in May and five other children aged 12 and under, Mrs Jones said this will be her last. The pregnancy is complicated, with a risk of bleeding, after Mrs Jones had caesarean births for her five previous children as a result of pre-eclampsia for her first two. Her risk of bleeding is such that this baby is likely to be delivered about five weeks early.

Giulia Jones with her youngest child, Maximus, 2 and now pregnant with her sixth: "Why should we give up being women and give up all our aspirations to have our job?" Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

But Mrs Jones, who has made the rights of women in the workplace one of her defining issues, is determined that the baby's birth and upbringing will be as natural a part of her life as a politician as the previous five.

The baby will be born a few weeks before New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Adern makes history with her birth, an event Mrs Jones celebrates.Bob Vinnicombe, Sefton Roger Corbett, the chair of Woolworths subsidiary ALH, says it's OK to have 12,000 pokies because they are legal. ("Woolworths edges away from poker machines", March 2). Using that moral compass I guess we should stay tuned for Woolies to start running brothels. A new revenue stream for the aptly named Australian Leisure and Hospitality! Stephen Judd, Roseville

Woolworths chairman Gordon Cairns' response to his company's despicable treatment of vulnerable poker machine addicts is a master class in corporate spin. First, make yourself the victim: "If the allegations are true, then we have let ourselves down." No mention of the real victims, whose money Woolworths now has! Second, use inappropriate analogies to explain your inaction: "I didn't see the GFC" and "I didn't see the oil price dropping". But, unlike these events, spying on your customers was under your control! And finally, if all else fails, shift the blame: "If Woolworths' majority-owned ALH Group was found to have acted improperly ..." In other words it wasn't my fault, it was this other company. I'll continue to shop at Coles until Woolworths dumps Cairns and ALH Group. Paul Ettema, Riverview

Pokies. That's why I don't pick Woolies. Keith Binns, Goulburn Could we please have common sense over poker machines. Everyone knows that you cannot win.

No one is forced to play. James Sutherland, Coomba 

Barnaby Joyce saga: time to turn away How much longer will this tacky "Barnaby Joyce et al" saga carry on ("Grey area"  Joyce raises paternity question", Sun-Herald, March 4)? It's appalling!. Are there further depths of "do we really need to know this" still to be reached? Could someone please tell these people that there are things that we don't want - or need - to know. Vivienne Potter, Gowrie (ACT) The implications of Joyce's latest claims are a veritable minefield, and none of anybody else's business. Why he has chosen to throw this into the public arena at this point in time is positively bizarre. Poor him, poor us, and poor Vikki Campion.



James Manche, Dulwich Hill

In the future some troll/bully will be able to show these headlines and articles about his paternity to Ms Campion's son. Poor innocent kid. All because of the public's so-called "right to know" and Mr Joyce's stupidity. Barbara Grant, Baulkham Hills Just go Barnaby. We are not interested in the tawdry details of your life, no matter how much you feel the need to report them to us. You have underlined how ill-fitted you were to the position of Deputy PM and now you have proved that you are only interested in the machinations of your own life choices, rather than in those of the people of New England.



Catherine Hoskin, Pennant Hills Speaking both as a lawyer of nearly four decades practice in relationships law, surely if in 1975 our democracy could enact a legislative cone of silence on people's marital break-ups in the Family Law Act, why this sudden change? Do we have to be like the UK or the USA? Do we have to describe intimate personal relationships as bonking? If there be sexual harassment, there are laws and these days plenty of strong support from both sexes to provide redress, although the recent outing of a complainant against Mr Joyce - who has denied the allegation - shows that legislation can always be improved. If Mr Joyce were a lothario, he wouldn't have committed his life to his new partner. Enough said.

If other elected representatives wish to have affairs, it is not my business and it is not the mandate of Parliament nor the press' responsibility to expose, expunge or punish consensual lovemaking. Those of you voyeurs who relish the detail or who delight in exposing or castigating it, can go and get bonked. Andrew Cohen, Potts Point So there was our Malcolm, all open-collared, casual and relaxed outside the Courthouse Hotel, bathing in the reflected glory and bonhomie of the gay community's celebration of sexual freedom and acceptance. Quite a contrast to the conservative, suited PM of a few days ago instituting a "bonking ban" between staffers and ministers on moral grounds. Hypocrisy anyone?



Robert Hickey, North Avoca Putting the sparkle in work-related expenses

Since politicians claim absolutely everything as a work-related expense, including travel to weddings and sporting events that just happen to coincide with 'parliamentary business', Julie Bishop should have plenty of money for a $40,000 pair of earrings ("The jewels, the designer and Liberal donor", Sun-Herald, March 4).

Ulrike Cliff, Coopers Gully When questioned about claiming travel expenses for her non partner/possible partner, Bishop gives the "stock" answer. "These are the rules .. and I comply with them". Time for the rules to be changed, so that they reflect what the rest of us are allowed.



Paul Parramore, Sawtell In times when our representatives sit in parliament in open neck shirts, clothes that could come from op shops, and use guttural language, which portray us as bogans, I have admired Bishop's care about her appearance. In any company, those who present well dressed will gain immediate respect, and we should be proud that our foreign minister cares to represent us to the world in the way she does. Envy is hardly a good platform. We have many readers overseas, watching us, and they must wonder about our culture. DArcy Hardy, North Turramurra

Well, we got same-sex marriage through Parliament. Perhaps we need to try another marriage category. 'Parliamentary Marriage'. You don't need the ceremony or the ring or the photos. Just have a relationship for the purpose of expense claims. Just tick or don't tick the 'PM' box, depending on the circumstances. That would make things a lot easier for the auditors. Referendum, anyone? Jenny Mooney, Karuah If "spouse" and "partner" are inaccurate descriptions, a broader category 'good catch' may remove the loophole.



Mustafa Erem, Terrigal No laurels for this PM John Truman (Letters, March 3-4) expresses his difficulty in remembering Malcolm Turnbull as he used to be. In sharing, to some extent, his understandable disappointment, I was reminded of the assessment which the Roman historian Tacitus made of the Emperor Galba. With a slight paraphrase it may appear somewhat relevant to the Prime Minister's current loss of popular support: "He seemed much greater than a private citizen while he still was a private citizen, and by (nearly) everyone's consent capable of ruling, if only he had not ruled."

Grahame Hackett, Bowral

More worthy needs It well may be your "policy" Ms Berejiklian, but it's our city and our finances and we say no. ("Berejiklian gives qualified support for stadium plan", March 3-4). Thanks for caring so much about the wealthy sporting clubs, the developers and the silvertails on the corporate boards, but us commoners really would prefer education, health, the environment, a myriad of desperate needs addressed in rural NSW ... there is a whole raft of other options that we'd rather throw our money at. How about a postal vote if you really don't believe us?



Melinda Jones, Rozelle Child protection It is always pleasing to see child protection discussed publicly unprompted by the tragic death of a child ("Reforms will help more families stay together", March 2). I just wish I held Jeremy Sammut's enthusiasm for the current reforms of the NSW Liberal government. The challenges faced by FACS are not due to a lack of intellect or effort. The department sits constantly on a wicked intractable problem; that children will unfortunately die and be abused. How many children unnecessarily die each year and the circumstances are questions that FACS cannot answer by looking inside itself. That is all of our responsibility.

Kathryn Freeman, Alexandria Hazing by another name I was briefly a resident of St John's College in 1961 when fresher bashing  isn't hazing such a spin doctor's word  was an inherent part of college life at the University of Sydney, as it seems it still is ("Labor to tackle college culture", March 1). I only stayed one term partly because I feared that if I stayed longer I would, in my self-defence, end up seriously injuring one of the bashers. Those principally responsible for the fresher bashing were the sophomores. Sophomore or not, I still remember one large bloke who was in the thick of it. I also remember one of the other John's freshers having to rush home one night with a severe asthma attack brought on by the fresher bashing. He was lucky that his family lived in Sydney. If things had got even worse, well there was always the hospital just across the road. I think it is all too cute of vice-chancellor Michael Spence to sound off now about this practice. His predecessors should have been well aware of the practice.

I am especially critical of the priests in charge of St John's who also must have known and apparently did nothing. The only thing that seemed to concern the priest in charge while I was there was whether you turned up for Mass on Sunday. Henry Haszler, Eltham (Vic) Phone block for cars While the 4 million cars are being fitted with new airbags, why not also fit them with a device that renders mobile phones inoperable while the car engine is running. That would account for 22 per cent of Australia's registered vehicles. Then install the same device in all new cars and require all other cars to have the device installed within 12 months. The cost of installation to be borne by the federal government. Dennis O'Brien, Longueville

Feeling drowsy? Anaesthetists want to change their name to anaesthesiologists ("Doctors seek name change to break haze", March 3-4) because they don't have "ologist" in their title. Apart from yet more Americanisation of the language and another 3 letters, why? I've worked with (and under) many of them and have very high regard for their training and skills, which do not need a name change to underline. What next, physicians wanting to be physiologists? Sorry, that is already taken. Lee Collins, Blackheath Quite a few normally articulate people can't pronounce "anaesthetist" let alone "anaesthesiologist", and then there is the problem of spelling it! Anne Ramsay, Kiama

Graham, your cultural colonialism is on the nose I had foolishly thought that the days of cultural colonialism were done and dusted. But Graham Tillotson's letter (March 3-4) tells us they are alive and kicking. Rule Britannia and pass the port! John Bulbert, Clovelly

Graham Tillotson obviously was not in town when the Australian Opera mounted Bliss, Madeleine Lee, Batavia, Lady Macbeth of Mtezensk, King Roger, The Dead City, Of Mice and Men and so on. The fact that The Nose is an import from the Royal Opera House seems to have escaped his attention, or are we being patronised? Peter Armstrong, Wahroonga 'Actress' is a winner It is Oscars time again, when social pages journos stop referring to actresses as "actors". We all know how silly it sounds, because the presence of "ess" denotes female and its absence denotes male but, at this time of year, female "actors" become actresses, as they should. The academy knows best, so obey the rules, even if only for one day a year.



Rod Stanton, Springwood What? Fab no more?Sheryl Sandberg's step-by-step guidebook became required reading for mid-career women hoping to succeed.

During pregnancy, two books came to take up permanent residency on my bedside table.

First, the obligatory What to expect when youre expecting, charting my foetus' progress from almond to eggplant size, and second, Sheryl Sandbergs manifesto for todays overachieving woman Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.

Published the year before I fell pregnant, the Sandberg tome had quickly become the step-by-step guidebook for mid-career women hoping to succeed.

Lean in, we were told. Dont sit back and wait for things to come to you. Seek out mentors. Climb the greasy pole. Overcome your reluctance to lead and put yourself forward for all manner of roles for which you dont feel qualified. Stop being so hesitant and evasive at work. Seize the day ladies; its yours for the taking!The SMH website re-design certainly got the attention of Column 8 readers  for all the wrong reasons. During five frustrating days of not being able to locate their beloved Granny on the website, the pedants of Column 8 rose up and let everyone know about their displeasure. The powers that be got the message loud and clear and a solution has been found. As of last Friday Column 8 now has its own entry on the side Menu, between Editorial and Obituaries. You can all give yourselves a pat on the back for a job well done.

Ian Campbell's fire truck (C8) is one thing, but it is an ambulance number plate that is really causing concern. Both Margaret McCredie of Chatswood and Martin Letherbarrow of Old Toongabbie wrote in with sightings of an ambulance with the number plate DNR, noting that DNR is medical shorthand for Do Not Resuscitate. However, as Martin accurately points out: "The NSW Ambulance Service do have more urgent matters to which they need attend to than their number plates."

So many three-word transistor (C8) contributions. Jeff Stanton of Strathfield offers "current modulating device", while Sam Mehendra of Castle Hill suggests "amplifies weak signals". However electrical engineer Bernard Robertson of Forde (ACT) needs only two: "Amplifies current."

This transistor (C8) is a winner. Alan Bell of Bradbury was "travelling home from work at Parramatta on the Campbelltown line when the train pulled into Cabramatta station. A Vietnamese teenager said: 'See you later radio" as a young girl got off. "Why did you call her radio?" asked one of his companions. "Oh that's Tran's sister," he replied."

Richard Stewart of Pearl Beach notes that "in the early days of office computing when IBM (C8) was number one, staff of the company were expected to go wherever the company directed. Hence the company name was spoken as I've Been Moved."The NSW and federal governments say a new economic zone around Sydney's second airport will be equipped with a rail connection from the day it opens and be supported by major investments in technology, education and advanced manufacturing.

"This is a historic day," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said after signing a deal with the state government and several local councils on Sunday to create an "aerotropolis" and a rail line.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announces the western Sydney city deal with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and western Sydney mayors on Sunday. Credit:Jessica Hromas

"We're putting huge resources behind the development and planning of [a] western parklands city."

But Labor has criticised what it says is the government's tardiness in planning for a rail connection to the airport and noted that only $100 million in funding for a business case for a project likely to cost several billion dollars was committed in Sunday's announcement.A baby mauled to death by a dog in northern NSW has been remembered as "loved and adored", as her family comes to grips with losing the girl "who never got a chance to live her life".

The infant, named Kamillah, aged one, was critically injured when police and paramedics arrived at an Inverell home and began to treat her about 2.20pm on Saturday.

She died on the way to hospital.

Council rangers seized the rottweiler dog from the backyard of the Greaves Street home, police said in a statement.The mother of missing toddler William Tyrrell has denied any role in his disappearance, urging her son's kidnapper to "let him come home" more than three years after he vanished.

Karlie Tyrrell also said the foster parents looking after her son when he went missing at the age of three had "failed" him and should feel guilty.

Karlie Tyrrell, mother of missing toddler William Tyrrell, says her children should never have been taken into foster care. Credit:Seven News

William Tyrrell vanished as he played in his foster grandmother's front yard on the NSW Mid North Coast the morning of September 12, 2014.

His disappearance sparked a mammoth police investigation and generated widespread public concern.The man who wrote the blueprint for Tony Abbott's deeply unpopular 2014 budget has been handed $50,000 of taxpayers' money  with no competitive tender process  to conduct a secret Turnbull government review.

The Department of Industry awarded businessman and prominent Liberal Party supporter Tony Shepherd a $55,000 contract to conduct a 17-day review of the troubled Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility late last year.

Mr Shepherd was the architect of the Coalition's Commission of Audit  the document that paved the way for Mr Abbott's austere first budget, which sparked an angry public backlash and sowed the seeds of the then prime minister's political downfall.

Tony Shepherd (centre) with then treasurer Joe Hockey (left) and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann in 2013. Credit:Andrew Meares

The NAIF review looked at the investment mandate, governance and general effectiveness of the $5 billion infrastructure financing body, which is yet to invest in a single project despite being up and running for almost two years.Former WA deputy premier Mal Bryce has died, aged 75.

Mr Bryce was deputy to premier Brian Burke and served in WA parliament for 17 years after he was first elected at age 28 in 1971 to the seat of Ascot.

Premier Mark McGowan with Mr Bryce last year. Credit:Hannah Barry

He retired in 1988, and was honoured with a life membership to WA Labor by Premier Mark McGowan last year.

He passed away on Saturday.From high-tech smart rings to simple printed QR codes, Aussies are finding more ways to pay for things at the counter and on the go.

Australians lead the world when it comes to embracing contactless payments, with "tap and go" accounting for more than one-third of all retail transactions, whether it be using contactless cards, smartphones or the new generation of wearables such as smartwatches.

Bankwest's Halo ring is essentially a Mastercard, but in a more convenient shape.

As credit card surcharges and minimum purchase amounts gradually disappear, contactless payments are becoming more practical for small purchases such as your morning takeaway coffee.

As wearables strive to become more fashionable, Bankwest is launching the $39 Halo smart ring which lets you simply wave your hand to pay for things at the counter. Waterproof to 50 metres, the ring doesn't require charging and isn't dependent on a linked smartphone, meaning there's no danger of a flat battery leaving you in the lurch.Rome: Italians headed to the polls on Sunday in a widely watched vote that will offer a measure of the power of the anti-establishment populists who have been campaigning against traditional parties across Europe.

After a campaign riven by angry attitudes toward migrants and pessimism about Italy's economic prospects, voters will have a chance to register their discontent at the ballot box. Ahead of the vote, the country's political landscape was fragmented by the rise of parties that exist outside the left-right spectrum that has dominated politics in European countries since World War II. Many leaders and analysts question whether there will be enough support for any one force to put together a governing coalition.

Italian politics are famously chaotic, and prime ministers have rarely stayed in office for their full five-year mandates. But this year is notable for a feeling of a breakdown of the old system and a sense that what is happening here could be the future for other countries around Europe. Combined, the old-line center-left and center-right parties are capturing less than 40 per cent of voters, according to opinion polls, with the rest of voters undecided or preferring other parties.

"I've lost all trust in the Italian political class that keeps promising and promising and promising," said Lorena Bernardini, 42, a shop owner who was voting in the ethnically mixed Esquilino suburb of Rome. She said she voted for the Five Star Movement because "maybe they're not as enmeshed in the system."Istanbul: Syrian government forces gained more ground in an assault on eastern Ghouta near Damascus on Saturday as they seek to defeat the last major rebel enclave near the capital, a war monitor and a news service run by Lebanon's Hezbollah said.

On another front in the multi-sided war, Turkey said it had captured a Kurdish town in the north-western Afrin region where it has been fighting the Kurdish YPG militia since January, helped by allied Syrian fighters.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Turkish campaign was gathering pace, and Turkish jets hit pro-government forces for the third time in 48 hours in the area, killing 36 of them. The pro-government forces are allied to the YPG.Wright Valley, one of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica, where a type of extremophile cyanobacteria known as hypoliths live.

The survival tricks adopted by microbes known as hypolithic cyanobacteria, which are found underneath quartz rocks in Earth's deserts, could point to how microbial life on Mars may live, a recent study suggests.

Nothing moves in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The glaring sun beats down on the rocky troughs that nestle between snow-capped mountains. A footprint can last for decades because it never rains in these valleys. It is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, yet it could hold the secret to life on other planets.

"The surface of Mars is an extreme, cold desert, and so a first step in trying to identify traces of past or present life on Mars is to identify what we know lives in similar environments here on Earth," Steve Pointing, a professor of environmental studies and director of science at Yale-US College in Singapore, told Astrobiology Magazine. "One of the best analogs is the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica." [6 Most Likely Places for Alien Life in the Solar System]

Underneath the quartz rocks that litter these valleys, small communities of bacteria eke out an existence. These photosynthetic cyanobacteria are called hypoliths, and they have adapted to conditions too harsh for most other organisms. Known as extremophiles, these microbes sketch the outer limits at which life can exist and are found in deserts around the world.

In a paper published last year in the journal Frontiers of Microbiology, Pointing and his colleagues sampled hypolithic cyanobacteria from deserts on each of the globe's continents. They found that desert conditions are variable enough that certain genera of cyanobacteria flourish in some deserts, but not in others. Some deserts, for example, have rare, extreme rainfall, while others have consistent overnight fog that introduces water into the ecosystems.

Hypolithic cyanobacteria occupy a niche in desert ecosystems. The quartz rock they live under lets some light in, but protects them from potentially damaging ultraviolet radiation. Because they photosynthesize, these bacteria are a major source of biomass in deserts, making them the foundation of the ecosystem's food chain.

"If we can understand how these hypolithic communities survive in these harsh environments, it may provide a view on how likely we can detect life on other planets," said study lead author Donnabella Lacap-Bugler, a microbiologist at the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand.

An example of hypolithic cyanobacteria on a quartzite rock found in the Namib Desert in Namibia. (Image credit: Ed Rybicki)

From the scorching heat of Death Valley in California to the freezing reaches of Antarctica, the team collected a total of 64 hypolithic communities to see if their composition differed between deserts  and they did.

"Although cyanobacteria are ubiquitous in the hypolithic communities in different deserts, there are genera that are more dominant than others," Lacap-Bugler said. "Cold deserts like the Antarctic and Tibetan deserts will tend to have a higher abundance of filamentous cyanobacteria, called Phormidium."

Phormidium is a type of cyanobacteria which, under a microscope, looks like short strands of spaghetti. Members of this genus can exploit habitats that cycle between short periods favorable to growth and dry periods that send them into an inactive state, much like hibernation, until the next growth phase begins. Phormidium does well in places like the McMurdo Dry Valleys, where long, dry periods of extreme cold are followed by warmer phases of flushing water from ice melt.

In hot deserts, though, Chroococcidiopsis is more abundant, Lacap-Bugler said. This photosynthesizing microbe resembles a small Brussels sprout, and in a community, individuals cluster together in lumpy green balls. Chroococcidiopsis survives the baking heat of hot deserts by secreting water-absorbing molecules that coat its cells as a way to hang onto moisture.

"This is why Chroococcidiopsis thrives in deserts where fog or other small but regular moisture inputs are typical," Pointing says.

Although these bacteria are suited to hot deserts on Earth, they are the better analog for life on Mars, Pointing says. Mars may be very cold, but it also lacks a global magnetic field and thick atmosphere to rebuff the onslaught of solar radiation. Chroococcidiopsis' strategy to retain moisture also protects it from high levels of radiation.

"This would be an absolute necessity on Mars' surface, since radiation levels are high," Pointing said.

The next step in this research is to sequence the full genome of these cyanobacteria communities to shed light on the unique genes that enable them to survive in such extreme environments. Pointing says it would be interesting to know the minimum number of photo-autotrophic species (those that can create energy from sunlight) needed to form an independent, extreme desert community. That would tell us how biology constrains the development of life on other worlds.

This research was funded by the NASA's Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets program (ASTEP).

This story was provided by Astrobiology Magazine, a web-based publication sponsored by the NASA astrobiology program. This version of the story published on Space.com.The gold-plated Oscar trophies featured in ceremonies this Sunday (March 4) have a special space connection, according to NASA.

The same process that coats the trophies will also help the agency's $8.9 billion James Webb Space Telescope look at faraway galaxies, NASA officials said.

Gold is a useful substance in space because it doesn't tarnish. It reflects light in infrared wavelengths, making it easier for James Webb to spot distant objects. Gold also blocks absorption of radiant heat from telescope instruments. For example, James Webb, which is scheduled to launch next year, employs gold to coat the 32-foot (10 meters) refrigerant tube that cools its Mid-Infrared Instrument. [Photo Tour: Building NASA's James Webb Space Telescope]

Typically, instruments in space are gold-coated using a vapor-depositing method, NASA officials said. In a vacuum environment, the metal is heated up until it turns into a gas. The gas subsequently condenses on the desired surface in a fine layer. However, this process makes gold fragile and causes it to lose some reflectivity.

"Weve seen many times over the years that somebody will put a nice gold coating on something, but as soon as you bend it, all of a sudden a whole layer of gold will peel up and flake off," John Gygax, an engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement.

Gold is highly reflective and doesnt tarnish  great for the main mirror of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (seen here), and also to block radiant heat from instruments in the telescopes interior. (Image credit: NASA)

A company called Epner Technology came up with a solution to that problem  using "electroplating" technology to apply the gold. Electroplating generally requires using electric currents to coat one metal (such as copper) with a more precious metal (such as gold), according to ExplainThatStuff.com.

NASA Goddard turned to Epner when it was looking for a better way to coat the Webb telescope's instruments. Epner said its electroplated gold was more reflective than vapor-deposited gold  a claim that checked out after NASA tested it in space-like conditions, agency officials said.

The company's proprietary technique has been in use in aerospace since the 1990s; it also has been working with NASA since the 1970s. Epner perfected its electroplating process through its work on a gold-plated mirror for an instrument aboard NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, which operated at the Red Planet from 1997 through 2006, and a gold-plated secondary infrared mirror on both of the W.M. Keck Observatory telescopes in Hawaii.

"In order to meet the needs of both aerospace projects, Epner tweaked its proprietary processes to ensure the highest possible reflectivity while also achieving a hardness triple that of pure gold," NASA officials said in the same statement. "The trick, Epner explains, was in modifying the electric current to get a more tightly packed atom. Because the gold remains pure, the reflectivity remains extremely high."

Epner's work on Webb and other aerospace projects also got the attention of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which had a problem with its Oscar trophies. The trophies were previously cast in tin alloys, which were in turn plated with gold. While the gold looked brilliant on stage, it eventually wore off. Epner started work with the Academy in 2016.

"We guaranteed that our gold coating will never come off," company president David Epner said in the same NASA statement.

The company has promised to replate any Oscar that needs it.

"That's something Ill never have to make good on," David Epner said.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.



Thanks to Baba for the heads up.





Bad Girls -thats the tentative title but NBC also has Good Girls so unless it gets canceled, theyll have to change it- is exactly the female buddy cop show youd expect from the logline. If youre looking for something in the vein of Lethal Weapon, well theyre your girls! Theres a lot of action, funny dialogues right in the middle of a life-and-death situations, a dose of family scenes when it comes to McKennas intimacy with her husband and step-kids where Syd is invited to join but dont feel capable of because she has issues, and of course a distracting case of the week. The writers chose to deal with the kidnapping of a young boy with his mother and our investigators looking for him, betting on the maternal instinct of both the heroines and the viewers. They know exactly what theyre doing, obviously aiming at a female audience pushing all the right buttons, when Lethal Weapon is more male-friendly. Its not manipulative. Id say its fair game. But its also a bit too easy and expected. With actresses that are so beautiful and sexy -and characters that are written not to be threatening to other women- its not leaving a male audience behind, on the contrary. The potential is big.



returns after a very long hiatus with Grief, written by Keith Eisner and directed by Timothy Busfield, who also guest stars as Dr Adam Louden. In addition to having been a regular on, Busfields extremely long list of directing credits includes(which he also starred in),, and. This episode finally catches us up on the aftermath of Alexs death and Hannah (Maggie Q) shooting Damian (Ben Lawson).Its been 10 weeks since the accident  just as long as the hiatus, in fact. Tom (Kiefer Sutherland) is not handling his grief well because hes choosing to simply avoid it. He didnt go to the sentencing hearing of the man who was texting and driving who killed Alex nor even read an article on him. I liked that they raised awareness about this stupid practice, but it did seem a rather trivial way to get rid of Alex. The senior staff is concerned because he has been paralyzed by indecision, and its at their urging that he is meeting with therapist Louden  and doing his best to avoid that too.I like how they spread this element of the episode out  and that they side-stepped the direct aftermath. The episode begins with Tom being called away from therapy  to do his job  but the Louden points out that Tom always breaks off when they finally get to Alexs death. Louden vows that hes not leaving until they finally get to it.The next time we see Louden he asks Tom if he has a strategy for coping. Who does he blame for Alexs death? And we get flashbacks to Toms decision to become President, take the HUD job, and Alex agreeing to stay. Louden points out that every action has an antecedent, and Tom refuses to blame Alex for any of the decisions that got them to that day, claiming that the only one that matters is that hes the reason they stayed. The point, of course, is that the only person to blame, is the one who caused the accident.Next the doctor asks about the kids. We get flashes to Penny (McKenna Grace), who is really too young to truly understand  but I really questioned why hed wake her up in the middle of the night to tell her? Why not let her at least get one more nights sleep and tell her in the morning? Leo (Tanner Buchanan) takes his anger out on Tom, telling him that Alex hated it there and clearly blaming Tom. Louden points out that grief is different for everyone. Tom has been reluctant to share telling the kids reactions, and Louden points out that by sharing their grief, he had to share his own, and Tom doesnt want to confront his grief.We get flashbacks to Tom  dry-eyed  at the funeral. Louden asks if Tom grieves in public or private, does he cry? Tom says no. Louden tells him that grief is a ritual  and Tom has to get through it  he cant go around it. Later we see him having to make decisions about the funeral and so forth  but he doesnt have to make any of these decisions. As someone who has had to make these types of decisions, I can tell you, he doesnt know how lucky he is to have so much help.Louden finally gets Tom to admit that he was traumatized by Alexs death. He tells him that if he brings unresolved emotion unintentionally into a decision, it will have a bad result  and of course, thats what is paralyzing him and causing him to make bad decisions throughout the episode. Kiefer Sutherland is terrific throughout the episode as we see the tight control hes keeping on himself and finally get a glimpse of his grief, especially with the kids. Its also interesting to see this different side of Kirkman, and I loved the transformation in the situation room at the end when he finally takes back control.In the final scene with Louden  and I do hope we see Busfield again, both behind and in front of the camera  he tells Tom that hes standing still. He consoles the children but not himself, he holds himself responsible, and hes angry. Tom finally admits that hes not dealing with any of it  but now hes ready. Louden tells him that he needs to deal with it to move on  people who tread water too long, inevitably drown.In the final scene, Tom confronts Evan Beeman (Joey Coleman) in prison where hes serving time for Alexs death. Here we get just a shade of Jack Bauer again as Tom asks him if hes being well-treated and fed. When Coleman says yes, Tom is pleased  he wants Beeman to live a long and healthy life and to remember every day what he took from Tom.Not surprisingly, given Busfields connection to The West Wing, we get lots of great walk and talks in this episode. Seth (Kal Penn), Emily (Italia Ricci) and Lyor (Paulo Costanzo) worry about Toms complete inaction over the last ten weeks. However, now theres a big diplomatic, trade mission going forward with Cuba in Havana.Aaron (Adan Canto) and Hannah accompany the mission. Adan asks Hannah if shes ok after having shot someone she was sleeping with  yes. Hes not stupid. Maggie Q is her usually flat affect, so I believed her when she said she was fine. Shes still on probation and has to earn their trust back. We learn that no body was found, and was anyone surprised when Damian showed up in her apartment at the end of the episode? Im sure hes going to turn out to be a good guy whos gone deep undercoverThe delegation is kidnapped by a group of rebels lead by Ramon Bravo (Miguel Perez). He demands $500 million in ransom  and it doesnt take him any time at all to recognize who Aaron is. Hannah manages to briefly escape and discovers that their fellow prisoner  Phillip Cross (Jefferson Brown)  is actually in league with Bravo.As things unfold in the situation room, we see Tom bringing his therapy with him. He insists that assigning blame for the kidnapping doesnt matter  of course, in the end, it does! And this also leads to Tom confronting the real person to blame. Tom wants options from everyone, rather than just making a firm decision. He gets input from Emily, Kendra (Zoe McLellan), Lyor, and a new General (Rick Roberts). He decides to send in a single Blackhawk  which ends in disaster. Emily and Lyor are concerned that Tom wants assurances and that hes being too risk averse  kind of like Emily with Seth  but more on that laterTom ultimately decides to pay the ransom  which nobody thinks is a good idea. Another great walk and talk with Lyor, Emily, and Kendra (but really, could she bounce less in these scenes? Please? Its distracting in a bad way!) discuss that theyll have to get Senator Sanchez (Lisa Marcos) to get the money from Congress to get Aaron back. Emily looks pensive at the mention of Aaron And then Sanchez cant get the money  because newsflash, you never give in to terrorists! Lyor comments that Tom has been all about safety in the last 10 weeks  pulling troops from Iraq/Iran, doubling Homeland security and now the ransomLyor points out to Tom that paying ransom has at its heart the blind faith that the others will honor the deal. And thats the deal breaker for Tom  he also realizes that he has been bringing his unresolved emotions to the situation room. He tells Bravo that he wont pay the ransom but he will act as an arbiter with President Ortega (Emiliano Diez) and hell hunt Bravo down and kill him if he kills any of his people. Cross then rushes in and offers to pay the ransom  meanwhile, Hannah, who Bravo has been threatening to kill, crosses herself. Emily realizes that Hannah isnt catholic and gets the signal to be wary of Cross  its the clue they need to unravel the whole plot.With Chucks (Jake Epstein) help, they discover that Cross has made 6 trips to Cuba and is funding the rebels in exchange for land rights to build resorts. Tom presents the evidence to Sanchez, and its revealed that Ortega was in on it too, paying off Bravo to frame the rebels for all of it because Bravo knows the rebels will be killed off in a military action  sure to come after the ransom is paid. Tom tells a shocked Sanchez that the longer youre in politics, the more you realize that you dont know anyone. Tom leaves it up to the Cuban people to take care of Ortega and Bravo.Emily and Seth are apparently off again. He spends the episode trying to get her to go on a trip and is tipped off that somethings not right when she really criticizes him for one of the press scrums. Its pretty clear that she still has feeling for Aaron. In the end, Seth wants to know if she wants to simply dial back their relationship which has grown quite quickly, or call it off completely. Emily is still waffling  much like Tom  so Seth tells her he knows what he wants, and she should call him when she figures out what she wants. I think its pretty clear that Alexs death has also had an effect on Emily who was close to her. Emily has also been a witness to the love between Tom and Alex for a long time, and seeing that end must also have an effect on her. Seth is a smart guy  Im betting he gets his answer the minute that Aaron gets back.In a side plot, were introduced to Tricia Sims (Chelsea Harris) who wants to be Lyors new assistant. Poor girl! Lyor sends her on what he thinks is a wild goose chase to get the original blueprints to the Capitol for the President. We get some funny stuff with her pulling files from the Annex  black mold! But in the end, she more than proves herself to Lyor.He finally has pity on her and tells her that the exercise was just about perseverance  the number one thing needed in the job. But shes got the blueprints! Turns out they arent kept at the White House but at the Capitol and they cant be removed. So shes taken pictures of the original with her phone, pieced them together and normalized them and had them transferred to the correct paper! She tells Lyor that her dad worked construction and her mom cleaned house to send her to college. Now shes working in the White House! Shell find the blueprints to Atlantis if he asks her too! I like this girl! And Im betting that Tom is going to love herThis was a nicely structured episode, showing the fallout from Alexs death in really interesting ways. Sutherland delivers a terrific performance. As always I found the main plot most interesting, but I thought the subplots were handled well in this episode. Im not looking forward to splitting the action again between whatever Hannah and Damian are up to and the action at the White House. Theyve never found a way to truly make those two elements gel for me. What did you think of the episode? Was this a fitting tribute for Alex? Did you want more of the aftermath? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!Brussels, March 3, 2018 (SPS) - The decision made by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on 27 February and excluding the territorial waters of Western Sahara from EU-Morocco fisheries agreement is a turning point in the struggle of the Sahrawi people for self-determination and independence, said Thursday, in Belgium, Euro-MP Paloma Lopez.

In a conference on the reality of the occupation in Western Sahara, to which also took part member of the representation of the Polisario Front at the European Union (EU) Saleh Sayed Mustapha and secretary general of the Belgian committee of solidarity with the Sahrawi people Hilt Teuwen, Lopez broached the action of the Western Sahara intergroup at the European Parliament, pointing out that it constitutes a platform for defending the Sahrawi peoples rights in the European institutions where the American lobby, supported by some European powers, is very present.

She hailed the resistance of the Sahrawi political prisoners, notably those of Gdeim Izik group.

For his part, member of the Polisario Fronts representation Saleh Sayed Mustapha broached the reality facing the Sahrawi people for more than 42 years in the refugee camps, particularly youth who are losing hope in the international community before its procrastinations to impose a political solution able to put an end to the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara.

He called to exert pressure on Morocco to bring it to negotiate with the Polisario Front. (SPS)

062/SPS/APS



Washington (United States), March 3, 2018 (SPS) - US Western Sahara Foundation welcomed Friday the European Court of Justice's ruling on the European Union's fishing agreement with Morocco, stating that it does not apply to Western Sahara and reaffirming Saharawi people's inalienable right to self-determination.

"US Western Sahara Foundation welcomes European Court of Justice's recent ruling on the EU-Morocco's fishing agreement," the foundation's chairwoman Suzanne Scholte said, adding that "Once again, we see courts reaffirming the October 16, 1975 ruling by the International Court of Justice which denies Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara."

Scholte said the United States does not recognize Morocco's alleged sovereignty over Western Sahara, noting that the occupied Saharawi territories are excluded from US-Moroccan free trade agreement signed in 2004.

"According to the international law, the African Union recognizes Western Sahara as a sovereign country and the ECJ reaffirmed on February 27 that Western Sahara is not part of Morocco," the human rights activist stressed.

She added that the ECJ "has ruled illegal any agreement with Morocco on Western Sahara's resources and reaffirmed Saharawi people's right to self-determination."

Scholte said "it is time for the international community to defend the application of the international law" and put an end to Morocco's defiance of the whole world.

"We regret that the French government, who is supposed to defend liberty, equality and fraternity, continues to be the main country responsible for Morocco's illegal behavior, the occupation and brutal treatment of Saharawi people in their home country, Western, Sahara." (SPS)

062/SPS/APS



STAMFORD  Springdale fifth-grader Joshua Valentines dog is always begging for human food. So Valentine came up with a solution: Edibites, an original concoction of flour, peanut butter, baking powder, milk and honey.

This sense of enterprise was the spirit of Springdale Elementary Schools third annual Invention Convention where fifth-grade students presented an invention they made based on a problem they encounter in day-to-day life. According to Springdales assistant principal, Casey Cummings, the convention is part of a fifth-grade unit on inventors.

The idea is to learn about inventors and the impact they had on the world, but bring it to the 21st century with problems they have everyday, Cummings said.

The convention is judged by community members and 10 out the approximately 100 students who participate are chosen to compete in the Connecticut Invention Convention where they can win scholarships or patents. From there, students may go on to compete on a national level, which two Springdale students have done in previous years.

Kristine Shah, a fifth-grade teacher at Springdale, said she sees many students creating inventions around problems they have with technology, such as a case so you can see your phone screen under the glare of the sun. But Sandy DeFilippis, another fifth-grade teacher, said students this year created a wide variety of projects.

This was the first year I saw so many different ideas, DeFlippis said. This year saw a lot of variety.

Many students said their creations were inspired by their parents, such as Jessica Reis invention to remove hair from corn to help her mom make tamales more quickly or Brianna Madrids Pretty Growing Plants, which helps her mom distribute water to her plants with the help of a plastic tube and bottle.

Ludivine Jacquet was one of several students who was inspired to combat a cellphone-related problem with her Over Cover, a plastic slip that can be attached to an umbrella to keep your phone dry in the rain. While working on the project, Jacquet learned the importance of experimenting when her first go at the device didnt work out as planned.

It completely failed, she said. It was sliding all over the place.

After inserting a wooden stick into the plastic pocket, she found she was able to secure her device against the spindles of the umbrella.

(Inventing) takes a lot of work, she said. You cant always do it on the first try. You have to find inspiration.STAMFORD  A dozen Stamford high school students were honored for their artistic and writing talents in a regional competition.

Three students from the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering, four students from Stamford High School and five students from Westhill High School were recognized for their submissions to the 2018 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Competition. The program is an affiliate of the National Scholastic Art Awards and The Alliance For Young Artists and Writers and honors the creative efforts of students in grades 7 through 12 in public, private or parochial schools. It is one of the largest and oldest programs of its type in the country.

Students were recognized both for their artistic work, as well as their literary works in the 2018 Hudson-to-Housatonic Region Scholastic Writing Awards which is administered by Writopia Lab, a non-profit which runs creative writing workshops for students.

Students are awarded Gold or Silver Keys and Honorable Mention Awards in each of 29 categories judged by artists, university faculty and professionals in the field. Out of the dozen honored, three received Gold Keys. Cindy Luo of Stamford High received a Gold Key for her artwork, as well as the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts Scholarship. Julianna Lajko of Westhill High also received a Gold Key for her art and Samuel Harris, also of Westhill, got a Gold Key and Honorable Mention for his poetry, as well as a Silver Key for a dramatic script.

Addtional students honored include:

Marcus Berg, AITE: Silver Award, Short Story;

Elisa Guitierrez, AITE: Honorable Mention, Short Story;

Nathan Yao, AITE: Silver Key and 4 Honorable Mentions ;

Maggie Meister, SHS: Honorable Mention;

Charlotte Saunders, SHS: Honorable Mention;

Jony Tello, SHS: Honorable Mention;

Emma Cali, WHS: Honorable Mention;

Noah Cheruk, WHS: Honorable Mention;

Josue Rodriguez, WHS: Silver Key;The satirical newspaper, The Onion, once had a headline that read: Historians politely remind nation to check whats happened in past before making any big decisions. On the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Kerner Commission report, it is instructive to review what our nation has refused to learn about racism since the civil unrest of the 1960s.

President Lyndon Johnson convened the Kerner Commission, chaired by Illinois Gov. Otto Kerner, in July 1967, to understand the civil unrest that occurred that summer, in Detroit, Newark and neighboring communities; and to devise methods for preventing its recurrence.

After extensive investigation and study, the commission concluded that the primary reason for the unrest was the racial attitude and behavior of white Americans toward black Americans. The report declared that segregation and poverty had created a destructive environment for African-Americans totally unknown to most whites, but (w)hite institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it.

The report is a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of society, from its institutions to societal attitudes, to media coverage of race. The commission observed that African-Americans rightfully felt frustration at pervasive discrimination, exclusion from local government, officials condoning white terrorism against nonviolent protest, official resistance to desegregation, and inadequate investment in their communities.

The report emphasized that poverty and racism were intertwined and both must be addressed to move our country forward.

The commission concluded that the nation faced three choices: continuing current policies of inadequate investment in African-American communities and a failure to integrate; investing more in African-American communities and abandoning the goal of integration; or pursuing integration and enrichment of African-American communities.

The commission rejected the first and second options. While enrichment of African-American communities was a viable interim strategy, the commission declared that since power and resources reside among whites, only integration would create true equality.

Owing to the pervasiveness of racism and its effects, the Kerner Commissions prescription for preventing future unrest was as comprehensive as its investigation; covering employment, education, public assistance programs and housing. The report observed that the recommended programs would require unprecedented levels of funding and performance. It concluded that (t)here can be no higher priority for national action and no higher claim on the nations conscience.

The commission declared that education in a democratic society must equip children to develop their potential and to participate fully in American life. Integration was the commissions priority. However, recognizing that integration would not be immediate, the report also recommended methods to strengthen public education in African-American communities, including: early education, services for at-risk children, teacher training, class size reduction, and adult literacy; increased opportunities for higher education; improved vocational education; enlarged opportunities for parent and community participation in public education, including making schools community centers; and revising state funding formulas to ensure adequate and equitable funding.

President Johnson, unhappy with the projected cost and with the failure to credit his Great Society programs, ignored the report. Its recommendations lay unimplemented.

What progress have we made in 50 years?

Today, racism is as pervasive as it was in 1968. Not only are our schools more segregated than they were then, we have consistently refused to invest in schools serving predominantly children of color. Nor have our societal attitudes changed. Contrast the suspicion brave African-American youth protesting gun violence as part of the Black Lives Matters movement have endured with the praise showered upon the equally brave youth protesting gun violence in response to the horrific school shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Education reformers and politicians claim the mantle of advancing civil rights, but their reforms run counter to the ideas and ideals of the Kerner Commission. Leaders resist full funding of segregated and impoverished schools, declare those schools failures, then disenfranchise parents and communities by them and replacing them with segregating charters run by unelected boards. Rather than provide disadvantaged students necessary supports, in the form of early education, compensatory education and the rich curricula and activities white schools have, they establish false metrics such as standardized tests that force a narrow focus on math and reading.

Testifying before the commission, sociologist Kenneth Clark described prior investigations as a kind of Alice in Wonderland  with the same moving picture re-shown over and over again, the same analysis, the same recommendations, and the same inaction.

After 50 years of inaction, and an increasingly divided nation, it is time to revive the Kerner Commissions focus on integration, full participation and investment in our communities of color.Y oung activists frustrated about the lack of diversity in the film industry have recreated famous movie posters and replaced white actors with black people.

London-based activists Legally Black said their posters, which have appeared on bus shelters in Brixton, were created to increase awareness of underrepresentation of black people in the media.

The posters, which recreate advertisements for famous films such as Harry Potter and Titanic, emerged this week.

Bel Matos da Costa, 17, said the groups first project was also to start a public discussion around the often inaccurate and harmful depictions of black people in films and TV programmes.

The campaigner told the Standard: We just want to show the real range of black experience, and the black experience in Britain Black actors often only play thugs and criminals, and that needs to change.

It comes after research by the British Film Institute showed that black actors played only 0.5 per cent of lead roles in British films released between 2006 and 2016.

Reimagined posters of James Bond: Skyfall, Doctor Who and the TV series The Inbetweeners were among those on show on bus stops around south London.

The Doctor Who poster tag line read: If youre surprised, it means you dont see enough black people in major roles. Join us in our mission for better black representation in the media.

The teenage activists got their family and friends to pose for photos to be used on the mock-up posters.

Shiden Tekle, also 17, said he and his friends idea to create posters and put them on display around the capital will challenge peoples perceptions and assumptions of black people.

He told the Guardian: We are always looking at the media and never seeing any positive representations of black people. In big films, black characters are often playing criminals and drug dealers, and that quickly conditions people to believe that all black people are like that.

So, we decided to put black faces in the big movies, and challenge peoples perceptions and assumptions.

Images of the posters have been shared widely on social media since they first emerged on Wednesday, with many praising the group for highlighting the industrys bias.T he Prime Minister said the public has had enough of warring politicians arguing about Brexit and announced it is time to get on with it in a TV interview.

Mrs May appeared on the Andrew Marr Show in pre-recorded interview filmed after her high-profile Brexit speech earlier in the week.

She said the speech was her speaking to people in the UK and being straight about her partys plans for the UK leaving the EU.

Her comments came as Downing Street was forced to deny a rift between senior party members following claims chief of staff Gavin Barwell leaked a memo revealing Boris Johnsons private thoughts on the contentious issue of the Irish border.

Memo: Reports on Sunday suggested Gavin Barwell had leaked the memo to prevent

Sunday newspapers quoted a source close to Mr Johnson saying that Mr Barwell had leaked the letter to "put Boris in his place" and prevent the Foreign Secretary from rebelling.

This has been strenuously denied by the Foreign Secretary and Downing Street as Mrs May continues to attempt to unite the Leave and Remain backers in her party.

PM: 'Let's get on with it' / PA

She said in the interview, aired on Sunday: I think it is important to be straight with people. I think most members of the public feel that the time for arguing  you know either side of the referendum  was gone.

Actually this was about setting out an ambition for our future, and also saying [] lets get on with it.

Mrs Mays speech appeared to temporarily unite the warring Tories  who backed the Prime Minister following her speech on Friday.

But in a lead-up to the public address, a memo from Mr Johnson to Mrs May was leaked, showing the Foreign Secretary believed the Government should focus on stopping the Irish border becoming "significantly" harder.

Border blunder: Boris Johnson's personal views were revealed in the leaked memo (Getty Images) / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Mr Johnson said "even if a hard border is reintroduced" on the island of Ireland, the vast majority of goods would not be checked.

The comments risked, reigniting a row over the border issue  which is currently stalling Brexit negotiations.

Reports that Mr Barwell leaked the memo to stop any rebellion have been strongly denied, with a spokesman for Mr Johnson describing the claims as "yawnerama".

Defining the term, the spokesman went on: "- a nonsense claim from an anonymous quote about a half baked and misleading leak that has been totally superseded by the Prime Minister's excellent speech on Friday".

"We all now have a song to sing on Brexit - and we are going to be in unison," he said.

"We are coming out of the customs union and single market and as Theresa May has spelt out we can stay economically and politically close to our friends and partners in Europe while forging an exciting new future for Britain - controlling our own laws and doing our own free trade deals.

"And the PM was absolutely right to be optimistic about the solutions to the issues raised by borders in Ireland and elsewhere. It's time to be positive folks."D onald Trump has praised the president of Chinas power grab and hinted that he support the abolition of the two-term limit and rule for life.

The ruling Communist party in China announced that leader Xi Jinping was eliminating the two-term limit for presidency, meaning he could rule indefinitely.

The move has been criticised by liberals and pro-democracy activists who have condemned the Chinese leader for cementing his grip on control in the former dictator state.

But, according to an audio recording aired by CNN, President Trump said the concept was great and said to cheering supporters: Maybe we will give that a shot.

President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping / AP

Trump has already revealed that he will be running for re-election in 2020, making clear early on in his first term that he is planning to cling to power for the maximum eight years.

And now he has thrown his support behind the concept of indefinite rule, which would pave the way for life-long presidency.

Trump was heard saying they should 'give it a shot' in a recording / EPA

The recording revealed him saying: "He's now president for life, president for life. And he's great. And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot someday."

His comments were met with cheers and applause from supporters and it appeared that the remarks, made in a speech at Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate, were made in jest.

But he was nevertheless criticised for praising the divisive move, with people slamming his politically insensitive comments as un-American and short-sighted.

And the controversial speech came as activists called on Western governments to be outspoken in their criticism of Xis plans.

Donald Trump shocks Republican weapons fans as he BACKS new gun control measures

During the remarks, Trump praised Xi as "a great gentleman" and added: "He's the most powerful (Chinese) president in a hundred years." Trump said Xi had treated him "tremendously well" during his visit in November.

US Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat, said on Twitter that "whether this was a joke or not, talking about being President for life like Xi Jinping is the most unAmerican sentiment expressed by an American President. George Washington would roll over in his grave."

This kind of reaction is very short-sighted, added Zhou Fengsuo, a democracy activist who has lived in exile since fleeing the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.

Politically sensitive: A portrait of China's late communist leader Mao Zedong is seen past a flag pole in Tiananmen Square / AFP/Getty Images

He told the Guardian: This kind of permanent leadership never ends well  history tells us it will not just be a Chinese issue, it will have a deep and profound influence on the world ... [China] will see a lot of uncertainty and likely conflict because of this.

The topic of indefinite rule in China is highly controversial and censors have been deleting critical comments published on Chinese social media in a bit to crack down on criticism of the state.

President Xi came to power in 2012, after climbing the ranks of the Communist party.

During his rule, the country has seen an era of increased authoritarian leadership dogged with anti-corruption purges and a poor record for human rights.

Chinas two-week annual parliament gathering kicks off on Monday.T he archdiocese of Naples has sent the Vatican a 1,200-page dossier compiled by a male escort purportedly identifying 40 actively gay priests and seminarians in Italy.

In a statement on the diocesan website, Cardinal Cresenzio Sepe said none of the identified priests worked in Naples.

But he said he decided to forward the file to the Vatican because "there remains the gravity of the cases for which those who have erred must pay the price, and be helped to repent for the harm done".

The dossier, containing WhatsApp chats and other evidence, was compiled by a self-proclaimed gay escort, Francesco Mangiacapra.

He has told Italian media that he outed the priests because he could not stand their hypocrisy any longer.

None of the 34 priests or six seminarians was accused of having sex with minors, Mr Mangiacapra was quoted as saying in the diocesan statement.

"We're talking about sins, not crimes," the escort was quoted as saying in the statement.

Homosexuality is considered "towards an intrinsic moral evil" by the Catholic church, although is is not considered sinful unless acted upon.

In October 2016, Pope Francis called for transsexuals and homosexuals to be accepted and embraced by the Church.

He said: "Each case must be welcomed, accompanied, studied, discerned and integrated.

"When a person [who is gay] arrives before Jesus, Jesus certainly will not say, 'Go away because you are homosexual'."I talians are voting in an election that may bring political gridlock after a divisive campaign dominated by concerns over immigration and the economy.

Pollsters had predicted that former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and his far-right allies would emerge as the largest bloc in parliament, but fall short of a majority.

But Mr Berlusconi, 81, cannot himself hold public office until next year due to a tax fraud conviction.

The four-time prime minister, who has allied himself with the anti-immigrant League party, backed European Parliament President Antonio Tajani as his choice to lead the country.

Polling stations opened at 7am local time, 6am in the UK, on Sunday.

Opinion polls were banned in the last two weeks of the campaign but earlier surveys that suggested Mr Berlusconi's alliance was in front.

The anti-establishment Five Star Movement, ruling Democratic Party and ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing coalition are all in the race for office.

The outgoing president of Italy's Senate is voiced concern that some polling stations in Palermo were still closed hours into election day due to delays in getting proper ballots delivered.

In a tweet Sunday, Pietro Grasso said such delays and errors were "unacceptable."

Mr Grasso, who broke away from the Democratic Party to start his own center-left party, said he hoped the problem wouldn't discourage people from voting.

Overnight, Palermo authorities had to reprint about 200,000 ballots because the wrong ones were delivered, which delayed the opening of some stations, according to reports.

In Rome, meanwhile, voters complained that the ballots were too complicated to understand.

Sister Vincenza, voting at a polling station on Rome's Aventine hill, said the process was "all mixed up.

She said: "You feel as if you have gone there prepared but it is not that clear. Anyway, I have to go to Mass."

More than 46 million Italians were eligible to vote, including Italians abroad who already mailed in ballots.

Exit polls were expected after polls closed, projections sometime thereafter and consolidated results Monday.Russia is leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and the Russian media reported on March 1 that ending its cooperation with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) was yet another option under consideration. The idea is in the air. The withdrawal may be imminent.

The Russian Federation (Russian Federation) joined the Council of Europe (CE) in 1996 and ratified the ECHR in 1998. The ECHR established the European Court of Human Rights in 1959. These mechanisms to protect human rights are binding on all 47 CE member states.

After Crimea became part of Russia in 2014, Russias voting rights in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) were suspended. Moscow responded in 2017 by reducing its payments to that organization by one-third, a decision that will not be reversed until its delegation has its voting rights back. Russia is one of the largest donors to the CE with an annual membership fee amounting to 33 million ($37.5 million), or about 7% of the Councils overall budget.

In 2016, the PACE was not invited to monitor Russias parliamentary elections. Obviously this was a sign of a deteriorating relationship. In late 2017, the RF warned it could withdraw from the PACE altogether if its right to vote was not restored. More than 20 ECHR judges have been elected without Russias input. Why should the RF respect their rulings? Top CE officials are also elected without Moscows vote. Why should it trust them? Is it legitimate to hold such elections without Russia? Certainly not. Then why should the RF comply with rules that were established without its input or with court verdicts that are obviously politicized? And why should it pay? Would anyone buy a movie ticket knowing in advance that he would never see the film? So many questions! And the answers are all no.

In 2015 the RF adopted a law asserting its right to ignore rulings from the ECHR if those conflict with Russian law. Its an open secret that the RF is deeply disappointed with the institutions of the CE: the PACE and the ECHR. The PACEs anti-Russian tilt is obvious. Anyone who observes the organizations activities will remember how Pedro Agramunt, the president of the Parliamentary Assembly, was stripped of his powers and forced to resign last year. This happened after he joined Russian lawmakers on a trip to Syria, which included a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The CE has openly interfered in the RFs internal affairs by insisting on the right of Aleksei Navalny, an opposition politician, to take part in the 2018 presidential election. Navalny is not allowed to run because anyone with a criminal conviction is barred from seeking elected office in Russia.

In 2017, the Court ruled that the ban on gay propaganda is illegal, because it breaches Article 10 of the ECHR, which protects the right to freedom of expression and information. Ridiculous, isnt it? Does this mean that Russia has no right to protect its children from pride marches, promiscuous propaganda, and indecent behavior? If thats not flagrant meddling into internal affairs, then what is?

The institutions of the CE could and should be reformed to guarantee that everyone is equal and the organization is not biased. No PACE member should be denied voting rights and no resolutions should be adopted with only a minority of votes. Finger pointing should be abandoned. That is not what the PACE was created for. Its mission is to serve as a platform for exchanging views and ideas.

And the Court should stop being used as a tool of the CE for propaganda and political purposes. The Court should provide its independent opinion, but without any further binding rulings. National law should prevail.

Russia refuses to contribute to this organization in which it has no voice and rightly so. Remember No taxation without representation? No doubt Americans are sympathetic toward Russias stance.

If the RF pulls out from the ECHR and the ECHR, it will also terminate its membership in the CE. The Council represents approximately 820 million people. The population of the RF, a country rich in resources, with a huge military and economy, exceeds 144 million. Without Russia the CE would no longer qualify as a truly pan-European institution. The RF is large enough that the idea of European discourse without Moscow is meaningless.

As a member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Moscow does not need the podium of the PACE to make its views known. But will the CE enjoy the same clout without Russia? The RF can easily do without the Council, but the organizations clout will diminish. Its time for CE leaders to reconsider their organizations mission.In a shocking display of relative independence from the post-Operation Mockingbird control of the media by the Central Intelligence Agency, a recent article in The New York Times broke with current conventional pack journalism and covered the long history of CIA meddling in foreign elections. A February 17, 2018, article, titled, "Russia Isnt the Only One Meddling in Elections. We Do It, Too," authored by Scott Shane  who covered the perestroika and glasnost for The Baltimore Sun in Moscow from 1988 to 1991 during the final few years of the Soviet Union  reported the US has interfered in foreign elections for decades. However, a couple of old US intelligence hands were quoted in the article as saying the US meddling was for altruistic purposes. The CIA veterans charged that Russia interferes in foreign elections for purely malevolent purposes. The belief that American interference in global elections was to promote liberal democracy could not be further from the truth.

The CIA never meddled in foreign elections for purposes of extending democratic traditions to other nations. The chief purpose was to disenfranchise leftist and progressive voters and political parties, ensure the veneer of democracy in totalitarian countries, and protect the interests of the US military bases and US multinational corporations.

In double-talk that is reminiscent of the Cold War years, the CIA considers its election interference to fall under the category of "influence operations," while the same agency accuses Russia of "election meddling." In truth, there is no difference between the two categories. Election interference represents intelligence service tradecraft and it has been practiced by many intelligence agencies, including those of Israel, France, Britain, China, India, and others.

On the rare occasions when the CIA's efforts to rig an election failed  as they did in Guatemala in 1950 and Chile in 1970  the agency simply organized bloody military coups to replace with military juntas the democratically-elected presidents who defeated CIA-supported candidates at the polls.

In 1954, the CIAs Operation PBSUCCESS overthrew the Guatemalan government of President Jacobo Arbenz, who was elected in 1950 on a platform of agrarian reform that would improve the lives of Guatemalas peasants, many of whom suffered under the indentured servitude of the US-owned United Fruit Company. United Fruit maintained industrial-level plantations across the country. Working with the CIA, United Fruit did its best to ensure defeat for Arbenz in the 1950 election. When that tactic failed, United Fruit, the CIA, and US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles devised a plan to overthrow Arbenz in a military coup. Guatemala became a stereotypical American-influenced banana republic.

The Chilean junta that replaced Socialist President Salvador Allende, who was elected in 1970 despite massive CIA interference, transformed Chile into a testbed for the vulture capitalism devised by the Chicago Boys  a group of Chilean economists who studied under the neo-conservative economist Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago. Friedman called the massive free market laissez-faire policies instituted by the regime of General Augusto Pinochet the Miracle of Chile. The economic policies, which a US Senate Intelligence Committee investigation concluded were crafted with the help of the CIA, saw the elimination of trade tariffs, the mass sell-off of state-owned enterprises, cutting of taxes, privatization of the state-run pension system, and de-regulation of industry.

In 1990, CIA election meddling in Nicaragua ensured a win for the opposition over the ruling Sandinista-led government. This type of meddling was repeated in the 2000 Serbian election, which saw President Slobodan Milosevic ejected from power. The ouster of Milosevic saw the first demonstrated cooperation in election meddling between the CIA and international hedfe fund tycoon George Soross Open Society Institute cadres. In 2009, the CIA attempted to defeat Afghan President Hamid Karzai for re-election. Although Karzai was re-elected, he bitterly complained about the CIA's interference in the election.

MS-NBC constantly features as a contributing expert on Russia the former US ambassador to Moscow, Michael McFaul. However, McFaul never mentions how he funneled CIA cash  some $6.8 million in total  via the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and its two branches, the International Republican Institute of the Republican Party and the National Democratic Institute of the Democratic Party, to Russian opposition leaders like Aleksei Navalny. Nor does the US media mention that the CIA and State Department funneled some $5 billion into Ukraine in order to bring about a pro-US government in that country.

McFaul hosted Russian opposition party meetings at the US embassy and ignored warnings that Navalny's coalition included several neo-Nazi nationalists, who oppose immigrants hailing from south of the Russian border. Although he has been called by some Western journalists the "Russian Erin Brokovich" (an American environmental activist), Navalny is more like the "Russian David Duke." Duke is the former leader of the American racist group, the Ku Klux Klan.

Declassified CIA files are replete with examples of agency interference in foreign elections, including state elections in India and West Germany and provincial elections in Australia, Canada, and Japan. In the 1950s, the CIA provided massive support to the West German Christian Democrats, which were led by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. The CIA also did its best to suppress supprt for the West German Social Democrats and the far-right nationalist German Party in Berlin, Hesse, and Bavaria.

In 1967, Indian Foreign Minister M. C. Chagla charged that the CIA "meddled" in India's election, mainly through financial donations to parties in opposition to the ruling Indian Congress party. The CIA particularly targeted Communist parties in West Bengal and Kerala states.

Former Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker of the Conservative Party charged in 1967 that CIA funds were used to bolster the Liberal Party, which contributed to Diefenbaker's electoral losses in two general elections held between May 1962 and June 1963. Diefenbaker's successor, Prime Minister Lester Pearson of the Liberal Party, discovered that the CIA funneled cash to the pro-Liberal Canadian Union of Students in 1965 and 1966.

The CIA did everything possible to defeat for re-election the New Zealand Labor Party government of Prime Minister David Lange. The CIA provided propaganda support to the opposition National Party, which was opposed to Langes policy of denying entry to New Zealand waters of US nuclear-armed and nuclear-powered warships. The CIA ensured that pro-American media in New Zealand harped on about New Zealand record-high 6 percent unemployment, the nations foreign debt being half of its gross domestic product, and $1 billion budget deficit. The CIA also attempted to suppress traditional Maori support for Labor in the August 15, 1987 election, a cynical use of race-based politics to alter an election outcome.

Between 1965 and 1967, the CIA station in Brazil, working in conjunction with the AFL/CIO union in the United States and its international arm, the American Institute of Free Labor Development (AIFLD), were discovered to be interfering in union elections in Brazil. The Sao Paulo office of the AIFLD, which was nothing more than a CIA front, made cash payments to Brazilian officials to corrupt union elections in the Brazilian petroleum sector. An itemized list of CIA bribes to Brazilian officials was discovered by a Sao Paulo union official: Bonus to Jose Abud for collaboration  $156.25; Special payment to Dt. Jorge M. Filho of Labor Ministry  $875.00; Trip for Mr. Glaimbore Guimasaes, our informer at Fegundes St.  $56.25; Photocopies of books and documents of Petroleum Federation  $100.00; Assistance to Guedes and Eufrasio to defeat Luis Furtado of the Suzano Union  $140.64.

Prior to the September 4, 1964 Chilean presidential election, the leftist Popular Action Front opposition discovered that US charge daffaires Joseph Jova was assisting the Christian Democratic Party candidate. Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Montalva, with the CIAs help, defeated Allende.

A CIA memo dated October 3, 1955, describes CIA support for the pro-Western. Masjumi Party in the Indonesian election, the nations first since independence. CIA director Allen Dulles appeared to be hopeful about the chances of a Masjumi victory due to Indonesias large percentage of illiterates. In the 1984 El Salvador presidential election, the CIA supported Christian Democrat Jose Napoleon Duarte over the more extreme-right winger, Roberto dAubisson. Republican US Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina charged that the CIA meddled in the election on behalf of Duarte. It was even discovered that the invisible ink used on the fingers of those who had voted was supplied from the CIA.

If the United States truly wants to halt foreign interference in elections, it must be the first to advocate and adhere to such a policy. Just as with the nuclear test-ban treaty, the convention to abolish biological and chemical weapons, and the treaty to prohibit weapons in outer space, the United States should call for an international treaty to ban election interference in all of its forms  the use of cyber-attacks, propaganda, social media manipulation, and funding of foreign political parties. Without such a commitment, US protestations about election meddling will continue to be a case of do as I say, not as I do.South Korea is installing intelligent surveillance cameras along the DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone) and other areas that are vulnerable to attack by North Korean commandos or stealthy infantry. In addition to deliberate attacks the cameras along the 243 kilometer long DMZ will make it easier to spot, especially at night, people trying sneak across the four kilometers wide DMZ. In the last decade there have been incidents of North Korean soldiers just walking across the DMZ at night and defecting. What was embarrassing was that these casual defectors were not spotted and in one case had to knock on the door at South Korean border station to find someone to accept his surrender. Earlier attempts to avoid this sort of thing using motion detectors failed because the DMZ has become something of a wildlife refuge with all sorts of four legged critters are out and about and dont care if they set off a motion detector. The intelligent surveillance cameras were designed and tested to avoid this problem.

What makes intelligent surveillance cameras work is real-time analysis of video by software that can detect suspicious (as designated by operators) movement day or night. Software that can do this has been evolving rapidly since the late 1990s and the South Korean military has been monitoring progress in this area for over a decade confident that soon a combination of inexpensive but powerful hardware and video analysis software would reach the point where it would be accurate and reliable enough for use in critical situations where the system had to match the accuracy of a trained human operator. Israel, the United States, South Korea and China have all made major strides in developing such software for a largely non-military market. But in a combat zone the stakes are higher and the video image analysis software had to be very good. The South Koreans believe they now have what they need.

While most of the Chinese development of these systems has been in support of police operations (especially facial recognition) the Chinese also aim to dominate civilian markets. Israel, South Korea and the Americans have, since 2000, been prompted by military necessity to make this stuff work. South Korea has paid close attention to U.S. and Israeli progress in this area. For example both the Americans and Israelis have developed several generations of video analysis software that would spot in real time suspicious activity captured by airborne vidcams. This was all in an effort to deal with Islamic terrorism.

An example of this was revealed by the Israelis in 2017 when they described a new aerial surveillance system called SkEye. This is a multi-camera system built into a UAV as small as the Hermes 450 (max payload 150 kg) or even small manned aircraft like the single engine Cessna 208B. SkEye uses ten high-resolution video cameras to simultaneously watch, track and record activity in an areas as large as 80 square kilometers at a time. SkEye uses digital image scanning software to seek out specific items and patterns of movement below. Since SkEye records all that it sees it can also detect patterns over time. This approach to aerial surveillance has existed in theory for decades but the technology to make it work didnt exist until after the 1990s when the U.S. Army needed an effective way to find newly placed roadside bombs and landmines in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Americans spent billions on this bomb detection program and in 2005 the first workable, although somewhat crude, system (Constant Hawk) showed up and worked so well that the army named Constant Hawk one of the top ten inventions for 2006. The army does this to give some of the more obscure, yet very valuable, developments some well-deserved recognition. Constant Hawk, like most new technology did not get a lot of media attention otherwise. Mainly it's the math and complex tech, and TV audiences that get uneasy watching a geek trying to explain this stuff in something resembling English. But Constant Hawk worked, and the troops wanted more of it. Tools like this were popular mainly because the system retains photos of areas troops have patrolled, and allows them to retrieve photos of a particular place on a particular day. Often, the troops returning from, or going out on a patrol, can use the pattern analysis skills we all have, to spot something suspicious, or potentially so.

Pattern analysis is one of the fundamental tools Operations Research (OR) practitioners have been using since World War II (when the newly developed field of OR got its first big workout). Pattern analysis is widely used on Wall Street, by engineers, law enforcement, marketing specialists, medical researchers and now, the military. Constant Hawk uses a special video camera system to observe a locality and find useful patterns of changing behavior. While many of the Constant Hawk systems were mounted on light aircraft, others are mounted on towers or other ground structures. Special software compares photos from different times. When changes are noted, they are checked more closely, which has resulted in the early detection of thousands of roadside bombs and terrorist ambushes. This largely eliminated roadside bomb attacks on some supply convoys, which travel the same routes all the time. Those routes were regularly watched by Constant Hawk. No matter what the enemy did, the Hawk would notice. Typically the enemy would shift their bombing efforts elsewhere.

Even as Constant Hawk entered service it was realized that such a system would be even more effective if there was a multiple camera system in a UAV or light aircraft that could detect useful patterns in real time. By 2010 there were two systems that attempted to do that; "Gorgon Stare" and Angel Fire. Both were similar to the Israeli SkEye in many ways but not as compact, capable and reliable. By 2010 there was not as much urgency for the Americans as their troops were being withdrawn from Iraq and were mostly gone from Afghanistan by 2014.

But the Israelis still had Islamic terrorists coming at them from several directions and needed better tech to secure its borders and seek out rocket launching sites (all along their Lebanese, Syrian and Egyptian borders) plus roadside bombs and anti-vehicle mines in wartime. Since Israeli firms were responsible for major advances in automated digital image analysis (for automatically checking lots of vidcam images for something specific) and UAV based sensors in general this led to ground based GroundEye in 2016 and the airborne SkEye in 2017.

Despite setbacks with early versions of Gorgon Stare and Angel fire there was an urgent need to deal with the shortage of human operators (of real time systems) and analysts (for non-real time). The human operators are expensive, subject to fatigue (and missing vital information at key moments) and of varying degrees of skill. For generations soldiers and police have been trained to observe and analyze what they see quickly and accurately for crucial information. Scientific studies of what is crucial and how well human observers can detect it was used by software developers to enable software to achieve a high level of accuracy constantly. The proliferation of large UAVs using vidcams to watch combat zones on a regular basis, not to mention the growing number of video surveillance space satellites created a growing backlog of unanalyzed digital video. Capable video analysis software was the only solution. This particularly true for American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan where searching for enemy activity was possible with all the video but crippled by the inability to analyze it all in a timely manner.

The manpower shortage problem became the prime motivation to develop automated monitoring and analysis. Digital image analysis software had been the next big thing since the 1990s but by 2014 there were some very effective systems in use, especially by the Israelis, for whom getting this right was a matter of life or death. South Korea monitored, and learned from Israeli experience in this area because, like the Israelis, they had long borders that had to be monitored. For South Korea it was mainly the DMZ as well as maritime borders that North Koreans had long used to insert commandos and spies. Similar situation with Israel, especially the Gaza border and to a lesser extent along the borders with Lebanon and Syria. South Korea was particularly interested in the Israeli use of border vidcams and remotely controlled machine-guns in fortified towers along the Gaza border. The use of video analysis software enabled the Israelis to greatly reduce the number of military personnel monitoring all the vidcams.

Now it is the Israelis observing the South Korean experience with their new real time video analysis system along the DMZ. Meanwhile the usefulness of the American airborne surveillance and video analysis systems can be seen in Iraq and Afghanistan, where locals dont want a lot of American combat troops but do want the video analysis systems and intelligence analysis systems in general to stick around, to help keep an eye on things that go boom in the night and kill lots of locals.Click the image above to watch the video

Today we are expecting a partly cloudy day, with a few showers from the afternoon and light winds.

Its a one-clothing-layer day today with a high of 28 and an overnight low of 18 degrees. Humidity is 93 per cent.

High tide is at 10.10am and low tide at 4.30pm. Theres a sea swell of .8m, sea temperature is 21 degrees and sunset tonight is at 7.47pm.

If youre going fishing today the best fish bite time is from 7 to 10am and from 7 to 10pm.

This day in NZ history in 2013 the NZ census was held after a two-year delay. New Zealands five-yearly census had been scheduled for March 8 2011.

But after Canterburys devastating February earthquake, Government Statistician Geoff Bascand and Statistics Minister Maurice Williamson announced that it would not go ahead.

This day in world history in 1770, the Boston Massacre occurred. Five Americans were fatally shot by British soldiers.

This event contributed to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. In 1918 on this day the Soviets moved the capital of Russia from Petrograd to Moscow.

In 1984 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities have the right to display the Nativity scene as part of their Christmas display.

Today is the birthday of mathematician William Oughtred. Born in 1574, he was the inventor of the slide rule. It is also the birthday of U.S. physician Elisha Harris. Born in 1824, Elisha became the founder of the American Public Health Association.

And its the birthday of Howard Pyle. Born in 1853, Howard wrote and illustrated The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.

He once said "Yea, he who is a true king of men, will not say to himself, Lo! I am worthy to be crowned with laurels; but rather will he say to himself, What more is there that I may do to make the world the better because of my endeavours?"

To get involved in some of the many activities happening around the Bay, please check out our Whats on page.

Have a great day!Nearly 10 years ago he was ranked 51st on the National Party list and preparing to take on Winston Peters in Tauranga.

Now, Simon Bridges is the 12th leader of the party he first joined as a teenager in 1992.

It took his caucus colleagues only two rounds of voting to pick him from a line-up consisting of himself and four other candidates, including party veterans Judith Collins and Steven Joyce.

Growing up in Te Atatu with a Pakeha mum and Maori dad, I never thought Id have this opportunity to make such a difference to the lives of New Zealanders, he said on Tuesday, at a press conference to announce his leadership.

Media speculation around predecessor Bill Englishs positon as leader began in early February, when it was rumoured members of caucus were seeking to replace him.

At the time Simon was touted as a potential replacement, and the fact he was hosting colleagues at a caucus retreat in Tauranga soon after seemed to cement him as a power player within the party.

He was a crown prosecutor for many years in Tauranga before becoming an MP, and started his family here with wife Natalie, whom he met while they were both studying in Oxford. They have two sons, Emlyn and Harry, as well as new addition Jemima, who was born in December.

Speaking to The Weekend Sun last year, Simon said it was a now or never moment for him when he stood for parliament in 2008.

If I hadnt taken the chance then, I probably never would have, he says. Some people thought I was too young, or an unknown. But I beat Winston, just as Bob Clarkson had. So I dont regret taking the risk at all.

Now hes the leader of the opposition and, potentially, the countrys next prime minister  a role hes confident hell assume in 2020.

Our caucus has an incredible depth of talent and abundant energy, which is why we continue to enjoy so much support, he says.

New Zealanders believe in our vision for New Zealand and in our team.

Political history

Simon Bridges first became an MP in 2008, when he successfully beat off an attempted comeback by Winston Peters, the former Tauranga MP who was rolled by Nationals Bob Clarkson in 2005.

Simon benefited from the massive swing away from Helen Clarks Labour to John Keys National, winning more than 21,000 votes and increasing the party vote in the electorate by 10 per cent.

In 2011 he retained his seat, increasing his share of the candidate vote to 61 per cent.

This fell slightly in 2014 and 2017, but since being elected Simon has been able to count on steady support from more than 20,000 voters in his electorate.

In 2012 he received his first ministerial responsibilities as Minister for Consumer Affairs, Associate Minister of Transport and Associate Minister for Climate Change Issues. In 2013 he was invited into cabinet and became Minister of Labour and Minister of Energy and Resources, losing some of his lesser portfolios.

In 2014 he became Minister for Transport - a role he held until Nationals defeat in the 2017 election."The Joint Declaration is a call to consolidate our voice, our weight to do positive things, to cooperate, and to make our way in the unjust world we live in today," Mexico's... | Read MoreMany of Australia's telecommunications providers have been trying to turn themselves into tech and media content companies, but industry spectators have an ambitious idea for the incumbents.

All the telcos are facing an increasingly competitive and disrupted environment, with squeezed margins and the National Broadband Network adding a further level of complexity to what it means to be an internet service provider.

Mobile and broadband providers might become energy retailers.

Major provider Singtel Optus wants to become a mobile-led multimedia organisation, while market leader Telstra has talked up its future in technology, despite a failed investment in US-based video start-up Ooyala.

Investment analysts at Morgan Stanley have a different plan, suggesting the energy space might have more opportunities for large telcos than competing with Amazon, Google and Facebook.A legal stoush between two champagne educators with similar trading names is under way after the pair met for the very first time at a champagne event in Melbourne last week.

The Champagne Dame (Kyla Kirkpatrick) and Champagne Jayne (Jayne Powell) have been operating separate but similar businesses delighting audiences with their knowledge of champagne around the country and overseas.

Kyla Kirkpatrick bills herself as the Champagne Dame.

Despite the two champagne educators working in the close-knit champagne industry for more than a decade, the women only met for the first time at the industry event in Melbourne, speaking briefly.

Powells lawyer sent Kirkpatrick a letter on Friday requesting that she change her business name, based on the similarity of her trading name.MUSIC

QUEEN WITH ADAM LAMBERT 

Rod Laver Arena, March 2





If Melbourne wasn't already won over after a handful of Queen hits, Adam Lambert made sure when he addressed the elephant in the room.

"Some of you out there might be thinking 'He's no Freddie'," the former American Idol said with good humour early on as he fronted Queen at Rod Laver Arena on Friday night.

"No shit! There is only one rock god and it's Freddie Mercury!"

Even decades since Freddie left us, following in the footsteps of music's most magnetic frontman must be a tough gig.

But as Lambert broke into Don't Stop Me Now after that gracious acknowledgement, he's a good fit for Queen after five years of touring shows together.

Lambert has a great voice and can hit all the high notes Freddie did, is flamboyant (helped by a handful of costume changes) and engaging, but always respectful of guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, who founded Queen more than 40 years ago and are still playing superbly.

May also spends plenty of time out front, and, performing solo, provides the most poignant moment of the evening with Love Of My Life, with old footage of Freddie singing the same song.

May, Taylor and Lambert then form the highlight of the show by getting all close and personal with the crowd for Under Pressure and Crazy Little Thing Called Love, which gets most of the fans in the stands on their feet.

Queen's long, diverse list of hits means they can seamlessly swing between stadium rock (Radio Ga Ga, We Will Rock You), glam (Killer Queen) and laugh-out cheek (Fat Bottomed Girls).

All the winners get a blast, along with Lambert's own signature tune, Whataya Want from Me, which doesn't sound out of place amid the rock royalty. One quibble though: playing parts of the Bohemian Rhapsody film clip  as much as it is a tribute to Freddie  on the screen meant fans couldn't see the song's remarkable vocal interplay done live on stage.

Visually, there's lots of smoke, props and razor-sharp lights, a disco ball at one point, a drum-off between Taylor and percussionist Tyler Warren and plenty of May's magnificent solos, including a couple where he is elevated through the different layers of the stage.

Queen's founding members are white haired now and joke about their age, but the energy is still high, they sound great and Lambert's voice means this is more than just another trip down memory lane. It's not just him having a good time.The animated cast of Our Cartoon President. Credit:Stan "I'm well aware of how fast the news is moving these days," says Colbert, noting the writing for his own nightly talk show is often either abandoned or reworked within hours of telecast. "Many is the day, at 5.15pm, we have to throw away 10 minutes of monologue and just push the show back and rewrite it in the moment," he says. But, he notes, Our Cartoon President "does not exist to serve that. The show is the interpersonal relationships of the people that you don't get to see, all people you know, but the relationships you imagine they have, animated, which I think at this point is the only way to truly accurately capture what it must be like to be inside the White House. "The purpose of the show is not to respond to the references of today's news cycle, it's about what's going on behind the doors of the most important house in the world with the most important man in the world." One criticism the show will inevitably draw is that by "cartoonifying" the president, they are normalising what many consider to be a failing administration.

"I don't think we're complimenting him by making a cartoon out of him," Colbert says. "And I don't think there's anything normal about his behaviour as a cartoon. And I think that the subjects we're picking are dark enough that they reflect the stakes of truly cartoonish behaviour in the actual 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue." One of the reasons the show will specifically include some topical references is, Colbert says, "to keep reminding the audience that, while we're doing a comedy and it's always going to be comedy, and it's a cartoon ... this behaviour is really not what you want in the White House. " In purely comedic terms, the Trump presidency is something of a gift. Whether that's a good thing is something else, says Colbert. "I think the great benefit comedically is how uncontrolled his communication with the world is," he says. "Here's the thing: I love my country more than I love a good joke. Yes, it's great that he is communicating in an uncontrolled way and that he does it so often that you always have fresh material. But I don't want to describe that as a good thing. I would happily do with less." There is also, curiously, almost no risk of overload. In the infancy of Trump's presidency there was a sense that wall-to-wall news coverage and endless analysis would eventually trigger fatigue in the audience. And while anecdotally people say they have tired of it, the audience numbers do not reflect that.

"He's the president of the United States, there's no escaping him," says Colbert. "It's like having oxygen fatigue. You're in a democracy, and he's the president. That's why I like doing the comedy. It keeps me from being fatigued. "People ask me, how do you deal with the news every day? Does it wear on you? Yes, but I have this great thing where I get to go out to the audience and we have this sort of shared catharsis to laugh at it. If I didn't get to do the show, I'd be much more tired of the president, but it keeps it fresh to be able to laugh at the devil." The animated series come with some no-go zones. "Barron [Trump, the president's 11-year-old son] would be one, we don't make jokes about Barron or even [24-year-old daughter] Tiffany really much," Colbert says. "Just the members of the family that are in the administration. And that would include the First Lady. Also, tragedy in anyone's lives, I have no interest." For the voice of Donald Trump, the producers searched hundreds of voice actors looking for the right one. The voice, they say, had to have a certain sense of humanity to bring dimension to the performance.

Fifty-seven-year-old Jeff Bergman, whose work has mostly been on post-1990s Warner Bros cartoons, providing the voice for some of that studio's most iconic personalities including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, was chosen for the role. Colbert says Bergman's voice has a certain "realness" to it, and "the realness actually plays so nicely against what is, in reality, cartoonish behaviour by our actual president. So the realer you get to him, the more highlighted the inappropriateness of his behaviour." Colbert also says it is important for audience and satirist to come together in a conversation, a perspective which applies as much to Our Cartoon President as it does to Colbert's own talk show. In policy terms, Colbert says, "the purpose of the show, or rather what we take as our purpose, is to listen to what people have been talking about today, and so we know that's on the audience's mind, and go out there and give our opinion on it. Basically, that's what jokes are, just opinion. So we give our opinion on the things that they've heard today." If something happens that becomes part of the national conversation, he says, "we will talk about that. But I am sharing the audience's experiences back to them with my ideas. I'm not actually an advocate or an educator. I'm a buddy. And so the responsibility to highlight policy, it is not my job. My job is to talk about the policy that the audience is already worried about."An eye-opening documentary in which TV doctor Michael Mosley gains access to Britain's notoriously secretive Porton Down military research facility. His visit coincided with the centenary of the place's founding in response to German gas attacks during World War I, and it provides a chilling primer on the history of chemical and biological weapons  and Porton Down's part in it. There are plenty of things Mosley isn't allowed to see, but he does get a close-up look at some VX nerve agent  it's just a small splash of liquid in the bottom of a flask, but it's enough to kill tens of thousands of people. Mosley also visits the remote Scottish island where British scientists first tested weaponised anthrax on sheep, and he looks at the difficult, dangerous and time-consuming process of destroying old chemical artillery shells  of which there are thousands sitting in an alarmingly rusty stockpile.

Ian Fleming and John le Carre were both trained in military intelligence during World War II by Paul Dehn. Dehn (pronounced "Dane") was brilliant and gay, and very skilled in being secretive. When the war finished, he went into the movies, while Fleming and le Carre turned to novels and only indirectly to films. Dehn is best known for his extraordinary screenplays of le Carre's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Call for the Dead (retitled The Deadly Affair), Fleming's Goldfinger and four Planet of the Apes movies. It was a dazzling screen career that had to start somewhere, and it did with Seven Days to Noon, a taut 1950 nuclear-espionage thriller that won Dehn and co-writer James Bernard an Oscar for Best Screenplay. This was years before either Fleming had published a Bond or le Carre a George Smiley. Dehn well beat his famous pupils to the punch.

Scott Murray

Silent Witness

ABC, 9.30pm

Good grief! This is season 20 of the former forensic favourite, once an original bit of television with Amanda Burton (recently seen as a semifinalist in the UK's Celebrity MasterChef) as Dr Sam Ryan. Now every second crime show on TV covers the exploits of forensic pathologists or coroners. Case in point: before Silent Witness tonight is the premiere of Harrow, the ABC's stab at the genre with Welsh import and Mr Hornblower himself Ioan Gruffudd as a forensic pathologist with a "total disregard for authority". That's not to say Silent Witness is bad, it's still solid storytelling that's just a bit meh around the edges. Emilia Fox brings empathy to the role of Dr Nikki Alexander and is well practised at staring at grisly remains with a sympathetic nod, followed by a prod and a poke. Tonight, in the first of a two-part episode, a severed finger is given the once over, leading her to a family of Syrians living illegally in London and desperately trying to be reunited with their mother who seems to have been kidnapped (hence the finger). Thankfully, the show isn't afraid to show the desperate situation and conditions many illegal immigrants find themselves in, which is actually quite bold for a series that is bound to have rusted-on viewers who probably lean on the leave side of Brexit. Meanwhile, Jack Hodgson (David Caves) is investigating what at first glance appears to a be a suicide. Spoiler alert: it's not. Are the two cases linked? What do you reckon?

Louise RugendykeNicole Kidman Credit:Jordan Strauss

It's bow season and no one does it better than our Nic. This Armani Prive ensemble has more bows and tape than the Myer Gift Emporium but it works. A round of applause please.I have a spare bedroom. It has enough space for a bassinet and a feeding chair. I would like to offer that room to Vikki Campion, the partner of Barnaby Joyce and expectant mother of his baby.

Why am I suddenly offering refuge to a pregnant perfect stranger? Because on Sunday, the basest depths of Barnaby Joyce's character were further exposed.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra last month. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In an interview with Fairfax's Mark Kenny, the former Deputy Prime Minister and former leader of the National Party said the baby boy he and Ms Campion are expecting in April would be raised as his but said the identity of the biological father was "a grey area".

In other words, he expressed  in public - the greatest personal disloyalty to a partner I can recall. To paraphrase, Barnaby Joyce claims he does not know if he is the father of the baby to be born in April.Tasmania is the latest in the long drum roll of elections extending from last year through this year and into the next. As state after state goes to the polls, somewhere in between will come the climax, the federal election  whenever that is called. Last November, the Queensland election went badly for the Coalition, but now, for the Liberals at least, things appear to be looking up. Tasmanians for the second time ever have re-elected a Liberal government.

Although current projections suggest Will Hodgmans government has lost two seats in Tasmanias 25-seat House of Assembly, it will still have an absolute majority.

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman on Saturday night. Credit:AAP

Mr Hodgman has been a popular premier, someone clearly able to represent and manage the majority concerns of Tasmanians. He was supported by a relentless campaign funded by poker machine interests that feared a Labor win. He also managed to square away the gun lobby, promising to relax some existing restrictions while also keeping the undertaking secret for as long as possible. Whether these positions, and the sly way in which the guns promise was handled, won or lost him votes, the resulting movements were not enough to change the overall outcome.

Labor, promising to ban poker machines from pubs, did in fact improve the most of any party, lifting its share of the vote from 27.3 per cent in 2014 to 32.8  a creditable performance but still well short of where it was when it last won government. The poker machine interests campaign shows that moneys voice in politics is becoming deafening. Labor leader Rebecca White took a big risk in promising to confine poker machines to the states casinos.While he said he would raise the child as his own, he revealed the identity of the father is a grey area. Right. Only problem is, the identity of his partner is not. And now this man, ostensibly claiming to do the chivalrous thing of standing by his woman, has opened up a national debate about whom she slept with and when, about how many blokes graced her bed. He has opened her up to global slut-shaming.

The headlines might have read "Bundle of Joyce, he scoffed, but, they never even asked if it was Joyces bundle.

The entire continent of Australia moved a degree westwards yesterday with the sheer force of eye muscles rolling after Barnaby Joyce revealed he was not sure if he was the father of Vikki Campions child. Seriously? We need to know this?

I know, I dont like typing those words, or evoking those thoughts, but this is what the former deputy prime minister of this country has invited us to do.

The women in Joyces immediate orbit, in this sorry and sadly on-going saga, have been humiliated, trashed, exposed, maligned and put on trial all in the name of  what?

Joyce said that because the media were still asking questions, "we felt we had no choice but to tell the story." But he - they - did. He is on the backbench now, and the pressing questions are now primarily to do with allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment.

Lets unpack two salient parts of this story. First, Joyce claimed that no journalists  notably The Daily Telegraph  actually asked him if the child was his. This is incorrect. Sharri Markson, who broke the story, tweeted yesterday that she asked Joyce if the baby was his and only proceeded with the story when they were satisfied he was treating the unborn child as his own. Then, we were reminded that the first question Leigh Sales asked him on 7.30 was this:

You have not commented yet on front page newspaper reports today that you are in a relationship with one of your former staffers, who is expecting your child. Is that accurate?

An opportunity, right there, to be honest. His answer? Well, Leigh, what I want to do is make sure that private matters remain private.Large crowds of police and media are waiting outside the Melbourne Magistrates Court for the arrival of Cardinal George Pell.

From AAP: The highest-ranking Catholic official to be charged with sexual abuse will return to the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday to fight the charges at a month-long preliminary hearing.

Pell, 76, denies the multiple historical sexual offence charges involving multiple complainants.

Prosecutors on Friday withdrew one of the charges, relating to a complainant who died after the criminal proceedings began in 2017.

The committal hearing will initially be open to the public as the defence and prosecution finalise further administrative matters, but will quickly move behind closed doors as accusers begin their evidence.Two men remain on the run after a stabbing at a Melbourne shopping centre which left a man in an induced coma.

The victim, a 19-year-old from Balwyn, was stabbed after a fight broke out at the Box Hill shopping centre on Friday afternoon, and he remained in a serious condition at the Royal Melbourne Hospital on Saturday night.

A teenager has been left fighting for life after he was stabbed at a Melbourne shopping centre. Credit: 7 News

He was at the centre with a friend when he became involved in a fight with two unknown males and a weapon was produced.

The two men and a third man left the shopping centre soon after the stabbing.Residents in Melbourne's south-west have been stopped from entering or leaving their homes as forensics investigators try to piece together the events which saw two men taken to hospital, two on the run and a trail of blood splashed down a normally quiet suburban street.

Police were called to Misten Avenue in Altona North at about 9.30pm on Saturday night following reports of an altercation between two groups of men.

Detective Senior Constable Gareth Mullins said two men in their 20s were taken to hospital with non-life threatening stab wounds while another two fled the scene.

"We're searching for a number of males at the moment who were believed to be involved," he said.For any number of reasons, many people have limited options for intimacy in their lives. Credit:Janie Barrett

''I dont like the idea of you selling your body,'' a friend remarked. Id been a sex worker for over a year by then and mentioned it as an idea by way of sounding her out. Now I knew I couldnt tell her.

I occasionally work as a private escort, providing an hour or two of affection, conversation and physical intimacy  what you might call a ''holistic'' service. My clients are most often gentle older men, or men with disabilities. As a rule theres surprisingly little sexual intercourse involved, and my clients are usually focused on giving me pleasure.

Many people I know would disapprove of my having taken up sex work in my mid-fifties, thinking Ive sold out on my feminist principles or ''put myself in danger''.

On any given night in Australia, women like me will be having sex with strangers: men theyve just met in a bar, a club, over the internet or via Tinder. Empowered, exercising their agency, their right to autonomous sexuality? Most of us would agree its their own business.Plans for a redevelopment above Ormond train station have been revived, with the developer agreeing to lower its height to overcome a roadblock in the Victorian Parliament.The developer behind the projects design, Dealcorp, has confirmed the proposed height was now 10 storeys, down from the original 13.

At that height, the building, to be constructed above the railway tracks, would still tower over anything else in the mostly low-rise suburb.

The shopping strip on North Road in Ormond, around the corner from the new station. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Plans to develop the site emerged after the Ormond level crossing was removed in 2016 and the station rebuilt.

But those plans fell over at the last minute when the opposition, Greens and Australian Conservatives MP Rachel Carling-Jenkins voted down planning approvals in the Victorian upper house.Kiev: Clashes broke out near the Ukrainian Parliament in Kiev on Saturday, after police began removing a camp that was set up outside the government buildings last year to protest corruption.

As heavy snow fell on the makeshift site, protesters burned tyres and scuffles broke out with police, who had moved in to dismantle the camp, which has been there for months.

More than 100 protesters were detained.

Nearly all were later released, but Kiev police reported that about 20 people, including seven police officers, were injured in the confrontation.I just thought there was something nice about the calmness of reading by a fire, Jonathan Anderson said, explaining why he distributed copies of classics Madame Bovary, Wuthering Heights, Heart of Darkness with cover sleeves by Steven Meisel at his Loewe show. There was even a glowing fireplace (by the Arts and Crafts designer E. W. Godwin), and a display of sickly looking flower sculptures by Tetsumi Kudo.

The mood at Loewe is nothing if not curated. Or as the press release put it: The womens fall-winter 2018 collection inhabits a pensive space where the organic meets the industrial.

As it turned out, Andersons remark, in its homey English sentiment, was closer to the spirit of the collection. The key piece, if you apply the rest of his backstage soliloquy  How do you reduce and take away? was a long, slim shirt. It appeared early in the show, and in three variations: in slate gray with matching full-cut cotton trousers; in a washed linen-cotton micro-houndstooth with an exaggerated black leather collar and a layered chiffon skirt; and in cream silk jacquard with a fluttery stock tie and a matching asymmetrical skirt.

A blouse and a skirt (or pants). Three weeks of international fashion shows and on Friday, with Emily and Gustave bouncing on our laps, it had come down to an ensemble that any small-town librarian could rally around.

Loewe Fall 2018 Photo: Imaxtree

Seriously, though, Andersons instincts were right. Theres a need at the moment to strike a clearer balance between fashion and clothing that is wearable, that gives an ordinary sense of ease. One reason is theres a lot of competitive noise emanating from luxury brandsheres our oversize parka, our sparkly sweater, our jacked-up sneaker, our take on feminism and identity. But in the end, says Anderson, all you see is nothing. That may be why many brands are struggling to attract customers. At the same time, the political atmosphere is so alive, with #MeToo and the anti-gun movement, that it calls not for a commensurate fashion, as some critics have argued, but one that actually respects the seriousness of whats involved and remains in a way detached.

For me, thats why Loewe and Undercover, by Jun Takahashi, are the most satisfying collections so far in Paris. Loewe could be digested in three main ways. There were terrific coats  generously cut shearlings in bone or black, a hooded toggle style in a soft, fuzzy brown wool, and a black leather number with suede contrasts. There were the shirts. These also included a body-slimming style in black leather, but what all the shirts had in common was a detail that gave them oomph or was revealed only when the model walked by, like the micro-houndstooth shirt mentioned above. Down the middle of the back were three or four knots made from the soft fabric.

Finally, theres the tailoring. Anderson says he wants to beef up the tailoring at Loewe, which is generally known for dresses, cool knitwear and, of course, leather. Maybe the standout look in the show, next to those smart shirts, was a brown micro-check coat with a crisp saddle-brown leather collar. Slim-fitting, worn with plain strappy sandals, its details were nicely confined to a raglan sleeve, top-stitched welt pockets, and small banded cuff. A classic with a different cover: how uncomplicated?

Takahashi opened his show with Sadie Sink, an actress from Stranger Things, and with the words We Are Infinite printed on rubber boots and garments throughout. Many of the clothes looked like the stuff kids wear in high school  one person on Twitter aptly said a New Hampshire boarding school. And, indeed, Takahashi said afterward that this youth forever theme related to the 2012 film The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which supplied a voice-over near the shows finale.

Undercover Fall 2018 Photo: Imaxtree

Yet Takahashi, who last season did an inventive show about the notion of doubleness, didnt milk the youthful vibe. Hes too honest for that. It was as though he simply wanted to acknowledge what was special about being young, and in ways that were incredibly modest yet direct fleece hoodies and track pants, ripped jeans and school blazers, a trench and a sweatshirt stiffened as if to evoke a favorite garment that a kid refuses to clean and so is rigid with grime, and some of the most adorable knit caps ever, including a few that looked knitted with hair, as if to suggest bed hair.

Its that reverence, coupled with a roster of straightforward fashion, that made Undercover such a dynamic show.

Junya Watanabe also had a solid, up-to-date show today. He, too, stuck with a familiar street look  strong on fantastic poncho-style coats, oversize blazers, and what might be called grunge sweaters, worn with brightly colored leggings or floral skinny pants, and yet another version of thick-soled sneakers. I adored his, though: chunky, black, sharp. The addition of white tube socks was a nice nerdy/jock touch.David Hogg and Cameron Kasky.

In the weeks since the tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the courageous teenage survivors have become vocal advocates for stricter gun laws who are unafraid of attacking their NRA-friendly representatives and calling BS on political inaction. On last nights Real Time with Bill Maher, two survivors appeared on HBO to discuss the upcoming March for Our Lives rally and demand that Donald Trump listen to their cries.

Early on in the interview, one of the survivors, David Hogg, disclosed that the White House invited him to attend Trumps listening session. Hogg  who has been accused of being a crisis actor  declined, as he had funerals to attend the next day.

He described the conversation around the invitation: I ended on this message with them. I said, We dont need to listen to President Trump. President Trump needs to listen to the screams of the children and the screams of this nation.

Cameron Kasky, another student survivor who appeared alongside Hogg, talked about the details and inspiration behind March for Our Lives, the nationwide protest on March 24 to protest gun violence.

With the march we want Americans to stop being afraid of demanding our politicians to take action, Kasky said. They work for us, we dont work for them.

He continued: We dont respect you just because we have to. We dont respect you just because you have senator in front of your name. We are just kids begging for our lives, getting murdered in our classrooms.

Watch the full clip below.Bangladeshi Police Detain Three More Men After Attack on Prominent Writer

DHAKABangladeshi police arrested three men on Sunday as they investigate a knife attack on Zafar Iqbal, a popular author and professor of computer science and engineering.

Police said the arrests were in connection with background checks on suspected assailant Faizur Rahman. He was detained at the scene after the attack on Iqbal at a university in the city of Sylhet on Saturday.

Police said that Rahman, 25, identified as a student at an Islamic school, had said he attacked the writer as he was an enemy of Islam.

Rahman is receiving treatment in a hospital as he was attacked by students at the scene before the university authorities, with the help of police, took him into custody.

Iqbal, a respected writer and academic popular with children for his science fiction, was flown to a military hospital in Dhaka for treatment on Saturday night.

He is now out of danger and will recover in a few days, said Munshi Mujibur Rahman, a senior consultant at the hospital.

Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina described those responsible for the attack as fanatics who will face the full force of the law.

Police said that now they are trying to ascertain whether there is any link with any terrorist group to the attack.

Islamic terrorists in Bangladesh have increased attacks on a number of secularist, atheist writers, bloggers, publishers, foreigners, and religious minorities over the past five years.

By Serajul QuadirThis makeshift shelter might have housed a family of five. (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Morongo Basin Station)

Homeless Couple Charged as Child Abusers for Raising Kids in Shack

A California couple who raised their children in a homemade plywood shack has pleaded not guilty to charges of child abuse.

Daniel Panico and Mona Kirk lived with their three children in what was basically a big plywood box without electricity or running water just outside Joshua Tree National Park, about 125 miles east of Los Angeles.

Panico, 73, and Kirk, 51, and their children, aged 14, 13, and 11, slept in the 4-foot-tall, 200-square-foot shelter, the Los Angeles Times reported.

A San Bernardino County sheriffs deputy noticed the shelter and on suspicion of willful cruelty to a child arrested the parents. They were charged with three counts of child abuse each, on Friday, March 2.

Daniel Panico & Mona Kirk are charged with child abuse after police found 3 kids living in shack in Joshua Tree @MyDesert pic.twitter.com/J8E1kUjEoR  Colin Atagi (@TDSColinAtagi) March 2, 2018

Children and Family Services took custody of the children, and the parents were ordered not to communicate with their children.

Sheriffs Capt. Trevis Newport told the Times the children were not being held captive. Theyre homeless, he explained. Its a shelter, the shape of a box  nowhere near what it sounded like when it came out.

Along with no water or electricity, there was no sewer service. The shelter was surrounded by pits filled with trash and human waste, Fox News reported.

Children should not have to live like that, Cindy Bachman, a San Bernardino County District Attorneys Office spokeswoman told Fox. As parents they have a responsibility to provide the basic necessities for their children to grow up and be healthy and safe.

Surrounded by feces, stray cats and old cars, children had one of 'worst cases' of living conditions. https://t.co/993Y9JWclw pic.twitter.com/1kgVbvLgid  The Desert Sun (@MyDesert) March 3, 2018

Though the family was poor there is no report that the children were malnourished or sick in any way.

The children were home-schooled and according to Fox were described by friends of the couple as being highly intelligent.

One of those friends, Jackie Klear, leads a local Phoenix Scout troop, in which all three children were active.

Klear told the L.A. Times that the three children attended weekly meetings, went camping, and made crafts like all the other scouts.

Both Joshua Tree parents plead not guilty to child abuse, barred from having contact with their 3 children @MyDesert pic.twitter.com/EHgnCrllA2  Colin Atagi (@TDSColinAtagi) March 2, 2018

While stopping by the shelter to pick up personal items for the family, Klear surveyed the site and said, I know this looks like crap, but they were very well taken care of, the Times reported.

The Sheriffs Department is punishing those kids for being homeless, said Leanna Munroe, who has known the family for nine years.

Their crime is being homeless and they kept it from people, said Marsha Custodio, of Yucca Valley, another friend of the family.

Apparently the family owned the property where they were camping. There was an abandoned trailer on the property, where the family had lived when they first moved there. Klear told the Times she thought that one of the children had built the shelter and that the family still lived in the trailer.

Klear said the family was on a fixed income and refused to accept any form of help or handout. She blamed the parents for stubbornly refusing to accept assistance.

They dont want handouts, she told the Times. Im hoping this woke them up.



From NTD.tv

Recommended Video:

Neighbors React to Parents Arrest After Their 13 Children Found Shackled, Malnourished in HomeStudents are evacuated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during a shooting incident in a still image from video in Parkland, Florida, Feb. 14, 2018. (WSVN via Reuters)

Nikolas Cruz Might Have Tried to Create Vantage Point to Gun Down Students Below

Newly emerged photos appear to show that Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz might have attempted to shoot from a window on a higher floor in an effort to gun down more students fleeing below.

One of the photos shows what looks like multiple bullet holes on the inside of a third-floor teachers lounge window, reported Fox News, citing unnamed sources.

NEW PICTURES obtained by Fox News show #Parkland shooter mightve tried to shoot out a window to use as a perch to fire down on people below. Sources say many more couldve been killed or hurt but the hurricane-resistant windows wouldnt shatter. Full story 530 & 7pm on @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/bzflApV0W7  Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) March 3, 2018

Law enforcement sources told Fox News that it appeared Cruz might have tried to create a snipers vantage point but his efforts were thwarted by hurricane-proof windows that could not be shattered.

An official briefed on the shooting told CBS4 News that Cruz had fired 16 rounds into the window. The suspect then attempted to reload but after changing magazine clips, the weapon was believed to be jammed forcing Cruz to abandon his gun and flee the building with the other students, according to unnamed sources.

Had Cruz succeeded in his efforts, the carnage would have been much more devastating, reported Fox News, citing another unnamed source.

This is the third floor window at Stoneman Douglas where Nikolas Cruz tried to set up a snipers nest. Bullet holes show how the impact glass held together frustrating Cruz and saving lives. @CBSMiami #stonemanshooting #msdstong pic.twitter.com/tOw2yIzcOG  Jim DeFede (@DeFede) February 27, 2018

What you are looking at is the third-floor teachers lounge, which faces west, Cruz was trying to shoot those windows out from the inside, creating a perch so he could act like a sniper  little did he know, those windows are hurricane windows and they wont shatter. Had he been able to get those shot out, who knows how many more people wouldve died, because he wouldve had sight to a wide-open courtyard where the other buildings funnel, the source told the news station.

An official briefed on the shooting investigation tells @CBSMiami the carnage could have been far worse. Investigators believe self-confessed gunman Nikolas Cruz planned on using a vantage point on the third-floor stairwell on the west side of the building to shoot at students  Jim DeFede (@DeFede) February 27, 2018

Cruz attempted to create a snipers nest by shooting out the glass window in the stairwell, firing 16 rounds into the impact glass. Luckily, the hurricane proof window did not shatter. Cruz then attempted to reload, and after changing magazine clips, the weapon   Jim DeFede (@DeFede) February 27, 2018

is believed to have jammed, according to three sources familiar with the investigation. Frustrated, and with police now responding, Cruz dropped the gun in the stairwell, ran down to the ground floor and fled the building with the students.  Jim DeFede (@DeFede) February 27, 2018

In a second photo, boxes of evidence appeared to be stacked in the school, some with biohazard labeling on them, according to Fox News.

By the looks of it, the ones with orange biohazard are anything from that day in the school that has blood or bodily matter on them; the rest is probably anything that was left behind that was unclaimed or evidence from the school shooting, a law enforcement source who reviewed the pictures told the news station.

Cruz, 19, is accused of open firing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14 which left 17 students and teachers dead. He has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.

The building on the school campus where 17 people were murdered is expected to be demolished. Florida lawmakers decided on Feb. 15 to provide the resources needed to demolish the building as it will be traumatic for students to have to return to it.

This building has to come down, Sen. Bill Galvano told the Miami Herald during a visit to the school.

It will still be very difficult for students to return, Galvano said. But that particular building should be razed, and the memory of the perpetrator erased and a memorial honoring the victims and their families be put in its place.

From NTD.tv

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Trump Calls on Nation to Answer Hate with Love after Florida School Shooting TragedyA man walks through Times Square during a winter nor'easter in New York City, U.S., March 2, 2018. (Reuters/Andrew Kelly)

Northeast Still Facing Flooding, Outages After Killer Storm

PRINCETON, NJSome 1.8 million customers remained without power throughout the eastern United States on Saturday, and communities on the New England coast faced more flooding a day after a powerful storm snapped trees, downed wires and killed at least seven people.

The remnants of the storm, known as a noreaster, continued to buffet the northeastern United States with wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour even as it moved hundreds of miles out to sea, hampering efforts to restore power.

The governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, declared a state of emergency on Saturday afternoon, following similar announcements by the governors of Virginia and Maryland on Friday.

The moves give those states access to federal resources. Baker said the National Guard was deployed to numerous municipalities throughout eastern Massachusetts to help with rescue and evacuation efforts.

Trains were running with delays between Washington and New York along Amtraks Northeast Corridor, the passenger railroad said, after service was suspended for several hours earlier on Saturday due to power outages.

The storm carried hurricane-force winds in excess of 90 miles per hour, sending seawater churning into streets in Boston and nearby shore towns  the second time the area has been flooded this year.

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that coastal states from Massachusetts to Maine could experience another round of flooding late on Saturday when the high tide returns, though it is not expected to be as severe as earlier surges.

Falling trees killed seven people, including two boys who died when trees struck their homes, in Connecticut, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia, according to local media and police.

Private forecasting service AccuWeather said the storm dumped as much as 18 inches of snow on parts of New York state and Pennsylvania. The Massachusetts town of East Bridgewater received nearly 6 inches of rain, the NWS said.

The storm also snarled transportation from the Middle Atlantic into New England, with more than a quarter of flights into and out of New Yorks three major airports and Bostons airport canceled on Friday, tracking service FlightAware.com reported.

The problems carried over into Saturday, with hundreds of flights canceled into and out of New York and Boston, according to the website.

One flight landing at Washingtons Dulles International Airport on Friday experienced turbulence so rough that most passengers became sick and the pilots were on the verge of becoming ill, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

By Joseph Ax

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Boiling Water Turns to SnowFILE PHOTO: A local stands next to a damaged house near a landslide in the town of Tari after an earthquake struck Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands in this image taken Feb. 27, 2018 obtained from social media. (Francis Ambrose/via Reuters)

Week After Papua New Guinea Quake, Nearly 150,000 Need Urgent Aid

Almost a week after a deadly quake struck the rugged Papua New Guinea highlands, nearly 150,000 people remain in urgent need of emergency supplies as damaged roads and landslides have hampered the delivery of aid to isolated communities, agencies have said.

The quake destroyed or damaged the homes of around 7000 people, while 147,000 were in severe need of food, water and sanitation, the director of the International Red Cross in PNG, Udaya Regmi, told Reuters on Sunday.

Landslides have cut roads, preventing the delivery of aid to several places where its most needed.

The challenge is road access, its still not accessible to trucks and four-wheel drives, Regmi said.

Big trucks cannot go there. Its one of the reasons the food is becoming less and less. There are no fears of starvation yet but weve not got the full picture.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) declared a state of emergency across the earthquake-hit region last week but the scale of the disaster will not be known until relief workers and authorities can complete their assessments in the area.

A report by the World Food Program for the United Nations two days after the 7.5 magnitude quake hit the Southern Highlands on February 26 estimated 465,000 people were exposed to the disaster of which 143,000 needed urgent humanitarian assistance and 64,000 were suffering from extreme food insecurity.

Anna Bryan, program director for CARE International in PNG, said the impact of the earthquake could not be understood by the initial death toll of 31 people as tens of thousands of people uninjured by the actual quake have been cut off from food, drinking water, communications and medical help for a week.

Public health and public hygiene are now concerns, she said.

Bryan said rivers dammed by landslides created stagnant water polluted by silt and bacteria, leaving people with the threat of disease.

Aid has been flown in by aircraft but it is not yet known if it has been able to get to all the people in need.

Aftershocks terrified villagers for five days after the initial temblor and only started subsiding on Saturday, multiple sources said.

Julie Sakol a nurse at Mendi General Hospital said on Sunday the aftershocks were slowly decreasing.

Its coming every two hours now  the movement of the ground is slowly going down.

Australian Sally Lloyd who is visiting PNG said villagers were terrified by the constant shaking.

It is terror, she said by telephone from Mount Hagen on Sunday. They think the end of the world is happening.

Earthquakes are common in Papua New Guinea, which sits on the Pacific Oceans Ring of Fire, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

The PNG and Australian governments, the Red Cross and Care International have all provided aid.

Energy firm ExxonMobil which had to declare force majeure on exports from its PNG LNG project in the wake of the earthquake has also donated US$1 million to the humanitarian effort.

Oil company Santos said on Sunday that it will donate US$200,000 to aid agencies in PNG for disaster relief on top of a US$1 million donation it has already provided to Hela Provincial Hospital.

By Alison BevegeOn Good Morning America last week, comedian Jimmy Kimmel suggested he will have some fun hosting the Academy Awards Sunday night, given last years snafu presenting the Oscar for best picture and the material it opens up for his monologue.

He expressed reservations, however, about his ability to strike the right tone when it comes to the #MeToo movement that has galvanized attention like never before on the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. He has plenty of company.

It is a tightrope many people are still walking on the job today, according to David Lewis, CEO of OperationsInc in Norwalk, which has conducted workshops for years on sexual harassment prevention in the workplace and procedures for dealing with it when it occurs. The firm also conducts investigations of harassment allegations for companies that do not want their HR staff handling those interviews in the interest of objectivity; or on behalf of small-business owners who have no personnel staff.

Inquiries for both training and investigations by OperationsInc are up fourfold since August, according to Lewis, with his firm having five trainers handling the workload and plans to add another soon to dedicate time to those sessions.

And across Connecticut, there are plenty of signals that awareness is escalating on other fronts, including action in the state General Assembly and in the private sector, including a Hartford forum in late April by the Connecticut Bar Association to help employers update their thinking on workplace sexual harassment prevention.

Subhead

In the last three months of 2017, the Connecticut Human Rights and Opportunities Commission saw a 37 percent increase in sexual harassment complaints from the same period in 2016. In Connecticut, CHRO notice is a mandatory first step before would-be plaintiffs can sue employers in state Superior Court.

Accusers have six months to file with CHRO before hitting a statute of limitations; the agencys investigation interval across all cases average 20 months. As such, it will be some time before Connecticut determines the full initial reckoning of the movement, as victims weigh whether to join the chorus of accusations since Hollywood mogul and former Westport resident Harvey Weinstein made headlines nationally beginning in early October.

CHRO fields complaints via an online tool at www.ct.gov/chro, or through its regional offices including at 350 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport, which can be reached at 203-579-6246.

As tracked by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sexual harassment cases nationally trended downward eight straight years through the 2017 fiscal year, with CHRO handling 158 cases of sexual harassment last year.

The numbers could be heading up going forward. Lewis said those participating in his firms training are more engaged as a result of what they are reading and watching recently  far more anyway than had occurred in prior cases that received publicity, such as when Greenwich resident Gretchen Carlson pointed the finger at her Fox News boss Roger Ailes.

The OperationsInc workshops have evolved in the past year as the movement has brought to the forefront ancillary concerns about sexual harassment, for instance how bystanders should act when they believe they have witnessed abuse in the workplace.

People are coming in far more interested than ever before, Lewis said of the OperationsInc training sessions. They are asking more questions. Theyve formulated some level of opinion thats based on what theyve read and what theyve heard, but theyre really curious now to better understand what kind of behavior they should be looking for.

For many, this was a check the box exercise before, Lewis added. Now as people are becoming more aware of this, now that its so much more mainstream  theyre listening much more intently.

When to act

Lewis is quick with a piece of advice for business owners and CEOs who schedule workshops on sexual harassment, which it is to make sure all senior leadership attend training, too  themselves included. He is more circumspect, however, for anyone who suffers sexual harassment in the workplace or who otherwise witnesses an incident.

The intuitive response to that question is, if you see something, say something, Lewis said. The problem is that  you go ahead and make a complaint in the wrong type of environment, and instead of getting the result that you want, which is corrective action in a discrete but decisive fashion, you wind up getting retaliated against.

EEOC found instances of retaliation in 38 percent of its Connecticut workplace investigations in the 2017 fiscal year covering sex, race and other forms of discrimination, or 100 cases in all. In New York, the rate of retaliation was 46 percent.

Still, the law is on the side of those that suffer any workplace retribution; and in Connecticut, New York City and elsewhere, all signals are the legal penalties could become harsher before long. The Connecticut General Assembly is weighing a number of proposals, including increased fines and penalties for companies found to have violated labor laws on sexual harassment. And they want to eliminate non-disclosure clauses from employment contracts, maintaining the power of victims voices as a deterrent.

And perhaps most critically, lawmakers want to extend that CHRO statute of limitations to give victims more time to decide whether to file a case, while giving the agency more resources to do its job.

There is a movement (afoot)  but if theres no action behind that movement and we dont put laws in place to protect people ... it is just a movement, said state Sen. Marilyn Moore, D-Bridgeport, speaking in late February in Hartford at a news conference announcing the legislative effort. We have to put some teeth to some of the things that we are saying need to happen.

Another proposal would extend mandatory training to cover all people at businesses with at least three employees, with current requirements covering only managers at companies with at least 50 workers. Since the Anita Hill case of the early 1990s, cycles have come and gone in which awareness has been triggered by the publicity of a major harassment case. This time around, an apex in the cycle may become the new normal.

Weve been waiting for it to die down since August, Lewis said. No let up  none.5 1 of 5 Contributed Photo / Weston Volunteer Fire Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Contributed Photo / Weston Volunteer Fire Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Contributed Photo / Weston Volunteer Fire Department / Contributed Photo Show More Show Less 5 of 5









WESTON  Trees and wires down delayed firefighters response to a generator fire Saturday, but it was still quickly extinguished, officials said.

The generator was next to a house on Blue Spruce Circle, officials said.The Norwalk Police Emerald Societys third annual St. Patricks Day parade steps off from Veterans Memorial Park and proceeds through South Norwalk beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 10. Former U.S. attorney for the state of Connecticut, Deirdre Daly, will serve as the parade Grand Marshal.

Crystal Theatre, Norwalks award-winning youth theater group, will be celebrating 30 years with a benefit concert at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 12 at the Ben Franklin Center, 66 Bayview Ave.

The concert will feature Broadway performers, Crystal Theatre alumni and students performing songs from 30 years of Crystal Theatre original musicals, many written by artistic director Cheryl E. Kemeny.

The evening will also feature the presentation of the annual Matthew Chiappetta Memorial Scholarship in honor of Matthew, a former Crystal Theatre student who passed away in 2004. The concert is directed and produced by Crystal Theatre alum Benjamin Simpson and Samantha Tuozzolo, with musical direction by Dan Micciche. Tickets are $30 and $40 (includes reception) or $50 (includes reception and signed program of Broadway performers) and can be purchased at www.crystaltheatre.org and at the door.

The cupboards are running low at the Open Door Shelter. The food pantry provided over 2,000 bags of groceries to people in the community this winter. The shelter is asking residents to open their pantries and consider donating the following items that are most in need: rice, tuna, dried beans (red or black) and pasta sauce.

Regular sizes are better than family or economy size products, as many homes have limited storage, and some residents may have a more difficult time carrying larger items from the shelter to their homes.

Donations may be dropped off at the shelter at 4 Merritt St.

East Norwalk residents are invited to have a voice in the future development of Norwalk. On Saturday, March 10 join your East Norwalk neighbors for the citys Plan of Conservation and Development Community Visioning Worksop.

Session I will be held at 9:30 a.m., or attend Session II at 2 p.m. at The Marvin Senior Housing, 60 Gregory Boulevard.

For more information, visit www.tomorrow.norwalkct.org.

The Troupers Light Opera Company will be performing the iconic Gilbert and Sullivan opera The Mikado on April 14 and 21 at Norwalk Concert Hall, with a new twist: it will be set in the Italian Renaissance. This most recent variation comes from San Francisco. The Troupers cast is drawn from all over Fairfield, Westchester, and New Haven counties.

The Mikado will be performed at the Norwalk Concert Hall, 125 East Ave., April 14 and 21, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. It will be fully staged and costumed, with a 28-piece orchestra.

For tickets and information, visit www.trouperslightopera.org.

On March 8, an evening of food and music will raise money for STAR, Inc., a Norwalk-based nonprofit supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Mecha Noodle Bar, A Dash of Salt, SONO Baking Company and Cafe, Saffron Indian Cuisine and Chocolate Works will be among the roughly two dozen restaurants serving up treats throughout the evening. Wine and craft beer will be supplied by Iron Brewing Company, Parolvini wines and the Liquor Locker, while STAR clients and Coastal Groove provide the soundtrack for the night.

The event, Galaxy of Gourmets for STAR, will be hosted by Aitoros Appliance Showroom at 401 Westport Ave from 6-8 p.m.

As a neighbor for over six decades, I am happy to welcome our friends of all abilities to share this magical evening that is simply a feel-good night for all, said Tony Aitoro, Aitoros chief operating officer.

Tickets, which may be purchased in advance at www.starct.org or 203-846-9581, ext. 302, are $40 each, $125 for a group of four and $200 for a group of six.

Need to apply for a passport? Mark the Connecticut Passport Agency Event on your calendar.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 10 at both the Norwalk Public Library, 1 Mott Ave. and the South Norwalk branch at 10 Washington St., the service is for first-time applicants, lost or stolen passports and childrens renewals.

Bring a completed DS-11 passport form along with a recent passport photo a valid drivers license, a state identification card or military ID, and your original birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

Check, or money order (no cash) made out to the U.S. Department of State will be accepted in the amount of $110 for adults and $80 for children, and a $25 fee by check or money order made out to Norwalk Public Library.

Passport forms, information on how to apply and more can be found on the Department of States official website for passport and travel information: www.travel.state.gov.

Passport applications are on a first come, first served basis.

Share your neighborhood news19 hours ago

3 Stocks Close to Record Highs to Buy Now

Although the market has been pulling back over the past few weeks, the good news is that there are still pockets of strength that stand out as potential buying opportunities. In fact, some stocks are trading close to their all-time highs and have barely budged during the recent market weakness, which tells us that there is heavy demand for their shares.

Read ArticleIf you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE).Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells various apparel products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It provides various activewear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sport shirts under the Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Hammer, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Anvil by Gildan, Alstyle, Prim + Preux, and GoldToe brands. The company also offers hosiery products comprising athletic; dress; and casual, liner, therapeutic, and workwear socks, as well as sheer panty hoses, tights, and leggings under the brands of Gildan, Under Armour, GoldToe, PowerSox, GT a GoldToe Brand, Silver Toe, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Kushyfoot, Therapy Plus, All Pro, Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, and American Apparel. In addition, it provides men's and boys' underwear products, and ladies panties under the Gildan and Gildan Platinum brand names; and ladies' shapewear, intimates, and accessories under the Secret and Secret Silky brands. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, screen printers, or embellishers, as well as to retailers and consumer brand companies. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

Read MoreMONTREALThe national office of the Bloc Quebecois threw its support behind its leader on Saturday, days after seven of the partys 10 MPs quit the caucus over Martine Ouellets leadership style.

The partys administration made it clear that Ouellet had their support, despite an open letter published Friday in which more than 20 former Bloc Quebecois MPs called for her resignation.

It is unanimously resolved that the national office renews its full and complete support of Martine Ouellet and relaunches the invitation she made to each of the resigning MPs to participate in a process to allow them to reintegrate the Bloc Quebecois caucus, Bloc member Benoit Lemieux said on behalf of the group.

Ouellet announced that the MPs who resigned will be able to keep their party memberships and are welcome to discuss returning to caucus.

It was never a question of exclusion, she said at a news conference, flanked by the remaining party members.

The resigning deputies can remain members of the Bloc Quebecois if they wish.

The seven MPs wrote a letter in Saturdays Journal de Montreal saying that excluding them from the party would contribute to its death.

The letter reiterated criticisms of Ouellets leadership and said her choice to focus only on independence does not serve Quebecs interests.

(Ouellet) adds, almost incidentally, that it is also necessary to defend the interests of Quebec, but that this is not the foundation of our presence in Ottawa, the letter read.

On the contrary, we believe that to serve independence, the interests of Quebecers must be given priority. Without compromise. First and all the time.

But Ouellet remained steadfast in her commitment to independence on Saturday, adding that all the remaining members are on the same page regarding the partys future.

A Bloc Quebecois that will work toward the promotion and preparation of independence, but also defending the rights of the Quebec nation, she said.

For us, one doesnt go without the other.

The seven MPs who resigned stood by their position.

We will meet in the next few days to evaluate all our options and to see how we can continue to serve Quebecers to the best of our capacity, the statement read.

On Friday, more than 20 former Bloc Quebecois MPs published an open letter in Le Devoir calling for Ouellets resignation.

The letter, co-signed by ex-Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe, says Quebecs status is feeble within the Canadian federation, with a pro-Canada premier in Quebec City and an intransigent and divisive Bloc leader in Ottawa.

Read more about:Hamilton police spent most of Saturday evening on Locke Street investigating damage caused by a group of about 30 individuals, dressed in black clothing with their faces covered, who walked down the street carrying a banner that said, We Are The Ungovernables.

The group began setting off fireworks and smoke bombs, damaging vehicles and throwing eggs and rocks at store windows and homes in the neighbourhood.

Several storefronts had their windows smashed by the mob, and police say early estimates indicate about $100,000 in damage.

There were no injuries suffered by citizens or officers.

Insp. Paul Hamilton said police were initially called to a mischief in progress at Durand Park on Park Street South just before 10 p.m.

Two cops headed to the scene, where they found a large group dressed in black  a number of whom were wearing masks, he said.

The officers approached the group and quickly had to retreat because they were being pelted with rocks, Hamilton said.

While the officers called for backup, the group dispersed, but a large nucleus of the group continued on, heading west toward Locke St. South and Aberdeen Ave., he said.

Carmela Oliverio was sitting with friends inside the Mattson and Co. restaurant on the corner of Locke and Alexander streets when she saw fireworks going off.

All of a sudden I see 25 to 30 people dressed like ninjas coming down the street with this huge banner saying, We Are the Ungovernables and with fireworks going off left, right and centre.

Oliverio said that when the mob noticed she and her group looking at them, one of the group came straight up to the window of the restaurant and just wound up and started whipping things at us. There were eggs everywhere.

Oliverio said the group continued on, throwing rocks until they turned off the street. It was scary, she said.

Read more: Steel tariff will have huge ripple effect on Hamilton

Hamilton said police had to gather a large contingent of about 30 officers to deal with the group, including from all three patrol divisions, the ACTION team, the emergency response unit and the K9 unit.

Once we were able to amass our group, we deployed, but the group quickly dispersed, Hamilton said, adding many discarded their clothing while fleeing.

Officers from the forensics unit remained on scene overnight gathering evidence, he said.

Police say it is too early to identify the group or what they were protesting, but noted there was an anarchist book fair being held at Westdale Secondary School this weekend.

We are investigating to see if theres any potential links to any people attending that, he said.

In his 28 years with Hamilton police, Hamilton said he has never seen anything like this.

Id say its uncommon for any community in this province, he noted.

No one was in the newly opened Donut Monster shop at the corner of Locke and Charlton when the group smashed the glass door to the business and put large holes in most of the windows of the shop. Large rocks could be seen lying inside the store.

Ruben Vanderkwaak, who owns the business with his wife Heidi, had just returned from their first vacation in three years Saturday morning.

Friends on the street contacted them about the damage that happened only two hours before the overnight baking shift arrived for work. Its pretty crazy, he said. Although they have insurance the damage will definitely cut into their business.

We cant be open when it looks like this.

At Bitten on Locke, co-owner Rebecca Tomasic was just locking up for the night when she saw the approaching mob.

She ran to her car parked across the street and locked herself inside. It was terrifying, a visibly shaken Tomasic said. She could only watch from her car as the group picked up a large rock and threw it through the window of her business.

The group dispersed and fled when police arrived.

Ward 1 Coun. Aidan Johnson called the act shameful and profoundly unfair to the good merchants of Locke Street and their hard-working employees, many of whom are young people.

He headed out to Locke Street Sunday morning to survey the damage and speak with shop owners, workers and neighbours, all of whom have lots of questions.

Its outrageous that these crimes have interfered with the business, he said, noting hes trying to get more information about what happened.

While there is a lot of shock and sadness, Johnson said hes also inspired by the community support.

It is inspiring to see so many Hamiltonians on Locke Street today showing solidarity with the neighbours and the merchants and the workers, he said.

Police continue to investigate and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

Possible charges police are looking at include mischief and unlawful assembly, he said.

Were going to utilize every aspect of our investigative services, our divisional detectives  were going to rely on our intelligence unit to provide us with information, Hamilton said. Were going to leave no stone unturned.

The masks worn by some members of the group poses a big challenge, Hamilton said, but police are reviewing surveillance footage, social media and video taken by witnesses on scene.

Hamilton noted an act like this was not spontaneous, and asked anyone aware of the planning that went into it to call police.

Somebody knows whos responsible for this, and we would ask that anybody who does have information to come forward or to call Crime Stoppers, he added.

Anyone who witnessed the event or had property damaged is asked to contact Hamilton police Detective Jamie Simpson at 905-546-3816.

To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your anonymous tips online at crimestoppershamilton.com.For a community grappling with emotional exhaustion after the arrest of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur, local activists say controversies about the cases handling affect police participation in the Pride Parade.

Police are in discussions with Pride Toronto on the status of their parade presence in June, but no final decisions have been made, as yet, said a Toronto police spokesperson, Meaghan Gray, in an email.

Last year, officers were invited to attend the parade under the condition that they did not wear their uniforms nor bring weapons and cruisers. Police floats were also banned, in keeping with demands set by the Toronto chapter of Black Lives Matter following a 2016 protest during the parade.

I think this year, more than any year, Pride is going to be a time of reflection, and may feel more sombre perhaps in the wake of all the deaths, said Syrus Marcus Ware, a team member at BLM Toronto and trans-man.

Read more:

Groups urge independent review of missing persons cases in wake of Bruce McArthur charges

Opinion | Edward Keenan: What is Chief Saunders thinking, adding insult to gay communitys injury?

Ph.D candidate profiled potential serial killer in gay village in July 2017

McArthur, a 66-year-old landscaper, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder of Andrew Kinsman, Selim Esen, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Dean Lisowick and Skandaraj Navaratnam.

In an interview published in the Globe and Mail, police Chief Mark Saunders was quoted as suggesting that the alleged killer might have been arrested sooner if civilians had come forward to police with vital information.

Weve witnessed tremendous horrors and a police Chief who  had the audacity to say this week that it was community members faults, sort of blaming the victims, Ware said of the Feb. 27 Globe story.

Police union president Mike McCormack said officers are hoping that Pride will reconsider its position this year by allowing police to march in uniform.

The chiefs comments are very unfortunate, and again, as far as were concerned, our hearts go out to the victims and the families of this horrific act, he said. Were hoping that those comments dont sour a lot of  the good work that our members have been doing.

Two of the men McArthur is accused of killing were the subjects of a specialized police project known as Project Houston, which examined the disappearances of three brown-skinned, middle-aged men from the Village between 2010 and 2012.

The project kicked off in November 2012 and ended 18 months later, in April 2014, without any arrests because the probe returned no criminal evidence. McArthur was never singled out as a subject during Project Houston.

Police have since faced criticism for failing to identify McArthur during the Project Houston investigation, particularly since its alleged that McArthur went on to kill other men.

His arrest will probably influence the June festivities for an emotionally exhausted community, said Councilor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 27 Toronto CentreRosedale).

I think the community wants to work with Toronto Police, I honestly believe that, she said. Giving up on our relationships with each other is not an option.

Wong-Tam called this relationship ongoing, and not just anchored around the annual festival.

The police will need to understand that its much more than whether or not the police should march, but its about getting to the core of community relationships here. Its about building respect and trust.

Pride Toronto did not respond to multiple request for comment. The parade takes place on June 22 to 24.Her death was a key factor in convincing the Trudeau government to set up a national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Just a little over a week after the man charged with second-degree murder in her death was acquitted of that crime, hundreds of people gathered at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto on Saturday demanding justice for Tina Fontaine and others like her.

The rally, which replicated others that have taken place across the country, came ahead of the 40th International Womens Day, which takes place March 8. The Justice For Tina Fontaine rally was joined this year by the International Womens Day Toronto March, which is made up of a coalition of groups that organize around womens issues.

A stream of speakers (most Indigenous women) all had a similar refrain: Fontaine, 15, was failed not just by a criminal justice system that did not secure a conviction in her case, but by every other institution she came in contact with in her short life.

Read more:

Opinion | There can be no reconciliation as long as Indigenous lives are expendable

Editorial | The law has done its job, but there must be justice for Tina Fontaine

Acquittal of Raymond Cormier in Tina Fontaines death disappoints Winnipeg police chief

Before she was pulled from Winnipegs Red River in the summer of 2014, her body wrapped in a blanket that had been weighed down by rocks, Fontaine was supposed to be in the care of Manitobas Child and Family Services. She was put in a hotel room with little monitoring. When she disappeared, social workers did not tell her family back home. During the time she was reported missing, police came across her in a car with an older man and did nothing.

No more stolen children, no more children are going to leave our community  and be put in hotel rooms, Suzanne Smoke of the American Indian Movement told the crowd. Posters and banners in the crowd read never again and without justice there can be no peace of reconciliation.

New Democrat MP Charlie Angus (Timmins), who was also in attendance, called the foster care systems effect on Indigenous children a conduit for gangs and murdered young women. It is a modern day crime, he said, adding Tina gives us a face to a generation of children who have been taken and abandoned.

In February, a jury in Winnipeg found Raymond Cormier not guilty of second-degree murder in the 2014 death of Fontaine.

Cormier, in undercover police tapes, admitted that he had sex with the teen and was heard saying he bet Fontaine was killed because he found out she was only 15.

The defence had argued that the tapes were hard to hear, that the transcriptions could be wrong and that Cormiers denial to police of any involvement was the real truth.

There was no DNA evidence linking him to Fontaine and experts could not determine how she died.

Ive learned not to expect much of the Canadian justice system, I never have, said 16-year-old Madyson Arscott at Saturdays rally. I was not surprised by the verdict  . My friends, the system is not broken, it is working exactly as it should be. Arscott helped to organize Saturdays rally. Her message to Indigenous youth: You are worth the effort.

The decision in Fontaines case came just days after a Saskatchewan farmer was acquitted in the murder of 22-year-old Cree man Coulten Boushie. The composition of the jury in the trial came under attack for an apparent lack of Indigenous members and the Boushie family has said they were treated poorly by the RCMP.

The federal governments inquest into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, of which there are thousands, is conducting hearings across the country for people to give testimony. The national inquiry, though, has had its fair share of problems with high staff turnover, communication problems and concerns about caring for people after they have gone through the traumatic experience of testifying about their lost loved ones.

The deaths of 11 children who have died in Ontario while in the care of children and youth services is currently under review by the coroner. Seven of the 11 youths in the review, who died between January 2014 and July 2017, were Indigenous.

With Star filesBut how much cheese would you give them?

Thats what British counterterrorism officers asked friends of John Letts and Sally Lane. This wasnt code. They were actually talking about cheese  a big circle of pressed milk curds  and how much it would weigh.

It was early 2016, shortly after Letts and Lane had been charged with terrorism for trying to send money to their son Jack to help him escape from Raqqa, Syria.

Jack Letts, who has both British and Canadian citizenship, converted to Islam as a teenager and went to Syria in 2014. By the following year, he told his parents he was desperate. Scared that Daesh would kill him, he begged them to send money for smugglers so he could escape.

Police, however, suspected his story.

On Dec. 31, 2015, Letts and Lane tried to send 1,000 ($1,766 Canadian) from a Western Union in Oxford, England, but the transfer was blocked. They tried again with 500 on Jan. 4, 2016. Again, it was denied.

Early in the morning two days later, police raided their house and they were thrown in jail. A judge refused them bail at their first court appearance. At a second hearing, five days later, a different judge ordered them released, seeming shocked they were still behind bars. Two perfectly decent people have ended up in custody because of the love of their child, he wrote in his ruling.

John Letts, a botanist and organic farmer born in Chatham, Ont., and Lane, a freelance book editor who spent her teenage and university years in Ontario, both hold Canadian and British citizenship. They met in 1982 at Ste-Marie Among the Hurons, where, as historical interpreters, they gave tours to tourists and school groups. They moved to Oxford in 1990, had two boys and enjoyed a comfortable, middle-class life  until their eldest son left for the Middle East.

After they were granted bail, Letts and Lane found themselves suddenly destitute, their bank accounts closed, Lane fired from her administrative job. Friends rallied around the couple, aghast that police would charge desperate parents.

Then came the cheese incident, as Letts and Lane call it.

Dairy farmer Simon Fairlie and his wife, Gill Barren, longtime friends of the couple, sent them an email offering to pay their rent. Soon after, police officers with the South East Counter Terrorism Unit (SECTU) knocked on the door of Fairlie and Barrens West Dorset home.

The officers warned them they could be committing a crime, Barren told the Star. John is charged with funding terrorism, so if we gave him money, we would be funding him, and by extension, terrorism, she said they told her.

She pressed the officers: What about paying the landlady directly?

Same problem, an officer replied, since that could free up funds that Letts and Lane could use for terrorism.

I said that if all money was forbidden, then would we be allowed to give John and Sally something else to help them survive? Cheese, for instance. We are dairy farmers and we make cheese, Barren said.

How much gruyere or cheddar would they give? the officers asked.

Our cheeses are about four kilograms each; one would feed the family for a while, Barren said she told the officers. They refused, she said, because John might sell the cheese to get money to fund terrorism.

If convicted, John Letts, 57, and Lane, 55, face 14 years in prison for terrorism fundraising.

Beyond their own plight, the case also exposes the political and legal maelstrom surrounding terrorism laws. Their case and others like it force governments, including Canada, to define their policies on how they will deal with citizens who left for Syria and Iraq.

Although there was enthusiastic support for an international coalition to militarily force Daesh, the group also known as ISIS or ISIL, out of Iraq and Syria, most governments have done little to deal with the fallout. Their inaction risks repeating security mistakes made after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the subsequent Iraq War, after which prisoners held for years in U.S. camps formed the terrorist group that would eventually became Daesh  and civil rights abuses against thousands of others fuelled anti-western hatred.

Today, hundreds of suspected foreign Daesh members, including women and their children, are being housed in prisons or camps in areas of Syria controlled by Kurdish authorities. Some countries have suggested, essentially, that what happened in Syria should be left in Syria.

Lawyer Clive Stafford Smith, who is helping represent Letts and Lane pro bono, believes their case will be the first in the U.K. to confront what he calls a policy of assassination.

Last fall, British International Development Minister Rory Stewart said his government was prepared to execute its citizens in Syria, rather than extradite them back to the U.K. for trial. We have to be serious about the fact these people are a serious danger to us, and unfortunately the only way of dealing with them will be, in almost every case, to kill them, Stewart told BBC Radio 5 Lives Pienaars Politics.

In December, British Defence Minister Gavin Williamson told the Daily Mail, a dead terrorist cant cause any harm to Britain, prompting questions as to whether the government had a kill list of suspected Daesh members.

This is a fantastically immoral and stupid policy by politicians who are trying to be tough populists, without seeing how they are trampling on the very principals we stand for, Stafford Smith said.

There is no proof Jack Letts is on a kill list, if one exists. But his government has made no attempt to bring the 22-year-old back to Britain, nor provided any option to his parents  which is why they say they tried to send him money in 2016, when they feared he would be killed.

Their son made it out of Raqqa last May, and was picked up by Kurdish militia aligned with coalition forces. He has been held since in a Kurdish-run prison in Qamishli, a town near the border with Turkey.

Overwhelmed by the number of foreigners in their custody, Kurdish officials have said they welcome countries to deal with their own citizens if repatriation is officially requested.

The British government, however, has taken a hands-off approach. In a Sept. 7 letter to Letts and Lane, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office wrote: There is nothing further the UK Government can do to assist Mr. Letts so long as he remains in Syria.

Lane says the language is similar to that in five letters they have received over the years.

Canada has been aware of the case since June 2016, when Letts and Lane contacted the Canadian High Commission in London. A year later, officials with Global Affairs Canada contacted them and raised the possibility of negotiations for their sons release, but said Canada preferred to speak with him directly.

That direct contact happened on Jan. 10, when Jack Letts called Canadian consular officials from prison, the CBC reported. He begged them for help. Tell my mom Im sorry. Tell my dad Im sorry. Tell them if I ever get out of this place Im going to try to be a better person, he said in an audio recording of the Jan. 10 call, posted online by the CBC.

He had previously sent texts to his parents from prison, saying he had been kept in solitary confinement, was tortured and felt he was losing his mind. (His parents have not heard from him since July).

Kurdish officials have denied the claims of abuse.

I want to come back to Canada, Letts told the Canadian consular official, the CBC reported.

Please get me out of this place, he said. I dont mind if you put me in prison, just get me out of here as soon as possible.

Like many of the cases involving foreigners who left for Syria and Iraq, little is known about Jack Letts, or his possible involvement with Daesh, or any other group.

He has not been charged in Britain or Canada, nor has he been charged by the Kurdish authorities who are holding him.

But the British tabloids and the echo chamber of social media has already tried and convicted him, branding him Jihadi Jack.

Letts and Lane said their son struggles with mental illness and was diagnosed with Tourettes syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder. At 16, he converted to Islam after becoming attracted to religion and Arabic through some of his Muslim friends. He dropped out of college at 18, and a short stint working with the relief group Oxfam spurred a passion for helping refugees and an interest in the Middle East.

In May 2014, at age 18, he went to visit a friend from Oxford who was studying in Jordan. His parents say he was due home in 10 days, but decided to go to Kuwait for a three-month Arabic course with his friend, which they supported.

Then, on Sept. 2 of that year, he called and told his mom: Im in Syria.

What Jack Letts did over the next two years is unclear. There are angry, offensive Facebook posts on his account, which he told his parents he did not write, claiming that others had access. In the summer of 2015, he posted a photo of himself in Syria, holding up the one-finger salute associated with Daesh, which until recently controlled a large swath of Iraq and Syria.

Communication with his parents was spotty, but when he could speak to them, he said he was doing humanitarian work, teaching in schools, telling them he did not belong to any group.

Police first came to Letts and Lane in March 2015, looking for information on their son.

No one would tell us anything about what the hell was going on, despite police saying this was going to be a two-way communication. We said, Do you have information, any intel, anything on him you can share with us?  John Letts told the Star. And they said, No, we know nothing about him actually. No information other than the fact that he went there. 

Thats not parents in denial, who dont want to believe this. We did our homework and we tried to understand the context and whenever Jack was online we grilled him and tried to figure out what was going on  we did try, we werent living in a bubble.

Letts and Lane thought of the police, and a liaison officer from Britains counter-extremism program, known as Prevent, as their allies. They said they shared any information they had on their son, even when they got nothing in return.

In August 2015, they sent 223 to him and, according to Lane, police did not object. She willingly spoke to a detective about the transfer and said she was told, Youre not a criminal, Sally. (That money transfer was later included in the 2016 charge of making property or money available to another person, knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect it would or might be used for the purposes of terrorism.)

By November, the messages from their son became desperate. He claimed he had been in hiding for months and was worried about spies at the internet cafes. At one point, he told them he was injured in a bomb blast and taken to Raqqa, the stronghold of Daeshs self-declared caliphate, or Islamic State.

He begged them to send enough money so he could escape, saying he was fearful that Daesh would kill him because he didnt support their ideology.

We did work within the system as best as we could, said John Letts. We tried everything. Youre just supposed to sit there and watch as your child sends you horrible, begging messages saying, Please help me mom and dad because otherwise theyre doing to torture me and chop my head off? And these police have been telling you all along they dont think hes guilty, they just want to question him, and theres no charges against him.

When Letts and Lane asked police about sending more money, they claim their Prevent liaison officer told them that no court in the land would convict a parent for trying to protect their child.

But when the parents asked for that reassurance in writing, Lane said police instead gave them a statement that said although they wouldnt be stopped from wiring money, they could face prosecution.

They played us, lied to us, John Letts told the Star. They said they fully, deeply understood the dilemma we had, and said they felt for you, and gave you all this great sympathy, and then put the cuffs on you.

Who cares about Jack Letts, a 22-year-old who willingly went to a war zone and now is asking for help from a country where he has only vacationed?

Why should Canada get involved when the U.K. will not?

These questions, no doubt, will be hotly debated by politicians and the public.

For Toronto lawyer Frank Addario, the answer is straightforward: Citizenship comes with rights. Period.

Addario is working on behalf of Jack Letts in Canada and, along with Stafford Smith, he believes the whole family have become pawns in the U.K.s populist security agenda.

The lawyers say much of what is happening now in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere parallels policies that were enacted in the aftermath of 9/11.

Speaking as an American, said Stafford Smith (who holds both British and U.S. citizenship), we have inflicted on the world a number of utterly deranged policies in the last 16 or 17 years, starting with torture and rendition and Guantanamo Bay.

Along with lawyers at his London-based organization, Reprieve, Stafford Smith has represented dozens of former detainees held by the U.S. in Guantanamo Bay or the CIAs so-called black sites. He has seen firsthand the sometimes tragic  and costly  fallout to post-9/11 security policies.

In 2010, the British government paid millions to 16 Guantanamo Bay detainees for the torture they endured while held captive.

In Canada, under both the Conservative and Liberal governments, more than $50 million in compensation has been paid to Maher Arar, Omar Khadr, Ahmed Elmaati, Muayyed Nureddin and Abdullah Almalki, following federal inquiries and Supreme Court rulings that condemned Ottawa for not protecting its citizens abroad.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale made it clear last fall that Canada would stand apart from its European counterparts. Canada does not engage in death squads, Goodale told CBCs Power and Politics.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also complained that his government has had to pay in cases, such as Khadrs, for the previous administrations mistakes.

But exactly what the Trudeau government has done so far  or is willing to do in the face of a political backlash  to bring citizens home from Iraq and Syria is unclear.

Global Affairs Canada will not answer questions about Jack Letts or the case of other Canadians being held, such a 22-year-old Montreal woman and her two daughters, whose story was told in the Star and a CBC documentary this year.

When asked what responsibility Canada has to its citizens, spokesperson Elizabeth Reid wrote to the Star: Each consular case is unique and the assistance we can provide will vary depending on circumstances. The Government of Canadas ability and success in resolving consular cases are conditioned, in many instances, by the laws and regulations of other countries.

Syria is complicated by the fact that Canadas diplomatic ties with Bashar Assads regime have been reduced to a minimum since 2012, according to Reid. Jack Letts, along with the young Montreal family and another Toronto woman and her children, are held by Kurdish forces in a self-governed region that is not internationally recognized. Canada, only has diplomatic relations with states, Reid wrote in an email to the Star.

Sinam Mohamed, an international representative for the administration of the Kurdish-controlled regions of Syria, told the Star she had been contacted by Canadian authorities about both Letts and the Montreal woman, offering the appropriate representatives should Canada wish to negotiate their releases.

Since weve declined the assassination option, and weve declined the wilful ignorance option, the remaining option is participating in the active solution, so Ill expect Global Affairs to do that, Addario said.

Its not as if ignoring the problem will solve the problem.

As Letts and Lane begin their fight for freedom in the U.K. courts  their trial is scheduled to begin in September  they say their hope for their son now rests in Ottawas hands.

The Kurds will only hand him over to a government, Lane said. So since the British government has been so intransigent, we have turned to the other country of his citizenship. We just know he will get fair treatment in Canada and they do have a more enlightened approach.

She added: We had two years of saying, Save his life first, and then decide if hes guilty or not  I think theyre hoping he will just die in prison and the story never comes out.

Read more about:BEIJINGChina has no desire to overturn the existing international order and its increasingly powerful military does not constitute a threat to others, the spokesperson for the countrys ceremonial legislature said Sunday.

However, in a break with recent practice, Zhang Yesui refused to provide a figure for the rate of growth in the national defence budget. That move follows complaints that China isnt open enough about how it funds its military or what the goals of its massive campaign of expansion and modernization are.

Zhang sought to strike a reassuring tone in remarks at a news conference on the eve of the opening of the National Peoples Congress annual two-week session.

He said China defended and contributed to the current United Nations-centred global order, but also said some reforms were necessary.

Chinas development is conducive to world peace, stability and prosperity, Zhang said, pointing especially to global economic growth, trade and poverty reduction.

As to the international order, we have no intention of overthrowing everything for starting over again, Zhang said. Reforms should focus on international rules that have fallen behind the times and no longer align with the shared aspirations of all nations.

Chinas secretive military had begun to open up a crack in recent years, and the National Peoples Congress spokesperson in recent years has made a tradition of responding to a question on the defence budget by announcing the percentage increase over the past years, at least in rough terms.

Zhang, however, did not address the question of numbers, saying instead that past increases by a modest margin had gone to equipment upgrades, training and improving welfare and living conditions for troops.

Chinas defence spending as a share of GDP and the budget also remains lower than that of other major nations, he said.

China proceeds from a defence policy that is defensive in nature. Chinas development will not pose a threat to other countries, Zhang said.

Read more:

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The finance ministry last year said the defence budget would top 1 trillion yuan ($145 billion U.S.) for the first time, after the exact figure was initially kept out of public documents released at the start of the annual legislative sessions.

That marked about a 7-per-cent increase, continuing a trend of lowered growth amid a slowing economy, despite regional tensions over the South China Sea and other issues.

Years of double-digit percentage growth have given China the worlds second-largest defence budget after the United States, which is in a class of its own with a proposed budget of $716 billion for next year.

However, Chinas publicly announced defence spending has never been entirely accurate since it fails to omit a significant amount of off book expenditures on defence equipment projects, said Peter Jennings, executive director of the non-partisan Australian Strategic Policy Institute think-tank .

Whats alarming is not the non-reporting of largely fictitious defence spending figures so much as the Chinese leadership is shedding even the pretense of being open about its military plans, Jennings said in an email to The Associated Press.

Combined with President Xi Jinpings plans to eliminate term limits on his rule and his consolidation of control over the military, the lack of public information about defence spending and military planning pushes China toward a more authoritarian and militarized leadership, Jennings said.

These trends should be deeply concerning to the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, he said.

Read more about:Morneaus unwise decision to backtrack pharmacare, Walkom, March 2

Every parent knows this: If you arent really going to take your kids to the zoo, dont mention it at all.

When we heard details included in the Liberals budget this week, we were delighted. That evenings conversation around our dining-room table with our adult children was animated and optimistic. One of the most exciting elements in the budget was the announcement of the governments commitment to pharmacare.

Then, came Finance Minister Bill Morneaus near-immediate dialing back: not a plan exactly, more of a strategy, and other weasely sounding words. What a colossal disappointment.

I reluctantly excused the Liberals backtrack from their promise to reform our electoral system. Please dont let the pharmacare promise go the same way. We need to hear their clarification and recommitment  and soon. Just be straight with us. Are we going to the zoo or arent we?

Jeannie Mackintosh, St. Catherines, Ont.

I was even encouraged by the enlistment of former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins, whose provincial government recently implemented a long-overdue pharmacare program, albeit one only covering residents under age 25. It was a start and I hoped that coverage would increase eventually to provide coverage for all.

My feelings of elation and hope were soon dashed when Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced it wouldnt be universal but would amount to a patchwork of coverage, with some people included in the government plan and others not.

This is unacceptable. We dont need some mish-mash of a program. Lets do it right and make a universal plan and, as the research indicated, the overall cost to health care should see a reduction. Perhaps Australias government could advise how best to meet this goal.

Norah Downey, Midland, Ont.

The announcement of this strategy apparently rejects consideration of any other alternative by the advisory group chaired by Dr. Eric Hoskins. If this is the case, it will be unfortunate because many studies in Canada (and experience in other countries) have demonstrated there are more universal, comprehensive and less-expensive ways of dealing with this issue. I hope the advisory group will give this matter the inclusive study it deserves.

Bill Wensley, Cobourg, Ont.

Drug-policy experts were stunned. Canada is the only advanced country with a medicare system that lacks pharmacare. Canadians spend so much on drugs because we dont have a pharmacare program: drug prices are too high and too many intermediaries like insurance companies and benefit consultants drain money from the system.

Morneaus approach would leave all that waste in place. The obstacle is that every dollar wasted is somebodys income and the affected industries  drug manufacturers, drug insurers and drug benefits managers  fight back.

The minister effectively pointed to a potential conflict of interest and then restricted the mandate of the advisory council. I hope the minister will step back and let the council do its work.

Kim Jarvi, TorontoA predictable quality about air bubbles is that they always rise to the surface.

So it is with the light weight of ignorance.

Late last week, a senior Toronto police officer went on Twitter to dispute journalist Marci Iens account in the Globe and Mail of race playing a factor in being pulled over for the third time in eight months, and this time in her own driveway. She described the subsequent and now all-too-familiar fear and uncertainty and anxiety and fatigue of DWB, or Driving While Black.

She said she did nothing wrong, and was not given a ticket.

You failed to stop at a stop sign, a tweet by Staff Supt. Mario Di Tommaso read in part. It was dark. Your race was not visible on the video and only became apparent when you stepped out of the vehicle in your driveway.

His views were echoed by Deputy Chief Shawna Coxon.

We are accountable, she wrote on Twitter. The whole event (incl. the traffic infraction) is on camera. The ethnicity of the driver is not visible until after she was pulled over, when she exits the car.

Then Toronto Police Association chief Mike McCormack swooped in with a spectacular bit of you-asked-for-it-ism, tweeting an excerpt from a 2005 Globe and Mail interview of Ien where she said she liked speeding.

How easy it is to disrupt the innocent Black person narrative.

She said this in 2005. Therefore she must deserve being pulled over three times in 2017-18.

Unsurprisingly, they led the conversation down the path to square one: Was it racism or not?

What is worth noting is that a police force that talks of building relations with the Black community and setting up sensitivity training remains out of its depth even with the basics of racism.

Racism isnt just about intent. Its also about outcomes.

Racism can occur without anyone having to be a racist  or without someone being actively prejudiced against a person of colour.

A Black person could be stopped five times by five different police officers, without any officer consciously disliking Black people.

For having the courage to share her story, Ien is now placed in the centre of a circle of doubt, a position that so many people of colour find themselves in when they speak of their experiences.

Disrespected, based on her account, by the cop who stopped her.

Disbelieved, humiliated and dismissed by the cops who challenged her story.

When police spokesperson Mark Pugash told the Star, Ms. Ien has made some very serious allegations and we would encourage her to file a complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, he means she should initiate a process that would hinge on proving whether the individual officer who stopped her was racist.

Nowhere in Iens piece is the allegation that the man who stopped her was racist.

But Pugash, and indeed his senior brass, depressingly show no understanding of systemic racism; in this case, a system not set up to mitigate a bundle of experiences that belong to the umbrella of racism.

What is being asked of Ien is to ignore the countless experiences and stories of humiliation, and manhandling by police. Ignore the needless deaths, some captured on videos that have scarred so many.

Ignore all those individual stories that stitch together to show a pattern of racial profiling and prove this particular incident to be racist.

In her book So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo says, Those who demand the smoking gun of a racial slur or swastika or burning cross before they believe that an individual encounter with the police might be about race are ignoring what we know and what the numbers are bearing out We are being targeted.

Data from traffic stops found that Ottawa police are more likely to pull over disproportionate numbers of Black (and Middle Eastern) drivers.

Black people are three times more likely to be street checked in Halifax, according to information released by the Halifax Regional Police.

In Toronto, the seven-year long Black Experience Project found 79 per cent of Black men between the ages of 25 and 44 have been stopped by police in public places.

How Black people (and Indigenous people and other marginalized people) experience police is different from how people with specific status of race and age and wealth experience police. How we all experience police at the point of help is different from how we do at the point of criminalization.

The power and corruption that enable police brutality put all citizens, of every race, at risk. But it does not put us at risk equally, and the numbers bear that out, writes Oluo.

An individualistic society lead by those with status whose interests the police uphold has no impetus for changing the system.

And the wilfully ignorant, they go along for the ride.

Shree Paradkar writes about discrimination and identity. You can follow her @shreeparadkarWhole Foods Market CEO John Mackey on Saturday said his meeting with Jeff Bezos and the team at Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) - Get Amazon.com, Inc. Report before the e-commerce behemoth struck a $13.7 billion acquisition of the organic grocer was "really like falling in love."

"We did talk to other companies besides Amazon. We flew up to Seattle myself and three executives and met with [Amazon CEO] Jeff Bezos and three of their senior executives and it was really like falling in love," Mackey told Students for Liberty, a libertarian group, at a conference in Washington. "You know when you fall in love you have what I call 'the conversation.' You stay up all night and talk; and it's like oh my god, it's amazing, she's the one. That's how we experienced Amazon the first time we met them. We were finishing each others' sentences before the first meeting was over."

Mackey's comments come after Action Alerts Plus holding Amazon.com acquired Whole Foods Market in July last year, a deal that happened after pressure emerged from activist investor Jana Partners' Barry Rosenstein, an insurgent manager who pushed for a sale of the grocer.

Mackey, who remains Whole Foods CEO, acknowledged that the deal emerged following activist investor pressure and that the fund that targeted him, Jana Partners, researched the business for a between a year and year-and-half "to get their ducks in a row" before launching a campaign.

"We did have shareholder activists and they were trying to take over the company. They had a campaign against me," Mackey said. "I can go on about activists and talk about things i think are flawed in a current system that allows a minority of shareholders to potentially take over a company."

However, he acknowledged that Whole Foods was at risk with its shareholder base because of "competitive incursions" from rival grocers at the same time that its same-store sales had begun to slow down and decline.

He also complained that the activists put pressure on the company's directors. During the campaign, critics argued that six of the company's board members were over-tenured and over the average tenure of S&P 500 boards of 8.3 years, according to leadership consulting firm Spencer Stuart.

"As soon as that happened the activists came in and things I had always considered a virtue like directors who never wanted to leave because they loved the company so much became a liability," Mackey said. "I would tell you - Jana Partners is not one of the good guys."

The sale to Amazon emerged roughly two months after Jana Partners launched a campaign at Whole Foods that included a number of demands, including having the company review strategic alternatives and consider selling itself. The fund had said it was prepared to nominate dissident directors if Whole Foods didn't consider strategic options, which was a real threat considering the fund has launched dissident director proxy fights to drive M&A actions several times over the past few years.

Soon afterward, Whole Foods took the unusual step of reshuffling its board to include five new directors in an attempt to appease the company's institutional investor base.

Once the deal with Amazon was struck, Mackey said he was worried that the U.S. Justice Department would block the Amazon-Whole Foods deal because of President Trump's "hatred" of the Washington Post, which is also owned by Bezos.

"It did get through regulatory agencies fairly quickly," Mackey said.

Mackey said he was happy after Amazon acquired the grocer, adding that he got to be creative again "instead of dealing with shareholders and Wall Street which is a drag."

He didn't provide much in the way of details about what kind of industry-transformative action to expect at Whole Foods now that Amazon is the owner, except to note that the company is going to become even more customer-focused going forward.

"Amazon is obsessed with working for customers. Whole Foods is too, but they are more extreme at it. We're becoming even more customer focused going forward," he said.Harley-Davidson scion Bill Davidson hops on a podcast with TheStreet to discuss the bike-maker's future. Listen to the Podcast!

Yes, Bill Davidson is excited about an electric Harley-Davidson (HOG) - Get Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG) Report cruising down the street.

"I have ridden the Livewire, and the first time I rode that bike I came back and I was smiling and doing fist pumps in the air," says Davidson, 56, who is one of the two remaining direct descendants of Harley-Davidson founder William Davidson that still work at the company. Davidson spoke exclusively on TheStreet's Jolt podcast.

Livewire, Harley's first crack at making an electric motorcycle, was unveiled during a June 2014 U.S. tour down Route 66. It wasn't released to the public, instead serving as one part marketing mechanism one part test bike for the developers at Harley.

But some four years removed from its debut to the world, the spirit of Livewire is about to become mass market reality.

Harley-Davidson CEO Matt Levatich told TheStreet in January the company has made great strides in battery technology and overall styling since Livewire. So much so that Harley has confidence in getting its first electric bike to market within 18 months. To help in the effort, Harley revealed an investment in Alta Motors this week, an electric motorcycle manufacturer.

Davidson, who has been riding Harley's seemingly forever, says the company has engineered its electric bike to have a trademark Harley sound. Further, the fact the bike is electric gives it instant torque -- in other words, it will likely haul tail.

Today, Davidson wears the family hat as a spokesman, attending bike events around the world to talk with Harley-Davidson fans and dealers. Formally, his title is Vice President of the Harley-Davidson Museum, an impressive shrine in Milwaukee that celebrates the bike-maker's rich 115-year history. Davidson's sister, Karen, the other direct descendant, is the creative director for Harley-Davidson's general merchandise such as clothes.

Don't miss a second of The Jolt! Follow me on YoutubeEuropean markets are likely to see heavy action Monday as investors react to key votes in Italy and Germany and watch auto and export stocks in the wake of a brewing trade "war of words" between Brussels and Washington.

European markets face a triple set of impacts Monday as voters in Italy head to the polls in a national election that could deliver an anti-Brussels mandate to the region's third largest economy, Germany's months-long electoral deadlock concludes with a new term for Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Donald Trump accelerates trade-war rhetoric that could hammer Continental automakers.

Italy's Parliamentary vote likely has the biggest potential for market dislocation, particularly if the populist Five-Star Movement Party is able to secure enough seats to form a government, but analysts expect a so-called hung parliament when the complicated procedure is concluded Monday, a result that will delay much-needed reforms and potentially stall growth prospects in the country's rebounding economy.

"While this doesn't bode well for a sovereign with a high debt burden and in significant need of reform, the formation of a weak government is not a huge concern for the financial markets, which are cheered by the ongoing cyclical upswing in Europe and not as focused on medium-term issues," said Pimco's Nicola Mai. "What markets seem to care about most is that a "near-term accident" is avoided. In the context of this election, such an accident would probably be the formation of an anti-establishment government built on a Euroskeptic platform."

Early exit poll data on Sunday evening show a hung parliament. But, exit polling isn't likely to point to a decisive conclusion and votes won't be counted in any meaningful way until very early Monday at the earliest.

Europe's broader reform effort, however, received a shot in the arm Sunday after members of the centre-left Social Democratic Party voted to join a coalition government with their rival Christian Democrats of the centre-right. The move paves the way for Merkel's fourth term as Chancellor and allows for a major push on big constitutional and structural changes table by France's President, Emmanuel Macron.

However, the most immediately-impacting development over the weekend is likely to come from the escalating war of words between European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and President Trump, both of which threatened specific sectors in each other's economies as potential targets for tariffs and trade barriers after Trump reveal his intention to slap a 25% levy on steel imports late last week.

"If the Americans impose tariffs on steel and aluminum, then we must treat American products the same way," Juncker said Friday when he detailed a package of tariffs that could impact $3.5 billion in U.S. exports. "We must show that we can also take measures. This cannot be a unilateral transatlantic action by the Americans."

"So now we will also impose import tariffs. This is basically a stupid process, the fact that we have to do this. But we have to do it. We will now impose tariffs on motorcycles, Harley Davidson (HOG) - Get Harley-Davidson, Inc. (HOG) Report , on blue jeans, Levis, on Bourbon."

"We can also do stupid," he said.

Trump fired back the following day with a Tweet that vowed reciprocal tariffs on European cars as he alluded to a $22.3 billion "automotive vehicle and parts" trade deficit last year with Germany.

Non-EU automobiles are subject to a 29% tariff when brought into the bloc, of which 19% is a value-added tax and 10% is a tariff based on current World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Cars imported into the United States from countries that don't have existing pacts with Washington are subject to a 12.5% levy, while pickup trucks are subject to a 25% tariff.

However, some of the largest production facilities of Europe's biggest carmarkers, including Volkswagen AG (VLKAY) , Daimler AG (DMLRY) and BMW AG (BMWYY) , are located in the United States, with plants in Vance, Al. and Spartanburg, S.C. and Chattanooga, Tn., that assemble around a third of the German cars sold domestically.

Last year, Germany's VDA auto union said that its members employed more than 110,000 people across 265 plants active in the United States, noting that "investment in the U.S. and the international exchange of goods are inseparable for us."

Why the market tanked on steel tariff news.Rayonier, Inc. is a real estate investment trust, which engages in investment in timberlands. It operates through the following business segments: Southern Timber, Pacific Northwest Timber, New Zealand Timber, Real Estate, Timber Funds and Trading. The Southern Timber, Pacific Northwest Timber and New Zealand Timber segments reflect all activities related to the harvesting of timber and other value-added activities, such as recreational licenses, within each respective geography. The Real Estate segment reflects all U.S. land sales, which are reported in the following sales categories: Improved Development, Unimproved Development, Rural, Non-Strategic and Timberlands, and Large Dispositions. The Timber Funds segment represents operations of the three private equity timber funds included in the Pope Resources transaction. The Trading segment reflects the log trading activities that support New Zealand operations. The company was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Wild light, FL.

Read MoreNGL Energy Partners LP is an energy partnership that transports, treats, recycles, and disposes of produced water generated as part of the energy production process. It also transports, stores, markets, and provides other logistics services for crude oil and liquid hydrocarbons. The firm operates through the following segments: Water Solutions, Crude Oil Logistics, Liquids Logistics, and Corporate & Other. The Water Solutions segment transports, treats, recycles, and disposes of produced and flow back water generated from oil and natural gas production. The Crude Oil Logistics segment purchases crude oil from producers and marketers and transports it to refineries or for resale at pipeline injection stations, storage terminals, barge loading facilities, rail facilities, refineries, and other trade hubs. The Liquids Logistics segment conducts supply operations for natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products and biodiesel to a range of commercial, retail and industrial customers across the United States and Canada. The Corporate & Other segment include corporate expenses that are not allocated to the reportable segments. The company was founded in 1940 and is headquartered in Tul

Read MoreAlbany

The union representing state university police officers has accused the University at Albany, where crime rates have surged in recent years, of deliberately delaying the reporting of serious incidents, including rapes, to the campus community and the public.

In late December, the PBA of New York State wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Education asking the agency to investigate UAlbany's "apparent systematic efforts at failing to make timely notifications," the letter states. A copy of the letter was shared with the Times Union last week.

The union's five-page letter included university crime statistics showing a sharp rise in the number of reported rapes, burglaries and dating violence at the school from 2014 through 2016. It also highlighted nine incidents in 2016 and 2017 when the union claims the university failed to notify or delayed notifying students and employees about serious crimes that had just occurred on the campus.

In one case, the union said the university failed to notify the college community last October when a female student reported she was sexually assaulted in her dorm room by an unknown male suspect. The university police reviewed camera footage for hours in an attempt to identify the suspect, who was arrested several hours later. The union also listed other violent incidents, including the March 2017 beating and robbery of a taxi driver when the college waited eight hours to notify the campus.

"At a time when every academic campus across the country is on edge regarding student safety, the University at Albany administration is putting its students, faculty and staff in danger by neglecting its duties to report potential risks in a timely manner as required by federal law," said Daniel De Federicis, the PBA's executive director. "While we do not know why warnings regarding real-time threats to student safety must be cleared by the university's administration, rather than its on-duty police  and can take hours to be approved  we do know that it is not in the best interest of the safety of the students, faculty and staff."

In a written response to the union on Jan. 24, UAlbany President Havidan Rodriguez characterized the union's assertions as "unfortunate." He said the university "categorically and unilaterally reject(s) your allegations that errors or omissions in the university's annual security report, if any, were deliberate or part of a 'systematic effort' by the university to violate the Clery Act."

The Clery Act is a federal statute that requires colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to disclose campus crime statistics and daily police logs. Colleges and universities also are required to issue timely warnings about crimes, including shootings, rapes and robberies, that may present an ongoing threat to the safety of students or employees.

Schools that don't comply with the law face fines of $25,000 per violation.

The reporting requirements were prompted by the rape and murder of Jeanne Clery in her Lehigh University dorm room in 1986. Testimony at the trial of the man later convicted of Clery's murder showed he had been the target of repeated complaints by female students. In addition, there were 46 violent crimes on the Bethlehem, Pa., campus the year before Clery was killed, but none of them were reported to the campus community or to prospective students or their parents, as required.

Rodriguez, who took office as president of the university in September, and J. Frank Wiley, who has been UAlbany's police chief since 1996, both declined requests to be interviewed for this story.

The university issued a lengthy statement late Friday denying the allegations and contending the surge in crimes, including rape, are a result of the school's efforts to encourage victims to come forward. But the statement acknowledged that administrators are consulted before any Clery Act notifications are made.

"The decision whether to issue a Clery Act notification is a judgment call often made under time pressure and in the context of an unfolding investigation," the statement reads. "At UAlbany, the process of making this decision includes close collaboration among University Police Department command staff, the Office of Equity and Compliance and, when appropriate, other senior University leadership."

The federal law states "the intent of a warning regarding a criminal incident(s) is to enable people to protect themselves ... (and) a warning should be issued as soon as pertinent information is available."

"Some campuses give the authority to issue a timely notification to their dispatchers, but Albany reserves it to chiefs and high-ranking administrators in other departments who are likely sleeping when many of these crimes occur," De Federicis said.

The school's statement also said the federal statute gives them discretion when deciding whether to alert students to an imminent threat.

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"The law allows university officials to weigh several factors in deciding whether to issue a notification  including the nature of the crime reported to campus authorities, the continuing danger (if any) to the community, and the risk that notification might compromise an ongoing criminal investigation," the statement said.

Union officials said the discretion is being abused. They noted a recent incident where suspects in a nearby armed robbery ran toward the campus after the incident and it took roughly two hours for an alert to be issued.

The allegations by the police union follow a wave of unrest that engulfed the university police force last year. Law enforcement sources said UAlbany leaders had discouraged the union from notifying the press about the Clery Act discrepancies. The sources said they believe other issues not covered in the union's letter, including delaying the entry of rape allegations on the university police blotter, were possible attempts by the school to avoid coverage of serious crimes.

In 2016, the Times Union reported that during a visit by newly accepted students a college admissions official had removed issues of a student-run newspaper that called attention to a rise in reported campus sexual assaults. The papers were removed from a main lecture center where the new students were visiting. A school official later acknowledged the decision to remove the papers, which carried the front-page headline "Assault reports up 200 percent," was inappropriate.

Last year, the Times Union reported that university police officers said they were being discouraged from making arrests or writing tickets and had limits placed on the number of miles they could drive their patrol cars during a shift.

The strict policies were resulting in fewer arrests and required the officers to spend more time on foot in campus buildings and less time patrolling roads in and around the uptown and downtown campuses. The directives, many of them issued in the last year, also prohibit officers from stopping motorists for violations such as holding a cellphone or driving the wrong way on a one-way street, according to officers interviewed at the time. They alleged it was part of an effort by the university to lower its crime statistics by hobbling road patrols.

Wiley defended the shift in policy and said the university was following recommendations by President Barack Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing that "law enforcement culture should embrace a guardian mindset to build public trust and legitimacy."

"Good policing is more than just complying with the law," Wiley said in a written response to the Times Union last year. "Sometimes actions are permitted by policy, but that does not always mean an officer should take those actions."

An officer who spoke to the Times Union on condition of anonymity last year said that after the mileage policy took effect in February 2017, a deputy chief listened to radio calls from his residence and would instruct officers to "stop making traffic stops" and get into campus buildings. The officer said one result was fewer DWI and drug arrests by campus police.

In his Jan. 24 letter to the police union, Rodriguez said he supported the university police department's community policing philosophy and said that since the union had "chosen to file a report with the U.S. Department of Education alleging Clery Act violations by the University at Albany, we will address your allegations with the Department of Education, as necessary."

blyons@timesunion.com  518-454-5547  @brendan_lyonstuNORTH GREENBUSH  State troopers Brent Karow and Shane Swartz responded in the pre-dawn hours Sunday to a crash on Interstate 90 that involved a motorist allegedly distracted by his cell phone.

An hour later they were still at the scene assisting two tow truck company employees who responded to pull the car out of the median when a drunk driver went off the roadway and crashed into the State Police vehicle, the troopers and the tow truck company owner, State Police said.

Despite Karow being thrown 70 feet into the snowy median, and Swartz being pinned under the tow truck, the troopers are in serious, but stable, condition  albeit with a long road of recovery ahead.

"This case has one subject on his phone who crashes who we have to go help, and then another subject under the influence of alcohol who crashes into our troopers and a tow truck driver," said State Police Troop G Commander Major Robert Patnaude at a press conference Sunday.

"You're driving a 3,000-pound vehicle that is a dangerous weapon and people take it too lightly," Patnaude said.

State Police have charged 26-year-old Christopher Neumann of Castleton-on-Hudson with first-degree vehicular assault, a felony, and driving while intoxicated.

Police said despite the troopers closing the left lane with flares, Neumann's 2010 Mercury sedan veered off the roadway and hit the back driver's side of the troopers' vehicle around 5:15 a.m. Sunday. Neumann's vehicle then swung around and hit the two troopers and tow truck company owner Jeffrey Waite Sr.

Waite was pinned under the tow truck along with trooper Swartz. Neumann's car then was propelled up the tow truck loader, which was in an incline position.

Patnaude said if the tow truck wasn't there, some of the men might have been hit again by the suspect's out-of-control vehicle.

A second tow truck employee was hit with debris from the accident.

Karow, 34, has been a trooper for six years. He suffered fractures and internal bleeding and was listed in serious, but stable, condition in Albany Medical Center Hospital's intensive care unit Sunday afternoon after surgery.

Swartz, 34, also sustained fractures and internal injuries and was in surgery Sunday afternoon that was expected to take six to seven hours. Swartz, who has been a trooper for the last four years, works out of the Brunswick State Police barracks. Karow works out of the Guilderland barracks.

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Waite suffered a severe cut to his head and was admitted to Albany Medical Center.

Neumann suffered a cut to the face and other minor injuries and was treated and released into State Police custody. He had his blood drawn to provide a blood-alcohol level; Patenaude did not release the results.

Patnaude said State Police are now investigating Neumann's whereabouts before the crash, to "try to find out what he was up to all night, and what put him in that position to almost kill our troopers."

Neumann was arraigned in Town of North Greenbush court Sunday afternoon and sent to the Rensselaer County Jail without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Friday. While he grew up in Castleton-on-Hudson, Neumann's Facebook page says he currently resides in Albany.

Sunday's accident brought to mind the October 2016 death of trooper Timothy Pratt. Pratt was accidentally killed by a motorist after he had crossed the street near the State Police barracks in Wilton to assist a stopped tractor trailer, also just as the sun was rising.

"(The troopers) are going to have a big struggle to get healthy and get back to work," Patnaude said about Sunday's victims. "But they are going to survive."Washington

Republicans in Congress have learned to ignore President Donald Trump's policy whims, knowing whatever he says one day on guns, immigration or other complicated issues could very well change by the next.

But Trump's decision to seek steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports has provoked rarely seen urgency among Republicans, now scrambling to convince the president that he would spark a trade war that could stall the economy's recent gains if he doesn't reverse course.

The issue pits Trump's populist promises to his voters against the party's free trade orthodoxy and the interests of business leaders. Unlike recent immigration and gun policy changes that require legislation, Trump can alter trade policy by executive action. That intensifies the pressure on Republican lawmakers to change his mind before he gives his final approval for the penalties as early as this coming week.

Trump on Saturday showed no sign of backing away, threatening on Twitter to impose a tax on cars made in Europe if the European Union responds to the tariffs by taxing American goods. He also railed about "very stupid" trade deals by earlier administrations and said other countries "laugh at what fools our leaders have been. No more!"

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., called Trump after the president's surprise announcement, and continues to hope the White House will reconsider the decision. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., and others have offered the president their own private counsel. Some are appealing to his desire for a robust stock market and warning that the trade penalties could unravel some of the gains they attribute to the tax bill he signed last year.

Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, tried one of the most direct lines that lawmakers have to the White House: talking to Trump through cable TV news.

"The president has not yet issued these tariffs," Brady told Fox News on Thursday, hours after Trump announced the tariff targets. "He's been continuing to listen."

Listening to various viewpoints, though, has never been the gripe against Trump. Unlike President Barack Obama, who often irked lawmakers for lecturing them in meetings, Trump retains a level of popularity among Capitol Hill Republicans in part because he's more than happy to invite lawmakers in and hear them out.

But problems have arisen when members of the legislative branch leave the White House under the impression Trump was on their side  or at least willing to consider their views  only to find out later that his support drifted away.

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The dynamic played out repeatedly during last year's health care debate over replacing the Affordable Care Act. Republicans, who hold a majority in the House and Senate, have largely learned to take these setbacks in stride. They all but shrug off the president's policy pivots, just as Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., often decline to comment on the Trump tweet of the day.

But on trade tariffs, Republicans say the stakes are too high for them to sit back and wait for Trump to change his mind. Indeed, their relentless public condemnation of the tariffs was notably sharper than their typical handling of the president's policy whims. Not wise, said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. A "big mistake," said Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn. "Kooky," said Sasse.

Trump, after the White House's own internal deliberations, proposed a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum. That quickly sparked global warnings of retaliation and left the financial markets reeling.

Republican lawmakers, and some outside groups, want Trump to at least consider a more targeted approach, or exemptions for countries that engage in what they view as fair trade practices.

"We're all urging the president, look, continue to narrow this to these unfairly targeted products," Brady said.Official debut planned for Geneva

Electrification is a thing in 2018. Several automakers already offer electric cars, and while some have quite a few on offers, others are still rolling out their first examples. Mercedes-Benz is among those that are still working in an electric lineup, but the wait will come to an end at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, when the EQ model makes its public debut. Announced in 2016, the EQ sub-brand will include the companys fully electric models, starting with the ECQ, which Mercedes just previewed through a couple of photos with a camouflaged vehicle.

The first in a line of new all-electric cars wearing the Mercedes-Benz badge, the EQC appears to almost as big as a midsize SUV. Although the letter C in the name suggests an electric alternative to the compact GLC, the EQC seems to slot between the GLC and the GLE in terms of size. Not many styling features are visible outside the LED headlamps and the wagon-style roof, but it should have a familiar look when compared to the companys existing model. It could actually introduce a revised design language; Im not expecting a radical exterior.

Mercedes previously said that the EQC will feature a 70-kWh battery pack and a couple of electric motors that will generate up to 300 kW or 402 horsepower. This rating suggests that at least two output options will be available. The Germans aim at a range of 500 km (310 miles) per single charge, which should translate into an EPA rating of around 250 miles. The sprint to 60 mph will reportedly take less than five seconds, which will put the EQC on par with the base Tesla Model X and the recently unveiled Jaguar I-Pace.

More info should become available at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show next week so make sure you stick around for details.Rimac has made a name for itself as the go-to manufacturer for over-the-top all-electric performance, all thanks to its insane Concept One mega machine. Now it looks like the Croatian brand is once again stepping up its game with a second-generation supercar, and rumor has itll get juiced by an upgraded 120-kWh battery. Not only that, but its possible the coupe will come with highly advanced Level 4 autonomous capability as well.

The Full Story

The Concept Two is rumored to come packing with a 120-kWh pack, which means we may see as much as 1,500 horsepower from this beast.

Since 2013, Rimac has been all over the news thanks to the exploits of the Concept One. Between demolishing well-established gas-powered supercars in various drag events, racing to the clouds for a second-place finish at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and nearly killing Richard Hammond, this low-and-wide speed slab has been seemingly everywhere over the last few years.

But now the calendar is telling me its 2018, which means Rimac is overdue for a second-generation of its absurd battery-powered performer. As such, the Croatians are bringing the Concept Two to the Geneva International Motor Show next week, and word has it itll be every single shade of over-the-top.

First up on list of upgrades  more power. While the Concept One manages 1,073 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque thanks to its 90-kWh battery and four electric motors, the Concept Two is rumored to come packing with a 120-kWh pack, which means we may see as much as 1,500 horsepower from this beast.

Thatll make it even faster, besting its predecessors 0-to-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds and top speed of 221 mph. Were thinking around 2 seconds flat for the former and more than 230 mph for the latter.

Furthermore, our friends over at Autocar report that the Concept Two will get Level 4 autonomous driving capability, which means itll be able to get you from A to B without any input from the human pilot whatsoever. Of course, technology like that raises a few questions over legality, as regional laws have yet to really catch up with advanced tech like that.

A self-driving supercar is a bit odd, at least from our point of view. Packing the tech into a commuter sedan or SUV makes sense, but a supercar with well over 1,000 horses? That's something you'd want to actually drive yourself, no?

The other issue is that a self-driving supercar is a bit odd, at least from our point of view. Packing the tech into a commuter sedan or SUV makes sense  those were made to do the daily grind, something to which self-drivers are well suited. But a supercar with well over 1,000 horses? Thats something youd want to actually drive yourself, no?

Either way, its looking like the Concept Two is a direct response to the reveal of the Tesla Roadster 2.0 this past November. While still several years out from full-fledged production status, the California-bred Roadster promises Rimac-matching specs like a 1.9-second 0-to-60 mph time, plus absurd numbers like 10,000 Nm (7,376 pound-feet) of torque and a top speed of 250 mph.

It also goes without saying that the Tesla will come with the very latest in self-driving tech.

Well learn more about the Rimac Concept Two after its debut in Switzerland next week, but until then, check out our full speculative review.

References

Read our full review on the 2017 Rimac Concept Two.

Read our full review on the 2017 Rimac Concept One.

Read more Geneva Motor Show news.

Source: AutocarSergio Marchionne, the man who saved Chrysler from going belly up during the 2009 recession, has passed away at the age of 66. He was recently admitted to the hospital for routine should surgery but took a turn for the worst shortly thereafter. Reports came in early in the week that he had been placed on life support without expectation of recovering. He passed away shortly thereafter, leaving behind two sons and a legacy of hard work and dedication that can never be forgotten.

Unfortunately, what we feared has come to pass. Sergio Marchionne, man, and friend is gone," John Elkann, chairman of FCA, said in a statement.

Those are grim words, no doubt. Earlier in the week, FCA, Ferrari, and CNH Industrial took steps to replace him and announce that he would be unable to work. Now that hes gone, its important to remember him for what he was  a dedicated worker. Reports show that he worked nearly non-stop. He took over Chrysler with no cash down during the Great Recession of 2009 and managed to turn it around, saving 300,000 jobs in the process. He even initiated the first-ever no-strike pledge with the UAW and brought FCA brands up to par with benefits and pay familiar to only familiar to those working at Toyota and Honda. He made seemingly constant trips between Italy and Detroit.

Ken Lewenza, President of Canadian Auto Workers, met with Marchionne in 2009 and had something very interesting to say:

He looked like he just got off a 20-hour shift, and he probably had,

He never seemed to stop, and he requested the same from his executives, and it drove some of them away, but those who stayed grew into positions they didnt think were possible. And, thats exactly what it took to keep a brand like FCA afloat in one of the darkest times in U.S. automotive history. With Marchionne laid to eternal rest, its up to Mike Manley, the former head of the Jeep Division to keep the company alive and moving at warp speed. Manley took over just this week once it was discovered that Marchionne had taken a turn for the worst. As CEO of Ferrari, he was replaced by John Elkann, former Fiat Chrysler chairman.

At this point, theres nothing else to say and nothing to speculate. A good, hard-working man has passed away, and our hearts go out to his family and all those that worked so closely with him. May he rest in peace.You are right the waterfalls now are amazing with heaps of water spilling over.

Usually you can swim in the pools below- but even this weekend access to many was closed as the flow is too strong and the possibility of crocs. Litchfield had many spots that were viewing only- say three / four.

Kakakdu also things are open, but as we have had a bumper amount of rain, access is a bit limited at the moment. If you had said May- then definitely would have been a better time.

The wet is also the green season and the most pretty time to come before everything begins to dry out or get burnt,Re: How many days in Sydney vs Melbourne in June

1. Re: How many days in Sydney vs Melbourne in June

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I can't answer this specific question, but I think it is at least 10 km from the highway in Bijagua to the entrance of the park.

As someone who actually visited Rio Celeste without a car, I can tell you you need time and patience to do it. This may give you some insight

I went from Quepos. It was about 2.5 years ago. It involved 3 buses. All at least had several departures a day. First it was Quepos to Puntarenas. Then, Punta to Canas. Then Canas to Bijagua on the bus headed to Upala. I managed to miss the bus from Canas to Bijagua by about 5 minutes because there was a lot of construction entering Canas. So I had to spend about 2 hours in Canas. So by the time I got there it was into the afternoon... I was planning to spend two nights there so that was ok.

I think it was about $ 50 bot can't remembr for sure. The drivers wait for you. At least when I was there there was no cell service n the park area, so its not like you can call someone when you are ready...

There are few if any official taxis in Bijagua. There are people that will take you places.

The place I was staying arranged a driver for me for the next day.

Going back I went to Liberia. I go a bus from Upala on the highway. But by the time it got to Bijagua all the seats were taken, so I stood much of the way to Liberia.

I really did enjoy the area and though it rained a bit as I hiked to the waterfall, it was not too too muddy and the water at he waterfall was a beatiful green blue.

I have no experience with this company, (Arenal Evergreen) but I would say that if you are coming from The La Fortuna you should seriously consider the shuttle if available

I guess what I am trying to say, is that probably no matter how you slice it, Tenorio is not a day trip from somewhere else if you plan to take public transportation.Hey everyone! Me and my friend just decided to take a last minute trip to Costa Rica. Im so overwhelmed by all the options available- and lost.

This is what we are looking for and your suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

1. Beautiful, not crowded beach

2. Fairly easy access from an international airport (we wont be able to drive ourselves) - flying in from NY

3. Wildlife, nature wonders

4. Not very touristy, but with some laid back options as far as things to do in the area, especially in the evening

If you can recommend a specific hotel- even better! My friend is a bit of a fancy pants, but our budget is somewhere between a nice 3 star to affordable 4 star hotels.

Thank you everyone!!-:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:-

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We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.Hi David,

- Most hotels will keep your baggage for you until check in time.

- After visiting the Tokyo National Musuem which is in Ueno Park, make sure to explore Ueno Park and also to visit the Toshuo-gu Shrine.

- If you happen to visit Tsukiji, there is a jazz club called Blue Mood owned by one of Japan's top guitarists called Komoguchi Yuya. I have just returned from Tokyo and my visit was to attend there for his birthday event.

- For Mt. Fuji, the usual destinations are either Hakone or Kawaguchiko. My own favourite is Kawaguchiko because in that Fuji five Lakes area there is so much to see and do.

- In Kyoto, the bamboo forest isn't all that impressive but there are a couple of nice temples along the path and of course head down to the river Oi.- Nairobi County Assembly Majority leader Abdi Guyo denied he sponors criminal gangs terrorising city dwellers

- Guyo dismissed allegations of cheating on his wife with county staff and nominated female Members of the County Assembly (MCA)

- He blamed the allegations on cartels fighting him for his stand against corruption at City Hall

Majority leader in the Nairobi County Assembly Abdi Guyo denied reports that he was behind criminal groups terrorsing residents in various city estates.

Guyo is accussed of sponsoring and protecting the activities of criminal gangs like Gaza, Yakuza and Smarter mostly operating in informal settlements like Kayole with some members reported to have extended their operations to Pipeline.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

As reported by TUKO.co.ke, criminal gangs have been terrorising residents mostly in Dandora, Kayole, Roysambu and in the outskirts of the city prompting the emergence of an anonymous police officer chritsened Hessy.

READ ALSO: Behave yourself or I will kill you - Nairobi Killer cop Hessy issues last warning to another pretty gangster

Hessy uses his Facebook accounts to warn members of the criminal gangs before striking with precision killing many in a bid to rid the city of terrorists.

Recently, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko announced formation of an anti-mugging unit to deal with a new crop of criminals who had literraly taken over the Central Business District (CBD) without fear and they were seen robbing city dwellers in broaddaylight.

READ ALSO: Hessy wa Dandora cautions Uber drivers over gangs posing as customers

Nairobi County Assembly Majority Leader Abdi Guyo who has denied cheating on his wife. Photo: The Star

Since then, Guyo had been linked to the groups a thing he said on the Floor of the House that was pure malice from his rivals and cartels who were determined to derail his fight against corruption and insecurity in tge capital.

At the same time, he rubbished claims that he was having extra-marital affairs with nominated MCAs, putting a strain on his family.

He said that he does not cheat on his wife but was quick to note that his Muslim faith allows him to have more then one wife.

READ ALSO: I am not surprised some cowards have abandoned me - Raila Odinga

While addressing the Assembly, Guyo said that his wife had never complained about his said appetite for the forbidden fruit.

He blamed East African Legislation Assembly (EALA) MP Simon Mbugua for his latest predicament insisting the former Kamukunji MP was harassing leaders at City Hall.

How to turn a Woman into a man: Makeup Tutorial | Tuko Lifestyle - on TUKO TV

Source: Kenya Breaking News TodayMarch 4 is an important date for Ukraine in the context of cooperation and building of relations with the United States.

At the beginning of Bill Clinton's presidency, in 1993, his administration began to seek new approaches to building U.S.-Ukrainian relations. An important role here was played by representatives of the U.S. Congress, who visited Ukraine in April and came to the conclusion that it should be regarded as an independent sovereign state. Its aspiration for independence was supported by the United States. In May, Kyiv was visited by a delegation headed by the ambassador-at-large and special adviser to the secretary of state for the new independent states of the former Soviet Union, Strobe Talbott, who expressed the U.S. side's desire to start a new stage in relations with Ukraine, in particular the refusal of Clinton's administration from the policy of "pressure" and the search for "partnership."

Subsequently, as a result of global decisions and actions by Ukraine on nuclear disarmament, during the second official visit to the United States by Ukraine's First President Leonid Kravchuk, on March 4, 1994, the sides signed a Joint Statement on Development of U.S.-Ukrainian Friendship and Partnership, which, in addition to security assurances, stated the formation of political, contractual and legal framework for strategic partnership. This agreement became a new and an important stage in the development of Ukrainian-U.S. partnership and evidence of positive developments to strengthen Ukraine as a sovereign state.

The sides also signed a number of intergovernmental and interagency contracts, agreements and statements that had a positive impact on cooperation between the two countries.One of the detainees is charged with an attack on five members of a law enforcement agency.

All protesters detained after police broke up a protest camp outside the Ukrainian parliament's building in Kyiv on March 3 have been released.

"All the 112 activists who were detained during the attack on the camp of activists from the Vyzvolennya (Liberation) movement have been released from the police stations," Member of Parliament from the Samopomich Party Yehor Solobev wrote on Facebook on Saturday evening.

"Respect to those police officers in the Shevchenkivsky and Pechersky police stations who treated the political prisoners in a humane way," he added.

Read alsoOver 100 protesters detained amid clashes with police outside parliament (Photo, video)According to Sobolev, one detainee, a former soldier of the Donbas Volunteer Battalion, Mykola Chudovsky, who had served as a shooting instructor for the Ministry of Internal Affairs before the Donbas war, was charged with an attack on five special forces members outside the parliament's building.

As was earlier reported, police started a raid on the protest camp on Saturday morning in keeping with a court ruling. However, the protesters began to resist the law enforcers.

Police said about 100 activists had been detained due to violence, while 11 protesters and seven police officers were hurt in the clashes.

Hand grenades, fire and smoke bombs were found in the camp during the raid, police said.In total, five suspects have been detained.

Ukraine's National Police has announced that both crimes related to attacks on the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association (KMKSZ) in the town of Uzhgorod, Ukraine's west, have been solved.

"The police have just detained three people involved in an attack on the Hungarian culture center on February 27. One of them was detained in Cherkasy, another two were detained in Kropyvnytsky," chief of the National Police Serhiy Knyazev said on Facebook on March 4.

A possible organizer of the attacks, a foreign citizen, was identified and put on the wanted list.

Read alsoUkraine on arson attack on Hungarian culture center: "Inciting hatred""Prior to that, Zakarpattia police identified citizens of Poland who were involved in an arson attack on the center on February 4. These two persons were detained by our Polish counterpart in Warsaw. A court in Poland ruled to arrest them for 90 days," he said.

The interrogation of the detained is being organized with the support of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine.

As UNIAN reported earlier, an attack with the use of a Molotov cocktail that was hurled at the building of the Transcarpathian Hungarians Union in the west Ukrainian city of Uzhgorod was reported on February 4.

The center was attacked again on February 27: it caught fire after an explosion of an improvised explosive device.No casualties among Ukrainian soldiers have been reported.

The Russian-led forces have resumed attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, at night after a daylight ceasefire.

In total, eight enemy attacks were recorded in the past 24 hours, the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations said in a morning update.

Read alsoNo shelling by militants recorded in Donbas SaturdayNo casualties among Ukrainian soldiers have been reported, it said.

"In the Luhansk sector, the enemy fired from 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and small arms outside the village of Krymske. Grenade launchers of various types were used to attack the defenders of Luhanske, Novhorodske, Stanytsia Luhanska and Shchastia. The invaders violated the truce on the outskirts of Malynove, resorting to small arms. In the Donetsk sector, the enemy used 120mm mortars near the village of Vodiane in the Mariupol sector and 82mm mortars near the village of Pisky," the update said.

As was reported, a full ceasefire was being observed along the entire contact line in Donbas from 00:00 to 18:00 Kyiv time on Saturday, March 3.Special representatives will monitor the execution of the order.

The two Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics in Donbas, Ukraine's east, claim they are ready to introduce an "absolute ceasefire" starting from 00:00 Kyiv time on March 5.

The so-called military command of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" ("DPR") says it is ready for an "absolute ceasefire." "The command of the Armed Forces of the Donetsk People's Republic supports the agreements reached at a meeting of the [Trilateral] Contact Group held in Minsk on the introduction of an 'absolute ceasefire' in the armed conflict zone from 00:00 Kyiv time on March 5. A respective order on the strictest observance of the truce was issued and sent out to all commanders and every serviceman," "Deputy commander" of the "DPR" operational command Eduard Basurin was quoted by the militant portal DAN as saying, the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

Special representatives of the "command of the DPR armed forces" will be sent on Sunday evening to all units located along the contact line. Their task will be to monitor the execution of this order.

The other self-proclaimed Donbas republic, the "Luhansk People's Republic" ("LPR'), said in turn it would support the introduction of the "absolute ceasefire" regime from March 5.

Read alsoRussian-led forces resume attacks on Ukraine troops in Donbas at night after daylight truce"In connection with the agreements reached by the Contact Group aimed at adherence to the Minsk accords, the regime of an absolute ceasefire will be introduced on March 5," Andrey Marochko, an "official representative" of the "LPR" militia, was quoted by the "LPR"-controlled "Luhansk Information Center" as saying.

"The 'LPR' people's militia has strictly been abiding by the Minsk agreements, welcomes the decision by the [Trilateral Contact Group] initiative group and adheres to its obligations. To this end, an order was issued by the head of the 'LPR' people's militia office on additional measures to observe the ceasefire, which will be sent out to all personnel," Marochko said.

The "LPR" also expressed readiness to withdraw forces and weapons on March 5 as part of disengagement near the village of Stanytsia Luhanska.

As reported, the Minsk Trilateral Contact Group for the settlement of the Donbas crisis on March 2 announced a full and continuous ceasefire from March 5.RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2018 ) :Rescue 1122 Rawalpindi rescued 1917 victims of emergencies during February while responding to 2013 emergency calls said District Emergency Officer, Rawalpindi, Rescue-1122 Dr.

Abdul Rehman. Talking to APP he informed that the emergency calls received in Command and Control Room, Rescue-1122 here included 645 road traffic accidents, 1100 medical emergencies, 69 fire emergencies, 60 crime calls, one Sui Gas/LPG explosion and 138 other miscellaneous emergencies.

He said, out of rescued victims 233 persons were provided first aid at the spot while 1564 patients were shifted to the different hospitals after provision of emergency medical treatment by the trained paramedics of Rescue 1122 Rawalpindi.

120 bodies of those lost their lives in emergencies were also shifted to different hospitals of the town, he added. To a question he said, total 70433 phone calls were received in Rawalpindi district during last month out of which 38553 were irrelevant and 25125 were distorted/blank or dropped calls with 3829 calls made to seek information.

He informed that 902 wrong calls were also received during the period with 11 fake calls. He further said, Rescue-1122 Rawalpindi since its inception on Aug 14, 2007 has rescued 179747 emergency victims.

47599 victims were provided first aid at the spot while 124665 patients and 7253 bodies were shifted to hospitals. The emergency calls to which Rescue 1122 responded included 20474 road traffic accidents, 25535 medical emergencies, 884 fire and 1753 crime incidents, 67 drowning incidents, 70 building collapses and 5313 miscellaneous operations.

To another question the DEO said, 71.89 remained average responded calls per day during February while average response time generally was 8.29 with 7.80 for fire emergencies.MULTAN, Mar 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2018 ) ::Police on Sunday arrested 12 criminals and recovered drugs from their possession. According to police, police conducted raids at various locations and arrested five drug peddlers and recovered 330 litre liquor and 120 gram Hashish from their possession.

The police also apprehended seven proclaimed offenders wanted in different cases of dacoity, robbery, theft and other criminal activities. Cases have been registered against the accused.MIRPUR (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2018 ) : MARCH 4. (APP):,:Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Raja Farooq Haider Khan on Sunday paid a visit to the areas along the Line of Control(LoC) in Tatta Pani sector in kilts district of Mirpur division to express solidarity with victims of unprovoked Indian firing.

Addressing the Affectees of Indian aggression, the prime minister said that Indian firing on civilians along the LOC can't discourage our determination, adding that the people of liberated area would play front role in defense, stability, and prosperity of the country.

He said that Kashmiris were fighting the Indian forces atrocities with bravery and firm resolve.

He said that he came especially for expressing solidarity with the affectees of LoC and in all circumstances, we stand with our people living along the LOC.

He said that provision of funds would be ensured and all the remaining compensation would be paid soon. He paid rich tribute to the martyrs and wounded people at LOC and expressed solidarity on the behalf of the whole nation. Minister for Revenue Sardar Farooq Skindar, MLA Raja Naseer Khan and Malik Yusaf also spoke to the Affectees families on the occasion. APP / AHR.ISLAMABAD, Mar 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2018 ) :Despite the debate over the years and indecisive action against lethal recreational activity of kite flying, the authorities concerned are at their wits end and seemed to have accepted it as a necessary evil.

Senator Taj Haider of Pakistan People's Party, while talking to APP stressed on legislators, educationists and rational segment of civil society to launch a comprehensive campaign against kite flying, terming it "the only way forward to deal with the problem." He however said it was responsibility of state to protect public lives by completely banning such a death-dealing activity."Only legislation may not help unless people are sensitized about their obligation on the issue," he suggested.

A Supreme Court Lawyer and member of Pakistan Bar Council, Maqsood Buttar, said that Homicide chapter of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) must be used against manufacturers of kite and fatal string. "There was no alternate for a human life and anti-kite flying laws should be implemented in letter and spirit".

"Had there been a forceful ban and implementation years back after strict legislation, the activity may have vanished up till now," he noted.

Mian Muhammad Tariq Mehmood MNA, however had his own view regarding "BASANT", he said banning a recreational activity is not a solution to the issue.

"The incidents of deaths and injuries can be curtailed by taking certain pre-emptive measures. "Some spots must be designated far away from the populous areas but this festivity must be allowed as it is a source of enjoyment for people", he added.

"The "BASANT" a controversial kite flying festival has been celebrated over the years across the country. The majority of the enthusiasts of this festivity belong to the Punjab province. The deadly chemical coated string, aerial firing and accidents of youngsters chasing the kites on roads, has made it a murderous and controversial activity", he deplored.

Kite flying goes on everywhere but neither it is completely banned nor fully authorised due to a mixed public reaction about the activity. However it was imperative to form a result-oriented strategy by the authorities concerned to get an out of the box solution to the issue. Rpt(@rukhshanmir)

A young girl was killed while another seriously injured due to indiscriminate aerial firing in the jurisdiction of Airport Police station here on Saturday.

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 03rd Mar, 2018 ) :A young girl was killed while another seriously injured due to indiscriminate aerial firing in the jurisdiction of Airport Police station here on Saturday.

According to details, two girls jumped out from 5th floor of an apartment, when an infuriated person opened indiscriminate firing.

One girl died on the spot while another received serious injuries and was shifted to hospital. When contacted, the police confirmed the incident and said that a case has been registered and investigations are underway.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, Mar 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2018 ) :Pollen is likely to start in first week of March in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and expected to attain peak during second fortnight of March.

Pollen season is expected to end by mid April. Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) monitors the airborne pollen in I slamabad throughout the year. Pollen monitoring unit of PMD has installed pollen monitoring devices in different sectors of Islamabad (H-8, E-8, F-10 and G-6), an official of Met office told APP.

The pollen concentration increases gradually with the onset of spring season and attains its peak around full blossom.

Rainy spell during the first week of March, may delay on set of pollen season in twin cities, he said.

The most abundant pollen types in the Federal capital are from eight plant species (i. e. Paper Mulberry, Acacia, Eucalyptus, Pines, Grasses, Cannabis, Dandelion and Alternaria). Out of all these plants Paper Mulberry shares about 97 percent of the total pollen and its concentration touches the extreme limits of about 40,000 per cubic meter of air at the peak of the blossom season.

People suffering from asthma and respiratory diseases experience serious consequences due to sharp increase in pollen concentrations. C:hum/P:hum/L:ffr/R:ffr(@rukhshanmir)

Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in an accident in Lasbela.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 03rd Mar, 2018 ) :Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in an accident in Lasbela. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for early recovery of those injured in the accident.ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2018 ) :Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Alumni Association organized special ceremony to honour QAU team which secured 1st position through winning eight gold medals in various categories during Inter University National Fiesta 2018 recently held at National Textile University Faisalabad.

The ceremony was attended by QAU faculty, employees, members of QAU Alumni Association and gold medal winner students, a press release said on Friday. Addressing on the occasion, Secretary General QAU Alumni Association, Murtaza Noor congratulated the position holder QAU students.

Appreciating the efforts and contribution of office of student affairs, he assured that the alumni association would extend every sort of possible support in strengthening student societies and encouraging the student to actively participate in extra curricular activities both at regional and national levels.

Incharge Student Affairs QAU Dr Amir Waseem thanked the alumni association for its continued support to the alma mater.

He said that his office would remain in touch with the alumni association for understanding various useful initiatives in order to engage the students in various healthy co curricular activities.

Dr Ishtiaq former President QAU Academic Staff Association, Muhammad Asif, Munir Ahmed and gold medal winner students Hamood ur Rehman , Shabir Hussain, Rehana Abbasi,Jahanzaib Ghalib, Usama Sabir, Zulfiqar Ali, Muhammad Khizer also spoke on the occasion.

The students shared their experiences and presented various suggestions for strengthening student societies at QAU. They were of the view that with more encouragement and support, they could win more laurels both at nation and international levels. At the end of the program, flowers were presented to the incharge student affairs ,winner team and cake cutting ceremony was also held.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2018 ) :Two cases of kidney transplant have successfully been completed in which doctors' team, headed by Professor of Urology Dr Muhammad Nazir, undertook the task.

Principal Post-graduate Medical Institute Prof Dr Ghias-un-Nabi Tayyab congratulated all doctors and paramedical staff on adopting new procedures. As per details, 40 years old Mohammed Nazir of Bahawalnagar was donated kidney by his 35 years old sister Razia, while 23 years old Sobia was given kidney by her 33 years old brother Nadeem.

Both families were thankful to Allah Almighty and the administration of Lahore General Hospital. Operation team who took part in transplant of kidneys consisted of Asst Prof Dr Shah Jahan, Dr Kamran Zaidi, Dr Ejaz Siddique, Dr Sohail Hassan, Dr Qamar Zaman and Dr Mohammed Shahid.

Professor of Urology Dr Mohammed Nazir said that patients of kidneys and gallbladder could contact the department where consultant was available to guide them. mnb/rsdRAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2018 ) :The verified voters' lists would be displayed at the display centres to be set-up at prominent places including offices of registration officers, assistant registration officers and display centers at circle level in the district on Mar 6 (Tuesday).

Rawalpindi District Election Commissioner Malik Saleem Akhtar talking to APP informed that the list would be displayed for around a month up to April 4. 40 days would be given from Mar 6 to April 14 for disposal of claims/objections and applications for corrections which can be submitted until April 14.

The final lists would be displayed on April 30 at the office of District Election Commissioner. Malik Saleem Akhtar said, the voters verification process being completed to finalize arrangements for upcoming general elections.

All out efforts would be made to complete the campaign by April 30 . Accoridng to District Election Commission Office, at the moment, there are over 2.

95 million voters registered in Rawalpindi district including 1.57 million men and 1.37 women.

The new voters are being registered and the Names of the people who have died being removed from the electoral lists. As many as 29 Assistant Registration Officers and 2,221 verification officers had been assigned the task.

The first phase of the drive, verification of new NIC holders and deceased voters completed during Jan 15 to Feb 8. Data entry of verified new NIC holders and deceased voters and adjustment of affected census blocks at district level with the assistance of NADRA (where required) completed during Feb 9 to Feb 18.

Data processing and printing of updated electoral rolls being completed which would be finalized till Mar 5 (Monday). During the campaign, special focus was also on registration of women, persons with disabilities and transgender.Niamey, March 4 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2018 ) :Tens of thousands of supporters of Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou marched in the capital Niamey on Sunday after a number of opposition protests against the 2018 budget, which they say favours big business.

Wearing t-shirts and brandishing banners in the colours of the ruling party, demonstrators held aloft images of Issoufou as they made their way to the national parliament building. Since its announcement in October, opposition groups have demanded the cancellation of this year's budget, which they allege will squeeze poor workers in favour of previsions worth 30 million Euros to telecoms firms.

"We have the historic duty to continue the fight until our just and legitimate demands are satisfied," said opposition figure Nouhou Arzika on Sunday. Finance Minister Hassoumi Massoudou defended the proposed budget this week and vowed the government would not be cowed by demonstrations.

He told a gathering of regional officials that the new law contains "virtually no measure" affecting the countryside, where 80 percent of Nigeriens live and work.Kiev, March 4 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2018 ) :Ukraine on Sunday said it had resolved its gas shortage caused by the refusal of Russia's Gazprom to restart natural gas deliveries.

"We have a sharp increase in gas supplies from the EU, from Poland, Slovakia and Hungary," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko posted on Twitter. "The entire shortage is completely covered." Poroshenko underlined that Ukraine had a stable gas supply and has "enough gas in storage facilities, its own gas and imports." New tensions between Moscow and Kiev flared Thursday after Russia's Gazprom said it would not restart gas supplies to Ukraine, leading Ukrainian state provider Naftogaz to accuse it of violating contractual agreements.

Record high consumption amid days of freezing temperatures had led to a shortage of around 10 million cubic meters of gas a day. Ukraine on Friday urged schools to close and factories to cut production and asked citizens to chip in by lowering their home thermostats to save on gas. "You are incredible, thank you," Naftogaz tweeted on Sunday.Social media users like to have friends and followers on various platforms. But how many accounts are real and how many are generated by computers? Two university students in California say they have a way of detecting if you're communicating with a human or a "bot". Michelle Quinn reports.A Syrian refugee in London has been welcomed into the home of a British couple, whose parents were refugees themselves, fleeing Nazi Germany before World War II. Charles and Catherine Elliott opened their home to refugees because they feel a special empathy for their plight. Baris Cimen of the VOA Turkish Service filed this report from London. Jeff Custer narrates.Bangladeshi investigators said Sunday that a young man accused of stabbing a celebrated secular writer at a seminar had targeted him as "an enemy of Islam".

Saturday's attack on Zafar Iqbal in the northern city of Sylhet was just the latest in a series of stabbings of secular or atheist authors and bloggers in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose government has waged a fierce crackdown on homegrown extremism in recent years, blamed "religious fanatics" for the assault.

Iqbal, a longstanding champion of free speech and secularism, remains in a stable condition after being flown to a military hospital in Dhaka with stab wounds to his head.

Police detained 21-year-old Faizul Hasan, a former Islamic seminary student, and were investigating any ties to the radical groups.

Colonel Ali Haider Azad Ahmed from the elite Rapid Action Battalion unit said Hasan told investigators it was "his duty as a Muslim to resist those who work against Islam".

"He has said Dr Zafar Iqbal was an enemy of Islam," Ahmed told AFP.

Police said Hasan, whose father was a teacher at an Islamic seminary, may have had links to extremists blamed for attacks on secular and atheist writers in the last four years.

Suspected Islamist radicals have killed around a dozen such writers and bloggers, including an American atheist blogger of Bangladeshi origin.

Police have blamed homegrown Islamist extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team -- also known as Ansar-al Islam and linked to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent -- for most of the attacks.

Bangladesh's government has provided security for top secular writers and activists since Islamist extremists named them in several lists of targets.The U.N. refugee agency has launched a nationwide biometric verification system in Uganda to make sure data gathered about refugees and asylum seekers is accurate. The UNHCR says this is to ensure assistance reaches those for whom it is intended.



Uganda provides protection to about 1.4 million refugees from South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. The government has been praised for its generosity and open-door policy for people fleeing conflict and persecution.

But a major corruption scandal last month, reportedly involving millions of dollars and the exploitation of refugees, has tarnished the countrys image and cast doubt on the credibility of its asylum policy. Four government officials have been suspended and are under investigation.

U.N. refugee agency spokesman Babar Balloch tells VOA the biometric verification system is important to fix discrepancies in Ugandas refugee data. He says this new registration process will ensure that the thousands of refugees who are arriving daily in Uganda receive the assistance to which they are entitled.

The issues that we have conveyed to the government of Uganda, it included allegations of misconduct and fraud and corruption as well," he said. "There were many questions around the credibility of the data, which is in Ugandas government registration system. The UNHCR used to do registration until 2015 and then Uganda took it upon itself, and since then we have been raising issues."

Earlier this year, Balloch says Ugandas prime minister accepted UNHCRs offer to put in place the latest biometric verification system. Registration has begun in the Oruchinga refugee settlement in Ugandas South-West region, home to thousands of Congolese refugees.

The UNHCR says this massive exercise then will be rolled out to cover more than 30 locations across the rest of the country. It says biometric checks also will be introduced at 180 food distribution sites. The process is expected to be completed by September.China has allegedly detained dozens of Muslim women in its restive Xinjiang province for marrying men in a northern border region of neighboring Pakistan.

The issue was addressed in a unanimously passed resolution of the legislative assembly of the Gilgit-Baltistan region, known as GB, that was revealed by the Pakistani lawmakers Sunday.

The resolution demands the Pakistani government take urgent steps to secure the release of more than 50 Chinese wives, who it says were taken into custody last year while they were visiting relatives in their native towns in Xinjiang.

The deputy speaker of the assembly was quoted as saying the women were rounded up during a Chinese anti-terrorism crackdown on the ethnic Uighur Muslin community in Xinjiang.

The detainees are married to GB men who are mostly associated with trading activity through the Khunjerab Pass, the only land route linking Pakistan and China, about 4,500 meters above sea level.

Regional lawmakers insisted the history of intermarriages between GB and Xinjiang is decades old, and both the border regions share deep cultural ties. They asserted the detained Chinese women were innocent and had no links to any radical elements.

Chinese and Pakistani federal officials have not immediately offered any reaction to the allegations leveled in the resolution.

Religiously-motivated violence in Xinjiang has been a cause of concern for Chinese officials. They blame the outlawed East Turkestan Islamic Movement, or ETIM, for plotting the terrorist attacks in and beyond the province.

The separatist group was founded by militant Uighurs apparently in response to alleged government restrictions on religious and cultural expression, charges Beijing denies as baseless.

ETIM is believed to have ties with militants operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Gilgit-Baltistan region is the gateway to a massive economic cooperation deal, called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The project is a combination of building roads, rails, economic free zones and power plants in Pakistan with an estimated $62 billion Chinese investment. Thousands of Chinese are currently in Pakistan, working on CPEC-related projects.



The corridor aims to link the Arabian Sea, Pakistani port of Gwadar to Xinjiang through Khunjerab Pass, giving Beijing a secure and shortest trade access to international markets.China has added its voice to a growing chorus of concern about the rising threat of a trade war and tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to impose on steel and aluminum imports later this week.



A top Chinese diplomat says that while Beijing does not want a trade war with Washington, it will defend its interests if necessary.



Speaking at a press conference ahead of Chinas annual legislative meetings, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui also gave assurances that the rise of worlds second largest economy and a rise in military spending was no cause for alarm.



China does not want a trade war with the Untied States, but we will absolutely not sit idly by and watch as Chinas interests are damaged, Zhang said.



Tit for tat

Last week, the U.S. president announced plans to slap tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports.



China is a key country Washington is aiming to target with the tariffs, but the decision also has sparked a global backlash with leaders of other affected nations such as Canada and Europe, which are warning they, too, are prepared to take countermeasures.



Analysts have said that if President Trump follows through on his pledges to get tough with China on trade, Beijing could respond by targeting the airline and agricultural sectors, even focusing on communities in the United States where support for the president was strong during the 2016 election.



Zhang, who also is serving as the rotating spokesperson of the National People's Congress (NPC) said the best way to improve trade is to open up markets further and expanding the pie of cooperation.



"If policies are made on the basis of mistaken judgments or assumptions, it will damage bilateral relations and bring about consequences that neither country wants to see," Zhang said.



Rising concerns about a trade war are likely to be a hot topic during the annual political meetings. Chinas Premier Li Keqiang will deliver a government work report on Monday to the NPC during its opening session. That speech may highlight Beijings concerns as it forecasts the government outlook for the economy in 2018.



Moderate increase

The report also will provide details about another closely watched item, Chinas military spending.



Zhang said China will see a moderate increase in its military budget this year, but argued that was to make up for a shortfall from previous years, upgrade equipment, and improve training and living conditions at the grassroots level for troops, among other reasons.

Zhang did not say how much of a percentage increase China might see this year in its defense spending, but he stressed that the countrys military does not threaten anyone.



Analysts tell VOA that spending could grow by about 10 percent, but they note that the real figure is perhaps much larger.



Chinas defense budget takes up a smaller share of its gross domestic product [GDP] and national fiscal expenditure than other major world countries. Its military spending per capita is also lower than other major countries," he said.



Last year, China disclosed that it spent nearly $165 billion on its military about one-fourth of what the United States plans to spend on defense this year.



China model

Despite assurances, Chinas broader strategic intentions are still something that Washington and other countries in the region watch closely.



Under Xi Jinpings leadership, China has begun assuming a bigger role on the global stage and has launched several initiatives of its own, including a massive trillion-dollar trade and infrastructure project called the Belt and Road initiative.

During this years annual meetings, Chinas communist party aims to solidify its self-proclaimed position as the only political organization qualified to rule the country, with the passage of 21 constitutional amendments.



One key amendment in the package is a proposal to scrap restrictions regarding the number of terms the president can serve in office. The proposal paves the way for Xi to become Chinas president indefinitely, although state media denies Xi will be granted tenure for life.

When asked, Zhang did not respond to the question of whether the changes would give Xi lifelong tenure. He only said that the amendments would help unify the countrys leadership under Xi as Chinas core leader.



The proposal, along with Chinas growing ambitions to showcase what it calls the China model or "China Solution has led to concerns that Beijings communist leaders will seek to spread their model of rule.



Zhang said that each country has its own development path and model, and Beijing will not import models from other countries, nor will it export its own.



We will not ask other countries to copy Chinas practices, but of course if some countries are interested in learning Chinas experiences and practices, we are ready and willing to share our experiences with them, Zhang said.



Zhang added that China will not impose anything on others and has no intention of overthrowing the existing international order or trying to start again.China says it plans to begin recruiting civilian astronauts for its military-backed space program and increase the number of crewed missions to around two a year.

The deputy director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, Yang Liwei, says China's third batch of astronaut trainees will include recruits from industry, research institutions and universities who will help build and crew China's independent space station.

Yang, who became China's first man in space in 2003, told reporters Saturday new astronauts will include maintenance engineers and payload specialists as well as pilots.

China selected 14 astronauts, or yuhangyuan in Chinese, in the late 1990s and another seven in 2010, including two women. A total of 11 have been sent on six missions.

China's space station is scheduled to come online in 2022.A former Burkina Faso soldier may have participated in Friday's simultaneous attacks by al-Qaida-linked extremists on the army headquarters and heavily-guarded French Embassy in the capital.



The government has launched an investigation into the attacks which killed eight soldiers and injured more than 80. French military experts are expected in Ouagadougou to help with the probe, according to a government statement.



One of the killed soldiers is believed to have been fired from the army after a 2011 mutiny and may actually have been an assailant, a person close to the investigation told The Associated Press. Many of the attackers were wearing army uniforms, according to witnesses, and some were from Burkina Faso, including two men arrested in connection with the attack, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak to the press.



The attack on the army headquarter was aimed at a conference room, narrowly missing a meeting of top officers, which would have "beheaded" the military leadership, according to Security Minister Clement Sawadogo.



An al-Qaida-linked group based in Mali claimed responsibility Saturday for the dual attacks.



Militant group Jama Nusrat Ul-Islam wa Al-Muslimin issued a message late Saturday saying it was behind the attacks, according to the Mauritanian news agency Alakhbar which often carries claims of responsibility by jihadi groups for attacks in West Africa.



The extremist group carried out the dual attacks in Burkina Faso in retaliation for the killing of one of its leaders in a recent raid by French troops, reported the agency.



The group's formation was announced in a video in March 2017 as a merger of three extremist groups: the al-Qaida-linked al-Mourabitoun, Ansar Dine and al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. It has positioned itself as the al-Qaida branch in Mali, and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, and has also claimed attacks in Mali and Niger.



Several extremist groups have also vowed to step up the bloodshed in West Africa in response to the recent deployment of the multinational G5 Sahel force. The 5,000-strong force combines troops from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad and Mauritania to battle extremism in the region.



Officials haven't commented yet on the claim of responsibility, but Burkina Faso's minister of communications on Saturday said that the assailants could be members of a "sleeping jihadist cell" that has been in Ouagadougou for some time.



Burkina Faso's northern border region near Mali is the home of Ibrahim Malam Dicko, an extremist preacher who has claimed responsibility for recent deadly attacks on troops and civilians. His association, Ansarul Islam, is considered a terrorist group by Burkina Faso's government.



As residents held special prayers calling for peace, the capital remained on edge Sunday.



Three people tried to break through the security barricades at the presidential palace around 4 a.m. Sunday, said army spokesman Col. Jean Luc Diasso. One of the men was killed while trying to grab weapons from security forces, while the other two fled, he said. The three were believed to be robbers, Diasso said, but the event increased the general mood of insecurity.



Later Sunday Security forces fired warning shots near the army joint staff headquarters when people tried to approach the barricades set up to keep residents away from the site of the attacks.



The army released the names of the eight members of the security forces killed in the simultaneous attacks, including a senior officer. State funerals will be held at a later time, according to the government.



This was the third large-scale attack by extremists on Ouagadougou since January 2016 when 30 people were killed at a popular cafe. In August 2017, 18 more people were killed at a Turkish restaurant. Friday's attack targeted the military's headquarters, showing the extremists are going for hard targets.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed Sunday that his military's offensive against rebels in the Damascus suburb of east Ghouta will continue, even while U.S. and British leaders accuse him of creating a humanitarian disaster.



"The operation against terrorism must continue, while at the same time, civilians will continue to have the possibility" to evacuate from the war zone, Assad told journalists in remarks aired on state television.



"There is no contradiction between a truce and combat operations," he said. "The progress achieved yesterday and the day before in Ghouta by the Syrian Arab Army was made during this truce."



Assad used the word "terrorists" to refer to the rebels trying to topple him.



U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed Sunday that Russia and Syria are responsible for the "heart-breaking human suffering" in east Ghouta, May's office said.



They discussed in a telephone call what May's office described as the "appalling humanitarian situation," even as the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian forces have seized on more than a quarter of east Ghouta.



"They agreed it was a humanitarian catastrophe, and that the overwhelming responsibility for the heart-breaking human suffering lay with the Syrian regime and Russia, as the regime's main backer," May's office said.



A White House statement did not mention the phone call. But it did say Russia was ignoring the U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day cease-fire across Syria. The statement said Russia is killing innocent civilians under the "false auspices of counterterrorism operations."



"This is the same combination of lies and indiscriminate force that Russia and the Syrian regime used to isolate and destroy Aleppo in 2016, where thousands of civilians were killed.," the White House statement said.



More than two weeks of Syrian airstrikes on the rebels, along with artillery fire and rocket attacks, have killed more than 640 civilians.



Although Russia is accused of ignoring the cease-fire that it voted for in the Security Council, it has initiated a daily five-hour "humanitarian pause" for civilians to escape and aid to be delivered. The U.N. said it would deliver 46 truckloads of humanitarian aid to east Ghouta Monday, along with enough food for 27,500 people.





In another phone call, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to exert "necessary pressure" on Assad to halt "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians in Ghouta.



Macron's office said Tehran bore "particular responsibility because of its ties to the (Syrian) regime regarding the implementation of the humanitarian truce" sought by the U.N.



"The two presidents expressed their agreement to work together in the coming days along with the U.N., in conjunction with the Damascus regime and the main countries involved in Syria, to secure results on the ground, supply necessary aid to civilians, and implement an effective cease-fire," Macron's office said.



The Syrian Observatory monitoring group said Syrian troops have advanced to within three kilometers of Douma, the main town in Ghouta, retaking "more than 25 percent" of the region.



The Observatory said at least 12 regime fighters were killed in overnight clashes. It said 18 civilians, including three children, were killed in regime bombardment of the region on Saturday.

Kenneth Schwartz contributed to this report.The International Criminal Court's March calendar illustrates why the Hague-based tribunal remains a deeply polarizing institution, two decades after its conception.



Three appeals judgements next week deal with atrocities in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, and attacks against cultural treasures in Timbuktu, Mali. Later this month, trial hearings continue against Dominic Ongwen, a former child soldier and senior commander of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army rebel movement.



For years, the ICC has weathered accusations of being excessively and unfairly focused on Africa, and a painfully slow, inefficient and expensive institution. Some of the world's biggest heavyweights, including the United States, China and Russia, are not ICC members, weakening its credibility.More recently, the tribunal opened an internal probe into questionable dealings between court employees and its former prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo.

But as is marks the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute that created it, there are signs the ICC is broadening its scope, even if the controversy surrounding it has not diminished.



New directions?



In February, court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda opened preliminary investigations into alleged crimes by governments in the Philippines and Venezuela. And late last year she requested court approval to turn a decade-long initial inquiry into the war in Afghanistan into a formal investigation, which might include alleged torture by American forces and the Central Intelligence Agency. If granted, the only formal investigations pursued against a non-African country, after Georgia.

"The ICC has been working where it can work, and now it's starting to work in other regions of the world and that is positive," says Elizabeth Evenson, associate international justice director for Human Rights Watch."But we still have a long way to go to make sure the court has the political support and space to address atrocities in more places around the world."



Court supporters argue the Hague-based tribunal's existence and mandate, covering some of the most heinous crimes on the planet, committed in countries without the means or will to offer justice, makes it an inevitable lightening rod, and that its budget, in fact, cannot cover it's daunting mandate.



The ICC has scored a few victories, including a groundbreaking case treating the destruction of cultural heritage as a war crime.Its 2016 conviction of former Congolese vice-president and warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba drew jubilation and fueled hopes of justice in places with little history of it.Some also argue the ICC gives victims a powerful voice and serves as a deterrent against more heinous crimes.

Yet the 40 or so indictments the ICC has issued since opening its doors in 2002 have led to just four convictions. And at every step in the judicial process, African cases dominate, accounting for all the convictions and, until recently, almost all the preliminary and formal investigations.



"Africa does not count for 100 percent of the world's population, but not a soul outside of Africa has been indicted after 20 years," says J. Peter Pham, vice-president of Washington DC research group, the Atlantic Council.



Anger over Africa bias'



The perception of bias has nurtured mounting resentment and outright rebellion among some African governments, depriving the court of the political legitimacy it needs, Pham says.



[[Sudan's President Omar Bashir has made dozens of trips around the world since the ICC's 2009 arrest warrant against him.Last October, Burundi became the first member state to withdraw from the ICC, complicating a formal investigation the ICC opened days later into killings and disappearances in the country between 2015-2017.



In one of its biggest setbacks, the ICC was also forced to drop cases against Kenya's president and vice-president for lack of sufficient evidence, amid accusations of witness harassment and lack of cooperation from the Kenyan government.



Analyst Pham says, the ICC not only took on a "democratically elected president" in Uhuru Kenyatta, albeit following a disputed vote, but also refused to give him time to manage a terrorist attack in Nairobi that took place during the proceedings.



"I'm not a cheerleader for President Kenyatta," Pham adds."But it's precisely this full-speed-ahead, torpedoes-be-damned approach that gets the court into trouble, and enables those, for less-than-honorable reasons, to discredit it."



The ICC does not always choose its targets, a number come at the request of the U.N. Security Council and African nations.



New challenges beyond Africa



In the Philippines, where the court is looking into the government's deadly war on drugs, President Rodrigo Duterte has called the tribunal "useless" and threatened to withdraw.Analysts say the court will be challenged to protect witnesses, get government cooperation and manage expectations in what may be a years-long effort.

In Venezuela, where the prosecution is examining arrests and allegations of excessive force during anti-government protests from 2017 or earlier, the attorney general claimed the prosecution is basing its investigation on "biased" information.



Afghanistan may be most formidable challenge.If the court grants a formal investigation, after an 11-year preliminary investigation, it could lead to groundbreaking war-crime indictments against Americans for alleged atrocities committed in Afghanistan, and also at alleged CIA detention centers in Eastern European countries where the he court has jurisdiction.



Some critics consider such a move foolhardy, joining broader calls for the ICC to take on cases it stands a chance to win.



"The problem is that none of the target authorities is likely to cooperate," professor and author Thierry Cruvellier wrote in the New York Times, referring to the United States, the Afghan government, and Taliban. "The ICC will be able to claim it no longer targets only Africans ... but it will keep showing its own powerlessness."



But Katherine Gallagher, a senior lawyer at the New York-based the Center for Constitutional Rights, called a formal probe into Afghanistan's war and holding U.S. officials accountable "long overdue."



"It will demonstrate," she wrote, "that no-one is above the law."Israel has opened a unique exhibition of Holocaust images to help people understand the contrasting motivations of photographers who documented the genocide, some nobly and others callously.

Organizers at Yad Vashem, Israel's official Holocaust memorial, say one of their goals is to show how some photographers manipulated the images for malign purposes  a practice that continues in the contemporary world. The Holocaust was the persecution and killings of 6 million Jews and other minorities by Nazi Germany and its allies in World War II.

Yad Vashem's "Flashes of Memory: Photography During the Holocaust" exhibition opened in January and will run throughout the year. It challenges visitors to think about who created the 1,500 photos on display, and why.

The photos are divided into three main groups: those taken by Nazis and other Germans; those taken by Jewish victims of the Nazis; and those taken by Allied forces who liberated Nazi death camps.

The exhibition highlights the perspectives of the Jewish photographers who sought to memorialize the suffering of their people in the ghettos.



It emphasizes the photography of U.S. and other Allied soldiers who wanted to reveal the horrors of the Holocaust to the world, and to gather evidence for war crimes tribunals.

The exhibition also explains how Nazi photographers and photo editors portrayed Jews as a racially inferior people in order to popularize anti-Semitism.

In an interview with VOA's Persian service at a press preview of the exhibition, Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev said it is designed to show people a different way of looking at Holocaust photographs.

"[We want them] to think and follow the eye of the photographer," Shalev said. "But what is more important sometimes, [is to enter] the mind of the editor, who is manipulating, and doing whatever he needs and wants, according to his ideology, with the photograph."

Iran is one country whose leaders have drawn international criticism in recent years for manipulating Holocaust imagery either to downplay its significance or call it a myth.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted a video on his website in 2016, in which he said it was not clear whether the "core" of the Holocaust was a reality, as he showed pictures of Holocaust deniers whom he argued had been persecuted in the West.

Under Khamenei's leadership, government-affiliated groups also have held several exhibitions of Holocaust cartoons satirizing the genocide.

The latest exhibition, held in Tehran in May 2016, featured international submissions and an award ceremony for winners who received bronze statuettes.

Shalev said he believes such images are unlikely to seduce the Iranian people.

"At the end of the day, the truth will prevail," he said. "In the long run, they have to look at the material with a very examining [eye] and think about the layers of the presentations."

Yad Vashem hopes people also will look at its presentations of Holocaust images in "Flashes of Memory" to understand how Nazis harnessed the power of photography to persecute and ultimately slaughter millions of Jews.Iraq's parliament approved a long-delayed budget on Saturday, the first since declaring victory over Islamic State after three years of war, but Kurdish

lawmakers boycotted the vote over their region's diminished allocation.

The budget of 104 trillion Iraqi dinars ($88 billion) is based on projected oil exports of 3.8 million barrels per day (bpd) at a price of $46, a copy of the final bill showed.

It envisions government revenues of 91.64 trillion dinars ($77.6 billion) with a deficit of 12.5 trillion dinars ($10.58 billion).

Parliament was meant to pass the budget before the start of the 2018 financial year in January but all three main blocs, Shi'ite Arabs, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds, had serious issues with the government's proposal.

"We boycotted the vote and there are proposals for Kurdistan to withdraw from the entire political process in Iraq over the unfair treatment we have received," said Kurdish MP Ashwaq Jaff.

The budget cut the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) share from the 17 percent the region has traditionally received since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

It did not specify a percentage to be allocated to the KRG, instead stipulating it would receive funds proportional to its share of the population.

In a previous draft the KRG portion was set at 12.67 percent, which is how much of Iraq's population Baghdad says the provinces in Kurdistan make up.

The KRG disputes that estimation.

The Kurds overwhelmingly voted to secede in an independence referendum in September, which was opposed by Baghdad.

In October, Iraqi forces retook disputed territories, including the oil city of Kirkuk, that had came under Kurdish control in 2014, and Baghdad imposed sanctions on the KRG, such as suspending international flights from Kurdish airports.

Baghdad and the KRG had been engaged in talks for months about the sanctions and Kurdistan's share of the budget.

The government said on Tuesday it had reached an agreement with the Kurds to resume Kirkuk oil exports through Turkey's Ceyhan port but gave no precise timeline.

The projected 3.8 million bpd exports in the budget includes a 250,000 bpd contribution from the Kurdistan region, lawmakers said on Saturday. It was not immediately clear what effect the Kurdish boycott of the vote would have on that.

Competing interests



Shi'ite lawmakers wanted more spending allocated to the southern oil-producing, predominantly Shi'ite, provinces as well as greater salaries and benefits for the Iran-backed Shi'ite militias known as Popular Mobilization Forces, who helped Iraq's security forces defeat Islamic State.

Sunni lawmakers wanted more allocated towards reconstructing areas retaken from the militants, which were predominantly Sunni. The areas include Iraq's second city Mosul.

On Thursday the "three presidencies" of Iraq, its Shi'ite prime minister, Sunni parliament speaker, and Kurdish president, had met to discuss how to push the budget through.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi congratulated Iraqis over the passing of the budget on Saturday and said it was the result of cooperation between the executive and legislative branches.

Speaker Salim al-Jabouri said the budget addressed Kurdish concerns and that the federal government would pay the salaries of Kurdish civil servants and Peshmerga fighters, as well as welfare entitlements.

Baghdad had stopped paying salaries or making budget transfers to the Kurdish regional capital Erbil in 2014 when the Kurds started independently selling oil.

Oil exports, Iraq's main source of revenue, have risen above 3.4 million barrels per day this year but a global slump in prices for crude, compounded by the costs of rebuilding an infrastructure damaged by the war against Islamic State, have battered the country's finances.



($1 = 1,181.0000 Iraqi dinars)More than 47 million Italians are eligible to vote in Sunday's general election, and polling booths will remain open until late with exit polls expected immediately after closing. Opinion polls were banned in the past two weeks of the campaign, but surveys before suggested no party would win the needed majority to govern the country.

This election is expected to determine the makeup of the new 945-member Italian parliament and the next government. It is Italys 18th general election since 1948. But much uncertainty surrounds the outcome of the vote with the main contenders having predicted victory.

Three time former 81-year-old Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has brought his center-right Forza Italia party into an alliance with the anti-immigrant League headed by Matteo Salvini and the far-right Brothers of Italy, headed by Giorgia Meloni. This group stands the best chances of coming close to a majority, but recent opinion polls predicted it would come short of the needed 40 percent to govern.

Rome resident Leopoldo Targiani says he will vote in this direction.

I decided to vote for Forza Italia, Berlusconi because I have certain ideas which are very close to him but not all of them. In Italy, the panorama is a little bit confusing, he said.

Another Rome resident, Riccardo Frulli, has decided the League is the only party that can bring change. He says Italy urgently needs to deal with the high level of youth unemployment, high taxation and public spending, as well as immigration.

In this moment we have a lot of problems like the huge flow of migrants that are approaching every day our territory," he said. "We have also a below average security level with most of the people that have a bad feeling of danger.

The populist and Five Star Movement, which did not exist 10 years ago and is headed by 31-year-old Luigi Di Maio, could emerge as the largest single party.

Di Maio has made clear he wants to lead the countrys new government and his party will make no compromises or join forces with others.

In essence, the youngest in this electoral contest is facing his toughest opposition from one of the oldest. Berlusconi is banned from holding public office until next year due to a tax fraud conviction and is backing European Parliament President Antonio Tajani as his choice to lead the country. But League leader Salvini also has prime minister ambitions.

Also a player in these elections is the ruling Democratic Party with current prime minister Paolo Gentiloni considered the most popular single politician and party leader, and former prime minister Matteo Renzi also likely to gather a substantial number of votes.

Many Italians casting their ballots in the fourth-largest EU economy admitted their concern about the countrys future.

This lady said, hope is the last to die, so hopefully things will change for the better because it can't get worse than this. She says Italy has reached the bottom, it can only come back up.

Observers say the chances of a hung parliament are high. In such a scenario, the Italian head of state, Sergio Mattarella, would have to find a cross-party solution to create a government; a grand coalition of various parties would have to come together. This could take weeks of negotiations and if an agreement for a workable government is not reached, Italians could head back to the polls.Exit polls released as Italian polling stations closed Sunday suggested no one party will command a parliamentary majority but that populist parties scored major gains. The election was one of the most divisive in recent memory

According to the polls, the maverick, anti-establishment Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) had done well, especially in the south of the country where turnout was higher than expected. M5S may have secured 29 to 31 percent of the vote, which would mean it will be the largest party in the Parliament, but will fall far short of a governing majority.

The center-left Democratic Party managed to stay above 20 percent, with polls suggesting it might secure as much as 23 percent of the vote. But it was overhauled by Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing alliance, which will likely control the largest bloc in the lower house of Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies. The right-wing alliance's performance marks a remarkable personal comeback by the 81-year-old Berlusconi, who is barred from office until next year but will clearly be one of the political ringmasters.

Analysts noted that exit polls in 2013 were inaccurate, but said they, too, expected Italy would have a hung Parliament.

A gray sky over much of the country reflected the gloomy mood of voters braving unsettled weather and intermittent rain as they turned out to vote. Many arriving at polling stations in the region of Lazio, which includes the capital Rome, said they were dissatisfied with the choices available to them even though there were 21 parties competing.

With no party likely to have secured a majority, Italians are now bracing for weeks of negotiations and horse-trading.

I dont trust any of the options I am being given, said 38-year-old Agnese Rossi, an ecologist preparing to vote in Rome.

She said she expects the right-wing alliance led by former three-time prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini of the anti-migrant, euro-skeptic Lega to emerge as the overall winners and will be able to form the basis of a coalition government  a prospect that frightens her

But she says she has no faith in any of the parties competing in the sprawling, messy election, including the maverick upstart Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S), which analysts say may emerge as the largest single party. M5S has said publicly it will not participate in any backroom deal-making and wont join a coalition government, although its leader Luigi Di Maio, a suave, boyishly telegenic 31-year-old university drop-out, has hinted that it could enter into some kind of governing arrangement.

We will end up with greater conflict and division after this election, said Rossi.

Migration concerns

Some other voters arriving at polling stations in towns just north of Rome complained the migration crisis had dominated the national debate too much and at the expense of other more pressing economic and social challenges facing the cash-strapped country. They said their greatest worry was over job creation.

The deep disaffection driving the national mood, real worry over the countrys economic prospects amid high youth unemployment and dysfunctional public services was channeled into anti-migrant fervor, with the migration issue acting as a lightning rod for public despair, some voters grumbled.

Berlusconis right-wing alliance, which includes his party Forza Italia, the Lega and the far-right Brothers of Italy, pushed a heavily anti-migrant agenda with the 81-year-old Berlusconi trying to keep up as the campaign unfolded with the more dramatic expulsion demands of his younger political partner, the 44-year-old Salvini. Both have said the 600,000 migrants, mainly from sub-Sahara Africa who have arrived in Italy the past two years, should be sent packing.

Other voters at the polling stations, though, argued migration is indeed the number one problem facing Italy and praised both the Lega and M5S for their tough anti-migrant rhetoric. In parts of the country during the campaign it has been hard to tell the difference between the far-right Lega and M5S when it has come to migration. M5Ss candidate for president of Lazio, Roberta Lombardi, adopted the election slogan, More Tourists, Fewer Migrants, arguing that tourism boosted the local economy, while migrants weighed it down.

She disputed a study by the IDOS Institute, an immigration think tank, that suggested overall immigrants bring in up to $3.45 billion more into the country than they cost the Italian state.

Migrants have brought crime with them, said Fabrizio Cannone, a 31-year-old farmworker and Lega supporter. They are changing Italy and they should go, he added.

The leaders of far-right and populist parties said as the polls opened they were confident of big gains. And certainly of all the Italians turning up at voting stations Sunday, supporters of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) appeared the gloomiest. I always vote for the left so I will vote for the PD, said Pino Barilla, a 60-year-old artist. "But PD voters are not fired up, not as enthusiastic as those of M5S or the Lega, he added.

Analysts are predicting that at least one-quarter of those eligible to vote Sunday will not do so.

Radical populism

Twenty percent of the Italian electorate remained undecided on the eve of a vote that may put radical populism back on the political map of Western Europe, reversing recent center or establishment election wins in France and Germany, and complicating life for a European Union mired in Brexit negotiations and facing challenges from populist leaders in the former Communist states of the east.

One foreign observer of the election, Donald Trumps former chief political strategist Steve Bannon told reporters Saturday that the Italian election result would mark another milestone on a populist and nationalist revolt roiling Europe and America. In his comments, he sought to link Italys election with Trump and the Brexit referendum to leave the European Union, saying they are all part of an anti-globalist revolt against elites.

He described the Italian election as the most important thing happening politically in the world right now and argued Italians are fed up with the EU and wanted to take back sovereignty, pointing out that whoever forms the government, probably two-thirds of Italians will have backed parties with populist views.

In fact, EU membership was not a major issue in the election and was largely avoided in the campaigning, even by the Lega. M5S played down its euro-skepticism during the campaign, and Berlusconi presented himself and Italy as pro-EU. Recent polling data suggests that 75 percent of Italians hold favorable views of the bloc.

Nonetheless, a rightwing coalition government  or one involving M5S  inevitably would clash with Brussels over the issue of migration and economic policies.

Byzantine ballot papers

Choosing whom to vote for was one thing Sunday, but actually making the selection was another. Voters at the polling booths were faced with exacting and byzantine ballot papers reflecting a new voting system that establishment politicians designed, hoping it would lower the seat tally of M5S.

The voting system known as the Rosatellum, named after its chief architect DP senator Ettore Rosato, mixes first-past-the-post and proportional representation for the selection of lawmakers.

Voters cast two votes Sunday for the lower house of parliament, the Chamber of Deputies: One vote is to pick a directly-elected lawmaker and the other is for a party list. Of the 630 lawmakers in the lower house, 386 who take their seats are being elected via party lists on a PR basis; 244 will have been elected directly with 12 of those coming from overseas constituencies. The election of 315 senators also mixes PR and first-past-the-post.

The new voting system favors parties that have entered coalitions, boosting the effect of their combined votes.

Most analysts predict the rightwing coalition of Berlusconi will hold most parliamentary seats after the election, but will fall short of an overall majority. Should no clear winner emerge from the polls, negotiations will start after March 23 over forming a coalition.

If there is a hung parliament  the most likely outcome  negotiations could take weeks to conclude.Italy's former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, made a surprise appearance at a chapel in Naples Saturday, one day before Italians vote in a general election to select a new parliament.

Politicians were forbidden to campaign Saturday, but Berlusconi's visit to the Sansevero chapel drew crowds of journalists and fans. The 81-year-old Berlusconi told reporters that he and his 30-year-old girlfriend were visiting the chapel as tourists. He said the chapel was part of the country's heritage, to which "no other country in the world can remotely compete against."

Berlusconi, who served four terms as prime minister, cannot run in Sunday's election because of a tax fraud conviction in 2013; but he is the driving force behind the center-right Forza Italia party and has thrown his support behind former European Parliament President Antonio Tajani to serve as prime minister if the party wins enough seats.

But forecasters say the election results will probably not end with a clear party as winner, forcing the parties to form a ruling coalition -- something that could mean weeks of uncertainty as the parties compete and compromise in a bid to form a workable team.

Populism is a strong force in this election, as it was in recent elections in Britain, France, and Germany.

Three populist-driven major parties are fielding candidates and promising to crack down on immigration. Forza Italia could find coalition partners in the far-right Brothers of Italy or the anti-migrant Lega, or League, party.

Also populist is the Five-star Movement, but the party takes an anti-establishment stance and has vowed not to form coalitions.

On the left, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party, the leader of the ruling coalition, could see a drop in support due to Italy's sluggish economy, with high unemployment and stagnant economic growth. Italy is also struggling to accommodate a large influx of immigrants, and Renzi is personally unpopular.

The Democratic Party is in a coalition with the Democratic Progressive Party and the Italian Left.

Of those, the Democratic Party is by far the strongest player -- but this year's wave of Italian populism could deliver victory for the right wing on Sunday.

With that outcome, Italians may find themselves with a governing coalition focused on cracking down on immigration, reforming the nation's tax system, and trying to bridge complicated divides -- with no guarantee of positive results.Lawyers say the mayor of Senegal's capital is charged with embezzling public funds.



Dakar Mayor Khalifa Sall was detained Tuesday by the senior investigating judge of the Dakar High Court.



Lawyer Cledor Cire Ly says the mayor is indicted for embezzlement, fraud involving public funds, criminal association and money laundering. Sall's lawyers call his arrest an attempt to prevent him from running in July's legislative elections.



Sall has been mayor since 2009. He denies the allegations. His lawyer says missing public funds went to people in need.



The arrests follow a state audit revealing transfers through the office of about $46,000 per month.



Also arrested were his secretary, the director of finance and administration and the director of finance and accounting.



The mayor is no relation to President Macky Sall.Mark Bradford walks through the park by his home every day, but one morning his heart stopped beating and he collapsed in sudden cardiac arrest. The next thing he remembered was waking up in the heart unit at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

With cardiac arrest, every second counts. The American Red Cross reports that more than 1,600 people suffer a cardiac arrest each day in the U.S.

Survival depends on many factors  how fast a person gets help and what caused the heart to stop.

Studies show that if a bystander starts cardio pulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, which is essentially pumping the chest rhythmically to get the heart started again, or if someone uses a defibrillator within a minute or two after a person's heart stops, the odds of surviving can be as high as 70 percent.



But if the heart quivers uncontrollably and can't pump blood, something called ventricular fibrillation, or if it goes wildly out of rhythm, it will stop beating and chances of survival are slim to none. In these situations, a patient's heart resists being shocked back to normal, and if it does begin beating again, chances are the patient will have permanent disabilities.

"Typically, if they [the patients] dont respond to getting shocked, these patients would die in the field because we didnt have any options to save them. Now, in certain situations, we have had patients survive and walk out of the hospital, Dr. Ernest Mazzaferri Jr. said. Mazzaferri is the medical director of The Ohio State University Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, which is part of the Wexner Medical Center.

In the U.S., fire departments frequently are called upon to respond to emergencies. When the Columbus, Ohio Fire Department received a new device for CPR, fire fighters contacted the medical center, and the doctors and the fire fighters developed a new plan of action called an ECPR alert.

If a patient's heart resists being shocked back to normal, medics alert the hospital and put a mechanical CPR device on the patient in the ambulance. Meanwhile, a team at the hospital prepares the catheterization laboratory, or cath lab. The lab has diagnostic imaging equipment so doctors can see the heart's arteries and chambers.

Most patients who arrive at a hospital by ambulance go immediately to the emergency room. At Ohio State, patients who have suffered cardiac arrest go immediately to the cath lab. Dr. Ernest Mazzaferri said this protocol iscritically important "because the more time we wait, the more damage is done to the heart and the more damage is done to all of your organs including your brain.

At the cath lab, the patient is connected to an echmo machine that does the job of the heart and lungs. Dr. Bryan Whitson said this allows the heart and the lungs to rest while doctors work on the heart to try to get it restarted and beating well.

The doctors also try to fix what caused the heart to stop beating. Dr. K. Dean Boudoulas said the new protocol has increased survival rates from the deadliest types of cardiac arrest from zero to 40 percent.

"Patients have a chance to walk out of a hospital with neurological recovery, have a meaningful life, when essentially they would have been pronounced dead in the field."



Bradford was the first patient in Columbus, Ohio, to benefit from this procedure. "Without the protocol, I wouldn't be alive. I am very fortunate that they were trained in it, that they used it, that I was out in the park rather than in the house by myself.

The ECPR protocol has been tested only in a few small studies, and so far the limited data shows an increase to about a 40 percent chance of survival.

Mazzaferri said the doctors are hopeful the protocol will prove so successful that "perhaps some years from now, ECPR will be more routine and saving more lives across the U.S.Australia is flying relief supplies to earthquake-hit communities in Papua New Guinea. The aid will be the first help residents of a remote area will receive, after several days of waiting and enduring the aftershocks of the powerful quake. Local authorities say at least 50 people were killed.



More than five days after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Papua New Guinea's rugged interior, aid is only just starting to arrive in some of the worst-hit regions. The Prime Minister of the South Pacific nation, Peter O'Neill, said it was an "unprecedented disaster."

His government has declared a state of emergency and parliament will be convened to address the crisis.



It is reported that up to 50 people have been killed, but more victims could be found as rescue teams reach outlying villages.



William Bando is the administrator of Hela Province. "You know, people [are] stuck in the mountains and buried in the mudslides.This earthquake has cost almost 50 lives," he said.



Aftershocks are continuing and many locals fear their homes may collapse. Roads have been cut, runways damaged and electricity supplies disrupted.



Papua New Guinea's biggest resources project is in the quake zone. Its copper and gold mining operations have been suspended. Many locals are blaming oil and gas extraction for the powerful tremor.

But Chris McKee, from PNG's Geohazards Management Division, said those fears are unfounded.



"The earthquakes are occurring well below where the oil and gas industry is operating. They are occurring at depths as much as 60 kilometers, so these are faults which are deep-seated and they are totally unrelated to the oil and gas industry. Convincing people is the hard bit.It is easy to tell them that but they want to have someone to point a finger at and blame," he said.



Australia is sending emergency supplies, including tarpaulins, water containers and purification tablets, to the disaster zone. More relief supplies will follow as the search for survivors continues. Canberra also has sent a C-130 transport plane to help with aerial surveillance of the disaster area.



Papua New Guinea is a South Pacific nation of 7 million, and is Australia's nearest neighbor.A Polish campaign group is suing an Argentine newspaper it says breached a new law that makes it a criminal offence to suggest Poland was complicit in the Holocaust.

In what appeared to be the first legal action under the so-called Holocaust law, just hours after it took effect, the Polish League Against Defamation said it filed a complaint against Argentina's Pagina 12 daily. The paper said it had not received formal notice of the lawsuit.

A minister from Poland's conservative government applauded the move to invoke the law which Warsaw says will protect it from slander, but which the United States and Israel said would suppress authentic historic research and free speech.

The League, a non-governmental group that campaigns to protect Poland's historical reputation abroad, said that in December 2017 Pagina 12 used a photograph of Polish so-called 'doomed soldiers' who fought against communists after the war to illustrate an article on the Jedwabne pogrom of 1941 in which Nazi occupiers and local inhabitants colluded in the massacre of at least 340 Jews.

"The combination of these two threads: information about the crime on Jews in Jedwabne during the German occupation and the presentation of fallen soldiers of the independence underground is manipulation, an act to the detriment of the Polish nation," the organization said in a statement.

The ruling Law and Justice party has praised the "doomed soldiers." While many are seen as national heroes in the struggle against Soviet domination, some led killings of Jews, Belarusians and other minorities.

In an article posted on its website on Saturday evening, Pagina 12 said, "this newspaper did not receive any legal communication and only learned of the information through international news agency reports."

"If successful, this attempt at international censorship could threaten freedom of expression worldwide," the article read.

Deputy Justice Minister Michal Wojcik said he hoped the case would go to court.

"The organization has a right to submit such a notice. If the court decides the complaint is admissible - and it should do so -- then there will be a court case," he told private radio station Zet.

Jews from across Europe were sent to be killed at death camps built and operated by Germans in occupied Poland -- home to Europe's biggest Jewish community at the time -- including Auschwitz, Treblinka, Belzec and Sobibor.

Some 3 million Jews who lived in pre-war Poland were murdered by the Nazis, accounting for about half of all Jews killed in the Holocaust.

Thousands of Poles risked their lives to protect Jewish neighbors during the war. But research published since the fall of communism in 1989 showed that thousands also killed Jews or denounced those who hid them to the Nazi occupiers, challenging the national narrative that Poland was solely a victim.

According to figures from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Nazis, who invaded Poland in 1939, also killed at least 1.9 million non-Jewish Polish civilians.Thousands of Spaniards for unity marched Sunday in Barcelona in support of a grassroots group that mocks Catalonia's separatist movement.



The group, "Platform for Tabarnia," facetiously calls for the secession of the cities of Barcelona and Tarragona from Catalonia - allowing them to remain in Spain as the rest of Catalonia calls for secession.



Under the slogan "the joke is over  long live Tabarnia," as many as 15,000 pro-unity Spaniards waving flags of Spain and the fictitious Tabarnia took to Barcelona streets.



The group also employs the slogan, "Barcelona is not Catalonia," a twist on the state's secessionist slogan, "Catalonia is not Spain."



Political unrest has rocked Catalonia since it unsuccessfully tried to secede from Spain in September.Independence parties maintained a slim majority in the state following December elections, but leader Carles Puigdemont is exiled in Brussels, while other former leaders are in jail.Australia's most high-ranking diplomat has acknowledged Canberra's relationship with its largest trading partner, China, is enduring a period of complexity and difficulty. The candid comments from the head of the Australian Foreign Affairs Department came during a parliamentary hearing in Canberra.



Relations between Australia and China are rarely without problems or tensions. In recent months, Canberra introduced its biggest overhaul of intelligence laws in decades to try to combat foreign interference in domestic politics.

While the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke of "disturbing reports about Chinese influence" in Australia, he has insisted the new measures were not aimed at one particular country. However, Beijing reacted with displeasure, and said it had no intention of meddling in Australia's internal affairs.



Those tensions still persist, according to Australia's most senior public servant.



Frances Adamson, the head of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the bilateral relationship is often fraught with turbulence.



"Our relationship with China there are, whichever government in Australia, there are periods when the Chinese are not completely in agreement with everything that we might want to do in our national interest. It is important for us to assert that," said Adamson.



Another area of tension is the South China Sea. Australia always has advocated for freedom of navigation in international waters in the strategic waterway.



But China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including a group of small islands, directly challenging the territorial claims of its neighbors  Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan.



Australian defense minister Marise Payne said Canberra will continue to assert its rights in the region.



"Certainly in the last 12-18 months, two years really, we have made some quite significant increases in our activity in the region, and last year the Australian Defense Force executed the largest joint task group that we have had in decades through the region," said Payne.



Canberra must tread a delicate diplomatic line between China, its largest trading partner, a relationship that has underpinned recent Australian prosperity, and its long-standing military alliance with the United States that dates back to the early 1950s.Slovakia's President Andrej Kiska called Sunday for either substantial changes in the government or snap elections in the wake of the murder of an investigative journalist and his fiancee.

"There's a huge public distrust of the state,'' Kiska said in a televised speech Sunday. "And many don't trust law enforcement authorities. This distrust is justified. We crossed the line, things went too far, and there's no way back.''

Kiska also said that he would pursue talks with the country's leaders in the coming days on how to rebuild the trust of the people of Slovakia, who were shocked by the murder of Jan Kuciak and concerned about media freedom and corruption.

Kiska's political rival, Prime Minister Robert Fico, dismissed the president's proposals.

Kuciak and his girlfriend, Martina Kusnirova, were found dead last week in their home east of Bratislava. Investigators said Kuciak's death was "most likely" linked to his reporting  marking the first time a journalist's death in Slovakia was linked to his or her work.

Kuciak's story, which his organization published after his death last week, describes the alleged connection between a suspected member of the Italian 'Ndrangheta organized crime family in Slovakia and two senior aides to Fico.

Thousands attended candlelit anti-corruption protests and memorials held across Slovakia on Friday in reaction to Kuciak's murder.

Organizers estimated that about 25,000 people gathered in Bratislava, while thousands more paid tribute to Kuciak in other cities and towns across the EU country of 5.4 million people.South Korean President Moon Jae-in will send a high-level special delegation to North Korea on Monday to discuss ways in which relations can be improved and to ease tension on the peninsula, South Korea's presidential Blue House announced on Sunday.

"The special delegates will have extensive discussions over issues ... including creating conditions for North Korea-U.S. dialogue," Moons spokesman Yoon Young-chan told reporters.

That mission could be complicated by military planned drills, however, as a commentary published by North Korea's official KCNA news agency warned that Pyongyang would "counter the U.S." if it holds joint military exercises with South Korea in April.

The 10-member delegation will be headed by Suh Hoon, the head of the National Intelligence Service, and Moon's top national security advisor Chung Eui-Yong. Moon has yet to accept Kim Jong Un's invitation to visit Pyongyang.

After the two-day visit to North Korea, the South Korean special envoys will travel to the United States to brief American officials on their discussions in Pyongyang.

In sending his envoys to Pyongyang, Moon is seeking to reciprocate Kim Jong Un's decision to send a senior delegation, including his sister, Kim Yo Jong, to last month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

It was the first visit by a member of the North's ruling family to South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War.

Those North Korean officials told Moon they were willing to restart talks with the U.S., but President Donald Trump responded by saying talks will happen only under the right conditions.''

Speaking Saturday night at this year's traditional Gridiron Club Dinner, Trump said during his joke-filled monologue at the event with journalists that he would not rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un, but North Korea must first "denuke." It was unclear if Trump was kidding or if formal U.S.-North Korea talks were imminent.

In an unusual self-deprecating statement, Trump said, "As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, that's his [Kim's] problem, not mine."For months, university students Ash Bhat and Rohan Phadte had been tracking about 1,500 political propaganda accounts on Twitter that appeared to have been generated by computers when they noticed something odd.

In the hours after the February school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the bots, short for robots, shifted into high gear, jumping into the debate about gun control.

The hashtag #guncontrol gained traction among the bot network. In fact, all of the top hashtags among the bots were about the Parkland shooting, Bhat and Phadte noticed.

Explainer: What Is a Twitter Bot?

Twitter under fire

Since the 2016 U.S. presidential election, technology companies have come under fire for how their services were used by foreign-backed operations to sow discord among Americans before and after the election.

Twitter, in particular, has been called out repeatedly for the sheer number of computerized accounts that tweet about controversial topics. The company itself has said 50,000 accounts on its service were linked to Russian propaganda efforts, and the company recently announced plans to curtail automated, computer-generated accounts.

On Monday, executives from Twitter are expected to be on Capitol Hill to brief the Senate Commerce committee about how the service was manipulated in the wake of the Parkland shooting.

For Bhat and Phadte, students at the University of California, Berkeley, the growing public scrutiny on bots couldnt come fast enough.

Figuring out Twitter fakes

Childhood friends from San Jose, Calif., the two work out of their shared apartment in Berkeley on ways to figure out what is real and fake on the internet and how to arm people with tools to tell the difference.

Everyone's realizing how big of a problem this is becoming, Bhat, co-founder of RoBhat Labs, said. And I think we're also at a weird inflection point. It's like the calm before the storm. We're building up our defenses before the real effects of misinformation hit.

One of their projects is Botcheck.me, a way for Twitter users to check whether a person on Twitter is real or fake. To use botcheck.me, users can download a Google Chrome extension, which puts the blue button next to every Twitter account. Or users can run a Twitter account through the website botcheck.me.

Some of the characteristics of a fake Twitter persona? Hundreds of tweets over a 24-hour period is one. Another, mostly retweeting others. A third clue, thousands of followers even though the account may be relatively new.

Polarizing the debate

The result is a digital robot army ready to jump into a national debate, they say.

The conversation around gun control was a lot more polarizing in terms of for and against gun control, as opposed to seeing in the Parkland shooting other issues, such as mental illness, Bhat said.

The two do not speculate who may be behind the bots or what their motives may be. Their concern is to try to bring some authenticity back into online discussions.

Instead of being aggravated and spending an hour tweeting and retweeting, or getting madder, you can find out its a bot and stop engaging, Bhat said.

In recent months, the students say they have seen a lot of Twitter accounts they have been tracking suspended.

But as fast as Twitter can get rid of accounts, the students say new ones are popping back up. And suspicious accounts are starting to look more like humans. They may tweet about the weather or cars for awhile before switching over into political content.

You can sort of see these bots evolve, Bhat said. And the scary thing for us is that if we arent keeping up on their technological progress, its going to be impossible to tell the difference.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is set to travel to Africa next week, with counterterrorism and advancing mutual ties high on the agenda. He will meet with leaders from Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria during his travels from March 6 to March 13. VOA State Department Correspondent Nike Ching reports.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillersons highly anticipated trip to Africa is an opportunity to position the United States to play a significant role in supporting the continent and to highlight the important relationship, according to a senior American official.

Its not only based on economic and commercial development, but in the context of building a strong institution, governance and security as well as human rights, a senior State Department official said during a background briefing Friday.



In his first trip to Africa as the top U.S. diplomat, Tillerson will meet with leaders from Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria during his travels from March 6-13.



Washingtons vision of a genuinely inclusive political process in Ethiopia, Kenya and other African nations includes institution-building, peaceful transitions of power, and holding governments accountable to the people, the official said.



In Ethiopia, officials have declared a state of emergency amid widespread anti-government protests that have persisted for more than two years. In Kenya, there is a growing demand for political diversity.



Secretary Tillersons trip next week is also seen as a good opportunity for the U.S. to reaffirm ties with African nations, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the continent and Haiti in a derogatory manner earlier this year.



Former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield told VOA on Friday that Africans will welcome the top U.S. diplomat with open arms.

His visit will be a reaffirmation of [the] U.S.-Africa partnership and U.S. commitment to Africa. Expectations will be high and the secretary will be pressed to give some substance to our policy towards Africa, Thomas-Greenfield said.



Tillersons visit also comes after the recent mass kidnapping of schoolgirls in Nigeria.



Combating terrorism

State Department officials say finding ways to combat such incidents and promoting counterterrorism and security cooperation are high priorities for the top U.S. diplomat.



Secretary Tillerson "plans to discuss ways that we can work with our partners to counter terrorism," as well as to advance security, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.



The United States recently put several affiliates of the Islamic State (IS) terror group in Africa on the terrorism blacklist in an effort to cut off any financial support they may have been getting from within the United States.



Among those designated as terrorist organizations include ISIS-West Africa, ISIS-Somalia, Jund al-Khilafah-Tunisia and ISIS-Egypt.



Africa has traditionally been an area in which terrorist groups have operated. And part of the reason for that is because they assessed that theyre able to move across borders undetected," State Departments Ambassador-at-Large for Counterterrorism Nathan Sales told VOA.



"What weve tried to do is stand up the capabilities. Its not just about military authorities in the region, but also border security authorities and law enforcement authorities in the region, Sales added.



Vast economic potential



According to the State Department, five of the worlds 10 fastest-growing economies are in Africa. By 2030, Africa is expected to represent about one-quarter of the worlds workforce and consumers. But experts note more must be done to take advantage of this growth.



The continent needs to work more harmoniously in dealing with issues related to health care, to conflict, to strengthening trade, and breaking down tariffs and economic barriers that prevent the continent from realizing its potential, Johnnie Carson, senior adviser for the United States Institute of Peace, told VOA.



Carson said the work that the U.S. does in the areas of health care, education and agriculture are critical to Africa's development.U.S. President Donald Trump and British leader Theresa May agreed Sunday that Russia and Syria are responsible for the "heart-breaking human suffering" in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus, the prime minister's office said.

The two leaders discussed in a telephone call what May's office described as the "appalling humanitarian situation" near the Syrian capital, even as the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian forces had seized control of more than a quarter of Eastern Ghouta.

"They agreed it was a humanitarian catastrophe, and that the overwhelming responsibility for the heart-breaking human suffering lay with the Syrian regime and Russia, as the regime's main backer," May's office said. There was no immediate White House statement on the phone call.

"Russia and others with influence over the Syrian regime must act now to cease their campaign of violence and to protect civilians," May and Trump agreed, her office said.

The Syrian advance has come after 15 days of airstrikes on the rebels, along with artillery fire and rocket attacks, with more than 640 civilians killed in the fighting.

A demand by the United Nations Security Council for a 30-day truce, which Russia voted for, has been widely ignored, even as Moscow initiated a daily five-hour "humanitarian pause" for civilians to escape and aid to be delivered. The U.N. said it would deliver humanitarian aid to the Eastern Ghouta enclave on Monday.

In another phone call, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to exert "necessary pressure" on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to halt "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians in Eastern Ghouta.

Macron's office said Tehran bore "particular responsibility for Iran, because of its ties to the [Syrian] regime, regarding the implementation of the humanitarian truce" sought by the U.N.

"The two presidents expressed their agreement to work together in the coming days along with the U.N., in conjunction with the Damascus regime and the main countries involved in Syria, to secure results on the ground, supply necessary aid to civilians and implement an effective cease-fire," Macron's office said.

The Syrian Observatory monitoring group said Syrian troops had advanced to within three kilometers of Douma, the main town in Eastern Ghouta, retaking "more than 25 percent" of the region in operations mostly run through farmlands.

The Observatory said at least 12 regime fighters had been killed in overnight clashes. But on Saturday, it said that 18 civilians, including three children, had been killed in regime bombardment of the region.President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to impose a tax on European cars if the European Union chooses to retaliate against his plans to place tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.

In a tweet Saturday morning, Trump said the U.S. had an "$800 Billion Dollar Yearly" trade imbalance because of "very stupid" trade deals and policies. He warned that if the EU increased "tariffs and barriers" against American-made products, "we will simply add a Tax on their Cars."

Presently, the U.S. imposes a 2.5 percent tariff on European-built cars and Europe imposes a 10 percent tariff on U.S.-built cars.

Earlier this week, Trump announced that he plans sometime in the coming week to impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports. He said the tariffs would be in effect for a long period of time.

Trump's tweet Saturday appeared to be in response to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's warning that the EU could respond by taxing quintessentially American-made products, such as bourbon whiskey, blue jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Juncker told German media Friday that he does not like the words "trade war." "But I can't see how this isn't part of warlike behavior," he said.

Trump had tweeted earlier in the day: "Trade wars are good, and easy to win."

Trump's announcement, made during a meeting with steel and aluminum industry executives at the White House, led a sharp drop in the U.S. markets and sparked concerns of a trade war Friday.

China, Canada respond

Later Friday, China warned about the "huge impact" on global trading if Trump proceeds with his tariff plans.

Wang Hejun, head of China's commerce ministry's trade remedy and investigation bureau, said in a statement the tariffs would "seriously damage multilateral trade mechanisms represented by the World Trade Organization and will surely have huge impact on normal international trade order."

The Chinese official added, "If the final measures of the United States hurt Chinese interests, China will work with other affected countries in taking measures to safeguard its own rights and interests."

China ranks 11th among the countries that export steel to the U.S.

Canada is the United States' biggest foreign source of both materials.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that Trump's tariff plans were "absolutely unacceptable." He said he is prepared to "defend Canadian industry" and warned the tariffs would also hurt U.S. consumers and businesses by driving up prices.

The director of the World Trade Organization, Roberto Azevedo, responded coolly, saying, "A trade war is in no one's interests."

Trump spent Friday defending his threat to impose the tariffs, saying potential trade conflicts can be beneficial to the United States.

"When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win," Trump wrote in a post on the social media site Twitter. "Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, dont trade anymore - we win big. Its easy!"

A Japanese government official told VOA that Tokyo "has explained several times to the U.S. government our concerns," but declined to comment further on any ongoing discussions with Washington.

"While we are aware of the president's statement, we understand that the official decision has not been made yet," the Japanese official said. "If the U.S. is going to implement any measures, we expect the measures be WTO-rules consistent."

China on Friday expressed "grave concern'' about the matter.

Trump said Thursday the tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports will be in effect for a long period of time. He said the measure will be signed sometime next week.

In 2017, Canada, Brazil, South Korea and Mexico accounted for nearly half of all U.S. steel imports. That year, Chinese steel accounted for less than 2 percent of overall U.S. imports.Provincial officials in eastern Nangarhar province expressed concerns over the dozens of youths in the province recruited by Islamic State (IS).



"I have received reports from districts that unemployment, poverty and IS recruiting efforts have led to youths joining the terror group's ranks," Matiullah Ahmadzai, director of Youth Affairs at Nangarhar Department of Culture and Information told VOA.



He expressed "grave concerns" at the prospects of more youths joining IS and other militant groups if job opportunities are not created in the province.



Habibullah Qadiri, head of youth affairs in the restive Achin district, claimed that dozens of youths have joined the militant group, only from his district. VOA could not independently confirm these numbers.



"During the past two years, lack of government attention led to one hundred youth joining IS ranks. They don't have access to schools or Madrasas [religious schools] and they are unemployed." Qadiri added.



Government officials denied the claims and called it "unrealistic".



"The news about dozens of youths joining IS ranks is not true. Youths, especially in Achin district, are supporting Afghan security forces due to government awareness programs," Attaullah Khogyani, a Nangarhar governor spokesperson told VOA.



Exact official statistics for employment rate in the province are not available, however, according to Afghan government figure, the unemployment rate in the county lies between 30 and 40 percent.



Experts say that unemployment is a strong tool for militant groups to recruit youths to their ranks.



Unemployed youths are unwillingly joining these groups in order to make a livelihood for their families," Taj Mohammad Akbar, Kabul University professor told VOA.



"To prevent youths recruitment [by militants groups] the government of Afghanistan should either create employment opportunities or cut down the cost of living," he added.



IS Recruitment



Provincial council officials in eastern Nangarhar affirm that IS militants have been attempting to recruit more locals after being defeated on the battlefield.



Officials say that they shared the concerns regarding IS recruitment.



"It [the youths' recruitment] would turn into a bigger problem if the government does not prevent it," Nasir Kamawal, member of Nangarhar provincial council told VOA.



Reports about IS recruitment in eastern Nangarhar province emerge amid similar claims of the militant group in neighboring Kunar province.



Provincial council officials in eastern Kunar province claim IS has not achieved any success on the battlefield, but the militant group may continue to try to recruit local residents in some remote areas.



"IS might continuously recruit more locals in some remote areas and I can confirm that the militants are operating in various remote areas of the [Kunar] province," Mohammad Sapai, Kunar province council member told VOA.



IS Defeated



Afghan officials previously claimed IS has been defeated in its traditional rural stronghold Nangarhar province.



"IS leadership was in Nangarhar, they had command centers and prisons in Achin, Kot and Khogyani districts that were destroyed during multiple Afghan forces operations," Mohammad Gulab Mangal, Nangarhar province governor told VOA.



Officials in neighboring Kunar province also say the terror group at best is weakened.



"Although IS militants operate in five districts, fortunately, during the past two years, the militants failed to pose a serious threat in Kunar province," Wahidullah Kalemzai, Kunar province governor told VOA.



The Islamic State terror group emerged in early 2015 in the mountainous areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan and initially was based in southern parts of eastern Nangarhar province.



As the Islamic State terror group is trying to expand from its traditional enclave of eastern Afghanistan to other parts of the county, it faces a crackdown by Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces.



Ziaurrahman Hasrat and Zabihullah Ghazi contributed to this reportWhite House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Sunday that President Donald Trump is not planning to exempt any countries from his increase in tariffs on imported steel and aluminum coming from foreign shores.



Navarro told CNN that final details on Trump's anticipated 25 percent tax on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum should be completed by later in the week or early next week at the latest.



Trump's new tariffs for the key metals have drawn wide condemnation from business-oriented Republican lawmakers in the U.S., as well as key allied trading partners  Canada and the European Union. But Navarro said the tariffs are needed to "protect our national security and economic security, broadly defined."



He dismissed concerns from Defense Department officials who voiced support for targeted tariff increases aimed at specific countries but not increases on the imported metals from throughout the world.



Watch: Washington Braces for Possible Trump-Induced Trade War

Navarro said Trump "listens to all sides and makes the tough decisions. I think it's the right decision." He called it "a slippery slope" to target only some countries with increased tariffs while exempting others. He said there would be a mechanism to exclude some businesses, on a case-by-case basis, from having to pay higher prices for the imported metals.



Canada, the largest U.S. trading partner, could be the hardest hit, since last year it shipped $7.2 billion worth of aluminum to the U.S. and steel valued at $4.3 billion. The tariffs would also hit other U.S. allies  Britain, Germany, South Korea, Turkey and Japan. But China, the world's biggest steel producer, only sends 2 percent of its supply to the U.S. and would be less affected.

Navarro said the message to the world on U.S. trade practices is simple: "We're not going to take it anymore. We don't get good results," Navarro said, adding that U.S. trade overseas is "not fair and reciprocal."



In another news talk show appearance, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told ABC News that Trump has talked with "a number of the world leaders" about his trade tariff plans.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's office said that in a Sunday phone call with Trump she had "raised our deep concern at the presidents forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminium tariffs, noting that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity in all parties interests."

U.S. Commerce secretary Ross said the total value of the impending U.S. tariffs amounts to about $9 billion a year, a fraction of 1 percent of the annual $18.6 trillion U.S. economy, the world's largest.



"So, the notion that it would destroy a lot of jobs, raise prices, disrupt things, is wrong," Ross said.



Ross dismissed European Union threats of imposing retaliatory tariffs on such prominent American products as Harley Davidson motorcycles, bourbon and Levi's jeans as unimportant and a "rounding error."



In response on Saturday, Trump threatened European automakers with a tax on imports if the European Union retaliates against the U.S.



Ross called the possible European levies a "pretty trivial amount of retaliatory tariffs, adding up to some $3 billion of goods. In our size economy, that's a tiny, tiny fraction of 1 percent. So, while it might affect an individual producer for a little while, overall, it's not going to be much more than a rounding error."



Trump weighed in Saturday on his rationale for the tariff hikes with a pair of Twitter comments.



"The United States has an $800 Billion Dollar Yearly Trade Deficit because of our 'very stupid' trade deals and policies," he said. "Our jobs and wealth are being given to other countries that have taken advantage of us for years. They laugh at what fools our leaders have been. No more!



In 2017, the U.S. imported $151 billion more in goods from Europe than it exported to EU countries.The role of women and their potential in countering extremism around the world is often overlooked and underestimated, a group of experts told U.S. lawmakers this week.

Recent research shows that antiterrorism messages are disseminated quite effectively throughout families and communities by women, who can counter extremist narratives in homes, schools and social environments, Jamille Bigio, a senior fellow for women and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, said at a House subcommittee hearing on the role of women in fighting terrorism around the world.

Traditional efforts by governments and nongovernmental organizations to combat radicalization rarely include women, Bigio told lawmakers.

The hearing was called by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs' subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade to discuss ways of overcoming what some lawmakers termed a strategic blind spot in the ongoing efforts to counter global extremism and terrorism.

Counterterrorism efforts across the world have not given enough thought to the idea that women can also represent an untapped resource in the fight against extremism and radicalization, Congressman Ted Poe, chairman of the subcommittee, said at the beginning of the hearing.

Women are uniquely placed to effectively challenge extremist narratives in homes, schools and societies the world over, Poe added.

Sense of belonging

Haras Rafiq, chief executive of London-based Quilliam International, a think tank monitoring extremism, told lawmakers that the failure of societies to foster a shared sense of belonging is one of the biggest factors that contributes to the growth of extremism.

Cultural insularity and extremism are products of the failures of wider society to foster a shared sense of belonging and to advance liberal democratic values, Rafiq said.

Challenging extremism is the duty of all responsible members of society, he added.

Valerie Hudson, of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, told lawmakers that they have looked into several indicators that disempower women and thus prevent them from the role they could play in countering extremism and radicalization.

What we have done is based on almost 20 years of research. We understood that cage that is right there at the household level and that is a cage that is created through marriage law, personal status law and property rights that disempowers the woman, specifically within her household so she cant access the resources and she doesnt have the say within her household, Hudson said.

She added those factors make women less effective in terms of stopping their sons and, in some cases their daughters, from becoming terrorists.

Economic opportunities

Another expert at the hearing, Farhat Popal, manager of the Womens Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, said education and economic opportunities for women are vital to countering violent extremism.

Education and economic opportunities are two ways that we can work towards sustainable development in Afghanistan and that in and of itself will help counter violent extremism, said Popal, whose organization follows women rights and empowerment issues in several countries, including Afghanistan.

CVE [countering violent extremism] is also about more than security. Its about creating resilient communities that are built upon strong social connections, trust and inclusion, she added.

Bigio, of the Council on Foreign Relations, stressed the need to bring women participation issue to the forefront of ongoing efforts.

Right now, the White House has the pen in developing a new national counterterrorism strategy and a new national strategy in countering violent extremist groups, Bigio said. These should include attention to women as enablers and mitigaters of terrorism.

WATCH: House Committee on Foreign Affairs' subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade hearingCameroonian authorities say they have dismantled a network of child traffickers responsible for dozens of abductions in the region over the past several months. The network is said to have extended into neighboring Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad.



The operation intensified after three young children were found dead in the back of a truck, prompting angry residents to torch a hotel owned by alleged traffickers.



Hundreds of people are still visiting the neighborhood where the inn was razed last Tuesday by an angry mob in Cameroon's southern town of Kiossi, on the border with Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.



Thirty-nine-year-old Vanessa Nzali was among parents of missing children who arrived in Kiossi Friday. She says she had traveled some 280 kilometers from Cameroons capital Yaounde when she heard that unidentified children had been found there by Cameroonian police. She says she immediately decided to travel to Kiossi to see if her missing 11-year-old daughter was among the children.

Nzali says four months ago she returned home from work and was informed by her neighbors that her daughter went to fetch water from a well and four men forced her into their car and drove off. She says her neighbors also told her there was a baby crying in the car.



Quetong Handerson Kongeh, the most senior Cameroon government official in the Ntem Valley administrative unit that includes Kiossi, says the inn was razed after a vehicle belonging to its owner was found with the three dead children who, as determined later, were aged two, four and seven years old.



"At about 2 p.m., their parents started looking for them and could not find them. These children had been kidnapped by some suspects who took them into an inn deep down into the quarter in Kiossi. They administered some toxic products and these children went off [died]. They now put these children inside bags and tied them, and put all of them in the back booth of a vehicle."



Handerson Kongeh says 15 people suspected to be members of a network of child traffickers operating in Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea were arrested when investigations were opened.



In 2016, the Yaounde-based Interpol office for central African states reported that thousands of children, alongside men and women, were forcibly abducted in Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo to be used as combatants, cooks, guards, sex partners, servants, messengers, and spies.

Patricia Asta of the local non-governmental organization Childrens Rights says child kidnapping has increased in Central African states because many childless couples and mothers are ready to buy from the black market. She says some are forced to serve as commercial sex workers, while others are recruited or kidnapped and then transported to far away places where they are forced to work as pickpockets, beggars and drug transporters.



Asta says within the past several months at least 26 cases of abductions have been reported to her NGO, with parents saying their children either were tricked, forced or persuaded to leave. She says they also have had cases of children who were held for ransom.



She says her organization has decided to educate parents to be vigilant. It is also asking all victims to join the associationss lawyers in legal processes that will protect and free children from predators who are out to target mainly naive teenagers. She says it is her wish to see to it that all child traffickers are punished.



Cameroon, according to the 2012 trafficking in persons report by the U.S. State Department, also is a source, transit, and destination country for children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.Several people have been seriously injured in clashes between rival factions of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formation of the late Morgan Tsvangirai in what is seen as worsening factionalism in the party following the death of the founding MDC president a few weeks ago.

Witnesses told VOA Studio 7 that activists loyal to deputy MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe clashed with those aligned to Nelson Chamisa, who was recently endorsed as the acting party president and presidential candidate for the MDC Alliance, comprising various opposition parties.

They said Khupes group was cornered in the party headquarters by the stone-throwing assailants, who allegedly beat up the deputy presidents aide, Witness Dube, and several others attempting to leave the office.

The witnesses said the injured were ferried to a local hospital with indications that Khupe, MDC-T organizing secretary Abednico Bhebhe, chairman Lovemore Moyo and others were not hurt.

Police cordoned off the offices and said investigations were in progress.

Khupe posted messages and photos on Facebook showing her aide Dube with blood on his face and stoned vehicles. We are under attack at the Bulawayo MDC-T office. People are injured and cars have been vandalized.

Bhebhe said they were attached while he was addressing a meeting on the way forward over the leadership of the MDC-T.

Party activists at grassroots level wanted to know about what is happening in the party and hence we convened this meeting for that purpose. When we were busy talking about the goings on in the party some people started throwing stones on top of the building. The youth who were inside the building tried to get out of the party headquarters but it was impossible to do so because stones were raining on the building. They then shut the gate and hit back so that they would protect the party leaders inside the building.

I was scared that my vehicle, which was already hit, would be set on fire. The other cars belonging to Khupe and Chief Ndlovu were also hit. So, I dashed out of the building to save my car and the same was done by Khupes driver who was unfortunately hit by a missile on his forehead and was bleeding profusely. He is in hospital right now.

Bhebhe dismissed suggestions that he caused the violence saying, thats not true  It seems as if the person who said that is the only one who caused the disturbances.

I was busy preparing my speech and someone now says I am to blame for all this. No, thats not true. How can I cause the violence when I was the one who called people to come and attend the meeting? If I was talking to a policeman I would suggest that he should arrest the person making those allegations.

Khupe, Bhebhe, Moyo and several other MDC-T activists, who are opposed to the MDC Alliance, were manhandled by party youths in Buhera during a burial ceremony of the late Morgan Tsvangirai as they were accused of fanning factionalism in the party.

Khupe claims that she is the legitimate president of the party while Chamisa was endorsed recently by the National Executive and National Council of the MDC-T as acting president and 2018 presidential candidate.Nearly eight months after Iraqi and coalition forces captured Mosuls Old City from Islamic State militants, hundreds of bodies of militants still litter the streets of destroyed neighborhoods and lie mangled in the rubble. VOAs Heather Murdock is on the scene in the Old City of Mosul in Iraq.South Africa's parliament voted Tuesday to examine how to amend the constitution to allow land seizures without compensation, a move that resonates deeply in a nation where the white minority still controls much of the farmland.

But the strongest proponent of the motion immediately sought to reassure the nation that nothing too drastic would come of it.

"No one is going to lose his or her house, no one is going to lose his or her flat, no one is going to lose his or her factory or industry," Julius Malema, who leads the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party, said immediately following the vote. "All we are saying is they will not have the ownership of the land, they will have a lease, depending on what is the arrangement, particularly as it relates to the outcome of the Constitutional review process."

Another Zimbabwe?

There are fears the vote will put South Africa on the same path as neighboring Zimbabwe, where forceful, violent seizures of white-owned farms in the early 2000s were blamed for the nation's economic freefall and political instability.

The ruling African National Congress also supported Tuesday's motion, but with the provision that land seizures cannot hurt agricultural production, economic stability or political stability  a fairly large and vague loophole, analysts say.

The loudest group in support of land seizures, the Black First Land First Movement, has denounced the motion as nothing but an "electioneering gimmick" by the ANC.

"Black First Land First is concerned that the Economic Freedom Fighters and the African National Congress are not serious about land expropriation without compensation," the group said in a statement.

Painful history

But as Malema knows, South Africa's soil is stained by hundreds of years of colonial exploitation, by the blood and sweat shed by underpaid, mostly black laborers working for white bosses. Today, black South Africans, who are the majority of the population, remain on average significantly poorer than white South Africans.

With a critical national election looming, Malema used this emotional pull to full effect when arguing in favor of the motion in parliament:

"The time for reconciliation is over," he said. "Now is the time for justice. If the grandchildren of [early Dutch settler] Jan van Riebeeck have not understood that we need our land, that over and above it is about our humanity, then they have failed to receive the gift of humanity."

The opposition Democratic Alliance voted against the measure, and blames the slow pace of land redistribution on the ANC, which has ruled since the end of apartheid in 1994, but now faces a tough election next year as it has slowly lost ground to the opposition.

Democratic Alliance Shadow Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Ken Robertson, began his speech by exhorting in Zulu, "People are suffering."

"The ANC government does not have a land problem, we have a problem with the way the ANC are handling land," he said. "People were dispossessed of their land and their dignity by the discriminatory laws of the past, the painful past that can never be forgotten. The ANC's call for expropriation without compensation is a lazy attempt to divert attention away from the real reasons that lie at the heart of the slow pace of meaningful land reform and restitution."

Missing facts

While this debate has no shortage of fiery rhetoric, what it lacks, says analyst Ebrahim Fakir, is any concrete details.

Because of a general lack of facts and an abundance of rhetoric, Fakir was one of several analysts who told VOA that recent developments have left them confused.

"At present, all bets are off," he said. "No one knows how and what this could mean. Theoretically, it could even mean that it does actually end up denying a regime of protection of private property."

No reliable figures on land ownership in South Africa exist, although a recent government study found that only a third of the nation's land is privately owned.

Furthermore, it's unclear how the constitution would be changed, if at all. Tuesday's vote mobilized parliament's Constitutional Review Committee to deliver a report on the topic by August 30. Any changes to the constitution require a 75 percent vote.The U.S. Secret Service said a man shot himself Saturday outside the White House and medical personnel arrived at the scene to treat the victim's wound.

A short while later, Washington police said on Twitter that the man had been declared dead:

The man's identity was not immediately available.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were at their Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, at the time of the shooting and were expected to return to Washington later in the day.

The Secret Service, which is tasked with protecting the president and other national leaders, said in a Twitter post there were no other injuries.

The White House press office said "we are aware of the situation" and "the president has been briefed."

The White House was on lockdown as a result of the report of a shooting.

In an earlier Tweet, the Secret Service said it was responding to what were then unconfirmed reports of a shooting:

The shooting occurred as the U.S. is embroiled in debate over federal and state gun control laws following the February 14 fatal shooting of 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida.If you havn't done it yet,to get one of the fastest volcano news online:

The volcano's activity continues with little changes but at relatively low levels: according to Phivolcs, there are 3 lava flows down the Miisi, Basud and Bonga-Buyuan gullies on the southern and southeastern flanks with their most advanced fronts having reached 3.3, 4.5 and 0.9 kilometers distance. ...

Overall, no significant changes have occurred in the volcano's activity, but after a 2-day long lull, mild explosive activity resumed the day before yesterday (24 Feb), generating intermittent phases of ash emissions and ejections of incandescent tephra to up to a few hundred meters in single explosions. ...

Selection of images taken during our eruption special tour in Feb 2018: aerial photos of Mayon stratovolcano, lava flows and glowing rockfalls observed during 22-24 Feb 2018. ...

During 24-26 Feb, explosive activity resumed and at times became comparably intense and frequent, but decreased again a lot towards the end of our stay near the volcano from 22-27 Feb. ...

Discover Iceland's fascinating geology and volcanic activity on this relaxed photo and geo tour! Get to see theon the Reykjanes peninsula from close!

The lighthouse of the Thyrrhenian Sea - thanks to its typical, regular explosions that coined the term "strombolian activity", Stromboli is one of the most famous and photogenic volcanoes in the world.

Discover Europe's largest active volcano on private, guided 1-day tours. Tours can be customized for different interests and fitness levels.

One of the most bizarre landscapes on earth: Dallol is a vast and very active hydrothermal field creating a colorful array of hot springs, small geysers, salt towers, colorful lakes and ponds in the middle of the deepest part of the Danakil desert and the Karum salt lake.

Ijen volcano in East Java has one of the most impressive sulfur deposits on earth. They are so hot that the sulfur often ignites - a mysterious display at night caught on camera.

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We truly love working to bring you the latest volcano and earthquake data from around the world.We need financing to increase hard- and software capacity as well as support our editor team.If you find the information useful and would like to support our team in integrating further features, write great content, and in upgrading our soft- and hardware, please PayPal or Online credit card payment )., these features have been added recently:Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue.

The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website:

We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service.The president is going to quickly find out that you cant start a trade war with your allies and expect them to work with you on other issues, said Jamie Fly, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund. The administration is squandering the little credibility they had with transatlantic partners at a time when theyre asking them to help fix the Iran deal, fight terrorism and increase defense spending. It will not work.Todays Headlines

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By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy PolicyUNITED NATIONS (AP)  The United States and Russia are again clashing over an expert body to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria, with Washington circulating a new draft U.N. resolution and Moscow moving toward a vote on its own proposal.

The U.S. and Russia have been lashing out at each other for months over the issue of accountability for chemical attacks in Syria, which is a close ally of Moscow.

The latest clash comes amid reports of suspected chemical attacks in the embattled rebel-held Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta. French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated Friday that the use of lethal chemical weapons, if proven, would lead to a strong response.

Russia vetoed a Western-backed resolution in November that would have extended the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, or JIM, which was charged with determining responsibility for chemical attacks, dooming its operation and making accountability exceedingly difficult.

The JIM, comprising experts from the U.N. and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, concluded that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015 and used the nerve agent sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last April 4 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others.

The team also accused the Islamic State extremist group of using mustard gas in 2015 and again in September 2016 in Um Hosh in Aleppo.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accepted the accusation against the IS militants but rejected the experts' findings on the Syria government as unproven and demanded major changes in the way the JIM operates.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley accused Russia of trying to protect Syrian President Bashar Assad. Nebenzia accused the JIM of accusing Syria of using chemical weapons without identifying any perpetrators.

Nebenzia circulated a draft resolution in January that would replace the JIM, but Western powers expressed serious reservations, saying it ignores the JIM's finding and would give the Syrian government control over investigations and require investigators to visit the site of all chemical attacks.

The United States circulated its proposal to replace the JIM this week, incorporating some Russian proposals.

The draft resolution, obtained Friday by The Associated Press, would establish the United Nations Independent Mechanism of Investigation "to identify perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian Arab Republic and to operate in an impartial, independent, and professional manner in its investigations."

A Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because consultations were private, said the U.S. invited council members to attend a meeting at the U.S. Mission on Thursday to discuss the draft resolution but Russia didn't participate.

Council diplomats said Russia put its draft resolution "in blue" late Thursday, which means it can be put to a vote when they ask.During what felt like the calm before a snowstorm, dozens gathered inside the frozen walls of the Ice Castles at The Forks Sunday morning to practice yoga and raise money for polar bear conservation.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/3/2018 (1294 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

During what felt like the calm before a snowstorm, dozens gathered inside the frozen walls of the Ice Castles at The Forks Sunday morning to practice yoga and raise money for polar bear conservation.

"This is a first," said Elizabeth Honey who was on mat next to her friend Lauren Whittaker at Yoga on Ice. It definitely was not hot yoga, with the temperatures hovering near 0 C at about 10 a.m. when the event began under an overcast sky. The women, who were in their 20s, said they were there to support a good cause and to try outdoor yoga in the winter.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FRESSPeople take part in a yoga class inside the Ice Castle at Parks Canada at the Forks National Historic Site, Sunday, March 3, 2018.

"You don't usually wear jackets and shoes," said Whittaker, sitting on her mat bundled up waiting for the session being led by instructor Kailey Lefko to begin.

"How cool is this?" Lefko asked the more than 60 participants.

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Lefko volunteered her time to lead the hour-long class sponsored by lululemon, said event organizer Kal Barteski. The Ice Castles exhibit donated the space for the fund raiser that supports communities close to the bears, said Barteski who started the Polar Bear Fund two years ago.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSA yoga class in the Ice Castle at the Parks Canada site at The Forks, Sunday, March 4, 2018.

She thanked the yoga practitioners as they lined up earlier to enter the site and stuffed $5 and $10-bills into a manila envelope for the Polar Bear Fund.

Hosted by the Winnipeg Foundation, the Polar Bear Fund supports "small, meaningful projects that honour polar bears on an annual basis," its website says. Rather than channeling funds to larger organizations, the Polar Bear Fund is designed to enhance smaller, more innovative ideas and fund them quickly, it said. "The funds advisors will assess the potential and need of proposed initiatives with a focus on community-driven polar bear projects."

Northern Manitoba is home to the western Hudson Bay population of polar bears and the Churchill region is home to the largest polar bear migration in the world, the Manitoba-based fund says. "It is our responsibility to advocate as leaders in thoughtful polar bear understanding, management, research, and ultimate conservation of the species."

The Ice Castles exhibit ends Saturday. While rising temperature were causing a steady drip-drip-drip from its icicles, the spectacle and most of southern Manitoba was expected to get hit by a major dump of snow starting Sunday afternoon. An Environment Canada snowfall warning said to expect between 20 and 25 centimetres of snow.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.caFrontier Communications workers in West Virginia and part of Virginia went on strike early Sunday morning as the walkout by 33,000 West Virginia teachers and public school employees entered a new and decisive stage.

The announcement of the strike by 1,400 Frontier workers came shortly after the Republican-controlled state Senate carried out a calculated provocation against the striking teachers, voting Saturday night to reduce the pay offer to teachers and school employees from 5 percent to 4 percent.

The Frontier workers, who are members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), have been working without a contract since August 5 of last year. They face mounting job cuts and other attacks on their working conditions. Since Frontier acquired Verizons land lines in West Virginia in 2010, the company has cut over 500 jobs in the state.

The school strike, the first statewide teachers strike in West Virginia since 1990, has continued and gained strength as a result of a rebellion by rank-and-file teachers against the unions. Union leaders called for a return to work last Tuesday on the basis of a sellout agreement with Governor Jim Justice, a billionaire coal operator, which failed to address their demands for decent wages and lower health care costs. Teacher pay in West Virginia ranks 48th among the nations 50 states.

Teachers met across the state and decided to reject the unions deal and defy their instructions to return to work on Thursday. Since then, as teachers, students and other workers continued to rally at the state Capitol, the union leaders and state Democratic politicians have been plotting to end the strike on the basis of a rotten compromise that does nothing to address rising health costs and near-poverty wages for educators, school employees and other state workers.

With the teachers facing threats of injunctions, fines and possible arrests, and resistance spreading to other sections of the working class, the conditions are growing for a broader struggle, including a general strike, to defeat any attempt to break the teachers strike. The World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality Party are urging educators to form rank-and-file strike committees to take the conduct of the struggle out of the hands of the union officials and expand the movement throughout the region and nationally.

The West Virginia Education Association (WVEA), the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia (AFT-WV) and the West Virginia School Service and Personnel Association (WVSSPA) have spent the past week trying to lower expectations and convince strikers to return to work based on Governor Justices hollow promise of a 5 percent pay raise and a task force to examine health care funding.

In response to Saturdays events, WVEA President Dale Lee announced that the strike will continue indefinitely until the bill passes at 5 percent.

Neither the bill passed Saturday nor the unions counterproposal meets the basic demands motivating the teachers strike. A principal demand of teachers is an end to soaring health care costs due to under-funding of the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA). This demand is not even being discussed in the state legislature.

In the days following the teachers rebellion, the unions, with the backing of local and national media, have sought to reestablish their control of the strike and direct it behind the Democratic Party. They are bringing forward figures such as state Senator Richard Ojeda, a right-wing Democrat and supporter of Trump in the last election, who is being promoted as a friend of the teachers.

Teachers should not be deceived by these maneuvers. The unions are seeking some way to keep the strike isolated and impose an agreement that has already been rejected by the rank and file. At the same time, they hope to use threats of injunctions and fines to pressure teachers back to work.

Republican Senate President Mitch Carmichael has evidently decided that more forceful action is needed to defeat the resistance of the teachers. He first blocked a vote in the Senate on Justices 5 percent proposal, saying were not going to be boxed in the corner by protesters, before reducing the pay proposal even further.

Carmichael, whose top campaign contributors include DuPont, Dow, Arch Coal, Patriot Coal, American Electric Power and other energy, chemical and pharmaceutical giants, speaks for a significant section of big business and the political establishment that is opposed to anything that might appear to be a concession to striking teachers.

While declaring the strike illegal, Governor Justice has said he wants to avoid strike-breaking court injunctions. However, he warned that failure to reach a deal on Saturday would throw the government into no mans land. This followed comments February 23 when he said, I really dont want to go to DEFCON 15, referring to military preparedness for all-out war.

It is critical that teachers not allow the big business politicians, assisted by the unions, to retake the initiative. The strike by Frontier telecommunications workers points to the widespread support in the entire working class for a unified fight against the attack on jobs, wages and living standards.

On Friday, thousands of high school and other students participated in a demonstration to support their teachers, and there are growing calls among state workers for united action. Teachers and public-school workers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Arizona, California and other states are pressing for strike action.

These are the real allies of the teachers and telecom workersnot the strike-breaking union bureaucrats and bribed political representatives of the corporations and banks! Teachers, school employees and telecom workers should form rank-and-file strike committees, independent of the unions and democratically controlled by the workers, to fight for the mobilization of the full strength of the working class behind their struggles.

These committees should issue appeals to other state workers, educators, health care workers, miners, chemical workers, unemployed workers and youth to join the struggle and fight for the right of all workers for secure and good paying jobs, quality health care and other social rights.

Mass meetings and demonstrations should be called, and discussions held on preparing a general strike to defend teachers against injunctions and threats of firings, fines and jail time. This will lay the basis for an industrial and political counteroffensive nationally against austerity and social inequality.

The WSWS Teacher Newsletter and the Socialist Equality Party will do everything in our power to assist teachers and other workers in carrying out this strategy.On February 12, Shafter, Ca. horseman Glen Holt passed away at the age of 87.

A native of Missouri, he was sergeant with the Shafter Police Department prior to submitting his resignation to pursue a career in harness racing in the 1960s.

Holt commenced his new career at the California fairs as a driver and trainer before becoming a regular at Bay Meadows, Hollywood Park, Santa Anita Park and Cal Expo during the 1970s. He collected $830,885 in the sulky and $642,665 as a trainer before the US Trotting Association amassed these statistics.

With 171 horses under his name as a breeder, Holt also owned the distinction of being the first trainer to install a pool in his home state to condition his horses.

Holt also was married to actress Annette Funicello and in partnership with his second wife, established the Annette Funicello Research Fund for Neurological Diseases.

To read the full obituary or send condolences please click click here.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Glen Holt.

(USTA)Officials with Horse Racing New Brunswick have informed Trot Insider that two major stakes races in the province will get an updating and sponsorship for 2018 racing season.

In tribute and honour of the late Dawn Bremner, who has worked tirelessly for the harness racing industry in New Brunswick, HRNB has announced that the Bill Quigg Memorial will be renamed. Bremner passed away in March of 2017 after a brief battle with cancer.

For roughly 30 years, Dawn and her husband, Ted, ran a small Standardbred horse breeding and racing operation. Dawn got great joy from exceptional horses like Rose Valley, Pipe Major and Corrie Mack, but she loved all her other horses, good and not so good.

Dawns commitment to the Standardbred industry led her being named one of the two New Brunswick individuals appointed to the first Maritime Provinces Harness Racing Commission where she served two terms. She was the first female president of the Atlantic Standardbred Breeders Association that run the Atlantic Sires Stakes, and she served for five years on the board of Horse Racing New Brunswick.

Additionally, HRNB has informed Trot Insider that the Dr. John Williamson Memorial will become the Milton Downey Memorial.

The Downey Family of Saint John will sign on as sponsors for the stakes race which highlights the best two-year-olds in the Maritimes. It is a fitting recognition for a gentleman who was an active breeder and buyer of young stock.

(With files from HRNB)Khloe Kardashian's baby wants noodles, and lucky for him, the reality star is in Japan!

The 33-year-old is enjoying every minute of her vacation to Tokyo, embracing her cravings for Japanese food. Khloe has been documenting her whole trip on social media, posting pics from her visits to the Sagano Bamboo Forest and Hokan-ji Temple on Thursday -- but the blonde beauty was most in her "element" while chowing down on some noodles.

Khloe, who is about a month away from welcoming her baby boy with Tristan Thompson, playfully dangled noodles over her mouth in the fun pic, as she posed in a comfy and chic pair of pajamas.

Instagram

Instagram

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Instagram

On Friday, Khloe was spotted out with her sisters, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian. While her sisters rocked edgy ensembles, Khloe opted for a cozier look, sporting a body-hugging blue dress, matching sneakers and a bold leopard print coat.

Splash News

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star recently addressed fans who pointed out how she's always seen cradling her baby bump.

"I choose to cradle my bump because its MINE. Ive waited for this VERY short moment for YEARS. I have only months to enjoy this phase in my life, so I will touch my bump and love my bump as often as I choose," she wrote. "Mommy loves you baby! ."

See more in the video below.

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Related Articles:Rick Ross has reportedly been rushed to a Miami area hospital after being found unresponsive.

According to a Davie Police Department report obtained by PEOPLE and first published by The Blast, medical personnel were called to the Grammy-nominated rappers home early Thursday, where they found Ross breathing heavy, unresponsive, and slobbing out the mouth.

When he came to, Ross reportedly became combative with emergency medical crews, leading to officers being called to the scene, PEOPLE reports.

According to TMZ, Ross is now hooked up to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, which has taken over the function of his heart and lungs.

Representatives for Ross did not immediately respond to EWs request for comment.

As noted in the police report, Ross has a history of seizures, having suffered two within a span of hours in 2011.As students return to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and attempt to return to a normal schedule, theres one student who believes it may not be possible  at least for the rest of the school year.

Samantha Fuentes, a high school senior, was shot in the leg and struck with shrapnel during the Feb. 14 massacre that left 17 people dead after a former student whod been expelled stormed the school. As she continues to heal  and now walks with a cane  she has decided to withdraw from school.

I want to be a part of Stoneman Douglas and I want to live out the rest of my high school career normally, Fuentes told CNN on Wednesday. But theres no such thing as normal anymore.

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Students are attending school with modified hours, but will return to their full daily schedule on March 7, according to a press release issued from the Broward County School District.

Fuentes, who has shrapnel permanently lodged in her face and behind her eye, said she had mixed emotions about withdrawing from her school. She told CNN she will complete her academic requirements online.

Everyone is going to take the time to regroup and console one another and appreciate each others existence because we lost such precious lives, she told CNN. Instead of sitting around moping, Id rather make a difference and advocate for my cause.

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Fuentes has made multiple television appearances is advocating for tougher school security and gun violence prevent laws.

In particular, she said she wants simple mechanisms weve had for ages, like bulletproof windows and metal detectors, and live-footage security cameras.

In addition, she wants a ban on assault-style weapons, stronger background checks for gun buyers, and raising the minimum age for buyers to 21.

As Im recovering and taking my online courses, thats when Id like to take the chance to travel, and speak to large audiences, spread my message, speak to lawmakers, attend rallies, be everywhere I need to be so that people can hear me clearly, she told to CNN.Even Ivanka Trump, the princess royal of the West Wing, is being sucked into the vortex of scandal that has encompassed her fathers administration. In the past week, her husband, Jared Kushner, lost his security clearance, lost his P.R. guard dog, was revealed as a top intelligence target for foreign spies, and was reported to have met with banking executives in the White House shortly before his familys company received nearly half a billion dollars in loans. Donald Trump is said to be is frustrated with Mr. Kushner, whom he now views as a liability and another problem to deal with, and has suggested that both he and Ivanka move back to New York.

Ivanka, too, has her own set of problems. While the First Couple braced for an Intercept story that Kushners father had failed to secure a loan from the Qatari government just weeks before Kushner backed a blockade of Qatar, CNN dropped another bombshell: United States counterintelligence officials are probing a Trump Organization real-estate deal in Canada in which Ivanka played a leading role.

The financing and negotiations surrounding the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Vancouver have come under F.B.I. scrutiny, according to current and former U.S. officials who spoke with CNN. Its unclear why the F.B.I. is interested in the deal, which dates back to 2013, and in which Ivanka played a key role. But CNN reports that foreign buyers involved, as well as the timing of the $360 million projects opening in February 2017, may have caught the agencys attention. Like many Trump Organization deals, the New York-based company does not own the building but rather is paid licensing and marketing fees by the developer, the Holborn Group. Joo Kim Tiah, a member of one of Malaysias wealthiest families, runs the Canada-based development firm, and said in October 2015 that the First Daughter was closely involved: Ivanka and myself approved everything, everything in this project, he said during an interview.

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Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Ivankas ethics counsel, dismissed the idea that there was anything untoward about the deal. CNN is wrong that any hurdle, obstacle, concern, red flag, or problem has been raised with respect to Ms. Trump or her clearance application, he said in a statement. He also denied that the investigation would impact Ivankas security clearance in any way: Nothing in the new White House policy has changed Ms. Trump's ability to do the same work she has been doing since she joined the Administration. Alan Garten, executive vice president and chief legal officer for the Trump Organization, similarly played down the report, saying that the companys role was and is limited to licensing its brand and managing the hotel. Accordingly, the company would have had no involvement in the financing of the project or the sale of units.

Though its unclear whether special counsel Robert Mueller is interested in Ivankas involvement in the Vancouver deal, her husbands contacts with foreign entities has certainly garnered his attention. Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that at least four foreign governments have discussed how they can use the Kushner Cos.s financial woes and entanglements as leverage over the presidents son-in-law, The New York Times reported that Kushner Cos. received roughly $500 million in financing from two U.S. firms after Jared met with executives from the companies at the White House. (Christine Taylor, a spokeswoman for Kushner Cos., said in a statement that the Times story represented an attempt to make insinuating connections that do not exist to disparage the financial institutions and companies involved.)

The cascade of negative headlines has complicated matters for the duo in the White House. Amid an internal struggle with Kelly, who was responsible for altering the White House security-clearance policya move some saw as a targeted attack on Kushnersome aides have reportedly expressed frustration that Mr. Kushner and his wife . . . have remained at the White House, despite Mr. Trump at times saying they never should have come to the White House and should leave. The president, meanwhile, is reportedly mulling options to sideline them. Per the Times, while he has outwardly encouraged Jared and Ivanka to remain in their West Wing posts, he has also privately asked Mr. Kelly for his help in moving them out.A bill to end child marriage is being delayed over concerns about parental rights. (Photo: Elva Etienne via Getty Images)

A bill to stop child marriage in Kentucky was stalled by a conservative group this week, leaving some state lawmakers furious. But the group said they just want to protect parents rights in the process.

State Sen. Julie Raque Adams (R-Louisville) introduced Senate Bill 48 after she learned that Kentucky has the third-highest rate of child marriage in the country, just below Texas and Florida, according to Insider Louisville. From 2000 to 2015, more than 10,000 children were married in Kentucky, according to the Tahirih Justice Center.

Donna Pollard, a leading advocate for the bill, told the Courier Journal that she was married at 16 to an older man who had sexually abused her since she was just 14. She said she was encouraged to marry by her mother, who had been wed at just 13 years old herself.

She described her former husband as a perpetrator who regularly abused her.

I felt just completely and totally trapped, said Pollard, who is now divorced.

The so-called child bride legislation would bar marriage for anyone under age 17 and require judicial approval for a 17-year-old to wed. Under current law, 16- and 17-year-olds can marry with parental permission, and children can marry even younger when theres a pregnancy involved, Insider Louisville explains.

Passage of the bill would seem easy enough. But late Wednesday, Adams tweeted that a vote on the legislation had been stalled. She told Insider Louisville that the Family Foundation of Kentucky, a conservative group that lobbies on social issues, was behind the delay.

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Eileen Recktenwald, the executive director of the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs, also expressed her disgust.

This is legalized rape of children, Recktenwald told the Courier Journal. We cannot allow that to continue in Kentucky, and I cannot believe we are even debating this in the year 2018 in the United States.

Mary Kunze, a spokeswoman for the Family Foundation of Kentucky, told HuffPost that the group supports the bill overall, but wanted changes to the provision allowing a 17-year-old to get married with a judges consent. Kunze said they wanted it to make clear that a parent must also agree to the marriage.

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We just want the language cleaned up, Kunze said. The compromises have all been made. Were hoping the bill can come back this next week.

Adams told Insider Louisville that the bill is being adjusted, but she had one caveat: Many times the parents are the problem, pushing their kids into the arms of a predator.

The story has been updated with comment from a Family Foundation spokeswoman and the headline has been adjusted to make clear that the foundation opposes child marriage.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Lupita Nyongo is ringing in her birthday with the help of her Black Panther costars.

The actress celebrated her 35th birthday on Thursday and got some special love from costar Michael B. Jordan. The actor posted a flirty shot of the two on his Instagram to celebrate the special day.

She looks elegant right?! Graceful! Timeless! No this is the look of a killer getting ready to give me push ups in knee deep popcorn !!! he wrote. Ive had the pleasure of knowing what a beautiful soul you have & witness you shine your light on the world through your work your passion your joy & in everything you do. Those of us who are lucky enough to know you personally are definitely changed for the better! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

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In the shot, Jordan and Nyongo are seen smiling at each other as they walk through a crowd.

The sweet message further fuels rumors the two are romantically involved.

The actor first sparked speculation of a possible relationship when exchanging frisky tweets with the actress last month while participating in a celebrity prank show, MTVs Safeword.

Along with Jordan, Nyongos fellow Black Panther costar Danai Gurira wished the actress a happy birthday at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards luncheon.

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After Nyongo presented her costar and friend with an award, Gurira flipped the attention back on her, singing happy birthday on stage.

I had to do that, Im sorry, Gurira said. [Nyongo] just got off a plane late last night, made it here at midnight on her own birthday. Thats sisterhood right there.The failed Senate candidate faces a lawsuit from a woman who says he touched her inappropriately when she was 14: Getty

Former judge and failed Senate candidate Roy Moore has appealed for help to meet his mounting legal costs, following a lawsuit from a woman who says he touched her inappropriately when she was aged 14.

In a post on Facebook, Mr Moore, who last year became the first Republican to lose a Senate race in Alabama for more than 20 years, said he needed to raise $250,000 (181,000) to defend the lawsuit.

I have no regrets! Together we fought the good fight, we finished our course and we have kept the faith. And we do not intend to quit! The future of our children and grandchildren is at stake, the 71-year-old said of his defeat last December to Democrat Doug Jones.

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I now face another vicious attack from lawyers in Washington DC and San Francisco who have hired one of the biggest firms in Birmingham, Alabama, to bring another legal action against me and ensure that I never fight again.

He added: However, I will trust God that he will allow truth to prevail against the unholy forces of evil behind their attack.

Mr Moore, who lost the race 50-48 despite having the support of President Donald Trump in a state where he had easily defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016, was the frontrunner until a series of women came forward to accuse him of sexual assault when they were teenagers and he was in his thirties and working as a local prosecutor. One woman said she was 14 when Mr Moore assaulted her.

Despite the claims, figures including Steve Bannon and Nigel Farage continued to support the former judge, saying they were unproven allegations and questioning why they had not been raised at the time they were said to have taken place.

While Mr Moore, an evangelical Christian, adamantly denied the accusations and his wife stood by him, his support began to slip once the allegations emerged. Ivanka Trump was among those who said she had no reason not to believe the women and suggested there was a special place in hell for people who abused children.

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The legal action against Mr Moore, who was seeking to fill the senate seat vacated by Senator Jeff Sessions when he joined Mr Trumps cabinet as Attorney General, was filed by Leigh Corfman, one of several woman who spoke to the media during the campaign.

She told The Washington Post that the former judge  who previously made international headlines when he had a 5,000lb piece of granite engraved with the Ten Commandments in his Montgomery court complex took her to his house, undressed her and touched her. She said the incident happened in 1979 when she was 14 and he was 32.

In January, with the statute of limitations for seeking criminal action against the former judge having run out, Ms filed a civil defamation suit, claiming he had defamed her by denying her accusations and calling her a liar. It said he had questioned her motivation for publicly disclosing that Mr Moore sexually abused her in 1979 when she was a 14-year-old high school freshman and he was a 32-year-old assistant district attorney.

In his Facebook post, Mr Moore claimed the liberal media, in association with some who want to destroy our country do not want my influence in the 2018 elections and are doing everything they can to stop me.

He added: Gays, lesbians and transgenders have joined forces with those who believe in abortion, sodomy, and destruction of all that we hold dear. Unless we stand together, we will lose our country.

Mr Moore said the legal costs and public nature of the accusations he faces had taken a toll on his family and bank account. Reports suggest he has raised only $32,000 of the $250,000 he is hoping to collect.Frustrated by Capitol Hills seeming inability to release any actual information regarding the Russia investigation, Stephen Colbert decided to take the matter into his own hands. The comedian began a Friday night Late Show segment with a short explainer on the current state of play between House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Republican Devin Nunes, who wrote a memo claiming to unearth a deep state conspiracy bent on undermining Trumps presidency, and Congressman Adam Schiff who oversaw a dueling, Democratic, memo. So, to anyone out there who thought politics wasnt exciting, he said, youre right.

Then Colbert was off to Capitol Hill to scoot around on a hoverboard and steal a rug.

I want to show you a couple of photographs here, he said when he met up with Schiff to try to get some real information out of him. You dont have to say a word  the eyes are the window to the soul. Are these people guilty?

Hilariously guilty, he said as Schiff laughed at a photo of Jared Kushner. When Schiff declined to comment on Colberts photo of Donald Trump, Jr., Colbert took that to mean its really bad.

Colbert then brought out a memo of his own, which he planned to share with any and every Congressman he could find. It says, Devin Nunes is a, and then its redacted, Schiff said, reading it aloud.

Were not allowed to release that information, Colbert said. CBS wont let me say it on air either.

For the piece de resistance, the late night host attempted to grill Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Mark Warner, who displayed an impressive poker face. I mean this as a compliment, Colbert told him, you look dead inside. But Warner couldnt help but crack a smile when Colbert said, Isnt Donald Trump, in a way, the ultimate bipartisan? Because he is serving both America and Russia.By Alexis Akwagyiram LAGOS (Reuters) - When Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari took office three years ago, eradicating the "mindless, godless" militants of Boko Haram and rescuing the hundreds of women and children they held captive was one of the main pledges in his inaugural address. Another mass abduction of schoolgirls in the dusty and remote northeast has exposed how little progress has been made. It also shows that security is a major weakness for the former military ruler with less than a year to go before elections which he is widely expected to contest. The kidnap of the 110 girls, mostly aged 11-19, in the town of Dapchi almost two weeks ago bears uncomfortable similarities to Boko Haram's 2014 abduction of more than 270 schoolgirls from Chibok, less than 300 km (180 miles) away. That case drew global attention to the jihadist group, which has sought to create an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria's northeast. Then-President Goodluck Jonathan's listless response helped Buhari to win the presidency a year later with vows to eliminate the militants. "The Chibok girls' kidnapping came to symbolise all that was wrong with Goodluck Jonathan's administration, and the danger Buhari faces is that this mass abduction could do the same to him," said Antony Goldman, of Nigeria-focused PM Consulting. Buhari has declared the Dapchi abduction a "national disaster". He sent troops to help with the search, and the head of the air force has temporarily relocated to the region and directed more than 100 reconnaissance sorties. A series of administrative missteps has exposed what critics say is a lack of co-ordination between Nigeria's various security agencies and state governments, however, and there are no signs authorities are making progress in finding the girls. Dapchi residents celebrated in the streets after the state governor said the military had rescued almost all of the girls three days after they were taken. A day later, his spokesman was forced to rescind the statement and apologise. The army and police have also traded blame over the security arrangements in place when the attack happened, prompting questions about their ability to fight an insurgency which Buhari had repeatedly said was defeated. "The (federal government) should stop lying concerning the fight against Boko Haram," said Peter Fayose, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and governor of the southern state of Ekiti. "It has now become the tradition that whenever the government boasts of defeating the insurgents, greater havoc is wrecked on the country," he wrote on Twitter. CONCERN IN RULING PARTY Buhari, 75, has not yet said whether he will seek a second term in the Feb. 16, 2019, vote. Senior members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have said they would support his re-election. But three APC sources told Reuters some in the party were concerned that if the Dapchi girls are not found quickly, the kidnappings could be used to undermine Buhari, just as his supporters used the Chibok attack to mobilise against Jonathan. A spokesman for Buhari declined to comment on whether he would seek re-election next year or heed opposition calls for him to visit Dapchi. Buhari, a Muslim, is from the state of Katsina directly north of the capital, Abuja, and the north formed the core of his support in the 2015 election. Of 491,767 votes cast in nearby Yobe state in the northeast, where Dapchi is located, 446,265 went to Buhari. His support there appears to be holding up for now. "Nothing has changed my mind about supporting Buhari because I have faith in him that he's working tirelessly to see the situation is under control," said Kachallah Gumbam, a data processing officer who lives in the town. A rise in abductions and suicide attacks in one of Nigeria's poorest regions risks changing that picture if it is not brought under control, according to Malte Liewerscheidt at risk consultancy Teneo Intelligence. "The ongoing Boko Haram crisis has the potential to alienate the president's core constituency in the northeast, as putting an end to the conflict was one of Buhari's main campaign pledges in 2015," he wrote in a research note. SWING STATES The northeastern insurgency is just one of a series of security challenges which have plagued Buhari's administration. Militant attacks in the Niger Delta oil hub helped push Africa's biggest economy into recession under Buhari, although they have largely died down for now. But the Dapchi kidnappings came hot on the heels of resurgent communal violence in central states known as the "Middle Belt" between semi-nomadic herdsmen and farmers. Those clashes have killed more than 100 people this year. Buhari's opponents say he has failed to crack down on the herdsmen because they are from his Fulani ethnic group, an accusation which the presidency has strongly denied. He has deployed troops to the region. Should Buhari decide to run for re-election, any drop in support in his northern bastions combined with a weaker showing in the Middle Belt, where presidential races have traditionally been tighter, could prove to be damaging. "The escalating herder-settler conflict in about a dozen states across the so-called Middle Belt has the potential to affect the vote in crucial 'swing states'," said Liewerscheidt. For Bukky Shonibare, an activist with the "Bring Back Our Girls" campaign group set up to raise awareness about the Chibok kidnapping, history is repeating itself. Buhari's government should have learned from the mistakes made by the previous administration over the 2014 mass abduction, she told Reuters, by putting better security measures in place and communicating more quickly in the aftermath. "When you look at the response it's been very disappointing, short of what you would expect from a government that had a script," Shonibare said. "(They had) four years to prevent an occurrence like Chibok. Yet four years later, we still have Dapchi." (Additional reporting by Ahmed Kingimi and Afolabi Sotunde in Dapchi, Camillus Eboh and Felix Onuah in Abuja, Ola Lanre in Maiduguiri and Katharine Houreld in Nairobi; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Sonya Hepinstall)An amateur diver accidentally made an unprecedented discovery by unearthing a 7,000-year-old Native American burial site off the coast of Florida.

The fossil hunter said he was was looking for shark teeth when he came across an ancient jawbone while swimming near Manasota Key in the Gulf of Mexico in 2016.

Scientists were alerted to the site when the unnamed diver alerted the Bureau of Archaeological Research to possible human remains.

Archaeologists believe the site, which used to be a freshwater peat-bottomed pond, was once used by indigenous people to bury their family members.

Rising seas in the Gulf of Mexico meant the pond was eventually submerged, but the peat - which slows the process of decay - remained intact, preserving millennia-old human remains.

Our hope is that this discovery leads to more knowledge and a greater understanding of Floridas early peoples, Ken Detzner, Floridas Secretary of State, said.

Dr Timothy Parsons, Floridas Historic Preservation Officer, said the site was a revelation for the world of archaeology.

The people buried at the site are the ancestors of Americas living indigenous people. Sites like this have cultural and religious significance in the present day.

The team excavating the site found human bones, sharpened wooden stakes and fragments of textile, according to National Geographic.

Floridas state department said the unprecedented archaeological site, which is 275 metres from shore and measures 0.75 acres, was important because the only other known examples of submerged offshore burial sites are located in Israel and Denmark.

We now know that this type of site exists on the continental shelf, said Dr Ryan Duggins, underwater archaeology supervisor for BAR. This will forever change the way we approach offshore archaeology.

State officials said they were assessing how best to manage the site and protect it for future generations. Divers, a statement warned, are prohibited by law from disturbing the site and police are frequently patrolling looking for any suspicious activity.

As important as the site is archaeologically, it is crucial that the site and the people buried there are treated with the utmost sensitivity and respect, Dr Parsons said.An affair that led to the resignation of Australia's deputy prime minister took a bizarre twist Sunday after he questioned the paternity of the baby carried by his partner and former aide.

Barnaby Joyce quit and moved to the back benches last month after his affair with the younger ex-staffer made headlines for weeks and raised questions about whether he had breached ministerial rules.

The scandal led Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to impose a ban on sex between ministers and their staff, in an overhaul of the cabinet code of conduct.

Joyce was the leader of the National Party -- which rules alongside Turnbull's Liberals in a governing coalition -- and his resignation appeared to end the saga for the embattled government.

The coalition has a wafer-thin parliamentary majority and has been hit in recent months by a series of controversies that has shaken its grip on power.

But the issue flared up again when Joyce -- who left his wife of 24 years for the former adviser -- told Fairfax Media in an interview published late Saturday that the identity of the biological father was "a grey area".

He claimed Sydney's Daily Telegraph, which broke the story of the affair in early February, had "never even asked if it was Joyce's bundle".

Joyce believes he and the former aide, 33-year-old Vikki Campion, were apart for almost all of the conception period, but said he would not get a paternity test.

The baby boy is due in April, according to Joyce.

"It's mine, on the record, there it is," he told Fairfax. "And can I say, even if it wasn't, I wouldn't care, I'd still go through this, I'd still love him."

The Daily Telegraph reporter who revealed the affair said on Twitter Sunday that Joyce's claims that his office was not asked about paternity were untrue.

The affair sparked a rift between the Liberal and National parties, with Turnbull criticising Joyce's behaviour and voicing sympathy for his wife, four daughters and Campion.

Even though Joyce -- who was replaced by Nationals MP Michael McCormack in both roles -- has stepped down, his expenses during and after the period when he worked with Campion were under scrutiny in Senate (upper house) hearings last week.By Colin Packham and Charlotte Greenfield SYDNEY/WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Friday he supports Chinese foreign investment in impoverished Pacific Island nations so long as it is productive, amid concerns Beijing is buying increased influence in the region. "We welcome this investment from any source, any nation, any development bank, on the basis that it is going to provide real value, supports good governance, has got a robust business plan and so forth," Turnbull told reporters in Sydney after talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Australia is the largest donor of foreign aid to the Pacific, committing A$166.4 million ($129 million) to the region this year. But with a sluggish economy and a large budget deficit, Australia's economic aid budget will fall to its lowest level, opening a door for China, analysts say. Meanwhile, Chinese economic aid to the region is growing significantly, according to Australian think-tank the Lowy Institute, with an estimated $1.78 billion spent in the decade to 2016. Canberra's relationship with China soured early this year after Australia's Minister for International Development and the Pacific Concetta Fierravanti-Wells said Beijing was constructing "useless buildings" and "roads that do not go anywhere" in the Pacific. Australia and New Zealand have long enjoyed near unswayed influence in the Pacific, including acting as protectorates over Pacific nations including Papua New Guinea. But blessed with large natural resources and a desire to source larger allies, China has turned its attention to the region. NEW ZEALAND WARNING The issue of China's influence in the Pacific was informally put on the agenda of the New Zealand state visit after its Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters raised the matter at a speech to the Lowy Institute on Thursday night. Peters said New Zealand will seek to counter China by increasing foreign aid donations to the region. "The Pacific overall has also become an increasingly contested strategic space, no longer neglected by great power ambition, and so Pacific Island leaders have more options. This is creating a degree of strategic anxiety," Peters said. Last month Taiwan said China had forced Papua New Guinea to change the name of Taipei's representative office in the country and remove diplomatic license plates from diplomats' cars. New Zealand is the second largest donor to the region, after Australia, providing around NZ$1 billion ($724.70 million) in aid in the four years ending in mid-2018. Peters did not reveal any details of New Zealand future aid budget. (Reporting by Colin Packham in Sydney Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield in Wellington; Editing by Michael Perry)After his Twitter feud with the president, Alec Baldwin was back on Saturday Night Live playing a Donald Trump digging his way out of catastrophes in the cold open that begins as an episode of CNNs Anderson Cooper 360.

In times like this we look to our leaders for guidance, says Cooper, played by Alex Moffat. But instead, well hear from Donald Trump.

The scene switches to the White House, where Trump says I hear you and I care, referring to the Parkland, Florida, school shooting and reading from his crib notes. We have to take a hard look at mental health  which I have so much of. I have one of the healthiest mentals. My mentals are so high, says Baldwins Trump.

He floats the idea of taking take guns away from everyone ... even whites, as Beck Bennetts Mike Pence sobs next to him. (Hes flanked on the other side by Cecily Strongs Dianne Feinstein.) But then cha-ching, its all good, the president changes his mind because the National Rifle Association gave me 30 million good reasons not to change a thing.

I can only run into so many schools and save everybody ... Im actually a very fast runner ... The guy with the gun wouldnt know what hit him; bing bing ding dong dang, he done says Trump. But he then imagines running all the way to North Korea, confronting Little Rocket Man, and mopping up there.

He laments that he has to do everything because everyone is quitting on him  even Hope Hicks, who is like a daughter to him: So smart, so hot. Jared Kushner is basically the hottest chick left in the place, but hes probably going to jail soon.

I said I was going to run this country like a business; that business is a Waffle House at 2 a.m., says Baldwins Trump. Crazies everywhere, staff walking out in the middle of their shift, managers taking money out of the cash register to pay off the Russian mob.

Someone not resigning: Kate McKinnons Jeff Sessions. Im not going anywhere, Sessions tells a nervous Trump. At the attorney generals recent Justice Department meeting your name popped up more than a weasel in a pumpkin patch, McKinnon tells the president.

Story continues

Check out the clip above.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Dhaka (AFP) - Bangladeshi investigators said Sunday that a young man accused of stabbing a celebrated secular writer at a seminar had targeted him as "an enemy of Islam".

Saturday's attack on Zafar Iqbal in the northern city of Sylhet was just the latest in a series of stabbings of secular or atheist authors and bloggers in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose government has waged a fierce crackdown on homegrown extremism in recent years, blamed "religious fanatics" for the assault.

Iqbal, a longstanding champion of free speech and secularism, remains in a stable condition after being flown to a military hospital in Dhaka with stab wounds to his head.

Police detained 21-year-old Faizul Hasan, a former Islamic seminary student, and were investigating any ties to the radical groups.

Colonel Ali Haider Azad Ahmed from the elite Rapid Action Battalion unit said Hasan told investigators it was "his duty as a Muslim to resist those who work against Islam".

"He has said Dr Zafar Iqbal was an enemy of Islam," Ahmed told AFP.

Police said Hasan, whose father was a teacher at an Islamic seminary, may have had links to extremists blamed for attacks on secular and atheist writers in the last four years.

Suspected Islamist radicals have killed around a dozen such writers and bloggers, including an American atheist blogger of Bangladeshi origin.

Police have blamed homegrown Islamist extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team -- also known as Ansar-al Islam and linked to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent -- for most of the attacks.

Bangladesh's government has provided security for top secular writers and activists since Islamist extremists named them in several lists of targets.

- 'Religious fanatics' -

Iqbal, 64, is a bestselling author and celebrity speaker who regularly appears at campuses nationwide. The US-trained professor teaches at a state university in Sylhet.

Story continues

The attack was swiftly condemned by protesters in Dhaka and Sylhet, who staged torchlit marches and planned further rallies to demand justice later Sunday.

Hasina urged Bangladeshis to remain alert to the threat of extremism.

"Those responsible for these incidents have become religious fanatics," she said Sunday.

"They think that they'll go to a heaven, but they will actually go to hell, because no one goes to heaven by killing a human being."

In recent years Iqbal had supported the execution of top Islamist party leaders -- key opponents of Hasina -- for their part in war crimes in the early 1970s, despite allegations the prime minister was crushing dissent.

Bangladesh has been waging a war against extremists in the wake of numerous attacks by radical groups in recent years.

In July 2016, militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an assault claimed by the Islamic State group.A US army dog undergoes training to detect explosive devices: REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Bomb-sniffing dogs were mistreated by the US Army after returning from duty in Afghanistan, according to an official report.

The canines which saved countless lives between 2010 and 2014 were not given proper care and attention, left in kennels for nearly a year and possibly even put down.

Several dogs had to be rescued by the soldiers they served with during Operation Enduring Freedom.

There was also no screening of people who offered to adopt the animals, according to a report from the US Department of Defenses Inspector General.

The Army allowed one dog described as having canine PTSD and another which may have received bite training to go to families with children.

Staff members described the adoption process as "organised chaos" and that some people interested in adoption were not capable of handling these types of dogs.

Thirteen animals were left at a kennel in Virginia by a private company for over a year before the US War Dogs Association and Mission K9 Rescue charities intervened to reunite them with former handlers.

The Tactical Explosive Detection Dog (TEDD) program was set up in 2010 to train and field dogs to detect Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

When the contract ended in February 2014 the Army should have evaluated the dogs and "disposed" of them according to regulations.

An investigation was launched after soldiers complained about the fate of their dogs.

The report by the Inspector General found that of the 232 dogs discharged by the Army, 27 were transferred to Law Enforcement Agencies, five to Federal agencies, three to military units, 13 to a private company and seven to civilians.

We found that Department of Defence policy did not prioritise applications for transfer or adoption of TEDDs, said the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

The Secretary of the Air Force, as the Executive Agent for the military working dog (MWD) program, did not provide sufficient management and oversight of the Armys plan and process to dispose of its TEDDs.

Story continues

The Department of the Army did not allot sufficient time to dispose of TEDDs when the program ended. As a result, the Armys Office of the Provost Marshal General did not ensure accuracy in the tracking of some TEDDs through final disposition.

The OIG recommended that the Secretary of the Army ensure unit commanders enforce the army regulations for military working dogs.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

A pair Penguins grabbed a couple of milestones in Pittsburghs in Pittsburghs 3-2 OT win over the Islanders on Saturday.

Newly acquired centre Derick Brassard tallied his first goal with his new club, burying a backhand past Christopher Gibson on a beautiful feed from Phil Kessel.

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The helper was Kessels 400th career assist, with the 30-year-old has tallying 127 of those apples in a Penguins uniform, and 60 and 213 being registered in Boston and Toronto, respectively. Sitting at 74 points on the year, Kessel is on pace to surpass his career-high 82 posted in 2012-13 with the Maple Leafs.

Brassard, meanwhile, notched his first goal in a Pens uniform in his third game after being acquired from the Ottawa Senators for Ian Cole, Filip Gustavsson, and a couple of draft picks. With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Brassard anchoring the teams top nine down the middle, the two-time defending Cup champs will be, once again, a very tough matchup for any club that crosses their path this spring.San Francisco (AFP) - With a potential for the biggest-ever deal in the tech sector at stake, Qualcomm shareholders will have their say on a hostile bid for the US mobile chip giant by Singapore-based rival Broadcom.

Qualcomm shareholders at an annual gathering Tuesday will get to vote whether to replace six of the California company's 11 board members with candidates backed by Broadcom, essentially endorsing the deal estimated to be worth $117 billion.

Weeks of parries and thrusts, along with tactical public statements, have left the companies' boards at odds over the unsolicited offer.

Qualcomm's board on Thursday sent a letter to shareholders urging them to re-elect its current members, making a statement against Broadcom's offer.

"The Qualcomm board believes it is not in the best interest of Qualcomm's stockholders to elect Broadcom's nominees," the directors said.

Qualcomm, which is the dominant maker of microprocessors for smartphones, says it has a bright future on its own, especially ahead of a transition to fifth-generation (5G) wireless communications networks.

The Qualcomm board has also expressed concern that any deal with Broadcom could be delayed or blocked by antitrust regulators around the world.

Broadcom meanwhile fired off a letter of its own, urging Qualcomm shareholders to elect all six of its nominees to the board, sending "a clear signal" supporting the takeover bid which would provide a handsome gain to shareholders of the US firm.

The hostile offer "provides greater value and certainty to Qualcomm stockholders, with less risk, than any other available alternative," Broadcom said in its appeal to shareholders.

- Value and risk -

Broadcom made its first offer in November, and subsequently raised it to $121 billion but then lowered it, arguing that Qualcomm had effectively agreed to "transfer" value by raising its takeover offer for Dutch-based tech firm NXP.

Story continues

The Broadcom offer "undervalues" the US firm, Qualcomm has said, while opening the door to talks if Broadcom boosts its price.

Qualcomm chairman Paul Jacobs said the company is willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement that would allow Broadcom to view confidential business information from its US rival, suggesting this would enable Broadcom to get a better picture of Qualcomm's true value.

Any tie-up of the two giants could reshape the fast-evolving sector of chips for smartphones and connected devices. But it would have to pass regulatory muster in several countries.

Qualcomm has cited "regulatory risk" as a factor in rebuffing the Broadcom bid but has also said the offer "undervalues" Qualcomm in view of its prospects in mobile technology.

Broadcom has accused Qualcomm's of "engagement theater" designed to ease pressure at the US firm's annual shareholder meeting March 6.

"Rather than acting as true fiduciaries with a responsibility to act in the best interests of Qualcomm's stockholders, the Qualcomm board has done nothing more than feign engagement with Broadcom," the Singapore-based company said in its letter.

Broadcom's original offer for Qualcomm came days after chief executive Hock Tan visited the White House last November and told President Donald Trump the company would be moving back to the United States.

- 'Oil and water' -

Analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategies questioned the wisdom of the tie-up.

While they are rival chip companies, Broadcom and Qualcomm they are very different in their approaches to the market, according to Moorhead.

Qualcomm is known for mobile chip innovations that set industry standards, for example in new superfast 5G wireless connection technology, the analyst noted.

Meanwhile, he said Broadcom is adept at using intellectual property developed by others and making products at low cost, referring to them as "implementors."

Qualcomm innovations seem to be giving it a lead in competition with Broadcom, particularly with 5G, which could be among reasons for the hostile takeover campaign, according to Moorhead.

"I understand why Broadcom is doing this; it is just oil and water," the analyst said of putting the companies together.

And, such a merger would likely get tied up by regulators for a long time, he added.

"I get the sense that the vote is going to be close," Moorhead said of the coming Qualcomm board election.

"Wall Street is driven by short term gain."Ouagadougou (AFP) - A suspected key figure in the deadly Burkina Faso attacks has been arrested, a government source said Sunday, adding that there were suspicions of complicity by the army.

Saying the suspect could be "one of the brains" behind the attacks, the source told AFP there were "very strong suspicions" that "army infiltrators" had passed information to the assailants for the coordinated attacks in the capital Ouagadougou Friday claimed by GSIM, a jihadist group allied to al-Qaeda.

The arrested suspect's nationality was not revealed. A second man was also arrested and questioned, but is of lesser interest to investigators, the source said.

Sunday saw further unrest when one person was shot dead after three people attempted to storm a roadblock in the early hours near the presidential compound.

Two of the trio managed to flee the scene but the third was arrested and gunned down after attempting to seize the weapon of a guard, according to government and security sources.

Friday's twin attacks on the French embassy and the country's military HQ in the capital saw seven soldiers killed, which was a new toll after eight had previously been declared dead.

The source added that nine assailants were killed, one more than previously reported. At least 80 people were injured.

Some of the assailants may have managed to flee the attack on the military HQ, a government source said.

- Inside job?-

The attackers "had knowledge of the current habits and practices inside the (army) headquarters," another governmental source said Saturday, which is how they managed to access the service entrance.

The assailants were also wearing army uniforms, another sign of possible help from inside.

Investigators are considering whether the attack on the well-protected French embassy was merely a diversion.

That attack resulted in the death of four jihadists who were unable to enter the diplomatic compound, the source said.

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A group of French investigators arrived in Ouagadougou on Saturday to help the Burkinabe authorities.

The government has said the attack on the military HQ was a suicide car bombing and that a regional anti-terrorism meeting may have been the intended target.

That meeting had been moved to a different room, otherwise the death toll could have been far higher.

Visiting the HQ on Saturday, Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba said he saw "apocalyptic scenes" and condemned "with the utmost severity this terrorist attack, cowardly, which attacks our country, once again, which sows death, unnecessary destruction".

GSIM, which has admitted responsibility for previous attacks in the troubled Sahel region, claimed to have carried out the twin attacks, in a message cited by Mauritania's Al-Akhbar news agency.

The group said the Ouagadoudou attacks were a response to the deaths of some of its leaders "in a French army raid in northern Mali two weeks ago," the agency reported.

According to French military sources, some 20 jihadists were "killed or captured" on that occasion.

Burkina Faso has been the target of jihadist attacks since 2015, but they had never previously been carried out with this level of organisation.

"I hope it stops." said Bouri Sawadogo, a local student, "because with the frequency that this is happening we're all scared".By Thiam Ndiaga OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - A Mali-based al Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility on Saturday for attacks in neighbouring Burkina Faso that left 16 people dead, including eight gunmen, at the army headquarters and French embassy, Mauritanian news agency Alakhbar reported. Eighty others were wounded in the coordinated attacks in the capital Ouagadougou, which follow two other major assaults there in the past two years. The group, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), often uses Alakhbar and other Mauritanian news agencies to claim responsibility for strikes against civilian and military targets across West Africa's Sahel region. Alakhbar, citing a message from the group, reported that the attacks were carried out in response to the killing of one of JNIM's leaders, Mohamed Hacen al-Ancari, in a recent raid by French forces. France intervened in Mali in 2013 to drive back Islamist militants who had seized the country's desert north. It retains about 4,000 troops deployed across its former colonies in the arid Sahel region as part of the anti-terror Operation Barkhane and has aggressively gone after militant group leaders. Previous attacks in Ouagadougou and near Burkina Faso's porous border with Mali were also conducted by allies of al Qaeda in reprisal for Burkina Faso's participation in a regional fight against Islamist militants. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility for attacks on a restaurant and hotel in Ouagadougou in January 2016 in which 30 people were killed. AQIM merged with other local jihadist groups last year to form JNIM. Suspected jihadists also killed at least 18 people last August during a raid on a restaurant in Ouagadougou. In a televised speech on Saturday, President Roch Kabore urged the public on Saturday to collaborate more closely with the armed forces. "In these difficult moments, I would like to reaffirm to Africa and the entire world my unshakeable faith in the capacity of the Burkinabe people to preserve their dignity and ferociously oppose their enemies," Kabore said. Jihadist groups have regrouped since the French intervention in 2013. They have expanded their operations deep into central Mali, which they have used as a launchpad to strike Burkina Faso, Niger and other regional countries. Burkinabe authorities said four gunmen were killed at army headquarters, where the assailants also detonated a car bomb, and four more were killed at the embassy. Two attackers were also captured on Friday. Local residents were left to wonder how their country remained vulnerable to such attacks. "If the army headquarters is totally wiped out there is a problem," said Souleymane Traore, director of the newspaper Le Quotidien. "We are really revolted by this insecurity and we must point the finger at those who are responsible." Security was reinforced on Saturday near strategic sites in Ouagadougou as Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba, flanked by ministers from his government, toured the army headquarters and the French embassy. (Additional reporting by Nadoun Coulibaly in Ouagadougou and Kissima Diagana in Nouakchott; Editing by Stephen Powell and Hugh Lawson)By Thiam Ndiaga

OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore called on the public on Saturday to collaborate more closely with the armed forces, the day after attacks at army headquarters and the French embassy left 16 people dead, including eight gunmen, and wounded 80.

No one has claimed responsibility for Friday's attacks in the capital Ouagadougou, which follow two other major assaults in the past two years.

Previous attacks in Ouagadougou and near the porous border with Mali were conducted by allies of al Qaeda in reprisal for Burkina Faso's participation in a regional fight against Islamist militants.

"In these difficult moments, I would like to reaffirm to Africa and the entire world my unshakeable faith in the capacity of the Burkinabe people to preserve their dignity and ferociously oppose their enemies," Kabore said in a speech on national television.

"I would like to encourage the population to reinforce collaboration with our defence and security forces in our common fight against terrorism," he said.

Burkinabe security forces are frequently targeted by militants near the country's borders with Mali and Niger, where they participate in a regional task force aimed at countering rising jihadi violence.

Authorities said four gunmen were killed at army headquarters, where the assailants also detonated a car bomb, and four more were killed at the embassy. Two attackers were also captured on Friday.

Local residents were left to wonder how their country remained vulnerable to such attacks after a raid in January 2016 claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and another last August by suspected jihadists killed a total of nearly 50 people.

"If the army headquarters is totally wiped out there is a problem," said Souleymane Traore, director of the newspaper Le Quotidien.

"We are really revolted by this insecurity and we must point the finger at those who are responsible."

Story continues

Security was reinforced near strategic sites in Ouagadougou on Saturday as Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba, flanked by ministers from his government, toured the army headquarters and the French embassy.

Government spokesman Remi Dandjinou told Reuters on Saturday that arrests had been made in connection with the attacks but it was unclear if he was referring to new arrests or the two that authorities had reported on Friday.

(Additional reporting by Nadoun Coulibaly; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Stephen Powell)Beijing (AFP) - China warned Sunday that it was ready to hit back if the United States damaged its economic interests, fuelling fears of a trade war after President Donald Trump unveiled tariffs on steel and aluminium.

Trump's announcement on Thursday sparked a flurry of counter-threats from other nations. But Washington's main trade rival had avoided any overt warnings of potential retaliation until now.

"China doesn't want a trade war with the United States," Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National People's Congress, told a news conference on Sunday, the eve of the rubber-stamp parliament's annual session.

"But if the US takes actions that hurt Chinese interests, China will not sit idly by," Zhang said. An official English-language interpreter added the phrase, "and will take necessary measures".

Zhang warned that "policies informed by misjudgement or wrong perceptions will hurt relations and bring consequences no side wants to see".

Trump's announcement came as President Xi Jinping's top economic aide, Liu He, met US officials at the White House to discuss the fraught economic relationship.

During his visit, according to the official Xinhua news agency, Liu and his hosts "agreed that the two countries should settle their trade disputes by cooperation rather than confrontation".

Since announcing plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminium, Trump has shrugged off threats from other nations, boasting on Friday that "trade wars are good, and easy to win".

- Slowing world growth -

China has been the main target of Trump's anger over the US trade deficit since his presidential campaign, but its steel and aluminium exports to the United States are minimal.

While China is the world's largest steel producer, it accounts for less than one percent of US imports and sells only 10 percent of its wrought aluminium abroad.

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Steel producers in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey rely far more heavily on the US market.

"The American action to put sanctions on other countries' reasonable steel and aluminium exports in the name of harming national security is groundless," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.

Some US allies, like Canada and Australia, had hoped to be spared the tariffs. A major South Korean business lobby, the Federation of Korean Industries, said Sunday it sent letters to US Congress members and officials seeking an exemption.

A US official said Friday possible exemptions to the measures would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Australia warned that a trade conflict could put the brakes on global economic growth.

"That's what concerns me, if we continue to see an escalation of rhetoric and, ultimately, action around tariffs applying for imports and exports across multiple economies... this will lead to a slowdown in growth," trade minister Steve Ciobo told Sky News Australia Sunday.

Trump ratcheted up the rhetoric on Saturday, threatening a tax on cars from the European Union if it takes retaliatory measures.

On Friday European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU was drawing up measures against leading US brands such as Levi's and Harley-Davidson.China has warned that although it does not seek a trade war with the U.S., it would take necessary measures to protect its economic interests.

Zhang Yesui, spokesperson for China's National People's Congress, made the announcement early Sunday, after President Donald Trump described his surprise plans to introduce 25 percent steel and 10 percent aluminum tariffs.

GettyImages-926835246

Getty Images

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Doubling down on the plans in a tweet Saturday, Trump wrote trade wars are good, and easy to win and said car imports from the European Union could also be targeted.

Key U.S. trading partners have criticized the move, as have international trade organizations the IMF and the WTO.

Trade tensions between the U.S. and China, the worlds two largest economies, have risen since Trump took office in 2017, and although China only accounts for a small fraction of U.S. steel imports, its massive industry expansion has helped produce a global glut of steel that has driven down prices.

Don't miss: 'Awful' People in the White House Want to Hurt Kellyanne Conway, Chris Christie Claims

Negotiations and mutual opening of markets were the best ways to resolve trade frictions, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui said at a briefing ahead of Chinas annual session of parliament, which opens this week.

China does not want to fight a trade war with the United States, but we absolutely will not sit by and watch as Chinas interests are damaged, Zhang, who is a spokesman for parliament and was formerly an ambassador to the United States, said.

If policies are made on the basis of mistaken judgments or assumptions, it will damage bilateral relations and bring about consequences that neither country wants to see, he said.

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Story continues

Trump believes the tariffs will safeguard American jobs, but many economists say the impact of price increases for users of steel and aluminum, such as the auto and oil industries, will destroy more jobs than curbs on imports create.

Republican Senator Ben Sasse said Friday that "Kooky 18th Century protectionism will jack up prices on American families."

Nonetheless, there is growing bipartisan consensus in Washington, and support within the U.S. business community, for the U.S. government to counter what are seen as Beijings predatory industrial policies and market restrictions on foreign firms.

EU trade chiefs, Brazil, Mexico and Japan, that have said they will consider retaliatory steps if the president presses ahead with his plans next week.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekAmid a global campaign to monitor and control the Uighur diaspora, Chinese police are demanding that Uighurs living in France hand over personal information, photos, and identity documents  and in some cases, the personal information of their French spouses.

Police officers from local public security bureaus in China have asked French Uighurs to send their home, school, and work addresses, photos, scans of their French or Chinese ID cards, and, in some cases, the ID cards of their spouses and scans of their marriage certificates if they were married in France.

Chinese police have contacted French Uighurs directly via phone or WeChat, a Chinese messaging app, or have paid visits to their family members in China, asking relatives to convey these demands, according to screenshots of WeChat conversations and a phone recording obtained by Foreign Policy.

One Uighur living in Paris who now has French citizenship first refused to comply, then gave in when relatives in China asked the individual to send the information and documents, including home address, school name and address, work name and address, and a scan of the individuals French passport.

I was very, very angry. I said, I am not Chinese, I am French, I have nothing to do with China, the Uighur living in Paris told FP, requesting anonymity. My family said very sadly, Yeah, but you are Uighur and we are here.

The Chinese Embassy did not respond to a request for comment. The French Embassy also did not respond.

Uighurs are a Turkic-speaking ethnic minority concentrated in Chinas northwest region of Xinjiang. Hundreds of people have died in recent years amid a low-level insurgency in the region, as some Uighurs have chafed under the Chinese governments increasingly repressive policies. Uighurs armed with knives have committed several terrorist attacks in major Chinese cities.

But in the past year, the Chinese government has greatly intensified its campaign against Uighurs in Xinjiang, constructing a high-tech digital surveillance regime. Authorities have lined streets and alleys with cameras equipped with facial recognition software, created a DNA database intended to include all residents, labeled each resident as safe or unsafe, and installed ID readers at bus stops, train stations, and shopping malls; those deemed unsafe are not permitted to enter.

Story continues

Tens or perhaps even hundreds of thousands of Uighurs have also been forced into re-education camps without due process, where they have been detained for weeks, months, or indefinitely. Some have died in the camps.

The Chinese government has also extended this campaign to Uighurs studying or working in the United States, France, Turkey, Australia, Egypt, and elsewhere, issuing an order for Uighurs abroad to return home and threatening their families if they do not comply. Some of those who have returned have been arrested, detained, or have simply disappeared. Egyptian police appear to have cooperated with the Chinese demands, detaining and deporting Uighur students.

FP has obtained evidence of four instances of Chinese police demanding personal information from French Uighurs, beginning in 2017. The Uighur living in Paris said that there are many more cases, and that most Uighurs there are afraid to speak about what is happening for fear that their families back in China will be sent to re-education camps.

Police officers in contact with French Uighurs have made explicit threats, according to the messages viewed by FP.

Hello, I am a police officer with the [redacted] police station, begins one such WeChat conversation, viewed by FP, in mid-2017. Lets have a good talk, otherwise it will be a lot of trouble to have to pay a visit to your father and mothers house every day.

The police officer went on to demand that the recipient send contact information, copies of diplomas from French schools, work and home addresses, proof of employment, and a copy of the individuals passport. The officer also asked the individual to take a photo of themselves standing next to a famous local building, presumably to verify the individuals location, and to send that, too, along with photos of their workplace and school.

In a recorded phone conversation obtained by FP, a Chinese police officer spoke with another Uighur living in France, asking for personal information. The Uighur told the police officer that they had obtained French citizenship, but that did not change the request.

In other cases, family members living in Xinjiang have relayed police demands via WeChat to relatives living in France.

What you should send are the certificate of your nationality, your ID card etc., your work contract where you work, contract of your home where you live, your masters degree diploma, your Ph.D. diploma and all other related certifications, one mother told her daughter in a message viewed by FP.

Uighurs living abroad may have once believed that they had escaped Chinese government control when they left China. But in the past year, the repressive policies have followed them. Even those who remain abroad worry that their families will soon disappear, as so many others already have, into Chinese re-education camps.

Every day I pray early, then I call my mom, said the Uighur in Paris. Everyone here, they pray every day that they can hear the voice of their parents.Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said Saturday that Stephen Colberts jokes about him are a danger in this country.

Colbert traveled to the Capitol on Fridays episode of The Late Show in a spoof mission to tease information out of congressmen about possible collusion between President Donald Trumps campaign and Russia. Colbert was armed with his own memo stating: Devon Nunes is a [redacted].

Colbert managed to crack a smile from stone-faced Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) when he asked him if he was jealous that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) gets to work with Nunes.

This is the danger that we have in this country, Nunes said when Fox News Neil Cavuto asked how he felt about the jokes.

The left controls not only the universities in this country, but they also control Hollywood in this country, and the mainstream media, so conservatives in this country are under attack ... they attack people who are trying to get to the truth, the head of the House Intelligence Committee added.

Check out Nunes comments above, and Colberts mission below.

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.(Photo: Pete Marovich via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The Justice Departments top oversight official is set to release a report slamming an FBI official President Donald Trump has portrayed as a Hillary Clinton stooge  for allegedly authorizing leaks of information that hurt Clintons campaign.

Trump and his supporters have used the fact that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabes wife ran for a state Senate seat as a Democrat to paint him as a Democratic partisan out to get Trump. Despite irrefutable evidence that the bureaus public actions before the election actually hurt Clinton, Trump defenders on Capitol Hill and on Fox News have spun up a narrative alleging that the FBI leaked information ahead of the election to damage Trump.

The long-anticipated report from the Justice Departments inspector general  likely to be released this month or next  could further undermine that already ridiculous claim. Trump and his allies have suggested that McCabe leaked information that hurt Trump and helped Clinton. But the IGs forthcoming report is set to reveal the opposite: McCabe authorized leaks that damaged Clinton and aided Trump.

The IG, who has been looking into the FBIs handling of the probe since before Trumps inauguration, will criticize McCabe for authorizing discussions with a Wall Street Journal reporter for an Oct. 30, 2016, story that suggested President Barack Obamas Justice Department was improperly pressuring the FBI to drop a probe of the Clinton Foundation, The New York Times reported on Thursday night.

The Oct. 30, 2016, WSJ story portrays McCabe as caught between FBI agents who wanted to push the Clinton Foundation investigation and Justice Department officials upset the probe was being pursued so close to the election.

In the story, a person close to Mr. McCabe  likely bureau lawyer and senior McCabe adviser Lisa Page  revealed that a Justice Department official called McCabe on Aug. 12 and was very pissed off that the New York office was pursuing the Clinton Foundation investigation:

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Are you telling me that I need to shut down a validly predicated investigation? Mr. McCabe asked, according to people familiar with the conversation. After a pause, the official replied, Of course not, these people said.

FBI texts disclosed to Congress revealed the backstory for this piece that the public doesnt often get to see. The texts show that Page talked to then-Wall Street Journal reporter Devlin Barrett, a well-sourced reporter on the DOJ beat who is now at The Washington Post. It was clear from the texts that their conversation had high-level authorization within the bureau, as the FBIs top spokesman was on the call along with Page and Barrett. The call was likely arranged as part of an effort to push back on a prior WSJ story McCabe was upset about. That article had raised questions about his oversight of the Clinton probe because his wifes failed state Senate campaign had received money from Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe at a time when McCabe had no involvement with the Clinton investigation.

Trump and his allies had quickly seized upon that Oct. 24 WSJ story about the 2015 political campaign of McCabes wife, Dr. Jill McCabe. At a campaign stop in Florida on Oct. 25, 2016, Trump said it was a disgrace that the man who was in charge of the investigation of Hillary Clinton accepted essentially from Hillary Clinton $675,000 that went to his wife. (The presidents comment was an inaccurate portrayal of the situation.)

Given the attacks against him, it would make sense that McCabe, who voted in the 2016 Republican primary, would want to push back on the notion that he was in the tank for Clinton. But it would be odd if the IG report faults Page for talking with a reporter with the permission of her boss in a phone call that was monitored by the FBIs chief of public affairs. Criticizing McCabe for authorizing Page to talk about an ongoing investigation seems like a logical outcome of the IG probe.

Although its tempting to try and read any actions taken by the FBI ahead of the election in a purely political light, the chief ideological commitment of many FBI employees  despite the bureau leaning conservative overall  is to the organization, its image and its prerogatives.

The chief motivation for disclosing information on the Clinton Foundation investigation likely wasnt damaging Clinton or helping Trump, but protecting the FBI and McCabe from Justice Department interference. Top bureau officials, like most people at the time, believed that Clinton was going to win the election. But they didnt want the public, and Republicans on Capitol Hill, thinking they let Clinton off the hook easy.

They just didnt see Trump coming.

Related...

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Ryan Reilly is HuffPosts senior justice reporter, covering the Justice Department, federal law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs. Have a tip? Reach him at ryan.reilly@huffpost.com or on Signal at 202-527-9261.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Christopher A. Preble

Economics, Americas

Whereas Trump has long seen trade as a zero-sum game, the losers will almost surely exceed the winners here in the United States.

Donald Trump Girds for a Trade War (and He Just Might Get It)

Markets reacted swiftly on Thursday to news that the Trump administration would impose a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum. Companies dependent upon such imports saw their stock prices plummet, driving a wider selloff across nearly all sectors. These companies are going to see their costs of production go up, explained the Cato Institutes Dan Ikenson, and theyll also have trouble . . . because foreign manufacturers will be able to charge lower prices.

That means that American consumers will also get hit. Sen. Ben Sasse accused Trump of proposing a massive tax increase on American families. Utahs Sen. Mike Lee agreed, calling Trumps tariffs a huge job-killing tax hike. Other GOP senators, including Pennsylvanias Pat Toomey, Roy Blunt of Missouri and South Dakotas John Thune, expressed similar concerns.

And the domestic economic impact is unlikely to stop with lower stock prices on Wall Street and higher prices for most everyone else. Toomey called Trumps tariffs a big mistake that will . . . cost our country jobs, and invite retaliation from other countries.

The putative national-security justification put forward by the Trump administration seems particularly dubious. R Streets Clark Packard observes that while steel unquestionably is vital to U.S. military superiority . . . only about 3 percent of steel shipped domestically in 2016 was used for defense and national security purposes.

Whats more, many of the leading steel- and aluminum-exporting countries are U.S. allies, including Canada, Japan, Germany and South Korea. Other top suppliers to the United States include Brazil, Mexico and Taiwan. Although China produces nearly half of the worlds steel, it accounts for just 2 percent of U.S. steel imports, placing it eleventh.

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Catos Ikenson notes, Any U.S. decision to restrict imports based on the argument that an abundance of low-priced raw materials from a diversity of sources somehow threatens national security would . . . invite every other member of the World Trade Organization to invoke national security to protect favored industries.

And whereas Donald Trump has long seen trade as a zero-sum game, with the trade deficit a giant scoreboard recording whos up and whos down, the losers will almost surely exceed the winners here in the United States. In 2015, Packard explains, steel mills employed about 140,000 Americans, while steel-consuming industries (including manufacturers who rely on steel imports) employ 6.5 million Americans. Unnecessarily raising the costs of steel-consuming industries will jeopardize far more jobs than could possibly be saved at steel mills.

Retaliatory measures by U.S. trading partners could impact a wide range of U.S. industries and businesses. Within hours of Trumps comments, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker pledged to bring forward in the next few days a proposal for WTO-compatible countermeasures against the U.S.

These U.S. measures will have a negative impact on transatlantic relations and on global markets, added EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom.

CNBC reported that European Union and Chinese officials [were] considered retaliating by targeting American products with political significancelike Harley-Davidson motorcycles from House Speaker Paul Ryans home state of Wisconsin or bourbon from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells home state of Kentucky.

None of these facts are likely to register with President Trump, who reportedly has been demanding higher tariffs for months. Indeed, in a tweet on Friday morning, Trump welcomed a trade war, saying that they are good, and easy to win. He even seemed to suggest that he might eventually retaliate by cutting off all trade with particular countries. When we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, dont trade anymore-we win big. Its easy!

Donald Trump seems ready for a fightand he just might get it. And he will take all of the rest of us with him.

Christopher Preble is vice president for defense and foreign-policy studies at the Cato Institute and the author of The Power Problem: How American Military Dominance Makes Us Less Safe, Less Prosperous, and Less Free.

Image: President Donald Trump delivers remarks regarding the National Security Strategy, December 18, 2017. Reuters/Joshua Roberts.

Read full articleDonald Trump said Xi Jinping was

Donald Trump praised Xi Jinping on Saturday after the ruling Communist party announced it was eliminating the two-term limit for the presidency, paving the way for the Chinese leader to serve indefinitely, according to audio aired by CNN.

"He's now president for life, president for life. And he's great," Mr Trump said of the Chinese president, according to audio of excerpts of Mr Trump's remarks at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida aired by CNN.

"And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot someday," Mr Trump said to cheers and applause from supporters.

US presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932. An amendment to the US Constitution approved in 1951 limits presidents to two terms in office.

Chinas annual parliament gathering kicks off on Monday as Mr Xi presses ahead with efforts to ward off financial risks without undermining the economy.

Xi Jinping | The wisdom of Xi

The Communist party announced on February 25 the end of the two-term limit for the president - and the parliament is expected to ratify the move.

During the remarks, Mr Trump praised Mr Xi as "a great gentleman" and added: "He's the most powerful (Chinese) president in a hundred years." Mr Trump said Xi had treated him "tremendously well" during his visit in November.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment late on Saturday.

Mr Trump has often praised the Chinese leader, but in January Mr Trump told Reuters the United States was considering a big "fine" as part of a probe into Chinas alleged theft of intellectual property. He has been critical of China's trade policies.

Profile | Xi Jinping

Mr Trump told The New York Times in December that because of North Korea he had "been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war."

Story continues

During the speech in Florida, Mr Trump also complained that his actions during the 2016 campaign remained under scrutiny while those of his former rival, Hillary Clinton, were not.

"I'm telling you, it's a rigged system folks," Mr Trump said. "I've been saying that for a long time. It's a rigged system. And we don't have the right people in there yet. We have a lot of great people, but certain things, we don't have the right people."

The president has been critical of Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently.

Mr Trump attacked Mr Sessions for asking the inspector general to investigate potential surveillance abuses by the FBI in the early stages of the Russia investigation, saying that such a probe should be handled instead by "Justice Department lawyers." Mr Sessions later defended himself in an unusual statement.

Donald Trump criticised George W Bush, saying the Iraq invasion "the single worst decision ever made" Credit: AP

The president also took aim at former President George W Bush over his decision too invade Iraq.

"Here we are, like the dummies of the world, because we had bad politicians running our country for a long time," he said, calling the Iraq invasion "the single worst decision ever made".

"That was Bush. Another real genius. That was Bush," Mr Trump said sarcastically. "That turned out to be wonderful intelligence. Great intelligence agency there."Donald Trump announced his administration will impose a 25 per cent levy on steel and a 10 per cent duty on aluminium: Reuters

Donald Trump has said trade wars are good and easy to win, amid consternation at his plans to introduce tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

Mr Trump announced on Thursday his administration will impose a 25 per cent levy on steel and a 10 per cent duty on aluminium as early as next week.

The US main trading partners reacted angrily to the announcement, with Canada and the EU vowing to introduce their own countermeasures to the new tariffs.

Mexico, China and Brazil also said they were considering retaliatory steps.

When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win, Mr Trump said in a Twitter post.

Example, when we are down $100bn with a certain country and they get cute, dont trade anymore-we win big. Its easy!

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Mr Trump has said the tariffs will safeguard American jobs, but many economists say the impact of price increases for users of steel and aluminum, such as the auto and oil industries, will destroy more jobs than curbs on imports create.

Fears of an escalating trade war triggered selloffs on Wall Street and in Asia and Europe, hitting the share prices of steelmakers and manufacturers supplying US markets particularly hard.

Mr Trump said in a later tweet the US would introduce reciprocal taxes.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

When a country Taxes our products coming in at, say, 50 per cent, and we tax the same product coming into our country at ZERO, not fair or smart, he said.

We will soon be starting RECIPROCAL TAXES so that we will charge the same thing as they charge us. $800 Billion Trade Deficit-have no choice!

Australias trade minister said the measures risked triggering retaliation from other economies and could cost jobs, while China expressed grave concern about the policy and predicted harm to trade if other countries followed the example of the United States.Alex Jones, has been dubbed Americas leading conspiracy theorist and a prominent voice of the so-called 'alt-right' movement in the US

Several leading brands have reportedly sought to pull their ads from YouTube channels of the far-right conspiracy site InfoWars.

Ads from a number of major firms and organisations - including Nike, 20th Century Fox, Expedia, the Mormon Church, Alibaba and the National Rifle Association - were being displayed on Infowars' channels on the video sharing platform, according to CNN.

Many of the brands said they were not aware of what was going on and would cancel their ads on the channel after CNN contacted them.

Ad campaigns from YouTube dont necessarily permit firms to know where their commercials will show up but do allow organisations to use exclusion filters to keep their ads from appearing on certain channels.

Several of the firms CNN contacted said they are taking extra measures to make sure their ads do not show up on such content again.

Alex Jones, who has been dubbed Americas leading conspiracy theorist and a prominent voice of the so-called alt-right movement in the US, is the founder of InfoWars.

YouTube reprimanded the far right site which is known for its false and outlandish conspiracy theories earlier this week after it posted a video claiming the student activists from the Florida high school shooting last month that left 17 dead were actors.

InfoWars' biggest YouTube account, The Alex Jones Channel, received one strike from the video-sharing site for the video.

On Saturday Jones claimed YouTube was going to delete the channel and all of the videos posted to it.

The Alex Jones channel with billions of views is frozen. We have been told it will be deleted tomorrow and all 33 thousand videos will be erased. We just set up this new page subscribe if you want to see what the SPLC wants censored, Jones wrote on Twitter, using an acronym for the Southern Poverty Law Centre, a legal advocacy organisation which monitors hate groups.

But YouTube told CBS News it is not planning on taking down Jones' YouTube channel in spite of his statement. YouTube said some advertisers had asked to be removed from running ads from Jones' channels and YouTube had informed him of that.

Story continues

The platform said Jones description bears no relation to how the termination process works. YouTubes community guidelines stipulate the account will be shut down altogether if it gets three strikes in the space of three months and it also has an appeals process.

Jones, whose channel has received over a billion views and 2.2 million subscribers, is famed for propagating far-fetched and erroneous conspiracy theories.

He suggested the Sandy Hook school shooting of 20 young children was staged, that the September 11 attacks of 2001 were an inside job and that the baseless reports about Hillary Clinton being part of a Washington pizzeria child sex abuse ring warrant serious investigation.

He has also claimed the US government puts chemicals into the water supply to turn people gay so they do not have children.

The Independent contacted a representative of YouTube for comment.TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's steel sector could be wounded by U.S. tariffs even if the country is exempt from the 25 percent duty promised by President Donald Trump, as cheap steel previously sold south of the border floods into Canada, industry leaders said on Friday. Canadian officials are trying to secure an exemption from potential U.S. tariffs on steel and have threatened retaliation if the plan goes ahead. But even a deal that protects exports from Canada, the biggest steel supplier to the United States, would not solve all of the industry's problems. "It would significantly harm Canadian producers in our home market, just swamping the marketplace with that imported steel," said Canadian Steel Producers Association President Joseph Galimberti on the proposed tariff. A letter from nine Canadian steel executives sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other government ministers on Thursday warned that the tariff could displace 13 million tonnes of steel currently sold in the United States. The letter, seen by Reuters, called for targeted trade cases and also raised the possibility of new legislation to defend the industry. Galimberti said the Canada Border Services Agency would need more resources to quickly investigate and enforce trade rules, including rules against dumping. Canada's steel industry has staged a tentative recovery in recent years, with some new jobs and investment. Stelco Holdings Inc emerged from bankruptcy protection last year and went public in November. "We are feeling blindsided, truly," said Keanin Loomis, president of the Chamber of Commerce in Hamilton, the heart of Canada's steel industry. "We're a resilient town. We are on the rebound, but this will obviously have huge impact." He said Canada needs not just an exemption from the tariff, but a strategy to deal with new imports. Imports rose in 2002 when the United States last brought in broad steel tariffs, exempting Canada. Steel and iron products represented 2 percent of Canadian exports last year, with 84 percent sent to the United States. Arcelor Mittal is the largest steel manufacturer in Canada, employing about 10,300 people with seven units in the country, according to the Canadian Steel Producers Association. In all, the industry accounts for 22,000 direct jobs and supports 100,000 jobs indirectly, said the association. (Reporting by Allison Martell; Additional reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)It has been five months since a pair of explosive exposes destroyed Harvey Weinsteins film career, and people are still coming out with more allegations of dark and monstrous behavior by the disgraced Hollywood mogul.

A Frontline investigation, which aired on PBS on Friday, chronicled the once-powerful producers fall from the top, with new accusers coming forward with more details on how Weinstein reportedly continued his abusive ways for decades.

The revelations about Weinstein sparked a massive cultural shift, now known as the Me Too movement. Since then, more than 80 women have accused Weinstein of harassment or abuse, and dozens of other powerful men  including CEOs, celebrities and congressional lawmakers  have been ousted from their posts.

Heres what Frontline uncovered about Weinstein five months after the collapse of his career.

Another Woman Told Her Story

The one-hour program followed the accounts of six of Weinsteins female accusers, including Suza Maher-Wilson, who was speaking publicly for the first time.

Wilson worked on one of Weinsteins early films, The Burning, according to Frontline. During a wrap party for the 1981 movie, Wilson said Weinstein invited her to his hotel room and asked for a massage.

I agreed, being a 23-year-old, naive, trusting, young woman, Wilson said.

Weinstein excused himself to go to the restroom, she said. When the producer returned, she said, he was naked with a towel. It was a little shocking.

I just said, Im sorry, this isnt what I signed on for, Wilson recalled. And I left the room immediately.

Weinsteins Former Executives Spoke Out

Two of Weinsteins male colleagues provided accounts of his inappropriate behavior and bad reputation to Frontline.

Tom Prince, the Weinstein Companys former vice president of physical production, spoke out for the first time against his former boss.

Those of us that heard about it and read it looked at each other. I dont think anybody was too surprised, Prince said about his reaction to the news in 2015 that Italian model Ambra Battilana Gutierrez had filed a police report against Weinstein alleging sexual abuse.

Story continues

Paul Webster, Miramaxs former president of production, told Frontline that working for Weinsteins company felt like being in the cult of Harvey.

It was common knowledge, everybody knew, what a brutal regime it was, Webster said of Weinsteins aggressive leadership style.

I knew I was making a deal with the devil, he added. But I knew also that he was at the epicenter of where I wanted to be.

Webster also said he knew that Weinstein was a serial womanizer. He didnt have the guts to do anything about it, he said, although he warned his own assistants against being alone with Weinstein.

It didnt take too much brainpower to put it together that a man that was so bullying in every aspect of his life would bring that abuse into the sexual arena, Webster said.

I think, looking back, I did know and I chose to suppress it. I think we were all enablers. I think we were all complicit.

Private Investigators Made An Exception For Him

A former employee of K2 Intelligence spoke to Frontline about Weinsteins mission to discredit Gutierrez, who had helped New York police obtain a recording of the producer admitting to sexually abusing her.

Weinstein hired K2 to dig up dirt on the models past in Italy. The firm accepted the job, even though the employee said they didnt typically take on cases from those who were accused of sexual misconduct.

Nobody likes to develop information on somebody whos accusing a client of sexual misconduct  but [with] Harvey Weinstein being Harvey Weinstein, exceptions were made, said the former employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the nature of his job.

Weinstein Cried Before A New Yorker Reporter

Ken Auletta, a longtime writer for The New Yorker, interviewed Weinstein while working on a 2002 profile of him, eventually titled Beauty and the Beast.

After hearing that the producer had a number of non-disclosure agreements with his alleged victims, Auletta told Frontline that he reached out to Weinsteins former assistant Zelda Perkins, who was also featured in the documentary.

Perkins said she was terrified after she answered Aulettas phone call in 2012 and accidentally revealed to him that she had a non-disclosure agreement with her former boss.

I just knew that one thing I was absolutely, in fear of death, not allowed to do was talk to a journalist, she said.

When Auletta brought up Perkins name in an interview, he said Weinstein broke down in tears.

I thought he was going to throw a punch at me, so I stood up and at that point Harvey started to cry. It was extraordinary, Auletta told Frontline.

What he said was, Ken, youre going to ruin my marriage, the reporter recalled. These were consensual relationships. And if you publish this, youre going to destroy my family.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Weinsteins long list of accusers include Rose McGowan, Mira Sorvino, Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, Asia Argento, Uma Thurman, Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale.

And theyre not alone. A USA Today study found that 94 percent of women who work in Hollywood have experienced some level of sexual harassment or assault.

On Friday, a group of investors led by a former Obama official reached a deal to buy the faltering Weinstein Company. Maria Contreras-Sweet, who ran the Small Business Administration under President Barack Obama, said in a statement that the deal will ensure that victims will be adequately compensated, employees will be protected moving forward, and those who were responsible for misconduct at [the Weinstein Company] will not be unjustly rewarded.

Watch the entire Frontline documentary on Weinstein here.

Also on HuffPost

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Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd told the New York Times that Harvey Weinstein invited her to his hotel room and asked her if he could give her a massage or if she wanted to watch him shower.



She told the Times that she thought, How do I get out of the room as fast as possible without alienating Harvey Weinstein?

Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow told the New York Times that Weinstein touched her inappropriately.



I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified, she said, noting that when Weinstein found out she told her then-boyfriend Brad Pitt, "I thought he was going to fire me."

Angelina Jolie

I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did, Angelina Jolie told the New York Times. This behavior towards women in any field, any country is unacceptable.

Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet told Variety that she had heard rumors of Weinstein's behavior for years.



"I had hoped that these kind of stories were just made up rumours, maybe we have all been naive," she said. "And it makes me so angry. There must be no tolerance of this degrading, vile treatment of women in ANY workplace anywhere in the world.

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep told HuffPost that the women who came forward about Weinstein's behavior are "heroes."



The disgraceful news about Harvey Weinstein has appalled those of us whose work he championed, and those whose good and worthy causes he supported," she said in a statement.

Rose McGowan

Rose McGowan has been vocal about the scandal since the New York Times published its bombshell report on Weinstein's alleged misconduct. McGowan, the Times said, was one of several women with whom Weinstein reached a financial settlement following the alleged abuse.



After The Weinstein Company fired Harvey, the actress and director called on the rest of the studio's board to resign.



"They knew," she said in a tweet. "They funded. They advised. They covered up. They must be exposed. They must resign."

Ben Affleck

"I am saddened and angry that a man who I worked with used his position of power to intimidate, sexually harass and manipulate many women over decades," Ben Affleck posted on Twitter. "The additional allegations of assault that I read this morning made me sick."



Actress Rose McGowan denounced Affleck for implying that he didn't know of the abuse before this week, saying that the pair had previously discussed Weinstein's treatment of her.



"You lie," she tweeted.

Lena Dunham

'Girls' co-creator and star Lena Dunham penned an op-ed for the New York Times calling on more men to speak out against Weinstein and others like him.



"Abuse, threats and coercion have been the norm for so many women trying to do business or make art," she wrote. "Mr. Weinstein may be the most powerful man in Hollywood to be revealed as a predator, but hes certainly not the only one who has been allowed to run wild. His behavior, silently co-signed for decades by employees and collaborators, is a microcosm of what has been happening in Hollywood since always and of what workplace harassment looks like for women everywhere."

George Clooney

In an interview with The Daily Beast, George Clooney said that, for decades, he'd heard rumors about Weinstein, but dismissed them as gossip. Calling Weinstein's behavior "disturbing" and "indefensible," Clooney said he had no idea of the severity of the accusations.



"A good bunch of people that I know would say, Yeah, Harveys a dog or Harveys chasing girls, but again, this is a very different kind of thing," the actor told the Daily Beast. "This is harassment on a very high level. And theres an argument that everyone is complicit in it. I suppose the argument would be that its not just about Hollywood, but about all of usthat every time you see someone using their power and influence to take advantage of someone without power and influence and you dont speak up, youre complicit. And theres no question about that."

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence won an Academy Award for "Silver Linings Playbook," which The Weinstein Company distributed. She called the alleged harassment "inexcusable and absolutely upsetting."



"I worked with Harvey five years ago, and I did not experience any form of harassment personally, nor did I know about any of these allegations. This kind of abuse is inexcusable and absolutely upsetting," Lawrence said in a statement. "My heart goes out to all of the women affected by these gross actions. And I want to thank them for their bravery to come forward."

Hillary Clinton

Weinstein was a major Democratic Party benefactor, having donated to or raised money for a host of candidates, including Hillary Clinton.



Clinton said that she "was shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein. The behavior described by women coming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior."

Barack and Michelle Obama

Weinstein visited the White House multiple times while Obama was in office after having raised huge funds for his presidential campaign. Earlier this year, Malia Obama also reportedly worked for the Weinstein Company.



"Michelle and I have been disgusted by the recent reports about Harvey Weinstein," the Obamas said in a statement. "Any man who demeans and degrades women in such fashion needs to be condemned and held accountable, regardless of wealth or status. We should celebrate the courage of women who have come forward to tell these painful stories. And we all need to build a culture -- including by empowering our girls and teaching our boys decency and respect -- so we can make such behavior less prevalent in the future."

Judi Dench

Judi Dench, who won an Oscar for her performance in the Weinstein-backed "Shakespeare in Love" and was nominated for two other films under his wing, denounced the alleged abuse.



"Whilst there is no doubt that Harvey Weinstein has helped and championed my film career for the past 20 years, I was completely unaware of these offenses which are, of course, horrifying and I offer my sympathy to those who have suffered, and whole-hearted support to those who have spoken out," she said in a statement.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio worked with Weinstein on blockbuster films like Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and Django Unchained.



"There is no excuse for sexual harrassment or sexual assault-- no matter who you are and no matter what profession," DiCarpio said in a Facebook Post. "I applaud the strength and courage of the women who came forward and made their voices heard."

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain has been one of the most outspoken critics of Weinstein and of Hollywood's complicity since The New York Times published its damning report.



"I was warned from the beginning" about Weinstein, she said in a tweet. "The stories were everywhere. To deny that is to create an environment for it to happen again."

Julianne Moore

Moore, who starred in the Weinstein-backed film "A Single Man," tweeted that "coming forward about sexual abuse and coercion is scary and women have nothing to be gained personally by doing so. But through their bravery we move forward as a culture, and I thank them. Stand with @AshleyJudd @rosemcgowan and others."

Colin Firth

Calling Weinstein a "frightening man to stand up to," Colin Firth told The Guardian that reading about the allegations gave him "a feeling of nausea."



It must have been terrifying for these women to step up and call him out. And horrifying to be subjected to that kind of harassment. I applaud their courage."

Tamron Hall

Its a womans worst nightmare to be in a situation where you believe someone more powerful has control over your life, former "Today" show host Tamron Hall told HuffPost. She called the allegations against Weinstein "horrifying."

Blake Lively

Blake Lively spoke out against Weinstein in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.



The actress said that she was unaware of the abuse but admitted that "it's devastating to hear."



"It's important that women are furious right now. It's important that there is an uprising. It's important that we don't stand for this and that we don't focus on one or two or three or four stories. It's important that we focus on humanity in general and say, 'This is unacceptable.'"

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts gave a statement to People, saying, A corrupt, powerful man wields his influence to abuse and manipulate women. Weve heard this infuriating, heartbreaking story countless times before. And now here we go again. I stand firm in the hope that we will finally come together as a society to stand up against this kind of predatory behavior, to help victims find their voices and their healing, and to stop it once and for all."

Ryan Gosling

I want to add my voice of support for the women who have had the courage to speak out against Harvey Weinstein, Gosling wrote in a note on Twitter. Like most people in Hollywood, I have worked with him and Im deeply disappointed in myself for being so oblivious to these devastating experiences of sexual harassment and abuse. He is emblematic of a systemic problem. Men should stand with women and work together until there is real accountability and change.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Tel Aviv (AFP) - A former aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a top businessman were released and put under house arrest Sunday after 14 days in custody over suspicions of fraud involving the premier, police said.

Tel Aviv magistrates court released Nir Hefetz, a former media adviser to the Netanyahu family, and Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of telecoms group Bezeq, after complex questioning of the two men, Netanyahu, his wife and other suspects.

Police suspect Elovitch's business was given regulatory breaks in return for Netanyahu receiving positive coverage on Walla!, a news website he owns.

Hefetz is alleged to have acted as a messenger between Netanyahu, Bezeq and Walla! officials.

He is also suspected of trying to bribe a retired judge to block a probe into the prime minister's wife, Sara Netanyahu, over alleged misuse of public funds.

Police are not divulging details of the probe but Israeli media said that police and Securities Authority investigators on Friday carried out a carefully orchestrated simultaneous interrogation of six suspects at different locations to prevent them coordinating their testimonies.

Top-selling daily Yediot Aharonot said while Netanyahu was being questioned for five hours at his official Jerusalem residence, Sara was being grilled at national fraud squad headquarters near Tel Aviv.

Elsewhere in the same police building, it said, Hefetz and Elovitch were under interrogation, along with Elovitch's wife Iris and a former senior communications ministry official, whose name is subject to a court gag order.

All were placed in separate rooms, it said.

"Detectives who were sitting in a forward command post continually received updates in real time from the six separate interrogations and steered the complex operation," the paper added.

"They fed questions to the detectives in the interview rooms and tried to find holes in the answers that were received."

Story continues

Friday's session with Netanyahu was the eighth time since January 2017 that the right-wing premier had been questioned over a string of corruption allegations that threaten to end his long tenure.

It came after police last month said they had sufficient evident for his indictment for graft, fraud and breach of trust in two other cases.

Netanyahu, 68, has denied all charges and rejected talk of stepping down. He is due to meet US President Donald Trump, perhaps his closest international ally, at the White House on Monday.

In one case, Netanyahu and family members are suspected of receiving one million shekels ($285,000, 230,000 euros) in gifts, including luxury cigars, champagne and jewellery, from wealthy figures in exchange for financial or personal favours.

In the other case, investigators suspect the premier of trying to reach an agreement with the owner of Yediot Aharonot newspaper for more favourable coverage.KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber struck on Friday in the Afghan capital of Kabul, killing one person and wounding 14 bystanders, officials said, but there was no immediate claim of responsibility. The attack came two days after President Ashraf Ghani offered to start peace talks with the Taliban, and just over a month after an ambulance packed with explosives was detonated in the city center, killing about 100 people. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said the cause of the explosion was a car bomb in the city's Qabl Bai area. One person had been killed and 14 bystanders wounded, he added, with all the casualties civilians. Bismillah Tabaan, commander of police in the city's ninth district, said it had been a suicide bombing. The intended target was not clear, but a statement from the Australian Foreign Ministry said the explosion took place near Australian embassy vehicles as they were traveling in the city. It said no one from the embassy had been harmed. Much of the center of Kabul is already a zone of concrete blast walls, razor wire and police checkpoints, but security has been tightened even further in the wake of the Jan. 27 ambulance attack and another attack on the city's Intercontinental Hotel earlier in the month. (Reporting by James Mackenzie and Hamid Shalizi; Editing by Paul Tait, Clarence Fernandez and Kevin Liffey)The 2017 wildfire season in California was nothing short of catastrophic: California state agencies spent nearly $1.8 billion fighting fierce wildfires that killed dozens of people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses last year.

The federal government will reimburse most of the costs, but the state will still need to come up with about $371 million on top of the states existing wildfire budget, the Legislative Analysts Office told the Senate Budget committee. That shouldnt be a problem because state revenue has far exceeded expectations so far this fiscal year and the general fund is flush with cash.

Nearly $1.5 billion was spent fighting fires and on recovery north of San Francisco in October, including debris removal and infrastructure repair. A series of fires in wine country and other areas killed 44 people and destroyed 8,800 buildings, prompting $10 billion in insurance claims.

The state spent about $300 million on December fires in Southern California, including the largest blaze in state history that swept through Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The preliminary numbers are likely to increase as officials get a better account of spending.

Gov. Jerry Brown has proposed spending $35 million in next years budget to backfill lost sales, property and hotel tax revenue for local governments and to repair infrastructure. He also proposed spending $350 million from the states tax on carbon emissions for forest management on fire prevention, new helicopters, fire engines and other purposes.

Meanwhile, fire chiefs from around the state are asking lawmakers for $100 million to boost the states mutual aid system for sharing resources across departments.

That could include overtime for firefighters positioned ahead of time in areas experiencing dangerous weather and for new technology such as satellite tracking to monitor fire engines.

2017 was a hell of a year.

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By AP via KTVADamascus (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Sunday his forces must push on with their campaign to retake the besieged enclave of Eastern Ghouta from rebels, despite mounting international calls to end the bloodshed.

Assad's forces have seized over a quarter of the enclave on Damascus's eastern edges after two weeks of devastating bombardment, according to a war monitor.

As the United States, Britain and France stepped up pressure on Damascus and Moscow to call off the assault, the United Nations said it plans to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to Eastern Ghouta's residents.

"The majority (of people) in Eastern Ghouta want to escape the embrace of terrorism. The operation must continue," Assad told journalists in remarks broadcast on state television.

Regime backer Russia last week announced daily five-hour "humanitarian pauses" in Eastern Ghouta. But while the air campaign has eased, fighting has intensified on the ground.

Assad said civilians would still have "the possibility" to evacuate the enclave, while denying there was any contradiction between a truce and ongoing fighting.

His remarks came as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said regime air strikes on Eastern Ghouta killed 34 civilians including 11 children on Sunday.

The Britain-based monitoring group said earlier that regime forces had advanced to within three kilometres (two miles) of Ghouta's main town, Douma, after retaking "more than 25 percent" of the enclave.

The advance on the back of 15 days of air strikes, artillery fire and rocket attacks that are reported to have killed more than 650 civilians sent hundreds into flight to western parts of the enclave.

The United States issued a statement Sunday condemning the two-week-old assault, and accusing Moscow of ignoring a UN Security Council resolution calling for a 30-day cessation of hostilities.

It said Russia has killed "innocent civilians under the false auspices of counterterrorism operations."

Story continues

Earlier Sunday, US President Donald Trump and British PM Theresa May said Russia and Syria were responsible for "heart-breaking human suffering" in Eastern Ghouta.

With the support of Russian warplanes, the Syrian military has advanced on several fronts, retaking control of farms and villages, a military source told state media.

The source said government forces seized a number of districts including Al-Nashabiyeh and Otaya, and had "eradicated terrorist groups" on the eastern outskirts of Damascus.

They have reached the centre of the enclave, to the edge of Beit Sawa, according to the Observatory.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory, said at least 12 regime fighters had been killed in two areas, Al-Rihan and Shifoniya, in overnight clashes with the Jaish al-Islam rebel group.

Jaish al-Islam shares control of rebel-held parts of Eastern Ghouta with Faylaq al-Rahman and Ahrar al-Sham.

Hamza Bayraqdar, a spokesman for Jaish al-Islam, tweeted that the group's forces had launched "surprise attacks" against regime positions.

The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources on the ground, said rebels had retaken some parts of Shifoniya.

- Hundreds flee -

An AFP correspondent inside Eastern Ghouta saw hundreds of civilians on Sunday fleeing from the town of Beit Sawa in the southeast of the enclave.

The Observatory said some 2,000 civilians had fled regime shelling and clashes in eastern areas to western parts of the enclave.

"Everyone is on the road. There's destruction everywhere," said 35-year-old Abu Khalil, carrying a little girl in his arms wounded on the cheek.

Apart from the civilian losses, at least 76 pro-regime fighters and 43 rebels from Jaish al-Islam have also been killed in clashes since February 25, the Observatory says.

Encircled by regime-controlled territory and unable or unwilling to flee, Eastern Ghouta's 400,000 residents have suffered one of the most ferocious assaults of Syria's civil war.

Under siege since 2013, they had already been facing severe shortages of food and medicine. The region's over-burdened medical workers have been struggling to cope.

While falling short of the 30-day ceasefire demanded by the UN, Russia's announcement last week of daily humanitarian pauses in fighting had raised hopes of some aid deliveries and evacuations.

A convoy of "46 truckloads of health and nutrition supplies, along with food for 27,500 people in need" would finally enter the battered enclave on Monday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

OCHA said further deliveries would follow and that it had "approval" to help 70,000 needy residents.

Moscow has offered safe passage to non-combatants wishing to leave Eastern Ghouta during the pause, but no Syrian civilians have left the enclave since the first break in fighting took effect on Tuesday, the Observatory says.

Damascus and Moscow have accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving.

- 'Simply unacceptable' -

French President Emmanuel Macron called on his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani to put the "necessary pressure" on Syria's regime to halt "indiscriminate" attacks on civilians.

The UN's regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Panos Moumtzis, sounded the alarm over the increased violence.

"Instead of a much-needed reprieve, we continue to see more fighting, more death, and more disturbing reports of hunger and hospitals being bombed," he said.

"This collective punishment of civilians is simply unacceptable."

As Syria's conflict this month approaches its seventh anniversary, Assad's forces, heavily backed by Russia, have retaken most of the territory once lost to rebels.Rome (AFP) - The 'Ndrangheta, the Calabrian crime syndicate suspected of being implicated in the killing of Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, is considered the most powerful of Italy's four homegrown mafias.

Here are five things to know about them:

- From Calabria, but global -

The 'Ndrangheta, which derives its name from the ancient Greek word for "courage", first appeared as an alliance of family clans in southern Italy's impoverished Calabria region in the 18th century.

The group was long associated with racketeering and kidnapping for ransom but it quickly grew through the 1970s and 1980s thanks to its involvement in cocaine trafficking to Europe from Latin America.

However it managed to keep a lower public profile than both the Sicilian Cosa Nostra and the Camorra, which is based in and around Naples.

The 'Ndrangheta's quiet expansion eventually saw it overtake the two more famous organised crime groups in terms of international reach.

Prosecutors say it has developed offshoots in 30 countries around the world, including the Americas, Australia, Asia and northern and eastern Europe.

- More corruption, less killing -

The 'Ndrangheta employs threats of violence but, like other Italian mafias, now puts more emphasis on corruption than killing, according to experts.

"The mafias have transformed their victims into accomplices," Rosy Bindy, head of the Italian parliament's anti-mafia committee, said recently.

Journalist Roberto Saviano, a mafia expert who lives under armed guard because of the death threats he has received since publishing the best-selling book "Gomorra" in 2006, wrote in La Repubblica daily on Friday about the group's classic operating "algorithm".

"The 'Ndrangheta brings capital, the entrepreneur invests it and politicians guarantee the investment in exchange for money and everyone gains an exponential advantage," Saviano wrote.

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- Phenomenal wealth -

A study by the Demoskopika research institute in 2014 estimated the 'Ndrangheta's turnover at 53 billion euros ($65 billion) a year -- more than Deutsche Bank and McDonald's put together at the time.

Revenues represented around 3.5 percent of Italy's total gross domestic product, according to the research based on interior ministry data.

Drug trafficking was estimated to account for around half of 'Ndrangheta revenues but multiple investigations in recent years have found the group in various sectors, from catering and tourism to the lucrative business of housing migrants.

- Tough to crack -

The 'Ndrangheta has proven a particularly difficult group to infiltrate because of its reliance on close families.

However investigators have intensified their gaze on the organisation's Italian and global networks in recent years, and in Italy there are regular announcements of dozens of arrests and asset seizures worth millions.

Tougher legislation has led to higher conviction rates and much harsher prison conditions, including isolation for 'Ndrangheta bosses.

But the clans apparently continue to prosper.

In the hope of breaking down the oath of silence of mafia members, known as "omerta", in recent years prosecutors have even started to take the children of mafia families into foster care.

- Collateral damage? -

While its murder rate has been lower in recent years, the 'Ndrangheta still resorts to killing when it deems death necessary, and that includes abroad.

The 2007 killing of six Italians at a restaurant in the German city of Duisberg in a 'Ndrangheta revenge attack was a particularly brutal example, and according to the Italian authorities was the first mafia feud to spill beyond the country's borders.

The feud reportedly began in 1991 over a thrown firework.

Saviano said Kuciak's killing does not bear all the hallmarks of the 'Ndrangheta although he does not rule out that it could have been behind the murder.

If it did choose to take the risk of media attention by killing Kuciak, Saviano said it was probably "to cover up higher up and more complex interests".Associated Press

Manny Machado screamed at All-Star teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. in the dugout during the fifth inning of the San Diego Padres crucial game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night. Machado shouted and cursed at Tatis, telling him its not about you and you go play baseball after Tatis struck out looking in the fifth. Tatis reacted angrily to the call by plate umpire Phil Cuzzi, and manager Jayce Tingler was ejected when he came out of the dugout to argue.By Dominique Vidalon PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron has asked his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani to put pressure on the Syrian government to end attacks against Syria's besieged eastern Ghouta region and allow humanitarian aid to flow. In a phone conversation on the eve of Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's trip to Tehran, the two presidents agreed to work together in the coming days with the United Nations, Damascus and other countries who are involved to improve the situation for civilians and make a ceasefire effective. France also expects Iran to make a "constructive contribution" to solving crises in the Middle East, the presidency statement said. Violence has escalated in eastern Ghouta, despite a U.N. ceasefire call a week ago and the bombing of the besieged Syrian enclave represents a "simply unacceptable" punishment of civilians, the United Nations said on Sunday. Le Drian also said that Iran needed to address concerns over its ballistic missile program or risk new sanctions. Iran said France's concern over its ballistic missile program was "wrong", the semi-official Fars News agency said. (Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)Paris (AFP) - Judges are investigating whether French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her party illegally took more EU parliament money to pay for France-based staff than previously thought, a report said Sunday.

If confirmed, the claims could cast a pall over the National Front congress next weekend aimed at recasting the party's image after a series of setbacks since Le Pen lost to Emmanuel Macron in last year's presidential race.

The party is suspected of using money from Brussels earmarked for parliamentary assistants to pay staff for party work in France.

The Journal du Dimanche newspaper said the two French judges looking into the suspected EU funding scandal now think it may have been carried out from July 2009 into 2012.

That would mean nearly seven million euros ($8.6 million) was potentially misused, up from a previous estimate of some five million euros.

Le Pen was charged last June with breach of trust over the salaries paid to her chief of staff Catherine Griset and her bodyguard Thierry Legier, and for complicity in breach of trust as FN leader.

She is one of 17 National Front lawmakers -- along with her estranged father Jean-Marie Le Pen -- being investigated over salaries paid to around 40 parliamentary assistants.

If tried and convicted, she faces up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to 375,000 euros, though it is unlikely she would receive a custodial sentence.

Le Pen is running unopposed for a third term as the National Front leader at a congress in Lille, northern France, on March 10 and 11. She will propose changing the party's name in a bid to break with its past association with overt racism and anti-Semitism.

Last week she was charged over posting on Twitter gruesome images of purported atrocities by Islamic State jihadists just a few weeks after the Paris terror attacks in November 2015.(Photo: Christopher Matos-Rogers)

Do you have your ID? I asked my son as we were heading to the door.

Yes, he replied.

On Thursday, we hopped in the car to join the rest of Atlanta traffic. We were on our way to the state Capitol. It was a big day, full of positive energy and new experiences for my son. I hoped that after lobbying at the Capitol, he would more fully understand whats at stake for families like ours  and kids like him.

My son and I are members of the two populations directly targeted by SB 375. I am an LGBTQ man married to my husband of four years, and our son is an LGBTQ former foster youth. And we were traveling to Atlanta to lobby against the passage of the discriminatory SB 375.

SB 375 is a bill, recently passed in the Georgia Senate, that would allow adoption agencies to refuse to work with LGBTQ couples. Those in support of the bill are of the mentality that it would allow faith-based organizations to take part in government programs. The bill is now slated to go to the Georgia House  and its passage would create barriers to adoption for families like my own.

Three years ago, my husband and I decided we were ready to adopt. Like many, we werent really sure where to begin. And for LGBTQ individuals such as us, it was even less clear.

A number of questions ran through our heads. Does this agency work with LGBTQ people? Will us being Jewish prevent us from adopting? Maybe they will approve us, but will they actually match us with any kids?

Our adoption caseworker would later call us go-getters. If it wasnt for this go-getter attitude and relentlessness, there would have been many points where adoption just never would have happened for us. Persistence pays off.

But now, despite all of the challenges same-sex parents already face to foster and adopt children, there are legislators who are trying to take away the right to adopt from LGBTQ families.

During our adoption process, our family started a parent support group to help connect adoptive parents with one another, to share referrals, offer support and ultimately increase successful placements. That group has gained a life of its own, thanks to the supportive and active members. I am constantly amazed at the beautiful and gracious people I have come to know through this community, and all that we accomplish together.

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My organization, AdoptGA, works closely with county and state-level departments and placement agencies to recruit and mentor families, and provide feedback to improve agency services. Multiple agencies and the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services know their LGBTQ youth are often in unaccepting placements, and have reached out to us and other LGBTQ families to help develop training for social workers and parents. Increased depression, homelessness and drug use by our LGBTQ youth in foster care have agencies and DFCS concerned, and they are beginning to improve their training to include LGBTQ youth acceptance.

SB 375 would exacerbate this problem for our LGBTQ youth. Private agencies also provide their own version of training for prospective parents. Do you think an agency that refuses to work with a same-sex couple will teach acceptance of LGBTQ youth to their parents?

The proponents of SB 375 argue that writing this bill into law will encourage more faith-based agencies to open in Georgia, allowing them to place more kids with families. This language and posturing actually limits the pool of parents and discourages many from trying. To the proponents, I share our familys story, and I suggest that we work together to encourage more agencies to come to Georgia that work with all families. Encouraging and recruiting a larger demographic of families is how we properly serve these kids. Having bills such as SB 375 circulating only perpetuates the myth that solely heterosexually married couples can adopt.

To the families of Georgia, I offer my familys story to encourage all types of families and individuals to pursue fostering or adopting. These are Georgia kids, so they are just as diverse as our state, and they need diverse parents.

We are here, we are many, and we stand with you ready to help you on your adoption or foster journey. Georgia needs more diverse families and individuals to join us and give these kids a loving, stable home.

Love is what makes a family.

Have a compelling first-person story you want to share? Send your story description to pitch@huffpost.com.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Does gun control save lives? One of the largest-ever studies on U.S. gun policy published on Friday found some evidence that a number of policies could reduce homicides, suicides and accidental deaths and injuries. However, the think tank behind the study said there has been so little research done on the subject due to a lack of federal funding, that it will be difficult for policymakers to make informed decisions.

In a research project called "Gun Policy in America," The RAND Corp think tank sought to provide a factual basis for the debate around gun control to determine which policies might be the most effective.

In reviewing available research, however, RAND said it found a lack of studies attributing a reduction in violence rather than just coinciding with the results. The project looked at thousands of studies, but only 62 of them had causal results about gun policies, with only two-thirds of them were carried out in the last 15 years.

Trending: Trump Has Said Nothing About Putin's Satan 2 Video of Nuclear Missiles Aimed At the U.S.

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Don Juan Moore/Getty

Still, the RAND team determined that the strongest evidence available supports the conclusion that laws designed to keep guns out of the hands of children reduce self-injuries related to firearms, suicides and accidental injuries to children.

It also found moderate evidence to support conclusions that background checks reduce firearm suicides and firearm homicides and that laws prohibiting the purchase or possession of guns by individuals affected by mental health issues reduce violent crime.

The think tank said there is also moderate evidence that stand-your-ground laws, which allow people to use guns to defend themselves without being required to at first attempt to flee when possible, may increase state homicide rates.

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"For four of the outcomes we studieddefensive gun use, hunting and recreation, mass shootings, and officer-involved shootingswe found inconclusive evidence, at best, on the effects of any of the policies," researchers said.

"However, these understudied outcomes are often central concerns in gun policy debates. For instance, even though we found that child-access prevention laws have measureable benefits in reducing accidental and intentional self-injuries and deaths, the effects of these laws on defensive gun useone of the principal objections raised against child-access prevention lawshave not been evaluated rigorously," they added.

Don't miss: Racist Gorilla Statue to Return to Texas Playground After Outrage From Local Residents

RAND said the lack of information on gun control could in large part be attributed to a lack of federal funding for research, which it said dried up around 20 years ago.

In fact, annual spending bills in Congress since 1996 say no funding at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may be used to advocate or promote gun control.

"The federal government previously supported a more robust program of research examining firearm violence and policy," RAND researchers explained.

"In the 1990s, the CDC was sponsoring millions of dollars of research on firearm violence. But when a group of researchers found that having a gun in the home was associated with an elevated risk of firearm homicide for members of the household, their results were viewed by some as a one-sided attempt to manipulate the gun policy debate," they added.

As a result, Congress passed the Dickey Amendment in 1996, which slashed $2.6 million of funding from the CDCan amount that mirrored what its injury prevention center had been investing in gun violence research.

RAND

RAND

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The think tank recommended the federal government increase funding for gun research to levels more on par with federal research investments in research into other significant causes of death and injury, such as car accidents.

The think tank also said the focus of federally funded research should be expanded to look at the effects policies have on defensive gun use, gun ownership, hunting and recreation activities, jobs in the gun industry and officer-involved shootings.

Read more: Gun Control Laws: These Are the Measures Americans Support

"Unfortunately, federal support for research that could help states and communities reduce firearm crime, violence, and suicide remains very limited," researchers said.

"Moreover, the state and federal surveys describing gun ownership and usesorely needed to help researchers understand how state-level policies workhave not lived up to the optimism expressed by researchers in the early 2000s," they said, adding: "In some important respects, federal support has deteriorated since then."

GettyImages-924591928

Don Juan Moore/Getty

The study comes in the wake of last month's school shooting in Parkland, Florida, which saw 17 students and teachers killed. The mass shooting reignited the nationwide debate around gun control, with the Trump administration facing growing calls for more restrictive gun laws.

In a televised appearance on Wednesday, President Donald Trump left those in favor of comprehensive gun control optimistic after calling for legislation that would expand background checks to weapons bought at gun shows and on the internet, limit access to those with mental health issues and restrict gun sales for some young adults.

Support for stricter gun laws has surged in polls conducted after the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, with roughly 2 in 3 Americans now saying that they are in favor of tighter gun control laws, according to a number of polls, including a recent POLITICO/Morning Consult study.

The poll found support for stricter gun laws among registered voters at 68 percent, compared with 25 percent who said they opposed tighter regulation.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekTehran (AFP) - Iran's armed forces spokesman said on Saturday that there can be no talks on the country's missile programme without the West's destruction of its nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

"What Americans say out of desperation with regards to limiting the Islamic republic of Iran's missile capability is an unattainable dream," Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri told the official IRNA news agency.

"The condition for negotiations on Iran's missiles is the destruction of America's and Europe's nuclear weapons and long-range missiles."

Jazayeri said US criticism of Iran's missile programme was driven by "their failures and defeats in the region."

US President Donald Trump has threatened to tear up a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers unless more is done to curb Iran's missile programme.

European governments have been scrambling to appease Trump and keep the deal intact, and have voiced increasing concern over Iran's missile programme.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who is due to visit Iran on Monday, said last month that its missile programme and involvement in regional conflicts needed to be addressed if Iran "wants to return to the family of nations".

Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy advisor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, criticised Le Drian's position on Saturday, just two days before they are expected to meet.

"Iran's defence programme is not the concern of other countries such as France, that they should come and tell us what missiles we can have. Do we tell France how it should defend itself?" he told the semi-official ISNA news agency.

"If Le Drian's visit is aimed at reinforcing our relations, he would do well to avoid negative positions," Velayati added.Baghdad (AFP) - Iraq's parliament on Saturday adopted an $88.5 billion budget for 2018, with Kurdish lawmakers boycotting the vote to protest against a cut in the amount allocated to their autonomous region.

The reduction comes after a controversial independence reference by the Kurds last year sparked a furious dispute with the central government.

The budget is based on projected oil exports of 3.9 million barrels per day, including 250,000 bpd produced in the Kurdistan autonomous region of northern Iraq, at a price of $46 per barrel.

It also projects $77.5 billion (63 billion euros) in revenues and a deficit of $10.6 billion, and allocates $20.8 billion for investments.

Kurdish lawmakers boycotted the vote because it reduced Kurdistan's part of the national budget from 17 percent to 12.6 percent.

Article 9 of the Iraqi constitution stipulates that Kurdistan's share of the budget must reflect the size of the population of the autonomous region.

But the text of the budget approved by parliament on Saturday states that the autonomous Kurdish government must export 250,000 bpd and hand over the money it earns from the sales to the federal authorities.

"If Kurdistan does not hand over (the money), the finance ministry will take it from its part of the budget," it said.

Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces took control of the northern province of Kirkuk, home to key oilfields, in June 2014 after federal forces withdrew in the face of an offensive by the Islamic State group.

Late last year, following the failed Kurdish referendum on independence rejected by Baghdad, federal forces recaptured the oilfields, severing a key lifeline for the Kurds whose economy largely depended on oil revenues.

Iraqi parliament speaker Salim Jubburi on Saturday said the 2018 budget had also "resolved" the issue of "salaries for Kurdish civil servants and the peshmerga".

The federal government will resume paying those salaries which had been frozen for the past six month amid demands by Baghdad for an audit to determine the number of civil servants in Kurdistan, he said.

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The budget also contained some belt-tightening measures as Iraq looks to rebuild after the brutal fight against the Islamic State group.

It limits the number of cars that can be used for official convoys, including those escorting the president and the prime minister.

Dozens of cars used to escort government officials in Iraq, but under the new guidelines the president and the prime minister will be alloted just five vehicles each.

Government ministers will be allowed three-car convoys and vice presidents two.

Iraq will sell at auction all the other cars that made up official convoys and put the money earned back into the budget.

Iraq ranks as one of the world's most corrupt countries, coming 169th out of 180 in Transparency International's corruption perception index for 2017.

Its economy has suffered from low oil prices and the country is also reeling from a three-year war against jihadists.

The adoption of the new budget comes weeks after donors pledged $30 billion in loans and investment for Iraq's reconstruction.

Iraq has said its 10-year reconstruction plan would cost $88.2 billion, of which $22 billion was required immediately.Rome (AFP) - Italy's rival political parties made a final bid for votes on Friday ahead of an election in which former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is gunning for a leading role in shaping any new government.

The anti-establishment Five Star Movement, the anti-immigration League party -- allied with the 81-year-old Berlusconi -- and the ruling centre-left Democratic Party held their final rallies before Sunday's election.

The campaign has been dominated by concerns about immigration and the far-right is expected to make major gains, while the populist Five Star Movement is also likely to score well.

"Tonight the era of opposition finishes, and the era of Five Star Movement government begins!" said leader Luigi Di Maio at their rally in Rome's Piazza del Popolo on Friday.

The Five Star Movement's fiery rhetoric has earned them followers among the many in Italy who feel alienated from politics.

"I did not vote for a long time but I started to follow the movement from the beginning," says party activist Marco Becchi, who is 31 and from Rome.

"They gave me hope, a reason to vote again and believe in this country."

However despite their supporters' enthusiasm the final polls in the election indicate that Berlusconi's four-party right-wing alliance will win the most votes after his promises to expel 600,000 "irregular" migrants and slash taxes.

The 81-year-old Berlusconi, whose career has been shadowed by sex scandals and court cases, cannot himself hold elected office because of a fraud conviction.

But on Thursday he unveiled European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, a close ally since the tycoon first entered politics in the early 1990s, as his choice for prime minister if he wins.

- 'The League will govern' -

Berlusconi's coalition on Thursday held its first and last joint campaign event in a bid to dispel rumours of severe divisions between Berlusconi and eurosceptic League leader Matteo Salvini.

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Salvini has prime ministerial ambitions of his own and has indicated that he should receive the nomination if his party wins more votes than Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy).

"From Monday, the League will govern this country!", Salvini said at his final campaign rally in Milan.

The slow recovery has been another major issue in the campaign and Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni of the centre-left Democratic Party got a welcome boost on Thursday from some positive results.

Economic growth for last year was revised up to 1.5 percent from a previous estimate of 1.4 percent and the public deficit fell to 1.9 percent of GDP -- its lowest level in a decade.

But many Italians say they are not feeling the effects of economic recovery and gross domestic product is still 5.7 percent lower than at the start of the global financial crisis in 2008.

"Whatever the election outcome, I don't believe anything will change," said Imma Arco, a 28-year-old pharmacy graduate from Naples who is moving to Britain to further her career.

All the main parties have promised to tackle a sharp growth in poverty in what is one of Europe's most unequal societies.

Their proposed measures range from a universal basic income put forward by the Five Star Movement, to promises of an official minimum wage from the Democratic Party which has warned of the need to maintain budgetary discipline.

- Campaign clashes -

Italy has a new complex electoral system in place -- a mixture of proportional representation and first-past-the-post -- which makes the outcome of this vote particularly difficult to predict.

Analysts have said the three main possible scenarios are an outright victory by Berlusconi's grouping, a grand coalition between him and the Democratic Party or a more temporary government formed with the guidance of President Sergio Mattarella.

Commentators have warned over the harsh anti-immigration tone of the campaign, which has seen numerous clashes between anti-fascist and far-right activists across the country.

The atmosphere soured particularly after a racially motivated attack on February 3 by a far-right gunman in the central city of Macerata that left six African migrants injured.Rome (AFP) - Italy is used to living with political uncertainty thanks to the more than 60 governments it has piled through since the republic was established after the Second World War.

The country heads to the polls on Sunday to elect its representatives in the lower house Chamber of Deputies and upper house Senate.

But with a fragmented political landscape and a complicated new electoral law in place that mixes proportional representation with first-past-the-post, the country could wake up on Monday to any one of a variety of scenarios.

Here are the three main possible outcomes:

- A right-wing coalition -

"It is unlikely that any of the three main contenders will be able to obtain a majority, but there is only one that can, and it's the right," said Roberto D'Alimonte, Director of the Political Science Department of Rome's Luiss University.

The right-wing coalition brings together four parties, the biggest of which are Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia (Go Italy) and the far-right League headed up by Matteo Salvini.

An agreement between Berlusconi and Salvini says that whoever comes first of the two parties will lead the government, should the coalition win a majority.

Banned from public office thanks to a tax fraud investigation, Berlusconi has said that if the coalition win a majority and his party comes first he would like to see European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, his former protege, lead the government.

If the League comes out on top, Salvini will be premier, assuming that Berlusconi keeps his word and lines up behind him.

- A grand coalition -

Brussels is betting on a German-style grand coalition between Forza Italia and the centre-left Democratic Party, both pro-EU parties.

Neither Berlusconi nor Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi have dared suggest that they might enter into such an agreement during the campaign, but it is exactly what happened after the last general election in 2013.

Story continues

The website Votewatch Europe notes that Forza Italia's representatives in the European Parliament have voted with the Democratic Party 76 percent of the time, but only 36 percent of the time with the League.

However, there is no guarantee that the two parties and their Europhile allies -- perhaps even boosted by defectors from the League who have little taste for their party's recent nationalist rebrand -- will obtain enough votes to gain a majority in the upper and lower houses.

Another hypothesis, and one denied even more vigorously, is a eurosceptic alliance between the League and anti-establishment Five Star Movement.

But that partnership would also not be guaranteed to pick up enough votes and would be subject to fierce internal opposition from within both parties.

It would also run counter to the conciliatory tone recently offered towards the EU by Five Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio, a shift from the instinctive euroscepticism of party founder Beppe Grillo.

- No parliamentary majority -

The last available polls from mid-February gave the right-wing coalition 37 percent of voting intentions, of which 17 percent for Forza Italia and 13 percent for the League.

The Five Star Movement was predicted to get 28 percent, followed by 27 percent for the centre-left coalition led by the Democratic Party, but with millions still undecided.

If there is no new majority in parliament, Paolo Gentiloni of the Democratic Party would remain as prime minister.

In the meantime President Sergio Mattarella will consult the various parliamentary groups to see if there is a figure who can command a majority, and if not, new elections could be called.

Regardless of the outcome, the procedure will take time. The two chambers will meet for the first time on March 23 to form groups and elect speakers for both the Chamber of Deputies and Senate.Jamie Benn was very excited about his OT goal on Saturday. (Tony Gutierrez/AP)

Whats the most suitable way to celebrate a big overtime winner, you ask? By snapping the stick used to score said goal over your femur, obviously.

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After putting home the OT winner against the Blues on Saturday, Jamie Benn let his (happy) rage take hold as he obliterated his stick over his leg in a strange yet beautiful celebration. It was the 28-year-olds 22nd tally and 58th point of the campaign, and Benns effort put Dallas back into a tie with Minnesota for third spot in the deadly Central Division.

A reason to celebrate, for sure, but where does this gem stack up against some of the all-time great cellies? You decide.

The Mike Foligno Leap:

The Ziggy Pallfy kiss on the lips:

The Jaromir Jagr salute:

Alex Burrows Luc Bourdon tribute bow and arrow:

The Tiger Williams stick ride:

The Teemu Selanne glove shot:

The Alex Ovechkin stick on fire:

The Theo Fleury slide:Larry Kudlow, a confidant of President Donald Trump, told CNBC on Friday he's been urging top White House economic advisor Gary Cohn to stay.

There are multiple media reports casting doubt on Cohn's future in the White House after he was unable to convince Trump not to impose steel and aluminium tariffs.

Larry Kudlow, a confidant of President Donald Trump , told CNBC on Friday he's been urging top White House economic advisor Gary Cohn to stay.

"I have to tell you, personally, I am urging Gary Cohn to stay and fight for another day. He's done a great job," said Kudlow, a longtime economist who served in the Reagan administration. Kudlow is currently a CNBC senior contributor.

There are multiple media reports casting doubt on Cohn's future in the White House after he was unable to convince Trump not to impose steel and aluminium tariffs. There's been speculation for months about whether or not Cohn may leave his post as director of the National Economic Council.

In a brief gaggle with reporters on Friday morning, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders was asked about whether Cohn is staying. " I don't have any reason to think otherwise right now." She added, "Gary was here yesterday afternoon, I talked to him in my office several times."

Sanders also said, Trump is "pretty committed" to his announced new policy, saying she did not expect the 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent on aluminum to change.

Kudlow said on "Squawk Box" Trump has done great things like tax cuts and deregulation, but these tariffs are not among them. On Thursday , Kudlow said Trump's tariffs are a "bad omen" and could cause "major calamity."

Trump announced the new tariffs Thursday, sending stocks into a tailspin, re-approaching their early February lows. Dow futures were down about 200 points on Friday. The president, making good on a campaign promise to protect America's trade interests, is expected to set the tariffs, as early as next week .

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"I've had this discussion with the president," said Kudlow. "I've had it for two years-plus. I won a lot of discussions on taxes, on regulations. I have not won any on trade."

Tariffs are "prosperity killers" that will do more harm to the U.S. economy than good, Kudlow said. "Tariffs damage the user of the commodity, in this case, steel. It's a tax."

"We're going to have a group going into the Oval [Office] to see him, probably next week to talk it through," Kudlow added.

In a tweet Friday morning, Trump suggested the U.S. would come out on top if the new tariffs were to spark an international trade war.

@realDonaldTrump When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don't trade anymore-we win big. It's easy!





More From CNBC

Several people rushed to the aid of a man trapped beneath the snow following an avalanche on March 2 in Squaw Valley in northern California.

The Placer County Sheriffs Department confirmed that there were no fatalities or life-threatening injuries following the avalanche.

However, the Squaw Valley ski resort closed as a result of the avalanche.

In a video of the rescue effort people can be seen digging with their hands and with shovels in an effort to help the man. Speaking to Storyful, the person who recorded the video said that the man in blue (as seen in the footage) first spotted the man submerged in snow. He told Storyful that Squaw Valley is a client safety first resort. Credit: Heather Turning via StoryfulLondon (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said Friday that both London and Brussels will have to make concessions in Brexit negotiations, adding that she remained "confident" of a deal with the EU.

"We both need to face the fact that this is a negotiation and neither of us can have exactly what we want," she said in a highly-anticipated speech in London on Britain's future relationship with the bloc.

May said she remained "confident" of reaching a deal with the European Union, while admitting Britain needed to "resolve the tension between some of our key objectives".

"I want to be straight with people because the reality is we all need to face up to some hard facts.

"We are leaving the single market, life is going to be different. In certain ways our access to each other's markets will be different," she told an audience at Mansion House in the City of London.

The prime minister called for a free trade agreement covering most sectors, going further than the deal signed between Canada and the EU but stopping far short of Norway which is a member of the European Economic Area.

"We need to strike a new balance. but we will not accept the rights of Canada and the obligations of Norway," she said.

Rejecting claims that Britain would seek to lower regulations on goods after Brexit, May warned that the British public would "punish" any government seeking to do so.

Standards would "remain at least as high as the EU's", the prime minister said.

Her speech followed disagreement this week between the two sides, after Brussels published a draft law codifying the divorce terms agreed with Brussels.

May on Friday again rejected the EU's suggestion that Northern Ireland remain in a customs union with the bloc if no better solution is found.

"It would also be unacceptable to break up the United Kingdom's own common market," May said, adding she would not allow any agreement to "damage the integrity of our precious Union".By Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - Before a phone conversation this week to discuss the war in Syria and Russian nuclear arms, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Donald Trump had not spoken to each other in over five months. That gap, described by diplomats on both sides of the Atlantic as shockingly long, underscores the challenge Merkel faces if she succeeds in forming a coalition government later this month and, as German officials suggest, tries to reset the relationship with Trump. A strong believer in close transatlantic ties, Merkel was the go-to leader in Europe for both Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush when Washington and Berlin were navigating the global financial crisis, Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and Iran's nuclear programme. But her relationship with Trump got off to a frosty start and has never recovered. At a time of rising transatlantic tensions over trade, the Iran nuclear deal and NATO defence spending, some German officials and analysts worry the personal divide between the brash, impulsive president and cautious, analytical chancellor could lead to a further deterioration in bilateral ties. Jan Techau, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund think tank in Berlin, described the five month gap in contact between the leaders before Thursday's phone conversation as a "very very bad sign". He saw no connection with the conservative chancellor's struggle to form a new government more than five months after federal elections. "I don't think it has anything to do with the political limbo in Germany. It is a sign of a relationship where there is no trust," Techau said. "If you don't have a personal relationship between the leaders to fall back on, it can be very difficult to stop the downward spiral." Juergen Hardt, a senior lawmaker in Merkel's Christian Democrat party, said: "Especially in times of stress, when immediate communication is required, they need to be able to pick up the phone and find solutions. There needs to be a good personal relationship and a good working relationship." MACRON German government officials play down the prolonged "radio silence" between Merkel and Trump, noting that the chancellor has ratcheted back her contacts with many foreign leaders during the months of arduous coalition talks at home. They say the dialogue between Germany and the United States at lower levels of the government remains strong. Some question whether any foreign leader can influence Trump, who shocked his European allies again on Thursday by announcing plans to introduce hefty tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, sending financial markets reeling on fears of a trade war. [nL2N1QK0GY] "Germany needs to make up for the vacuum at the top level by engaging on other levels, with Congress, with the states and with civil society," said Thomas Matussek, a former German ambassador to the United Nations and Britain. Still, the contrast between Merkel's icy start with Trump and the rapport that French President Emmanuel Macron has developed with the American president is stark. Macron has gone out of his way to woo Trump with a mix of machismo and flattery. The two engaged in a macho handshake contest when they first met last May. Two months later, Macron hosted Trump at Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, dining with him in the Eiffel Tower. Next month Macron will travel to Washington for the first official state visit by a foreign leader since Trump became president early last year. Over the past five months, Macron and Trump have spoken by phone seven times, according to the Elysee. Over the same span, British Prime Minister Theresa May has spoken with Trump four times, according to Downing Street. U.S. and German officials confirmed to Reuters that before Thursday, Merkel had not spoken with Trump since Sept. 28. She often spoke with Obama and Bush on a weekly basis, according to German officials, who could not recall a gap of more than a month with Trump's two predecessors. PUBLIC OPINION A French official close to Macron rejected the notion that the French president and Merkel were engaged in a coordinated "good cop, bad cop" act with Trump, and noted that the chancellor had to take her more sceptical public into account. "German public opinion towards Trump is a catastrophe. It is much more violent (than in France)," the official said. A poll by the Pew Research Center last year showed that just 11 percent of Germans have confidence in Trump. Another Pew poll published earlier this week showed that 56 percent of Germans view the relationship with the United States as "bad". German officials still expect Merkel -- who has continued to talk with Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan during times of acute bilateral tensions -- to do her best to re-engage with Trump over the coming months. The two will see each other at a G7 summit in Canada in June and at a NATO summit in Brussels a month later. U.S.-German contacts may pick up if Merkel finally forms a new government. Social Democrat party members are voting on whether to endorse another four years of the 'grand coalition' with the Christian Democrats, with the result of the postal ballot due on Sunday. "Once there is a new government in place all cabinet members will engage. Expect a new wave of visits from Berlin to Washington," one senior official said. But German officials say there are no current plans for Merkel to return to the White House, where Trump ignored entreaties to shake her hand during a meeting in the Oval Office a year ago. And there are no plans for Trump to return to Germany following his visit to Hamburg for a G20 summit last July. (Additional reporting by Michel Rose in Paris, Elizabeth Piper in London and Jeff Mason in Washington; editing by David Stamp)By Dave Graham and Sharay Angulo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to unleash a trade war over steel crushed hopes of substantial progress in the latest talks to rework NAFTA, heightening fears for the trade deal's future.

Trump said on Thursday that a plan for protectionist tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum goods would be announced next week, following up on Twitter on Friday by calling trade wars "good, and easy to win."

Trump's statements have blunted efforts to renegotiate the 1990s-era North American Free Trade Agreement, which had already been disrupted by the early departure of a U.S. official handling one of the most divisive subjects, content rules for autos.

Asked how NAFTA negotiators could be working in good faith to update the deal while Trump talked approvingly about trade wars, a well-placed Canadian source replied: "That's a very good question. I don't think there's an answer yet."

Jerry Dias, head of Canadian private-sector union Unifor, said after meeting with Canada's chief negotiator on Friday that Trump's latest gambit to push his "America First" strategy immediately soured the negotiations.

"The Canadian team is absolutely furious," Dias told Reuters, saying Canada should walk away from the talks if it did not receive an exemption. He likened the Trump administration to a schoolyard bully.

"Ultimately Canada's going to have to start fighting fire with fire," he told reporters.

One Mexican official familiar with the process gave a terse appraisal of how Trump's announcement went down at the talks.

"Very bad news, very bad timing, very dangerous to go down this road," the official said.

Trade officials have become used to tensions sparked by Trump, and Mexico's chief NAFTA negotiator Kenneth Smith said the talks had not been affected by the steel announcement.

Story continues

However, he said Mexico and Canada should be exempted from the measures as NAFTA allies of the United States.

It remains unclear whether the metals tariffs would apply to the United States' partners under NAFTA, which together account for more than $1 trillion worth of annual trilateral trade.

Canada, the biggest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States, is looking at ways to impose immediate sanctions on the United States if necessary, said the Canadian source.

Mexican officials said the government would likely wait for clarity on the matter before responding, but one said earlier this week that Mexico would hit back if subject to U.S. tariffs.

POLITICAL WILL

Officials say a handful of less contentious NAFTA chapters could still be concluded during the latest round of talks, and three people at the talks said the technical teams remained focused on their tasks, despite the uncertainty the steel tariff plan had caused.

Negotiators from the three countries have been meeting for six months and made few concrete announcements.

Expectations of progress at the seventh round in Mexico City had already been tempered by the conviction that major problem areas were unlikely to be removed without the mediation of senior political figures.

The risk of a tariff war between the NAFTA partners threw up new roadblocks.

Mexican steel industry association Canacero said it expected the government to take "immediate reciprocal actions" if the United States slapped the tariffs on Mexico, and agricultural lobbyists at the NAFTA talks also condemned the tariff plan.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to pull out of NAFTA if the deal is not recast to his liking, arguing that it has caused an exodus of U.S. manufacturing jobs to lower-cost Mexico.

Blindsided by Trump's steel announcement, participants at the talks are looking ahead to Monday's scheduled meeting between U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and Mexico's Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo for clarity on the path forward.

"It's not a question of what's achievable. Of course it's achievable," said one industry executive in Mexico close to the negotiations. "It's a question of political will."

(Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton, David Alire Garcia, David Ljunggren and Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Grant McCool and Tom Brown)Nepal's largest newspaper appeared briefly in court Friday summoned by the country's chief justice for publishing articles critical of him, in a case widely condemned as an attack on press freedom.

The Kantipur Daily was subpoenaed by chief justice Gopal Parajuli on contempt of court charges for a series of articles that said the country's top judge had given different dates of birth on various official documents.

Judges in Nepal have to retire at 65 and the suggestion is that Parajuli knocked years off his age to hold office for longer.

In the subpoena issued Sunday by Parajuli -- who will preside over the case despite being directly implicated in it -- the newspaper is accused of using "objectionable language" and repeating "imaginary facts". It made no reference to the chief justice's multiple birthdays.

"The articles published by the Kantipur Daily are intended to obstruct the judicial process and weaken the judiciary by disrespecting the court and spreading confusion about the court and its justices," according to the order seen by AFP.

Kantipur Daily's editor-in-chief, the chairman, a company director and a reporter appeared for the scheduled hearing Friday, but it was postponed until Sunday.

They could face up to a year in jail if found guilty.

Multiple news outlets have carried reports that the chief justice's official documents show as many as five different dates of birth, but only the Kantipur Daily -- Nepal's largest newspaper by circulation -- has been singled out by the court.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders slammed the move against the newspaper and urged lawmakers to impeach the top judge.

"It shouldn't be necessary to remind a chief justice that you cannot be judge and party at the same time," said Daniel Bastard, the watchdog's Asia-Pacific expert.

"This is a completely unacceptable case of prior censorship that could have dire consequences for media freedom if it sets a legal precedent."

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Akhilesh Upadhyay, the editor-in-chief of Kantipur Daily's English-language sister publication, The Kathmandu Post, said the court order was motivated by a personal vendetta and said the newspaper would fight the charges.

"He has put a muzzle on the press," he said in an interview with AFP earlier this week.

Parajuli was appointed chief justice nine months ago, and even by the youngest age on his official documents, is due to retire in two months.

Nepal's media industry has boomed since the country's king was overthrown a decade ago following a brutal civil war, spawning dozens of newspapers and news channels.

A new constitution passed in 2015 enshrines the right to press freedom and bans censorship of news, which was common during monarchic rule.

Journalists in the Himalayan nation do still face intimidation and arrest, particularly if reporting on issues deemed by authorities to affect national unity.

Nepal ranks 100 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' press freedom index.JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Benjamin Netanyahu is the dominant Israeli politician of his generation. On the domestic and international stage, no rival comes close to the veteran Likud Party leader known widely as "Bibi". Israeli police on Feb. 13 recommended that the 68-year-old,four-term prime minister be indicted for bribery in two cases. On Friday, he was questioned in connection with a third investigation. It is by no means certain that Netanyahu will be indicted. The police can only make recommendations. It is now up to Israel's attorney-general, Avichai Mandelblit, to decide whether to press charges. That decision could take months. But the very fact that the leader of Israel's ruling right-wing coalition is being scrutinized by prosecutors will likely affect the political calculations of his supporters, rivals and opponents within his own coalition, and across the political spectrum. Here is a guide to Netanyahu's career, some possible candidates to succeed him, and what effect any change in leadership might have on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and across a Middle East in which Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other regional power brokers are all watching closely. DOES NETANYAHU HAVE TO RESIGN? Netanyahu is under no strict legal obligation to quit following the police recommendations. Indeed, he has given every indication that he intends to remain in office while pursuing a legal battle. There has been little public pressure from coalition partners for him to step down, although that could change as fellow politicians and the Israeli public study details of the cases. There was speculation before the police recommendations were made public that Netanyahu might call early elections, seeking a public mandate that would make a prosecutor think twice before moving against him. However, Netanyahu said in a televised address that he was "certain" the next elections would be held on schedule. They are not due until November 2019. Recent polls show on the one hand that about half of Israelis believe the police over Netanyahu and think he should step down. On the other hand, surveys also show strong support among Netanyahu's core base, putting Likud ahead of all the other parties. HOW DID NETANYAHU BECOME SUCH A DOMINANT FIGURE? Netanyahu has been in power on and off since 1996. The son of a hawkish Israeli historian, he was born in Tel Aviv in 1949and moved to the United States in the 1960s when his father got an academic job there. He is the middle of three brothers, all of whom served in elite Israeli commando units. The eldest, Yonatan Yoni Netanyahu, became a national hero after he was killed in 1976leading an assault team that stormed Entebbe Airport in Ugandato rescue Israelis and other airline passengers taken hostage by radical Palestinian and West German hijackers. Netanyahu says his brother's death "changed my life and directed it to its present course". Telegenic, and speaking fluent American-accented English, he first gained domestic and international attention as Israels ambassador to the United Nations during the first Palestinianintifada (uprising) that broke out in 1987. He used this as a springboard to secure the leadership of the right-wing Likud party, running on a platform of opposition to the 1993 Oslo interim peace accords that were spearheaded by U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israel's then-prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. But Rabin was assassinated in 1995 and Netanyahu was elected prime minister the following year, the youngest-ever Israeli to hold the position and the first to be born in Israel. Despite having opposed Oslo, Netanyahu worked with Arafat on deploying Palestinian forces into the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron, and even shook Arafat's hand in public. But his first term as prime minister was widely seen as a failure. Critics assailed what was seen as a divisive style of leadership, and after losing the election in 1999 he spent a period in the second rank of Israeli politics, overshadowed even within his own party by former general Ariel Sharon. Returning to prominence after Sharon left Likud and then suffered an incapacitating stroke in 2005, Netanyahu was elected for his second term in 2009  10 years after his first ended. The last election was in 2015, and Netanyahu will become Israels longest-serving leader if he serves the full four years until elections are next due in November 2019. A familiar figure in Washington dating back to the 1980sReagan administration, Netanyahu most recently had a strained relationship with President Barack Obama, especially over his opposition to the July 2015 Iran nuclear deal promoted by the U.S. leader. But he has been much closer to Obama's successor, President Donald Trump. On Dec. 6 last year Trump reversed decades of U.S. foreign policy and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He also said he would move the U.S. Embassy to the city. Both moves were hailed by Netanyahu and proved very popular with Israelis, although Palestinians - who claim East Jerusalem for the capital of a future state - and political and religious leaders across the Middle East were dismayed. So proud is Netanyahu of his relationship with Trump that he has a picture of the two shaking hands at the top of his Facebook page. He is likely to use his relationship with the leader of the world's most powerful country in any future appeal to the Israeli public. WHO ARE THE POTENTIAL SUCCESSORS? Opinion polls suggest that Yair Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid opposition party, is the strongest candidate to succeed Netanyahu if he is forced out. But other candidates could enter the race, which would shift the balance. Within Netanyahu's Likud party, a number of members of his cabinet are vying to succeed him, including Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Intelligence Minister Israel Katz and former Education Minister Gideon Saar. None has shown strong signs of planning to depart significantly from Netanyahu's hawkish policies. Outside Netanyahu's party, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett are possible candidates. Both head far-right parties in Netanyahu's governing coalition. WHAT HAPPENS TO ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN, REGIONAL CONFLICTS IF HE QUITS? A cloud over Netanyahu's political future would compound the uncertainty surrounding prospects for a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that collapsed in 2014. If Netanyahu steps down, a successor from within Likud would need the support of the party's hardline central committee, which passed a non-binding resolution in December calling for annexation of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, captured by Israel in a 1967 war and which Palestinians want for a future state. Recent tensions along the Syrian and Lebanese borders have not so far proved to be a major factor in domestic political calculations, as even Netanyahu's political opponents say they do not believe his legal troubles would affect his decision-making on security matters. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell, Jeffrey Heller and Stephen Farrell, Editing by William Maclean)BEIRUT/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Syrian government forces gained more ground in an assault on eastern Ghouta near Damascus on Saturday as they seek to defeat the last major rebel enclave near the capital, a war monitor and a news service run by Lebanon's Hezbollah said.

On another front in the multi-sided war, Turkey said it had captured a Kurdish town in the northwestern Afrin region where it has been fighting the Kurdish YPG militia since January, helped by allied Syrian fighters.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Turkish campaign was gathering pace, and Turkish jets hit pro-government forces for the third time in 48 hours in the area, killing 36 of them. The pro-government forces are allied to the YPG.

The Syrian war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people since 2011, has escalated on several fronts this year as the collapse of Islamic State has given way to other conflicts between Syrian and international parties.

The U.N. Security Council demanded a 30-day countrywide ceasefire a week ago, but this has failed to take effect.

Damascus, backed by Russia and Iran, has been waging one of the deadliest offensives of the war in eastern Ghouta, killing hundreds of people in a fierce air and artillery bombardment over the last two weeks.

Ground forces including the army's elite Tiger Force have been attacking from the eastern edge of the besieged enclave, where the United Nations says 400,000 people live.

The Observatory said they had taken almost complete control of the town of al-Shayfouniya on Saturday.

The Jaish al-Islam rebel group said in a statement its fighters had withdrawn from positions in two areas, one of them in al-Shayfouniya, due to intense bombardment. It accused Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and Russia of waging a "scorched earth" campaign.

The military news service run by Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese group that fights on Assad's side, named three other areas it said the Syrian army had captured at the eastern and southeastern rim of the rebel enclave.

Story continues

With no sign of decisive Western pressure to halt the assault, eastern Ghouta appears on course to eventually fall to the much more heavily armed government side, which has recaptured many other areas using the same military tactics.

Russia has called for daily, five-hour "humanitarian" ceasefires in eastern Ghouta, and says rebels have prevented civilians from leaving. Rebels deny this. The U.S. State Department has called the Russian plan a "joke".

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said in an emergency meeting of the United Nations' Human Rights Council on Friday that events in eastern Ghouta likely included "war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity".

Damascus says it is fighting terrorists who have escalated their shelling of government-held areas of the capital.

The Observatory says the government bombardment of Ghouta has killed more than 600 people since Feb. 18, while intensified rebel shelling of government-held areas has killed 27.

AFRIN ASSAULT

Turkey has rejected Western calls for it to suspend the Afrin assault in line with the U.N. ceasefire, which does not apply to Islamic State, al Qaeda and groups associated with it, or other groups deemed terrorists by the Security Council.

Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is deemed a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. The YPG has been an important ally for the United States in the fight against Islamic State.

While the Syrian government has been at odds with the U.S.-allied Kurdish YPG in some parts of Syria, it has chosen to ally with it in the fight with Turkey in Afrin.

The Observatory said Turkish warplanes struck the pro-government "popular" forces at a camp in Kafr Jina.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a YPG-led militia alliance, said in a statement that Turkish air strikes had targeted positions held by the Syrian army's "popular forces" from 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) until 10 a.m. (0800 GMT).

It did not say where or give a death toll.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said his country's forces had captured the town of Rajo from militants, while the military said in a statement that the army had taken control of seven settlements including Rajo on Saturday.

The Observatory said Turkey was in control of about 70 percent of the town, which lies about 25 km (16 miles) northwest of Afrin city.

Yildirim said: "Our soldiers, special forces, gendarmes and Free Syrian Army fighters are advancing towards Afrin step by step."

The SDF statement said a group of Turkish forces and allied Syrian factions had infiltrated Rajo, where it said clashes were continuing between SDF forces and the attackers.

(Reporting by Tom Perry and Laila Bassam in Beirut, Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Hugh Lawson)President Donald Trump has made no secret of his admiration for strongmen leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte.

And, according to a tape of closed door remarks Trump made at his Mar-a-Lago estate obtained by CNN, he supports President Xi Xinping of China's move to extend his power indefinitely.

11_10_Trump_Xi

Thomas Peter/AFP/Getty Images

Trending: Trump Administration Aims to Gut Clean Water Standards to Help Out Coal Power Plants

Hes now president for life, Trump told Republican donors, after the Chinese Communist party last week moved to alter the constitution to allow Xi to remain in power beyond the two-term limit.

President for life. And hes great. And look, he was able to do that. I think its great. Maybe well give that a shot some day.

It is not clear if Trump, 71, was making the comment about extending presidential service in jest. The White House did not respond to a request for comment late Saturday.

In the speech Trump delivered during a lunchtime fundraiser at his Palm Springs estate, he went on to denounce the U.S. political system as rigged.

Im telling you, its a rigged system folks. Ive been saying that for a long time. Its a rigged system. And we dont have the right people in there yet. We have a lot of great people, but certain things, we dont have the right people.

Don't miss: Obama Warning on Russia Meddling Was 'Watered Down' By Mitch McConnell, Former Aide Claims

U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat, said on Twitter of Trump's remarks on China's president that whether this was a joke or not, talking about being President for life like Xi Jinping is the most un-American sentiment expressed by an American President. George Washington would roll over in his grave.

Former White House Ethics chief Richard D. Painter also criticized the presidents remarks.

Story continues

Either hes losing it, or were losing it if we let him stay on after this. How many hints do we need that he wants to be a dictator?

Norman Eisen, ethics chief under the Obama administration, tweeted: "Trumps secret reaction to the Chinese communist dictator changing the rules to serve for life:Maybe well try that here someday. You mean, suspend the constitution and make you a permanent tyrant? I dont think so."

Most popular: Trump Jokes He Was Late For Gridiron Dinner Because Kushner 'Couldn't Get Through Security'

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U.S. presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932. An amendment to the U.S. Constitution approved in 1951 limits presidents to two terms in office.

In order to change the current prohibition, it would require initial support of two-thirds of both houses of Congress or support of two-thirds of state legislatures - and then would need to be ratified by three-quarters of the states.

Chinas annual parliament gathering kicks off on Monday as Xi presses ahead with efforts to ward off financial risks without undermining the economy. The Communist party announced Feb. 25 the end of the two-term limit for the presidentand parliament is expected to ratify the move.

The two-term limit was introduced by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982, and was designed a repeat of dictatorships such as that of Mao Zedong, who ruled China for decades.

During the remarks, Trump praised Xi asa great gentleman and added:Hes the most powerful (Chinese) president in a hundred years. Trump said Xi had treated himtremendously well during his visit in November.

Trump has often praised Xi, but in January Trump told Reuters the United States was considering a bigfine as part of a probe into Chinas alleged theft of intellectual property. He has been critical of Chinas trade policies.

Trump told The New York Times in December that following the growing threat from North Korea, he hadbeen soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekGeneva (AFP) - This year's Geneva Motor Show comes at a curious time for an auto world enjoying record profits yet also gripped by doubt midway through the grand transition from diesel to electric and self-driving vehicles.

"Geneva really ought to have been a lovely salon," says, with heavy irony, Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of German-based Center Automotive Research of a Europe's first major car show of the year running from March 8 to 18.

"The luxury car makers continue to present their new models and worldwide sales set new records in 2017.

"But behind the glamour and the finery are plenty of worry wrinkles."

Number one overriding concern is the increasing slide in diesel sales, a blow for European constructors who had essentially sought to bet the house on diesel as they strove for years to cut CO2 emissions with the support of public authorities.

The emissions cheating scandal, which blew up at Volkswagen in 2015, has heaped discredit on a technology criticised for belching out nitrogen oxide and harmful particulates.

Major cities including Paris have announced their intention to ban diesel progressively while a top German court last month opened the way to banning older diesel cars from the streets on air quality grounds.

Diesel's fall from grace has pushed constructors to turn their attention to production of more-in-demand models running either on petrol, dubbed "dinosaur juice", or else make the jump to electric or at least hybrid.

- Are future friends electric? -

The top global constructors have earmarked investments worth tens of billions of euros (dollars) over the past few years to accelerate their push to electric. Yet the commercial upshot of the strategy remains unclear.

This year's Show, the 88th edition, will see the unveiling of several new electric models and concepts at Tuesday and Wednesday's media days, before opening its doors to the general public on Thursday.

Story continues

Among new potential star turns are Jaguar's first all-electric model as it shows off the production version of its I-Pace, as well as Hyundai's Kona, advertised as the world#s first fully electric subcompact SUV.

Constructors also have to contend with the fact that where fuel engines are concerned, their greater emissions of CO2 will render a tough challenge compliance with future European norms.

They will have to cut CO2 emissions to an average 95 grams per kilometre across the board by 2021 from 130 grams in 2015, or else face swingeing fines.

Auto makers are bound to continue investing, furthermore, to ensure improved performance of their combustion engines as these still make up the bulk of sales. And yet they will prove progressively less of an earner as volumes inexorably fall off.

Traditional constructors also have a wary eye on sector newcomers, led by those in the electric vanguard such as Tesla, as well as giants from the high-tech such as Apple or Google and would-be Chinese rivals all seeking their slice of a "smart car" cake.

The future belongs to those whose vehicles enjoy ever more autonomy through increasing recourse to artificial intelligence and telecommunications.

Such qualities are not the preserve of the traditional automobile constructor.

- Square the circle -

The last few weeks have seen a slew of carmakers post record profits -- but the question is the degree to which that will act as a springboard to paying for the switch to a new auto-tech world.

Eric Kirstetter of the Roland Berger consultancy told AFP that, currently, some constructors are doing "very well," yet their "future is very complicated".

They must "reduce costs in such as way as to make savings allowing them to achieve their R&D plans," said Kirstetter, adding this will involve surmounting "a problem of squaring the financial circle."

That, he says, is "an equation extremely difficult to resolve in order to make the necessary investments to develop new generations of vehicles while continuing to invest massively in improving the combustion engine" in the shorter term.

The task may be more readily surmountable for pioneers in the development of alternatives to diesel, including the Renault-Nissan alliance, with both leaders in the move towards electrification, while Toyota has the early jump on the hybrid market.

However the future of a metamorphosing industry ultimately pans out, the 700,000 Salon visitors expected to descend on Geneva's Palexpo in the coming days will be able to cast their eyes over some 900 vehicles.

Monday will see the car of the year unveiled from seven finalists for the accolade.

The contenders are the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi A8, BMW series 5, Citroen C3 Aircross, Kia Stinger, Seat Ibiza and Volvo XC40.Geneva (AFP) - This year's Geneva Motor Show comes at a curious time for an auto world enjoying record profits yet also gripped by doubt midway through the grand transition from diesel to electric and self-driving vehicles.

"Geneva really ought to have been a lovely salon," says, with heavy irony, Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of German-based Center Automotive Research of Europe's first major car show of the year running from March 8 to 18.

"The luxury car makers continue to present their new models and worldwide sales set new records in 2017.

"But behind the glamour and the finery are plenty of worry wrinkles."

Adding to the worries is a new threat by US President Donald Trump to tax imported European cars "which freely pour into the U.S", if Brussels retaliates in response to his announced plans for tariffs on imported steel and aluminium.

Number one over-riding concern, though, is the increasing slide in diesel sales, a blow for European constructors who had essentially sought to bet the house on diesel as they strove for years to cut CO2 emissions with the support of public authorities.

The emissions cheating scandal, which blew up at Volkswagen in 2015, has heaped discredit on a technology criticised for belching out nitrogen oxide and harmful particulates.

Major cities including Paris have announced their intention to ban diesel progressively while a top German court last month opened the way to banning older diesel cars from the streets on air quality grounds.

Diesel's fall from grace has pushed constructors to turn their attention to production of more-in-demand models running either on petrol, dubbed "dinosaur juice", or else make the jump to electric or at least hybrid.

- Are future friends electric? -

The top global constructors have earmarked investments worth tens of billions of euros (dollars) over the past few years to accelerate their push to electric. Yet the commercial upshot of the strategy remains unclear.

Story continues

This year's Geneva show, the 88th edition, will see the unveiling of several new electric models and concepts at Tuesday and Wednesday's media days, before opening its doors to the general public on Thursday.

Among new potential star turns are Jaguar's first all-electric model, the production version of the I-Pace, as well as Hyundai's Kona, advertised as the world's first fully electric sub-compact SUV.

Constructors also have to contend with the fact that where fuel engines are concerned, their greater emissions of CO2 will render a tough challenge compliance with future European norms.

They will have to cut CO2 emissions to an average 95 grams per kilometre across the board by 2021 from 130 grams in 2015, or face swingeing fines.

Automakers are bound to continue investing, furthermore, to ensure improved performance of their combustion engines as these still make up the bulk of sales. And yet they will prove progressively less of an earner as volumes inexorably fall off.

Traditional constructors also have a wary eye on sector newcomers, led by those in the electric vanguard such as Tesla, as well as high-tech giants Apple or Google and would-be Chinese rivals all seeking their slice of a "smart car" cake.

The future belongs to those whose vehicles enjoy ever more autonomy through increasing recourse to artificial intelligence and telecommunications.

Such qualities are not the preserve of the traditional automobile constructor.

- Square the circle -

The last few weeks have seen a slew of carmakers post record profits -- but the question is the degree to which that will act as a springboard to paying for the switch to a new auto-tech world.

Eric Kirstetter of the Roland Berger consultancy told AFP that, currently, some constructors are doing "very well," yet their "future is very complicated".

They must "reduce costs in such a way as to make savings allowing them to achieve their R&D plans," said Kirstetter, adding this will involve surmounting "a problem of squaring the financial circle."

That, he says, is "an equation extremely difficult to resolve in order to make the necessary investments to develop new generations of vehicles while continuing to invest massively in improving the combustion engine" in the shorter term.

The task may be more readily surmountable for pioneers in the development of alternatives to diesel, including the Renault-Nissan alliance, with both leaders in the move towards electrification, while Toyota has an early jump on the hybrid market.

However the future of a metamorphosing industry ultimately pans out, the 700,000 Salon visitors expected to descend on Geneva's Palexpo in the coming days will be able to cast their eyes over some 900 vehicles.

Monday will see the car of the year unveiled from seven finalists for the accolade.

The contenders are the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi A8, BMW series 5, Citroen C3 Aircross, Kia Stinger, Seat Ibiza and Volvo XC40.Tehran (AFP) - Rescue teams have recovered the black boxes of a plane that crashed last month in the mountains of southwestern Iran leaving 66 people dead, official media reported on Sunday.

"The box that recorded flight parameters and the one with conversations in the cockpit have been handed over to judicial authorities," Reza Jafarzadeh, the public relations director of Iran's civil aviation organisation, told official news agency IRNA.

Jafarzadeh said the two black boxes of the Aseman Airlines ATR-72 were found on Saturday by rescue teams, who had resumed search operations in the Zagros mountains on Friday after bad weather forced them to halt efforts for nearly a week.

They were to be handed over to investigators seeking to determine the cause of the accident. The aircraft, on a domestic flight out of Tehran, went down in a snowstorm on February 18 and crashed at a height of about 4,000 metres (13,000 feet).

There have been no reported survivors from the plane's 66 passengers and crew.

The crash site has been hit by heavy snowfall in recent days, making rescue operations particularly dangerous due to avalanche risks, according to officials quoted by local media.

So far, only body parts have been recovered from the scene of the crash. Forensic teams have performed tests on 51 samples of human tissue in attempts to identify the victims, IRNA reported.In town halls and city council chambers across the country, local officials are facing the wrath of residents fearful of the next wave of wireless communications soon to sweep the nation.

They worry that the new technology  which will require hundreds of thousands of so-called small-cell antennas placed throughout neighborhoods  could cause adverse health effects because the antennas, located sometimes just a couple dozen feet from houses, will bathe their communities in round-the-clock radio frequencies.

Local governments dont have any legal authority to block the deployment of the small cells based on health effects, and science on the subject is contradictory. But to soothe their constituents concerns, municipal officials are looking to Washington to do what it can: Update the federal governments decades-old limit for safe exposure to radio waves so they can show residents they are following up-to-date safety guidelines.

Why cant we do a real health assessment here and find out what the real health risks are  to our children? a resident in Montgomery County, Maryland, asked local officials more than a year ago at a public meeting held in that suburban community just north of Washington, D.C.

Angry mayors and city council members have been waiting for such an assessment for five years now, and still arent sure when theyll get it, if ever, or why its taking so long. The Federal Communications Commission, which determines the limits for safe radio-frequency exposure, says it is still working on the exposure limit and declined to provide a date for when it expects to release an updated standard. But the federal health agencies the FCC relies on to set a new standard say little-to-no research has been done.

That isnt much solace for people who fear the new technology. The wireless cells and its associated equipment will be closer to the public, as near as 10 to 20 feet, with cells attached to streetlights, bus-stop shelters and other structures. Small cells will be spaced about 100 to 1,000 feet apart, with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of cells erected nationwide.

Story continues

The FCC has been collecting public comments on a new standard since 2013. It started the inquiry after the Government Accountability Office, the congressional watchdog agency, asked the commission in 2012 to update its standards using the most recent research.

This story is part of Broadband. Investigating the political power of the information technology industry. Click here to read more stories in this investigation.

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More than two decades

The FCC last adopted exposure limits in 1996, when macro towers, which can reach up to 200 feet tall, were the primary means for wireless communication. That was more than a decade before the advent of the iPhone and the proliferation of other wireless technologies like wearable computers. The current standards for cell towers are the so-called maximum permissible exposure limits, which are based on the frequency of a radio wave and the distance a person is from a tower. Even though a majority of these standards have been adopted globally, anti-wireless advocates say it is too lenient and not relevant to 5G technology.

When the FCC developed guidelines for radio-frequency exposure back then, it relied on private standard setting groups and met with federal and international health agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, according to the agencys website. For cell towers, the FCC said it eventually adopted the standard set by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, a non-governmental organization.

Three of those four governmental health agencies told the Center for Public Integrity they havent conducted research into radio-frequency exposure for years and none have commented on the FCCs inquiry or made recommendations to the agency. The FDA said it has had discussions with the FCC but believes it doesnt have to change its position on radio-frequency effects to public health. The FCC invited the EPA to comment, but it chose not to, an EPA spokesperson said in an email, noting that an EPA scientist had informal conversations with FCC technical staff in 2015. NIOSH didnt respond to requests to comment.

The FCC also relies on the National Cancer Institute, which said it doesnt determine the weight of the evidence of harm from radio-frequency exposure, but as part of its active engagement in potential health effects from cell phones, it studies U.S. brain cancer incidence.

The national council on radiation protection told the Center it hasnt researched radio-frequency emissions since 2003.

The FCC does not have anyone on their staff with any training in health. Nobody, said Devra Davis, president of the Environmental Health Trust, an advocacy group that believes cellphones and radio frequencies are harmful. They say they rely on the FDA, which has almost nobody with training in electrical engineering. It becomes a perfect storm.

The situation has left local officials exasperated because they look impotent when trying to discuss health effects to their constituents, local officials say. They said they need the updated standard now because residents see the wireless industry has begun deploying small cells.

An updated standard would give residents a sense of confidence that people have reviewed this and the same standard applies, said Gerard Lederer, a lawyer representing Montgomery County, where residents have been vocal about small cells. If local governments cant regulate small cells based on health effects, then there is a moral obligation, if not a legal obligation, for the feds to do a good job.

The signal emitted by the small-cell antennas is less powerful than macro-cell towers, even if the cells are closer to people, most wireless engineers say.

Still, some health groups and many residents fear the frequencies are harmful, possibly cancer causing. Their claims were bolstered this year when the National Toxicology Program, an interagency program that is part of the National Institutes of Health, released a study conducted over years that linked radio frequencies to brain and heart cancer in male rats. The NTP, which had released a portion of the study in 2016, cautioned that the frequency exposure it applied was greater than even heavy users of cellphones are exposed to. Other studies have found no link to cancer.

In response to the study, the FDA said that based on this current information, we believe the current safety limits for cell phones are acceptable for protecting the public health.

Informal forum

For the 1996 guideline adoption process, health agencies, specifically the EPA and the FDA, and industry groups met to discuss the guidelines for exposure, said Robert Cleveland, a former senior physical scientist in the FCCs Office of Engineering and Technology who worked on those guidelines. Federal health agencies submitted to the FCC letters supporting adoption of the standard.

The FCC also worked with standard setting agencies such as the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), whose members are primarily from the electronics industry. Recommendations from both organizations were part of the 1996 guidelines adopted by the FCC and endorsed by federal health agencies.

One of the groups the FCC says it relies on is a nine-member committee called the Radiofrequency Interagency Work Group. The panel is made up of members from mostly federal health agencies  the EPA, FDA, OSHA, NIOSH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Sciences, according to the EPA. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a telecommunications policymaking agency that is part of the Commerce Department, and the FCC also have representatives on the work group.

The EPA chairs the group, the FCC told the Center for Public Integrity.

An EPA spokesperson, however, described the interagency group, which first met in 1995, as an informal forum that doesnt have a scheduled meeting time, nor an official chairman and is not mandated to research radio-frequency standards.

Former FCC physical scientist Cleveland said the group is not nearly as active as it used to be.

In response, the FCC said its monitoring developments and working with health and safety agencies to determine what next steps may be appropriate, said Neil Grace, an FCC spokesman.

The nearly five years the FCC has taken so far in updating the standards isnt unusual to conduct research into technical issues, said Blair Levin, a former senior official at the FCC who helped implement the 1996 telecommunications law while at the agency. And the 2016 presidential election, which required a transition to a Republican-led FCC, may have delayed work, he said.

Related: 030218 Devra Davis quote

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Whos doing the work

With little input or research from federal health agencies, the FCC is left with collecting input from standard-setting agencies such as IEEE, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, said former FCC official Cleveland.

Those are the organizations doing the work, Cleveland said. The EPA and OSHA dont really have the staff anymore.

The national council on radiation protection, which researches and evaluates standards for Congress, was last contacted by the FCC in 2003 to review the biological literature of the health effects of modulated radio frequencies, said Jerrold Bushberg, senior vice president of the council.

IEEE has submitted one comment to the FCC through an affiliated group, the International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety.

You have to recognize what IEEE is, said James Lin, an electrical engineering professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a life fellow of IEEE. It is an organization there for the benefit of electrical engineers and the technology they develop. If you look at active members, they tend to be mostly from industry.

The international commission on radiation and IEEE dont conduct research into radio-frequency health effects but rather set guidelines based on an evaluation of published research. Unlike IEEE, the international commission keeps an arms length from industry, asking members for potential conflicts and a declaration of personal interests.

Commission Chair Eric van Rongen said more research on radio frequencies health effects needs to be conducted  and that means more funding.

Its frustrating, Van Rongen said. Theres still a lot of unanswered questions, and if theres no money, the questions cant be answered. Its up to authorities to decide whether to apply precaution.

READ MORE:

5G wireless pits cities against telecoms and their friends in the FCC

FCC says small cells will close the digital divide. Most say they wont

Related story: FCC says small cells will close the digital divide. Most say they won't

Related story: 5G wireless pits cities against telecoms and their friends in the FCC

This story is part of Broadband. Investigating the political power of the information technology industry. Click here to read more stories in this investigation.

Related stories

Copyright 2018 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.San Salvador (AFP) - El Salvador's right-wing opposition party appeared headed for victory Monday in legislative and municipal elections, dealing a blow to leftist President Salvador Sanchez Ceren in his final year of office.

The Republican Nationalist Alliance (ARENA) party began celebrating as a vote count showed it well ahead of the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front party with 65.1 percent of the ballots counted.

The preliminary returns showed its candidate for mayor of San Salvador, Ernesto Muyshondt, defeating the FMLN's Jackeline Rivera.

"We are going to put the mayor's office of San Salvador at the service of the people and we are going to undertake public projects that will transform San Salvador," Muyshondt said during a victory celebration at his party's headquarters.

Analyst Roberto Canas said the FMLN should "reflect deeply on the causes of the defeat."

Police and soldiers were deployed across the Central American country to provide security for Sunday's vote, the ninth since a 1992 peace accord ended a bloody 12-year civil war.

About 5.1 million voters were eligible to take part, but turnout appeared low -- something an electoral official described as "normal" for legislative and municipal polls, for which turnout has never topped 50 percent.

With 65.1 percent of the total votes counted, ARENA had 557,671 votes to the FMLN's 328,818, according to the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

The two parties were deadly opponents during the civil war, when guerrilla groups under the banner of the FMLN fought a succession of US-backed governments. ARENA was co-founded in 1981 by Roberto D'Aubuisson, a soldier linked to right-wing death squads.

At stake are all 84 seats in the single-chamber Congress as well as mayoralties and council seats in the tiny country's 262 municipalities.

- Weakened president -

If the preliminary results hold, Sanchez Ceren will be markedly weakened as he finishes his term.

Story continues

The new elected officials will take up their positions on May 1.

In the current Congress, ARENA has a slight majority, with 35 seats to the FMLN's 31. Three other parties hold 18 seats.

That has forced Sanchez Ceren to negotiate to pass legislation.

He has succeeded in getting the Congress to fund certain popular social programs like free lunches and school supplies for public school students.

But ARENA has blocked borrowing for public works programs and forced cuts in spending in the 2018 budget.

- Final stretch -

Analyst Dagoberto Gutierrez said the government functions because it has "the maturity to negotiate, to dialogue and not to try to impose its will on a sometimes capricious opposition."

"The government is in the final stretch. So if it wants to finish well, it must be agile and dialogue not only with the legislative assembly but with the other forces in society," he said.

Sanchez Ceren needs the support of the legislature to put through laws aimed at cutting crime that has engulfed the country in recent years.

El Salvador's murder rate in 2017 was one of the highest in the world at 60 homicides per 100,000 people.

And although that is an improvement over 2015, when the murder rate spiked to 103 per 100,000 people, El Salvador is still one of the world's most violent countries, in large part due to the presence of the feared MS-13 and Barrio 18 transnational gangs.Cairo (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks in the Egyptian capital on Sunday at the start of his first foreign tour as heir to the throne.

A beaming Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi greeted the prince at Cairo airport after he descended the red-carpeted steps of his plane.

The head of Prince Mohammed's office, Bader al-Asaker, tweeted that the prince's plane was escorted by Egyptian fighter jets when it entered Egypt's airspace.

Prince Mohammed and Sisi, a key regional ally, agreed in talks to bolster economic ties and launch joint projects, "particularly in the tourism sector on the Red Sea", said Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Radi.

The prince is to fly off to Britain on Wednesday and then later this month to the United States.

Saudi Arabia views Egypt as a cornerstone of regional stability, after the former army chief Sisi overthrew his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Riyadh viewed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood with suspicion and at one point briefly recalled its ambassador from Cairo during his turbulent year in power.

It has since showered Cairo with aid to prop up the country's economy, in a relationship that has led to some controversy in Egypt.

In 2015, during a visit by King Salman to Cairo, the two countries agreed on the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, sparking protests in Egypt.

Sisi ratified the deal last year, and Egypt's top court annulled lower court rulings for and against the treaty on the eve of the crown prince's arrival.

Prince Mohammed's visit comes ahead of Egypt's presidential polls in late March, with Sisi expected to win a second four-year term.

The visit "will be interpreted as proof of Saudi support for Sisi to remain as the president of Egypt", Mostafa Kamel al-Sayed, a political science professor at Cairo University, told AFP.

Cairo and Riyadh have maintained close ties, although Egypt has signalled a lack of enthusiasm for Saudi regional policy, both on the Yemen war and a potential escalation with Iran.

Story continues

But it is among a bloc of Arab nations that joined a Saudi-led boycott since June of Qatar.

The crown prince's tour also aims to court investors and comes after a tumultuous period that has seen a military shake-up and a royal purge in Saudi Arabia, part of his sweeping power play.

Prince Mohammed is already seen as the country's de facto ruler controlling the major levers of government.Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said Sunday if its true that White House senior adviser Jared Kushner swayed U.S. foreign policy against Qatar for personal financial reasons, he has to go.

If its true, its damning. If its true, Jared Kushner has to go, Murphy, a prominent voice on foreign policy, said of President Donald Trumps son-in-law on ABC News This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

The Intercept reported on Friday that representatives of Kushner Companies, including Kushners father, Charles Kushner, met with Qatari Finance Minister Ali Sharif Al Emadi in New York in April in a bid to secure Qatari financing for the firms distressed signature property, 666 5th Avenue.

There was a follow-up meeting between Kushner Companies representatives and Qatari officials the following day. But a deal never materialized.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. (Photo: Aaron Bernstein / Reuters)

Then, in early June, a coalition of nations led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates abruptly severed diplomatic relations with Qatar. They proceeded to blockade the small, natural gas-rich nation, ostensibly in retaliation for Qatars support of islamist movements abroad and cordial relationship with Iran. The blockade remains in effect.

Trump surprised many in the diplomatic community by initially backing the Saudis and Emiratis so whole-heartedly. Qatar, a longtime American partner, is home to a key strategic base for the U.S. military in the Middle East where thousands of troops are deployed.

We could not understand why the Trump administration was so firmly taking the Saudis side in this dispute between the Saudis, the Emiratis and Qatar, because the United States has very important interests in Qatar, Murphy said Sunday.

Murphy noted the large U.S. troop presence in Qatar.

To so firmly take the side of the Saudis against the Qataris that could potentially result in the downward spiral of the Qatari economy put thousands of Americans at risk, he said.

Jared Kushners friendship with UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousef al-Otaiba and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman raised suspicion at the time he had encouraged Trump to take a hard line against Qatar.

Story continues

News of the Kushner familys attempts to gain Qatari financing for a family-owned property raises the prospect that Kushner advised the president to side with the Saudis and Emiratis for personal financial reasons.

If verified, that should be grounds for Kushners ouster, Murphy said.

If the reason this administration put U.S. troops at risk in Qatar was to protect the Kushners financial interests, then thats all the evidence you need to make some big changes in the White House, he said.

NBC News reported Friday that special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether Kushners business discussions with foreign powers during the presidential transition, well before his fathers April 2017 meeting, later influenced American foreign policy. In addition to Qatari representatives, Kushner met with figures from Turkey, Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates, according to the report.

The potentially damaging revelations about Kushner surfaced during an already punishing week for the Trump relative and confidant. Kushner, who had enjoyed a temporary top-secret security clearance, saw his clearance downgraded by the White House to merely secret.

Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, is under scrutiny for his and his family's contacts with foreign officials. (Photo: Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Although the justification for the downgrade was not immediately clear, experts note that it was unusual for someone to have a temporary clearance for so long without receiving permanent access. The White Houses decision not to grant him a permanent security clearance likely sprang from intelligence agencies concerns that foreign governments have tried to influence him and that he initially failed to report his meetings with officials from those governments.

Also speaking on This Week, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), a onetime Trump transition team chief, implied that Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump (whos also a White House adviser), should consider stepping down from their posts for the good of the president. (As a United States attorney, Christie sent Kushners father to prison, which likely chilled his relationship with Jared.)

Asked by Stephanopoulos whether Trump should fire Kushner, Christie responded, The presidents going to have to make that judgment.

He went on to suggest that Kushner and Ivanka might do well to spare Trump the difficulty of spurning family members by volunteering their resignations.

The situation is made much worse by the fact that we have family members in the White House, he said. So for Jared and for Ivanka and for all the other members of the family who were involved in one way or the other, I think everybodys got to focus on whats best for the president.

Also on HuffPost

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Protesters lie on the ground during a demonstration supporting gun control.

Demonstrators chant during Monday's protest.

Students and supporters hold signs as they protest outside the White House.

Students protest against gun violence.

Demonstrators chant outside the White House.

Students and supporters gather on Pennsylvania Avenue.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.PRAGUE (Reuters) - Slovak authorities released all seven people detained in connection with the murder of an investigative journalist, a police spokeswoman said on Saturday. Police detained the suspects on Thursday in an investigation into the murder of Jan Kuciak and his girlfriend, who were found shot dead in their home last weekend. "During the legal timeframe - 48 hours - (police) checked and searched for facts needed for an indictment. After the 48 hours passed, the persons were released from detention," police spokeswoman Denisa Baloghova said in a statement. The murder of Kuciak, whose reporting focused primarily on links between businessmen and Slovak politicians, was the first of a journalist in the country. Thousands marched in Bratislava and other Slovak cities on Friday, demanding swift action in response to a killing that has shocked the country and shaken its government. Kuciak had been looking into suspected mafia links among Italian businessmen in eastern Slovakia. His last, unfinished article was published posthumously by Slovak and international media. One of the men named in Kuciak's report, which probed potential abuse of European Union subsidies and other fraud, had past links to people who subsequently worked for Prime Minister Robert Fico's office. The murder prompted demands from Fico's coalition partners for the resignation of senior officials. (Reporting by Robert Muller; Editing by Janet Lawrence)Saturday Night Live this weekend opened with a bipartisan meeting on gun control, led by Alec Baldwins Donald Trump, during which the president indicated that there were 30 million good reasons why nothing will change.

VIDEOSSNLs Unaired Star Wars Sketch Features Charles Barkley, J.J. Abrams

POTUS, joined by Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Diane Feinstein, said in the wake of the Parkland school shooting that it was time to take a hard look at mental health, which I have so much of. I have one of the healthiest mentals. He than posed the idea that maybe we just take everyones guns away, and that no one should be allowed to have them, not even whites. Pence, seemingly distraught, was then assured by Trump that he met with the NRA, [and] they gave me 30 million good reasons not to change a thing.

SNL chose not to address Trumps Friday morning tweets complaining about the Emmy winners terrible impression, which also suggested that the show should bring back previous portrayer Darrell Hammond. Instead, Baldwins Trump focused on the presidents assertion that he would have run into the chaos at the Florida high school, even if he werent armed.

VIDEOSSNL Hands Out Harassment Awards, Hope Hicks Visits and More Highlights

The youth of America deserve to feel safe and secure in their schools, he continued, but folks, I can only run into so many schools and save everybody If I have to make Americas schools safe all by myself, I will. Just like how Im running the White House all by myself The people who work for me keep resigning, like Hope Hicks. Shes like a daughter to me. So smart, so hot.

We need to heal this country of ours. Its really one of the best Top 5? We could do better, he declared. I said I was going to run this country like a business. That business is a waffle house at 2 am  crazies everywhere, staff walking out in the middle of their shift, managers taking money out of the register to pay the Russian mob  but maybe we do just take all the guns away.

Story continues

Attorney General Jeff Mr. Magoo Sessions then turned up, refusing to resign despite Trumps pleas.

What did you think of SNLs latest Trump-centric cold open? Drop a comment below. (And for a full recap of the episode, click here.)

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The Brave on the Bubble: Keep or Cut?

NBC's World of Dance, Ninja Warrior and AGT Get Summer Return DatesVero, a new social media network, is all the rage among the digitally-savvy crowd lately. With an ad-free interface, a content feed built around chronological updates instead of an algorithm and a focus on visual content, Vero is on the rise just as frustration with Instagrams recent changes are bubbling over among that apps most passionate users.

But Veros sudden popularity has also put the company and its billionaire CEO, Ayman Hariri, under the microscope. High among the concerns shared by some would-be users: Several of Veros developers are Russian, a potentially distressing fact given Moscows recent use of social media to muck about in American politics.

Hariri, who spoke with TIME this week, argues his employees nationalities should not be a concern.

At the end of the day, where people are from is really not how anybody should judge anyone, Hariri says. The people that I work with are incredibly talented, dedicated, honest people that really care about the user experience and developing something that has meaning and is well thought out. Theres a tremendous amount of care that pours into what were doing. And so its completely irrelevant where theyre from. Whats important is the work they do and their commitment to creating a real online social network and not an online network that takes advantage of the fact that people like to be social with one another.

Hariri says his vision for Vero centers around an advertising- and algorithm-free user experience where users can feel a connection with one another and mimic the real-world social network, as he puts it.

Our goal is really to see how we can take the nuance of real-world interaction between people and  to have a place online that is free of anything that gets in the way of that experience, which includes no advertising, no bots, no algorithms getting in the way of that experience, says Hariri.

Of course, a number of would-be social media competitors have cropped up in recent years, only to be swiftly crushed by Facebook, the $500 billion-plus social media behemoth that also owns Instagram. Peach, Ello and Mastodon are just a few corpses on the trail of the dead that Facebook has left in its wake. Snapchat is the outlier, but even some of its most popular users, most notably Kylie Jenner, have admitted theyre using it less often these days.

Story continues

I dont see much chance for success if we compare Vero to other social apps that have tried to rise up in the shadow of Facebook or other messaging apps, mainly due to the competitive forces in the market and how they and their users will react, says Brian Blau, a technology analyst with research firm Gartner. With more than 800 million monthly active users, Instagram has a tremendous network effect. Its tough to get people to move from a room where all their friends are hanging out to an empty one, especially when theres no guarantee anyone will follow suit.

Still, Vero is undeniably seeing a growth spurt this week. It just passed the one million user mark, a milestone worth celebrating for any upstart social media firm. Its also been sitting at the top of the App Store and Google Play charts, thanks largely to word of mouth among hardcore social media users.

But questions remain regarding Veros business plan. Most social media companies make money from advertising  you sign up for free, then advertisers pay the social media company to try to sell you sneakers and travel deals and Coca-Cola. Veros plan had been to invite the first million users in for free, then start charging a subscription fee for people who sign up after the million mark. That way, says Hariri, the platform can remain free of the low-quality ads cropping up on rival social media platforms. (Vero has delayed the subscription fee rollout in light of technical issues plaguing the platform amid its sudden popularity this week.)

Whats important to us is user experience, and user experience then triggers people wanting to recommend it to their friends, says Hariri. If a user experience isnt that great, then the likelihood of them recommending it to others is going to be minimal.

Today, were seeing incredible enthusiasm for the product that we built, for the community that we have, for the things that we stand for as a company, he adds. Hopefully when we turn on subscriptions and we announce our price, people are going to be satisfied on all angles.

Subscription-based social media could have its advantages, potentially reducing the number of bots and trolls on a given app. (If bad actors have to pay money to access a platform, they may decide its not worth it.) But social media users have long been trained to expect free access to new platforms, making them more likely to balk at the idea of an entry fee. Subscriptions could also make Vero unaccessible for low-income users, reducing the diversity of voices on the platform.

Vero is facing controversies besides the nationalities of its developers, too. Hariri, the son of a former Lebanese prime minister who was assassinated in 2005, has been criticized for the practices of his familys Saudi Arabian construction company, Saudi Oger, where thousands of workers reportedly went unpaid for months and were kept in living facilities with inadequate food or water. A Vero spokesperson says Hariri, who was once deputy CEO and deputy chairman, left the company in 2013, before reports of those conditions surfaced. The firm shut down in 2017.

Other creators are taking issue with Veros terms of service. While a Vero spokesperson points out that Vero claims no ownership rights over your user content, the agreement does grant Vero a license to use, reproduce, modify  your user content. Other social media sites have similar language in their terms of service, but the language and other issues are scaring off some would-be users nonetheless:

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If that trend continues, it could kill Vero in its cradle. It creates a lot of fear and uncertainty for a lot of users, says Jeff Hancock, professor and founding director of the Stanfords Social Media Lab. Still, Hancock adds that Vero doesnt necessarily need to grow to the size of a Facebook or Instagram to become a viable, if smaller, business. If Vero can find itself a niche, it doesnt have to be an Instagram-killer or a Facebook-killer, he says.

For the moment, Vero is primarily serving as a way for frustrated Instagram users to vote with their feet  or their download buttons. If and when Instagram considers Vero a potential threat, it could implement changes that render Vero superfluous overnight. Thats in part why Hariri is trying to carve out a more specific niche for his app, working with creators on projects like short films and photography books. Its unclear if that will be enough to take on the $500 billion gorilla in the room. But Hariri retains the kind of utopian optimism common among startup-running billionaires.

The thing that were counting on, frankly, is that the greatest social network is the one that exists between real people in the real world, Hariri says. As long as we stay true to understanding and wanting to represent real-world interaction online, then the possibilities are endless.By Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea will dispatch a delegation led by senior security officials for a two-day visit to North Korea starting Monday, the presidential Blue House announced Sunday, as U.S. President Donald Trump hinted that he is ready to talk to Pyongyang. For its part, North Korea said it was not begging to talk with Washington and denounced upcoming U.S.-South Korean joint-military exercises, warning that it would take counter measures against the United States if they went ahead. The drills will take place next month, a South Korean presidential security adviser said according to the Yonhap news agency. They had been delayed until after the Winter Olympics and Paralympic games in South Korea. South Korea's presidential Blue House said in a statement that National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service (NIS) chief Suh Hoon, a veteran of past negotiations with the North, will be among the 10-member South Korean delegation visiting Pyongyang. The visit was part of an effort to lower tensions on the Korean peninsula as well as possibly arrange talks between North Korea and the United States, it said. After the visit to North Korea the envoys will travel to the United States to brief officials, and Seoul said it would also coordinate closely with officials in Japan and China. During a joke-filled monologue at a dinner with journalists in Washington on Saturday, Trump suggested that the United States will be meeting with North Korea but has told Pyongyang it must first "denuke." "We will be meeting and we'll see if anything positive happens," he added. It was unclear if Trump was joking or if formal U.S.-North Korea talks were imminent. Speaking on Sunday in Beijing ahead of the opening of China's parliament, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui said China hoped the United States and North Korea could begin dialogue too. "War and chaos on the peninsula in not in the interests of any side," Zhang said. Last month, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Uns sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics but the North Koreans canceled at the last minute, U.S. officials said in February. North Korea reiterated on Saturday that it was willing to talk to the United States but said it would never sit with any precondition. A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman was quoted by KCNA as saying "we will neither beg for dialogue nor evade the military option claimed by the U.S." A commentary published by North Korea's official KCNA news agency warned that North Korea would "counter the U.S." if joint military drills go forward. The Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang last month gave a boost to recent engagement between the two Koreas after more than a year of sharply rising tensions over the North's missile program and its sixth and largest nuclear test in defiance of United Nations sanctions. South Korean President Moon Jae-in hopes to capitalize on that thaw in relations by arranging talks over North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. During a phone call on Thursday, Moon told Trump of his plan to send a special envoy to North Korea in response to an invitation from leader Kim Jong Un. In sending an envoy to Pyongyang, Moon said he would be seeking to reciprocate Kim Jong Un's decision to send a senior delegation, including his sister, Kim Yo Jong, to the Olympics, marking the first visit by a member of the North's ruling bloodline since the 1950-53 Korean War. The White House has said any talks with North Korea must lead to an end of its nuclear program, and on Feb. 23, the United States said it was imposing its largest package of sanctions to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear and missile programs. At the time, Trump also warned of a "phase two" that could be "very, very unfortunate for the world" if the steps did not work. (Additional reporting by Yuna Park, and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany and Europe would both suffer if the Social Democrats (SPD) vote 'no' in a ballot on a coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, a senior party official said. The SPD's 464,000 members have been voting in a postal ballot on whether to endorse their party leadership's decision to renew for another four years the 'grand coalition' with Merkel's conservative bloc that took office in 2013. The result is due on Sunday. Stephan Weil, SPD premier of the state of Lower Saxony, said during his last visit to Brussels everyone he had spoken to was adamant Germany should not drift into uncertainty. "It would be bad for Europe, Germany and the SPD. There would be a period of political uncertainty," he said. French President Emmanuel Macron is keen to push ahead with reforms to the euro zone, but without a German government in place soon the window of opportunity to inject fresh dynamism into the European project will quickly close for this year. Asked in an interview with daily Die Welt if an SPD 'no' vote would result in a national crisis, Weil said: "No, I wouldn't go that far, but many people's confidence in our political system would erode even further." The SPD's Jusos youth wing has been lobbying party members to vote against a re-run of the grand coalition, arguing they would do better to rebuild in opposition after suffering a battering in last September's election. Weil conceded that if he were a Jusos member he would think about voting 'no', but decades of party membership had convinced him the SPD should solve its problems itself rather than use them as a reason not to take part in government. Merkel's conservatives entered into coalition talks with the SPD this year after talks with two smaller parties on a three-way tie-up collapsed in November. Jens Spahn, a member of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) who has been critical of her at times, said the coalition agreement conservative and SPD leaders struck last month "is no furious firework of innovation". "The coalition agreement is a large compromise document," Spahn, who is due to become health minister if the coalition takes office, told Handelsblatt business daily. Spahn's lukewarm support for the coalition deal highlights the risk that the alliance proves fractious and unstable. The inclusion in the deal of a clause that envisages a review of the next government's progress after two years has fueled a debate about a succession plan for a post-Merkel era. On Monday, Merkel ally Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer won election as CDU general secretary, putting her in pole position to succeed the chancellor after spending most of her career in a tiny state on the French border. Spahn said he would support Merkel for the full legislative period and she should remain CDU leader through to 2021. (Writing by Paul Carrel and Michelle Martin; Editing by Janet Lawrence)A group of Democratic voters in Pennsylvania told a federal court on Friday that, if it barred the use of a congressional election map drawn up by the states Supreme Court, candidates seeking all 18 of the states seats in the U.S. House of Representatives would have to run statewide rather than in 18 separate districts.





That was one of the main arguments the 18 voters made as they and two state officials who run elections filed their objections to a lawsuit in federal court seeking to bar the use of the state courts election map. Among a handful of other points, the filings contended that the federal court sitting in Harrisburg simply has no authority to second-guess what the state Supreme Court has done about this years congressional elections.



A three-judge panel is weighing a lawsuit, based on the federal Constitution, against the court-drafted plan that is to replace a 2011 map that the states highest court struck down as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. The 2011 map has been used in three congressional elections, and each time the result has been 13 Republican winners and five Democratic winners, even though statewide voting for House seats has been almost evenly divided.



While two GOP legislative leaders and eight current GOP members are trying to get the federal court to reinstate the 2011 map for this years elections, two other GOP leaders of the legislature have a request pending at the U.S. Supreme Court to block the use of the state courts map. That case is expected to unfold next week, either before Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., or the full Court. Alito has previously refused to block the state court from drawing its own House districts.



Fridays filings in the federal court in Pennsylvanias capital city were reactions to the GOP challenge there. The 18 Democratic voters were among those who had sued in state court, claiming a partisan gerrymander, and won in that courts 4-to-3 decision in January. They were joined in the state court challenge by the League of Women Voters, but the federal court refused to allow that group to become a full party in the federal case. Also barred as a full party was a new group working across the country to challenge gerrymanders, the National Democratic Redistricting Commission. (All or at least most of the arguments those two groups planned to put forth were covered in the filings by the voters and state officials.)



The Democratic voters are defending the state court plan even as they seek to get the GOP lawsuit thrown out. Two state election officials have been sued in the federal case, and their filings, too, mounted a multi-faceted protest to the GOP lawsuit. Under orders from the federal court, the two attempted to avoid overlapping arguments in the filings they submitted Friday, but there were some parallels.



A prominent argument in the voters two filings (one brief opposing the GOP demand for an order requiring the use of the nullified 2011 map and one asking for dismissal of the GOP case) was the suggestion that candidates for the House this year might have to run statewide, in some kind of sorting system for the 18 seats. (Seven U.S. states now elect their House members statewide, but that is because each of them has only one Representative, due to their small population totals.)



A federal law provides that, if a state loses one of its seats in the House after a new ten-year census (as Pennsylvania did), if the state does not adopt a new congressional district map, and if it does not do so in time for a new map to be drawn up, then that law requires that all candidates for the states House seats must run in at-large elections  that is, statewide.



The Democratic voters argued that this law is mandatory, and that it would go into effect in Pennsylvania if the federal court were to bar the use of the map drawn up by the states highest court  as the GOP challengers want. That would happen, the voters contended, because there is no legal way for the federal court to require the use of the nullified 2011 map, and thus statewide elections would be the only alternative left; there is no time left for another map, they said.



The 2011 map cannot be ordered into effect, according to that legal brief, because it does not satisfy the Pennsylvania state constitution, under the state Supreme Court ruling that the voters say cannot be second-guessed by the federal court.



Both the voters two briefs and the separate brief filed by the two state election officials raise a handful of points, all suggesting that it has long been clear in American law that those who lose a case in state court cannot, on their own or through their allies, try to pull out a victory for themselves by turning to a federal court.

The voters brief listed five separate points on that question, and the state officials added their own.



Each of those briefs did suggest that, if the three judges in Harrisburg are not prepared to throw out the GOP lawsuit, they at least should take no action on it until after they see what happens with Justice Alito and perhaps the full Supreme Court in Washington. The Harrisburg court is scheduled to hold a hearing next Friday.



If the federal court does decide to rule on the federal constitutional arguments made in the GOP lawsuit, those arguments have no legal merit, the Friday filings asserted. The arguments are that the federal Elections Clause allows only a state legislature to draw House districts, and that Clause also requires state courts to allow the legislature adequate time to draw a legal map if one is struck down.



Meanwhile, the voters told the federal court that arrangements are moving forward to use the state courts plan for the scheduled congressional primary on May 15. A separate election, using the 2011 maps lines, is being held March 13 to fill a vacancy in the seat representing the states 18th District in southwestern Pennsylvania. That district has traditionally supported Republican winners, but recent polling has suggested that the race may be tightening there.



The May 15 primary will select candidates for all 18 seats in the House, and election experts have interpreted the state courts map as likely to result in a delegation after the November general election of ten Republicans and eight Democrats, or possibly an even nine-to-nine split.

Legendary journalist Lyle Denniston has written for us as a contributor since June 2011 and has covered the Supreme Court since 1958. His work also appears on lyldenlawnews.com.Geneva (AFP) - Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a proposal that would have cut taxpayer funding to public broadcasters, after a campaign that stirred debate about the media's role in fostering national unity.

The "No Billag" initiative -- a reference to the Billag firm that collects the media licensing fee -- divided Switzerland on political and generational lines.

But 71 percent voted "no" to the proposals, according to official results published by the Swiss news agency ATS.

Rejection of the initiative was "a strong sign for the public service and for private regional radio and television," said the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SSR) director Gilles Marchand.

He said note had been taken of criticism of SSR and announced an efficiency drive and 100 million franc ($106 million) investment from next year.

No Billag's backers, led by the youth wing of the libertarian Free Democratic Party (PLR), sought to portray the SSR as an unfairly dominant and outdated relic.

Switzerland's largest party, the nationalist and anti-migrant Swiss Peoples Party (UDC), had also thrown its support behind the initiative.

SSR, which received about 1.2 billion Swiss francs from the licence fee last year -- or three quarters of its budget -- delivers news in the country's four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch.

Many credit it for guaranteeing that all Swiss residents receive information of crucial public interest in all four languages, along with a range of opinion and analysis.

But No Billag's proponents argued that freeing taxpayers of the 451 Swiss francs annual fee would unlock new economic potential, create a more competitive media sector and ultimately foster more choice.

The cost is due to drop to 365 francs next year, but everyone will have to pay, even if they do not own a television or radio after the government decided both platforms were watched and listened to via the internet.

Story continues

- Strong pushback -

Sunday's poll was part of Switzerland's direct democracy system, where proposed initiatives face a national vote four times a year.

Turnout reached 54 percent, nearly 10 percent above the recent average for such votes in Switzerland.

The campaigns are often muted in politically tepid Switzerland, but sometimes -- as with No Billag -- temperatures rise.

A broad political coalition along with prominent athletes, filmmakers and even the chief executive of top Swiss bank UBS, Sergio Ermotti, came out in defence of public media.

The committee formed to fight No Billag underscored the dangers of a fully profit-driven media environment in multilingual Switzerland.

It warned that with a substantial majority of the country's wealth concentrated in German-speaking areas, programming would increasingly skew to that audience.By Tom Perry and Stephanie Nebehay BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed to continue an offensive in eastern Ghouta near Damascus on Sunday as his forces advanced into the last major rebel enclave near the capital. The offensive is one of the deadliest in the war and one local insurgent group called it a "scorched earth" campaign. The government is pressing on despite Western calls for it to abide by a 30-day, countrywide ceasefire demanded by the U.N. Security Council. "We will continue fighting terrorism ... and the Ghouta operation is a continuation of fighting terrorism," Assad said in comments to journalists broadcast on state TV. The advances have forced thousands of civilians to flee deeper into the rebel-held territory, where some 400,000 people live, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a resident said on Sunday. Government forces need to advance just a few more kilometres (miles) further to split the enclave in two, said a commander in the military alliance that backs Assad. The Observatory said government forces had seized a quarter of the territory. Assad said there was no contradiction between daily, five-hour humanitarian ceasefires called by his ally Russia, and ongoing combat operations, noting that advances by government forces in the last few days had occurred during the truce. The Russian ceasefire plan calls for five-hour pauses to allow for aid deliveries and evacuations of civilians and wounded. The U.S. State Department has called the Russian plan a "joke" and the White House on Sunday accused Russia of killing Syrian civilians. Assad, in his first comments on the offensive, said most people in Ghouta wanted to return to state rule. "Therefore we must continue with the operation and in parallel open the way for civilians to leave," he said. Russia and Damascus have accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving eastern Ghouta during the daily ceasefires. Rebels have consistently denied this accusation and say people will not leave because they fear the government. A U.N. humanitarian official said people in eastern Ghouta were being subjected to unacceptable "collective punishment", which is illegal under the Geneva Conventions. Assad dismissed Western statements about the humanitarian situation in eastern Ghouta as "a ridiculous lie". With the war entering its eighth year, capturing the eastern Ghouta area would be a major victory for Assad, who has steadily recovered control of rebellious areas with Russian and Iranian support. The White House, in its strongest accusations of Moscow's complicity in the offensive to date, said on Sunday that Russian military aircraft carried out at least 20 daily bombing missions in Damascus and eastern Ghouta between Feb. 24 and Feb. 28. "Russia has gone on to ignore (a U.N. ceasefire's) terms and to kill innocent civilians under the false auspices of counter-terrorism operations," the White House said in a statement, saying the Russian aircraft had taken off from Syria's Humaymim Airfield. French President Emmanuel Macron asked his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani to put pressure on the Syrian government to end attacks against the Ghouta region and to allow humanitarian aid to flow. British Prime Minister Theresa May agreed in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia must use its influence to make Damascus cease the eastern Ghouta campaign, May's office said. Without decisive Western pressure to halt the offensive, eastern Ghouta appears on course to meet the same fate as other rebel areas retaken by Assad, such as eastern Aleppo, recovered using similar tactics of siege, bombardment and ground assaults. Rebels eventually withdrew from eastern Aleppo in late 2016 in a mediated deal, leaving to opposition-held territory near the Turkish border. The multi-sided war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people since 2011, has escalated on several fronts this year, as the collapse of Islamic State has given way to other conflicts between Syrian and international parties. "SCORCHED EARTH" One of the main insurgent groups in eastern Ghouta, Jaish al-Islam, said the government's "scorched earth policy" had forced rebels to retreat and regroup, but vowed to recover lost territory. One resident estimated that thousands of people were on the move and seeking shelter in areas further from the frontlines. The Observatory estimated that between 300 to 400 families, which is likely several thousand people, had fled areas seized by government forces since Saturday. The pro-Assad commander said civilians were fleeing to the town of Douma. The Observatory says government shelling and air strikes have killed 659 people in eastern Ghouta since Feb. 18, while rebel shelling of Damascus has killed 27. U.N. regional humanitarian coordinator Panos Moumtzis said violence has escalated in eastern Ghouta and mortars fired into Damascus had killed and injured scores of civilians. "Instead of a much-needed reprieve, we continue to see more fighting, more death, and more disturbing reports of hunger and hospitals being bombed," Moumtzis said in a statement. The United Nations later issued a statement saying it had received approval for a 46-truck convoy to the Ghouta town of Douma on Monday, carrying health and nutrition supplies, and food for 27,500 people. A second trip was planned for Thursday. Earlier, a U.N. official in Syria told Reuters a humanitarian convoy carrying life-saving supplies would not enter eastern Ghouta as had been planned on Sunday, citing a lack of permission. "DISTURBING REPORTS" Moumtzis also expressed concern about the situation in Afrin, a Kurdish region under Turkish assault since January, saying there were "disturbing reports" of civilian deaths and injuries and restrictions on civilian movement. Turkey, backed by Syrian militias, has gained ground in recent days in Afrin. The Observatory said the advancing forces could soon besiege Afrin city, where 1 million people live. The Observatory said Turkish forces had advanced to within 12 km (7 miles) of Afrin. Turkey's army said on Sunday it captured seven settlements including the town of Sheikh Hadid. Turkish forces have taken control of the roads from Rajo and Jandaris to Afrin, it also said in a statement. Turkey has rejected Western calls for it to suspend the Afrin assault in line with the U.N. ceasefire, which does not apply to Islamic State, al Qaeda and groups associated with it, or other groups deemed terrorists by the Security Council. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is deemed a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. The YPG has been an important ally for the United States in the fight against Islamic State. (Reporting by Tom Perry and Laila Bassam in Beirut, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Maria Kiselyova in Moscow and Ali Abdelaty in Cairo and Phil Stewart in Washington; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's state of Tasmania has returned the conservative Tasmanian Liberals to office with a clear majority in an election fought largely on jobs and poker machines. The southern state, an island the size of Sri Lanka with a population of 519,000, went to the polls on Saturday with decisive results apparent before midnight. The Liberals had held 15 seats in Tasmania's 25-seat House of Assembly going into Saturday's election and secured the 13 seats they needed for majority government. That was despite the opposition Tasmanian Labor party picking up an extra three seats after campaigning strongly against poker machines which it had vowed to remove from pubs and clubs by 2023. Premier Will Hodgman of the Tasmanian Liberals had set a target to reduce Tasmania's unemployment rate to the lowest in the country by 2022 if re-elected. In his victory speech to the tally room late on Saturday night he said Tasmanians had voted for "no change". "I'm so proud of what we have done to kick-start an economy and to create jobs for 10,000 more Tasmanians, for Tasmania's unemployment rate to be the second lowest of any state in the country, and for Tasmanian businesses to be the most confident of any state in the country. To have got our budget back from deficits into surpluses," Hodgman said in the speech. Opposition leader Rebecca White of Tasmanian Labor said the state-wide swing back to Labor had put the Liberal government on notice that they had to make decisions to benefit the people "and not somebody's rich mate". She criticized the gaming industry's relationship with the Liberals, saying their election campaign was the "most well-resourced" in Tasmania's election history. "It should not be the case that you can buy a seat in the Tasmanian parliament." A controversy over gun laws in Tasmania erupted on the eve of the election, after the contents of a Liberal Party member of parliament's letter to firearms owners promising to relax restrictions became widely known. Party leaders sought to reassure voters before polls opened that their stance on gun laws was nothing to be alarmed about. "We are aware of the sensitivities around these issues and we are seeking to find the balance, one that supports our families that work in the rural sector but which is not inconsistent with national gun laws," Tasmania's premier Will Hodgman said in comments reported by the ABC on Friday. (Reporting by Alison Bevege; Editing by Daniel Wallis)The US President applauded Xi Jinpings bid to usher China back into an era of a one man dictatorship: Andrew Harnik/AP

Donald Trump has heaped praise on the Chinese presidents apparent moves to maintain his grip on power indefinitely, and contemplated whether America might follow suit.

The US president applauded Xi Jinpings bid to usher China back into an era of a one man dictatorship - hailing the world leader as great and praising the fact he now holds office for life.

Chinas most powerful leader in a generation, who took power in 2012, had been expected to rule until 2023. However, last week Chinas ruling Communist Party proposed removing a constitutional clause limiting presidential service to two consecutive terms, potentially paving the way for Chinas authoritarian leader to stay in office indefinitely.

Mr Xi will attempt to use an annual meeting of Chinas parliament, which starts on Monday morning, to change the Chinese constitution to scrap presidential term limits. The parliament is expected to ratify the move.

Hes now president for life. President for life. And hes great, Mr Trump reportedly told Republican donors at a fundraising event at his Mar-a-Lago estate where he hosted Mr Xi last April.

And look, he was able to do that. I think its great. Maybe well give that a shot some day, the US president added, according to CNN which obtained a recording of what it described as an upbeat, jokey speech.

Mr Trump also used the closed door remarks to vent his frustrations about his Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton and reiterate his view about "a rigged system. He also branded the invasion of Iraq "the single worst decision ever made, but called former President George W Bush "another real genius.

Mr Trump was criticised for praising Mr Xi by Democratic Representative Ro Khanna. He tweeted: Whether this was a joke or not, talking about being President for life like Xi Jinping is the most un-American sentiment expressed by an American President. George Washington would roll over in his grave.

Story continues

US presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times beginning in 1932. An amendment to the US Constitution which was approved in 1951 restricted presidents to two terms in office.

Mr Trump has frequently praised Mr Xi, whose tenure has been dogged by constant speculation he wants to stay on in office past the customary two five year terms, but has criticised China's trade policies.

The US leaders comments come after the Chinese government banned George Orwells dystopian satirical novella Animal Farm and the letter N in a wide-ranging online censorship crackdown earlier in the week.

Search terms blocked on Sino Weibo, a microblogging site which is Chinas equivalent of Twitter, include disagree, personality cult, lifelong, immortality, emigrate, and shameless.

It was not immediately obvious why the ostensibly harmless letter N had been banned, but some speculated it may either be being used or interpreted as a sign of dissent.By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump struck a defiant tone on Friday, saying trade wars were good and easy to win, after his plan to put tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum triggered global criticism and a slide in stock markets. The European Union raised the possibility of taking countermeasures, France said the duties would be unacceptable and China urged Trump to show restraint. Canada, the biggest supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States, said it would retaliate if hit by U.S. tariffs. U.S. stock indexes recouped some losses on Friday, but were on track to end the week in the red as investors fretted over a possible global trade war. World equity markets slid further and the U.S. dollar dropped to its lowest point in more than two years against the yen. Trump said on Thursday that a plan for tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum products would be formally announced next week. "When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win," Trump said on Twitter on Friday. In a later social media post, Trump said his aim was to protect U.S. jobs in the face of cheaper foreign products. "We must protect our country and our workers. Our steel industry is in bad shape. IF YOU DONT HAVE STEEL, YOU DONT HAVE A COUNTRY!" he wrote. Many economists say that instead of increasing employment, price increases for consumers of steel and aluminum such as the auto and oil industries will destroy more U.S. jobs than they create. RETALIATION LIKELY Major U.S. trade partners are likely to retaliate against any new duties imposed by Washington. Europe has drawn up a list of U.S. products on which to apply tariffs if Trump follows through on his plan. "We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levis," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told German television. Officials have not said whether the tariffs would include imports from Canada and Mexico, Washington's partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which is being reworked. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said any U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports would be "absolutely unacceptable" and vowed to continue to engage with U.S. officials on the issue. The International Monetary Fund also expressed concern about the proposed tariffs and said they likely would damage the U.S. economy as well as the economies of other nations. Trump's announcement came after what one person with direct knowledge of the discussions described as a night of "chaos" in the White House due to frequent switching of positions in the administration. While Trump often lays out stark policy positions which he later rolls back as part of a negotiating tactic, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the levels of the planned tariffs were not expected to change. Capital Alpha Partners, a policy research group in Washington, said a quick reversal by Trump was highly unlikely. "We also don't see a chance for fine tuning, exceptions, carve outs, or a country-by-country policy" in the short term, the group said in a research note. "We would be hopeful that the policy could be modified in time." The United States is the world's biggest steel importer, buying 35.6 million tonnes, in 2017 and Canada is the leading supplier. Peter Navarro, a White House adviser with largely protectionist views on trade, brushed off the drop in U.S. stock prices and the negative effects of tariffs on U.S. industry. "I think the smart money right now is buying this market," he told Fox News. He said a 10 percent tariff on aluminum would add one cent to the cost of a can of beer, $45 to a car and $20,000 to a Boeing 727 Dreamliner. "Big price effects? Negligible price effects," he said. But home appliance maker Electrolux said it was delaying a $250 million expansion of its plant in Tennessee as it was worried U.S. steel prices would rise and make manufacturing there less competitive. The EU, which sees itself as a global counterweight to a protectionist-leaning Trump, made no mention of retaliation but spoke of countermeasures that conform with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Safeguard measures, last deployed by Europe in 2002 after then-U.S. President George W. Bush imposed steel import duties, would be designed to guard against steel and aluminum being diverted to Europe from elsewhere if U.S. tariffs come in. But to conform with WTO rules such measures would have to apply to imports from all countries and could also hit producers including China, India, Russia, South Korea and Turkey. Steel has become an important focus for Trump, who said he would restore the U.S. industry and punish what he sees as unfair trade practices, particularly by China. Republican U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, who has been critical of Trump, said there were only losers in trade wars. "Kooky 18th century protectionism will jack up prices on American families - and will prompt retaliation," he said in a tweet. "Make no mistake, if the president goes through with this it will kill American jobs." Although China accounts for only 2 percent of U.S. steel imports, its massive industry expansion has helped produce a global steel glut that has driven down prices. "China urges the United States to show restraint in using protective trade measures, respect multilateral trade rules, and make a positive contribution to international trade order," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. (Additional reporting by Tom Westbrook in Sydney, Tom Daly in Beijing, Philip Blenkinsop and Robert-Jan Bartunek in Brussels, Doina Chiacu, Eric Walsh and Makini Brice in Washington, and Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss in New York; Writing by David Clarke and Alistair Bell; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Paul Simao)President Trump attended the annual Gridiron Club dinner Saturday, where he jested about a range of controversies  including the state of his marriage to First Lady Melania Trump.

"So many people have been leaving the White House. Its invigorating since you want turnover. I like chaos. It really is good. Whos going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller, or Melania?" Trump quipped, according to White House pool reports.

Will Melania leave Donald Trump?

MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty

Trending: Oscars 2018: Why Are Celebrities Wearing Orange Pins on The Red Carpet?

Trump's marriage has been the center of speculation for weeks, after allegations of his affair with a porn star in the mid-1990s emerged.

Amid the jests though, one remark seemed to hint at a possible diplomatic breakthrough with his administrations key adversary, Kim Jong Uns North Korea.

Now we are talking and they, by the way, called up a couple of days ago. They said thatwe would like to talk. And I saidSo would we, but you have to de-nuke, you have to de-nuke, Trump told attendees at the dinner.

We will be meeting and well see if anything positive happens, he added.

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It was unclear if Trump was joking or if formal U.S.-North Korea talks were imminent.

I wont rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un. I just wont, he said, referring to North Koreas leader.

As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine, Trump said.

If a meeting were to come together, it would be the first between the Trump administration and Pyongyang, which are in a standoff over Norths development of nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States.

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Story continues

Trumps remarks came shortly before South Koreas presidency announced on Sunday that a high-level delegation of South Korean officials will travel to North Korea on Monday to discuss improving relations on the peninsula and possible talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

After the two-day visit to North Korea, the special envoys will travel to the United States to brief officials on their discussions in Pyongyang, South Koreas presidential Blue House said.

Signs of a North-South thaw have prompted speculation that it could lead to direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang after months of tension and exchanges of insults between Trump and Kim, that have fuelled fears of war.

North Korea has refrained from carrying out any weapons tests since late November, when it tested its largest intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Gridiron Clubs annual dinner has been attended by most U.S. presidents as well as opposition leaders. At the event club members don wigs and costumes to perform satirical skits skewering the president and Washington political class, a tradition dating back to 1885.

Presidents typically deliver a humorous speech at the event and do not disclose new policy initiatives. Trump rattled off a series of jokes that got plenty of laughs, skewering members of his own Cabinet like Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who were all present in the Washington hotel ballroom.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekPresident Donald Trump pulled no punches in his gibe-filled remarks at the Gridiron Club dinner in Washington on Saturday, joking about his top aides and opponents alike to the journalists and lawmakers in attendance.

Even son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner was not spared a roasting. The president opened his comments by mocking the recent downgrading of Kushners security clearance.

Before I get started, I wanted to apologize for arriving a little bit late, Trump began, according to pool reporters. You know, were late tonight because Jared could not get through the security.

Trump, whod turned down an invitation to attend the annual event last year, went on to rib several other members of his administration  both current and former. He said former aide Steve Bannon spoke too much to the press, and leaked more than the Titanic. He referred to Vice President Mike Pence as his apprentice. And he joked that hed offered a ride to Jeff Sessions, but the attorney general had recused himself.

The president also told a joke about his wife, Melania, who was in attendance.

So many people have been leaving the White House. Its invigorating since you want turnover. I like chaos. It really is good. Whos going to be the next to leave  [aide] Steve Miller or Melania? Trump said.

Thats terrible. But you love me right, honey?

The quip was met with gasps from the audience, according to NPR.

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In a nod to his penchant for over-the-top praise of his accomplishments, Trump said, My staff was concerned that I couldnt do self-deprecating humor. And I told them not to worry, nobody does self-deprecating humor better than I do.

At the closed-door event, where filming was prohibited, Trump also discussed more somber issues like North Korea, saying he was open to direct talks with its leader, Kim Jong Un.

But he also quipped: As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine.

He needled Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who he called crazy (but also a fine woman).

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Noting that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) regularly calls for his impeachment, Trump said, And I say  and I get in trouble for this  she has to immediately take an IQ test, and people go crazy.

The taunt has been criticized as racist.

Trump also took aim at one of his favorite targets: the press, who he described as his opposition party. The president told the journalists in the room that he wanted to ruin your evening in person.

Trump, who has been openly hostile toward the press since taking office, earlier in the day posted a tweet lambasting the crazy mainstream media.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump on Saturday appeared to cheer on China's Xi Jinping for paving the way to a limitless tenure, while delivering a lighthearted address at a Florida fundraising event.

Trump seemed to jokingly muse over making such power consolidation moves himself, according to audio from the closed-door event at his Mar-a-Lago resort published by news outlet CNN.

"He's now president for life," the 71-year-old US president said, eliciting chuckles from the crowd of Republican donors. "And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great."

He garnered even more laughs when he quipped: "Maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day."

Though the US leader's comments struck a jocular tone, many on Twitter voiced concern over the prospect of an indefinite Trump presidency.

"Whether this was a joke or not, talking about being President for life like Xi Jinping is the most unAmerican sentiment expressed by an American President," said Democrat Ro Khanna, a California congressman.

"George Washington would roll over in his grave."

China's legislature will hold an annual session starting Monday that will grant Xi a second five-year stint as president -- and also likely scrap the constitution's limits on holding the office, clearing the way for him to rule for life.

The possibility has sparked public outcry, prompting Chinese censors to furiously stamp out dissenting voices on social media.By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping Saturday after the ruling Communist party announced it was eliminating the two-term limit for the presidency, paving the way for Xi to serve indefinitely, according to audio aired by CNN. "He's now president for life, president for life. And he's great," Trump said, according to audio of excerpts of Trump's remarks at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida aired by CNN. "And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot someday," Trump said to cheers and applause from supporters. It is not clear if Trump, 71, was making the comment about extending presidential service in jest. The White House did not respond to a request for comment late Saturday. U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat, said on Twitter that "whether this was a joke or not, talking about being President for life like Xi Jinping is the most unAmerican sentiment expressed by an American President. George Washington would roll over in his grave." U.S. presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932. An amendment to the U.S. Constitution approved in 1951 limits presidents to two terms in office. In order to change the current prohibition, it would require initial support of two-thirds of both houses of Congress or support of two-thirds of state legislatures - and then would need to be ratified by three-quarters of the states. Chinas annual parliament gathering kicks off on Monday as Xi presses ahead with efforts to ward off financial risks without undermining the economy. The Communist party announced on Feb 25 the end of the two-term limit for the president - and the parliament is expected to ratify the move. During the remarks, Trump praised Xi as "a great gentleman" and added: "He's the most powerful (Chinese) president in a hundred years." Trump said Xi had treated him "tremendously well" during his visit in November. Trump has often praised Xi, but in January Trump told Reuters the United States was considering a big "fine" as part of a probe into Chinas alleged theft of intellectual property. He has been critical of China's trade policies. Trump told The New York Times in December that because of North Korea he had "been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war." (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Nick Zieminski)Mr Trump refused to rule out direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un: Getty

Donald Trump has told reporters North Korea called up the United State to seek talks, while also not ruling out direct negotiations with Kim Jong-un.

During a light-hearted speech at a dinner with journalists in Washington on Saturday, the US president suggested talks could take place with Pyongyang if it denukes.

It was unclear from Mr Trumps remarks whether he was joking, or whether the US was indeed on course to enter landmark talks with the secretive communist state.

Now were talking, Mr Trump said, according to the Washington Post.

They, by the way, called up a couple of days ago, they said we would like to talk. And I said, so would we, but you have to denuke.

The president also joked he would be prepared to engage in direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

I would not rule out direct talks with Kim Jong-un, Mr Trump said.

I just wont. As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, thats his problem, not mine, he added to laughter.

South Korea will send a 10-strong delegation to Pyongyang on Monday after diplomatic progress made at last months Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang offered hopes of a thaw in relations between the two Koreas.

The visit will attempt to lower tensions on the peninsula and encourage the hermit kingdom to re-enter into dialogue with the United States, South Koreas Yonhap news agency said.

However, a spokesperson for North Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was preposterous that the US wanted it to scrap its nuclear weapons programme as part of any talks.

The ministry did say dialogue with the US was possible and Pyongyang wanted a to find a diplomatic and peaceful solution to the conflict.

The US, that was terrified at the rapid development of our nuclear force and has continued to knock the door of dialogue, now feigns an indifference and advances this or that precondition, the spokesperson added.

Not being content with it, it insists that it will have dialogue only for making the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] abandon nuclear weapons and persist in maximum pressure until complete denuclearisation is realised.

Story continues

This is really more than ridiculous.

Mr Trump signed off on the largest-ever package of sanctions against the regime last month in a bid to pressure it into giving up its nuclear arsenal.

He warned a phase two of the plan would be very, very unfortunate for the world if the move did not prove successful.Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump spoke out defiantly Friday against global criticism of his plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, seeming to welcome the idea of a trade war.

"When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win," Trump wrote in an early morning tweet.

"Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don't trade anymore-we win big. It's easy!" the president wrote.

"We must protect our country and our workers. Our steel industry is in bad shape. IF YOU DON'T HAVE STEEL, YOU DON'T HAVE A COUNTRY!"

After weeks of rumors and counter-rumors about his administration's intentions, Trump on Thursday announced he would sign off on measures designed to protect US producers next week.

The tariffs -- 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum -- cover two materials that are the lifeblood of the construction and manufacturing sectors.

The announcement was greeted with fury within key US trading allies such as Canada, the EU, Australia and Mexico, as well as rival China.

It also caused jitters across global stock markets.US President Donald Trump announced high tariffs on steel and aluminium imports into the US: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

A Nobel-prize winning economist said President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminium imports are like the "first shot in a war".

Robert Shiller, a 2013 winner and Yale University professor, said: "I'd wonder if this isn't just a first step, that Trump has in mind raising other tariffs. Even if he doesn't there will be other countries who will retaliate and they'll get bigger".

He told CNBC there is going to be an "immediate disruption effect" across the globe due to Mr Trump's tariffs hike.

"That's what happened in the Great Depression," he said referring to the economic downturn in the US in the 1930s.

Companies like Sweden's Electrolux has already announced it would delay a $250m investment in the US state of Tennessee because of the 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent import duty on aluminium.

Foreign leaders from Canada, the UK, and the EU have criticised the President for his decision.

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said retaliation may be in order, adding in a statement: It is entirely inappropriate to view any trade with Canada as a national security threat".

Adding insult to injury, Mr Trump had already threatened to withdraw the US from the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta), but for now has a team of negotiators. There are reports, however, that the negotiators are uncomfortable and confused about what the administration actually wants from the deal.

The EU is also thinking of placing tariffs on certain US goods as a result of the latest move. Quintessential American-made goods like Kentucky bourbon, Levi's jeans, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles are on the list of possibilities.

"Trade wars are good, and easy to win," Mr Trump wrote on Twitter in the wake of the announcement. The President made the decision while angry and "unglued," according to an administration official who spoke to NBC News.

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"The two officials said, was angry and gunning for a fight, and he chose a trade war, spurred on by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Peter Navarro, the White House director for trade  and against longstanding advice from his economic chair Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin," NBC News reported.

Mr Ross had planned a meeting with executives from the steel and aluminium industries without informing or preparing the White House and Mr Trump "was said to be furious".

The Commerce Secretary then told CNBC that the tariffs are "no big deal" and only have a "trivial" impact.

Even Republicans have slammed the President for the decision.

A spokesperson for House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has proven to be a fairly reliable ally to the President, said: "the Speaker is hoping the President will consider the unintended consequences of this idea and look at other approaches before moving forward".

Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Mr Ryan's home state, tweeted that he hoped the President would reconsider the tariffs because "they will lead to the exact opposite outcome of the administrations stated objective, which is to protect American jobs".

Senator John Thune said he was concerned the rash decision would lead to "retaliatory action" against the US.

The tariff was also called "a massive tax on American families" by Senator Ben Sasse, adding that "protectionism is weak, not strong. You'd expect a policy this bad from a leftist administration, not a supposedly Republican one".President Donald Trumps announcement Thursday that he will impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and steel has been met with shocked rebukes, even from members of his own Republican Party. And many more Americans could soon join in the anger after warnings that the plan could lead to a sharp increase in the price of beer.

Related: Will Trump's Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Start a Trade War With China? Here's What to Expect

Like most brewers, we are selling an increasing amount of our beers in aluminum cans, and this action will cause aluminum prices to rise, read a statement on Twitter from MillerCoors, the second largest brewing company in the United States following Trumps announcement. It is likely to lead to job losses across the beer industry.

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The company added: American workers and American consumers will suffer as a result of this misguided tariff.

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And the criticism from the beer industry at the proposed 10 percent tariff on aluminum did not end there.

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We urge the Department of Commerce and President Trump to consider the adverse impact that the trade restrictions on aluminum will have on the more than two million American jobs before making his final decision, said Felipe Dutra, the chief financial officer of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the worlds largest brewer. We will be following that and monitoring that closely.

Over 50 percent of the beer produced each year in the U.S. is sold in aluminum cans or aluminum bottles. Close to a quarter of AB InBevs cost base in the U.S. is said to come from purchases of aluminum.

According to The Beer Institute, a trade group, the tariff would amount to a $347.7 million tax on beverages sold in cans and come at the further cost of tens of thousands of jobs.

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If the tariff was to come into effect, it could push increasing numbers of Americans away from the more cost-conscious product of beer toward wine and spirits, The Wall Street Journal reported industry insiders as predicting.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from NewsweekBEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes struck pro-Syrian government forces in the northwestern Afrin region of Syria on Saturday, killing at least 36 of them, as Turkey's assault in the Kurdish region gathered pace, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The pro-Syrian government forces entered Afrin last week in support of the Kurdish YPG militia, the stated target of the operation launched by Turkey and allied Syrian rebel fighters in January. The Observatory said the air strike, which hit a camp in Kafr Jina, marked the third time in 48 hours that Turkish warplanes had struck pro-government forces in Afrin. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a YPG-led militia alliance, said in a statement that Turkish air strikes had targeted positions held by the Syrian army's "popular forces" from 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) until 10 a.m. (0800 GMT). It did not say where or give a death toll. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said his country's forces had captured the town of Rajo from militants. The Observatory said the Turkish army was in control of about 70 percent of the town, about 25 km (16 miles) northwest of Afrin city. The SDF statement said a group of Turkish forces and allied Syrian factions had infiltrated Rajo, where it said clashes were continuing between SDF forces and the attackers. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is deemed a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. The YPG has been an important ally for the United States in the fight against Islamic State. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Andrew Heavens)GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations has suspended aid work helping tens of thousands of people in northeastern Nigeria after an attack by suspected Boko Haram militants left three humanitarian workers dead and at least three others missing, possibly kidnapped. The suspension of aid work in the town of Rann, which hosts a camp for 55,000 people displaced by the Islamist Boko Haram insurgency, was announced late on Friday in a statement from the spokesman for the UN Secretary-General. The suspected militants killed at least 11 people, including the three aid workers, in an attack on a military barracks in Rann in Borno state late on Thursday, according to two security reports seen by Reuters. "At the time of the attack, over 40 humanitarian workers were in Rann," said the UN statement. "All humanitarian personnel have been evacuated from Rann, and all humanitarian deliveries in the area have been temporarily suspended." Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres on Friday said it had suspended its work in Rann following the attack and evacuated both national and international staff. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Writing by Paul Carsten; Editing by Hugh Lawson)By Joseph Ax PRINCETON, N.J. (Reuters) - More than 1.5 million customers remained without power throughout the eastern United States early on Sunday, and communities on the New England coast faced more flooding two days after a powerful storm snapped trees, downed wires and killed at least nine people. The remnants of the storm, known as a nor'easter, lingered on Sunday with flood watches and wind advisories in effect until 1 p.m. in northeastern United States even as it moved hundreds of miles out to sea, hampering efforts to restore power. The governors of both Massachusetts and New York declared a state of emergency on Saturday afternoon, following similar announcements by the governors of Virginia and Maryland on Friday. The moves give those states access to federal resources. The storm carried hurricane-force winds in excess of 90 miles per hour (145 kph), sending seawater churning into streets in Boston and nearby shore towns - the second time the area has been flooded this year. The National Weather Service (NWS) said that while winds have weakened on Sunday and most of the rain and snow has moved offshore, flooding and extreme high tides could still affect the coastal areas from Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Long Island, N.Y. "We're definitely not out of the woods yet," said meteorologist David Roth at the weather service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. Falling trees killed seven people - including two boys who died when trees struck their homes - in Connecticut, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia, according to local media and police. Two others died in the storm, according to media reports, including a 41-year-old man in Andover, New Jersey, who came in contact with power lines. Private forecasting service AccuWeather said the storm dumped as much as 18 inches (46 cm) of snow on parts of New York state and Pennsylvania. The Massachusetts town of East Bridgewater received nearly 6 inches of rain, the NWS said. The storm also snarled transportation from the Middle Atlantic into New England, with more than a quarter of flights into and out of New York's three major airports and Boston's airport canceled on Friday, tracking service FlightAware.com reported. The problems carried over into Saturday, with hundreds of flights canceled into and out of New York and Boston, according to the website. One flight landing at Washington's Dulles International Airport on Friday experienced turbulence so rough that most passengers became sick and the pilots were on the verge of becoming ill, the Federal Aviation Administration said. (Reporting by Joseph Ax in Princeton, New Jersey; Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Bill Trott and Muralikumar Anantharaman)9-11 anniversary honored Several ceremonies were held Saturday in Lapeer County to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.

Lawsuit dismissed, marijuana stays on ballot LAPEER  Voters in the city of Lapeer will still decide a Nov. 2 ballot proposal that will ask them if they want to prohibit...Washington (AFP) - A brigade of seasoned American soldiers has arrived in Afghanistan in recent days on a much-trumpeted mission to offer a new type of training -- as well as motivation -- to beleaguered Afghan partners.

Pentagon officials hope the deployment of hundreds of battle-hardened, expert troops across the country will help turn the tide in the war, but Afghanistan watchers are skeptical about how much difference they can make in the 16-year-old conflict.

Most of the troops in the so-called Security Force Assistance Brigade, or SFAB, have multiple Afghanistan combat deployments under their belts, speak some level of Pashto or Dari and -- after having themselves undergone special training -- have now volunteered to return.

"They are coming here because they are passionate about the mission," Navy Captain Tom Gresback, a spokesman for NATO's Resolute Support mission in Kabul, told AFP.

The United States and NATO have already tried various training models for Afghan security forces, but even after all these years many units remain beset by corruption and desertions and are suffering horrendous casualty rates.

US officials have also tracked dozens of cases of reported human rights violations in Afghan security units, including several involving child sexual assault.

The Pentagon has been training partner forces in various conflicts for decades, and the approach has been buoyed in recent years by local forces' successes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

What differentiates the SFAB from other Afghan missions is not just the US soldiers' experience, but the fact they will be patrolling closer to the conflict's front lines than trainers have done in recent years -- putting them at greater risk.

They will help Afghans hone a variety of skills including marksmanship and weapons training, and combat medics will teach Afghan partners how to better handle battlefield trauma.

And, vitally, the Afghans will learn how to call in air strikes and how to conduct ground-clearing operations.

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"The goal is to not fight for the Afghans, but to train these proud soldiers to see that they can fight for themselves," Gresback said.

- Training shortcomings -

Squads of about 10 US soldiers will embed at the "kandak" level -- an Afghan term for battalions typically made up of 300-400 men -- and they will deploy across Afghanistan, including in volatile southern Helmand province and in eastern Nangarhar province, where the Taliban and Islamic State are fighting.

The NATO and US training of Afghan troops has recently been largely conducted by commandos and focused on Afghanistan's special forces, rather than on its conventional units.

Up until the end of 2014, NATO troops provided most of the security in Afghanistan, but in 2015, after the drawdown of Western forces, Afghan troops were tasked with the job themselves.

The results were disastrous, with thousands killed each year as the Taliban resurged. Officials have acknowledged training has sometimes fallen short.

A US government watchdog last year blasted the military as being woefully unprepared to take on the challenge of creating security forces of the size and scope needed in Afghanistan.

Bill Roggio, an Afghanistan expert and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the SFAB deployment is a step in the right direction but may ultimately have limited impact.

"Does it improve things on the margins, or does it actually make a real difference in that (the Afghans) are either going to be able to stop the Taliban's gains or beat them back? I am skeptical," he told AFP.

US commanders say the SFAB, along with an increased tempo of air strikes and a broader strategy for the region including Pakistan, will help the Afghans push back the Taliban.

Officials say 64 percent of the Afghan population lives in areas currently controlled by the Afghan government, with 12 percent in Taliban-controlled areas and the rest living in "contested areas."

They have set the seemingly modest goal of increasing those under government control to 80 percent within two years.

"I've looked at the training regime," US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said recently.

"First of all, the quality of these troops, in terms of their experience and their selection, and second, the training, gives me a lot of confidence."By Sonali Paul and Byron Kaye MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell arrived in an Australian court on Monday for the start of a four-week pre-trial hearing on charges of historical sexual offences. Pell, 76, a top adviser to Pope Francis, did not speak as he was escorted to Melbourne Magistrates' Court by police through a group of media and protesters. Pell has so far not been required to enter a plea. Pell was summoned by Australian police last year and is the most senior Catholic official to face such charges. Details have not been made public. Pell's lawyers have said at past administrative hearings that he will plead not guilty to all charges. He is not required to enter a formal plea until a magistrate determines if prosecutors have enough evidence for a case to be committed to a full trial. Court authorities have said they will close the court in Melbourne to the public for most of the first two weeks to protect the privacy of people giving evidence. Pell is on a leave of absence from his Vatican role as Pope Francis' economy minister, which he started in 2014. The pontiff has said he will not comment on the case until it is over. (Reporting by Sonali Paul in MELBOURNE and Byron Kaye in SYDNEY: editing by Neil Fullick, Jane Wardell and Paul Simao)By Crispian Balmer and Gavin Jones ROME (Reuters) - Italy's national election produced no outright winner on Sunday, according to exit polls that pointed to possible political gridlock, with voters backing anti-establishment and far-right parties in record numbers. A rightist alliance emerged with the biggest bloc of votes, ahead of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, the largest single party, polls showed. The ruling center-left coalition came third, hurt by anger over poverty and mass immigration. Full results are not expected for several hours, and Italian exit polls have previously given misleading initial readings. Heavily indebted Italy is the third largest economy in the euro zone and prolonged political stalemate could make it the focal point of market concern now that the threat of instability in Germany has receded thanks to the revival on Sunday of a grand coalition under Chancellor Angela Merkel. The euro edged marginally higher in Asia early on Monday, with investors awaiting clearer results from Italy. A poll for RAI state television said a bloc of center-right and far-right parties would win 33-36 percent of the vote, short of the 40 percent analysts have said is the minimum needed to secure a majority under Italy's new electoral law. Within the alliance, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (Go Italy!) was seen winning 12.5-15.5 percent, the same as the League, which has allied itself to anti-immigration, anti-Islam parties across Europe. The 5-Star, led by 31-year-old Luigi Di Maio, was forecast to take 29.0-32.5 percent, which would be a remarkable result for a group that was only formed in 2009. It has fed off public fury over entrenched corruption and economic hardship. "We will be a pillar of the legislature," said a smiling Alfonso Bonafede, a close ally of Di Maio, told La7. A center-left alliance dominated by former prime minister Matteo Renzi's ruling Democratic Party (PD) was projected to win 25-28 percent, but pollsters said the PD itself might end up only the fourth-largest group in the lower house of parliament. "If this is the result, for us it is a defeat and we will move into the opposition," said PD lower house leader Ettore Rosato. STALEMATE During two months of grinding election campaigning, party leaders repeatedly ruled out any post-election tie-ups with rivals. However, Italy has a long history of finding a way out of apparently intractable political stalemate. Parliament will meet for the first time on March 23 and formal talks on forming a government are not likely to start until early April. Financial markets have appeared little concerned by the Italian ballot, but investors are likely to take fright at any suggestion the 5-Star could form a coalition with the League. Exit polls suggested the two forces would have enough seats to govern together and they have in the past shared strong anti-euro views. While the League still says it wants to leave the single currency at the earliest feasible moment, the 5-Star says the time for quitting the euro has passed. Founded by comedian Beppe Grillo, 5-Star has sought to allay fears in EU capitals over its policies, dropping some of its more radical proposals, like leaving NATO, and promising to be business-friendly if they win power. It has always shunned the idea of entering any formal coalition. During the campaign, Di Maio said he would seek cross-party support for his program, which includes "drastic" cuts to corporate taxes, slashing red tape and guaranteeing a minimum monthly income of up to 780 euros ($963) for the poor. This so-called "Universal Wage" has helped the party draw massive support in the underdeveloped south, with pollsters predicting the 5-Star could sweep most first-past-the-post seats in regions below Rome. By contrast, Berlusconi and his far-right, populist allies were expected to win the majority of seats in the wealthier north, with the center-left squeezed into a narrow stretch of territory across central Italy, including Tuscany. Populist parties have been on the rise across Europe since the 2008 financial crisis. Italy's mainstream parties have found it especially hard to contain voter anger, with the economy still 6 percent smaller than a decade ago and unemployment stuck at about 11 percent. (Additional reporting by Isla Binnie and Steve Scherer in Rome; Editing by Mark Bendeich)Nepotism never ends well: the US Presidents daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner: Getty

Is it too much to ask for a little professionalism from the White House? I actually caught myself marvelling the other day at some natty name cards that had been set down before steel manufacturing executives as they sat around a table watching Donald Trump announce job-saving import tariffs. There is someone in the West Wing who knows how to work the printer!

Recall that when these warriors of heavy industry arrived in town, no one had a clue how their day would end. Trump wanted to use the occasion to unveil tariffs on foreign competitors in the steel market, but just hours earlier even officials in the White House couldnt say whether hed actually do it. With planning like that, spelling a few names right was a minor miracle.

We know what happened. Trump insisted trade wars are good and easy to win. But its how the asylum is being run that concerns me. How does a president announce protectionist trade measures without being able to say what they actually are? Nothing was down on paper when he sent markets plunging. Maybe next week hell reverse course. You know he might.

When the boss behaves with such fecklessness, hed better have grown-ups nearby. As Chief of Staff, John Kelly was meant to bring some military discipline to bear, but then along came Rob Porter, the Staff Secretary whom Kelly defended even after two ex-wives accused him of abuse. He did finally fire Porter, who was dating Hope Hicks. She had the Presidents ear like no one else but had zero governing experience. Shes leaving too now.

But for conduct unprofessional, nothing beats the continuing presence at 1,600 Pennsylvania Avenue of Javanka. It was clear always that there should be no place there for either Ivanka Trump, the Presidents daughter, or for her husband, Jared Kushner. Congress passed an anti-nepotism law in government back in the late Sixties for good reason. Nepotism never ends well.

Maybe the end is nigh for these two though, and none too soon. So deafening is the criticism of both of them now that even Trump is said to have privately conceded in recent days he might be better off without them. There are two train seats to New York with their names on them.

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First there was Ivanka travelling to South Korea to represent him at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics and, while there, to share his latest plans for tough sanctions on North Korea with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Really? Few riddles are more urgent than the nuclear threat from Pyongyang, but was she really the right person to help untangle it?

Then came the embarrassment of an interview with NBC News when the correspondent asked her to comment on the #MeToo movement and the allegations of sexual impropriety hovering over her father. I dont think thats a question you would ask many other daughters, she replied. Im his daughter. There it was, right there. Ivanka had seemingly forgotten that by accepting a desk in the West Wing she had agreed to be precisely more than that, to be a public servant. She was trying to hide behind what is precisely the problem with her being there.

Kushners star dims by the hour. Last week, he suffered a downgrading of his security clearance. It was a humiliating blow that called into question his continuing usefulness. Among his portfolios is ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. That always seemed a stretch but all the more so now that he is denied access even to the Presidents daily intelligence briefings.

The problem with Kushner is the intersection of his current job and his familys sprawling property development business. He is meant to have severed his relationship with the latter, but there are growing doubts about that. And it is an area which, according to several reports, is drawing intense scrutiny from Robert Mueller, whose investigation into possible collusion of the Trump campaign with Russia is clearly getting wider in scope.

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The day he was downgraded also saw reports from various media outlets  and this, we learn, was especially unnerving to his father-in-law  that representatives from at least three foreign countries, including Israel, had openly discussed how they might exploit Kushners conflicting loyalties to business and the country to try to seek some diplomatic advantage over the United States. They saw him, in fact, as a potentially useful weak link inside the West Wing.

Whether any nation actually acted on this instinct we do not yet know. But evidence of double-dealing by Kushner himself may be mounting. That includes reports that executives from two entities, Citigroup and private equity firm Apollo, had visited Kushner in the White House before making large loans to his familys business. On Friday, meanwhile, the Intercept reported attempts made by his father to access financing from the rulers of Qatar, that ended in failure. Weeks later, the White House sided with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states in their blockade of Qatar. NBC News reports that Qatar believes the two things were hardly unconnected. We will have to see. But you see why they might think so.

On the one hand, Three-Wheels-On-My-Wagon Trump must find a way to stabilise his inner circle. The West Wing exodus is starting to get embarrassing. But before he can hope to restore credibility to his fumbling administration he has to give marching orders to two more people, however personally awkward that may be for him. You know who they are.By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Sunday made its strongest accusation to date of Moscow's complicity in civilian deaths in Syria's besieged eastern Ghouta region, saying Russian aircraft flew bombing missions in defiance of a United Nations ceasefire. The White House said Russian military aircraft took off from Humaymim Airfield in Syria and carried out at least 20 daily bombing missions in Damascus and eastern Ghouta between Feb. 24 and Feb. 28. It did not say whether the jets dropped ordnance, which could be harder to determine than tracking the flight paths of Russian aircraft on U.S. radar. But the United States directly accused Russia of killing civilians. "Russia has gone on to ignore (a U.N. ceasefire's) terms and to kill innocent civilians under the false auspices of counter-terrorism operations," the White House said in a statement. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Sunday to continue the offensive in eastern Ghouta, one of the deadliest in the war. A local insurgent group called it a "scorched earth" campaign. With the war entering its eighth year, capturing eastern Ghouta would be a major victory for Assad, who has steadily regained control of rebel areas with Russian and Iranian support. Government shelling and air strikes have killed 659 people in eastern Ghouta since Feb. 18, while rebel shelling of Damascus has killed 27, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday that Syrian government air strikes on eastern Ghouta and shelling from the rebel-held zone into Damascus probably constitute war crimes. The White House called on pro-Assad forces to "immediately cease targeting medical infrastructure and civilians." Russia and Damascus have accused rebels of preventing civilians from leaving eastern Ghouta during daily ceasefires. Rebels have consistently denied the accusation and say people will not leave because they fear the government. The multi-sided war has killed hundreds of thousands of people since 2011. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; additional reporting by Tom Perry in Beirut and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)A machine gun crew with the 82nd Airborne Divisions 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, sets up an overwatch position during a foot patrol May 8, 2012, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

John Mueller

Security, Middle East

The January 1973 agreement between North Vietnam and the United States can be applied to the present, stalemated situation in Afghanistan.

A Vietnam Solution to the Afghanistan War?

It was in 2010 that United States President Barack Obama told an interviewer that he could easily imagine a situation in which "we ended up staying in Afghanistan for another five years, another eight years, another ten years. And we would do it not with clear intentions but rather just out of an inertia."

Last year, well into that decade of inertial guidance, President Donald Trump, although noting that his original instinct was to pull out, authorized an increase of a few thousand American troops to the war in Afghanistan. It was, he said, a plan for victory. However, he then defined victory as something more akin to a stalematepreventing the Taliban from taking over and then perhaps negotiating a political settlement.

Earlier this month, a brief three-day ceasefire took place, and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has said he is willing to negotiate with the Taliban at any time and in any place. However, the Taliban has repeatedly said it wants to talk with the United States directly and that an American military withdrawal has to be a primary, up-front part of the deal.

There is, as it happens, a precedent for this condition.

It happened in the January 1973 agreement in Vietnam between the United States and the Communists that settled the war there for a while. It contained several elements that can be applied to the present, essentially stalemated, situation in Afghanistan. These situations are parallel as Afghan forces are incapable of being able to seize, hold, and then coherently govern areas controlled by the Taliban. Furthermore, substantial elements in the Taliban recognize that a takeover of government strongholds, in particular, the heavily-populated capital area of Kabul, is likely impossible.

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These elements include 1) a cease-fire in place, 2) withdrawal of U.S. military forces, 3) continued resupply of the central regime by the United States, and 4) an exchange of prisoners. For instance, the Taliban has for years been particularly interested in getting the release of some aging prisoners in Guantanamo. The United States might still retain a considerable presence in the country, but any transfers of funds or munitions would be handled by civilians and any training, or private contractors would handle other military contributions.

As noted, the Taliban, while probably open to talks, wants only to negotiate with the United States, not with what they call the slave or puppet regime in Kabul. That happened as well in Vietnam where the U.S. pushed ahead with the 1973 agreement often without substantive participation by the South Vietnamese government.

However, there are, not surprisingly, some problematic elements to this proposal.

One is that the Taliban, unlike the communists in Vietnam, is not a unified force. There are disagreements and factions aplenty. The United States had contributed to this process at times as in 2016 when it killed the top Taliban leader who may have been favorable to a settlement only to have him replaced by a hardliner.

Moreover, also unlike Vietnam, an agreement with the Taliban would not bring the end of all fighting because there are spinoff and independent insurgent elements throughout the country. However, it is also at least conceivable that some of these could be brought into the agreement.

This case is still very much like Vietnam in that the settlement might well prove to be only temporary. In Vietnam, after a decent interval of two years, the communists launched an offensive and the U.S.-supplied South Vietnam military and government folded in fifty-five days. The United States wrung its hands from afar and then promptly, and with remarkably little obvious regret, moved on to other concerns. Later on, as it happened, the United States and the communist regime in now-unified Vietnam became bosom buddies.

It is possible that Afghan forces, trained and funded by the United States, would similarly collapse when pushed, but that is far from a certainty. For one thing, the Taliban, as a military force, is far weaker than the communists in Vietnam were in 1975.

On the brighter side, after a cease-fire, the main Afghan forces might over time develop a degree of cooperation and coordination even though the country would likely remain effectively partitioned. A great deal has changed since the American invasion, and a wired-in generation has been developed in Afghanistans cities. And at least some in the Taliban realize that a full return to the Islamic Emirate that existed there before the invasion is no longer possible.

But partition has been the effective condition for some timeindeed, it is how Afghanistan has traditionally been organized. The difference would be that the war, a decades-long disaster for all involved, would be ended or at least substantially tempered.

To begin with, however, the United States needs to realize that it would have to negotiate alone at least at the start and that a military withdrawal must, as in Vietnam, be a key up-front component of any agreement.

John Mueller is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a political scientist at Ohio State University. Among his books are The Remnants of War, Atomic Obsession, Retreat from Doomsday, War and Ideas, and (as co-editor) A Dangerous World?

Image: A machine gun crew with the 82nd Airborne Divisions 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, sets up an overwatch position during a foot patrol May 8, 2012, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod on Flickr

Read full articleWhen future generations look back on 2018 what will they remember? Not much, I suspect, except for this amazing robot that can solve a Rubik's cube in .38 seconds. The video, above, shows the cube in an unsolved position and then the actuators jump into action, slamming squares into place like some kind of crazed version of Will Smith's character in The Pursuit of Happyness.

Created by Ben Katz and Jared Di Carlo, the project uses set of 6 Kollmorgen ServoDisc U9-series motors and 2 Playstation Eye cameras. The contraption reads the cube, solves it, and then slams the thing around in seconds.

The team also used a unique AND board that ensured that each motor would turn on and off independently, a feature that is necessary to ensure the entire thing doesn't explode if the motors were to actuate at the same time. It then uses the min2phase algorithm to solve the cube in about 21 moves. They could even make the thing slightly faster with a bit of tweaking.

And there you have it: the technical feat of 2018. As someone who grew so frustrated with my Rubik's Cube that I peeled off the stickers and told my Mom I solved it myself, hats off to Katz and Di Carlo. Now Elon Musk just has to solve a Rubik's Cube in space to cap off an already exciting year.

This bonus video features a cube exploding mid-solve:Egyptian President Anwar Sadat made history in November 1977 as the first Arab leader to address the Knesset in Jerusalem. Despite the historic three-day visit , IDF officials questioned the sincerity of Egypts peaceful intentions.

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On November 22, 1977, at 9 am, several hours after Sadat flew back to Egypt, IDF generals discussed the visit in a meeting of the General Staff Forum.

Earlier this week, the IDF Archives in the Ministry of Defense released the minutes of that meeting, which had been defined as highly confidential. The head of the Military Intelligence Directorate at the time, Major-General Shlomo Gazit, said during the meeting: When it comes to the intimate conversations, we know very little overall.

Sadat (center) shakes Begins hand at the Knesset. Then-Knesset Speaker Yitzhak Shamir can be seen on the right (Photo: AP)

The chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Mordechai Gur, interrupted him and said: This is about moves to prevent the war, of which I am unaware. But that was the issue, and thats what (Prime Minister Menachem) Begin told people when he left the meeting.

Maj.-Gen. Gazit continued, Sadats goal was to come to Israel and tell all three elements, and the elements are both Israel and the global public opinion, and thirdlyand this was really the exception and, I would say, Sadats couragethe public opinion in the Arab world. And he came here and said, Gentlemen, when I talk to you about peace, I am not laughing. When I talk to you about peace, I sincerely mean it. We are planning to enter conditions of peace with you, all this will be raised, and there will be coexistence. Israel will become a state with a recognized right to exist in the Arab world.

The MI chief also addressed the Egyptian response to Sadats speech. Cairo was very impressed by the warm reception the president received in Israel, he noted.

In Egypt there is a response, I would say, and full support for Sadat and for the move he made. Following Sadats speech, there is a feeling that Sadat properly presented the entire Arab case, and not just the Egyptian case. He spoke as if on behalf of all Arabs, of the justified claims of all Arabs.

The General Staff Forum raising a toast in 1977 (Photo: IDF Spokespersons Unit, courtesy of the IDF Archives at the Defense Ministry)

Prime Minister Menachem Begins speech, on the other hand, was actually received with disappointment in Cairo. A tough speech, with no concessions, neither in terms of withdrawal nor on the Palestinian issue, Maj.-Gen. Gazit said, and Sadats major step was met with no Israeli return or regard.

Southern Command chief Herzl Shafir gave the generals a long briefing on the Knesset speech. He elaborated on the points raised by Sadat and concluded: Ending the existing state of war in the region. No other wording of peace, etc., but ending the state of war.

Maj.-Gen. Moshe Levi, who served as Central Command chief at the time, noted: He doesnt say a single word about peace.

Northern Command chief Avigdor Ben-Gal said, The peace agreement doesnt include peace. Later, he added: He didnt talk about war.

Sadat inspecting the guard of honor at Ben-Gurion Airport (Photo: IDF Spokespersons Unit, courtesy of the IDF Archives at the Defense Ministry)

Later in the meeting, Chief of Staff Gur said the Egyptians expressed a lot of dissatisfaction with Begins speech. The army chief shattered the euphoria of peace in the room by saying: At the end of yesterdays speech, at the end of the speeches, if I have to point to the operative order that the chief of staff received both from the Defense Ministry and from members of the Ministerial Committee for Security, and from many of the Knesset members as well, it is prepare the war reserve stores unit for war.

Addressing Begin and Sadats Knesset speeches, Maj.-Gen. Ben-Gal said: There was a dialogue of the deaf at the Knesset. Each speech was a traditional speech, and at the end of the day, neither side showed any flexibility. The only flexible move so far wasnt in a speech, but in the actual arrival of an Egyptian president in the Land of Israel to address the Knesset, which is a breakthrough.

(Photo: IDF Spokespersons Unit, courtesy of the IDF Archives at the Defense Ministry)

He went on to attack Begin. The State of Israel, through the prime ministers speech, demonstrated a misunderstanding and inflexibility and, I would say, failed to understand the great opportunity it had been given with the Egyptian presidents arrival in the Land of Israel. And I think that the speech, the way it was delivered in public, was a serious mistake, as it contained no change in the traditional stances and there wasnt even the slightest attempt to offer something for a productive continuation of the process.

The first thing he looks for is Arik Sharon

In another meeting, held a week later, then-Defense Minister Ezer Weizman addressed Sadats visit and Egypt's military ability. He feels a bit screwed. Absolutely. Its no coincidence that the first thing he looks for is Arik (Ariel Sharon, who had been hailed as a war hero for crossing the Suez Canal). Arik, because its a wart. He tells him twice, Next time I will catch you, and they speak less. On the one hand, he isnt happy with his military situation. On the other hand, he doesnt want to lose what hes achieved.

Military Intelligence Directorate chief Maj.-Gen. Shlomo Gazit and Defense Minister Ezer Weizman (Photo: David Rubinger)

He succeeded in opening the canal, he gained hold of the eastern bank of Sinai. I dont know if you remember, a million Egyptians went back to live along the canal. Someone who returns a million Egyptian to live along the canal wont run back into a war so fast. Im saying it again, whoever launched the war in 73 can launched a war again, but this is more or less the state of mind at the moment.

Minister Weizman also spoke about the Palestinian issue, which was raised in Sadats speech and in the General Staff Forum a week earlier.

The key issue, and I have no doubt it will remain the key issue, is the Palestinian issue. If they could solve the Palestinian issue today, hes not interested. I can tell you that face-to-face, he says different things. Its no coincidence that he mentioned the PLO in his speech. And I dont know if you noticed, in his Cairo speech he also said, I saw the fighters in the jails, not those sitting in cafes in Beirut.

Maj.-Gen. Gazit noted that he had talked about nightclubs in the Lebanese capital, not cafes. Which means there is a certain contempt towards this issue, Weizman concluded.In the shadow of the ongoing corruption investigations into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, hundreds of protesters showed up for the weekly anti government corruption protest at Tel Avivs Habima Square.

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They held signs saying: Crooks go home! and From right to left Netanyahu is a disaster. The protest was also influenced by the Purim holiday, with demonstrators donning clown gear to mock Netanyahu and his associates.

Nearby, dozens of Likud activists holding signs decrying attempts to carry out an undemocratic revolution were there to support Netanyahu.

Protesters outside Habima, Tel Aviv

Protesters expressed support for Police Chief Roni Alsheikh as former judge Oded Alyagon spoke to the crowd: We must not ignore the incident of the ' texting judge .' To their credit, the system does not ignore such instances and deals with them harshly The Attorney General (Avichai Mandelblit) deserves credit for instructing the police to investigate the matter. But it is a pity that he is not as quick with regards to the other matters at hand, the investigations concerning the prime minister and his associates.

In conclusion, Alyagon told the crowd that Before I left my home I heard that Sara Netanyahu told investigators that she was distressed after the death of her dog Kaya, I therefore ask of you to stand for a moment of silence in memory of the family dog that is now gone, he said in jest.

Protest organizer Eldad Yaniv said: Netanyahu is fleeing to the US, (on an official trip -editor. He says) There will not be anything, because there has not been anything and that is a lie! In Case 1000, a million; in Case 2000 , the government; Case 3000, submarines; in Case 4000 , a billion shekels; shame!

Yesterday, the police treated the Netanyahu family as a crime family for the first time and questioned them and the other suspects in six rooms. Alsheikh removed the mask and stopped treating him as the prime minister. That is how it is done.

Yaniv called on the head of the Knesset opposition to join the protest: We need you here with us. Stop waiting, come out to the streets, go out and fight. There is a struggle for the (future of) the state.Despite attempts to reach a compromise that would allow the passing of a Haredi-exempting amendment to the draft law and prevent a crisis in the coalition, political sources estimate that the ultra-Orthodox parties' stubbornness regarding the issue could lead to the dissolution of the coalition.

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The Haredi factions Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) are expected to consult with the Council of Torah Sages. Their members previously instructed the faction to refrain from voting on the state's 2019 budget until a new amendment to the draft law is approved.

Haredi lawmakers, though, will make it clear to the rabbis that doing so will lead to premature elections, which may prompt rabbis to authorize them to reach a compromise that will bring an end to the crisis.

L-R: Shas Chairman Deri, UTJ's Gafni and Litzman, PM Netanyahu (Photos: Alex Kolomoisky, Yoav Dudkevich, Reuters)

But a meeting by legislators to discuss the wording of the amendment, which the Likud maintains prevents the coalition from approving it, has not yet been determined.

A senior source in the Haredi parties stressed that the crisis is dire.

"Everyone knew that the amendment to the draft law is the most important issue for us. We have backed Bibi in all his arguments, we do not want elections, but this issue is urgent and critical to us," the source said, referring to PM Benjamin Netanyahu by his nickname.

According to him, the ultra-Orthodox parties estimate that this is their last chance in the current coalition to approve the new amendment, instead of the one struck down by the High Court of Justice, and they are therefore conditioning their support of the state's budget on its passing.

"This is the only leverage we have," he said. "Netanyahu has two options: Either rein in Evet (Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's original nameed) and be done with the draft (law amendment), or force (Finance Minister Moshe) Kahlon's hand and postpone the budget approval."

Defense Minister Lieberman (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

On Thursday, Lieberman castigated the Haredi parties' attempt to force the approval of the legislation, calling their proposed legislation a "draft dodging bill." He further slammed their apparent holding of the coalition to ransom by using the state budget as leverage as "no less than extortion using threats."

Lieberman stressed that his party, Yisrael Beytenu, will "not surrender" to their pressure and will not allow the bill to pass.

Kahlon, meanwhile, gave Netanyahu an ultimatum. He said that if the state's budget is not approved within two weeks, he will dismantle the coalition himself, regardless of the ultra-Orthodox parties.

As for what will the Haredi faction do should this coalition be dissolved, the source clarified that the UTJ and Shas do not fear elections will reduce the chances of approving their new amendment.

"Anyone who wants us in the coalition will have to support our amendment," he explained.

Finance Minister Kahlon (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev (Likud) sent a message to the different coalition parties on Saturday and expressed confidence in her party, warning that if elections are imposed on the government, "there is only one party in the coalition that has no reason to fear elections. It's called the Likud. "

Should Netanyahu want to avoid this outcome, he will be forced to find common ground soon, as the state's budget is set to go up for first reading in the Knesset on Monday, with the second and third readings taking place on March 13, and March 15.The office of French President Emmanuel Macron says that he and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are extremely worried about the continued violence in Syria's eastern Ghouta despite a cease-fire resolution.

Macron's office said in a statement that he and Guterres spoke Saturday and expressed their "grave concern" and called for a full implementation of the resolution.

The statement says UN convoys should be delivering aid to hard-hit populations in the region.

Macron will discuss the cease-fire Sunday with the president of Iran, which backs Syrian President Bashar Assad. France has also tried in recent days to pressure Russia to use its influence with Assad to freeze government bombings.US President Donald Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping Saturday after the ruling Communist party announced it was eliminating the two-term limit for the presidency, paving the way for Xi to serve indefinitely, according to audio aired by CNN.

"He's now president for life, president for life. And he's great," Trump said, according to audio of excerpts of Trump's remarks at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida aired by CNN. "And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot someday," Trump said to cheers and applause from supporters.

US presidents by tradition served a maximum of two four-year terms until President Franklin Roosevelt was elected a record four times starting in 1932. An amendment to the US Constitution approved in 1951 limits presidents to two terms in office.In the midst of a joke-filled monologue at a dinner with journalists, President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that the United States will be meeting with North Korea but has told Pyongyang it must first "denuke."

"Now we are talking and they, by the way, called up a couple of days ago. They said that 'we would like to talk.' And I said 'So would we, but you have to denuke, you have to denuke,'" Trump told attendees at the annual Gridiron Club dinner.

"We will be meeting and we'll see if anything positive happens," he added.

It was unclear if Trump was joking or if formal US-North Korea talks were imminent.Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and other party activists arrived at Tel Avivs Savidor Central railway station Sunday to protest against the IDF draft amendment being sponsored by the Haredi parties in the government.

After the Supermarkets Law comes the draft dodgers law. This bill is an insult to IDF soldiers, to the state and to the Torah, Lapid said.

The Haredim are exploiting Netanyahus weakness because of the investigations in order to run over the secular, religious and traditional members of the public.A Polish campaign group is suing an Argentine newspaper it says breached a new law that makes it a criminal offence to suggest Poland was complicit in the Holocaust.

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In what appeared to be the first legal action under the so-called Holocaust law, just hours after it took effect, the Polish League Against Defamation said it filed a complaint against Argentina's Pagina 12 daily. The paper said it had not received formal notice of the lawsuit.

A minister from Poland's conservative government applauded the move to invoke the law which Warsaw says will protect it from slander, but which the United States and Israel said would suppress authentic historic research and free speech.

Auschwitz (Photo: AP)

The League, a non-governmental group that campaigns to protect Poland's historical reputation abroad, said that in December 2017 Pagina 12 used a photograph of Polish so-called 'doomed soldiers' who fought against communists after the war to illustrate an article on the Jedwabne pogrom of 1941 in which Nazi occupiers and local inhabitants colluded in the massacre of at least 340 Jews.

"The combination of these two threads: information about the crime on Jews in Jedwabne during the German occupation and the presentation of fallen soldiers of the independence underground is manipulation, an act to the detriment of the Polish nation," the organization said in a statement.

The ruling Law and Justice party has praised the 'doomed soldiers'. While many are seen as national heroes in the struggle against Soviet domination, some led killings of Jews, Belarusians and other minorities.

In an article posted on its website on Saturday evening, Pagina 12 said, "this newspaper did not receive any legal communication and only learned of the information through international news agency reports."

"If successful, this attempt at international censorship could threaten freedom of expression worldwide," the article read.

Deputy Justice Minister Michal Wojcik said he hoped the case would go to court.

"The organization has a right to submit such a notice. If the court decides the complaint is admissibleand it should do sothen there will be a court case," he told private radio station Zet.

Jews from across Europe were sent to be killed at death camps built and operated by Germans in occupied Polandhome to Europe's biggest Jewish community at the timeincluding Auschwitz, Treblinka, Belzec and Sobibor.

Some 3 million Jews who lived in pre-war Poland were murdered by the Nazis, accounting for about half of all Jews killed in the Holocaust.

Thousands of Poles risked their lives to protect Jewish neighbors during the war. But research published since the fall of communism in 1989 showed that thousands also killed Jews or denounced those who hid them to the Nazi occupiers, challenging the national narrative that Poland was solely a victim.

According to figures from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Nazis, who invaded Poland in 1939, also killed at least 1.9 million non-Jewish Polish civilians.Why was Prof. Alex Steins Twitter account deleted? Did someone instruct him to do so?

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Last week, the Judicial Selection Committee chose Prof. Stein as a Supreme Court justice. Shortly before the appointment, Stein took steps to conceal his public profile. He deleted, for example, a Twitter account under the username alexstein7. Now, all that is left of it are a few crumbs that can be gleaned from Googles cache.

The last tweet is apparently from February 8, 2018. Then, alexstein7 disguised himself as Her Majestys secret agent 007, and Twitters bird went to sleep with the fishes.

Isnt it poetic? They say a judge sits among his people, so Stein is acting like a criminal, or at least like someone who has a lot to hide.

Prof. Stein. Did someone instruct him to delete his Facebook and Twitter accounts?

And this isnt the only case. Avishai Greentzeig reported in BSheva newspaper that Stein had deleted his Facebook account in the final stretch before his appointment. The diligent journalist (who is actually thrilled about the appointment) revealed a number of troubling comments from the account that vanished. But before examining their content, we should ask ourselves: why were the accounts deleted? Was Stein ordered to do so? What else is hidden there? And most importantly, was the Judicial Selection Committee exposed to it when it got acquainted with the candidate?

This is a critical revelation, as Stein is in no way a judge who sits among his people. In the past 15 years, he has been living and working in the United States. The man has never served as a judge, and even the scope of his work as a lawyer in Israel is limited.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked explained Steins selection by referring to the candidate as a legal genius. What a disgrace for the State of Israel, and for our legal system in particular. Out of dozens of local jurists, there isnt a single worthy Israeli candidate?

Knesset Member Elazar Stern called the move a spit in the face of the State of Israels basic values. The committee members wiped their face dry and reached a delusional compromise: the professors son will come to Israel to serve in the IDF, and that will make him a legitimate justice.

Chief Justice Hayut (L) and Justice Minister Shaked. The two 'strong women' behind the appointment of two Ashkenazi men (Photo: Yonatan Zindel/Flash 90 and Alex Kolomoisky)

By the way, Prof. Stein was appointed along with Judge Ofer Grosskopf. Once again, the Supreme Court gets two Jewish Ashkenazi men, members of the ruling minority which makes up about 20 percent of Israeli society at most. For years, people have been talking about proper representation for all layers of the public, but when its time to take actionit turns out to be a bluff. And the saddest thing is that the election of these two Ashkenazi men was devised by two strong women, the justice minister and Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut.

There is a concern that Chief Justice Hayut (after her embarrassing silence in the Judge Gerstel affair) has fallen victim to Minister Shakeds craftiness and to the Judicial Selection Committees silence. This concern grows stronger in light of the little that had been revealedafter the appointmentabout Prof. Stein: the IDF isnt obliged to respond in a proportional manner, Israel isnt obliged to provide electricity or gas to Gaza, his support for the Regulation Law or his opinion that the court has no business intervening in the equal IDF draft issueand thats just the beginning.

Bayit Yehudi, the so-called Jewish Home party, is quietly smuggling Americas deep right into Israel. Like Knesset candidate Jeremy Gimpel (who wanted the Dome of the Rock to be blown up, but didnt know how to erase the evidence on time), and in the spirit of leaning on American billionaires money and on cuckoo evangelicals support.

MK Moti Yogevs bulldozer will strike the Supreme Court from the outside, and Minister Shaked will import elements to undermine the democratic system from the inside. So what if theyre emigrants, or as Yitzhak Rabin once called them, the leftovers of weaklings? Just remind me, whos Rabin?Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara departed Saturday night for a five-day trip to the United States, where the two will attempt to project an image of business as usual as they find themselves at the center of multiple corruption investigations.

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Officials in the prime minister's close circle say that the investigations involving bribery have no effect on the complex preparations that took place ahead of his trip.

I am leaving tonight for the US for an important visit. There I will meet with US President Donald Trump and I will deliver a speech at the annual AIPAC Conference, he said before boarding the plane.

I will thank him in Israels name for transferring the American Embassy to Jerusalem in honor of 70 years of the State of Israel. I will discuss with the president first of all Iran, especially in anticipation of the decision on the matter of its nuclear program, he added.

Trump will be accompanying Netanyahu and his wife to Blair House, the presidents guest house, as an expression of good relations between the two leaders and their countries.

Netanyahu and Trump are also likely to consolidate common ground and positions in what will be their fifth meeting this year.

PM Netanyahu and Preisdent Trump (Photo: Reuters)

However, both leaders enter their meeting against a backdrop of decline inpolitical fortunes, not least since the president is facing the lowest support rate among the American public.

Moreover, many reports are surfacing about disagreements and disputes within his close circle. The president is reported to have grown disappointed with his son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner and his daughter Ivanka Trump.

According to a report in the New York Times, Trump asked his White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to assist him in firing his two family members due to the presidents dissatifaction in Kushners performance and in light of the negative reports surrounding the poltiical rookie, most recently that his security clearance of White House was downgraded, significantly reducing his access to classified information.

The change was reportedly carried out in light of concerns by US intelligence officials over him being manipulated by foreign officials, including Israelis, due to his current financial difficulties and lack of political experience.

Haunted at home, Netanyahu is also entering his meeting with Trump and will addressing to largest pro-Israel forum against the shadow of a string of probes closing in on him. Nevertheless, the Israeli premier is expected to invite Trump to Israel to participate in the inauguration of the new US Embassy in demonstration of business as usual.

The political benefits could also be reaped by Netanyahu if the US president were to take him up on his offer. With early election now potentially on the horizon amid a crisis in his fragile Likud-ruled coalition, a snapshot with the president at the new US Embassy may serve him well in any upcoming election campaigns, depicting him as the leader who finally convinced an American president to do what many had promised.

(Photo: Haim Zach/GPO)

The Israel-Palestinian conflict will also be on the agenda as Trump moves a step closer to unveiling his plan for the ultimate deal in the stagnant peace process. Whether Trump plans to present it however, particularly given the Palestinians refusal to discuss the matter anymore with the White House, still reeling since it recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital, is a matter that the two leaders will be discussing.

Iran, however, will remain a top priority of Netanyahus during the discussions, aware that he has found a receptive ear in Trump in his bid to fix or nix the Iranian nuclear deal.

The two leaders will also be looking to reach an agreement on how to react in the event that world leaders address the flaws repeatedly delineated or fail to remedy any of the concerns before the May 12 deadline set by Trump before he pulls out of the agreement all together

The matter will also be raised by Netanyahu at the AIPAC Conference on Tuesday. The pro-Israel lobby has is a staunch supporter of a bill intended to widen sanctions against the Iranian regime.The power supply in Syria's Aleppo will be boosted this year thanks to new capacity installed by its ally Iran, a step towards reviving the industrial hub whose electricity grid has been destroyed in seven years of war, a Syrian official said.

The five power generation plants are part of a deal penned last year by which Iran, a vital supporter of President Bashar al-Assad, will help repair the Syrian power grid, and reflects Tehran's deepening role in the country.

Syrian government forces, with critical help from Iran-backed militias and the Russian air force, recovered full control of Aleppo some 14 months ago, driving out rebels who had held the city's eastern districts.

Mohammed al-Saleh, the director general of the state-owned Aleppo power company, said all of the city's pre-war power generation capacityamounting to 1,000 Megawattshad been destroyed in the conflict that erupted in 2011.

He said the new capacity being installed by Iran at a cost of 110 million euros would produce 125 Megawatts once it comes on line at some point between April and June.

"Other sources will enter service to feed Aleppo city ... and so the hours of provision will certainly increase after April 2018," said Saleh, speaking to Reuters as he inspected work to restore the power supply to one part of the city.

Industrialists have cited power supply as one of the big impediments to reviving their businesses in Aleppo, a city which enjoyed 24-hour-a-day electricity before the war.Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has demanded from the Finance Ministry that it return to his ministry's budget a sum of money slashed from the Gideon multi-year plan to counter regional threatsdrawn up by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot.

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"With the completion of the Gideon multiyear plan in 2015, it was agreed with the Finance Ministry that this was the final amount and that the defense establishment would not come with any further requests , except if there is a fundamental change in the security situation. This principle was obviously mutual, in that the Finance Ministry was not supposed to come to the Defense Ministry and deduct more," Lieberman said at the opening of a meeting of the joint committee on the defense budget.

"As of today, the extent of cross-section cuts that were carried out to the plan by the Treasury stand at NIS 6.2 billion, all as part of a wide scale cut. In addition, they took another NIS 2.1 billionsomething that the Cabinet had decided uponwithout any relation (to the prior cuted) and going beyond the objectives that appeared in the Gideon plan, such as the construction of the underground barrier around Gaza."

File photo. L-R: IDF Chief of Staff Eisenkot, PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Lieberman (Photo: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

"We are not asking for anything extra. Were asking that the original budgetary amount be returned as it appeared in the plan. This isn't a matter of interpretation. We cannot continue to complete the Gideon plan without a satisfactory solution to this issue. I hope that that we manage to arrive at an agreement with the Finance Ministry in the coming days."

Eisenkot also participated in the meeting, along with Director-General of the Ministry of Defense Udi Adam and Head of the Treasury's Budgets Department Shaul Meridor.

A few weeks ago, the Finance Committee approved increasing the defense budget by NIS 1.5 billion. The approvalgiven at the Treasury's requestwas unrelated to the regular budget, but rather as an authorization to commit by the Defense Ministryintended to cover past or future commitments.

The source of the special appropriation, however, is still the ministry's reserve budget as part of the 2018 budget framework. The addition, that is, has nothing to do with Lieberman's demand for an NIS 4 billion addition or to security conflagration on the Syrian border.

Furthermore, the approval was granted without the committee's members receiving details about where the money would go. Detailed explanations as to the uses and reasons for the increase, the committee members were told, will be given at a confidential join session of the Finance Committee and the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee dealing with the defense budget.

The 2019 defense budget will be NIS 55 billion, with an additional NIS 9.5 billion allocated to other security-related expenditures.Preparations are underway for Israels 70th anniversary celebration, but a new poll finds that many Israelis are not so optimistic about the future of the state.

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Israelis from all walks of life were polled on how they see the state in 2028 and most had a hard time believing that things will be better than they are today. The poll included 624 participants above the age of 18501 Jews and 123 Arabs.

The results reveal that 37.5 percent of Israelis believe that the security situation will not change, while 31 percent believe that the situation will improve. Twenty percent, on the other hand, said the situation will in fact deteriorate. On that note, 60 percent of Israelis believe that Israel and the Palestinians will not reach a permanent solution to the conflict while 15 percent foresee a settlement in the near future.

Illustration

Regarding the Iran deal, Israelis are skeptical. The poll showed that 54 percent predict that within a decade, Iran will develop nuclear weapons, versus 15 percent who are more optimistic. Forty percent do not see a chance for a regional peace settlement with other Arab states and 34 percent expect one to take place.

The economic situation is more encouraging: at least 48 percent believe that the economy will improve, versus 24 percent who believe the reverse is true. Israelis are still pessimistic about affordability, however: 56 percent see it getting harder for young couples to purchase an apartment while only 20 percent believe it will get easier. Fifty-three percent expect the amount of people living below the poverty line to grow, while 21 percent believe that number will shrink.

Much of the population is concerned with social rifts in Israeli society: 47 percent said that the differences between Jews and Arab Israelis will grow and the same number said the same regarding tensions between the religious and secular sectors of society. Nineteen percent, meanwhile, said the rift between Jews and Arabs will shrink and 23 percent said the same for secular and religious Jews.

The good news is that only 15 percent think that ethnic tensions will grow while 44 percent think they will shrink. Regarding the status of women, 69 percent expect more female empowerment and only 4 percent see the opposite trend.

Israelis are also very optimistic regarding relations with the United States: more than half the population sees the relationship growing stronger and only about a tenth think that it will weaken.

On the matter of government corruption, Israelis are less optimistic: 49 percent say that corruption is increasing in proportion versus 22 percent who believe it is decreasing. In any case, a considerable 63 percent of Israelis believe that the right wing will rule even in 2028 and only 8 percent believe that the left will return to center of power in the near future.

Prof. Omri Yadlin, Director of Sapir College, where the poll will be officially presented, said, The poll results demonstrate that the Israeli public believes that the trends of the past decade will continue and even intensify, for good or for bad.The state is asking the Supreme Court for an extension of the 2027 deadline by which it was mandated to provide prisoners with reasonable amounts of living space. The court's original rulingfrom June, 2017was intended to be implemented in 18 months from the time it was issued.

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After the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) petitioned the court, former justice Elyakim Rubinstein ruled that prison cells must be no smaller than 4.5 square meters per person, including bathroom and shower, or four square meters without themas the law, in fact, already states.

File photo. The state asked for almost a decade's stay on implementation of a verdict ordering it to provide prisoners with more living space (Photo: Herzel Yosef)

Rubinstein, along with justices Hanan Melcer and Uri Shoham, gave the state 18 months to implement the ruling.

Justice Elyakim Rubinstein ordered the state to comply with the law within 18 months (Photo: Ohad Tzvigenberg)

The ruling was supposed to be partially implemented by next week, March 13, when each prisoner was supposed to allotted three square meters. By the end of the year, the verdict said, prisoners will receive the full four and a half square meters.

In its response, the state told the court that implementing the ruling would require a considerable investmentsome two billion shekels over the span of nine yearsand that it has decided to introduce special legislation to expand administrative releases for prisons. "Naturally, these actions will require significant and ongoing investment by the state," the state's response said, also calling the court's decision "highly irregular."

Rimonim Prison (Photo: Yariv Katz)

According to the state, the Israel Prison Service is expected to reach a third of its goal regarding the number of prison cells fitting the new standards by the end of the year. Furthermore, in order to reach the goal of three square meters per prisoner, there is a deficit of 3,000 prison spots; and double that number if the goal of four and a half square meters is to be reached.

There are some 18,000 prisoners in Israel today, one third of them security prisoners. In order to comply with the court's ruling, a third of the countrys prisoners would need to be released, the state said.

"These figures bring us to the conclusion that releasing prisoners at such proportions poses a danger to public safety and will severely harm the principle of punishment," the state argued, adding it was considering the possibility of imposing up to nine months of community service, as opposed to the current six months, in lieu of prison, thereby alleviating crowding.

President Rivlin visits prisoners (Photo: Effi Shrir)

'Living space central to human dignity'

The problem of overcrowding in prisons is not new and committees broaching the issue in the past ruled that it stems from a combination of too small prison cells and an increase in arrests and incarcerations.





Shita Prison (Photo: Ido Erez)

Despite a series of rulings and reports issued on the matter, prisoners currently have an average of 3.16 square meters.

"Physical living space for prisoners is one of their basic needs," wrote Justice Rubinstein. "It is essential in every respect that there be an area in which a prisoner can live his life within the limits of his imprisonment. We are dealing with the core of human dignity."

"The implications of our decision are clear, as noted by the state. An immediate increase in the area of living will impose a significant burden on state finances, and indeed one possibility is that the state will act to renovate and expand prison and detention facilities. But this is not the only option available to the executive and legislative authorities to solve part of the problem."Police has called in Bezeq CEO Stella Handlersuspected of briberyfor questioning under caution over the weekend as part of the investigation into alleged corruption at the telecommunications giant, and surprised her by setting up a confrontation with state's witness Shlomo Filber.

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"You knew about everything that was going on," the suspended Communications Ministry director-general accused Handler, and noted that he had held personal meetings with her set up by strategic adviser Eli Kamir, who was Bezeq's adviser at the time and who was also questioned in the investigation, also known as Case 4000.

"We metme, you and Eli Kamiron the Bezeq thing," Filber said, alleging that some of the meetings were held late at night in Kamir's private residence.

Filber (L) confronted Bezeq CEO Handler on her involvement in alleged corruption (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

"I forwarded you emails about Bezeq and you replied," Filber exclaimed at Handler, adding that all of their communications were illegal and that Handler knew that was not the way the reform for corporate structural separation at Bezeq should be carried out.

Handler, who denied any wrongdoing throughout her days in custody as well as in her court appearances, continued maintaining that everything she did "was for Bezeq and within the confines of the law."

Handler was arrested two weeks ago, as part of a spate of arrests of senior government and Bezeq officials. Police and Israel Securities Authority suspect that Handler was party to moves by Bezeq majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch to receive benefits from the Communications Ministry, in return for which Bezeq subsidiary Walla! News was to cover Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family in a favorable lightas per Elovitch's instructions.

Filber signed a state's witness agreement two weeks ago after strident negotiations between his legal team and police. Eli Kamir, meanwhile, was released to house arrest.

Two of the affair's main suspects, Elovitch and former adviser to Prime Minister Netanyahu Nir Hefetz, were released to house arrest earlier Sunday.

Elovitch (L) and Hefetz were released to house arrest Sunday (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Elovitch was released to house arrest for ten days and is forbidden from entering any Bezeq offices for 45 days. He will also not be allowed to leave Israel for half a year and has been forbidden from establishing any contact whatsoever with other people involved in the case for three months.

Hefetz was released to house arrests and placed under identical conditions. However, Hefetz is forbidden from entering government offices for 45 days, rather than Bezeq offices.President Reuven Rivlin commented Sunday on the possibility of elections being moved up due to crisis surrounding the IDF conscription law, and said that, "If we don't resolve our differences through dialogue, they will continue destabilizing the political system and increasing tensions between sectors."

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Speaking at the Israel Press Council's annual conference in Lod, President Rivlin added, "The conscription issue cannot be resolved with coercion, only with agreement."

"This is not a disagreement between those who hate the IDF on the one hand and those who hate the Torah on the other," Rivlin said, "but between Israelisall of whom appreciate both the army and the Torah and those studying it."

President Rivlin said crisis surrounding draft bill should be resolved through dialogue, not coercion (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Political sources surmised Saturday night that Haredi insistence on approving a law providing draft exemptions to Haredim before voting on the state's 2019 budget will lead to the Knesset's dissolution.

With that eventuality in mind, Haredi party officials are set to reconvene with their Councils of Torah Sages, whose members have instructed them to not support the budget until a favorable law is approved.

Haredi MKs, then, will endeavor to make it clear to their leaders that insisting on the bill's current promulgation and on voting on it in the timetable set, will invariably lead to new elections.

PM Netanyahu (R) spoke about the draft bill crisis before taking off to the US with his wife (Photo: Haim Zach/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, said before lifting off for a visit to the United states that there's no reason for the crisis around the draft bill to lead to early elections.

"There is no need for (to go to early elections) and if there is goodwill it won't happen," Netanyahu said while standing with his wife Sara before ascending the plane. "There's goodwill on my part and I hope that there is also among our other partners."

'Media must not be silenced'

On incessant criticism the media faces, Rivlin said, "The media or the discourse it engenders must not be silenced, even when it's unpleasantwhether to the Left or to the Right.

"It's important to remember the press and the media are a fundamental institution in democracy and it is precisely for that reason that journalists are expected to be supermenhonest, professional, loyal and committed.

The president sympathized with journalists, saying it was not a simple time to be one (Photo: Lihy Krupnik)

"This isn't a simple time to belong to the guild of journalists in the world. Journalists and newsrooms are under attack. They're accused of creating 'fake news', of biased coverage, of lack of diversity. No WhatsApp group and no Telegram channel can change a journalist's duty and commitment to their readers.

"This commitment at the heart of the profession has remained unchanged since the days (father of revisionist Zionism Ze'ev) Jabotinsky was a journalistthe commitment to put forth a fact-based story. The commitment to ascertain all of the facts. The commitment to provide as complete a picture as possible and to shine a light on dark corners."

Lapid holds draft bill presser, flanked by fake Haredi

Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid arrived to the Tel Aviv Savidor Central railway station Sunday morning to show support for IDF soldiers and to protest the draft bill Haredi parties were seeking to pass through Knesset. A man dressed in Haredi garb and carrying a sign saying "He who has faith does not draft dodge" stood prominently by Lapid when he made prepared remarks.

After the protest, it came to light the man was a Yesh Atid activist named Dave Mandelshtam, who was not Haredi, in costume.

Mandelshtam published a photo from the rally on his Facebook page, and his amused friends commented, "You should have worn a hat" and "Maybe you should focus on songwriting."

Lapid (L) and the Yesh Atid activist in Haredi costume (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Yesh Atid commented on the incident, saying, "A Yesh Atid activist indeed dressed up as a Haredi on his own initiative and carried a legitimate sign. We'd take anyone saying that bothers them a little more seriously if they had first denounced the hanging effigies in Mea Shearim , attacks on Haredi soldiers or burning Lapid's photos in Lag B'Omer bonfires."

Lapid himself said at the protest, "After the Supermarket Law comes the draft dodging law. This law is a spit in the face to IDF soldiers, the State of Israel and the Torah.

"Nowhere in the Torah does it say that you can send others to die for you. Nowhere in the Torah does it say you can dodge Magen David Adom national service or helping the elderly or the disabled.

"The Haredim are merely taking advantage of Netanyahu's weakness due to investigations to steamroll the secular, religious and traditional publics in Israel. This law is an insult to all IDF soldiers. Stop the draft dodging law, return to equal sharing of the burden."Relatives of the Arab driver who committed a car-ramming attack Sunday morning injuring two soldiers and a Border Policeman before being shot are rejecting the polices assertion that the incident was terror related.

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His father told Ynet, Why would my son do such a thing? All that happened is he took his pregnant wife to the hospital for a checkup and intended to return home. He added that he was not informed of his sons condition after he was shot and moderately wounded by security forces at the scene.

Car ramming attack Acre

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At the end of an assessment of the situation at the Acre police station at noon Sunday, police determined that the incident was a terrorist attack. The announcement stated findings at the scene indicated that this was a nationalistic attack by the driver, a 26-year-old Arab-Israeli from the north of the country. Police noted that the driver tried to run over police officers and soldiers in several arenas deliberately.

The police also clarified that there was no connection between the traffic ticket given to the driver and his actions. The wounded were all evacuated to the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, where it was reported that the 21-year-old Border Policeman was moderately wounded. Two IDF soldiers were wounded lightly.





The Arab ramming a soldier with his car

In addition, a 51-year-old man wounded in the head and leg during the incident was still receiving treatment in an emergency room. A 23-year-old woman who suffered from shock was released to her home.

The police commander of the region, Deputy Inspector Benny Abaliya, said that, "There is a certainty of almost 100 percent, if not 100 percent, that this is a terror attack." He added that the driver had already been questioned and that his background was being investigated both by the police and by the Shin Bet security service.

Abaliya visited the wounded in the attack together with the police commander of the coastal district, Inspector Peretz Amar. Nahariya hospital director Dr. Mas'ad Barhoum appraised them of the condition of the injured.

Earlier, police visited the perpetrator's home and conducted a search. They made a huge mess in the house. I asked the officers who will clean up the house. They responded When he returns he will clean up, said the father. They found nothing, he added.

He described his son as a respectful young man who worked with him in his framing shop. You can ask anyone in the city about him.

Another close relative of the driver said, "The guy who was wounded recently got married, his wife is pregnant, he is really waiting for his first son. He always said, 'I'm dying to see my son,' 'I'm in favor of peace and living together without any problems or harming people,'" he said.

The attack's aftermath (Photo: Gil Nechushtan)

In his words, There is no way he would do a terror attack. He really loves his wife and did everything for their success. Many times I heard him say that he is for peace and coexistence without any problems or harming of others.

He argued that the police wanted to frame him on trumped up charges. They are the ones behind conflicts in the country. If the driver were a Jew, they would not say that the case is nationalist, an Arab is always suspected of the most serious acts," he said.

Another relative said, "From what I understood he got mad at a parking ticket. Apparently, he felt threatened and did not know how he hurt anyone." He added that, "The wounded man (the drivered) had a psychiatric problem in the past. He may still be suffering from it."

Shimon Cohen, an eyewitness at the scene, told Ynet: "He drove up on the sidewalk, hit the traffic sign and bushes, and then ran over a Border Policeman. The driver received an NIS 1,000 ticket for parking in a disabled parking spot and got angry and drove onto the sidewalk, hit the traffic sign and bushes, and ran over a Border Policeman. The policeman fired, but did not hit him. The driver continued to drive toward a railway station and hit two more. I did not see that."

"As a resident of Acre it is very difficult," said the witness, Cohen. "We live here together, and every day I go to smoke a hookah in an Arab shop, there are no such things here."WASHINGTON - The United States on Sunday made its strongest accusation to date of Moscow's complicity in civilian deaths in Syria's besieged eastern Ghouta region, saying Russian military aircraft conducted at least 20 daily bombing missions in Damascus and eastern Ghouta between Feb. 24 and Feb. 28.

"Russia has gone on to ignore (a UN ceasefire's) terms and to kill innocent civilians under the false auspices of counter-terrorism operations," the White House said in a statement, adding that the Russian jets took off from Humaymim Airfield in northwest Syria.PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by telephone with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday to discuss Syria, notably the humanitarian situation in the besieged eastern Ghouta region, the French presidency said in a statement.

The statement said Macron "spoke of his deep concern and of immediate measures to be taken, notably by Iran and Russia, so that Damascus finally accepts the UN resolution, gives access to humanitarian aid convoys and for a truce be implemented under UN control".

The two presidents will continue to seek a political solution to the Syrian crisis within the framework of the inclusive Geneva process with all involved partners and representatives of the Syrian opposition, the presidency said.LocationScores latest research has identified the top five blue-chip suburbs in six states where renters are paying less than property owners to enjoy the same top-notch lifestyles.

The companys analysis also revealed the top five suburbs in each state where rentvestors can buy strategically to boost their portfolio returns.

The rentvestor strategy of investing in high-growth markets while living in desirable lifestyle locations is proving a winner, according to LocationScore, which interprets big data to analyse and score every suburb in Australia.

[Savvy] rentvestors are a new breed of investor who are using the power of yield and growth to their advantage by ensuring they make the most of every single dollar, said Jeremy Sheppard, director of research at LocationScore. Smart rentvestors are renting for lifestyle and investing for growth to beat home owners in the financial stakes.

Table 1 for each state (Rentvestor lifestyle locations) ranks the low-yield, low-growth, high-priced addresses where renters pay less per week than owner-residents to enjoy the same amenities.

These blue-chip markets also have poor two-to five-year growth forecasts based on current supply and demand indicators, so tenants aren't missing out on much by not being able to buy in, Sheppard said.

Table 2 for each state (Rentvestor investment locations) reveals the low-priced zones with higher yields and better growth potential. Savvy rentvestors are parking their money here for strategic wealth creation.

These are affordable markets with good growth prospects that renters with some kind of deposit can buy into to get on to the property train, Sheppard said. By using this research as a starting point, people with lower incomes who choose to rentvest can identify properties that will help them get ahead of those who already own homes in expensive markets.

LocationScore graded each suburb out of 100 using eight key indicators that measure the level of demand and supply, as well as growth prospects. The index reveals a suburbs strength as an investment prospect, with a score above 62 considered good, or above 77 considered excellent.

New South Wales





Sydney has an abundance of great lifestyle locations where low yields mean renters are getting the better end of the deal.

Tamarama is an iconic waterfront location in Sydney, but with a unit buy in price of around $1.4 million, it remains out of reach for many purchasers, Sheppard said. Yet for around $500 per week in rent [$948 per week as of January], a couple can enjoy all the beachfront benefits of a one-bedroom unit in this suburb, and still come out ahead by investing elsewhere.

Victoria





Both McKinnon and Brighton East offer their residents ample lifestyle options.

You can head to the water and enjoy the beach life with the iconic Brighton Beach Boxes as a backdrop, and then make your way to some of the city's great cafes and restaurants along the commercial strip, Sheppard said. With units only providing just over three per cent gross return, tenants are definitely coming out ahead of owners.

When it comes to investment locations, investors should look beyond the inner urban ring to achieve top-notch yields in suburbs with great growth prospects.

Millgrove housing priced around $330,000 has been achieving yields close to five per cent, Sheppard said. This small town 62 kilometres east of Melbourne is achieving great returns and, according to our analysis, has terrific prospects for growth in the coming three to five years.

Queensland





Renters in Woolloongabba, Brisbanes top lifestyle location, are very near to the CBD and can take advantage of some highly urbanised gentrification zones.

And with an abundance of accommodation options, theres competition to attract tenants which is keeping rent prices reasonable, Sheppard said.Ensuring qualitative, quantitative primary education stressed

Primary and Mass Education Minister Mustafizur Rahman, MP, asked all the officials and teachers concerned to put in their best efforts to ensure qualitative and quantitative primary education.

"You have to take the responsibility to reach the light of education to all the children and there is no alternative to it" he reminded them. He was addressing a day-long workshop titled "Sharing Best Practices to Enhance Quality Primary Education" at Rajshahi Medical College auditorium in the city on Saturday as chief guest.

The minister said the present government is pledged to ensure quality primary education for the sake of freeing of the nation from the curse of illiteracy.

He mentioned the district, thana and upazila level officials and teachers should discharge their duties with utmost sincerity and honesty to supplement the government endeavor effectively.

Chaired by Director General of Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) Dr Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal, Commissioner of Rajshahi division Nur-Ur-Rahman, DPE Directors Saber Hossain and Bijoy Bhushan Paul, Joint Secretary of Primary and Mass-education Ministry Sheikh Atahar Hossain and Divisional Deputy Director of DPE Abul Khayer also spoke.

Minister Mustafizur Rahman listed the government's manifold development activities including development of school infrastructure, ensuring supply of safe drinking water, introduction of uniform education and stipends for disadvantaged children.

He added that the hiking of teachers' salary, distribution of textbooks to primary school students on the first day of the year and introduction of e- book were among the major development activities.

He stressed the need for building a skilled and knowledgeable workforce for implementing the 'Vision-2021' as declared by the government aimed at turning Bangladesh into a tech-savvy country.

Mustafizur Rahman said there was no alternative to building an educated and skilled workforce to expedite balanced development of the country, besides building an IT-dependent modern nation.Ghanaian actress Efia Odo has become a force to reckon with in the industry despite all the controversies that seem to surround her. Many people judge her based on the current headlines she creates but forget that her climb to the top has been one long roller coaster ride. Heavy criticism has been laid over Efia Odos images but she still stands strong to date.

As part of Efia Odo movie career, controversies are part of the package that comes with popularity. So, before you write her off, here are some lessons you can take from her. The lessons are both the good and bad, since there is no one perfect. Take your time, you will surely appreciate the effort she has put in achieve her current status

1. Hard work and Hustle

Many people think that celebrities are made over night. They do not see the effort it takes behind the scenes. Despite Efia Odos age, she used to hawk water around the streets of Accra. On Efia Odos Facebook, you can see some of her pictures while she was still hustling. Even with her beauty, she valued the principles of hard work.

That why Efia Odos bio is of a tough, consistent and hard-working woman who worked her way through all the hardships to accomplish her success. It serves as a wakeup call to other upcoming actresses that nothing comes on a golden platter.

2. Power of Social Media

Just like the adage goes, with great power, comes great responsibilities. Efia Odos Instagram is impressive. She achieved her popularity on Instagram which founder her movie career. She caught the attention of many youth who emulate her after the Efia Odo, Shatta wale saga. Even though it is for the wrong reasons, you cant deny her impact on the lives of the youth.

Imagine channeling her power to address some of the emerging issues affecting the youth in Ghana. She still has not captured her gift to grow a youth generation that is feed on values. It proves to show us that the only way we ca get through our youth is through their version of celebrity which includes Efia Odo.

READ ALSO: Sista Afia responds to Efia Odo

3. Value of Christ in Life

Nothing in life is possible without the intervention of Christ. The actress recently gave her life to Christ. And this is no publicity stunt that people may dismiss. She even started attending church services at the Makers Chapel. The death of fallen Ghanaian dancehall queen Ebony Reigns acted as a catalyst in her quest to reconcile with God.

She confessed on social media that she has given her life to Christ. This really took her fans by shock as it was the least thing they expected from her. As a role model to other youth, she really has set a good example for others.

4. Humility and Forgiveness

You are probably in the wake of the backlash the star had on fellow actress Fella Makafui. It reached the point where insults and maligning allegations were traded. This created a stir in the industry last week as many people wondered what caused the uproar. The star has however come out openly apologizing for her actions and antics against Fella Makafui.

Efia Odo recognized that she had maligned the reputation of Fella Makafui and was sorry. She blamed her backlash as the heat of the moment. Even though Fella has not yet responded, it shows her humility in accepting her faults and wrong-doings.

READ ALSO: Efia Odo and Fella Makafui have it out on social media

5. Tenacity.

Efia Odo biography is the living proof that the path of celebrity is not as easy as many people pitch it to be. Many people took to social media to attack after Efia Odo and Shatta Wales pictures surfaced on them in bed. People resorted to calling her hurtful names, all part of a growing trend of cyber bullying. Assertiveness was evident even after speculations of Effia Odo and Kwadwo Asamoah fling.

The video of Efia Odo and Kobi Rana also received a lot of destructive criticism from people despite being harmless and a practical failure of a joke gone wrong. She was also dragged down the mud following the Efia Odo and Iyanya steamy relationship. She also has received a lot of backlash from Efia Odos dancing videos she posts scantily dressed. She has developed a thick skin that protects her from the comments of many people.

Source: Yen.com.ghKendrick Lamar Duckworth is a popular international American talented rapper as well as a songwriter. He is among the rappers who discovered their talents at a tender age. The local people around him loved K-Dot (his stage name by then) mixtapes that he used to release before hitting the limelight.

In 2010 after his release of Overly Dedicated, he gained funs from every part of the globe. Since then his efforts and determination in his career has made his success to be beyond words. Are you a Ghanaian? Listen to the songs in this article and you will definitely be a big fan of Kendrick Lamar songs? Read on to get 10 best inspiring Kendrick Lamar best songs.

Kendrick Lamar news updates are rare

Is this successful rapper in a relationship? Well, that is what most of his fans ask. Kendrick Lamar girlfriend is Whitney Alford. He rarely discloses his private life and he prefer to maintained a low profile.

Kendrick Lamar's cars can be a source of inspiration

Kendrick Lamar cars are so exotic, customized, and they have a long list. According info@carkeys.co.uk, Kendrick first owned a 92 Cadillac Seville. This source also tells his huge fast rising net worth of $35 million. Kendrick Lamar bought a car for his sister during her graduation, Toyota Camry.

But these Kendrick Lamar hit songs will inspire Ghanaians

Here are 10 inspiring songs that will make every Ghanaian fall in love with Kendrick Lamar hardest Songs.

1. Hiipower

Kendrick Lamar is lyrically talented. His great vocals and beat rock the song. It has great metaphor and the message is about the issues the society face. The song is there to be felt by people not to impress them. I strongly recommend it to every Ghanaian; I bet you are going to get inspired with the songs message.

2. U

Kendrick Lamar best emotional song. The creative rapper takes his listeners through an emotional journey of his complicated love life. Ghanaians listen to this particular song and listen to Kendrick pouring his heart out and will also get inspired.

3. Humble

Humble is the leading song in Kendrick Lamar Latest Album, Damn. Kendrick received many awards through this song because it seems to be playing non-stop. This song has a great beat, lyrics, and vocals. Humble song has a deep and powerful message to men that will inspire the Ghanaians. Kendrick want men to remain humble in the way they relate to women in their relationship. Every Ghanaian should listen to this song and you will definitely love it.

4. m. A.A.d City

Kendrick Lamar creates illusion to your mind on what the society offers from the darkest side. It is more of a well-told story with great beats, metaphor, hook, flow, lyrics, vocals, and conscience. Kendrick rocked it on the feature verse. Every Ghanaian should check it out for inspirations.

5. Money Trees

Kendrick Lamar gives the listeners the effects that comes with the monetary value in the human society that we are living. It is great and amazing in everything from the beat to the flow. It is a good inspiring message for any Ghanaian out there to fall in love with it.

READ ALSO: List of Jay z's albums ranked

6. Sing About Me, Im Dying of Thirst

Kendrick takes the listeners in a journey of emotions about the society and life in general. If you dont wipe your tears before the song ends, then you are a heartless human being. This song has great flow and every Ghanaian will love it and get inspired.

7. The Blacker the Berry

All Kendrick Lamar songs are amazing, but these one is special song that has quite a good message for any Ghanaian. Kendrick Lamar talks about how hatred and racism has controlled everyone. The lyrics are just great and the issues expressed have a great flow that will inspire you.

8. How Much a Dollar Cost

Kendrick Lamar gives out a message of a golden rule in this song. This song will inspire every Ghanaian to treat others the same way they want to be treated. The story in this song is about Kendrick refusing to help a homeless man with $1 and later on, he discovered that the man he thought was a poor man was actually Jesus Christ.

9. I

This Kendrick song has a message that has inspired many to love themselves. This song will also inspire the Ghanaians to do things that will not bring harm to them because nobody can love you more than yourself.

Kendrick Lamar I.

10. Swimming Pools/ Drank

Kendrick Lamar tells out his listeners on his efforts, dedication, and workmanship to music. It will inspire every Ghanaian to never loose hope in everything there do.

READ ALSO: All Rick Ross albums and mixtapes

Source: Yen.com.ghWe cant say this enough, Jackie Appiah is blessed. I mean, she is talented, beautiful and she has the brains, she is the kind of woman many of us would want to be. Since she is Ghanas favorite, we cant hush on her gossips!

According to Wikipedia, Jackie Appiah's history is full of success and knowing her more will make you overwhelm her with unconditional love. She is so beautiful and she represents the true African beauty with her stunning skin tone and her big eyes. Jackie Appiah is a go-getter and she has never at any time been spotted with beefs and issues. Jackie Appiah is aged 34, which she turned on December 2017. In 30 years, she has earned loads of achievements in life.

Do you know of Jackie Appiah's Biography?

Jackie Appiah's mother gave birth to the beautiful princess while she was in Toronto on 5th December 1983, Canada. She later moved with her at the age of 10 years to Ghana, 1993. Jackie Appiahs father who is a juvenile brother to Joe Appiah a famous lawyer in Kumasi is called Kwabena Appiah. Her father still lives in Canada.

Jackie Appiah is a very shy lady in her real life, but once she is on cameras, her courage waves in. At a young age of 12 years, a local church group who hosted a Talent Teens Competition discovered Jackie Appiahs charisma and courage in acting. Her first time on stage was in the film that many love up to date called Things We do For Love.

READ ALSO: 5 Reasons Why People Love Jackie Appiah

Is Jackie Appiah married?

Well, the answer is yes and no. Jackie Appiah's husband Peter Aygemang was married to her until 2005 when they decided to put an end. They seemed happy and many questioned their divorce. Jackie Appiah seemed unbothered by the separation. Gossip on her dating Michael Bobby Obodo is not true. She denied it on one of her interview and said he is just but a colleague.

Jackie Appiah's son

Jackie Appiah and her son

Jackie Appiah's son Damein is a blessing to this actress. His father is Peter Aygemang. Another Jackie Appiah daughter or son is long awaited by many. Her daughter might be her copy just like the way Jackie Appiah looks alike with the mother.

Jackie Appiah and Van Vicker's wedding pictures on her Instagram page are stunning and very admirable. Stalemate is the next awaited film with both Van Vicker and Jackie Appiah featuring. It is a must watch, seeing them walking down the aisle shows it is an amazing dramatic romance film.

Jackie Appiah is so honored for her great success in her career. Everytime, she says that she gives the Almighty God all the glory. According to YabaLeftOnline.com Jackie Appiah's net worth is huge with an approximate of $1 million. This allows her to have a good lifestyle in that she is always stunning and trendy with her dressing styles. Jackie Appiah's posts tells that she chills in restaurants that are believed to be very expensive. Flying first class is also another way that shows her expensive, beautiful, and admirable lifestyle.

Jackie Appiah's new Maserati

Jackie Appiah's house is so big that it catches everyones attention. According to her, she spends her leisure in her multi-million home watching movies. Jackie Appiah's cars are very expensive like her 2018 Maserati, which she posted on her Instagram page.

READ ALSO: What it's like to live with Jackie Appiah? The story of her successful family life

Source: Yen-The final funeral rite of Franky Kuri is underway

-Parents of Ebony Reigns were present at the funeral which was held in Accra

The final funeral rites of Francisca Maame Yaa Teboa Nkansah, popularly nown as Franky Kuri, is currently ongoing at the Prince of Peace Catholic church in Kwashieman in Accra.

Family members of the late friend of award-winning dancehall act, Ebony Reigns were seen in the church building as they bade goodbye to their relative.

READ ALSO: Funny-looking statue of Ebony Reigns pops up on the internet

Family of late Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng, including her dad, Mr. Nana Opoku Kwarteng and mom, Madam Beatrice Opoku were spotted in the church building commiserating with the bereaved family of their daughters (Ebony Reigns) friend.

Renowned man of God and evangelist Reverend Dr. Lawrence Tetteh was also present at the funeral.

Franky Kuri is going to be buried in the Achimota cemetary.

After the church service for the late Franky Kuri was over, Mr. Nana Opoku Kwarteng revealed that the preparations for his daughters funeral were nearly completed.

He added that he was overwhelmed by the love and support Ghanaians had shown to his queen, Ebony even in her death. He added that the immense love shown them in their trying times was a testament of how a lot of people loved and cherished Ebony while she was alive.

Spokesperson for the family of the late dancehall act revealed that they were going to call for a press briefing as soon as they are done preparing for the final funeral rites of their late relative.

READ ALSO: Police kill 2 armed robbers at Haatso in Accra

During the One Week Memorial held for the artiste, it came to light that the final funeral rites were going to be held on March 17 at the Independence Square in Accra.

Franky Kuri died in a gory accident on the Sunyani-Kumasi road while returning to Accra from Sunyani. Her childhood friend, Ebony Reigns and Lance Corporal Francis Atsu Vondee, who posed as a bodyguard also died in the car crash.

READ ALSO: Bullet recounts how people are illegally cashing in on Ebony's brand

Watch YEN's hilarious collection of the top 5 insults by Ghanaian politicians:

YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident?

Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition?

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YENs official Facebook page.

Source: Yen NewsStar actress, Benedicta Gafah, has had her name etched in the list of Ghanaian actress who have won the hearts of their fans since the moment they appeared on screen.

The beautiful screen queen and style icon has been been dishing out breathtaking shots of herself more often and we are thoroughly loving them.

Benedicta Gafah

In an Instagram post sighted by YEN.com.gh this week, the actress showed off her natural glow in a new photo.

Mainly a headshot, Benedicta is seen with a face that is virtually clean of makeup with her hair pulled into two bundles at the sides of her head.

Her essence radiated through the photo and her caption made it even more obvious.

Happiness comes with a glow that is noticeable I'm grateful for the love,care and support forever grateful to God for you been part of my journey, she wrote.

READ ALSO: Photos: Franky Kuri goes home

This new photo stirred up some excited reactions from her fans, with one ambitious fan prophesying their marriage in the future: konlanmohamed Can't wait to have u as wife

Another fan is clearly so in love: boateng.akwasi794 How are you doing honey empress detect.I Love you honey. I miss you honey Take care about yourself and your life.thank you Good luck and goodbye.

Many more followers were amazed by the sheer beauty of the actress and expressed so in simpler terms.

Always knocking us off our feet with her style sense, which seems to come naturally to her, is just another reason why she is among our favorite celebrities.

The actress has also always nailed the red carpet, especially at the Glitz Style Awards, Ghana Movie Awards, and the Golden Movie Awards.

In 2017, she was signed on to Zylofon Media management, along with other stars such as Bibi Bright, Zynnell Zuh and Toosweet Annan.

READ ALSO: Police kill two armed robbers at Haatso in Accra

Check out YEN.com.gh's top picks for Ghana next "biggest" pastor:

Have a story to share? Get featured! Send us a message via our Facebook page or check out our Instagram page for more news

Source: Yen.com.ghStudents of the Takoradi Technical University's Faculty of Applied Arts & Technology recently showcased their artistic prowess to the public as a part of a week-long celebration of the arts by the school.

In a bid to engage and encourage parents to allow their wards to attend the school in order to pursue art related subjects, the school's Faculty of Applied Arts and Technology organized a week-long series of art related events.

READ ALSO: Shatta Wale shades Ghanaians with dual citizenship

According to a Facebook user who got in touch with YEN.com.gh by the name of Joel Arthur, students were able to put their talent on display to sensitize the public about what they do.

While many local residents were able to interact with the students thanks to the event, some students were able to make money off of their artistic talent by selling some of their wares.

As part of the week-long celebrations that began on February 16th, SHS students from several schools were invited to the Takoradi Technical University (former Takoradi Polytechnic) campus for an "Open Day".

Checkout a few photos of the event below:

Face painting and oil and canvas.

Body paintings

Street art and grafitti

Also check out YEN's video of hilarious insults from politicians to their colleagues in Ghana:

READ ALSO: Don't blame robberies on unemployed - Deputy Minister

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Source: Yen.com.ghGhanaian actor, Fred Nuamah, married his girlfriend, Martekor at a private ceremony in Accra, on Saturday, March 3, 2018.

READ ALSO: Benedicta Gafah shows off her natural glow in a new photo

Fred, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Movie Awards is a producer, director and an actor.

John Dumelo, Majid Michel, Martha Ankomah, Becca, Kwabena Kwabena and other celebrities thronged the venue to catch a glimpse of the lovely couple.

The all-white ceremony was believed to have been held at Martekors residence, where families of both the groom and the bride gathered to witness it.

Fred Nuamah was the talk of town in January 2018, when he proposed to his girlfriend while onboard a plane to Liberia. The trip was with respect to the inauguration of the then President  elect, George Oppong Weah.

READ ALSO: I have been through hell and back - Asem

YEN samples a number of potential top pastors in Ghana

Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos

Source: Yen.com.gh- Dr Spio Gabrah is blaming the NPP government for high robbery cases in Ghana

- The NDC man believes the actions of the NPP vigilante groups are behind the robbery cases

A top member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), is alleging that the recently armed robbery cases in Ghana is due to New Patriotic Party (NPP), administrations inability to clamp down on its vigilante groups.

According to Dr Ekow Spio Gabrah, the criminals are witnessing mayhem on Ghanaians with impunity because the NPP government failed to bring Delta and Invincible Forces to book.

Dr Ekow Spio-Garbrah

READ ALSO: 6 things most Ghanaian women expect from their man on a Friday night

Speaking to GhanaWeb recently, the respected NDC man insisted that government failed to heed to warnings months ago that the actions of the vigilante groups could lead to dire consequences.

"The NPP government can do something better, we started commenting on this last year. Some of us raised issues of Delta and Invincible Forces threatening police men, judges. We also saw on videos tapes threatening their own party people because they have been promised jobs and if not they will come to Accra and wreak havoc, and that is what we are seeing today, the NDC man said.

Ghana has been hit by high profile movie-style robberies in broad daylight, leading to some deaths. In the latest incident, a Lebanese businessman was killed in Tema and an amount of 200,000 cedis he had withdrawn from the bank was taken by the armed robbers.

READ ALSO: RuffTown Records releases Ebony's latest music video

Another middle-aged woman was also on Friday stabbed by some unknown assailants at Obuasi after snatching her bag containing money.

These crimes have resulted in calls on the Akufo-Addo administration to strengthen security measures across the country, in order to protect citizens.

However, Dr. Spio-Garbrah in his interaction ruled out any political motivation for the robberies, but added that the NPP government could have prevented these robberies if they had sent clear message to their own vigilante groups.

There is a lot of things happening, and the NPP party itself sent a lot of people to South Africa to be trained and ready for any vigilante attacks so we are not surprised this like these are happening he said.

The former NDC minister therefore charged security agencies especially the police, to investigate the robberies thoroughly and bring the criminals to justice.

READ ALSO: Kumi Guitar drags DKB; throws him out of press conference

YEN.com.gh is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Message us on Facebook now.

Source: Yen- Lord Kenya believes no musician has broken his record in Africa

- Kenya said he pulled stage crowd more than what Shatta Wale is doing today

Former 'Rap Heavywieght Champion', Abraham Philip Kojo Akpor, better known as Lord Kenya, has disclosed that he is not jealous about crowds being pulled at concerts by recent Ghanaian musicians such as Shatta Wale.

According to the rap legend now turned a preacher, there is no musician in Ghana and Africa who can break his musical records and history.

Lord Kenya is now Evangelist

READ ALSO: NPP vigilante groups 'inspired' armed robbers - Top NDC man

Speaking to Adom TV on Thursday, Evangelist Lord Kenya disclosed that there will never be any talented Ghanaian musician like him.

Kenya in his conversation insisted that he has seen it all in music circles, and pulled massive crowds during his heyday than what musicians are doing today.

Im not jealous at all when I see young musicians brag about their ability to wow the crowd, because my record is yet to be broken in Ghana and on the continent, Lord Kenya said.

READ ALSO: 6 things most Ghanaian women expect from their man on a Friday night

The Sika Baa hitmaker revealed that no Ghanaian musician will come close to his level of stage performance at concerts, since he was a chain-smoker and took drugs to enhance his musical performances

Lord Kenya who is now the minister of the gospel, became born-again, gave up his music career and turned to Christ, and has since not looked back.

Evangelist Lord Kenya is now the leader of Jesus Power Church in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi.

YEN,com.gh samples a number of potential top pastors in Ghana

READ ALSO: RuffTown Records releases Ebony's latest music video

YEN.com.gh is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Message us on Facebook now.

Source: Yen.com.gh- A man of God, Bishop Harrison Amoateng, has revealed that NDC's Ashanti Regional Secretary, Joseph Yamin, is an evangelist

- According to Bishop Amoateng, Yamin began his work for God when he was a student at Prempeh College

- Yamin, confirming this, added that he always tries to separate religion from politics

YEN.com.gh has gathered that Joseph Yamin, a former deputy Minister of Sports, has graduated from the Bishop Harrison Bible School.

Yamin, who also served as the deputy coordinator for the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), revealed that he has practicing as an evangelist since 1993.

Speaking with Winfred Nii Adjaye on Ultimate FM, he disclosed that he has successfully separated his religious activities from his political life, due to the nature of politics in Ghana.

A poster giving details about an impending church programme with Joseph Yamin as the speaker

READ ALSO: All the exclusive photos from Fred Nuamah's wedding

News about his religious activities came to the attention of Ghanaians, when the Head Pastor of the Life Community Church, Bishop Harrison Amoateng disclosed that he is an avowed evangelist.

The man of God revealed that Yamin, who is currently the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), began his work for God, when he was a student of Prempeh College.

Joseph Yamin was one of the pioneers of the Pentecostal Students Association movement in Prempeh College.

Joseph was a very serious and a professing evangelist. This was in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and he has been in ministry all this while.

READ ALSO: Woman allegedly regains her sight during a church service

Even in secondary school, it got to a point, form three, he nearly left campus to go do ministry, he recalled.

Joseph Yamin later confirmed all that Bishop Amoateng said, and added that, since his recent graduation, he is now a Reverend.

When I am in church and I am doing the work of God, I do it devoid of politics and I have been practicing this since 1993 when I was in Prempeh College, he stated.

Joseph Yamin is currently lacing his boots to contest for the Ashanti Regional Chairmanship of the NDC.

READ ALSO: Blame NPP for high robbery cases - Top NDC guru

YEN samples a number of potential top pastors in Ghana

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Source: YenDung-eating earthworms restore soil nutrients in Bangladesh

Rafiqul Islam Sarker :

In Kaliganj village, 20 kilometres south of Rangpur city in Bangladesh, small farmers are turning to vermicomposting after crop yields started dropping. The problem was that soil fertility eroded due to organic nutrient depletion.

"In the early 1980s when I began cultivating crops with chemical fertilizers, I got bumper production of all crops," said Azizar Rahim, a small farmer who until five years ago used to get three tonnes of Boro and two tonnes of Aman paddy per acre annually (Boro and Aman are the main cereal crops in Bangladesh).

To his dismay, after 20 years, his land no longer produced the same amount of paddy even though he continued to use the same amount of chemical fertilizers. Heavy use of agrochemicals introduced in the 1980s boosted food productivity but at the cost of the environment. Soil organisms and their natural fertility were destroyed, making crops less resistant to pests and diseases and adversely affecting human health.

"The yield was less than 5 to 10 percent than that of the earlier years and meanwhile, there was a 30 to 40 percent increase in the cost of production. I incurred huge losses with no end in sight," Azizar told IPS.

Thousands of farmers like Azizar in the north of Bangladesh had the same experience. With this scenario as the backdrop, experts from the Bangladesh Soil Resource Test Institute (BSRTI) conducted soil tests in the region and discovered depletion of organic matter and a high increase of acidity in the soil.

Referring to the BSRTI experts' findings, Bangladesh Regional (Rangpur) Farm Broadcast Officer Abu Sayem told IPS that the minimum requirement of organic matter in the soil is at least 5 percent.

"However, the organic nutrient amount in the soil had dropped down to 2 percent at some places in the north, and this led to negative impacts on production," Sayem added.

As agriculture is their main and only occupation, farmers of this region engage in diversified intercropping to produce more crops using the same land.

"To do this mammoth task, farmers in the region continuously use chemical fertilizers in their soil. Thus, the soil has lost organic nutrients and added acidity to a great extent, resulting in low yield and high production cost," said Prof. Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam Sikdar, chair of the Department of Agronomy Department of Hazi Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University in Dinajpur, 50 kms north of Rangpur.

He also observed that cropping intensity in the north is above 200 percent, which is more than that of other regions in Bangladesh. "The higher cropping intensity rate badly affected the soil," Shafiqul added.

According to the Yearbook of Agricultural Statistics- 2016 published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the agriculture sector - with a 192 percent cropping intensity - plays a pivotal role in the country's economic development. About 35 million tonnes of food grains are grown annually by 18 million farming households, comprising more than 17 percent of the country's GDP.

"Agricultural scientists emphasized the need of cropping intensity to meet the growing food demand for about 163 million population of the country and the farmers did it accordingly," added Shafiqul.

As the soil situation deteriorated and became a great concern for the farmers of the north, scientists at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) began looking for ways to rectify the situation. In the mid-1990s, they suggested farmers increase organic matter in the soil.

Primarily farmers produced pit compost with hyacinth, banana logs or household waste, water and mud. The local DAE officials, at the advice of the Parliament Member of Rangpur-5 constituency H.N Ashiqur Rahman, began providing extended training support and developed awareness among the farmers about the use of pit compost.

When added to the soil, pit compost improved the organic nutrient in soils and the farmers began to get better yields with reduced expenses.

Meanwhile, agricultural scientists introduced vermicompost in Bangladesh and its production and use led to tremendous output.

Vermi is derived from Latin and means earthworm. Compost is decomposed organic matter which is recycled as fertilizer in the soil. So vermicompost is the product of the composting process using earthworms.

Regional Farm Broadcast officer Abu Sayem told IPS that vermicompost was very effective in quickly restoring organic nutrients in the soil.

"Vermicompost can be produced in many ways and in our country it is produced with the cast of earthworm and cow dung," said Sayem, adding that farmers can easily produce it at their homesteads.

"Earthworms can easily consume and digest cow dung. Cow dung itself is organic. As earthworms eat cow dung, its cast becomes highly potential organic matter," Abu Sayem said.

In the north, farmers use Eudrilus Eugenie and Eisenia earthworms for vermicompost. Once, these types of earthworms were not available in Bangladesh.

They were imported from Thailand in the mid-1990s and multiplied by breeding in the country. The DAE under the Ministry of Agriculture of Bangladesh supplied earthworms and provided technical know-how to the farmers of the North to produce vermicompost at homes and farms.

"We were able to minimize the use of chemical fertilizers to grow crops," said Shah Alam, a farmer from Boirati village in Rangpur. He said farmers could reduce crop production costs at least by fifty percent by using vermicompost to enhance the soil. Interestingly, many farmers in the region are producing vermicompost commercially and selling it for taka 20 (25 cents) per kilogram.

According to DAE data, about 19,933 metric tonnes of vermicompost is now produced per month by about 20,000 farmers in Rangpur alone.

- IPS- Jupitar says he deserves some nominations in the 2017 VGMAs

- The artiste says he submitted all his works for entries on time

Board members of the annual Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs), have started receiving serious backlash from some aggrieved musicians barely 48hours after releasing nominations for this years awards.

Popular Ghanaian dancehall artiste, Jupitar who appears not happy about the nominations list released, has fired his first shot at the award board and organizers.

Jupitar, dancehall artiste

READ ALSO: Lord Kenya reveals why Shatta Wale, no artiste can break his record in Africa

According to the musician, board members of the VGMAs are nothing but a bunch of idiots and hypocrites who are only good at warming chairs.

The dancehall artiste who is clearly not happy about the 2017 nominations list in a damning tweet labeled the award board members as clowns for not nominating him and any of his songs.

Jupitar explained that, although he submitted his best songs which are currently doing well in the UK, however, he is 'missing in action' for some strange reasons

VGMA board, yall bunch of idiots and hypocrites, I fucking submitted this time and it was a song that actually won big in U.K. (Clowns ), keep it up, the musician went berserk.

READ ALSO: NPP vigilante groups 'inspired' armed robbers - Top NDC man

The artiste recently picked up an award in the UK as the Best African Artiste, at the 2017 Urban Music Awards-Beats with the likes of Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Tekno and other African artistes.

With this, Jupita believes should have earned him at least a nomination, where he is beating top African artistes to win big in UK.

The Jupitar is not the only artiste whose music has not been nominated in this years awards, the like of EL, Manifest, Medikal, Edem have suffered same.

The VGMAs has seen many controversies over the years, and this years doesnt come as a surprise to many industry players.

Jupitar damning tweet was captured by Yen.com.gh

READ ALSO: 6 things most Ghanaian women expect from their man on a Friday night

YEN.com.gh is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Message us on Facebook now.

Source: Yen- An unidentied woman was picked up by the police as Shatta Wale exchanged words with a policeman

- She was accused of filming the altercation between the dancehall artiste and the policeofficer

- She has however denied filming the incident, but said that she was instead captured in it

A woman, whose identity is yet to be confirmed was arrested, after dancehall musician, Shatta Wales altercation with an officer was captured on camera.

Information available to YEN.com.gh shows that Shatta Wale allegedly exchanged words with a policeman after he was stopped for driving an unlicensed vehicle.

The incident, which allegedly occurred on a main street at East Legon in Accra, attracted the attention of several people, who gathered around in order to ascertain the facts of the matter.

Shatta Wale

READ ALSO: All the beautiful photos from actor, Fred Nuamah's wedding

In the video, Shatta Wale is seen exchanging words with an unidentified policeman.

The policeman appears to have ordered the dancehall king to get off his vehicle, but Shatta Wale instead seeks to find out if the officer knows who he is.

The uniformed man then orders Shatta Wale to join his friends in the vehicle, and then follow the police vehicle to the station.

Although the musician tried to talk to the policeman to let him and his friends go, it was turned down.

The incident which is circulating on social media, sparked outrage among a cross-section of Ghanaians who wondered why Shatta Wale was left off the hook.

In a rather unexpected twist, a woman, whose identity is being withheld, was arrested and accused of filming the incident.

She however denied the charge, saying she was rather seen in the video.

READ ALSO: I have been a practicing evangelist since 1993 - Top Ghanaian politician

YEN samples a number of potential top pastors in Ghana

Use the comments section below to share your views on this story. Do you have a story to share or you have information for us? Get featured on YEN.com.gh. Message us on Facebook or Instagram

Source: Yen- Grace Omaboe, also known as Maame Dokono, has revealed three reasons why she did not marry actor, David Dontoh

- According to her, she decided to let him go, else she would waste his time

Veteran Ghanaian actress, Grace Omaboe, has disclosed the reasons that prevented her from marrying David Dontoh, another renowned movie star.

In a report by GHIssues.com, Grace Omaboe, also known as Maame Dokono, stated that even though they were close, the idea of getting married and having babies would have only remained a fantasy.

According to her, David wanted to have children with her, but she wasnt interested. This, she stated was because aside being older than he was, she already had children and had undergone a caesarian section.

Veteran Ghanaian actor, David Dontoh

READ ALSO: Armed robbers would suffer for their whole lives - Popular man of God

The procedure, she revealed, made her weak and for that matter, childbirth would have become a challenge.

The movie queen went ahead to say that taking these into consideration, she decided that she wouldnt want to waste Davids time, hence her decision to part ways with him.

Maame Dokono was in the news in recent times as a result of a revelation that she was involved with David Dontoh at a point in time.

She stated that the decision to get involved with him, was borne out of the desire to ward off other men who were pestering her with marriage proposals.

READ ALSO: Beautiful photos from actor Fred Nuamah's wedding

David Dontoh held me together and handled me well. At that time I was popular, beautiful and many, different men were all over me when I am on stage, so I needed someone to hold me, she said.

Both David Dontoh and Maame Dokono were the toast of television lovers in the 90s due to the numerous programmes and movies they featured in.

David gained popularity from movies such as Deadly Voyage, Kukurantumi  the Road to Accra, Heritage Africa, among others.

Maame Dokono, on the other hand, rose to stardom as a result of programmes such as Obra, a programme that gained nationwide appeal in the late 80s and early 90s. She also co-hosted By the Fireside with Dr. Rokoto.

READ ALSO: Lord Kenya reveals why no musician can break his record in Africa

YEN samples a number of potential top pastors in Ghana

Use the comments section below to share your views on this story. Do you have a story to share or you have information for us? Get featured on YEN.com.gh. Message us on Facebook or Instagram

Source: YenNews In Brief

White House on lockdown after shots fired

AFP, Washington

The White House was placed on lockdown and the surrounding area cordoned off by emergency personnel Saturday after an apparent gunshot was heard.

The US Secret Service said on Twitter that it was responding "to reports of a person who allegedly suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound along the north fence line of @White House."



China 'won't sit idly by' if US harms trade

AP, Beijing

China warned Sunday that it was ready to hit back if the United States damaged its economic interests, fueling fears of a trade war after President Donald Trump unveiled tariffs on steel and aluminium.

Trump's announcement on Thursday sparked a flurry of counter-threats from other nations. But Washington's main trade rival had avoided any overt warnings of potential retaliation until now.



Gaza farmer shot dead by Israeli troops

AP, Gaza City

The Palestinian Health Ministry says a farmer has died after being shot by Israeli troops near the Gaza border.

The ministry says the 59-year-old farmer was shot in the back Saturday as he worked his land near the border fence and died hours later from his wounds.



UK police charge 3 men over explosion

AFP, London

Three men were charged on Saturday over a fatal explosion in central England which left five people dead and demolished a building, police said. The suspects were charged with arson with intent to endanger life and five counts of manslaughter, Leicestershire Police said in a statement.



2 police officers killed in Colombia

AFP, Caldono

Two Colombian police officers were killed Saturday when criminals bombed their car, then hurled grenades and strafed it with gunfire, local authorities said.

The officers were near the town of Caldono, in southwestern Colombia, when their vehicle was "attacked with an explosive," the police said in a statement.



Listeria outbreak in Australia kills 3

AP, Sydney

Three Australians have died after consuming melon contaminated with listeria amid an outbreak that has prompted health authorities to warn those at risk to throw out pre-cut melons.

Listeria is a commonly found bacteria and for most people who consume foods that contain it does not cause illness. But for elderly people, pregnant women or those with serious conditions like diabetes or cancer, it poses a serious threat.Quader blames BNP for attack on Zafar Iqbal

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday said the attack on Dr Zafar Iqbal was made by BNP-sponsored conspirators.

"It's true the attack is part of a plot, and BNP is patronising the conspirators," he said. Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, came up with the comment while distributing leaflets in the city's Gulistan area to make Awami League's scheduled March 7 public rally at Suhrawardy Udyan a success.

"It has become clear who made the attack and why," said the minister adding that the government will find out who acted as mastermind of the incident from behind the scene. "No one will be spared."

He also alleged BNP is trying to create confusion among people by their misleading remarks.

"They (BNP) aren't working to protect the country's interest." Quader said the attack on Zafar Iqbal who always upholds the Liberation War spirit is a bad sign of efforts by evil forces to create an unstable situation in the country. Through the attack on the renowned writer, he said, the communal force demonstrated that they are preparing for even more dangerous incidents.

"I've talked to the Home Minister over the issue. We believe there's an evil force behind the incident. We'll track them down and put on trial," the minister added.Syrian regime forces advance in battered Ghouta

Russia-backed regime forces have since February 18 killed more than 640 civilians in Eastern Ghouta.

AFP, Douma, Syria :

Government forces seized territory inside Syria's rebel enclave Eastern Ghouta Saturday, intensifying fighting as tens of thousands of civilians in the besieged enclave near Damascus awaited urgently needed aid.

On another front in Syria's seven-year civil war, Turkish air strikes killed 36 pro-regime fighters in a Kurdish enclave near Turkey's border.

Syria's war has killed more than 340,000 people and spiralled into a complex conflict involving world powers since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.

Russia-backed regime forces have since February 18 killed more than 640 civilians-including over 150 children-in a ferocious bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, one of the armed opposition's last strongholds in the country.

Following a deadly wave of air strikes and shelling, fighting on the ground has intensified in recent days, and the regime now "controls 10 percent of the besieged Eastern Ghouta region", the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said late Saturday.

Regime forces have advanced steadily since Thursday, the Britain-based monitor said earlier, recapturing four areas in the east and southeast of the enclave as well as two air bases.

"Regime forces and their allies have intensified their attacks on rebel positions in the past 48 hours," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The progress has been rapid through mainly agricultural land, he added.

"The terrorists will soon taste defeat in Ghouta," said Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman Soussan.

Eastern Ghouta's 400,000 residents have lived under siege since 2013, facing severe food and medicine shortages even before the latest offensive.

The fighting on the ground comes after Russia on Tuesday started a daily five-hour "humanitarian pause" in the enclave-a move that falls far short of the 30-day ceasefire demanded by the UN Security Council.

The ferocity of the bombardment initially lessened but it has continued to claim lives, and trucks loaded with desperately needed aid remain unable to enter the enclave.

Thousands of civilians are surviving on meagre stocks, and medical staff are struggling to treat casualties with inadequate medical supplies.

French President Emmanuel Macron and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed "grave concern" about the humanitarian situation in the area in a telephone conversation late Saturday, according to a statement from the Elysee Palace.

"The UN convoys must immediately deliver medical assistance and food aid to the besieged population," the French Presidency said.

The UN Human Rights Council postponed voting Friday on a British resolution condemning the crisis in Eastern Ghouta, after member states failed to agree on a final text.

Moscow has offered safe passage to non-combatants wishing to leave the enclave during the pause, but no Syrian civilians have left since Tuesday, the Observatory says.

The Russian military said in a statement that no civilians exited via the established corridor on Saturday.

Government fighters are trying to advance inside Eastern Ghouta to cut off the main town of Douma and its surroundings in the north of the enclave, as well as isolate the southeastern area of Al-Marj, Abdel Rahman said.

Jaish al-Islam, a main opposition group in the region, accused regime forces of carrying out a "scorched earth policy" as they progressed into the enclave.

In the northwest of the country, there was more bloodshed in the roughly six-week offensive by Turkey and allied fighters against Kurdish militia now backed up by pro-government Syrian forces.



Myanmar again deploys troops in Tumbru border

banglanews24.com :

Myanmar army again deployed hundreds of troops along barbed wire zero line area of Tumbru bordering area under Naikhongchhari upazila in Bandarban on Sunday.

Local said, both Bangladesh and Myanmar took their forces away from barbed wire fence following a flag meeting on Tumbru borderline on Friday (March 2). However, forces were seen patrolling this area on Sunday morning. As a result, tension has increased among Rohingyas who have taken shelter in zero line area.

Local Union Parishad (UP) member Dil Mohammad said that Myanmar withdrew its troops on Friday after three close circuits (CC) cameras were set up by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on the zero line of the border. But, a large number of troops have taken their positions after arriving there by trucks on Sunday.

BGB-34 commander Monjurul Hasan Khan told Banglanews that BGB is overseeing overall situations. They are prepared for any unexpected incidents.Vietnam President Quang in city

President Abdul Hamid and his wife Rasheda Khanom welcome President of Vietnam Mr. Tran Dai Quang and his wife Nguyen Thi Hien on their arrivals at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) on Sunday. Bangabhaban photo

President of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang arrived here on a three-day state visit on Sunday amid a rousing reception.

The Vietnamese President arrived here at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid with both the countries looking for a broader trade and investment ties.

President Abdul Hamid along with his wife Rashida Khanom received Tran Dai Quang and his spouse as he arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 3:52 pmon Sundayby a special flight, an official told UNB.

Cabinet members, including Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury,Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Dean of Diplomatic Corp, chiefs of three services,IGP Dr Javed Patwari, secretary concerned to the president and civil and military high officials were present on the occasion. A smartly turned out contingent comprising members of Bangladesh Army, Air Force and Bangladesh Navy gave guard of honour to the Vietnamese President. He was welcomed with a 21-gun salute. Two tiny tots presented bouquets to President Tran Dai Quang. After the warm reception at the airport, the Vietnamese President was taken to Sonargaon Hotel in a ceremonial motorcade where he will be staying during the visit. Bangladesh is looking for broader trade and investment ties with Vietnam and is preparing to make the best use of the upcoming visit of the Vietnam President. The two countries are likely to sign six to seven agreements and MoUs during the visit, officials said. The Vietnamese President is scheduled tovisit National Mausoleum in Savaron Mondaymorning to pay respect to the Liberation War martyrs. Later, he will visit Bangabandhu Museum in the city to pay respect to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He will meet President Abdul Hamid and will hold official talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinaon Monday. The Vietnamese President will leave Dhaka at3 pmon Tuesday. Foreign Minister Mahmood Ali will see him off at the airport.

Earlier, Bangladesh handed over an invitation letter from Bangladesh President during the first Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Dhaka in August 2017.Zafar Iqbal out of danger: Doctors

Attacker says he is enemy of Islam, SUST lodges complaint, 2 others held, Probe body formed, countrywide protest continues

Md Joynal Abedin Khan :

Professor Dr. Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, who came under a serious knife attack on Shahjalal University of Science and Technology premises on Saturday afternoon, is undergoing treatment at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka.

He is now conscious, and to stay at the hospital 'for a few days' till getting well, said a doctor at the CMH.

"To avoid any kind of infection, no visitors will be allowed to visit the eminent writer at the hospital," Major General Munshi Md Mojibur Rahman, Chief Cardiac Surgeon and Consultant Surgeon General of Bangladesh Armed Forces, told reporters in a press briefing at the CMH Headquarters on Sunday morning.

"Currently he is out of danger although he suffered four blows to his head, an injury to his back and an injury to his left hand," the doctor said.

An air ambulance flew to the capital with Professor Zafar Iqbal on the directives from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He reached the CMH in Dhaka at 1:49am, said an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) text message.

Zafar Iqbal was injured in a knife attack by a youth, aged around 25, at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Saturday afternoon. The youth, identified as Foyzur Rahman, was caught red-handed after the attack at about 5:30pm on the university campus, said our local correspondent quoting police.

He was initially treated at MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital in Sylhet where he had to be administered 27 stitches and was given two bags of blood.

"We want him to get well soon and quickly return to the campus," his wife Yesmeen Huq, who is also a professor of the university, said while talking to reporters at Dhaka Combined Military Hospital.

Zafar Iqbal made the first phone call to his wife soon after he came under the knife attack and let her and their daughter know of the attack and that he was doing alright. I was attacked but I am fine. I am being taken to the hospital," she said.

She expressed deep satisfaction for the overall government measures, including taking him to the CMH in Dhaka, for better treatment.

"I would like to convey my sincere thanks to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for looking after the incident in person and bringing my husband immediately to Dhaka for his better treatment," she added.

Seeking people's blessings for her husband's early recovery, Yasmeen Huq, also expressed profound gratitude to Osmani Medical College Hospital authorities for providing treatment to Iqbal with utmost sincerity.

She said there is no need to take him abroad for better treatment as "I have absolute faith in the country's health system."

"It was a sudden attack. So there is no scope to blame the law enforcers or the government for negligence over the incident. The government had been providing security to Iqbal and her since they received death threats for several times," she added.

Meanwhile, Foyzur told the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) that he launched the attack as he considered Dr Iqbal an enemy of Islam, Ali Haydar Mohammad Azad, Commanding Officer (CO) of RAB-9 in Sylhet told reporters at a briefing on Sunday. The suspect claimed that he was working alone but RAB was not buying it, the CO said, adding they were investigating if he was involved with any radical group.

Police and RAB jointly raided Foyzur's Sheikhpara home in Kumargaon area adjacent to the university, said Munadir Islam Chowdhury, Assistant Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police.

The attacker was identified as Faizur Rahman, son of mawlana Atikur Rahman, a resident of Kaliar Kapon, of Derai upazila in Sunamganj district and a madrasa student. He has been residing with his family members at Sheikhpara in Kumargaon area of the city. His father teaches at Tukerbazar Mahila Madrasa, the AC said.

Nobody was at home and the house was locked, the police officials aid. Police detained his maternal uncle Fozlur Rahman from his house nearby, said Officer-in-Charge Shafiqur Rahman of Jalalabad Police Station.

A top official of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of DMP said they sent a team to Sylhet for investigation.

The attacker of Dr. Zafar Iqbal has been identified as Foyzur Rahman, a madrasa student. Foyzur, the bearded youth aged around 25, according to him.

Meanwhile, a three-member probe committee formed on Sunday evening to investigate the attack on Zafar Iqbal, said Farid Uddin Ahmed, SUST Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Dr. Abdul Gani has been made the chief of the probe committee and others two members are Professor Saiful Islam of Chemistry department and Professor Dr. Shahidur Rahman of Computer science and engineering department of the university. The SUST authorities have lodged a complaint with Jalalabad Police Station over the attack on professor Muhammed Zafar Iqbal.

The SUST Registrar Ishfaqul Hossain lodged the complaint on Saturday night, said Jalalabad Police Station OC Shafiqur Rahman.

A complaint was lodged accusing an unknown person but case has not yet been filed. Investigation is on in this regard, the OC said. Police, in separate raids, detained two relatives of attacker Fayzur, said our local correspondent quoting Jalalabad Police Station OC Shafiqur Rahman.

In a raid, police detained Fayzur's maternal uncle Fazlur Rahman from his house in Shikhpara area near Kumargaon Bus Stand adjacent to the university in Saturday midnight.

In another raid on Sunday morning, law enforcers detained his paternal uncle Abdul Kahar, 50, from their village home at Jagadal in Dirai upazila of Sunamganj.

In the meantime, denying any lapse in the security of Dr Zafar Iqbal, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Sunday said police are investigating the incident to find out the reason.

"There was no lapse in the security measures during the incident of attack on Professor Dr Zafar Iqbal...Police have already arrested an attacker," he said, speaking at a function in city's Purbo Rajabazar area.

The minister said, "Police are investigating the incident...The motive of the attack will be known soon."

On the other hand, people from all walks of life, mostly students, on Sunday protested the attack on the eminent writer Prof Zafar Iqbal.

Around 3,000 students of the SUST formed a human chain on the campus. They submitted two memorandums to the government and will also launch a mass signature campaign later in the day, reports our Sylhet correspondent.

In Chittagong University, the students and teachers also formed a human chain in front of Bangabandhu Chattar demanding exemplary punishment of the culprits.

In Bogra, people from all walks of life including freedom fighters, members of civil society, workers of different socio-cultural organisations, students and journalists formed a human chain to protest the attack at Satmatha in the town.

Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, a local villager, told The New Nation, "Faizul used to visit Kaliyarkapon village quite often and sold clothes around the neighbourhood. However, we have not seen him for the past two years. He was a student at the Dhol Madrasa of the village.Attack on Zafar Iqbal protested at CU

Chittagong University Teachersa Association formed a human chain protesting attack on eminent writer and educationist Prof Dr Mohammed Zafar Iqbal at SUST on Saturday.

CU Correspondent :

The Teachers Association of Chittagong University (CU) and Bangladesh Chhatra League CU Unit yesterday formed a human chain at CU protesting the attack on the noted writer Professor Dr Muhammed Zafar Iqbal.

The human chain was formed at CU Banghabandhu Chattar at around 1 pm and it was presided over by CU Teachers Association President Pro.Mihir Kumar Roy.

The protesters demanded capital punishment of those people who involve the attrack on the eminent professor. The protesters declared to observe a one-hour work abstention from 10:00am tomorrow and urged the government to immediately find out the masterminds behind the attack and bring them to book.

Dr Zafar Iqbal, who was seriously injured in the knife attack on the campus on Saturday afternoon, is now undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.

A young man, aged around 24-25, swooped on Zafar Iqbal around 5:40pm while he was delivering his speech on the closing day of a two-day celebration programme, 'Robofight,' of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department at Mukta Mancha.

The celebrated writer was first taken to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and kept at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where doctors said he was out of danger.BAFP nat'l confce ends

Life Desk :

The two-day 22nd national conference of the Bangladesh Academy of Family Physicians (BAFP) was held in the BIAM auditorium of the capital recently. National Professor Brig (Rtd) Abdul Malik was attending the conference as chief guest. And CEO of World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), Prof Garth Manning, was present as a special guest.

Malik said that family physicians and family medicine in health services should be included in national health policy, now it is time to get the right balance of services. Family physicians or family medicine should be included in national health policy, there is no alternative. This health system is officially recognized in countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia etc., established in many European countries.

To make the health service sector suffering from quadruple problems, it is necessary to implement Family Medicine or Family Physicians that are implemented and tested in the developed world. All of us have to come forward.

Special guest Professor Garth Manning, CEO of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), said that we are trying to reach out to health services through family medicine and familial physicians throughout the world; WE hope Bangladesh will also go ahead with health care through this.

The south Asian president of the World Association of Family Physicians (WONCA) and President of Bangladesh Academy of Family Physicians, Prof Kanu Bala said that there is a system called 'GP Referral System' in the developed world, where a specific administrative area is assigned to a certain number of authorized doctors. All persons are already registered. If a person becomes sick, first of all go to the specific physician and go to the lab examination. He treats that person, if necessary, refer to the specialist. Expert doctors will not treat any patient except for reference to General Physician.

The government of Bangladesh launched a community clinic with a visionary plan like GP Referral System. This initiative can be implemented as a beneficial and fruitful program by Family Physicians. In this way, the right health service will reach the doorstep of the common people. In this case, firstly, the concept of Family Medicine / Family Physician / General Practitioner should be popular among medical students and young doctors. In this system, the Bangladesh Academy of Family Physicians is working relentlessly in the existing system and has been running one-year diploma in family medicine at Family Medicine. Initiative of USTC's proposed 3/5-year MD (family medicine) is under progress. In this continuation, today's National Conference and Orientation Course of MRSGP International South Asia Board are going to be held so that special experts from Family Medicine and Family Physicians in different countries have been present.

Dr MD Nurul Islam Bhuiyan, Vice President, BAFP said that family diploma or fellowship of Family Medicine in Bangladesh is not recognized by BMDC. However, we expect the MRSGP International Course to be recognized by BMDC shortly after its requirements.

Two members of the World Association of Family Physicians (WONCA), Bangladesh Academy of Family Physicians and College of General Practitioners Association. In the end, it is imperative to implement Family Medicine and Family Physician system in the city and village, to make sure that all the resources, rich and poor, provide real-hearted good health services. People and physicians and government will have to come together in this regard.

Nearly 400 doctors of family medicine and family physicians are participating in the conference from foreign countries and Bangladesh.

United Hospital observes Cancer Day

Life Desk :

To mark the World Cancer Day, United Hospital organized a Press Meet on Sunday in the hospital to discuss Cancer Awareness, Detection and Treatment as a Cumulative Effort in Bangladesh Context. To commemorate the Day, United Hospital declared a specially discounted rate of Fifty Thousand Taka for doing PET CT Scan test for early cancer detection and treatment during whole month of February, which is 20thousand taka less than the earlier amount. The hospital also highlighted the special scheme of 50 percent reduced rate of whole radiotherapy course for financially insolvent patients at as minimum as 70,000 taka; for cancer screening tests the hospital is also offering 20-50 percent discounted rate package.

United Hospital Cancer Care Centre has the only Medical Cyclotron in Bangladesh to produce FDG, the raw material for PET CT tests which they supply to government and non-government health care centres; saving cost and foreign currency as it was initially imported from neighbouring country India. Further Dr Ashim Sengupta gave a presentation highlighting the unique benefits of the centre which none else in the country has, like True Beam facility, PET CT based planning for radiation and Respiratory Gating for lungs, breast and liver cancer, were also elaborated in the program. In addition to the unique patient friendly and cost saving treatments of United Hospital Cancer Care Centre, it also provides training to the medical physicists of the country to build a stronger knowledgeable workforce to diagnose & treat cancer; in last two years, more than 150 such Medical Physicists and students of Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka University, Savar Gano Bishwabidyalaya, CMH, Military Institute of Science & Technology, have received training.

Dr Shagufa Anwar, Chief of Communication & Business Development, emphasized on the need to be aware of the cancer alert signs so that anyone can seek medical help at the soonest, as early detection can save lives in most of the cancers. Ms Chayanika Chowdhury, eminent TV Drama director & writer urged all in society to be empathetic & compassionate for cancer sufferers. Ms Farzana Brownia, Social Activist & founder of Swarno Kishori foundation, expressed her strong desire to spread awareness among the adolescent girls across the schools in all the Upazilla of the country.

Mrs Mahtabun Nesa, President of Dhaka Mohanagar Mohila Parishad, pledged to make the women at grass root level aware of cancer symptoms through her organization.

In the program, United Hospital Oncology Consultants Dr Saumen Basu, Dr Md. Rashid Un Nabi, Consultant Nuclear Medicine Dr MA Wahab and Head of Medical Physics Karthic Raj Mani were also present.

BNP announces fresh progs

Staff Reporter :

The BNP on Sunday again announced two days nationwide fresh programme demanding its Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's release from jail.

The party announced countrywide human chain and sit-in programme for Tuesday and Thursday respectively.

BNP Senior Joint-Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced it

in a press briefing at the party's Nayapaltan office. He said the human chain and sit-in would be staged for one hour from 11:00 am across the country.

Earlier BNP held series of programmes in phases including nationwide human chain, sit-in, token hunger strike, mass signature collection and leaflet distribution after the party chief Khaleda Zia was sentenced to five years jail in a graft case by a special court on February 8.

Job-seekers for quota system reforms

Hundreds of students demonstrating with carrying placards showing their five-point demands that include introduction of unified age limit in govt jobs, blocking roads in city on Sunday.

UNB, Dhaka :

Around one thousand job seekers staged demonstration at Shahbagh intersection in the city on Sunday morning demanding reforms of quota system in government recruitment examinations, including BCS.

Several hundreds of students mostly of Dhaka University (DU) under separate banners, including General Students' Rights Protection Mancha (Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Sangrokkon Mancha), General Students' Rights Protection Council, took position on



the road stretching from Shahbagh intersection to TSC of Dhaka University at 11:10am.

The demonstrators were seen carrying placards showing their five-point demand that include introduction of unified age limit in government jobs, review of quota system in government recruitment process, including Bangladesh Civil Services (BCS) examination, stopping to taka benefit by job seekers under the same quota, filling vacant posts from merit list if the candidates from quota are not found and fixation of 10 percent quota instead of existing 56 percent. Huge law enforcers were deployed in the area as the demonstration was going on till filing of the report around 12:35pm.BNP delegation meets Trump's deputy assistant

UNB, Dhaka :

A BNP delegation, led by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, met US President Donald Trump's deputy assistant Lisa Curtis here on Sunday.

The hour-long meeting that began around 2:45pm was held at US Ambassador Marcia Bernicat's Gulshan

residence, a BNP leaders told UNB wishing anonymity. BNP standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and party vice chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo accompanied Fakhrul at the meeting.

They, however, declined to talk to reporters after the meeting.

Lisa Curtis arrived here on Friday morning on a three-day official visit and discussed bilateral issues, including security and the Rohingya crisis. She also visited Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar.Bid to bring back siphoned off money

National task force meet today

Kazi Zahidul Hasan :

High-ranking figures from the government, regulatory bodies, banks and law enforcement agencies will sit together in the inaugural meeting of an inter-agency national task force to discuss ways and means to bring back siphoned off money and tackle the financial crime.

The meeting will be held today (Monday) at the Office of the Attorney General in Dhaka.

Recently, the government reconstituted the taskforce to make its anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing efforts more effective and time-befitting.

"It will be the inaugural meeting of the reconstituted task force and it expects to discuss and analyse information and intelligence reports to detect, prevent and disrupt money laundering and wider economic crime that has already posed a serious threat to Bangladesh economy," a member of the task force told The New Nation yesterday.

He said the task force is a 'significant' body formed to bring back siphoned off money and address the money-laundering and terror financing issues through the multi-group approach.

Money laundering costs the country around US$7.58 billion each year, with a significant proportion of this money being moved through trade misinvoicing.

The government intelligence agencies have so far revealed that corrupt people siphoned off money to the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Britain, Singapore, Hong Kong and Philippines.

Besides, a number of Bangladeshis invested illegally-earned money in Malaysia under the 'Malaysia My Second Home Programme'.

Sources said the government has information that about 3000 Bangladeshis, mostly politicians, businesspersons and government officials, have made huge investment in 'Malaysia My Second Home Programme'.

"We will discuss the issues thoroughly and review intelligence reports on the cases of smuggled off money so that the task force can ask for mutual legal assistance from the countries concerned on priority basis to bring the money back," said the task force member.

He said the government agencies are now investigating the off-shore investments by the Bangladeshis whose name appeared in the list of Panama Papers and Paradise papers

"If illegally-earned money is invested there, the government will take action against the persons and move forward to bring back the money," he added.

He also said that necessary punitive actions should also be taken after proving into alleged involvement of illicit fund transfer as reported in the second home scheme in Malaysia and Begum Palli in Canada.





US wants multy-party polls in BD

The United States has laid emphasis on multiple-party participation in the general election in Bangladesh.

Deputy Assistant to the U.S. President and Senior Director for South and Central Asia at the National Security Council Lisa Curtis discussed the issue when she met Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali at the latter's office on Sunday. On query from Curtis, Foreign Minister mentioned that Bangladesh government is committed to a free, fair and participatory election. He agreed with her and informed that the election will be free, fair and participatory, and observers from different countries including U.S. are welcome as well to observe the election.

Lisa Curtis also called on the Advisor for Security Affairs to Prime MinisterMajor Gen. (rtd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique and discussed the prospect of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the areas of defence and security.

Deputy Assistant Lisa Curtis called on the Advisor for International Affairs to Prime Minister Professor Dr. Gowher Rizvi in the afternoon. The Foreign Minister said that the relationship between Bangladesh and USA is getting stronger and expressed Bangladesh Government's gratitude to the U.S. Government, President Trump and its people for strong political and humanitarian support towards Bangladesh in addressing the crisis.

In this regard, he urged the U.S. side to continue playing a strong role at the United Nations Security Council.

The Foreign Minister also emphasized the sustained pressure by the international community including the U.S. on the Myanmar Government to create a safe and secured condition in Northern Rakhine for the safe and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas to their homes. Deputy Assistant Curtis assured that Rohingya issue is now a part of the U.S. policy discussion and it will continue the pressure on Myanmar Government for their safe and dignified return. Praising the role played by Bangladesh Military in humanitarian response to the Rohingyas, Curtis expressed deep condolences for the death of four Bangladeshi UN Peacekeepers in an explosion in Mali last week. Focusing on President Trump's National Security Strategy, Curtis highlighted the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the U.S. Administration and expressed U.S.'s eagerness to further deepen its engagement with Bangladesh, as the country is a vibrant democracy with an impressive economic growth.

On the return of the killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujbur Rahman, Curtis informed that she would convey the message to the concerned high dignitaries in Washington. Curtis also had a meeting with the Foreign Secretary Md. Shahidul Haque, according to Foreign Ministey here. Ongoing Rohingya issue featured prominently in the meetings. She shared her experience of visiting Cox's Bazar and getting the victims' account of atrocities committed in the Rakhine State. She mentioned that the Rohingyas wanted to go back to their homes in Myanmar, if the conditions are safe. Curtis assured the Rohingyas that "they won't be forgotten".

She deeply appreciated Bangladesh's role in sheltering the persecuted Rohingyas and providing necessary support to them. She said that Bangladesh could be a model in the world on how to deal with such humanitarian situations. Curtis also mentioned that USA will "remain with and stand by Bangladesh" in resolving the crisis and offered further U.S. assistance to deal with the upcoming challenges, especially when the monsoon is approaching soon. She left Dhaka on Sunday evening.







The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.Yes, the decision belongs on the local level

No, no one should be able to dictate whether people wear masks

Vote

View ResultsIndonesian handicrafts produced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were featured at the 22nd Salon International du Tourisme in Rennes, France, on Feb 16-18.

Tourism promotion at the Indonesian pavilion involved tour operators from France, such as Garuda Indonesia Holiday France, Spot My Dive, Mon Prochain Voyage, and Raja Ampat Dive Lodge/Grand Komodo, which sold tour packages to Indonesia during the exhibition, according to Antara on Saturday.

Information on tourist destinations in Indonesia was available to visitors through videos, brochures and flyers.

The exhibition was attended by 438 representatives of various tourist subsectors, including tour operators, travel agencies, hotels, villas, car rentals, historical tours, airlines and shipping.

Several countries, such as Canada, Vietnam, India, Iran, Tanzania, and the Dominican Republic, as well as players of the French tourist industry also attended the exhibition. Based on data, the exhibition was attended by 38,924 visitors.

Read also: Four not-to-miss events in East Nusa Tenggara in 2018

During the event, a presentation on Indonesian tourist destinations was also organized.

In addition, Indonesian students showcased the peacock dance from West Java and traditional Indonesian songs.

A general knowledge quiz on Indonesia was organized. Visitors answering the questions were handed out Indonesian handicrafts, such as masks, scarves and batik.

The Indonesian Embassy also conducted Indonesian community development activities at during the event.

The Indonesian ambassador to France also held a meeting with the Indonesian community in Rennes on Feb. 17.

On the occasion, the ambassador highlighted government programs that aimed to improve people's welfare.

The ambassador also urged Indonesian students to have a clear vision and mission regarding their education. (asw)The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.Photo Credits: The Blue Diamond Gallery

Silja Dogg Gunnarsdottir, a lawmaker from the center-right Progressive Party, said she proposed the measure after realizing the countrys ban on female genital mutilation had no equivalent to prevent male circumcision.



Iceland outlawed female genital mutilation in 2005, in line with other nations, to prevent procedures that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs for non-medical reasons.



We are talking about childrens rights, not about freedom of belief, she said when she introduced the bill in early February. Everyone has the right to believe in what they want, but the rights of children come above the right to believe.



In the Icelandic bill, the only exception for circumcising a boy would be precisely to protect a childs health. In all other circumstances, however, the practice is a clear violation of human rights against children who are too young to have a say in this. When it comes to religious reasons, then, the practice would be strictly banned and punished with up to six years of prison for personal assault.



About 336,000 people live in Iceland, including 250 Jews and 1,500 Muslims, according to government statistics and Seddeeq. Religious groups are now expressing outrage over the proposal. "It's an attack on freedom of religion," Ahmad Seddeeq, the Egyptian-born imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of Iceland, said Monday. Jews and Muslims typically circumcise their sons to confirm or mark their relationship with God.



Milah U.K., a British group that protects the Jewish community's right carry out religious circumcision, said, "For a country such as Iceland, that considers itself a liberal democracy, to ban it, thus making sustainable Jewish life in the country impossible, is extremely concerning."











Follow Atheist Republic on Twitter @AtheistRepublic



"You are about to attack Judaism in a way that concerns Jews all over the world," the open letter from The Nordic Jewish Communities reads.

Only 20 years ago, nearly 90 percent of all Icelanders were religious believers. Today, less than 50 percent are. Exactly zero percent of young Icelanders believe that God created the Earth, a recent Gallup International and WI Network of Market Research poll found. It is therefore not surprising that Iceland could become the first country in Europe to ban male circumcision.Circumcising women has been illegal in Iceland since 2005, but until now there have been no laws in regard to the circumcision of boys. This is possibly because circumcision is not a tradition in Iceland, a country where the Muslim and the Jewish communities in Iceland are very small. The latest bill (in Icelandic) says circumcision "involves permanent interventions in a child's body that can cause severe pain". If it passes its first reading, the draft law will go to a committee stage before it can come into effect.According to the Grapevine, the male circumcision would be possible if there is the evidence it will benefit baby boys medically:Charlotte NC Shooting Range  Setting the Bar High

If you are new to the area or just want a place to hone your skills with an old-fashioned feel, then you might want to check out the Charlotte NC shooting range. This is where you will find traditional hunting as well as the latest technology at your fingertips. The indoor facility is clean, organized, and stocked with anything you need to be a success. From youth programs to military training, from the newest technology to the oldest bows and arrows, you are sure to find something that will fit your needs.

This range offers everything from youth programs to military training, from new technologies to the oldest bows and arrows. If youre looking for the very best in bow hunting equipment, this is the place to go. From bow hunting beginners to the most seasoned hunters, you will find it all at this one of a kind facility. With everything you need including bows, recurve and compound bows, arrows, shooting accessories and apparel, this is the place to be.

If you own your own business, this is the perfect place to advertise, display your wares and raise money for your favorite cause. If youve always wanted to start your own business, this great shooting range is the perfect setting to do it in. With all the benefits of a professional location, as well as being within a short driving distance from Charlottes professional downtown area, your business will boom. Your customers will come from all over the world, which is always a good thing when youre trying to expand. Its a truly win-win situation for everyone involved.This post is prompted by a number of things that have left me pondering how as Christians we are to bring about change in our churches. When we strongly b...

6 years agoPerkins+Will Dubai, a global interdisciplinary, research-based architecture and design firm, has appointed Elmutaz Elrabaa, an industry veteran as the new healthcare director for the group's Middle East operations.



As a registered architect, a Leed and Edac accredited professional, Elrabaa has more than 18 years of extensive, global experience with a primary focus on institutional and healthcare architecture.



He graduated from Cairo University and has a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Waterloo, and is a registered architect at Egyptian Engineers Syndicate (EEA) as well as Kuwait Society of Engineers.



He has been honoured as an Accredited Professional Engineer by Kuwait Society of Engineers.



Managing director Roger Wilson said: "At Perkins+Will we strive to create healthcare facilities that are innovative, smart and sustainably aesthetic, to schedule and budget. We are excited to have a seasoned professional like Elrabaa on board to lead the healthcare practice here in the Middle East where the design requirements of the sector are undergoing revolutionary and exciting changes."



Before joining Perkins+Will, Elrabaa, a Canadian citizen, was the director of healthcare at B+H Architects, a global Canadian firm based in Toronto, Canada. He was responsible for delivering healthcare projects across Asia and Ontario, for seven years.



Prior to this, Elrabaa delivered projects across the GCC during his tenure in Kuwait as senior architect at KEO International Consultants and at The Associated Engineering Partnership before that.



Notable projects delivered by Elmutaz in the region include: Barwa Financial District, Al Ain University, Kuwait National Library and Kuwait National Cancer Centre.



On his appointment, Elrabaa said: "I am a firm believer in design excellence and collaborating with concerned stakeholders of each project to achieve optimum results. Globally, healthcare design is undergoing an exciting evolution and the trend is reflected across Asia and the Middle East."



"I am thrilled to embark on this exciting journey with a globally acclaimed firm like Perkins+Will," he added.



The company has been working with a number of health centres globally for over 65 years. The firms healthcare practice in the Middle East has worked on recent projects such as Kings College Hospital and Kings College clinics and has a healthy pipeline for 2018.-TradeArabia News ServiceThe Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said it has widened the scope of the smart pedestrian signals project in Dubai to cover 15 new locations after a successful trial debut on Al Saadah Street in the city.



A first-of-its-kind in the region, the Smart Pedestrian Signals technology is part of RTAs efforts to realise the objectives of the Smart City initiative.



Maitha bin Adai, the chief executive of RTAs Traffic and Roads Agency, said: "Smart Pedestrian Signals had been installed in several hotspots of Dubai including Al Muraqqabat, Al Rigga, Al Mankhoul, Baniyas, 2nd of December Street, Al Maktoum and Sheikh Khalifa Streets."



"They were also introduced at Al Barsha and City Walk districts. The initiative is part of RTAs plans in support of the Smart City initiative of Dubai Government," stated bin Adai.



According to her, the Smart Pedestrian Signals technology is run by a system based on sensors connected to a ground optical system synchronised with the signals light operation.



"It perceives the pedestrian movement on the pavement (before crossing the street) and on the pedestrian crossing (while crossing) and automatically readjusts the remaining time based on the inputs. Thus, it allows a safe crossing for the largest possible number of pedestrians in a smooth manner without impacting the movement of vehicles, thus achieving the highest service levels," she explained.



The system, she stated, is bound to raise the safety of pedestrians who need a time longer than the average crossing time such as seniors, people of determination, and people with luggage or strollers.



"It will also improve the vehicular flow as a result of eliminating the pedestrian mode in case no pedestrians are detected on the pavement; which offers additional time to motorists," she added.-TradeArabia News ServiceMore than 400 local and international exhibitors will be showcasing their latest products and services at The Big 5 Saudi 2018, a premier trade event for the construction sector which opens its doors tomorrow (March 5) at The Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events.



Backed by Saudi Arabias Building Technology Stimulus Fund (BTSF), an initiative of the Saudi Ministry of Housing, The Big 5 Saudi 2018 is expected to play a decisive role in supporting the kingdoms Vision 2030 over the next three days.



A key highlight of the event will be hosting of more than 50 free, certified workshops by the captains of the construction industry.



With a growing population outnumbering its GCC neighbours, Saudis construction industry has vast potential to grow, remarked Ibrahim Albuloushi, the country head for Sauid Arabia for JLL.



The recent economic and social reforms, PPP and privatisation efforts being made by the government, will bring in additional demand, SMEs, better quality services to end users, and the needed financing to fund the recently announced ambitious mega-projects, stated Albuloushi.



According to experts, the 8th edition of the premier construction trade event will play a pivotal role in establishing much needed international partnerships in the Kingdom as Vision 2030 unfolds.



With a combined estimated value of $852.3 billion, over 4,700 active construction projects are currently underway in Saudi Arabia.



In order to meet the requirements of these projects, international partnerships are strongly needed in the kingdom today, they stated.



Lucas Pastor, the corporate business development manager at Arabian Bemco Contracting Company, said: "The projects in the pipeline, especially the PPP ones, require international know-how and financial resources."



"At the same time, the strategy of the kingdom to promote the local employment implies the necessity of the local companies to be involved in these projects as local manufacturers and/or local contractors," he stated.



For this reason, said Pastor, global partnerships are a must right now in Saudi Arabia more than ever before, "and events like The Big 5 Saudi are the perfect scenario to promote such partnerships."



The event will see leading exhibitors from 18 countries taking part besides hosting country pavilions from Belgium, China, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, and United States of America.



Showcasing a varied wealth of building materials and construction solutions, including bathroom and kitchen fittings, smart city resources, steel and solar technology, the event also displays concrete and PMV equipment and material handling in an outdoor zone dedicated to heavy machinery and warehousing products.



"The Big 5 Saudi 2018 gathers many international and regional brands presenting innovations in construction, advanced and smart technology products. All of this embraces Saudi Vision 2030, with a strong focus on fast execution, development, and productivity in an encouraging market," remarked Roni El Haddad, the event director of The Big 5 Saudi.



Omar Khayal, the business development manager at special solutions exhibitor RIVA GmbH Engineering, said: "The upcoming years show great prospective and the Kingdoms Vision 2030 supports and drives the market towards new development and infrastructural expansions."



The Big 5 in Saudi is a great possibility to present our company and products to the local architects, investors and market representatives, noted Khayal.



Housing is the most significant area of expenditure under Saudi Vision 2030, with the aim to grow the real estate sector contribution to GDP from 5 to 10 per cent by the deadline, stated El Haddad.



"For this reason, we are absolutely honoured to have Saudi Arabias Building Technology Stimulus Fund (BTSF) as Strategic Partner of The Big 5 Saudi 2018, he added.



An initiative of the Saudi Ministry of Housing, the Fund is dedicated to increasing building technologies capacity to meet urban development goals in the kingdom.



The event also enjoys the support of Al Bawani, the company behind some of the most prominent construction projects in the Kingdom, like the Saudi-Bahrain viaduct, and the King Abdullah Center for Oncology and Liver Disease 24 Story tower, part of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital Mega Project in Riyadh completed recently.



Al Bawani understands that creating the appetite and competencies for undertaking ground-breaking projects like these need to be fostered in the Kingdom if the intentions of Vision 2030 are to be fully realized, stated Fakher Al Shawaf, the general manager of Al Bawani.



Organized by dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa and MICE Arabia, The Big 5 Saudi is co-located with Wood Tech & Design Expo Saudi 2018.-TradeArabia News ServiceInsead, a global business school, and Luxury Tech Fund, the first fund at the intersection of innovation and luxury, have entered a strategic partnership where Insead will become the academic venture partner of Luxury Tech Fund.



Leveraging the growing interactions between Luxury and Tech industries and convinced by the relevance of combining academic and operational excellence, Insead and Luxury Tech Fund will join forces to steer and create a world-leading knowledge hub to support the emergence of Luxury Tech.



As the academic venture partner to Luxury Tech Fund, Insead reinforces its entrepreneurial culture and will provide academic knowledge and expertise supporting the emergence of Luxury Tech. The initiative will leverage the schools best-in-class faculty, programme participants and strong alumni network to boost the luxury tech scene and contribute to further academic research in this area.



Taking advantage of its international deal-flow, Luxury Tech Fund is focused on funding the most innovative, cutting edge and promising ventures in the Luxury Tech universe (tech-enablers, new business models and innovative brands in the fashion, luxury, beauty, lifestyle and retail segments), as well as ventures that will foster disruptive thinking and innovation and durably impact traditional industries.



As a venture capital partner of Inseads Luxury Initiative, Luxury Tech Fund will provide access to the Luxury Tech start-up ecosystem and contribute to support and accompany venture initiatives born in the Insead network.

Peter Zemsky, Insead deputy dean, dean of Innovation and professor of Strategy, said: We are pleased to offer Insead participants and alumni access to the outstanding Luxury Tech Fund ecosystem through this new partnership. Both organisations are aligned to support the new generation of entrepreneurs worldwide in this fast-growing sector. We look forward to creating a world-class knowledge hub based on cutting-edge academic research and operational excellence by melding academic thought-leadership with industry expertise and entrepreneurial talent.



Celine Lippi, co-founder and managing partner of Luxury Tech Fund, said: The luxury industry has been struggling to evolve with the advent of digitalization and technology. Global economy uncertainties have led to a need for new business models reinvention as a lever for growth & sustainability.



A new wave of visionary founders driven by innovation, creativity, excellence, a will of creating a lasting impact for the next generation of consumers to lay dawn the foundations of an increasingly strong start-up ecosystem that will shape the industry. Our partnership with Insead will reinforce those foundations for future international outreach around the Luxury Tech directly linked to the Luxury industry.



David Dubois, associate professor of Marketing at Insead, said: As we witness the strong momentum of new Luxury Tech actors that reshape the industry, this partnership helps us to pioneer innovative research and pedagogical initiatives in this area.



This first Think Tank in Action bringing together alumni, partners, mentors, and industry experts from both Insead and Luxury Tech Fund, is a big step for the industry. Im confident that the joint effort of both Inseads strong alumni network and broader community and Luxury Tech Funds deep operational expertise will create a knowledge powerhouse and pave the road for entrepreneurs, academics and other actors contributing to this ecosystem.



Geoffroy Rosset, managing partner at Luxury Tech Fund, stated: Leveraging outstanding talents, academic and industry resources as well as market leaders in the Luxury and Tech industries will offer Europe the unique opportunity to take the lead in the exponential growth of the Luxury Tech segment globally. Our partnership with Insead will allow us to pave the way in this direction and ensure that Luxury Tech has a bright future ahead.



The partnership is expected to further stimulate the industry by engaging all stakeholders  start-ups, investors, corporates, schools, alumni o media  and will kick off with a series of initiatives including:



 Inaugural publication of a Luxury Tech Barometer



 White Paper publications and cases



 Collaboration for the Insead RCLG (Retail, Consumer and Luxury Goods) Forum



 Project work with Insead MBA participants to support start-ups under Luxury Tech Funds portfolio  TradeArabia News ServiceThe American University of Ras Al Khaimah (Aurak) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Al Nuaimi Group to augment research, help students prepare for competition, and improve job opportunities for students.



Al Nuaimi Group is a Ras Al Khaimah local contractor and construction management company specializing in road and infrastructure development, supplying mixed concrete, architectural glass, and metal fabrication.



The institutions have agreed to share research, invite each other to conferences of related topics, and work together to organize workshops and conferences concerning, but not limiting to, building construction and civil works.



Al Nuaimi will also assist Aurak students with expertise, tools, and assembly of a Zero Energy Building to enter into the 2018 Solar Decathlon Middle East that is set to take place in November in Dubai. The decathlon is an international competition created by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and the Department of Energy of the US; competitors design solar houses and adapt their designs to heat, dust, and high humidity.



The competition is based on architecture, engineering and construction, energy management, energy efficiency, comfort conditions, house functioning, sustainable transportation, sustainability, communication, and innovation.



Al Nuaimi has agreed to provide Aurak students with internship opportunities, and the respective institutions plan on meeting three times a year to discuss expansion of this memorandum to benefit both establishments in the future.



Prof Hassan of Aurak said: The more real world, practical educational support we can provide our students, the better off Ras Al Khaimah will be. It is always wonderful to teach students ecological responsibility and to do collaborative research that will help conserve the environment.  TradeArabia News ServiceCommercial printing and packaging trends in the Middle East are being highlighted at the ongoing inaugural Gulf Print & Pack Summit being held in Dubai, UAE.



The event which kicked off today (March 4) will run until March 5, at the Roda Al Bustan Hotel.



Latest data from Smithers Pira, the worldwide authority on the packaging, print and paper supply chains offering testing and information services, shows that the Middle East will print the equivalent of 1.68 trillion A4 sheets this year, while newspapers are the largest printed product by output but also the fastest declining as readers move to digital screens.



Other significant findings from the Smithers Pira report reveal that advertising, packaging and labels will be the fastest growing end-use applications for print (by value) in 2018; and that the region will consume 91,640 tonnes of printing ink in 2018, with sales revenue from ink rising at 9.1 per cent compared to 2017.



As a result, inkjet is now the third largest market segment for new print equipment sold for Middle East installations, and the fastest growing.



Lisa Millburn, managing director, Gulf Print & Pack, said: The summit will be taking a hard look at the major issues affecting the printing sector both in the Middle East and the wider international scene.



The event is set to be a lively forum for ideas and interactive discussion with a heavy focus on innovative production strategies and key technological developments, she said.



Delegates will be certain to take away good ideas and effective tips for ways to improve and streamline their operational processes and learn how they can implement the latest technologies to enhance their productivity and add value to their business and clients, she added.



A series of short presentations will cover technical innovation and industry applications from leading industry players such as Heidelberg, Bobst, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Middle East and Phoenix Technologies, said a statement.



The programme features two standout panel discussions, with a CEO group to discuss initiatives for business expansion and how to remain competitive; as well as new technologies to modernise a printing plant and areas for investment. Among the panel participants are Vinesh Bhimani, managing director, Kimoha Entrepreneurs; Amit Radia, CEO, Atlas Printing Press; Chandrasain Negandhi, managing director, Leo Pack; and Sebastian Lonth, general manager, Reprotronics.



A retailer and brand panel discussion will see Sukhdev Singh Saini, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region packaging lead at General Mills, and Perwaze Qaiser, regional head of packaging R&D for Mena, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus at Unilever, discussing private label versus premium brands, propelling personalization with seasonal, regional and local promotional products, and maximizing brand enhancement by creating a premium look.



The conference programme is supplemented by a table-top exhibition, where the likes of Bobst, Heidelberg, Xerox, Konica Minolta, Nilpeter, Durst, Epson, Heliozid Oce, Afra, Anoop and Vinsak will be presenting their latest services and technologies and seeking to meet and educate attendees and potential partners from across the region.



Vinsak, for example, will present technologies from its own portfolio as well as partners Lombardi, Iwasaki and Pantec as it seeks to address predicted growth in flexo printing, UV inkjet for serialisation and brand protection, and packaging for e-commerce.



Vinsak goes on to identify a growth in packaging companies helping brand owners fight counterfeiting, sustainability initiatives within the packaging industry and an increase in the use of packaging formats like IML and HTL, taking market share away from self-adhesive stocks. More than 30 per cent of Vinsaks revenue comes from the Mena region, and the company predicts healthy growth the market in the future.



Afra, meanwhile, sees digital printing, light packaging, flexible packaging and corrugated as areas for growth. Vinay Krishnan, general manager at Afra, identifies how the regions print industry is going through a drastic change, with Gulf Print & Pack Summit set to address this.



Krishnan said: The major topic of discussion should be solutions for the current market problems of the printers in Mena that are contributing to the downfall of the commercial print business in the area.



Konica Minolta specifically sees opportunities for digital printing technology in numerous markets over the next five years. Nayyar Ansari, production print business development manager, Konica Minolta Business Solutions Middle East, said: Digital printing equipment sales show strong growth in all regions as printers understand how to capitalise on the opportunities.



The technology is necessary for direct mail, transactional and security where variable data is used. It is growing in books, labels and commercial printing, while making inroads into catalogues, magazines and the big opportunity in packaging, he said.



Xerox identifies the event as an opportunity for business leaders and owners to discuss graphic communications market trends in the coming years and highlight specific market sectors and applications which represent growth opportunities for print service providers (PSPs). Identifying the right digital technology in which to invest and helping PSPs overcome the issues which have prevented them from migrating more work from offset to digital will be important topics to explore.



Chris Lynch, head of production technology, Xerox Middle East and Africa, said: The Mena print market is hugely important for us because it is a developing market where there is a growing demand for digital printing technology.



However, with many competing suppliers vying for the same customers, it is likely that there will be some consolidation in the market with mergers and acquisitions taking place. That said, there is still a huge opportunity for growth in both toner-based and inkjet technologies and we expect to see PSPs develop their services to become more niche or specialised as they seek to develop stronger relationships with their clients and provide a greater range of services, such as marketing and distribution/fulfilment, he said.



Roger Nicodeme, general manager, sales, Heidelberg Middle East, confirms that Mena is a very important region, even though the size of business is not as large as China, Europe or America.



Nicodeme said: It is a developing market and printers are eager to learn and to implement new technologies into the printing process. More commercial printers will disappear, and more competition will come to packaging.



Heidelberg sees packaging, labels, digital and workflows to be the main areas of growth in the near future. Heidelberg is showcasing zero-defect packaging at the summit.



The printing machinery manufacturer notes continued globalization, rising demand for different types of packaging and a shorter time to market being accompanied by increases in complexity. This can increase the risk of errors in production. A smart print shop, Heidelberg states, featuring its automated quality assurance technologies, can eliminate the risks.



Bobst likewise sees the main development in the Mena printing industry over the next five years as being packaging. Pharmaceutical and food applications will see a greater volume of short runs with higher quality requirements. This will drive digital adoption. In addition, evolving health, safety, security and the environment (HSSE) regulations will require investment in cutting-edge technology to respond to these requirements.



Mohamed Hassairi, communications manager at Bobst - Africa and Middle East, said: The Mena print industry is important to Bobst as it is expected to keep growing and there are countries having big potential.



Also, the growing number of our machine installations is very important for the service business, he added.  TradeArabia News ServiceDubai Airport Freezone Authority's (Dafza) contribution to the total non-oil trade of Dubai amounts to about 7 per cent, according to official figures.

Dafza has an 18 per cent share of the total free zones trade within Dubai according to 2016 official statistics, said a Dafza report.



The freezones success is largely due to its strategic role in driving continuous economic development and high operational efficiency, as well as the creation of attractive investment opportunities and the adoption of a clear investment approach aimed at contributing effectively to the overall output of Dubai.



According to the official results, Dafza has increased its leasable area by 6 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year. This was due to the increasing demand of the freezones business solutions and its product line up which were adapted to the requirements of the global markets to expand their businesses in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia and explore their investment opportunities in Dubai.



Dafza achieved a 25 per cent growth in its registered companies compared to the same period last year. This reflects the success of its strategic initiatives which focused on increasing foreign direct investment flows to the freezone and providing an exceptional and seamless experience for regional and international companies. The new tenants revenue contributed 8 per cent of the total rental revenue for 2017, which was the result of highly relevant offers and packages provided by Dafza.



There was a 34 per cent increase in the registered companies within the office package segment offered by Dafza compared to same period last year. This was launched by Dafza following a comprehensive study and research that identified the needs of customers in order to ensure the strategic growth plans of the freezone.



Financial results showed an increase in total assets by 2 per cent and an increase in licensing revenues by 16 per cent. Dafzas services, which include licenses, government services and other value-added services to customers, accounted for 18 per cent of 2017 total revenues.



Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dafza, said: The achievements of Dafza in 2017 underscore its outstanding position as one of the most advanced and progressive freezones in the world. The results highlight Dafzas role in supporting the UAEs economic diversification strategy and enhancing the investment and trade movement in Dubai and the nation as a whole. This strategy falls in line with the Dubai 2021 Plan and the Government's plans to move into the post-oil phase, backed by the support of commercial diversification policies led by the vision of the UAEs wise leadership.



2017 witnessed a 13 per cent growth in the number of registered multinational companies (MNCs). With this increase, MNCs now make up 36 per cent of the total number of companies in the freezone. This reflects the growing confidence of foreign investors and major international companies in Dafza as one of the most important freezones in the UAE and the world. The freezone has become the leading destination for investment activities in Dubai as many international brands have selected Dafza as their choice for their regional operations over the past two decades.



As part of Dafzas commitment to supporting the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), 2017 witnessed a 27 per cent increase in the number of registered SMEs compared to the same period the year before. This confirms the success of Dafzas efforts to provide integrated solutions and services to ensure that such companies achieve growth and increase their productivity. This was achieved through specialized programs and qualitative initiatives in cooperation with several government and private entities. This comes in line with the vision of the UAE and Dubai to develop the freezone sector and to contribute to the growth of the national economy.



In 2017, Dafza officially launched its first industrial expansion project outside its current location. Dafza Industrial Park is located in Al Qusais Industrial Area and features modern industrial units supported by unique customs experience. Dafza cooperated with Dubai Customs to make this industrial park the first zone with smart security and customs services. These services are delivered in an innovative and integrated center that automates processes, without the need for human intervention.



Both Dafza and Dafza Industrial Park were among the 20 freezones selected by the Cabinet Decision No. (59) of 2017, to be considered as a designated zone. Now, goods may be transferred among these areas tax-free, which has increased its attractiveness to new companies and foreign investors.



Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, director general of Dafza, said: "The achievements of last year join a two-decade journey of success that has made the freezone one of the best in the region and in the world. This is due to the pursuit of all our employees and stakeholders in providing the highest levels of services to meet our customers requirements across international markets, economic policies and developments affecting the global economy.



Al Zarooni stressed Dafzas commitment to strengthening the growth of the national economy, explaining how this is being achieved through attracting more international investors and foreign capital by providing a wide range of investment opportunities and smart solutions. Dafza provides a role model for freezones that aim to support the growth of their national economy.



Al Zarooni also pointed out that the strategic plan "2017-2021" launched last year paved the way towards fulfilling this commitment. This plan helps the UAE to maintain a leading position in all fields, especially focusing on developing and strengthening economy and trade.



Key highlights of 2017:



 Dafza launched Dubai CommerCity, a Dh2.7-billion ($735 million), 2.1 million-sq-ft joint venture with the Wasl Asset Management Group



 Dafza signed MoUs with the Saudi Economic Cities Authority (ECA), Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and the Arab Union for Electronic Commerce (EFTU)



 Dafza has launched a series of new licenses, including the e-commerce license, and an industrial license. Dafza also concluded an agreement with Department of Economic Development in Dubai to grant its companies dual licenses to operate throughout Dubai.



 Dafza also sponsored a number of international events and exhibitions during 2017, including the sponsorship of Seamless Middle East 2017, Automechanika Dubai, the 19th Barcelona International Logistics and Transport Fair.



 In 2017, a number of major brands joined Dafza, including an operation center for Richemont, a Swiss luxury goods group. Dafza built a unique facility with modern design and operational efficiency to meet the Center's needs and its high level of activity in Mena and India.  TradeArabia News ServiceFollowing in its historic footsteps, Egypt will once again create history by bringing together two of its most illustrious icons for the biggest event of the year; Opera Aida beneath the Great Pyramids of Giza.



Written by legendary Poet Antonio Ghislanzoni and composed by the celebrated Italian Composer Giuseppe Verdi, Opera Aida debuted in 1871 under orders from Ismail Pasha  Khedive of Egypt  in celebration of the opening of the Suez Canal. The result was an amalgamation of civilisations through time and space, and a masterpiece that is nothing short of spectacular.



Of all the repertories about star-crossed lovers and love found and lost, Aida creates the most formidable, sensitive orchestra and chorus ever written, let alone performed. When two lovers are faced by the wrath of war, prejudice, and unsung love, the lengths they take and the confrontations they undergo so they can finally be together are incredibly intense, restoring faith in even the most disbelieving.



Guests can look forward to an unforgettable experience as the crew and live orchestra transport them into a realm of strength and delicateness, passion and craftsmanship all at once. The magnificent setting at which the event will be hosted adds the Midas touch to this one-of-a-kind spectacle.



Accommodating up to 5,000 attendees under the star-spangled skies of Cairo, the sensational Aida will be performed on March 8 and 9.



As the events sponsor and a passionate supporter of tourism in Egypt, Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza, will provide a refined detail to a prestigious event. - TradeArabia News ServiceMore than 600 companies from 84 countries around the world are set to take part in the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (Dihad) 2018 opening in Dubai, UAE tomorrow (March 5).



The 15th edition of the event will run until March 7 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre within a total area of 7,700 sq m.



Over 15000 visitors and participants from the region and abroad are expected to visit the premier global event, the first humanitarian aid and development event of its kind in the Middle East.



Ambassador Gerhard Putman-Cramer, director, Dihad International Scientific Advisory Board (Disab), said: The current state of world affairs, with the rapidly growing number of victims of disasters and crisis, both man-made and natural, cannot continue and call for urgent preventive solutions and strategies.



According to the United Nations, there were nearly 102 million people in need for humanitarian assistance in 2015 but now recent estimates suggest that the number has grown to 142 million, in over 40 countries. As requirements are outgrowing resources, we need a comprehensive strategy to care for the needy, provide shelter and plan for millions of refugees who are currently inaccessible.



Dihad, with its prime focus on the theme of Sustainability of Humanitarian Aid, is on the right track to meet the needs of everyone affected by crisis and disasters. Dihad will witness the participation of leading Government decision makers, NGOs, Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Foundations, Charitable organizations and experts from the public and private sector, who will work on a roadmap for humanitarian assistance.



Through its comprehensive agenda, the Dihad Conference, the pre-Conference Workshop and the Exhibition, will review critical issues related to humanitarian aid, focus on new challenges and methodologies of assistance and most importantly, the need to prioritize resources, he added.



Dr Abdul Salam Al Madani, executive chairman of Dihad & DISAB said: Dihad has always been at the forefront of topical humanitarian issues and, this year again, it will highlight a set of concerns now being universally recognized and increasingly addressed in a focused manner.



Therefore, Dihad 2018 is held under the theme The Sustainability of Emergency Aid; The Intensifying Search for the Appropriate Strategies, Methodologies and Resources to Meet the Global Humanitarian Challenges In The Years Ahead, which comes in line with the official declaration of Year of Zayed in the UAE; a commemorate to the memory of the late Sheikh Zayed, which also showcases his impact and legacy, and promote the values that he displayed throughout his life and for the sustained humanitarian contribution throughout a number of projects and initiatives that continue to shape the bright future of present and future generations.



Dihad is organized by Index Conferences and Exhibitions - member of Index Holding and supported by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Est., the United Nations, the UAE Red Crescent Authority, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, International Humanitarian City, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs  Dubai and Dubai Cares.  TradeArabia News ServiceIran will finalise three oil contracts before March 20, the director general of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) was quoted as saying in a media report.



The Azadegan oilfield, 80 km west of the Iranian city of Ahvaz, will be the first project, Ali Kardor said, according to an Irna report.



According to new contracts, the winner of the tender will exploit the field for 20 years, he said.



Investors will also be able to participate in these projects using established funds, he added.



Some 10 groups are reviewing and holding talks over new oil contracts, he reiterated.Dana Gas, the Middle Easts largest regional natural gas company, said has it has netted a total of $10.4 million in February 2018 from the sale of 157,200 barrels of El Wastani condensate at an average price of $66.5 per barrel.



The sale marks the fourth cargo of Egyptian condensate since the start of 2017, said a statement from the UAE-based company.



Last year, Dana Gas sold three shipments for a total receipt of $21 million.



The shipments are part of the Gas Production Enhancement Agreement signed with the Egyptian government as a mechanism to help pay down the overdue receivables, it added.



A leading oil firm listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Dana Gas has exploration and production assets in Egypt, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and UAE, with 2P reserves exceeding one billion boe and average production of 67,600 boepd in 2017.-TradeArabia News ServiceFlyadeal, Saudi Arabias low-cost airline, has launched non-stop flights to Abha.



Abha is the newest addition to flyadeals growing domestic network, following Riyadh, Dammam, Al- Qassim and Jazan.



The airline will fly non-stop to the mountainous tourist destination twice daily from both Jeddah and Riyadh. Flight timings have a convenient double-daily schedule providing morning, afternoon or evening options. The new flights from Jeddah and Riyadh pave the way for customers to affordably travel to a region known for its unique weather and surrounded by scenic agricultural plateaus.



The first flight (F3 171) took off early morning on February 1 from King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah to Abha Regional Airport. Upon landing at Abha airport, the Airbus A320 aircraft named Al-Janah was greeted with a customary water cannon salute.



A celebratory event was held at Abha airports Departures Hall in the presence of the chairman of flyadeal and director general of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation, Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al- Jasser; Fahd Bin Abdullah Al- Adwani, regional director airports; CEO of flyadeal, Con Korfiatis, airport officials, staff and members of the press. After cutting the celebratory cake, the guests were also treated to a traditional dance showcasing the Asir provinces heritage.



Al-Janah then flew to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, where further celebrations awaited customers and esteemed guests. The event was held at Terminal 5 in the presence of Al-Jasser, airport officials and the local press. The first customer on the flight from Riyadh to Abha also received a couple of surprises in the form of a flight voucher and an aircraft model.



Al-Jasser said: Abha is vital for the kingdoms economy and tourism industry. It is an increasingly popular destination and flyadeals entry into the market will provide further seat capacity at affordable fares. The expansion into the Southern region aims to serve not only the region as a whole but also our military forces on the Southern front and across the kingdom.



Al-Adwani commented: The commencement of flyadeals flight operations to Abha is a positive development for the region. We also appreciate GACA's role in encouraging competition among airlines in the kingdom. This has aided the expansion of the travel and tourism industry in Saudi Arabia led largely by flyadeal and other airlines growing network of operations.



Korfiatis said: Since the beginning of our operations, we have delivered on our promise of helping customers enjoy an affordable flight experience delivered with a great attitude. Today, as we continue to expand our network, we are pleased to bring our service to Abha, a city that has made its mark on the map of the Arab worlds tourist hotspots. Moreover, the rapid development of Abhas infrastructure and the regional airport project presents a great opportunity for the Southern region. By booking early on flyadeal.com, customers can enjoy the lowest fares and conveniently access this perfect holiday destination. - TradeArabia News ServiceBy M. Burhanuddin Qasmi for TwoCircles.net

The Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday, 21 February, created an uncalled-for storm when he made comments about a political party. Maulana Badruddin Ajmal-led All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) is a popular political party in Assam. General Bipin Rawat claimed it had grown faster than even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Given that Rawat was speaking about migration from Bangladesh, the implication was that the AIUDF has grown as a result of this alleged migration.

Here the army chief has crossed the democratic line of control between civilian governance and a professional army functionary. His comments were, largely, not taken positively by both Indian intelligentsia and media. A series of reactions followed from all corners of the country and rightly so because India has been a strong democracy in the world where the role of the army and civilian politics is well defined and seriously practised unlike its neighbours  Pakistan, Myanmar and China.

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The online newspaper scroll.in put a detailed article and points out:

Rawat referred to the alleged migration as an act of lebensraum, the German word that means living space  an ideological principle used by Nazi Germany to support the countrys territorial expansion. As if this wasnt enough, Rawat blamed Pakistan and China for pushing Bangladeshi migration.

Lebensraum, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the AIUDF: there is a lot to unpack here. However, far more than what was said is the fact of who said it. The chief of the Indian Army making adverse observations about an Indian political party or commenting on the foreign policy aims of Indias neighbours is highly irregular. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident: it is part of a larger trend of the politicisation of the Indian Army. Increasingly, the army is not just a fighting force but is a participant in public debates as well. This would be a troubling phenomenon in any democracy, where politics should be conducted exclusively by civilians.

Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, a staunch political rival of AIUDF, criticised General Bipin Rawats remarks on the rise of Maulana Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF in the state and said no Army Chief should indulge in making comments on political parties.

Since Independence, Ive never seen an Army Chief making a comment on political parties. The Armys main role is to maintain the security of the country and repulse any attack by the enemies of the country, Gogoi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The former CM added, It is not their (Armys) business to look into the political affairs.

After retirement, no chief or general of Army should be allowed to join politics for five years, they can do so after five years, Gogoi said.

All India Majlis-e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also hit out strongly at the Army General and said it was not the latters work to comment on the rise of a political party, reported the national English daily the Indian Express.

AIUDF president and Dhubri MP Maulana Badruddin Ajmal reacted strongly against Rawats out of the way comments. He said it is shocking for an Army Chief to indulge in politics. General Bipin Rawat has made a political statement, shocking! Why is it a concern for the Army Chief that a political party, based on democratic and secular values, is rising faster than BJP? his social media posts read.

Alternative parties like AIUDF, AAP have grown because of the misgovernance of big parties. By making such statement, isnt the Chief of Army Staff indulging into politics which is against the constitutional mandate given to him, Ajmal said in his Facebook and Twitter posts.

General Rawat is factually incorrect

The extra concerns that the Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has put on the rise of a small political party led by a Muslim which he tried to link with alleged planned migration of Muslims from Bangladesh; thus making it a sensational security issue is factually incorrect. Assam with 3.12 crore population has 1.06 crore Muslims, forming 34.22% of its total population. Muslims are a majority in almost 9 out of 32 districts of Assam according to 2011 census.

There is more growth in Muslim ratio comparing to their Hindu counterparts, but their growth rate is less when one compares it with Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Cast in the same state during the same time period. Thus this Muslim growth rate is normal; it is due to lack of proper education, poverty and better fertility rate among Muslims; and not at all due to any legal or illegal infiltration of people from neighbouring Bangladesh. This fact is extensively argued and rationally established by Prof. Abdul Mannan, former faculty of statistics at Gauhati University in his book Infiltration: Genesis of Assam Movement.

The all-India growth rate of Muslims between 1971 and 1991 was 71.47%, just a little lower than the 77.42% that the Muslims of Assam clocked in the same period. The growth rate of Hindus in the same period in Assam was 42.00%, Scheduled Tribe 78.91% and Scheduled Cast 81.84% thus putting the Muslim growth rate in Assam on number three. Did the extra number of people from SC and ST communities also migrate from Bangladesh?

Notably, from 1971 to 1991, Muslims in some other states of India have even got a better growth rate than in Assam. For instance, in Himachal Pradesh their growth rate was 77.64%, in Maharashtra 80.15%, in Madhya Pradesh 80.76%, in Haryana 88.36%, in Rajasthan it was 98.29% and in Punjab, it was as high as 110.32%. Did Muslims in all these north and central Indian states also illegally migrate from Bangladesh?

The cry for an abnormal Muslim population growth in Assam is a hoax. It is factually busted time and again but the political forces which find it suitable as polarization tool keep propping this issue as campaign material. An Army General should have avoided any public rhetoric on such politically heated issue.

AIUDFs rise in numbers: Where is the rise that Army Chief talks about?

The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) with Maulana Badruddin Ajmal as its president was formed on October 2, 2005. The 2006 Assam Assembly election was its first electoral battle which Congress won with 53 seats and 31.08% vote share. The BJP won 10 seats out of 125 it fought with 11.98% vote share and AIUDF (then AUDF) won also 10 seats out of 69 it fought, with 9.03% vote share. Assam has 126 assembly seats.

In 2011 Assembly elections, Congress again won the state decisively winning 78 seats out of 126 it contested, with 39.39% vote share. BJP won only 5 out of 120 it contested, with 11.47% vote share. And AIUDF won 18 out of 78 it contested, with 12.57% vote share.

In 2016 Assam Assembly election the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the state for the first time winning 60 seats out of 89 it contested, with 29.51% vote share. Congress lost with 26 out of 122 it contested, with 30.96% vote share. And the AIUDF also came down to 13 seats out of 74 it contested, with 13.05% vote share.

Assam has total 14 Lok Sabha seats. In 2009 general election Congress won 7, BJP 4 and AIUDF one, sending Maulana Ajmal to the parliament for the first time.

In the 2014 general election, BJP won 7, Congress 3 and AIUDF 3. The present three MPs from AIUDF are Maulana Badruddin Ajmal himself returned from Dhubri, his younger brother Mr Sirajuddin Ajmal from Barpeta and Mr Radheshyam Biswas from Karimganj Lok Sabha constituencies.

Even a schoolboy can easily compare the political rise of AIUDF vis-a-vis BJP in Assam with aforementioned statistics in hands. From 5 MLAs in 2011, the BJP came to power with 60 MLAs just after 5 years in 2016. AIUDF had 18 MLAs in 2011 which came down to 13 in 2016. Did some of the AIUDF voters run away to Bangladesh following 2011 election and never returned to vote in 2016? The question may sound rubbishthen how come a serious man in uniform put such an argument in the public domains!

Muslims are more than 34% in Assam and AIUDF got only 13% of total votes in 2016, less than half of total Muslim population, that too when it is considered that only Muslims are the AIUDF voters which are again plainly incorrect. The party has considerable voters from all sections of the Assamese society; of course, Muslims are its major chunk. From working president to MP, to MLAs, to party officials, the list speaks it all. Muslims and Not-Muslims, ST, SC, men and women, all are on the list. The Army Generals comment was simply unwarranted for.

This is a troubling development. Militarism is fatal for any democracy. Politics must be based on the competition of ideas. BJP and AIUDF are political parties and they are winning or losing in democratic civil battles, but regardless the Army must not be involved. The men with the guns have a crucial role to play in national security  their entry into politics is unwelcome. Pakistan, for example, has been ruled by the army for nearly half of its existence. However, it is widely acknowledged even in Pakistan today, that army rule and more broadly militarism has held back the country and serious democratic practices have helped India to progress. India and its army need to be careful to avoid the Pakistan trap. We cannot allow our country to be a China or Myanmar either.

The author is a Mumbai-based Assamese native and editor of Eastern Crescent magazine.Chinas Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National Peoples Congress, held a press conference Sunday, a day before the opening session of the annual legislative meetings.

As Bloomberg writes in an article "China Political Advisers Urge Response to U.S. Tariffs", during the two-week session, the rubber-stamp parliament is expected to enact sweeping changes that would allow President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely and give him greater control over the levers of money and power. The agenda also includes creation of a powerful new agency to police officials and possibly approving the biggest regulatory overhaul of the $43 trillion finance-and-insurance sector in 15 years.

China will consolidate three previous laws as it drafts new legislation aimed at promoting and protecting foreign investment, Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National Peoples Congress, said at a briefing before the session starts on Monday. He said China will create a transparent, stable and predictable environment while widening market entry for foreign investors.

Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui, who is the National Peoples Congress spokesman, sidestepped a question at the legislatures opening news conference about whether Xi would stay on forever. Zhang said repealing term limits was necessary to preserve unified leadership, since Xis other two titles -- party leader and military chief -- dont face similar restrictions. It is conducive to upholding the authority of Central Committee of the Communist Party, with Xi Jinping at its core, Zhang said.

Spokesman Zhang Yesui didnt disclose Chinas planned defense spending increase for this year during a briefing before the session starts Monday. By custom, officials have provided either the percentage increase or an expected range at the pre-NPC briefing. Last year, the spokeswoman announced a defense spending increase of about 7 percent.

The two nations agree to continue dialogue in Beijing, Zhang Yesui said at a briefing, without giving a timetable or names of officials to attend. Zhang said China will not allow its interests to be harmed and doesnt want a trade war, adding the U.S. and China must understand each others strategic interests. The annual meeting of the national legislature, which begins on Monday, will close March 20, said Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National Peoples Congress. He said the newly elected premier will host a press conference on the final day, with the vice premiers also present.Turkey has called on the European Union to honor its part of a deal signed in March 2016 to stem the flow of migrants, mostly from Syria, to Europe. As Hurriyet Daily News writes in an article "Turkey calls on EU to honor its part of key 2016 migrant deal", responding to a question by main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) deputy Onursal Adguzel, Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik said on March 1: According to the migrant deal, if irregular migration in the Aegean Sea declines, EU member countries should receive Syrian refugees as part of the voluntary admission scheme. This scheme, however, has not yet been implemented."

Ankara has conveyed its demand to the EU that the scheme should start to be implemented immediately, Celik added. The number of undocumented migrants trying to cross the Aegean Sea to reach Europe declined to an average of 43 each day in January 2018 from as high as 7,000 in October 2015, Celik said, citing data from the United Nations. The number of casualties, including deaths and people unaccounted for in the Aegean Sea, dropped to 45 per year from 799, Celik added. Due to cooperation between Turkey and the EU, irregular migration in the Aegean Sea has declined significantly, the minister added.

Celik also informed that under the one-to-one mechanism of the deal, Greece sent a total of 1,537 irregular migrants, 260 of them Syrians, while Turkey has sent a total of 12,069 Syrians to EU member states.

Turkey hosts more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees. In March 2016, Turkey and the EU signed the key deal aiming to discourage irregular migration through the Aegean Sea by enacting stricter measures against human traffickers and improving the living conditions of the three million Syrian refugees in Turkey.

The migrant deal also promised Turkey aid and accelerated EU membership talks in return for its help in reducing the flow of migrants crossing to Europe. The migrant deal also included the lifting of short-term visa requirements on Turks. But its implementation has been waylaid by disagreement over Turkeys anti-terror laws, which Europe says are too broad and need to be narrowed to meet European standards.

Celik last month lashed out at the European Union, saying that the bloc was not honoring all parts of the deal in return for 3 billion euros in financial aid to Turkey and other support. Technically theres no reason for Turkey to maintain this deal, Celik said.Turkey has vowed retaliatory military action against the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) after eight Turkish troops were killed in an ambush in northern Syrias Afrin district late on March 1, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voicing determination to continue Operation Olive Branch.

We are carrying out our struggle there determinedly and we will continue to do so. We will make those terrorists pay in kind, Erdogan told reporters, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Eight Turkish troops were killed in an ambush by YPG militants and Erdogan said he was informed by Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar immediately after the incident took place. Two members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) were also killed and some are wounded, while anti-aircraft weapons and the YPG personnel using them were neutralized as a result of heavy strikes, he added.

On a question over reports that Moscow is unhappy about Turkeys operations into Afrin and has periodically closed air space to Turkish jets, Erdogan denied such claims.

We have no trouble with Russia on Afrin. The process for the establishment of observation spots in Idlib is going on and we have set eight spots so far. We will hold a three-way summit soon in Istanbul as a continuation of the Sochi [summit]. We will have a chance to elaborate on all these issues there, he said.

Turkey, Russia and Iran, as guarantor countries of the Astana Agreement aiming to enhance and sustain a cease fire between the Syrian regime and the opposition, are due to meet in Istanbul in the coming weeks.Irans defence programme is not the business of any country including France, a senior adviser to Irans Supreme Leader said, The Express Tribune reports.

The defensive programme is one of the basic rights of any nation, including Iran, Ali Akbar Velayati told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with the visiting Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Mori.

No country can decide for us or others. It is the Islamic republic who would decide on the type of missile it can possess, Velayati said.Militants in Syrias Eastern Ghouta announced curfew for time of humanitarian pauses and outlaw the civilians mass rallies, Maj Gen Vladimir Zolotukhin, a representative of the Russian center for reconciliation of opposing sides in Syria, told reporters on Sunday, TASS reports.

"According to the information, the Center has receive, participants of the illegal armed groups in Eastern Ghouta have announced curfew for civilians for the time of humanitarian pauses," he said. "The locals, who violate these regulations, undergo public punishments."

The militants also banned mass rallies, so that the locals could not breakthrough towards the humanitarian corridor.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will discuss the possibility of US President Donald Trump attending the May opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem when he meets Trump on Monday, Channel NewsAsia reports.

Netanyahu made the comment late Saturday before boarding a flight to the United States.

"I'll definitely discuss with him that possibility," Netanyahu said in response to a journalist's question on whether he planned to invite Trump for the occasion.

"I'm very grateful to him for this historic decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to move the American embassy to Jerusalem on our independence day," he said.A counter-terrorist operation began in Dagestans Tsumadinsky district, where special forces search for militants and their allies, TASS reports citing the local branch of Russias Anti-Terrorist Committee.

"The security alert was announced at 04:00 Moscow time on Sunday," the source said.

Certain limitations will remain in the district until the operation is over, the source added.HA NOI  Bangkok Airways will launch the first direct flight from Ha Noi to Chiang Mai and vice versa, from March 25 this year.

This is part of the airlines efforts to satisfy the increasing travel demands to Ha Noi  one of the fastest growing travel hubs in Southeast Asia and Chiang Mai  an exotic cultural and historical gem in Northern Thailand, said Varong Israsena Na Ayudhya  Bangkok Airways Vice President.

Following the launch of Bangkok-a Nang and Bangkok-Phu Quoc direct flights, it is the first airline to implement the direct route Ha Noi-Chiang Mai with flights operated by 70 seater ATR 72-500/600 aircraft.

The newly-opened route will be a great option for the people of the dynamic and populous capital as well as all global citizens who want to explore another culturally stunning destination after Ha Noi, only two inflight hours without transfer, said Varong.  VNSHCM CITY Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) Startup Accelerator will extend its application deadline for Vietnamese startups until March 24.

The original deadline was March 10. Startups hoping to take advantage of the deadline extension still must email mist@mekongbiz.org by March 10 to announce their intention to apply.

The Startup Accelerator provides support to early-stage companies with innovative and scalable business models.

The 15 to 20 startups selected to the accelerator will attend an all-expenses-paid intensive boot camp where they will compete for six months of advanced mentorship, in-kind acceleration support valued at US$20,000, prize money up to US$10,000, and customized business matching with potential investors and partners.

The Greater Mekong Sub-regions government, tourism, and hospitality leaders have embraced MIST as a force for innovation, sustainability, and growth in the region, said Jens Thraenhart, executive director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office.

Through this program, we have created the ideal mechanism for tourism innovators and travel startups to get paired with investors and industry mentors who can equip them to scale and thrive.

Jason Lusk, director of the MIST programme, explained that the decision to extend the deadline was made after the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday. We have seen a blossoming of interest from tourism startups in Viet Nam post-Tet, and incubators in Vietnamese cities have requested additional information sessions to answer startups questions about the programme.

It made sense to extend the deadline in light of this heightened interest in our programme from quality startups, Jason said.

Destination Mekong and the Mekong Business Initiative  with the backing of the Government of Australia, the Asian Development Bank, and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office  launched MIST in 2016 to propel innovation in the rapidly growing tourism markets of the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

MIST aims to expedite tourism industry growth, create an ecosystem that inspires innovation, and promote sustainability in tourism.

Interested companies can find application details online at mist.asia. VNSNEW DELHI  Viet Nam wants to boost investment with India in the fields of information-technology, biotechnology, renewable energy, building machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electricity, oil and gas, and agro-fishery processing.

President Tran ai Quang made this statement while addressing the India-Viet Nam Business Forum in New Delhi on March 3, as part of his State visit to India from March 2-4.

The forum drew over 300 businesses operating in such fields as energy, infrastructure, information-technology and communication, pharmaceuticals, health care, development research, and hi-tech agriculture.

Quang stated that Viet Nam had become a dynamic economy with rapid and stable development, after over three decades of implementing the oi moi (Renewal) and international integration policies. The Southeast Asian country had been evaluated as a safe and attractive investment destination in the region, and throughout the world, he noted.

Viet Nams consumer market is growing quickly, given its population nears 100 million and the countrys middle class is on the rise, according to the President.

In 2017, the local economy expanded by 6.81 per cent, with the average per capita gross domestic product (GDP) reaching nearly US$2,400. Viet Nam targets 6.5  7 per cent in economic growth in the coming years. The per capita GDP is estimated at $3,200  3,500. The economy will then be worth some $350 billion, he told the participants.

"Viet Nam will act to create a favourable and healthy business environment, according to international standards, regarding institutions, infrastructure, financial systems, educational reforms, and developing human resources, as well as change the growth model and develop an intellectual-based economy, especially in such hi-tech sectors as agriculture, support industries, marine economy, and tourism," the President said.

He said that the increasing attention from Indian businesses, including major groups, would, in the future, turn India into one of Viet Nams largest trading partners.

Particularly, the Make in India economic development programme initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi would create more opportunities and make it easier for Vietnamese businesses to increase their investments in India, President Quang added.

He also hailed TATA Group - a global enterprise headquartered in India - for implementing a thermal power project worth nearly $2 billion in Viet Nams Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang.

This will be Indias largest investment project in Viet Nam, demonstrating the growing interest of the Indian business community in the Vietnamese market, he said.

Furthermore, two-way trade has been increasing steadily over the years, especially since the signing of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement in 2009.

Currently, India is operating 176 investment projects in Viet Nam, with a total registered capital of over $814 million, while ranking 28th out of 126 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam.

Quang affirmed the two countries strong determination to achieve two-way trade of $15 billion by 2020.

"Viet Nam hopes India will become a leading material supplier of apparel, footwear and machinery building industries, as well as make it easier for Vietnamese goods, such as agri-products, seafood, timber products and footwear, to penetrate into the market," the President stressed.

Viet Nam was keen to promote co-operation in bilateral tourism, especially spiritual and cultural tourism, he added.

At the business forum, President Quang witnessed a ceremony to launch a direct air route between Viet Nam and India. The first direct air route, run by Vietjet Air, will connect HCM City with New Delhi with four flights per week.

India is now one of the 10 leading trade partners of Viet Nam, while Viet Nam is the fourth largest trade partner of India in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).  VNSIn days gone by, when elephants became ill they went into the forests to find herbs that would make them better.

Now, there are far fewer forests.

Sometimes, elephants today are not as healthy as they once were long ago.

However, when they are ill it is often because they have been made to work too hard or carry loads that are too heavy.

By Giang Vuong

In Lak Commune in the Central Highlands province of ak Lak, elephant doctor ang ang Long is fighting a desperate battle to not only keep overworked beasts alive, but to provide the right conditions for them to mate so that they do not die out.

We visited the doctor as he was about to leave for a trip to Cambodia to treat an elephant. I have only 30 minutes. Im in a hurry, Long said.

For the giant beasts that have become ill, 30 minutes can save their lives.

Im actually a normal herbal doctor and hold no secrets, he said. I have many years of experience caring for my herd of elephants and I have drawn some experience in treating them. I inherited knowledge from my father as well.

In the past, when elephants were sick, they were often released back into the forest. The sick elephants would seek leaves and herbs to treat themselves. But now forests have been largely destroyed; there are few medicinal plants left, Long added.

Long said elephants were big animals that were generally in good health. Most of their diseases are caused by working too hard and carrying loads that are far too big.

In recent years, elephants tend to have more tumours in their bodies. The tumours stem from polluted food and water, which leads to lack of nutrition and resistance in their bodies, he added.

Long often uses the bark of loc vung (fish poison tree or barringtonia), and leaves of tram (Jamblon or syzygium cumini) and some salt boiled to rinse off the injured areas. After sterilising the injury, Long uses soil taken from the nest of termites or fermented rice to cover the open injury.

Both substances have antibiotic functions and kill parasites and work very well for elephants with tumours, Long said.

Few months ago, a 40-year-old elephant was brought to him with a rather long open injury on his back. The festering wound was infected with parasites making a nest inside.

I sterilised the wound, covered it with herbal medicine for nearly a month until it dried and healed, he said. That elephant was a little old. Younger ones recover more quickly, just 10 days.

Although he treats elephants using traditional techniques, Long said when performing surgery, all tools must be sterilised.

After the operation, it is difficult to stitch an injury because of the thick skin. I often l herbs and pills in the injuries and wipe away insects, he said.

Long is also known as a good match maker for elephants, although few couples can give birth to babies.

According to Long and other elephant raisers in the region, elephants can only mate and conceive in their natural environment.

However, at present there are few natural forests. Elephants have lost their relevant space for mating and giving birth.

Many elephant couples I match seem to love each other and they mate, but none conceive, he said.

During mating season, male elephants always have a strong desire but few females accept the males.

Long recalled an incident three years ago, when he matched a couple. They loved each other but broke up at the final stage.

When they were about to make love, they discovered some tourists filming them, he said, They were extremely angry; they chased the tourists and damaged the surrounding fields.

While Long has inherited priceless herbal techniques to treat elephants, he admitted that what was also needed was a well-educated team of veterinary doctors, he said, I just cure in emergency cases.

There are no centres or sanctuaries specialising in the treatment of elephants.

At the ak Lak Elephant Preservation Centre, there are more than 10 staff members, but not one of them has had special training. They just work based on their long-term experience in keeping elephants, he said.

Elephants owners can get VN400 million (US$17,800) from local authorities for a new-born baby elephant.

on Village used to have many elephants, but not all can give birth to a baby, he said, Only two to three out of every 10 elephants can.

According to Nguyen uc Truong from on Village Tourism Centre, elephants are on the decline because not only do they lack proper space for mating but also most are of a high age.

Each mating season, the owners have to take male elephants to the forest so that they cannot damage surrounding fields or houses, he said.

Y Linh, elder head of the village, used to remind his villagers to create an open space with lots of wild trees for elephants to mate.

We need to take great care of elephants, he said, when we met him a few years ago, Dont cut off their tusks, their tail hair and dont force them to entertain tourists too much so that they have time and the mood to mate.  VNS





GLOSSARY

Im actually a normal herbal doctor and hold no secrets, he said.

A herbal doctor is one who works with herbs rather than with scientific medicine.

I inherited knowledge from my father as well.

To inherit something means to have received it from someone who has died.

The sick elephants would seek leaves and herbs to treat themselves.

To seek leaves means to look for leaves.

In recent years, elephants tend to have more tumours in their bodies.

Tumours are unhealthy growths in or on the body.

The tumours stem from polluted food and water, which leads to lack of nutrition and resistance in their bodies, he added.

Stem from means come from or originate from.

Nutrition is the substance in food that makes the body grow and keeps it healthy.

Resistance in the body is what it has in it to fight off diseases.

After sterilising the injury, Long uses soil taken from the nest of termites or fermented rice to cover the open injury.

To sterilise an injury means to make it so clean that germs on it are killed.

Termites are ants.

Fermented rice is rice that has been left to rot a little bit with yeasts.

Both substances have antibiotic functions and kill parasites and work very well for elephants with tumours, Long said.

Antibiotics are substances that fight diseases in the body.

A parasite is something that lives off another living thing and causes it harm while doing so.

The festering wound was infected with parasites making a nest inside.

A festering wound is one that is open and possibly on its way to becoming worse.

Infected means full of things that will make it become worse.

Younger ones recover more quickly, just 10 days.

Recover means get better after an illness or an injury.

Although he treats elephants using traditional techniques, Long said when performing surgery, all tools must be sterilised.

Techniques are methods.

Surgery is medical treatment that involves using tools and instruments on the body.

According to Long and other elephant raisers in the region, elephants can only mate and conceive in their natural environment.

Living things conceive when male and female seeds come together after mating to start a pregnancy.

Elephants have lost their relevant space for mating and giving birth.

Relevant space means space that has a special purpose.

During mating season, male elephants always have a strong desire but few females accept the males.

A desire is a will.

Long recalled an incident three years ago, when he matched a couple.

To match a couple means to introduce two individuals to one another who will come together and form a couple.

While Long has inherited priceless herbal techniques to treat elephants, he admitted that what was also needed was a well-educated team of veterinary doctors, he said, I just cure in emergency cases.

Veterinary means to do with animal medicine.

According to Nguyen uc Truong from on Village Tourism Centre, elephants are on the decline because not only do they lack proper space for mating but also most are of a high age.

If elephants are on the decline there are fewer and fewer of them as time goes on.

WORKSHEET

State whether the following sentences are true, or false:

ang ang Long is a doctor who treats elephants with herbs. ang ang Long sometimes works in countries other than Viet Nam. Elephants breed very easily, no matter where they are. All the elephants in on Village produce lots of calves. Polluted water can make elephants sick.

ANSWERS:

 Duncan Guy/Learn the News/ Viet Nam News 2018

1. True; 2. True; 3. False; 4. False; 5. True.NEW DELHI  Viet Nam and India issued a joint statement during the State visit to India from March 2-4 by President Tran ai Quang and his spouse at the invitation of President Ram Nath Kovind. The following is the full text of the joint statement.

JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA AND THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM DURING THE VISIT TO INDIA OF THE PRESIDENT OF VIETNAM, H.E. MR. TRAN AI QUANG (New Delhi, March 04, 2018)

1. At the invitation of H. E. Shri Ram Nath Kovind, President of the Republic of India, H.E. Mr. Tran ai Quang, President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, and Spouse paid a State Visit to the Republic of India from 02-04 March 2018. The President of Viet Nam was accompanied by a high-level official delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Pham Binh Minh, leaders of many ministries, provinces and a large business delegation.

2. During the visit, the President of Viet Nam Tran ai Quang was received by the President of India and accorded the ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan; paid floral tributes at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat; held talks with and attended the State Banquet hosted by the President of India; held delegation-level talks with the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narenda Modi. President Tran ai Quang received Honble Speaker of Lok Sabha Smt. Sumitra Mahajan and Honble Minister of External Affairs Smt. Sushma Swaraj and met a number of other leaders. He also addressed the Viet Nam  India Business Forum and held discussions with several prominent leaders of Indian industry and business. Earlier, he visited Bodh Gaya.

3. The delegation level talks between Viet Nam and India were held in a warm, cordial and friendly atmosphere, reflecting the significant deepening of bilateral relations and enhanced multidimensional engagement since the successful visit of Prime Minister Modi to Viet Nam in 2016 and elevation of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. After the talks, President Tran ai Quang and Prime Minister Modi witnessed the exchange of agreements on atomic energy, trade, agriculture and fishery, among others.

4. President Tran ai Quang congratulated and commended India on its achievements in economic and social development, science and technology, and improving its peoples living standards; expressed his support for Indias enhancing role and position in the regional and international arena. President Kovind and Prime Minister Modi congratulated Viet Nam on its important achievements in socio-economic development and foreign policy; and expressed their confidence that Viet Nam would soon achieve the goal of becoming an industrialised country, with a prominent role and status in the region and the world.

5. Both sides affirmed the long-term and time-tested friendship between the two countries, the foundation of which was laid by the Fathers of the Nations, Mahatma Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh and nurtured by successive generations of leaders and people of the two countries. Both sides expressed their satisfaction at the excellent state of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, and commended various commemorative activities held in both countries in the Year of Friendship 2017 to celebrate the forty-fifth anniversary of diplomatic relations and tenth anniversary of the Strategic Partnership. President Tran ai Quang lauded the organising of the Viet Nam Days in India on this occasion which concluded successfully the Year of Friendship.

6. Based on the current excellent relations, the Leaders agreed to maintain regular exchange of visits at all levels of the political parties, Governments, legislative institutions and provinces/States and between the people of both countries. They also agreed to hold the next Joint Committee Meeting led by the foreign ministers of the two countries in 2018 in order to review the areas of cooperation and the implementation of the Action Plan of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the period of 2017-20.

DEFENCE AND SECURITY

7. Both sides agreed that defence and security cooperation is an important and effective pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and expressed satisfaction at the progress being made in this domain. They welcomed ongoing exchange of senior level delegations, meetings of consultation mechanisms, stronger cooperation between their armed forces and enhanced cooperation in areas of cyber security, combating terrorism and violent extremism in all their forms and manifestations, transnational crimes, human and drug trafficking, maritime security, climate change and food security.

8. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to an open, free, secure, stable, peaceful and accessible cyber space under the auspices of the United Nations and called for greater cooperation and effective implementation of the agreements signed between the two sides on cyber security. They also agreed to operationalise of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the National Security Council Secretariat of India and the Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam and initiate the Deputy Ministerial level dialogue to enhance cooperation in traditional and non-traditional security matters and undertake training and capacity building programmes.

9. The Indian side affirmed its continued willingness to partner with Viet Nam in defence cooperation and in building capabilities and capacities for Viet Nam. Both sides agreed to expedite the implementation of the US$100 million Line of Credit for building of high-speed patrol boats for the Viet Nam Border Guards and urged for early signing of a framework agreement on the US$ 500 million Line of Credit for defence industry. Both sides agreed to further enhance defence ties, including through exchanges of senior level defence delegations, regular senior level dialogues, cooperation between the two armed forces, port calls of naval and Coast Guard ships, capacity building projects, procurement of equipment, transfer of technology and cooperation in regional fora, including ADMM plus.

10. Both sides agreed that it is essential to strengthen cooperation in maritime domain, including anti-piracy, security of sea lanes, exchange of white shipping information, etc. In the spirit of the proposal for an ASEAN  India Strategic Dialogue on Maritime Cooperation made at the Commemorative Summit held in New Delhi in January 2018, the two sides agreed to further promote Viet Nam  India bilateral consultation on maritime issues.

11. The two sides unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. The Vietnamese side shared Indias concern that terrorism poses today one of the most serious threats to global peace, security and stability. They underscored that there is no justification whatsoever for act of terrorism and recognised that terrorism cannot be and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic groups. They called upon all nations to adopt a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, which should include countering radicalisation, recruitment, training and movement of terrorists including Foreign Terrorist Fighters, blocking sources of financing terrorism including through organised crimes, money-laundering, smuggling of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), drug trafficking and other criminal activities, dismantling terrorist bases, safe havens and countering misuse of the internet, cyberspace, including social media and other communication techniques by terrorist entities groups and their affiliates. The two sides further agreed that they would cooperate in building a strong consensus for early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

ECONOMIC RELATIONS

12. Both sides agreed that enhancing strong trade and economic engagement is a strategic objective, a core element of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and are essential for strengthening bilateral ties. Both leaders expressed satisfaction and commended the significant rise in trade turnover during the last two years. In order to realise potential to both increase the volume of trade and diversify its composition, they requested the relevant ministries and agencies on both sides to explore substantive and practical measures to achieve the trade target of US$15 billion by 2020, including but not limited to utilising established mechanisms, strengthening exchanges of trade delegations, business-to-business contacts, regular organisation of trade fairs and events. Both sides agreed to hold the next Meeting of the Joint Sub-Commission on Trade in Ha Noi in 2018 at the earliest.

13. Both sides urged leaders of business and industry of both countries to explore new trade and investment opportunities in identified priority areas of cooperation: hydrocarbons, power generation, renewable energy, energy, conservation, infrastructure, textiles, footwear, pharmaceuticals, machine tools, agriculture and agro-products, tourism, chemicals, ICT and other service sector industries. The two sides agreed to intensify cooperation to increase productivity, quantum and content of science and technology in agricultural products.

14. Both sides encouraged greater two-way investment between Viet Nam and India. Prime Minister Modi welcomed Vietnamese companies to avail of the favourable investment climate in India under the Make in India programme. President Tran ai Quang welcomed Indian companies to invest in Viet Nam and affirmed Viet Nams commitment to create favourable conditions and facilitation for Indian investments in accordance with Vietnamese laws. He applauded Prime Minister Modis efforts which improved Indias ranking in the ease of doing business.

DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

15. President Tran ai Quang highly appreciated Indias long standing and continued grants-in-aid and lines of credit for Viet Nam. He thanked India for increasing scholarships to Vietnamese students, researchers, academic professionals and government officials, especially through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, the Mekong  Ganga Cooperation (MGC) framework, as well as the projects under the fund of Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), etc. Prime Minister Modi offered to organise customised courses in areas of interest to Viet Nam through the ITEC programme. President Tran ai Quang appreciated Prime Minister Modis announcement at the ASEAN  India Commemorative Summit in January 2018 of undertaking a pilot project on rural connectivity in the CLMV countries which would create Digital Villages and for offering 1,000 fellowships to students and researchers from the ASEAN member states for studying integrated PhD programmes in Indian Institutes of Technology.

ENERGY COOPERATION

16. The two sides agreed that their cooperation in oil and gas exploration, thermal and hydroelectric power and renewable energy and energy conservation is registering remarkable progress. President Tran ai Quang welcomed Indian businesses to expand their oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities on land and in the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Viet Nam and to this effect suggested that relevant Indian companies file concrete proposals for the blocks offered by the Vietnamese side. Both sides agreed to actively pursue the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on collaboration in oil and gas exploration projects in third countries. The Vietnamese side also welcomed Indian oil and gas companies to avail of opportunities in the midstream and downstream sectors in Viet Nam.

17. President Tran ai Quang welcomed Indian companies to invest in renewable energy and energy conservation projects in Viet Nam and thanked India for extending support to Viet Nam in building a research reactor for the purpose of peaceful uses of atomic energy.

18. The Vietnamese side took note of the request by the Indian side on actively considering signing the Framework Agreement of the International Solar Alliance with a view to strengthening the cooperation in the renewable energy space.

CULTURE, EDUCATION AND PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES

19. Both sides agreed to intensify cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange, widen and deepen cultural and historical ties by cooperating further in the areas of archaeology, conservation and museums to revive and reconnect the civilizational and historic cultural heritage between the two countries. India highly appreciated Viet Nams proposal to establish a Viet Nam Cultural Centre in India.

20. Both Leaders appreciated the effective implementation of the project of preserving and renovating the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site of My Son, Quang Nam province, Viet Nam. The Vietnamese side welcomed Indian Line of credit for the restoration and preservation of Hoa Lai Tower and Po Klong Garai Cham Tower and grants-in-aid assistance of the Cham community in Ninh Thuan Province, as well as the efforts of the Government of India and the Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayta Samiti (BMVSS) to provide rehabilitation services and the prosthetic Jaipur Foot to around 500 Vietnamese in the provinces of Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, and other provinces.

CONNECTIVITY

21. Both sides agreed on the importance of stronger connectivity between Viet Nam and India as well as between ASEAN and India. The Indian side urged Viet Nam to utilise various initiatives of India for CLMV countries, including the US$1 billion line of credit for physical and digital connectivity projects. The progress made in regional connectivity endeavours such as the India  Myanmar  Thailand Trilateral Highway was noted by the two Leaders. The two sides agreed to explore the possibility of extending the India  Myanmar Thailand Trilateral Highway further to Viet Nam through Cambodia and Lao PDR.

22. The two sides stressed the importance of the early signing of an ASEAN  India Maritime Transport Cooperation Agreement. They sought acceleration of the establishment of direct shipping routes between the sea ports of India and Viet Nam. They also welcomed the commencement of direct flights between New Delhi and Ho Chi Minh City during the visit and urged the airlines of both countries to soon open more direct flights between major cities of the two countries.

REGIONAL COOPERATION

23. Prime Minister Modi and President Tran ai Quang shared convergence of views on various bilateral and international issues, including the regional security situation in Asia. They reiterated the importance of achieving a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region where sovereignty and international law, freedom of navigation and overflight, sustainable development and a free, fair and open trade and investment system are respected.

24. They emphasised that India and Viet Nam play important roles in safeguarding and strengthening such an open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture and in further strengthening of cooperation with ASEAN. They expressed satisfaction at the successful conclusion of ASEAN  India Commemorative Summit held in January 2018, with significant contribution of Viet Nam in its capacity as the Country Coordinator for the 2015-2018 period, and decided to undertake necessary steps to implement the proposals made in the Delhi Declaration to further enhance the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership.

President Tran ai Quang expressed appreciation of Indias support for ASEANs centrality in the evolving regional architecture, its continued contribution to regional peace, security and prosperity and to ASEAN integration and the ASEAN community building process.

25. Underscoring the significance of sub-regional frameworks in strengthening bilateral cooperation and complementing regional cooperation through ASEAN frameworks, they agreed to optimally develop and utilise existing sub-regional frameworks, especially the Mekong  Ganga Economic Corridor.

MULTILATERAL COOPERATION

26. The two sides appreciated their coordination at regional and international fora and agreed to continue this tradition. Both sides reaffirmed their mutual support for each others candidatures as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council  Viet Nam for the term 2020-2021, and India for the term 2021-2022. The Vietnamese side reiterated its consistent support for permanent membership of India in a reformed Security Council.

27. The two sides re-affirmed their determination and efforts to further cooperate in maintaining peace, stability and development in the Indo-Pacific region as well as in the world at large. They also reiterated the importance of, and the need for complete compliance with international law, notably the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), including the implementation of international legal obligations in good faith, the maintenance of freedom of navigation and over-flight in the South China Sea, full respect for diplomatic and legal processes, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to the threat or use of force, and in accordance with international law. In this regard, both sides support the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and look forward to an early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

28. Both leaders welcomed the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and reiterated their commitment to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They agreed that the Global Partnership remains key to the achievement of the SDGs. In this regard, both leaders recalled the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the importance of fulfilment of the Official Development Assistance committed by the developed countries.

29. President Tran ai Quang thanked President Kovind and the friendly people of India for their gracious hospitality, and cordially extended an invitation to President Kovind to visit Viet Nam at an early date. President Kovind gladly accepted the invitation and agreed that the timing of the visit would be arranged through diplomatic channels.  VNSHA NOI  Viet Nam wants to promote its investment in Bangladesh, especially in the fields of telecommunications, information technology, agriculture, food processing, garment, oil and gas, consumer goods production, infrastructure development and services, said President Tran ai Quang.

President Quang made the statement in an interview granted to the Bangladeshi press on the occasion of his State visit to Bangladesh from March 4-6 at the invitation of President Mohammad Abdul Hamid. The following is the full text of the interview.

Mr President, what is your evaluation of Viet Nam-Bangladesh relations?

Viet Nam and Bangladesh enjoy a fine traditional relationship based on historical similarities and values that the two nations have shared in terms of independence, peace, cooperation and development. In history, our countries have always showed mutual solidarity and support. Viet Nam was one of the first nations to recognise the Peoples Republic of Bangladeshs independence in 1971. Bangladesh was also one of the first countries in Asia to recognise and establish diplomatic relations with the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Viet Nam right after the Paris Agreement was signed.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 45 years ago, leaders and people of the two nations have treasured and preserved this valuable tradition, and at the same time, spared no effort to further enhance the development of bilateral relations. Senior leaders of Viet Nam and Bangladesh paid mutual visits and regularly met at multilateral forums. Viet Nam welcomed the visits by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Seikh Hasina in 2012, President Abdul Hamid in 2015 and Speaker of the Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in 2017.

Bilateral cooperative relations in economy, trade, defence, security, agriculture, and education-training have witnessed encouraging development in recent years. In particular, two-way trade exceeded US$900 million in 2017, up almost 50 percent from the previous year. Viet Nam and Bangladesh have also shared common viewpoints on many regional and international issues, closely cooperated and mutually supported each other at international forums and the United Nations.

People-to-people and cultural exchanges have been enhanced. I am very moved to know that the book How Ho Chi Minh wrote his testament was translated into Bengali language, showing the Bangladeshi peoples sentiments towards President Ho Chi Minh.

Viet Nam is a successful model of socio-economic development. What are prospects and fields that Viet Nam could strengthen cooperation with Bangladesh?

Bangladesh is a nation with long-standing development history and rich cultural heritage; a young population and potential market. It is a successful model in the process of hunger eradication, poverty reduction, gender and social equality promotion, and maintaining stable growth.

Bangladesh is realising the goal of joining the group of middle-income nations and becoming a digital country with advanced science and technology. Bangladesh has achievements that Viet Nam may learn about such as small credit programmes and educational policy.

Viet Nam and Bangladesh have many similarities in terms of economic, cultural and social conditions and are located at important positions of Southeast Asia and South Asia.

On economic-trade and investment ties, Viet Nam and Bangladesh are striving to increase two-way trade; facilitate the flows of key products into each others market; create favourable conditions for their businesses to meet, share information and set up partnerships; and increase aviation connectivity to expand the flows of investments, trade and tourists.

Viet Nam wants to promote its investment flow into Bangladesh, especially in the fields of telecommunications, information technology, agriculture, food processing, garment, oil and gas, consumer goods production, infrastructure development and services.

Regarding cooperation in agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries, the two nations continue to closely cooperate with each other and consider the possibility of forming joint ventures, associations and production chains, applying high technologies in cultivation, breeding, production and preservation to increase value of export products.

On education-training, we welcome Bangladeshs continued sending of civil servants and students to Viet Nam for studying and exchanging experiences in administrative management, economic development, agriculture, fisheries and natural resources and environmental management. We also highly evaluate the close cooperation between Viet Nams National Academy of Public Administration and Bangladeshs Public Administration Agency in training Bangladeshi civil servants in Viet Nam.

In regard to defence-security cooperation, the two sides need to further study each others capacity and demand, firstly in the fields of military logistics and medicine and joining in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Viet Nam and Bangladesh should step up cooperation and increase the exchange of information and experience in the fight against organised crime, transnational crime and international terrorism, thus helping to maintain peace and security in the region and the world as well.

We want and believe that relevant agencies of both nations will make the most of these potential and advantages to look for suitable measures and develop bilateral relations more practically and effectively, thereby meeting the aspirations and interests of their people.  VNSHA NOI  President Tran ai Quang and his spouse began a three-day State visit to Bangladesh from March 4-6 at the invitation of his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohammad Abdul Hamid.

Viet Nam and Bangladesh officially established diplomatic relations 45 years ago (February 11, 1973). Since then, the two nations have maintained their traditional friendship and fine cooperation, and have seen important development in both politics and economy.

Viet Nam has always attached importance to and wanted to further develop its friendly and cooperative relations with Bangladesh. The two countries have stood side by side and supported each other in the process of national construction, safeguarding sovereignty and economic development in each nation.

President Tran ai Quangs visit affirms Viet Nams consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of international relations, including attaching importance to strengthening bilateral ties with Bangladesh.

The visit is also expected to boost two-way trade in the near future. With a lot of cooperation potential in the fields of agriculture, garment-textiles and electronics, Viet Nam and Bangladesh is striving to lift bilateral trade value to US$1billion in the future.

President Tran ai Quang is being accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Head of the Presidential Office ao Viet Trung, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, among others.  VNSNEW DELHI  President Tran ai Quang met with Speaker of the Lower House of Indias Parliament Sumitra Mahajan, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and former President of the Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on March 3.

The meetings formed part of President Quangs State visit to India from March 2-4.

Meeting with Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, President Quang asked the legislative agencies of Viet Nam and India to enhance cooperation, especially organising mutual high-level visits, promote exchanges between their committees, parliamentary friendship groups, and peoples friendship organisations.

Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said she was impressed with Viet Nams achievements in national development, affirming that she would continue cooperating closely with the National Assembly of Viet Nam to help tighten bilateral connections.

Talking to Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, the Vietnamese leader congratulated India on its diplomatic achievements while highly valuing the two foreign ministries role in bolstering their countries ties.

He asked the Indian ministry to promote high-ranking visits between the countries, maintain bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and speed up the signing of cooperation documents and implementation of the signed agreements by Indian ministries and sectors.

Minister Swaraj said her country welcomed President Quangs State visit, which she said demonstrated the traditional friendship between the two countries. She pledged to work with the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to foster bilateral relations.

At the meeting with former President of the Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi, President Quang emphasised that Viet Nam and India boast a long-standing friendship, which was founded by late President Ho Chi Minh and late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and had been nurtured by generations of the countries leaders and people.

"Viet Nam always keeps in mind the precious assistance that the Indian people, including the Indian National Congress, gave to its struggle for national liberation in the past and national development at present," he said, asking the party to continue supporting the Viet Nam  Indian comprehensive strategic partnership.

Sonia Gandhi noted the Indian National Congress always treasured and supported the time-honoured friendship between the two countries.

Later on March 3, President Quang and his spouse attended the opening ceremony of the Vietnamese culture days in India. The event is part of a series of activities marking the 45th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties. It is also an activity concluding the Viet Nam  India Friendship Year 2017.  VNSPresident Tran ai Quang, his spouse and entourage paid floral tribute to Indias national hero Mahatma Gandhi at the Raj Ghat Memorial in New Dehli on Saturday during the State visit to India.  VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang

Viet Nam News NEW DELHI  Vietnamese President Tran ai Quang met with his Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi on Saturday evening as part of his three-day State visit to India.



President Kovind spoke highly of the ongoing visit to India by President Quang, his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of Viet Nam, saying that it helped to tighten the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between the two nations.



President Quang thanked President Kovind, his spouse and the Indian people for their warm welcome and invited the Indian leader and his spouse to visit Viet Nam at a convenient time.



The two leaders stressed that Viet Nam and India have a time-honoured traditional relationship with a lot of historic and cultural similarities, the foundation for which was laid by late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and late President Ho Chi Minh and has been nurtured by generations of leaders and peoples of both countries.



President Quang suggested both nations increase education among their younger generations about the bilateral relationship so that they could preserve and uphold the fine tradition.



Both host and guest noted with pleasure the strong development of the bilateral relations, especially in the fields of politics, defence-security, economy-trade, science-technology and culture-education.



The two Presidents agreed to further step up cooperation in these spheres and tap potential cooperation opportunities in the areas of energy, infrastructure, information technology and green and hi-tech agriculture, as well as economic, cultural and people-to-people connectivity. Regarding economic-trade-investment cooperation, trade barriers will be reduced, making it easier for exports of the two countries to access each others market, towards lifting the bilateral trade to $15 billion by 2020. The two sides highly valued symbolic cooperation projects such as Long Phu 2 thermal power plant in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, wind and solar power projects in south central provinces, and talked the possibilities of setting up garment and textile industrial parks of India in Viet Nam. Viet Nam hopes India will continue to provide Viet Nam with technical, technological and financial assistance in the breakthrough fields of infrastructure and human resources development, and science-technique; and help Viet Nam improve its research and development capability, especially in bio-technology, health care, and application science, President Quang said.

President Tran ai Quang (right) and spouse, together with their Indian counterparts, President Ram Nath Kovind and spouse, during the State reception held at the Indian Presidential Palace in New Delhi on Saturday morning.  VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang

The two countries will also work closely in an India-funded project to preserve and embellish the My Son relic site, as well as launching more tourism promotion activities, thus increasing the number of visitors to the respective country.

On the multilateral level, President Quang affirmed Viet Nam would cooperate closely with India to help the Central Asian country further bolster all-round ties with other ASEAN member nations, for the sake of both sides.

President Kovind highly evaluated Viet Nams important role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and thanked Viet Nam for its efforts as a coordinator of the ASEAN-India Dialogue Partnership for 2015-2018. He affirmed that India backs ASEANs centrality in the regional architectures.



The two sides agreed to continue supporting each other at regional and international forums. President Kovind reaffirmed that India backs Viet Nams bid to run for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council in the 2020-21 term and thanked Viet Nam for its commitment to supporting Indias candidacy for the post in the 2021-2022 term.



President Kovind asserted that India always treasures the principles of ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation, observing international law, settling disputes through peaceful measures on the basis of international law, not using or threatening to use force and respecting legitimate interests of medium and small nations in order to maintain peace and stability in the region.



The Indian President applauded the organisation of Vietnamese Cultural Days in India on the occasion of President Quangs visit and thanked Viet Nam for its favourable conditions for the organisation of the International Yoga Day in Viet Nam.

Later in the day, President Tran ai Quang, his spouse and entourage paid floral tribute to Indias national hero Mahatma Gandhi at the Raj Ghat Memorial.

On Saturday evening, President Ram Nath Kovind hosted a banquet in honour of President Tran ai Quang, his spouse and the high-ranking delegation of Viet Nam.  VNS

DHAKA  Vietnamese President Tran ai Quang and his spouse arrived in Dhaka on Sunday, starting a three-day State visit to Bangladesh.

President Quang and his spouse were greeted by Bangladeshi President Mohammad Abdul Hamid with a 21-gun salute during an official welcome ceremony at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

The staff of the Embassy of Viet Nam and Vietnamese businessmen in Bangladesh were also present at the welcome ceremony.

President Tran ai Quang (left) arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Sunday. The Vietnamese President was welcomed by the Bangladeshi President Mohammad Abdul Hamid with a 21-gun salute during an official reception ceremony at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.  VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang

The visit takes place at a time when Viet Nam and Bangladesh are celebrating the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties. It affirms Vietnams consistent external policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations, including the long-standing friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Bangladesh.

The visit is expected to blow a breath of fresh air into bilateral economic and trade relations. With many potential for cooperation in the fields of agriculture, pharmaceuticals and electronics, the two sides are striving to achieve the target of more than US$1 billion in two-way trade.

Earlier the same day, President Tran ai Quang wrapped up his three-day State visit to India. He sent a message of thanks to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, appreciating the warm welcome and sentiments the President, senior leaders and people of India have extended to him and the Vietnamese delegation.  VNSHCM CITY HCM City should have methods to evaluate the actual work effectiveness of civil servants in order to fairly decide salary increases, according to many representatives and experts.

At a meeting on Friday to collect opinions from experts and others in society regarding raising average incomes for civil servants in the city held by HCM Citys Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee, many suggested that income hikes should not be the same for all civil servants.

The project is one of several special policies which would allow the city to make more independent decisions, approved by the National Assembly.

Deputy head of the city Department of Finance Le Ngoc Thuy Trang said that the productivity of the citys civil servants was 1.5 times higher than those in the rest of the country.

However, their income was not corresponding to their productivity and could not cover their daily expenditures, Trang added, suggesting a roadmap for raising income year-by-year.

Under the roadmap, their salary would be raised by a maximum of 60 per cent this year and 120 per cent in 2019 and 180 per cent in 2020.

Most of the meetings attendees agreed with the suggestion, but were worried about potential problems.

Assoc. Prof Vo Tri Hao of HCM City University of Economics said that the existing method of assessment for civil servant was qualitative, not yet based on the real effectiveness of their work.

Chau Minh Ty, former director of the city Department of Home Affairs, noted that a more exact assessment should be carried out to raise incomes of the right civil servants.

Under the existing assessment, all civil servants recieve the same salary increases.

Dr Huynh The Du of Fullbright University Viet Nam suggested that the city should focus on encouragement, not creating pressure to work.

Civil servants who work well would have their salaries raised, Du said, adding that those who do not work well would be punished.

Hao suggested that the State offices should pay more attention to applying IT to increase the effectiveness of work and save costs. This saved cost should be used to pay for the salary increases of civil servants.

Assos. Prof Tran Hoang Ngan, director of HCM City Officer Academic, said that in 2019, civil servants income should be raised by 1.8 times instead of in 2020 because the time for the implementation of the special policies, which the National Assembly allows the city, would not be long.

Le Anh Tuan, deputy head of Laws and Policy Board under HCM City Labour Federation, said that many civil servants worked in the city, but were not paid a salary by the citys budget, including those working in police, social security and others.

They should benefit from the citys special policies, including raising incomes.

o Van ao, deputy director of the Department of Home Affairs, admitted that there was a problem in the assessment of the effectiveness of work.

Heads of the state offices know their staffs capacity and effectiveness in working, ao said, adding that they should be fair in assessing each staff member. 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31 May (13) 17 May - 24 May (15) 10 May - 17 May (16) 3 May - 10 May (11) 26 Apr - 3 May (21) 19 Apr - 26 Apr (17) 12 Apr - 19 Apr (20) 5 Apr - 12 Apr (16) 29 Mar - 5 Apr (19) 22 Mar - 29 Mar (17) 15 Mar - 22 Mar (23) 8 Mar - 15 Mar (22) 1 Mar - 8 Mar (21) 22 Feb - 1 Mar (22) 15 Feb - 22 Feb (25) 8 Feb - 15 Feb (25) 1 Feb - 8 Feb (21) 25 Jan - 1 Feb (23) 18 Jan - 25 Jan (19) 11 Jan - 18 Jan (35) 4 Jan - 11 Jan (23) 28 Dec - 4 Jan (27) 21 Dec - 28 Dec (28) 14 Dec - 21 Dec (23) 7 Dec - 14 Dec (22) 30 Nov - 7 Dec (19) 23 Nov - 30 Nov (22) 16 Nov - 23 Nov (19) 9 Nov - 16 Nov (15) 2 Nov - 9 Nov (17) 26 Oct - 2 Nov (10) 19 Oct - 26 Oct (12) 12 Oct - 19 Oct (13) 5 Oct - 12 Oct (19) 28 Sep - 5 Oct (14) 21 Sep - 28 Sep (17) 14 Sep - 21 Sep (19) 7 Sep - 14 Sep (22) 31 Aug - 7 Sep (15) 24 Aug - 31 Aug (14) 17 Aug - 24 Aug (9) 10 Aug - 17 Aug (5)Megan O'Grady in The New York Times:

IN A LIVING room in Flint, Mich., Tiantha Williamss son, Taylor, a bright-eyed 2-year-old in a cheetah-print onesie, is waking from his nap. On the television, commercials for class-action attorneys alternate with an ad for an early childhood intervention program: Dont wait. Evaluate. Williams, an attractive 40-year-old woman, sits on the sofa with her mother, VanNessa, explaining how she first knew that something was terribly wrong with her tap water. My moms dreads started falling out, she says. Then all of the house plants died. Williams was pregnant at the time, and after she contracted listeriosis, Taylor was born two months premature.

Im in Williamss home with the artist William Pope.L for his Flint Water Project, an installation he did last September for the Detroit gallery What Pipeline. As we talk, a hose snaking from Williamss basement sink through her kitchen and out the front door fills a 180-gallon tank sitting on the bed of a pick-up truck. Later, back at the gallery, which has been transformed into a Flint Water branded boutique, the water will be bottled by assistants wearing gloves and safety goggles and sold as art objects, with a Pope.L-designed label. It is a project that is characteristic of much of the artists work, a theatrical provocation that combines scathing satire with heartfelt activism. The labels feature a sinister image of the Flint Water Plant and reads 16 fl. oz. non-potable. The reverse notes that the water may contain E. coli, lead, and Legionella.

The Flint Water Project began when the gallerys owners, Alivia Zivich and Daniel Sperry, invited Pope.L to do a show in Detroit. It was Pope.Ls idea to turn the focus to nearby Flint, whose residents were exposed to contaminated drinking water beginning in 2014, after the citys water source was switched from Lake Huron to the Flint River as a cost-saving measure, triggering a public health crisis  12 deaths resulted from a Legionella outbreak  that was ignored for nearly two years by Governor Rick Snyders administration and allegedly covered up by a number of state officials. Aimed at addressing the disintegrating bedrock of our presumed first-world privileges  drinkable tap water, an accountable government  the project has raised over $30,000 so far for the United Way of Genesee County and Hydrate Detroit. (What Pipeline reimbursed Williams by paying her water bill for two months.) In 2016, after the water was returned to its original source, the EPA once again declared Flints water safe, but no one here believes that to be true until the city makes good on its promise to finish replacing its corroded pipes. Meanwhile, the catastrophe continues to unfold in human terms: unsellable homes, more deeply entrenched poverty, and the mass lead poisoning of a generation of children, the cognitive consequences of which are still to be determined. Adding insult to injury, homeowners have had to continue paying for the tainted water  among the highest rates in the country  or face foreclosure. On our way to Flint, a grave Pope.L spoke of an increasingly Orwellian America; of the symbolic value of one troubled city (Detroit, in this case, about one hour from Flint) reaching out to another; of the things, small and large, that can break a community. But sitting on Williamss sofa waiting for the tank to fill, everything else momentarily falls away, and we become a trio of parents simply trading stories about our kids.

More here.Andrew J. Bacevich in the New York Times:

Steve Coll has written a book of surpassing excellence that is almost certainly destined for irrelevance. The topic is important, the treatment compelling, the conclusions persuasive. Just dont expect anything to change as a consequence.

The dean of Columbias Graduate School of Journalism, Coll is a seasoned and accomplished reporter. In 2004, Ghost Wars, his account of conflict in Afghanistan from the 1979 Soviet invasion to the eve of 9/11, earned him a Pulitzer Prize, his second. Directorate S  the title refers to the arm of Pakistani intelligence that covertly supports the Afghan Taliban  is a sequel to that volume, carrying the story up to 2016.

That story is a dispiriting one, abounding in promises from on high, short on concrete results. In December 2001, with Operation Enduring Freedom barely underway, President George W. Bush declared it Americas purpose to lift up the people of Afghanistan. Bush vowed that American forces would stay until they finished the job. In December 2017, during a brief visit to Kabul  unannounced because of security concerns  Vice President Mike Pence affirmed that commitment. Were here to stay, he told a gathering of troops, until freedom wins.

Yet mission accomplishment remains nowhere in sight. Over the past year, the Taliban have increased the amount of territory they control. Opium production has reached an all-time high. And corruption continues to plague an Afghan government of doubtful legitimacy and effectiveness. For a war now in its 17th year, the United States has precious little to show, despite having lost over 2,400 of its own soldiers and expending an estimated trillion dollars.

More here.Editor's Note: CNN is committed to covering gender inequality wherever it occurs in the world. This story is part of As Equals, a year-long series.

Lilongwe, Malawi -- "I am strong," the girls chanted, their voices filling a classroom in the outskirts of Lilongwe, Malawi's capital. "I can use my voice. I can use my body!"

The group of about 50 schoolgirls, dressed in indigo uniforms, were being taught to fight off sexual assault. In front of them, Simang'aliso Domoya paced up and down, calling on the pupils to repeat her mantra: "I am beautiful, but I am dangerous!"

The girls, ages 11 to 16, looked at the instructor wide-eyed. Outside the classroom, other students gathered to peer through the windows.

Domoya is a coordinator for the Malawian non-governmental organization Ujamaa-Pamodzi, which teaches self-empowerment and self-defense in classrooms across the country.

The team uses vocal exercises and physical activities to teach girls how to speak out against assault, harassment, abuse, and -- if necessary -- how to physically fight off attackers.

It's a critical skill in the country, where one in five girls, and one in seven boys, are sexually abused before the age of 18, according to the 2014 Violence Against Children and Young Women in Malawi report.

The Ujamaa-Pamodzi course was adopted from the No Means No Worldwide program, an initiative to reduce sexual violence and assault in Kenya's capital. One study found that out of 522 girls, ages 14 to 21, who took the "consent classes" in Nairobi's Kaariobangi and Korogocho neighborhoods, more than half reported using the self-defense skills to avert sexual assault in the year after training.

Since the organization first began, Ujamaa-Pamodzi has taught around 25,000 girls and 12,000 boys.

Domoya said they split their instruction into verbal and physical -- and both play an important role.

"We encourage the girls to use their spirit to believe in themselves, and to know how defend themselves from assault," Domoya said. "We also have a safety goal: We encourage girls to get away in each and every situation -- not to fight, but to get away and use their voice to shout, yell and speak out."

Many of the girls CNN spoke with said the workshop has had a real-life impact. They asked that their names not be used in case of repercussions from their families.

One 15-year-old student told CNN that her sister's husband tried to rape her while she was living in the couple's home. "I used the verbal skills I learned from their workshop to end the assault, such as warning him I'd tell my sister," she said.

Later, she contacted one of the Ujamaa facilitators, who advised her to warn her brother-in-law that she would report him to a local child protection organization.

"They [Ujamaa] helped me speak out and use my voice," she said. "I learned how to help protect myself."

Harassment is normalized in Malawi, the girls say. A 12-year-old participant of the workshop said the skills she learned have given her confidence to act.

"When I'm walking home from school, sometimes men will try and stop me and touch me," she said. "And now ever since, I have pushed them off me, or I run away. I don't freeze up anymore."

The organization says the majority of cases can be stopped verbally. Their training focuses on self-defense tactics that target an attacker's eyes, back, groin and knees.

"Some people think at first, 'Oh, it's just about martial arts!' But it's more than that. It's helping to teach them to believe in themselves," Domoya said.

"The way they'll react to their father is different to how they will react to a stranger ... Their response will also differ depending on the attacker's height, weight, environment. We encourage them to speak to someone they trust, and to not give up hope -- to keep talking."

Beyond the practical life skills, the group also identifies survivors of sexual abuse and harassment in their sessions. So far, the staff have identified and supported more than 400 girls and boys.

They said the abuse of children is increasingly coming from teachers -- an issue they're tackling head-on in their workshops. Lessons involve a role-playing scenario in which a teacher harasses a pupil.

The group runs classes for boys, too, teaching them about everything from sexual health to healthy relationships, consent and peer pressure. They say the responsibility to end harassment and abuse is up to boys, too.

"To end abuse and gender-based violence, it's critical to include boys and men," Martin Ndirangu, the director of the group's operations in Malawi, said.

The organization also encourages boys to consider "what it means to be a man."

"We ask them: 'What does it mean to be a man?' What should they do?"

"We tell boys there are two moments -- one is ordinary moments, the other is moments of truth -- where they are put to the test to understand their values. We encourage them to be courageous about what they care about: their future, their family, whatever it means to them," Ndirangu added.

The response to the program from students is positive: Boys who had said they often feared peer pressure say they now understand the importance of having their own voice. Girls who were previously introverted and shy report a new level of confidence and ambition.

"If a man touches me, then I know no, that's not right," one girl said at the end of their session.

Ndirangu cited anecdotal evidence that the program has helped prevent cases of child marriages and teen pregnancies. But he said "raising awareness" isn't enough to help protect girls and boys in Malawi.

"We think awareness is one thing, but we don't really see change. It's not enough just going on radio talking about these things; we need to teach real-life skills. We know we are helping -- and we are seeing how they're using the skills in situations across Malawi every day."Quincy, Massachusetts - A massive cleanup is underway after a powerful nor'easter clobbered the northeast.

Officials say more than 1.5 million homes and businesses in several states were still in the dark Saturday.

Numerous utility poles are down in Watertown, Massachusetts.

"It was pretty intense. Never seen anything like it," said Wayne Adams, a resident from Quincy, Massachusetts.

Whipping winds caused havoc in coastal areas from Maryland to Maine.

Huge waves from the Atlantic Ocean crashed onto streets submerging cars.

Emergency crews used boats to reach people trapped in their homes by rising floodwater.

Cars are done for. All of our stuff is messed up but this is all that matters, said Kyle O Keefe, another resident from Quincy, Massachusetts.

Police say a little boy was killed when a tree slammed into his home in Virginia.

Were just devastated. He wasnt terminally sick it was just a freak accident in the middle of the night that took the baby from us, said Dawn Summerfield, the grandma of the victim.

Upstate New York received 16 inches of snow.

Flood warnings remain in effect as the powerful storm moves out to sea.

But the headache left behind will be felt for days to come.

Airports are working to rebook thousands of passengers who were left stranded during the storm.https://www.aish.com/ho/p/Albanian-Muslims-who-Sheltered-Jews.html

Albanians' strong traditions inspired them to save their nation's Jews during the Holocaust.

Albania, the only Muslim-majority country in Europe, was also the only European nation to emerge from the Holocaust with a larger Jewish population.

Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial center in Israel, has recognized 75 Albanian righteous gentiles. Given Albanias small size and the tiny size of Albanias prewar Jewish community of just 200, the number is very large. A Jew in Albania during World War II was at least ten times more likely to be rescued than in larger Jewish centers such as Lithuania or Poland. Albanians also saved hundreds of Jewish refugees who fled to the country from Germany, Austria, Greece and elsewhere.

One source this incredible bravery in Albania was the complex local honor codes that govern much of Albanian society, even today. Kanun is an ancient system of alliances and revenge that has led to horrific blood feuds and violence. But the fights are between men only; Albanian custom mandates that women and children not be harmed. When Albanians saw that Nazis were killing women and children, explains Prof. Eliezer Papo, a historian at Israels Ben Gurion University, they were horrified. Men killing other men is part of life in Albanian tradition, Professor Papo said, the targeting of women is an unspeakable monstrosity.

On October 29, 1944, Jewish refugees protected by Albanians pose for a photo following the liberation of the country. Photo: Refik Veseli

Another unique aspect of this Albanian tribal law is the code of Besa, which mandates protecting ones guests. When Albanians who followed Besa felt they were hosting the Jews they sheltered, they were often willing to do anything, including risking their own lives and those of their families to protect their guests.

Doing so could pose enormous risks. The Germans ruled (in Albania) and on every tree, every electrical pole we saw partisans hanging - many of them hanged to scare people into not hiding partisans and Jews, recalls Aron Aladjem, who was saved along with his family by Albanians who risked their lives and opened their homes to Jews.

Aron Aladjem was ten years old in 1943 when he and his parents Nissim and Sarah Aladjem fled from Bulgaria to Albania. They were caught by five Albanian police officers who were working with the occupation forces. But instead of turning the family over to occupation authorities, the Albanian policemen turned the terrified Jews over to local Albanians who sheltered them.

For years, this and other stories about Albanians heroism went untold. During the long years of Communist dictatorship, many Albanians found it dangerous to talk about their families wartime activities. Today, more and more details about Albanians who rescued Jews are becoming known.

Vesel and Fatima Veseli and their three sons Hamid, Refik, and Xhema, have come forward with their story of saving Jewish refugees. Before the war, the family employed at least two Jews, both refugees from Yugoslavia. Joseph Ben Joseph, worked for Hamid in his clothing store and Moshe Mandil worked for Refik in his photography studio. With the coming of the German occupation in 1943 both Jewish families were moved to our family home in Kruje, Hamid and Xhemal Veseli later recalled.

Hamid and Xhemal Veseli. Photographer: Norman H. Gershman

The brothers explained how the rescues worked. Xhemal walked the parents night and day for 36 hours to our family home. We dressed them as villagers, the Veselis remember. Two days later we transported the children to Kruje. During the day we hid the adults in a cave in the mountains near our village. The children played with other children in the village. The entire neighborhood knew we were sheltering Jews. There were other Jewish families that were being sheltered also. One day the Germans were conducting a house-to-house search looking for a lost gun. They never found it and executed the soldier who lost it. The Veselis continued sheltering the two Jewish families for nine months, until the end of the war. They have stayed in touch with the Mandil family who later moved to Israel.

Like many Albanians, the Veselis explain their actions in terms of Albanias strong honor codes of extending hospitality to those in need. Four times we Albanians opened our doors, the brothers noted: First to the Greeks during the famine of the World War I, then to the Italian soldiers stranded in our country after their surrender to the Allies, then to the Jews during the German occupation and most recently to the Albanian refugees from Kosovo fleeing the Serbs. Only the Jews showed their gratitude.

Refek Veseli became the first Albanian recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, in 1987. One of the children he saved, Gavra Mandil, grew up in Israel and in 1987 made a personal appeal to Albanias autocratic president at the time to allow the Veselis to come to Israel to attend the ceremony. Shockingly, Albanias president agreed, and Refek and his wife were allowed to travel to Jerusalem for the honor. In 2004, after additional documentation emerged, Yad Vashem recognized Hamid and Xhemal Veseli as Righteous Among the Nations.

Another Albanian family willing to risk their lives to save Jews was the Hoxha family, who sheltered Aron Aladjem and his parents after they were arrested by Albanian police and turned over to sympathetic locals instead of occupation authorities.

Nuro Hoxha was a Muslim teacher and religious man. Despite the fact that a major Muslim holiday coming up, he closed his pastry shop at one of the busiest times of the year and moved the Aladjems family into his home, vacating a bedroom for their use. Nuros eldest son, Sazan, later recalled what that time was like: I remember those terrible times when the Nazis moved into Vlore (his hometown), and the Jews went into hiding. I was ten years old.

Sazan Hoxha with photograph of his father, Nuro Hoxha

Photographer: Norman H. Gershman

My father sheltered four Jewish families. They all were his friends. I remember my fathers words to those he took in: Now we are one family. You wont suffer any evil. My sons and I will defend you against peril at the cost of our lives. We hid the families in underground bunkers that extended from our large house. There were three generations of the extended families of Ilia Sollomoni and Mojsi Negrin (two of the Jewish families they hid), comprising 12 people. There were others whose names I do not recall. It was my job to take food to the families in the bunkers and to shop for necessities. All the inhabitants of Vlore were anti-fascist and all knew that many families were sheltering Jews.

Nuro Hoxha was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in 1992. Nuros son, Rexhep Hoxha, believes it is crucial that people recall his fathers actions. My grandfather was a Muslim cleric, he explains. For him to leave his house and make room for this Jewish family, there is no tolerance more beautiful than this. In the 2000s, Rexhep made his own gesture of friendship, returning three Jewish prayer books that the Aladjem family left in his home to the familys descendants in Israel.

Jewish Refugee Children Celebrate at a Birthday Party in Kavaja, Albania, 1942

Photo: Mosa Mandil

The promise of Besa was so pervasive in Albania that some Jews didnt even need to go into hiding, confident that their Albanian neighbors would never turn them in. One Albanian Jew, Rafael Jakoel, later recalled the moment in 1943 when German soldiers moved into Albania. Rafael and his brother-in-law met with the mayor of their hometown of Vlora. As long as you are here, the mayor explained, you dont have to worry, but Germans are Germans so its better to go the capital.

Rafael and his brother-in-law travelled to Tirana, Albanias capital and met with Xhafer Deva, Albanias Interior Minister in Albanias fascist government which was collaborating with the Nazis. Minister Deva showed the Jewish brothers a list of Jews the German authorities had requested. The minister never turned it over to the Germans.

Other members of the Jakoel family were hidden by the vice-mayor of their town of Vlora. The Jakoel children played with and pretended to be the vice-mayors children. After the war, Rafael Jakoel, like many Albanian Jews, moved to Israel.

Historians and researchers continue to document the amazing stories of Albanian Muslims who helped and sheltered Jews. In the words of Yad Vashem, The Albanians went out of their way to provide assistance; moreover, they competed with each other for the privilege of saving Jews. These acts originated from compassion, loving-kindness and a desire to help those in need, even those of another faith or origin.

Today, 75 trees grow in Jerusalem, each one a memorial to a brave Albanian hero who has been named Righteous Among the Nations.Some members of Alabama's brewery community say President Trump's announcement Thursday that he plans tariffs on imported steel and aluminum could adversely affect their businesses.

Trump, in comments Thursday, proposed a 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent on aluminum. They could come as early as this week.

That wasn't good news for Huntsville's Yellowhammer Brewing. The next day, Friday, they embarked on marketing five different varieties of beer in cans, after spending $200,000 on their canning operation. By year's end, they hope to have 15 on the market.

Not the best timing, said Ethan Couch, founder and general manager.

"We had an immediate understanding of what it might mean," Couch said. "I know there are two sides to this story. There's industry in America versus imports from foreign countries, restrictions on labor in those countries, differences in raw material costs and taxes. I understand the reasoning behind it. But at the same time, aluminum will have a significant impact on us."

According to the Washington Post, Canada is the largest exporter of steel and aluminum to the United States, supplying $7.2 billion of aluminum and $4.3 billion of steel to the United States last year. However, the U.S. runs a trade surplus with Canada. The tariffs would also hit the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Turkey and Japan.

Most Alabama brewers contacted pointed to a Brewers Association statement, which stated aluminum tariffs would have a direct impact on the cost of can sheet aluminum used by small and independent brewers.

"The Brewers Association strongly opposes the imposition of tariffs on imported can sheet aluminum and cautions against any action that would result in increased prices for small and independent brewers and their customers," the association stated.

It favors a more targeted tariff approach. The association says that though 98 percent of can sheet aluminum is produced in the United States, the tariffs are still expected to raise the cost of ingredients used to make the product.

Dan Roberts, director of the Alabama Brewers Guild, said beer manufacturing in Alabama relies more on can sheet aluminum than other states. That concerns brewers.

"Alabama beer manufacturers currently produce approximately 6 million cans of craft beer in the state each year, and that number is growing," Roberts said. "We package about twice as many cans as bottles, while nationally more beer is packaged in glass. So the tariff could disproportionately affect Alabama's small beer manufacturers."

Tripp Collins, chief operating officer of Gadsden's Back Forty Beer Co., said their glass bottle business at this point is bigger than cans. However, the affects of a tariff are on the company's radar, he said.

Couch said there's a already a low-profit margin with packaged beer, which could shrink with the affects of a tariff on the market.

"It will affect it dramatically," Couch said. "It's a serious thing to consider. Obviously, we can talk to our suppliers and see how it's going to affect them. That will help us forecast what it's going to look like six months to two years down the road.

"Hopefully, we can deal with it that way, figure out some corrections and make up some efficiencies in other ways, so we don't have to raise the prices."The 2018 Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee festivities got underway with a "mass meeting" aimed at officially presenting the revival of the 1968 Poor People's Campaign to the Selma community.

The event, held in Selma's historic First Baptist Church on Friday night, featured civil rights luminaries including Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. and Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, who spoke about the need for "a national call for moral revival."

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who led the original Poor People's Campaign, was assassinated 50 years ago next month, but his legacy was alive in Selma during the meeting.

The panel of speakers taught the crowd of more than 200 people about their shared civil rights history while impressing on them the need to bring poor people of all races together to fight injustice, advocate for beneficial policies and vote in politicians who represent their interests.

"All over the country, people - white, black and brown people, people in faith and out of faith - are coming together for the Poor People's Campaign," said Barber, co-chair of the campaign. "There's nothing new under the sun. The question is, what are you doing with your moment in the sun?"

Jackson focused his remarks on the importance of getting more people of color to vote in the U.S., and particularly in the South. He said that he had been in Alabama for the previous several days, registering hundreds of college and high school students to vote, and that it is imperative that people of all ages go to the ballot box if they want the world to change for the better.

"There are 4 million unregistered black voters in the South; 2.5 million registered blacks didn't vote. Our non-vote elected Trump," he said, drawing raucous applause.

But there are more obstacles to getting out that vote - from voter suppression to voter ID laws - in the U.S. in 2018 than there were five decades ago, according to Shailly Gupta Barnes, tri-chair of the Poor People's Campaign's souls of poor folk audit committee.

"Poor people of color have fewer voting rights than they did after the Voting Rights Act of 1965," she said.

That's why the Poor People's Campaign - described by its leaders as a national movement to end poverty and mobilize poor people to advocate on their own behalf and demand change - is so vital, according to Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign.

"We're committing ourselves to organizing on a grassroots level voter mobilization, voter registration, and empowered voting, so we can change the direction this country is going in," she said Friday night.

"We will no longer be pitted against each other, because we are ready to win life abundant for all."David Ogden Stiers, the actor best known for playing Major Charles Emerson Winchester III in "M*A*S*H*" and Cogsworth in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" has died. He was 75.

Stiers died peacefully at his home in Newport. He had been battling bladder cancer, his agent, Mitchell Stubbs, told The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Stiers was born in Peoria, Illinois the son of Margaret and Kenneth Stiers. He moved to Eugene while he was in high school, where he graduated from North Eugene High. He attended the University of Oregon for a time but soon left for San Francisco to pursue acting.

His first television credits include "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Charlie's Angels" and "Kojak." His voice can be heard off-screen in George Lucas' first feature film, "THX-1138."

Celebrity deaths 2018 120 Gallery: Celebrity deaths 2018

But it wasn't until 1977 that Stiers joined the cast of CBS' military sitcom, "M*A*S*H*," after the departure of Larry Linville -- who played Frank Burns -- and starred opposite Alan Alda and Mike Farrell. Stiers was nominated for two Emmy awards for his turn as Winchester, in 1981 and 1982.

He would earn another Emmy nod in 1984 for his role as William Milligan Sloane, founder of the U.S. Olympic Committee, in the NBC miniseries "The First Olympics: Athens in 1896."

Stiers also lent his voice to eight Disney animated features, most notably as Cogsworth in 1991's "Beauty and the Beast" and including "Pocahontas," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Lilo & Stitch."

Stiers was also a gifted musician. He was the resident conductor of the Newport Symphony and had guest conducted for more than 70 orchestras across the world.

He continued working both in front of the camera and behind the microphone until 2015, with credits in video games, cartoons and television shows. (He appeared in a 2011 episode of "Leverage.")

Still, his most notable roles aside from his turn on "M*A*S*H*" might well be tied to his work on Disney's animated features. Facebook and other social media searches for his characters consistently contain references to Jumba Jookiba from "Lilo & Stitch:"

"Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten."

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

ecampuzano@oregonian.com"Jeff Sessions" is back on Saturday Night Live.

Kate McKinnon resurrected her impersonation of the U.S. Attorney General and former Alabama Senator for this weekend's Saturday Night Live. She joined Alec Baldwin, who once again played President Trump, this time in a supposed meeting about gun control.

During the meeting, Baldwin's Trump said all the people in the White House were great "except Jeff Sessions."

"He need to go," Baldwin said. "I call him Mr. Magoo, everyone loves it. People around herein the White House say stop, "I'm laughing so hard. I can't take it anymore. I resign."

At that, McKinnon's Sessions pops up behind Baldwin.

"That's very funny Mr. President but I'm not going anywhere. I'm like skunk stink on a bird dog, Sir, I linger. And I just had dinner with all your friends at the Department of Justice and, wow, your name popped up more than a weasel in a pumpkin patch. That's right Mr. President. You can't bully me anymore. For the first time I'm standing up on my own hind legs, OK?

The skit comes after another contentious week between the president and his onetime chief ally.

Last week, President Trump described Sessions actions as "disgraceful" in regards to his handling of investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections and alleged investigations into the Trump campaign.The hard-driven 2004 Chevy Impala navigates the familiar streets of Huntsville's west side, winding through the poverty-worn neighborhoods of Lowe Mill, where workers from a long-gone factory and their families once lived; and Glen Park, where apartments were once filled with eager students matriculating at Alabama A&M but where now the average household income is just $12,150, second lowest in the city.

Devyn Keith, the driver, knows these streets. He grew up, pretty much, on four streets in Northwoods. He was all-but-reared at First Missionary Baptist Church. His mother and grandmother were always at Bible study or participating in the women's missionary society, his "auntie" was in the choir; a lot of his nurturers were at the church for a reason or another.

Indeed, he was such a fixture that when he once got in trouble running like a banshee through the pews, people just couldn't believe the little culprit was Keith. "Really," many asked, "That was Darlene's boy?"

That's why the streets know him. As the Impala rolls by, some residents wave because they knew him as a boy. Some wave because they recognize him as the District's 28-year-old, still-fresh-behind-the-ears City Councilman.

A few of them even wave because they want to introduce him to their daughter. Or granddaughter. Or niece.

Keith chuckles at the ongoing matchmaking, choosing--at least for now--to stay focused on restoring these familial streets, these neighborhoods, and these families.

And on the 16-year-old foster son he recently took in, all-but on a whim.

And on nurturing a political future that could lead, well, who knows where.

"You can see what these houses once were, especially those where the tenants are at least trying to keep their yards clean," he says, pointing to once proud homes comprising Lowe Mill.

Where others see blight and crime, where most see hopelessness and a disparate disconnect from Huntsville's seemingly thriving core, Keith still sees people--their ethnic and cultural diversity, their vibrancy and pride, and their essential desire for the same safe neighborhoods, same job opportunities and same quality of life as their neighbors just a few miles away.

"One common denominator between the Democrat who lives on one street and the Republican who lives around the corner is that they all have some sense of a better tomorrow," Keith says. "None of them have exaggerated expectations of city government. They just want whatever allows them to have lower crime, good schools, basic services..."

Keith certainly embodies the wave of millennials ushering entrenched political incumbents from office across the nation, and throughout Alabama--often, like him, without a day of political experience.

Drivien by faith

He never aspired to political office but says he was moved by his faith to do something to change the neighborhoods that had not changed since his youth.

"I wasn't supposed to be here," he often says, citing his desire to work in the non-profit sector. "But God had other plans."

His predecessor, Richard Showers, began representing District 1 on the City Council in 1988 (the year Keith was born). Yet in 2016, Keith emerged from Northwoods--with detours to Samford and the University of Massachusetts in Boston, where he earned a Master's in Public Administration--to challenge Showers.

"When Devyn called me and said he was thinking about running for city council," says Dexter Strong, a lifelong friend, and Keith's eventual campaign manager, "I said, 'Where--Boston?'"

Keith's strategy? Honor Showers' legacy of service but also ask area residents a few simple questions: Which of Showers' programs or actions have worked for you? For your neighbors. For your children?

Night after night, few people raised their hand with an answer, giving him an opening to share his own plans for their neighborhoods.

During the final days of the campaign, Keith and Strong were canvassing a neighborhood peppered with presidential campaign signs--"Clinton/Kaine" interspersed with "Trump/Pence".

Trump/Pence moment

At a "Trump/Pence" home, a man sat on his porch. As Keith and Strong approached, the man (who was white) said: "What are y'all? Jehovah's witnesses?"

The two men laughed, introduced themselves (though Keith didn't say he was a candidate) and sat on the porch at the man's invitation.

They didn't talk national politics at all. Instead, Keith asked him if there was anything about his neighborhood he was dissatisfied with.

"That pothole," the man said, pointing towards a cavernous hole in the street.

"What if I told you I knew someone who could fix it?" the candidate asked.

"Who?" the man said.

"Me."

"That brought politics home for him," Keith says. "Then he started sharing about his father, who 'used words I can't use,' he said. Then he told us: 'Since I met God, I've been working on my racism.'"

Keith won in a landslide, capturing two-thirds of the votes.

Strategy vs. rehtoric

It would be easy to credit the victory to the contagious desire for change that permeated so many elections within and beyond Alabama, or even to his engaging smile and youthful, prime-time look worthy of the starring role on "The Bachelor."

But those just minimize the efforts of his team of campaign strategists from disparate political strata ("The debates at some our meetings were more entraining than cable news," Keith says), and ignore Keith's learned approach to change.

He's a self-described "policy head" bubbling with ideas and passion for addressing some of the ills that plague the city's poorest neighborhoods. So much so his friend, Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin, a millennial compatriot, "gets tired of me talking," Keith says, with a laugh.

At UMass, Keith studied and digested data, trends, and ideas that often fly in the fact of traditional political thinking.

"I have the opportunity to take a problem and give a solution, but in between, there is this process called innovation," he says. "The same problems occur every year in every budget: crime, infrastructure, education, and employment. The only way there will ever be change is if there's disruption, if somebody, with intentionality, creates a new way to decrease the time between the problem and solution."

He often speaks of governing by policy, not politics, and during a presentation recently before a gathering hosted by the faith-based Cornerstone Initiative, he outlined a vision for inovative citizenship ("Your words about your city matter", "Apathy is a new form of injustice"), innovative leadership ("What are you willing to sacrifice to lead", "Lead a legacy, don't just build one") and innovative government ("Any decrease in a negative metric is an increase in the quality of life.")

Yes, Keith peppers his strategies with the new-age lingo we've now grown used to--like "innovation", "intentionality" and "disruption."

But they're only levers for an approach to neighborhood restoration that make you think, "Hmm, that just might work."

Glen Park substation

This Spring, in an effort to address crime in the Glen Park neighborhood, the city will lease a home in the area built by Habitat for Humanity and utilize it as a police substation, manned 24 hours a day by officers and police academy trainees.

Officers will "walk the beat" (funny how an old-school approach to policing is suddenly innovative), making themselves known to area residents and increasing their visibility.

The pilot initiative mimics similar programs that have been implemented in cities around the nation with success.

"The program increases the feeling of safety for residents and connects them to the officers," Keith says. "Because she now knows Officers Lane and Green and Davis from the substation, the lady down the street is more incentivized to call them when she sees something or knows something."

"Also," he adds, "and some people won't like this analogy: but roaches don't go where they know there are traps."

Decreasing crime also increases property values, Keith says. As of now, the city will man the substation for a year then sell it to someone looking to live in the neighborhood.

Currently, most of the homes in poor neighborhoods are owned by absentee landlords, some of which own clusters of homes in an area and rent them for significant profit--at times to renters who use them as bastions for criminal activity.

Local ownership vs. absenteeism

"There were four arrests in one home," Keith says. "When the police went in, there were only some chairs and a couple of beds. Crime migrated from low-income to renters-market areas, to places where policing policies have not kept up."



Keith hopes to further enhance local homeownership in partnership with HFM, which will build several homes in a single neighborhood--"cluster communities,' the councilman calls them--where home values are so depressed the Habitat homes will be built at 10 percent above current market value.

"The hole cluster brings up the value of other homes in the neighborhood," he says.

Keith loves to share stories revealing the passion residents in his district have for their neighborhoods.

"One guy in Meadow Hills got shot during a drive-by while sitting in his front yard," he says. "Someone else might've never gone back there. But while he was recovering [in the hospital], he started naming all the people there he looks after and why he wouldn't live anywhere else. He was back there as soon as he could be."

Later that evening the diversity of District 1 was in full view during a town hall meeting at which Keith shared updates on numerous area projects, including the transformation of the 42 acres of what was once J.O. Johnson High School, which was shuttered in 2016. The property is envisioned as a mixed-use development that will, Keith says that evening, "integrate at the highest level of respect the legacy of J.O. High School."

Indeed, all ages, cultures, and ethnicities appear to be represented. Keith believes his district is more reflective of Huntsville than city leaders like to admit.

The Huntsville reality

"The people they talk about live in Madison," he says. "People here making $37,000-$50,000 are spending the majority of their income on rent, kids, food, gas and other basic necessities. They're not going on ski vacations or to New York. They're going to local bars, clubs and movies theaters. They're going to Wal-Mart, buying their car at the local dealership and eat at G's. Our local economy is every middle-class worker who sees Huntsville as their home."

As we cruise the neighborhoods of his district, we make a stop at Keith's home, a first-floor apartment in one of the low-income, crime-infested neighborhoods he hopes to transform: Glen Park. "The original owners built the complex for students," he says. That's changed."

There have been six shootings in the two months he's lived there. "I called the cops myself twice," he says.

He's lived here, along with his cat and new foster son, since moving from similar conditions in Terry Heights. He vowed to live in a different depressed neighborhood each year during his term.

He identifies with the residents, especially those from complex, disconnected families.

Keith has three brothers "on my dad's side," along with a brother and sister "on my mom's. He met older brother Chris (now a master plumber in California) when he was 16 years old. Five years later, a younger brother, Chris Michael Woods, found Keith and his family through Facebook; as an infant, Woods had been left at a hospital by Keith's mother under the name "John Doe".

"This," Keith says, "is home to me."

A home that deserves more.

"At some point, Huntsville has to look at my distirct as the child and not the distant cousin," he says. "Expansion has thinned priorities. I get it for the past decade, but now the 50,000 people in my district are due the same time and effort. Not miracles, just a plan and effort. Investments have to be innovative and incremental, but the most imprtant thing is attention. It goes a long way, and if you look away too long you'll forget what vision got you there."Cameron Ross Burgess, a 26-year-old from Alabama, has been identified by D.C. police as the man who died by suicide near the White House on Saturday.

Burgess was from Maylene, Alabama. That's a small community in Shelby County.

Burgess graduated at Auburn University in Spring 2013, a school spokesman confirmed to AL.com. He lived near campus in student housing and previously was registered to vote in Lee County, public records show.

He was a member of the Thompson High School Class of 2009.

Burgess also has lived in Birmingham. Searches of state and federal court records revealed no criminal history except a speeding ticket issued in Tallapoosa County in 2010.

The Secret Service said Burgess shot himself as he stood near the fence on the north side of the White House. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were in Florida at the time, the Associate Press reported. The president was briefed on the shooting, the White House said.

The man took out a concealed handgun and fired multiple rounds just before noon, CNN reported, noting none of the shots appeared to be aimed at the White House. No other injuries were reported.

Burgess was standing in a crowded area when he shot himself, witnesses told The Washington Post. After pulling the gun, Burgess fell to the ground, and the more than 100 people in the crowd fled.

A Honda Accord with Alabama license plates was searched for about four hours near the Capital Hilton Hotel, according to CNN. The car was parked on the street near the hotel, a few blocks from the White House. After a bomb squad did a sweep, several items, including apparent pictures and documents, were taken from the car, the report says.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Updated at 1:38 p.m. with additional information about Cameron Ross Burgess.

Cameron Ross Burgess of Alabama has been identified as the man who killed himself near the White House on Saturday, Secret Service officials said.

Burgess, 26, lived in Maylene in Shelby County. Burgess allegedly shot himself Saturday around 11:46 a.m. as he stood near the fence at the north side of the White House. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were in Florida at the time of the incident; the president has been briefed on the shooting.

Bugess was a 2013 graduate of Auburn University, according to a spokesperson with the university. He was a 2009 graduate of Thompson High School in Alabaster and also lived in Birmingham.

The White House was placed on lockdown in the wake of the incident.

Burgess' name was initially withheld pending notification of next of kin, law enforcement officials said. A motive behind the suicide has not been released.

Burgess reportedly shot himself amid a crowd of more than 100 people who fled after the gunfire. His car, a Honda Accord with Alabama license plates, was parked near the Capital Hilton Hotel and was searched after the shooting.

None of the shots were aimed at the White House and no one else was injured, according to Capitol Police.

Burgess' body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy.

The Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department is leading the investigation with support from the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office.A couple of years ago, Kasey Birdsong signed up to help raise money for his daughter's softball team.

"Nobody wanted to sell donuts again," he said, so the team decided to sell advertising signs in the ballpark's outfield.

Birdsong went around, approaching local merchants to buy an ad.

"I found out quickly that merchants are asked all the time and are solicited all the time," Birdsong said. "They know the community is the lifeblood of the business and they give, but they can't just give to everything."

The common theme was, businesses try to give to causes their customers care about, so they can both build a bond with the customer and help the community.

The hard part is deciding what charity to support.

That made Birdsong think: "What if there's a way that we could make it so, rather than the merchants decide, what if we could let the customer decide?"

Out of that idea sprung "Planet Fundraiser," an Alabama-based app that lets merchants contributed a percentage of a sale to whatever charity the customer chooses.

It works like this: The merchant, say, Milo's Hamburgers, signs up with Planet Fundraiser to give a percentage of any sales made to a customer signed up through the app to that customer's chosen charity. That way, the customer gets to support their kid's school or favorite charity without having to shell out cash or buy overpriced gift wrap or cookie dough. And the merchant gives to a cause close to that customer's heart, building customer loyalty and a connection to the community.

The Planet Fundraiser app lets customers choose what charity they want their favorite business to support.

The idea was, "Let's just use technology to make it a lot simpler and make it where everyone wins and its better for everyone involved," Birdsong said. "If you can drive a merchant more business and it helps the merchant out and the byproduct is helping the community, I just said, 'We've got to do this.'"

The idea got off the ground in 2015 as a text-based technology, but launched as the Planet Fundraiser app in 2016.

Birdsong grew up in Hazel Green in Madison County, and lives in Birmingham, so Birmingham is where the company is based and Huntsville was an early market for Planet Fundraiser. Like most good ideas, it just keeps spreading.

Now the app has more than 1,000 community groups signed up and more than 300 merchants, like Milo's, Piggly Wiggly, Shipt, Chick-Fil-A and Jimmy John's. It is now available and used by businesses and their customers in Athens, Montgomery, Nashville, and Dallas, Texas, and will launch soon in Mobile, Birdsong said.

The app has been so popular with merchants and people who want to raise money for causes - The Hewitt-Trussville band just raised $15,000 - that investors are responding.

In a second round of seed funding, Planet Fundraiser just sealed $1.5 million in additional investment to continue growing the app's footprint nationwide. The plan is to expand to 20 markets by year's end.

Members of the Alabama Capital Network a group of top businesses and investors supporting the state's innovation sector -- contributed a majority of the financing.

That's a big deal for Planet Fundraiser, but also a good sign for all Alabama entrepreneurs. Birdsong had help from the Innovation Depot incubator in Birmingham, which helped it raise the money through its "Velocity Accelerator" program.

"The (Planet Fundraiser team) has built a solid product and continues to improve every day, adding value to both the merchants and the groups that receive charitable funds," said Devon Laney, CEO of Innovation Depot.

Haskins writes about points of pride statewide. Email your suggestions to shaskins@al.com, or tweet them to @Shelly_Haskins using #AlabamaProudThe only stink worse than skunk is the UKs cannabis policy

Cannabis is all but decriminalized. Walk down any high street in the UK and the sickly stench of skunk hangs in the air. Its not legal, of course. But it should be, not least of all if it means that less potent forms of marijuana become more available. Skunk is brain rot for the unadventurous.

Researchers at GW Pharmaceuticals, which produces cannabis-based medicines, and Kings College London discovered that a whopping 94% of weed seized by police is a strain of high-potency skunk. Dr Marta Di Forti, one of the led researchers in the study, says: This is actually worrying because if we do believe that there are types of cannabis that can be used more safely  because of the presence of cannabidiol  well, at least in this country, these are disappearing.

This countys remarkably leaden-headed attitude to drugs is narrowing supply towards the stronger, home-grown stuff that can be farmed in our colder climate. Why bother importing hash from north Africa when you can grow-your-own skunk in an indoor farm, with its guaranteed toxicity?

Anyone keen to try a bit of weed to stymie the pain of a medical condition is faced with the prospects of a life-changing criminal charge and a hit that leaves you goofed and mentally dull. If you fancy a toke and dont want to break the law you can always invest in legal highs, like spice and other revolting man-made gunk fashioned from desiccated carrier bags.

Things are better overseas. In 1990 Donald Trump told us: You have to legalise drugs to win the war. In California you can buy weed legally. Colorado earns a fortune from drug taxes  just as out governments earns vast sums from other mind-altering substance, like tobacco and alcohol.

Not everyone is a convert. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions is against legalization. At a Senate drug hearing in 2016, he opined: Good people dont smoke marijuana. Which begs the question: what do they smoke? And do they smoke it in General Jeffs Old Rebel Session Papers? The people behind the Jeff Sessions papers write:

#JeffSesh is a campaign to tell Jeff Sessions:Were not criminals, junkies or idiots. Regular Jeffs all over the countrygood, responsible, patriotic Americanshave a sesh now and then and its OK!

Lampooning the ridiculous ban on cannabis is a great idea. They wont listen to reason. So lets try satire. And you can drink to that.

Spotter: The Worlds Best Ever

Paul Sorene

Posted: 4th, March 2018 | In: News, The Consumer Comment | TrackBack | PermalinkKyron Horman: the missing child let down by hapless police and blinkered media

Its been a while since we covered the story of Kyron Horman (born September 9, 2002) who disappeared on June 4, 2010. The last confirmed sighting was when his step-mother dropped him off at Skyline Elementary School in Portland, Oregon. No sign of him has been seen since.

We covered the story in no small detail. But after our reporter in America, the lovely Cheryl Freeman, died in April 2015, we let it slip. But what did we miss? In a word: nothing. The case has gone cold.

In June 2017, Terri Horman, aka Terri Moulton, Kyrons stepmother was found not guilty of grand theft of a firearm in August 2015. Hopefully, this will allay some of her detractors now that shes been found not guilty of this offence, her attorney Adam Richards told PEOPLE.

Quite. But innocence is presumed, right?

Maybe.

When Kyron vanished, police and journalists eyes were trained on Terri Horman, who divorced Kyrons father in 2013. Monstered in the media and watched by a monocular and hapless police force, Terri Moulton has never been charged with any crime linked to Kyrons disappearance.

Not that her innocence makes her unique. No-ones been charged. The case of Kyron Hormans vanishing remains a single-thread story.

Terri has put her side of the story:

Kyrons father, Kaine Horman told media last year: The odds are that hes still out there, somewhere, so we cant stop what we are doing, we need to keep looking. Its just a matter of sharing. It could take one share on a Facebook, someone recognizes that photo, see him in the community and this case is over.

So what really happened?

Paul Sorene

Posted: 4th, March 2018 | In: News Comment | TrackBack | Permalink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ARTESIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

March 2

ACCIDENT

5:06 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 13th and Main streets in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

March 1

ARREST

11:27 a.m.  Natasha Page Martinez, 32, of Artesia, arrested on a magistrate warrant for failure to pay fines.

HAZARD

8:06 a.m.  Officer dispatched to North Seventh Street and West James Avenue in reference to a hazard.

UNWANTED SUBJECT

9:21 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 900 block of West Hermosa Drive in reference to an unwanted subject.

ALARM

9:33 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 3607 Smith Ave. in reference to an alarm.

9:43 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 320 W. Runyan Ave. in reference to an alarm.

FRAUD

10:19 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 2216 W. Grand Ave. in reference to fraud.

WANTED SUBJECT

10:52 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 2300 block of West Main Street in reference to a wanted subject.

FRAUD

11:16 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 804 W. Centre Ave. in reference to fraud.

ALARM

11:48 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 810 W. Cannon Ave. in reference to an alarm.

12:24 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 810 W. Cannon Ave. in reference to an alarm.

WANTED SUBJECT

2:17 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1000 block of North Sixth Street in reference to a wanted subject.

DISTURBANCE

2:38 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1400 block of South 21st Street in reference to a disturbance.

INTOXICATED SUBJECT

2:47 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 2300 block of West Grand Avenue in reference to an intoxicated subject.

UNWANTED SUBJECT

3:01 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 2600 block of West Main Street in reference to an unwanted subject.

3:11 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1400 block of South 21st Street in reference to an unwanted subject.

FIGHT IN PROGRESS

3:29 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 900 block of North 13th Street in reference to a fight in progress.

BURGLARY

3:37 p.m.  Officer dispatched to Tractor Supply Co. in reference to burglary.

MISSING CHILD

4:14 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1100 block of West Mann Avenue in reference to a missing child.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

4:48 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1100 block of North 13th Street in reference to suspicious activity.

DOMESTIC

4:57 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 900 block of South 11th Street in reference to a domestic dispute.

HAZARD

5:12 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1100 block of West Bullock Avenue in reference to a hazard.

DISTURBANCE

6:03 p.m.  Officer dispatched to Artesia General Hospital in reference to a disturbance.

ACCIDENT

7:47 p.m.  Officer dispatched to U.S. 285, mile marker 71, in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

PROPERTY INCIDENT

7:50 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 1016 W. Missouri Ave. in reference to a property incident.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

8:22 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1100 block of West Mann Avenue in reference to suspicious activity.

8:50 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1000 block of South Second Street in reference to suspicious activity.

ACCIDENT

9:11 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1400 block of West Yucca Avenue in reference to a motor vehicle accident.

EDDY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

March 2

BURGLARY

7:22 a.m.  Deputy dispatched to 1514 Spruce Lane in reference to burglary.

ALARM

7:55 a.m.  Deputy dispatched to 1513 Spruce Lane in reference to an alarm.

March 1

BURGLARY

8:11 a.m.  Deputy dispatched to 2705 West Ave. in reference to burglary.

FRAUD

11:34 a.m.  Deputy dispatched to 402 N. Paris St. in reference to fraud.

LIVESTOCK

8:25 p.m.  Deputy dispatched to U.S. 82, mile marker 112, in reference to livestock in the roadway.

ARTESIA MAGISTRATE COURT

Judge Daniel Reyes Jr.

Charges of battery against a household member dismissed against James E. Dawson, 46, of Artesia.

Graciela Wyatt, 31, of Artesia, found guilty of DWI. Sentenced to 14 days in ECDC. Total fines and fees $541. A charge of aggravated battery against a household member was dismissed.

Cynthia Morales, 37, of Artesia, bound over to district court on charges of presenting false evidence of vehicle title, failure to register vehicle, and no proof of insurance.

Charles Davis, 28, of Artesia, scheduled to appear March 28 for a probation violation hearing.

Fabian Munoz Amaya, 27, of Artesia, found guilty of aggravated DWI and unlawful use of a license. Scheduled to appear April 4 for sentencing.

Jorge Rodriguez, 19, of Artesia, bound over to district court on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Andrew Valdoz, 22, of Artesia, bound over to district court on charges of DWI, resisting, evading or obstructing an officer, criminal damage to property (over $1,000), driving without a license, careless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident.

Jose Cruz, 19, of Artesia, bound over to district court on charges of trafficking a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

David Daniel Lozado, 36, of Artesia, scheduled to appear April 4 for pretrial conference on charges of concealing identity.

Manuel Salcido, 26, of Hagerman, bound over to district court on charges of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. In a separate ruling, Salcido was scheduled to appear March 14 for preliminary examination on charges of larceny and conspiracy to commit larceny.

Michelle Dehoyos, 44, of Artesia, found guilty of larceny. Sentenced to seven days in ECDC. Total fines and fees $73.

Derrick D. Torres, 31, of Artesia, found guilty of probation violation. Total fines and fees $100.

Jordan Coddington, 20, of Artesia, scheduled to appear March 28 for a probation violation hearing.

Armando Lopez, 45, of El Paso, Texas, found guilty of driving without a license. Total fines and fees $106. In a separate ruling, Lopez was scheduled to appear March 7 for preliminary examination on charges of aggravated DWI (fourth offense), immediate notice of accident, careless driving, and no proof of insurance.

Joshua Dean James, 35, of Artesia, scheduled to appear March 14 for preliminary examination on charges of attempting to commit a felony, to wit: residential burglary, possession of burglary tools, criminal damage to property, and receiving stolen property.

Lorenzo Madrid, 31, of Artesia, scheduled to appear April 11 for pretrial conference on charges of two counts of criminal damage to property and battery.

Carlos Alberto Orejuela, 46, of Odessa, Texas, scheduled to appear March 26 for pretrial conference on charges of resisting, evading or obstructing an officer and three counts of minor traffic offenses.In the midst of celebrating LGBTQ Pride the U.S. Supreme Court rained on our virtual parade by ruling in favor of the Catholic Social Serv...The CBI, which has arrested 14 people in the case, on Saturday for the 1st time said bribes were paid to at least one PNB official by Modi.

PNB, India's second-biggest state lender, has mainly accused two low-level employees of the Brady House branch of issuing the LoUs without making corresponding entries in the bank's main software, helping the fraud to go undetected for years. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: An official of Punjab National Bank received gold and diamond jewellery from a billionaire jeweller accused of being involved in a Rs 12,600 crore bank fraud, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a court on Saturday.

The state lender in January uncovered the alleged fraud in which several bank officials were suspected of colluding with jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi to issue fraudulent letters of undertakings (LoUs), for their companies to raise loans from overseas branches of mostly Indian banks.

The CBI, which has arrested 14 people in the case, on Saturday for the first time said bribes were paid to at least one Punjab National Bank (PNB) official by Modi.

The agency told the court that Yashwant Joshi, who worked as a manager in the forex department of the Mumbai branch that is at the centre of the fraud, admitted to having received two gold coins weighing 60 grams and a pair of gold and diamond earrings from Modi.

The articles have been recovered from Joshi's house in the presence of independent witnesses, the CBI said.

"This indicates that he was in collusion with the beneficiary accused persons to cheat the bank," CBI Inspector D Damodaran said in a court filing. "He also obtained illegal gratification from the beneficiary party for continuing issuance of fraudulent LoUs."

Joshi, who was committed to judicial custody by the Mumbai court along with four other PNB officials and an associate of Modi, could not be contacted for comment.

Modi and Choksi, who own Gitanjali Gems Ltd, left India before the fraud came to light, but have said in letters and statements they were innocent.

PNB, India's second-biggest state lender, has mainly accused two low-level employees of the Brady House branch of issuing the LoUs without making corresponding entries in the bank's main software, helping the fraud to go undetected for years.

The CBI, however, has expanded its investigation and arrested two internal auditors of the branch, among others.

Separately, TV channels reported that another Mumbai court on Saturday issued non-bailable warrants against Modi and Choksi following an appeal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), an agency focused on foreign exchange and money laundering offences.

Read also: PNB fraud case: Non-bailable warrants issued against Nirav Modi, Choksi

"Modi appears to be the prima donna in the whole saga of the fraud perpetrated on the PNB," the directorate said in a filing to the court seen by Reuters.

"The case involves a circuitous web of routes created by the said Modi and in such circumstances, the fraudulent transactions appear to be in the personal knowledge and exclusive domain of Nirav Modi".

Modi has yet to be tracked by the authorities, but the ED said "reportedly, Modi is presently in Hong Kong". The agency has already seized various properties of Modi and Choksi, as banks assess the hit to them from the fraud.

State Bank of India and two other state-run banks, Union Bank of India and Allahabad Bank, are lenders who had extended credit based on the LoUs issued by PNB that were later found to be fraudulent. Allahabad Bank said on Saturday it had a USD 366.87 million exposure to the case.The NDPP-BJP gained the support of one independent and one JD(U) MLAs which took the total number of seats to 32.

Neiphiu Rio met BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav in Dimapur, Nagaland. He was elected unopposed in the Nagaland Assembly election after his rival from the Naga People's Front withdrew his nomination. (Photo: ANI)

Kohima: Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leader and former Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav and other allies on Sunday met Governor PB Acharya to stake claim to form the government.

In the 60-member assembly, the NDPP-BJP alliance bagged a total of 30 seats.

The NDPP-BJP gained the support of one independent and one JD(U) MLAs which took the total number of seats to 32.

The Naga Peoples Front (NPF), which was a BJP ally but parted ways before the assembly elections, bagged 27 seats.

NPF leader and outgoing Chief Minister T R Zeliang, however, has expressed interest in joining hands with the BJP to form the government.

The NDPP on Sunday exuded confidence that they would be able to form a stable government in the state as the numbers were on their side. BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said the pre-poll allies have got the party a "near simple majority" in the 60-member assembly.

Highlighting the alliances' priorities when it forms the government, former CM Neiphiu Rio said they have two top priorities -- resolution of the Naga political issue as soon as possible and all-round development of Nagaland.

Tripura is a done deal for the BJP after it put up a spectacular show in on Saturday in the state, ending 25 years of the Left rule.

BJP leader Biplab Deb Kumar is all set to be the next chief minister of Tripura.

The BJP is also looking to form coalition government in Meghalaya in the face of a hung assembly.

(With agency inputs)CERT-In on its part issues alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats and counter measures to protect computers on regular basis.

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) which tracks such incidents of cyber attacks, however does not maintain any data related to losses incurred by Indian companies owing to such violations.

New Delhi: There has been an alarming 13 per cent rise in cyber security violations of official as well as companies websites in the country between 2014 and 2016. Official sources have acknowledged that there have been repeated attempts to penetrate cyber networks operating in Government spheres, and while these have been originating from several nations, notable among them are Pakistan and China.

According to information available with this newspaper, there were 44,679 hacking incidents reported in 2014, which increased by 13 per cent to 50,362 in 2016. Till November 2017, 40,054 incidents of hacking and cyber security violations had been reported in the country.

In fact compared to 2014, such incidents had witnessed an increase of a significant 10 per cent in 2015 itself. There were a total 49,455 instances of cyber security violations reported in 2015 over the corresponding year, official sources said.

These further increased to 50,362 in 2016. And though till November 2017, only 40,054 such incidents had been reported, sources within the government pointed out that several measures are being taken on a regular basis to keep cyber agencies on alert regarding such attacks and to reduce their recurrence.

Some major types of cyber attacks which have been witnessed by Government on official websites as well as on those maintained by private entities include scanning or probing websites, intrusion or defacement, ransomware and phising.

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) which tracks such incidents of cyber attacks, however does not maintain any data related to losses incurred by Indian companies owing to such violations.

However, industry watchers said that considering the fact that there has been an increase in the number of such attacks within the past four years, losses faced by companies in the country could be in thousands of crores of rupees.

CERT-In on its part issues alerts and advisories regarding latest cyber threats and counter measures to protect computers on regular basis.

It also conducts mock drills to enable assessment of cyber security preparedness in government as well as in other critical sectors, sources in the know pointed out.The Congress is also expected to raise the issue of its leaders being targeted by the CBI or other enforcement agencies.

The bill to target fugitive economic offenders was approved by the Union Cabinet following the escape of diamond merchant Nirav Modi and other accused in the over Rs 12,700 crore PNB scam.

New Delhi: As the in Parliament reconvenes on Monday for the second part of the ongoing Budget Session, the Opposition, including the Congress, is expected to corner the Narendra Modi government on contentious issues like the Punjab National Bank scam and the ongoing tussle between Prasar Bharati and the information and broadcasting ministry.

The BJP-led government, buoyed by its impressive performance in the Assembly polls in the Northeast, is expected to push for the passage of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill, which seeks confiscation of assets of absconding fraudsters and loan defaulters, and the triple talaq bill, sources said.

The bill to target fugitive economic offenders was approved by the Union Cabinet following the escape of diamond merchant Nirav Modi and other accused in the over Rs 12,700 crore PNB scam.

Sources said that the government hopes that it will be able to deflect Opposition criticism if it is able to get the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill through in the ongoing session.

The Congress is also expected to raise the issue of its leaders being targeted by the CBI or other enforcement agencies. Another major issue that is expected to create trouble for the government is the ongoing tussle between public service brodcaster Prasar Bharati and the I&B ministry.

The Opposition, led by the Congress, has been targeting the I&B ministry over its refusal to release funds to the Prasar Bharati for the salaries of its employees.

The ministrys decision to transfer a large number of Indian Information Service officers is also expected to be raised by the Opposition during the session.

However, following its win in Tripura and impressive performance in Nagaland and Meghalaya elections, the BJP is expected to take on the Opposition attack with high spirits.

The saffron unit is expected to rake up scams that happened during the Congress-led UPAs tenure, sources said.

The government is also expected to push the contentious triple talaq bill which prohibits the practice of instant divorce among Muslims. The BJP is expected to seek its passage in Rajya Sabha despite a strong opposition to it from parties like the Congress and the Left, among others. The passage of the OBC bill, which envisages constitutional status for the OBC commission, is another item on the governments agenda.

Parliament will also take up a discussion on the Union Budget, which was tabled in the first half of the session, and pass it.Reportedly, the girl was duped and taken to an abandoned building by her uncle who raped her and left her there.

The victim is currently battling for life at King George's Medical University. (Representational image)

Lucknow: A man has been arrested by Lucknow police for allegedly raping his three-year-old niece in Uttar Pradeshs Thakurganj town.

"The girl went missing on Friday afternoon while she was playing outside her house. She was found later from an abandoned under-construction house nearby," victim's father told ANI.

Reportedly, she was duped and taken to an abandoned building by her uncle who raped her and abandoned there.

According to reports, the victim's father, a daily wage labourer in Lucknow Nagar Nigam, has been residing in a rented place in Thakurganj locality for several years now.

The victim is currently battling for life at King George's Medical University. Her condition is said to be critical, media reports added.

A case has been registered and further investigations are on.The incident soured relations between the two parties and left a deep impact on state politics.

Lucknow: More than 23 years after they parted ways in the most acrimonious manner possible, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party will be seen on the same page in the coming Lok Sabha byelections in Uttar Pradesh.

The BSP on Sunday announced that it would support SP candidates in the two Lok Sabha byelections in Gorakhpur and Phulpur, apparently to defeat the BJP.

An announcement to this effect was made by BSP leader Ghanshyam Kharwar and Allahabad district coordinator Ashok Gautam. At the BSP zonal meeting in Allahabad, Ghanshyam Kharwar, in charge of the BSPs Gorakhpur zone, Udaiveer Singh of SP and Dr Sanjay Nishad, president of the Nishad Party, were present. After the meeting, the leaders announced support to the SP candidates. The BSP is not contesting the byelections.

However, BSP sources made it clear that support to the SP shouldnt be seen as the first step to an alliance of the two parties in next years Lok Sabha elections.

BSP president Mayawati later told PTI: All rumours of a BSP-SP alliance are false and baseless. Since we have not put up our candidates in the Lok Sabha byelections, our party workers and voters wanted a directive. So I have asked them to vote for a party that can defeat the BJP, and it is the SP in this case. It is not an alliance but a transfer of votes.

She further said that the BSP had not struck an alliance with any party in the country, except in Karnataka.

Ms Mayawati slammed the media for putting out reports of an SP-BSP alliance in UP, and said, If ever there is an alliance, we will announce it first to the media so that there is no speculation.

The BJP, meanwhile, downplayed the new alliance of the SP and BSP, and said it would not make any difference to its prospects in the byelections.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the alliance was a mismatch  ker-ber ka sangh hai (ker is banana in the local parlance and ber is a berry).

Everyone knows that the Samajwadi Party had earlier threatened to demolish the statues of dalit icons and the two parties have traded charges at the lowest possible level. Besides, the results in the Northeast prove that the colour of development is now saffron, the CM said while speaking to reporters on Sunday.

UP BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey said the BJP would win the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats with a record margin. This alliance between the SP and BSP has exposed the two parties. People now know that these leaders can make any compromise for the sake of power and have no principles whatsoever, he said.

Political analysts, meanwhile, have their reservations about the impact of the alliance. The BSP hold over dalit votes has weakened in the past few years and it is doubtful whether its votes will be smoothly transferred to the SP candidates. Moreover, dalits and Yadavs have been at war since the past two decades when the infamous State Guest House incident took place in 1995. It is unlikely that they will vote together now, said an analyst.

In June 1995, ties between the SP and BSP snapped when Samajwadis stormed into the State Guest House in Lucknow where Ms Mayawati was addressing a meeting of her party MLAs. While Samajwadi leaders abducted some MLAs, Ms Mayawati locked herself in a room with the remaining legislators and remained there for over 30 hours until the Mulayam Singh Yadav government was dismissed and she was rescued by the police. The incident soured relations between the two parties and left a deep impact on state politics.Schools across the state of West Virginia will be closed on Monday for the eighth straight school day, after the state senate trimmed the promised pay raise for teachers from 5 percent to 4 percent.

On Feb. 27, Gov. Jim Justice reached an agreement with union officials to end the strike , pending a vote in the state legislature for a 5 percent pay raise for all school employees this year. All other public employees were set to receive a 3 percent raise this year, Justice said. But teachers balked at the fact that there would be no immediate fix to health insurance premiums, which increased in the 2018-19 benefits plan for state employees. The insurance agency agreed to freeze health-care premiums and rates for 16 months, but the strike continued for the rest of the week.

The house passed the 5 percent raise plan on Feb. 28, but three days later, the state senate decided to trim the pay raise to 4 percent in its version of the bill. The senator who proposed the amendment said the money saved would give an across-the-board 4 percent pay raise to all school employees, the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported .

Now, the strike will continue indefinitely. A statement from the three unions AFT-West Virginia, the West Virginia Education Association, and the West Virginia School Service Personnel Associationpromised that schools would remain closed until the state senate honored the agreement of the 5 percent raise. Senators, they said, broke the good-faith agreement they had made with the governor.

They have had the bill for three days, and they are the ones responsible for our students not being in school, the statement said.

In a statement , Justice, a Republican, said it was time to quit playing politics and get our kids back in school.

For crying out loud, we are putting our children at risk, he said. I will not be a party to pitting our state employees against our teachers.

There was some legislative drama in the statehousethe state senate accidentally voted for the house version of the bill, which gave teachers their desired 5 percent pay raise. The state senate had to retrieve the bill from the house, and vote again on the amendment to cut the pay raise to 4 percent. (For more of the details of whats happening in the state legislature, follow Jake Jarvis , the West Virginia government reporter for the WV State Journal, who has been live-tweeting.)

Striking in West Virginia is illegal. Teachers could be punished by being denied pay, suspended, fired, barred from teaching in a public school for a year, charged with a criminal misdemeanor, or even fined or jailed if they do not comply with a court injunction ordering them to return to work.

Union officials called for education employees and supporters to be at the state capitol on Monday, March 5, to deliver a clear message to senate leadership.

Amanda Scarbery waves to passing drivers while demonstrating with other school personnel across from the capitol building in Charleston, W.Va., on Feb. 26, the third day of the statewide walkout by school personnel.

Craig Hudson /Charleston Gazette-Mail via APThe bar is now 22 years old and has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for its collection.

In the late 80s, Claudio Bernasconi visited India with an eye on setting up his own business (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: The idea was neat, so to speak. A young man from Switzerland was suffering from a tummy bug in Mumbai when an Indian friend told him how to deal with it.

The world's largest whisky bar has to thank the friend for the remedy he suggested. It was this bit of advice -- quite possibly proposed as a little joke -- that set the idea rolling.

In the late 80s, Claudio Bernasconi visited India with an eye on setting up his own business, after he had failed to get a loan from Swiss banks.

"India was among the many countries my dad visited," his son Sandro recollected. But Claudio soon developed a severe stomach infection while in Mumbai, the son said.

"I guess safe drinking water was an issue those days. Then an Indian friend of his told him: 'Claudio, there's only one solution. Brush your teeth with whisky every morning!," Sandro said, laughing. The suggestion honed an interest -- and led to the setting up of the bar.

"My father was naive enough to believe that he wasn't being taken for a ride. What happened next was even more interesting. He took a liking for Indian made whisky. The next thing he knew was that he wanted to own a whisky bar," Sandro said.

An idle brain may or may not be a devil's workshop, but it certainly led to 'Devil's Place', which Claudio opened up after doing a series of odd jobs and collecting money. Now in his early sixties, he keeps busy with the bar, travelling across the world, for the choicest of liquors.

Touted as the world's largest whisky bar, with a collection of 2,500 types of whiskies, it is now a tourist draw in the quaint little Swiss town of St Moritz. A visit to the bar was made possible during a recent visit to the scenic town, courtesy Switzerland Tourism.

The bar is now 22 years old and has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for its collection that ranges from blended whisky and Scotch to bourbon and single malts. And, yes, there's Indian whisky, too.

"Every year we buy 12 different casks (the taste depends largely on the wood of the cask). We have a vintage collection that dates back to 1940. Our collection is diverse and the premium whisky bottles can sometimes cost up to 30,000 Swiss Francs (Rs 20.85 lakh)," Sandro told visiting reporters.

So would you like to taste some, he asked.

It was not an offer that could be refused. And the Scottish distillery Macallan's 1940 vintage Speymalt was as smooth as silk.

Apart from their collection of whiskies, two other aspects of the bar stand out.

First, the underground cellar with a bright red 200-kg iron door, constructed during World War II. The room was used as an air raid shelter by soldiers during the war.

"The door still remains although the area has undergone a major revamp," Sandro said.

The second is a collection of photographs of 50-odd people on what the owners call the 'Wall of Fame'.

"It's our way of paying a tribute to the connoisseurs of whisky. We have photographs of all those who have tasted more than 100 brands of whisky at our bar."

As one left the bar after a couple of hours, Mark Twain's epic comment on whisky came to mind.

"Too much of anything is bad," he had said, "but too much good whisky is barely enough.Party blames AAP govt, Centre for steep rise.

New Delhi: The Delhi Congress workers held demonstrations in 280 blocks across the national capital, on Sund-ay, to lodge their protest against the rising prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene, LPG, and other essential commodities. The protestors squarely blamed the BJP-run government at the Centre and AAP administration in Delhi for the steep price hike.

Addressing his workers, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said people have understood the fact that Congress is the only party that can rule the country under the leadership of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. Holding both the BJP and AAP responsible for the rising prices, Mr Maken said that the BJP-led government at the Centre had increased the excise duty 11 times on petrol and diesel whereas AAP government in Delhi had increased VAT thrice on these products.

He said that in 2013-14, the rates of crude oil in the international market was $105.52 per barrel, whereas in 2016-17 these rates came down to $47.56 per barrel. However, he said, the prices of petrol and diesel are increasing continuously and diesel is Rs 62.88 per litre, while petrol is Rs 72.26 in Delhi.

According to Mr Maken, if excise and VAT are removed from petrol and diesel, the rates of these products would drastically come down. He further said that the poor people were still striving to have two meals a day. In 2014, rice was sold at Rs 21 per kg whereas it is being sold at Rs 40 per kg as of now, he added.

Listing the rates of various products, Mr Maken said that kerosene oil was available at Rs 14.96 per litre in 2014 but it has shot to Rs 22.65 per litre this year. Whereas one LPG cylinder was available for Rs 414 in 2014, the same is now being sold at Rs 736.

Mr Maken said that though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to provide employment to 2 crore people in a year and CM Arvind Kej-riwal had assured employment to 10 lakh people in Delhi, both have failed in fulfilling their promises.Social activist Anna Hazare reportedly met hundreds of SSC aspirants in the capital and urged them to walk on the path of non-violence.

New Delhi: The protest against the alleged question paper leak of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Tier 2 exam spilled into the fifth day on Sunday as protesters continued to demand a CBI probe into the matter.

Social activist Anna Hazare reportedly met hundreds of SSC aspirants in the capital and urged them to walk on the path of non-violence.

Meanwhile, standing in solidarity with the candidates, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Manoj Tiwari on Sunday backed their demand for a CBI probe into the alleged SSC question paper leak.

Mr Tiwari said that he met with the Union home minister Rajnath Singh along with protesting SSC aspirants to discuss their concern.

Mr Singh heard the students and assured action in this regard, he said.

Mr Tiwari also said We are against corruption and the demand of these students is genuine. I have full faith in my government, the culprits whoever they may be, will not be spared as the BJP and Delhi state stand by their demand, he added.

Later, the delegation met SSC chairperson Ashim Khurana. MP Meenakshi Lekhi also met the SSC aspirants and appealed to them to defer their agitation.

Demanding the government to take action, Mr Hazare said, We will wait for the government to decide and then see what we need to do. I appeal to all of you not to get violent in the meantime.

The CGL exam was held from February 17 to 21. About 1,89,843 candidates appeared for the exam this year. The SSC on February 17 cancelled the the exams second shift after malpractices were reported at a New Delhi exam centre. Paper chits with answers were found in the toilet after the completion of quantitative aptitude paper.Men and women dressed traditionally, sporting bamboo headgears and neckpieces.

Young boys and girls performed the Kharing-Kharak pheichak, a folk dance, to begin the festival. (Photo: ANI)

Mumbai: The Tangkhul Welfare Society Mumbai (TWSM) organised their 2nd Luira Phanit 'Seed Sowing Festival' in Maharashtra's Mumbai city.

During the celebration, adorned in fineries - men sported headgears made from bamboo with intricately weaved designs, while women donned traditional neckpieces apart from their colourful traditional attires.

Young boys and girls performed the Kharing-Kharak pheichak, a folk dance, to begin the festival.

Other highlights of the day included folk song, dance competition, fancy dress, Mr & Miss Luira and many more.

Marking the occasion of the day, Joint Commissioner of Income Tax, Qr Omi Ningshen, chief guest, felicitated the event and urged the gathering to sow the seeds of peace and unity.Indrani is lodged inside the Byculla prison since 2015 in connection with her daughters murder.

Mumbai: A joint questioning of Karti Chidambaram and Indrani Mukerjea, both accused in the INX Media case, ended on Sunday evening, with the former leaving Mumbais Byculla Jail with a defiant gesture to the media claiming innocence.

Sources said Karti, son of senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram, was brought face-to-face with Indrani, who is lodged inside the Byculla jail and is undergoing trail for allegedly killing her daughter Sheena Bora.

The six-member CBI team landed at Mumbai early in the morning and arrived at the Byculla womens prison around 11.30 am. A defiant Karti waved at the media after alighting from the SUV, before being whisked away by the officials inside the prison. The prison officials were informed at the last minute about Kartis visit.

Indrani was brought out of her barrack and confronted with Karti. The session went on for four hours that was video recorded by the CBI officials. They were carrying a camera and tripod with them. The questioning was to ascertain the claims made by Indrani naming Karti and his father over the foreign remittances made by the Mukerjeas to assist Karti and their interest in overseas venture.

The questioning ended around 3.15 pm. The CBI team headed to the airport to return to Delhi. While being whisked away by the CBI officials, Karti said, I am innocent. The whole case is politically motivated.

The CBI officials refused to comment on the joint interrogation. Sources added, The joint questioning was required before the custody ended. If needed, more joint interrogation will be held again. The CBI has Kartis custody till March 6. They arrested him in a corruption case from Chennai airport on Thursday. The arrest came in the backdrop of Indranis statement before a Delhi court under section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

During her interrogation in the past, Indrani had told the CBI that during the meeting at his office in North Block, New Delhi, Chidambaram had allegedly asked the Mukherjeas to make foreign remittances in a bid to help set up his son Kartis business, in lieu of the approvals.

Indrani is lodged inside the Byculla prison since 2015 in connection with her daughters murder. Indrani had stated that Karti was paid around Rs 7 crore (USD 1 million) for allegedly influencing Foreign Investment Promotion Board to rule in the favour of INX Medias for their overseas venture. Subsequently, the CBI and Enforcement Directorate also claimed to have found payment vouchers made to Kartis companies by INX Media. It allegedly bore Peter Mukerjeas signatures.Xi Jinping's top economic aide, Liu He, met with US officials at White House this week to discuss the fraught economic relationship.

China has been in Trump's crosshairs over its trade practices since his presidential campaign, but its steel and aluminium exports to the United States are minimal. (Photo: File)

Beijing: China will "take necessary measures" if the United States harms the country's economic interests, a Chinese official said Sunday, as President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium.

"China doesn't want a trade war with the United States," Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National People's Congress, told a news conference on the eve of the rubber-stamp parliament's annual session.

"But if the US takes actions that hurt Chinese interests, China will not sit idly by and will take necessary measures," Zhang said in China's strongest reaction yet since Trump announced the levies on Friday.

President Xi Jinping's top economic aide, Liu He, met with US officials at the White House this week to discuss the fraught economic relationship.

Trump's announcement has sparked a flurry of counter threats from other nations, sparking fears that it will trigger a tit-for-tat trade conflict around the globe.

Trump has shrugged off the threat, boasting on Friday that "trade wars are good, and easy to win".

The Trump administration plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminium.

China has been in Trump's crosshairs over its trade practices since his presidential campaign, but its steel and aluminium exports to the United States are minimal.

While China is the world's largest steel producer, it accounts for less than one percent of US imports and sells only 10 percent of its wrought aluminium abroad.

Steel producers in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey rely far more heavily on the US market.

"The American action to put sanctions on other countries' reasonable steel and aluminium exports in the name of harming national security is groundless," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.Globally, the costs of implementing the Paris Climate Agreement between 2020-2050 could be outweighed by health savings due to reduced air pollution-related disease and death, according to estimates from a modelling study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.

195 countries are currently signed up to the Paris Climate Agreement, which is due to commence in 2020. It aims to reduce the impacts of climate change by preventing the global average temperature from increasing to 2C above pre-industrial levels, with a view to further limit this to less than 1.5C. However, how these targets will be achieved and funded by all countries has not yet been agreed.

We hope that the large health co-benefits we have estimated for different scenarios and countries might help policymakers move towards adopting more ambitious climate policies and measures to reduce air pollution, and to consider how to share the burden of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution-related disease, says Professor Anil Markandya, Basque Centre for Climate Change, Spain. [1]

In the study, the authors combined a number of existing models to estimate emission levels, air pollution-related deaths (as a result of respiratory disease, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, lung cancer, and acute lower respiratory airway infections) and their costs, costs of climate change mitigation, and healthcare co-benefits [2] for the US, EU-27, China, India, and the rest of the world.

They modelled the impacts of doing nothing, continuing current country-level policies, and three different strategies for implementing and funding the Paris Agreement towards the 2C and the 1.5C limits. The scenarios vary depending on the relative share of the burden that high or lower income countries take on (the capability, constant emissions rate and equal per capita strategies [3]).

Current country-level strategies are estimated to cost US$7.5 trillion and could potentially lead to 5% fewer air pollution-related deaths globally between 2020-2050, compared to no mitigation strategies being in place (128 million deaths for no mitigation vs. 122 million deaths using country-by-country interventions).

Under this scenario, the US and EU would contribute the majority of the costs (US: 66.3%, $4.9 trillion. EU: 28.9%, $2.2 trillion), while under the Paris Climate Agreement costs would be spread more evenly across all countries  with cost increases likely to be smallest for the US and EU, and largest for the rest of the world, India, and China.

Overall, the costs of the implementing the Paris Climate Agreement ranged from 0.5-1% global GDP ($22.1 trillion-$41.6 trillion) for the 2C target, and from 1-1.3% global GDP ($39.7 trillion-$56.1 trillion) for the 1.5C target. The study estimates significantly fewer air pollution-related deaths between 2020-2050 globally under these options  reducing deaths by 21-27% if the 2C target were met (between 101-93 million deaths) and by 28-32% if the 1.5C target were met (between 92-87 million deaths).

Depending on the strategy used to mitigate climate change, estimates suggest that the health savings from reduced air pollution could be between 1.4-2.5 times greater than the costs of climate change mitigation, globally.

The constant emissions ratio strategy to reach the 2C target was projected to have the highest benefit-to-cost ratio globally  where the global health savings were estimated to be double the global policy costs (global costs of $22.1 trillion, and $54.1 trillion saved).

Under all three of the scenarios proposed, the countries likely to see the biggest health savings from improved climate change mitigation were India and China  with India accounting for roughly 43% of the health savings in all scenarios, and China accounting for roughly 55%. This is because these countries have large populations, many of whom are exposed to higher than acceptable pollution levels.

In addition, the cost of setting any climate change mitigation policies in China and India would be fully compensated by just the health savings made in most scenarios, and the added costs of pursuing the 1.5C target instead of the 2C target could generate substantial benefits (India: $3.3-8.4 trillion. China: $0.3-2.3 trillion, respectively).

For the EU and US, while the estimated health savings could make a large contribution against the policy costs, health savings alone were not enough to fully compensate the cost. However, the authors note that these health savings are one of many of the benefits of reduced climate change. Attaining the 2C target comes with considerable benefits from reduced climate change globally, such as health benefits, employment opportunities, reduced loss of or damage to property, and reduced losses in agriculture. Furthermore, attaining a 1.5C target has even greater climate benefits. says Professor Markandya.

The authors note some limitations, including that their health cost estimates only look at air pollution-related disease and death, and there could be further health savings from other pollution-related disease. The study also relies on the accuracy of the models it used.

The costs attributable to disease and death within the study were similar to those used in other studies, but when substantially lower costs were trialled in a sensitivity analysis, most health savings did not outweigh the policy costs in the Paris Agreement scenarios for the EU, US and rest of world, but did still cover a substantial amount of the policy costs.

Lastly, more research will be needed to handle to exact distribution of costs across countries when the mitigation strategy for the Paris Agreement is agreed.

Writing in a linked Comment, Professor Philip Landrigan, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA, says: The key contribution of this report is that it makes visible the very large, previously hidden health and economic benefits of climate mitigation and shows that these benefits are greater than the costs of climate change prevention. Political and economic arguments against climate mitigation and pollution control are typically based on short-sighted, one-sided, and self-serving calculations that consider only the tangible, concrete, and relatively easily counted costs of controlling emissions. This reports carefully crafted conclusion that the health and economic benefits of climate mitigation significantly outweigh its costs provides a powerful rebuttal to those arguments.By Steve Lapidge

The global fake food trade rivals narcotics in scale. What can the Australian food industry do to safeguard its reputation for producing safe, high-quality food?

The counterfeiting of Australian food and wine products in key export markets is potentially costing Australia nearly $2 billion each year, economic modelling released in late 2017 by Food Innovation Australia Ltd has shown. Topping the list are dairy ($360 million p.a.), wine ($303 million p.a.) and red meat ($272 million p.a.) losses, with horticulture and seafood following closely behind.

Due to Australias global reputation as a supplier of high quality and safe food and wine in the international marketplace, Brand Australia is increasingly being hijacked by unscrupulous operators copying our products. Pricewaterhouse Coopers reported that global food fraud costs the food industry more than $50 billion each year, and is on the rise, with 1020% of all food and wine products not what they claim to be. This puts the global fake food trade on par with narcotics.

Food fraud occurs when products are deliberately tampered with, substituted with another product, diluted or mislabelled. One high profile example was when milk and infant formula was adulterated with melamine, a white plastics precursor, in China in 2008, leading to six fatalities from kidney damage as well as illness in 300,000 babies.

More recently there has been major horse meat scandals in Europe, whereby horse meat was being deliberately mislabelled as beef. Why? Because horse meat is much cheaper than beef, so food companies can increase their profits.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers also identified the main targets of food fraud as staples like olive oil, milk, honey, orange juice, tea and coffee. Recent estimates put the cost of food fraud in the United Kingdom at 11 billion, or 424 per household.

For Australian food and wine exporters, luxury brands such as Blackmore Wagyu beef and Penfolds wines have been heavily targeted be counterfeiters in Asia. In November 2017, Chinese police found 14,000 bottles of fake Penfolds wine after a complaint to online retailer Alibaba by Treasury Wine Estates, the owner of the Penfolds brand.

Australian food imports as well as local products are not immune to food fraud. CHOICE, the Australian consumer advocacy group, reported in 2016 that only five of 12 oregano products on the supermarket shelf contained 100% oregano. One brand contained less than 10%.

In the same year a study into seafood fraud, conducted by US-based conservation group Oceana, found that one in five pieces of seafood tested worldwide were mislabelled. Importantly, many of the substituted species posed a health risk for consumers.

Although we have a long way to go, the tide is now starting to turn on food fraud. Consumers are wanting proof that what they are buying is the genuine article.

One Australian food company, Beston Global Food Company, is already capitalising on this trend. It has developed a closed supply chain into Asia for its premium Australian diary products, which are fully traceable back to the source and come with anti-counterfeiting packaging.

Other companies are now offering alternative means of product verification based on isotopic ratios, key trace elements, DNA profiles, mass spectrometry, portable spectroscopy and unique associations of metabolomics linked to the bioclimate, water and underlying geology and soils used to produce the foods. Such approaches test the food or wine product itself, rather than the packaging it is in, as this can be reused. For instance, The Weekly Times reported last year that the average bottle of champagne in China is refilled and sold seven times.

One such approach currently in operation is Physi-Trace within the Australian pork industry. Based on trace element analysis, Physi-Trace can be used effectively to validate the country, state and farm of origin of fresh pork, as well as whether it is of Australian origin or not in regards to ham and bacon, much of which is imported.

With the rise of online food shopping, particularly in Asia, the ultimate aim must be to get the next generation of food and wine authentication tools into the hands of consumers. This will be a key aim of the proposed Fight Food Waste & Fraud CRC. Ultimately we cannot stop counterfeiting, however we can empower consumers to ensure that they are receiving the genuine article. Furthermore, ensuring that Australian food and wine exporters have rigid product authentication techniques in place will help protect Brand Australia should a food safety incident occur.Fitbit-like sensors are being tested on farms across Australia to provide insights into the health, well-being and behaviours of cattle and sheep  even individual animals on very large-scale farms.

In the past, farmers got to know the habits of their individual animals, explains Dr Aniruddha Desai of La Trobe Universitys Centre for Technology Infusion. However, with large-scale farming, that is now impossible and current systems such as video monitoring are highly inaccurate.

The La Trobe study has been carried out over the past 3 years on a dairy farm, a sheep farm and a beef farm. Our work has shown the potential of such technology to address important industry problems in Australia, such as high lamb mortality rate in sheep and improving feed efficiency and pasture utilisation in both dairy and beef industries, said the programs science leader, Dr Markandeya Jois.

The researchers measured behaviours such as biting, chewing, and ruminating and then analysed them, correlating the results with growth and health metrics of the cow. With beef cattle, this helps farmers understand the causes of poor growth during the winter months and develop intervention strategies.

Response from the farmers with whom weve worked has been unanimously positive, and we are now seeking commercial partners to help make this technology a reality, Desai said.It had been long been thought that Andromeda was two to three times the size of the Milky Way, and that our own galaxy would ultimately be engulfed by our bigger neighbour, but new research published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society has found that Andromeda is 800 billion times heavier than the Sun, which is on par with the Milky Way.

Astrophysicist Dr Prajwal Kafle of The University of Western Australia node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research said the study used a new technique to measure the speed required to escape a galaxy.

When a rocket is launched into space, it is thrown out with a speed of 11 km/s to overcome the Earths gravitational pull, he said. Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is over a trillion times heavier than our tiny planet Earth, so to escape its gravitational pull we have to launch with a speed of 550 km/s. We used this technique to tie down the mass of Andromeda.

Kafle said the research suggests that scientists previously overestimated the amount of dark matter in the Andromeda galaxy. By examining the orbits of high-speed stars, we discovered that this galaxy has far less dark matter than previously thought, and only a third of that uncovered in previous observations, he said.

The Milky Way and Andromeda are two giant spiral galaxies in our local Universe. With Andromeda no longer considered the Milky Ways big brother, new simulations are needed to find out what will happen when the two galaxies eventually collide.

Kafle used a similar technique to revise down the weight of the Milky Way in 2014, and said the latest finding had big implications for our understanding of our nearest galactic neighbours.This blog is looking for wisdom, to have and to share. it is also looking for other rare character traits like good humor, courage, and honor. It is not an easy road, because all of us fall short. But God is love, forgiveness and grace. Those who believe in Him and repent of their sins have the promise of His Holy Spirit to guide us and show us the Way.Chemists from the University of Sydney have developed nanostructured surface coatings that have anti-fouling properties without using any toxic components.

The build-up of biological material costs the aquaculture and shipping industries billions of dollars per year in maintenance and extra fuel usage. It is estimated that the increased drag on ship hulls due to biofouling costs the shipping industry in Australia $320 million per year.

Since the toxic anti-fouling agent tributyltin was banned, the need for new non-toxic methods to stop marine biofouling has been pressing.

We are keen to understand how these surfaces work and also push the boundaries of their application, especially for energy efficiency. Slippery coatings are expected to be drag-reducing, which means that objects such as ships could move through water with much less energy required, said team leader A/Prof Chiara Neto.

The new coating creates nanowrinkles inspired by the carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plant, which traps a layer of water on the tiny structures around the rim of its opening. This creates a slippery layer that causes insects to aquaplane along the surface before they slip into the pitcher and are digested.

Biofouling can occur on any surface that is wet for a long period of time, such as aquaculture nets, marine sensors and ship hulls. The slippery surface developed by Netos group stops the initial adhesion of bacteria, inhibiting the formation of a biofilm from which larger marine organisms can grow.

In Netos lab, the slippery surfaces resisted almost all fouling from a common species of marine bacteria. In contrast, control Teflon samples without a lubricating layer were completely fouled.

Not satisfied with testing the surfaces under highly controlled lab conditions with only one type of bacteria, the team also tested the surfaces in the ocean by attaching them to swimming nets at Watsons Bay baths in Sydney Harbour for a period of 7 weeks. Despite the much harsher marine environment, the slippery surfaces were still very efficient at resisting fouling.

The antifouling coatings are mouldable and transparent, making their application ideal for underwater cameras and sensors.

The research has been published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.By AusSMC

While ozone levels in the upper atmosphere near the poles have been recovering, new research has found that the bottom part of the ozone layer at more populated latitudes is not recovering.

The worst ozone-depleting substances are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other volatile chemicals containing chlorine or bromine. Emissions of these substances have been drastically reduced by international agreement, under the Montreal Protocol, to ban or restrict their production and consumption. As a result (wed like to believe), the decline in the stratospheric ozone concentration has been arrested and there are some signs of recovery.

However, given the steep decline in emissions, we might have expected a better result for the ozone layer. This analysis of research results, published by an international group of scientists (Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, https://goo.gl/33aEbL), help us to understand why we havent.

Measurements of ozone concentration are made for a notional column of air stretching up from about 10 km above Earths surface to about 50 km. For the column as a whole, there has not been much change in ozone concentration during the period 19982016. When results for slices of the air in that column were examined, a more complex picture emerged. In the upper stratosphere (3248 km) there has been a steady increase in ozone concentration, which is what was expected from the actions taken under the Montreal Protocol.

However, in a lower slice of the air column(1324 km) there has been a continuous decline. The reasons for this decline remain unknown. Unlike the positive change at higher levels, this negative is not predicted by models of atmospheric chemistry.

The result of their analysis is nicely summed up by the authors: We find that the negative ozone trend within the lower stratosphere between 1998 and 2016 is the main reason why a statistically significant recovery in total column ozone has remained elusive. In colloquial language: if you add a positive change and a negative change, you get zero change.

Professor Ian Rae is an expert on chemicals in the environment at the University of Melbournes School of Chemistry.

Although the authors suggest otherwise, this paper could be a challenge to the effectiveness of the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol banned CFCs and was the worlds first universal agreement to cooperate on behalf of global human health. Estimates say its already saved many more than 280 million lives.

What this new paper is saying is that the hole in the ozone layer, predicted to be completely repaired by around 2060, has a whole section thats not repairing itself. The section in question is about 20 km above Earth, between the tops of clouds and the height where aeroplanes cruise, and extends from just outside the Arctic Circle to the start of Antarctica. Even though the polar regions and the higher stratospheric levels of ozone are repairing themselves, this lower, middle section is going in the opposite direction  the amount of ozone is still falling just like it was before the Montreal Protocol.

A million things could be causing this, some natural, some not. But this paper tries with all its might to get around a host of past problems to see the real trend, and the ozone is definitely falling in that region, even after seasonal, time series and measurement adjustments. After eliminating the obvious, theyre still left with some disturbing possibilities: did we underestimate the anthropogenic effect, the volcanic effect, or is there some missing chemistry?

What they propose are three explanations related to climate change: firstly, an expanded troposphere; secondly, an accelerating BrewerDobson circulation; or thirdly, a disproportionate acceleration of it closer to the tropopause. In other words, the ozone is being transported out of this section faster.

If so, its a worry because it means the actual repair might be due to more rapid accumulation in the higher stratosphere, rendering the Montreal Protocol targets perhaps too lax from the beginning; that is, unless the higher stratosphere is actually doing the lions share of protecting us from UV radiation.

This paper suggests climate change is interfering with the ozone system as well, creating a scenario where the Montreal Protocol, although still necessary, might not yet be sufficient for repair by 2060.

Dr Paul Read is at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute at the University of Melbourne.

As stated in Conclusion (iv) of the paper, there is no significant change in total ozone column density between 1998 and 2016. Therefore, there will have been no corresponding increase in harmful UV radiation at ground level, and people need not be concerned. The authors are engaged simply with explaining a change in the distribution of ozone in the atmosphere, which may well be due to transport mechanisms only. This is not to say that continued studies are unnecessary.

Emeritus Professor Brenton Lewis is from the Research School of Physics and Engineering at The Australian National University.By Guy Nolch

Its not enough to win the hearts of politicians when the government itself lacks a head for science.

Last month saw the 19th staging of Science Meets Parliament, with a reported 200 scientists converging on Canberra to rattle the political cage and network with both politicians and other advocates for science.

The event arose from frustrations with the declining priority of science among the politicians of the 1990s. At that time, government expenditure on R&D was declining compared with other OECD nations, the innovation buzzword was first echoing in government circles, and CSIROs role (and funding model) was being refashioned away from basic research in favour of an increasingly corporate model.

Occasional meetings of the Prime Ministers Science, Engineering and Innovation Council would bring together the Prime Minister, Chief Scientist and other government ministers and agency chiefs to advise the government on matters relating to science and technology. However, during the Howard government the PM became increasingly absent from the meetings, and details of the ground covered and recommendations made were harder to pin down. It didnt help that specialist science journalists like Dr Peter Pockley were becoming thin on the ground.

But just because the PM had other priorities didnt mean that Parliament as a whole had lost interest in science. What if enthusiastic ambassadors for science left their ivory towers and met face-to-face to excite politicians with both the curiosity-driven and commercial possibilities of their research fields?

From this sentiment, Science Meets Parliament was born. Participants since then have lauded the value of putting the case for science directly to politicians.

So we come, now, to the 19th iteration of the event. While the old media has largely forsaken science journalism for wire services and click bait, the new media age has taken up the slack, with online broadcasts of speeches by the events keynote speakers spreading virally among scientists and the public through commentaries posted as tweets, blogs and podcasts.

But one important thing is missing from this rosy picture: a Minister for Science. Despite the Turnbull governments ideas boom  the National Innovation and Science Agenda  we havent had a Science Minister since December. (Senator Zed Seselja was sworn in as Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation on 20 December 2017, reporting to Senator Michaelia Cash, who is simply Minister for Jobs and Innovation.)

The position of Minister for Science has always been somewhat of an ugly political ducking. It has been kicked to and fro between government departments for education and industry, and handed out to junior ministers (who we hope have the time and energy to make it a priority) and even members of Cabinet (who have the clout but many distractions from the portfolio). In the 25 years Ive been covering science weve had 16 science ministers, with Peter McGuaran and Senator Kim Carr both having second terms during that time.

Science Meets Parliament is an admirable effort to engage with the nations political machinery, but it cant be enough to win the hearts of politicians when the government itself lacks a head for science.An analysis of two neighbouring coral reef systems off the coast of north-west Australia have linked body shape changes in fish with declining shark numbers due to overfishing.

The Rowley Shoals and the Scott Reefs are each comprised of multiple ring-shaped reefs and are identical biologically and physically in all but one way: the coral reefs in Rowley Shoals are protected from fishing, while the coral reefs in the Scott Reefs have been subjected to commercial shark fishing for more than a century.

Targeted shark fishing has intensified in the region in recent decades to fuel the demand of shark fin soup. As a result, shark populations have been decimated at the Scott Reefs but remain healthy at the Rowley Shoals.

The research team collected 611 fish from seven species across multiple sites within the Rowley Shoals and the Scott Reefs. They then took photographs of each fish and digitally analysed photographs, measuring body length, body width, eye area and tail area of each fish.

At Scott Reefs the researchers found the eyes of fishes that are normally prey for sharks were on average up to 46% smaller compared with the same-sized fish of the same species on reefs at the Rowley Shoals. The same pattern was seen for fish tail sizes, with tails being up to 40% smaller at the Scott Reefs compared with the Rowley Shoals.

Dr Shanta Barley of The University of Western Australia, who conducted the fieldwork, said there was a need to understand the consequences of shark declines. The differences in fish body shapes between the two coral reef systems could have consequences for energy flow throughout the ecosystem, ultimately impacting the food web.

Lead author Dr Neil Hammerschlag of the University of Miami said the removal of sharks by humans had potentially caused a reduction in the size of fish body parts that are important for shark detection and evasion. Eye size is critical for detecting predators, especially under low-light conditions when many sharks usually hunt, and tail shape enables burst speed and rapid escape from sharks, he explained.

The results are significant as sharks are among the most threatened animals globally. The consequences of the removal of the wolves-of-the-sea are increasingly considered far-reaching.

The research has been published in the Marine Ecology Progress Series.By Barry Leviny

After three decades, David Vauxs initial research into apoptosis has led to clinical trials of a potential treatment for leukaemia.

Many of us, if were honest, would like to help find a cure for cancer, or at least a form of it. Ive recently been talking to someone who may have done just that. It was a long, complicated road and I was keen to hear how he did it.

After finishing medical school, Dr David Vaux embarked on a PhD supervised by Prof Jerry Adams, head of the Molecular Biology Unit at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI), Australias oldest medical research institute. One day, Adams gave Vaux a tube containing the DNA for a gene called BCL2. He didnt realise it then, but his work towards a new treatment for a form of cancer had begun.

First, some background. Each chromosome is a double-stranded molecule of DNA that, if stretched out, would be more than 1 cm long. Because chromosomes are so thin, they sometimes break, but our cells usually do a good job of stitching them back together again. Sometimes, but very rarely, two chromosomes happen to break at the same time, and the cell joins them together the wrong way around. The technical term for this is a chromosomal translocation.

Researchers in the US noticed that in almost every case of a particular type of blood cancer, the malignant cells had a translocation involving chromosome 18 and chromosome 14. Other scientists found a gene at the broken end of chromosome 18 where it was attached to chromosome 14. They called this gene BCL2, and they wondered if this translocation switched on the BCL2 gene and caused the normal white blood cell to become cancerous.

Adams set Vaux the task of figuring out whether too much BCL2 causes a cell to go bad. It was the late 1980s, and some cancer genes had already been identified. These were genes that normally caused cells to proliferate, but damaged genes could cause cells to grow out of control to form a tumour or a leukaemia. Vaux wondered if BCL2 could do this, so he put the gene into cells in tissue culture and switched it on.

Nothing happened. BCL2 didnt make the cells grow and proliferate. I did the experiment again and again, watching the cells for any signs of an effect, Vaux says. He never did see any growth caused by BCL2, but eventually he did notice something. The control cells that were not given BCL2 all died within a couple of days. While the cells that had BCL2 were not proliferating, they were still alive. Therefore it seemed that BCL2 didnt act like other cancer genes, namely to drive cells to grow and divide. It appeared to just allow cells to stay alive.

Some more background. Prof John Kerr, a pathologist from Queensland, knew that about a million cells in our bodies divide every second to make a million new cells, but the same number must also be removed so that we maintain the right number overall. In 1972 he named this process of cellular self-destruction apoptosis.

Cell death is a very important part of life, right from the very earliest stages. When a babys hands are formed, for example, they first look like little baseball mitts. Later, some of the cells die back, allowing the fingers to separate.

It is very important that apoptosis is carefully regulated so that we can get rid of the cells we dont want yet keep the cells we need. We dont want our brain cells to activate their self-destruct mechanisms, but it would be good to get rid of cells that are damaged or infected.

However, because no one knew the molecular mechanism for apoptosis, or thought cell death was relevant to human disease, few researchers were interested in it, and even fewer realised the significance of Kerrs work. That all changed with BCL2.

Vaux showed that the function of BCL2 was to prevent cells from destroying themselves. BCL2 was therefore the first component of apoptosis to be recognised. Because chromosome translocations that switch on BCL2 were associated with certain cancers, it became apparent that failure of apoptosis  cells not dying when they should have  could lead to the development of cancer in humans, Vaux says.

Suddenly, interest in apoptosis exploded. In the early 1980s there were only a dozen or so scientific papers published each year that mentioned the term apoptosis, whereas now more than 25,000 new ones appear each year.

It was clear that too much BCL2 could allow cancer cells to survive when they shouldnt, but how it worked, and how it was regulated in normal cells, was still mysterious. To find out, Vaux needed some help. He got this from a tiny roundworm called Caenorhabditis elegans. These are less than 1 mm long but Vaux says that scientists love them because they hatch only 14 hours after fertilisation and they die of old age when theyre only two or three weeks old.

Yet more background. Sydney Brenner, John Sulston and Bob Horvitz won the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death using C. elegans. As it grows from a single fertilised egg cell, the worm produces exactly 1090 cells in its body, but the fate of 131 of these cells is to die by a process they called programmed cell death.

Furthermore, Horvitzs lab had generated mutant lines of worms in which these 131 cells failed to die, and they were working to identify the genes involved. In other words, they had a model organism where they could genetically study a cellular self-destruction process.

However, at the time there was nothing to indicate there was anything in common between the mechanism for programmed cell death in the worm and the mechanism for apoptosis of human cells. After all, the common ancestor between nematodes and humans existed over 600 million years ago, Vaux explains.

At Stanford University, Vaux continued to work on the human BCL2 gene, but not in human cells. He put the human BCL2 gene into some C. elegans worms, turned it on and looked to see if it would affect programmed cell death during worm development. In the worms that made human BCL2 protein, two- thirds of the cells that normally died during development instead survived. This meant the human BCL2 protein was able to interact with the levers and gears of the worms self-destruct mechanism to turn it off.

This revealed that the mechanism for apoptosis of human cells was more or less the same as the mechanism for programmed cell death in the worm, and this mechanism had been conserved through evolution. It also meant that to find out how BCL2 worked in human cells you could look for the human counterparts of the genes for programmed cell death in the worm.

Horvitzs lab showed that the worm had a gene called CED-9 that inhibited cell death. Two years after Vauxs experiment, they cloned the CED-9 gene and found that its sequence was similar to human BCL2. They later found that a worm protein called EGL-1 promoted programmed cell death by binding to, and inhibiting, CED-9. Humans also have a number of EGL-1-like proteins that can block BCL2, allowing apoptosis so that cells die when theyre supposed to.

Vaux describes the logic. Because the genetic accidents leading to production of too much BCL2 could cause leukaemia, a drug that acted as a BCL2 inhibitor, in the same way as the human EGL-1-like proteins, might be able to allow the leukaemia cells to undergo apoptosis.

To try to make such a drug, in 2006 scientists at the pharmaceutical companies Abbvie and Genentech collaborated with researchers at WEHI to develop a drug that would inhibit BCL2. The idea was that a BCL2-blocking drug would stop BCL2 from inhibiting the cancer cells self-destruct mechanism, and allow cancer cells that were being kept alive by BCL2 to die by apoptosis.

This drug now goes by the name venetoclax, and patients in Australia were the first to receive it, initially as part of a clinical trial. It is still early days, but there have been encouraging results treating chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in humans, and was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia. There are ongoing trials to see if it can be combined with other treatments, and whether it can be used to treat other kinds of cancers.

While the genesis of this new drug was in the late 1980s, it didnt appear as a tested, approved product until the late 2010s. For about 25 years there was nothing definite to show for the work, and there was always the chance of a roadblock to further progress at any stage. It was a piece of pure, basic research that has paid off.

Early in 2017, in one of the biggest medical research deals in Australian history, WEHI sold some of its rights to future royalties from sales of the drug to put toward funding other research.By Barbara Keys, Associate Professor of US and International History, University of Melbourne

Flickr/PhotoAtelier, CC BY-SA

Smartphones and the internet have revolutionised society, commerce, and politics, reshaping how we work and play, and how our brains are wired. They have even revolutionised how revolutions are made.

For enthusiasts, these technologies enhance freedom and democratise the flow of information, putting more power in the hands of people to generate political change. In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, high school students have used social media to provoke a public debate about guns in the United States. However, detractors counter that social media and the internet foster slactivism: weak, low-effort commitments that do little more than make users feel better.





Read more:

Virtual distance: technology is rewriting the rulebook for human interaction





Its difficult to evaluate todays communication technologies unless we understand how people communicated in the past. My own research looks back at how political activists used the phone in the years before the mobile phone revolution, using the records of activist groups and interviews to find out how phone talk shaped what they did and how well they did it.

The results higlight how important phone calls were in fostering a sense of community, intimacy and connection. This suggests that we have lost as much as we have gained with our high-tech gizmos.

The landlines role in political protest

Before Facebook, the internet and mobile phones, political movements used traditional technologies to recruit like-minded people, raise money, organise events and advocate for change.









Wikimedia





Activist groups called people on the phone, as well as printing, mailing and  by the late 1980s  faxing information. In the second half of the 20th century, the phone was essential to political activism, and it helped to create lasting movements in which people felt emotionally bonded.

The phone was crucial for sharing information quickly. In the US in the 1950s and 1960s, when most Americans had telephones, the civil rights movement relied heavily on the telephone. Thousands of participants in the Montgomery bus boycott of the mid-1950s, for example, found ride shares by using phone trees.

Phone trees, still in use today, are based on lists of people who call other people: ten people each call ten people, who then each call ten people. Before email, the phone tree was one of the quickest and most efficient ways to disseminate information. A well-organised tree could quickly trigger thousands of phone calls to elected officials or turn thousands of people out for demonstrations.

In 1961, Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS) lines were introduced, allowing unlimited long-distance calls for a fixed fee. They saved the lives of some activists by giving grassroots workers who could not afford expensive long-distance calls a way to call headquarters to report dangerous situations.









Flickr/San Jose Public Library, CC BY-SA





By the 1980s, 1-800 calling cards had become common. Activists could call anyone from any phone while leaving the charges to be paid by headquarters. The number of calls made by activist groups exploded.

As new movements for environmental protection, nuclear disarmament, feminism, Chicano rights, Native American rights, gay rights, and conservative causes such as school prayer gathered steam in the 1970s and 1980s, the landline phone remained central.

The power of the human voice

In 1986 Americans placed 1.97 billion calls a day  eight calls for every woman, man and child. They were having about seven times as many telephone conversations as they had had in 1950, and the number was still rising. One human rights staffer told me of his work in the mid-1980s:

All the work was done by phone. If I wasnt in a meeting, I was on the phone.

Those calls were about much more than sharing information. Calling on a landline phone was a labour-intensive form of communication, but it provided immediate personal contact, an opportunity for genuine exchange, and an emotional depth that written communication lacked.





Read more:

Why does using a period in a text message make you sound insincere or angry?





Calls were able to knit far-flung people into deeply felt communities because the phone transmits the capacities of the human voice.

The voice is one of our most powerful instruments, designed not only to communicate but also to build intimacy. Our voices convey emotion so effectively that we can identify emotions in speech even when the words themselves are muffled by walls. The voice indicates whether you are sincere  or whether you are drunk.









Flickr/Powell Burns, CC BY-SA





The powers of the human voice help to explain why talking on the phone can foster feelings of connection. Research on the telephone in the 1980s showed that a call made people feel wanted, needed, included, and involved.

This is why a recent Harvard Business Review study found that face-to-face requests were 34 times more successful than emails.

Better technology doesnt equal better communication

Critics of digital media say that it corrodes human relationships. The generation that has grown up on smart phones, which have become devices for avoiding talk, lack empathy and struggle to form friendships based on trust, according to one study.

In online communities, people tend toward narcissism and often dramatically fail to care about the feelings of others. Wael Ghonim, an Egyptian whose anonymous Facebook page in 2011 helped topple a dictatorship, concluded that social media facilitated the spread of misinformation, rumours, echo chambers, and hate speech. The environment was purely toxic. Empathy vanished, he says.





Read more:

How the smartphone affected an entire generation of kids





Landline calls helped to instil positive emotions: feelings of connection, pride, gratitude, a sense of elevation and happiness.

Psychologists tell us that whether we are extroverts or introverts, we need human contact and feel more alive after connecting with other people. Phone calls created those connections. They made people more optimistic and resilient and broadened their mindsets. For activists, talking revealed connections they would otherwise have missed, and deepened their personal commitment to the cause and to one another.









Flickr/echoesofstars, CC BY-NC-ND





The landline phone, of course, was not a flawless medium  static, missed calls, busy signals, dropped connections, prank calls and phone threats guaranteed frustration. You can bond over the phone, but you can also argue.

But the rise of smart phones  which Americans check 8 billion times a day  has not meant that we communicate better. More communication can mean that we hear each other less. Among American millennials, the number of voice calls they make is falling as texting soars. And that means we may be losing a powerful part of what connects us to each other.

Barbara Keys receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Originally published in The Conversation.Hi, I am currently in the process of divorce and am expecting my decree absolute within the next 12 weeks. This decree will mean my marriage is legally finished. Until I have that declaration, I am legally still married.



my Australian partner and I are planning to apply for the PMV 300 visa soon. We were going to wait with the start of the application till I had the decree absolute but now we are wondering if we can start the application before I have this final piece of paper? The PMV requires us to marry within 9 months and since the decree absolute is on its way, I will be able to meet that requirement but at the same time, visas from London seem to be approved quite fast for PMV at the moment so its got me thinking...



Can I apply for the PMV without the decree absolute and upload it/add it when it arrives? What are the odds my visa would be handled before I have it? Would it be a reason to turn it down? Since I can prove I am getting divorced and it will be legal within weeks, does that change anything? Since I can still meet the have to get married within 9 monthsrequired? I can upload all my divorce papers and show that things are in progress so they can see.



Id like some of your ideas and advice on this, if anyone has any.



Thanks!House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,, said on Thursday that she supports Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., and his bid for re-election, even as other Democrats have said they oppose him because he opposes legal abortion and LGBT rights.

The seven-term congressman from Chicago, who opposes abortion and voted against Obamacare, marriage equality and immigration reform, is the most conservative member of the House Democratic Caucus and so far right of center he might as well be a Republican but that doesnt stop Pelosi.

This is the Democratic Party. This is not a rubber-stamp party, Pelosi said in an interview with the Washington Post in May.

Lipinskis position on abortion and LGBT rights has drawn strong opposition from progressive and pro-abortion lawmakers such as Reps. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., both of whom have endorsed his primary challenger, Marie Newman. Lipinski has not been endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

DNC President Tom Perez said, Every Democrat, like every American, should support a womans right to make her own choices about her body and her health. That is not negotiable and should not change city by city or state by state.

Lipinski said that Democrats have to know that theyre going to have the full support [of the DCCC] even if theyre not straight in the party line, and that the party will need candidates who are not straight in the party line if they want to win back a majority.

Pelosis support for Lipinski is even more puzzling given that, as a member of the House Democratic caucus, hes consistently voted against Pelosis own reelection bids to serve as Democratic leader.Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 60F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 60F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.Posted 3/4/18

The Springfield-Greene County Library District and the Missouri Humanities Council are working to rediscover World War I monuments and preserve community history, but they need the help of Missouri The Florida Senate held a rare Saturday floor session to work out details of a gun violence prevention package that had opposition from both sides of the political aisle.

The Senate was only supposed to be in session for a few hours, but debate stretched into the evening.

Legislators adjourned just before 7 p.m. with a package that many Democrats and even some Republicans said they couldn't vote for, raising some concern that it won't pass next week.

"I think it's window dressing, and I, for one, won't be going home trying to pretend that I did something to solve the problem," Sen. Tom Lee (R-Brandon), said.



The biggest point of contention: House Speaker Richard Corcoran's so-called "marshal program" to allow highly-qualified teachers carry guns on campus. Critics say it could lead to more gun violence in Florida's schools.

Also, the entire legislative Black Caucus has pledged to vote against the bill if the "marshal program" program stays in  and those "no" votes would very likely doom the gun package.

There were motions on the left and right to remove it, which were all rejected.



"I stand firm in my support of that particular provision and would ask you all to not support this amendment," Sen. Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton) said.

Senate leaders know the program is a top priority for Corcoran, and the bill would have to pass the House to become law.

Meanwhile, Democrats introduced several amendments aimed at banning assault-style weapons, such as the AR-15 used in the Parkland shooting on Valentine's Day. Those amendments failed.

"Death hangs over us, both as a motivating factor in doing something about it, and now, the bullet is in this chamber," said Florida Sen. Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg).

The chamber at one point did approve a two-year moratorium on the sale of those guns  but that vote wound up being reversed after Republicans called for a do-over.

"Adolf Hitler confiscated all the weapons, took all the weapons, had a registry of everybody," said Sen. David Simmons (R-Altamonte Springs).

Some pro-gun Republicans think the package goes too far by raising the minimum age to buy an assault-style weapon from 18 to 21 and requiring a three-day waiting period for all gun purchases in Florida.



"I don't know how the pro-NRA legislator thinks, but I would assume that they're not going to get the credit they think they're going to get by voting for it," said Sen. Minority Leader Oscar Braynon (D-Miami).



The bill is on track to pass the Senate on Monday. From there, attention turns to the House, home to some of the most pro-gun Republicans. The National Rifle Association has called on its members to oppose the package.



There are six days left in Florida's regular legislative session. If lawmakers can't reach a compromise on the gun bill by Friday, some think a special session may have to be called.

An investigation is ongoing into the death of a worker killed at a Pasco County landfill.

The 46-year-old worker at a private landfill in Hudson was found dead Saturday morning in what deputies say appears to be a work-related accident.

Deputies: Landfill worker found dead in apparent accident

Man was found at privately owned landfill in Hudson

Investigators say death is not suspicious at this time



The body of the man, whose name has not been released, was found at Coastal Landfill Disposal, a privately owned landfill at 11416 Houston Ave.

The death doesn't appear to be suspicious.

Pasco County Sheriff's investigators said the worker had been in a trash shredding machine clearing a jam when he instructed other workers to restart the machine.

After approximately 1 to 2 hours, the other workers realized they had not seen the victim and did not know where the victim was since repairing the machine. They began digging through the debris the machine discarded into the landfill and located the victims body.

The Sheriff's Office's forensics unit as well as officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."Odd Oregon Coast Finds Puzzle Visitors: Mystery Solved and It's Like an Alien

Published 03/04/2018 at 2:35 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Oregon Coast)  Something wacky this way comes.

Another find on Oregon coast beaches has visitors puzzled aplenty in recent days, with various officials - especially Seaside Aquarium  getting questions about a run of tiny objects that look like filaments. They come in blobs just lying around the beach, looking like jumbled masses of high tech material, or maybe even something alien. (All photos courtesy Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium).

Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium snagged these shots in in the last week, showing what are the former shells of a marine life called the cellophane worm. In fact, there is something rather alien about these kooky critters.

Tube worm casings have been washing in and quite a few people have been asking us about them, Boothe said. These casings, produced by the cellophane worm (Spichaetopterus costarum), often wash ashore in masses along the Oregon coast.

Living just below the low tide line of sandy beaches, cellophane worms build and inhabit these seemingly plastic tubes, which become encrusted with sand. Currents and upwellings bring these tubes to the surface, eventually distributing them onto shore.

These creatures are tiny, about one to two two centimeters long  which makes those blobs of them a little more remarkable.

The cellophane worm has rings around it. They exist just below the surface of the sand and they are encased in a tube. The cellophane worms' casings get knocked off of them during high surf events and pile up on the shore. The creatures themselves disappear back beneath the surface, however.

Incidents of them piling up like this dont occur too often, but when it does happen it comes down to the creatures being taken by surprise by the way sand levels can build up suddenly, then they get bounced around when their new real estate abruptly turns out to be too close to a raucous surface.





CoastWatchs Fawn Custer told Oregon Coast Beach Connection in 2016 the creatures are there all the time, its just that certainly conditions unearth them and scatter them onshore.

They feel like hair, she said. They're very pliable. You can squeeze them.

Cellophane worms live just beyond the low tide line, where the tubes sit near or just above the surface of the sand and suck in their food, which is tiny bits of formerly living matter in the ocean. When the tubes come off, they grow another by secreting a kind of goo that eventually hardens back into another tube.

About two years ago, this unusual sight had even a lot of expert eyes confused. Members of CoastWatch, and environmental group that has volunteers keeping an eye on beaches, were getting stumped back in February of 2016. Oregon Coast Hotels in these areas - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours























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All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permittedThe Chattanooga womens soccer team will host Morehead State in the non-conference finale Sunday, Sept. 19 at the UTC Sports Complex. The game is set to kick off at 1:00 p.m. This will be the seventh meeting between the Mocs and Eagles and the first since 2017. UTC leads the series 3-2-1 and are 2-1 at home. After winning the first three at the turn of the century, the Mocs ... (click for more)The man who shot himself in front of the White House on Saturday was dead, said local police.

The man, who was not identified yet, was in a large crowd when he fired the gun, the Washington Post reported, citing witnesses.

White House placed on lockdown after reports of man shooting himself next to fence, March 3, 2018. [Photo: IC]

One video posted on social media showed hundreds of people running away as sirens blared in the background and emergency vehicles sped toward the scene.

Secret Service spokeswoman Cathy Milhoan said the male suffered a single gunshot wound and that Secret Service personnel didn't fire any shots.

U.S. President Donald Trump was not at the White House at the time of the shooting. He is at West Palm Beach in the state of Florida and is expected to return to Washington D.C. Saturday evening.

The incident occurred just before noon, putting the White House on a lockdown while reporters were temporarily sent down to the basement.

"Secret Service personnel are responding to reports of a person who allegedly suffered a self-inflicted gun shot wound along the north fence line of @WhiteHouse," the Secret Service tweeted.

"No other reported injuries related to the incident at @WhiteHouse," said the Secret Service.

"We are aware of the incident," White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said. "The President has been briefed."

The incident came days after a vehicle hit a security barrier near the White House, resulting in the arrest and charge of a 35-year-old female driver.South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided Sunday to send his special envoys to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in an effort to mediate direct talks between the DPRK and the United States.

Yoon Young-chan, senior presidential press secretary, told a press briefing that Moon's special delegation, composed of five emissaries and five working-level officials, will make a two-day visit to Pyongyang starting March 5 for talks with senior DPRK officials.

Yoon Young-chan, South Korean President Moon Jae-in's press secretary, speaks during a press briefing at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, March 4, 2018. [Photo: AP]

The delegation will be led by Chung Eui-yong, top national security adviser for Moon and head of the National Security Office of the Blue House.

Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the country's spy agency, is included in the delegation along with Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung, Second Deputy NIS Director Kim Sang-gyun, and Yun Kun-young, a senior Blue House official.

The special delegation will travel via a western direct route to the DPRK on a special plane Monday afternoon, and will stay in Pyongyang before returning to South Korea Tuesday afternoon.

On coming back to Seoul, the special envoys will report to President Moon on their trip to the DPRK, and then will visit the United States to explain the result of dialogues with the DPRK side, said Yoon who noted that South Korea will also closely cooperate with China and Japan.

Yoon said the envoys will make a comprehensive discussion with the DPRK side about issues especially on necessary conditions to be created for a dialogue between the DPRK and the United States.

Moon's plan to send his envoys to Pyongyang and Washington in succession is part of his efforts to play a mediating role in bringing the two countries to a dialogue table to peacefully resolve the peninsula's nuclear issue.

When he met with Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, Moon called on Pyongyang to more actively engage in a dialogue with Washington.

The younger Kim came here last month as a special envoy. She conveyed the DPRK leader's invitation to Moon to visit Pyongyang at a convenient time, and the South Korean president stressed the need for talks between the DPRK and the United States before the first summit between Moon and Kim.

In response, the DPRK leader delivered his message through Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea who led a high-ranking DPRK delegation to the Olympic closing ceremony.

During his three-day stay here through Tuesday, the chief DPRK delegate said his country was open to a dialogue with the United States.

On Thursday, Moon had a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, telling Trump about his plan to dispatch his special envoy to Pyongyang.

During a phone conversation in January, Moon agreed with Trump to delay the joint annual South Korea-U.S. war games during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic period after the DPRK showed its willingness to participate in the Winter Olympics. Pyongyang has denounced the war games as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.

The delayed military exercises between South Korea and the United States could be conducted after the end of Winter Paralympics on March 18.

Chung, the chief South Korean delegate to Pyongyang, is the highest official on security and foreign affairs, except Moon. He is known to have a direct, close dialogue channel with senior White House officials.



Morneau's third budget includes $20 billion in new spending over six years, a deficit of $18 billion for 2018-2019, and no plans to eliminate the deficit in the coming years, contrary to a pre-election promise that it would be eliminated by 2019.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau has said science, gender equality and preparing Canadians for the jobs of the future will be key themes in Tuesday's federal budget.

After all, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau did make a solemn pledge during the 2015 federal election to return to deficit - after inheriting a balanced set of books - for no other reason than he simply thinks it's good and wholesome for governments to live beyond their means in perpetuity.

What the panel found was a sector languishing after years of neglect and cuts by a previous Conservative government that favoured research with the immediate payoff.

The budget, titled: Equality + Growth, A Strong Middle Class, will include total expenses of 338.5 billion dollars and total revenues of 323.4 billion dollars.

Suzanne Fortier praised the 2018 budget for supporting both diversity and early-career researchers.

The budget contains a host of social planning initiatives all supposedly created to attain gender equality.

It's good news because the Trudeau government mercifully resisted blowing the bank on a flurry of new deficit spending. The budget calls for $231 million to be spent over the next five years to fight the opioid crisis. This fund also ties in to the goals of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee, established last October to harmonize programs and policies between the tri-councils and CFI.

Overall, the finance minister provides an unflinching and thorough statement of the current role of women in Canada's notionally advanced, market-based economy.

The Liberal government is also committing to increasing its overseas humanitarian aid budget by $2 billion over five years, which the budget says will be focused on supporting women and girls through its feminist worldwide development policy. "It gives men additional leave to stay home when they have children".

The Liberals have also put this budget through a gender-based analysis, which involves thinking about how a certain measure might affect men and women, or boys and girls, in a different ways, while accounting for other intersecting factors such as income, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation.

The minister goes on to frankly describe the many and high barriers that "make it hard for women to fully succeed in today's economy".

This budget focuses on women, not just from an equity or a social justice point of view, but from an economic perspective. "We are grateful for your leadership today, and for what we know Canada will help the world deliver at the G7 this spring".

Dennis Darby, chief executive of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, also said more is needed to be done to help Canadian competitiveness. Here's hoping that next year, he finds the will to make them - or Canadians will pay a heavy price. "Economists really struggle with a deficit budget when the economy is doing as well as it's doing right now". "This has to be short-term spending". The longer term plan is to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to 28.4% by 2022-2023.

Dan Kelly Dan Kelly president, CEO and chair Canadian Federation of Independent Business told Global News he is anxious the government is asking for too much with this proposed tax. "This is unacceptable, and we are encouraged that the federal government will be looking at options for how to best serve these patients", said Alistair Bursey, chair of the Canadian Pharmacists Association.

Indeed, they've already shattered a promise to keep annual shortfalls below $10 billion, leading critics to warn of the perils of accumulating more public debt at a time of economic strength. The health minister went out of her way to say the Hoskins' report due in spring of 2019 will bring forward "recommendations" to be considered along with a report expected soon from the Commons health committee that has studied the issue for two years.Le Bohec and colleagues calculate that 1.1 million King penguin couples will be forced to abandon their current breeding grounds - mainly on the islands of Crozet, Prince Edward and Kerguelen - within a matter of decades. Above all, they need an abundant, nearby source of food. But climate models show that this food belt will move closer and closer to the South Pole, forcing the penguins to swim farther to catch their meals.

According to the study, nearly 70 percent of breeding would disappear or relocate from Antarctica until the end of this century.

She praises the scientists for the number of factors they do include in their model - "they've done as good as anybody I've seen trying to bring all that together". Around 70% of king penguin breeding pairs would have to find another location to live by the end of the century. "It's possible to migrate, but if they don't find other islands that are suitable or [have] enough space, there will be losses". "If we are to save anything, proactive and efficient conservation efforts, but above all coordinated global action against global warming should start now".

Global warming and climate change is wreaking havoc and slowly destabilising several fragile ecosystems around the planet. And, out of that, almost 1.1 million birds may be forced to relocate due to increasing forage. The biggest colonies exist on the Crozet Islands, an archipelago halfway between Madagascar and Antarctica.

According to a report by the Verge, King penguins can swim up to about 500 km in search of food before returning to their islands.

The source is a nutrient-rich band of water called the Antarctic Polar Front, where cold deep water meets an area of warmer water.

"For the time being, we know king penguin populations are still increasing across their range, probably due to them recovering from hunting pressure during the sealing era".

"Extremely low values in indices of genetic differentiation told us that all colonies are connected by a continuous exchange of individuals", said study author Emiliano Trucchi, formerly at the University of Vienna and now at the University of Ferrara, Italy, in the statement. "It seems that for this archipelago, there's not much hope in the future", Trucchi tells The Verge. "The problem is that the new islands have to become available before the old one is not suitable anymore", the researchers said.

The team looked at the requirements for the king penguin to survive and how changes in the environment might impact the birds' breeding in the next years.

Trucchi says it is going to be hard to predict exactly how the penguins will navigate their changing environment.

Finding a new ice-free home with the sandy and pebbly beaches where king penguins like to breed is not easy.

Dr Le Bohec added that competition for breeding sites and for food will be harsh, especially with the other penguin species like the Chinstrap, Gentoo or Adelie penguins, even without the fisheries.

The models used three different future scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions, ranging from a scenario where global warming is limited to 2C above pre-industrial levels (RCP2.6) to a "business as usual" scenario where future climate change continues to rise unchecked (RCP8.5).Responding to the Government's proposals, Mr Verhofstadt's group said: "We have taken note of the UK Government policy statement and the clarification it provides for European Union citizens who will go to the UK during the Brexit transition period and will in principle have the right to settle permanently in the UK".

One EU official involved in the negotiating process said May's focus on a need to match EU standards and take part as an associate member in some EU regulatory agencies was welcome and believed that her suggestion the EU's court play some role, if only indirectly, in supervising Britain was reasonable.

The initial European Union reaction to May's speech was lukewarm, with some politicians accusing her of continuing to be vague and trying to have her cake and eat it. Opposition parties in Britain were dismissive too but the response from both wings of her own party was broadly positive. Due to the close historical, economic and people-to-people ties between Ireland and Northern Ireland, the desire is not to have border posts (the hard border) between the two after Brexit.

Both the European Union and Britain have vowed that there should be no "hard" border between Northern Ireland and Ireland following Brexit in order to protect the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.

The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier welcomed the 'clarity on Britain's position, as well as 'a recognition of trade-offs. She didn't outline specifics on what such an arrangement would look like. But the 2016 vote to leave the grouping has challenged many wordsmiths. In a briefing note, he said that May offered no new ideas on how to solve the Irish border problem and noted that her "pick and mix" approach has been "constantly ruled out by the EU27".

With the intervention just hours away, chief EU Negotiator Michel Barnier said the United Kingdom had to seek a deal "based on the foundation of realism" and could not avoid making hard choices.

"If this is cherry-picking, then every trade relationship is cherry-picking", she said, noting that all trade deals are unique.

The speech comes at the end of a rough week for May.

Critics immediately rounded on the Prime Minister, with Labour MP Chuka Umunna MP, leading supporter of the Open Britain campaign, saying: "They are still pretending we can have our cake and eat it - this is fantasy land".

Stephen Martin, head of the Institute of Directors, said "business leaders will welcome the prime minister's honest admission that negotiating the future U.K. -EU relationship will involve making hard choices".

Prime Minister Theresa May says Britain and the European Union will have less access to each other's markets than they do now after Brexit.

His successor, the Labour prime minister Tony Blair, said May's Brexit plan is "literally not going to happen" and lambasted those who dismiss the Northern Ireland border issue as insignificant. The venue was hastily relocated from the north-eastern city of Newcastle, as Britain struggled to cope with its heaviest snowfall in decades.

But May said this proposal would "undermine the constitutional integrity of the U.K".Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 4)  The most beautiful women in the country celebrated Filipino heritage as they sashayed across the stage donning iconic national costumes.

Among those who stood out during the Binibining Pilipinas' National Costume Competition at the Kia Theater in Cubao Saturday was Leyte's Samantha Avestruz, who wore an innovative costume made of banig and other indigenous materials representing her province.

"Ito taklob we use to catch fish, tapos ito banig, we sleep on. Taklob plus banig equals Leyte," Avestruz said.

(Translation: The taklob is used to catch fish, and the banig (woven mat), we sleep on. Taklob plus banig equals Leyte.)

Meanwhile, former De La Salle volleyball player Michele Gumabao showed off a stunning black terno.

"I wanted to deviate from the normal strong warrior personality I have. But I wanted to be a Philippine Eagle that's why there are feathers and it's mostly black," Gumabao said.

Miss World Philippines 2016 Catriona Gray donned a regal Maranao princess costume as tribute to Marawi.

"Everything about Marawi has been synonymous with negativity, it's nice to bring back the beauty of the culture that is Marawi," Gray said.

At the end of the night, 10 ladies were awarded the Best National Costume, including Avestruz, Gumabao, and Gray.

The Binibining Pilipinas coronation night happens on March 18, Sunday.Optimism is not generally thought cool, and it is often thought foolish. In the previous century, Voltaires Candide had attacked what its author called optimism.

After suffering through one disaster after another, Candide decides that optimism is merely a mania for insisting that all is well when things are going badly. Yet one might argue (and Steven Pinker does) that the philosophy Voltaire satirises here is not optimism at all. If you think this world is already as good as it gets, then you just have to accept it. A true optimist would say that, ...Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 4)  Former President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is attending the investigation of his alleged election offense for implementing the dengue vaccine program.

A source close to Aquino told CNN Philippines the former president will cooperate with the Commission on Election's (COMELEC) investigation, as he has done in other probes on the Dengvaxia vaccine.

The COMELEC on February 19 issued a subpoena for Aquino, former Budget Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad, and former Health Secretary Janette Garin to submit their counter-affidavits and appear before the poll body during the preliminary probe on March 15.

This stems from the complaints filed by Dr. Francis Cruz and Dr. Clarito Cairo Jr., where they accused Aquino, Abad and Garin of violating Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code, as they supposedly approved the vaccination program within the 45-day election ban before the 2016 polls.

Current and former officials of the Department of Health, as well as several Jane and John Does, were also named in the complaint.

"Failure to comply with the subpoena will be considered as waiver of your right to present your defense and the case shall be considered submitted for resolution based on the evidence on record," the subpoena stated.

CNN Philippines' timeline shows the Budget Department issued a P3.5-billion Special Allotment Release Order to Garin's office to purchase the vaccines on December 29, 2015.

On January 21, 2016, the Philippine Children's Medical Center (PCMC) made a P?3-billion purchase order for the vaccines.

On March 8, 2016, Garin issued a P3-billion disbursement voucher to the PCMC to fund the purchase of the vaccines. A day after, the PCMC issued its purchase order to Zuellig Pharma, the distributor of Dengvaxia.

The controversial dengue program then rolled out on April 4, 2016, only a few weeks before the May 2016 elections. More than 800,000 children were administered the controversial dengue vaccine in Metro Manila, Region 3, and Region 4.

TIMELINE: The Dengvaxia controversy

CNN Philippines senior correspondent Ina Andolong, and senior digital producer Pia Garcia contributed to this report.It is image makeover time for Adani Group, one of the countrys largest business conglomerates. The Gautam Adani-led entity is redesigning its communication strategy and planning a redo of its brand image. Part of this is the recent hiring of Suhel Seth, a known name in this segment, to be brand consultant.

The group has a presence in ports, power, realty and foods. And, has been at the receiving end, both from opposition parties in India (it is seen as close to the ruling party in India) and environmentalists abroad. The latter since its coal mining and ...Wedding bells may soon be ringing in the country's premier business family.

According to reliable sources, Mukesh Ambani's eldest son Akash may soon be betrothed to Shloka, the youngest daughter of Russell Mehta, Managing Director, Rosy Blue India, one of the country's leading diamond companies.

Though both families are keeping the news under wraps for the present, sources in the know indicate a formal engagement ceremony soon, with the probability of a wedding come December.

Akash, 27, is Mukesh Ambani's elder son and twin of sister Isha, and older brother of Anant, 22.

Shloka is the daughter of Russell Mehta, head of Rosy Blue Diamonds, formerly known as B. Arunkumar & Co., which is now ranked among the top half dozen diamond companies of India. The family lives in south Mumbai.

Russel is the son of Arunkumar Ramniklal M., one of the co-founders of B Arunkumar & Co., way back in 1960 in Opera House, Mumbai's hub of diamond business.

The duo is described as among "the most respected diamond business families of India and around the world" by a close family friend.

"Shloka is a very charming girl, extremely cultured and its difficult to say which of the two families is lucky with this upcoming marriage," said the family friend, requesting anonymity.

Many in close business and family circles have already been unofficially "congratulating" them, but they have been waving them off and asking them "to wait for everything to finalise before we give you a party".

Coincidentally, Akash and Shloka are alumni of the famed Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS), in the Bandra Kurla Complex here.

After schooling at DAIS, Akash studied at Brown University, a private Ivy League institution based in Rhode Island, and among the most prestigious in the US.

On her part, post-schooling at DAIS in 2009, Shloka left for the US to study anthropology at Princeton University and later completed her Masters in Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

While Akash is on the board of Reliance Jio, Shloka is a Director with Rosy Blue Foundation and is a co-founder of ConnectFor, an organisation that helps NGOs get volunteers for various causes.

When contacted, sources from both families declined to comment on the upcoming engagement ceremony or the subsequent wedding, the dates or the venue.

Shloka is the youngest of three siblings of Russell Mehta and Mona, who is a close relative of the controversial diamantaire Nirav Modi.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karti Chidambaram, arrested in the INX Media case, was on Sunday brought to the Byculla prison here and confronted with Indrani Mukerjea as part of the CBI's probe into the matter, a senior official said. Karti Chidambaram, the son of senior Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram, was brought to the jail in central Mumbai around 11.15 am by a six-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), he said.

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Digital EditorThe idea was neat, so to speak. A young man from Switzerland was suffering from a tummy bug in Mumbai when an Indian friend told him how to deal with it.

The world's largest whisky bar has to thank the friend for the remedy he suggested. It was this bit of advice -- quite possibly proposed as a little joke -- that set the idea rolling. In the late 80s, Claudio Bernasconi visited India with an eye on setting up his own business, after he had failed to get a loan from Swiss banks. "India was among the many countries my dad visited," his son Sandro ...Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Sunday met the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) aspirants who are protesting against the alleged paper leak of the combined graduate level exam.

The protesters have been demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)-led investigation into the matter.

Hazare urged the protestors to walk on the path of non-violence and demanded government to take action in this regard.

"While opposing injustice and harassment, it is extremely important to walk on the path of non-violence. This strengthens the democracy," he told the protestors.

"We will wait for the government to take a decision and then see what we need to do. I urge all of you to not get violent in the meantime," he added.

Since February 27, students have taken to the streets of Delhi, protesting in thousands against what they term as "mass cheating".

On February 24, the SSC released a notice saying that the exam held on February 21 was delayed due to "technical reasons" and will be re-conducted on March 9.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 4)  A suspected sub-leader of the terror group Maute was arrested in Tondo, Manila, National Capital Region Police Office chief Oscar Albayalde said Sunday.

Nasser Lomondot aka Muhammad Lomondot, who was arrested on Saturday, was involved in the attack of a Civilian Active Auxiliary Detachment in Marantao, Lanao Del Sur last year.

Police said Lomondot was involved in various killings, violence, hostage-takings, and in the planning of the Marawi siege.

He was arrested with fellow Maute member Rizasalam Lomondot.

Police recovered a hand grenade and a calibre .45 pistol from the suspects. They were charged for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Philippine National Police chief Dir. Gen. Ronald Dela Rosa admitted their shortcoming as Lomondot managed to flee Mindanao through public transportation despite the martial law.

He added the arrested Maute sub-leader arrived in Manila sometime January this year.

"It appears na may pagkukulang kami. Well, accept namin yun na may pagkukulang kami kaya sila nakalabas sa Mindanao at nakapasok dito sa Metro Manila, but the most important thing is nahuli sila dito but continuous ang ating monitoring," Dela Rosa said in a press briefing Monday.

The Maute group, also known as Dawlah-Islamiyah, attempted a takeover of the city of Marawi in Lanao del Sur in May 2017. The siege prompted the declaration of martial law in Mindanao and resulted into a five-month long war with government forces.

The war resulted in 11.52 billion worth of damage, and claimed the lives of at least 165 government troops and 47 civilians. Hapilon and Maute brothers, Abdullah and Omar, were also killed in the skirmishes.

Security analyst Rommel Banlaoi said there is still a possibility that remnants of the Maute group and other terrorists may be recruiting members in Metro Manila and may be planning an attack.

"Some remnants of the Maute Group are just here to hide and evade arrest from authorities but some are also mounting violent attacks especially during important Christian events like Holy Week," Banlaoi said.

He added at least 23 armed groups in the country have pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Military said a certain Abu Dar is now leading the terror group and is currently based in Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur.

It added Abu Dar was a trusted man of Hapilon, and that he managed to escape the main battle area of Marawi carrying the cash and gold that they allegedly looted during the siege.Idyllic faces a serious constitutional crisis and there are no indications that President Abdullah Yameen is willing to soften his position. On the contrary, all indications are that Yameen would ruthlessly incarcerate the opposition and even prevent the forthcoming presidential elections from taking place.

Like his predecessor, he has assiduously cultivated relations with Beijing. The extension of the emergency, especially after New Delhi expressed its misgivings and concerns, demonstrates how confident he is of China's support. This is India's backyard and the dilemma New Delhi faces is not simply how it should respond to the challenge, but how the slipped away from its hug.

For India, this is a seriously worrying development, especially since it has long considered the as among its few friends in the region.

Even more worrying is the manner in which the Maldives has allowed China to make strategic inroads, much to New Delhi's discomfiture and disadvantage. The first real evidence was the arbitrary manner in which the airport project was handed over to the Chinese, even though the contract had been won by an Indian company. This was followed by the opening of a Chinese embassy, the signing of an FTA and rumours that Beijing might be given the right to set up a naval base in one of the islands. What is more disturbing is that increased Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean would mean that Beijing would control yet another important shipping lane.

Anticipating that New Delhi might be provoked into intervening militarily, Beijing followed its stern warning with the dispatch of naval ships. A military intervention, while it is a preferred Chinese strategy, however, comes with serious drawbacks. For one, it is not clear as to who would replace President Yameen. Nor indeed is it clear that it would be swift, successful and bloodless. Further, whether there would be international support in case there is a confrontation with the Chinese navy is a matter of surmise.

More importantly, if it fails in achieving its desired objective, it would damage India irrevocably in the eyes of its domestic constituency, the regional audience and the world at large. Added to this is the disturbing manner in which the Maldives, under President Yameen, has emerged as an incubation hub for Islamic fundamentalists with the credible possibility that a military intervention might provoke retaliatory terror attacks in India.

Nevertheless, an urgent and unambiguous response from New Delhi is warranted. It knows that if the Maldives is lost, a domino effect would follow. There is, of course, every danger that whatever action New Delhi adopts would draw the Maldives even closer to China. Furthermore, what has already been lost to the Chinese is least likely to be reversed.

A measured but tough response appears to be the only option that India has. While military intervention is not the preferred option, it is an available one that the Maldives needs to be made aware of. Sustained financial sanctions and a travel ban would cripple the tourism industry and strengthen opposition from rich Maldivians against Yameen. Simultaneously, back channel communications need to be opened with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US and the opposition to isolate Yameen and reduce him to a national liability.

More importantly, India needs to focus more consistently on the neighbourhood to avoid moving from one crisis to another.

(Amit Dasgupta is a former Indian diplomat. The views expressed are personal. The article is in special arrangement with South Asia Monitor)China does not want a trade war with the United States but will defend its interests, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Sunday, after US President Donald Trump announced a plan to put tariffs on steel and aluminium imports. Trump struck a defiant tone on Friday, saying trade wars were good and easy to win, a day after he said he intended to put duties of 25 per cent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminium products. Trade tensions between the world's two largest economies have risen since Trump took office in 2017, and although China only accounts for a small fraction of ...Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 4)  The House Justice Committee wants to disclose the results of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno's psychiatric evaluation, as the panel is set to vote on the impeachment complaint this week.

Committee chair Reynaldo Umali told CNN Philippines Sunday they will make the documents and testimonies related to Sereno's psychiatric test public, the same set of results psychiatrists from the Judicial Bar and Council (JBC) shared with lawmakers in an executive session on February 27.

"We will declassify it so that we will use everything for purposes of our prosecution of the case before the Senate impeachment court," Umali said.

The committee members, however, have yet to vote on the move. Umali said the confidentiality rule during an executive session may be lifted if majority of the lawmakers vote for it.

During the final impeachment hearing last week, Umali threatened to cite members of the JBC in contempt for insisting details of Sereno's psychological tests were confidential.

This prompted the psychiatrists who evaluated Sereno when she applied for Chief Justice to testify in an executive session.

While the JBC psychiatrists remained mum after the executive session, Dr. Geraldine Tria, a psychologist who was invited as an expert witness, told lawmakers she believes Sereno is unfit to become Chief Justice.

"There (are) strong indicators five out of nine are actually manifested, like grandiosity, unlimited power, sense of entitlement, interpersonally exploitative in order to take advantage of others to achieve his or her own end," Tria said.

The Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP), meanwhile, slammed the use of the chief magistrate's psychological tests in the impeachment proceedings, saying it was unethical.

READ: Psychologists dispute House justice panel assessment on Sereno's mental health

In the impeachment case, lawyer Larry Gadon claimed Sereno "failed in a psychiatric exam" prior to her appointment by scoring a low 4 out of 5.

Sereno's camp said the score does not mean an official failure in the test, especially if no troubling psychological conditions were found. They also argued the performance on such an exam is not an impeachable offense.

Despite criticisms from the PAP and Sereno's camp, Umali said the results of Sereno's psychiatric test will still be included in the articles of impeachment they will prepare against her.

The Chief Justice in a speech on Friday called for respect for the impeachment process "by allowing it to take the only allowed course under the Constitution."

She urged Congress to finally start an impeachment trial at the Senate and hit her critics for resorting to various actions to malign her.

Once the panel finds probable cause to impeach her, the House plenary will vote. If at least one-third of the members of the House of Representatives vote to impeach Sereno, the complaint would go to trial at the Senate.

Sereno is accused of violating the Constitution, corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes which are grounds for impeachment under the Constitution. She repeatedly denied the allegations and asked for the complaint to be junked.South Korean President Moon Jae-in decided to send a special delegation to the (DPRK) on Monday, senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said on Sunday.

Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidential National Security Office, will lead the five-member delegation to Pyongyang along with chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), reports Yonhap News Agency.

The delegation also includes Chun Hae-sung, vice minister of unification, Yun Kun-young, a top government official and Kim Sang-gyun, a senior NIS director.

The delegation will focus on talks on resuming dialogue between the and the US, the press secretary added.At least four soldiers of Egyptian Army have been killed during military operations against the militant groups based in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.

Anadolu Agency quoted Col. Tamer Rifai on Sunday as saying in a statement that the warplanes attacked six militant targets in northern and central Sinai and the Nile Delta.

An army officer and three other soldiers were also injured, according to the military spokesman.

Ten militants were killed in the North Sinai city of Arish and 245 suspected militants detained during the operation, the spokesman added.

Earlier this week, at least two officers of the Army were killed during the military operations.

The Sinai operation comes at time when the country heading to its presidential election, which are slated to be held from March 26 to 28 in which incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi hopes to win a second four-year term in office.

A militant insurgency hit the Sinai Peninsula in 2013, when the army led by Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ousted Egypt's first freely elected president Mohamed Morsi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least four militants belonging to Afghanistan's insurgent group, Taliban have been killed in an operation conducted by the Afghan security forces in southern Helmand province.

Tolo News quoted the provincial governor's office as saying in a statement that five other insurgents were injured in the operation.

The operation was launched in Gereshk district of the province to clear the area of insurgents, according to the statement.

"Some weapons belonging to the Taliban were seized by security forces during the operation," the officials said.

Taliban has not commented on the airstrikes, so far.

Yesterday, the Afghan Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that at least 28 insurgents have been killed during the military operations carried out by the security forces in the past 24 hours.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Five people lost their lives as a fierce nor'easter wind lashed across the Atlantic coast on Friday.

The people died across Virginia, New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Passengers had a rough ride aboard a flight that landed at Dulles Airport outside Washington.

US president Donald Trump was forced to fly out of Dulles instead of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, while travelling to the funeral of Rev. Billy Graham at North Carolina.

Further, the winds impacted the power supply across various Atlantic cities including 2.1 million homes and business centres from North Carolina to Maine.

As per the forecaster, the rain and snow shall come to a halt by Saturday though there is still no sign of the weather to improve.

Ohio and upstate New York got a foot or more of snow, while Boston and Rhode Island expected to get 2 inches to 5 inches.

Further, there are dangers of a massive coastal flooding expected to impact Massachusetts and Boston.

The states' governor has declared an emergency at Maryland Governed Larry Hogan and Virginia Governed Ralph Northam.

Around 4,000 domestic flights have been cancelled. Airline Company Amtrak has suspended its services between Washington D.C. and New York due to power outages.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Zubair Motiwala said that Pakistan has lost its 50 percent market share in Kabul as India has succeeded to penetrate the market.

The Dawn quoted Motiwala, who recently visited Kabul, as saying that Pakistan's trade with Afghanistan fell to USD 1.2 billion from USD 2.7 billion within in the last two years and the country has been losing even the traditional markets of flour, men and women's clothes and red meat.

He further said that the main reason behind Pakistan's downfall in Afghan market is India, which has been providing goods at subsidised rates to capture the market and are providing air tickets with a 75 percent rebate.

According to data given by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, exports to Afghanistan dropped to USD 1.271 billion in Financial Year 2017 from USD 1.437 billion in Financial Year 2016. Exports in the first quarter of 2017-18 stood at USD 319 million.

Motiwala highlighted that "Medical tourism of Peshawar, which was mainly due to Afghans, is now at zero level; hospitals in Hayatabad are empty" as they now prefer India due to affordable treatments and concessions.A beacon official, who was earlier rescued from Keran sector in Kupwara district after he was washed in an avalanche at Pharkian Top, succumbed to injuries on Sunday.

Earlier, Beacon official Amandeep Singh, JCB (JOSEPH CYRIL BAMFORD) (a heavy machinery company), along with two locals, was evacuated in the unconscious state.

He was initially shifted to nearby military hospital but later was referred to army's 92 base hospitals in Badamibagh Srinagar where he succumbed to injuries.

Two locals are reported to be safe and stable.

Earlier on January 31, the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) has issued an avalanche warning in several districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The SASE has issued a medium-danger avalanche warning of level-3 in higher reaches of Baramulla district and low danger warning of level-2 in Kupwara, Bandipore, Shopian and Kargil districts.

The agency has also issued a low-danger warning of level-1 in Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Ganderbal and Leh districts.

It has asked people in the higher reaches of these districts to avoid movement in the avalanche-prone areas for the next 24 hours.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A day after winning Tripura elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) has put the demand for a separate state for the tribals back on the table.

Party president N C Debbarma told ANI, "The elections are a separate issue, our demand has for years been to create a separate state for tribal people of Tripura. We are hopeful that the Central Government will form a high-level monitoring committee to look into our demand."

Debbarma further said that he wanted the core issues of the tribal people to be addressed on priority.

"Development activities are a regular exercise, whichever political party may be in power, so the demand will continue", he added.

The BJP and its ally on Saturday scripted history by ending the 25-year reign of the Left Front led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) with a two-thirds majority in the Tripura legislative assembly elections.

Debbarma defeated the CPI(M)'s Ramendra Debbarma in Takarjal constituency.

The IPFT has been fighting for a separate state for tribals since its inception in the year 1997.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 5)  The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a quo warranto petition on the qualifications of Maria Lourdes Sereno as the Supreme Court's Chief Justice on Monday.

A quo warranto is a legal proceeding where an individual's right to hold office is challenged.

Suspended lawyer Eligio Mallari earlier asked the OSG to look into the validity of Sereno's appointment.

He said Sereno repeatedly failed to file her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), which is one of the requirements for those applying for the Chief Justice post.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said he believes Solicitor General Jose Calida should question Sereno's appointment before the high court.

Sereno's camp, however, maintained the Chief Justice can only be removed from office through impeachment.

According to Rule 66 of the Rules of Court, quo warranto proceedings may be initiated by the government against:

a person who usurps, intrudes into, or unlawfully holds or exercises a public office, position or franchise;

a public officer who does or suffers an act which, by the provision of law, constitutes a ground for the forfeiture of his office;

or an association which acts as a corporation within the Philippines without being legally incorporated or without lawful authority so to act."

Sereno is accused of violating the Constitution, corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes which are grounds for impeachment under the Constitution. She repeatedly denied the allegations and asked for the complaint to be junked.

'Substantial compliance'

In an impeachment hearing on February 12, Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) Executive Director Annaliza Ty-Capacite said Sereno sent a letter to the JBC saying she couldn't submit her SALN as she no longer had access to the documents.

She added because many applicants failed to submit all of their SALNs, then congressional representative to the JBC Senator Francis Escudero suggested to relax the rule and to allow substantial compliance.

Capacite said Sereno submitted three SALNs, covering 2009, 2010, and 2011, which they already considered substantial.

Capacite added one of the JBC ex-officio members said there should at least be substantial compliance, or in Sereno's case, an attempt to submit the SALN, for her inclusion in the JBC shortlist.

Before assuming the Chief Justice post in 2012, Sereno taught at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law from 1986 to 2006.

Applicants to the post are required to submit their SALN for the past decade, in this case from 2002 to 2011.

However, Associate Justices Teresita de Castro, who was also one of the nominees for chief justice, said the JBC committed a "grave injustice" against other applicants when they accepted Sereno's application even after she failed to submit her SALN.

Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, who was the former JBC en banc chair, said he was not informed Sereno did not submit her SALN when she applied for chief justice.

He also said Sereno's appointment could be declared void, as she should instead be considered a de facto officer.To keep Congress out of power in Meghalaya, Assam Finance, Health and Education Minister and Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with regional parties will form the next government in the state.

"I am confident that the regional parties and the BJP will form the government in Meghalaya together. The people in Meghalaya have rejected the Congress. We are committed to giving them an alternate form of government and we are moving in that direction only," Himanta told ANI.

Following its defeat in the Meghalaya polls yesterday, the BJP suggested that the regional parties - People's Party (NPP) and United Democratic Party (UDP) should enter into an alliance to form a "non-Congress government" in the state, as Meghalaya voters returned a hung assembly.

The BJP managed to win just two seats, while the Congress retained its hold on Meghalaya by winning 21 seats, 10 short of the majority 31-seat mark in the 60-member house.

The NPP won 19 seats, while other regional parties won 17 seats, implying that even though the Congress has won, it still may not form the government in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China on Sunday defended its plan to scrap presidential term limits, which would see Chinese President Xi Jinping rule for life, as well as consolidating key leadership positions, according to media reports.

According to Zhang Yesui, the spokesperson for the National People's Congress, the constitutional amendment plans to bring the post of the president in line with other positions such as the post of General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party and the chairman of the Central Military Commission, that controls the armed forces.

"The move is conducive to uphold the authority of the (Communist Party) Central Committee with Xi at the core, and also the unified leadership. It will also be conducive to the state leadership system," he added.

While the amendment is expected to pass with near unanimous approval by the committee, it has aroused criticism among China's embattled liberal activists as a reversion to the era of former Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, whose rule led China into famine, chaos and ultimately political stagnation.

The annual legislative session, which starts from Monday, is set to approve a proposal to scrap the presidential term limits on Xi.

Last week, the ruling Communist Party has proposed to remove the two-term restriction for the presidency from China's constitution.

According to Xinhua news agency, a proposal by the CPC Central Committee will allow the President and Vice-President of China to serve more than two consecutive terms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)People's Party (NPP) President Conrad Sangma will be the new chief minister of Meghalaya, Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters here, Sarma stated that there would be no deputy chief minister for the state.

He further added that the oath-taking ceremony would take place on March 6.

Furthermore, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader noted that since one MLA out of every two MLAs of all supporting political parties will be a part of the new government, one MLA out of the two BJP MLAs will also be a part of it.

Earlier, Conrad Sangma met the Meghalaya Governor to stake claim to form the government in the state, with the support of 34 members, including those from NPP, BJP, United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP) and others.

"Next two to three days are very crucial since the Assembly term will culminate on March 7. Running a coalition government is never easy, but I am confident that the MLAs who are with us are very committed to the state and people, and will work towards their development," Conrad Sangma said.

As per the results of the Meghalaya State Assembly polls declared on March 3, the Congress party retained its hold with 21 seats, while the NPP bagged 19 seats.

Following its defeat in the state Assembly polls here, the BJP on Saturday had suggested that the NPP and UDP enter into an alliance to form a "non-Congress government" in the state.

Echoing a similar stance, UDP President Donkupar Roy on Sunday extended the party's support to the NDP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An armed reserved police personnel, on Sunday committed suicide by allegedly shooting himself.

The police personnel identified as Arul Raj, shot himself dead while he was on his guarding duty at the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's memorial.

The incident took place around 4:55 am in the morning, when he killed himself using his 303 bolt-action rifle.

Reportedly, he was taken to the Royapettah government hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Meanwhile, the police is ascertaining the reason behind his suicide.

Further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Over 200 Muslim couples tied the nuptial knot during a mass wedding in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The wedding was organised by Trust Jamia Faizanul Quran and ISSA Foundation in Ahmedabad's Saraspur.

The organisers even gave beds, refrigerators among other items as gifts to the newly-weds.

"The event has been organised to help Muslims from the different strata of the society. We come together to successfully conduct a wedding for many people," a teacher at Faizan English School told ANI.

"Through this wedding, we want to convey the message of equality. People who cannot afford proper wedding we help them," she added.

"This is a good platform where Muslims get together. And in society, we have some poor families who cannot afford marriage. So, with functions like these those families get relief and financial help," a bride told ANI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The authorities on Sunday confirmed the death of the gunman, who had shot himself in front of the White House on Saturday.

The gunman has been identified by the Secret service and the Metropolitan Police Department, but his name has not been disclosed citing security reasons.

The Secret service, deployed to ensure the safety of White House, confirmed that there were no other injuries on the body of the gunman apart from the bullet injury, confirming that the Gunman did not target any shot towards the White House.

The authorities are now 'working to notify next of kin'.

According to the Washington Post, the gunman committed suicide amidst a group of 100 people.

Post the incident, the White House went on a lockdown while US President Donald Trump was away on a visit to Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said that India will most definitely retain its position of a 'fast growing economy' in the coming decades.

"We (India) are looked at as one of the bright spots in the world and over the next one or two decades our potential to retain that position of a fast growing economy, as China did in the last three decades," Jaitley said while addressing students at the 17th convocation of Jammu University.

Jaitley also said that the economy today is market-determined and this trend is likely to grow.

"If you actually see the nature of the world economy or Indian economy and you look at the largest companies today, compare it with the list of companies which existed prior to 1991; (prior to 1991), it was more regulatory, and post 1991, it is market determined. This nature of economy globally and also in India is going to expand further," he said.

He also appreciated the efforts by the state government and Jammu University to keep the traditional heritage of India intact.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is also the pro-chancellor of the university, was also present on the occasion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three people including the shop owner have been arrested by the state police in connection with the blast at Leicester in England that took place on February 26.

Due to the blast the shop got destroyed and reduced to rumbles, killing three members of the same family.

Five others received critical injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.

The accused Aram Kurd also the owner of the shop, Hawkar Hassan and Arkan Ali will be later produced at the court on Monday.

Two more had been earlier arrested in connection with the blast.

Earlier, 33-year-old Aram Kurd had pleaded guilty and claimed to run away from the spot to save his life.

The Leicestershire Police had declared the explosion a "major incident".

The motive behind the explosion is still unknown.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Manoj Tiwari on Sunday backed the demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged Staff Selection Commission (SSC) paper leak.

New Delhi [India], Mar 4 (ANI): Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Manoj Tiwari on Sunday backed the demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged Staff Selection Commission (SSC) paper leak.

Tiwari said that he met with the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with protesting SSC aspirants to discuss their concern.

"Home Minister heard the students and assured action in this regard," he said.

He further said that if corruption has happened then it should be investigated adding, "We are against corruption and the demand of these students is very genuine."

"I have complete faith in my government, the culprit whoever it may be, will not be spared as BJP and Delhi state stand by their demand," he added.

Another BJP Member of Parliament (MP) Meenakshi Lekhi ensured the aspirants of a fair investigation at the earliest.

"We have had meeting with the Home Minister and he assured us that an investigation has been initiated in the case," she said adding that a thorough probe will be done in the matter.

Since February 27, students have taken to the streets of Delhi, protesting in thousands against what they term as "mass cheating".

On February 24, the SSC released a notice saying that the exam held on February 21 was delayed due to "technical reasons" and will be re-conducted on March 9.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A major United States airline, the United Airlines flight on Sunday with 266 passengers and 15 crew members on board diverted its New Delhi bound flight to London's Heathrow Airport due to medical emergency.

"Our team at London Heathrow Airport is providing assistance to customers of United flight 82 (New York/ Newark to Delhi) which diverted to London Heathrow Airport because of a medical issue on board. The flight now has been cancelled due to the crew reaching their maximum duty time," the statement from the airlines read.

"We are providing hotel accommodation for our customers, and making arrangements for them to complete their journeys tomorrow. We have apologised to our customers for the inconvenience caused," the statement added.

United Airlines commonly referred to as United is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)(CNN Philippines, March 4)  Six suspected members of rebel group New People's Army (NPA) were arrested in an encounter with government forces in Negros Oriental Saturday morning, the military said.

Two of the six arrested in Mabinay town are minors, both 17 years old. The others are aged 18, 19, 21, and 29.

"Since they are still young, it would be more helpful that we keep their identity secret. This is for their safety and for their future," the military's Cebu City-based Central Command (Centcom) Spokesperson Lt. Col. Medel Aguilar said.

They were detained in a police station in Negros Oriental for the filing of appropriate cases.

One of the six is a female University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu student, the Centcom added.

In a text message to CNN Philippines, UP Cebu Chancellor Lisa Corro clarified the arrested female is a graduate of Mass Communications last June 2017.

Being an alumna, the University no longer has information about her current involvements, Corro added.

"Right now she is entitled to due process and is considered innocent until proven otherwise," the chancellor said.

In a statement, the Centcom said the 303rd Army Brigade was responding to reports of the presence of armed men in Sitio Tumunon, Barangay Luyang in Mabinay, Negros Oriental.

The Army Civil Military Operations (CMO) said civilians in the area have been complaining of harassment and extortion of the rebel group, which prompted the immediate deployment of troops.

The Philippine National Police joined the Armed Forces of the Philippines in a 45-minute firefight.

The government forces were able to subdue the armed group and arrested the six alleged NPA members, Aguilar said.

High-powered firearms and explosives were also confiscated by the army.

"We have to decisively act on this issue because the future of our youth is at stake. We have to protect the youth from the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)-NPA exploitation of their young minds and idealism," said Lieutenant General Paul Talay Atal, Centcom Commander.

Lieutenant General Atal commended his troops for the success of the operations and for their "strict adherence to the principles of human rights and the provisions of International Humanitarian Law."

In November 2017, the government canceled peace talks with the communist rebels. President Rodrigo Duterte has also asked the court to declare the NPA as a terrorist group.A North Korean official on Sunday threatened the U.S. yet again if it takes part in the joint military exercises with South Korea in the coming months.

It further said the military drills between the US and South Korea would harm reconciliation efforts and the North shall be 'forced' to counter the US.

The joint military exercises between the US and South Korea are set to begin in April.

US President Donald Trump had announced on February 23 that 'heaviest sanctions ever' placed on North Korea.

Tensions have remained high since the latest sanctions were put into place.

The North Korean spokesperson said, "It would neither beg for dialogue nor evade the military option claimed by the U.S.".

Earlier Trump indicated to bring a resolution to push North Korea dictated by Kim Jong Un to completely end its nuclear missile program through North Korea said to not negotiate on those terms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will embark on a two-day visit to Nepal from March 5, as a part of the country's pro-active and outreach efforts to engage with regional countries.

Prime Minister Abbasi will convey felicitations to the Nepalese leadership on the successful conclusion of its democratic process, resulting in the formation of the new Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) (CPN-UML) government.

During his visit, he will also congratulate the newly elected Prime Minister of Nepal, Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and will call on the President of Nepal, Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

Nepal's Ambassador to Pakistan, Sewa Lamsal Adhikari called on Prime Minister Abbasi on Friday and conveyed him the message of welcome from the Nepalese leadership.

She also discussed on how to further strengthen bilateral relations between Nepal and Pakistan.

"Nepal is an important regional country and a close friend. Our ties with Nepal are characterized by cordiality, mutual respect and commonality of interests. Our support to each other at bilateral and multilateral fora has remained indispensable for both the sides," a spokesperson said.

The Pakistan Prime Minister's visit to Nepal will provide an opportunity to further expand and strengthen bilateral relations across all areas of mutual interest including trade, education, tourism, defence and people-to-people contacts.

Ways of invigorating SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) as an important regional organisation will also be discussed during the visit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kathmandu [Nepal], Mar 05 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi , who will be reaching here on Monday for a two-day visit, will be accorded a guard of honour by the Nepali Army, a source told ANI.

"He (Pakistan Prime Minister) is set to land in Kathmandu at about 2 pm and he will be conferred with guard of honour. To receive the honour, he will head to Tundikhel (ground) where he also will be received by Prime Minister (KP Sharma) Oli," the army source said.

During the Nepal visit, which is Pakistan's "pro-active and outreach efforts" in the Indian subcontinent, Abbasi will congratulate the newly elected prime minister, Oli, who took over the office a few weeks ago.

"Pakistan Prime Minister will stay in Soaltee Hotel and will meet President (Bidhya Devi Bhandari) and Prime Minister on the same day. During the meeting with the prime minister, Pak PM Abbasi will be raising the issue of a missing Pakistan retired colonel," a foreign ministry official seeking anonymity told ANI.

The two sides will also discuss ways to widen cooperation in trade, education, tourism, defence and people to people contacts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has ordered a ban on the sale, import and export of "Chinese salt" (Monosodium Glutamate) across the country, calling it as "dangerous to health."

The salt, popularly known as Ajinomoto in Pakistan, is used in various dishes and frozen foods to enhance the taste. The salt is made in China and is manufactured in the country.

A three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, while hearing a case against the usage of Ajinomoto salt ordered the top authorities to implement the court's orders soon.

Justice Nisar urged Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to take up the issue in the cabinet.

The apex court was told that the country's three provinces including eastern Punjab, northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern Sindh have already banned the condiment and are taking measures against its selling. It also took a suo motu notice of the issue after reports about its hazardous effects on human health were surfaced, The Dawn reported.

In January, the Punjab Food Authority had recommended banning the "Chinese salt" after tests found that the condiment was hazardous to its health by its scientific panel.

According to the findings of the panel, the Ajinomoto salt is extremely hazardous for pregnant women and it can cause headaches, fatigue, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, sweating, flushing and numbness of the face and hypertension.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed grief over the death Senior IFS officer S. Manikandan, who died on March 3 after he was attacked by a wild tusker in the jungles of Karnataka.

Manikandan was the Conservator of Forests and Director of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.

Taking to his twitter handle, the Prime Minister said Manikandan will be remembered for his rich service and passion towards wildlife and forest conservation.

"My thoughts are with the family, friends, and colleagues of Shri S. Manikandan, who lost his life while on duty at the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. The country will remember him for his rich service and passion towards wildlife and forest conservation: PM @narendramodib (sic)," the prime minister tweeted.

The incident took place when Manikandan along with two other forest officials has gone in the area to assess the damage caused by a mild fire in the region on Friday evening.

They got down from the jeep and walked for a while when suddenly the elephant attacked them from behind.

While others managed to escape, Manikandan was attacked by the elephant and lost his life.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)After announcing his political ambition, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) on Sunday said his idea of non-Congress and non-Bharatiya Janata Party front was finding resonance among many regional leaders.

"Since morning, I have been receiving many calls from various places in India. Today afternoon, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee called me and said that I have taken the right decision and she will be supporting me," Chief Minister Rao said while addressing a huge crowd at his official residence, Pragati Bhavan, here.

"Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren also called, telling me that he is standing behind me. Soren also told me that he is trying to speak with many other people in India and will meet up soon and speak on the issue," said Rao.

He also said that numerous MPs have called him and assured him of their support.

Meanwhile, Rao criticised Congress and BJP, saying that both the parties have "miserably failed in governance".

"We see farmers' suicides, why is this happening even after 70 years of independence?" Rao asked.

He further accused the parties of dividing the country and its people on caste, religion and political lines.

Claiming that nothing has changed during the governance of BJP-led Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre, Rao said some sectors should be handed over to the states.

"Medical, education, agriculture, and urban development should be handed over to state governments, but they aren't doing so, while the Central government is keeping all these departments in their hands," said the Telangana Chief Minister.

On Saturday, after chairing the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) parliamentary board meeting, KCR announced his ambition to participate in the national to initiate a change in the political fabric of the country, following the "miserable failure" of the current system.

"I am keen to participate in national to change the political fabric of the country as the current political system has miserably failed. There is a serious need for qualitative change in the national politics, as no change has been seen by the people even after 70 years of exercise of democracy," he said.

Thereafter, West Bengal's Banerjee, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, two MPs from Maharashtra, and representatives from other political parties called KCR to express their support for his vision.

However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not take the criticism lying down and its Telangana unit alleged that KCR had "failed miserably" in the governance of Telangana, adding that the decision to unite with other parties was because of not being able to fight the BJP alone.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday will send his special envoys to North Korea for talks this week, signalling a further thaw in the relations between the two Koreas, that has warmed rapidly over the last few weeks.

The talks are also widely expected to focus on resuming dialogue between the United States and North Korea, both of which have been engaged in back-and-forth barbs over the latter's threat of a nuclear attack, ever since Donald Trump took over as the US President last year.

Chung Eui-yong, the chief of the presidential National Security Office, will lead a five-member delegation to Pyongyang in this week.

Other members of the delegation include Suh Hoon, chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Chun Hae-sung, vice minister of unification ministry, Yun Kun-young, a Cheong Wa Dae (presidential Blue House) official, and Kim Sang-gyun, a senior NIS director.

"They will embark on a two-day trip from Monday, using a special direct flight to Pyongyang", Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan was quoted by the Yonhap news agency as saying.

"The delegation is expected to hold talks with North Korea's high-level officials to discuss ways to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula and develop the South-North Korea relationship," he added.

The delegation will hold discussions on the "right" conditions created for the dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington D.C., that is aimed at achieving the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and establishing peaceful relations between the two Koreas.

The South Korean officials will also embark a visit to the US in the coming days to explain the outcome of their trip to the communist country.

The talks between the two Koreas come after North Korea had sent a nearly 500-member delegation to the just-concluded Pyeongchang Winter Games in South Korea last month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The idea of co-working spaces is rapidly growing in the country. While the hubs were dominated by male entrepreneurs, the co-working spaces are attracting a lot of women.

After the culture of 'work from home', women entrepreneurs prefer working in an office set up today.

Co-working spaces in India are offering special facilities to women in the form of mentor sessions, creche facilities and networking to help them in their businesses.

Here are the top women-friendly co-working spaces in the country:

1. 91springboard

91springboard has emerged as one of the leading co-working communities with the largest number of hubs present across all key cities. Women being an integral part of the ecosystems, 91springboard realised the need to encourage women entrepreneurs right from the beginning by introducing communities like Women Entrepreneur (WE) League.

WE League curates events to encourage, inspire, and mentor women entrepreneurs in their ambitions. The platform helps women share tools, knowledge, and network to help each other lead, start, and grow.

2. W Square

WSquare is a collaborative workspace that provides a 'Working Desk' for women who are looking for an alternative to work from home or to just work independently. Their purpose is to create an environment that allows one to focus on their work and meet interesting like-minded women, all in one place.

3. CoWrks

The CoWrks team is a community of like-minded individuals who live the millennial lifestyle and believe in the power of a community. Cowrks is India's only large format co-working space provider which focuses on three things, carefully designed for female entrepreneurs - incredible workspaces, infectious energy and an ingenious network to tap into.

4. Go Work

GoWork allows women the freedom to innovate, collaborate and build a vibrant self-sustainable environment. It helps them to connect with freelancers, start-ups, SMBs, NGOs and big corporates on a daily basis.

An upcoming creche facility at GoWork's campus is bound to give more independence to women and single parents. GoWork also organises various women-led initiatives like mentoring sessions, meet-ups, accelerator programs and counseling sessions that help them develop lasting professional networks.

5. Innov8

Innov8 is the leading Indian co-working startup which aspires to be world's number one co-working and co-living workspace provider. They are committed to delivering excellence through design and experience and boast of a premium work culture with co-working centers spread across major cities throughout the country.

Innov8 aims to transform real estate into a beautiful and premium workspace. Through various events like We Can, they have always shown special interest in mentoring and inspiring the young female entrepreneurs of India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)United States President Donald Trump and mediapersons exchanged spirited jokes and satirical remarks at the annual dinner of the Gridiron Club and Foundation, here on Sunday.

According to Sputnik, Trump admitted, while attending the dinner, that he was very eager to "ruin" the event in person by receiving an invitation for it. "Nobody does self-deprecating humor better than I do. It's not even close," he added.

"You can't be impeached when there's no crime. Put that down!" Trump said in reference to Vice President Mike Spence allegedly asking every morning if Trump had been impeached yet, with him being next in line for the presidency if Trump's critics succeeded in ejecting him from office.

The president also made remarks about his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, who according to Trump, "leaked more than the Titanic," and Attorney General Jeff Sessions who "recused himself" after Trump "offered him a ride over."

However, a few hours before the dinner Trump tweeted that "mainstream media in the US is being mocked all over the world," attaching a link to a story about alleged media attacks against Trump and his family.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)(CNN)  At least seven people have been killed and six attackers "neutralized" Friday in Burkina Faso after attacks on the national army headquarters and the French Embassy, a government minister said.

It's not yet clear who was behind the violence in the West African nation's capital, Ouagadougou.

France's special envoy to Africa's Sahel region, Jean-Marc Chataigner, urged people to avoid the city center in a tweet referring to a "terrorist attack."

Remi Dandjinou, Burkina Faso's minister of communication, told CNN that an explosive device was used in the attack at the General Staff of the Armed Forces. At least five people were killed and two attackers "neutralized" there, he said.

Four attackers were also "neutralized" and two Burkina Faso security members killed at the French Embassy, according to Dandjinou.

He cautioned that the death toll might change.

A spokesman for the French Ministry of Defense told CNN the situation at the embassy was under control.

Freelance journalist Yacouba Ouedraogo, who is in Ouagadougou, told CNN the shooting had stopped and that the people who attacked the army headquarters wore Burkinabe army clothes.

A government statement urged people to keep calm and avoid areas where there might be gunfire.

The French Embassy earlier said on Facebook that attacks were underway there and at the French Institute, a cultural organization about a mile away.

France's ambassador to Burkina Faso, Xavier Lapdecab, urged people via Twitter to act with "absolute precaution" as the attack was ongoing.

Burkina Faso's national police warned people to move away from areas around the "vicinity of the Prime Ministry  and the United Nations roundabout" in a post on its Facebook page.

"The specialized units of the defense and security forces are in action," it said.

The Prime Minister's office later posted on Facebook that it was not affected by the attack.

The U.S. Embassy urged people to seek shelter.

"Attacks are reported to be ongoing in downtown Ouagadougou, in the Koulouba area. The affected area includes the Chief of Staff Headquarters. Avoid downtown Ouagadougou. Shelter in place. Monitor local media for updates," it said on Twitter.

France has a military presence in Burkina Faso as part of Operation Barkhane, which was launched in 2014 to combat jihadist activity across the Sahel region.

The West, particularly France, considers Burkina Faso a key ally in the fight against al Qaeda in the region.

The country was formerly known as the Republic of Upper Volta when it was established in 1958 as a self-governing colony under France. It gained full independence in 1960.

It's not the first time that sites in the capital have come under attack.

An attack by gunmen last year on a restaurant in Ouagadougou left at least 18 people dead, including two attackers. The victims were of several different nationalities.

That assault echoed a similar one in 2016 on a cafe and hotel popular with Western diplomats in the same district of the city that left 29 dead.

Responsibility for that attack was claimed by an al Qaeda affiliate, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Later that year a jihadist assault on the Grand-Bassam beach resort killed 16 in neighboring Ivory Coast.

This story was first published on cnn.com, "Military headquarters, French Embassy attacked in Burkina Faso's capital."Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Amit Shah will resolve the Mhadei inter-state water dispute crisis, Goa BJP President Vinay Tendulkar said on Sunday.

"He must be having a solution. He will find a way...," Tendulkar told a press conference when asked to respond to a statement by Shah in Karnataka last week where he had assured voters in the poll-bound state, that if voted to power, the BJP would resolve the long-standing inter-state dispute.

When asked if Shah's assurance to a poll-bound state, especially when a central Tribunal hearing the dispute for several years was likely to deliver its verdict soon, was fair, Tendulkar said: "You should ask him".

Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra are currently involved in a dispute in the Tribunal over controversial Kalsa-Bhandura dam project across Mhadei river, through which Karnataka aims to divert water from the Mhadei basin to nearby basin on the Malaprabha river.

The Tribunal hearing is expected to deliver a verdict in few months.

Mhadei, also known as the Mandovi river, is considered as a lifeline in the northern parts of the coastal state. It originates in Karnataka and meets the Arabian Sea in Goa, while briefly flowing through Maharashtra.

The river course is 28.8 km in Karnataka, and over 50 km in Goa.

After a meeting with Shah in December 2017, Parrikar in a letter to senior Karnataka BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa, had offered to discuss sharing of drinking water from the Mhadei river to Karnataka on humanitarian grounds.

The letter had evoked sharp criticism from his own cabinet colleagues as well as the opposition and civil society groups who accused the Goa Chief Minister of selling out on the state's natural resources only to help the BJP ahead of the Karnataka Assembly polls.

--IANS

maya/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Caste discrimination continues to leave a bad taste among students savouring their midday meals in almost every rural government school of Himachal Pradesh, a state where the literacy rate is at a high of 82.8 per cent.

Lower caste students face social discrimination in all school activities, including partaking the midday meal. Even the chefs employed in 15,000-plus government schools for cooking meals are largely from the higher castes.

The latest instance of segregating Dalit students in a government school in Kullu district during a live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme has hogged the headlines.

But, claim social activists, that was not a stray incident.

They say centuries-old caste-based attitudes persist in almost every rural school despite India banning discrimination in 1955. The midday meal is a nationwide school programme of the Indian government to improve the nutritional status of school-age children.

Social activist Kuldeep Verma said caste-based discrimination during the serving of the midday meal is common in the state, more prominent in the extremely backward trans-Giri areas of Sirmaur district, and calls for dignity for the lower-caste community.

"You can visit any government school in the trans-Giri area and you will find separate queues for Dalit students during the midday meal. Even the head cook employed for preparing the meals is not from a lower caste," Verma, who runs the People's Action for People in Need (PAPN) NGO in Sirmaur, told IANS.

He said the students belonging to the higher castes are tutored by their parents against mingling with their peers belonging to the lower castes and to sit separately while in school.

Locals in the trans-Giri areas, mainly farmers cultivating ginger on small landholdings, have been fighting for decades to get the status of a Scheduled Tribe.

Himachal Pradesh has a population of over 6.8 million as per the Census for 2011, and Dalits comprise one fourth of the state's population. It says more than 90 percent people live in rural areas -- in 17,882 villages -- of the total 20,690 revenue villages.

An optimistic Ashwani Kumar Thakur, Principal of the Government Senior Secondary School at Chikhar Satlai, one of the remotest schools located some 50 km from the state capital, told IANS they are educating the students about caste discrimination laws.

"We are sensitising our students so that they change their behaviour and attitudes, but at times we face strong resistance from village elders," Thakur told IANS.

As per the guidelines of state education authorities, each student is asked to sit as per his roll number during all school activities, Thakur added.

Article 15 of the Constitution bars discrimination on the basis of caste and laws are in place to penalise it.

But sociologists believe the practice persists in the state as the most marginalised communities, including Dalits, are often barred from public places in villages like temples and water taps. Often students in schools across the state refuse to eat the midday meal because it was cooked by a Dalit.

They say such oral traditions and cultures are often practised in those areas where there is a culture of "devta" or deity worship.

"Old Himachal" areas that lie in Shimla, Sirmaur, Kullu, Mandi, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts are known for worshiping deities for centuries. Take the case of the picturesque Kullu Valley, where 534 gods and goddesses "live". They travel, play, get angry and demand penance. Each village or a cluster of hamlets has its own deity.

"Here in the land of gods, the devtas command and the people obey. The gods here are not idols enshrined in temples; they are alive," says a book compiled by the Kullu administration in 2014 after year-long research on local deities.

The book says the gods "live" with the people. They "speak" to their followers and tell them what to do. The conduit between the mortals and the deities are the "agur", the traditional shamans who form the core of the communities' spiritual sustenance. The agur mediates between the people and the gods.

Noted Shimla-based writer S.R. Harnot, who knocked on the state high court's door to end caste discrimination at a prominent Hindu temple near Bilaspur town, said the caste system is deeply entrenched in the state.

He said the "bajantris" (musicians) accompanying the deities largely belong to the lower castes.

"The bajantris can accompany the deity's palanquin but they are not allowed to touch it or sit with their fellow villagers during puja," Harnot told IANS.

"Discrimination on basis of caste is a striking reality. How can the state shirk its responsibility of creating a healthy society," asked Harnot, whose popular novel "Hidimb" brings to the fore the plight of suppressed people in the state's remote areas.

"The state must act pro-actively and begin the exercise in schools where a child learns his/her first lesson on the fundamental right to equality," he added.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS

vg/vm/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China on Sunday said the decision to scrap two-term limit for President Xi Jinping is essential for upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The party's powerful Central Committee last month passed a proposal to remove the two-term cap on Chinese presidency -- a move that has startled the world.

China's revered leader Deng Xiaoping in 1980 had restricted the presidential five-year tenure to two to avoid the perils which the cult around Mao Zedong had brought.

It is the same restriction which the National Party Congress (NPC), China's rubber-stamp parliament, will lift by amending the clause in the Constitution when it convenes the two-week annual session at the cavernous Great Hall in front of the Tiananmen Square on Monday.

The move will allow Xi to rule the world's most populous country till the time he does not retire or die. The move has shocked and worried many at home and abroad.

On the eve of China's parliament session, its spokesperson Zhang Yesui said the constitution of the CPC does not stipulate that general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairperson of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the CPC shall not serve more than two consecutive terms.

Xi is the General Secretary of the Communist Party and the Chairman of the CMC.

The nation's Constitution has no such stipulation on chairperson of the CMC of the PRC either, he added.

China's Constitution has been tweaked four times since its enactment in 1954.

The Communist Party's constitution may well be considered above that of the country.

"To make the constitutional provision concerning the President conform with the aforementioned practices is conducive to safeguarding the authority and the centralised and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core, and to strengthening and improving China's leadership system," Zhang said.

"Upholding the leadership of the Communist Party of China and reflecting the will of the people should be the principles for amending the Constitution," Zhang said at a press conference.

Last year, at the Communist Party's once in a five year meet, Xi began his second five-term without announcing his successor, a convention his predecessor Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin had followed.

The move was widely speculated as Xi's desire to rule the country of 1.4 billion beyond the customary 10 years.

It holds true as the 2,980 deputies of the NPC will unanimously approve the amendment pushed by the Communist Party.

Xi is China's most powerful leader since Mao. He has been conferred with the status of "core", an honorific given only to Mao and Deng.

--IANS

gsh/him/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China on Sunday warned US President Donald Trump that there would be consequences if Washington launched a trade war.

"China does not want a trade war with the US, but if it takes actions to hurt China's interests, China will not sit by idly and will take necessary measures," Zhang Yesui, a spokesperson for China's National People's Congress, said in a press conference.

Zhang also warned Washington that policies based on "misjudgement or wrong presumptions will hurt relations and bring about consequences that neither side would want to see", reports Efe news.

These remarks come after Trump on Thursday announced that his administration will impose 25 per cent on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminium products and described trade wars as "good".

Zhang said that the total trade between the two economic powers reached more than $580 billion in 2017 so "it is natural that there are some frictions".

However, he insisted that cooperation was the only way to resolve those differences, citing the example of Chinese top economic adviser Liu He's visit to Washington this week for a series of meetings with US government officials.

"It is important for both sides to perceive each other's strategic intentions correctly and with a fair mind," Zhang said at the press conference preceding the annual plenary session of the National People's Congress, which will begin Monday.

Trump's announcement was met with strong criticism by international trading partners who said his plan could spark a trade war. European Union officials said they would retaliate with new tariffs on US goods, including Harley-Davidson motorbikes, bourbon whiskey and Levi's jeans.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday said that Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash was trying to divert attention from the Nagrik Sehkari Bank fraud with his police complaint against two party MLAs, who allegedly assaulted the top bureaucrat two weeks back.

The allegations like fraudulent loans issued through forged documents and lakhs spent on 'laddoos' during Diwali were levelled against Delhi Nagrik Sehkari Bank Ltd (DNSBL), according to a report by a Delhi Assembly committee.

"It is clear that the Chief Secretary is using his police complaint as a shield to divert attention from the scam," AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj, who headed the committee, said in a statement.

"...though it is clear from the facts that the committee proceedings have nothing to do with the executive decisions of the government nor are the proceedings in any way connected with what Mr (Anshu) Prakash is trying to unsuccessfully portray," he added.

The committee on Sunday stated that the Chief Secretary "distorted" the facts in his petition filed in the Delhi High Court, challenging a breach of privilege notice served on him for non-appearance before the committee.

The Chief Secretary on February 20 filed a police complaint against AAP MLAs -- Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal -- for "assaulting" him at the Chief Minister's residence where he was called for an emergency meeting on February 19 night.

Citing a government report, Bharadwaj said that in some branches of the bank, like in Lajpat Nagar, Non Performing Assets had crossed 57 per cent.

"No Delhi government officer wants to act on this. Delhi Assembly Committee asking questions for last 1 year. No answers. No Accountability," he tweeted.

"In PNB scam everybody is asking why No Government acted before to stop this loot? Right under Delhi Government, there is multi-crore bank loan scam. Assembly Committee is questioning Government , but Government Officers don't wanna (want to) answer.

"Is Central Government supporting another PNB scam in Delhi ?" he said in a series of tweets.

--IANS

mg/qd/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Gurugram police on Sunday launched e-challan facility in the city to punish traffic rules violators, making it the first district in the state to have such a facility, a senior police officer said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Deepak Gahlawat introduced the new system by issuing e-tickets to a few offenders at Rajiv Chowk here on the Gurugram-Delhi expressway.

DCP Gahlawat said both the system and software for e-tickets were developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), and as of now, as many as 82 machines have been provided to the police controlling traffic on this Millennium City roads.

The e-challan facility will allow traffic police -- the end users -- to automate the process of generation of challans for traffic offences and collect payments against the challans on the spot.

Information about the challans will get updated in the servers in real time.

The system would have components like handheld GPRS terminals and mini impact printers, and the GPRS application server would have an interface for Short Message Peer to Peer (SMPP), besides database server gateways for payment processing through credit/debit cards.

On an average, over 2,000 challans are issued to violators in the city everyday for flouting traffic rules.

According to the traffic police, as compared to a routine exercise, the number of such tickets goes up over 25 times during zero tolerance campaigns.

--IANS

pradeep/nir/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Italians started voting on Sunday in the country's general elections to elect a new parliament after a divisive campaign dominated by concerns over immigration and the economy.

Some 46 million Italians are eligible to vote. Polling stations opened at 7 am and will close at 11 pm, reports Efe news

Italians are set to elect 630 members of the Chamber of Deputies and 315 members of the Senate under a new law.

In the new system, 36 per cent of representatives will be allocated by using the first-past-the-post electoral system and the remaining 64 per cent using a proportional method, with one round of voting.

According to recent opinion polls, published in mid-February, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing coalition formed by Forza Italia, the anti-immigrant Northern League party and the Brothers of Italy could be the eventual winner with about 35 per cent of the vote, although insufficient to form the government.

The four-time Prime Minister has backed European Parliament President Antonio Tajani as his choice to lead the country, reports the BBC.

The Five Star Movement is expected to come in second place but get the most support of any single party with 29 per cent of the votes.

The ruling Democratic Party headed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is expected to get about 23 per cent.

Opinion polls said that more than 30 per cent of voters had not decided how they would vote.

Results are expected by early Monday morning.

Meanwhile, the huge number of immigrant arrivals has upset many Italians - with politicians, including from the mainstream, toughening their rhetoric as a result.

Berlusconi has called the presence of illegal migrants a "social time-bomb" and pledges mass deportations.

The campaign has seen violent clashes between far-right supporters and anti-fascist protesters.Actress Margot Robbie says she once prank-called Prince Harry after getting his number from friend and model Cara Delevingne, who she blames for inciting her.

It happened when the pair found themselves with spare time while co-starring in a movie and the model was bored.

Robbie told thesun.co.uk: "Cara knows Harry and while we were filming 'Suicide Squad' she was like, 'Let's prank-call him'. I said, 'We can't prank-call royalty', but anyway we did - and he was so cool with it."

The actress, 27, did not elaborate on the details, but confirmed Meghan Markle's fiance can take a joke.

She said: "Prince Harry is so nice. England literally has the coolest royalty in the world."

She later cringed with embarrassment over the prank when she bumped into the royal in a photo booth at a party in London in 2016.

Prince Harry was wearing comedy spectacles, and was squeezed in with cousin Princess Eugenie, actress Sienna Miller, presenter Poppy Jamie and Delevingne as well as Robbie.

She said: "There were maybe five of us in this photo booth and I didn't realise until I was inside that one of the people was Prince Harry. He loved the booth though, I think he should get one for the wedding for sure."

--IANS

nn/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday told US President Donald Trump that she has "deep concern" at his decision to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum.

A Downing Street spokesperson said May had a telephone call with Trump earlier Sunday, in which May also said that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem.

"The Prime Minister raised our deep concern at the president's forthcoming announcement on steel and aluminum tariffs, noting that multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity in all parties' interests," the spokesperson said in a statement, Xinhua reported.

Trump has said he plans to slap a 25-percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum next week. He has also threatened to increase taxes on European cars if the EU retaliates against his steel and aluminum tariffs.

May's Cabinet Office minister, David Lidington, also rebuked Trump when speaking on BBC One's Sunday Politics program.

"I just think that the United States is not taking an advisable course in threatening a trade war," Lidington said.

Lidington suggested the American authorities could overrule any tariffs, as they did in the case of aircraft manufacturer Bombardier when the Trump administration threatened huge duties on its C-wing planes, but his plan won't work.

May and Trump also discussed the "appalling humanitarian situation" in Eastern Ghouta in Syria. They said that Russia and with influence over the Syrian government must act to cease their campaign of violence and to protect civilians.North Korea on Saturday urged the US to hold dialogue without any precondition.

A dialogue with Washington is possible, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement, Xinhua reported.

"It is the consistent and principled position of Pyongyang to resolve issues in a diplomatic and peaceful way through dialogue and negotiation," the Korean Central News Agency quoted the official as saying.

The spokesperson said North Korea wants dialogue "designed to discuss and resolve the issue of mutual concern on an equal footing between states."

"In the decades-long history of the North Korea-US talks, there has been no case at all where we sat with the US with any precondition, and this will be the case in future too," he said.

However, while Pyongyang intends to resolve issues in a diplomatic and peaceful way, it will "neither beg for dialogue nor evade the military option claimed by the US," he said.

Dismissing the United States putting denuclearization as a precondition for dialogue as "more than ridiculous", he claimed Washington is "terrified" at the rapid development of Pyongyang's nuclear force.

According to media reports, a high-level North Korea delegation in South Korea said last week that Pyongyang is leaving the door open for dialogue with the US.

However, Washington says it will not have dialogue with Pyongyang unless "a right condition is met" and will keep watching to see if Pyongyang has any intention to abandon its nuclear and missile program.

--IANS

ahm/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)(CNN)  A cold snap gripping Europe continued to take a toll into the weekend, with three more deaths reported in Poland.

The number of weather-related deaths in the country has risen to 18 since Monday, Anna Adamkiewicz of the Government Center for Security said Saturday.

Authorities in Mantua, Italy, said Saturday that a homeless person, described as a foreign citizen, 52, was found dead the previous evening.

Six people have also died in Spain, the Spanish Interior Ministry said Friday.

The frigid temperatures of the past few days are starting to ease in parts of the continent, however.

Warnings for wintry conditions remain in countries such as Ireland, Germany, Italy and Norway, according to Meteoalarm. But warnings for extreme low temperatures or snow and ice have been lifted in Hungary and Serbia.

Airports reopen

With the weather improving, some airports reopened Saturday after treacherous conditions had halted services the previous two days.

These include Dublin and Cork airports in Ireland as well as Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands and Switzerland's Geneva Airport. Passengers were warned their flights could be affected by the earlier disruption and cancellations.

In the United Kingdom -- where freezing winds from Siberia, dubbed the "Beast from the East," combined Friday with Storm Emma to bring additional snow and ice -- temperatures started to rise gradually Saturday.

The UK Met Office forecast more rain, sleet and snow but said conditions would ease in southern England. Warnings are still in place in parts of northern England, Wales and Northern Ireland for ice and in Scotland for snow.

London's Heathrow Airport said it is working to "deliver a near full schedule" Saturday, while London's Gatwick Airport said it is operating "a largely normal service with a small number of delays and cancellations."

Cardiff Airport in Wales and Edinburgh Airport in Scotland were also operating Saturday with some flight delays.

Many road and rail passengers continued to suffer disruption across the United Kingdom on Saturday.

Polar vortex disrupted

Much of Europe has been blanketed in snow this week, with rare falls of the icy stuff in the south of France, Spain and Italy.

The current cold snap was triggered by a disruption to the stratospheric polar vortex -- a doughnut of air 6,000 kilometers (3,800 miles) across that forms high up in the atmosphere above the Arctic Circle every winter, according to Simon Clark, a researcher of stratosphere-troposphere interactions in Bristol, England.

Now and again -- perhaps six times every decade -- the vortex gets split in two, a phenomenon known as sudden stratospheric warming.

The disruption allows icy Arctic air to spread farther south, often lowering temperatures across much of the Northern Hemisphere.

"That big mass of Arctic air -- which is normally trapped over the poles, so it's really freezing cold -- is then able to spill further south," Clark told CNN.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Europe's icy blast claims more lives."A sectoral approach could be a good way to increase the participation of women in the Indian workforce, industry chamber CII said on Sunday, while noting that greater female participation in the workforce would significantly boost the country's growth as also improve socio-economic conditions.

In the released research paper titled "Declining Female Labour Force Participation in India: Concerns, Causes and Policy Options", the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has examined the sectoral trends of women's participation in the labour force over the years and has identified manufacturing and services sectors that would attract female workers.

"Greater participation of women in the workforce is a double win-win situation as this would significantly boost India's growth prospects and also improve socio-economic conditions," CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee said in a statement here.

India has experienced a continuous decline, over the last two decades, in its Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR), which stood at only 27.4 per cent in 2015-16, as per data from the Fifth Annual Employment-Unemployment Survey (2015-16) published by the Labour Bureau.

Analysing data from various rounds of National Sample Survey, the CII report says that the proportion of women in the manufacturing sector is higher than that of men in both rural and urban areas.

"About 29 per cent of urban women are engaged in the sector as compared to 22 per cent of urban men. In rural areas, 9.8 per cent of women are engaged in the sector as compared to 8.1 per cent of men," a CII statement said.

"Manufacturing sub-sectors with high employment elasticity could be a major employment provider for women. Specifically, employment intensive sub-sectors such as textiles and apparel, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, electronics, etcetera, can offer good opportunities for women," it added.

According to the industry body, the services sector is a preferred choice for women, especially in urban areas, where 40 per cent of working women are engaged, compared to only 21 per cent of working men.

"Sub-sectors such as beauty and wellness, healthcare, IT and tourism have high potential for employing women as these are projected to grow and create more jobs," it said.

"Other upcoming sectors of interest for women include construction, communications, and financial services. Policies for boosting these sectors could encourage more women to enter the workforce."

"A key CII suggestion is to improve the health and nutrition of women through targeted health policies," Banerjee said.

"Skill training close to place of residence, access to finance, and digital and financial literacy are some of the other important recommendations," he added.

The report also emphasised the need for encouraging and facilitating women entrepreneurship, improving workplace conditions such as the provision of safe and inexpensive transport, clean washrooms, affordable childcare, equal pay, among others.

--IANS

bc/pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Goa unit on Sunday said it was incorrect to speculate about the health condition of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Parrikar, after one public appearance since February 15, has been hospitalised and is under medical care for ailments ranging from mild pancreatitis, dehydration and low blood pressure, according to official statements.

Addressing questions from the media for the first time about Parrikar's health since he was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on February 15, Goa BJP General Secretary Sadanand Shet Tanavade said: "When we met him, we spoke about organisational issues, he is routinely checking files, but he does not meet people, because doctors have advised him rest.

"We cannot indulge in detailed speculation. It is not right. It is not done to ask about personal life, is a wrong thing," he said.

Goa BJP President Vinay Tendulkar, who was also present at the press conference on Sunday, said it was only due to the prayers by Goans across communities and treatment by doctors, the Chief Minister could return briefly on February 22 and present the annual budget in the state legislative assembly.

"When he was admitted in Mumbai, at that time in Goa, Muslims, Hindus and Christians prayed for his health. Due to their prayers and efforts of doctors, on February 22, he came to Goa and he presented the Budget in the House," Tendulkar said.

Parrikar was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital on February 15, where according to the Chief Minister's Office, he was diagnosed for "mild pancreatitis".

The hospital, in a subsequent statement, while dismissing rumours about the Chief Minister's condition, had failed to specify the exact nature of his ailment.

Even as Parrikar was laid up at the Mumbai hospital, party workers and leaders in Goa were arranging 'Mahamrityunjay Jaap' (chants to defy death) session across the state, apart from organising prayer services in Goa's churches.

Parrikar returned on February 22 to deliver a truncated budget speech, two days after which he was shifted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital,near Panaji, for dehydration and low blood pressure.

He was discharged from the hospital on March 1 and has been recuperating at his private residence near Panaji.

Tanavade, however, told reporters that Parrikar was routinely checking government files and speaking to his cabinet colleagues from home and government business was unaffected.

--IANS

maya/pgh/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Batting for simultaneous elections, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday announced that his government will form a committee to discuss it.

Headed by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra, the committee will talk to all the political parties, voters and other people on the issue and then submit a comprehensive report to the government.

"In our country, elections are always taking place in some or the other part. Because of this, development work gets hampered," Chouhan told reporters here.

"That is why the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and the President (Ram Nath Kovind) have talked about holding all the elections simultaneously. The state government is also in favour of this."

The Chief Minister also expressed happiness on the Bharatiya Janata Party winning elections in the northeast.

--IANS

hindi-him/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump has praised his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for recently consolidating power and extending his potential tenure, musing that he would not mind making such a manoeuver himself, a media report said.

"He's now president for life. President for life. No, he's great," CNN quoted Trump as saying at speech to Republican donors in Florida on Saturday.

"And look, he was able to do that. I think it's great. Maybe we'll have to give that a shot some day."

Jinping came to power in 2012 and had been expected to rule until 2023, the Guardian reported.

However, last week it emerged that Xi would attempt to use an annual meeting of China's parliament, which begins on Monday morning, to abolish presidential term limits by changing the Chinese constitution.

However, Liberals have condemned the power grab.

Xing Hua, a Chinese scholar who agreed to be interviewed, claimed foreign journalists were "over-interpreting" and "over-emphasising" the move.

"I hope western media can view this proposal in a comprehensive and objective manner," Xing, from the China Institute of International Studies, a state-run think tank, told the Guardian.

However, western experts say they are convinced Xi's plan is to rule for many years to come.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump escalated threats of a trade war, saying he would slap a new tax on European cars if the EU retaliated against his proposed steel and aluminium tariffs, the media reported.

Trump on Thursday called for tariffs of 25 per cent on steel imports and 10 per cent on aluminium products, a move he said would bolster those industries domestically, reports CNN.

The announcement was met with strong criticism by international trading partners who said Trump's plan could spark a trade war. European Union officials said they would retaliate with new tariffs on US goods, including Harley-Davidson motorbikes, bourbon whiskey and Levi's jeans.

However, Trump fired back in a tweet on Saturday.

"If the EU (European Union) wants to further increase their already massive tariffs and barriers on US companies doing business there, we will simply apply a Tax on their Cars which freely pour into the US," he wrote.

"They make it impossible for our cars (and more) to sell there."

The US imported more than 1.2 million European cars from brands like BMW and Volkswagen in 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Trump's surprise vow to impose a new steel tariff rocked global markets. Economists have warned the tariffs could put US jobs and industries at risk, CNN reported.

Trump stoked further fears of international turmoil on Friday by claiming "trade wars are good" and "easy to win".

Trump also fired off a tweet on Saturday saying "very stupid" trade deals are holding America back.

"The US has an $800 Billion Dollar Yearly Trade Deficit because of our 'very stupid' trade deals and policies," he said.

"Our jobs and wealth are being given to other countries that have taken advantage of us for years. They laugh at what fools our leaders have been. No more!"

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A US Navy aircraft carrier will set anchor in Vietnam on Monday, for the first time since the end of the Vietnam War more than four decades ago, the media reported.

The four-day visit by the USS Carl Vinson and its contingent of 5,000 sailors and aviators has been deemed as a historic opportunity to enhance the budding friendship that has emerged between the two former foes, reports CNN.

The 95,000-tonne carrier is expected to anchor two nautical miles off the port of Da Nang, which was a key battleground during the war that ended in 1975.

Cultural exchanges, including culinary and sporting activities, will take place between some of the US military personnel on board and their Vietnamese counterparts.

Some US sailors will also visit a centre for victims of Agent Orange, the toxic chemical compound used by the US during the conflict to destroy jungle and forest.

US military ties with Vietnam have deepened since 2016, when former President Barack Obama lifted the decades-old embargo on US arms sales to the country as part of his Asia pivot, reports CNN.

Under President Donald Trump, military cooperation with Hanoi has continued.

Despite pulling the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a regional trade deal that Vietnam was a key part of, Trump has maintained strong ties with Hanoi.

In November 2017, Trump visited Vietnam as part of his inaugural Asia trip aimed at reassuring allies that the US was still committed to the region, and in January, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis also visited, laying the groundwork for this week's visit by the USS Carl Vinson.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that policies in the past had led to a feeling of alienation among the people of the northeast but his government has worked with success towards emotional integration of the region.

Modi, who was addressing a state-level Youth Convention in Karnataka, via video conference on the theme 'Youth Power: A vision for New India' said "radicalisation" can only be answered with "integration".

"We have taken a pledge for emotional integration of the northeast and have proven this," Modi said.

"The decisions and policies in the past have been such that it created a feeling of alienation among the people of the northeast. People felt cut off not only from development but from a sense of belonging.

"This feeling was also there due to other problems. Over the last four years, our decisions and policies tried to fill this gap, to address this sense of alienation."

The convention at Tumakuru in the poll-bound state was organised to mark the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Ashram to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's address in Chicago and to celebrate Sister Nivedita's 150th birth anniversary.

Modi said that the election results in three northeastern states -- Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland -- again created a festive atmosphere in the country after Holi and the "verdict in itself was a big change".

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scored an emphatic victory in Tripura, the party improved its performance in Nagaland and Meghalaya. The three states are poised to have National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments.

The Prime Minister said he was not looking at the results in terms of victory and defeat but said these were important because the whole country took part in the celebration of the verdict.

"Such occasions are few when an event of northeast becomes an event of the country. People of country sat in front of television according to their expectations as if they are part of the electoral battle."

"The temperament that the country has shown after the verdict in the northeast (it has shown to) every person in northeast that the entire country is connected to their feelings... this powerful message has been given," Modi said.

"For the country's unity, for 'One India-Best India', such feelings have immense power."

Modi said that an impression was created that Maoism and Left wing extremism prevails in areas inhabited by tribals and this was being used to keep them away from the mainstream so that divisive forces get strengthened.

"But results in Tripura have created a different example. The tribal brothers and sisters have voted one-sided for the BJP and rejected this of hate.

"The unprecedented support from the tribal communities in Tripura for NDA's development agenda has made me extremely happy. Integration is the answer to radicalisation. Togetherness is what drives nations towards growth and glory."

Modi said his government was making a determined effort to see that no part of the country feels disconnected from the mainstream and the entire country has to live the mantra of unity at every moment.

The Prime Minister said he tries to meet the youth as much as possible to understand their hopes and aspirations and work accordingly.

He said the youth should have a goal in life and should work for its fulfilment with full determination.

Noting that there was a united resolve at various levels to achieve independence during the freedom struggle, Modi said the youth should devote their energies to nation-building.

Referring to the youth of Karnataka, he recalled the government's efforts to enhance employment avenues for the youth and spoke of Mudra Yojana, self-employment and skill development.

The Prime Minister said that the youth today wish to learn from the past for a better present and future.

He said the focus of commemorations was Swami Vivekananda.

"Swami Vivekananda was a firm believer in the power of the youth. Together, we must fulfil his dreams and usher an era of development that is powered by the skills and strengths of young India," he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)SC: Arbitration clause must be specific

An arbitration clause in an agreement between two main parties cannot automatically be read into a sub-contract without a specific reference to it in the sub-contract, making the intention clear, said the in its judgment in the case Elite Engineering vs Techtrans Construction India.



In this case, the National Highway Authority of India had a concession agreement with TK Toll Ltd for construction a road from Coimbatore to Nagapattinam. The latter entrusted the work to Utility Energy Tech Ltd. It further entered into an agreement with Techtrans, which in turn floated a tender for the work and Elite Engineerings bid was accepted. A sub-contract was signed.

When disputes over payment arose between the sub-contractors at the end of the chain, Elite moved civil courts and the Madras High Court for the appointment of arbitrators. The High Court, however, maintained there was no arbitration clause in the contract between them. Elite argued that its sub-contract had adopted the main contract with an arbitration clause. The contention was rejected by the High Court and the

The judgment emphasised that the sub-contract referred only to technical details and not to arbitration. If the arbitration clause is incorporated in another contract, it should contain a clear reference to the documents containing the arbitration clause and the intention to incorporate it.

Essar objection to port expansion rejected

The has dismissed the appeal of Essar Bulk Terminal Ltd against the Gujarat governments notification expanding the limits of Hazira port. According to the firm, it had spent a lot on the reclamation of land nearby and the expansion would affect them. The Gujarat Maritime Board and the state government contended that the port had to be expanded because of the arrival of more vessels and the consequent increase in facilities. It was made in public interest. The Supreme Court accepted the contention and stated that the ownership of the reclaimed land was with the government and the maritime board, and therefore, there was no violation of the right to private property. Moreover, the alteration of the limits of the port cannot possibly be said to affect Essars rights with reference to the reclaimed land, which has been reclaimed illegally i.e. without prior permission under the Gujarat Maritime Board Act, the judgment said.

What is a brand name?

Affixing the details of a product on the package would not make it a declaration of the brand name. A brand name is used to enhance the value of the product. But if the information printed on the package is under compulsion of law, it could not be called a brand name, said the Supreme Court stated after discussing the meaning of brand name and allowing the appeals of jute manufacturers against the ruling of the Excise Appellate Tribunal (RDB Textiles vs CCE). The manufacturers sold bags to the Food Corporation of India and other state entities for the retail sale of foodgrain in the PDS. The excise authorities maintained that the details printed on the bags, like the date and place of manufacture and BIS certificate, amounted to brand name and therefore excise exemption was denied to the firms. The tribunal upheld that view. On appeal, the Supreme Court stated that by printing the bare details, which were compulsory under the Jute Control Order, would not make it a brand name.

IOL arbitrary in rejecting a bid

The Delhi High Court has stated the exclusion of Offshore Infrastructure Ltd in a tender floated by Indian Oil Corporation (IOL) was unfair and arbitrary. The court, while quashing the decision of the public-sector undertaking rejecting the bid, directed that it shall also be considered on merits. Tenders were invited for a package of projects in Andhra Pradesh. The offer of Offshore Infrastructure was rejected because it did not meet the technical standards. The firm alleged that IOL had not paid outstanding dues from a previous project and when it was pointed out, it was warned that if it continued to persist on those claims, its bids would face rejection. Allowing the petition, the High Court stated in the guidelines for the Contract Performance Evaluation that was used by IOL, there was apparent and glaring procedural irregularity. The bidder was also kept in the dark about the guidelines, among other things. Though courts would not interfere with the contractual matters, it could look into the procedure adopted to check whether it was fair, especially in the case of a government corporation.

Compensation should not deduct pension

The Bombay High Court has ruled that the pension received by a woman should not be taken into account while awarding compensation for the road accident death of her husband. In this case, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co vs Prabhavati, the woman was getting a pension as her deceased husband was a government servant. The insurer argued that to that extent, her loss of dependency was compensated. Therefore, the amount received as pension should be deducted from the compensation. The High Court, while awarding Rs 1 million, stated that the compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act is based on contractual liability while the payment of pension is a statutory obligation of the government. These two cannot be merged. Pension cannot be called a pecuniary advantage and deducted from the compensation package, the judgment said.

UCO Bank fined for frivolous litigation

The Supreme Court imposed a penalty of Rs 100,000 on public sector UCO Bank for unnecessarily litigating against an employee who had superannuated. He was dismissed on the eve of superannuation, denied pension and subsistence allowance, and the bank appealed three times when it lost its case in courts against him. He was not given a fair chance of defending himself during the departmental proceedings. The judgment also pointed the same bank had lost its case before the Supreme Court two times earlier on similar facts. By starving Rajendra Shankar, a former manager, of all financial sources, the bank, in fact, had denied him access to justice. Moreover, the charge sheet against him was filed seven years after the alleged misconduct. The Supreme Court observed that this inordinate and unexplained delay alone was cause enough to dismiss the charge sheet. The misconduct was that he issued a cheque for Rs 300,000 to his brother when he had only Rs 1,000 in his account. He later stopped payment of the cheque. The court observed that if there was any complaint, it should have been filed by his brother who was the payee.Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Sunday tendered his resignation to Governor Tathagata Roy, who asked him to continue in office till the next Chief Minister takes over, officials said.

"I have submitted my resignation to governor and he asked me to continue in office until the new Chief Minister took over the charge.

"I thank all the officials and security personnel who helped to conduct the elections peacefully," Sarkar told the media at the Raj Bhavan after submitting his formal resignation letter.

Sarkar, 69, put in his papers a day after the ruling Left Front dominated by his Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) suffered a humiliating defeat in the February 18 assembly elections by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance.

The BJP-IPFT coalition has swept the polls, the results of which were declared on Saturday, winning 43 of the 59 seats for which elections were held. The BJP secured 35 seats in the 60-member assembly while its ally IPFT, a tribal based party, has won eight seats.

Elections were held for 59 seats and countermanded in one (tribal reserve Charilam seat) following the death of a CPI-M candidate a week before the February 18 polls.

Chief Minister of Tripura for the past 20 years, Sarkar, who has been in the election fray for the past 37 years (since 1981), has been elected to the state assembly seven times -- in 1981 (by-polls), 1983, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2018.

In the February 18 polls, the CPI-M politburo member retained his Dhanpur (in western Tripura under Sepahijala district) assembly constituency for the fifth consecutive time.

The Left leader won the Dhanpur seat by a margin of 5,441 votes defeating BJP general secretary and woman leader Pratima Bhowmik in a multi-cornered contest.UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday credited the BJP's "historic" performance in north eastern states to "development-oriented" policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "organisational skills" of Amit Shah and said the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

He also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party. "After Rahul Gandhi donned the mantle of Congress chief, this is the fifth defeat for his ...The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has breached the last remaining Left fortress, Tripura. In Nagaland, it looks set to form the next government with its ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).

Although, at the moment, Meghalaya is moving towards a hung assembly, BJPs past records  in Manipur and Goa, it formed governments despite ending up in a minority  suggest that it shall leave no stone unturned to get to power. The larger message, of course, is that BJP can truly stake its claim to be the only national party of stature. If one does not count ...Meghalaya voters returned a hung Assembly on Saturday, with the ruling Congress emerging as the single largest party with 21 seats in the 60-member house, 10 shorts of the 31 seats needed to retain power.

"It is a fractured mandate. Now it is a question of looking at people who would like to look at common agenda acceptable to the state's people and come together," outgoing Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told IANS.

Sangma, retained Ampati seat for the sixth consecutive term and unseated two-time People's Party (NPP) candidate Nihim D. Shira in Songsak.

Asked if the Congress had sent feelers to other parties and independents to form the new government, Sangma said: "All parties have gone on their own and the regional parties have not shown any pre-poll alliance either with the Bharatiya Janata Party or the NPP."

The Congress has already parachuted its two senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Mukul Wasnik to try and form the new government in Meghalaya.

The NPP -- an ally of the BJP at the Centre, Rajasthan and Manipur -- emerged as the second largest party with 19 seats and is likely to join hands with the non-Congress parties.

NPP President Conrad K.

Sangma, who has arrived in Shillong, is expected to meet leaders of regional and otehr parties -- United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People's Democratic Party (HSPDP), People's Democratic Front (PDF), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Khun Hyniewtrep Awakening Movement (KHNAM) to seek their support to form the non-Congress government.

The UDP and HSPDP, which stitched a pre-poll alliance, won only six and two seats respectively, while the newly floated People's Democratic Front won four.

The BJP won two seats and the NCP and KHNAM one seats each, besides three independents. ALSO READ: Northeast win gives Modi-Shah push for Lok Sabha fight, Congress-mukt India

"The regional alliance will be meeting this evening and decide the next course of action," UDP leader Metbah Lyngdoh, who retained Mairang seat for the third consecutive term, told IANS.

Accepting the People's mandate, HSPDP supremo Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said the regional alliance will take a decision when it meets.

BJP General Secretary in charge of Meghalaya affairs, Nalin Kohli, refused to divulge details, only saying that the people's verdict was against the Congress.

Prominent winners include Public Works Department Minister Martin Danggo, Information and Technology minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, Excise Minister Zenith Sangma, Social Welfare Minister, Clement Marak and Chief Minister Mukul Sangma's wife Dikanchi D. Shira of the Congress.

Leader of Opposition and UDP chief Donkupar Roy retained Shella seat for the seventh consecutive term, James Sangma retained Dadenggre seat for the third consecutive term, James' youngest sister and former Union Minister Agatha Sangma and former Meghalaya Rajya Sabha member Thomas Sangma also won elections as NPP nominees.

Prominent losers include Home Minister Horju Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh, Public Health Engineering Minister Celestine Lyngdoh, Urban Affairs Minister Ronnie V. Lyngdoh, HSPDP chief Artdent Miller Basaiawmoit and UDP Working President Paul Lyngdoh.The victories of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in three states of the Northeast would help it not only in achieving its ambition of a Congress-mukt (free) India but also to counter the law of diminishing returns it fears it might face in other regions of the country in the Lok Sabha elections next year.

Party strategists are aware it might not be able to repeat its performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, especially in its traditionally strong bases in the north and the west, in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and ...Three children have died in Pakistan's Sindh province after they were administered expired vaccines for measles, officials said today.

The deaths were reported at the Peoples University Medical Hospital in Nawabshah district yesterday.

The children who expired hours after allegedly being administered the vaccines were identified as Husnain Brohi, 5, Hania Noor, 6, and a nine-month-old Qamar Din, they said.

Three other children aged below five years were still hospitalised and said to be unconscious after being given the same vaccine, a health official said.

Health authorities and doctors said samples have been collected from the children for testing as the vaccines were administered by a woman health worker.

"We have started an inquiry into the matter," the official said.

Parents of Hania Noor claim that a lady health worker visited their home yesterday and administered the anti-measles vaccines despite them protesting.

"Their condition started deteriorating shortly afterward and we rushed them to the hospital," one of the parents said.

They were later shifted to PUMH, but a lack of immediate medical attention led to three of the six children losing their lives, the parent claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Syrian regime air strikes on the besieged rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus killed more than 30 civilians including children, a monitoring group said.

"Thirty-four civilians were killed in regime strikes and rockets on Eastern Ghouta," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, adding that 11 of the victims were children.

Rahman also said 26 of the people killed were in Ghouta's main town of Douma and its eastern suburb.

The regime's air strikes, artillery fire and rocket attacks on Ghouta over the past 15 days have left more than 690 civilians dead, according to SOHR.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said yesterday his forces must push on with their campaign to retake Eastern Ghouta from rebels, despite mounting international calls to end the bloodshed.

Assad's forces have seized over a quarter of the enclave on Damascus's eastern edges after two weeks of devastating bombardment, according to SOHR.

As the United States, Britain and France stepped up pressure on Damascus and Moscow to call off the assault, the United Nations said it plans to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to Eastern Ghouta's residents.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The police today arrested 10 persons including nine women after 800 pouches of country made liquor were seized from them in Munger district of Bihar, a dry state.

Additional Superintendent of Police Hari Shankar Prasad said the arrests and seizure were made in Rishikund under Bariyarpur police station area.

Each woman was carrying a bag containing 80 pouches of 200 ML, he said adding that the market value of 800 pouches of country made liquor is estimated to be around Rs 1.20 lakh.

Consumption and sale of liquor were banned in Bihar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The vibrant colours of Holi may have settled down, leaving revellers with happy memories, but the harassment of many of Delhi's women, especially those who have moved to the city from elsewhere, has left behind scars that refuse to fade.

In the run-up to Holi this year, there were complaints from women that they had been attacked with balloons filled with semen.

The first such attack that gained eyeballs was flagged by Lady Shri Ram College student Tolino Chishi, who wrote about being attacked before Holi on her social media profile.

Chishi, who is from the Northeast, recalled how she was harassed on the streets of Delhi. She was in a rickshaw when a balloon filled with some kind of liquid hit her hard.

It hit me on the hip where it burst open, its content seeping into my dress," she said.

On March 1, another student, Ghazala Rasheed -- originally from Patna and now in Delhi -- related on her social media page an incident of Holi harassment.

"I'll never forget this in my life. Today a bunch of ruffians attacked me and my friend ...with water balloons on our face," she wrote.

Her left ear was hurt, her nose started bleeding and face swelled up, Rasheed wrote.

"When my friend called the police they were reluctant (to help)," she said.

It's not that women who are long-time residents of Delhi are spared such violent balloon attacks. But many who have come to the city in recent years are new to being harassed in public in the garb of a festival.

And several of them have been protesting in public or on the social media about such acts.

Students of Delhi colleges also took out protest marches last week on Holi hooliganism.

Avidha from Kolkata complained that she was hit with a balloon filled with semen on the day before the festival, which was on March 2 this year.

"Though I did not go for a medical test, the contents of the balloon that burst on my dress were sticky. It was disgusting," she said.

Purnima (name changed) recalled how she was attacked by a group of men. The first year student of Daulat Ram College, who came to Delhi from Madhya Pradesh, said she was suddenly bombarded with balloons.

"Then the gang grinned at us and went away saying, "Bura na mano holi hai (don't mind, it's Holi). The balloon really hurt me," she said.

Purnima said she called a women's helpline number.

"But they just responded by consoling us," she said.

Another student, Gouri (name changed), said she was shocked to get an indifferent response from a woman who lived in a house in Amar Colony from where balloons were thrown at her.

"Just like we cannot stop people from burning crackers during Diwali, we cannot stop people from throwing balloons during Holi," the woman resident was seen telling Gouri in a video which the student shared with PTI.

Delhi University student Shalu Mishra, who was among those attacked in the Amar Colony incident, however, said the attackers did not look out for migrant students.

"It does not matter if it is a local or migrant. Its not a gender crime either, as some women also attack others," she said.

It has to be hammered into people's heads that they cannot fling balloons at people, she said.

"There is need for sensitisation. People have to stop doing this not just because it's a crime, but because it is wrong," Mishra said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today led an all women's cycle rally to highlight the capability of women to provide security, stability and progress in every field of activity.

Commencing the rally from Raj Nivas, Bedi, accompanied by women police constables and officers, volunteers of women's wing of the NCC and NSS and girl students of various educational institutions, pedalled about 12 kms through main thoroughfares spreading the message of capability of women.

The rally was part of the programmes drawn up by her ahead of celebration of the International Women's Day, an official release said.

The rally would be followed by various events to thank the women who were contributing in their own way to establish a prosperous Puducherry and clean Puducherry, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The West Bengal BJP today said the party will effect a change in Bengal, much like it did in Tripura, where it scripted history by ending 25 years of uninterrupted rule of the CPI(M)-led Left Front.

"When some BJP supporters were killed in Tripura, people changed the mandate in that state. In Bengal, many more of our supporters have been killed and injured, and their properties destroyed. BJP will bring a similar change in this state," West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh told a press conference here.

Ghosh said "nepotism, corruption and political violence" is rampant in the state, and there is no place for violence in politics.

The West Bengal BJP president was addressing party workers in Aamtala in South 24 Parganas district.

The BJP-IPFT combine yesterday won the Tripura Assembly polls with two-third majority. The BJP and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura won 43 seats. The CPI(M) won 16 seats and the Congress none.

The elections in 59 seats in the 60-member Assembly were held on February 18.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Terming its drubbing in the Tripura assembly polls as temporary, the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala today alleged that BJP's victory in that state was due to the 'influence of their power at the Centre.'



CPI(M) state secretary Kodeyeri Balakrishnan said at Kannur that there would be victory and defeat in elections in a democracy.

The CPI(M) was not a party that would "over celebrate" an electoral victory or plunge into despair during a loss, the polit bureau member said and expressed confidence that the Left party would make a comeback in that state.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said BJP's win in Tripura was a setback not only to the Left, but also to the secular and democratic forces in the country as a whole.

In a Facebook post, he said reasons for the party's setback would be examined and necessary steps taken.

Vijayan said BJP managed the victory using the "influence of their power at the Centre and pumping money." The saffron party also made unholy nexus with separatists.

It was also to be noted that the Congress that captured 36.5 per cent votes during the last polls had gone to BJP this time, Vijayan said.

He pointed out that CPI(M) secured 42.7 per cent votes by overcoming all types of 'political machinations' of BJP in that state. BJP had unleashed violence against Left cadres in Tripura after its victory, he alleged.

Former Chief Minister and veteran party leader V S Achuthanandan said that the party's defeat in the Tripura should be viewed with utmost seriousness.

"The CPI(M)'s setback in Tripura should be viewed with utmost seriousness" and urged the party leadership to join hands with secular forces to fight the sangh parivar.

The country was facing serious challenges. The Congress, which had ruled for decades in the post-independence period, had become "weaker now," the 94-year-old Marxist veteran said in a statement here.

The Left parties, which ruled West Bengal and Tripura, were also "weak," Achutanandan, who supported the party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury's line of having an understanding with Congress to fight the BJP, said.

As the Left parties had no strength now to fight and defeat the sangh parivar forces on its own, a tactical move with secular forces was necessary, he said.

Senior party leader and state Minister A K Balan alleged that the saffron party had "misused" money and power at the Centre for their victory in the north eastern state, which had been considered as the fortress of the Left party.

BJP's win was a challenge to democracy and the national integrity, Balan told reporters at Kasaragod district.

"BJP's victory in Tripura was the sabotage of democracy. What happened there was not the people's mandate," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and union ministers had camped in the small state before elections, he said, adding, that the saffron party had even joined hands with "separatists" for the poll victory.

Senior CPI(M) leader M V Jayarajan said in a Facebook post that BJP's win in Tripura was the result of money power and the "unholy alliance with terror groups."



Jayarajan, also the private secretary of Vijayan, alleged that Congress leaders and its cadres had moved towards BJP.

He also said that the poll result of Tripura should not be viewed lightly and all patriots have the responsibility to check and isolate any effort of the 'communal forces' gaining strength in the country.

Senior polit bureau member M A Baby told PTI that the defeat of the party was "unexpected" but "we respect the verdict of the people."



However, he said though the 25 years-old Left government had been defeated, "we still have over 35 per cent vote share, which is a substantial section of Tripura voters."



"However, there is a decline of 6-7 per cent vote share of the Left front. It is a concern...how the erosion has taken place and why this happened will be dispassionately examined by the party in Tripura and the national leadership," he said.

Baby, a former state minister, said most of the votes of Congress and its allies had shifted to BJP.

He said the failure of Congress to hold on their influence was a primary reason for BJP's victory. However this did not belittle the setbacks suffered by the Left, he said.

BJP and its state ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura, are set to form the next government in Tripura, after securing a majority in the 60-member assembly in the February 18 election.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The bodies of two youths, who went missing on Friday at Gopalpur beach, were recovered today, police said.

The bodies were found floating around 2km away from the Gopalpur Port, a senior police officer said.

"About 16 students of two private colleges in Berhampur town had gone to the seas after Holi celebrations on Friday. Of them, four went missing," the officer said.

The local people immediately alerted the police and managed to rescue one the students with the help of fishermen, he said.

Later on Friday, a team of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force personnel fished out one of the bodies, even as two others remained missing.

"After an intense search for about 72 hours, the ODRAF personnel, fire service officials and police officers finally recovered the bodies of the other two missing students today near Gopalpur Port," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A suspected key figure in the deadly Burkina Faso attacks has been arrested, a government source said today.

Saying the person held could be "one of the brains" behind Friday's attacks, the source told AFP there were "very strong suspicions" that "army infiltrators" had passed information to the assailants for the coordinated attacks in the capital claimed by GSIM, a jihadist group allied to al-Qaeda.

Today saw further unrest when one person was shot dead after three people attempted to storm a roadblock in the early hours near the presidential compound, a government source told AFP.

Two of the trio managed to flee the scene but the third was arrested and gunned down after attempting to seize the weapon of a guard, the source said.

The suspect in custody was arrested several hours after Friday's twin attacks on the French embassy and the country's military HQ in the capital Ouagadougou saw seven soldiers killed, the source. That was a new toll after eight had been declared dead.

The source added that nine assailants were killed, one more than previously reported. At least 80 people were injured.

The government has said the attack on the military HQ was a suicide car bombing and that a regional anti-terrorism meeting may have been the intended target.

Visiting the HQ on Saturday, Prime minister Paul Kaba Thieba said he saw "apocalyptic scenes" and condemned "with the utmost severity this terrorist attack, cowardly, which attacks our country, once again, which sows death, unnecessary destruction".

GSIM, which has admitted responsibility for previous attacks in the troubled Sahel region, claimed to have carried out the twin attacks, in a message cited by Mauritania's Al-Akhbar agency.

The group said the Ouagadoudou attacks were a response to the deaths of some of its leaders "in a French army raid in northern Mali two weeks ago," the agency reported.

According to French military sources, some 20 jihadists were "killed or captured" on that occasion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A pet cat brought from a Gulf country was detained at the International Airport here as it was not the recommended route for it to travel, a top Customs official said here today.

An Indian couple travelling from Jeddah on March 2 on Saudia Airlines had brought the cat along with them.

The animal was seized and detained by the Customs sleuths as it was not a recognised route for importing the pets, Customs Commissioner Sumit Kumar told PTI here.

The official said Saudia Airlines was asked to send the cat back to Jeddah as the couple had not carried documents necessary for bringing a pet to India.

"Import of pets is only allowed after production of required health certificate from the country of origin and examination by our animal quarantine office," he said.

Besides, Kochi International Airport is not a route for bringing pets as it does not have a quarantine facility, the official said.

"Import of pets is allowed only at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad Airports which have animal quarantine facility," Kumar said.

The seizure was subject to adjudication, payment of fine and penalty, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Cedric the Entertainer is set to star in and executive produce the CBS multi-camera comedy pilot "Welcome to the Neighborhood".

The project follows the nicest guy in the Midwest, who moves his family into a tough neighbourhood in LA where not everyone appreciates his extreme neighbourliness. The show was formerly known as "Here Comes the Neighborhood".

Cedric whose real name is Cedric Antonio Kyles, will play Calvin, the next door neighbour to the Johnson family, whom he regards with disdain and as a pack of interlopers, reported Variety.

Jim Reynolds will write and executive produce the pilot.

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